Black Desert

by Peter Francis

  “Shut up about breakfast,” said Gowan. “I don’t wish to hear any more about it. You’re an ungrateful bunch of flebes. I’ll cook onboard ship next time.”

  “Flebes? That’s not a word I know,” said Jenny.

  “Nor me,” said Sarah.

  “Well, perhaps you girls will eventually make it popular,” said the Captain, careful not to release too much.

  “I will have toast and some coffee,” said Jenny. “Perhaps you could tell me how what happened fits in with my memory of events.”

  “What were you doing at the casino?” asked the Professor. “I apologise. I should have introduced us. I’m Titiana Lillishenger – Lilly for short; this is Daniel Ogden, my partner; this morning’s chef is Junette Gowan; this couple are Hugh Dunfield and his fiancée Sarah; the man seated next to you is Eric Ramirez – Ramirez for short…”

  “Rick,” said Ramirez.

  “And this is Captain Chas Stiers.”

  “Captain?”

  “He once had a yacht,” explained Ramirez.

  “So,” repeated the Professor. “What were you doing at the casino?”

  “What do you think I was doing – attending a crotcheting class? I was gambling the last of my money.”

  “Why?”

  Jenny sighed and tears filled her eyes. “I go to law school but I’ll never take the exams now. My father is very ill – cancer – and we had to dig into my college fund to find the cash for his treatment. I was gambling away my last five hundred dollars in the hope of raising enough for his treatment and to finish my schooling. I actually won and those bastards kept my money. Our money,” she added as she looked at Ramirez. “I didn’t trust the local cops and I didn’t want my family to discover I was gambling but when you guys showed up I took the opportunity to get out of there. You’re feds, aren’t you?”

  “Not exactly,” confessed the Captain.

  “That’s what you told that casino honkey.”

  “We were just trying to get our buddy out.”

  “I just figured I would be better off with you guys than staying there.”

  “They did chase us.”

  “How did you elude them?”

  “Thank Ogden.”

  The Englishman smiled. “I did very little.”

  “So who are you guys?” asked Jenny.

  “We’re…” began Stiers.

  “Adventurers of a sort,” said Ogden.

  “You all have funny accents.”

  “I’m English,” said Ogden. “Hugh is also English. The Professor is originally Austrian.”

  “Who’s the Professor?”

  “Sorry – my, um, partner – Lilly.”

  “I’m American,” said Ramirez and so are the Captain and Gowan.”

  “She is American and thinks you can broil eggs?”

  “Don’t start,” said Gowan. “I’m used to eggs coming out of a dispenser in liquid form.”

  “They actually come out of chickens,” said Jenny.

  “I know that. It’s just that where I come from we get them in the liquid form.”

  “I thought you said you were American. What part of America uses liquid eggs?”

  “The West Coast,” snapped Gowan.

  “I studied my breasts in the mirror when I got up,” said Jenny. “There’s no sign of a bullet would yet I had one last night.”

  “It was a tiny flick off your upper shoulder,” said Ramirez. “We patched it for you.”

  “It wasn’t a tiny flick. I could see blood pumping out and I felt pain.”

  “Hallucination,” said Ramirez.

  “Hallucination?” Jenny pulled down her bra cup a way and pointed with the other hand. “There was a hole right there. Take a look.”

  “Don’t give him that kind of invitation,” said Gowan.

  “I’ll take a look,” offered Ramirez. “Step over here and I’ll go over both of them thoroughly.”

  “I warned you,” said Gowan to the girl.

  “I’m not stupid,” said the girl. “You repaired the damage to a bullet wound; you mentioned a ship; you talk in strange accents; and somehow we flew here to arrive as quickly as we did; you used some unknown way to try to rob a casino; and Gowan doesn’t know how to cook breakfast. Now, tell me who you are and what you can do. I want to know if you can heal my dad’s cancer.”

  The others stood around gobsmacked except for Sarah who smiled secretly to herself; a smile picked up by Dunfield. She said, “She’ll make a cracking attorney.”

  “Yes she will,” said Hugh.

  “Why on Earth would you think we can cure your father’s cancer?” asked Gowan.

  “You cured my bullet wound.”

  “That’s different. That was just a scratch,” said Ramirez.

  “Don’t bullshine me. I wasn’t dead last night – just occasionally unconscious. I know we transferred from the Jeep to another vehicle. I saw your sophisticated medical equipment when you were healing me. I’ve heard you talking about things that don’t make a lot of sense to me. But you don’t need to fear me.” She paused and a tear came into her eye. “It’s just that I’ll do anything to cure my dad. Any deal you like to make him well again.”

  The Professor sighed and turned away. The girl stood up and walked over to look out of the window. “What’s in that huge building?” she asked.

  “Just machinery,” said Stiers. “Go and have a look. I just left there so it’s unlocked.”

  “She shouldn’t be walking yet,” said Ramirez. “I’ll go with her.”

  “I’ll go,” said Gowan and stood beside the girl who looked round at them all once more and smiled as if in apology.

  They left the kitchen and went to their bedroom where Jenny dressed and took Gowan’s arm as they walked out of the door over to the concrete hangar. Stiers ran his hands through his hair and sighed. “Don’t say anything,” he said. “You know we can’t change anything here. We can’t help everybody.”

  “The trouble is,” said Lillishenger, “we have no idea what we can and should not do. Who knows how much of this actually happened? Maybe whatever we do is already written into our future.”

  “Then search the computer records and find out if an airliner was rescued in some mysterious way. That was a pretty major change.”

  “Some may say you can only be part of God’s great plan and not change it,” said Ogden. “Just remember, Captain, we can help this girl and maybe she can help us in the future. Somebody has to look after all the legal interests of this place and our money.”

  Stiers sighed again.

  Outside, Gowan led Jenny through the small door of the building. Jenny said, “It’s big enough to house an airship.”

  “You wanted to see for yourself that there is nothing to see.”

  Jenny looked round at the equipment; the generators, the old car and other equipment and sighed. “There is nothing here,” she said and looked suddenly deflated.

  “What were you expecting?”

  “A miracle. I don’t know. My father is 46 and he’s dying. I’m looking for a miracle. I have the best dad ever and he’s dying.”

  “Family are important,” said Gowan, thankful the chameleon circuits and alpha cloaker were working fine. “I’m sorry we can’t help you with your problems. I’ll talk to the Captain. Maybe we can help in some way financially.”

  “You have no obligation to me,” said Jenny.

  “No. But we would all like to help you if we can.”

  “How did Ramirez save me from that bullet?” she pressed.

  “I think it was just a graze,” said Gowan.

  “Can you look me in the eye and say that?”

  “There’s no point. You have the evidence there under your bandage.”

  “Yes,” said Jenny. “I have a whole different wound to the one that almost killed me. Tell me you can’t honestly save my dad.”

  “I’m not that medically qualified. I can do basic first aid. That’s all I am qualified to do.”
r />   “And nothing is hiding in here?”

  “Where would it hide, Jenny? There are no mirrors here. You can see everything.”

  “Yes.” There was an awful sadness in her voice. The sound of final hope being shattered and revealed to be an illusion. Gowan wanted to hug the girl but felt guilty, the knowledge of their modern powers remaining hidden.

  “I know you are not telling me everything,” said Jenny, “but I guess you have your reasons. Are you foreigners?”

  “I’m American as apple pie,” said Gowan. “So is Ramirez and Sarah and Stiers. The rest of us serve America’s interests.”

  “That’s a quaint way of putting it which makes you sound like you work for the government but you have denied being federal agents. So what exactly are you?”

  “That’s a long story.”

  “Funny how from such a young age I wanted to study the law and right wrongs and defend the innocent or prosecute the guilty. I would have been so proud when I graduated from law school and seen my dad there smiling at me and wishing me every success. You can tell how desperate I’ve become from the fact I was in the casino gambling to win. I should have known it wouldn’t work out. For a few minutes there I thought God was shining on me.”

  “What’s you dad suffering from?”

  “Bone cancer,” she said.

  “And there is no cure?” asked Gowan.

  Jenny shook her head. “He’ll die soon enough and I know the last thing he would have wanted to know was that he had eaten through my college fund on the way, but medical insurance is so full of holes and get out clauses.”

  “And if your father was cured and you could finish law school you would fight for other less fortunates – or would you try to get rich in corporate law?” The voice belonged to Stiers who had walked silently behind them.

  “I am interested in serving those who are cheated, not in getting rich,” said Jenny.

  “You say that now – but once you have your law degree?”

  “You haven’t walked a mile in my shoes so don’t judge me,” she snapped. “My future was all mapped out. The law is a bent and damaged device that needs to be straightened and tempered.”

  “I am in a position where I have to judge you,” said the Captain. “And if I judge wrong the price is too vast to contemplate. And you are still very young.” He paused. “Would you stay with us for a day or two?”

  “I’d like to get to know you all much better – and for you to know me. I am being very honest about these things.”

  “I believe you are,” said Stiers.

  “However, my dad really is dying and I need to be back there with him. I expect there are even more bills now.”

  “And you say there is no cure?”

  “Of course there’s no cure.”

  “You should discuss it with Ramirez,” said Stiers and walked away.

  Jenny turned to Gowan. “What does he mean?” she asked.

  “It sounds like he is having to make a decision he would rather not be facing,” said Gowan. “But it’s looking good so far.”

  “What is?”

  “Your future.”

  When they returned Ogden and Stiers had taken themselves off down the yard to be in conference together. From all the arm-waving by Stiers and diplomatic nodding by Ogden it was obvious there was an unusual depth to their discussion. Jenny grabbed Ramirez and took him off to the room she had shared with Gowan the night before. As she closed the door he seemed a mite surprised.

  “Do you want to show me your tits again? I should take a look to see how they’re healing,” he said.

  “You said I just had a slight flesh wound to the shoulder.”

  “That’s right.”

  “So you’re a pervert.”

  “Not exactly. Where I come from women aren’t so private about their breasts. They have a more European attitude.”

  “What do you mean ‘where I come from’?” she asked.

  “It’s just an expression.”

  “Where do you come from?”

  “New Mexico.”

  “And New Mexican women have a European attitude towards their breasts, do they? I mean, they like to pop them out and flaunt them whenever they can? They sunbathe nude, do they, in all that desert?”

  “Don’t put words into my mouth,” he protested.

  “Stiers, or the person you call Captain, said I should talk to you about my dad’s illness.”

  “He did mention something in passing.”

  She indicated the bed. “Sit down,” she commanded. Ramirez sat and looked around the room to keep his eyes busy and to avoid them straying too closely onto the girl.

  “So tell me.”

  “How bad is he?”

  Jenny turned round and collected her purse from the floor. She opened it and rifled through till she collected a white envelope which she passed to him. “That’s what the doctors say,” she told him.

  Ramirez opened the letter and read through twice. He was buying time. He was not sure exactly what the Captain was requiring from him. Still, Stiers was always about honesty first, and nobility and a few other boy scout issues.

  “The cancer your father has is currently untreatable,” he said. “Treatment requires a specially bred form of cancer which lives only on other cancer cells, eating them till they are gone then dying of its own accord. At the same time a supplement is given which promotes the growth of good cells and helps the good cancer to die.”

  “But this isn’t available?”

  “No. And it won’t be for a long time.”

  “So how do you know about it?”

  “I’m the senior medical officer – among other things,” said Ramirez.

  “Senior medical officer where?”

  “I can’t say.”

  “Are you capable of preparing this treatment?”

  Ramirez paused. “Yes.”

  “How long does it take?”

  “A week.”

  “A week to prepare?”

  “No. A week for the treatment from start to finish. Two pills a day for seven days.”

  “That’s it?”

  “That’s it.”

  “And my father will be cured?”

  “No, because he’ll never receive the treatment.”

  “Why not?”

  “Because only the Captain can authorise it.”

  “I’ll persuade him.”

  “Don’t try using your delectable body. That may work on a commoner like me but Stiers is made of sterner stuff. He has enough stiff upper lip to be British.”

  “He had a reason for telling me to talk to you. Who exactly are you people?”

  “Travellers, adventurers, loyal and willing servants, crazy fools. Take your pick.”

  “Thank you, Eric.”

  “Most people just use my last name – or Rick.”

  “Thank you, Ramirez.”

  “Your next conversation needs to be with Stiers.”

  “Yes. I can see that now.”

  “I will still need to see your breasts later – to ensure everything is healing fine.”

  “How did you heal me?”

  “I’m good – and so is my equipment,” Ramirez said with a leer.

  “Next time I get shot I’ll look forward to seeing that equipment in use,” she said and turned away to finish her breakfast.

  “I’ll wash up,” said Sarah in the kitchen.

  “You may need a shovel to clean the plates,” shouted Ramirez and heard the sound of a spatula flying through the air and hitting the floor.

  “Just leave it,” said Sarah.

  Gowan stormed to the kitchen doorway and saw Ramirez. She growled and glared at the same time.

  “Time of the month?” he suggested.

  “It’s every day with you,” she snorted. “What have you been up to – catching up with your mammarian studies?”

  “I’ve been checking my work,” he admitted.

  Gowan looked with sympathy at Jenny. “
If you knew some of the places those hands spend much of their time you wouldn’t let him near you,” she said.

  “About curing my father,” she replied.

  “He can cure anything except his own libido,” said Gowan. “Mind you, to be fair, he cured me of mine. What are Stiers and Ogden arguing about? I saw them through the kitchen window and they were either re-enacting the civil war or were getting in a fight about something.”

  “Ogden knows better than to fight,” said Ramirez. “He never wins.”

  “He is sure putting up a struggle this time,” said Gowan and went to her room.

  “By the way,” shouted Ramirez. “That apron suits you. You should wear it all the time.”

  He heard a vague two word reply involving sex and travel – the last word of which was “off.” He looked at Jenny. “I think she loves me,” he said and laughed.

  “Maybe she would like to,” the girl suggested.

  “Maybe you or Sarah would have better luck – even old Lilly Tittenhanger.”

  “I doubt you’re the wrong sex,” she replied. “You just need to manage yourself better.”

  “I expect you could manage me fine.”

  “All you have to do is save my father.”

  “That is not my decision.”

  “Then I’ll wait to see what Captain Stiers and his yacht have to say.”

  Gowan came in with the Professor. “I think things are getting serious out there,” she said, “between the Captain and Ogden. Do you have any idea what it’s about?”

  “Maybe,” said Ramirez and shrugged.

  “Well, do you intend to share?”

  “Nope.”

  “Butthole,” said Gowan.

  “I don’t think you’ll find that is my actual rank.”

  “It should be. It’s certainly your nature.”

  “Well you’ve been as close to it as anybody else.”

  “Ugh. Don’t remind me of that.”

  “I’m going out there,” said Lillishenger.

  “Nah,” said Ramirez. “Let’s just watch them come to blows. My money is on Stiers. Ogden is quicker but I reckon the Captain knows more about fighting dirty.”

  “We need harmony, not dissent.”

  “Dissent is what keeps the world turning,” said Ramirez. “We can’t always agree. Anyway I reckon they are both noble enough not to start a scrap – however much fun it would be.”