Free Burnt Ice by Steve Wheeler Page B

Fifty per cent upfront and the other fifty when
handover occurs. My creatures are indentured for only five years. Now, I am
very happy to take, let’s say, two and a half per cent off for the Fossa map?
Deal?’
     
    ‘Done. Thanks, Marko. This ACE is
going to be rather good. I’ve been thinking of a new mascot for some time. The
Games Board smoked the last one — supposedly by accident. Credited us, of
course, but I think that they were just trying to piss me off. I had been a
little too free with my critique of their reporting on that occasion. Flash me
your account and taxation details please.’
     
    Marko brought up his account
details, linked across to the local Administration taxation node, fed in the
amount, calculated the tax, then sent the details across to the captain’s
plate. Seconds later the money appeared on his own plate with the tax removed
and a cheerful thanks from the tax office which made Marko grimace.
     
    ‘Thanks. Fees transferred. Here,
I’ll unlock the rest of the Fossa for you. OK. Right, I’d better be off. The
brass do not want to be kept waiting any longer. Compliments to your fellows,
and also to your warrant officer. Excellent beer, thank you. Good day,
sergeant, until we meet again.’
     
    ‘Thanks, sir. Pleasure doing
business.’
     
    As they were within the confines
of the craft and also in what was still considered a Conflict zone, they did
not salute each other, rather gave each other a curt nod.
     
    Marko watched Captain der Boltz walk
down the ramp and up towards the main shopping precinct above the landing
field. So that was the Star of Gamma, Marko mused. Interesting guy. For
all of his reputation as being an articulate, smart, real hard bastard, Marko
liked him. He had heard that der Boltz could be absolutely ruthless and there
was definitely a serious amount of cynicism in his makeup, but for all of that
he knew exactly what he wanted. Marko decided that it was all good, as having
der Boltz on his client list was not a bad thing.
     
    Jan arrived a few hours later to
find Marko still hard at work.
     
    ‘When was the last time you had a
meal, Marko?’ she said.
     
    He looked up at her and decided
that she was a genuine, caring person and if she stayed with them for much
longer she would probably boss them all around. He also considered that he
would miss her when she was gone and he regretted not taking the time to get to
know her better.
     
    ‘Just had Willie der Boltz on
board.’
     
    ‘Really? I’d like to wear him
like a shirt and roger him stupid!’
     
    ‘Jan!’
     
    ‘Oh, come on, Marko. You’re as
straight as they come and even you were attracted to him. Right? He’s
that kind of guy. He just oozes charm and dignity. Wouldn’t want to get on the
wrong side of him, though. Has a bad temper — of the worst type. Terribly,
terribly cold and calculating. And he is staggeringly wealthy. Now, you are
going to be careful in your dealings with him, eh? Would not want to have to
come back and teach you some manners, Marko. Equally, would not like to have to
go and give him a clip because he upset a friend of mine. Come on, you can take
me across to the mess. We both need a meal.’
     
    After lunch, Jan left to check up
on a few things and Marko climbed one of the low hills to where a group of
buildings were being replanted. The original structures had been damaged beyond
repair as their main rooting balls had been killed or so badly damaged that
they could not self-repair. The dead buildings had lost cohesion and collapsed
the day before so it was a simple task for the maintenance staff to lift the
contents of the building out of their crumbling mass, clear the site of
anything that would contaminate or hinder new growth, then wait for the
building biologists to arrive. Marko smiled at his good timing, thinking of all
the buildings he had seen during his life and of how their grown bio-engineered
hardwood forms had been determined by their function and