by Smith, S. E.
Puzzled as to why Maeve sounded so uncertain, he said, “Ten more minutes to finish this circuit of Level B and then yes, I’ll head for the office.”
The Ship remained silent, which he took for agreement with his plan, so he finished the assigned route and made it to the office, which was conveniently empty, his fellow officers being out and about on duty. Liam poured himself synthcaff from the constantly refilled office brewing machine and sat at the desk. “Okay, Maeve, I’m ready for details.”
“Which are rather lacking,” she said out loud. “Here’s the ganglion feed from yesterday, from the rear quadrant of a cargo deck, Level Seven.”
A holo of the ship’s cat, Moby, and the ship’s other pet, Midorri, a green furry catlike alien, began playing on the desk’s surface. The animals were bathing each other and doing mock fighting as the duo often did. He blinked as a third animal trotted into view. The newcomer had a catlike body, a triangular shaped head and what appeared to be a third eye in the center of its forehead. “Can you make the image clearer?”
“I cannot.” Maeve sounded unusually stressed. “There was an odd type of interference.”
The image quality was poor, flickering and going grainy, as the new animal sat in front of Moby, looking for all the world as if deep in conversation.
And then he blinked because suddenly the creature was gone. “Was there a skip in the vid feed?”
“No, I gave you the sequential footage. One minute there and the next minute gone. I’ve had two other sightings, both similar in nature. The animal appears wherever Moby and Midorri are, if they’re in an isolated portion of the ship, and then it disappears.”
“Like a ghost.” Liam sipped the synthcaff.
“This ship is not haunted.” Now Maeve sounded more like herself, a bit haughty. “I haven’t detected this creature anywhere else, despite having all my ganglions alerted to hone in on it. I have been unable to find any data on an animal similar to this.”
“Well, we don’t truly know what Midorri is either,” Liam said, trying to assuage Maeve’s insecurity over the lack of information she could provide.
“Midorri doesn’t appear and disappear. And we know how she got on board.”
The Ship had him on that point. “Can you play the scene again?”
Obligingly, Maeve ran the holos through their paces once more. With a sinking feeling, Liam realized why the animal seemed familiar. He’d seen a representation of this species once before. “I think I might know who to go to for answers.” He rose and took his mug to the sink in the alcove to rinse it. “I’ll go talk to her now. Have you said anything to the captain yet?”
“No. The information is too insubstantial to rise to his level of concern at this time.”
He went out into the corridor and took a grav tube to the crew quarters on Level Eleven, striding to the door he was so often visiting these days. He keyed the request for entry signal and, a moment later, Tassia opened the portal with a delighted smile.
“Liam, I thought you were on duty today?”
“I am. May I come in?”
She did a double take, blinking, and her face set in a blank expression as if she wore a mask. Retreating two steps, she said, “Of course. What’s going on?”
As he stepped into the cabin, he remembered all too clearly his first impressions of Tassia, that she had many secrets she was hiding. “We’ve received reports of an unauthorized pet on board. Do you have some sort of feline pet in here, Tassia?”
Whatever she’d been braced to hear, it clearly wasn’t this question. Hand to her mouth, she appeared to be vacillating between undecided between being amused and annoyed. “Why are you asking me, of all the thousands of people on board this ship?”
“Because it’s a highly unusual, three-eyed, catlike creature, and the only place I’ve ever seen anything like it is in the painting on the top of the black wooden box you brought on board. Which makes this room my first stop. I’m sorry.” Distressed to be confronting her of all people in his professional capacity, he took a step closer. “Look, it’s not a big deal. Sure the captain will be pissed and your pay might get docked a bit, but we can get some kind of paperwork done on it, no problem. Worst case, it’ll have to be quarantined.”
Tassia laughed. “You’re mistaken. I have no pet.”
“I’m going to have to search. I know it’s here somewhere and trust me, the ship’s AI won’t let the matter rest. For now she let me handle the issue, but she’ll escalate it up the chain eventually and then you and I’ll both be in trouble.” Misery at being the one to upset her made his gut clench. “I promise I’ll be gentle when I find it, but we can’t have unknown animals loose on board.”
Eyes narrowed, tapping her toes on the deck, she pointed at the couch. “Sit, and I’ll bring you what you’re seeking, but be prepared for a surprise.”
As Tassia walked into the bedroom, Liam did as she’d requested and sat on the edge of the couch cushions, prepared for anything. When she returned, there was no sign of the animal, but she carried the black lacquer box carefully in both hands. He rose, intending to help her, but she avoided him, placing the box on the small table.
“Yeah, that’s the box.” He leaned over, admiring the painting on the lid again and noting how exactly the art matched what Maeve had captured on her vids. “But—”
Raising one graceful hand, Tassia flicked him a glance, and he shut up. She rested her palms together and bowed, then rubbed the top of the box with her fingertips. As golden motes floated from the box, Liam rose to his feet and retreated a step. “Wha...?” The dust coalesced in midair into the silhouette of the three-eyed cat. While he watched, the sparks solidified into an actual animal, who sat on the table perfectly upright, tail curled over its toes. The two open eyes focused on him in a disconcerting fashion and the large third eye opened slowly, regarding him with a fixed gaze.
“What in the seven hells is this?” Hand going automatically to the butt of his blaster, he retreated one step. A creature who could materialize from thin air was outside his experience and made him doubt the evidence of his own eyes.
“Meet F’rrh,” Tassia said, chin high and flipping her hair back. “My jenfellini. Not a pet by any stretch of the imagination. I apologize for disturbing you needlessly,” she said to the animal, which blinked all three of its eyes in unison. “Officer Austin needed to see you or I was going to be in trouble.”
Wincing at her formal use of his name and title, Liam asked, “But what is it?”
She glanced at the creature, which remained silent, not making a peep. The unnatural stillness bothered him as much as the third eye did. “Jenfellini are traditional spirits in the service of my goddess Normeia. They can be mischievous at times, and I’m assuming F’rrh has seen fit to roam the ship when I’ve been away.”
Well, I’ve seen everything now. Rubbing his jaw, Liam debated what to say, but then the creature made a sound between a growl and a chirrup before it dissolved into golden motes again, disappearing completely in the space of a heartbeat. “That’s some trick he has.”
“She.”
“Sorry, she has.”
“I’ll make clear to her traveling the ship is not allowed and may expose me—us—to unwanted attention. Will that suffice? Since the jenfellini aren’t flesh and blood?” Head tilted, Tassia regarded him with a stare as unblinking as the three-eyed cat had employed. “She will do no harm.”
Swallowing hard, he cleared his throat, feeling at a distinct disadvantage. “Yes. Warning her will be fine. I’ll let the Ship know the nature of the problem. Your companion likes to hang out with the ship’s cat and the ship’s other official pet, by the way.”
Tassia stepped in the direction of the door. “I’m sure you have to be getting back to your other duties, so don’t let me keep you.”
A minute later he was on the other side of a firmly closed portal, drawing deep breaths and grinding his teeth. Yeah, I handled that well all right. As he walked down the corrid
or, Liam decided to speak with Maeve and see if she’d agree not to file a report, or to hold off a bit at least. He’d gotten the distinct impression—yet again—that Tassia had secrets to hide and fears she kept at bay with a great deal of effort. He wanted to be the one she trusted and thought he’d made a lot of progress in that area, but maybe not as much as he’d believed. Stepping into the grav tube, he planned another trip to see the chef and beg for the special dessert Tassia loved so much as a peace offering.
* * *
Alternating between amusement at Liam’s reaction to F’rrh’s appearance, annoyance at the jenfellini for being so careless and worry about what repercussions, if any there might be for her, Tassia wasn’t at her best during rehearsal. She felt as if she was stepping, kicking and pirouetting on auto pilot for the entire session. Even Micki took her to task during the break.
“Dancers can get busted down to alternates again,” she said, sipping water and electrolytes from her embossed Comettes athletic mug. “You’ve earned yourself a bunch of frowns today from the dance captain and the assistant director. Although she’s so snooty, her attitude’s nothing new.” Micki sniffed and chuckled. “You have a fight with Liam?”
Startled, Tassia nearly choked. “No, why?” she gasped out as Micki helpfully pounded her back. “Did he say something to you?”
“Only trouble with a man could throw off someone who dances as naturally as you do. And no, your guy would never talk to me about you, honey. He’s the true blue, loyal type all the way.” Eyeing her critically, her friend said, “Well, my advice is get through the rest of today’s rehearsal, go spend the evening doing hot things with the sexy security guy and report here tomorrow ready to dance your heart out.”
“Yes, ma’am.” Tassia straightened her spine and assumed the first position for the routine the troupe was learning today. “How’s this?”
“Better!”
* * *
Thinking about her performance in rehearsal that day and eager to try Micki’s advice about spending time with Liam, since they’d parted in a bit of a tiff over her jenfellini’s antics, Tassia entered her cabin and tossed her bag on the couch, heading straight to the kitchenette and a nice cold drink.
Someone grabbed her from behind, slapping a gloved hand over her mouth and nose, shutting off her air. She struggled, kicking as hard as she could, but the man had her arms pinned, and the lack of oxygen rendered her dizzy in short order. When Tassia slumped, close to passing out, he hoisted her in his arms and carried her into the bedroom.
“We’re going to have a nice, private interlude,” he said in Ruatsarn. “No flowers this time.”
He dropped her on the bed but, before she could move, he’d placed an adhesive gag over her mouth and bound her wrists tight with restraints he’d evidently carried with him. He tied them over her head to the bars on the headboard and while she fought, he bound her ankles as well. Then he slapped her across the face once, saying as he did so, “Be still. No one is coming, and no one will hear you. I have all the time in the world to accomplish my orders, Your Highness, and if you make me angry this will be even more painful for you.”
The use of her title shocked Tassia almost as much as the blow had done. She froze, unable to look away from him, terror making her nauseous. Not surprisingly, her assailant was the man who’d sent her the bouquet the night of the Comettes opening. Tugging on the restraints, she tried to talk behind the gag, to plead, but only mumbled sounds emerged.
“The contract calls for you to be killed,” he said. “And I intend to carry out my orders, Your Highness, but first I’m going to find the jewels. You’ll tell me where they are if I can’t figure it out, I’m sure.” Tassia flinched away as he tore her blouse open. Eyeing her lacy peach-colored bra, he smiled. “I’m going to enjoy my assignment more than usual, I think. Certainly, the old woman provided no such amusement. She died of a heart attack before we could gain any useful information from her, did you know that? Pity. But you’re young and strong and a beautiful princess, so I might prolong our time all night. Make your last hours memorable, as befits one of the accursed Oleavnas.” He went to the bureau, examining the tiny gilded and bejeweled miniatures. “I might keep a few of these as souvenirs.” He picked up one to admire, turning it this way and that as if appraising its value, then winked at her as he placed the tiny figure in his jacket pocket. “Something to remember you by, princess.”
Tassia’s pulse was racing and she was afraid of passing out. It was nearly impossible to think past the abject terror his words inspired. She tried to control her breathing and identify options for escape but she was bound too tight to wriggle free, much less make it to the coms panel to call for help.
The assassin opened the top of the black lacquer box, but Tassia’s last faint hope evaporated when there was no sign of F’rrh. Even the jenfellini had abandoned her. The man flipped the box over in his hands and tossed it to the deck. Now he was going through the drawers, throwing her meager clothes on the floor as he searched.
Horrified, she watched the assassin as he rummaged through her possessions. She knew she’d gladly tell him where to find the jewel he sought, but it wouldn’t help, wouldn’t save her. She was well and truly caught. Trembling uncontrollably against the restraints, she dreaded the next time he would turn his attention to her. Severely disassociated from reality by terror, she felt as if she was watching a horror trideo happening to someone else. She prayed to the goddess in broken snippets of pleading for help. The RNR secret operatives were cruel, sadistic like their ruler and he would make her suffer before she died. She thought of Liam, wishing he’d come save her. But no one was going to save her this time.
* * *
Liam was in the broad concourse on Level A, outside the casino. He and Red were having a stern chat with some teenagers who’d been playing a rowdy game in the area and inconveniencing other passengers, frightening a few. Red was doing all the talking, and Liam concentrated on looking severe, as if he was ready to haul them all off to the brig. Actually, this first-time infraction would end with a simple warning and a message from the Ship to the parents, but the miscreants didn’t need to know leniency was in their future.
Something brushed his leg. Annoyed, ready to shoo away the ship’s cat, he was dumbfounded to see F’rrh instead. Tail in the air, the jenfellini rubbed against his leg again then sat, the third eye opening as the animal stared at him.
“Whoa, that thing is spooky,” said one of the teenagers, retreating a few steps.
Adrenaline rising at this unprecedented occurrence, Liam squatted down. “What is it?” he asked the creature, feeling a bit ridiculous.
F’rrh spoke, in a voice sounding like a mix between a snarl and a yowl. The syllables made no sense to Liam, being in a language unknown to him and which his military implants didn’t translate, but the urgency came through loud and clear. He got a clear mental picture of Tassia, then Tassia struggling with someone.
Rocketing to his feet, he broke into a run, heading to the nearest grav tube. The jenfellini kept pace with him, even bounding ahead and circling back as if to encourage him. He knew at this hour she’d be in her quarters, after rehearsal was over for the day. “We’ve got a major problem in Tassia’s cabin,” he said on the security channel as he sprinted and dove into the antigrav on the descending side. “Is anyone closer than my position?”
Using the subvocal com link, he gave rapidfire orders to the Ship. Maeve, activate the ganglions in her cabin, security override red. What’s going on?
Liam used every bit of anti grav maneuver training the military had given him years ago to descend faster. Drawing his blaster, he yelled for people to get out of his way as he arrowed toward Level Eleven.
There is an armed intruder in the cabin and crew member Megg is restrained and in imminent danger. Maeve blasted her alert on the security channel.
“No one’s closer than you, Liam,” his boss said in his ear. “We’re coming to back you up. Be there in three
.”
“Roger that.” He was at Level Eleven and exited the grav tube at a dead run, F’rrh bounding along right beside him. Blaster drawn, Liam sprinted past a couple of slack-jawed crew members. “Clear the corridor!” Reaching Tassia’s door he said, “Open this, Maeve.”
The panel slid aside silently. The intruder is in her bedroom.
He stepped into the cabin, saw a male figure bending over the bed, took aim, yelled, “Hands up, move away from the bed!” The man didn’t comply but spun awkwardly and lurched toward Tassia with a knife in his hand. Liam fired without hesitation.
As the assailant crumpled to the floor, Liam ran into the bedroom, blaster trained on the perpetrator, now writhing in agony on the deck, clutching his shoulder where Liam had shot him. Registering Tassia in his peripheral vision, Liam kept his concentration on the man he’d shot, kicking the bloody knife away. “Don’t move or I’ll shoot to kill this time.”
Crying, Tassia made broken sounds behind the gag which tore at his heart, but he had to focus on the enemy until backup arrived. This guy gave every evidence of being a professional hit man, from his sleek black bodysuit, the weapons he’d been carrying and the way he’d immobilized Tassia. Liam couldn’t afford to give him any opening to mount a second attack. Without diverting his attention from the perpetrator, he tried to reassure Tassia. “Hang on, sweetheart, we’ll get you loose in a minute.”
F’rrh leaped onto the bed and rubbed against her mistress’s side as if trying to give comfort.
“Seven hells, what the fuck is going on here?” Blasters drawn, Jake and Red entered one right after the other and joined him in the small bedroom. “I’ve got him,” Jake said to Liam. “You take care of her. Maeve, we need the doctor, now.”
“You’ve got nothing,” the assassin said through gritted teeth. “I won’t be detained by the likes of you, tin badge.”