Sergeant Hayward was cursed. Deep down, somewhere in his soul, he could feel it. There was a higher power somewhere, and it was laughing at him. How else could he explain being called in on an emergency outbreak containment detail during his vacation? There was a private island and two lovely ladies eager to please waiting on him. Instead of that dream, he was stuck cleaning up after useless Enforcers and waiting for the Dealers to show up. At least he had gotten to see Pritch the Bitch in the synth-flesh. She was quite the sight for his beleaguered heart.

  He leaned against the wall of the entrance to the hab unit, barely listening to Colin and Jeffers, two of his subordinates, ramble on about nothing. Colin waved a hand before his face, clearly needing his attention.

  “Hey, Vasco, you in there?” Colin asked. He only seemed mildly concerned.

  “Again, with the first name. We’re on duty, you nimrod.” Hayward scolded him half-heartedly.

  “Right. Sorry. You good sarge?” Colin corrected, unfazed.

  “I’m aces. I can’t imagine what my vacation would have been like without this steaming heap dropped in my lap.” Hayward said. He let too much of his frustration out on Colin.

  “My bad, sarge. It’s really shitty that they dragged you in tonight. Everyone knows it.” Colin assured him.

  “Just leave the man alone, Colin. Let him mourn his lost holiday in peace.” Jeffers chimed in.

  “Nah, it’s alright. I know I’m not good company right now. This shit is just pissing me off. It’s not your fault, Colin.” Hayward said, patting Colin on the shoulder.

  “Any sign of our second Dealer?” Colin asked, eager to change the subject.

  “None yet. Got a nice eyeful of Pritch, though.” Hayward said.

  “Don’t even go there, man. She’s a fucking headcase!” Jeffers warned.

  “Headcase or not, she’s still an absolute smoke show,” Hayward countered.

  “It’s your funeral,” Jeffers said, shaking his head.

  “Hey, there’s nothing wrong with a little gander,” Hayward said.

  “Who’s the second Dealer, anyway?” Colin asked.

  “Some specialist I’ve never heard of. The Major vouches for his record, but every file is locked behind an obscene clearance level. He’s on loan from House Caligo.” Hayward explained.

  “Specialist? What does that even mean for a Dealer?” Colin wondered.

  “Fuck if I know,” Hayward admitted, shrugging his shoulders.

  “It means you keep your head down. Dealers are one thing. A retainer for the administration is another level of shit you aren’t meant to mess with.” Jeffers spoke in a hushed, conspiratorial tone.

  Colin looked more nervous than ever as he listened to Jeffers. Hayward slipped out of the conversation and back into silence as he scanned the area surrounding the hab unit again. Being made to wait only added to his list of frustrations.

  He received a notification ping from the Dice personnel network. An inbound dealer had just been given access to the scene.

  “Alright, gentlemen, look alive. He’s here.” Hayward said, stepping away from the wall. Colin and Jeffers straightened up and scanned the area along with Hayward. None of them had known what to expect, but they certainly hadn’t imagined the walking tank that approached the building now.

  “I think you were right, Jeffers…” Colin whispered.

  “Don’t encourage him. The guy is on our side,” Hayward reminded them.

  “Are you sure? Look at that thing. It’s a monstrosity.” Colin continued.

  “It’s an Incarnum Colin; they don’t have to make them all look human,” Hayward explained.

  “Yeah…but what does that say about the one who made it?” Jeffers asked.

  “Will you give it a rest?” Hayward spoke as he left Colin and Jeffers, walking out to meet the new arrival. He raised a hand to catch the hulking metal Incarnum’s attention. The Dealer approached, and Hayward wondered silently if Colin’s fears were truly unfounded.

  “Elias Caldburn? You’re our second Dealer, I presume?” Hayward asked. He acted as natural as possible as he put his hand down under the barrel of his slugger. There was no telling what sort of automated threat detection this thing had.

  A pale red hologram shaped like an egg floated down from the machine’s shoulder. The hologram brightened and dimmed as the Dealer responded to indicate his speech pattern.

  “Correct. My partner should already be inside,” Elias said. Hayward watched the Stringers buzz around like flies. The Press-heads were probably going into a frenzy over this guy.

  “Yeah, we saw her. And the tangle of stringers following her,” Hayward said. He imagined the Info-junkies watching the stringer feeds. They would be desperate for their fix and run into the same Dice red tape he had earlier during the Major’s briefing.

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  “Yes. Livia’s quite… photogenic.” Elias said.

  “That’s one way to put it,” Hayward agreed. His curiosity was getting the better of him. Caldburn was on a first-name basis with Pritch the Bitch? Did they have some kind of history? He considered fishing for more detail but decided against it quickly.

  “Anyway, I’m Sergeant Hayward. We’ve granted you access to our network, so you’re ready on all fronts.” Hayward explained.

  “Thank you, Sergeant. I’m heading in to meet my partner. In the meantime, I need you and your men to do everything possible to clear these civilians out.” Elias requested.

  “Of course. We will start hauling the junkies in if nobody wants to disperse.” Hayward said. He didn’t relish the thought of having to argue with every pushy Press-head and rabid Info-junkie milling around the barricades. He kept his complaints to himself for the moment.

  “Good. Stay safe, Sergeant,” Elias said before entering the building. Hayward found it funny that he was being told to remain safe, considering what Caldburn was walking into.

  As Hayward watched Elias walk into the building, something he had said stuck out in his mind. He had called Pritch his Partner. There may have been a reason he had been called in from his vacation for this after all.

  “Hey Caldburn, when this is all over, you’ve got to introduce me to your partner,” Hayward called out. It was a long shot, but he wouldn’t waste an opportunity like this.

  “No promises, Sergeant.” Elias stopped briefly to answer before heading deeper into the Trevelli building. Hayward did not know if his gamble would pay off, but that was half the fun.

  Hayward returned to Colin and Jeffers and enlisted them to help clear the barricades. It took longer than he would have liked, but eventually, they cleared the entire platform around the hab unit. Two arrests and a few terminated stringer feeds were enough to convey that Dice wasn’t interested in playing games.

  “Sarge, we’ve got this handled at the moment. You go take a break in the carrier,” Colin said, smiling.

  “Alright. Ping me if anything changes,” Hayward said. He took a short walk to the Dice personnel carrier and climbed aboard. The carrier was bare-bones inside but had plenty of seating, the only thing Hayward cared about. He claimed a seat and put his feet up when he was sure he was alone. He closed his eyes and brought up a feed of a small island with a pure white sand beach. A bungalow was situated among the trees that marked the end of the sand. Down near the water’s edge were three lounging chairs, two already occupied. A pair of women were laid out in the chairs, sunbathing in the nude.

  The feed was interrupted by a call request, causing it to fade into a blur in the background of Hayward’s vision. He sighed and checked the request. There was no identification or signature; the message was marked ‘urgent.’ He would have dismissed the message had it not come from his personal network. He didn’t give that out to just anyone. Someone was making an effort to reach him.

  Hayward checked his surroundings, ensuring he was still alone, and answered the call.

  “Hello? Who is this?” he asked. The caller’s portrait displayed a figure cloaked in a grey hood in the corner of his vision.

  “Good evening, Sergeant. I hope I didn’t interrupt anything important,” a woman said to him. “My name is Vila.”

  “Nice to meet you. How did you get access to my personal line?” Hayward asked.

  “I have certain resources at my disposal. I also have a proposition I believe you’ll be very interested in hearing,” Vila said.

  “I’m a busy man, Vila; I don’t need a new woman in my life at the moment,” Hayward said. He was already waiting for the punchline to this joke.

  “Not that kind of proposition, Sergeant. I have a job for you. It comes with a considerable amount of compensation for services rendered. It will, however, require you to disregard Dice protocol.” Vila explained.

  “Are you out of your mind? You don’t bring this kind of shit across an unsecured personal channel,” Hayward said, sitting up and looking around again.

  “I assure you, Sergeant, I have thoroughly protected our confidentiality. Now, are you interested in making some Kudos or not?” Vila asked.

  Hayward considered his options in silence. He pulled in good sway from Dice, but it wasn’t always enough. He had a few debts to some less scrupulous people he would rather be able to shed.

  “Fine. I’ll hear you out. If I don’t like it I’m terminating this call and reporting you.” Hayward warned.

  “As is your prerogative, Sergeant. I’ll be brief. I want you to tail the Dealers that entered the Trevelli building. Render assistance should they require it. I would recommend bringing a ROVER unit for personal protection.” Vila said.

  “Now I know you’re yanking my chain,” Hayward said, incredulous. “Come on, who put you up to this? Jeffers?”

  “This isn’t a prank, Sergeant. Are you capable of doing the job or not?” Vila asked.

  “I could if I was properly motivated. Problem is, I don’t think you have the sway,” Hayward said, playing along.

  “One hundred thousand kudos. Half up front as a retainer for your service, and the rest upon the safe return of the Dealers.” Vila said.

  “Alright. The joke isn’t getting any better. I don’t like being played for a sucker.” Hayward said. There was no world in which this woman was serious.

  “Vasco, I don’t have time to keep trying to impress upon you how real this opportunity is. Take it or leave it; I need an answer.” Vila said.

  “You have to realize how this sounds. It’s too good to be true. I can’t afford to trust you out of the blue,” Hayward said, trying to talk himself out of acceptance.

  “From what I’ve been able to ascertain about you, Sergeant, I don’t think you can afford not to trust me,” Vila said, her tone even.

  “Oh yeah? Who have you been talking to? I don’t have anything hanging over my head I’m not good for.” Hayward lied.

  “As I said, I have certain resources at my disposal. Those resources led me to you. I believe we can be of assistance to each other, Sergeant.” Vila explained.

  “What’s your angle in this? Why do you care what happens to the Dealers?” Hayward pressed.

  “Ah ah. Confidentiality, Sergeant.” Vila reminded him.

  “Oh, come on, lady, you’re busting my balls here!” Hayward accused.

  “I’ve hardly even begun to apply pressure, Sergeant. Don’t pout. Just tell me whether you’re in or you’re out.” Vila said, unfazed.

  “Fine, you know what? I’m in. Let’s see your kudos. Show me the sway!” Hayward said, clearly flustered.

  “Sign the retainer, and you’ll see,” Vila said. A small notification appeared in front of Hayward, requesting his signature. He sat in silence again, staring at the decision before him. This was insane. A thousand alarms went off in his head, telling him to walk away.

  “Fuck it. I’m in,” Hayward said, accepting the deal.

  “Lovely. Your social capital account has been credited appropriately. The second payment will be reflected once your service is complete. Have a safe night, Sergeant.” Vila said. The connection terminated suddenly, leaving Hayward to process what had just happened.

  He closed his eyes and opened his account readout. All the kudos—fifty thousand of them—were there.

  “No fucking shot…” Hayward muttered, scanning through what little details the transaction listed. One thing struck out at him ominously. Every bit of sway in the system had an identifying marker.

  These kudos were minted by House Caligo.