by Scott Rhine
“No. I’ll tell Union authorities you drugged and kidnapped an innocent Phib governor, one who mysteriously showed up dead.”
Reuben swallowed hard. “Nobody wants what Isolchar told me made public. Lunar intelligence killed him so he couldn’t warn the Turtles. I’m sure MI-23 already suspects. Hell, the Blue Claws and Phibs are behind the Glory Point Initiative.”
“What is Glory Point?”
“You don’t know?” He closed his eyes with relief. “Then you don’t need to know. Trust me. I won’t betray your secrets. If my freeing you from slavery isn’t proof enough of my loyalty, then screw you.” With his magnetic boots affixing him to the hull, he walked through the mental projection until he reached the first telescope mount. “I have too much work to do to hold your hand.”
A tower of wrath, Echo reappeared in front of him. “I am a member of the elder races, and you will show me respect!”
“No,” Reuben said, point-blank. “You haven’t earned it.”
“What?” Her hair shifted to gray again briefly at the shock.
“You’re so weak you can’t do anything for yourself anymore. I handle all your dirty work, but do you thank me even once? No. I’m still here because I would die to protect either of your mates. Please get out of my way and reconnect my comm link, or I’m going back inside to tell Max you’re threatening the only person who’s keeping you alive right now.”
“Your irreverence knows no bounds, but you are correct.” She vanished in the next heartbeat.
A few minutes later, Reuben announced, “I fixed the gyroscope. Your crazy spin through the solar wind threw it out of whack. The others are probably suffering from the same symptom. Those repairs should go faster.”
“Fantastic,” Roz said on the comm. “I can see the forest moon now.”
“How far off were we?” asked Max.
Echo replied, “I only had time for five decimal points of accuracy on the translation equations.”
“About four days travel with engines,” Roz translated, “but the moment we light them, we’ll be considered hostile invaders. How do we communicate our peaceful intent? Could we wake Ivy for a few minutes to give the all clear?”
Max said, “Not unless we’re about to die. The painkillers interfere with her mental abilities, and she might not last until they clear. Stimulants would cause her to bleed out quicker. What about using one of the star drives to blink a message in Morse code?”
Roz replied, “No. Each unit takes half an hour to power cycle. We’d be dead before we finished a single letter.”
Glancing up at the forest of drives, Reuben was reminded of an expensive restaurant with a similar ball-shaped mesh of lights that strobed in patterns each holiday. “What if we used the rows of lights to spell out something in big letters like Ivy’s Here?”
The others agreed with the concept, but the moon-facing drives could spell only one short word clearly. Roz wanted the Elvish word for friend from Tolkien. “Someone who names their planet after an Elvish tree will recognize the pass phrase ‘speak friend and enter.’”
“To risky and obscure,” Max argued. “Besides, with all the triangles, vertical lines don’t render well.”
Once he fixed the second telescope, Reuben said, “What about just plain Ivy? How many nearly-dead operatives on Magi ships can they have?”
Echo said, “If we can sneak close enough, I can project myself onto their space station. I say we continue with stealth and program this word as a fallback if we’re challenged.”
The radio challenge came within hours. Reuben had just finished capping off all the loose power lines from the decapitated star drives. He stepped inside to wait. If explosions, beams, and high-g turns were in the cards, he didn’t want to face them outside. He hoped the simple message would work.
A high-velocity twelve-drive shuttle streaked past them a few hours later. Roz said, “It looks like a soccer ball. I didn’t know they made in-system craft with that much power.”
Echo said, “Three psis have scanned our ship. I shall return the favor by appearing on their bridge.”
A minute later, Laurelin tower instructed Deep 6 to dock with the heavily-armed scout. Echo permitted this only because the scout vessel carried no ansible.
Chapter 12 – More than Kin, Less than Kind
In the shuttle bay, the twelve-engine interceptor crew traded Ivy’s mobile stasis unit for a working radio. Reuben wanted to go with her to the hospital, but Captain Onesemo, the armored envoy for the security vessel, was quite clear. “No one other than those born on Laurelin may land on the planet. You can negotiate with the space station for emergency diplomatic docking.”
“Do you know who I am?” Reuben asked, pressing nose to nose with Onesemo. The captain’s face appeared to be a mix of a dozen ethnicities, all of them large and muscular.
“A Goat who doesn’t listen very well.”
Max cleared his throat. “Onesemo is from a respected Anodyne line. They’re all Override talents, able to push their bodies to incredible feats of strength and endurance. I’m guessing his ship, even with all its buffers, still pulls about five gs.”
Reuben got the hint. He couldn’t beat this guy in a fair fight, so he took a step back.
Onesemo said, “The presence of Max Culp on this vessel is the only reason why you’re allowed in this system. He has been granted that status of Llewellyn friend by our CEO for services rendered. Anyone else would have been reduced to ions by now.”
“I appreciate the exception.” Max shook the captain’s hand. “What lie are the Bankers telling the rest of the Union about us?”
“A pirate fleet has been assaulting Blue Giant bases. They all have the same signature. Renegade Phibs are suspected.”
Reuben rubbed a hand over the stubble on top of his head. “All the isolated stations will shoot on sight. We can’t sneak into the Convocation the back way. We have to change tactics and blend in with the crowd.”
The imposing Onesemo asked, “How did your vessel approach our planet so closely without being detected?”
Max shrugged. “That’s my wives’ department. Ancient Magi secret. How does Sanctuary manage its stealth mode?”
“Fair enough,” said Onesemo. “Why did your Magi care about us having an ansible?”
Max considered a moment. “We have evidence that ansibles are active intelligence-gathering devices for a hostile government.”
“Duh!” Onesemo said. “Who hasn’t figured that out? That’s why we put the only ansible in the system on one of the uninhabited moons.”
“You’re saying the devices house entities that travel out-of-body?” asked Reuben.
Onesemo shrugged. “I’m saying they aren’t devices at all. In some ways, they’re alive.”
“Of course.” Reuben made the connection with Ivy’s FTL communication talent. “The link between living minds is the only thing that can transcend the speed of light.”
The armored man reached for a sidearm. Max stopped him from drawing the weapon. “He’s on our side. Ivy was his first love. He’d never endanger her by sharing that information with someone who didn’t already know.”
Ignoring the threat, Reuben asked, “What do you mean ‘was’?”
“We’ve already scheduled her memorial service by the great grove. Her prospects don’t look good,” Onesemo said grimly.
Reuben almost lost it, shouting, “You can’t give up on her! We did everything so she could live.”
“Either way, she’ll continue to live,” Onesemo said sympathetically. “The only question is how much pain and indignity she’ll endure in the meantime. She’s home now. You’ve done your duty, and it has been noted. The reward for her return will probably pay for your refueling.”
Twenty-four million credits for a single agent, and one-sixth of that would be mine. Reuben gripped the man’s gun arm. “I don’t want four million credits. I just want … to say good-bye to her.”
Onesemo looked down at Reuben’s h
ands until he released his hold. “Sir, people in hell want ice water. Doesn’t mean they’ll get it.”
As the man in armor walked away, Reuben decided Onesemo had hit the nail on the head. My life is hell now.
****
At Laurelin Station, the bureaucrats fawned over the newlyweds. Max explained how the Saurians had stolen Echo’s ship and how the members of Far Traveler Unlimited had freed her. When they presented Roz’s papers of ownership and the wedding license, the crewmembers were welcomed as celebrities. Locals swooned over both Humans because of their exotic talents and their Magi hormones. The stationmaster extended every courtesy to the ship and its crew in gratitude for the prodigal daughter’s return. Several scientists requested samples of their DNA, all of which were politely refused.
In the hubbub, Reuben wandered off. He had nothing to unload and was tired of being ignored. He decided to visit some media merchants and check out music that had been released since he left university. He wore his best suit, hoping to find Ivy again.
The station was state-of-the-art: high tech, safe, and comfortable, with no expense spare. There were padded cushions in the waiting room. Along the outer ring, the floor was lined with windows like stripes on a highway. He could see the pale-green expanses of forest and grass along the equator of the moon below, the white of polar caps, and the blue-green of shallow oceans. On a magnification panel in the lounge, the main spaceport emerging from the water appeared to be a ring of towers made from the white sand. The organic style of the coral-encrusted buildings reminded him of his stay on Anodyne.
His first stop was a bar. The bartender didn’t seem surprised by a Goat. Instead, he poured a green beer and asked, “You new to the embassy?”
This place has a Mnamnabonian Embassy? “Uh … no, but I was looking for it.” He held up his credit chip, but the bartender waved his money away.
“You guys brought back one of our people. It’s on the house.” The large man pointed down the hallway. “First elevator on the right, up one level.”
“Thanks. Why is this station so big?”
“We have a big hospital. Most specialists weren’t born on Laurelin, so they have to live somewhere else.” At least the rules were the same for everyone.
“So my friend would get medical attention up here?”
The bartender nodded. “Best there is.”
Reuben downed the fermented alfalfa beverage popular with his people. It didn’t have the kick of Human drinks, but together with the information, it made him smile. He tossed a Blue Giant coin on the counter beside the empty glass. “Ahh. Thank you. You are a gentleman and a scholar.”
The bartender laughed. “And this is the job my philosophy degree earned me.”
Reuben located the embassy with no difficulty. The front office was small but tastefully decorated in blues and whites. The back wall had a window overlooking the planet. The reception ewe had her feet propped up on the desk watching the entertainment screen on the ceiling. She wore a short dress with holes in the sides that accentuated her white-furred flanks and midriff. Her dangling earrings and perfect nails screamed high maintenance. The nameplate on her desk read Fiona Fidelos.
“What does a ram have to do around here to get a favor?”
Not taking her eyes off the ceiling, the receptionist snorted. “A meal at Delmonaco’s, proof of employment, and a college degree.”
“I have the last two, and I’m willing to spring for the first, Miss Fidelos, if it’ll get me a room number for a friend of mine in the hospital.” Reuben tried for suave. It must have worked because the receptionist sprang to her feet.
Eying his suit, she adjusted her hair. “I’m so sorry, sir. I thought you were one of the food-service or loading-dock workers. I had no idea. What name should I give the ambassador?”
“We don’t need to involve him. I know who really runs things around here.” She giggled as he kissed her hand. “Reuben Black, partner in Far Traveler Unlimited. That’s our ship docked out there.”
Even with his limited experience with women, he recognized a star-struck gold digger. In high school, that sort of girl never noticed him. Ironically, the moment he could have any ewe he wanted, he no longer felt the urge. He felt like washing his hand but held the charming smile.
Fiona whispered, “Well, no need to bother him for something minor. A hospital room number and a dinner reservation?”
“Ivy DeLaurelin. Admitted in a stasis pod with severe blood loss and laser burns to the upper body.”
She tapped at her smart desk, and the surface flashed red. “That’s the restricted ward. We don’t have access.” She paused for a moment. “Wait. Black. Are you the Reuben Black Ram?”
He dodged the question in case she wanted to serve him a subpoena. “Perhaps I could ask her sister, Posy, the nurse.”
“Yeah, Posy works the brain-injuries ward, but she goes off duty in a couple hours. You can catch her in the lobby or in the tube to the residential ring.” Fiona bit her lip. “Look, I’m sorry, but I have standing orders to announce the presence of any … dangerous people to the ambassador.”
Reuben leaned on the desk so his mouth was just about ear level. He aimed for sultry when he whispered, “Am I too dangerous for you to handle?”
The receptionist nickered nervously. “Probably.”
“Ah, well. Just tell him I escaped. Next time you’ll need to hold me down.”
****
Reuben picked up a holographic window garden at the gift shop because actual flowers were banned in a sterile environment. It was the most expensive item they had but worth the price if it got him in the door. Posy wasn’t hard to find at her nurse’s station. For a moment, she took his breath away. She looked just like Ivy—hair in a tight bun, paler, and thinner, but identical down to the mole on her neck.
The nurse must have felt his gaze because she glanced up sharply. The moment she recognized him, Posy slapped him hard across the face. “Pervert!”
In his shock, he dropped the gift, and it shattered on the floor. A security officer ran into the room. Reuben raised both hands to demonstrate that he was not the aggressor. “What did I ever do to you?”
“Ew. I have a husband and children. I was at my son’s violin recital when … ugh … I’ll never be able to look at a crash harness the same again. You’re disgusting. An animal!”
I guess Ivy shared a little too much with her. His girlfriend liked to shock her family through their psychic link. “Hey, I never did anything with your sister that she didn’t ask for, in some cases at the top of her lungs.”
Posy clenched her fists and closed her eyes, probably holding back a prudish scream.
“Is there a problem here?” asked the guard. He had been raised in zero g, so he was tall and frail.
Reuben could take out his knee in an instant. “No. I was just explaining to Posy that I wanted to see Ivy, my fiancée.”
“She never accepted your proposal, you deviant.” Her faint Anodyne accent implied she had probably attended medical school at the famous medical university.
“But I’m a deviant who is to be extended diplomatic courtesy unless you want an incident.”
Posy gathered her composure. “I’ll pay for the holo display, but I’m permitted to ask you to leave. I have too many patients here to waste time with you.”
A mirror image of Posy in a gray jumpsuit appeared beside the guard. “I’ll take care of Mr. Black, officer.” Despite her appearance, the final triplet was a lethal demolitions expert. Her British Laurelin accent was absurdly thick, indicating she had probably been kept close to home her entire life.
“The lovely Daisy, I presume.”
She actually blushed as she asked, “Why are you here?” Posy must have summoned her mentally. Normally, they remained on opposite sides of the forest moon. Ivy’s arrival must have brought the whole family together.
“I need to know Ivy’s okay. Please.” The agony in his voice was apparent.
Daisy sighed. �
��Follow me.” A bot was already sweeping up the remains of the gift.
“Have you been sent to kill me?”
“Worse, I’m here to tell you the truth.”
Chapter 13 – A Nonviolent Solution
Daisy led Reuben away from the growing crowd, through the ward to the back stairwell. “You know Ivy can never meet you again. She has a duty to her family.”
The guard trailed them wordlessly.
“As fertilizer to the sacred grove, at one with the world memory?” Reuben said. “She’d be better off with me. She doesn’t want a life on Laurelin.”
“You wouldn’t understand duty. You rams are like perpetual frat boys, always drinking and whoring. When are you ever going to grow up?”
“Ivy is the only woman I’ve ever been with. I love her.”
Daisy stopped and pointed into a room. “Do you see them?” A middle-aged ewe sat in a chair holding an unconscious girl’s hand. “Those are your people. Be with them. You can’t bond to one of us.”
“I can’t bond with them, either. Rams don’t have that ability.”
“I’m sorry. You’re a decent guy, but you were a distraction. At first, Ivy only dated you to get close to Max.”
“Liar. She was my bodyguard, and—”
“Even if she survives, Ivy’s going to be pumped full of hormones and popping out babies. Now that Max has achieved his mission, your ship no longer needs an escort, and Posy really is overwhelmed here.”
Reuben sneered. “Posy needs a stick removed from her ass.”
“People in this ward are the worst of the worst. You have no idea how much she anguishes over these patients. The brain is the hardest organ for medical science to heal. One of her patients is a former head of the university, but she’s senile.”
“That’s fairly common for old people.”
“Not for us, and not if we want to join the planetary memory,” Daisy explained. “She’s our great grandmother. She helped raise us, and we can’t do a thing to help her.”
“What do you expect me to do?”