Chapter 4 — by KADowd

Sanju cracked xeir finger joints one at a time. The black glass of the building served as a mirror, casting back xeir image at xem while the stylized logo of TAS bathed the area in its violet luminescence.

The morning sunlight reflected off of the golden metal of H'ver's form as it spun to hoover before Sanju. "Why delay? Success of strategy at 83% probability. Acceptable risk."

"It's not the plan that worries me." Sanju brushed a hand along xeir crest.

H'ver titled on its axis before righting itself. "Skin tone spotting with orange, indicting Hiwjshi anger." H'ver dropped in altitude. "Not like plan?"

"It's not you. It's Makuy and xeir stubbornness to not bugger off." Sanju knew xeir elder would pounce on xem the minute xe entered. Makuy relished winning against Sanju. The plork was never satisfied with being the most elite tracker, but xe undermined Sanju's reputation and hijacked xeir missions every chance xe got.

H'ver rose back to eye-level. "Do not worry about rival. Previously discussed tactics will succeed." The droid opened a tiny compartment and partway ejected a thin disk from its body. "Audio recording, as requested."

Sanju pulled it out with the tips of xeir talon-like nails, palming it in xeir hand. Last night with H'ver, xe hatched this plan after the initial excitement of discovering a solid lead for finding amber had worn off. This hard evidence should aid xem in convincing xeir supervisor of xeir worth as an agent and to be assigned the mission to track the Human woman to Earth. H'ver was fast becoming a useful ally.

Xe stood straighter and strode toward the door. It swished open. Sanju paused on the threshold, looking back. H'ver had not moved from its position. "Aren't you coming?"

H'ver bounced a bit in the air as it spun in a tight loop. "Strategy required risk. TAS security system not appreciate method used to defeat rival. Deemed potential cybersecurity threat."

"The security system?" Sanju's body tensed. "What did you do?"

"TSA system had vulnerability. No harm intended. Best stay here." H'ver zipped even farther away from the entrance.

Sanju groaned, but xe refused to let this set xem back. The door sealed shut behind xem. The lighting dimmed as the body scan begun.

"State name and species."

Sanju pulled out the identity disk hanging from xeir neck. "Sanju of the clan Areh. Hiwjshi."

"Identity confirmed. Welcome, Agent Sanju." The lighting resumed as the entryway panel before xem slid open.

The TAS office was a swarm of activity and sounds. Sanju dodged a pack of Vlern scurrying past. Their chittering voices were a clamor of vocal ranges that xe took as their way of conveying emotions. One addressed Sanju—was it Rylu or Rilorn? Xe never could tell them apart.

"Heard about Makuy's latest conquest over that mining bot you were tracking. Maybe field work is too much for you, young one. Perhaps just stick to recon? Let the experts do the rest?"

Young one. Orange spots appeared upon xeir hands. Xe wasn't a child, but Makuy had called xem that, and others, wanting to endear themselves to xem, had followed suit.

"Mind your own business," Sanju said, before moving toward xeir supervisor's office.

Aliqine and Eniqila stepped in xeir way, blocking the path. The Salamadrine was a formidable agent, yet lacked the self-discipline and restraint of the Hiwjshi. Xe respected the two-headed agent, but xe didn't appreciate their penchant for bringing prisoners back in pieces.

"Another failure, Sanju?" Aliqine asked.

"Tsk, tsk," Eniqila said. "No wonder Ulen wants to see you. In his office. Now."

Ulen? Sanju's eyes tracked the staircase that led up to his office. It was never a good sign to be called into the Exec's office. The Salamadrine looked like they wanted Sanju to put up a fight, with its scaled arms flexing, but Sanju decided to comply without arguing. It would be foolish to do otherwise.

Sanju altered xeir course and took the steps to the second floor, knowing everyone was tracking xeir progress. Xe felt one particular gaze burning into xeir back, but Sanju refused to acknowledge Makuy, certain xe was gloating over xeir victory. Xe couldn't stop the yellow spots from appearing on xeir skin, revealing xeir nervousness as xe worked to convince xemself this alteration of the plan might benefit xem. The yellow spotting faded as xe entered the Exec's domain.

Firth'nia sat working with elegant dexterity, using her prehensile appendage that also served as her upper lip and nose. Rumor had it she was as old as TAS, which was saying much for the ancient Phantine. During xeir time serving TAS, xe had never seen anything faze her professional bearing, even when a disgruntled agent had gone on a rampage after being fired from employment. Firth'nia had taken three shots, much to her amusement—as it would need a weapon with better firepower to do any permanent damage to her thick hide—before she stomped the perpetrator to death beneath her four stout legs.

It paid to respect Firth'nia and stay on her good side.

Sanju gave her a solemn bow, staying in that posture until acknowledged. A low rumble came from her. Sanju rose.

She twisted her limb around the handle of the door beside her. "Please be a dear, Sanju, and don't irk Ulen. I just got the carpets replaced." Then she opened the door.

Sanju gave another bow before proceeding into the next room. Xe crossed the threshold as the door thudded closed behind xem. Xeir body gave a twitch that xe tried to conceal by running a hand over xeir crest. It was dark inside, with just the softest of light along the edges of the office. Ulen preferred concealment—dark rooms, draping clothing, and provided very few appearances before the agents and staff of TAS. Sanju never had the daring to ask why.

Xe approached Ulen where the covered form of a body sat in the shadows. There were no chairs for xem to sit, so xe stood within a spot of light before Ulen's desk with xeir head tilted downward. Firth'nia's warning repeated in xeir thoughts. Best not to chance glimpsing the Exec and suffer his wrath.

"Sanju, what is the purpose of TAS?"

"Justice, sir. To uphold the law and punish those who break it." A flush of red tinged xeir skin. This was why xe worked so hard to prove xe was as valuable, if not more valuable, a tracker than Makuy.

"And do you think running this organization with the noble endeavor to serve justice can be done if we only take on charity cases?"

Sanju winced, the sting of Ulen's words cutting xem deep. "No, sir."

"No. It cannot." Ulen cracked his knuckles. "How much revenue has your pursuit of justice brought in, Sanju?"

Sanju had needed the capture of the mining bot to break even this quarter—curse Makuy!—but the fiscal cycle had yet not closed. Xe had time, which is why xeir plan was perfect. "I am aware, sir, of my unprofitable quarter, but—"

"And the fact you still have your TAS training debt to pay off? Not to mention the cost of the professional license to be an agent." Ulen allowed the silence linger before continuing. "Sanju. You show promise, but I am thinking you aren't TAS material."

Sanju jerked xeir head up, afraid of what was to come next. Not xeir dream. Please, don't let him say he was going to be fired because of Makuy's unjust actions.

"But then I got your message this morning about a fascinating lead. An unconventional way of getting my attention, but one I will forgive if the information is worth my time."

Wait—what?

Ulen placed his forearms on the desktop and leaned forward. Two faint glimmers shone within the hood of his overclothes. Sanju dropped xeir gaze and spotted the audio disk xe had been unconsciously fingering. Had H'ver sent the communication ahead of Sanju's arrival to grease xeir way into convincing TAS to give xem this shot at finding amber? Was this what caused the droid to think it might have become a threat to the security system? Only one way to find out.

"The evidence about my lead." Sanju took a step forward and placed the disk on the hard surface close to Ulen's gloved hands.

Ulen tapped a code on the top of his desk, activating the interactive tech. A soft glow appeared, centered around the audio file, as the embedded software scanned it. The conversation Sanju had overheard at The Wonky Wizard played, except the voices were modified and a few times there was a momentary glitch in the sound cutting out. Had H'ver altered the recording? Xe didn't have time to ponder the motives of a droid that had already displayed helpful yet odd quirks to its programming. Ulen was leaning back as the brief recording of the conversation ended.

"Smart," Ulen said. "I am pleased that you are learning how to think like an agent, Sanju. If you hadn't masked the voices and removed any clues that could track your source down, then I wouldn't have any need of you, now would I?" Ulen tapped a finger on his desk. "All right. You've caught my interest. What's the plan?"

Sanju launched into xeir strategy, keeping most of the details to xemself, yet giving enough to show xeir proposal was sound. Of course, the idea had been to broach this with xeir supervisor, not the Exec.

Ulen nodded. "Risky. It might not pay out—amber is a myth for a reason. But to discover Earth...information is always a valuable commodity. And the fortune hunter?"

"Won't be a problem. My agency record at tracking speaks for itself." Sanju's statement wasn't a boast. Xe was an exceptional tracker—when Makuy didn't interfere with xeir prey. How much trouble can one Human be?

"Want to prove you are agent material, do you? Fine. I'll authorize this." Ulen waved Sanju toward the door. "Just keep TAS apprised of your progress. If you need backup, I'll alert your elder to come assist."

That plork Makuy. As if xe would ever need xeir help. But Sanju kept xeir thoughts to xemself, giving a stiff bow before turning around and heading for the exit. Xe had just reached for the door when Ulen made one last comment.

"And Sanju. If this becomes another bungled job, I would suggest you think hard before coming back here."

Sanju crossed the threshold and softly shut the door. Xeir unease must have been visible, for Firth'nia uttered a low rumble.

"Not go as expected?" she asked. "Cheer up. At least you're in one piece. I'll transfer to you the standard chits for your mission. Same account?"

Sanju nodded. Xe left in a daze, analyzing what Ulen had meant in his parting comment. Was it a threat or tender concern for xeir welfare? Even after xeir time on Paghūṛā and working at TAS, it was still difficult to understand the cultural concept behind another species's words. It was true they spoke the Standard language at TAS, but at times like this, it seemed to Sanju they were all speaking a foreign tongue.

"Dear young one, how did it go? Did your incompetence get you fired yet?" Makuy laughed. A few of xeir colleagues who were clustered around xem and gave their versions of laughter, too.

Sanju faced xeir rival. "No. Got a new assignment." Xe kept xeir emotions neutral as xe tried to save face and not attract Makuy's interest. "Reconnaissance work in Elveszett system."

"Recon? What Hiwjshi worth xeir spots would accept a demotion?" Red spots appeared on Makuy. "If I were you, rinja, I would rather be terminated."

Sanju knew xe was turning orange, so xe left the building, leaving Makuy to gloat. Better to leave now than to spill what xe was planning to do. Still, xe couldn't stop xemself from envisioning Makuy's face when xe returned with amber and took over as the new top tracker of TAS.

H'ver was waiting as xe exited TAS. "Did plan succeed?"

"It worked, but somehow I got the attention of the TAS Exec. Was that you?"

"Hiwjshi too cautious. Assistance provided to increase chance of success."

Sanju eyed the droid. Xe could use a partner, and, so far, H'ver had been most helpful when in a tight spot, but could it be trusted?

"Is Great Gi'āna Library next?" H'ver asked.

"No, Talált Station." Sanju smiled. "Why search for our fortune hunter and get spotted when she will come to us? Eventually, everyone must go through Talált to leave this system."

Step aside, Makuy. Time for younger blood to make their mark.

"Interested in coming?" Sanju asked.

H'ver spun in a tight orbit around Sanju. "Affirmative."

"Then let's go hunting."

Interview with the author of this chapter