Persephone Station

by Stina Leicht

Lou asked, “You got the lift working?”

  He nodded. “Got you a present.”

  “The new Grendenn 3XK7 Wrenches?” Lou asked.

  He smiled. “I haven’t even opened the box.”

  “Oh, baby,” Lou said, and then whispered something in his ear.

  “We have time for that?” Erik asked.

  “If we’re fast,” Lou said. “We’ve got until dark.”

  “Who says I do?” he asked.

  “Come on, baby. I’m going to be gone for a while,” Lou said.

  “How long?” Erik asked. He was already backing up to the elevator with Lou still wrapped around him.

  “I don’t know,” Lou said. “Maybe you’ll never see me again.”

  “Don’t talk like that,” Erik said.

  “All right,” Lou said. “I won’t. I’ll talk about… other things.” She spoke over her shoulder. “See you in an hour, Captain.”

  “Won’t your friends feel neglected?” Erik asked.

  “Not if you show them some hospitality,” Lou said.

  “But I just bought that case of beer,” Erik said.

  Lou gave him a long kiss.

  “Okay. Okay,” he said. “It’s theirs.”

  “Door to the kitchen is on the left, Captain,” Lou said.

  The elevator door slid shut.

  “What kind of beer?” Enid asked.

  “Does it matter?” Sukyi asked. “It’s free.”

  The storm raged for two and a half hours before Angel heard from Rosie. The address on Angel’s hand terminal indicated a warehouse on the far western side of the city, near the space docks. Her stomach did a queasy flip. It was one of the worst parts of town due to the port traffic noise and lights.

  Sukyi finished her third bulb of beer and tossed the empty at the oil barrel Erik and his employees used for a trash can. The plastic container landed neatly inside.

  “That’s just fucking great,” Angel muttered.

  Enid didn’t look up from the book she was reading. “That doesn’t sound good.” Her tone was bored.

  Angel asked, “How long will it take to get Kurosawa’s guns online?”

  “You didn’t ask if it’s possible at all,” Enid said.

  “Is it possible?” Angel asked.

  “They aren’t supposed to be battle ready,” Enid said. “City ordinance—”

  “Fuck that,” Angel said. “We don’t know where we’re going. We might need a little surprise hidden away that Rosie doesn’t know about.”

  “I thought you trusted Rosie?” Sukyi asked.

  “I do,” Angel said. “But just in case, I want to be battle ready. Is it possible?”

  “You’ve gotten news you don’t like,” Sukyi said. “What is it?”

  “The address Rosie gave me is within Correct territory,” Angel said.

  “You think we’re being set up?” Sukyi asked.

  Angel paused. “If I did, we wouldn’t be here.” She looked away. “Still, it never hurts to be prepared.”

  Sukyi turned to Enid.

  Enid shut her novel and sat up. “The standard allotment of ammo for the ship’s guns is stored in the rear compartment under Lou’s spare parts collection.”

  “Really?” Sukyi asked.

  Enid shrugged. “She never complained about the weight. So, I never told her.”

  “And the guns?” Angel asked.

  “I haven’t run a check on them in a week,” Enid said.

  “And you used to be so meticulous,” Sukyi said. “Persephone has been a bad influence on you.”

  Enid frowned. “I’ve been busy.”

  “Haven’t we all?” Sukyi asked.

  Angel said, “You’ve got thirty minutes to get them checked and loaded.”

  Getting to her feet, Enid tucked the tome under her arm. “I’ll be on Kurosawa if you need me.”

  When the door opened, snatches of Lou’s conversation with Erik filtered into the room. For the most part, it was restricted to needs for various tools and theories about what caused the engine to fail.

  Sukyi got to her feet.

  “Where are you going?” Angel asked.

  “To see if Enid needs help,” Sukyi said. “And to inventory the ammunition she stowed. I’ve a feeling that information may be of some use.”

  13

  TIME: 17:30

  DAY: SUNDAY

  SPENCER’S VEHICLE REPAIR

  The storm hadn’t abated by the time Angel informed Lou it was time to say her last goodbyes to Erik. With that, the pair made one more round of checks on the starboard engine and then kissed. Angel walked past them on her way up the loading ramp and settled into the copilot seat. Noises from the passenger area indicated that Sukyi and Enid were onboard. A few moments later, Lou eased into the cockpit and strapped herself in. She went about the business of preparing for takeoff in silence. Her expression was set in what Angel thought of as her “professional face.”

  Every mission had its rituals.

  Behind them, the garage doors opened, and the landing platform began its slow journey outward with a jerk.

  “We’ll be home soon,” Angel said, fulfilling her final part in the routine.

  “I know.” Lou flicked the last switch just as the platform halted.

  The whine of the engines acquired an authoritative timbre. The deck beneath Angel’s feet vibrated.

  Lou asked, “Ready, Captain?”

  Angel took a deep breath. “We’ve put this off long enough, I suppose.”

  “Liftoff in three… two… one.”

  The little Tumi charm hanging near the center of the pilot’s viewscreen—a gift handed down from her grandfather—began to swing like a pendulum. The curved blade beneath the sun god’s feet reminded Angel of an Edgar Allan Poe story. Which way are you going to cut our luck today?

  A prayer drifted to the surface of Angel’s mind as the engines wound up their low roar. She wasn’t religious, but when she’d been small, her mother had insisted that she learn about her father’s beliefs and customs. The prayer that came to mind was the first he’d taught her:

  Dios concédeme la serenidad para aceptar las cosas que puedo cambiar. Valor para cambiar aquellas que puedo, y la sabiduría para reconocer la diferencia.

  Her father’s family originated from Bolivia and were staunchly Catholic. Her mother’s family had relocated from America to Japan when her great-grandfather was seven. Her mother had been raised a Buddhist and had been born in the Gorin No Gakkō Academy compound on Thandh just as Angel had. Angel considered herself a lapsed Buddhist. However, her father had been on her mind of late.

  Steering Kurosawa in the spaces between buildings, Lou appeared content with her lips pressed tight in happy concentration. The powerful storm winds weren’t nearly as unfavorable as they had been—or so Angel sensed. She wasn’t certain if this impression was due to a lessening of the weather or the repairs. She watched the gauges as the ship turned southwest. The indicators stayed in the green. However, she held her breath until the ship had assumed a safer altitude—just above the skyline. A small smile graced Lou’s lips as if she was in the moment, enjoying herself.

  Would that I could say the same, Angel thought.

  There were too many unknowns. Nonetheless, she was sure that the situation wouldn’t remain so for long.

  In the years since Angel had left the Gorin, she’d had to learn a few hard lessons, but it was her experiences after the corps that made her more uncomfortable. For one thing, she wasn’t used to relying upon others to take care of her. Her deepest held belief was that she existed to serve and protect. It was what Gorin did. She’d never appreciated how difficult being the recipient of good will could be—particularly if you weren’t in a position to reciprocate. It was, as her mother would say, a good lesson even if it wasn’t a comfortable one.

  And owing Rosie a favor certainly wasn’t comfortable.

  The rain-drenched silhouette of three enormous space-to-air traffic towers—referre
d to as “the Titans” by locals—signaled that they were nearing the end of their journey. The ship once again descended into the artificial canyon between office buildings in a graceful arc. It wasn’t long before Angel spied their destination.

  Her first impression was that the warehouse been abandoned for decades—maybe even longer. She was prepared to turn around and go back to Erik’s when a coded message appeared on the pilot’s screen. At the prompt, she entered the code that Rosie had sent before they’d left. A set of hidden roof transponders activated on Kurosawa’s screen, indicating the landing area. Lou dropped the ship directly on top of the glowing X without the slightest hitch. Unlike the platform at Erik’s, this one operated smoothly and quickly. The section of roof beneath them slid downward inside the building. After they’d descended far enough, the gap above sealed shut. Water gushed down through the rapidly narrowing opening. It pounded like thunder on Kurosawa’s hull until the flow abruptly stopped. The system paused as the E-Vac unit pumped out the rainwater. The platform eased to one side of the empty room before lowering them to the next level.

  Angel’s anxiety intensified. The interior was just as derelict as it appeared on the outside. They continued to move downward—the platform dropping until it had passed the ground floor. Multiple sets of doors slid closed overhead, but it wasn’t until they’d passed through to the underground level that she noted a marked change in their surroundings. Unlike the previous floors, there was no sign of mold, decay, or rust.

  This place must be more watertight than it looks.

  At last, the platform halted. Industrial lighting flickered on, revealing a cavernous concrete space with two sets of garage doors at either end. The area was big enough to accommodate more than one ship, possibly three Kurosawa’s size.

  A much smaller vessel was parked near the far wall. It was an older-model Dyslecki Sunburst cruiser—almost vintage—a ten-seater. The cruiser had been well maintained. The name Hadley’s Hope had been stenciled on the side.

  During the landing, a door opened on the right, and Rosie appeared. An unfamiliar older woman wearing a mechanic’s one-piece jumpsuit stood next to them. Her hair was white.

  “Who’s that?” Lou asked.

  Angel frowned. “I’ve never seen her before.” She sent a message to Kurosawa via her private com. Is there anyone else here besides Rosie and their visitor?

  Kurosawa answered, Not presently. Rosie’s bio readings are within normal ranges. They do not appear to be under duress or undue stress. Therefore, I believe it is safe to assume the visitor is friendly.

  Friendly to Rosie, anyway.

  Should I activate security procedures?

  No. Thank you. Standby, nonetheless.

  Standing by.

  From the passenger compartment, Angel could hear a clatter as Enid began checking her pistols.

  “Is it trouble?” Enid asked.

  “I don’t think so,” Angel said. “Best to be prepared. Don’t be obvious with the hardware. You know how that upsets Rosie.”

  Lou cut the engines. The E-Vac system wheezed and clanked as it sucked out the exhaust fumes. Rosie’s straight ankle-length skirt ruffled with the fan gusts. When the E-Vac shut off, it ticked for twenty seconds and then was silent. Rosie and their friend approached Kurosawa’s rear exit. Angel unclipped her copilot harness and went to the now-extended ramp with the others. Upon entering the cargo compartment, she noticed that the air drifting in from the room smelled faintly of bleach and machine grease. The ambient temperature was several degrees lower than it’d been outside.

  “Welcome to the basement,” Rosie said, extending their arms to include the whole warehouse.

  Angel went straight to the point. “Isn’t this Correct territory?”

  Rosie nodded.

  Raising an eyebrow, Angel crossed her arms over her chest. “Got something to tell me?”

  “Not having to do with the Correct Family,” Rosie said. “Ferguson is an asshole. I don’t make deals with assholes.” They turned to Enid. “Apologies.”

  Enid shrugged.

  “If we get caught,” Angel said, “you won’t be blamed, but your enemies will?”

  Rosie smiled.

  “I won’t ask how you managed this,” Angel said, clearly asking just that.

  Rosie’s expression didn’t change, nor did they provide an answer.

  Angel turned her attention to the warehouse. “I don’t fancy sleeping on bare concrete. Are we expected to bunk in Kurosawa?”

  “You won’t be staying here,” Rosie said.

  “That’s a relief,” Angel said. “Where are we staying?”

  “I’ll get to that. First, let me introduce my friend,” Rosie said. “This is Jess. She’s from a community not too far from here called Ogenth. Your next assignment will be to protect the people living there.”

  Ah, here we go, Angel thought. The nagging anxiety over the power balance between her and Rosie receded. “Won’t that complicate things? Aren’t we hiding from the corporate police?”

  Rosie said, “There’s no reason you can’t do both.”

  “I’ve never heard of this ‘Ogenth.’ ” Sukyi scoffed. “Brynner is the only human habitation listed on the entire planet.”

  Turning to Sukyi, Rosie said, “There’s a reason for that. Ogenth and its people are a secret.” They pointed to the set of doors a hundred or so meters in front of the ship. “The community is also located outside Brynner.”

  “There’s nothing outside the containment barrier,” Sukyi said. Her eyes narrowed. “Unless you count thousands of plants, microbes, insects, and animals ready to kill any human stupid enough to breathe within five meters of them. Sat-Nav recommends that anyone unlucky enough to crash outside of Brynner might as will shoot themselves in the head. It’ll leave a prettier corpse. Not that anyone will retrieve the body.”

  Rosie held up a hand. “You won’t need to worry. You’ll have a preprogrammed flight plan. And Kurosawa will make no physical contact with the quarantine zone outside of approved contamination containment facilities. You will be perfectly safe.”

  “Nobody pilots Kurosawa but me,” Lou said.

  At the same time Sukyi said, “That is a hard no, my friend. I’m not going. And I—”

  “Technically, Kurosawa will pilot itself. I’ve already acquired what you’ll need,” Rosie said, pointing to the stacks of crates along the far-left wall. “Everything on the right is for you and your crew. The rest is for Ogenth. The usual pilot, Jackson, is ill. So, you’ll take this week’s load.”

  Angel spoke up, cutting off Suyki’s next protest. “All right. We’re to guard a town that doesn’t exist on any map. Who are we protecting it from?”

  Rosie shot a glance at Jess. “What do you think?”

  “If you trust them, then Ogenth must,” Jess said. “The Council has ruled it.”

  “Come into my office, Angel. Alone,” Rosie said.

  “And the rest of us?” Sukyi asked.

  Rosie said, “Get a start on the packing. Angel will brief you, after.” They retreated through the steel door. Jess followed a few steps behind.

  Satisfied for now, Enid and Lou headed for the crates. Sukyi, on the other hand, remained where she was. Her eyes narrowed, and she set her jaw.

  Angel could see trouble brewing behind her eyes. “You trust me, don’t you?”

  “I do.”

  “If Rosie wanted to kill us, there are easier, less costly ways,” Angel said. “I’ll be back shortly.”

  Reluctantly, Sukyi nodded and turned away.

  The door slammed closed behind Angel with a solemn bang. Jess was perched on one of the padded chairs while Rosie prepared tea at a brushed-steel table. The neat stacks of papers indicated that it often functioned as a desk.

  Settling on the leather sofa, Angel said, “All right. My crew isn’t happy and neither am I. Let’s talk.” She wasn’t normally so short with Rosie, but it’d been a long day.

  Rosie waited until the
softly roaring electric kettle gave off a muffled pop. Then they poured boiling water into a round black ceramic pot. Like many of Rosie’s things, it was at least twenty-five years old.

  “I’ll attempt to keep it brief, but this is where I must give you some personal history. It’s necessary if I’m to provide a complete picture of the situation.”

  This is about to get interesting, Angel thought.

  Rosie took a deep breath as if steeling themselves and began, “I was born on Dellingr’s World. Are you familiar with it?”

  “I’ve heard of it,” Angel said. The name was associated with disaster, but that was all she could remember. “I’m not sure why.”

  “Dellingr’s World was one of the first deep-space settlements,” Rosie said. “In those days, planetary surveys weren’t as reliable as they are now. In this particular case, the report missed a key microbial component. A bacterium living dormant in the soil caused rapid brain-function deterioration in adults within a year of settlement. The colony’s founder refused government assistance. By the time a distress call was sent, the adult population was dead. The planet was quarantined, and the surviving orphans were taken in by the Church.”

  “That’s terrible,” Angel said.

  Rosie said, “They discovered the cause a month later. The lab results indicated the children were infected—genetic carriers who then developed symptoms and died in their early twenties.”

  “I— I’m so sorry,” Angel said.

  “I have no memory of it,” Rosie said. “The orphanage was the only home I knew. And it was a pleasant enough childhood. But due to my condition, I was always aware I didn’t have much time. I wanted to do something useful. So, I became a monk in the Exploration Division. A Jesuit. It seemed the best option.”

  Angel blinked. “A monk? You?”

  Rosie tilted their head. “Is it that so difficult to imagine?”

  Pausing briefly, Angel said, “Oddly enough, no.”

  “Persephone was discovered not long after I’d taken orders,” Rosie said.

  They’re talking about an event that happened well over a century ago. Angel attempted to hide her surprise. Just how old is Rosie?

  With enough money and the right medical treatments and organ replacements, a person could live a century. The only catch was Rosie didn’t live like someone who was that wealthy. Are they connected to someone more powerful than Serrao-Orlov? Angel thought. There were at least four or five candidate corporations. Are we in the middle of a corporate war? “That’s impossible.”