Ghost of Jupiter (Jade Saito - Action Sci-Fi Series Book 1)

by Tom Jordan

  “Hi, Marco,” she said. She hurried to hook some hair behind an ear, conscious of how poor it looked. “What are you doing here?”

  “I know, right?” He leaned against the soup counter and smirked. “What are the odds of running into each other like this?” He tilted his head. “What have you been up to?”

  Jade glanced at her soup. “Cargo, mostly. Running cargo.”

  “Cool! Are you doing well?”

  “Mmm-hmm.” She nodded. “Well, kind of, I guess. I’m trying to finish paying off my loan on Ghost of Jupiter. That’s my ship. I have a ship.” Jade fought the urge to slam her face into her palm.

  Smooth. Great work, Jade. Awesome.

  Marco laughed, throwing back his head, and then smoothed his hair with a hand. “Bueno! You were so driven in school. I knew you would be killing it out here making a name for yourself.”

  “What about you?” Jade asked to fill the silence. She took a bite of her spring roll so that she could occupy herself with something other than being awkward. There was an open stool right behind Marco. Why did he have to stand so close?

  Marco nodded his head to the side, gesturing as though someone were standing nearby. “I’ve been flying with a couple of guys. You remember Heinrich Thompson?”

  Jade gasped, sat upright, and dropped her chopsticks. One slid off the counter and went clattering to the floor. “Tommy? Tommy’s with you?”

  Marco flashed a lopsided grin. “Sure is. He says you guys were pretty close in flight school.”

  “Yeah! We were such good friends. We met in astrophysics.”

  “Cool. Yeah, so Tommy’s with me, and I picked up an ex-ISF guy called Freeborn. He’s good.” Marco glanced around the hall, taking in the bustle of activity while he leaned against the counter. “Anyway, after graduation I had an opportunity with a mining company. I finished that and started my own group. I recruited Tommy after his internship was complete. We did pretty well contracting through the mining contacts I made. We flew their equipment out to their sites. Mostly gas giant rings, asteroid fields, stuff like that, and then we would bring their metals back to their refinery ships.”

  “Sounds…pretty exciting, actually,” Jade said.

  Marco shrugged. “It was decent. Steady, but dull. But then we picked up some other work and the money started rolling in. You wouldn’t believe what I’m flying now.”

  Jade’s eyebrows lifted. “What kind of work? I’d love to know. Anything that’s not cargo would be awesome at this point.” She found, perhaps due to fatigue, that her problems spilled out of their own accord. “To be honest, I’m…I’m just chasing the money and barely staying above water, let alone upgrading my ship or paying my loan off early like I wanted, and the whole thing’s driving me insane.”

  Marco flashed his perfect smile. “I’ve got an idea.” He waved the soup chef over and paid for Jade’s meal while he spoke. “Let’s talk over dinner. It will be my treat.” He winked. “Say yes.”

  A curious thrill lanced through Jade’s exhaustion. She attempted to hide her enthusiasm.

  “Okay.”

  “Where are you staying?” Marco asked.

  “Nowhere. I just got here.”

  “No problem. I’ll make a dinner reservation. Meet me at Été Rouge. Let’s shoot for 1800 local time. Give you a chance to get settled.”

  Jade nodded. “Okay.”

  Marco put a hand on her shoulder. The hand lingered longer than she expected it to. “It’s good seeing you, Jade.” His hand slid off and he swaggered away.

  “Don’t forget,” he called over his shoulder. “1800. Été Rouge. Wear something nice!”

  Jade shook her head after Marco disappeared into the crowd. What was this all about? Did Marco want to cut her in on whatever business he had going? She had been one of the top-scoring pilots on many of the graduation tests they’d both taken, so it wasn’t out of the question that he’d be interested in her skills. He’d hooked up with Tommy, after all, and he’d been another top scorer on the finishing exams.

  This was a question she resolved to think about soon, after she got some rest.

  Jade unstrapped her wrist computer, placed it on the counter, and spent a few extra minutes finishing her soup. She got a fresh pair of chopsticks from the chef, then searched for accommodations. She lucked out and found a deal on an upscale room close to the dock for the price of a regular room, thanks to someone else’s cancellation.

  She checked the time on the computer. Almost 1200 local. She’d have a chance to check in to the hotel, clean up, and have a short nap before meeting Marco.

  Marco. The questions she’d attempted to dismiss surged back into her mind. What was this work he wanted to discuss?

  In school, Jade had admired Marco’s piloting skills, as well as everything else about him, though that admiration had come from afar. Despite sharing a few classes with him, she knew Marco mainly by reputation. He was socially adept and had attracted a lot of female attention, including hers, but he was way out of her league.

  That meant his interest had to be business. Or perhaps he simply wanted to reconnect with a school colleague. In any case, she hoped she could reunite with Tommy soon, and she resolved to ask Marco about him when they met for dinner, provided she could do something other than drool and utter lame answers.

  Chapter 3

  Despite being a space station, Gibson City looked comparable in size to any of the larger terrestrial colonies Jade had visited. She peeked over a balcony and saw that the station was at least a dozen levels deep, or tall…it was difficult to think about. The station was a long cylinder, rotating slowly to generate simulated gravity. The “upper” floors were the innermost, near the dock, while the lower levels were closer to the outer edge of the cylinder.

  Jade leaned over the rail and took in the greenery and public squares below. They added variety to the station’s metallic, utilitarian frame. Designers here seemed to have made efforts to produce a livable station, compared to some other, more functional-looking starports she’d visited.

  She connected to the station’s network and downloaded its map data, then synced her wrist computer to her earpiece so she could follow verbal directions to the hotel. She navigated bustling crowds and peeked into the endless destinations along the way. On the first level alone she passed a hydroponics supply store with window displays of potted herbs, a bustling family play center with bounce structures and slides, a small bonsai shop where a red-haired woman and her little boy pruned tiny trees, an electronics outlet, and one tea shop which she saved with a marker on her map for a later visit. Life seemed good for residents of Gibson City.

  Jade’s computer guided her to her destination—the hotel entrance—which was only two levels down by elevator from where she’d begun. She grinned at the hotel’s lobby. It had been decorated with skill, and looked like a terrestrial building, with simulated natural lighting and decor with an organic impression. It was just shy of what’d be considered—and priced as—luxury.

  Jade checked in and picked up the access card to her room, which was as impressive as the lobby. Its muted tones, gentle curved lines, and high-end finishes were pleasing to the eye. Jade threw her bag on the bed and wasted no time in preparing the whirlpool tub. She grinned as she sank in and let her tension melt away, enjoying the relaxing pulses of water from the jets. She had been prepared for a cramped shower in a budget room. The tub was a rare treat.

  She spent less time soaking in the water than she would have liked, then brushed her hair and crawled into fresh, soft sheets. After a time, her mind stopped replaying her conversation with Marco and showing her last trip’s holographic menus and star charts, and brought thoughts of her pirate encounter. She drifted to an uneasy sleep.

  Jade was jolted awake by the chirping of her wrist computer from the bedside stand.

  “Alarm off,” she said. She sat up and rubbed her face. “What time is it? Local time.”

  The wrist computer answered from its sm
all speaker. “The local time is 1630.”

  “Oh, right,” Jade mumbled, remembering she’d set the alarm for that time. She yawned and swung her long legs out of bed. She could have done with much more sleep, but supposed there would be time for that after meeting with Marco.

  Jade rifled through her bag and found her red dress crumpled at the bottom. She couldn’t recall the last time she’d had a need to wear it. She held it up to the light. It had seen better days, and being crushed at the bottom of her shore-leave bag for so long had loosened a few threads. She found a garment wand in the room, hung the dress up, and waved the wand around until its blasts of steam and deionized air worked the fabric into better shape.

  She dropped the asymmetrical red dress over her head and checked its small straps, then stepped into her sandals. The getup was still functional, though she felt a twinge of self-conscious nerves over the dress’s worn, tired appearance. The fabric lacked the luster it had once had, but she couldn’t afford to spend any money right now on something new. Despite its flaws, she found herself hoping Marco would like how it looked on her.

  Jade arrived at Été Rouge a little early and stood near the entrance, unsure whether she should get in line or wait against the wall. She stole glances at the other patrons milling outside, then picked at a loose thread she noticed sticking out of her shoulder strap.

  Marco arrived shortly after, wearing crisp pants, nice shoes, and a tailored white shirt with the topmost buttons undone. He looked stunning and at ease. Like always.

  “Wow, Jade! You look fantastic,” Marco said.

  “You look great too,” she said. She moved to adjust her wrist computer, then realized she wasn’t wearing it. It didn’t make for classy attire.

  Jade looked around the bistro, relieved Marco was here and could take the lead. Space station food stalls were one thing, but dinners in upscale restaurants were outside her everyday world. “This seems like a nice place. Can we go in? I’m starving.”

  “Absolutely,” Marco replied, flashing his winning smile. He held out his arm, which she took, and led her into the restaurant. A hostess—who looked more like a model—gestured for them to follow her to their seat. Jade noticed people looking her way, probably at Marco. Though she was taller, he was the one who stood out in a crowd.

  The dining room was lit by minimal, subdued lighting from lamps hanging low over each table. Wide windows revealed stunning views of the swirling depths of the planet the station orbited. In the distance behind it would lie the system’s namesake—the white-yellow star named Socunda. Jade recalled the system data displayed by her ship computer: the star was class G, and the planet a hydrogen-helium gas giant.

  Jade and Marco were seated at a table against a viewport, and the hostess pulled out Jade’s chair for her. After the hostess left, Jade decided to speak first and banish the unsettling silence.

  “It’s good to see you again. Why did you invite me to dinner? We weren’t close in school or anything. I mean…not that I’m complaining. I’m just curious.”

  “We weren’t well acquainted,” Marco said, nodding. “I want to change that.” Jade’s eyes widened. He had to be referring to a business idea. “I have something I want to discuss with you. An opportunity,” he said, confirming her theory.

  The waiter came and introduced himself, and Jade immediately forgot his name. She ordered water with lemon. Marco made a selection from the wine list and requested two glasses.

  Curiosity tickled at her mind. What if he was discussing something other than business? Was he being deliberately vague to try and have an effect on her? Jade decided not to drive herself nuts analyzing things.“What do you have in mind?” she said.

  Marco leaned back, one elbow on the table. Jade caught herself leaning forward and sat back, then stole a glance down at her dress to check that no other stray threads were peeking out. “Henning, Tommy, and myself, we’ve been turning in criminals with bounties on them in the systems around here—people wanted for trade interdictions, illegal goods, things like that. You should join us.”

  Her eyebrows raised on their own. “That’s…I’m not sure that’s my kind of work,” she said. “Isn’t that a little outside the law? How does it work, exactly?”

  Marco was silent for a moment. “Bounty hunting is a tricky thing, but we have an effective system worked out.” Jade opened her mouth to ask what this system was and how it worked, but Marco continued, “It’s mostly thanks to Tommy. He mines public data that the local security forces provide. He runs simulations before each job to predict where a target is likely to show up, and then we divide up and monitor the three most likely points. Stations, SFM gates, whatever.”

  Marco thanked the waiter, who’d set the drinks on the table and presented some dinner menus. Jade’s mind ran nonstop. Could Marco’s offer be a better way to make a living than slaving away flying cargo from station to station? Often, goods would perish, or the selling price would be lower than forecasted, and she’d barely make any profit at all. There were too many variables…too many licensing issues or laws that could be different from system to system. And that was before putting piracy into the equation. While she loved her independence, she was often one missed loan payment away from losing her ship.

  Jade had to admit that Marco’s pitch intrigued her. She leaned forward again once the waiter left.

  Marco continued, “So, we only take jobs when our confidence is high that we can find our target. We’ve never had to camp out more than two days, and most of that is downtime while the ship’s computer scans traffic. We spot the target, we converge, and boom!” He clapped his hands, drawing stares from other diners. He didn’t seem to care. “Disable their ship, call in the local security forces, split up the reward, take a beautiful woman out to dinner.” He smirked and looked her in the eye.

  Jade laughed and felt her cheeks bloom with shy delight. “That sounds a lot less dangerous than I would have thought.”

  Marco took a sip of wine and nodded in approval. He leaned forward and tented his fingers. “Try yours,” he said.

  Jade picked up the glass by the stem and sampled her wine. It was fruity and strong, with a mild burn going down.

  “Good, right?” Marco asked.

  “I couldn’t tell you,” Jade said. “I’m not much of a wine drinker.”

  Marco laughed. “So,” he continued, “it can become tricky if they decide to run. Which they always do. But that’s why there’s three of us.” He pointed at Jade. “And we would be even more effective with four.”

  Jade gave Marco a skeptical look.

  He held up a hand. “I remember how you fly, Jade. You always received top scores on technical maneuvers. I also remember what happened during your final in our System Failures class. You’re level-headed, practical. Your flying is flawless. You’re perfect for this. With you on the team, we would be complete.”

  “It’s nice of you to say that, but it sounds…questionable.”

  Marco sat back, entirely at ease. “We’re not doing anything wrong here. We’re acting where local law enforcement lacks the capacity. You know how it is out there…a lot of people spread over a lot of space. We’re helping out. Making space safer for everyone.”

  “I didn’t mean law-wise,” she said. “I meant…it sounds dangerous, going after criminals.”

  Marco waved the concern away. “Like I said, we have a system. There’s little room for things to go wrong. All three of us meet before we engage a target. Henning is flying a Sakharov. Firepower to spare. And I’m flying a strike fighter. They might try to run, but they can’t get away, and they know it.” He smiled. “Trust me. We have it covered.”

  Jade wasn’t familiar with Sakharov, so she couldn’t say whether it was a ship model or a manufacturer, but she considered Marco’s words. Was it that simple? Could she just join their team, wait around for criminals, and collect payments?

  He continued, “I don’t want you to decide right now. I just want you to enjoy your dinner.
Then come see the team. Let us show you our operation.” He smoothed the ripples in the tablecloth left by his elbows. “Tommy’s on his way in. I told him I ran into you and he’s dying to see you. In fact, he’s the reason we found you.”

  Jade’s brow wrinkled. “What do you mean?”

  “He has some kind of software that checks the public arrivals lists from customs against bounties in nearby systems. He apparently put names of our former classmates in it, too, on the off chance we might run into one.”

  Jade grinned at the thought of seeing Tommy again. Marco looked into her eyes. “We are doing very well for ourselves with this,” he said. “We have a real advantage.”

  “I’ll have to think about it,” she said, resting a hand on the tablecloth.

  Suddenly, Marco was leaning forward, taking her hand in both of his. Jade flushed.

  Marco lowered his voice and looked into her eyes. “Ask yourself, do you want to be hauling cargo forever? Is that the best use of your talents? We both know you aren’t going to get rich doing it. The rules work against you, not for you.” He looked down at her hand, stroking the back of it with his thumb.

  “Well, that’s true, I guess. I—”

  “What are the chances you and I would run into each other, all the way out here?” He looked back to her eyes. “Don’t you think this could be more than coincidence?”

  The waiter returned and asked if they were ready to order. Jade used the opportunity to slip her hand out of Marco’s. She attempted to hide her flustered response by smoothing the front of her dress and sipping her wine.

  Why did she feel so resistant to this opportunity? She wondered if she had genuine reservations about bounty work, or whether she was using those things as an excuse to mask her anxiety over Marco’s attention.

  She and Marco made selections from the menu, and the waiter left. Jade decided to set the discussion on a different course, and tried to keep Marco occupied with small talk. She asked how long he’d been on Gibson City Station and about his former mining business, and brought up other topics on the periphery of the proposal he’d raised.