Pathfinder

by Laura E. Reeve

  “It was only a contract deliverable.” She laughed.

  “And it was the property of Hellas Nautikos, about which you broadcasted to the entire solar system?”

  “I’m prohibited from talking about it, per my contract. But the Minoans did tell me where there were other Builders’ buoys or outposts, and I’m allowed to share this with all our allies under Pax Minoica. I’m sure the colonel will be interested to see there’s one location in Overlord Five’s district, besides the two in Six’s district. So we have even more interest in how the League fragments.” She tapped and sent the file.

  “Can I pass a recording of this call to the colonel?”

  “Be my guest.”

  After concluding the call, she checked that the necklace was in her inside breast pocket and she opened her locker to get the sealed ceramic box. It wasn’t big, but its weight required two hands to lift it out. “Maria Rose Guillotte” was engraved on its flat top, above another line that read, “August 18, 2072—March 10, 2106.”

  Taking a deep breath, she left her quarters and was surprised to see Matt waiting for her at the passenger airlock.

  “You own a suit?” She raised her eyebrows. The coat and trousers were subtle, as Autonomist clothing went, by being dark gray with metallic silver pinstripes. The suit’s cut was clean and sophisticated, with a cutaway and slight tails, like an old- fashioned morning coat. Under it, he wore a dark red shirt.

  “Carmen ordered it for me. I never know what’s in style.” He shifted awkwardly. “I thought I’d accompany you, since Maria helped me, also.”

  “Thanks, I’d like that,” she said. “But I warn you, this may get emotional.”

  The warning stood for her as well, because it made no difference that Maria Guillotte’s ashes weren’t really in this box. The pain, to Maria’s friends and family, would be real and powerful. The Maria who had lived and worked on Mars was no more—and that was a hard thing to accept and understand, even to a relocated Maria with a new life and identity. She couldn’t claim her wartime medals, her civilian service, and everyone in her new life was an uncaring stranger. Maria’s life, as it was defined, had truly ended.

  Of course, no one but Ariane, Joyce, and Colonel Owen Edones knew the truth about Maria. Ariane wasn’t supposed to approve relocation, much less deliver the defector to the Pilgrimage. Given Maria’s medical situation, as well as the chaos in Directorate leadership and funding, Joyce was easily able to whisk Maria out of G- 145. She’d been badly injured, which helped the story work. Joyce was the one who made it work, of course, by getting the certificate of death endorsed by a Pilgrimage medic and substituting a body from the Ming Adams for cremation—what was one more “rebel” militia irregular lost in space?

  The service was held in the little generic chapel on Beta Priamos Station. Ariane walked the box of ashes through the doors to Ensign Walker, her shoes clicking sharply on the deck while a French dirge, traditional to Maria’s background, played. She gave the box to Walker, stepped back, and saluted the ashes in respect. Before she did her about-face, she caught sight of Parmet’s family. Sabina had given up any somaural control; her face and eyes were puffy and red. Ensign Walker, as ranking Terran Space Force officer on the station, walked the rest of the aisle and set the box on the low generic alter, draped with TSF and Terran League flags.

  State Prince Parmet gave an excellent and moving eulogy. Even though Ariane knew his acting abilities, she couldn’t help but feel that this time, he spoke from the heart. He would be sending Maria’s ashes home with a Terran Space Force escort.

  After the service ended, Matt stayed with her as she did her last duty. She worked her way through the press of people and tapped Sabina on the shoulder.

  “I have to give you something,” she said. Someday, she would pay back Sabina for attacking her one night on this very station. However, today would not be the day.

  “Yes?” Sabina said dully.

  She pulled the necklace that Maria had worn out of her pocket. It had a well-wrought chain and a small precious stone hanging from it, but it didn’t appear to have a high value or any obvious message. You can’t give her anything that tells her you’re still alive, she’d warned Maria. No, Maria insisted, this was only a necklace that Sabina had given her earlier. Ariane had believed her, or perhaps, wanted to believe her.

  “Before she died, Maria asked that I give you this.” She dropped the necklace into Sabina’s hand.

  “Thank you, Major Kedros.” Sabina’s words were solemn, and her fist closed tightly over the necklace.

  “You’re welcome.” Ariane studied Sabina’s face, but she saw nothing but loss.

  “Ah, Major Kedros. So good to see you. Sad, sad affair.” Dr. Istaga appeared at her elbow, on the other side from Matt.

  She tried not to sigh. “Yes, Doctor?”

  “I read the autopsy report. That Pilgrimage crew can work quickly, when it wants to. Did you see my message asking you to wait for my examination, before cremation?” Istaga smiled his ingratiating smile.

  Cautioning herself not to get irritated, she gave him a slight smile. “That’s not my area of responsibility, Doctor.”

  “My request for hold was ignored, so I wanted to speak—”

  “Will you just leave it be?” Sabina’s voice was anguished as she erupted. “Let Maria rest in peace, will you?”

  Her voice sounded so pained that even Ariane’s eyes teared up. Parmet followed the sound of his wife’s voice and put an arm around her as she started sobbing. Over Sabina’s head, he glanced at Ariane. She felt a shock run up her backbone. Parmet knew.

  If Istaga, aka Andre, had doubts about Maria’s death, then he must have warned Parmet that Maria might be a defection risk—that would have been within his duties as Andre Covanni. Yet, Parmet had endorsed Maria’s work history and applications for a position on the Pytheas; Ariane had read the file. He must have suspected what Maria was planning.

  The glance Ariane exchanged with Parmet told her everything, although later, she’d wonder how she read him so well. Sabina’s grief, on the other hand, was genuine. Garnet arrived to comfort her co-wife. Chander, Sabina and Parmet’s son, hovered behind the group. Dr. Istaga was pushed out of the area by the flow of the emotion, and Ariane and Matt made their escape.

  “Well, that’s my last task,” she said. “I’m off active duty once I shed this uniform.”

  “Good.” Matt smiled. “Looks like we’ll be able to pick up Hanson with another exploration drop, scheduled in another twenty hours. This time, however, I’m coming along. I’ve had enough of sitting helpless while I watch others—I care about—risk their lives.”

  He was probably talking about Oleander, who was leaving G-145 with the Bright Crescent. “I guess Lieutenant Oleander will soon be at Karthage Point. You guys going to try the long-distance relationship thing?” She kept her voice light.

  “We’ll give it an honest try. We have incompatible professions, so I’m being realistic. And, like I said, I’ve had my priorities rearranged in the past couple of days.” His brown eyes softened and he looked away.

  “Oh.” She liked walking companionably beside him and wished it’d never end, but it had to. “There’s something I should do right now. Meet you back at the ship?”

  “Yeah. I’ll want to go over your meeting with Contractor Director.”

  “You read the Minoans right—they approved of documenting my delivery with a receipt. Here I thought I’d be a triumphant returning hero, and Contractor Director turned it into a business exchange. Humbled me right up.” She smiled as he patted her shoulder. This being all the thanks she’d get, she’d better savor it. She’d tell him and David Ray about the locations of the other Builders’ structures later.

  After she parted ways with Matt, though, her thoughts sobered. The crystal seed could build a civilization-destroying archive, according to the Minoans. They indicated it would initiate their genetic weapons technology, but could it be used otherwise? Had she hand
ed over the means to cure humankind’s genetic disorders? Possibly. However, the shortsightedness and greed of Overlord Six was a timely reminder that humans undoubtedly had the same flaws as the Builders. Was it fair for the Minoans to judge humans by the past actions of the Builders? Probably not—but Ariane Kedros didn’t have the qualifications to second- guess Minoan decisions regarding material that was rightfully theirs.

  Overlord Six apparently thought he did. Initially, Six and his staff hoped to solve the Builders’ puzzle by themselves, for themselves. That’s why Six had supported Abram’s attempt to blow G- 145 off the N-space map, although he’d backed his bets by bribing Dr. Lowry for reports and keeping up with her research. Lowry was still trying to grasp the unpleasant truth that she’d worked for Abram’s overseer. When Abram failed, a different strategy became necessary.

  That’s why Nathaniel Wolf Kim had come back into her life, if Maria was right about his identity. Still having doubts, Ariane internally named the strange man Hanson/Kim. He had used the grenades on the Pilgrimage against all the Aether Exploration personnel in the Minoan contract, which had been publicly posted by the CAW SEEECB. They already had Lowry working on the contract, so killing, wounding, or terrorizing Aether Exploration personnel were all useful results. Hanson/Kim was trying to get the contract to move, one way or the other. Once they were on Beta Priamos and the Minoans had produced the implants, Hanson/Kim had gotten enough information from Lowry and poor Dr. Lee to decide there was good reason to join the expedition and use an implant himself.

  In the future, when they managed to retrieve Hanson/ Kim and examine his Minoan implant, Matt would again ask her what she intended to do with hers. She had no idea how she’d feel about the parasite by then. She did know, however, that she had to address her drinking now. Contractor Director’s warning about her parasite had been humiliating and necessary, which was doubly embarrassing. Then there’d been her testimony in front of the ICT. Do you ever drink to excess? the defense attorney had asked her. Her drinking reduced her credibility and, if the ICT hadn’t already failed, could have affected the final ruling. To add to her shame, she knew Matt had found her pint of rotgut during his incarceration in the hygiene closet, though he’d been careful not to mention it—he’d also been careful to throw it away.

  All this had led to her appointment this afternoon. She found the maintenance break room, but hesitated. Finally, she went through the door. Three people sat inside. When they looked up at her, she saw open expressions on the faces of hardworking space crew. Unlike the one other support group she’d tried, these people wouldn’t judge her and they weren’t here to psychoanalyze her. Each one of them looked like they understood her demon, because they lived with similar ones. Frank was dressed in clean prisoner coveralls and his lean face lit with a smile.

  “Is this the place for someone who doesn’t know what to do about her drinking?” she asked. This time, she didn’t suppress her hope.

  “This is it,” Frank said. “Have a seat.”

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  mission that obliterated an entire solar

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  a new identity and a new life in order to

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  Available wherever books are sold or at penguin.com/scififantasy

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