by Leon Castle
‘I don’t know anything about them,’ says Grasshopper, puzzled.
‘My point exactly,’ says Ven, grinning, ‘I don’t know anything about drill rigs, Grasshopper, so I can be your lackey when we fix your rig.’
‘There you go, Denise,’ says Mondok. ‘She’s in good hands.’
‘I just don’t see why, when it’s my vessel,’ says Denise, as they exit her vessel.
‘You said you wanted to keep me in line,’ says Mondok, trying to make a joke of it.
‘I did not. I said that someone needed to keep you in line.’
‘Yes, and you were giving up your break to help out.’
Denise stops at the door of the isolation room. ‘Then you might do well to remember that, Mondok.’
A twinge of guilt strikes him, but he couldn’t give in just yet. ‘If I didn’t separate you two,’ he says quickly, ‘you’d be making him tea and scones before long.’
She looked at him for a long moment, too long for Mondok. He turns away, slipping into his protective overalls and headgear.
‘Well, come on,’ he says, pointing to her gear. She puts it on in silence and follows him into the isolation room for PV 012.
The room is lined with lead to prevent radiation from the affected reactor of PV 012 leaking into the rest of the ship. Denise hasn’t said a word, even as she passes him the extraction tool. Mondok is finding the tension unbearable, but he didn’t know how to change it. Should have left her back on her vessel,’ he thinks.
With Denise silently looking on, he gently removes the damaged bio-reactor. Denise places it in a lead lined box to seal in the radiation.
‘Say something, Denise,’ says Mondok.
‘Would you please pass me that new reactor, boss?’
Mondok can feel the veins in his head throbbing, but he passes the reactor without a word.
‘Team members in isolation room, prospecting vessel number 12, please report to control.’
Nolack-1’s announcement, which seems to come from right beside them, jolts them both, and Mondok almost drops the new reactor. ‘Shit!’ he says. ‘They’re pulling us off the job!’
Chapter 31
Tom waits for Sofia to arrive at the lakeshore, and indicates the pair of water-bikes chosen for them, parked side by side.
‘You choose,’ he offers.
‘You were here first,’ she objects.
‘I will still beat you, whatever bike I have,’ answers a half smart Tom.
‘Alright smarty, I’ll take this one.’ She straddles the water-bike with the green stripes and Tom glances at her long, tanned legs. Easy boy, he thinks to himself as he claims the remaining water-bike.
They sit, staring across the lake for a moment. ‘See that red marker right over there?’ he asks.
She shaded her eyes from the artificial sun glinting on the water. ‘Oh yeah.’
‘Well, we’ll race around that and back.’
‘That’s a long way,’ she says doubtfully.
‘Oh, if you don’t think you can manage it…’
‘No, I didn’t say that.’ She switches on the computer and the electro jet roars into life. ‘See you!’ she yells back as she takes off in a blast of spray.
Tom curses as his computer screen displays, Error loading. Please refresh.
Sofia has covered half the distance before he manages to start the bike, but he takes off after her anyway, finally returning to admit defeat.
She climbs off the water-bike and smiles at him. ‘I see you can beat me on anything.’
He is silent. It would just seem like bad sportsmanship to blame the water-bike.
At the counter, as they return their keys, she scribbles on a piece of paper and passes it to him. He stuffs it in his pocket. ‘It’s my number,’ she says, ‘in case you want to race again.’
He nods. ‘I might call you later. Just to see what you’re up to.’
She smiled. ‘You do that.’
Macca is very apologetic after she left, but amused at the same time.
‘So the pretty lady beat you. I am so sorry. Ha, ha!’
‘Would you mind not rubbing it in please, Macca? Besides I would have beaten her, if your bike had been working.’
Macca winks. ‘You will have to challenge her to another race to know for sure.’
‘I’m not challenging anyone to another race.’ He begins walking to the pod.
‘Pah! Spoil sport,’ Macca laughed.
Chapter 32
Val is getting just a little bored. With Nolack-1 and the small flight crew flying the ship, he is beginning to wonder if his role as captain will someday become obsolete, even though Nolack-1 does lack insight into the intricacies of Mazuban nature that would permit her to make sound judgment calls.
He considers taking a stroll through the ship. After all, with the new implant, he will still be in contact with Nolack-1. He might wander down and see what Tom was up to. He didn’t want to cramp his style, though he would soon need to begin learning the skills to take over as captain when it was his time.
‘Captain, we will be approaching Earth’s moon in 30 minutes,’ announces Nolack-1 through his insert.
‘Intercept the moon on our onside.’ (The term was used by miners years ago to mean their left side, and was adopted for space faring vessels involved in mining operations.) ‘500 km off the moon should give us a good view.”
All thought of the stroll vanishes from Val’s mind. ‘Terrific Nolack-1, please make the announcement over the main ship wide communications network and invite whoever wishes to see it, to the observation deck. No, cancel that, Nolack-1, make it an order.’
He knows this will disrupt the work on the vessels, and some team leaders and crew are already stressing. Nolack-1 had just pulled two off their work project and he wasn’t surprised to discover one of them was Mondok. They had been sent to the mediation counselor.
Chapter 33
In the Bio Tech Laboratory, Ven is beginning to wish he had insisted on Denise helping him. Grasshopper is eager to help but it is difficult getting him to understand the instructions. He didn’t think it was possible for someone to be more clueless about bio-computers than Denise.
Ven finishs culturing some fresh wire spoor and is about to check out the reserve sensors and translation pods when they hear the announcement.
‘Thirty minutes,’ he says thoughtfully. ‘That will give us just enough time to pump the incubation solution into the generation tank.’
‘What’s incubation solution?’ Grasshopper asks.
Ven searches for an easy explanation. ‘It’s a protein rich base for the wire to replicate in.’
He can tell from Grasshopper’s expression that he hasn’t understood a word of it. ‘Never mind, mate. When this is done, we have to wait four days so you can get back to your drill-rig.’
‘Sorry, I’m not much help, am I?’
‘You’re a rig fitter, mate. I bet you could teach me a thing or two about drill rigs.’ Ven points to a counter opposite them. ‘Could you please just hand me that tub from over there? Yes, the small, white one. Carefully,’ he adds, when Grasshopper reaches suddenly over to the counter. ‘You don’t want to drop that, it’s sticky and stinky.’
Grasshopper steps back when Ven adds the wire spoor to the tank. ‘Mate…that is gross. He watches, pale-faced, as the fish egg texture slips into the tank.’
Ven thinks the mechanic might be sick. ‘Are you ok? Do you want to go outside?’
Grasshopper shakes his head. ‘No, I’m OK,’ he says, his voice muffled by his sleeve over his nose and mouth, despite having a hooded face shield on.
Ven tries not to smile. He is used to it, but he’s known the sickly smelling slime to cause apprentices to almost pass out. He drains the last of it into the tank and puts it back on the counter himself.
With relief, he sees the time on the clock. ‘Well, Grasshopper, that’s it.’
‘It’s all done?’
‘For now, but it�
��s time for the moon pass so you’re free to go.’
Grasshopper looks relieved and he hurries to remove his suit outside the lab and wash up.
‘Hey, boot covers,’ Ven calls, as Grasshopper nearly leaves the sterile area still wearing them.
‘Oh, sorry,’ he says, hurrying back to take them off.
‘It would be worse if you went in without them, but you have to remember not to rush around here or costly mistakes can be made.’
‘OK, I’ll remember. I promise,’ says Grasshopper.
Ven had hoped someone else will be sent to help but he softened with the promise. After all, Grasshopper is totally new to the Bio lab.
‘Thanks for your help,’ says Ven as they stepped into the elevator, ‘I’m really impressed that you didn’t faint with that stink.’
Grasshopper grins. ‘I thought I was going to.’
Chapter 34
The observation deck is packed when they arrived, and the glow of the moon has just become visible. Ven notices Denise but he can’t see Mondok anywhere. He wanders over and stands next to her without saying a word. She didn’t notice, so entranced with the moon. He, too, watches with fascination as the ship cruises past. People all around them were are fixated on the vision before them, in awe of the magical moment.
A child tugs at his mother’s shirt. ‘Mummy, where’s the man in the moon?’
She smiles and points.
‘No, that’s not him, he’s there,’ says the child, pointing to another imaginary face.
Those around them laugh, then turned back to watch, point and exclaim over its beauty.
‘Funny how it’s a different color when we see it from Thera,’ says Ven.
Denise shoots a glance at him. ‘Ven, how long have you been there?’
‘Not long. What happened with Mondok?’ he asks.
‘You looked ready to slaughter him.’
Denise laughs. ‘I didn’t get the chance. We were told we wouldn’t be working together in high risk areas and ordered to attend mediation sessions. We didn’t even argue.’
‘Whoa, that would have really steamed him up. Where is he, anyway?’
‘He was still blowing and snorting when I last saw him, I reckon if we switched off all the lights he would glow in the dark!’ Denise remarks with a roar of laughter from them both.
‘I think he went back to his quarters. In defiance of this Moon pass order, I think.’ She points to the glowing orb of blue and gray, so close she can almost touch it. ‘I don’t know how he could think of missing this.’
‘Maybe he’s feeling sick.’ Ven says tongue in cheek, looking back at the Moon.
‘Nah, he’s just pissed off, but hey…why are you here with me anyway, mate?’ Denise asks. ‘You should be checking out the young ladies, especially with the moon this close hanging in space with romance in the air.’
‘I’ll have plenty of time for that when the PVs are repaired.’
‘Oh good God, now you sound like Mondok!’ She laughs at the screwed up face he pulled at her.
Val stands, unnoticed on the observation deck. He saw Tom talking to an attractive girl but didn’t want to intrude. Let the moon work its magic, he thinks, smiling. He catches a glimpse of Gene gliding through the crowd, her long dark frills electrified by the lunar light. She turns, smiles at him, and then disappeared into the crowd.
Although Tom finds the moon interesting, his mind is elsewhere, then he sees Sofia. She is heading straight for him, like a leopard locked onto her prey.
‘I knew I would catch up with you sooner or later,’ she says, with a smile. ‘You said you would call me.’
‘I was busy,’ he says, ‘I do work too, you know.’ He knew he couldn’t tell her he had forgotten.
‘How long does it take to make a call?’ she asks. She is still smiling, but the disapproval is obvious in her voice.
Her surprised expression and a tap on his shoulder had him spin around to see a tall woman with long dark frills. Her dark brown eyes held his in their steady gaze.
‘Hello, Tom.’ The voice was warm.
He was speechless for a moment. ‘Gene, I didn’t know you were on board.’
She laughs. ‘You know me, never miss an adventure.’
‘Oh, I know,’ he replies.
‘I just saw your father. He looked surprised to see me, too.’
Tom felt Sofia behind him and reluctantly introduces the two women. ‘Sofia and I just met earlier today at the lake,’ he says quickly.
Gene smiles at the pair with a knowing glance.
‘Tom and I were racing on the water-bikes and I beat him, although I have a feeling he let me win.’ Sofia smiles at Tom.
‘Oh no, I don’t let anyone beat me. The bike’s computer malfunctioned.’ Tom regrets his words the moment he sees the hurt on her face.
‘You should have told me instead of letting me think I’d won. Now, we’ll just have to race again.’
The demand in her challenge arouses Tom’s annoyance. ‘Oh no, we won’t. I don’t have to race anyone.’
Sofia glares at him, and then storms off toward the elevator.
‘Damn,’ says Tom, watching her go. ‘What’s up with her?’
Gene shrugs. ‘She seems rather keen on you. Are you ready for that?’
Tom smiles. Gene of all people would know how he feels about his freedom. No-one ties her down. She would be gone in an instant if they tried. ‘Dad would have me married off to Sofia if he were here.’
‘Well, your dad is just looking out for the family interests. Pitter patter of little feet, you know.’
Tom grimaces. ‘Oh save me. Look, I love kids but only if they belong to someone else.’
Gene laughs. ‘You’ll change your mind one day. Your father was the same.’
‘Dad? Really?’
She nods, smiling. ‘Before he met your mother. Anyway, meet me at the Murple Bubbles café, when you get the chance.’
‘Murple Bubbles? Weird name.’
‘Yes, I thought it was a great name for my café.’
Tom stares at her, dumbfounded. ‘You own a cafe?’
‘For a while, until I get bored. I thought it might be a nice change.’
A big change, Tom thinks, not really able to imagine Gene stuck within four walls for too long.
‘Well, I don’t often go to cafés but to catch up with you, I will.’
‘Good,’ she turns to leave then spins back, ‘Oh, and I have that special Jamaican coffee you always liked.’
Tom grins. ‘Tempting me, aunt Gene?’
She winks. ‘A bit of added incentive.’ Then she strides away as the moon was shrinking behind the ship, and people begin drifting back to their jobs, leaving the observation deck empty.
Chapter 35
Ven is already unloading the alkaline solution and other supplies into PV 005 when Denise arrives on the dock. He had decided not to wait, knowing she would be at her mediation session with Mondok.
‘What are we up to?’ Denise asks, watching the flat tray lifter gently depositing the gear on the floor.
He switches off the motor and climbs down. ‘First we need to remove the sensors, then the translation pod.’
‘How?’ she asks.
‘Burn them off with this mini torch. We’ll start with the flight deck today and…’
‘How long is this going to take?’
‘There are 260 sensors to get through, Denise, but if you’re feeling energetic we might fit in the biosphere today as well.’
Her shoulders slump. ‘I feel exhausted just thinking about it.’
Ven puts one arm around her waist. ‘Come on old lady, I’ll help you to the flight deck.’
She swipes at him and misses. ‘If I had my walking stick youngster, you would get such a beating.’
Ven laughs. ‘Last one there buys the beers at the end of the shift.’
Denise frowns. ‘Not possible, mate.’
‘Why?’
‘I arranged to see M
ondok after work to talk about what happened.’
‘Didn’t you already do that at the mediation session?’
‘Yes, but I feel I need to talk this over outside of the session.’
‘Not a good idea,’ says Ven, frowning.
‘Why not?’
Ven shakes his head, wondering whether to tell her. He had seen the way Mondok had looked at Denise but she obviously hasn’t seen the signs, so he decides against it.
‘Why not, Ven?’ she repeats
‘No, you’re right, Denise. Perhaps it would be better in an informal setting.’ After all, he thinks, they just might get it together. He smiles. Denise has a calming effect on Mondok so it would be a good thing if they did become a couple. Ven imagines the crew would welcome a union between Denise and the little firecracker.
‘What are you smiling at?’ Denise asks.
He shakes his head, still smiling. ‘Trust me, you don’t want to know.’ He heads for the flight deck.
Chapter 36
Val stands on the observation deck, staring out into the immensity of space in front of him. He wonders if now is the right time to start teaching Tom the ropes of becoming a captain. It is a fine balance of allowing him enough freedom to excel in his own right, and the prospect of one day replacing Val as captain. He didn’t notice the tall Mazuban standing next to him until he spoke.
‘Daydreaming again, Captain?’
Val sees who it is and laughs. ‘I should throw you in the hole for your insolence.’
Soodie twiddles his arm frills and grins. ‘Have we got one?’
Val slaps him on his back. ‘You, of all people, should know that.’
‘Ya, we have, it’s called The Fly Trap. It holds me up pretty well.’
Val shakes his head. ‘I thought it had quite the opposite effect.’
‘Well the bar does,’ adds Soodie. ‘I’m heading over there now. Coming?’
Val sees no reason why not. The ship is making steady progress and Nolack-1 was right there with him to alert him to any problems. ‘Nolack-1, keep me updated on flight progress each hour.’