Alisa dipped into her pocket for her netdisc. She had the coordinates that Leonidas had provided at the beginning of their journey, coordinates he’d used some Starseer nursery rhyme to come up with, coordinates she had pointed out were in the middle of nowhere. She doubted there would be a link between them and the pilgrim ship’s course, but she pulled up the local map, nevertheless.
The gas giant Aldrin and some of its inhabited moons, including Cleon, popped up at the far edge, and distant stars were visible in the background. The three-dimensional holodisplay was easier for looking at objects in space than the flat built-in monitor that Yumi was using.
“Humor me and see if their route went anywhere near that dot there,” Alisa told Yumi, swiping her finger to zoom in.
“Why would this ship have visited the coordinates that Leonidas gave you?” Alejandro asked, suspicion in his voice.
What, did he think that Alisa had commed ahead and told some pilgrims to check out his secret spot first?
“It probably hasn’t,” Alisa said, “but there’s nothing else out here, so I’m checking. Maybe someone else likes Starseer nursery rhymes.”
It was also possible that Abelardus, even though he hadn’t been invited to any of the meetings, had plucked the coordinates out of Alejandro’s or Leonidas’s thoughts. He could have been the one to comm ahead to someone. Admittedly, Alisa could not imagine him choosing to communicate with pilgrims. Unless there happened to be a Starseer on that ship.
Alisa shook her head. Her mind was dancing without a partner. The odds of there being a relation were—
“That’s interesting,” Yumi said.
“What is?”
Yumi tapped a few buttons on the console screen, sending information to the netdisc. A dotted line bisected the star map. It went directly through the blue dot that represented the coordinates Leonidas had shared.
“That was their route?” Alejandro asked, stepping back into NavCom.
“If they haven’t changed it.” Yumi shrugged.
“Shit.” Alejandro glared at Leonidas and then glared even harder at Alisa. “Someone leaked the information, and someone else got there first.”
“Nobody in here leaked anything,” Alisa said. “You’re the only one who even wants that Staff of Whatzit.”
“I assure you, everyone would want it if they knew it still existed.”
“Not everybody. The only use I’d have for a big stick is clubbing irritating passengers.”
Alejandro looked like he wanted to club her. Well, he was welcome to try.
“Abelardus could have gotten the information from us,” Leonidas said quietly.
“Why would a passenger ship on a pilgrimage be sent to investigate a Starseer artifact?” Yumi asked, scratching her head.
“Maybe there’s a Starseer onboard,” Alejandro said, echoing Alisa’s thoughts. “The pilgrimage could simply be a ruse.” He curled his lip in distaste.
Alisa almost looked at his robe and said he would know all about that, but Leonidas spoke first.
“I only read two people alive on there,” he said.
“Two people would be enough to fly a ship like that,” Alisa said, “but that message made it sound like there would be more. A bunch of pilgrims.”
“If they were there before, they’re not there now.”
“We should take a look,” Alejandro said.
“Because you’re worried people are wounded or because you’re worried someone over there got your staff?” Alisa asked.
“I hardly think you have the right to take the moral high ground with me, Captain.”
“I need to keep the hatch to NavCom locked more often,” Alisa muttered to Yumi. “Leonidas, is there anything else over there that we need to be concerned about? Engine leaks? Gas leaks?”
He looked over at her. “You do realize I’m using your sensor system, right?”
“You’re not picking on my ship, are you?” Alisa asked.
“Just pointing out that its scanners are limited.”
“Because freighters aren’t supposed to scan things. They’re supposed to deliver things.”
Leonidas stood up, forcing Alejandro to back into the corridor again. “Then you can deliver me to that ship, and I’ll go take a look. The sensors in my armor will tell you what you want to know as soon as we open up the hatch to their ship.”
“I was hoping to learn that information before we opened the hatch and sent people over,” Alisa grumbled, as he headed to his cabin to change.
She turned in her chair to see what readings she could get from the old sensor equipment. Unfortunately, Leonidas was right, and there wasn’t much. She was surprised he had finessed it into reading life signs.
“Perhaps you could upgrade the ship with more scientific equipment one day,” Yumi said, “since you seem to go to a lot of interesting places.”
“Right, I’ll put it on the list, right after the lav upgrades. We wouldn’t want the doctor’s fragile skin to have to deal with harsh water removers.”
Alejandro opened his mouth, no doubt to comment on her decorum.
Alisa hit the internal comm button and spoke first. “Beck, suit up. We’re flying alongside a ship that’s in trouble. There might be some people that need to be brought over here for medical attention. Leonidas would be devastated if you didn’t join him to help.”
Yumi smiled.
“Doctor,” Alisa said, bracing herself for an objection, “why don’t you get a medical kit ready in case someone over there needs treatment?”
“Very well,” he said and walked out.
Alisa turned back to the controls. She would have to line them up even more precisely if they were going to extend their airlock tube and lock on. She hoped one of the two people who were alive over there would be able to answer the door. The idea of forcing their way in made her feel like a pirate, like all those people who had forced their way onto her ship. But they might have to do just that. If nobody was in a position to answer the comm over there, chances were they also wouldn’t show up when the doorbell rang.
Her comm flashed. Alisa thought it might be the other ship, finally responding, but it was Mica.
“Is this other ship going to need repairs?” she asked.
“Maybe,” Alisa said. “They mentioned an engine failure in their distress call, and our sensors do show that it’s offline. They appear to be running minimal life support off the battery.”
“We don’t have any spare parts, certainly nothing that would match the needs of that ship.”
“You’ve got gum and cable ties. Won’t that do?”
“Funny.”
“We’ll worry about it after Leonidas and Beck report.” Alisa finished lining up the Nomad with the pilgrim ship and stood up. “I’m going down to the cargo hold, Yumi. Will you let me know if anything happens? Such as the other ship suddenly veering away and breaking our tube in the process?” She grimaced at the thought.
“Uhm, is that likely?”
Alisa shrugged. “I hope not.”
“Maybe you should stay up here.”
“Oh, I have no doubt of that, but I’m too curious not to peek around Leonidas’s shoulder as he goes in.” She wished she could go explore, even though pilots weren’t supposed to wander off and explore. Neither were captains.
“I’m sure he’ll report whatever he finds,” Yumi said, “though I understand being curious.”
Alisa started for the hatchway but jumped when Abelardus appeared there.
“We’re boarding that ship?” He looked toward the star map floating over Yumi’s half of the console. The line through the coordinates remained in the air. If he recognized its significance, it did not surprise him.
“We’re checking it out, yes,” Alisa said.
“That’s not a good idea.”
“There are a couple of people still alive over there. At the least, we need to see if they need help.”
“It’s too late for them,” he said quietly.
“What does that mean? What do you know?”
A distant clang echoed up from the cargo hold—the airlock hatch being opened? Alisa glanced at the console. Yes, the tube had been extended and secured. Leonidas and Beck could already be crossing over.
Abelardus turned and strode away.
“Damn it, Abelardus.” Alisa leaped to her feet. “What do you know?”
~ ~ ~
Afterword
Thank you for reading the first three Fallen Empire books. Relic of Sorrows and the rest of the books in the series are out now if you want to continue on. You can find the reading order for the complete series on my website: Fallen Empire Reading Order
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The Fallen Empire Collection by Lindsay Buroker Page 85