13 Degrees of Separation

by Hechtl, Chris

  “No, I'll think about it,” she said, getting up and leaving.

  “She's just shy,” Olga said, dabbing at her face with a napkin. “And not used to company.”

  Mario smiled politely. “A little rough around the edges. A rock hound.”

  “True,” Olga laughed but her eyes suddenly glittered. She didn't like his implied insult.

  ...*...*...*...*...

  An angry Olga confronted Mairi when Mario was gone. “What's the matter with you? Why are you throwing this away?”

  Mairi didn't look at her, busying herself with clean up. Her mother was always a disaster, she never cleaned up after herself. “I don't want it,” she said pointedly, folding laundry.

  Olga blinked at her. “Mairi baby, sweety, you don't know what you want child.”

  Mairi turned on her, dropping the thin azure blouse. It was one of her mother's and she didn't care anymore about clean up. “I'm 17 mother, I am legally an adult in this system, which by the way is 16 if you didn't know that. I do know what I want. I just don't know how to go about getting it. And no one,” she turned glaring. “No one is taking the bitch from me. And they are not recycling her either!” she said fiercely.

  “No one is saying that honey,” Olga said trying to sooth ruffled feather as she spread her hands in appeal.

  “Oh no? He just did mother,” she said sitting on the couch and pulling a pillow onto her lap to hug. “He did and you know he did. That's what he's really after. For some reason they feel really threatened by Yard Dogs. I don't know why. But they want us gone. Mark my words mother, I work for them, the bitch is toast and after oh, a month they'll show us the door. Both of us. They just want to screw us mother. They want us out of the way to screw the dogs.”

  Olga bit her lip unsure of herself.

  “You know it and I know it mother. It's a gamble but not the kind I take. Uncle Edgar's maxim 4, 'if it sounds too good to be true it usually is'. No. You like that sort of thing leave me and the bitch out of it. Court him to your heart's content mother but I bet you,” she waggled a finger under her mother's nose. “I bet you that he'll drop you the moment my saying no get's through his head.”

  “But...”

  Mairi cocked her head at her. “Deal?” she asked hand out, ready to shake.

  Ogla stared at her. “You don't know what you're saying dear, it's just a mistake.”

  Mairi snorted. “Yeah right.” She got a nasty thought and got up suddenly, spilling the pillow to the floor. Her mother reared back in surprise. “I've got to go check on the bitch.” She turned and rushed out.

  As Mairi jogged the corridors she called Savo with her Bluetooth. Savo yawned on the tiny HUD. “Whatya want?” he asked, baring his canines. He'd just worked a graveyard and taught a martial arts class. He was beyond bushed.

  “Mom just brought her latest boy toy to our apartment.”

  “So?” he asked disinterested.

  “So he's got a crew headed to the bitch to tear her apart. He's a shifty bastard. He tried to get mom to get me to quit and go work for him. Work for free.”

  “Ah. I see,” Savo said, brown eyes narrowing. “I'll be there in ten.”

  “Make it five,” she said, picking up her pace and dodging around groups in the way. Some stared at her but she kept moving.

  “I've got some calls to make. I've got a couple friends in security that owe me.”

  “Good,” Mairi said picking up her pace.

  ...*...*...*...*...

  “Clio!” Savo called through his wireless link. Clio didn't respond for a moment. He swore, typing in another address and flagging a distress signal.

  “Yes?” Clio asked.

  “Security breach at the dock! Lock it down and damn it record! Record everything and get Derrango there!” Savo said and turned to the next caller.

  “On it,” Clio replied as her connection terminated.

  “What's going on?” Petunia asked, rolling over and looking at him sleepily.

  “Trouble, that's what,” Savo said getting up.

  ...*...*...*...*...

  Mairi caught sight of a group of men passing Harif at the front entrance. She swore, she saw the gold logo of some corporation on the back of the hind most's coverall. She broke into a run, passing Harif. “What?” Harif asked, eyes wide.

  “Call security dummy! What the hell were you thinking!” she called rushing forward.

  “What the hell do you think you're doing??!” Mairi shrieked, ready for war. She knew the odds were against her, six to one, and they were all males. Tough broad shouldered males versus her tiny singular frame. “Get the hell away from my ship!” she snarled ducking past one and rushing past them to the hatch to the berth.

  Mairi blocked the group of sullen workers trying to get to her little ship. They waved a work order. She used her own small body to block the passage. Grimly the workers offered to space her. She felt a thrill of fear but was lucky security and Harif arrived just as the big broad shouldered tough nearest her reached for her. Just in time she thought with a sense of relief as the others nudged the man and he stopped and turned with them. Harif was confused by the situation, he'd let them pass thinking they were innocent.

  Deputy Fife arrived as the two groups devolved into a shouting match with the 2 security guards between them. Fife took one look and banged the butt of his pistol on the metal wall, getting everyone's attention.

  Savo arrived on the scene and confirmed that they're in Yard dog space. “Thought so,” Fife said, nodding. “Saw the sign above the door,” he said, pointing back the way they had come. “Though it could use some work,” he said.

  “We've got our orders,” the foreman of the corporation said. He pulled out a tablet and flashed their orders. The skeptical deputy took the tablet and looked it over. As he did so the big fella in charge made a phone call. He turned, quietly explaining the situation and then hung up. After a few minutes of wrangling a corporate lawyer named Dreyfus called the deputy directly. The attorney claimed it was all a big misunderstanding. When Fife scoffed at that Dreyfus stated a representative was coming to them.

  “Misunderstanding my ass. This was planned. It just didn't go the way you planned,” Savo snarled.

  The incident was documented despite prostrations of the corporation attorney. A Veraxin lawyer showed up to spring the work crew. He tried to call in an intervention from the station council to call the security forces off but Yard dogs hammered the rules home. As they argued a media crew rounded the corner and immediately went to work.

  Clio, Savo thought, smiling grimly. She'd even called in the media, good for her. The news of a small underdog getting screwed by the big mean corporation would make for good headlines he realized. He nodded when he recognized the reporter, Toni Chambers, perfect. The girl adjusted her hair and trench coat and then went to work. She quickly sketched out the situation and then turned on the scene.

  By that time the lights from her hovering camera robot had been seen by the security officers and corporate flunkies. The lawyer turned and couldn't quite suppress a chitter of annoyance.

  Chapter 6

  Savo arranged security around the clock. The chimp brought a new face into the group, Gord, a hospital security officer interested in picking up a second paycheck. He was a nice guy, smooth and efficient at his job. One of the first things they did though was change the locks and instruct all staff not to let any outsiders into the berth. Clio and another AI now took turns watching over slip bay and area.

  ...*...*...*...*...

  Clio called in the favor to friends in the media business that admiral Irons had helped. It's a two day Major story, greed, corruption, malfeasance... subterfuge...

  The McDougall corporation's attempts at ducking the situation and blowing it off coupled with their pointed 'no comments' only fed the story, blowing it up into a swarm, but only briefly. To cut the story short the corporation held a press conference where they promised to pay restitution for the 'unfortunate misunderstan
ding'.

  But privately Mr. Dreyfus, the senior attorney representing the industrial giant told the Yard dogs to piss off. He bragged that they had the court system sown up and there was no way they'd get a credit. Of course Clio recorded the entire encounter from several angles. Clio acting on the Yard dogs behalf turned the recording over to media but other events on the planet preempted them. Their time in the spotlight was over.

  “We've made an enemy,” Alice said.

  Savo snorted in annoyance. His brown eyes glittered, looking at the woman. “They've always been the enemy. We've known it. They just came out into the open about it. No more skulking from the shadows,” he said.

  “Well, not so much,” Clio agreed. She'd gone before an arbitration judge to handle the promised and reneged restitution. The judge had been ready to toss it until she'd sweetly brought forward the recording of the Mr. Dreyfus telling Savo to piss off. He hadn't been at all amused about the snide way Dreyfus had bragged about court corruption either. He'd ruled in favor of the Yard Dogs, even piling on a penalty fee and slapped Dreyfus with a contempt of court charge. Dreyfus had immediately filed an appeal.

  Outside the court house both parties had been met by Miss Chambers and her camera bots. Dreyfus had ducked and waved off her attempts at engaging in an interview. Savo managed to separate from his group and stay out of the lime light as the reporter turned on Ralph and Alice.

  Alice had smiled and politely answered the girls questions. Then she'd nodded and taken her husband by the arm to continue on their way.

  Later that evening in the bar they turned the news on and watched. The bar patrons cheered at the ten second spot they got. Ralph threw a towel over his shoulder when the story concluded. “And that's that. Who's up for the game?” he asked, reaching for the wall screen remote.

  ...*...*...*...*...

  A day after the story broke Mairi's mother came back to the apartment tearful, her rich beau had dumped her coldly with a text message. She blamed Mairi. Mairi ignored the accusation and further accusation that she didn't want her mother to be happy. She was disgusted with her mother's attitude, that everything revolved around her and her happiness. Apparently she didn't matter? She scowled at her mother whenever they were in the same room for nearly a week.

  The silent treatment lasted about a week before they began to make small monosyllable comments about this or that. Over the course of a weekend that grew to casual comments about the news and noises of agreement. On Monday Olga came back to the apartment swooning over the virtues of 'Azeal'. Mairi rolled her eyes and ignored it. Apparently everything was back to normal.

  ...*...*...*...*...

  Kennet's play for time kept him out of the light of the judicial mess Dreyfus had kicked up. He'd managed to keep his own hands out of it, fortunately Dreyfus hadn't known of his involvement and the corporate heads were keeping it that way. Of course for a price, one he'd have to pay later. He hated that, but it had to be done.

  At the hearing his attempt at explaining off the charges and fees as accounting errors were countered. The Veraxin accountant testified, and he fumed as the judge listened and then ruled. Kennet had indeed tampered with the document, had charged the Yard Dogs inappropriate fees for work they did themselves, and then most damning of all, had tried to cover it up and even lied about it in front of the judge. Kennet stood there, feeling at a loss as the judge raked him over the coals, fined him and then issued an order for him to not interfere or interact in the workings of the Yard Dog or it's interaction with the station ever again... and then informed the junior councilor he was being recommended to the bar for a hearing on disbarment as well. All Kennet could do was acknowledge the punishment before the judge dismissed him like an errant child being sent to his room. He fumed again as he logged out of the court.

  ...*...*...*...*...

  Governor Randall had a state of the union address a four months and a week after he took office, on the traditional Landing day holiday. He was a popular Governor, suave and charming yet strong in a crisis. Already he'd helped in areas affected by the series of hurricanes that had battered the eastern coast. His wife was another popular figure, her attention to education and medicine was inspiring, as was her compassion for those in need. Images of her helping others or touring medical facilities or schools were in the papers and on the news weekly.

  Randall however was the true power and everyone knew it. In the address he vowed to increase the system's industrial capacity and to find ways to encourage companies to hire additional people to offset the lost jobs on the planet. “What lost jobs?” Ralph demanded. He was shushed by the other patrons.

  “In conclusion I am proposing a tax break for all manufacturing and industrial companies, up to 100 percent if they add additional hires to go with any industrial equipment they purchase.” That brought a cheer in the bar. A drunken patron asked for drinks on the house. Ralph tossed a wet towel over the expectant man's head.

  The Governor moved on to talk about education and medicine before he came back to a topic of interest. He proposed a tax on companies playing the resource markets causing inflation. “I know everyone has a right to make a living, and everyone wants to make a profit, but not at the expense of the economy in general and the targeted destruction of a particular company. This must stop. I am directing the attorney general to begin investigations into such practices. If you do not belong in such a field I suggest you get out of it. You wouldn't like a manufacturing concern playing with medicine would you? No? Stay in your own field,” he chided.

  “That won't go over well,” Ralph muttered. Alice nodded, crossing her arms.

  “I think that's about all the help we're going to get outta him,” she murmured. Ralph hugged her to his side and rubbed her bicep gently. She rested her head against him for a brief moment.

  ...*...*...*...*...

  When the tax haven went though many companies took on new hires. The station had a job fair, with many people flying up to attend. The shuttles were swamped with people wanting to come to the station, which was a problem since two of the long range shuttles were down due to maintenance concerns. Unfortunately the station didn't have replacements, nor replacement parts at the time. They were backlogged according to the news. The corporations had flooded the station's industry with requests for equipment, trading hoarded material to get it or get priority over other companies and interests. It was a mess. Unfortunately Taylor and Rasha were neck deep in it trying to sort it out with the rest of the council. They couldn't admit to the others on the council that the Yard Dogs could solve the problem without breaching the confidentiality of the business.

  Still the dogs lucked out. They picked up some new hires, 2 more people that had been turned away by the other companies. But both of the people were totally green with no space experience.

  Kaira was one, but she wasn't just off the boat, she was an old hand on the station who had it out with her super and quit before she could be fired. She was a fiery red head with flashing green eyes and a spitfire attitude. She didn't take guff from anyone and was eager to prove a woman was just as good as any chauvinistic male. She wanted to space walk in the worst way but had never suited up. She'd signed on as a rigger until they could get the factory modules up and pressurized.

  Petunia reluctantly took them on and started suit training them. Getting them suits and equipment was another expense, fortunately ones they had planned on. They also didn't have to wait for the suits, they had their own replicators that could make them.

  Mairi kept bringing in rock chunks daily to supply their growing needs. After her fourth trip they replicated a kick motor to help her bring in larger loads. They also replicated several beacons when Kennet started a drive to seize all the rocks around the station not already tagged. Anything over the size of a meter was tagged in a 72 hour spree. Tugs jostled each other to get in and place their markers. The Dogs didn't care about the content as much as making sure they weren't shut out. The molecular furnaces coul
d break down rock if needed.

  Olaf broke with the station in a massive argument that made the news. An accident and his response to the lack of safety for workers and the uncaring attitude certainly burned some bridges. It also made it clear he was on the way out. The next shift he was told he was suspended pending review. Since he had bills to pay and they put the review off for later he immediately saw the writing on the wall. He marched over to the bar and signed up right off. “So when do we start?” he growled.

  ...*...*...*...*...

  Mairi came back one Monday morning and when she exited the berth she was ambushed by reporters. The bright spot lights and flashing bulbs were too much for her optic nerves, she turned away, hands instinctively up to shield herself. “What the hell? Harif! Not funny!” she snarled before the reporter's question penetrated.

  “Miss Jersey, isn't it true you are underage and reportedly spending your income in the casino's on the station?” A reporter said, thrusting a microphone at her.

  “Miss Jersey! Miss Jersey! Isn't it true you have been and still are a prostitute?!” another asked.

  “Get those damn things out of my face!” Mairi snarled, coming upright. “Look I don't know what you're problem is but don't make me shove those things up your asses! Bug off! Can't you see I just came in from a 16 hour shift?”

  “Perhaps if you answered the questions Miss Jersey?” a female voice asked. The babble of other voices continued. Mairi felt trapped, they had her cornered with no escape. She turned to the familiar voice.

  Mairi turned, recognizing Miss Chambers. “You? What the hell lady? What'd I do to you?”

  “I'm covering a story Ma'am.”

  “So what's the problem? I'm working so what?”

  The flashbulbs went off again, thick and furious. She blinked, eyes watering. She wished she had her suit and sun visor right about now. “Damn it! Come on now!” she snarled.