Privateer's commisison 3 -ch 2- (Patreon)

Chapter 2

Ralph came straight into the Toll’s study while pulling his jacket off.

Tossing it onto the couch he went for one of the computers and sat down at it quickly. He stuffed his thumb into the scanner and waited for it to boot in and boot up.

“Hello Ralphy,” Xas purred, coming into the study.

She looked even better in person than on the video screen.

“I assume you’re here to dig around into what we’d been talking about?” asked the AI inside of a Dashi sex bot shell. She walked right up to the arm of the chair and then leaned forward, laying her heavy bosom across his shoulder. “Wouldn’t you prefer to dig around in me? I’m sure I’m more interesting.”

“Later,” grumbled Ralph, reached up with his prosthetic hand, and patted at Xas’ shoulder. “I promise. For now, I need to root around in this. Did you put together what I asked for? Did you find anything weird out or something that stood out as strange?”

“Wait, you promise?” Xas asked, sounding confused. Her tone was tight and thin. “What do you mean you promise? Haha, are you planning something?”

“No, I’m just aware that Marionette doesn’t care and you’ve been pushing for it,” Ralph answered as he started looking through the information Xas had put together for him. “Why, do you suddenly not want to?”

“I… want to, yes,” Xas replied, followed by a soft laugh. “Should I strip and bend over now?”

“No, I said later, Xas,” Ralph reminded her. “Now, what’d you find?”

“Blackmarket in the area is definitely running weird,” reported Xas from directly behind him. “Lots of things being run to nearby corridor stations and then elsewhere. Nothing is moving between the Vanah, Schule, or Calesat. Nothing at all. It’s completely dark and empty.

“Lots of requests, no attempts or completions. I admit that there is the possibility I’m just out of the game and I can’t see it, but I don’t think that’s likely. It seems far more likely that it’s just dead.”

“That feels almost impossible,” Ralph grunted out as he read through all posted shipping manifests, commercial routes, and offers. His commercial license and certifications had long paid for themselves and for situations just like this.

As he scanned, read through, and picked apart what was moving and wear, he started to see a pattern.

An odd pattern that didn’t match what he would’ve expected for a situation as the Calesat Pureblood had described it.

Foodstuffs, medical equipment, and ammunition, was still all flowing regularly. There was no raise or dip in any prices or materials as it flowed through the Calesat, Schule, Vanah, or nearby sections of Corridor space.

There wasn’t a change either in Confed space either.

Not even the fringe space beyond the Blood space seemed to have any changes, though there was a large uptick in actual piracy there.

The pattern he saw was that nothing was different at all, despite what was seemingly happening.

“Not possible,” grumbled Ralph as he continued to flip through load after load.

There did seem to be an increase in supply to match demand, but that’d been short lived. As if people had an initial panic run, only to stop when nothing changed.

That everyone bought what they wanted and there wasn’t a run on anything.

Like in not being rewarded for rushing out to buy things, that there was still surplus and stock, they just stopped doing so.

“It’s very strange,” agreed Xas. “From a blackmarket perspective, this looks more like a peaceful situation. Something that lacks any threat of war at all.

“Yet that doesn’t make sense at all considering what’s happening along the borders.”

Ralph blew out a slow breath and leaned back in his chair, ending up with his head resting against Xas’ chest. Drumming his fingers along the desk in front of the keyboard, he didn’t actually know how to handle the situation.

The Pureblood had sent a contract over but it’d been mostly sending him out toward the border and asking him to endlessly patrol it. To walk the spaces between and look for anyone attempting to slip through.

But with Xas having combed through the blackmarket and her contacts, she’s found that there isn’t anyone slipping through.

It’s not as if the Calesat doesn’t have an intelligence organization either.

They should have a rough idea of what’s slipping through and what isn’t.

Shouldn’t they?

They’re letting it through, on purpose.

Knowing full well it’s just riling up the population.

Lifting a hand, Ralph began to idly run his fingers along his jaw and chin. Thinking deeply about the situation and what it could actually mean.

“Oh, I’ve got a call coming in to me,” Xas said suddenly. “I’m going to sit on the couch and take it. It’s hopefully about all those little rats who stole my things. When we took the station, they all managed to slip through the Blood Orphan’s lines. I’m glad we got my equipment back from the stations, but I want those people, haha.”

Xas moved away from Ralph and sat down on the couch, leaving him to sit there with his thoughts.

Glancing at Xas he saw she’d already mostly left the shell. It sat almost perfectly motionless on the couch, blinking, breathing, but otherwise… not there.

The shell was running all the normal ‘passive routines’ Xas had put into it.

As he looked back to the monitor, Ralph had a sudden thought.

I have a super computer in a living person.

I should go talk to the Doc.

As well as… Elke.

Elke came from Schule. She might have some contacts.

Marionette and Winnie were clearly trying to keep me away from her, but I need to talk to her.

I’m not trying to bed her.

Getting up from the computer Ralph paused to close it, then walked off to the medical bay. He wanted to go see Liseth first.

She’d already ‘collected his sample’ this morning directly so he didn’t need to worry about her trying to spring something on him.

Liseth the genetically manufactured super-genius was part of the direct Blood of Vanah. She had a bit of an extreme personality and part of that was a need to regularly collect samples of his genetic material.

Why she did that, he had no idea.

It was true that every time she did, she was in a good mood for the whole day afterward. If he was going to ask her about the Vanah and get her read on the situation, today was the day to do it.

Arriving at the medical bay he slid the door open and looked around inside.

Liseth wasn’t here.

Her computer station was closed up, everything was put away, and the lights had turned on when he entered.

Turning around he headed off to the officer’s compartments.

The lower decks of the Toll, as well as it’s cargo bay, was how the crew of the ship got on and off without coming to the top decks.

So far they’d been performing beyond expectations and Ralph had already increased their share of loot, and their base pay, twice.

Allie, the one time ganger, had become his second officer when it came to them and kept them in order. To which he’d promoted her to a junior officer’s share.

Reaching Liseth’s compartment, he wrapped on the door twice, then twice. It was a knock he’d come to associate with her. Both when he’d come to give her a genetic sample and when she’d come to collect it from him.

“Enter,” called Liseth through the door.

Sliding the door, Ralph found it was unlocked.

Entering, he closed it behind himself and looked around.

Much like everyone’s compartment, other than his own as it was the captain’s quarters, it was a modest size and shape.

It wasn’t terrible, nor was it great.

Yet even then, a private space on a ship was a privilege. It was for that reason he’d personally installed a small walled off section for Allie in the crew quarters.

The fair skinned and quite pale Doctor was seated into a small corner desk that’d been wedged into the bedroom. It was beside the bed and clearly took the place of a bedside table.

Her pale blonde hair that was nearly platinum was unbound and down behind her shoulders and back. When her head turned as he entered and her dark blue eyes regarded him, he found she looked surprised to see him.

“My captain?” she asked, her computer unlocked and the monitor in plain view.

He could already see it was what looked like to be a genetic map.

More than likely his.

“Doc, I need you,” Ralph stated, deliberately misconstruing his words.

They had an immediate effect, causing Liseth’s back to straighten and her hands move from the arms of her chair to her lap. Her mouth tightened and her lips pressed more firmly together.

“I’m of course, more than willing, my captain,” got out Liseth who clearly had misunderstood him, just as he wished.

“Wonderful. I’ve got a problem,” Ralph continued and sat down on her bed. The very same bed he’d given her today’s genetic sample to her in. “The Pureblood of Calesat have a problem. The Blood of Vanah and the Blood of Schule are posturing at the borders. They’ve moved up a great number of troops.”

He paused if only to watch her response, which was a blink, followed by her turning in her chair to face him fully. She was now surprised and somewhat off base.

Something that didn’t happen often.

He’d have to treasure this moment.

“They’re broadcasting anti-Calesat propaganda,” he continued. “Endlessly. The citizens are well aware of the situation and believe a war is incoming. The Pureblood himself wanted to hire me and gave us generous terms.

“The job is border patrol and lurking. Making sure there’s no spies, privateers, or otherwise, attempting to pierce the border and slip past.

“Multiple escape clauses are written in, the pay is high even without a single bit of combat, and it’s only for a year, then an extension is possible with a renegotiation after that for another year.

“I’ve combed through the black market with Xas. I’ve gone through the shipping lanes, manifests, commerce, open orders, and ongoing prices for each load.

“There is nothing at all that would speak to an incoming war and instead it reads more like peace with a hint of a strain. Except when there was a strain, market goods flooded that specific market to slam the price right back down to where it had been.

“To me… to me and my limited intellect, it feels like all three parties believe this is a war coming. Yet all the economic indicators as well as the way they’re handling it makes it all look like a warfooting, but not a war.

“I was hoping you could use that amazing brain of yours to help me. I feel like I’ve gotten a lot of the pieces into the right spots, but for the life of me, I can’t figure out the next move. Or even the why.”

Liseth Vanah, Doctor to Turlan’s Toll, genetic super computer, looked as if she didn’t understand anything that he’d just told her.

“Truly?” she asked, sounding very unsure. “That certainly does seem strange. The Blood of Vanah certainly do have a grudge with Calesat, obviously. Schule doesn’t really, but they were in a fairly deep alliance with Vanah so I could see that playing out to a degree.

“The other pieces you mentioned don’t quite fit either. There’s really only a few possibilities though I do have a best guess if you would hear it.”

“I would hear anything from you, beautiful Doc,” Ralph said and then leaned back into her bed with a soft ‘thump’ of the soft mattress.

He had made sure to purchase everyone a high quality mattress, sheets, and pillow. It was something he’d learned the value of early on.

Liseth got up from the desk and stared down at Ralph for several seconds before she laid down in the bed at the top of it. Her bare feet were down near his shoulder.

“I think I would like to… to… proceed with love making… tomorrow,” Liseth said instead of answering the question he’d posed her. “I’ve come to realize that I’ve been somewhat silly in my protestation of a naming convention when it’s clearly anything other than genetic sampling.”

“You have me unload directly into you, Doc,” countered Ralph with a laugh. “That’s not genetic sampling. Thats procreating. Having sex. Baby making, minus the ability to succeed since you’re on birth control.

“I won’t ask your reasons, but please know I’m very curious. I’m very interested in you, your hangups, your thoughts, your beliefs.

“Also, that’s great news. I enjoy our bedroom fun. You’re quite giving and sincere. I always feel like your focal point.”

“I’m glad to hear that,” murmured Liseth, suddenly sounding at ease and relieved. “With zero experience I had to rely on my medical education, instructional and non-instructional videos, and a lot of texts. Sex as a whole has been wildly underrated compared to what I was told by others. Or perhaps it’s just sex with you that makes it so much better.”

Uh.

Oh.

I didn’t realize she had zero experience before me.

That… certainly makes her hesitancy in some ways more relatable.

“As to my reasons, I’ll discuss it later with you,” she continued, then sighed and pushed her foot down onto Ralph’s shoulder and rubbed it back and forth. “Now, for the reason you sought me out. I do have one hypothesis about the situation.

“Since you would love to hear anything from me, I will answer you honestly. First I will say that the Vanah genetically constructed me to be the peak of genetics that the future Pureblood would use as a brood mare.

“I was quite against that and worked mightily to spoil that. To ruin that future and make sure it wouldn’t come to pass. I worked endlessly to be damaged in a way that they wouldn’t want to spread throughout their bloodlines. Thankfully I was told to not breed.

“To that end, I have limited information in regards to what the current Blood of Vanah is up to. Nor do I hae connections that might give me information. I apologize for that.

“I can reach out tentatively to see if anyone is willing to say anything. Perhaps I will be surprised by their response, though I think they will say nothing.

“With that in mind, I do believe that you’re right for what you said. My interpretation as to the why, or next step, is only based on what you said. I could easily be wrong.

“The Pureblood of Calesat must respond as if it’s a real invasion, even if he has intelligence to the counter. Even if he has every scrap of intelligence that this has no possibility of becoming a war, he must act and believe that it will be.

“To not act in that manner, is to leave himself open. He must act, deploy, spend coin, and move his forces in accordance with the belief that a war is coming.

“This is primarily based on what you said about allowing broadcasts through. Because you’re right, the Pureblood is absolutely allowing it in. He’s letting the populace and the citizens see it.

“Because if he didn’t, it’d be his word, against anyone who wants to naysay him.

“In the same breath, the Vanah and the Schule must know this is a provocation that the Calesat must respond in kind to. This isn’t something that they’re doing without understanding the respond.

“That means that the broadcasts, the movements, and forcing the Calesat into an equal response is their goal. The question we must ask, is not why is this all happening, it’s why does the Vanah, or the Schule, wish for this military war standing stalemate to exist.”

Ralph raised his eyebrows as he considered Liseth’s words. It made absolute sense to him with what she’d said. It pulled together all his thoughts and brought it into a solid state.

Everything was where they wanted it at this moment.

The question was ‘why’.

“I was thinking of taking the mission, dumping the Siren into the mission space and letting it act as a relay,” Ralph murmured, explaining his thoughts. “Then moving off to the fringe space beyond Vanah, or the corridor space between it and the Confed.

“See what I can’t dig up or dig into. Black market goods are still flowing in and out, just not across the border. That means that the Vanah and Schule side are also keeping the border space clean and clear. That there is nothing crossing over it that isn’t being tracked, permitted, or blocked.”

“That makes a lot of sense,” agreed Liseth. “I can easily see how you could make that work for you. Are you going to contact Elke?”

“Yes, I am. I’m going to have her move into position with us and take her as a secondary ship,” Ralph confirmed. He’d been thinking about it as he spoke with Liseth and forming up his plans. Having Elke in that specialized ship of hers would be very handy. Especially if he put a condition in for the Pureblood to upgrade the Orphan. “I plan on putting in a contract request for the Pureblood to upgrade the Orphan. Bring it up to a similar type of armor and dampening that we have.”

“Elke will be very pleased,” said Liseth with what sounded like a smile on her face. “As the Lady Orphan, I’m her representative. I’d planned on speaking with you about bringing Captain Elke in closer into the command so this fits well.”

I… see.

That’s right, she chose becoming the Lady Orphan.

I wonder if she identifies with Elke and all of them considering she’s of the Vanah, but no longer of the Vanah. They more or less kicked her out of the Blood and let her become property.

“Though, rather than the Siren, use the Shadow,” continued Liseth. “Just in case something happens. We wouldn’t want to lose the Siren. While she’s the little sister of the Toll, she’s still a family ship.

“Perhaps you should ask the Pureblood to upgrade the Armory and the Shadow as well. Perhaps agree to another year on the extension in exchange? We both know they won’t keep the extension that long because either the war will begin, or end.”

Raising his eyebrows at that, Ralph couldn’t deny that was a very good idea.

Having all of his ships brought up to the same level as the Toll would be quite good. Especially if he needed to crew them later.

“Good idea,” Ralph said simply. “Glad you were around, my dear super brain.”

“Of course. I’m glad to be your Doctor and strategist,” replied Liseth.

“How’s my genetic sample today? You seem to constantly run them. Collect them and check them,” asked Ralph. His curiosity winning out after a glance at her monitor.

“Very clean, very healthy. Your modified diet and vitamin injections have done their job,” answered Liseth. “Your samples are very potent and very high quality. If you were in a Blood child bank, you would be highly sought after by all.”

Ralph grinned at that.

With how strict Blood were about their genetics, sperm banks were highly regulated.

“I’m going to go call Elke,” Ralph replied rather than answer her comment about his sample.

“You should. She would welcome it,” agreed Liseth. “Xas has set up controls for the stations and the Blood of Turlan soldiery is quite vehement in protecting Turlan station space. There isn’t much for her to do.

“That and all the AI that were invited in have become extremely proficient with incorporating systems into the Blood of Turlan. The control is expanding quickly as is the network and electronic infrastructure.

“They’re very profficient. You made the right call bringing them all into the Blood of Turlan.

“As to Elke, your unstated Blood of Turlan Admiral, I do believe she was coming this way to provide an escort for you, however. If I don’t miss my guess, she will arrive tomorrow. You could always speak with her in person.

“In fact, as your Doctor and Strategist, I would recommenced it. We can’t verify that the Orphan isn’t perfectly secure.”

That’s a very good point.

Tomorrow is fine, I suppose.

“Tell me more about you, Liseth,” Ralph murmured and grabbed her foot with his hand. “Tell me about my Doctor and Strategist.”