Hesitating a moment more, Eve drew back a step, flipped the rifle to Inactive, and then expertly popped out the power pack. Letting the rifle butt drop down on Mort’s stomach, she then tossed the power pack to the sergeant.
“I’ll bet he shoots blanks anyway,” Eve said, striding quickly away. The soldiers roared out once more, making no move to stop her.
Running down the Promenade, bags trailing behind her, Eve angrily wiped away her remaining tears. The time for sentimentality was done. She had a job to do.
***
EVE SPENT THE next few days getting settled in at Venter University, located in New Colorado, a few thousand miles from Blasaria. Situated in a veritable geological theme park of immense mountains, plunging ravines, and broad coastline, Venter had long been recognized as one of the galaxy’s leading institutions for the study of fine minerals.
New Colorado also boasted the richest dynate lode ever discovered in the history of mankind, formerly supplying dozens of systems. Now the superb Rydian stock, essential for interstellar space travel, was being shipped exclusively to the Gandian home world.
While conditions seemed to improve somewhat outside of the capital city, Eve seethed at the harsh occupation imposed on her native planet. Gandian storm troopers were stationed in every car of the hypertram she’d taken from Blasaria, hassling Rydian citizens on the slightest pretext. Before leaving the station, several people had been thrown off the tram entirely, having failed to produce the proper “papers” when asked.
Though Eve had known nothing of this requirement, her Off-World Identification Pass apparently also doubled as travel authorization. Incredible as it seemed, aliens now had more lawful freedom to move about the planet than native Rydians did.
Venter University itself, though, was almost entirely free of the Gandian yoke. Clearly the occupation authorities had little interest in Rydian education, perceiving no threat in the docile professors and tame student body.
In fact, Venter looked much as it had when she’d visited nearly fifteen years before as a young girl. Strolling about the magnificent mountain-top campus, snow clad peaks falling off to humid beaches down below, it was almost easy to pretend the invasion had never occurred.
It was a relatively pleasant week, and Eve enjoyed firmly settling into her cover as a graduate student. But for the war it might well have been the life she’d naturally chosen. Everyone was very friendly, and she was quickly subsumed into a typical student routine.
Being an Off-World student, unaccustomed to the libertine Rydian ways, Eve could plausibly keep her eager male schoolmates at bay for a little while. As expected, though, her program supervisor almost immediately invited her over to his sumptuous home. A distinguished man in his mid-50's, Professor Hanson had thoroughly probed her knowledge of fine minerals over dinner, followed by coffee and Rodasia leaves in his luxuriant zero-gravity hot tub.
The next morning, while still in bed, he’d outlined a proposed course of study. Later on they enjoyed breakfast on a detached veranda gently drifting over the high mountain peaks. Eve had been genuinely touched by the Professor’s attentiveness, responding politely to his goodbye kiss.
Her appointment with Peter, though, was fast approaching. Opening the decorative stone on her necklace one night (the very same necklace the Gandian guard had inspected at the space station), Eve extracted a tiny, precious spec of dynate. A shady character in town gave her 10 million rydals for it the next day, assuming, no doubt, she’d taken it from the University. Though no such theft had actually occurred, the fence should keep his mouth shut for fear of getting caught with stolen goods.
Saturday morning, after procuring a few items needed for the next stage of the mission, she’d set off once more for Blasaria.
The meet would take place in the
“I’ll bet he shoots blanks anyway,” Eve said, striding quickly away. The soldiers roared out once more, making no move to stop her.
Running down the Promenade, bags trailing behind her, Eve angrily wiped away her remaining tears. The time for sentimentality was done. She had a job to do.
***
EVE SPENT THE next few days getting settled in at Venter University, located in New Colorado, a few thousand miles from Blasaria. Situated in a veritable geological theme park of immense mountains, plunging ravines, and broad coastline, Venter had long been recognized as one of the galaxy’s leading institutions for the study of fine minerals.
New Colorado also boasted the richest dynate lode ever discovered in the history of mankind, formerly supplying dozens of systems. Now the superb Rydian stock, essential for interstellar space travel, was being shipped exclusively to the Gandian home world.
While conditions seemed to improve somewhat outside of the capital city, Eve seethed at the harsh occupation imposed on her native planet. Gandian storm troopers were stationed in every car of the hypertram she’d taken from Blasaria, hassling Rydian citizens on the slightest pretext. Before leaving the station, several people had been thrown off the tram entirely, having failed to produce the proper “papers” when asked.
Though Eve had known nothing of this requirement, her Off-World Identification Pass apparently also doubled as travel authorization. Incredible as it seemed, aliens now had more lawful freedom to move about the planet than native Rydians did.
Venter University itself, though, was almost entirely free of the Gandian yoke. Clearly the occupation authorities had little interest in Rydian education, perceiving no threat in the docile professors and tame student body.
In fact, Venter looked much as it had when she’d visited nearly fifteen years before as a young girl. Strolling about the magnificent mountain-top campus, snow clad peaks falling off to humid beaches down below, it was almost easy to pretend the invasion had never occurred.
It was a relatively pleasant week, and Eve enjoyed firmly settling into her cover as a graduate student. But for the war it might well have been the life she’d naturally chosen. Everyone was very friendly, and she was quickly subsumed into a typical student routine.
Being an Off-World student, unaccustomed to the libertine Rydian ways, Eve could plausibly keep her eager male schoolmates at bay for a little while. As expected, though, her program supervisor almost immediately invited her over to his sumptuous home. A distinguished man in his mid-50's, Professor Hanson had thoroughly probed her knowledge of fine minerals over dinner, followed by coffee and Rodasia leaves in his luxuriant zero-gravity hot tub.
The next morning, while still in bed, he’d outlined a proposed course of study. Later on they enjoyed breakfast on a detached veranda gently drifting over the high mountain peaks. Eve had been genuinely touched by the Professor’s attentiveness, responding politely to his goodbye kiss.
Her appointment with Peter, though, was fast approaching. Opening the decorative stone on her necklace one night (the very same necklace the Gandian guard had inspected at the space station), Eve extracted a tiny, precious spec of dynate. A shady character in town gave her 10 million rydals for it the next day, assuming, no doubt, she’d taken it from the University. Though no such theft had actually occurred, the fence should keep his mouth shut for fear of getting caught with stolen goods.
Saturday morning, after procuring a few items needed for the next stage of the mission, she’d set off once more for Blasaria.
The meet would take place in the
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