Mission One (The Last Reaper) by J.N. Chaney & Scott Moon

Author:J.N. Chaney & Scott Moon [Chaney, J.N.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Variant Publications
Published: 2022-05-14T16:00:00+00:00

“May I suggest bribery?” X-37 asked.

“With what?” With less than two hundred credits to my name, I wasn’t sure how I was going to buy my next bottle of whiskey or a cigar or fresh underwear—the bare minimum I needed to feel human in a place like this.

X-37 displayed a new document in my HUD. “Your mission account has seventy-five thousand credits and several other tradable commodities reserved for influence purposes. Subsection C describes ways to access hard currency such as gold and local coins. D pertains to legal help should you become incarcerated but also suggests most of the seventy-five thousand credit budget be reserved for paying off local judges and constables.”

I couldn’t even think. That was more money than I expected to earn in a lifetime.

“Don’t get any ideas, Reaper Cain,” X-37 said. “Diverting funds for your own use is frowned upon, and by that, I mean it is a good way to become a dead Reaper.”

“Sure. Gotcha. Let’s pay off some guards and see what’s inside this warehouse,” I said.

“Excellent idea. I’m glad you thought of it.” X-37 waited several seconds before pestering me with another question. For the LAI, it probably seemed like a reasonable pause. “How do you intend to approach JH1 through JH7? Might they be angered by your attempts to buy them off. While I endorse the general concept, I don’t see a good way to make an approach with any kind of good manners.”

“Leave it to me.” I pulled dice from a pocket and started shaking them in my right hand as I sauntered into the open. JH1 and the others spotted me, and the dice, immediately.

“What do you have there, stranger?” JH1 asked.

“Nothing much. Wouldn’t be dice and a paycheck. ’Cause gambling is illegal on Breaker’s World.” Starting the game was even easier than I’d hoped. I won a couple of rounds, just to hook them in, then began losing one after another.

“Are you in control of this game?” X-37 said. “I find no record of training that would prepare you to cheat at dice.”

The question distracted me as I struggled to remember the Reaper to LAI sign language that had been drilled into every candidate. After half a minute of fumbling dice and losing track of my strategy, I just gave X the middle finger when no one was watching my hands.

“That was needlessly rude, Reaper Cain.” X beeped several times. “My analysis suggests you learned this and other disreputable skills long before you joined the Union military.”

“Yep,” I said.

JH1, 2, and 5 studied me for a long uncomfortable second.

“That’s just my luck,” I added. “Can’t catch a break. I really needed that money. Shouldn’t have come here.”

JH5 rubbed his chin. “What is it, rent? That’d be a shame for you to be out on the street. I’m gonna bring you inside for a real game. Give you a chance to even up. But you gotta be on your best behavior.”

I hesitated. “I shouldn’t.”

“Hey, we’re friends. I’ll pull you back if you get in too deep,” JH5 said, throwing one arm over my shoulder.

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