Page 27 of Spark Transform

Which was why Arazak topped her list of places to go. Four years ago, and for another story entirely, she’d developed a deep background source in Professor Marda Olavskaya at the CPS Academy and Institute. The smaller city was north of Ridderth, only a few hours away by fast flitter.

Before becoming a teacher, Olavskaya’s prior assignments in the CPS had included a variety of Minder Corps administrative assignments. She’d been cagey and careful with her words, but had helped Arco understand how the vast and multi-missioned CPS was organized, how it reconciled mission conflicts, and its tangled relationships with its own military bosses and pharma company partners.

Olavskaya had since retired for health reasons. Arco hoped to get useful information on CPS internal data collection and reporting procedures. It would help her figure out which newly public CPS data to trust and which to question.

The professor had agreed to meet, but only in person. Arco had acquiesced in part because she imagined the woman was lonely. Not seeing students or colleagues every day would take some getting used to.

Olavskaya’s flat turned out to be an entire floor of a rounded high-rise in a tight group of similar buildings. The homogeneous shapes and trendy architectural style made them look like a giant apiary, with flitters as occupants instead of bees.

Minan, the third new guard, met them on the building’s roof. She’d rented a three-seater airsled, giving her the freedom to fly and land wherever she wanted without having to use the city’s traffic control system. The TCS might get in the way of a quick exit.

Minan wasn’t much taller than Arco, and cultivated a nondescript mixed-heritage look that made her unmemorable in a crowd. She collected unique words from all languages and pre-flight sports memorabilia, and seemed to have friends rather than lovers and no family. Though she’d been in the security business for seventy years, she’d only recently begun admitting she was a ramper. Mandatory minder registration ended decades ago, but prejudice hadn’t.

Minan tilted her head toward the compact stacker where they’d just stored their flitter. “Building entry is on the far side. The TCS predicts a thirty-minute traffic surge for business shifts starting in about ninety minutes.” Minan’s tech implant, a legacy of military service when she was younger, enabled her to jack into tech and interface directly with public systems. Her planet-wide security license gave her the keys. She turned to Brenner. “Where do you want me?”

Brenner eyed the bright, cloudless sky. Despite the approaching winter and the more northern latitude, Arazak was both drier and warmer than Ridderth. “Up here with the transports. Stay live with Tōn Ko and N’Dwama and monitor the net. I’ll be with her.” He pointed a thumb toward Arco.

Minan nodded. “Copy.”

At the building’s lift, Arco waited until Brenner gave her the signal to ping the professor that they were waiting on her doorstep. A minute later, the doors irised open to reveal a spacious, padded capsule, big enough to easily hold twenty people and their pets.

After a fast ride to the professor’s floor, the capsule released them into an entryway decorated with subtle gold and red accents. Pre-flight classical music played in the background. Arco had heard the deceptively simple piece before but didn’t know the composer.

Olavskaya’s husky voice spoke clearly from the intricate metal sculpture of a tree that took up one corner of the hall. “Your people can come in, but not with their weapons.”

Brenner glowered at the tree, then at Arco.

Arco smiled, assuming they were on holo. “Can two of them stay out here with their weapons?” asked Arco. “They worry.”

“That is acceptable.”

By the time Brenner handed N’Dwama his phaseknife, the double doors opposite the lift irised open. Olavskaya backed into the room slowly, dragging a short bench.

Tōn Ko stepped in to help her. “Where do you want this?”

She let him take it. “It’s for you. Put it where you like.” She sounded out of breath.

Olavskaya ushered Arco and Brenner into her elegant flat. It looked like an immersive exhibit of furniture and paintings from the same preflight era that had produced the classical music. Spare and graceful, with muted tones enhanced by carefully chosen, well-placed bright ornamentation.

Olavskaya herself dressed in gauzy clothes and arranged her dark hair to match. The style was well-suited to her long, thin limbs.

“Your home is truly stunning,” said Arco, meaning it. She imagined each piece had been lovingly collected.

Olavskaya beamed. “It is not to everyone’s taste, but it is to mine.” Hints of a Slavic accent sharpened her consonants.

She led them to a grouping of chairs. An antique cart offered slender carafes and small plates of miniature savories and sweets. “We will sit here.”

Arco introduced Brenner as her security. After eyeing the room’s entrances, he positioned himself to stand between Arco and the flat’s front doors.

The rich pastries called to her empty stomach, but she ignored them in favor of pulling out her tablet as she sat and noted the time. “Thank you for agreeing to talk to me again. May I record our discussion, or would you prefer I take notes?”

Olavskaya handed Arco a glass of tea. Her hand trembled, as if the weight of the glass taxed her strength. “Notes only.” Her expression turned sly. “But you will remember.”

Arco smiled. “The important parts, at least.”

Olavskaya was a high-level polymath minder with talents across the category spectrum. Her sifter senses probably detected Arco’s modest talents, but Arco hadn’t admitted them to anyone in a long time. Except Brenner, because she felt he should know one of her secrets, considering she knew so many of his.

After she asked simpler questions about Minder Corps offices and the upcoming budget review to help Olavskaya feel comfortable talking, Arco eased into her real area of interest. “The new health data about Minder Corps veterans seems to have upset the CPS.”