The Stars Came Back

by Rolf Nelson

  Harbin: But you stood your ground. You held. Yes, I was there encouraging you. Yes, you were scared. Yes, you puked your guts out when it was over. But you held your ground when the unknown was beating on the door in front of you, not just in a drill. You didn’t have any idea what was about to come through the door. You followed orders exactly, even when you were not sure why you were doing it, because you trusted your leaders standing there with you to not be stupid. And you had the guts to ask why later, so now you do understand.

  Alvarez: But they never came through the door!

  Harbin: But they might have, and you thought they were going to. We just had a better plan and better people than they did. Remember that. Work with good people, get a good plan, follow good leaders, get good results. Work with smooth-talking arrogant fuckups and expect to fail spectacularly. Now, go get yourself cleaned up, and see if any of the other recruits have the same questions you did. And see if any of them had a better plan; there is always more to learn.

  Marque

  FADE TO

  INT - DAY - Kat’s cabin

  Kat is reading an e-reader, Kaushik and Helton watch her intently.

  Kat: Yes, I think it will work. Appendix L has some really odd pieces in it, and now I know why. Letters of Marque.

  Helton: What?

  Kat: Letters of Marque. Legal paperwork granting the power to a private ship to act as a warship in attacking the shipping of other specified nations. An old idea from early in the days of sail. All but forgotten but still on the books. I think, that with the proper legal obfuscation and verbiage, we can grant you nominal Plataean warship status to carry out military actions against certain types of “enemy” shipping. In this case, a suspected pirate vessel attacking without announcement, warning, provocation, and only a veneer of legal authority. We give your command a Letter of Marque, declare that ship a lawful target, buy it from you and sterilize its origin.

  Helton: You can do that?

  Kaushik: That doesn’t seem… right.

  Kat: It’s technically legal, if not common. It gets us out of this situation. It gets Plataea a cheap ship. It makes you a healthy profit. It’ll only work if we can pilot it out of here to an appropriate Plataean base out-system. If you see any better options, I’m all ears.

  Helton: …Now I know why Lag wanted you working for him.

  Kaushik: Warfare operates at many levels. You and I see only the most obvious. Kat and Lag play a much deeper game.

  Helton: Glad he’s on my side.

  Kat: He isn’t. You are on his. Or, rather, you both happen to be aiming in the same direction right now.

  Helton: Comforting thought.

  Kaushik: Trust me, there are much worse places to be.

  DISSOLVE TO

  INT - NIGHT - Officers’ mess

  Helton, Kat, Bipasha, Allonia, and Horkle sit around the table.

  Horkle: ME?

  Helton: Well, you and a very one-legged Lieutenant Plumon were the only guys with any pilot experience that we can spare. Cooper and Kaushik we need here, and you have more experience than the Sergeant, anyway.

  Kat: It’ll mostly autopilot itself. You are there as much to take care of Plumon as you are to fly.

  Allonia: Just think, not even a fully ranked Private, and you are off on a secret mission of your own!

  Horkle: Well, uh, yeah, I guess, but…

  Kat: She’s right. It’s a good career move.

  Bipasha: You’re lucky. You get to jet off among the stars, the rest of us have to stay here to clean up the mess and plod on to the transfer station.

  Cooper: (OC on intercom) Kaushik says ship’s cleaned and supplied. Plumon’s aboard and says it looks easy. Time, Horkle.

  Horkle stands up, looking nervous but game. Allonia gives him a hug.

  Kat: You’ll be fine. You can’t transition for another eighteen hours or so, and we’ll have all the legal stuff beamed over to you. It’ll be fine.

  Horkle: Well, better get going. Hope to see you again soon!

  Horkle goes out the door. It closes behind him

  Kat: And, as long as nothing happens to them between now and then, it will be fine.

  Helton: So, how much are we really talking?

  Bipasha: It’s a newer craft, must cost at least a hundred mil new, eighty for current resale.

  Kat: Twenty, split between Lag’s command as the sponsoring agent and the ships’ corporation, which is traditionally split up on a percentage basis, but-

  Bipasha: Twenty! Is that all?

  Kat: Yes. Do you know anyone else assuming all risks and contingent legal liabilities of hacking government encrypted computers and sterilizing them, certifying that this was all legal so you don’t hang for piracy, deals in ships, and has the cash to buy in the next seventy-two hours?

  Helton: Well, no, but twenty!?

  Kat: It has to be low enough that no one back home wants to object and push back.

  Allonia: So, what sort of a split, exactly?

  Kat: Half for Lag and his company. Half to be split among the Ship’s company. Normally, about half of that would go to the ship for operational costs, the remaining quarter-

  Bipasha: Five mil.

  Kat: -would be split among the crew.

  Helton: So, hypothetically, how is that normally split among the captain and crew?

  Kat: Half to the captain and-

  Bipasha: HALF?!

  Helton: Wow.

  Kat: -but considering the fact that Lag has extended a substantial amount of credit to you under the table to get this old beast flying…

  Allonia: Would that come out of his half or our half? Or Helton’s half of our half?

  Kat: That would be at his discretion. I think. Because there is no formal prior agreement, you either come to one now, unanimously, or it goes to binding arbitration, which could be… problematic. I’d advise you get a formal agreement soon for any future actions, too.

  Allonia: …Would the injured soldiers and recruits be considered crew?

  Helton: Huh? What?

  Allonia: We did arm them to repel boarders, and Plumon and Horkle are flying the ship back as prize crew.

  Everyone looks at her with surprise and consternation, then look at each other.

  Allonia: And would the recruits share come from Lag’s company portion, or the ship’s company portion, or…?

  Helton: Oh good Lord.

  Bipasha: That would be all but impossible to get a unanimous…

  Kat: I suggest you come to an agreement now, here and quickly, and present it to everyone as a done deal, ask for any major objections, and declare it unanimous.

  Helton: Ooookay, then…

  DISSOLVE TO

  Helton, Kat, Bipasha, Kwon, Cooper, and Harbin are sitting around the mess room table, looking frazzled.

  Kat: Any further objections?

  Cooper: I still think-

  Kat: That haven’t been covered already? No? OK, then. All we need is five seconds of silence after we ask for objections and it’s official.

  Bipasha: So much money, so many ways.

  Kwon: It puts me ahead of where I was yesterday, and it keeps us flying. We need that much for the ship.

  Helton: Enough excitement and decisions for the day?

  Bipasha leans back in her seat, crossing her arms, face inscrutable, and stares back at him.

  Bipasha: …I don’t know if you are the luckiest man in the universe, or the unluckiest.

  Kwon: Yes. Yes he is.

  FADE TO BLACK

  Ammo Run

  Short Supply

  FADE IN

  EXT - DAY - Parking lot outside Cobb’s

  The parking lot is full. Kaminski, Helton, Sar, and Kwon pull up in a light truck, park, and hop out. Kaminski and Helton carry small gun bags and are wearing holsters with pistols, as does Kwon. They head inside.

  CUT TO

  INT - DAY - Cobb’s School of Public Relations

  It’s much busier than before. Ammo stacks
are significantly smaller, the listed “specials” prices are higher. They head for the counter just as Vera is finishing up with a customer.

  Vera: Sorry we can’t help you out. Nothing more in that caliber, I’m afraid. Don’t know when more will show up.

  The man and woman at the counter look a little frustrated, make a disappointed frown and turn to leave. Vera waves to Kaminski.

  Vera: Howdy, again! Hope you brought your own gun food.

  Kaminski: What’s up?

  Vera: Been crazy the last few days. Rumors sparked a buying frenzy. We were already getting low, but now (waves around, shakes head). Nearly out of ammo. Nobody wants to ship it, afraid of being considered a military target and being hit by cops, Customs, Navy, or pirates. Rumors even some of the Customs ships getting vaporized. Everyone wants to stock up, no one wants to sell.

  Kaminski: Uh, yeah, we heard some pretty wild rumors about that, too. Don’t believe half of what you hear, though. You know how it is. See something odd on a screen, pretty soon it’s Planet Movers or pirates or something. If a ship really did disappear, probably just the agents that stole it to sell and retire on. Can’t you buy any ammo off world?

  Vera: Got a big order awaiting shipment on Emirate II, Geminorum. The boss found a shitload of mixed-lot mil-surp. Can’t find a shipper, though. So, what can I do for you?

  Kwon and Helton glance at each other.

  Helton: How big a shitload? What kind?

  Vera: (Casually) Dunno. He said it was too good a deal to pass up, but sounded like he was stretched thin to finance it. I can check. Why?

  Kaminski: Helton here owns the Dutchman on pad D9. He’s looking for cargo.

  Helton: Can you check what it is and what he’d pay to get it shipped here?

  Vera: Sure thing. Hang out a few.

  Vera trots off down the counter and disappears through a door.

  Helton: That would be good. Ammo is dense and high value; wouldn’t take a lot of cubes.

  Kaminski: And I’m sure Lag would like to get first crack at buying a supply, too. He said things are tight right now for ammo he’s looking for and we should keep our ears open.

  Sar: Everyone looks like they’re stocking up for the shit hitting the fan.

  They watch a man walking by with a hand truck stacked with ammo and emergency food.

  Kwon: Bigtime. We should lay in more e-rats as soon as we can, I’m thinking.

  Vera returns with an amazed expression on her face.

  Vera: He says it’s about two-hundred million rounds. Everything from small-caliber training ammo to 120mm canister rounds. About four thousand tons.

  Kaminski whistles. Sar and Kwon raise their eyebrows in surprised.

  Helton: Whoa.

  Kaminski: That’s a Burt-load, alright, even by my standards.

  Helton: We might just be in business! Kwon, Sar, see about getting supplies for a trip to Emirate II in the Geminorum system; talk to Cooper about times. Kaminski, detail what Lag needs. Vera, would you be so kind as to introduce me to your boss?

  All nod at each other and head in different directions, Helton with Vera, the others talking into their person com units.

  DISSOLVE TO

  INT - DAY - Engineering

  Stenson is working on a console when Helton walks in.

  Helton: You said it was ready for FTL for real?

  Stenson: Think so. Got three cores hooked up and passing tests with the Harmon drives, two with the Sokolov’s. Should be solid, but I’d rather not test it with a shipload of injured soldiers on a long trip. And definitely don’t want to test them simultaneously until I get a better understanding of what they were trying to do on the multi-core thing.

  Helton: How about four thousand tons of ammo from Emirate II?

  Stenson: Pretty massive load. Should be OK if subspace is quiet. The quickie trans-light test after Transfer Station Two looked pretty good, if not rock solid. How soon?

  Helton: As soon as we can get loaded up and you say we are ready.

  Stenson: A few loose ends to tie up. Call it two days, maybe less. There are a few parts we need made with very tight spec tolerances. Geminorum has some good custom shops. If we can beam plans ahead on a message drone we might even be able to pick them up when we get there. How much can you afford?

  Helton: We can look at the details and figure out the priorities tonight at dinner.

  Stenson: Sounds good. Harbin and the kids coming with us?

  Helton: He’s been pushing them pretty hard; the first phase is over, and a bunch of them got farmed out to other units or cut. There’s only a handful left, not enough to start phase two with until we get some others. He said some R&R on Geminorum would be good for them, if he can work ‘em there and back. Lag has some business there, too.

  Stenson: I think Alvarez has family on New Texas, too. Might be able to work in a quick transfer point stop for him, maybe?

  Helton: We’ll see. Depend on supplies and subspace conditions. Let me know if you need anything else.

  DISSOLVE TO

  INT - NIGHT - Officers’ Mess

  Helton, Bipasha, Kwon, Cooper, Harbin, Lag, and Sar sit at the table discussing details and thoughts, with Quinn listening in.

  Cooper: The latest reports show a swirl going by New Texas. Shouldn’t add more than couple hours to stop at the transfer station there. Only about eight days universal in subspace using the Harmons, eleven using the pair of Sokolovs. A day for a Geminorum stop, about two subjective. Coming back should be about three either way universal, but about a week subjective on the typical route.

  Lag: The units I’m working with could use the heavy stuff on the list. A stock of the 25mm is always good to have, too.

  Stenson: Four thousand tonnes of cargo will be a good systems stress test, too. Not much chance you’d ever have to haul more than that, unless you plan on strapping it on outside.

  Bipasha: I can’t believe you found a cargo like this so fast! It’s about the one thing you can haul competitively. (Shakes head) Just about fill the hold, good tonnage rates. And it just drops into your lap.

  Helton: I thought you said that we couldn’t make this thing work?

  Bipasha: Two lucky one-time freak jobs don’t make a business. Just delays the inevitable.

  Kwon: One step at a time. As long as we are still in business long enough to find the next job. Nice to help people out, and if we can see a bit more of the ‘verse while we are at it… it’s all good.

  Sar: Won’t have much extra though. Prices for a lot of the staples are twice what they were last week.

  Helton: Twice?

  Sar: Everyone’s nervous, stocking up. Not just ammo. Food, pretty much everything you can’t print at home. Printer resin is up, too.

  Quinn: Why does all of ‘em buy at once?

  Sar: “why do all of them,” Quinn; she DOES, they DO. Because they all got scared by the same news at the same time.

  Quinn: What are they scared of?

  Helton: The unknown. They might run out of food, or ammo, or whatever, and they don’t know when they can get more. People are like that.

  Quinn: Why not keep more around always? Think they might not eat next week?

  Everyone chuckles slightly at that.

  Lag: Lots of reasons, most of them not very good. That’s why you always hear Mr. Kwon talking about stocking up on food, Mr. Stenson stocking up on parts, Allonia stocking up on just about everything, and the First Sergeant talking about ammunition supplies. We know things can run out and resupply might be difficult. We know difficult times can happen.

  Bipasha: Maybe we could stop in on New Texas and get some supplies for cheaper on the way back? Timeline on the ammo delivery isn’t very tight.

  Helton: Not many food product engineering companies there. Mostly just bulk producers.

  Kwon: We can do bulk scratch, no problem. Beans ‘n rice can go anywhere. We could convert just about any room on the ship into a fridge or freezer for fresh or frozen meats and veg
gies.

  Helton: Really? How?

  Kwon: Fire suppression system can chill just about anything. I asked the AI about it after a small galley fire; something about reversed microwaves, I think. Missed the technobabble. Iced a flaming pan of blazing bacon in a few seconds. Whole room chilled.

  Sar: Really slick. Back to work hardly missing a beat. Bacon was still good, even.

  Lag: That’s a new one to me. Good to know fire suppression works well, especially if we are hauling ammo.

  Helton: Cooper, keep your eyes on conditions and see if it makes time-sense to swing by New Texas. We’ll see if we can clean out a closet or two to make a meat locker. Now, then-

  The main screen on the wall chimes, showing an avatar: nothing but a knit orange cap.

  Ship AI: (OC, brisk male voice) A call from Cobb’s about the contract.

  Helton eyebrows rise in surprise.

  Helton: Put him on.

  There is a brief pause, then the cap icon starts slowly rotating.

  Cobb: (OC) Can’t do it. Money guys said they won’t do it unless you got insurance.

  Helton: But, you said, I mean, what? Why?

  Cobb: (OC) You got a uninsured ship more than four hundred years old, no history of shipping, and you’re asking to take nearly a hundred million dollars of cargo through two war zones. They won’t issue the letter of credit unless you post a performance bond or offer proof of delivery insurance.

  Bipasha: But didn’t you fight off the-

  Harbin: (Cutting her off) Yes, we are fighters. But Helton and his ship have no official track record of trans-light cargo transport. It is a lot of cargo for an unknown.

  Cobb: (OC) Exactly. I think you’ll to do your best, but the money guys won’t trust anybody unless you can offer a guarantee against their cash loss risk if you lose or steal the cargo.

  They all look at one another around the table.

  Helton: Any ideas?

  Bipasha: Maybe. (To the ship AI to send to Cobb) Could you please wait a minute?

  Cobb: Sure, if you think you can still swing it.

  The screen shows a MUTE icon.

  Bipasha: (To Lag) You said you were interested in buying a chunk of it, right?