by S. H. Jucha
“Loud and clear, Captain.”
“Your ship’s duties will be halved, and the first and third mates will pick up the slack.” Yohlin noticed Belinda’s subdued reaction to her last statement. “Cheer up, Kilmer. I laid it out for my officers, and they’re thrilled. They were carrying baggage for Schaefer anyway, and, on top of that, they had to deal with his attitude. You’re going to be a relief to them. Not to mention, by the time you and I finish here, everyone will have heard about the encounter with Schaefer. The entire crew will give you anything you want, so long as Rules is kept happy.”
“I don’t think she’s a danger to them, Captain.”
“Give them time to accept her, Kilmer. She’ll earn their trust, and they’ll earn hers.”
“Understood, Captain.”
“Good. Now, we have some cleanup work to do here on Emperion, and then we’ll be setting sail for Triton.”
“Triton, Captain?”
“That’s right, Kilmer. We’re going to be the first Pyreans to set foot on that moon. Maybe we’ll figure out what made that great hole in it.”
“Better yet, captain, maybe we’ll discover a wealth of exotic minerals and rare metals.”
“Now, that’s the kind of thinking I like to hear, Kilmer. Get acquainted with my first mate, Darrin Fitzgibbon. In downtime, his friends call him Nose. He’s waiting outside for you. Dismissed, Kilmer.”
“Aye, aye, Captain,” Belinda replied. She gave a quick salute and exited the cabin. Life had changed dramatically for her since she met Rules, and she thanked her good fortune and good friend, Angie, for the transfer that kept Rules and her together. She smirked briefly, recalling how Rules handled Schaefer. It probably scared the Annie’s crew witless, but Belinda loved it.
* * *
Jessie took a call from Yohlin. She was scheduled to break orbit from Emperion days before he arrived. Deliberately, during the conversation, he didn’t bring up the subject of Aurelia, waiting until she did.
“For your information, Jessie, I’ve two transfers aboard, Belinda Kilmer and Rules,” Yohlin transmitted. The two ships had nearly a second in transmission receptions, but the captains were used to handling the time lag with each other.
“Why the transfer of the third mate?”
“Leonard’s idea, Jessie. Belinda and Rules have become tight. Good training pair … Rules has three superlatives in basics so far. Remarkably, Belinda’s dementia conditions have disappeared.”
“You good with this, Yohlin?”
“Can’t say I’m thrilled, but I like Belinda. If she does her job well, then I’ll be as right as standing on a deposit of heavy metal.”
“Speaking of fortunate finds, Yohlin. I wish you good hunting on Triton. Go be our talisman!”
“Got to say, Jessie, I’ve never been so excited about an opportunity since I first stepped aboard the Annie to crew for Captain Rose. Over and out.”
Jessie had no more ended the call with Yohlin than Ituau indicated he had another call.
“It’s Harbour, Captain. The call is originating from the Belle.”
“Transfer it to my quarters. You have the bridge, Ituau,” Jessie ordered, quickly exiting the bridge.
“Aye, Captain,” Ituau acknowledged.
Ituau and a female spacer shared conspiratorial grins. “Now, I wonder what sort of discussion the captain plans to have with Harbour that requires privacy,” Ituau said, and the two women laughed.
Jessie settled into a comfortable position behind his desk and tapped the comm light on his desk unit when it lit. “Hello, Harbour. How sure are you of this transmission’s security?”
“This call is direct from the Belle, Captain. We aren’t using the relay on the JOS. Things have been changing over here.”
Jessie waited, but Harbour didn’t continue. Then he twigged to the problem. “I take it, Harbour, this is your first call to a ship outward of the JOS. The Spryte has sailed past Minist. We’ve about a one-point-five-second comm lag. You can either say over when you’re finished, or end on a question or a definitive statement.”
“Oh, I guess my newbie status is showing, Captain.”
Jessie heard Harbour’s soft laugh and discovered he wanted to hear it again. “Not a problem, Harbour. When did you get the Belle’s long-range communications operational?”
“Turns out the system was always operational, Captain. I didn’t have anyone aboard who could operate it until I asked my spacers to check it out. Over.”
“Please clarify, Harbour. What do you mean by your spacers?”
“Did you know we’ve collected more than thirty of them?”
“I had no idea you had that many.”
“Oh, yes, including your three.”
“My three?”
“Come, come, Captain, let’s not be coy with each other. There’s too much transpiring to keep unnecessary secrets. I wanted to tell you that I appreciate your donations. Modest amounts they might be, but, coming as they do every month, you’ve been very generous to us.”
Jessie made a snap decision. He couldn’t say who was driving his ship at that moment — his logic or the memory of standing close to Harbour. “You’re welcome,” he said.
“Now, that wasn’t so hard, was it, Captain?”
“I believe you called me, Harbour.”
“Back to formalities so quickly, are we, Captain? Well, you better starting using my title then. It’s Captain Harbour to you. Over.”
“Are you planning to sail the Belle somewhere, Captain?” Jessie asked, smiling to himself.
“Planning to, Captain. My spacers are working on a feasibility plan to move the Belle. Over.”
“For the love of Pyre, Harbour, why would you do that?” Jessie said, snapping upright. He focused on the desk comm station, willing a response.
“Do I detect concern, Captain?” Harbour asked. She had to admit to herself that she enjoyed listening to Jessie’s voice and teasing him was better yet.
“You mean am I concerned about the lives you might be risking moving that ancient ship? Then, yes, I’m concerned.”
“Does that mean you have no faith in spacers like Dingles? Did you know that I’ve collected some of the top engineers of Pyre? And I wouldn’t risk the residents of the Belle, if my spacers didn’t tell me we can do this, Captain. Over.”
Jessie sat thinking about what Harbour was planning to do. He knew many of the spacers of whom she was speaking. They would tell her truthfully whether the Belle could be safely placed underway. The ship was basically operational, and, conceivably, there was no reason it couldn’t be moved. The damage to the hull, which the ship had suffered, forcing it into this system instead of continuing on to its original destination, had been repaired. It forced him to consider what was likely to be his true concern.
Briefly, Jessie worried about interceptions of their comm signal until he remembered something Captain Rose told him. The colony ship’s long-range communications dishes were highly directional, and there was little chance anyone could pick up on its beam, unless they were in line with him, which was possibly only the Annie. For a moment, he wondered if Yohlin was enjoying herself at his expense.
“I did say over, didn’t I, Captain Cinders? Over.”
“Yes, you did, Captain. My apologies. I was just thinking about what you’ve been saying. It’s taken me by surprise. Over.”
“And that’s my intention, Captain. I want to take the families and the commandant by surprise. Over.”
It hit Jessie how little credit he’d given Harbour. She was moves ahead of him. While he was struggling to figure out what to do with Aurelia, she was making plans to upset the balance of Pyrean power. “A bold move, Captain Harbour. My congratulations on your forethought.”
“Thank you for that, Captain. By the way, this captain-captain stuff sounds too formal to me. Would you mind returning to calling me Harbour?”
“Certainly, Harbour, and please feel free to call me Jessie.”
Harbour
smiled and mouthed a yes. “How goes it with your …”
Jessie picked up that Harbour was searching for a way to bring up the subject of Aurelia, but she didn’t know if he had her and, if he did, how he would be hiding her.
“Our trainee, Rules, is doing fine, Harbour.”
“Good to hear, Jessie.”
“She’s making great progress in her basics and winning some friends.”
“Is she? I understand she’s a very personable girl.”
“Oh, absolutely. She’s managed to make a powerful impression on one individual.”
“And in such a short time.”
“Surprising, isn’t it, for an untrained spacer?”
“Tremendously surprising, Jessie. No telling how far she can go once her training is complete.”
“If your spacers return an affirmative on moving the Belle, Harbour, where are you intending to move the ship?”
“Not sure, yet, Jessie. Still working out what might be strategically smart. If you have any creative ideas, feel free to call me.”
“I’m sure you’re considering the possibility of being cut off from the JOS if this trouble blows wide open. Are you considering supplies?”
“Yes, we are. I’ve people determining what it would take to be independent for up to a year. Over.”
Jessie wasn’t foolish enough to repeat with consternation what Harbour said. Her signal was loud and clear. But he couldn’t help murmuring “one year” to himself. Obviously, Harbour was better prepared to foresee the fallout from one young empath’s fight and flight to freedom.
“I don’t think this over thing is working, Jessie. Over,” Harbour said. She bit a fingernail between her teeth to keep from laughing.
“You remind me of one of my captains, Harbour.”
“In what way, Jessie?”
“He spoke of my actions leading to a fight. I considered his opinion to be exaggerating the problem. Now you’re saying the same thing and taking far-reaching steps to prepare. I think it’s my turn to feel like a newbie. Over.”
“I think many of us knew this day was coming. It was always a question of how it would arrive, and I, for one, couldn’t have imagined it coming at us this way. But, I can’t complain. It’s probably the clearest and most definitive reason for breaking up the existing power structure and shaping a process to elect our government. Over.”
Harbour waited for Jessie’s reply. Too much, too soon, Jessie, she wondered, as the delay lengthened.
“Please keep me informed about your spacers’ decision on the Belle’s flight worthiness, Harbour. Over and out.”
Harbour was a little disappointed in the abrupt ending to their conversation. While she was reviewing it, she heard a familiar drumming of fingertips.
“Come in, Yasmin,” Harbour called out. “Visiting or business?” she asked when Yasmin entered her cabin.
“Visiting,” Yasmin replied with a smile.
“A green?” Harbour asked.
“Lovely,” Yasmin replied, curling into a chair.
Throughout the decades, the engineers and techs aboard the Belle had made great strides, working toward self-sufficiency. The hydroponic gardens had been expanded to include flowering plants, and bees had been successfully resurrected. The air-scrubber systems were based on algae farms, and the excess growth was harvested. The green that Harbour offered Yasmin was a mixture of algae, honey, and flower petals. Empaths needed a diet rich in elemental compounds. Otherwise, they developed headaches.
Yasmin accepted her drink with a smile and sipped on it. The flower petals lent their aroma, and the honey gave the drink depth. “I was passing by, Harbour, and was surprised to find you broadcasting.” Yasmin waited for her friend to deny it, but she wore a polite smile. “Let me guess. The spacers told you this afternoon that our long-range communications system was online, and they would keep techs on duty around the clock to operate it. So, you had to test it.”
“Now why would making a comm call have me broadcasting?” Harbour said in dismissal.
“I don’t know. Maybe because you called a certain captain,” Yasmin replied, her cup paused at her lips and her eyes shining with mischief.
Harbour tossed her head, deciding not to acknowledge or deny.
“And what did the captain have to say?” Yasmin asked, driving right to the point.
Harbour laughed. Yasmin was the closest thing she had to family, and they often referred to each other as sister. Harbour was eight when her powers were announced by her parents to authorities, and, soon after, she was transferred to the Belle. She’d long forgiven her parents for the fear they felt about her. She had been a demanding child and learned early how to manipulate her parents to get what she wanted.
“I don’t think our captain had considered the potential ramifications of his actions,” Harbour replied. “It’s dawning on him now.”
“You mean to tell me the cold, expressionless, Captain Cinders rescued an empath without thinking of the consequences.”
“He’s not so cold,” Harbour objected. Too late she saw the smile form on Yasmin’s face.
“Finished your drink yet?” Harbour replied in protestation.
“Just getting started,” Yasmin replied, grinning. “Tell me, what did you learn of our girl?”
“I still don’t know exactly where she is, but Jessie does.”
“Oh, so now it’s Jessie.”
“You can be worse than a bee sting, sister. Do you want the answers to your questions or not?”
“Yes, please,” Yasmin replied demurely, as if she had been chastened, although Harbour knew better.
“Aurelia is on one of Jessie’s ships. He tells me she’s taking spacer training and is excelling. But, get this: Jessie hinted that she’s already helped someone.”
“We’re still talking about a sixteen-year-old empath, who’s untrained, right?”
“Remember, Aurelia told Jessie that she had a mother and sister downside. What if their confinement exacerbated the emotions of one or both of the other women?”
“And Aurelia became the moderating influence?” Yasmin guessed.
“My thought exactly. If so, she’s predisposed to aid people she feels are emotionally struggling.”
“Oh, for the love of Pyre,” Yasmin said, sitting up abruptly.
“What?” Harbour exclaimed.
“Sister, can you imagine the anguish a teenager like that would be going through at being forced to kill someone to protect herself?”
Harbour thought of her conversation with Jessie, and she saw the faces of her own spacers pass before her eyes. “Perhaps, Aurelia is in the best place for her,” she said, taking a long sip of her drink.
-15-
Downside
Giorgio Sestos glanced at the ID on his comm unit, and he requested silence from Markos with a finger to his lips. “Go,” he said to Corporal McKenzie.
“The girl wasn’t aboard the Spryte,” Terrell said.
“So much for your idea, Corporal,” Giorgio growled.
“Neither was her DNA. The sniffer picked up zero,” Terrell added.
“Coincidence?” Giorgio asked.
“I checked Captain Cinders’ logs for the past year that he has transferred to the JOS. He’s a machine when it comes to routines, such as blowing out his ship to vacuum, running drills, and the like. If I extrapolate through this year, nothing should have been scheduled.”
“Thoughts?” Giorgio requested.
“The Spryte crossed over with the Pearl at the YIPS. Thing is, the Pearl usually unloads within four or five days, but Captain Hastings was in dock for eight days. He sailed the Pearl within hours after Captain Cinders docked.”
“Then you think it’s likely Cinders transferred the girl to the Pearl.”
“The evidence fits. Cinders shifts her to another ship, blows out the Spryte to get rid of the girl’s DNA, and then politely acquiesces to a second sniffer search. The bastard was smiling at me all the time.”
&nb
sp; “Where’s the Pearl now?”
“She set sail for Emperion where the Marianne’s been working.”
“Will the two ships cross over?”
“It looks like they might.”
Giorgio raised an eyebrow at Markos, asking if he had any questions, and nodded toward his comm unit. When Markos shook his head negatively, Giorgio signed off.
“Governor, I think we have to assume that Cinders bought the girl’s story, whatever she might have told him. He’s come to her rescue.”
“Of all the possibilities, this one was so remote I never considered it,” Markos said, leaning back in his chair. “The question is: What is Cinders thinking? Was hiding the girl a knee-jerk reaction, and he never thought past the first move, or does he have a plan?”
“What’s the possibility of offering him coin?”
“Cinders?” Markos replied, breaking out in laughter. “I’ve listened to that man drone on endlessly in monthly sessions, talking about equal justice and responsible governing practices until I thought I’d spew across the table. He’s the definition of straight.”
“If that’s true, what’s our move?” Giorgio asked.
“I don’t think we have one, unless we can buy a captain to go out to wherever and take her, but we don’t know which ship has her. This is like some antiquated shell game.”
“Even if we could buy a captain, it’d be a useless action of trying to board a freighter with shock sticks, at best. I wouldn’t give them a hundred to one odds.”
“At this time, I think we wait it out, Giorgio. Cinders has to make the next move, if he’s prepared to make any at all.”
* * *
“Nothing?” Lise Panoy asked in surprise. “You’re telling me the commandant has turned that station upside down three times, searched the Spryte twice, and he’s got nothing?”
“That’s the sum of it, Lise,” Rufus Stewart acknowledged.
“How can that be?” Lise asked.
“One of my assets has been observing a Corporal McKenzie,” Idrian Tuttle interjected. “He’s one of security’s expert DAD operators. The corporal is fixated on Captain Cinders. He led the second search on the Spryte. When that came up empty, he searched the logs of Cinders’ ships, checking overlaps of his ships’ meetings.”