Chapter 23: Ray Dawn

Ray Dawn joined Rafinya, Nigen and Clive Barker – Special Forces Lieutenant – on the apex of the stone rubble that had been the park fountain an hour ago.

“Did you know?” Ray Dawn mused. “They used to fill fountains with water before the climate got out of hand. To think our ancestors had so much water they could even play with it.”

Rafinya glared down at him and his trivia went unappreciated. “Any luck?”

“He got away,” Ray Dawn said.

“They got away,” Clive corrected. “My boys tangled with one of the agents before losing her downtown.”

Ray Dawn sighed profoundly. “If only I had more droids I could’ve spread my search radius much quicker and perhaps caught them.”

“I told you stop asking that,” Rafinya growled and massaged the corners of his forehead.

“What now?” Nigen asked.

Clive frowned, twisting the long scar across his face and said. “My boys we’ll keep on searching see if we can’t pick up his trial.”

“It’s the least you can do after botching the arrest,” Rafinya snorted.

“They had fucking flashnukes,” Clive barked. “If anything, cybercrime’s intel on how well equipped they were was too lacking.”

“Special Forces are the only ones lacking here!” Rafinya snapped back.

The two lieutenants’ went at. Ray Dawn observed a moment, yawned and turned to depart.

Rafinya noticed him and snapped. “Where the hell are you going?”

“Its 17:00 and I have a date to prepare for.”

It was an intimate setting, quiet and dim lit. Well suited to Ray Dawn’s liking if not for his host who continued to ignore him from across the small dining table. Safaree seemed more concerned with her glass of cream liqueur than his company. Her dark eyes with greying brows were trained on the creamy brown liquid swirling in her glass, flowing to the beat of her circling wrist.

The middle aged woman sat perfectly upright, in a white suit with the jacket hanging over her shoulders. Her glass of sweetened spirits perfuming the room with their passion fruit aroma.

‘She’s asserting her dominance over me.’

Ray Dawn took a long breath and exhaled audibly. Everything was a power play to politicians like Safaree who never switched off.

‘Fine, I’ll play along.’

“You didn’t have to book the whole restaurant,” Ray Dawn spoke first.

“Wanted to make sure we weren’t disturbed,” Safaree said and shifted her dark eyes to meet his gaze. “You haven’t touched your drink.”

“Not much of a drinker.”

“Ah,” Safaree said, downed a sip of her glass and placed it atop the table with exaggerated caution.

Another oppressive silence took root within the emptiness of the restaurant surrounding their table.

“You wanted to see me,” Ray Dawn prompted her.

“Ray Dawn,” she enunciated the name as if it was the source of her greatest displeasure. “You don’t fool me, you know. You might have Rafinya and the rest fooled but not me. You play the caricature of the dirty cop to mask your true intentions, your true ambitions.”

She regarded him as if expecting a response so he shrugged at her.

“What I can’t figure out, is what this ambition of yours is. This grand plot that attracted my Shen into your arms.”

“Just trying to make the world a better place,” Ray Dawn said.

“Better place he says,” she muttered to herself mirthlessly. “Even now you keep your cards close to your chest.” She exhaled exasperation. “I should’ve expected as much, Nana did say you were skilled at lying without actually lying.”

Ray Dawn shrugged helplessly.

Safaree leaned back into her chair. Swirled her glass with skilled precision before taking a swig of the sweetened spirits. She looked regal and elegant despite her flushed cheeks.

‘How she can be drunk yet composed is a great mystery.’

Safaree drained the glass and held it out to him. He frowned at her subtle power play. But nonetheless he grabbed the bottle of Pharma 4010 Cream Liqueur and refilled her glass with the creamy alcohol.

She pulled back her glass and asked. “How is he?”

‘Here we go.’

“Happy,” Ray Dawn said.

“Happy,” She muttered under her breath as if it was a trivial notion. Safaree swirled her glass dragged out the silence. Took a swig, swallowed and sighed.

“This will be my last term as chairperson.” She paused for effect, dark eyes fixed on her glass. “And it approaches at a most volatile of times. The No-chip clans grow more unruly which reflects badly on us. Not that the federation has ever needed a reason to keep us commoners down. To them we amount to livestock, herded for the glorious purpose of being milked for all were worth. But nonetheless we need a strong leader more than ever to continue my work and hopefully amend things in the future.”

‘And you’ve painted yourself into a corner by putting all your hopes on Shen.’

Ray Dawn remained silent.

She swirled, swigged, swallowed and sighed. “Ah, I’ve tried grooming another, you know. But there are only so many mages, only about half of those who aren’t council spies, and even fewer who are truly patriotic, amongst them only a handful who are smart enough and only one of them who is charismatic enough to rally the union together.”

“You sound obsessed.”

“I’m not,” she whispered, barely audible, as if more to convince herself than him.

She ran her free hand through her greying black hair and said. “They say he listens to you. Admires you they say. Swoons over your every word they say.”

Ray Dawn remained silent. Unable to draw a reaction from him she kept pressing.

“He’s a born leader you know and I’m sure he still cares for the union. Would you keep him from his destiny?”

“He’s a grown man and can make his own decisions.”

“But what if he’s making the wrong one,” Safaree snapped suddenly animated, spilling some of her drink, staining the white table cloth. “He might not regret it now but should an incompetent leader take the helm or worse a puppet leader and lead the union back into ruin, he’d blame you, you know. Can you bare that responsibility?”

‘She’s more manipulative than I gave her credit for.’

Nothing like his own Ma, who could’ve cared less what career he pursued as long as he was sending money back home.

“I appreciate Gnabree’s discretion.” Ray Dawn rose to his feet, his uneven eyes hard. “But please don’t think I owe you anything.”

“You strike me as a man of ambitio—”

“No,” Ray Dawn said and motioned to depart. “I came to hear you out because I respect you but I won’t play middleman for you.”

“Respect me?” She muttered under her breath.

“I’m not mocking,” Ray Dawn paused to explain. “You’re a beacon of light in these dark times, a trailblazer despite all the corporate obstacles. I can’t begin to imagine everything you’ve endured challenging unjust federation laws, especially the mandatory chipping laws.” Ray Dawn took a long breath and sighed. “You’ve come long way considering all you’ve had to face.”

“Then why—”

“Because you went the wrong way.”

“What do you mean?”

“The elder council and the city council by extension, their too powerful to oppose forcefully and too corrupt to challenge lawfully.”

And like his Ma had always said if you can’t beat them join them and backstab them later.

“I know but we can force their hand, force through reform, we just need a leader who can rally the masses to our cause.”

“You believe that’s possible, in this virtual age?”

“I do, with the right leader.”

Ray Dawn exhaled exasperation and said. “Well, we don’t.”

“I see.” She swirled, swigged, swallowed and sighed. “Ah, even so I must insist. I’d rather die than pass off the union into unworthy hands.”

“The more you try to force him the less willing he’ll be,” Ray Dawn said as he made for the door.

“Perhaps but I can’t wait any longer, you know.”

Ray Dawn stopped before the exit and stole a glance over his shoulder. There was a hollow look in the chairperson’s eyes, like a wounded animal forced into a corner.

And he did not like it, not one bit.