by Dietmar Wehr
[Ceridian has sent back an interesting reply, Hoch: Toolman to Hoch. Sorry to hear that you lost Whirlwind. She was a sweet ride. Based on your data, and keeping in mind that the data never tells the whole story, our best estimate of the cost to make Leper Col—, ah…Prosperity Colony safe to fly would be approximately 890,000 Earth credits. Me and the Brain Trust here have been talking, and we have a proposition for you. If you can manage to bring at least 5.5 tons of Graphene here, we’ll be able to finish a custom-built ship that you can pilot instead of that shit pile, and your Graphene will earn you a 15% share of any trading profits you make. Think it over, and let us know. End of message. Ceridian Station Admin]
“Now that IS interesting. They must have accumulated enough spare parts to outfit a brand-new ship and just need the Graphene for the hull. Does this beast have enough cargo space to carry that much?”
[Affirmative, and before you ask, your credit balance is enough to buy 5.56 tons of Graphene, including the cost of having it shipped here. If you do this, your credit balance, after cargo acquisition cost, spaceport fees and FTL fees, will be so close to zero that it’s not worth mentioning. You’ll also have to hope that Prosperity Colony will make it to Ceridian without a critical failure. I’ve calculated the odds, and there’s a one-in-five chance of a critical failure on that first flight.]
“Does that include the jump drive?”
[Affirmative. The jump drive itself has a 10.1% chance of failure during the jump. The one chance in five probability was the overall estimate that at least one critical system would fail during the trip. Will you take Toolman’s offer?]
Hoch smiled. “Yes, but not right away. I know Toolman well enough to know that if he’s offering 15%, then he’s prepared to negotiate a higher number. Send him this message: Hoch to Toolman. Make it 34% and you’ve got a deal. End of message Hoch”
The reply took so long coming back that Hoch was about ready to call it a night and try to sleep in the ship’s drab and somewhat smelly crew compartment.
TOOLMAN TO HOCH. WHAT HAVE YOU BEEN SMOKING/DRINKING? MY COMPATRIOTS WANTED TO OFFER YOU 10%, BUT I GOT THEM UP TO 15%. YOU CAN HAVE 20% IF YOU ALSO BRING ALONG A CASE OF DRESDEN BRANDY. BY THE WAY, THIS NEW SHIP WILL HAVE SOME OF THE SAME ‘EXTRAS’ AS WHIRLWIND. THAT HAS TO COUNT FOR SOMETHING, RIGHT HAA? END OF MESSAGE. CERIDIAN STATION ADMIN
Hoch re-read the message several times just to be certain he hadn’t missed any nuances. He was pretty sure that the ‘extras’ that Toolman referred to were weapons, but whether they were missiles or a railgun, he didn’t know. Missiles would be nice to have, but a railgun had more flexibility, as his confrontation with Traeger’s brother-in-law had shown. Calling him HAA was a nice touch. Toolman and the rest of the station’s owners knew of Hoch’s quest to balance the scales of justice for Sara Fontaine and of the translation of his German name as High Avenging Angel. Toolman was a shrewd negotiator. By letting Hoch know about the new ship’s ‘extras’, he was telling Hoch that the ship cost more than a normal starfreighter would and that Hoch’s contribution of the Graphene was therefore worth a smaller percentage of the total cost. Toolman also knew that Hoch would want to pilot that ship even more knowing that it was armed. Hoch really wanted to make another counter-offer, but suspected that Toolman and his people would not go much higher, and would an extra percentage point or two really make that much of a difference?
“Okay, Keko. Send this message: Hoch to Toolman. I’ll have to owe you boys the brandy. If that’s okay, we have a deal. And you’re right about the ‘extras’. They do count for something. End of message. Hoch” With that message sent, he did go to sleep. The reply was waiting for him when he woke up.
TOOLMAN TO HAA. IF WE HAVE TO WAIT FOR THE BRANDY, THEN WE WANT TWO CASES. LET US KNOW WHEN TO EXPECT YOU. END OF MESSAGE. CERIDIAN STATION ADMIN
“Order the Graphene, Keko. How soon can it get here?”
[Less than two hours, Hoch. I’ve just managed to buy 5.51 tons for slightly less than expected. There are enough credits left over to buy an assortment of perfumes, which the women on Dresden Station have expressed an interest in. They just might be willing to trade one case of brandy for them.]
“Hm. It’s a tempting thought, but what if Traeger has his son’s replacement skulking around the station? This ship is in such bad shape, all they’d have to do is say ‘boo’ and the ship would probably fall apart.”
[You are clearly exaggerating, Hoch. However, it’s unlikely that URS could arrange to have an armed ship at the Dresden Station star system that quickly. This may be your only chance to visit with the Station Operations Manager’s daughter. I noticed that when you were chatting with her last time, your vocal stress indicators dropped significantly.]
“Ha! Has anyone told you that you notice too damn much sometimes?”
[Yes, Hoch. You just did. Should I order the perfume?]
Hoch wanted to say yes. He liked Eriko a lot, and she seemed to like him more than just a little as well. If he had to avoid trading there for who knew how long, it would be nice to have one last visit with her.
“Okay. While we’re waiting for the cargo, I want to check out the controls. Is there anything in the cockpit that isn’t working at all?”
[Well, at the top of the list…]
Chapter Two:
Hoch found the trip to Dresden Station more than a little scary. There were quite a few more yellow warning lights on the systems status board than when he had left Earth, but Keko assured him that the renamed Leper Colony would hold together long enough to get to Ceridian Station. Hoch had a long and bittersweet chat with Eriko about the prospect of them not seeing each other again for a long time and possibly never. Neither of them made promises that they knew they might not keep. If they found a way to get together again, and if they still felt the same way as now, then that was about as much as they could hope for. If the feelings of one or both changed over time, then so be it. Eriko did show her appreciation for the perfume he brought by convincing her parents to give him a case of brandy in exchange. Their goodbyes were heartfelt, and their last kiss was a long and gentle one. As Leper Colony pulled away from the station, Hoch wondered if he would ever see Eriko again.
The ship’s approach to the Ceridian Station was a nail biter. By now, every major ship’s system was showing a yellow warning light. Hoch was holding his breath as the station took control of the auto-pilot to bring Leper Colony in for a soft landing in the station’s hangar bay. No sooner had the ship touched down than two of the system status lights changed from yellow to red. The ship was dying. He couldn’t help feeling a slight twinge of sympathy for this ship that had used up its last reserves to get him to Ceridian, but one trip wasn’t enough for him to form anything like the kind of bond he’d had with Whirlwind. The rational part of his brain knew that inanimate objects didn’t have feelings or souls, but the irrational part had developed a fondness for Whirlwind similar to what some warriors felt about a particular knife or gun. Saying goodbye to Leper Colony would not be hard at all.
Toolman greeted him as he exited the ship with his gear. “Our telemetry tells us that this ship gave its life to get you here, but at least you made it in one piece. We’ll start unloading the Graphene right away. Did you manage to scrounge up that case of brandy by any chance?”
Hoch laughed. “As a matter of fact, I did manage that. It’s in with the Graphene. That last trip from Dresden was intense, and I’m bushed. Where can I crash?”
Toolman nodded. “I’m not surprised that you’re beat. I’d be a basket case if I’d been aboard for that trip. I don’t mind admitting that I wouldn’t have risked flying that piece of junk. You’ve got more guts than I do, Hoch. I’ll take you to your quarters, such as they are. We don’t have a lot of extra room on this station, but you’ll have a compartment all to yourself. Follow me.”
Hoch accompanied him down a series of maze-like corridors, which he knew he would become familiar with soon enough. Eventually they arrived at the las
t door at the end of corridor. Toolman opened it with the wave of a passkey. The room was small but well-designed and comfortable looking. It even had its own toilet and shower.
“This’ll do just fine, Toolman. How will I find my way back to your cantina when I’m ready to eat something?”
“No problem. Just ask StationComp to display the layout of each level, and you’ll be okay. And since you brought up the topic of food, we’re not going to charge you for room and board. Letting you use this compartment costs us nothing, and your food and other consumables will be a drop in the bucket compared to the resources committed to the new ship. You literally risked your life to bring the Graphene, so feeding you until the ship is ready is the least we can do.”
“That’s generous of you people. Let everyone know that I’m grateful. I don’t mean to be rude, Toolman, but I’m about ready to pass out. Let’s chat some more when I wake up, okay?”
“Okay. See you later, Hoch.”
Hoch let himself fall backwards on the bed and was asleep before Toolman closed the door as he left. It was over twelve hours later when his hunger awoke him. Leper Colony hadn’t come stocked with food, and Hoch had only had a few snacks that he had brought with him from Whirlwind. He activated StationComp and quickly figured out how to get to the cantina. Just as he was leaving his compartment, he got the news from Keko.
[Hoch, Wolfbane has just docked. Her Captain has asked the station if you’re here. They’ve told him that you are.]
That was a bit unnerving. As far as he knew, except for Claus and Kasia, both of whom had been dealt with, none of the rest of Wolfbane’s crew were directly involved with Sara Fontaine’s rape and murder. He had no reason to search them out, but they apparently had a reason to find him.
“Well, I’m too hungry to hide from them. I’m going to the cantina, and if they find me there, we’ll find out what they want.” After he spoke, he realized that he had left his stunner in his compartment and was now completely unarmed. He briefly considered going back for it, but decided against the idea.
He had barely begun eating his breakfast when Wolfbane’s Captain and his two senior officers entered the cantina, looked around, saw Hoch and headed over to his table. Hoch gave their expressions a careful look. He didn’t see anger or hostility, but he didn’t see friendliness either.
“Hello, Tory,” said Hoch in a casual voice. The three of them stopped in front of his table.
“We wondered if you’d ever come back to this station, Hoch. I don’t see your name listed as ship Captain or crew on the station status board. Are you slumming again?”
The Captain’s tone was casual as well, so Hoch decided not to be offended by the question. “Nope. My next ride isn’t quite ready yet. I hear that you’ve been asking about me. What can I do for you boys?”
The Captain folded his arms across his chest before answering. “Well, a while back we dropped Kasia off with three newbies, and when we returned, she and the newbies were gone. The station told us that the four of them had boarded your ship, which I believe was the Whirlwind. They haven’t shown up anywhere, and we’re wondering what happened to them.”
The hair on the back of Hoch’s neck stood up. The Captain was wearing some kind of metal headband that might be able to tell if Hoch lied. On the other hand, if he told the truth, the Captain and his men might not like it.
Are they armed, Keko?
[The Captain definitely is. The other two might be.]
Notify Station Security that I’m being threatened.
[Done.]
Out loud, he said, “About three months or so ago, a woman by the name of Sara Fontaine had her one-man freighter intercepted by pirates. While most of the crew were busy offloading her cargo, one man raped her, beat her so badly that her face was unrecognizable, then killed her and left her naked body lying in a pool of blood. That man was Claus Honniger. The pirate ship was Wolfbane. Kasia told me that she and Claus convinced you and the other officers to intercept that freighter. That means that you and your crew are accomplices to rape and murder. Now I personally don’t believe that you knew what Claus and Kasia intended to do to Sara, so I’m not interested in pursuing criminal actions against Wolfbane and her crew. As far as Kasia, Claus and those three newbies are concerned, they got what they deserved, and I highly recommend that you forget about them, Tory.”
Tory’s face had gotten paler as Hoch was speaking, and his two companions were looking less confident too.
“That Fontaine woman was alive when we left her, Hoch.”
“Really? Who told you that? Did you see her with your own eyes?”
“No, I didn’t. It was…” His eyes widened in sudden realization. “Honniger told me that she was okay as we pulled away. I, ah, had no reason not to believe him.”
“Well she wasn’t. Next time you’re on Earth, do a search for her grave. I guarantee that you’ll find it.”
Before the Captain could say anything else, two burly-looking security guards entered the cantina. When they looked in Hoch’s direction, he waved them over.
“Are these men threatening you, Mr. Racheengel?” asked one of them.
Hoch smiled at the Captain. “I’m not sure. Were you about to threaten me, Tory?”
The Captain was now looking very uncomfortable. “No. No threats. Just looking for some information, that’s all.”
“Are we done talking, Captain?” asked Hoch.
The Captain nodded as he started turning away. “Yeah, we’re done talking. Nice to see you again, Hoch.”
“It is?” asked Hoch. “Does that mean that I’m finally going to get the pay that Wolfbane owes me?”
That stopped the Captain and his companions in their tracks. The Captain looked from Hoch to the security guards, then back at Hoch again. “Ah, yeah! I think we can manage that if station credits are acceptable.”
Hoch nodded. “They are. I’m sure we won’t be talking again, so I’ll say good-bye now, Tory.”
The Captain nodded but said nothing. He and the other two turned away. The two security guards stayed until the others had left the cantina. “Anything else we can do for you, Mr. Racheengel?”
“No, thanks. You’ve done exactly what I needed, and I’ll let your boss know how helpful you two were.” As they left, Hoch turned his attention to Keko.
Can you track the Wolfbane people? What are they doing now?
[I’m tied into the station surveillance network. They’re heading back to their ship which, by the way, has just advised Station Admin of a transfer to you in the amount of 3,597 station credits. Is that the correct amount?]
Hoch shrugged. “No, it’s not, but I’m not prepared to confront them again over a few hundred credits. It’s close enough. Keep an eye on them, and let me know if they do anything unusual or seem to be looking for me again.”
[Will do. I thought you handled that situation quite well. They backed down quickly when you informed them of their complicity to rape and murder.]
Hoch chuckled. “Yeah, they sure did, didn’t they? I’m sure Tory realized that Claus was the kind of psychopath who would be capable of rape and murder. I have a tiny bit of sympathy for him. He and his crew are no prima donnas, but they’re not rapists or murderers, except for Claus and Kasia that is.”
Hoch had no further trouble from Wolfbane’s people, and the ship left the station 13 hours later. It was two days later when Toolman came up to Hoch’s table in the cantina where he was having dinner.
“Okay if I join you for a bit, Hoch? There’s been a development with the new ship.”
Hoch had a mouth full of food, so he gestured for Toolman to sit down.
“I’m ashamed to have to admit this,” said Toolman, “but me and my engineers have fucked up.”
Hoch swallowed and said, “How the hell did you manage that?”
“Well, the process of joining two sheets of Graphene together is tricky. If it doesn’t go just right, the edges are ruined and have to be cut off before you ca
n try again. So far we’re generating far more scrap than we estimated. Even if we get the scrap rate down to what we thought we could, and that’s a big if, we still may not have enough Graphene to finish the job, but there is an alternative that you might actually like. The Graphene was supposed to make up the hull of the new ship, but it can also be used to reinforce an existing hull like, for example, on Leper Colony. We’d have enough to reinforce the hull around critical systems and the crew compartment.”