Read Merkiaari Wars: 01 - Hard Duty for Free Online Page A

would be another matter. Security and customs would be on that side and they never slept.
    Most spacecraft were unable to land and would use the station to unload and load cargo, but most wasn’t all, and out here in the border zone raiders were a concern. Pirates took ships, but raiders were another breed. They not only jacked ships, they jacked stations and even colonies if they could get away with it. Their ships had landing capability, and Fleet was stretched thin out here. Raiders weren’t the only concern for colonies like Thurston. Smugglers could quickly undermine fragile economies, but Thurston had another worry right now. Gun runners. The marines really wouldn’t appreciate a ship full of weapons making landfall, especially when the only customer was a terrorist group like the Freedom Movement. Security would be tight right now with a continual over watch by navy hotshot pilots patrolling in low orbit.
    Eric found what he was looking for and dismissed the Infonet window.
    >_ Infonet: Logoff [Y]es/[N]o?
    >_ Y
    Eric left the lounge but instead of heading outside for a taxi, he turned right. His search on Infonet had been for the bank that matched the key card Ken had slipped him. Banks at spaceports and on stations were common. They catered to spacers who needed quick access to funds or a secure place to leave their gear. Crew on freighters with a regular run found it easier and cheaper to stash their stuff in a deposit box rather than continue paying for an empty housing unit. Eric knew he wouldn’t look out of place, even in his less than pristine faked up merc uniform.
    He walked into the bank and got in line. There were a few early risers making transactions before catching a shuttle up to the station. The android bank tellers didn’t care of course. When it was his turn, he slid the key card into a slot in the countertop and chose option three.
    “Thank you, ma’am,” the android said. “A Human member of staff will be with you shortly. Please take a seat.”
    “I’m not a ma’am, I’m a sir,” Eric said because he was bored and twitting the droid appealed to him. “Male you know?”
    “Thank you for the correction. Correction logged. Please take a seat ma’am. A Human member of staff will be with you shortly.”
    Eric sighed, already losing interest in the game. “All is programming... you poor bastard.” He wasn’t sure who to feel the more sorry for; an android following its programming and completely unaware of it or himself who followed his while denying it.
    “Next please,” the android said.
    Eric moved away and took a seat.
    Five minutes later he was escorted down to the vaults beneath the building. It was a typical example of its kind and Eric considered it no better than medium security. Plenty good enough for its purpose of storing its customer’s gear, but not something governments or military would consider using. Security systems were in place—Eric’s sensors had picked up their emissions—and the facility itself was fine—fire and bomb proof—but without simcode recognition the entire system relied upon keycards and passwords. Still, he wasn’t here to critique the security arrangements, though he had done that before. He had done pretty much everything before... many times. He was here to collect whatever Ken had stashed for him.
    The armed guard stopped at the last door after passing a dozen similar doors and tugged his uniform tunic straight. He inserted his card, rapidly entered a code while shielding the key pad with his body, and then stepped back as the door slid aside.
    “After you, sir.”
    Eric walked inside and waited for the guard to lock him in. The sound of the locks engaging were quiet but Eric’s enhanced hearing picked up the sounds easily. Good. He didn’t want to be disturbed. The guard would wait outside the door for hours if need be. They were paid for more than weapon’s proficiency after all. They were hired for their discretion and lack of