Stars Beyond

by S. K. Dunstall

  Santiago would see it as a way they could divide the team and find out more about the Ort. They’d agree to it. Particularly as they didn’t want anyone else coming to Zell right now.

  “We will provide transport.”

  “At cost.”

  “Negotiated price.”

  “Negotiated,” Alistair agreed, and left him to go and see how Melda’s surgery had fared.

  * * *

  • • •

  Maybe there was something Alistair could bargain with Norris for.

  “If you’re planning to escape,” Norris said, “remember there are four hundred trained mercenaries on this ship. You won’t get far.”

  There were two hundred armed men on the Santiagan ship now orbiting Zell. Santiago would attack any ship they thought might be muscling in on their exclusive, especially a mercenary ship like Norris’s, hired for fighting wars. How much damage would each ship do to the other? Enough to give Alistair time to call in the charter ship that Paola had arranged? He was out of time, and so were the people on Zell. Desperate times called for desperate strategies.

  He prayed he wasn’t about to gamble everyone’s life on something he couldn’t win.

  “Pol is right. The woman with Snowshoe isn’t Arriola.” He had no idea who Arriola was, and if Norris didn’t want Arriola, Alistair was making a bad mistake here. “She’s Nika Rik Terri.” He hoped.

  Norris’s eyelid twitched, but there was no other visible reaction.

  “You give me Nika Rik Terri, and I will take you to the world where they make those fire-breathers.”

  “And what will be waiting for me at that world, I wonder?”

  “You’re in no danger from us,” Alistair said. “Ours is a small settlement. Fifty people.” Forty-nine now that Cam was dead. He shrugged. “I can’t answer for anyone else in the vicinity, although it is an isolated area.”

  “And if I find you are double-crossing me?”

  By then it would be too late. Alistair hoped.

  “You have my weapon. It’s a good one. Just give me Rik Terri. Our settlement depends on her for survival.” He let desperation creep into his voice. “She’s a modder, and we need a modder to survive on our world.”

  Norris opened a link. “Pol, you claim Roystan is following us. Are you certain of that?”

  “He’ll do anything for his crew.”

  “You had better be right.” Norris glanced at the fire-breather, looked at Alistair. “If the woman turns out to be Rik Terri, and not Arriola, then we have a deal.”

  Norris turned to one of the guards. “Bring me Snowshoe.”

  23

  JOSUNE ARRIOLA

  Twelve hours later Roystan still hadn’t come around.

  He was deteriorating in front of their eyes.

  “He’s dying,” Carlos said.

  Probably, and there was nothing they could do about it with their body modder captive on another ship. No, there was never nothing.

  The Boost still hadn’t jumped. It was almost as if Norris knew they were following and was waiting for them.

  “I’m going to call the Boost,” Josune said. “He wants me. We want Nika. I’ll arrange a swap.”

  “You can’t, Josune.”

  “He won’t kill me. He wants me for my knowledge of the Hassim. I’ll take a tracker. Another Road can follow. You’ll have to pilot, Carlos, until Roystan comes around.”

  Carlos muttered something that might have been a prayer.

  “When I get to the Boost, I’ll find Snow.”

  “How will you get back to our ship?”

  She had no idea. “I’ll think of something.”

  “Do we trust Norris to exchange Nika?” Jacques asked. “What if he sends someone else over?”

  “I’ll kill him.” That was a promise. “But we’ll get him to use Snow to verify it’s Nika he’s sending.”

  She started to open a link, before she thought too much about what could go wrong, then paused. “Norris will probably be less suspicious if you try to bargain, not me. Imply that Nika is crew, and that I’m just a late addition. You’ll swap me for Nika.”

  “We can’t do that,” Carlos said.

  “Not even to save Roystan’s life?”

  Carlos rubbed his arms and shivered. “It’s like . . . I don’t know. Wrong.”

  “I’ll do it,” Jacques said, although his voice wasn’t steady. “We do what we have to do, Carlos. That’s what Roystan does.”

  He took a deep breath. “Perhaps you should remain out of camera sight, Josune.”

  She nodded and moved to a seat where she wouldn’t be picked up by the camera.

  Jacques opened a link. “This is Jacques Saloman, second officer on Another Road, calling Captain Norris, of the Boost.”

  “You just promoted yourself,” Carlos said.

  “Men like Norris understand rank,” Jacques said. “I have to be the second in charge. Otherwise I cannot deal.” He called again, this time sounding more impatient. “This is Jacques Saloman, of Another Road, calling Captain Norris, of the Boost.”

  Norris took a few minutes to reply. “This is Norris.”

  “Captain, you have one of our crew members on board. A woman named Nika Rik Terri. We want her back.”

  Norris’s smile was a baring of teeth. “Second Officer Saloman, you have someone on board your ship I want too. I’d say we’re even.”

  “But we could be even and both be happy,” Jacques said. “You give us our crew member, we hand over Arriola.”

  Norris’s left eyelid twitched and twitched again. It was his only expression.

  “You’re prepared to give up Arriola for—”

  “For a permanent crew member, yes. We have a duty of care with permanent crew, you know.”

  “You are aware she is wanted by the Justice Department.”

  Jacques gave an expressive shrug. “What crew member doesn’t have a few things they’d like to keep quiet?”

  The corner of Norris’s mouth curved up. “Point,” he conceded. “But last time I thought I was collecting Arriola I was mistaken. How do I know I’ll be getting the real thing this time?”

  “We could ask the same thing. How do we know you are exchanging Nika Rik Terri, and not some random stranger?”

  Jacques’s hands were starting to shake, but his voice remained steady. Josune gave him a thumbs-up. His hands stilled.

  “Point,” Norris conceded.

  Jacques paused, as if struck by an idea. “Bertram Snowshoe. Would he lie to you? He certainly wouldn’t lie to us. He could vouch for both.”

  “So, you send Arriola over to my ship, I will send Rik Terri back.”

  “Captain Norris. I was not born yesterday. Why don’t you send Rik Terri over here, and we send Arriola back?”

  Norris permitted himself a smile.

  They bartered for half an hour before finally settling on a shuttle, confirmed by Snow to contain only Nika and one crew member, to come over to Another Road and make the exchange. The crew member would be armed and could shoot to kill if they tried to double-cross Norris.

  Which meant he’d shoot anyway, once he had what he wanted.

  “We have an agreement,” Norris said. “I will organize a shuttle.” He clicked off.

  He hadn’t once asked about Roystan, who he knew was captain. Why not?

  Jacques fell back onto the seat. “I have aged ten years in ten minutes. I am overcome.”

  Josune made him a coffee. “You did well, Jacques. Really well.”

  “That man is like a spoiled sharkbeast carcass. Firm and muscular on the outside, rotten when you cut it open.”

  “I don’t trust him,” Carlos said. “I don’t like this at all, Josune. If Roystan wasn’t—”

  “None of us like it, Carlos.” Roystan, least of a
ll, once he knew about it. But if they didn’t get Nika, then Roystan wouldn’t be around to like it, anyway.

  They couldn’t worry about what they liked or didn’t. They had to worry about what was. “The guard Norris sends over with Nika will do as much damage as he can, starting with Nika.” They had to find a way to neutralize him as soon as the guard confirmed she was Josune.

  Josune had her sparker. Nika had the dart gun—which she wouldn’t get time to use. What else did they have that wasn’t an obvious weapon? Something to neutralize one person, maybe more.

  Gas? She needed Nika or Snow here to mix her up something. Or something Nika and Snow had already used? Hadn’t Nika once used diluted antiseptic?

  Josune found a nozzle from engineering. Fixed a pressure vac to it, so it would come out fast and easy, and slung it over her shoulder, ready to grab if required.

  Lastly, she grabbed three tracking markers from Roystan’s small but growing collection that they were all helping to rebuild—you couldn’t keep a man and his paranoia down too far.

  “I’m putting one under my collar,” she told Carlos, and suited action to words. “One on the inside of my boot.” If they searched her, they’d find them. “This one . . .” She grimaced, placed it into her mouth, and swallowed.

  “Let’s hope they don’t put you under a genemod machine,” Carlos muttered. “And what happens if you, you know, get the trots?”

  Josune was more worried about the acids in her stomach destroying circuitry of the marker. She didn’t mention that. “We’ll be out by then.” She hoped. “We’ll have to steal a shuttle. Expect one to come our way, but don’t open the shuttle-bay doors, not even if one does arrive. No matter what happens. I can unlock it from the inside.” It was coded to crew. “But Norris’s people can’t. If they try to board, pretending it’s us, they’ll need you to open the door for them.”

  Carlos nodded, short and fast, and way too long. “This isn’t much of a plan, Josune.”

  No, it wasn’t.

  “It’s all we’ve got.”

  “I miss the cargo run,” Carlos said. “When all we had to worry about was Pol trying to organize new pickups in our break time, and accidents on Atalante Station because it was old and falling apart.” He gave an exaggerated sigh. “Still,” he said. “Better company nowadays, I suppose. Even if you are all crazy. Airy-fairy body modders, maniacs with guns.”

  “Even me?” Josune was honored. “Thank you, Carlos.”

  “You’re a good engineer,” he said gruffly.

  “Thank you.”

  The silence that followed was filled by Jacques, behind them, sweet-talking his ovens. He must have heard them, but he kept talking to the equipment in the kitchen, pretending to ignore them.

  Norris called then, which broke the awkward silence that had fallen.

  Jacques answered. Josune stayed out of the way. Let Norris think she—and maybe even her captain—were not in on this.

  “I have Nika Rik Terri with me.”

  “Hello, Nika,” Jacques said.

  From where Josune sat, Nika looked whole and healthy, at least. They’d given her time in a genemod machine, so she wouldn’t have to waste time on repairs before she could work on Roystan. She still looked like Brand—which must have irritated her to no end—but she was whole.

  “Hi,” Nika returned. “You’re exchanging me for Josune?”

  Jacques nodded. He wouldn’t need to explain why the exchange, rather than a straight rescue, was necessary. Nika knew, probably better than anyone else on board.

  “We have made an agreement with Captain Norris. Snow will confirm that you, and one—only one—of Norris’s crew get onto the shuttle and come over to Another Road in order to facilitate the exchange. Where is Bertram Snowshoe, Captain?”

  “Snowshoe is here,” Norris said. “He will also confirm that the woman entering the shuttle at the other end is Josune Arriola.” He gave a slow smile. “He knows his life depends on providing the correct answer.”

  Jacques drew himself up to full height. “I am not a cheat, Captain.”

  “No one is accusing you of cheating, Second Officer. It is simply to ensure Mez Arriola does actually arrive on my ship.”

  Message received and clearly understood. If Snow lied, and it wasn’t Josune who returned in the shuttle, he’d be killed. If Josune chose not to come, he’d be killed.

  “Understood.” Jacques’s face was wooden. “Let me talk to Snow.”

  Josune wished they’d hurry up and get the talking done. Roystan was still unconscious. Every minute could mean a minute less to save him. She tried to contain her impatience.

  Snow’s face was as wooden as Jacques’s. “We are at the shuttle. Captain Norris, myself, Nika, and one crew member are here. I have checked the shuttle.” He enunciated carefully, as if it was the only way he could get the words out. “There are no extra crew stowed away.” He moved his gaze sideways, to the crew member.

  No, to behind the crew member.

  “And there you have it,” Norris said. “A careful boy, young Snowshoe. It’s one of the things that makes him a good doctor.”

  Snow gave him a look that had Josune covering her mouth with her hand to stop laughing.

  He put his hand behind his back, brought it out, fist clasped as if he had something grasped in it.

  What was he trying to say?

  “He is a modder,” Nika said coldly.

  “On this ship, Mez Rik Terri, all he’ll ever be is a doctor. If he survives until the end of the week, that is. I’m still considering which doctor I will keep.” He gave another thin smile. “Will I go for the doctor who has been with me for years? Or should I choose someone young, more malleable, and recently trained and more up-to-date? Such a dilemma.”

  Nika visibly bit off what she had been going to say, changed it to, “Can we get on with this? I’m finding the company rather unpleasant. Not yours, of course, Snow.”

  “Thank you,” Snow said.

  Norris’s eyes narrowed.

  Score one for the malleable young modder. Don’t worry, Snow. We’ll have you out of there as soon as I can arrange it.

  Snow stepped back, let Nika and the crew member enter the shuttle.

  The crew member moved, lifted his arm, and for a moment, under the jacket, she could see a long, straight rod outlined between his spine and the left shoulder blade. Too large to be a sparker. A stun stick? No, too small. It was a weapon, and he’d use it as soon as Snow confirmed that Josune was who she said she was. Thanks for the warning, Snow.

  How did they counter that?

  With speed. It was the only way.

  “Thirty minutes until the shuttle reaches Another Road,” Norris said.

  “We’ll be waiting.” Jacques clicked off. “That man. He leaves a rotten taste in the mouth.”

  Half an hour. Josune armed herself. Blaster, antiseptic spray, and the sparker. She used an old sparker, one she could afford to lose if they searched her and took it off her. Which they would. But if she didn’t go armed, they’d search harder.

  “What do you want us to do?” Carlos asked as the shuttle drew closer. He was a better fighter than he had been two months ago, but that didn’t mean much. “What if he shoots our ship once we exchange?”

  “We’ll have time to nullspace before he gets close enough to do major damage. Be ready, just in case. And move the ship back once the shuttle leaves our ship.”

  “This is a very bad idea,” Carlos said.

  They didn’t have any other option.

  “Stay ready with the blaster,” Josune said. “Don’t shoot unless he tries to come aboard.” He shouldn’t. Her biggest worry was that the crew member would kill Nika once he had Josune in his sights. It seemed like the kind of parting gift Norris would enjoy. “Otherwise stay out of it. Keep Nika safe.” And pray that Josune
had collected everything she needed with Giwari’s Songyan.

  It went pretty much as she imagined it. The shuttle docked; Josune and Carlos went into the shuttle bay. Josune ID’d herself. The Boost crew member then beckoned to Nika and directed Josune to board the shuttle. As they passed, Josune caught Nika’s gaze and gestured downward. “When I say.”

  A single nod.

  As soon as Nika’s back was to the crew member, he reached his right hand down his back.

  Josune had been waiting for it. “Now.” She sprayed antiseptic into the crew member’s eyes.

  Nika dropped to the floor.

  A stick thudded into the wall, hard enough to put a fist-sized dent into it. That was reinforced metal, which with regular bumps didn’t even scratch. The blow would have killed. He dropped the stick to claw at his eyes. A Canning stick. Used by muscle-boys.

  Josune picked it up and used it. The crew member went down.

  “Pity he didn’t try this in the shuttle,” Josune said as she dropped the stick. “Now I have to get him back into it. Are you okay, Nika?”

  “Fine,” Nika said. “Roystan?”

  “In your studio. With the Giwari.”

  “Thank you.” And Nika was gone.

  Carlos helped drag the unconscious man into the shuttle. “Now we send him home alone.”

  “No. Norris will kill Snow if I don’t go.”

  Carlos grunted, but didn’t say anything else until he dropped the other man’s torso onto the shuttle floor. “I’ll take his blaster.”

  “And the stick.” It was on the floor of the shuttle bay, anyway. Josune checked him over, removed two knives, a blaster, and a pair of knuckle-dusters. This was a man who liked his fight physical. His well-honed physique told her he’d be good at it too. She’d only get that one chance of surprise. She called up Nika. “Have you started on Roystan?”

  “Just prepping the machine.”

  Good, for if she’d started on Roystan, she probably wouldn’t even have answered the link. “Have you got something to knock this guard out for the duration of the trip?”