by D. M. Pruden
As per operational procedure, the medical centre was locked when unoccupied, so I keyed in the access code and entered. On the first arrival at the base, I briefly entertained thoughts about restarting my sideline business but dismissed the idea as soon as Garrick revealed his penchant for discipline. Given Schmaltz’s paranoid ramblings, I could imagine being spaced for such an infraction.
I made the unnecessary inventory recount and system’s function check and logged everything. Despite my recent history, I knew how to behave myself when circumstances required. I managed to be an exemplary student during my sojourn at the Terran Medical Academy, much to the surprise of my sponsor and me.
The comm chimed and the speaker crackled with the emotionless voice of the first officer, Shigeko Limn.
“All hands, attend to stations in preparation for orbital intercept. Docking in T-minus five minutes. Doctor Destin, Crewman Hodgson, report to port B1.”
With the real boss’s arrival, I wondered if the ship could accommodate two alpha males. Though, on second thought, Garrick seemed like ex-military, so he was probably not bothered with working under a ranking officer. I smiled at the mental image of him being dressed down by the mysterious Erik Dunn like some lowly crewman. Not bloody likely to happen, but an entertaining thought, nonetheless.
I locked the medical bay before heading towards the docking port. As I descended the ladder to B deck, I spotted Hodgson ascending from C deck.
“You don’t seem happy to see me, Doctor,” he said.
“Wherever would you get that idea?”
I motioned for him to walk ahead of me, mostly because I didn’t want him watching my ass.
We waited outside the portal in silence. Hodgson stared off into space, empty thoughts presumably filling his empty head. I was glad he wasn’t chatty and hoped he finally understood my feelings for him. The floor vibrated at contact with the transport shuttle and the airlock began its pressurization cycle.
I straightened, looked ahead and moistened my dry lips in preparation to formally greet the company representative on behalf of the crew. I wanted to redeem myself for the poor first impression I had given Garrick.
The soft hum of the pressure pumps stopped and the green light on the door panel indicated a proper seal. The shuttle door opened and I signalled Hodgson to open the door. With a slight hiss, it slid aside and a male figure moved from the shadows of the connection bridge between the ships. Erik Dunn stepped through the opening and smiled charmingly at me.
“Permission to come aboard?” he asked, almost innocently.
I stared at him, speechless. In the doorway stood Jake Matthiews.
Chapter 10
Felix Altius normally wouldn’t interrupt his Dominus at this time of day, especially with any potentially bothersome news. The late afternoon was reserved for Regis Mundi’s period of recreation with one of his favourite concubines and to disturb him would set a poor tone for the rest of the day. The call prompting this interruption came flagged as a special case. Felix usually rescheduled callers for the next available opening. Such a deflection ensured the person would be put off for another six months at least. It was a tactic he regularly employed on those who sought to use him as a quick conduit to Mundi. Most of the fools regarded him as a mere secretary. None appreciated Altius’ true role, which both he and his master preferred.
He arrived in front of the massive bronze door guarding the vestibulum to Mundi’s private quarters. This deep inside the complex there were no guards, ceremonial or otherwise, and beyond this entrance, even the hidden security was banned. Aside from himself, only selected guests were permitted within the residence.
Felix absently activated the access code with his cortical interface and the doors silently opened to admit him. He strode through the fauces and past the atrium to the recreational cubiculum. Mundi laid out his private apartments in the pattern of a traditional ancient roman home with the rooms arranged in a historically accurate plan.
He paused to listen, sensitive to not interrupt at an especially crucial moment. Hearing only a brief burst feminine laughter, he girded himself and knocked on the door post of the curtained chamber’s entrance. The laughter cut itself off and after a few seconds of silence, the annoyed voice of an older man bade him enter.
Felix pulled back the curtain and waited in the doorway for his master’s pleasure. Though he was Mundi’s most trusted servant, he remained but a servant. Mundi stood beside the large bed in the centre of the room, barefooted and dressed loosely in his toga. Neither of the two women made any effort to cover their nakedness.
“I trust there is good reason to interrupt us?”
Felix performed a slight bow before replying.
“My apologies, Dominus, but an urgent matter came to my attention regarding Agent 324.” He looked toward the concubines.
“And you are acting according to my instructions. Yes, yes, yes.” He turned and waved the women away. They quietly collected their clothing and, without dressing, slipped past Felix. He noted their identities and showed no overt interest in them, despite the subtle efforts they made to attract his attention. Though they were attractive specimens, he regarded them as works of art rather than objects of desire.
Regis Mundi sat on the side of the bed and smiled at him.
“In truth, I am grateful for your interruption, my friend. I doubted my stamina this afternoon.” He chuckled, then raised his hand in a sign for Felix to give his report.
“Agent 324 assumed an identity and is proceeding outwardly with the plan he outlined but a few weeks ago.” He paused to ensure Mundi’s attention. Mundi nodded for him to continue.
“My spy informs me Agent 324, or Erik Dunn, as he is now known, also secretly commissioned another ship in addition to the Fortuna. This one is manned by his own vetted personnel, all retainers completely loyal to him.”
“Only to Dunn? This is verified?”
“I initiated my own verification of this. My source only just informed me.”
“What is his endgame?”
“Unclear. But I do know he located the Helios and I suspect he plans to betray you.”
Mundi exhaled loudly through his nostrils.
“I wondered how big a prize it might take to turn him. Now we know, don’t we? Pity. He was beginning to grow on me.”
Mundi looked up at him for a moment, seeming to weigh a decision for as long as possible.
“I suppose you recommend his termination?”
“Not at the moment.”
“Are you getting soft on me, Felix? Do you think I’ve grown so fond of 324 I might appreciate keeping him around for a while?”
“No, Dominus, I agree you must order his death. I simply meant he is still your only opportunity to recover the item you need. If we terminate him now, we will lose the window and the Terrans will find it first.”
“So what is your council?”
“I believe once the item is recovered, he plans to rendezvous with his second vessel and take the sample for his own purposes, leaving you with two missing Terran vessels to explain. I suggest we allow Dunn to continue with his plan. I propose we commandeer the second ship and crew it with your own people. You will obtain what you sent him to retrieve, and expose his treachery.”
Mundi regarded him admiringly.
“You are enjoying turning the tables on him, aren’t you? I didn’t think you were capable of such base pleasures, Felix.”
“I am conditioned to enjoy any of the pleasures of a natural human but with more self-control.” Felix allowed himself only a slight smile.
“And yet your conditioning still assures me of your complete loyalty, doesn’t it? I wish I employed more like you.”
“I am working towards that, Dominus.” Felix bowed.
After a moment of consideration, Regis Mundi said, “Proceed with your plan. Kill all Dunn’s retainers and replace them with our own.”
“With respect, we need to keep some alive to prevent him from discover
ing our intentions.”
“Yes, yes, I hadn’t thought of that. Very well, do as you see fit and keep me informed. Please send in Drusilla again on your way out.”
Felix Altius bowed low and backed his way out of the cubiculum. He smiled slightly to himself as he marched purposefully back to his office and his agent who was waiting for instructions. She would be rewarded handsomely for the information, of course, but he also hoped he would be permitted to allow Kiri Mason to live when all was finished. He always needed good agents, and she was proving herself to be most valuable.
Chapter 11
I stared, mouth agape at the man responsible for all my recent misfortunes.
“May I come aboard? Please?” He stood in the doorway, no sign of recognition on his face. He acted as if meeting me for the first time.
I swallowed hard, then regained my composure and, with only a beat or two missed, responded as professionally as I could. “Welcome, Mister Dunn.” A bead of sweat ran down the small of my back.
He extended his right hand in greeting.
“It is a pleasure to formally meet you, Doctor Destin. You came highly recommended.” He smiled as he continued with his act. Over the shock, I pushed down the almost overwhelming urge to scratch his eyes out.
“Thank you,” I replied, then added as an afterthought, “Sir.”
With an amused expression on his face, he nodded towards Hodgson. It took me a second to understand his lead.
“Mister Dunn, may I present crewman Dyson Hodgson?” I gestured to Hodgson who stood at rigid attention. He firmly shook Hodgson’s hand.
“Mister Hodgson and I are familiar with one another.”
I glanced at Hodgson before I turned back to Dunn. I don’t know why the idea the two men knew each other caught me off guard. Despite the claims of familiarity, Hodgson remained still and showed no expression. I guessed that their relationship was not a warm one.
“Mister Hodgson will escort you to your cabin and give you a tour of the ship, Sir.” I put too much emphasis on the formal address but I didn’t care what Dunn, or whatever he called himself, thought of me. I just wanted the charade to end and wondered why I hadn’t listened to Schmaltz a few short hours before.
“I trust I will see you at dinner with Captain Garrick later this evening?”
I had forgotten about my expected appearance at the Captain’s mess for the first meal. I offered the most cordial response I could muster.
“I look forward to it, Sir.”
“Oh, please Doctor. I don’t stand on formalities. Call me Erik.”
His smile was predatory, seeming to invite me to step closer to him for him to pounce. I fought to remain in character.
“I look forward to it...Erik.” The name tasted like bile.
He smiled and allowed Hodgson to lead him into the ship, leaving me at the still opened airlock in disbelief at what had just happened.
I closed the hatch and informed the bridge of Dunn’s arrival. I leaned against the wall, legs shaking. At least, the son-of-a-bitch didn’t out me in front of Hodgson, of all people. How long would it be before the news of my humiliation made its way to the rest of the crew?
I wasn’t ashamed of my previous life before I got my sponsorship to med school. I viewed that as my history. Nobody could do anything about their past, but it annoyed me that I had determined to leave that life behind and failed. On my first foray into the world’s oldest profession in over twenty years, I’d bungled things up like a novice. You’d think all that was enough, but what angered and embarrassed me more than anything else was having been played. There was more going on here than Charlie’s lies, and I intended to learn what.
♢♢♢
That evening, I shared a table with Garrick, Limn, Schmaltz and Dunn in the Captain’s mess. I had thought of calling in ill, claiming female issues, but realized that would be capitulating in the little game Dunn forced me to play.
While the crew did not wear uniforms, the expectation called for more formal attire, especially when honouring a guest. I had only brought one outfit that could even pass as semi-formal, and it happened to be the same one that I wore the night I met “Jake”.
I was seated across from Dunn. Though he behaved appropriately towards me, I remained keenly aware of every glance he gave me and wished for some kind of coverup.
Schmaltz, freshly shaved and showered sat next to me in his fine suit. I had only ever seen him dressed in his dirty orange coveralls, his unshaved face covered in grime and the ever-present unlit cigar in his mouth.
“You clean up nice, Doc,” he whispered to me.
“Said the pot to the kettle,” I replied in a whisper, punctuating it with a friendly smile.
Hodgson, wearing the dress uniform of a Terran Marine Sergeant, served the table with the skill and manners of a trained waiter. Everyone seemed to have secrets that were coming out and I prayed that Dunn continued his role as a gentleman and allowed mine to remain secret.
“Did you not enjoy the soup, Doctor?” Hodgson whispered in my ear as he removed the untouched serving. The meal itself was fairly standard ship’s fare, mostly pre-packaged and reconstituted in the galley’s food dispensers, yet he tried to sound offended like I had rejected something he had slaved over all afternoon. I glared at him but did not reply. He smiled politely and returned to the galley.
The remainder of the dinner proceeded without incident, most of the conversation remaining polite and safe. After the dessert course, Dunn stood and spoke to the group.
“Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for the fine welcome you have given me on this, the inaugural mission of the Rego science vessel, Fortuna. On behalf of our employer, I congratulate you. Each of you has been carefully selected and recruited as the most qualified individuals to be found. You are destined to be here to make history.” His eyes fell on me. I tried not to squirm in my seat.
“It is time to open your orders, Captain.”
Dunn produced a sealed envelope and handed it to Garrick at the head of the table. He opened it and spent a few moments digesting the contents. He rose and cleared his throat before reading from the page.
“The MSV Fortuna is hereby ordered to immediately plot a course and proceed in the shortest time possible to the planet Mercury to recover and claim as salvage the disabled and abandoned Terran ship Helios and all it contains, under universal law. Dated today, etcetera, etcetera.”
Garrick lowered the page, satisfaction written across his face.
“Crew of the Fortuna. We have our orders. Proceed to your stations and prepare for immediate departure.”
Without a word, everyone left their place and exited the mess, leaving me alone with Dunn. I pushed back my chair and stood.
“I need to make sure the medical bay is prepared.”
Dunn rose from his seat.
“I am sure everything there has been ready since your arrival, Doctor. May I call you Melanie?”
“I would prefer if you didn’t.”
“Oh?” He sounded genuinely disappointed.
I avoided eye contact as I walked to the exit.
“I really have to get to my station. Please excuse me.”
As I reached the doorway, he spoke to my back.
“Perhaps Angela, then?”
The impertinence of the comment was almost a relief. I composed myself and faced him, ensuring I kept a neutral expression.
“Doctor Destin will do just fine, Mister Dunn.”
He had the appearance of a cat playing with its prey.
“As you wish, Doctor.” He bowed his head in a mocking imitation of gallantry.
I strode down the corridor, jaw clenched and nails cutting into my palms. This was going to seem like a very long trip.
Chapter 12
The door opened and Norbert Schmaltz walked hesitantly into medical.
“Good morning, Mister Schmaltz.” A good night’s sleep and a fresh cup of coffee had done wonders for my mood.
“You want
ed to take a look at my ‘hand’?” He held up the allegedly injured appendage, still neatly bandaged from his previous visit.
“Come on in, I’m the only one here.”
“You got rid of your bodyguard?”
“It seems once we launched, nobody cared where I went.”
He chuckled. “That sort of happened to me when I first arrived. He left me alone when I started making him help in engineering.”
“Something’s off about Hodgson, that’s for sure. I get a bad vibe from him.”
“Maybe he’s a spy.” He winked.
“Yeah, a real spook.”
I unwrapped his hand and examined it.
“You do remember it was a fake wound, right Mel?”
“I’m only checking for any infection around the staples you forced me to use.”
“Well, I won’t be doing that again anytime soon. It hurt like hell when the freezing wore off.”
“Serves you right for sneaking around. What do you know about this mission?”
“Not much more than we were told last night. I don’t think you need this class of armed ship to run a simple salvage op.”
“Armed? As in weapons?”
“Oh, yeah. Big ones too. This is a serious military vessel, Mel. They are expecting some sort of trouble.” He appeared worried.
I looked at the isolation chamber and the controls for the containment field and bit on my lower lip.
“What about Dunn? You two seemed familiar with each other.”
“No, I only met Erik Dunn yesterday.” I didn’t like lying to Schmaltz.