The Renegade Star Series: Books 1-3 (Renegade Star Box Set)

by JN Chaney

  “Doc, are you okay?” I asked, snapping my fingers.

  He blinked. “Oh, I apologize, Captain. I was thinking about them again. Our friends in the Church. They’re still heavy on my mind, it seems.” He cleared his throat. “Anyway, as I was saying, the technology itself was something of a mystery when we first discovered it. We had little information about what each of these machines actually did.”

  “And now?” I asked, looking at the dozens of devices scattered neatly across my ship’s floor.

  “Sadly, most are inactive,” he explained. “The only exceptions are the eight I mentioned before.”

  “That one’s my favorite,” said Lex. Her voice caught me off guard. I’d forgotten she was even there. She pointed to a small box in the corner, near Hitchens.

  “Ah, yes. Such an exquisite find,” he said.

  Lex ran to it and picked it up. As she touched it, I was surprised to see it brighten, a small light emanating from its surface, followed by a soft, melodic series of tones.

  Lex smiled, giggling at the sounds. “Isn’t it pretty?”

  I listened, intently, but couldn’t recognize the song, if that’s what it truly was.

  “Lex has been assisting me,” said Hitchens.

  I put out my hand to Lex. “Can I see that?”

  She smiled and gave me the box. The second it left her hand, the music stopped and the light grew dim and empty.

  “As you can see, Lex’s mark allows her to interact with each of these objects. It’s quite remarkable.”

  “You’re talking about her tattoo,” I said, glancing at the blue lines on her neck. An image of Lex sitting in the mysterious chair inside the cave swept through my mind.

  “Exactly right, Captain. The mark gives her the ability to activate each and every one of these machines. Why that is, I don’t fully understand, but her very proximity is often enough to bring them online.”

  I still had trouble believing that the girl could do what he was suggesting. Since when did a tattoo give someone the ability to activate anything? Most of the time, they were just an eyesore.

  Even if it was true, who would give such a valuable thing to a little kid?

  “Some don’t work, though,” said Lex, frowning. She pointed to the other machines.

  “Indeed. Only the eight are operational, and I had to replace several parts in each to get them working.”

  “You fixed them?” I asked, handing the box back to Lex.

  She took it and the music started up again, and she smiled.

  “Thankfully, yes,” said Hitchens. “I was able to salvage pieces from a few of them to fix these eight. This technology is nearly two thousand years old, so most of them had at least one broken part. I’m actually surprised I was able to get any of them to work in the first place.”

  “What about the map you found? How did you know it would work if it was so old? Did you know it would work before we went all the way out there?”

  He let out a short laugh. “Heavens no, Captain. I wasn’t even certain Lex existed until Sister Abigail brought her back. For that matter, putting her in that chair was only a theory.”

  “A theory?” I asked.

  He nodded. “I didn’t have time to perform any tests on her before we left. The only information we had came from the notes we stole from that Union lab. When you and Ms. Pryar arrived, the rest of us had to move quickly.”

  I looked at Lex, who was humming along with the machine, bouncing from one foot to the other. She walked to the stairs at the back of the bay and sat down. “That’s quite a gamble you took,” I said, turning back to him.

  “You have to understand. Lex is unique. Part of her tattoo resembles the emblem on the Cartographer, so we knew there had to be a connection.”

  “You had to know they’d come after her,” I said.

  “We did,” said Hitchens. “Frankly, we were fortunate to get the child home when we did.”

  “And you really think that map you found leads to Earth?”

  “I wouldn’t be risking my life and career if I didn’t.”

  “Well, for what it’s worth, Doc, I hope you’re right.”

  “Thank you, Captain. That means a great deal, considering your doubts.”

  “I may find the whole thing ridiculous, but that doesn’t mean I don’t want it to be true.”

  “I appreciate your skepticism,” said the doctor, a slight smile on his face. Perhaps one day you’ll have the proof you need to believe.”

  I laughed. “Now, wouldn’t that be something?”

  * * *

  We arrived at Taurus and had to wait in line over an hour before they let us dock. A bit unusual in my experience.

  Sigmond brought the ship in once we got the go-ahead, and I felt a sweeping relief wash over me as the station locked its docking clamp around The Renegade Star’s airlock.

  I met everyone in the hall. They each had their bags in hand and ready to disembark. I could see the eagerness on a few of their faces. After days in a cramped ship, they had to be ready for something with a little more area to it. Maybe a room with a raised ceiling, such as the promenade.

  “Everyone ready?” I asked, tapping in my access code to open the airlock.

  Abigail stood next to Lex and Octavia. She looked better than before, much less dazed, but still tired.

  I gave her a nod and she returned it.

  The door slid up and a cold breeze hit us, sweeping through the inner hall of my ship. It felt refreshing, just like every other visit. The fresh air conditioning reminded me that I needed to replace the one on The Star.

  Freddie reached out his hand. “Thank you for the safe journey, Captain.”

  I shook it. “Not a problem.”

  “We’ll be at the hotel on deck 4. I’ll be using my name, so ask for Tabernacle.”

  “Taber-what?”

  “Tabernacle. That’s my last name.”

  I raised my eye at him. “Since when?”

  He laughed and shook his head, like I’d said a joke, then walked through the door and into the station.

  Everyone followed, disembarking the ship. As most of them continued toward the promenade, Hitchens paused at my side, along with Octavia. “Captain, shall we accompany you to see your man?”

  “My man?” I asked.

  He looked around, even though no one was there, and leaned in. He covered the side of his mouth and whispered, “You know…the dealer.”

  I pushed his hand away. “His name is Ollie, and sure, you can come if you want. Try to relax, though. This isn’t a spy movie.”

  He clasped his hands together. “Oh, wonderful!” he exclaimed as we began to walk down the platform. “This will be so exciting.”

  The promenade was less congested than I expected, especially during this time of day. Typically, there was a decent-sized crowd gathering around the shops and bars. Travelers, mostly, and tourists. It made it easy for people like myself to blend in.

  Ollie’s shop wasn’t far from where we pulled in. I knew he’d be there, too, since the poor schmuck never took a day off. Whatever he was, Ollie was reliable.

  “Jace!” he yelled when he saw me coming.

  I nodded at him. “Ollie. Good to see you.”

  “You’ve been gone a bit longer than I expected. What happened with that job? You know, the one with the nun. I’m still waiting on my cut, by the way. When are you gonna pay me?”

  “It got complicated,” I said, approaching the counter. “Haven’t had time to send the money yet, but I’ll take care of it after this.”

  “Yeah, you better, pal,” he said. Ollie had one of his suits on today. Turquoise blue with a little gold trim. Not exactly my kind of thing, although somehow it worked for him. “You ought to bring me something nice when you stay away for so long.”

  “You’re the one who sells cheap souvenirs. I figured you had enough to last a lifetime.”

  “I’ll have you know, my goods make the best gifts on the station. Ask anyone w
ho shops here. Anyway, who are your friends?” asked Ollie.

  “His name is Hitchens,” I explained. “He’s a professor. This is his assistant, Octavia”

  “A doctor of archaeology, actually. Not a professor,” corrected Hitchens.

  I shrugged. “Doesn’t matter. He’s here to help explain the cargo I need to sell, in case you have questions.”

  “Cargo?” asked Ollie.

  “We picked up some old tech. I think it’s pre-Union. Since you’re in the market of selling useless shit to rich idiots, I thought you’d be the guy to talk to.”

  “Damn, and this whole time I thought you were stopping by because you missed my face.”

  “The catalogue includes over three dozen items,” said Hitchens.

  “I’ll have to take a look before I say for sure. Did you bring anything with you?”

  Hitchens opened his satchel and set a small metallic object on the countertop. It was bronze and circular, interwoven with beautiful designs. The carvings, I noticed, were remarkably similar to Lex’s tattoo.

  Ollie’s eyes widened at the sight of the machine. “Oh, well, look at that.”

  “This particular artifact is, by my estimates, 1300 years old,” said Hitchens.

  Ollie took out a small device, which could only be a scanner, and waved it along the relic. A light blinked, and Ollie grinned. “Oh, yes. Yes, yes, yes.” He looked up at me. “Jace, you always bring me the best stuff.”

  “Glad you like it,” I said.

  “Higgins, is the rest of your supply like this?” asked Ollie.

  “It’s Hitchens,” corrected the doctor. “To answer your question, it most certainly is.”

  Ollie’s eyebrows shot up. “Oh yeah, Jace. I can sell this for sure. Let’s go get the rest and I’ll set up a meeting with some buyers first thing tomorrow morning. I’ll be needing the usual 10% to cover my fee, naturally.”

  “How much do you think you can get?” I asked.

  “If the rest of the merchandise is like this? I’d say you could be looking at a hundred thousand, easy.”

  I blinked. “Seriously? A hundred thousand for a bunch of machines?”

  Ollie laughed. “Look around this shop,” he said, waving his hand at the array of tiny trinkets, made primarily with discarded junk. “You should know by now that people will buy just about anything if you tell them it’s worth something.”

  “These machines are valuable,” insisted Hitchens.

  “It’s garbage,” said Ollie. “And it’s old as shit, which means it’s valuable.”

  Hitchens dropped his mouth like he was insulted. “But—”

  “Let it go, Doc,” I said, touching his shoulder. “Ollie can call our cargo garbage all he wants, so long as he delivers the right payment.”

  “Trust me,” said Ollie with the same bravado I’d witnessed so many times before. “No one knows this business better than me.”

  * * *

  Ollie, Octavia, and I moved the thirty-eight artifacts from my cargo bay and unloaded them into the back room of the shop. He was eager to start making calls to his associates, so the rest of us agreed to give him some space.

  “Call me in the morning,” Ollie said.

  “That’s a fast turnaround. You sure you don’t need more time?”

  “There’s always someone eager to get their hands on this stuff. Trust me. I see postings for it all the time.”

  “Great. Thanks again, Ollie,” I said, tapping his shoulder.

  “Anytime, Jace. Just do me a favor, would you?”

  “What is it?” I asked.

  Ollie leaned in. “That girl you’re with. The assistant to the fat guy. Think you could put a good word in for me?”

  “You mean Octavia?”

  “Yeah, she’s a looker, that one.”

  “I’ll see what I can do,” I said, glancing back at Octavia, who was standing at the entrance to the shop with Hitchens.

  Ollie’s eyes lit up. “Really? Damn, Jace, you’re a good pal.”

  “Just sell my stuff and we’ll call it even,” I said, turning to leave. “See you tomorrow.”

  I said goodbye to Hitchens and Octavia, who went to join their friends in the hotel on floor twelve. They’d join me on the promenade first thing tomorrow so we could meet back up with Ollie. Until then, everyone was free to relax.

  I thought about heading to the bar, ultimately opting to just go to my room and crash for the night. It was early, sure, but I didn’t operate on a typical sleep schedule. That was for people with day jobs. People who sat in a cubicle or an office and performed a mindless task for eight hours a day. Me? I didn’t have the luxury of going home at the end of a shift and clocking out. My job didn’t end, which meant that sometimes I couldn’t rest.

  Not that I was complaining. This was the life I’d chosen, and it was a good one. A lawless one, full of freedom and open space. The last thing I wanted was to be trapped in a room, behind a computer screen, logging data-entry points and reading memos.

  I’d fought tooth and nail to get to where I was, including taking out that loan from Fratley. All I had to do was pay him off and then I’d be free to do as I pleased. No more debt to struggle with, no more asshole breathing down my neck.

  I thought about the money I was about to make, thanks to Ollie and those artifact machines. While I was still thinking about it, I went ahead and transferred ten percent of my earnings from the last job into Ollie’s account. Fair was fair, after all.

  Almost there, I thought as I closed my eyes to sleep. I’ll fix the rest tomorrow.

  SIXTEEN

  A few minutes after I woke, I noticed my pad blinking an alert. Ollie had mentioned calling me, so my only guess was that I missed it while I was asleep.

  I swiped the screen and saw a video recording in my inbox. As expected, it was signed Ollie Trinidad.

  I tapped the name and Ollie’s face filled the screen.

  “Jace, it’s me. I guess you’re still asleep, so listen up. I called and got a deal with a buyer. They’ve transferred the money directly into my account, so I’m sending your share straight to you. Enjoy, pal. Just stop by sometime after lunch and we’ll celebrate. The buyer is on his way now to pick up the goods. Anyway, see ya soon.”

  I quickly pulled up my bank account, using the gal-net. After logging in, I was shocked to see a whopping one hundred and ten thousand credits sitting there. Talk about a beautiful sight. I swear, I could have cried.

  The video ended with a timestamp, suggesting it had been sent in the early morning, around 0600. I checked the clock and saw it was currently 0900. Boy, had I slept late.

  Was it really over? All that work to get this money, but it was finally done. I had the payment and Fratley could be satisfied. I could take my ship and go anywhere, do anything I wanted.

  I slammed my fist into my mattress, smiling as I stared at the number in my account.

  After a quick stretch, I got up and showered, taking my time. There was no need to rush anymore.

  It wasn’t noon yet, so I decided I wanted to catch a glimpse of these buyers, if possible, and see who was actually willing to shell out so many creds for a bunch of useless toys. Then, I’d buy Ollie a drink to show him my thanks. The little weasel really came through for me, same as always.

  When I was in the hall, leaving my room, I called Sigmond and asked him to tell Hitchens to meet me on the Promenade. The jolly researcher was more than eager to do so, giving me a warm acknowledgement.

  I stopped in at the bar, briefly, for a cup of their terrible coffee, giving my salute to the same bartender I’d met the last time I was here. “Thanks,” I told him, taking the cup from the counter.

  “No problem. You in dock for long?” he asked.

  “I aim to leave today, actually.” I took a sip and was surprised at how good it tasted. The coffee on my ship was usually the best, but this blend wasn’t much worse.

  “I can’t say I blame you,” said the barkeep. “There’s some sketchy p
eople here today. Moreso than usual.”

  “Sketchy?” I asked. “We get another group of ravagers in?”

  “Nah, more like military guys. I saw some uniforms heading upstairs.”

  “Military? You’re sure?”

  He nodded. “Seemed like it. I didn’t get a good look, but someone mentioned they were with the Union. I don’t believe it, though. Ain’t seen any Union guys around here in over a year.”

  That wasn’t good. The last thing I needed to deal with was the military snooping around. “Thanks for the tip,” I said, gulping down the coffee.

  “Hey, you take care. Stop by the next time you’re in.”

  “Will do. Thanks again.”

  I spotted Hitchens walking beside Octavia the second I left the bar. He was wearing a vacation shirt of some sort. The same kind they sold in the local gift shop.

  “Do you like it?” he asked, grinning.

  “He bought it upstairs at the hotel,” said Octavia, shaking her head. “I told him not to.”

  “Nonsense,” said Hitchens. “I think it’s rather fitting.”