noticed, but we won’t have the gamma ray signature of a Krall clanship, and draw less attention. I’ll transfer to the Falcon and you can then Jump in closer, to their moon’s orbit, and make the radio request for entry, flashing the same code from General Nabarone that you normally use to bypass levels of security, and customs. The Mark will cruise in closer but stay stealthed until I call for her, or meet her in orbit with a loaner ship.”
Chief Haveram had decided he liked running the Falcon, and had remained as her Captain. He made frequent Jumps into Human Space; always Rim worlds thus far, to make purchases, convert precious metals into hard Hub currency or credit, and make deals for off-the-book deliveries of equipment suitable for a developing colony. This way, there were no questions to answer about where the goods and equipment was going. It wasn’t illegal merchandise, but it would be a source of curiosity, and sometimes it required dealings with shady characters, who may have “acquired” their “legal” goods in a way that questions were discouraged from buyers. It could be dangerous work, which a rejuvenated old fart like Haveram was eager to do. Just like the dangerous deals a youngster, which he now resembled, might chose to risk. His demonstrated experience, yet apparent youth, seemed at odds with the people he dealt with, and his speed and strength when a deal went sour, made him someone a double crosser didn’t forget, if they survived the lesson.
“This is only my fourth trip to Poldark, Tet. Aside from delivering you and the ‘gene team’ to see Nabarone, am I picking up any more Spec ops people there this time? Or returning any to Poldark from here?”
On his last trip to Poldark, Haveram had picked up nearly forty volunteer troops to take back to Koban, to become dual citizens and to receive their first gene mods. He knew some of those men had been talking about going back to Human Space soon. They were chatting up the “Ladies” in the new nightspot and dance club, which the true military types congregated at in the evenings, in the basement under Koban Prime, where an abandoned Krall factory had its former administrative offices available for use. The bar was called Rippers Roost.
It wasn’t full of the loose talk of drunken men, although they tried to make it so. They were learning that their new metabolism made it difficult to absorb alcohol quickly enough to get really buzzed, let alone sloppy drunk, although there were some majestic efforts. The local uncontracted women, many having recently been rejuvenated to their mid-twenties, were starved for new male faces and news of Human Space. They spent time making the genuinely young troopers feel very welcome.
The notions of male sperm rights and marriage contracts, in a world outside the rules and customs of the Hub, were essentially ignored here, as was the formalized and subservient male gender roles still displayed in much of Human Space, particularly on the inner Hub worlds. Men here, and increasingly on Rim worlds, were now considered social equals. The trend was working its way into New Colonies, as they added military outposts, which despite open recruiting for all genders, was three quarters male in composition.
Mirikami had predicted that when the Kobani mods became widespread, that there would likely be more of a female presence in the military. On Koban, almost forty percent of his raiders were female, and increasing in numbers as the older women gave into the temptations of gene mods, rejuvenation, and the feeling of youth and strength they gained.
There were only ten percent more women on Koban than males. This minor gender imbalance seemed to make women less sexually aggressively than on Hub worlds, where they generally outnumbered men by nearly thirty percent. Perhaps a greater male availability was the reason. Male populations had nearly rebounded from the Gene War catastrophe, but on Koban women had fared
Chief Haveram had decided he liked running the Falcon, and had remained as her Captain. He made frequent Jumps into Human Space; always Rim worlds thus far, to make purchases, convert precious metals into hard Hub currency or credit, and make deals for off-the-book deliveries of equipment suitable for a developing colony. This way, there were no questions to answer about where the goods and equipment was going. It wasn’t illegal merchandise, but it would be a source of curiosity, and sometimes it required dealings with shady characters, who may have “acquired” their “legal” goods in a way that questions were discouraged from buyers. It could be dangerous work, which a rejuvenated old fart like Haveram was eager to do. Just like the dangerous deals a youngster, which he now resembled, might chose to risk. His demonstrated experience, yet apparent youth, seemed at odds with the people he dealt with, and his speed and strength when a deal went sour, made him someone a double crosser didn’t forget, if they survived the lesson.
“This is only my fourth trip to Poldark, Tet. Aside from delivering you and the ‘gene team’ to see Nabarone, am I picking up any more Spec ops people there this time? Or returning any to Poldark from here?”
On his last trip to Poldark, Haveram had picked up nearly forty volunteer troops to take back to Koban, to become dual citizens and to receive their first gene mods. He knew some of those men had been talking about going back to Human Space soon. They were chatting up the “Ladies” in the new nightspot and dance club, which the true military types congregated at in the evenings, in the basement under Koban Prime, where an abandoned Krall factory had its former administrative offices available for use. The bar was called Rippers Roost.
It wasn’t full of the loose talk of drunken men, although they tried to make it so. They were learning that their new metabolism made it difficult to absorb alcohol quickly enough to get really buzzed, let alone sloppy drunk, although there were some majestic efforts. The local uncontracted women, many having recently been rejuvenated to their mid-twenties, were starved for new male faces and news of Human Space. They spent time making the genuinely young troopers feel very welcome.
The notions of male sperm rights and marriage contracts, in a world outside the rules and customs of the Hub, were essentially ignored here, as was the formalized and subservient male gender roles still displayed in much of Human Space, particularly on the inner Hub worlds. Men here, and increasingly on Rim worlds, were now considered social equals. The trend was working its way into New Colonies, as they added military outposts, which despite open recruiting for all genders, was three quarters male in composition.
Mirikami had predicted that when the Kobani mods became widespread, that there would likely be more of a female presence in the military. On Koban, almost forty percent of his raiders were female, and increasing in numbers as the older women gave into the temptations of gene mods, rejuvenation, and the feeling of youth and strength they gained.
There were only ten percent more women on Koban than males. This minor gender imbalance seemed to make women less sexually aggressively than on Hub worlds, where they generally outnumbered men by nearly thirty percent. Perhaps a greater male availability was the reason. Male populations had nearly rebounded from the Gene War catastrophe, but on Koban women had fared
Similar Books
