“No,” she said.
“Well, No,” Jan continued, “I am Don Quixote, and I’m here to discuss employment.” Don Quixote was the alias he used at the Hole, a reference to an old Earth tale Fatima had come across years before he went to orbit. Everyone here used aliases.
No’s eyes narrowed. “Try again.”
“No, it’s me, as you can plainly see.”
“Quixote’s in orbit.” The armored woman scanned the street instead of watching him, perhaps under the assumption he was some incredibly handsome distraction. “You ain’t him. So either you tell me who you really are, or you get lost.”
“Ah,” Jan said, as it all clicked. “I forgot they do not upload pictures for the door staff. You are new, yes? How new?”
No yanked out her pistol and pointed it between his eyes. “You got a hearing problem?” This was old town, where no one would care if some idiot got himself shot. “Get out of here!”
No’s lack of identifying pictures made sense. She certainly had a PBA installed, meaning she could effortlessly access data and, likely, whatever list of fake names Kinsley had provided as approved for entry. Don Quixote was on that list, but likely still labeled “Imprisoned on Tantalus.”
Jan raised his hands and shrugged a casual shrug. “The Sapient Pupil would be very upset if you shot me.”
No perked an eyebrow at him. “That so?” She didn’t lower her pistol, but she visibly relaxed. “And would you like to explain how a cute piece of ass like you walked down from orbit?”
Few who hadn’t actually been in the Hole knew the alias Kinsley used. Jan’s knowledge of the Sapient Pupil revealed that he had, at least, visited the Hole before today. Now, the question was if he could convince No to let him visit it again.
“My ass is amazing, thank you,” Jan said, turning sideways and glancing down, “and I escaped.” He looked up.
No’s pistol lowered a tad. “Lizard shit.”
“No excrement was involved.”
“No one escapes from Tantalus prison.”
“Then let me ask you this,” Jan said. “If I do know the Sapient Pupil, and if you do turn me away or shoot me in the street ... do you think you’ll get a custom AP round ever again?”
No holstered her pistol. “You’re a smooth talker.”
Jan smiled.
“Don’t much like smooth talkers.”
Jan lowered his hands. “I’m also quite good in bed.”
That elicited an eyebrow raise. “I’m taken, slick.”
“I understand completely. Yet should your partner also wish to enjoy my many skills ...”
“Amble on inside, Quixote.” No brushed her blunt nose with her thumb and stepped away from the crack splitting the wall. “I offer no guarantee someone won’t shoot your candy ass.”
“Much obliged,” Jan said. He ambled on inside.
The person-sized hole in the wall stayed barely person-sized for at least five meters, biocrete and glinting metal bits that threatened to catch his clothes. Jan tried never to think about the dozens of sweaty and unwashed people who scraped their way through here on a regular basis, or what traces of themselves they might deposit on the walls. He moved carefully, efficiently, and cleared the entry to find a hole in the biocrete and the tip of a ladder, leading down.
There were no more guards inside, just cameras leading to monitors. All five of those cameras were likely focused on him now, along with the hidden automated guns. When none of those guns shot him, Jan knew he was clear to descend.
He climbed down slowly and loudly, mainly to avoid surprising anyone who might shoot him if surprised. He stepped off the ladder into one of the Hole’s eight rounded bunker rooms. It was stained by trickled-down rainwater, full of tracked mud, and completely and blessedly empty.
Five years ago, Kinsley had kept her bunk in the third room around the ring from the ladder, close enough to the entry to be convenient, but far enough away that there were plenty of blind corners for her protectors to use as cover. Jan saw no reason she would change her habits. Kinsley didn’t change her habits.
Jan strolled through the first room, populated by a half-naked man sleeping in a pile of soiled clothes, and then the next room, populated by two white men who were absolutely not naked. These would be the lucky pair guarding Kinsley’s door today. Guarding the Sapient Pupil’s bunk was a lucrative honor among those who frequented the Hole, and no one wanted to screw it up.
“Stop,” the first man said, shorter and bulkier than the second. “The Pupil’s having a nap.” He had a real shiner of a black eye, as well as a recently split lip.
Jan squinted past him at the sealed door leading into the third room. “No, she’d be reading now.”
“How the fuck does he know that?” the other man demanded. He was tall, skinny, and wore three colors of body armor.
The shorter man thumped the skinny man. “Shut up, dumbass!”
Skinny shoved Short back. “You shut up, nutsack.”
Jan slipped forward and gripped their shoulders before they could raise their rifles. “Stop.” His calm voice and impressive speed elicited shocked stares.
“Do not bicker where the Pupil might overhear,” Jan warned them, voice low. “Do you really want to disappoint her on your first day as her bunk guards?”
Short and Skinny both flinched. “It’s my second day,” Skinny said.
“Most impressive!” Jan stepped back and smiled his most placating smile. “Not everyone gets a second day.”
“Hey,” Skinny said, smiling back. “I’m doing my best.”
Kinsley was willing to give anyone at least one chance, even complete morons. Sometimes, that made her life complicated. In this case, it was going to
