HAWK

CHAPTER TWO: ARTIS (6/6)

When Kas awoke some hours later, her eyes were heavy and her body still hadn't got the wake-up call. She was suspended in mid-air, entirely numb, floating in the centre of the chamber like a feather caught on a summer breeze. She was wearing the white sleeping suit the pod had provided her with. It took her a few seconds to realise a voice was talking to her.

'Incoming call from the Federation, please respond.'

'Gravity,' she whispered. The mirror on the back of the entry hatch misted up and displayed a large white zero. The zero started counting up: one, two three, four... climbing rapidly. Kas began to sink as if she was being lowered by an invisible tether towards the mattress. As the number reached ninety, Kas touched down and sank into the padded floor like a pebble settling on the seabed. The mirror stopped at one-hundred and demisted.

'Incoming call from the Federation, please respond.'

Kas was so relaxed she could barely move. 'Time.'

'The time is nine-oh-two, a.m. Incoming call from the Federation, please respond.'

Kas lazily rubbed her eyes and teased the sleep out of them. It took her all of her strength just to sit up. Her mind was still reeling from the induced lucid dream, though she couldn't remember anything about it. A tingle spread through her skin and settled in her toes.

'Incoming call from the Federation, please respond.'

'Give me a sec, will you, I've just woken up.' She stood unsteadily and stretched out her arms. The white sleeping suit hugged her form, the artifibre providing her with a little strength.

'Incoming call from the Federation, please respond.'

'Damn it! Fine, receive call.'

Kas looked at the mirror as it shimmered and changed, and suddenly she was no longer looking at her own reflection, but a slim being with beautiful golden skin. She was a little taken aback. Normally when the Federation contacted her it was a human. She'd seen Kikoan aliens plenty of times on TV and in films, but this was the first time she'd actually spoken to one.

'Kas Balera,' the alien said.

'Yeah...'

'My name is Tan Saraneesi. I am calling on the behalf of the Federation. We understand you have retrieved a rogue X1.'

'You understand correctly.'

'Then on behalf of the Federation, I would like to thank you for your excellent work.'

'Uh... you're welcome.'

'Where is the X1 presently?'

'It's on board my ship awaiting transport to Selva.'

'Why are you not transporting it already?'

'Because my ship's being repaired. I'll be grounded for most of today.'

'I understand. In that case, I would like to request that you hand over custody of the X1 to a member of the Federation for immediate dispatch.'

'Sorry, no can do.'

'Why not?'

'I went to a lot of trouble to capture that X1, and I'll be damned if I'm now gonna just hand it over to some cap for transport.'

'You will still be entitled to your reward.'

'But only once you've received it at Selva, right?'

'Correct.'

'Then I'm bringing it myself. It's my haul; it's my responsibility. So is there anything else or can I go back to sleep?'

'We also understand you have captured the three criminals known as the Black Chains.'

Kas sighed. 'And?'

'What do you intend to do with them.'

'I intend to sell them.'

'May I ask why you have opted to auction them instead of taking them to Carcem?'

'Is there something wrong with that?'

'The Federation prefers that all fugitives are transported directly to Carcem.'

'And if Carcem wants them, Carcem can buy them. I'm a bounty hunter. This is my living.'

'Carcem will pay you the full bounty of 300 thousand credits upon receipt of the Black Chains.'

'That's good to know, but I'm betting there's gonna be a lot of interest in the Chains. I wouldn't be surprised if one of the local prisons is prepared to pay more.'

'Do you really think that's likely?'

'Hey, I'm an optimist.'

'Even if a local prison matches the Federation's bounty, the auction house's fees will likely result in a lower payment.'

'I know.'

'And you still wish to proceed?'

'That's right.'

The alien paused to think about this. 'Are you resentful of the Federation?'

'Not at all.'

'You seem intent on being uncooperative.'

Kas blinked. 'I just captured three of this system's most wanted criminals and a rogue X1 which I'll soon be transporting to Selva, and you're accusing me of being uncooperative?'

The alien had no response to that.

'Thought so. Thanks for waking me up, friend. End call.'

The mirror shimmered and erased the alien from view, leaving Kas's reflection staring hatefully back at her. She looked away and knew she wasn't about to go back to sleep anytime soon.

'Weather?'

'It is currently raining in your location,' the pod replied. 'The rain will cease in approximately three days, sixteen hours and twelve minutes.'

Great...

Kas decided to make the most of the relaxation cove until it was time to check out.