1:3:5 Syndicate (Part 2)

Storm was an understatement. They may have been speaking a language Lore was fluent in but they had no hope of understanding any of the noise that the door had been protecting them from. The noise wasn’t the only thing they had to contend with; there was a weirdly unpleasant, pleasant smell that even their mask couldn’t filter. Lore could feel the headache forming.
“This way.” Blue spoke but Lore still couldn’t understand. Thankfully, they pointed in the direction of travel.
Lore was glad they hadn’t had to suffer through four floors of this but they still had three to climb and there was no sign of the staircase. It was weirdly cramped, the floor and ceiling were lower than standard for a building of that size. It was obvious that the space they were in was designed as an office but now it was a contained shanty town. Cubicles and dividing walls became the privacy filters between workers; children and their families filled every crack and crevice, trying anything and everything to make the place close to suitable for living in.
“You.” A thin, almost human like Rexian approached them. “Spare a unit for my starving son?”
Lore patted themselves down for the Rel they had offered Brian. “I’ve only got these but you can have them.”
The Rexian looked at the handful of cogs and turned their nose up at it. “Never mind.” They hung their head as they shuffled away.
Several other prospective occupants that had gathered when they saw Lore reach into their pocket did the same. Lore did their best to dodge the scattered living spaces between them and the next staircase. As they resumed their climb, they heard a pounding noise almost in perfect synchronisation with their steps. They stopped to ensure it wasn’t them; it continued, evolving to add another instrument to its macabre symphony. They passed a few miners who were caught short before they could reach their beds, slumped in a fatigued fugue, muttering and mumbling. Lore could do little more than pity them, making their mission here all the more important; they needed to be right, they needed that mining equipment to be there.
The banging only got louder. As it did, the shouting became coherent. “OPEN THE DOOR SYD! I KNOW YOU HAVE IT!” It belonged to a Rexian that looked strangely out of place. He was more than muscle and bone and his clothes were somewhat clean. He continued, failing to waiver or relent but he had obviously been doing it for a while. “MY DAUGHTER, SYD…” His voice cracked and the emotion overtook him. “My daughter…” There was one last bang as his body slumped to the floor.
“Here. I know it’s next to useless here but it’s something…” Lore set down thirty Rel in one of the Rexian’s hands.
“And who might you be human?” He checked the cogs, clenching his fist around them.
“Lore.” They bent down to check he was alright. “Here to help.” They smiled.
“Then you’re in the wrong system. APPARENTLY WE’RE BEYOND SAVING!” The Rexian mustered the last of his energy and gave the door one last smack.
“WILL YOU JUST PISS OFF?” A gruff voice burst through the door. “Get GONE!” A Three Armed Rexian aftershock followed close behind. She hurled The Rexian at the staircase. “The boss says Thirteen hundred units. No more, no less.” With that, and a grumble, The Rexian took his leave. “Blue, what did Syd say last time? New hires go downstairs. I don’t care that they’re your family, the boss don’t want to know, just get them working and you’ll get your cut.” She sounded like a broken record.
“Three…Three… Do you know who these two are?” Blue pointed to Lore. Both they and Char lowered their hoods. “The Protectorate’s most wanted…” Blue shrugged.
The Three Armed Rexian seemed more interested in Char. “She’ll see them.” She moved aside, opening the office door wider.
Lore and Char obliged, keeping The Three Armed Rexian in their peripheral visions at all times. The next room seemed extremely out of place. It reminded Lore of the physicians waiting rooms back in The Protectorate’s headquarters, bland décor and uncharacteristically clean for Rexel; they could almost feel Crait’s hand in their own as they sat and began their wait. Their Rexian escort left them and continued into a neighbouring room. Both Lore and Char couldn’t shake the feeling that they were being watched. Minutes passed into what felt like hours before the Rexian returned to the waiting room. She pointed first to Lore, indicating with her other hand that Char was to remain seated. Lore slowly crossed the tiled floor, their footsteps the only sound in the room. The next area was much larger but yet was not what they had been expecting. Evidently, the Rexian’s couldn’t avoid human inspiration as the office block they were being led through looked almost identical to the one above the hangar however, it was more obviously designed around the larger physique of the natives.
The Three Armed Rexian just stared at Lore. “Look, it’s just an office. Through here.” She sounded more than fed up. “Come on, we don’t have all day…”
The wooden floor was a welcome change. No longer did every footstep echo and no longer did the building remind them of their limited past. “Hello, is there anyone in here?” Lore repeated their greeting in a variety of languages, somehow managing to sound posh in all of them regardless of how low the tongue. The foyer extended and naturally flowed into the main office area. A single, well-constructed, desk sat in the centre of a rather sizable office. There was a chair behind it but it appeared unoccupied. Everything about the room appeared to be in effort to make the room as quiet as possible, the floor, the walls and the ceiling were all made from materials that would all, inconspicuously, dampen and deaden sound. There was something else that attracted Lore’s attention. Another step and they realised their answer; wood.
“Shut the door.” For some reason, her speaking English surprised Lore. They obliged. Although she had spoken, there was still no body attached to the voice. With flowing blonde hair and piercing brown eyes, moving like a snake crossed with a cat, she appeared from under her desk and took her place in her seat. She was perhaps a hair shorter than Lore and similarly older yet the lighting and the chair complemented her more dominant features. “You can lose the mask. Air’s safe to breathe.” She spoke with a tone like a screwdriver, flat and blunt. Lore hesitantly lifted their hood and their mask followed. “Lore. Always nice to have an advantage.”
“I’m sorry?” Lore continued towards the desk.
“You’ve shaved but you’re not fooling anyone. Though I am surprised that you’ve convinced The Protectorate that you’re in one of their prisons.”
“It’s complicated.”
“Well, it’s a good thing I found you first. So, why are you here?”
“I’m looking for work…” Lore started.
 Syd laughed. “You want a job… You?” She looked about ready to cast Lore back onto the streets. “What’s your angle?”
“You want to know what The Protectorate is up to, I’ve got an idea. I need access to your mine and you want what The Protectorate’s got.”
“I’m listening.” Syd moved forward slightly.
“There’s something at The Protectorate’s refinery that can move enough mass to reach the Hydroxine mass in less than a week. There’s got to be a high tech scanner, sampler and mining drill down there.”
“So?” Syd was staring a hole through Lore’s skull.
“If it’s there, which it is, I am willing to offer my services to get it for you.” Lore was beginning to feel the stare.
“Again, what’s your angle?” Her face crumpled into a mess of disgust.
“To trade the mining tech for all of the miners that Blue sold to you. Even if we don’t find any tech, we’re going to be taking The Protectorate with us so win win for you.” They barely finished the pitch before Syd was summoning her assistant.
“You’ve got two days. If you and your exotic partner can’t deliver, I deliver you to The Protectorate again.”
Lore reached out to shake her hand. Syd didn’t even move. The Three Armed Rexian was back in the doorway.
“Take them to the mines. Give them anything they request within reason. Pull them out in two days.” Syd paused. “And you can do whatever you think’s necessary to keep them safe. Humans don’t have the best of luck in the mines for some reason.” Both she and The Three Armed Rexian smiled before Lore was escorted out.
They hadn’t realised how effective Syd’s muffling methods were until they returned to the reception. Although it was silent, the background noise which often went ignored was near unbearable for the first few moments. Lore watched as The Three Armed Rexian glanced past Char before summoning the lift.
“What about my friend?” Lore asked as the doors began to open.
“Boss wanted to see her separately.” She looked over to Char. “Go on in.” She held her arm between the lift’s doors, preventing them from closing. “Move!” Two arms flew at her.
“I’m going.” Char walked over to the door, looking over her shoulder at Lore. She reluctantly entered Syd’s office.
“Let’s go.” Lore felt a pair of hands push them into the lift.
It was as if the whole building had been designed to specifically trigger memories of Lore’s escape from The Protectorate as the lift began its descent to the mines. They got the same sinking feeling in their stomach as they neared their destination, the same pang of anticipation as they came closer and closer to the bottom.

Reaching the bottom, Lore replaced their mask but not their hood and entered the shaft. The walls were not much taller than them but there was enough room for them to walk without crouching; The Three Armed Rexian didn’t enjoy that luxury. It had hit them in the lift but as they travelled the darkened tunnels it only got warmer. Further and further they travelled, not a word exchanged by either of them. The lift had long since fallen out of view by the time they made it to a much taller and wider area.
“These are the barracks. You will eat, rest and report here to me every day. Toilets are that way, please make sure you use the human facilities rather than the Rexian ones, any questions?” But before Lore could answer her, she was gone.
They looked over at what was apparently the break area. Hundreds of metal lockers, similar to those in The Destiny’s hold but much dirtier, formed a ring around the multi-use area. There were a handful of tables and benches in the middle of the ring with a scattering of bleary eyed and fatigued miners. Lore felt a vibration cross their face. Although they had originally planned to use their Breacher, their glasses managed to connect to the tablet and provide them with updates to their mission. UNKNOWN DEPTH REACHED. RETURN TO HOLE BASE. Lore tapped their temple and proceeded to ignore its message.
“Another human… Great… Although, I don’t mind those ears.” Lore hadn’t realised how close the Faochite was to their face. Lore turned to face her and was just in time to watch as their ears appeared on the side of her head.
“I don’t know where they keep coming from.” Her Rexian associate nodded toward a table. They sat down and began eating, both keeping at least one eye on Lore, with the Faochite creating a new eye just for that purpose.
A work siren sounded, the break area quickly filled up. While the few occupants that had been there originally had been aliens by Lore’s standards, the demographic quickly shifted toward something more familiar. Two humans stood out in the crowd.  They found a space by a group of aliens to sit and immediately started eating. Other humans looked at them through their masks before returning to getting ready to eat. Lore made a move to join them.
“I’m guessing the same person brought us here.” Lore took a seat beside them.
“Judging by the number of arms I’m counting, probably.” The older gentleman virtually hacked up his lung laughing at his own joke.
“Mauve…” There was something about his companion that unsettled Lore. “I’m Sky, and I’m guessing you know my sibling.”
“Bloody Blue.” He took a bite from his rations. “At least they had the common sense to send the right person to us this time.”
“Always nice to be recognised.” Lore attempted sarcasm. “They didn’t send me, I told them to bring me down.”
“I hope they haven’t been touching my ship.” Mauve’s eyes widened in anger.
“Not while I’ve been here but Char fixed the Quasar Core so there’s that.” Lore shrugged. Mauve’s anger became veiled delight.
“Just as long as they’re not flying her then we’re all good.” He went back to his rations.
Sky bent down and picked up their lunch sack. In addition to their ration stash, they removed a small wooden box with a slit in the top.
“I think this is for you.” Sky passed it over to Lore. “Found it a few days ago in the mines. Tablet freaked out but I think it’s for you.”
“Thanks…” Lore took the box and looked it over through narrowed eyes.
It looked impossible. There were no visible joins and it seemed to be one piece of flawless wood with the only damage being the thin opening in the top. They gave it a shake but it sounded empty. It looked and felt like wood but it was much heavier than it should have been. As they brought it closer to themselves, they felt a strangely familiar sensation. Their shirt’s collar pulled away from around their neck as their necklace struggled to free itself from its cotton-polymer prison. Lore heeded its advice and slipped it into the slit.
“If you get that thing open, you reckon you can get my Units back; thought the damn thing was a money box.” Mauve sneered.
The amulet fit perfectly in the hole, glowing blue as it entered. The front of the box disconnected. Several examples of the local currency and a bottle top spilled out resulting in Mauve jumping at Lore’s crotch to claim the Units before they could. Secured in the back of box, a golden ring. It was too large for any of Lore’s fingers but they took it nonetheless. It was at this point, their glasses’ lens began to flash. OBJECTIVE SKIPPED. BAND OF THE THREE FOUND. RETURNING TO PREVIOUS OBJECTIVE.
“Ok… That’s weird.” Lore ran their finger around the wall of the ring. There were no visible flaws but there was something off about it. As their finger began its third lap, a faint white mist began to rise from the ring. It grew brighter and brighter until they noticed it. “Woah!” Lore tossed the ring into the air as if it were aflame. It fell to the floor and sank slightly into the soil, still giving off the white mists. Lore waited for a moment before picking it up. There was no discernible change in temperature. Lore dusted it off and put it safely away in their front pocket. “So, I’m going to need your help if we’re going to be getting out of here.” Mauve’s ears pricked up much harder than his back could handle.
“What?” He tried to hurriedly breathe through the pain. “Go on! Quickly child.”
“We just need to blast through the Hydroxine layer… Or around it, whichever’s easiest.”
“’Just’.” Sky scoffed. “The Hydroxine may only be a metre or so thick in places but it’ll still take us more than a day to drill through.”
“And if we go around, it’ll take longer.” Mauve shook his head in disappointment.
Lore looked around the room for something, anything, that could help. “What if we used explosives?”
“Around high energy fuel additives? Why not.” Mauve and Sky couldn’t believe what they were hearing. “And they’re supposed to be smarter than Blue?”
Lore ran their finger around the golden ring once again. “I think that could work.”
“Are you serious?” Sky threw their sandwich down. “Alright then, how are you going to get us all killed?”
“The Protectorate tunnels are wider than The Syndicate’s.” Lore ran over to a mounted map on a nearby wall. “We mine here, just a little bit then, the Hydroxine is out of the blast radius and we link the two tunnels.”
“How can we be sure the explosives won’t blow up more than you think they will?”
“Says so on the box. They’re only cheap, rated for ten percent more or less than two metres cubed. We account for that and mine the difference.”
“When did you have time to read that?” Mauve glared at them. “We’ve been down here for gods only know how long and I’ve never even read the blasting instructions.”
“I don’t know. I must have seen it when I saw…” There was an open box of explosives just out of the range of their vision. “must have…” They trailed off.
“Let’s get a move on then, might as well die while I could still be called young.” Mauve stuffed the rest of his dinner into his mouth before rising.
“Granddad, you’re fifty one.” Sky sighed.
“And when I was your age, I had already made your mother and she’d already made you too.”
“Gross.” Both Sky and Lore grimaced. “Seventeen is way too young for kids.” Lore’s grimace became slight terror.
“Well, come on then. With this plan, you probably won’t need to worry about pregnancy.”

Lore tried to physically distance themselves from whatever that conversation had devolved into. They scratched their head as their glasses vibrated and the next objective came through. KEEP A LEVEL HEAD. Lore exhaled purposely, as if reacting to the news before it arrived. Stolen.