It didn’t take Mathew long to find the speck on their radar: though other than knowing what it was, it could easily have been mistaken for a meteorite: a worrying one as it was heading straight for them. The thought struck him that that was the only disaster that hadn’t befallen them; until he remembered it was the cause of all their problems. It was funny: in an unfunny way, how what was once a disaster passes, it can: over time, be put out of memory by other disasters.
It was still many thousands of kilometers away and barely traveling faster than them but the gap was closing.
Alisha stood beside him wearing only her shorts and a slightly sweat stained t-shirt. She seemed to resent being summoned. “The docking bay?” she said, he voice full of doubt. “Your sure it’s working?”
“Yes,” Matt emphasized. “All the checks say it’s fully operational; why?”
“Maybe I’m being over cautious that it hasn’t been used for a while and I don’t want us to miss the re-supply because of some stupid loose nut?”
Matt turned to her’ “Including the one pressing the buttons?”
She grinned. “Especially the one pressing the button.”
“Me too; that’s why I want back up. It’s been a long time and I don’t want to make a mistake?”
“Neither do I, because I need fresh food, even if it means I have to stand outside and open it myself.”
“Excuse me…”
They turned to see Richard in the doorway. “I was wondering if I could talk to you Matt??”
“Sure go ahead?”
“In private?”
Alisha looked at Matt. “We can talk later?”
Matt nodded and waited until she had exited the room. “Go ahead?”
“Peter has offered me a seat on the shuttle down to the planet?”
Matt looked at him in shock. “He’s what?”
“He said that some will stay on the station while the others go down?”
Matt nodded. “That’s right: we don’t know for sure yet, but it’s probable.”
“He told me that Bethany was to stay; Matt that can be right can it?”
It had been one of those things that everybody knew but no one spoke of, but Matt was too surprised to remember. “She s pregnant?”
“I know; that’s why I couldn’t believe it?”
Mathew tried to think if the arrangement had ever been discussed. “Richard to be truthful I don’t know; I can’t see it being right, but I honestly don’t know. As far as I know Andrew is still deciding on who goes and who stays, but surely he would send her down?”
“Well Peter was certain she was staying and I was going?”
“He has to be winding you up, Andrew and I only talked about it a few hours ago, and I’ll know before anybody else?”
“Maybe he is; he didn’t say how he knew and I was so angry that I didn’t ask,
“He has to be just making trouble. As far as I know who is going and who is staying is still being decided. Andrew will talk it over with me and then the list will be made public. Peter has to be wrong?”
“I hope your right, but that’s not the impression Peter gave me, look if that’s what’s going to happen I insist I staying on the station with her. I want to be with her whatever happens?”
“Richard as I said nobody is going or staying yet, but you need to speak to Andrew and tell him what Peter told you?”
“I already have and he said it wasn’t decided like you said.”
“Yes… look, go and tell Beth that I’m sure Andrew wouldn’t split you two; and ignore anything else Peter tells you?” Matt expected Richard to accept his reassurance and leave but he didn’t
“I know this sounds strange, but I’ve done a lot of deals and you get a feel for when somebody is bluffing. I’m convinced he was serious?”
“Richard I can’t say anymore; I don’t know what’s going on between you and him, and I can’t imagine why he would make anything like that up; other than to worry you?”
“He said he could arrange for her to be with me?”
“Peter doesn’t make those decisions… The reality is that if anyone stays it would be you before her, and that’s unlikely. It’s Andrews’s call but the understanding I have is that all the women and the guests will go down. The ship is the crew’s responsibility so if anyone is staying it will undoubtedly be us.”
“That’s what I was hoping you would say; I don’t want to sign the agreement if were not being separated.”
“What agreement?”
“Peter has a document; if I sign it I’m guaranteeing him a senior place on the board of one of my companies.”
“We’ll there you are; he thinks he can panic you into signing something that probably isn’t worth anything anyway?”
“Actually it is; it’s not something he has scribbled on the back of a napkin; it’s a legally binding contract prepared by a firm of lawyers that deal specifically in management placement. I should know I’ve dealt with them before.”
It seemed too much of a coincidence to Matt. It has to be fake; how would he have had the foresight to bring a legal document like that with him?” As Mathew spoke he slowly began to realize why?”
Colony - Orbit the Sun – Part 9 Page 6