by M. D. Cooper
Sabrina wasn’t happy about it, she said the station gave her the willies, as it contained too much antimatter. Jessica didn’t feel much better about it—especially since it was just ten meters below her.
“OK, Ron, that’s good, I suppose. No one should get sloppy. How many people left to go?”
“We still have seven thousand, though the medics think they know how to find people with the real ones now, so they’re doing them first.”
“Good. And the Cloud Singer, is it still scheduled to dock in an hour?”
“Yes, Perina, on schedule.”
“Good,” Jessica said as she rose. “I’ll be there ten minutes early for our little surprise.”
“I’m looking forward to it,” Ron said while rubbing his hands.
“Oh yeah?” Jessica asked. “Derrick piss you off royally as well?”
“Well, he’s a condescending bastard, and he has that weird grey skin. I can’t abide grey skin. Makes people look like robot zombies.”
Jessica laughed. “You know, Ron, I think you and I actually agree on something.”
“Stars, don’t tell anyone,” Ron replied and turned to leave the office.
“Hey, Ron,” Jessica called after him.
“Yeah?” Ron asked, looking back over his shoulder.
“You’re doing a good job. Keep it up.”
“Great. Thanks.”
Iris gave a short laugh.
Jessica walked out of her office and took a dock car to Sabrina’s berth. As the car took her through the station, people waved and called out in greeting. Jessica smiled and returned the waves. It was as though it were an entirely new place, even the lighting seemed brighter than when she’d first come aboard.
Sabrina was only a kilometer away, and just a few minutes later, Jessica arrived at the docking bay, spoke with a few of the station’s people for a minute, and then begged off to go onto the ship.
“You’re Imperial Perinaness!” Cargo greeted her with a smirk as she stepped into the main hold.
“Stars, not you too, Cargo. I can’t wait to get out of here.”
“Me too. Now that these people aren’t all glum and under The Perry’s control, they’re getting a little wild.”
Jessica nodded. “I know. I had to up patrols to make sure there wasn’t any looting.”
“Good call on establishing the Antimatter Fund, though,” Cargo said. “That gives everyone a piece of the pie if they all work together.”
“Once Nance gets that thing properly dismantled, and siphons off all the antimatter.”
“She’ll figure it out,” Jessica said. “She’s really come into her own these past few years.”
Cargo nodded. “Sure has.” He paused, his expression troubled. “So if we get Derrick—which I imagine we will—what do we do with him? He knows too much.”
Jessica looked down at her gently glowing hands as they interwove tightly. “We’re going to do what we have to do, Cargo.”
“Murder?”
“Execution.”
“What’s the difference?” Cargo asked.
Jessica sighed. This was not the time to have this debate—granted she couldn’t think of a time when she would want to have it. “At present, I’m the Per—I run this station. Derrick’s broken a number of laws here in the past, but always weaseled his way out. I can try, convict, and execute him based on those past infractions.”
“Doesn’t feel right,” Cargo said with a shake of his head. “I know we can’t just lock him up, or let him go—not unless we want to have a few dozen more situations like this happen in the future.”
“And that’s where we are, Cargo. Derrick wants to use, exploit, and probably kill us. We can’t have him loose, or for there to be the potential of having him get loose. We have to protect this ship.”
Jessica stared into Cargo’s eyes. He looked tired, as though he just couldn’t wait for all of this to be over. At heart, Cargo loved the trade, the deals, seeing the wonders of the galaxy. Swashbuckling adventure? He could do it; he was more than competent with a weapon. But his heart wasn’t in it.
This mission—what had turned into a thirty-year journey—it was taking its toll on the man.
“I understand, Jessica. We do what we have to do for crew and ship. That’s the way of it, right?”
Jessica nodded. It was. It always was.
“Cheeky still in medical, or is she in her quarters now?”
“How considerate,” Jessica said with a soft laugh.
“Don’t take too long,” Cargo said as he turned toward the cargo holds. “You still have to get armored up before our little confrontation.”
“You bet,” Jessica replied.
She walked down the passageway to the ladder that led up to the crew deck. She peeked into the galley, hoping to see Trevor, but he wasn’t there.
Sabrina replied.
Jessica nodded. She was sure Cheeky would feel the same way.
Jessica knocked on the door to Cheeky’s cabin, and a muffled ‘come’ answered her. She slid the door aside to reveal a darkened room with Cheeky laying on her bed, arm over her eyes.
“Head still hurt a lot?” Jessica asked quietly.
“Yuh, but better than before,” Cheeky replied.
“And you, Piya?”
“I guess Nance didn’t know as much about transference as she thought.”
“Or she knew too much,” Cheeky said softly.
“What do you mean?” Jessica asked.
“I don’t know…she just felt weird. I did a transference with the AHAP. I know what it feels like to stretch my mind like that…the limitations…what Nance did felt entirely different. It’s like she just walked right into my mind, pushed me aside, and made herself right at home.”
Jessica wondered how she’d feel in a situation like that. Having someone else take over your body would be unnerving no matter what, let alone while a massive antimatter bomb was right beside you.
“It’s OK,” Cheeky said. “She was in a rush…her first time. But she got the bomb disabled. We all lived, so no deliberate harm, no foul.”
Jessica could tell that there was still something on Cheeky’s mind, but decided not to push it. There would be plenty of time between the stars to talk further about what had happened.
“We don’t anticipate anything going sideways, but do you think you could be on the bridge?” Jessica asked. “It would make Sabrina feel better.”
“You listening i
n, Sabs?” Cheeky asked.
Cheeky laughed, then groaned and held her head. “Oh, bad move.” She took a slow breath and smiled weakly. “No need to get defensive, Sabs. I know you like to listen in on what’s going on aboard. I’m not upset. Give me twenty and I’ll be up there.”
“Just…just dim the lights and tone down the enthusiasm a bit, OK?”
“Sounds like everything will be well in hand,” Jessica said. “Don’t let Finaeus or Misha fly the ship while we’re gone.”
Cheeky gave a soft snort. “I may be messed up, but I’m not dead. Neither of those two are flying Sabrina while I still draw breath.”
“That’s the spirit,” Jessica said, grinning as she rose.
“Hey Jess?” Cheeky asked as she departed.
“What is it, Cheeks?”
“When Derrick docks and you arrest his sorry ass, kick him in the balls for me, ‘kay?”
Jessica chuckled. “Then he’s getting it twice, because I already planned on it.”
“Good deal,” Cheeky replied.
THE DEAL WITH DERRICK
STELLAR DATE: 04.23.8940 (Adjusted Years)
LOCATION: Bay 295, Ellis Reach
REGION: Perry System, Stillwater Nebula, Perseus Arm
Derrick’s ship, the Cloud Singer, eased into Bay 295 without any trouble at all. It wasn’t a big ship, only half the length of Sabrina, but with more visible weaponry.
The bay’s ramp rose up to the Cloud Singer’s starboard airlock, which cycled open to reveal Derrick in all his smarmy glory. Jessica eyed him from behind a stack of crates as he ambled down the ramp with a pair of women who wore medium armor and half-helmets trailing behind him.
For a moment, Jessica thought they were Macy and Jenn, but they were just two other butch, angry-looking women.
Iris laughed.
Ron waited at the bottom of the ramp with a pair of guards at his back, the same ones who had been with him when he’d taken Jessica and Trevor into custody.
In the intervening days, Jessica had gotten to know the two men, Andy and Karl. They were immeasurably happy not to have bombs in their heads anymore, and had gone on for some time about how they were looking forward to her time running the station.
She hadn’t had the heart to tell them that once RHY had been led astray as to the existence of Sabrina she would be leaving.
Although, she had to put someone in charge of the place. Though she trusted Ron enough to meet with Derrick—especially when Jessica held a high-powered rifle that was currently aimed at Derrick’s head—she didn’t trust him to make a good, long-term, ruler for the The Reach, and the Perry System in general.
He was a doer, but lacked the cunning to keep a place like this from falling to the next mini-dictator wannabe.
Jessica watched Ron stretch out his hand to take Derrick’s. “Took you long enough,” Ron said. “You were supposed to be here before them. Good thing The Perry had me around to get them locked down and under control.”
“So you got them? They’re secure? And their ship?” Derrick asked, barely able to hide how eager he was.
“Yeah, the purple girl and her hulk came off the ship and I nabbed ‘em. Then we spent a bit negotiating with the ship and when the time came to do the handoff, we managed to get them with a fast-acting nerve gas and stormed the thing.”
“That’s it? That easy?” Derrick asked, a look of skepticism crossing his face.”
“Easy? It took three days and I lost two men doing it. Not what I call easy.”
Derrick nodded, though he looked as though he still didn’t quite believe Ron.
“Show me.”
“No can do.” Ron shook his head. “First you’re going to meet The Perry to talk terms.”
Derrick sneered down at Ron. “I laid out my terms already. It was in the bounty.”
Ron didn’t bite, and instead shrugged nonchalantly. “Well, we have the ship and Retyna Girl, who is worth a hell of a lot more than you’re offering. So, I guess we’ll see if you can up the payment.”
Derrick sputtered, and Jessica enjoyed watching him struggle to find his next words. “Fine. Take me to The Perry. How’s Simon doing these days, anyway? Still disgusting?”
“Oh,” Ron replied casually. “Simon’s not The Perry anymore. We’re under new management.”
“Then who is it?” Derrick asked.
“Me,” Jessica said as she stepped out around the crates with her rifle shouldered and a face-splitting grin plastered on. “I bet this isn’t how you expected to meet next, is it?”
“You?” Derrick sputtered and took a step back. “Damnit!”
“Can’t kill me, right?” Jessica asked. “I’m worth a fortune because of my pretty purple skin. Thing is, the previous Perry told RHY about me, so they’re coming to collect soon—so no finder’s fee there for you.”
Derrick sighed and took a step back, his new girls moving in front of him.
“Not going to help much,” Cargo said as he emerged from behind one of the docking cradle’s struts. “Holes in your back work just as well as ones in the front.”
Trevor emerged a moment later from the other side and Derrick looked around with growing alarm as a dozen more armored figures stepped into view around the bay.
“I see you’ve made a name for yourself here, Retyna Girl,” Derrick sneered. “But don’t think for a second that I’m just going to surrender. My SC Batts are charged, and my weapons are hot. Mess with me and I tear this station apart from the inside.”
Jessica nodded slowly. “Yeah, assholes like you like to do things like that. Cool thing about the old Perry. He was a paranoid sumbitch. This bay here? It’s for folks who were worth the trouble, but not trustworthy. Get my drift?”
Derrick’s face fell and his lips finally lost their sneer. “There’s a spiker in here.”
“Yup, focused right on your ship. A six-emitter one too, I’m told that’s enough to crush your vessel down into a nice little ball of trash, seeing’s how your shields are down and your reactors are offline.”
“You won’t do it. I have antimatter aboard.”
“No, you don’t. You took the comms hookup when the station power umbilical connected. My AI, Iris, has already hacked your systems, and found that your bottle is empty—not that we were worried. You didn’t do a single AP burn coming in system, and we knew you’d be in a rush. Must have used it all up trying to beat us here.”
“Fuck.”
“Ladies,” Jessica addressed Derrick’s two guards. “I don’t know what this dickhead means to you, but I sure hope you don’t think he’s worth dying for.”
One of the women looked at the other, and then slowly set her weapon on the deck. The second woman followed a moment later.
“Helmets too,” Jessica added. “Then get on the ground.”
The women did as Jessica instructed, but Derrick still stood, a sulk on his face. “You too asshat,” Jessica said, pointing at the deck with the barrel of her gun.
Derrick hesitated, and she fired a shot over his shoulder, tearing the epaulette off his fancy jacket. The bullet ricocheted off the ramp and shards of the projectile shot into the airlock behind Derrick.
Jessica took a step closer, her rifle’s barrel aimed right between the sleazebag’s eyes. “Good people tell me that killing you would be wrong, Derrick. But to be honest, I think they’d still let me get away with it.”
“I sure would,” Tr
evor rumbled. “You’ve been very unkind to my wife.”
“Wife?” Derrick asked.
Trevor nodded as he stepped closer to the man, looming over him.
“OK!” Derrick shouted and got down on the deck.
“Hands behind your head, legs spread,” Trevor hollered before putting an armored knee into Derrick’s back.
Jessica knelt by his head. “I bet you’re really regretting taking that call from Macy and Jenn all those years ago, aren’t you?”
Derrick nodded, his cheek pressed against the deck. “I really am….”
Ron’s guards moved in and helped secure the two women and Derrick, while Cargo and Trevor walked up the ramp to inspect Derrick’s ship.
“Good work, Ron,” Jessica said, clasping the man’s shoulder. “Couldn’t have done this without you.”
Ron smiled, a genuine smile from a man who had been very lacking in positive reinforcement over the years.
“Thanks, Perina. Was my pleasure.”
BETTER THAN YOU FOUND IT
STELLAR DATE: 05.15.8940 (Adjusted Years)
LOCATION: The Perina’s offices, Ellis Reach
REGION: Perry System, Stillwater Nebula, Perseus Arm
The past three weeks had gone by in a strange combination of excruciating slowness, and a whirlwind of activity. The crew of Sabrina had wrought so many changes on Ellis Reach that the station—which it could now be called without any possibility of incarceration—was barely recognizable.
Ron was now the head of a properly organized police force, and was doing his best to live up to the trust Jessica had placed in him. He still reverted to force and coercion when he didn’t know what else to do, but the pair of AIs Jessica had established in the police administration were helping him learn the value of a measured response.