Alpha Minor
Page 18
"Too right."
"By the way, I got you something," said Harriet, gesturing towards the jacket which she'd draped over the bench.
"You're giving me another uniform? Why? I'm leaving!"
"I meant the bench, you idiot."
Looking puzzled, Alice moved the jacket aside. Underneath was a shiny new plaque, freshly attached to the timber.
In Memory of Sandon Smith,
Beloved Uncle to Alice.
Alice stared at the plaque, unable to speak. "I won't forget this," she said at last, her voice filled with emotion.
"You did a good job out there, Alice. It's just a shame you're giving it all up."
Alice nodded, keeping her head bowed, and Harriet let her be.
After a few moments, Alice looked up, her eyes bright. Then she realised where they were sitting, and she shook her head in disbelief. "This is where I met her, you know? Teresa, I mean. She was waiting for me."
"You should have told me about her sooner."
"Wouldn't have made any difference. She fooled me, Harriet. I believed in her. And all because she let me wear a nice jacket, and she sat me in the front seat of her ship, and she told me I could do anything." Alice glanced round, her face red. "You and Bernie, you do the same thing. No matter what grubby little things I do, you're both so forgiving."
"Well, it was just a toothbrush," said Harriet mildly.
"Will you forget about the damned toothbrush!" shouted Alice. "I'm a thief, Harriet. Don't you understand? How can I be a Peace Force officer when I can't help stealing anything that's not nailed down?"
Harriet nodded. "I do understand, I promise."
"Finally, someone does," muttered Alice. "You don't know this, but the other day, when I went to the hotel to find that guy's stolen wallet … well, it was just down the back of the sofa, and before I gave it back I took half the money."
"Yeah, I know." Harriet shrugged. "The old boy rang the station to complain, so I fed him some story about taking the cash for fingerprints and paid him back with a transfer. Best keep it from Bernie, though."
"You knew all along?"
"Sure. You were spending cash like nobody's business, and we Peace Force types notice clues like that."
"I couldn't help myself, Harriet. I grew up taking what I needed to get by. I'm … I'm not good enough for the Peace Force."
"We all slip up." Harriet punched her on the shoulder. "You'll do fine, Alice. Take my word for it."
"Are you sure?"
"Absolutely. We're people, not robots."
For the first time since they'd left the station, Alice laughed. "You know, I reckon Bernie would swap us for robots in an instant."
"Yeah, good luck with that." Harriet passed her a tissue. "You'd rust."
There was a long silence before either of them spoke again. Alice traced her uncle's memorial plate with one finger, while Harriet came to the realisation that her own self-doubt was something she'd just have to live with.
"Do you think Bernie will have me back?" asked Alice at last.
"Are you kidding? When she hears she's got two trainees again she'll pop a fuse." Harriet stood up. "Come on, let's finish that run. After all the rich food in that hotel on Vasquez, I reckon I put on two kilos."
"It looks more like three," said Alice, and she took off quick before Harriet could punch her, cackling with laughter.
Epilogue
Unidentified flying object spotted in the skies above Dismolle!
Residents in the city have been reporting lights and noises in the skies at night, and we're not talking weather balloons. The Dismolle spaceport confirmed that none of the objects appeared on their radar, which means it's either a mass delusion or something far more sinister.
Are aliens truly among us, as many believe? Or is the Navy conducting tests of a new jet?
Either way, residents are demanding action, and this reporter wishes to add her voice to the clamour. It's about time someone stepped in and put an end to these flyovers, and we've approached the Dismolle Peace Force to insist they make UFOs illegal.
Their reply has yet to be forthcoming, although one officer did claim they were busy investigating a possible serial killer, while another told us the Superintendent would soon be in touch.
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What's next in the Harriet Walsh series?
Harriet Walsh 3: Sierra Bravo
Coming July 2018
Dismolle is supposed to be a peaceful retirement planet. So what's with all the gunfire?
A criminal gang has moved into Chirless, planet Dismolle's second major city. Elderly residents are fed up with all the loud music, noisy cars and late night parties, not to mention hold-ups, muggings and the occasional gunfight.
There's no Peace Force in Chirless, so they call on Harriet Walsh of the Dismolle City branch for help. That puts Harriet right in the firing line, and now she's supposed to round up an entire gang with only her training pistol and a few old allies as backup.
And these allies aren't just old, they're positively ancient!
Simon Haynes was born in England and grew up in Spain. His family moved to Australia when he was 16.
In addition to novels, Simon writes computer software. In fact, he writes computer software to help him write novels faster, which leaves him more time to improve his writing software. And write novels faster. (yWriter)
Simon's goal is to write fifteen novels before someone takes his keyboard away.
Update 2018: goal achieved and I still have my keyboard!
New goal: write thirty novels.
Simon's website is spacejock.com.au
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Publication Details
This edition published 2018 by
Bowman Press
ISBN 978-1-877034-28-2 (Paperback)
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author's imagination, or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
The Hal Spacejock series:
Hal Spacejock ZERO: Origin (2020)
Hal Spacejock 1: A Robot Named Clunk *
Hal Spacejock 2: Second Course *
Hal Spacejock 3: Just Desserts *
Hal Spacejock 4: No Free Lunch
Hal Spacejock 5: Baker's Dough
Hal Spacejock 6: Safe Art
Hal Spacejock 7: Big Bang
Hal Spacejock 8: Double Trouble
Hal Spacejock 9: Max Damage
Hal Spacejock 10: Cold Boots
Available now in ebook and paperback.
* Also available in Audiobook
Ghostly goings-on in Victorian London!
A Riddle in Bronze
1. A Riddle in Bronze (2019)
2. An Enigma in Silver (2020)
3. A Conundrum in Gold (2020)
Available in ebook and paperback.
Gripping Space Opera by Simon Haynes
The Secret War: Raiders
1. Raiders
2. Frontier (2019)
3. Deadlock (2019/2020)
Available in ebook and paperback.
The Harriet Walsh series:
Harriet Walsh 1. Peace Force
Harriet Walsh 2. Alpha Minor
Harriet Walsh 3. Sierra Bravo
Harriet Walsh 4. Storm Force (TBA)
Available in ebook and paperback.
New from Simon Haynes
A Portion of Dragon and Chips
1. A Portion of Dragon a
nd Chips
2. A Butt of Heads
3. A Pair of Nuts on the Throne
Available now in ebook, paperback and audiobook
Simon also writes the Hal Junior series for children:
Hal Junior 1: The Secret Signal
Hal Junior 2: The Missing Case
Hal Junior 3: The Gyris Mission
Hal Junior 4: The Comet Caper
Available now in ebook and paperback. The Secret Signal available in Audio.
Maybe you love my work, and you want to know how I wrote it.
Or maybe you think you can do better!
Either way, this straightforward guide should prove really useful:
How to Write a Novel by Simon Haynes
Available now in ebook, paperback and audiobook.
Short Fiction by Simon Haynes
A Piece of the Action
Billy's Book
Catch of the Day
Loss Leader
No Reply
Off Course
Produit d'appel (French)
Sleight of Hand
The Desolator
The Project
Thonn Day
Updown
Yard Fail
Copyright
This is NOT a free ebook
You are not allowed to
• Distribute this ebook by any means, nor store it in a public retrieval system for others to access.
• Modify this ebook, nor distribute derivative works based on the content or characters.
• Offer this ebook for sale, nor bundle it with other goods or downloads.
Acknowledgements
To Ian, Mary and Jonathan … I really appreciate the help and support!
Dedicated to my daughters. Accomplished, articulate, self-confident and an inspiration to all who meet them