3

The next six months passed in a blur for me.

Because the V4RU complex included several blocks of apartments for functionaries, and had some free, I took one for me. Also, after evaluating the quality of the security forces, I dismiss the bodyguards that I have contracted some days before. Next I started an intense regime to put me in condition for what I planned to do.

Small arms and hand-to-hand combat with the security team – boy firing laser and flechette weapons is fun – practicing with one of the available 'Mechs, learn as much as possible about this universe and about the working of V4RU – I have all my days full.

While the accounting software in the Concordat in the 31st century is different from the ones used in Portugal in the 21st century – and in another universe – the basic principles are the same, and so thanks to my past life – I have needed to know how to read these numbers in previous jobs - I can easily confirm that the company turns a respectable profit, even when the projects of the Research branch generate a loss nine times out of ten (retrieving military hardware from old battlefields many times don't generate enough 'goodies' to pay the expense). The company also has business deals with almost all the military companies in the Concordat.

I found out that Axylus indeed exist and was located near the Alloway system situated between the systems of Detroit and Joppa in the open area between FWL, CC, MC and the Aurigan Reach (like in the HBS game set). On the one hand, I was inclined to stay the owner of a successful company in a nation that in the next fifty years would be at peace, that is if you discount the 'incident' with the Reach in 3025-3028 in the HBS game. On the other , I wanted to get my hands in what was in the Argoand in Castle Nautilus. And if I followed that path, then the rest of the caches in the IS that I knew of (Helm, New Dallas, etc) would also be fair game.

But, right now, what I needed was to stick to the plan. I don't have a mercenary force nor I'm I prepared for that kind of life but I have a lot of money, knowledge and a (profitable) company. It is a start.

I decided to authorize the Recover mission that I had been informed the day I had arrived.

Paying a little extra, I convinced several of the techs already in my service to teach me things like programming the systems of this era – not that different from what I know, more like the robotics / domotics and with a lot less UI??? than management software, but thankfully I have some experience with that – in my past in my original universe - I have done a lot of work in an animal food company, programming this semi-automated factory, so is not totally a new area for me. I also kept a rigorous regime, training with the marines hand-to-hand combat and small arms. I still remember the first day I used one of the Toro BattleMechs for the first time – so different from the videogames, but thanks to the memories from my 'counterpart' in this universe I managed to do it without too many problems. Even if the technician that tuned my helmet commented that I had strange, but passable, readings.

I also discussed with Leloup about my ideas to modify the Eisenfaust, turning it into a passable 'Mech. After our discussion, he answered me that it was going to be expensive (even if much less than buying a new 'Mech) but that he was confident that his team could do what I wanted.

I spent a lot of time looking through the different databases, which were indeed massive, trying to confirm the data I had from my previous life and catching the divergence points and general news that I didn't know.

Soon after the confirmation of the Argo and Axylus existence, and after deciding to go for the more adventurous path, I talked with the lawyers from B,T & C in order to start the process to create a mercenary unit and more importantly to learn the ropes of running this business, what they can and can't do. For example I could contract then to escort the V4RU jumpship and dropships – and if by chance they encountered a pirate group… all the loot was to be divided as agreed in the contract between the mercenaries and the contractor – both myself in this case. But invading or raiding systems of other nations without the authorization of the Taurian government (or any other) was a big no. Buying equipment and recruiting personnel after registering the mercenary force at the MRB was perfectly okay with the Taurian government.

And that turned my planned raids on Helm and Artru difficult as both planets were inhabited worlds inside nations, meaning that the Concordat was not going to be happy if I raided them. New Dallas on the other side (apart of the 'small problem' of Comstar having a permanent look in the system)– was considered a dead world and nobody would give a shit if I visited the system.

During this few months I gained a lively respect for Lise Bonnel (that small brunette was deadly in hand-to-hand combat) and she tossed me time after time around the tatami.

At last the Recover team returned home with about two hundred tons of usable pieces of diverse hardware and much more scrap. While per se it was not a good trip, we now had enough parts to rebuild a Talos battlemech, a Merkava Mk. VIII and a Marksman SPG that is if we could obtain the fusion engines for it. I authorized the order, under the protests of Mr Smith and to keep him silent, I used my private funds. With this last rebuilt, I now had six 'Mechs – not bad, but not enough.