Descent (The Palladium Wars) by Marko Kloos

Author:Marko Kloos [Kloos, Marko]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: 47North
Published: 2024-07-16T00:00:00+00:00

Outside, the gloomy day had settled into a drab late afternoon, and the streets were flecked with puddles that reflected a darkening gray sky. Once Aden had walked a few blocks to get his bearings, the geography of the city came back to him, and he only needed to consult his comtab occasionally to find his way around again.

The old city had no shortage of shops and mercantiles, and he walked into the first clothing place he saw. The incident on Civic Square had caused him to be self-conscious about the jumpsuit he was wearing, which made him stick out on the street despite lacking any markings identifying him as a prisoner of war. To his relief, it was an automated shop without an attendant in sight. He stepped into one of the service booths and used the screen inside to look at the variety of available styles. After all this time in uniform and then prison clothing, he had no idea anymore what was fashionable, so he activated the virtual assistant and let it curate the selection for him. He chose a few outfits that looked like they struck a good balance between formal and casual. When he had finished his selection and verified the total charge, the booth took his measurements with a quick series of scans from a rotating laser wand.

“Your purchase is now being tailored,” the virtual assistant informed him in an upbeat voice. “Please make yourself comfortable in the lounge area. Your items will be delivered to you in nine minutes.”

Aden left the booth and sat down in one of the lounge chairs to wait. On the walls of the store, screen projections were cycling through an unending parade of ridiculously attractive people showcasing the latest styles. A service robot rolled up to his chair and offered refreshments on a little tray, and he helped himself to some water.

Halfway through his wait, his comtab hummed an alert. He took it out and glanced at the screen, expecting to see a ledger notification of the purchase he just made.

CURRY 56 ON SAVORY ROW HAS THE BEST SAUSAGE IN SANDVIK, the notification read. YOU SHOULD TRY IT FOR DINNER.

He sat up straight and read the alert again. A few seconds later, it faded from the screen. When he checked the device to see the comms stub that had triggered the notification, the message queue was as empty as it had been since he had received the comtab on Rhodia over a week ago.

Aden resisted the impulse to look around. He put the comtab away again and took another sip from the cup of water the robot had delivered.

Well, that didn’t take long, he thought. He had known the Rhodians would have ways to keep a close eye on him even down here. Having swift confirmation of that fact was a little jarring, but it felt oddly comforting as well to know that they were on top of things already, that he hadn’t just been let loose to fend for himself with nothing but a comtab and an ambitious assignment.

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