The woman coming down the junk alley is similar in height and build to Imogen. A collar flipped up and fedora pulled down low hides her face, but her long, straight black hair is visible cascading down the back of her trench coat. “What is she doing here?!” Imogen hisses.
“Probably following Norm because his family’s rich,” Lilly suggests.
“She’s going to ruin everything!” Imogen steps out of the trash overhang directly into the new arrival’s path. “Kate, what are you doing here?!” she demands, voice low.
“Kate Lockwell, who’s that?” a ridiculous voice croaks back. Imogen snatches off the hat. “Ah!” Kate throws up a hand to block the side of her face from any onlookers. “How did you see through my disguise?”
Imogen ignores the question, leveling her own at the reporter. “How long have you been following us? Does anybody know you’re here?”
“Whoa, whoa! Just the past fifteen minutes. I knew something big was happening on Dead Man’s Rock around here, something connected with Moebius. Look, I have to get the story out—you know the one I mean. And I can’t broadcast that from UNN. I did some research into how to broadcast it—turns out, it takes a lot of energy. This Moebius corporation, somehow they contracted some mercenaries to get some crazy alien device that has a lot of energy. So I’m going to get that, and I’m going to broadcast my story to the whole sector. Across all channels!”
“Do you have that equipment with you?” Imogen asks. If Kate is ready to publish the grand betrayal of Mengsk, that is something Imogen and Lilly can get behind.
“Well, uh, no. But I knew the device was going to be here, and that it was going to be here now. So I had to act now,” Kate says.
“This device requires a crane to move. You can’t just walk out of here with it. It doesn’t fit in a pocket!”
“Look, I had the information I had, okay?” Kate shoots back, defensive.
Hands out before her, Imogen makes calming gestures. “I’m not trying to critique your plan. I’m letting you know it needs to be adjusted.”
“So what are you doing here?”
“We’re also here to operate a device using that power source,” Imogen tells her. “We actually have our equipment with us and are intending to power it tonight. That will be an excellent trial run for you. If we can get our transmission equipment to work, then we’ll be able to get your message through as well. Provided we have enough time.” Imogen doubts she can send both messages simultaneously, but Kate certainly will not be able to send hers without Imogen providing the psionic kick start.
“Deal!” Kate hastily agrees.
“But what is your message? Are you ready to broadcast the thing that’s going to make people rise up in arms?”
“I just need to broadcast my story—get it out there. If that inspires people to rebel, then that’s what they do,” Kate says, taking no responsibility for whatever fallout results. “But rest assured, this is no propaganda piece. I mean, it’s natural for me to feel like this is one of the best pieces of journalism, but obviously, it’s not going to win a Koprulu Pulitzer. I think what you’ll see is that several worlds which have always hated Mengsk will use this as the cover or ammunition that they needed to openly revolt.” The report is more than just the audio Imogen provided. Kate’s subsequent research uncovered additional corruption, though nothing on the scale of the military betrayal at the very start of Mengsk’s reign. “I suspect the Kel-Morians may take action, and maybe some other splinter groups. I don’t know for sure. I just need to get the word out there. I’m a journalist; I can’t sit on it. Information wants to be free.”
Lilly glances up and down the walkway lined with detritus. “Are you by yourself?” she asks.
“Yeah. I can’t trust anyone else with this information, are you crazy?”
“It’s your shoes,” Lilly tells her. Kate glances down at her flats, confused. “They’re too clean. That’s how we saw you.”
“I was in a hurry!” Kate protests. “I got a tip that this is where Moebius was purchasing their alien power source.”
“Just scuff them up! Put some dirt on them,” Lilly advises.
Imogen pushes for more information on the Moebius Foundation. Kate shares that although they are nominally a scientific research institute, they must be connected to a wealthy family, given how they are bankrolled. They do not produce any products that people would buy. Nor are they connected to any universities. And yet somehow they stay afloat.
“They’re definitely connected to the Korhal elite,” Imogen agrees, though she cannot for the life of her remember Norm’s surname. He always worked on the reports after she and Lilly did, so she never even saw his signature.
Kate reiterates what the scavenger said about the plans to move the artifact. They will definitely be shipping it out tonight. She does not know where they will be taking it at that point. And they might very well have reinforcements aboard their ship. When Imogen and Lilly discuss hijacking that as a backup plan, Kate grows nervous. “Are we going to be shooting people?”
Lilly shrugs. “Probably.”
“I was hoping to just turn off lights,” Imogen says.
Kate pulls a small holdout pistol from her trench coat pocket. “I carry this for protection. If this is what we have to do, I’m ready.”
“You guys plan. I’ll go take a look,” Lilly says. She hands Imogen the awkward spear-shaped transmitter that has been slung over her shoulder. No sense smacking that about on initial recon. Then she disappears into the junk.