Rivers of Orion

by Dana Kelly

  Torsha rolled her eyes. “I bet you’re right.”

  The video feed returned. “Tell me what you need,” said Martin.

  “Really?” asked Eridani.

  “Really,” said Martin. “Your mother can be very convincing when she wants to be.”

  “In that case, I need three things,” said Eridani. “First, I need you to convince King Romero to declare war on Blacktusk’s Buccaneers so I can appropriate this starship and all of Bloodtusk’s holdings.”

  “He already did, and he didn’t need any convincing,” said Martin. “It happened the day of the attack, but that won’t help you appropriate anything unless you’re a Falcon citizen.”

  “I figured as much,” said Eridani. “Which leads me to the second thing—please make me a Falcon citizen.”

  “Wait. Really?”

  “Really,” said Eridani.

  “I’ll expedite it,” said Martin. “What’s the third thing?”

  “I need to borrow a lot of money until all that goes through.”

  “Enough to run and crew Imperium, I presume,” said Martin.

  “That’s right,” said Eridani. Eleski sent her a detailed report of the starship’s fiscal overhead. Eridani conveyed it to Martin, and they discussed the details.

  “I’ll transfer you enough for three months,” said Martin. “That should be plenty of time for all the red tape to clear.”

  “Thanks for trusting us to do this,” said Eridani.

  “We’re here if you need us,” said Aurora. They exchanged warm goodbyes and ended the call.

  “That went better than I thought it would,” said Eridani.

  “For you, maybe,” said Torsha. “What does your mom have on Marty, anyway? This isn’t the first time she’s made him do a one-eighty like that.”

  Eridani chuckled. “I have no idea.”

  The lift clanked, immediately drawing their attention.

  A moment later, the doors opened to reveal a woman of above-average height and a solid build, with wavy black hair and a blue jumpsuit. Slowly, she lowered her coffee mug. Her dark brown eyes danced around the bridge. Without hesitation, she pressed the “Close Door” button, but Torsha lunged forward to keep the doors open.

  “What are you doing here?” asked Torsha.

  “I work here.”

  “Doing what?” demanded Torsha. “And who are you, anyway?”

  “I’m Gretchen,” she answered. “Gretchen Myeong, and I’m the senior pilot. I fly this starship, and I fly the Starwind.” Agitated, she stepped past Torsha onto the bridge. As the lift doors closed, Gretchen looked at Eleski. “What’s going on?”

  “Much has transpired in a short amount of time,” said Eleski. “Suffice to say Ostonk and Husthar are no longer aboard Imperium, and ownership has been conferred to our new captain, Eridani Webb.”

  “That’s me,” said Eridani. “This is my friend, Torsha. Pleased to meet you.”

  “Torsha, right. Sure thing. I already know who you are, Eridani,” said Gretchen. “Bloodtusk left you for dead on the planet’s surface, but you somehow snuck aboard, and he threw you in the brig. That’s where you were when I went on break, but now you’re running the ship? What are you, some kind of secret agent or something?”

  “Admiral Schurke’s after my brother, Orin,” said Eridani. “He’s the binary who stopped that truck from crashing right before he ripped it in half. I’m sure you’ve seen the video. Clearly, I can’t let Schurke get his hands on Orin, but I’ll need help stopping him. Will you stay on as my senior pilot?”

  “It’s funny. I had a feeling some of those videos were real,” said Gretchen. “Sorry, but I’m not meddling in the affairs of binaries. I’ll get you back to Rhyon, but you’re on your own after that.”

  “We won’t be tangling with any binaries, I promise you,” said Eridani. “We’re just looking into what Schurke’s got planned so that I can warn my brother in time. That’s all.”

  “You might be surprised to find out how wrong you probably are about that.” Gretchen sipped her coffee. “Besides, why would you ever trust me to serve under you? I rescued Bloodtusk after he killed your ladyfriend.”

  “Were you in on it?” asked Eridani.

  “No,” said Gretchen. “Except for the Stonks, Bloodtusk doesn’t tell anyone anything.”

  “And that’s why I’d trust you,” said Eridani.

  “It sounds to me like you just convinced yourself I wouldn’t have done my job if I’d have known what was going to happen ahead of time,” said Gretchen.

  “Would you have?”

  “Doesn’t matter.” Gretchen looked away. “It already happened.”

  “Hold on,” said Eridani. “If Bloodtusk only confides in Ostonk and Grostonk, how did you know he killed my girlfriend?”

  “Eleski told me,” said Gretchen.

  “Oh, right. Of course. Eleski told you,” said Eridani. “How silly of me to think she might have kept my private information private.”

  “Your presence aboard Imperium caused a great deal of distress and curiosity amongst the crew,” said Eleski. “They grew curious about the circumstances of your arrival. I decided it was best they heard the truth directly from me.”

  “It was my truth! You should’ve let me decide who to share it with,” said Eridani.

  Eleski’s shoulders sank. Her cheeks glowed faintly, and shadows traveled her hair in waves. “I regret my choices in the handling of your truths. I ask your forgiveness.”

  “It’s just…” muttered Eridani. “It’s… not really that big of a deal. Just… Please think of other people’s feelings next time you’re tempted to share personal information.”

  “To be fair, Eleski and I have known each other for a long time,” said Gretchen. “There isn’t much she doesn’t share with me.”

  “I’m glad you two have rapport,” said Eridani. “Will you fly my ship?”

  “What are you paying?” asked Gretchen.

  “Same as Bloodtusk,” said Eridani. “I’ll throw in fifty percent of your salary as a bonus if you’re willing to evangelize the transfer of leadership.”

  “That’s very generous,” said Gretchen. “Sure. I could be a good guy for a few months, or until I succumb to terminal irony—whichever comes first. Where’s Grostonk? Without Flip and Flap around, I bet he’d join your crew.”

  “In the brig where he belongs,” said Torsha.

  Gretchen took a deep breath and tilted her head. “That’s too bad.”

  “He betrayed us,” said Eridani. “We trusted him with sensitive information, and he immediately handed it over to Ostonk and Bloodtusk.”

  “Yeah, but it’s Grostonk. Husthar only cloned him five years ago, so he’s basically like a giant kid. The guy sees Ostonk as his big brother, so of course he’s going to try and impress him. Anyway, I wouldn’t worry about Grostonk. He’s harmless.”

  “Maybe he is, but I’m not about to set him free so he can wander the halls in his birthday suit,” said Eridani.

  “Houses have halls,” said Gretchen, and she took a long pull on her coffee. “Starships have passageways.”

  “Passageways, whatever! My point is he betrayed us, and that has consequences. The sooner he learns that the better.”

  Gretchen shrugged. “Or you could give him something to do around the ship. He’s great with computers and electronics, and he’s a natural codebreaker. I’d bet my boots he’d work for you, and you could do a lot worse than having a jumbo sude on your payroll.”

  “I’ll think about it,” said Eridani.

  “I hope you do,” said Gretchen. “So, where are we headed?”

  Eridani began to pace. “To be honest, I’m not entirely sure. I asked Eleski and Katsinki to disable Bloodtusk’s biometrics and to chase down any communication logs pertaining to Schurke. Those things are going to take time. We know that son-of-a-bitch is expecting me to be handed over to him on Rhyon, and whatever else he has planned, he only gave Bloodtusk three days to hand
over my brother.”

  “Where’s Orin right now?” asked Gretchen.

  “Somewhere in the nightmare,” said Eridani.

  “Oh, then we definitely don’t want to go down to the surface or be anywhere near here in three days,” said Gretchen. “In fact, I’d sweep the decks for hidden explosives or any other signs of sabotage.”

  Eridani paused and regarded Gretchen sidelong. “Explain.”

  “Not handing you over seems obvious,” said Gretchen. “There’s no chance in hell Bloodtusk was ever going to capture your brother. Schurke’s an admiral with the United Planets Star Navy, so he knows exactly where your brother’s ship is and probably where she’s headed.”

  “Schurke was really after me and my family the whole time,” said Eridani. “As soon as he got hold of any of us, Bloodtusk’s usefulness would’ve been over.”

  “And since he can’t afford to leave any loose ends,” said Gretchen.

  Eridani gestured an explosion. “Everyone on board.” She looked at Eleski. “Did you foresee that?”

  “Affirmative,” said Eleski.

  “We both foresaw the distinct possibility of our demise,” said Katsinki.

  Eridani found herself smiling slightly. “You’re crazy, both of you.”

  “If Schurke’s going after your brother, he’s bringing binaries,” said Gretchen. “Probably some sluggers too, so we’ll need to hire counter-binaries. Ex-BICOM or ex-Nightmare Force would be ideal, but knuckleheads like that are not easy to come by.”

  “I overheard Ostonk mention something about hiring some denshi-tengus from space station Tiburón Dellasuerte,” said Eridani. “It’s not far from here, and if they’ve got skin thieves for hire, they might just have the right sorts of knuckleheads for hire too.”

  “That’s not a bad idea,” said Gretchen. “As long as you’re not going alone. That place is a pirate cove. The scumbags there will gang up on you, kidnap you, and sell you into a sex ring. Real-life pirates aren’t like the ones in the stories. Also, no one calls it that. It was Tiburón Dellasuerte back when it was a supermax lunar prison, but ever since some shady business types bought and renovated the place, everyone calls it the Black Doubloon.”

  “Good advice. I’ll bring Torsha and a couple big lads from Imperium’s security detail,” said Eridani. She glanced at Torsha. “Assuming you’re okay with that.”

  Torsha nodded. “Sure. A pirate cove sounds cool.”

  “Actually, I’m thinking just you and me, and a couple big lasses,” said Gretchen, and she looked at Eleski and Katsinki. “Cullthoun matriarchs, to be exact. I don’t care how worldly you are, standing in the presence of one of those ladies is terrifying. Standing in the presence of two is the stuff horror movies are made of.”

  “Cullthoun matriarchs are famous for jealously nurturing their young,” said Katsinki. “They are seldom encountered beyond their home world. Onlookers will likely find the presence of one matriarch curious, while the presence of two matriarchs is certain to rouse intense suspicion. They are likely to deduce we are denshi-tengus in disguise.”

  “On places like the Black Doubloon, everyone uses denshies,” said Gretchen. “It’s not about trying to fool anyone over there—deception is a given. It’s about creating just the right amount of doubt, just the right amount of wariness about what you might do.”

  Torsha crossed her arms. “If everyone from there is a liar, how are we supposed to trust anyone we hire?”

  “Give them work they can brag about, work they could see themselves coming back to,” said Gretchen, and she regarded Eridani. “Considering the scope of what you’re about to undertake, it sounds like there’ll be plenty of that. If you decide that’s where we’re going, just follow my lead. Let me do the talking and you’ll be all right.”

  “It sounds like I don’t need to be there at all,” said Eridani.

  “No, no—you’re a Jo without a fixer, so you definitely need to be there,” said Gretchen.

  “What’s a Jo?”

  Gretchen smiled wryly. “It’s a lot like a dikfer.”

  Eridani sighed. “Seriously?”

  “Ah, you’re quick,” said Gretchen, and she laughed. “The Jo is the person bankrolling the job, and the fixer is the one who secures the resources. Now, normally fixers won’t work with a Jo that’s got no reputation, but it so happens I know a guy in the Northern Arm that’s taking new clients. Want me to arrange a meeting? It’ll need to be in person, of course.”

  “Thank you, but we don’t have that kind of time,” said Eridani.

  “No fixer, then. It’s not ideal, but everyone has to start somewhere,” said Gretchen.

  “Aren’t you acting as my fixer in this context?”

  Gretchen shook her head. “I’m the face. I’ve never loved networking enough to be a fixer.”

  “Got it,” said Eridani. “Then before we set course for the Black Doubloon, is there anywhere else you think we should go instead?”

  “Not here in the Eastern Arm,” said Gretchen.

  “Then let’s do it,” said Eridani. “Let’s get underway.”

  Gretchen took her station at the conn and set down her mug. She began entering flight data. “First things first, Captain. Getting underway involves a lot of people doing a lot of things, and they need to know they’re taking orders from you now.”

  “Not captain. Eridani. Please, just Eridani.”

  “If I call you Eridani, it’ll erode your authority,” said Gretchen. “If you’re not comfortable with captain, I could call you something else. Maybe skipper, or something that captures the imagination, like… Calico Jackie, or Bonny Morgan, or even Flaxen Dani if you prefer keeping closer to your real name.”

  “That’s a hard pass on skipper. No, let’s go with…” Eridani sighed. “Captain will be fine.”

  “Great. That’s one thing that’s always bugged me about Captain Veskatar. He always insists on being called Bloodtusk. Except by the Stonks, of course.” Gretchen glanced at Torsha. “What’s your job? Counselor?” She noticed the flecks of dried blood on Torsha’s clothing and fur. “Bodyguard?”

  Torsha shrugged. “I don’t know. Bodyguard, I guess.”

  “She’ll be my first mate,” said Eridani. “If you’re okay with that, Torsha.”

  “That sounds cool,” said Torsha.

  Gretchen winced. “No offense but being first mate is a lot of responsibility. It’s very administrative, and very boring.”

  “Ha! Not the way I’ll be doing it,” said Torsha.

  “We can revisit this later, after you realize I’m right,” said Gretchen. “Captain, if I were you, I’d spend some time with the deck plan. After you’re familiar with Imperium’s layout, call an all-hands meeting in the main mess. Tell the crew you’re in charge now. That’s when I’ll start evangelizing. Don’t worry, between me vouching for you and the overall dislike of our former captain, they’ll warm up to you in no time.”

  “I appreciate your confidence in my ability to lead,” said Eridani.

  “Also, you and Torsha should both take showers before you do anything else,” said Gretchen. “And maybe… burn your clothes. You guys smell like you live in a latrine.”

  Eridani laughed. “It’s that bad?”

  “It’s pretty bad.”

  “The quartermaster tends a multitude of varied jumpsuits and undergarments,” said Katsinki. “I would be happy to procure suitable apparel for both of you.”

  “That would be great, thank you,” said Eridani. “Can you show us to our rooms? I’d prefer to make use of the same ones Ostonk and Bloodtusk used.”

  “That is a wholly agreeable request,” said Katsinki. “Please follow me.”

  “Gretchen, you’re in charge while I’m gone,” said Eridani, and she paused. “Is it commander? Officer? Do you have a rank? How do I address you?”

  “Myeong is fine. No one really has ranks, here.”

  Eridani nodded. “You vouch for Grostonk?”

  “I do
,” said Gretchen.

  Eridani scooped up the clothing Eleski had used for the disguise and draped it over the rail. “Why don’t you give these back to him and see if he’s interested in working for me. If he is, his first job will be to sweep the ship for signs of sabotage, espionage, and hidden explosives.”

  “Will do,” said Gretchen. “For your information, it’s a fourteen-hour flight to the Black Doubloon’s orbital plane. As soon as we’ve talked to the crew, I’ll get us underway.”

  “Sounds good,” said Eridani, and she smiled slightly. “See you soon.”

  “Aye-aye, Captain,” said Gretchen, and she finished her coffee.

  “I look forward to your return, Captain Webb,” said Eleski.

  “Please follow,” said Katsinki. He led Eridani and Torsha from the bridge.

  Chapter 31

  Crime Ring

  Imperium closed on the Black Doubloon, an enormous single-ring space station. Along the outermost edges, gossamer solar panels slowly positioned themselves to face the sun, glowing faintly blue as they gathered its light. Where sunlight touched the ring, it scattered hues of indigo and purple. At the space station’s heart, globular hydroponics pods softly glimmered, connected to the ring by a dozen massive spokes. In the vast expanse surrounding the space station, scores of empty hulks lurked in the darkness, tethered to industrious salvage crews.

  “This is as far as we go,” said Gretchen. She adjusted several sliders on the conn, bringing the starship to a full stop. “My friends in the know had a few words of caution. If Cheng Xue is the acting harbormaster, she’ll transmit an inbound notice and send over a shuttle. If we’re lucky, no one will try to kill or kidnap us along the way. If it’s El Draque, he’ll send us a hail. He’ll insist on talking to you. He’ll offer you landing codes.”

  Eridani leaned forward in the captain’s chair. Her clothes had been cleaned, and her hair was still damp from the shower. “It sounds like we’re hoping to get El Draque, but I have a feeling it’s the opposite.”

  “That’s right,” said Gretchen. “Reject the landing codes, but don’t let on. Keep him talking, because he’ll keep trying to send them over until he gets too frustrated and hangs up on you. A few minutes will pass, and Bombal Lonnais will call back to inform us our ship is cleared for docking procedures. At that point, we can safely take the shuttle over.”