[M - E01] Rendezvous

[LucByard]

Location: E01 - Donwarr.

Tags: Vehicle, Land vehicle, Spying.

Previous chapters can be read on my website here.

Chapter 13: Rendezvous.

It had taken 3 days of walking to reach the rendezvous point. Emily’s plan to send a transport to extract Vyken had hit a complication. Since Octan took Freegate, MANTIS had tightened its operations on Donwarr; it was getting nervous and the locals Vyken had been around last few weeks were getting twitchy and nervous. After a long and drawn-out conflict, MANTIS had ‘won’ the quarrel and controlled everything from Jurin II to Freegate, but Octan were on the move again and the residents were worried about the potential turmoil. Vyken wasn’t sure why… Why wouldn’t they want Octancorp to retake the quarrel and bring its people the peace, prosperity and opportunity that Octan stood for. Instead, they lived with the uncertainty of MANTIS… An organisation that probably stole from itself so that it can sell its own goods on the black market at a higher price… He wished the people he had met could see how Farmolis had developed under the guidance of one corporation’s singular vision.

Without thinking, his hand reached to his left breast where, in one of his suits inner pockets, he kept his copy of the Corporate Handbook. A ceremonial gift from his Mother when he formally became an employee. It was a paper copy, sentimental more than it was practical but he kept it with him at all times. Over the last few weeks, he’d needed everything of value he could find or earn for food and shelter and eventually, access to the off-world Galnet. Only then had he been able to contact Emily, his protégé, and start the process of getting off this rock, so in the long nights, he had read his handbook… Speeches: 2:14. Without it’s employees, a corporation is but an empty shell.

The rendezvous point was a clearing at the foot of the Viirven mountains where the trees thinned as the hard ground turned the lush deciduous forest into a region of flat, shrubby tundra, mixed with patches of damp boggy marsh-land stretching North until the soil changed again and hardy pines signified the next range of mountains. Vyken stood, waiting and inspected his sword to pass the time; a good swordsman knows every knick and scratch on his blade… His fight with Graves had added several more.

Eventually, the rustle of leaves and tweeting of the local birds was joined by a low hum and soon, emerging from behind a clutch of trees, a vessel appeared. It approached in a wide arc, the driver clearly gauging the situation before coming too close. Vyken was equally wary and instinctively held his sword behind him, obscured, but ready to used if needed. The vessel was a speeder, a hover-van. Vyken recognised the type immediately – a small 46-B local courier vessel. He had wondered if Emily was serious when he first saw her plan, having informed her of the tightening MANTIS security, she made arrangements for Vyken’s extraction via ‘alterative routes’. Turning up at Donwarr in an official Octan transport was going to get noticed, quickly, so she had used Octan contacts on Donwarr to get Vyken to a spaceport with false documents, a shuttle to orbit and passage on a freighter to Kaalin. There was a lot that could go wrong but he trusted her. After all, it was him that had shown that fresh-faced girl out of the academy how all that theory worked in the real world. If it could be done… She could do it.

 

As the hover-van landed, Vyken noticed the discoloured paintwork – this one had seen better days, probably abandoned after the push to take control of Donwarr earlier in the year has come to a halt. When Octan had decided to move its focus elsewhere, most of the resources it had ploughed into this planet were withdrawn but MANTIS’ reaction had been swift, and vicious, and anything broken or under repair had been left. The local population had been swift to scavenge and repair what they could and transports like these were known as ‘Oc-vans’. In the weeks that he’d been stuck here, he’d learnt that the basic design and cheap parts made them popular and they were now not uncommon. The rear door opened and a man in a white flight-suit emerged. Emily had arranged a pass-phrase; a pre-determined conversation that informed Vyken he was talking to his driver and not a random passer-by by accident… or worse. He couldn’t help but smile when he read the phrase; Emily has nailed her wry sense of humour to it.

The man stepped down, his hands visible. The moment before he spoke hung in the air like a fog. “Did you leave something behind?” He asked. The right phrase. “Yes…” Replied Vyken, as he’d been told. “… How to use a sword… apparently.” The man’s face showed a brief moment of surprise. I wasn’t supposed to say apparently. “You should take up fencing”. The man replied after a brief moment of consideration. It was the response Vyken had been waiting for. He stepped towards the man, holding his sword at ease. “I suppose DuPont sent you?” he asked. The man gave a nod. “Doctor Long’s orders. Emily’s plan… I’ll brief you on the way…” He said, climbing back into the van. “… You have a shuttle to catch.”

 

The first spoiler contains additional images.

 

Spoiler

Type 46-B Local Courier speeder.

Disused units display worn colours and non-standard' modifications. Yes, I'm annoyed about the white gap in the stripe caused by the side-facing plates.

Four Ion-jet engines maximise fuel eficiency.

Four repulsors facilitate hover. Skids for landing.

Got a bit fiddly tying the engines into the sidewall.

Full breakdown.

The second spoiler explains the spying tag but also reveals a plot-twist if you haven't noticed it in the images.

Spoiler

The driver of the van is Riddaeon, a MANTIS agent.

Here is Riddaeon in 'Departure'

He is also visible in Gyrocube, 

and Rest

and The engineer.

I would submit that a MANTIS agent acting undercover within an Octan operation (where there is no stealing: that would be piracy) is inherently spying as there is no other possible intent than intelligence/sabotage and that I have used a character that is sufficiently established as a MANTIS agent (i.e. I'm not just saying it to grab the points).

Why Riddaeon was there is a story that will be told in due course... There are some spoilers I won't show, even here ; )

Sorry if it looks like I'm using a jack-hammer to crack a nut; I just want to try and make the connection as easy as possible to explain. It's your decision whether or not to accept my submission.

 

For clarity. I've realised after posting that I've picked costumes that have similarities to Jebediah O'Reilly's and John Hannibal's: It's a coincidence, it's not them.

Thank you for looking, and especially for reading. All comments, feedback and criticism welcome.

Luc.

Edited November 1, 2016 by LucByard
Character clarification. Spying justification.

[Kodan Black]

Cool story and nice photography. But man, to me, the real star is the van. So smooth and retro-futuristic! Great shaping and impressive you even built out the bottom! Another top notch build.

[Henjin_Quilones]

I like the first picture with the blurred background; it makes it seem like there is more to your forest than just a few brown trunks and leaves, without there actually being anything more to it than that. The photography is well-executed, and the van is quite fun. It reminds me of the old VW line of vehicles that could be fixed with just about anything, cheap and yet relatively reliable. Nicely done. 

[mediumsnowman]

The shuttle is very compact. I like it!

[Andromedas Gates]

The judges awarded you 5 points.