Home Run (Smuggler's Tales From the Golden Age of the Solar Clipper Book 3)

by Nathan Lowell

“You knew he was grooming you to take his place, though. Right?”

  She fiddled with her fingers in her lap for a moment. “It sounds funny when you put it like that but, yeah, I suppose.”

  “It’s in the procedures manual. The first job of every manager level or higher is to make sure they have a backup person.”

  Sanderson nodded. “I read that.”

  “Who took over for you?”

  “Ray Bundy,” she said.

  “I don’t know Ray. Can he take over as operations manager if you get hit by a stray asteroid tomorrow?”

  Sanderson’s frown deepened. “No. Not tomorrow, but I’m not sure I can take over as operations manager now and I’ve got the job.”

  Zoya smiled. “I know the feeling. Lemme rephrase it. I’ll assume you’ll be up to speed within a couple of months. Certainly once we’ve been through a fiscal cycle.”

  Sanderson nodded. “I think so,” she said. “I hope so.”

  “Is the future Ray the person who you’d see as being the best replacement for you?”

  “Not next stanyer. No. Probably not.”

  “Do you know anybody who would be a better fit?”

  Sanderson stared into nothing for a few ticks. “Not off hand, but I don’t know everybody.”

  “What’s Ray’s biggest weakness as far as the operation goes?”

  “He’s never worked a barge,” Sanderson said. “I don’t think he’s ever worked a hauler, for that matter.”

  “If you get him that experience, do you think that will make him a more effective operations manager?”

  Sanderson nodded. “You have to start at the bottom.”

  “So you know what to do when you get to the top,” Zoya said. “My grandfather told me that when I was about ten.”

  Sanderson laughed. “I started a little later than you did.”

  Zoya nodded and gave her a rueful smile. “I think everybody did.” She leaned forward and put her elbows on the desk. “I asked you to meet with us this morning because I want to make sure I know what you want.”

  Sanderson sat up a little. “What I want?”

  “Yes. Is this job the one you want?”

  “You mean with Usoko Mining?” Sanderson asked.

  Zoya shrugged. “Anywhere. If I could wave my Usoko wand”—Zoya picked up a stylus from the desk and held it like a wand—“and give you the gift of any job you want, anywhere, whether you’re qualified or not, what would it be?”

  “No pressure, huh?” Sanderson said with a small laugh.

  Zoya smiled and tossed the stylus down. “Take your time.”

  “You really want an answer?”

  Zoya nodded. “Yeah. I do.”

  Natalya could see Sanderson biting the inside of her lip and frowning at Zoya, the indecision painted itself on her face in the furrowed brow and the rising color over her ears. “I want your job,” she said at last.

  “Why?” Zoya asked. “The glamour? The credits? The joy of being able to work every waking moment of every day?”

  Sanderson blinked and shook her head. “No,” she said. “It’s not like that.”

  Zoya raised an eyebrow.

  Sanderson seemed to realize the box she’d just stepped into. “I mean. Yeah, the credits are probably nice but I’ve seen enough of what happens here in the Rock to know that there’s nothing glamorous about the work. It’s mostly too many hours, too many conflicting demands, and too many people depending on you for ... well ... everything as nearly as I can tell.”

  “Not far wrong,” Zoya said. “Why would you want to make that final step?”

  “Operations is inward. CEO is outward. The challenge of finding new sources of ore, forging relationships with other companies like Manchester and Higbee. That’s the ultimate in taking care of the company because it’s looking beyond the now and into the future.”

  Zoya stood up. “Sold. You got the job.”

  Sanderson’s eyes popped fully open and she put her hands up to ward Zoya away. “No, gods, no. Not now. I have only the vaguest idea of what to do in this job. Sit back down. Please.”

  Zoya laughed. “Just checking.” She took her seat again. “Sorry to put you through that. Thank you for being straight with me.”

  Sanderson swallowed hard and pressed a hand to her chest. “You scared the hell out of me.”

  “Sorry.” Zoya gave her a minute to catch her breath. “I have another question for you, when you’re ready.”

  Sanderson uttered a nervous giggle. “I’m not sure I’m up to any more of your questions,” she said.

  “This one’s easier.”

  Sanderson drew in a deep breath. “Go ahead,” she said, flinching away.

  “Who would you like to see in this seat?”

  She shrugged. “You.”

  “Besides me.”

  She shook her head. “I can’t imagine anybody in that seat besides you.”

  “Somebody on the advisory board?” Zoya asked.

  “Oh, hell, no.” Sanderson seemed to realize what she said just one heartbeat too late. “Sorry.”

  “Please. Swear if you need to.”

  Sanderson laughed. “No, I was thinking of the implied disrespect of the advisory board.”

  “You know any of them?” Zoya asked.

  “Not personally. I saw them any time I attended a meeting with your grandfather.”

  Zoya nodded. “Who was my grandmother’s second?”

  “Your grandmother’s second? Like who was she grooming to take her place?”

  “Exactly.”

  Sanderson shrugged. “You. Who else could there be?”

  Zoya let out a loud breath. “That’s kinda what I’m hoping to find out.”

  “Because you need to find your backup?” Sanderson asked.

  Natalya watched Zoya’s face. She’d seen it enough to know that her smile wasn’t what it seemed. “Exactly,” Zoya said. “I need to find my backup.”

  “I’m sorry,” Sanderson said, shaking her head. “I’ve got my hands full with operations. As much as I might dream of someday being the boss? There’s no way I’m ready to take that on.”

  Zoya smiled, a smaller but more genuine one. “I know the feeling,” she said. “Thanks, Cedar. I think my grandfather made a great choice.”

  “Is that all you need?” Sanderson asked.

  “For now,” Zoya said. “I’m sure you’ve got fires that need dousing.”

  Sanderson grinned. “A couple.” She rose and left the office.

  Zoya sighed and put her head on the desk. “That went well.”

  “Yeah,” Natalya said. “Splendidly.”

  “I have no idea what I’m doing,” Zoya said, speaking directly to the desk top.

  “Be kind to yourself. We haven’t been here a week yet. We haven’t even had the memorial service yet.”

  Zoya straightened up and rubbed her eyes with the heels of her hand. “I’d forgotten that. Don’t ask me how.”

  “You’ve had a few things on your plate.”

  “How’d it go with Manchester? I asked Pop-pop. He just laughed and told me to ask you.”

  Natalya shrugged. “I got a good deal on a hot Barbell.”

  “Stolen?”

  “No, just—really good. At least fifteen-BU jump range with a full can and charged capacitors.”

  Zoya shook her head. “Five BU?”

  “Fifteen BU. Maybe more.”

  Zoya stared at her. “And you didn’t think I’d be interested in that?”

  “Actually, it’s not in one jump. It’s three, but the ship should be able to do three back-to-back jumps before recharging. Aligning between jumps always takes a little time so—depending on the course adjustment requirements—we can jump three times in a row as fast as we can plot the course and line it up.”

  “How long to recharge after that?”

  “We didn’t calculate the exact numbers but probably jump once every three stans after that. Seven or eight stans to refill the capac
itors completely.”

  “Capacitors?”

  “Oh, yeah, we changed out the one big one for three smaller ones in series. Each one holds enough potential for a full distance jump loaded. They just cascade forward as they fire.”

  “That’s huge.”

  Natalya nodded. “I made sure they re-spec’ed the emitter buses, too. I don’t want to have another Melbourne Maru situation where we burn out an emitter bus in the Deep Dark.”

  “How much did that set you back?”

  Natalya grinned. “I told them I wanted an exclusive on the design, then negotiated the rights back to them. I still spent almost all of credits but we got one hell of a ship out of it and didn’t have to tap the reserves. I’m happy.”

  Zoya’s tablet bipped and she sighed. “Advisory meeting.”

  “Another one? What is it this time?”

  “I need to grovel a little,” Zoya said.

  “I thought you were going to mend fences yesterday.”

  “I did, but I think I need to do it publicly, too. Unintended consequences and all that. What are you doing right now?”

  “Grimes is sending me the names of some accountants and some lawyers. I need to review the documentation your grandmother compiled on my behalf so I know what I’m asking the lawyer to do. It looks like she had her own counsel and accountant do the initial work.”

  “You might try them if Grimes doesn’t come up with anything.”

  “I’ll check with them,” Natalya said.

  “Come on,” Zoya said. “Let’s go see if I can make nice.”

  Chapter 72

  Big Rock:

  2369, May 19

  Natalya followed Zoya back to her office. “You want a coffee or something?”

  Zoya threw herself into her chair and let it spin around a couple of times while she scrubbed her face with her hands. “I hate this,” she said. She grabbed the desk on the next cycle and nodded. “Coffee. You going to the kitchen?”

  “I was going to the break room.”

  “Yeah, coffee will do.”

  “You want a cookie? Kitchen’s not that much farther.”

  Zoya shrugged and shook her head. “It’ll be lunchtime soon.”

  Natalya ducked down the passageway and followed one of the Usoko employees into the break room.

  The woman smiled at Natalya and stuck out a hand. “Hi,” she said. “Kate Jonuska. You’re Natalya, right?”

  “Right.” Natalya shook her hand and waved her to the coffee mess. “You were here first.”

  Jonuska grabbed a cup and filled it before stepping to the side while she fiddled with additions. “I’ve been so interested to watch that developing project out in Toe-Hold space. How did you happen to leave with an exploration scout and come back with an Unwin?”

  Natalya grabbed a pair of mugs and started filling. “The scout was a gift from my father. He wanted it back because it has longer legs than his Unwin. He offered to trade his Unwin for my scout. Actually made it a condition of employment.”

  Jonuska sipped. “Zoya didn’t mention that part.”

  “It was more of a side deal between my father and me as a way of opening the door for Zoya to hire him.” Natalya took a sip from one of the mugs. “You were the one that sent Zoya, weren’t you?”

  “Technically, that was Madoka but yeah, I’m the one that pointed out that Zoya was the obvious choice to go.”

  Natalya smiled. “It was the right call.”

  “How was it?” Jonuska asked. “The second-hand accounts from Madoka seemed pretty grim. She was chewing her nails waiting for information.”

  “In hindsight, it worked out. Going in, there were some scary moments. Mostly revolving around fighting the pirates.”

  Her eyes went wide and she glanced at the door. “What?”

  Natalya blew out a breath and nodded to the door. “Let’s go see Zee. See how much she wants to share.”

  Natalya led the way back to the office and handed Zoya her coffee. “I brought reinforcements.”

  Zoya looked up and smiled at Jonuska before looking at Natalya. “By reinforcements do you mean the coffee or her?”

  “Both.”

  “Natalya mentioned pirates,” Jonuska said. “That’s not something that surfaced in the advisory board.”

  Zoya looked at Jonuska and then at Natalya.

  Natalya grinned and sent a telling glance at Jonuska before giving Zoya a small nod. “I figured I’d let you tell it.” She took her seat beside the desk.

  Zoya waved Jonuska into a chair and took up her coffee. “Well, I didn’t do much. Natalya here saw most of the action, including rescuing me.”

  Jonuska’s eyes widened and she looked back and forth between them as if trying to decide if they were kidding. Natalya saw the moment when she realized they weren’t. “Tell me,” she said. “You can’t tease that out and leave me hanging.”

  Zoya shot a grin at Natalya and settled in for a gab.

  Her coffee long gone, Zoya sat back in her chair. “So. That’s about it. The highlights, anyway.”

  “Madoka never mentioned any of this,” Jonuska said.

  “I’m not sure how much she knew, to be honest,” Zoya said. “I’d have to look back at the situation reports I sent back. Some of it we didn’t send.”

  “I hope some of it got glossed over,” Natalya said. “I’d rather everybody didn’t know I jumped without a safety line.”

  “You were in a hurry,” Zoya said.

  “You also didn’t want to get dragged off the stern when the ship moved on,” Jonuska said. “That was fast thinking and damned lucky.”

  Natalya shrugged. “Seemed like the thing to do at the time. I can probably come up with half a dozen things I could have done differently now that I don’t need to.”

  Jonuska’s tablet bipped. “Oh. The time.” She stood. “I’m sorry to take up so much of your time, but thanks for filling me in. I can’t believe half of it but I know it has to be true.”

  “Stop by anytime, Kate,” Zoya said.

  Kate grinned and scooted out the door.

  Natalya looked at Zoya. “Well? Did that answer your question?”

  Zoya grinned and nodded. “I should have picked up on it before this.” She paused. “How long before your ship is ready?”

  “Month or so. You know shipyards.”

  Zoya snickered. “Too well,” she said. “All too well.”

  Chapter 73

  Big Rock:

  2369, May 25

  Zoya sat at the head of the table, Kate Jonuska at her right hand, as the rest of the advisory board filed in while they found their places more people came in. Konstantin shambled in an odd smile on his lips. Natalya followed him and a collection of department heads and staff packed the room to the bulkheads.

  When the last person who could fit found a spot, Zoya stood. “Thank you for coming,” she said. “I’ve called you here because I need to make some announcements as the company owner. One of the things that has always made Usoko Mining great is the guiding principle that every supervisory level person must find and foster their replacement. Every supervisor. Every level. My grandfather did that with Cedar.” Zoya smiled at Cedar. “He chose well and his efforts show.”

  Zoya paused and looked around the table. She saw a few frowns, a few blank looks, and a few people looking around at the others in the room.

  “Most of you see me as my grandmother’s designated replacement. She’d been after me to take over this company since I was ten. While I’ve not been here lately—like the last decade—I’ve still probably attended more of these meetings than anybody here except for my grandfather. The truth is that I’m not her chosen successor.”

  A murmur went around the room.

  Zoya held up her hand. “Wait for it,” she said. When the murmuring died down, she continued. “I’ve probably cursed my grandmother more than anybody here—except maybe my grandfather—because I really didn’t want to be her successor. I’ve wanted to
be a solar clipper captain since my earliest days bossing that damned hauler to the belts and back. She knew that but she kept pushing, even when I came back from the academy. Many of you saw her maneuver me into taking up the disaster that was Smelter Seventeen.” Zoya paused. “When she passed, as some of you know, I’d already arranged for my replacement there and was on my way back here.” She stopped and swallowed hard. “When I got here, I found a few things. First, she’d passed and I’d inherited the company whether I wanted it or not. Second, I didn’t just inherit the assets and liabilities. I inherited the responsibilities as well. It became my job to take care of the company and all the people in it.

  “Over the last few weeks, I’ve done a lot of soul-searching. I’ve talked with some of you. I’ve argued with some of you. I’ve apologized to a few of you.” She paused to smile at Butler. “I’ve learned a lot from being here. The most important thing I learned is that I don’t belong here.”

  The murmur went around the table, louder this time.

  She held her hand up again. “But,” she said, raising her voice to get above the noise. When the room became quiet, she continued. “But,” she said again, in a more normal tone. “That brings me to the third thing I found.” She paused and looked around the table. “I found that my grandmother already knew what I just learned. I found that my grandmother—in her wisdom—planned for the possibility that I would need a replacement and she left one for me to find. I’m pretty sure she never gave up hope that I’d take up the reins.” She paused and stroked a couple of fingers across the polished wood of the table. “Maybe one day, I will. Just not today.” She took a deep breath and looked around the room once more. “Today I’ve hired Kate Jonuska to be the new CEO of Usoko Mining. Whether anybody realized it or not, my grandmother fostered Kate to be my replacement for me. She’s been involved in this company almost as long as I have. She’s been my grandmother’s good right hand for the last decade. Not only is she eminently qualified for the position, she’s fool enough to want it and I’m convinced she’ll be the CEO the company needs. By hiring her and stepping out of the way, I’m fulfilling the responsibility my grandmother left me, the responsibility to do what is best for the company and its people. To do what is necessary.