The emerald-green mechanical ACE was curious about his surroundings. ‘Can we see what our transporter looks like, please, Marko?’
‘Sure, Ngoc. Have a look at the screens.’
Outside the ship, the huge finger-like plates encompassing them split apart, allowing them to see the local starfield views. Marko started to recognise some of the stars, realising that they were not far from where they had dropped Stephine and Veg off months before.
Patrick, who was controlling the camera views, followed the retracting segments of the alien craft as it folded down into itself then rotated within its length as it slowly rolled and moved towards the huge bulk of the fifteen-kilometre-diameter comet. They could see that parts of the surface of the great ball of ice had been cleaned of its blackened debris, revealing deep blue water ice.
The major smiled as he fed images of the huge, squashed-ball shape set in grandeur against the starfields, with soft starlight lighting it from every angle, into his data blocks. The star the comet was orbiting was so far distant it was merely the biggest star in the background.
‘Interesting,’ Harry said. ‘Wonder how many times this has been used as a refuelling spot, boss.’
‘Haven’t a clue, but Patrick is taking lots of additional images to find out how many different-sized probes have been used. I note that the transporter has left us plenty of room so I suppose it would be rude not to accept the invitation! In your own time, please, Harry.’
Harry piloted Basalt down towards the surface until the two objects were almost touching in the microgravity field.
‘Good,’ the major said from his control pod. ‘Minh, please deploy astronomical drones to gather as much information for Patrick as possible. Jasmine, launch the defensive drones — have no idea of what might be here so always best to have something ready if we need it. Lilly, you are in charge of the recon drones. Fritz and Julie, launch in your Skuas and hold outer defensive station whenever you are ready to go.’
On his side screens, Marko saw all the hardware being launched as Basalt was positioned against the comet by Harry. Checking the visual feeds coming from the two-metre-diameter heads of the heating and pick-up pipes, Marko looked for the purest areas between the cracked, scored surface of the ice. His radar unit showed the surface to be relatively clean in two areas set twenty metres apart, so he manoeuvred the pickups individually onto the ice’s surface. As soon as they touched, three rigid spears were fired into the ice, locking the heads against the surface, and they started to drill themselves into it.
When the heads were three metres into the ice the pipes flashed red hot, melting the ice, then rapidly cooled, allowing it to refreeze and seal the units in. The heads below started to heat up the ice with microwaves which generated steam that flowed back up the pipes, through the filters, and through the condensers aboard Basalt, fifty metres above them. The heads themselves started to slowly rotate, swinging from side to side, reaching further into the chambers they were creating.
Once satisfied, Marko reported. ‘We have clean water coming on board, boss. Good values, and a few low-grade radioactives to be had as well. At current flows, we will have full tanks in about sixteen hours.’
The major sounded a little distracted as he replied. ‘Good. We know where we are as well: the opposite side of the star from where you dropped Stephine and Veg off. Start making antimatter as soon as you have sufficient water.’
Bringing up the additional screens, Marko started to prep the antimatter conversion units. Then, over the next day, with a few quick breaks for meals, he routed the precious water around the ship, filling every possible tank on every vehicle including topping up the tanks in the Gardens. As units of antimatter became available as well, he shunted them into Basalt’s engine feeders, the two landers and then finally filled Basalt’s own spare containments to capacity. Finally, he filled the Games Board shuttle tanks as well.
While Marko had been concentrating on his tasks, Julie and Fritz had been quietly patrolling the area looking for anything that might give them problems, but the only occurrence was the huge transport gently investigating each of them as they moved around their designated areas. Julie likened the experience to a whale looking carefully at a fish, wondering if it needed some kind of assistance. As they watched, the huge ship slowly moved to gently touch the hull of Basalt before turning away and heading starwards at an exponentially increasing speed, its drives showing bright against the intensely populated starfield of the great Milky Way.
Julie keyed her microphone. ‘Patrick, did you see that?’
The AI sounded buoyant. ‘The transport, you mean, Julie? Yes, it was like a grandmother kissing a baby and wishing the newborn well. Sadly, it would not communicate with me, in spite of everything I tried. The message I got from Blackjack is that it wished us safe journeys and to look after the blessed one. That final request has me intrigued.’
At his station, listening to the exchange, Marko allowed himself the tiniest of smiles as he heard the major say, ‘Lilly, could you swing one of your drones across to look at the area where the transport was taking on water?’
‘Already on it, Major. I see nothing except an oblong-shaped, perfectly smooth depression over a large area. Would say that it uplifted approximately twenty-four thousand tonnes of water. I note many similar depressions and looking at this comet’s orbit I would conclude that it is an artificial one. Definitely a refuelling point, with three different refuelling methods identified, including one where it appears the ice has been ground out as if it were removed in pieces. The other two are similar methods to our own, including two that appear identical to ours.’
At his command station the major frowned in thought. ‘Interesting. So Admin possibly knows of this? Good work. Marko, what are you doing? Do I really need great lumps of ice around the ship?’
Marko had detached the ends of the steam inflow pipes from the primary intakes and had three engineering drones on each pipe, allowing the steam to condense and freeze on the ship’s outer hull; he could be seen to be having fun, allowing the ice to build into interesting shapes.
Patrick replied before Marko could answer. ‘He is doing it on my suggestion, Major. Deposits of ice will break up the sensor silhouette of the ship. I am having the drones carve it into additional bulges and the like. A little extra insurance, if you will.’
‘Ha! Impressive, Patrick. Carry on, and how much longer do you need?’
‘A few more hours should see us finished. I note the rendezvous coordinates are relatively close and we have fourteen hours before we need to be there. And besides, I think that Marko is rightfully obsessive about getting as much fuel as possible.’
Marko laughed. ‘Me? Obsessive? Never. Just pleased that we have additional antimatter in storage as well. We never did get around to returning those containment modules, did we? Oh, well, must put it on the to-do list.’
‘An interesting snippet of information for you, Major,’ Patrick said.
‘What’s that, Patrick?’
‘Looking through the data streams from the recon drones which mapped the comet, I have identified several points where technology is evident. Would appear that there are reaction engines buried under its surface for manoeuvring and possibly changing the orbit of the comet. I suppose that it would be more sensible to call it an asteroid, in fact, as I believe that it will not loop back around the local sun any time soon like a comet, as its orbit is planetary. I have also identified a control node of sorts. Interesting deep-imaging radar returns too. Appears octopoid in construction, maybe. Do we have time to have a look?’
The major did not seem to be interested. ‘Um, maybe not. Let me have a look at what you have got. Yeah, interesting. Catalogue everything you have, and we will turn it over to the Rangers. More their cup of tea, really.’
*
Marko lay on his bed quietly contemplating his life and listening to some of Fritz’s new music before sleep, when there was a knock on the door.
&nb
sp; ‘Marko, may I come in?’ called Jasmine.
‘Hey, Jasmine. Yes, sure.’
She crouched down at his eye level in the half light from the corridor. ‘I know that you miss Jan very much, as do we all, but I also know that you are lonely, as am I. I know also that ship contracts are good for people who care for each other, but do not expect long-term relationships. I would like such a contract with you, Marko. Would you be willing to share your bed with me?’
Marko looked up at Jasmine, then slowly around the cabin, thinking that it could be years before he saw Jan again and knowing that she would be physically different, anyway. He looked back at Jasmine, detecting for the very first time a little uncertainty in her demeanour.
He smiled. ‘Yes, Jasmine, I would be honoured to make such an agreement with you. Patrick, could we have a shipborne agreement between myself and Jasmine, please? Standard form should be acceptable. Leave the time stipulation open.’
Jasmine smiled, closed the door behind her, leant down and kissed Marko full on the lips as he pulled back the bed cover and reached for her.
*
Four
‘Crew, we are at the coordinates. I have no idea what to expect and we have a couple of hours before the rendezvous time.’
‘Thanks, Patrick,’ the major replied. ‘Jasmine, launch the astronomical drones. Space them out at the one-hundred-kilometre mark … actually, stand by on that. Lilly, can you partner each with a defence drone as well? Let’s find out if there are any surprises waiting for us. When linked, launch. Marko, what should we expect, anyway? You know Stephine and Veg the best.’
Marko held his hands up and shrugged. ‘Well, we are dealing with Stephine and Veg after all, boss. Sorry, but I have no idea what to expect.’
‘I have completed the analysis of the data collected by the astronomical drones while we were at the fuelling station, Major,’ Jasmine reported. ‘Interesting planetary system inwards from us as well. A rare pair of gaseous giants which have an orbit period of thirteen point two standard days, plus the usual rocky ones closer to the system’s sun. Some very interesting small ice planets appear to be orbiting the gas giants. Intriguing that they even exist, but as we all know the universe continually surprises us.’
‘Damn!’ the major exclaimed. ‘I would dearly love some time to get up close and examine that. I noticed when I looked through the data files that this system was given a brief inspection by the Haulers some eighty years ago, but it was deemed of little interest. No one seems to have been back since. Get as many images of those binary gas giants as you can, please, Patrick.’
Instead of answering the request, Patrick announced: ‘Popper signal detected! Right where it should be. Very fast. Nope, no popper; we have a small drone inbound, even faster. Looks like a recon drone. Identities exchanged with it. Wow, but that thing is moving fast! Must be solid as nothing should be able to withstand G forces like that.’
They watched on the screens as the sphere did a quick loop around them, then activated a small wormhole generator and popped back out of existence.
‘Anything useful, Patrick?’ Harry asked.
‘No, just that it’s Stephine’s transport ID-ing us. Looks OK, had all the correct codes and protocols. Said that they will be with us in a few moments … Popper detected, RV speed. Yeah, here they are.’
Harry frowned looking at the image. ‘Interesting, they must have been with Rick the Hauler, or another long-range exploration Haulers maybe? That is a souped-up version of one of the salvage craft that Rick had, with a whole lot of extras. I wonder what he has been up to since we parted ways after we recovered the souls from that Gjomvik ship. What’s the bet there is a job for us?’
As the large crab-shaped craft moved towards them to swing around and hard dock, the conversations flowed between old friends catching up on events, with Marko feeling the prick of tears when Stephine and Veg told him how sorry they were about Jan. An hour later they emerged from the airlock after both ships had checked themselves out for possible contagion to exchange smiles and hugs and enjoy being back with Basalt’s crew again. To Marko’s eyes, Veg appeared just the same but Stephine seemed slightly taller and more muscled than previously. She also seemed a tiny amount more resolute and forthright.
After an enjoyable lunch and the best coffee Marko had had since Veg left, he went down to Blackjack with Glint walking at his side. ‘What does Nail say, Glint?’
‘That Stephine is well, and that, yes, you are right, she has been augmented further. Flint and Ngoc have looked over Stephine and Veg’s salvage craft. They conclude that it is one of Rick’s or certainly of the same construction. They have placed the crew comm links per our protocols. They also say that, contained within the blister housings slung under the carapace, are six one-person atmospheric AG ground support craft. Nice design too. Would you like to see?’
Marko ruffled Glint’s head, saying, ‘Yes, of course.’
Glint lasered the file to him and Marko checked out the little ellipse-shaped craft with their open cockpits, folded weapons systems and compact powerful engines, which had four vectored thrust units directly off the turbine and a reaction rocket nozzle in the tail of each craft.
‘Hey, that I like! Wonder what Stephine is going to get us into next with these. Look kind of purpose-made for AV. Gjomvik maybe, as they appear constructed not grown. Not sure about that. Still, we will know soon enough.’
Before he could comment further, the major made an announcement. ‘All crew, just been contacted by Rick. He will be with us in forty minutes and will be taking us on board.’
‘The plot thickens,’ Marko said. ‘So, Blackjack, what do you make of all this?’
The ship quickly replied. ‘I believe that a deal has been struck to take us back into the Administration, Marko. The ACEs, Patrick and I have been discussing the possible options in regards to this ship and crew. We believe it would be logical that a most specific mission has been created which will make good AV and, subsequently, be either very exciting or very high risk. Perhaps both.’
Marko groaned. ‘Great, just great. I need that like I need another arsehole.’
Blackjack asked, ‘Why would you need another anus, Marko? Is your current fitting not functioning correctly?’
Marko grunted. ‘It’s a figure of speech, Blackjack.’
‘In which case, I totally agree with Glint. Your speech is most interesting, but not logical at times. And Patrick has just advised me that the Hauler heavy combat and exploration craft we all know as Rick has just arrived at this Lagrange point as well. He says that we are to be taken on board him shortly.’
Marko laughed. ‘Really? I kind of like my speech this way, thanks. And Rick is here. OK. Now, Blackjack, have you made any progress with the Tux suit?’
The ship replied, sounding perplexed. ‘Yes, it is functional once more, but I am not able to attain the same level of sentience it once had. I have reviewed how Veg and Stephine built it, but it still lacks the “spark of existence” as you poetically put it. I shall refer the problem to Veg when he has a spare moment.’
Marko nodded. ‘Thanks. Well, I had better get my things from here since Stephine and Veg will be moving back in.’
‘I am sure that that is not necessary, Marko, but I am equally sure that Stephine would appreciate it.’
He gathered the few items of clothing he had left on Blackjack, took his toiletries from the ablution area, and was just about to leave when Stephine walked in with a purring Nail snuggled in her arms. She looked down at his bag and the jacket draped over his shoulder, placed Nail on the floor, walked over, leant down and hugged him.
Her eyes shining, Stephine placed a hand on his shoulder. ‘So, Marko, what will become of you, I wonder. You are now closer to us than any other human being: you really are a true hybrid. I have seen and read up on what you have been doing while we were away. When you are finally able to control and totally channel that explosive rage of yours, I wonder what we will behold.�
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He was about to reply but she placed a finger on his mouth. ‘There is no need to move your few things out, if you don’t wish to. This is as much your home as any part of Basalt. In fact, I want you to run here if anything goes wrong, as Blackjack is fond of you, as are we. It is good to be back, Marko. As you perceived, there are changes in me and I am now much more in control of my own self. Too much destruction was occurring for me to be able to cope, and I lost control. My eternal thanks that you restrained us when you did, and also my everlasting gratitude to my husband for shutting me down, as I wanted to fight even you at that time. Had you both not acted, we would be either dead or under the control of the Games Board and their leaders. Yes, Blackjack, please create another room suite for Marko and whomever he is partnered with. In fact, make it a large bed as I know there will be times that he has more than one partner with him.’ She smiled and winked at him as he blushed, recalling that Jasmine had told him that Lilly also wanted to join them on occasion.
They felt a slight shudder go through the ship as Blackjack reported. ‘Basalt is being taken on board Rick. And to accommodate your request, Stephine, and create quarters for Marko, I shall need to extend the hull structure by two metres, then reposition some of the internal partitions; it will take twenty-nine hours.’
Stephine smiled and nodded. ‘Yes, that sounds about right. Give Patrick the necessary raw materials and component lists, and begin when ready. We have ten days’ travel to where we are headed, anyway.’
Blackjack acknowledged: ‘Done, initiated.’
Stephine looked at Glint, who was sitting crosslegged in the co-pilot’s chair. ‘So, Glint, you’ve been having fun with my cat, I hear. And he now has hands as well! Are you happy with them, Nail?’
Nail stretched. ‘Yes. And I can now brush your hair for you and apply nail polish to your fingernails, mistress.’
Stephine brightened at that. ‘Indeed! What a good idea.’
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