It was late that night, station time, when Legroeder finally got some time alone with Tracy-Ace, with watchful station guards standing a discreet distance away. Tracy-Ace clearly felt the strain of being around his friends—something he could only hope would pass, in time—and she gripped his hand tightly as they walked along the station's observatory deck, watching the largest Faber Eri moon set behind the planet's horizon.
"You'll let me know the instant you hear from YZ/I about—"
"Harriet's grandson? Of course. But you know, Legroeder..." Her words caught, and he felt a sudden chill. "There's something you ought to know."
He cocked his head, waiting uneasily.
Tracy-Ace hesitated, pressing her lips together. "Well—it's just that not everyone will necessarily want to return."
He tugged her around to face him. "What are you saying?"
Her gaze was unflinching. "Some of the people we offered repatriation to, for example. I know, I know—but Legroeder, for some people it becomes their way of life, to be with us. I'm not saying it should be that way, or that it'll happen with Bobby. But it is possible." She shrugged, and suddenly chuckled. "Although it's hard to imagine why anyone would want to stay with KM/C, if they could help it." She squeezed his hand. "I'm sorry—I shouldn't worry you about that. I'm sure it'll work out."
Legroeder nodded, and tried not to worry. There was more than enough to worry about already. He kept trying not to think about the quantum-flaw data, for one thing. He was taking it on faith that meaningful answers to the rigging hazards would be found within those maps in his head. It was a lot to stake on faith.
He drew a deep breath, and for a moment simply enjoyed standing on the deck of a space station—in normal-space—with Tracy-Ace at his side.
"When are you planning to tell them about the Kyber colonizing plans?" he asked, after a while. "That could be pretty explosive news, you know."
Tracy-Ace chuckled. "That's why I figured, one thing at a time. I thought I'd bring it up along with the negotiations for the Impris investigation—" she squeezed his hand and grinned "—meaning, the Rigger Legroeder implant investigation."
How reassuring. "There's no telling how they'll react, you know."
Tracy-Ace shrugged. "Maybe they need to be shaken out of their complacency and timidity. But one thing has to be clear—and that's that we, and Carlotta, are deadly serious about getting the full report on the quantum flaws. Without that, everything falls apart."
"Carlotta. Huh. You know, I was wondering why they just up and left, rather than sticking around to make sure things went the way they liked."
"Well, now, that was part of their agreement with YZ/I. They got a chance to make a little demonstration of force, but still appear to be good guys." Tracy-Ace snorted. "Or as good as they know how to be. They knew we were there, of course."
"Ah. Of course."
"And I wouldn't assume that they've gone too far away. They're almost certainly around somewhere."
Legroeder absorbed that in silence. It would not do to become complacent about Carlotta's future behavior, either. It wouldn't take much, here on Eridani, for the analysis of Impris—and the data he carried—to become mired in disputes. "Tell me something, Trace. Is this all part of that bet between YZ/I and KM/C you told me about earlier?"
"Of course. All part of YZ/I's plan to get Carlotta to start thinking about doing things differently. While keeping her own best interests in mind, naturally. She'd already lost Impris, but YZ/I convinced her that she could get something better. So she was willing to flush out some of her spies here, if it helped to ensure that she'd get access to this." Tracy-Ace gently touched the side of Legroeder's head.
He shivered at the reminder. "Will she stick to it? Will she stop the raiding? Is this where the honor among thieves kicks in?"
Tracy-Ace's eyebrows went up. "We'll find out, won't we? She wouldn't do it if she didn't need the information from the Narseil as badly as we do. YZ/I let them save face here, but it's in everyone's interest to make sure Carlotta doesn't wind up feeling conned. They did, after all, refrain from going after Impris—and you—while you were en route here."
Legroeder felt that knot in his stomach again. He gazed at Tracy-Ace, and something else in his stomach told him there was more for him to ask. "And you... came to make sure Carlotta's ships behaved themselves?"
"That, and other reasons." Tracy-Ace looked out at the stars and laughed. Nervously? She turned to face him again, and clasped his hands between her own. "I was thinking... I might stay on a while."
Legroeder felt a rushing in his ears.
Tracy-Ace looked down at their clasped hands. "For one thing, YZ/I wants to maintain a presence here. Through me."
"Yes?" he murmured. "And the other?"
She let her breath out slowly and raised her eyes to meet his. Her implants were afire. "The other is, I'd like to stay with you. If you want me."
His breath escaped with searing slowness.
"Do you want me?"
Legroeder's eyes were blurring. "You mean that? Really?"
"I just said it, didn't I?"
"Yeah, but—"
She stepped closer, until their bodies were just touching. "But what?"
He had trouble meeting her eyes. "Well—you have a life with—the Kyber, right? And I've got this history, where the Kyber are concerned. What about that?"
Tracy-Ace slipped her arms around him and hugged him wordlessly. She pressed her face to his shoulder.
He wanted, desperately, to be satisfied with that. "Trace," he murmured, squeezing her, "what if YZ/I doesn't live up to his promise?"
"Which promise?" she whispered.
"The promise to stop piracy."
She chuckled into his shoulder. "I have a pretty good idea what promises he can be expected to keep, and why. I'm connected to YZ/I, Legroeder. I'm part of him." She drew back and peered at him. "You mean you never suspected?"
Legroeder stared at her, feeling utterly stupid. "Do you mean that you're—of course, you're connected to him. Your augments..." He suddenly remembered his dream—or had it been a dream?—of his augments connected to Tracy-Ace's, while he slept and she fought with YZ/I.
Tracy-Ace chuckled. "Yes, love. Not now. But when I'm there, in the intelnet. At certain times, you could say that I'm a significant component of his consciousness. Didn't you ever wonder why he understood your views so well?"
Legroeder flushed. "Do you mean to say—" he glanced around and lowered his voice "—that when we were making love—"
"No, dear, not then. He might have been interested—but no. I'm me, Legroeder, not some hybrid. YZ/I, now—he's a different story."
He stared at her. "I won't argue with that. What other tricks does he have for me? Or should I say, do you have for me?"
Tracy-Ace grinned. "Touché."
He raised his eyebrows.
"No tricks," she promised. "There's a lot I have to do here, though. When our returnees start arriving, there's going to be pressure on Carlotta to follow suit—especially if she thinks we're benefiting from relations with the Centrist Worlds. On the other hand, if she thinks we're betraying them, and convinces the Republic of that—anything could happen." She turned to peer out at the curved edge of the planet. "By God, though, Legroeder, I'm going to make it work. Damn if I'm not."
There was an adamance in her voice that he liked, and admired.
They walked arm in arm to the opposite end of the observation deck, away from the planet, where all they could see was the dark of deep space. They stood awhile, peering into the measureless infinity of stars. "There's a lot to do at Outpost Ivan, before the first fleets can leave for the Well of Stars," Tracy-Ace murmured. "I'll need to go back eventually to join them. But right now my work is here, I think." She gazed at Legroeder for several heartbeats. "You never answered my question. Do you want me here? Do you want me with you?"
He smiled out at the stars.
"Legroeder?"
He tu
rned. "What exactly is it you want to do here with me, Trace? Besides making sure that I'm delivered in one piece to the Narseil?"
"Besides be with you? I'm not sure, I guess. Are you still in legal trouble?"
"I dunno yet. But I've got Harriet. I think we'll be able to handle it."
"But can I help you?"
Legroeder drew her close. "You helped me come back on the deck of Impris. I don't know what more you could possibly do."
Tracy-Ace's augments were gleaming like jewels. She closed her arms around his neck. "How about if I do this?" she whispered, and kissed him. It was a long, slow kiss that flickered between his lips, and seemed to stretch out time itself. He imagined his implants tickling themselves to life, joining with hers; imagined them all talking back and forth, like an echo in a canyon.
// ...love you... love you... love you... //
He held her close and thought, Maybe you can, at that. Maybe you just can.
"Are you going to answer me?"
He felt a foolish grin crack his face before the words came. "Sorry—I thought I already had..." And he kissed her again as, outside the viewport, the stars shone bright and beckoning.
END
About the Author
Jeffrey A. Carver was a Nebula Award finalist for Eternity's End. He also recently authored Battlestar Galactica, a novelization of the critically acclaimed television miniseries. His novels combine thought-provoking characters with engaging storytelling and range from the adventures of the Star Rigger universe (Star Rigger's Way, Dragons in the Stars) to the character-driven hard SF of The Chaos Chronicles. Sunborn, published in 2008, is the fourth novel in the Chaos series, which begins with Neptune Crossing and continues with Strange Attractors and The Infinite Sea.
A native of Huron, Ohio, Carver lives with his family in the Boston area. He has taught writing in a variety of settings, from educational television to conferences for young writers. He has created a free web site for aspiring authors of all ages at http://www.writesf.com. Learn more about the author and his work at http://www.starrigger.net.
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