Titanium Texicans

by Alan Black

  Maria Macias’ voice rang out. “Mira, people, my supper is getting cold. Can we get on with whatever emergency this is?”

  Bill replied, “There seems to be some issues between members of your work crew, Señora Macias.”

  Macias said, “Really? I hope this isn’t any of that teen angst crap that I heard about this afternoon, children fussing about who said what to whom behind someone’s back. I raised my own teenagers and got them out of the house. I don’t need to be raising yours, too.”

  Tasso said, “I don’t need any of you trying to raise me. My grandfather did fine. Just leave me alone and I won’t shout at anyone or threaten to beat up anyone.”

  Kendra shouted, “Are you going to punch someone like you did Cruz? Or maybe break someone’s hand like you did Ebie when he hadn’t done anything to you?”

  At Tasso’s confused look, Bill said, “My oldest son, Eber Rojo, is Kendra’s twin brother.”

  Tasso suddenly remembered Eber was Kendra’s brother, but he hadn’t realized they were twins. He said, “Yeah, maybe I will. I might as well if I’m going to get accused of it anyway.”

  Graham said, “Okay, everybody. I’m not up to speed here. Has Tasso been in a fourth fight? Or is it the fifth, I’ve lost count.”

  Kendra said, “Fifth?”

  Macias and the voice from Security both began expressing concern.

  Bill said, “One fight at a time, people.”

  Graham said, “As first officer and the senior supervisor over all trainees, I’m advising Tasso Menzies, Kendra Rojo, and Anisa Rojo-Graham to not say anything unless you are asked a specific question. Is Trainee Eber Rojo involved again?”

  Bill shook his head. “He isn’t that I know of. He’s confined to his quarters in the trainee section.”

  Kendra said, “Why is Ebie grounded? He didn’t do anything. Flacco told me today that Menzies broke Ebie’s hand and that Ebie was just standing there when Menzies attacked him. I wish I knew that before today.” She took off the wooden bracelet Tasso had bought her and threw it across the cabin.

  Anisa nodded and started to speak, but Graham interrupted. “I said to keep your mouths closed. All three of you and I mean it.”

  Tasso decided he wasn’t talking. He’d explained himself more than once. He wasn’t even going to answer any direct questions at this point. Even with video to back up his story, he was going to be blamed for whatever happened, so they could accuse him all they wanted.

  Graham said, “I need to know what’s going on.”

  Bill filled everyone in on what supposedly went on between Anisa, Ivan, Flacco, and Tasso. He explained Kendra was accusing Tasso of threatening another trainee.

  Graham looked at Tasso, “Do you deny this?”

  Tasso kept his face blank, but he could feel his face turning red. He clamped his jaw shut and stared back at the first officer.

  Graham nodded, “Security, are the special surveillance and injunctions on Tasso Menzies still in place?”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  Graham said, “Señora Macias, how did Flacco Gravilla and Tasso Menzies end up working on the same crew?”

  Macias said, “No one told me about any injunctions. I simply picked a random, age appropriate crew from trainees who were changing training stations. How was I supposed to know they weren’t supposed to be together?”

  Bill said, “You don’t know anything about any altercation between Tasso and Ivan Carrere today?”

  “First I’m hearing about an altercation. Ivan Carrere isn’t even on my crew. All I heard about was a little juvenile spat of the boyfriend-girlfriend kind.”

  Kendra said, “I heard all about it from Flacco—”

  “Enough,” Bill said. “One more word and you’ll join your brother in lockdown. I mean it.” His voice began to rise in anger. “I haven’t had a good day, and you started all of this, so you listen to your Aunt Rosa and keep quiet.”

  Kendra hid her face behind her hair, but she held her tongue.

  Graham asked “Tasso?”

  Tasso clamped his mouth closed, glared back at all the adults and refused to look at Anisa or Kendra. He’d gone through his whole life without friends. He could keep it that way if that was the way they wanted it. It didn’t matter how many times he tried to defend himself, it just ended up being twisted. Maybe those Bog-Irish deserved being beaten back on Saronno. Maybe Cruz got what he deserved by the elevators. Maybe he should have punched Ivan in the nose when Ivan threatened him in the attic. He might as well punch him and Flacco the next time he sees them, since he is going to get into trouble anyway.

  Graham said, “I’d really like to hear your side of what went on. Did you shout at Anisa because she was talking with another boy and then did you threaten him?”

  Tasso stared back. He had no reason to want to punch First Officer Graham, but he had no reason to answer her questions, either.

  Bill said, “Security, give me the playback.”

  “What playback?” Anisa asked. “I was off duty, La Dueña Dunstan didn’t have any reason or right to record me.”

  Graham nodded. “As her senior trainee supervisor, I have to agree, Bill. We can’t playback anything self-incriminating against her. However, she has made a serious accusation against another trainee constituting harassment, abuse, and threats. So, as her mother I say, play the damned thing.”

  “Ma!”

  “Shut it, mija.”

  Bill said, “Playback only the sections relative to Trainee Menzies’s involvement.” He set a coffee table upright and gestured for his dataport to play the recording on the table.

  Everyone watched as Tasso walked around a corner and saw Anisa and Ivan kissing. The playback stopped as Ivan walked off after threatening him. Tasso knew he should feel justified, but he was still so angry at having been accused when he did nothing wrong, he was unable to feel better even after having watched the playback. He recognized his first impulse had been to break the kissing couple apart and punch Ivan. He had clenched his hands into fists, even if no one else mentioned it, his reaction was clear on the playback.

  Anisa was turning bright red, evident even on her dark, olive skin.

  Kendra shouted at her cousin. “You lied to me!”

  Anisa shouted back, “I didn’t think you’d go blabbing to crew about it!”

  Kendra said, “And Flacco wasn’t even there.” She looked at Tasso, “Did you even break Ebie’s hand?”

  Tasso tried to stop his head from moving, but against his own desires, he nodded. He knew he’d broken Eber’s hand, just like he was going to punch Ivan and Flacco the next time he saw them, whether he was provoked or not. He’d already been provoked enough to justify any action. He was ready to punch the Lamonts the next time he saw them. He was even sorry Cruz was off the ship. Eber might be safe as it sounded like he was being punished already, but he knew Eber had better not even look cross-eyed at him or he would punch the other boy as hard as he could.

  Before Kendra could reply, Graham held up her hand. “We damn well better have all trainees take a class in how to keep their mouths shut. Anisa, you and I will have a discussion at home about your behavior. Get home now, and not another word unless you want to give up all of your free time until you turn eighteen.”

  Macias said, “Okay, people. I can’t have these trainees on the same crew. We have more to do there without having crew watching over hormonal teens. I don’t care if we fire the lot.”

  Graham nodded. “I think it would be best to reassign everyone.”

  Bill said, “I disagree. I believe we should leave them in place. I need Tasso reassigned to my office. Lil and I have a little project where he can be of help. That was why I invited him up here for a meal. I wanted to see if I could sweet talk him into voluntarily changing training stations. I believe now that we should transfer him without his consent. Leave everybody else in place. The attic cleanup should be a teamwork effort, Macias. Teach them to be a team. Those trainees report to you, an
d ultimately, they report to First Officer Graham, but you are primarily an accountant, and you report to me. Either get them straightened out, or get someone else to take over your supervisory position.”

  “Yes, boss.”

  Tasso held his breath. He didn’t know what was going on, except it sounded like everyone was still infuriated with him, and watching the video playback didn’t do much to diminish the hostility in the room. He didn’t want to care what other people thought about him, but he couldn’t help it. He also didn’t want to lose his job in the attic. The job wasn’t as relaxing now as when he’d worked alone, but it really was fun. It didn’t sound as if they were offering him a choice. That really fit in with the rest of his life. There hadn’t been any choices in anything since he chose where to bury his grandfather and he’d chosen that spot because that was where Grandpa would’ve wanted to go.

  Bill, Kendra, and Tasso sat silently until Security and Macias signed off the comms, and First Officer Graham shut the door behind her. Even Señora Rojo disappeared back into the kitchen. Kendra looked confused, as if she didn’t know whether to keep being incensed or not. She managed to keep her silence.

  Bill looked at his daughter. “Mija, your brother and his friends Cruz, Ivan, and Flacco attacked Trainee Menzies twice, as a group. We know Cruz was the instigator and we had him removed from the ship. Eber confessed to breaking his hand when he and his three friends tried to hit Trainee Menzies in a four against one brawl. Any damage to your brother caused by Trainee Menzies was committed in self-defense. I’ve seen the security footage on the second attack on Trainee Menzies by Armando Cruz. Tasso threw the first punch under extreme provocation, and he hadn’t been given any choice but to fight.”

  Kendra looked stricken, as if her world was collapsing around her.

  “I know you love your brother. Your mother and I do too, however we’re not blind to what kind of a little pendejo he can be at times. I’m sorry, but he seems to think being a star quarterback and a member of the Rojo family is going to keep him from ever getting into trouble. That’s why he’s grounded, and that’s why he may have to give up his position on the team.”

  “Papi! Quitting football will kill Ebie!”

  “It may not be my choice, Kendra. It’ll be up to your brother. Now, what about you?” He stroked his daughter’s cheek. “I have an invited guest for dinner, and all he gets from you is a lasso burn across his neck where you tried to lynch him. That plus my supper is getting cold.”

  Kendra slid from the couch, dropping to her knees in front of Tasso. Placing her forehead on his knee, she said, “I was wrong and I apologize, Señor Tasso Menzies. I placed my trust in people I thought were my friends and I hurt you. I’ll try to never let it happen again.”

  Tasso still wanted to be angry. He wanted to push her away and rush out of the cabin, ignoring her apology. What he wanted and what he got were two separate things. Her forehead against his knee felt hot. Unbidden, the memory of her standing in the kitchen in a wet t-shirt popped back into his mind. She slid her face up until her chin rested on his knee, her large dark eyes starred up at him wetly.

  “Forgive me, please.”

  He wanted to forgive her, but thinking was becoming difficult and he would embarrass them both if his erection grew much larger. That was bound to happen with her pressing against his leg. He nodded, “Um … okay. I guess you did … well, okay.”

  Bill said, “Good. Kendra, go help you mother get supper on.”

  Kendra skipped out of the room. Tasso didn’t know what to think. All of a sudden the room felt both lighter and darker at the same time. He hoped it would take a while before he had to get up, he knew his coveralls couldn’t contain his erection. Tasso sat quietly, still not wanting to talk, still angry at almost everybody, still wanting to walk out and be left alone, but somehow Kendra had stolen his ability to justify walking out because of any righteous indignation at being falsely accused. She’d apologized and he’d accepted. Now he was stuck.

  Bill rambled on about how things were going with Aunt Aggie’s attic cleanup. He mentioned how pleased the captain was with the influx of goods, used or not, and how the items were causing a stir around the crew. Apparently, there was a high stakes bidding war going on over a box of old belt buckles, with the majority of bidders wanting to keep the collection intact, but a small and vocal contingent wanting to have the buckles sold piecemeal. He tried to explain that the ship should hold the buckle sales until they made homeport in New Texas, where they would get a bigger profit.

  Dinner found Tasso seated between Bill and Kendra at a big table. Kendra sat close enough to him that her leg pressed against his. She didn’t allow his plate or glass to sit empty. Sitting this close to her was confusing, like trying to make a house pet of a jack-o’-lantern! Not that anyone would be tempted to pet Ol’ Ben. She was both dangerous and interesting at the same time. He wanted to reach up and stroke her long black hair. Instead, he reached down and petted the little dog at his feet.

  Kendra grinned at him, “You like petting my Chi-Chi?”

  Bill sputtered and almost spit out his drink. Señora Rojo laughed heartily along with most of the older children around the table.

  Kendra looked innocent, “What? He is petting my little dog Chi-Chi, isn’t he? I just asked if he liked it.”

  Tasso looked confused.

  Señora Rojo swallowed her laugh and explained, “Chi-chi is a Spanish slang word for girls titties.”

  Tasso looked at Kendra, he was blushing deep red, causing everyone at the table to laugh even harder. Kendra laughed so hard she cried. Somehow, Tasso didn’t mind being laughed at when she laid her head on his shoulder.

  Bill cleared his throat and made a valiant attempt to change the conversation. “So, um … Tasso, how’s your job going at Cherry’s?”

  Kendra poked Tasso in the ribs. “Yeah, tell us, Tasso, do you get much chance to help the ladies in the fitting rooms with that frilly lingerie you sell?”

  Tasso was still blushing from before. He doubted he was going to get any more embarrassed, so he joked, “Well, it seems I have a knack for estimating cup size, but I don’t get much chance to help in the fitting rooms. No more than a couple of times an hour.”

  Bill laughed, “Maybe I should apply for a part time job after work.”

  Señora Rojo said, “You do and you better find somewhere else to sleep.”

  Tasso said, “Actually, Cherry and Ain are talking about getting some more help if they can find a trainee who might be interested.” He looked at Kendra. “It does pay well. She’s looking for a sales assistant and someone to help run the extruder.”

  Kendra got a nod from her father and another nod from her mother. She gave Tasso a quick kiss on the cheek and rushed out of the room to call Cherry.

  Bill asked his wife, “Is she going to have time for a job with training, classes, and cheerleading?”

  Señora Rojo nodded. “Our oldest has already said she is about done with cheerleading anyway. There are many younger girls coming up who want her spot on the team. This little spat with Anisa may be the straw that camel needs.”

  Bill looked at Tasso and said, “Speaking of changes, tomorrow I want you to come to my office. Can you find it? Good. Come by first thing in the morning. We’re making a scheduled stop at a planet called Kesselman. The captain and I have a little project where we believe you can help us. It’s time we moved you out of Aunt Aggie’s attic, anyway.”

  Tasso was listening and hearing every word, but his mind was still on Kendra. He could still feel the heat of her leg against his, and he knew he would never get the picture out of his head of her dark eyes staring up at him, except for those precious moments when he pictured her in the wet T-shirt. He hoped his dataport had been set on record for both moments. He wanted to check but not in front of the girl’s father and mother.

  Bill continued. “Kesselman is one of the rare planets still growing tobacco as an export cash crop. We believe their tobacco
co-operative is pulling the same scam on farmers that the Saronno Produce Lobby Associates is pulling on the chiamra growers on your world.”

  That got Tasso’s attention. He didn’t forget about Kendra. He didn’t think he would ever forget about her, not like the other girl, what’s-her-name … Anisa something-or-other. Cheating farmers wasn’t high on his list of things to ignore.

  “Through your efforts we have four working agricultural-processing machines. We’re going to throw a wrench into their co-op’s little operation and go directly to the farmers. We’re sure someone is going to object, but we want to try this before we take on Saronno. We want you on our planetary team.”

  “Will this get us to Saronno quicker or is this a delay?”

  “Our schedule won’t allow us to get to Saronno before your eighteenth birthday. Yes, Kesselman is a delay.” He held up his hand to stop Tasso’s interruption. “I’m sorry. Please understand we do consider your concerns, but we’re committed to this operation on Kesselman. This might have been a quick stop and go picking up cargo, but the agricultural-processing units you found and reconditioned allows us to investigate far greater profits. That’s profit for all of us, not just you.”

  All Tasso heard was they wouldn’t get to Saronno in time to save his land.

  CHAPTER 35

  TASSO DUCKED as the rock sailed toward his head.

  “Get off my land,” the man shouted. “You don’t got no right to be here.”

  Purser Bill Rojo said, “Sir, we just want to talk.”

  “I was awarned that if’n I even talked to you, my crops would rot in the fields. I can’t sell my crop, my family goes hungry.” The farmer grabbed another rock. “You spacemen are only interested in cheating an honest farmer. You have no dirt in your blood.”

  Bill held up his hand to stop the man from throwing another rock at Tasso or him. The shuttle pilot and the Rojo’s planetary agent had wisely elected to stay on the shuttle. This was the third farm they had visited and the results were the same at each place. No one would even consider talking to them.