by JN Chaney
“Sure I did, but it was the only option we had. Now, are you gonna answer my question or do I have to ask again?”
“I don’t know what you’re asking me,” said the nun.
“Did you kill a man to save this kid?”
She stopped drinking. “What?”
“Fratley showed me a picture of you in the labs. He said you killed a senator. What the hell were you thinking?”
“I had no choice. I—” She paused, looking at Lex, hesitating to finish the thought. “Let’s talk about this later, privately. I’ll tell you everything.”
“I’m not doing anything privately with you, lady. I’ll talk to you and Fred together…and I want the truth this time.” I turned toward the cockpit. “Siggy, go ahead and let the others out. Tell them to get in the lounge and plant their asses for a while, until I get us out of here.”
“You’re leaving the system?” asked Abigail, setting her empty cup on the table.
“Of course, I am. We’re not staying here.”
“You need to search for survivors at the church. There’s safe spots all around the facility. You have to—”
“We can’t worry about that right now. If Fratley sees me sitting here for much longer, it’ll be all our asses.”
She started to say something, only to shut her mouth. She hated the idea of running away, I was certain, but she also knew the reality of our situation.
“Just so you know,” I continued. “I still aim to get paid for all this.”
I left her there, taking my seat in the cockpit. I primed the engines and opened a new tear in slipspace.
TWELVE
The Renegade Star sat floating in a loose orbit around the moon of Damos III, a system not far from Arcadia. The five members of the Church of the Homeworld, along with the little albino girl, sat together in the lounge, waiting for me to talk.
I didn’t know what to say, except, “What the fuck is going on?”
Octavia got to her feet and looked at Lex. “Say, how about we go play for a bit?”
An eager smile formed on the young girl’s face. “Okay!”
“I’ll come and get you when we’re done here,” said Abigail.
“Take your time,” answered Octavia as she and Lex began to leave.
As soon as they were gone, Abigail turned to face me again. “I’m happy to tell you everything, Mr. Hughes, but first I need some assurances.”
“That’s not how this works, nun. First, you tell me exactly what you’re doing with this kid. After that, I’ll decide if I want to assure you of anything.”
“I can’t just—”
“If you don’t like it, there’s the airlock.” I pointed to the back half of the ship.
“I’m sure the Captain will understand,” said Fred.
“Quite so,” agreed Doctor Hitchens. “He’s done a fine job of protecting us, wouldn’t you agree?”
“He only did that because he was getting paid,” said Abigail.
She was right. Before now, I’d been promised a payment. A rather large one at that. As it stood now, I had no reason to help these people, except the vague possibility of getting compensated for what I was owed. “I won’t leave you stranded. How’s that to start?”
Fred nodded. “See? There’s no harm in telling him.”
“Fine,” resigned Abigail. “But you should know I’ll kill you if you try to turn us in.”
The woman was so frank, I nearly laughed. Not because it was funny, mind you. Only because I’d never met anyone with balls like hers. “You got it.”
She took a breath. “Lex isn’t your average little girl,” she began. “She’s part of something much larger.”
“What do you mean?” I asked.
“Several years ago, back before the church first learned of her, Lex was a small child living on a fringe planet known as Deo. It’s a farming world and thus remains of little interest to the Union. Lex was living there when a group of scientists found her and brought her back for further research.”
“Why would they do that?” I asked.
“Because she was different. Not only did she look nothing like the other people in her village, but she had a rather unusual tattoo on her body. I’m sure you’ve seen it.”
I said that I had.
“The tattoo has certain properties to it that are unlike anything even the Union has seen.”
“Properties?”
She nodded. “You remember the chair she sat in, back in those ruins? Her tattoo activated the map in that place. It’s how we were able to use it. It was the key.”
“Her tattoo did that? How does that work?”
“No one knows for certain. It’s believed to be tied directly to a certain technology.”
“An ancient one,” added Hitchens. “Specifically, the lost engineering of old Earth.”
“The Union discovered Lex because of a rumor,” continued Abigail. “It was said that a pod from space landed in a field, and that the farmer of that land discovered a baby inside, bearing a strange mark. When a pair of Union merchants came to trade, they heard the rumor and wanted to meet the little girl with the tattoo. They were shocked to see she was, in fact, alive and real. The news eventually reached the Union’s science division, and it didn’t take long for them to find Lex.”
“We don’t know if the Union has pieced together the connection between Lex’s tattoo and Earth,” said Fred. “They definitely understand there’s something important about her.”
“From what I saw in the labs, they seemed to be experimenting on her, trying to replicate the properties of the marking,” said Abigail.
“What exactly is that tattoo?” I asked.
“Like I said, it’s a key, but we don’t know how and we don’t know why,” she answered. “All we know is that it works.”
“In short, Captain,” said Hitchens. “That little girl holds the key to finding Earth. It may be the only means we have of ever reaching it.”
“If the Union ever gets their hands on her, they’ll eventually figure out what we already know—that she has a connection to Earth. After that, they’ll do everything in their power to extract whatever secrets are hidden in that tattoo, no matter the cost,” said Abigail.
“What stopped them before?” I asked.
“The tattoo is actually organic and relies on Lex’s own biology to function. The Union understands that if she dies, they lose the information,” said Fred.
“They were working on a way to extract it when I took her,” said Abigail. “I couldn’t risk that happening, so I acted before we were ready. That’s when things went wrong.”
“You mean the senator,” I said.
She nodded. “He was touring the facility when I made my escape. His men tried to stop us, but we managed to get through them. The senator was never part of the plan.”
“When you say we, do you mean you and Lex?”
“There was another person helping me,” said Abigail. “His name was Peter. He died on our way out. That was when the senator was killed, too. There was a firefight in one of the corridors. I protected Lex while Peter covered us.”
“It’s not your fault,” said Fred.
I scoffed. “Sure it is. You ran in blind and botched the job. What did you think would happen?”
She looked at me, although there was no argument in her eyes. “You don’t have to tell me.”
The response took me by surprise. “So, you admit you messed up. That’s good. Now you can learn from it and be better. You’ve got that kid to look after, so you can’t screw up anymore.”
She nodded.
After a brief silence, Freddie cleared his throat. “What are we going to do now, Captain? Do you have a plan?”
“I’m not taking you back to the church,” I said, frankly. “But I won’t leave you stranded, either.”
Abigail lifted her eyes to look at me. “What do you mean?”
“You owe me a shitload of money, lady. All of you do. I expect you to
find a way to pay, and quickly.”
Hitchens, who had said very little until now, raised his finger. “I might have some extra credits.”
“What’s that?” I asked.
“The church recently sent me a nice sum for my research expenses. A grant of sorts.”
“How much?” I asked.
“Ten thousand, I believe,” he said, tapping his chin. “Would that be enough?”
“Not even close, but it’s a start,” I said. “Anyone else?”
“I don’t have any money. I’m sure we can figure it out,” said Fred.
“Good, because until we do, we’re all in a world of shit. Maybe you didn’t see the guy in charge of that small fleet. His name is Fratley, and he’s ruthless. He’ll torture and kill you all if he finds out you’re on this boat.”
“Let’s avoid that outcome if we can,” said Freddie.
“There might be a better way,” mused Hitchens. “Tell me, Captain, do you know any traders who deal in relics or antiques?”
“I might know a guy,” I said, immediately picturing Ollie, back on Taurus.
“If so, the solution might be right in front of us.”
“How?” asked Fred.
“Do you recall the Cartographer on Epsilon?”
“How could I forget?” I asked. “Getting attacked by a bunch of wild animals is always memorable.”
“Nevertheless, there are several points of interest there, aside from the ruins we visited. Octavia and I, along with other researchers at the church, have spent the last several years excavating that planet. We’ve uncovered several artifacts that we believe would net a small fortune.”
“And where are these relics?” I asked.
“In a small facility, not far from Arcadia. I can give you the exact coordinates if you’d like.”
“This isn’t the kind of thing where one person thinks something is valuable, then it turns out to be a bunch of junk…is it?”
Hitchens waved his arms back and forth. “No, no, I assure you, these relics are quite valuable, Captain.”
I considered the proposal. If he was right, it could mean getting Fratley off my back for good. If these relics turned out to be worthless, I might not have enough time to do another job. I’d be royally fucked.
“Okay,” I finally said. “To hell with it. I didn’t become a Renegade because it was easy. Let’s see what you can do, Professor.”
“I’m not a professor,” corrected Hitchens.
“Whatever,” I said. “Siggy, you listening?”
“As always,” said Sigmond.
“Prime the engines. We’ve got a junkyard to loot.” I let out my hand to Hitchens. “Now, let’s hear those coordinates. There ain’t much time to lose.”
* * *
I thought about putting in a long-range request to speak with Ollie back on Taurus, but decided against it. The last thing I needed was someone catching the signal and listening in. They said the gal-net was secure, but I’d heard stories. There was talk that the Union had trackers in place to pick up on key words, and I couldn’t risk getting found out before I delivered the goods. I’d have to take a chance on Ollie’s ability to sell whatever I brought him. If the goods were decent, we wouldn’t have a problem. I’d just have to wait to find out.
The facility Hitchens told me about was on a large asteroid in a system called DX192-9444-0. It was the kind of place you’d never visit, because there was almost nothing there. There was a single planet, sure, only it was a gas giant with liquid hydrogen oceans on its surface and little else. Hardly the kind of place you’d take a date.
According to the gal-net, it was theorized that there used to be another planet here, closer to the star, but it eventually exploded into an asteroid belt. Most believed it was due to a rogue comet hitting the planet. I got the impression none of them knew for sure.
Whatever the case, hardly a soul ever came this way. The belt had been mined and subsequently abandoned, just like so many other systems whose resources had been bled dry, and now it was ours.
“Our destination is one of the larger asteroids,” said Sigmond as we entered the belt.
“Bring us in,” I ordered.
“Shall I ready the shuttle for you, sir?”
“Sure, and while you’re at it, tell Abigail and Freddie to meet me in the bay.”
“As you wish,” said the AI.
I exited the cockpit and found Lex running around the outer ring of the lounge. She seemed to be playing and mumbling to herself, the way a kid does when they’re in a world of their own. “Hey, Mr. Hughes, excuse me.”
I stepped aside, letting her pass. “Careful,” I told her. “If you trip and fall, I’m not cleaning you up.”
“Sorry,” she said.
“What’s that in your hand?” I asked.
She showed me a small toy, some kind of tiny ship. “Abby gave it to me at the church. His name is Jerry.”
“Jerry? What kind of name is that for a ship?”
“I dunno. That’s just his name,” she said, like she had nothing to do with it.
“Oh, well, why aren’t you with someone? Did the nun get sick of you?”
She shook her head. “Abby’s talking to the doctor. It was boring, so I left.”
“Smart girl,” I said. “All right, go on and play or whatever you were doing.”
She smiled, then turned and resumed her nonsense.
Leaving the lounge, I quickly walked to the bay, where I found Freddie and Abigail waiting for me. To my surprise, Hitchens was also there. “I only need two of you. The doctor can wait in the lounge or his room.”
“You’ll need me to help locate the correct items,” said Hitchens. “None of you know anything about my work.”
“He has a point,” said Abigail.
“That might be true, but you have to stay here.”
“What for?” he asked.
“Because you don’t have your own spacesuit, and you’re too fat for mine,” I said, rather bluntly.
Freddie’s jaw dropped.
“Oh,” muttered Hitchens. “I see. Well, that makes sense, I suppose.”
“You can guide us from here. There’s a camera on each of the suits that links directly to the ship’s systems. Sigmond will set you up on the lounge’s viewer.”
“That’s correct,” said Sigmond, his voice booming from the overhead speaker.
“Ah, well, that makes things easier,” said Hitchens, resting his hand on his side.
“As for you two, I hope you can handle a spacewalk. Suits are in that locker over there.” I pointed behind them. “Gear up and let’s get to it.”
“W-Wait,” said Fred. “I don’t know if I can do that.”
I paused. “Huh?”
“I’ve never gone on a real microgravity walk before.”
“You what?” I asked.
“There’s never been a reason for me to do something like that.”
Even Abigail was surprised. “Didn’t you take the training course? It’s required on most Union worlds before you’re allowed to fly.”
“I’m from Shadderack. Our training program isn’t what you’d call pristine.”
“Shadderack?” asked Hitchens.
“It’s a lesser known colony world. We don’t utilize a lot of space travel, so most never have a reason to leave the planet. I only did because my education required—”
“Get to the point, Freddie,” I said.
“Sorry. We mostly submerge ourselves in water for an hour, walk around, and that’s it. The instructor signs off and we move on. The Union doesn’t seem to mind it, since hardly anyone from Shadderack ever leaves the planet, let alone the solar system.”
I went to the locker and pulled out a helmet. “Well, today you get some hands-on experience.” I pushed the helmet into his arms. “It’ll be a great learning exercise.”
Fred looked down at the reflecting visor, spotting himself. “Oh, boy.”
Abigail grabbed one of the suits fro
m the locker and handed it to me. “Let’s get this over with.”
“That’s the spirit,” I said, grinning at the nun. “I like where your head’s at.”
THIRTEEN
I stood on an asteroid, watching as my two companions departed the small shuttle.
Freddie nearly fell out of the vehicle, having had little experience with spacewalks before today. Still, he seemed to grasp the concept pretty quickly, once his feet were planted on the rock.
Abigail flicked on her suit’s light, brightening the asteroid’s surface.
I touched the side of the shuttle, detaching a flat piece of metal. It unfolded itself into a large, hovering cart with an extendable handle. This would make carrying the load back significantly easier once we located it.
Nearby, I spotted several discarded pieces of drilling machinery, most of which were likely inoperable. The gal-net had mentioned a mining operation taking place here some twenty years ago, making most of this equipment useless and archaic.
“Hitchens, you hearing me?” I asked, speaking through the com in my suit. “Give me a sign you’re there.”