Page 18 of Jump or Fall

Gordon - Four Years Earlier

“ H ow do you know my name?”

The man smiled. “A high-level Surveillance employee goes dark in Teichus and a contact says to expect a new resident with exceptional skills. How could I not?”

Gordon pressed his lips together. What the fuck had Kimmie gotten him into?

“What else did she tell you?”

The man tilted his head. His dogs remained completely still where they sat. “I don't know this ‘she’, but I assure you that you have nothing to worry about.” He stuck out his hand. “Inu. Secretary of Security for Naxos and the surrounding settlements of Draco and Lyra.”

Reluctantly, Gordon shook the man’s hand. Who the hell told him he was coming if it wasn’t Kim?

“Did you choose the name ‘dog’ or were your parents clairvoyant?”

He let out a sharp laugh. “You don’t look like a Hayashi, yet you know some words. Perhaps part of these ‘exceptional skills’?”

“Vlach, but I’m sure you already knew that.” They only barely out-populated the Kaplans in Teichus and his surname was a dead giveaway. “I’m not interested in taking another Surveillance job.”

“Archon Singer has a bigger task for you.”

Gordon had no response to that .

“My bike is around the corner. Follow me to the inn up the road.”

He eyed the dogs again, still staring him down. It didn't seem like he had much of a choice; shooting the robot dogs seemed like a stupid idea.

Inu came around the corner on his bike and waved. Gordon started his and followed. The dogs panted as they ran, but their heavy breaths sounded artificial while their tongues lolled.

How did they make them so lifelike?

They turned down a side road and were met by an imposing building ahead with a sign that read: The Naxiot.

Gordon pulled into the lot and followed Inu inside. The bar area was deserted except for a man slumped over a table, holding an empty glass.

One of the dogs approached the man to sniff, making him jerk upright, bleary-eyed and mumbling. The dog emitted a low growl, and the man stumbled out of the bar.

Inu gestured for Gordon to have a seat and asked the server for two smelters.

Gordon gave him a quizzical look.

“It’s a popular drink around here—like a spiced rum. People think they’re funny because the city thrives on mining.”

“I’m surprised you have humans serving drinks here,” Gordon said. Teichus mostly used bots for service jobs.

“How sure are you of his humanity?”

Gordon whipped around to look more closely. The server appeared to be a regular man, probably Vlach. Brown hair with high widow’s peaks and sharp cheekbones.

“He’s a bot?” Gordon asked, stunned.

“At what point is a man still a man versus a machine?” Inu replied.

“I don't know…” The server locked eyes with him, sending a wave of goosebumps across his arms. They weren’t like Inu’s, but something still wasn’t right.

What the fuck is this place ?

He shook his head, trying to refocus. “What does your Archon want from me?”

Inu grinned, but his smile had the opposite of a calming effect, the white web of scars around his prosthetic eyes only adding to the unease.

The two mechanical globes boring into him were the epitome of uncanny.

Just human enough to make one do a double take then send a shiver up your spine the longer you looked.

“Archon Singer wants you to go back to Teichus and remove the Silvers.”

Gordon scoffed. “And why does she think I’m capable of that?”

The server arrived with their smelters, placing them on the table. The short glass was filled with a reddish-brown liquor that shimmered gold when the light hit it at an angle.

Inu took a small sip, and Gordon copied, unsure of how strong the drink would be or if he would like it.

It was dry and spicy, with a hint of sweetness underneath. Not bad.

“Well, she doesn’t expect you to do it all on your own. You’d have others to work with. You would also be compensated for your trouble and have funding for whatever you need.”

“I just left that shithole. Why would I want to go right back?”

Inu draped an arm over the back of his seat. “Revenge? An opportunity to make the world a better place? You can pick your reason.”

“Why does she want them gone? No one cared about what’s happening before, so what changed?”

“The usual: military and technological superiority, as well as resources. Hyperion is a beacon of military advancement. An open Teichus would also improve industry due to its favorable port. Cygnus may have a port, but it’s far away and a vicious current visits every so often to sink ships.

That’s not to mention the raids that occur along the road to get there. ”

“I take it she’s using the humanitarian angle to convince everyone?”

The corner of Inu’s mouth quirked up. “The Western Domain leadership is deeply disturbed by the reports coming out of the city. ”

“Is Naxos a good place? Or am I just changing scenery?” He glanced at the server again.

“A man who looks like me is the Secretary of Security. In Teichus, I would be wallowing in the Outskirts. It would be a crime to mutilate a person to start. You decide.”

“But you sent someone to use people like lab rats in Teichus.”

Inu blinked slowly, his false eyes fixed on him. “You’re going to need to elaborate on that accusation.”

“Someone’s been selling a deadly scar-healing serum to people in Eight.

The enforcers were able to confiscate a robotic bird.

” Gordon glanced at the dogs sitting in a perfect row near the bar entrance.

“I read that Naxos is trying to improve medi-spray. Now, what could be a possible improvement, and where is there an abundance of desperate people to test on?”

Inu took another sip of his drink and withdrew a tablet from his pocket.

“Rylan Gifford is the man you’re looking for.

He was employed by Ascleon Therapeutics’s competitor, Shimohira.

Their medi-spray goes by the name ‘Mend’, but you’ve probably never seen it in Teichus.

Gifford was tasked with creating a scar serum and was caught conducting human trials before approval. He ran before we could prosecute.”

He showed Gordon a photo of a man with long brown hair tied back. He appeared to be in his fifties, with a wide nose and narrow jaw. Next to the picture was the warrant information.

Wanted Rylan K. Gifford Crimes: 16 counts of Unauthorized Human Experimentation, 14 counts of Failure to Obtain Informed Consent, 5 counts of Assault, 2 counts of Attempted Murde r

“Send this to your enforcer friends—prosecute as you will. Typically, we would request extradition, but Teichus is a special beast.”

“Are they still trying to create something to heal scars?” Maybe he could look normal again someday.

“Yes, but it’s tricky. Knight has been trying to chip away at Shimohira with petty lawsuits. As I’m sure you’ve realized, he has a vested interest in keeping scars permanent.”

Gordon took a sip of his smelter. The odd flavor was starting to grow on him and he enjoyed the dry heat of it.

“I don’t want to go back,” Gordon said pointedly.

Inu looked at him for a moment, then inclined his head. “It’s understandable that you want to enjoy some time in freedom.” He slid a card across the table. “Call if you change your mind.” He slid a second over. “Call this one to locate work and housing. We have special programs for transplants.”

Gordon bristled. Transplants or refugees?

Does it matter?

Inu stood and tapped the table. “Your drink and room are on me tonight.”

He swept out of the bar with his dogs, leaving Gordon to stew in his thoughts. He checked his tablet and found a signal.

He tried to send Kimmie a message, but it was blocked on her end. After a few minutes of setting up a fake Teichus address, he sent her the information.

Now his debt was clear, and he could focus on starting over.

***

He didn’t know where to go. Naxos was just as shitty as Teichus, and he wasn’t willing to take a chance on another place that might be the same .

Spy animals were everywhere. It was to the point he’d begun assuming every squirrel and bird was fake, locking eyes with them just in case. Surveillance back home was excessive, but here they took it even further.

He had found a job in IT at the smelting facility. The job itself was fine, but the people weren’t. As soon as they learned he was from Teichus, they’d assumed he got the job through a handout. It didn’t matter how good he was; they treated him like he was backwards and slow.

How could they not? Information in Naxos was everywhere—maps, documentaries, news from across the world—and the gaps in his knowledge made him an easy target. His coworkers turned it into a game, bombarding him with questions and placing bets on whether he would know the answers.

How was he supposed to know all of it? How could he know what he didn’t know, so he could study it and not look like a dumbass?

I can’t go back.

Maybe he could stick it out a bit longer. Maybe he’d get used to it.

***

He was going back. Three years was more than enough.

Gordon had spent countless hours filling the gaps from his Teichus education, and eventually his coworkers’ game had lost its appeal. For a while, he thought they might even see him as an equal.

Until Deirdre.

Women in Naxos were easy to meet—apparently drawn to the mysterious scar and the motorbike. Once they saw the stripes on his back, they practically fell into his hands. Sometimes the fixation on his scars made him uncomfortable, but it was hard to stay upset when a gorgeous girl wanted to fuck him.

Except Deirdre .

He thought things might progress with her. But looking back, the signs were there—she never met him during the day unless it was someplace they wouldn’t be seen. It wasn’t too hard to accept. It was okay to want only sex.

But then, he learned how she really saw him.

They had been drinking at the bar before heading back to her place. She’d playfully pushed him onto the bed, teasing about trying something new.

That “something new” turned out to be a glove with silver claws. The moment he saw it, he puked on her bed and flew out the door.

Messages from her filled his tablet—starting with apologies, then turning to questioning his manhood.

He would never be an equal here. At best, he was a dumb outsider and at worst, a fetish.

He blocked her and clutched the plastic dagger Kimmie had given him. His hand trembled so violently he nearly dropped it, sweat beading on his forehead.

Maybe he wasn’t a real man. He was shaking over a fucking piece of plastic.

Perhaps he deserved it for his work in Surveillance. How many people had suffered because of him?

After a week of calling in sick, he contacted Inu and arranged a meeting at The Naxiot.

When he arrived, Inu looked pleased to see him.

“I'm glad you’ve come around, Gordon.”

“You said I could have whatever I needed, right?”

Inu inclined his head. “Of course.”

Taking a deep breath, Gordon said, “I’ll do it. The only thing I want is one of those robotic surgical tools—the semi-autonomous type. I read they collapse down so it would fit in my bike.” If he was going back to Eight, he needed to bring something to make up for his role in Surveillance .

Inu’s eyebrows rose slightly. “Interesting choice. Done. Payments will be made biweekly. Use the funds however you wish. We’ll also supply you with a bird. They’re easy to use, though I’m surprised you haven’t tried the one you have.”

Gordon hadn’t told him he had the confiscated bird.

“My dogs have a terrific sense of smell.”

“This place is fucking creepy. You know that, right?”

Inu shrugged. “We all pay something for peace.”

Gordon shook his head. Was there anywhere in the world that wasn’t fucked up?

“So, who am I going to be working with?”

Inu flipped his tablet around to show him a photo of a man with graying hair and wire-rimmed glasses.

“The one who told me you were coming: Silva Lasko, Master Gunsmith at Hyperion.”