Agent Sasha

By Gyorgy Hudoba

The year 28975
The place: Down Earth, universe; rather empty.
The gateway? The Parallels, gateway to the Milky Way, home of UNHL (United Nations of Humanlike Lifeforms) and AOCP (Alliance Of Central Planets) and many other nations. Republics, Alliances, Kingdoms, Colonies, Empires and Warlords.

Agent Sasha is a riveting science fiction tale of an alternate universe where humans lead the Milky Way, factions fight to survive twenty years after a close to two century long war that crippled the galaxy. In the middle of this sits Down Earth, planet Earth that teleported away from its own realm a long, long time ago. The leader of Down Earth the Monarch is the Emperor, a more or less human entity. They are a founding member and primary leader of the UNHL amid the chaos of treachery, greed and betrayal. Portrayed from the angle of the characters themselves the book opens the door to immense possibilities. Josh Kulighan, the legendary war hero, demoted from Admiral to the lowest ranks after a disagreement with the Emperor himself, working his way back to the good graces. The beautiful Captain Aa, a believed orphan who was a thief and a killer, lifted out of poverty by the Emperor himself. Tata Crubon, an old friend of the Emperor who finds himself in more trouble he would ever believe it's possible. Azure, the Emperor's female companionship; her soul rescued from the times before Down Earth was called 'Down', yet her body as young as a young lady. Toxic, an organic, living spacecraft from the future and the ever present AIs of gigantic, alien spaceships makes this tale a unique view into the realm of sci-fi, into the realm of the Monarch in the Milky Way.

• Language: English
• Publisher: BookBaby
• Release date: Sep 18, 2020
• ISBN: 9781098318017

Book preview

Copyright 2020

All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

ISBN: 978-1-09831-800-0 (print)

ISBN: 978-1-09831-801-7 (eBook)

I would like to dedicate this book to my sister, Eszter;

you know who Sasha is…

…And to a Hungarian celebrity whom I met years ago not knowing she was a celebrity.

Contents

Midnight Magic

Szozzem Is Dead

Agent Sasha

Del and Jott Are Missing

Customer Number 53

The Hunt Begins

Trouble on the Forecast

Help Is Coming

Revelations

The Gig

Hadmar Ale, Alias Mr. Chuck

Planet Algar

Room Search

Thrill Ride Laced Nightmare

Stakeout

Cowboy Diplomacy

The Wet Job

A Gruesome Task

Mr. Deberlee

Meat Factory

My Employer Likes Clichés

The Trust

Choices

A Gorgeous Day, Just as Promised!

Chapter One

Midnight Magic

"I’

m finally alone!"

Evan Smith exhaled deeply and looked around. The Villa-Castle seemed particularly empty without his girlfriend, Azure, or even Captain Aa, not to mention the obvious absence of Honor Guard leader Baby Haas. He frowned. Suddenly his last words didn’t sound so reassuring, so he said them louder. I’m finally alone!

The walls echoed his not-so-promising words.

His frown deepened. He hoped it would sound strong, but it sounded quite the opposite— shallow and frail. There was an awful quiet in his sprawling estate, the Villa-Castle. A moment of weakness washed over him as he realized how far his life had advanced from the trenches of space war at age twelve. As an abducted child warrior, he turned into the Emperor of Down Earth. He often wished he never became the honorary leader of an entire planet (and then some). After all, it was a Human Emperor who took the principal role over six millennia ago to bring together the different races, and founded the UNHL (United Nations of Humanlike Lifeforms). Granted, it is headquartered on the planet SWEi Prime, in the Milky Way, but still. He glanced at the calendar hanging on the wall. One of his companies made these. He couldn’t help but smile, seeing the legendary CX series Dream Fighter posing with a couple of curvy models. His gaze shifted to the date—Wednesday, March 28975.

He turned around and headed to the minibar, stuffed with juices and some alcohol. The room’s lighting was warm and not so bright, but suddenly he was unable to embrace that fact as much as he used to. He grabbed a non-alcoholic Charblin and sipped from it. He stepped to one of the huge windows. The sun was setting over the horizon. The semi-fluid cloud cover was basked in bronze. He flinched. Home alone.

Suddenly he felt alone in the universe. Captain Aa was on another tour under the wings of Admiral Tarbuk. Tri’ng—his ex—and the Krea’tor were goofing off somewhere. Perhaps the phrase goofing off wasn’t the right one as both of them were oh—so—serious all the time. He tried to smooth out his deep frown lines, unsuccessfully. He spun around and turned on the gigantic 3D holo TV. Over five hundred channels and nothing on, he uttered, abandoning his quest to find something entertaining for the evening. It was 7:41 p.m.

He slapped his stomach. Let’s eat! he exclaimed, and grinned. He headed toward the kitchen where the evening staff was preparing a meal. He shocked them all by opening the door on them. After the initial surprise, they warmed up to the idea of eating together. Even Henry, the butler, showed up and took a bite from the freshly made schnitzel.

Smith washed down the food with some ice-cold peach tea. After saying his good-byes, he left. He was contemplating whether to play with his cluttered mess of computer networks, or head to his gigantic ZON Starship, the Sky Riders, to seek refuge under the wings of Diana when he heard some quiet steps near his room. He took a peek from the corner and spotted Henry, who seemed to be leaving the premises. It shocked him so much, he walked out from the previous cover of the wall. Where are you going, boss?

Henry abruptly stopped and turned toward him. My Lord. You didn’t get the memo from the scheduling robot?

What…?

I took the night off.

Smith cracked a smile. You never take off, Henry!

Tonight is a different day, or shall I say night. Every month I take off the first Wednesday. It’s kind of important to me, he added after some hesitation.

Smith’s curiosity piqued as this little dialog constituted a definite uplift from his evening of boredom. Why, if I may ask?

A foolish thing, boss, but it’s entertainment. He sounded embarrassed.

Don’t you have a family? Smith was lost.

Oh, not that kind of entertainment. Poor old Henry blushed. Sorry. See, boss, my younger sister’s daughter is an indie singer, and she is in town for the monthly talent show in the Kazah’s Night! It’s a bar. It is an establishment donating stage time every week.

Smith thought about it for a moment, then with a sudden decision, he grinned. I’ll join you!

Sir? I mean, My Lord! Henry appeared mortified.

Just call me Smith tonight. Shall I call a driver, or is this not that kind of establishment?

It is normal, but definitely not upscale. Henry made a face.

Okay, just you and me then! Smith swiped the keys to his Process Automatic, the most ordinary car in his vehicle collection, and grabbed a light coat. They were in the car in two minutes. Buckle up, Henry, and guide me!

I can program the onboard… Henry tried to be helpful, but his boss waved away his efforts.

Nonsense! This is purely off the books! He pulled the lever, and the car took off.

My Lord, if I may, why haven’t you stayed home, just as you were looking forward to staying alone? The butler hoped to gain some insight into His Majesty’s mind. He thought Smith was looking to be alone once in a while, and now was that once in a while time. It seemed almost silly to him that his boss would not stay home, but seek the refuge of nearby souls.

Oh, Henry. Azure left to train with Baby on the Big Island for three days, and Baby kind of brushed me off, so I either find Aa or Tri’ng, or I have some fun at the other estate with the models. I figured I don’t want to do that just yet, so I ended up home. Now I don’t want to do that either, and the prospect of seeing another angle of my loyal servants is modestly entertaining at the moment! Smith explained, with a hint of silliness in his voice.

We have quite an ordinary life, sir! You, on the other hand, are supposed to be watching out for us.

Smith made a sharp turn. The car’s back end slid on the damp asphalt, so he counter-steered. He swiftly glanced at Henry, whose eyes popped while he remained in silence, desperately holding onto his seatbelt.

Smith smiled. The Ancient Man is on SWEi Prime at the moment. I have to make that scheduled appearance on Friday for the IHG (International Honor Guards) ceremony. He referred to his mentor and the previous Human Emperor before him with a heavy tone.

At two p.m. sharp! Henry nodded, and with a trembling hand, he pointed to the left. There is the tiny parking lot for the bar!

We have a space left! Smith grinned, and spun the car around. Then, with the most fluid but wild maneuver, he put it between the corner lamp and two other cars.

Uh, that’s some impressive maneuvering, sir!

You should’ve seen me twenty years ago when I made similar moves with the antigravity tractor trailers near Delta City! Oh, man. I miss Aa. He didn’t elaborate further about a conversation they had before she took off to space. Perhaps he met her before, in that part of the world, a long time ago.

You can always call her or make a sudden appearance, Henry said, referring to Smith’s different kinds of travel modes.

Perhaps. You know me well by now. You must know I don’t like to teleport my body on a whim. Smith washed off his doubts about an unannounced drop-in to her with a smile and opened the metal door for Henry.

Oh, oh, it should be me who—

Nonsense! Smith interrupted gently, brushing off his concerns.

Donation is from fifty to five hundred Buaraks, gentlemen! The bouncer appeared from the shadows.

I got this, Henry! Smith gave the towering muscle man a one credit donation.

Pick your seats, guys! The muscle mountain grinned, revealing gaps in his dentures.

Thank you! Smith smiled politely, and walked in after Henry.

Smith took a seat in the row behind Henry. He decided not to ruin whatever impression Henry was hoping to garner from the young, indie singer’s performance. The cozy, warm feeling of the attendees radiated and was soon embodied by the performers themselves. Smith even allowed himself to indulge in a small glass of beer at halftime and customary chicken fingers. Of course, these were grown most likely in one of the nearby farms, he thought, but the plentiful and spicy sauce masked any leftover hints of impurity.

Henry’s family member took the podium after the break, and Smith watched not just the young, talented girl, but the proudly weeping butler as well. He had known it was a smart move to stay behind. He patted his own virtual shoulder and watched the announcer call the next performer. There was something about the lovely announcer that interested him. She wasn’t his type by being awfully slim, but her smile and blue eyes radiated eternal curiosity.

After the show Henry asked if he could stay a bit, and Smith happily agreed. He grabbed another club soda with some salty crackers and moved beside Henry and the girl. Her name was Pamde’e. Smith congratulated her, and Henry was flushed. As it turned out, the announcer, named Shoroska Atak, and Pamde’e were good friends, and soon she joined them at one of the booths. While Smith only revealed that he worked with Henry, the girls were much more forthcoming about their daily hurdle of overcoming male and female sexism, the ego of AIs, and the occasional blips of droids who most likely misbehaved on the order of their AI’s. Smith learned about their pasts and their hopes for the future. Henry even slipped about Smith knowing the future.… A stern look toward the butler straightened his mumbled talk, and Smith apologized for Henry’s behavior. It was an easy sell. The old guy had plenty to drink already. Soon he began to pay more and more attention to the slim, tall girl from the stage. Shoroska offered her hand to him, surprising Smith so much he forgot what he wanted to say. She was the leader of the conversation, and he enjoyed laying back and being led by her charming company.

It was almost 2:00 a.m., and the bar was closing, when he realized how fast time flew by. The girls took off, and so did Smith, navigating a half-drunk Henry to the parking lot. The ride was uneventful, and once back at the Villa-Castle, Smith unloaded Henry into the metallic arms of two droids. He himself retired to bed and passed out almost immediately.

By the time Smith woke up it was worthless to try to eat breakfast, so he just let the staff know to prepare for lunch. At least the weather was great; barely any hovercraft or space freighter on the picture-perfect blue sky. The faraway traffic of the International Spaceport was slower than usual, due to some kind of holiday commemorating an important battle during the last Klon War. Whatever. None of them was as important as Kabnul or Te’lek, he uttered under his breath as he threw a towel onto a chair and jumped into the pool. He normally remained in one of the chairs or just watched Azure making strides from one end of the pool to the other, hoping to see a sexy move from her. Time usually rewarded him graciously. She was of course absent, and he just wasn’t in the mood to call over some of the girls from the modeling agency. No, he was content with his day and how his three days of affairs were going. Henry came by to apologize, and he stopped swimming to reassure the sweet man of his continued confidence. It was obvious Henry didn’t believe him.

Diana stopped by for lunch, and he invited her to the pool. The human reflection of the Sky Riders’ AI wasn’t sure what he expected from her, but nonetheless she jumped into the pool with him and they even played a bit.

Boss, this was a big surprise! she said afterward, drying her hair with a huge towel.

The invitation for lunch or to join me in the pool?

Both! I’m glad we still have a good relationship! The girl became emotional.

Always, honey! He kissed her cheeks, and she began to grin.

What’s your next move, tiger? She heard Azure say this some time ago, and her calculations indicated it was over ninety percent likely that he would take it as a joke. When he smiled, she knew the algorithm was working.

Oh, I think I’m going into the city.

To see Mrs. G? She frowned, referring to his company’s loyal secretary.

I don’t think anyone is in, due to the holiday. Smith frowned.

Skeleton staff at best. She agreed.

Yeah. No, I was going to see the PR (Public Relations) department.

Also a skeleton crew, in my opinion. Diana was skeptical.

It shouldn’t… At least the boss is supposed to be in. Their contract states that!

I don’t think so. Diana disagreed, shaking her head.

What? That the contract says that or that they’re there? Smith frowned.

The latter. Humans love to make up their own rules.

Ah, but I also want to know whatever happened to my buddies, Del and Jott. Smith remembered the funny guys he had met before under curious circumstances.

They’re alive, that’s for sure, but I don’t think they’re on Down Earth, Diana said. She was scouting for them earlier, hoping her information would be useful one day. The exercise seemed fruitless.

Smith scoffed. They were supposed to come to work for me.

I didn’t realize those young adults left such a deep impression in you! Diana grinned, mocking her boss.

Smith chewed his lips. Neither did I, but Helan is gone and she will never come back, so I’m left with the goof heads. I wonder if their girlfriends have anything to do with them not being on my payroll by now. He crossed his arms, deep in his thoughts.

Boss, you really thought you left such a deep impression in them that they would come to work for your company after they graduated from the University of Founders?

As the Human Emperor of the UNHL, I thought I may carry a little influence. He cracked a smile, and Diana laughed with him.

When they stopped, she tilted her head and asked, So?

So I figured the PR department might have some detectives on the payroll. I can put them into good use. He toyed with the idea. He decided not to tell her of his deeper desire to mold the two young men to be a researcher like Helan had become. He figured if he could mold her from what she was to what she became, he can do that to the boys as well. And who knows, they might turn out to be the greatest achievements in unfolding Down Earth’s secret history. He knew the history was plentiful, but he was not allowed to reveal the facts personally. However, through carefully selected intermediaries, maybe…

Well, boss, I have to go! Good luck on your hunts! She kissed him on the cheek and walked to the black limousine waiting for her.

Smith watched the black antigravity car leave, then he turned toward the house. He observed the sunrays breaking off the edge of the roof, then with a sudden decision he marched into the Villa-Castle.

Henry? Henry! He called for the man of the hour who tried his best to appear most sincere. Yes, My Lord?

Call Deril. I need to take a trip to the city! He referred to his favorite driver.

Yes, sir! Henry spun around and left before their last night endeavor would come into question.

*

T

he ride into the city was uneventful.

At his destination, the Upper Earth made Chevy limousine took off from the curbside, and Smith, after some hesitation, entered the all-glass building. The automatics let him past security, and soon he found himself alone in the huge elevator. He quickly arrived at the eighth floor, to the offices of the appointed staff who were supposed to make sure his public image was untarnished and always in the minds of the people. He was greeted by the constant humming of fans, bringing ice-cold air into the open floor. It was deserted!

Hm! Smith looked around, suddenly lost.

Can I help you with something, sir? A bright smile appeared above a short wall in the third row of cubicles.

Oh, well… Smith glanced at what he could see of the young, white girl. She wore her blond hair natural, small waves running down