Weight of Gravity

by Sheron Wood McCartha

  The fierce tone in Elise’s voice brought Bashar back to the current conversation and disrupted the thought. Trying to appear aware, Bashar focused to get updated.

  Elise’s violet eyes were flashing with anger. “Attempting to take over a space station, like Elliot tried to do, will cause you a lifetime of trouble,” she spat out.

  Time to get away from here. Bashar thought.

  A waiter drifted by and four drinks slammed down on his tray. The man threw them a startled look.

  “Captain Spencer, my friend Landon has property in Islia that he would like to talk to you two about in a more private setting.” Kane pointed toward a doorway.

  Bashar heard Richard think, They’re planning something. I hope Bashar can give me a report.

  Bashar winced. He hadn’t gotten much, but the night was still young. Unfortunately, he was developing a vicious headache.

  A light tap on his arm indicated that Solanje felt the same way and wanted to leave.

  “Excuse us, Richard.” The burly Diechwrather bowed and signaled for them to exit.

  Oh frag, he’s getting away before I could find out anything. Richard’s face looked like he was watching a big fish wiggle away. As they walked away, he asked Bashar, “Did you catch anything?”

  The conversations formed a jumble in Bashar’s head. “A few things. Let’s meet tomorrow, early.”

  Elise stared after the two Terrans. “They’re up to something. I feel it in my bones.”

  Richard’s forehead wrinkled. “You can feel with your bones?”

  A frustrated huff came from Elise. “I mean I just know those four are up to no good.”

  Bashar saw Trace edging toward them from across the room and decided a quick exit was in order before his whole night was ruined. “Would you like to dance, my love?” He put out a hand to Solanje.

  “I thought you’d never ask.”

  He whirled her away before they got trapped there by any more people.

  Chapter 28

  Midnight Stroll

  Bashar led Solanje out of the ballroom, down the steps, and into the garden. Gradually, his headache eased. He rubbed his forehead as the clamoring voices subsided to a dull background noise.

  “The garden is more peaceful,” she said.

  “Frag, yes.” He stretched his arms out.

  They walked along the long marble patio and descended several steps into the lush garden. At the center stood a famous fountain of Thalos, god of the sea, rising from within the midst of an arcing ocean wave. The fountain had been a housewarming gift from the Thalassia clan to King Telluria when he rebuilt the palace after a devastating fire long ago.

  Bashar inhaled the fresh night air, his tight muscles unclenching. This air was so much purer without all the blowing sand. Beside him, Solanje also took a deep breath and sighed. Above, bright Kracta rode full, shedding misty moonlight over the surrounding shrubs and trees. The fragrance of roses and night-blooming jasmine scented the artfully sculpted garden, which unfolded before them.

  He grasped her slender hand as they strolled along the winding path. Neither one spoke. The quiet felt good. Here and there, voices murmured in conversation. An empty bench among bushes and trees beckoned, so they paused to sit, hidden within their own private bower.

  Solanje closed her eyes and leaned back. “I wish the world was always this peaceful.”

  Several more minutes elapsed until they heard voices on the walkway passing nearby trees.

  He leaned out and saw a large shadow, and then a lowered voice with a Diechwrathe accent left no doubt as to who talked. “Deidre assured me she would have the codes and the shuttle bay doors would be open. We fly the shuttle in, land, and she leads Hal and Jerry to open the utilities sector. There they release the gas into the ventilation system. Five minutes later, everyone is passed out, we capture Adrian, and your men take over the station. I see no problems. Are you on board with this, Sam? Can you two pilot our shuttle in?”

  Bashar opened his eyes and exchanged looks with Solanje. He put his fingers to his lips. She nodded.

  “Sure. Sure. That’s no problem. We were ship captains, for God’s sake. A shuttle is easy.”

  “What about you, Henry?”

  “Count me in. You paying for expenses?”

  “All you need.”

  “What’s the timetable?”

  “I’ll let you know but be prepared to move on a moment’s notice.”

  An Islian accented voice interrupted, “Standing out in the open talking about delicate plans is making me nervous. Let’s go in. Richard Steele is nosing around asking too many questions. I don’t trust that man.”

  “Calm down, Landon It’s all under control.”

  “Says you,” the Islian accent replied. “I’m leaving.” A pair of footsteps crunched on the pebbled walkway, the sound vanishing into the night. The others followed, and the voices drifted away.

  “Well … No mind reading needed for that.” Solanje lifted up her hair and flipped it back.

  “I’ll have to tell Steele.” Bashar stared off into the tree-shadowed night. “Trouble is brewing.”

  ***

  “I should to go with you.” Richard stood with Elise in their living room.

  Sometimes her husband could be a pain.

  Elise shook her head. “Absolutely not. Aside from your aversion to traveling in a shuttle, you’re an Alysian and will only antagonize the Terrans. Besides, you’re needed here to organize the spaceships’ building program. I’m useless for that, but I may convince the captains to come over to our side.” She paused. “Accomplishing that feat will require a delicate touch for which you’re not known.”

  “Elise, it’s too dangerous. They’ll be armed.”

  “They won’t hurt me. You, they might. Merek can accompany me. They know and respect him. It’ll be fine.”

  “You can’t leave Tempest again. As her mother, you need to stay and take care of her.”

  That old argument. He brought it up every time she wanted to go somewhere. She suspected he needed her to stay more than their daughter but didn’t want to admit the fact to her.

  “I won’t leave for a couple of weeks. Plenty of time for Tempest to tire of me. Besides, Bashar brought Lexi back with him. Solanje said there were no young girls her age around, and she was lonely. I was going to ask you if we might have her come here and help with the kids. I know Amanda would like that.”

  “Sure, she can come, but…”

  “Great. You’re a dear.” She stood on tiptoes to kiss him. “I want Tempest to be an independent woman, not a mommy’s girl. She needs to interact with lots of people, not just me.”

  Richard’s shoulders sagged. “I have no worries about that. But about you going up to…”

  Having gotten her way, she made a hasty exit before he could say anything more or change his mind.

  ***

  Two weeks later, Elise boarded a shuttle for the Alysian space station. Merek hovered at one side, Deuce on the other. Both fidgeted, uneasy with her sketchy plan. Trace’s intel cautioned that an assault on the station might happen sooner rather than later. With Carter making good progress on repairing the rail guns and adding lasers, Adrian suggested the attackers’ timetable might have moved forward. So, she kissed Richard to close his protesting mouth, hugged Tempest, and hurriedly departed for the space station.

  Adrian greeted her in the shuttlebay, nodding at Merek, Deuce, and two guards, whose names she struggled to remember, then did. Qiang Jian, called Ji, and Toren Stone … Ji from the ships, and the other donated by Richard, probably out of Trace’s organization.

  Deidre and several others stood nearby. She appeared surprised to see them. “Mrs. Steele, I’m pleased you came back again so soon. What may we say is the reason for your visit?” She glanced at Adrian, busily instructing his men where to put their luggage, then turned back to Elise, her brow knitting.

  Elise returned the puzzled woman’s question with a tight-lipped smile. “Cart
er wanted to show me the new lasers he’s building and report on his progress.”

  The woman’s frown deepened, and pursed lips appeared.

  Adrian turned and introduced everyone, after which they made their way to the now familiar guest module.

  Not wanting to startle Adrian’s people, Deuce let them handle the baggage, relieved someone else got stuck with the task. Thankfully, Adrian didn’t mentioned his Talent of telekinesis. That knowledge was better kept secret from those present.

  As Elise entered, Adrian instructed her on the station’s new system, which now required facial recognition and thumbprint to enter units. “Already Carter is making a difference. A few shifts ago, he outlined a facial imprinting system to Jerry who made it his goal to get it installed before you arrived.”

  A tall, thin man with a receding hairline bobbed his head and grinned. “I did it, too. Merek can enter the same way.”

  Gratified at the additional security, Elise said, “I appreciate your effort. Thank you.” The ends of her mouth turned up when she saw him blush beet-red.

  Adrian bowed. “Station time says dinner will be in an hour. Please accept my invitation to join me in the Captain’s Lounge.”

  It was a gracious offer she couldn’t refuse. “You can count on us being there. Thank you.”

  Adrian straightened and waved his group out. “Until then.”

  Adrian's group headed onward, and her people went into the guest suite. As she pivoted to check out the rooms, she noticed Deuce was already communicating via his electronic array. He quickly shed his shuttle suit, which revealed a subdued matte white shirt and dark blue-gray pants underneath. That ever-present wide metal belt now winked with light emitting diodes. He pulled out a heavy necklace of electronics from beneath his shirt. It vibrated.

  “What’s up?” she asked.

  Merek touched a finger to his lips as he swept the room for bugs and assassins while the two guards opened drawers and investigated the refresher unit. When finished and satisfied, they gathered back together.

  “We’re clear here,” Merek announced, depositing two electronic devices into his bag. “Deuce, you ready to check your place next door?”

  “Just a minute.” His unoccupied hand rose. “We may have company sooner than expected. I tapped into the station’s schedule board, and an approaching shuttle is coming in from the Diechwrathe. After querying transportation, they said the stationmaster signed off on it, but the shuttle is not on their regular schedule. The change has them worried. Deidre is going to the shuttlebay to investigate.”

  Elise slipped out of her shuttle suit and donned a black jacket over her dark top and slacks. “They’re going to attempt to take the station. Now get dressed while I inform Adrian on a secure comm. My guess is she faked the authorization and now is headed out to open the shuttlebay and unlock the utility sector.” She paused. “Looks like we’ll be late for dinner.”

  Merek grunted in acknowledgment and, along with the two guards, stepped out of his shuttle suit, revealing a similar black outfit. With a sigh, Deuce slipped a dark gray sweater over his white shirt.

  Gathering up everyone, she slapped the door panel open and made a face at the monitor.

  Briskly, the five headed toward the utility sector, their familiarity with low gravity aiding them as they swiftly sailed forth, bouncing off corridor walls.

  “I want to catch them red-handed, so let’s nab them in the act near the air exchange,” she told the guards. “Don’t hurt them; merely secure them. Merek, you wait on the inside of the entrance and restrain the station assistant. She’s your responsibility.”

  His jaw tightened; eyes ablaze with satisfaction. “My pleasure.”

  “If she tries to fight or interfere in any way, subdue her. I need to reason with Henry and Sam, and I don’t want her distracting them.”

  “Understood.”

  She tapped Deuce on his arm. “Ping Adrian and tell him what’s happening.”

  “Already in progress.”

  There was a straight section of corridor where anyone coming out of shuttlebay might see them. She needed to get past that area quickly, so she picked up the pace, her feet flying over the downward wall. She used the handholds to propel herself forward faster. The others came along, keeping up the brisk pace.

  Moving to the front, Merek cleared the way while Deuce muttered into her ear. “The shuttle has landed in the shuttlebay. Adrian has instructed the bay operators to comply with any of Deidre’s orders.”

  “One more module and we’re there.” Merek pointed ahead.

  Faint vibrations signaled heavy equipment in use nearby.

  “Deuce, get your ugly mug over here and let us in.”

  “This one is code-operated, but I have the code.” Rapidly, he tapped in numbers on a touchpad, and the door panel slid open to let them in.

  A roomful of heavy machinery and ductwork greeted them. The walls vibrated, pumping water and air throughout the station.

  She pointed to a blocky machine. “Ji, hide there. Take care of any muscle they’ve brought.” Deuce …”

  “I’ll stand by this loud ventilation system and use my headset to maintain contact with station security.”

  “God, I hope they’re not compromised.”

  “They’ve been vetted by Trace’s organization, so I’m confident we’re good.”

  Elise pointed. “Merek, you over there by the entrance. Most likely she’ll come in first, but I can’t guarantee it.”

  “I have restrainers and chloroform if necessary.”

  “Deuce?”

  “Some bureaucratic nonsense is going on in shuttlebay.”

  Now that they were in place, she could hardly stand the waiting. She shook her hands out and ran through her speech, hoping it would do the trick. Henry and Sam were good guys, just misguided by unsuspected Alysian politics.

  “Deuce?” she queried.

  He spoke into the headset as her body jittered in tune with the vibrating machines.

  “Which one’s the main vent?” Gads, she knew so little of systems. Others had handled that on the ship.

  “That large stack over there controls the air exchange.” Merek touched a jumble of machinery. “It exchanges old air for clean through a filter purifier and recirculates it back out into the station.”

  She wanted to talk more as it distracted her, but Deuce signaled her. “They’ll be here soon.”

  As soon as they quieted, voices and the clatter of movement from the outside filtered in.

  The door slid open and Deidre, the two captains, and a burly accomplice entered. She stepped in at the same time as Ji slipped behind the muscle and disarmed him.

  Deidre’s mouth opened, making a round circle. She tried to whirl around, but Merek’s augmented speed had her in wrist restrainers before she could react.

  “What’s the meaning of this?” she blustered, jerking at the cuffs.

  Henry and Sam, loaded down with canisters and gas masks, stopped in their tracks.

  “Shit,” said Sam.

  Elise stepped forward. “Put the gas down, listen to me, and everything will be all right.”

  “Shoot her or you’re airlocked,” Deidre retorted. “She’s lying. They’re only going to space us.”

  Henry set down his canister slowly, but his hand strayed to his waist where he had tucked in his laser gun. Elise waved her stun gun back and forth in front of his face. “Don’t even think about it,” she warned him.

  By now, Ji had their guard in restraints and under control.

  Game over. Henry raised his hands.

  Toren poked a stun gun at Sam. “Raise ‘em.”

  An angry furrow appeared on Sam’s brow as he glared at Elise. “You’re a god-damned traitor. I wouldn’t think you would side with them. They want to get rid of Terrans. They want us off their planet.”

  “Sam, don’t be so gullible. You’re being used.”

  “Don’t listen to her.” Deidre lunged forward.

&nb
sp; Elise nodded at Merek and a gag went over Deidre’s mouth. She grunted in anger, but her words were silenced.

  Elise turned her attention to her captains. “Islia and the Diechwrathe are behind this. They want to take over the station for themselves and assume world dominance or at least gain control of the Democratic Union. They could care less about Terrans.”

  Next to Merek, Deidre squirmed and made noises.

  “That’s not true,” Henry protested.

  Her mouth set in a hard line. “Unfortunately, it is. I have evidence. But it doesn’t matter. We have to discuss a more important topic.”

  “He’s here.” Deuce looked up.

  “Open up.”

  The door slid open to an array of drawn guns with Adrian at their back on a headset.

  “Take her and him.” Elise pointed to Deidre and her guard. “I have to talk to my captains and, as station master, you might want to stay and hear what I have to say.”

  Adrian lifted an eyebrow but waved his men on."Take them to lockup and I'll join you as soon as I can."

  His men gathered up the two others and left.

  “Ji, go with Toren and see that they make it there.”

  “Yes, Commander.” He gave her a brief salute.

  She slightly shook her head at the gesture, but a smile played over her lips. “Go.” Her hand waved them out.

  Adrian gazed at Elise and sighed. “I’m not sure I want to hear what you have to say or can even hear it with all this noise. Maybe we should go to my office where it’s quieter, and we can sit.”

  She stared at him and pursed her lips. “Last I heard, your office was bugged. How about my room?”

  “Now, that’s definitely bugged.”

  “Not anymore.”

  He laughed and scanned the room with all the rumbling machinery. “Okay, deal.”

  Contemplating her captains, Elise said, “I’d like to trust you two, but I can’t at the moment. However, I’m asking you to place your faith in me right now. I’m going to put on restraints, but I’ll take them off when we get to my unit.”

  She motioned to Merek who fished out some more restraints and snapped them on the two scowling captains.