Table of Contents
Title Page
Copyright Information
The Eyes Have It
About the Author
The Eyes Have It
A Molly Nomad Caper
Rebecca M. Senese
Copyright Information
The Eyes Have It
Copyright © (2014) by Rebecca M. Senese
Published by RFAR Publishing
Cover Design copyright © (2014) by
RFAR Publishing
Cover art copyright ©
lunamarina / CanStockPhoto.com
Smashwords Edition
This book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. All rights reserved.
This is a work of fiction. All characters and events portrayed in this book are fictional, and any resemblance to real people or incidents is purely coincidental.
This book, or parts thereof, may not be reproduced in any form without permission.
THE EYES HAVE IT
It was only after I’d slipped through the moon station’s security and picked my way through the cryo, palm and DNA locks on the titanium door that I realized the Eye of the Moon wasn’t the jewel I’d been led to believe.
The alien crouching on the floor of the empty chamber was proof of that.
It didn’t look anything like the bipedal Chak’hala with their beaked faces, high foreheads, and fur running down the backs of their heads and down their arms. They normally wore long, draping fabric around their legs, leaving their chest and back bare. The elder ones kept their body fur neatly trimmed but I’d noticed the younger ones took to growing the fur long, braiding it or knotting tiny jewels and beads in it, some of them even dying their fur.
And it had always been those jewels that caught my eye, as it would for any other jewel thief. The Chak’halan world of Chaknal was chock full of emotive jewels and was their main export. Unlike any other jewel in the galaxy, emotive jewels absorbed and reflected their wearers emotions, and could sometimes even be used in high level negotiations between races who weren’t able to communicate in any other way. The strongest quality emotive jewel could be worth hundreds of thousands.
But the Chak’hala were also known as fanatics for security and, despite the prize, I’d never had much motivation to test that.
If it hadn’t have been for my idiot brother-in-law, Mickey, I never would have bothered. But much as I loved my wonderful husband and partner in crime, Mac, he had a blind spot when it came to his brother and when Mickey had come bouncing back onto our ship, bubbling over with enthusiasm for this new job, a guaranteed score, Mac had turned that million watt smile of his on me.
“What do you think, Molly? I’ve always wanted to see Chaknal,” he said.
We were sitting in the main room of the ship. With its modular light silver walls that reconfigured themselves at the touch of a button, it functioned as our dining room, meeting room, socializing room, and bedroom for Mac and me. We’d shoved Mickey into a small storage room just off the engineering block.
I would have preferred shoving Mickey through the airlock but we can’t always have everything we want.
“It’s a ways out there,” I said. “Shouldn’t we be looking for a new brain for your mother?”
“She’s still got a bit of time,” he said, “and this job could give us enough to get a better upgrade. Come on, Molly, what do you say?”
He slid into the bench seat next to me, pressing his warm thigh against mine. With his wide brown eyes, his tossled brown hair that fell in waves to his shoulders, and the familiar musk of his scent that always reminded me of cinnamon, he smiled and put his arm around me, drawing me close.
“Come on, Molly, just this once,” he purred into my ear. “You know I’ll be right behind you.”
I could never resist him, even as I saw Mickey’s goofy grin on his flat wide face from across the room.
“Okay,” I said. “Just this once.”
And that was the beginning of this entire debacle.
* * *
Before I could regain my sanity, I found myself meeting with Mickey’s contact at a second rate bar on the space station orbiting a gas giant just two worm jumps from Chaknal. As usual, Mac stayed on our ship, ready to jump at the slightest hint of trouble. I didn’t expect any this far out. Most of our capers had taken place in the centre of the galaxy, not this far out on the rim. Besides, we made sure to keep all our crimes bloodless, focusing on property well under the million credit mark. That made us an annoyance to the insurance companies but barely noticeable to most planetary security agencies.
And I aimed to keep it that way.
Still a second rate bar like this was a little above our usual paygrade so I made sure I took tiny sips of the LaserLight I’d ordered. At fifty credits a glass, I could only afford one.
But it did allow me to sit at the crystal bar that stretched the length of the room. Assorted tables were scattered around the room, many hidden behind privacy shields that shimmered in the dim light and reflected blue off the black marble floor. Real live wait staff patrolled the room, wearing traditional black pants and gold shirts with the emblem of the space station discretely printed on the back collar.
This place was way above the spacers bars I usually drank in. Small, cramped, with not even a server bot patrolling to deposit drinks. If you didn’t fight your way to the bar, you stayed thirsty. But even with the occasional brawl, no one ever pulled out anything more lethal than his fist. All it would take would be the hint of major trouble and the bartenders would blast the place with a sonic wave that knocked everyone out and upon waking, the perpetrator would be forced to buy a round for the entire bar.
This place, with its long narrow bar and small tables placed strategically around the room with lots of space between was like being in another life.
At first I had felt a little out of place with my plain brown pants and beige top. I had tried to put on high heels before I left the ship but it had been so long I could barely walk, so I’d had to settle for a pair of flat, black ankle boots. I’d managed to yank off the buckles so they didn’t look too obvious as space boots. I’d pulled my black hair into a pony tail off my face and even splurged on a hint of lipstick.
I had just managed to slip away before Mac kissed the lipstick off my lips. Instead, I sat at the crystal bar, depositing the lipstick on the edge of my glass, waiting for Mickey’s contact.
Who was naturally late.
Typical of someone Mickey knew.
Why oh why did Mac listen to his idiot of a brother and why did I put up with it? Another tiny sip of the LaserLight filled my mouth with liquorish and spread a warmth through my chest. Much like the warmth I always felt when I looked at Mac.
Dammit.
I stared down the bar at the outside wall. It ran the entire length of the bar and showed an open view of space, in great floor to ceiling panels that stretched across the entire wall. Once in a while, a ship would float past, hull lights twinkling as it lifted or sank out of sight of the window.
Was it a projection of space on the wall or had someone found a transparent material with enough integrity and strength to build a “window” this size? I couldn’t figure it out.
“Ms Nomad?”
The buzz of an artificial voice sounded behind me. I turned to see a Chak’hala standing just to the side of my bar stool. It bowed when I turned. The beak moved, emitting a clicking sound. A moment later, the artificial voice spoke from of the tiny box draped around its neck.
“I am Falva, I believe you are to meet with me.”
“Yes,” I said. “Please join me.” I gestured to the stool beside me.
Falva tilted its head at the stool. “I have acquired a table. It would be more suitable for this transaction.”
“Whatever you like,” I said. I picked up my glass. “Lead on.”
Falva scurried away, moving in quick, tiny steps across the black marble floor. The fabric of its skirt shimmered, revealing patterns of gold and green on the dark blue material.
I managed two steps before I realized just how hard the LaserLight was hitting me. My heart pounded and the warmth I’d felt caused a sheen of sweat to break out over my body.
No wonder the stuff was so expensive.
Although I didn’t want to, I abandoned the glass on the bar and followed Falva across the bar. This was a business meeting and it wouldn’t do to get smashed in front of a client.
Falva got us a table near the wall, halfway between the exit and the kitchen. It went up a notch in my estimation. Good view of the room and with the privacy shield, adequate coverage. Equal distance to two possible exits.
I wondered if maybe Falva had done something like this before.
Maybe it wasn’t like Mickey’s usual contacts.
Maybe this wouldn’t be a complete and total disaster.
Fat chance.
I sank into the push burgundy chair in front of the small two person table. The surface was crystal, just like the bar. After Falva settled down, the privacy shield snapped up around us, bathing us in a soft bluish light. It made the crystal tabletop glow. The space view over Falva’s shoulder shimmered.
I blinked at the glare. My head throbbed a little. Geez, only two sips of that LaserLight. I was usually much better at holding my liquor. But all those nights at the spacers bars hadn’t prepared me for the wallop of a LaserLight. I could still taste the liquorish lingering on my tongue.
I was starting to see the allure of live servers. Trying to fight your way to a bar, never mind walk, would take some doing after a drink like the LaserLight.
Across the table, Falva stirred. Sculpted claws with tiny jewels embedded in them tapped on the crystal surface. The crystal hummed in response.
A higher grade of security. Probably blocking listening devices, possibly even telepaths.
This must be some job.
Come on, Molly. Focus. I gave my head a shake. Falva’s image settled from almost two back into a somewhat fuzzy one.
“So what can I do for you?” I said.
“I have understanding from brother Mickey Nomad that you are adept at disarming security in low gravity situations.”
A vein in my temple throbbed. “Mickey isn’t my brother,” I said. “He’s my brother-in-law.”
Falva tilted its head. The lidless eyes gleamed at me. “Not brother?”
I moved my hands over the cool crystal surface, blocking as much of the glow as I could.
“I married Mickey’s brother, Mac. That makes us brother and sister-in-law.”
Falva’s head jerked again. It was getting confused.
“Doesn’t matter,” I said. “Tell me about the job. You mentioned low gravity?”
“Yes.” The artificial voice crackled. “The object is the Eye of the Moon and it is kept on the single moon orbiting Chaknal. I can give you details.”
“Why do you need me to get it?” I said.
“All security measures attuned to Chaka’hala. Human would be unexpected. Take longer for systems to engage.”
“What kind of systems we talking about here?” I said.
“I can get full details.”
“Yes, but generally. I need to know how to price this job.”
“Already agreed upon price with Mickey,” Falva said.
I closed my hands into fists on the crystal top. My nails scraped the top. Here it was, the total screw up. Mickey knew I negotiated the jobs I worked on but he’d already set the price and he couldn’t price his way out of a pay toilet.
Dammit.
Out an airlock, the next time we were in deep space, far enough from any rescue ships. It wouldn’t be hard. Mickey was a clumsy oaf. Sure, it would upset Mac but he’d get over it.
“Two,” Falva said. “Is that not enough?”
I roused myself. “Two what?”
“Two million.” Falva tilted its head again. “Not enough?”
The remaining liquorish evaporated from my mouth. The high, irritating tone of the artificial voice reverberated in my ears.
Two million?
This could either be the best job of our lives or the biggest mistake ever.
Knowing Mickey I had a pretty good idea of which it was, but two million... We could get Mac’s mother that brain upgrade she needed. We could finally fix the back toilet on the ship. We could even buy a second ship.
And send Mickey off in it forever.
Almost as good as the airlock idea.
Or we could spend the rest of our lives on a penal colony in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by Chaka’hal criminals with only ourselves to talk to. Without their artificial voices, the Chaka’hal would only be able to talk to each other, and I’d be stuck talking to Mickey.
Forever.
I could still walk away from this job. That was always an option.
But I’d need two million really good reasons to do that.
Not to mention explaining to Mac.
My temples throbbed. I resisted the urge to rub them. Instead I placed my hands flat on the cool crystal surface of the table and leaned just a little forward.
“Details,” I said. “I need those details now.”
Falva bowed its head. “Of course.”
And it told me everything.
* * *
It turned out Falva’s family or nation (I couldn’t really tell which) was emigrating off Chaknal due to some political strife or negotiated break up. But before they left for a new planet, already chosen for them, they needed the Eye of the Moon. Apparently the Eye of the Moon was somehow responsible for all the jewels on the planet. I didn’t quite follow Falva’s narrative at this point. The throbbing in my temples had expanded into a full-fledged pounding from the effects of the LaserLight.
I finally got it to abort the history lesson and get into the details of the security surrounding the Eye of the Moon.
The Eye was kept on the moon in an underground chamber. Falva produced a tiny data bead that unfurled to give me detailed specs of the above ground entrance, multiple chambers and the correct path through the warren of tunnels to the Eye’s chamber.
“How did you get this?” I said.
A click sounded from Falva’s beak then the artificial voice started again. “My own brother-in-law worked on the project.”
Of course.
I closed my hand on the data bead, cutting off the holographic field that had sprung up above the table.
“I’ll have to take this back to my ship and study it,” I said.
“We need job done soon,” Falva said. “Two days.”
I blinked which made the glare from the crystal table stab into my eyes.
“I need time to pull everything together.”
“Two days.” Falva yanked at a beaded pouch strung on its waist. It dumped the pouch onto the table. The enclosure fell open. Red and green jewels spilled out. Their sparkle outshone the crystal table.
“Half now. Half for the Eye.”
My mouth tasted gummy. The data bead dug into my palm.
“Deal,” I said.
I grabbed that pouch before Falva could change its mind. The jewels even smelled rich.
I should have known.
* * *
“Two days?”
Mac’s voice came from the bathroom doorway behind me. I spat one final time into the toilet and hit the disposal switch. It flashed away the remains of the LaserLight and my dinner from earlier in the evening.
“Talk to your brother,” I said. “It’s his contact.”
I leaned over the sink and splashed water on my face. My mouth still tasted of sick. All I could smell was liquorish. I fumbled for t
he towel dispenser to the right then I felt Mac’s warm hands press a soft cloth to my cheeks. I kept my eyes closed as I breathed in his musky scent.
“Molly, we could really use this job.” His voice murmured in my ear. His breath tickled the hair that curled on my neck. “That other mining job is at least six months away. We wouldn’t have to worry about mom.”
My heart beat sped up as his arms slipped around me. If those emotive jewels had been in the same room, I knew they would have glowed passion red. I opened my eyes to see his face just a few inches from mine.
“Two days isn’t very long to prepare,” I said.
“Exactly,” he said. “Which is why I’ve already got Mickey working on it.” Mac kissed the tip of my nose. “You should check on him. He was having a little trouble with the gravity calculations.”
“Check on him?”
“Only two days, love,” he said. “Then Mickey can take the payment to my mother. And we’ll have the ship to ourselves for a week or so.”
The ship. To ourselves.
For a week.
I shoved him out of the way as I leapt for the door.
“Mickey!”
Mac laughter followed me down the hall.
* * *
I used every minute of those two days to prepare and drill Mickey. Despite my best efforts, my idiot brother-in-law was determined to “help” me on this job. I even tried to hide in the ruined bathroom in back end of the ship, but he found me squeezed between the dented toilet and the buckled shield wall.
“Please, Molly,” he whined. “Let me help some. It’s my job.”
He stood in the doorway, his big square head almost blocking out the light behind him. He wore his grey, grease-smeared, engine overalls, feet stuffed into heavy grav-boots that I’d heard squeaking even as he lumbered down the hall.
“This job takes finesse, speed, and the ability to follow orders. Can you do that?”
I hugged the compad to my chest, hiding my latest revisions on the route I planned to take to the Eye’s chamber. Mickey was just sneaky enough to try to catch a glimpse, then show up so he could “help” later.
Eyes Have It: A Science Fiction Story Page 1