[h1]Eos[/h1]

A gentle warm light shone from the ceiling above. Looking up at it, Levi felt a light reminiscent of a sun's warmth. Though in it's pure yellow-white glow he realized that there wouldn't be any risk of skin-cancer sitting at the desk just underneath it. Looking down, he starred out over the empty office desk as he sat waiting through a window that looked out over the human capital city on the alien world of Eos. It was a world far-flung from what was Earth, or as he was told. Jutting up through even the heart of the old colonial city rose giant pillars of banded red and orange rock. The granite peaks were topped off at their crowns with a bushy head of scruffy green foliage and twisted trees with a bark resembling a sponge. Bulbous vines fell down the sides, but did nothing to reach the bottom of the truly monolithic columns.

The city itself – as far as he could see – was a organized network of grid-laid streets and aerial thoroughfares where autonomous taxis carted the citizens to and from their origin and their destination, and back again. Or to another destination as it could most often be. In parts there was a great uniformity of metallic structures that became a static-noise on the landscape. But brooding over these in others still rose great monolith pyramidal structures. Their size rendered black glass windows like particles of dust on their chrome, pillared faces of the greater structure. They were only visible from the different sheen they took compared against the more mirror-like face of the massive oligarchical offices that dotted the city landscape.

At each tip of these maybe dozen monoliths sat a crowning structure, each different from each other and each some chic recreation of something reminiscent of back home. Palatial mansions separated from the city and populace as a whole except through their strictly controlled airspace. This was clear from the wide area of emptiness that stood between them and the general traffic that littered the alien afternoon air.

To set the whole scene in scale, a giant freighter slipped gently by through the near distance. A spartan block of darkened metal with only structural features to cut up its bland appearance it parted the commuter traffic like Moses through the Red Sea. It was a true leviathan in the city's airspace, groaning as it gently hovered through the air on the way to the space-port not far from Levi's position. But even for its size it did not fill the window it was observed from. Easily, the pyramids behind it could even rise up over its visage as a taunting reminder of who were the lords here. And the natural pillars of rock and stone surpassed even those. It was a dramatic landscape cut in an even more dramatic world. A world that humans did not belong to, but regardless imposed their will on several times over.

Levi had seen greater modesty elsewhere.

Levi Baum himself was a middle-aged with a healthy criminal backstory. To have someone as wanted as he by the Space Police to be sitting in an office within their races' new homeworld was an astounding feet of fate to say the least. He was hardly unrecognizable either in the street.

Widely built with a once handsome face, he stood tall over most men. His hair was a waxy brown that rose in a half-tamed mottled nest atop his head, going every which way and that. A scar cut across his wide angular cheek bones from a knife-fight with another man. And an explosive accident while he himself was once in the military had claimed his right arm, which had long since been replaced by an acceptable prosthetic. Acceptable if because while it was not made to be dressed in human skin to hide the fact it all the same worked just as well, if not better.

Impatiently he tapped his fingers on the dark mahogany desk he sat waiting at. It was an old piece of furniture, probably imported from someone's private collection on Earth before it was destroyed long ago. It sported a highly polished surface which turned the rich wood an almost blood-red that reflected its surroundings with a mirror quality. Levi leaned over to look at himself, and to scratch at a red pimple that had sprouted up along the edge of his sharp curved nose. He worked at it with his prosthetic hand until it peeled away from his skin, and he scrapped the remains off underneath his chair.

He had been kept waiting in this office for awhile. He was sure at this point it was a ploy to enforce some sort of authority on the former military captain-gone-rogue. It wouldn't be hard to imagine, he was once kept waiting eight hours by his sector commander to personally deliver a report. Somehow this ploy suggested that higher men had a way with the lower ranks by suggesting their schedules did not revolve around them. It annoyed him, but he had become far too used to it to be angered by it anymore; even in the underworld pretentious men sometimes executed this tactic. It was really a miracle anything got done.

In his waiting, Levi had taken to examining the contents of the office. It was rich, well decorated. Not lavish like some he imagined would be. Especially on those islands perched atop those pyramids that he could see through the window, or so he imagined. There was a clock with a digital face, really more of a placard that hung on the wall to his left, slim and invisible with its nearly all-glass construction. There were also digital screens hanging on the wall showing rotating side-shows of people, places, and things. A computer screen so thin it was almost nonexistent hung in the corner playing a muted stream of news, Levi didn't care for it.

What he did care to eye greedily though was a small square disk that sat on the corner of the desk, perched atop a magazine-thin tablet computer. Almost hanging off the corner. His eyes had turned to that disc wondering what codes, or information it might have. Having long excused himself of legal civility he found himself holding back the urge to grab it and sneak it into one of his pockets. No one would know, it was for sure small enough it would be difficult to tell he had lifted anything, by the time they realized it was gone, he would have left.

He also hadn't signed any formal agreements that might possible cause a conflict of interest after.

That thought ended the silent debate and he leaned forward and swiftly 'borrowed' the forgotten diskette and slipped it into his pants pocket. Not more than several seconds after the door to the office opened up and in stepped a well suited, balding Caucasian man.

“Excuse me, Mr. Baum.” he spoke softly, like he was afraid to offend, “I've had a terribly busy schedule as of yet.”

“As I can imagine.” the pirate smiled, giving a polite smile as he dismissed his excuse. The man continued on as he took a seat.

“Our esteemed government has had its hands tied trying to wrangle the Nemesis issue and maintain peace and order,” he continued, “and trying to find a suitable officer to carry out its mission in its absence.”

“That's what I'm here about.” Levi said, his voice was calm with an air of confidence. Though there was a rough rattling deep down like loosened mechanical parts that vibrated just enough to be heard if one listened. He coughed lightly and he leaned in.

“Excuse me?” the man asked, almost absent-minded as he opened up the tablet computer, oblivious to the missing data disc that had been just there. Perhaps he didn't know he got it.

“The Nemesis.” Levi said, “I came here on appointment to discuss returning it.”

“Oh yes!” the man beamed, suddenly reminded, “That's right. Forgive me.” he murmured apologetically as the tablet booted and he punching away at holographic keys.

“So,” he began, “certain captains that were wanted by the state can find reprieve while on the hunt for The Nemesis, as I'm sure you were told. While you are on contract to seek the lost Battlecruiser you are temporarily forgiven of all crimes and illegal activities as you are wanted for, giving you legal immunity towards arrest so you can invest your resources and skills into finding and capturing the Nemesis.

“However, permanent forgiveness will not be offered until you actually return the Nemesis itself. The terms are very simple, are we clear?” he asked.

“We are certainly.” Levi confirmed, smiling, “Though if I'm to be of any worth on this mission then I'm going to require some information on Nemesis before I go after it.” he requested, “Certainly, going to steal-back something so unknown is a folly move.”

“Mhm,” the bureaucrat acknowledged weakly, “I can't rightly send you much, but I can send your ship's data-officer a relevant data-packet if it'll help you.” he offered diplomatically.

Levi was cynical immediately of the helpfulness of this, the way it was offered seemed prepared. Like whoever was charged in organizing this had anticipated it. There was no asking of what Levi wanted to see. It was much too straight to the point. Yet in the balding man's boyishly round face he imagined there was no argument of discussion of the fact, he beheld the captain – as much as the request – with a visibly stoic and unyielding expression. He had no choice as far as he could tell but to surrender to the fact. “It would be appreciated.” he said.

The man nodded his head, and punched in a few commands on his tablet. “Very well.” he said, “I just sent it to your ship, it'll be ready to read as soon as you leave.”

“Thank you.” Levi said.

“Beyond information, I am permitted to say we will be offering a limited amount of material help. If you need to restock on anything or to re-fuel, report to any sector commanders and offer them your service code. You'll be cleared to receive the necessary provisions to pursue and engage the Nemesis as deemed fit.”

“And those codes?”

“Will be sent to you as soon as you comply.” the bureaucrat acknowledged.

“I see. Do we get anything else from Eos?”

“Not unless we deem it fit.” answered the bureaucrat flatly. “If there are any changes we will contact you. Furthermore on this mission if you find any information that might lead to the possible location of the Nemesis, you are highly encouraged to send it to us immediately. Are we clear?”

“You are.” said Levi.

The man nodded, and turned the tablet around to him. The screen shone a simply black face with a round circle in the middle. “If you comply then simply press your thumb in the circle provided and be registered.” the man said as an order.

Levi nodded, and reached out to the screen. The circle glowed a bright iridescent blue as he was scanned. With a sing-song note it dinged like a chime on a microwave and it was done. The man turned the tablet around and said smiling, “Congratulation Mr. Baum, you are in the service of the Government of Eos. Good luck in the hunt.”

____________

Levi Baum stepped out into the hall, relieved to be back on his feet and on the move. Further, it didn't seem the missing disc had registered at all. But while he was done with the talks, starting up this job wasn't done yet. Reaching into his pocket he pulled out a small microphone the size of a dime from the front pocket of his dull-orange vest and placed it into his ear. With the press of a button it hummed to life and he spoke. “Call Red.” he said into thin air.

The hallway he walked down was sterile and the air lingered with the subtle smell of sanitation. It was far too clean and there was an almost iodine-like taste in the back of his throat as he walked down the blue-carpeted halls. The walls themselves were a regular march of doors, mirrored surfaces, and television screens playing muted video and slide-show as sub-titles in three different languages flashed across the bottom and side of the screens. He could read two of them and he idly read a little of each as he walked by.

“Hey buddy, this is Red.” a voice spoke into his ear as clear as it would be if he was right next to it. It held a hopeful charm that sing-songed as it spoke.

“Red, you got a data packet in?” Levi asked as he walked over to the elevators.

“Sure did. Need me to open it?” he asked.

“Yeah, do so on the isolated network in case anything happens though.” Levi asked as he pushed a button, one that was so finely integrated into the wall it was camouflaged against the rest of the panel surface. If it wasn't for the “ground floor” writing above it then one would think there was nothing there. But a white fluorescent light glowed through the panel when it activated.

Opening something from Eos and the Oligarchs Levi felt would be the safest path of action when dealing with them. When he was a captain in planetary security it wasn't rare to carry out getting a suspect to download a worm inadvertently so they could spy on him. He assumed that the Oligarchs would be looking for a way to remotely monitor them.

“Done.” Red said through the headset.

“What's in it?” Levi asked.

“Am I looking for anything in particular?”

“Just the general content.” Levi said as he waited.

“Alright, give me a moment.” there was a pause that lasted several minutes, as it ended the elevator doors opened up and Levi stepped inside with a small blonde woman. “All read  up.” Red said.

“Good, what's in it. Not much I guess, you didn't take long.” said Levi, jumping seamlessly to Vietnamese.

It was a very minority language now, and he doubted the office worker he shared the elevator ride with wouldn't know. Her quizzically confused look up at him only confirmed his suspicions.

It took Red a minute to re-adjust, but he managed to catch the language shift and decipher it. “It's basically a re-written version of the Eosian summons for captains to seek out the Nemesis.” he said, “Why do you ask?”

“Because I asked for information at the meeting.” Levi said, maintaining his Vietnamese, “The guy said he sent a packet in, I wanted to know what it was about. I didn't think he was up to arguing over specifics.”

“Well there's no specifics in here.” Red reported, “At best it says it's a ship far superior to any Battlecarrier we got. It doesn't provide an index or armament. It also gives us Admiral Iosif Vranas and his face, but I'm sure we all know that.

“At the end of the day, they gave us nothing.”

“As I suspected.” Levi said. It was probably the same thing they gave any would-be bounty-hunter. As he rode down he figured every would-be hick with a weapon on his ship would be off to Nuevo Arauco  to pick up a trail. He turned to look out the glass siding of the elevator as he rode it down the outer edge of the office building.

The lower city rose up to meet him slowly. The offices were a massive affair, he wondered how much of it was for show. But the city around its base for more dressed up than the inner slums and residencies.

A huge square lay open below him, complete with parks that stood as islands among a sea of tile and white-cement, full of imported Earth flora. Fountains flowed into gently swept pools and ponds that shone in the alien sun. The details of store-fronts that look like from an Earth tourism catalog, complete with vibrantly colored awnings drew closer into view. In a way, and though he only knew it from old photos; it all felt strangely tropical, almost Caribbean, or Mediterranean down there. He couldn't place it, he continuously had the two archaic and now long-dead seas confused; he was much better with his stars and nebuleas.

“So we got a plan?” Red asked.

“I'm thinking about it. I'll get back on bored and cut ourselves adrift for a bit and I'll call a crew meeting and figure this shit out.” Levi responded, “Keep the coffee hot for me.”