by Ryk Brown
“Holy crap,” Nathan exclaimed. He looked across the main living area at the view outside. “Is that a beach?”
“A pretty convincing projection of one,” Neli replied. “They’ve got one on every balcony. The beach is Melanie’s favorite.”
“Where is everyone?” Nathan wondered.
“Most of the Ghatazhak are at a briefing with Sanctuary Security. Apparently, Jessica made arrangements for them to carry weapons.”
“What about Kyle and Melanie?”
“They went with Marcus to the Traibor Gardens.”
“Traibor Gardens?”
“Some sort of exotic, indoor garden on deck one-forty-seven. Vasya and Brill are with them. Rezhik and Meeks are guarding Miri.”
“I know; I saw them.”
“How is she doing?” Neli asked.
“No real change,” Nathan replied, taking a seat at the dining table. “They want to move her into one of Symyri’s medical stasis pods. They say it’s the only chance she’s got, but moving her might kill her.”
“What did you decide?” Neli asked, sitting down next to him.
“I told them to do it,” Nathan replied. He looked at Neli. “What choice did I have?”
“None, I suppose. Do you want me to call Marcus and have him bring them back, just in case…”
“No. There’s no need.”
“Are you sure?” Neli asked, looking somewhat perplexed.
“The weird thing is, I am sure.”
“How is that weird?” Neli wondered.
“When have you ever known me to be sure of anything?” Nathan asked her.
“Not often, I suppose,” Neli admitted. “I never really thought about it, since it never seemed to stop you from making decisions before. So what’s different now?”
“Now, I’m certain that Miri’s going to recover.”
“How can you be certain? Did Doctor Symyri say something?”
“I never even talked to Symyri, just Doctor Chen.”
“Did she say something to make you feel this way?”
“On the contrary,” Nathan replied, “she was quite clear about the risks.”
“Then, how can you be so sure?” Neli wondered.
“I don’t know,” Nathan admitted. “That’s what’s weird. I have no reason to be certain Miri will survive, yet I can feel it in my gut that she will. It’s like when you watch a vid-play that you haven’t seen in a long time. You remember who lives and who dies, but you don’t remember all the little details. It’s like I can see the ending, and it has Miri waking up and asking what happened.”
Neli thought for a moment before speaking. “You do know that it’s just a feeling, right?”
“Yeah, I know,” Nathan admitted, albeit reluctantly. He looked around. “Where are Vlad and Jess?”
“Uh, you’re not going to like this,” Neli said. “They hitched a ride with some guy named Orloff to someplace called Gatonda.”
“Gatonda? That’s in the Gamaze sector, another two hundred light years from here. Why the hell did they go there?”
“Apparently this Orloff guy knows someone with over a hundred Sugali fighters for sale,” Neli explained. “Marcus tried to talk them into waiting for you to arrive, but Orloff was going to leave, and they didn’t want to lose the opportunity.”
“And they went without any backup?”
Neli just shrugged.
“Great!” Nathan exclaimed, rising from his seat. “There’s a jump comm-drone going through the inspection process right now. Once it’s cleared, and given a properly coded transponder, use it to update the Aurora on what’s going on,” he instructed as he headed toward the door.
“Where are you going?”
“To Gatonda.”
“But, Josh and Loki are on their way here,” Neli told him, following him toward the exit.
“Then tell them to turn around and go back to the Seiiki, and get her ready to launch. And tell Rezhik to send me a couple Ghatazhak, as well!” Nathan barked as he exited the suite.
“Jesus,” Neli exclaimed, throwing her hands up. “Josh, this is Neli,” she called over her comm-set. “Nathan’s headed back to the Seiiki to depart. Turn back and meet him there.”
“But we just got here!” Josh complained.
“Just do it!”
“Where are we going?”
“Gatonda.”
“I don’t even know where that is!” Josh insisted.
“Nathan does, I think… I hope.”
* * *
Jessica and Vladimir stood at the inner hatch of Sosi’s ship, waiting for him to lead them out. After a moment, he appeared, carrying a sheer, blue wrap.
“You must wear this,” Sosi said, handing Jessica the wrap.
“Why?”
“Is what women of Gatonda wear. It to hide a woman’s features and sexuality from men.”
“It doesn’t hide much,” Jessica commented. “You can practically see right through it.”
“Its purpose more tradition than function,” Sosi admitted. “You need this, as well,” he added, reaching toward her forehead.
“What are you doing?” Jessica asked, brushing his hand away from her.
“It be easier if you bear the mark,” Sosi explained, opening his hand to show her the small, flat jewel-stone in his hand.
“The mark of what?”
“Of married female.”
“Married to whom?” Jessica wondered, one eyebrow raised.
“Well, to him, yes?” Sosi surmised, pointing to Vladimir.
“Do as the nice man says, honey,” Vladimir told her, smiling.
“Don’t make me kick your ass…dear,” she retorted. “This is such bullshit,” Jessica complained as Sosi pressed the jewel-stone onto her forehead. “How the hell do the women of this world put up with this crap?”
“Is not crap,” Sosi argued. “Is tradition.”
“The oppression of one sex by another is crap,” Jessica argued as she adjusted her wrap. “Tradition or not.”
“What is this oppression?” Sosi wondered.
“When people are treated poorly, made to serve others, like they are not of value,” Vladimir explained.
“That’s your explanation?” Jessica challenged, looking at Vladimir.
“What?”
“Why you think women of Gatonda have oppression?” Sosi wondered.
“Making me cover up? Marking me as married?”
“No one makes women of Gatonda do these things,” Sosi insisted. “They do because it is their way. Gatondan men have great respect for their women. For their sacrifices for Gatonda. They see women as great gifts; they protect; they worship; they appreciate women for all they provide. Gatondan men know they nothing without Gatonda women.”
“Are women allowed to do the same jobs as men?” Jessica asked.
Sosi thought for a moment. “I do not know. They do not, but by choice, I think. Women do what women do best; men do what men do best. Equal; different.”
“Yeah, I’ve heard that before,” Jessica scowled.
Sosi looked at Vladimir. “Is there problem?”
“Do not worry, Sosi,” Vladimir promised. “She will be fine.”
The inner door slid open, followed by the outer door, and a wave of hot air smacked them in the face. Hot, humid air that smelled of dust and rotting vegetation. The light outside was bright, with a pale yellow tint that made the expected colors seem unnatural.
“My God,” Jessica exclaimed. “What the hell died here?”
“It is sulfur in atmosphere. Gatonda is mostly desert. Sand contains sulfur,” Sosi explained.
“How the hell do people breathe here?”
“You get used to smell very soon.”
“I have smelled worse,” Vladimir insisted.
Jessica glanced at Vladimir, who shook his head, admitting he was lying.
“Please to follow me,” Sosi instructed, heading down the ramp. He turned to look at them and stopped. “The female follows the male, so he may protect her from danger.”
Jessica rolled her eyes, pausing for Vladimir to move in front of her. As they resumed walking, she whispered to him. “If danger comes, just step aside, and I’ll deal with it.”
Despite the uncertain look on his face, Sosi continued forward, leading them across the tarmac to the vehicle waiting at the perimeter. As they approached, the driver opened the back door for them. Sosi stepped to one side, then placed his hand on Vladimir’s shoulder, preventing him from entering the vehicle. “Ladies, first.”
Vladimir stepped aside, a confused look on his face. Jessica, on the other hand, smiled at him as she passed and stepped into the vehicle. Vladimir rolled his eyes, following her inside.
Once the three of them were safely in the vehicle, the driver secured the door, slipped into the driver’s cab, and guided the vehicle toward the exit gate.
Within minutes, they found themselves cruising through the heart of the city. Although the streets and buildings were covered with a fine, pale dust, the city itself was more impressive than most that Jessica had seen as of late. The streets were logically laid out, and the buildings themselves did not have that ‘slapped-together’ look of most worlds. This world was more developed, more industrialized. The buildings were purposely built as complete units. In fact, many of them were rather ornate in their design, which was uncommon on all but the most heavily populated worlds.
“How many cities on Gatonda?” Jessica asked.
“I do not know,” Sosi admitted. “I never to count.”
“One; ten; one hundred?”
“More than ten; less than hundred,” Sosi decided.
“Are they all like this?”
“Some better; some worse,” Sosi replied. “Arleeto is only spaceport on Gatonda. All cities are on same part of planet.”
“All?”
“All that matter,” Sosi corrected.
“Why only the one spaceport?” Vladimir asked.
“Gatonda not have spaceships. Spaceships from other worlds visit. Bring trade, take trade. But no spaceships belong to Gatonda. They not want them.”
“Why not?” Vladimir wondered.
“They not need. Plenty come from other worlds. More than they need.”
“But how do they defend themselves?” Jessica asked.
“I not say Gatonda not defend Gatonda,” Sosi told her. He looked out the window, then pointed. “There,” he said, “very big guns. That how Gatonda defend Gatonda.”
“Holy crap,” Jessica exclaimed. “Are those plasma cannons?”
“They are,” Vladimir confirmed, staring out the window at the massive weapons as they cruised by. “And they’re even bigger than the ones on Takara.” He turned to look at Sosi. “How many of them do they have?”
“I do not know,” Sosi admitted. “At least one hundred, with many more in reserve.”
“Do they ever use them?” Jessica wondered.
“No one attack Gatonda in Sosi’s lifetime,” Sosi assured her. “No one that stupid.”
Jessica looked at Vladimir. “Are you thinking what I’m thinking?” she asked with a smile.
Vladimir smiled back.
* * *
Nathan bounded up the Seiiki’s cargo ramp, finding Corporal Vasya and Specialist Brill waiting in the cargo bay. “Gentlemen,” Nathan greeted. “I thought you were at some kind of indoor garden with Kyle and Melanie.”
“We were,” Corporal Vasya replied, “but the lieutenant ordered Bains and Reino to take over for us.”
“So, you drew the short straws, then,” Nathan joked.
“Not at all, we’d much rather go hopping across the galaxy with you. Not much chance of a good bar fight while playing bodyguards.”
Nathan patted the corporal on the shoulder as he passed. “Then button her up, boys,” he instructed as he headed for the forward ladder.
“Are we it?” Specialist Brill wondered.
“Is Dalen on board?” Nathan asked as he climbed the ladder.
“Yes, sir,” the specialist replied.
“Then we’re it,” Nathan confirmed, pausing at the hatch and turning back toward them. “If we get into trouble en route, you two have the topside gun turrets.”
“Is the starboard turret even working?” Vasya asked.
“It will be,” Nathan promised.
Corporal Vasya turned and slapped the ramp control with his hand, starting the retraction cycle. “Off on another adventure,” he proclaimed with a grin.
Nathan tapped his comm-set as he passed through the forward cargo bay hatch, into the central compartment. “You guys figure out where Gatonda is yet?”
“Two sectors over,” Loki replied. “I got some updated star charts from a cargo ship in the next bay. They weren’t cheap. Should take us about six hours.”
“Then let’s get going,” Nathan replied as he headed up the stairs to the topside gun deck. “Dalen! You up there?”
“Yeah!”
Nathan continued up the stairs to the gun deck, turning to starboard as he reached the top. “How’s it looking?”
“The Sanctuary techs got the turret and the new gun installed, but I still have to hook everything up, including the power source. We should probably test-fire it before we use it.”
“I’m hoping we won’t have to use it,” Nathan replied. “How long?”
“Five or six hours, I think.”
“Could you use some help?”
“Sure,” Dalen replied. “Just don’t send Josh. He goofs around too much, and I have to double-check all of his work.”
“I’ll send you Vasya and Brill,” Nathan replied as he turned to head back down the stairs. “And Loki, once we’re away.”
“Thanks, Cap’n,” Dalen replied.
Nathan made his way down the stairs and across the main compartment, heading forward up the port corridor. After passing the galley, the boarding airlock, and the forward lift fan housing, he reached the cockpit ladder, quickly ascending its handful of rungs to reach the Seiiki’s flight deck.
“Sanctuary Flight Control has already cleared us, Captain,” Loki announced as Nathan came up behind him.
“Take us out, then, gentlemen,” Nathan instructed, taking a seat at the starboard-facing engineer’s station, directly behind Loki. He glanced at the displays, checking to see if his ship’s systems were functioning normally, or at least as normally as could be expected. He couldn’t remember the last time everything worked perfectly. Even with the help of the Aurora’s engineers and technicians, her fabricators, and Vladimir’s loving attention, there still was not enough time in between missions to take proper care of her. Now, without Marcus and Neli, and Vladimir being a few hundred light years away, his ship was going to receive even less maintenance.
The Seiiki rose a meter off the deck, sliding sideways as it rotated to port. Nathan turned and looked out the forward windows as the inner hangar bay doors parted, revealing the short transit tunnel leading to the surface.
“Auto-flight is taking us out,” Josh stated, his usual disdain for automated flight systems obvious in his tone.
Nathan watched as his ship made its way down the tunnel, staying precisely in its center the entire way. A minute later, they approached the outer doors, which were already sliding open in anticipation of their departure. The gap between the two, massive outer doors became wide enough to allow them to pass only seconds before the Seiiki’s nose crossed its threshold.
Just like that, gone were the rocky, evenly lit walls of the tunnel, replaced by the myriad of buildings that littered the asteroids, threatening to hide its surface from view.
The ship cleared the doors and pitched up, its engines increasing in power to accelerate the vessel away from the station.
“Twenty seconds to release from auto-flight,” Loki announced.
“So, what’s the plan, Cap’n?” Josh asked as he prepared to take control of the Seiiki.
“We make best speed to Gatonda and meet up with Jess and Vlad.”
“What the hell are they doing there?” Josh wondered.
“Five seconds,” Loki warned.
“More importantly,” Josh continued as he began flying the Seiiki, “how the hell did they get there?”
“Some guy named Orloff took them,” Nathan explained. “Says he knows a guy with a bunch of Sugali fighters for sale.”
“Turn to one four seven, up fifteen relative,” Loki instructed.
“One four seven, up fifteen,” Josh replied. “How many is a bunch?”
“A hundred, or so I’m told,” Nathan told him.
Josh grinned. “Man, a hundred Sugali fighters would be sweet. That thing was a blast to fly.”
“Yeah, they’re quick and deadly,” Nathan agreed, “which makes me wonder why anyone would be looking to sell them. Especially that many of them.”
“You could start your own little empire with that many fighters,” Josh said, practically drooling.
Nathan looked at him. “You worry me sometimes, Josh.”
“I’m just sayin’,” Josh defended. “On course.”
“Best speed, Captain?” Loki asked.
“Best speed,” Nathan confirmed.
Josh pushed the throttles forward, bringing both engines to full power, while Loki made a few calculations.
“Bring us up to a quarter light and hold,” Loki finally instructed.
“We can do at least one-third light,” Josh argued.
“Quarter light will be fine, Josh,” Nathan agreed. “Better to save some propellant for deceleration and landing. Plus, I’d like to have enough left over to get the hell out of there in a hurry, even if we can’t refuel on the surface.”