Penumbrials Ch. 01: Penumbra

Ourania examined the output. 'I'll have to make a list for the things needed to prepare the airship for flight. And we'll need a list for making it a permanent home.'

Adalet looked at Dormin. 'How about we take care of that while the two brainiacs take on the first list?'

Dormin chuckled. 'Sounds better than the other way around.'

Terry pouted and crossed her arms. 'Are you saying just because we're geniuses we can't make a good home?'

Adalet looked at her. 'You want us two grunts try to get this thing going with only our knowledge of armed and unarmed combat?'

Terry grinned. 'Yeah, maybe you have a point.'

The four of them went to work and some time later Terry called out to everyone. 'Ismene had cracked the encrypted data!' she said and showed documents on the screen in the lounge. 'From what I see it's François Miller who's behind the call to assassinate us.'

Ourania leaned closer to read a short mail requesting the removal of certain individuals from the work force. 'He's the financial man at the firm. Why would he be involved in this?'

Terry pulled up a list of notes made by Ismene. 'The firm is about to get a special order to build some airships with highly sophisticated hardware and it has to be done with the least amount of people knowing about it. Some of the hardware came from Elecore and they don't want any leads coming back to them. We know they had worked on several portables like Ismene and they don't want us ending up at this firm to ask questions.'

Adalet sneered. 'But we did end up there because of their actions, and not because we tried to find the hardware.'

'Who's the client?' Dormin asked.

Terry examined the list. 'Unknown. François's probably the only one who knows.'

Dormin looked at Adalet who gave him a nod. 'Then we'll have to pay him a visit.'

***

François Miller paused the porn movie he was watching. The girl's crying face while she was tortured filled the large screen. He let the image sink in and enjoyed the surge of excitement through his body that it caused. That's what good obedient girls were good for in his opinion. He got up and went into the kitchen to put some fresh ice cubes into his glass. When he turned around again he looked right into the muzzle of a pistol.

'François Miller, I presume.' the man behind it said.

Dormin and Adalet kept their guns pointed at François as he sat on the black leather couch in the living room. 'I don't think we need to introduce ourselves, do we?' said Dormin. François swallowed. 'We've already read the documents about the order and the requirement that came along with it, so we only have one question, who.'

François rubbed his wet palms on his black pants. Sweat stains grew in the armpits of his white dress shirt. 'I don't know what you're talking about.'

He cried out when Dormin shot the side of his thigh.

Dormin took a step closer while François clutched his thigh and cried out in pain. 'Who!'

François glared up at him. 'I have no name! I only have a contact address!' Dormin aimed at François's other leg. 'I swear! I was approached at the Green Café by some guy and only see him there in the evening!'

Dormin relaxed his gun. 'Name, description.'

François shook his head. 'No name. He's some guy in his thirties, black hair, dark blue suit. Drinks whiskey. He shows up after I arrive. That's all I know!'

Dormin nodded at Adalet and she went to the front door. François glanced around. 'He won't come if I'm not there.'

Dormin aimed his gun at François again. 'We'll just have to risk it.' he said and pulled the trigger.

Adalet crawled behind the wheel of the car and drove away after Dormin got in. 'I'm not too happy with having to shoot him.' she said.

Dormin reloaded his gun. 'I know. But it's necessary to keep us safe and I've been trained for this kind of thing. You won't have to do it.'

Adalet took a turn and headed for the road leading outside the city. 'It's hard to think of being the good guys when what's needed to be done to stay safe is the same thing the bad guys do.'

Dormin put away their guns and sighed. 'In the end the only difference is the damage done to ordinary civilians. Keep it low or non-existent, and you're in the good camp.'

Adalet nodded slowly as they drove in silence through the night.

***

The Green Café was a reasonably popular club for the higher paid managers in the city. The audience wasn't too young apart from the trophy boy- and girlfriends the clientele brought with them. The dance music brought them to the floor in the centre and made for entertainment for the older generation like they were watching dogs play during a walk in the park. It also made for doing business deals.

Dormin leaned closer to Adalet after a forty-something woman in black skirt suit passed them and measured him up with a predatory smile. 'Will they think I brought you here, or you brought me?'

Adalet smiled deviously. 'I look all business in my grey suit, which means I brought you.'

Dormin straightened his jacket. 'Yeah, thought so.'

They found an empty booth and a young black waitress in tight white leather skirt outfit soon joined them.

'Two of your best whiskeys, on the tab of François Miller.' Adalet said.

The girl smiled. 'Coming right away.' she said and went back to the bar with a light tread.

'Think he might show up?' Adalet asked.

Dormin surveyed the crowd. 'I hope they'll be curious enough when we show up here and use Miller's name.'

The waitress returned and served their drinks. She gave Dormin a quick wink before returning to the bar.

Adalet nudged him. 'Hey, you're not going to flirt with other women while we're on the job.'

He grinned and wet his lips with his whiskey to see if there were effects of drugs. 'So it's okay the rest of the time?'

Adalet pouted a little. 'I didn't know you were a player.'

Dormin caressed her thigh. 'I think I'm the one being played with by you and Terry.'

Adalet chuckled. 'Okay, true.'

They watched the crowd for a while when a black haired man in dark blue suit sat with them. 'Miss Saliman and mister Oarion. I see you're more tenacious than we had anticipated.'

Dormin felt Adalet's thigh tense. 'It's kind of a natural reaction when someone keeps on trying to kill you.'

The man nodded. 'I suppose it is.'

Dormin sipped his whiskey. 'So why?'

The man chuckled. 'I think you already know how powerful the hardware is that your foxy friend stole from us. We can't have that out in the open.'

Adalet sneered. 'Just for that?'

The man smiled coldly at her. 'That's enough for you to know.' A canine and a feline male in dark grey suits stepped up to the booth. 'And now we'll have to say goodbye. If you try anything we'll shoot you and everyone here in the club, making it look like an unfortunate mass killing incident.'

The men gestured for Adalet and Dormin to follow them and they walked out the front like normal guests. Adalet glanced at Dormin's calm face and tried to keep just as cool while she wondered what he had been through to manage that.

The canine led the group to a car park and through a doorway in the brick wall at the back. There he turned and gestured with a nod for Adalet and Dormin to stand further back. They moved over and Dormin stared blankly at him.

The man smiled a little. 'I see you've stared death in the face more often, as calm as you are. Too bad it won't help you escape this time.'

Dormin shrugged.

'Kill them.' said the man and the canine and feline aimed their guns at Dormin and Adalet.

Several shots rang and the three men collapsed to the ground while Dormin and Adalet grabbed their guns and stepped back from them. The man groaned in pain while he grabbed his bleeding thigh and looked back up at the airship that hadn't been there before and the fox aiming a sniper rifle at him.

Dormin pushed him on his back and pressed the gun underneath his jaw. 'Now tell us the rest.'

The man chuckled. 'I don't think so. You're in over your head.'

Dormin looked at the feline and canine. 'Anybody have anything to say?'

They glared at him and Dormin pulled the trigger.

He stood up from the corpse. 'You sure?'

The feline spat at him. 'They'll kill us if we talk, so you might as well kill us now.'

Dormin aimed at him. 'Okay.' he said and shot him, then the canine.

Adalet stepped back and breathed deep. 'I feel like we're in a war.'

Dormin emptied the pockets of the dead men. 'We're in something much worse. These guys have no compunction about taking innocent lives.'

He took wallets and keys and went with Adalet to the car park passing cars until one reacted to the keys. They searched the interior thoroughly, collected more weapons, some identity and business cards, and gave a thumbs up to Terry before getting into Dormin's car. The airship disappeared from sight as soon as Dormin drove away.

Adalet looked through the wallets and cards. 'Their identities are for a secure transport company. A few cards from storage companies.' She took out her mobile and took pictures of everything. 'Let's see what Terry can do with this.'

Back at Ourania's airship facility they sat together in the lounge.

Dormin looked at Ourania who glanced at him. 'You've now seen what we do to fight back. If you have any problem or doubt you should tell us before you regret what you're getting involved in.'

Ourania glanced at the others and took a deep breath. 'I've never been so close to violence until that first night at work. And seeing how it's used in a trap set up by us, it's sort of unreal. I can't empathise with those guys though since my logic also tells me that it's us or them. I just wonder how cold I can be.'

Dormin nodded. 'No one can be really cold unless they're really screwed up in the head. And those people don't walk around free or alive for long. You're fine, but expect to get hit with realisation at some point. That's the hardest thing before it gets easier.' He turned to Terry. 'How are you doing?'

She gave him a little smile. 'It was easier than I thought when I imagined what they would do to you two. But I couldn't outright kill them.'

Dormin gave her a gentle smile. 'You did good. You don't have to do more than this if you don't want to. If you want to do this at all. The rest can be done by me. I'm the only one trained for this kind of job anyway.'

Adalet put her hand on his. 'Are you okay with bearing that burden for us?'

He smiled softly at her. 'I've done this enough times to have passed the point of no return. Ending the lives of bad guys had become a normal event in my life a long time ago.'

Adalet leaned closer to him and kissed his cheek. 'I hope we can end that sort of thing soon.'

He looked at her and grinned slightly. 'But what will I do for a hobby then?'

She chuckled and Terry felt her stomach grumble. 'I know, cooking! And you can start right now because I'm hungry.'

While Dormin was cooking with Adalet helping, Terry checked on Ismene's progress on finding more information about Polioni, the transport company, and briefed the rest when they ate a little later. 'They are part of a larger corporation with a variety in businesses like construction, low volume manufacturing, accounting. It all looks like a normal everyday thing and no major problems with the law. But there was one lead Ismene found, most of the shareholders and investors lead back financially to Elyssa Sornio.'

Adalet stopped her fork midway to her mouth. 'Elyssa Sornio? She's one shrewd woman. May have tried to convict her for the crimes done by the criminal empire she runs, but it has always ended up as lack of evidence or with someone taking the fall.'

'I've heard of her.' said Dormin. 'Ex-soldiers are welcomed in her companies.'

Ourania blinked. 'I think I missed something. But then I hardly watch the news.'

Adalet looked at her. 'She stays mostly out of the limelight so she's not really a household name. It is said she came up from the bottom and gained control over ever more territory from other crime gangs in a relative short time. She didn't make a huge mess out of it but did it with precise and brutal strikes.' Adalet put her fork down. 'And not a single piece of evidence could be traced back to her. This is definitely not good.'

'We'll have to be smart about how to get at her then.' said Dormin and leaned back. 'Observation, collect any information there is, find the weak spot.'

Terry gestured at him with her fork. 'If Ismene finds enough info on her we might only need to fill in a few blanks.'

He nodded. 'Hopefully enough to take her down without bloodshed. Locking her up would be a more effective punishment than killing her.'

Adalet sighed. 'You think we can achieve more than the police departments?'

He smirked at her. 'They don't have two geniuses with an invisible airship and a portable supercomputer.'

Adalet let out a laugh. 'Right!'

Getting to Know the Enemy

The four worked on getting the airship ready as soon as possible. Dormin hoped they would be hidden at the facility but didn't count on it to be forever. Adalet agreed.

While Terry steered the search for information about Elyssa on Ismene, she also ran more tests with Ourania on the airship and the dark matter shield. The transparency of the shield was tested with radio and light waves and solid objects, and if passing through the dark matter bubble changed them in any way. It was at least too weak for the instruments to detect as long as the airship was far enough out of sync.

Ourania connected the last wires to the controls for the cargo area in the cockpit. It still looked like it had been ripped apart for parts but it was fully functional now. She went back to her corner in the lounge to check the to-do list when she met Terry there who made some changes on various identities she owned.

'I think I've done all on the list.' Ourania said as she sat behind her computer. 'Everything is functional now although it still looks messy. But tidying up can always be done later.'

Terry looked up from the new tablet she had linked to Ismene after securing her in an armoured box out of sight in the lounge. 'So we're good to go?'

Ourania double checked her work list. 'I'd say so. If I missed anything we'll find out when we're gone.' She leaned back in her chair. 'Ah, now I feel I can relax somewhat.'

Terry chuckled. 'I can imagine.' She sent a message to Dormin and Adalet who were stocking up the kitchen and making sure they had all the necessities on board.

They arrived a bit later and sat down in the booth at the window. Dormin had brought a bottle of clear liquor called Slingfitsh and shot glasses.

He poured them all a drink. 'This is what my unit drank after a successful mission.' He held up his glass. 'To a job well done.'

The rest clinked their glasses with his and downed the liquid tasting slightly of sweet and sour apples.

A fast spreading warmth went down Ourania's throat and she smiled a little. 'Tastes like victory.'

Dormin nodded. 'The sweet but also sour side of the job we were in. It helped to relieve the stress that had been building up by getting fully drunk.'

Adalet sighed. 'I don't mind getting drunk now.' She pulled a soft pillow behind her back and stretched her legs. 'Even though it's less now, my ribs still ache.'

Dormin refilled their glasses. 'Give it a week, then it'll feel well enough to do all normal things as long as it's not too intense.'

She took another drink. 'In the meantime this will have to do as a painkiller.'

Terry chuckled. 'I'll join you out of sympathy.' she said and took a drink.

Dormin turned to Ourania. 'I didn't notice any name for this ship, does it have any at all?'

Ourania shook her head. 'It only had a designation number when it was in active use. But I did come up with one after I read a myth about a hero who fought and tamed an invisible monster and made it her mount. Diafanis.'

'Oh, I like that one.' said Terry. She held up her glass. 'To Diafanis.'

They clinked their glasses and drank to the new name.

***

The next afternoon Dormin drove his car into one of the smaller buildings and hid it behind a stack of old barrels and crates.

'Won't they know it's yours when someone finds it?' Ourania asked when he came back to the hall.

'The license plates are false and the registration has been altered by Terry to a known criminal who vanished a while ago. It'll be enough to deceive a quick look into it.' he said and looked up at the airship. 'It's too big to take with us anyway. We'll have to find something else for personal transport. And I think I have an idea.'

'Motorcycles?' said Adalet when Dormin showed pictures of those in use by the military.

'Fast, agile, and easily taken with us because of their size.' he said.

'Easier to maintain.' said Ourania. 'I can see the advantage.'

Terry nodded. 'And there's the cool factor.'

Adalet hummed in thought. 'It would be easier to get away through small streets and alleys.'

Dormin scrolled through the different types. 'We'll need all wheel drive, the ability to attach cases for our gear, double seat.'

'Already on it.' said Terry and typed on her tablet. 'Ismene found a specialist in motorcycles who can customise for specific use. He does a lot of work for people who take long trips out in the country. I've requested an estimate for four bikes.'

Ourania looked nervous. 'Four? But I don't know how to ride, and I don't know if I can be of use when you go out to, whatever needs to be done involving violence.'

Terry gave her a little smile. 'I ordered one for redundancy. I think your most efficient place is here on Diafanis.'

'And unless I'm the only one who has a license, you'll all need to learn how to ride a bike.' Dormin said. 'It's not as hard as it looks though.'

Ourania nodded and leaned back in the couch. 'Okay then. I'd be afraid I'd mess things up if you needed me to come along to shoot bad guys.'

Terry chuckled. 'I think I'll be a bad enough problem when I go with them.'

Dormin gave her thigh a pat. 'Don't worry, I'll make sure to train you well.'

She looked at him with half closed eyes and growled playfully. 'Promise?'

He chuckled. 'Sure. But for now, let's get going. We need to take a closer look at Elyssa.'

Ourania flew the Diafanis out of the hall and Dormin closed the huge roll doors. He took a last look at the building where he had left his car and climbed inside the airship. He noticed everyone felt a little tense as he entered the cockpit. They all realised they weren't going to live a normal life anymore with a home to go to at the end of the day. He seated himself in the captain's seat while Ourania and Adalet piloted Diafanis and Terry kept an eye on things at the engineer's seat.

Ourania instructed Adalet in the controls and let her retract the landing struts and start the procedure to take them out of sync.

'All green on the sync.' Adalet said when all synchronisation units were active.

Terry checked the sensors and status. 'Confirmed, we're going out of sync with this dimension.'

Ourania gestured at the engine controls. 'Then we can extend the engines.'

Adalet toggled the switches Ourania had indicated and the four ring engines extended halfway out of the hull. 'In position.' she said.

'Activate the dark matter shield.'

She toggled another switch and Terry saw a little spike in activity from Ismene when everything turned dark outside. She checked the status on Ismene and Diafanis. 'Everything running smoothly as far as I can see. We're good to go.'

Ourania nodded at Adalet after a look at the outside view through several screens in front and above them. 'Let's fly.'

Adalet smiled a little in excitement and increased power to the engines for thrust. 'Let's fly.'