• • • • •
Ankari and the captain were already waiting outside the shuttle bay when Lauren turned into the corridor, her tablet open in her palm and her research floating in the holodisplay above it. Some of the mercenaries in her trial were in their eighth and final week and had just received their last inoculation of the intestinal microflora that had been native to the ancient aliens who had inhabited this system long before humans showed up. All through the tests, the results had been promising, and she looked forward to seeing how many of the benefits lasted weeks and months after the inoculations ceased. In theory, the intestinal microbiota should self-propagate, the colonies surviving as long as the host did nothing to eradicate them. She was so engrossed that she struggled to tear her eyes from the charts her program had generated with this last round of data. She—
An “Ommpf” escaped her lips as she ran into someone’s shoulder.
Oh, the captain. Right.
“Dr. Keys,” Captain Mandrake said, his greeting dry.
“Captain,” Lauren said.
It crossed her mind that she should apologize for running into him, but he probably hadn’t noticed. He hadn’t moved when she bounced off his meaty shoulder. Besides, Ankari spoke before Lauren finished debating if engaging in such a social convention was necessary.
“Lieutenant Frog dropped off that trader on the station and just arrived back on board with your sister,” Ankari told her, entirely too perkily, as if she looked forward to this meeting. Lauren couldn’t imagine why. “We’re waiting for the shuttle bay to pressurize.”
That would take at least two minutes. Lauren lifted her tablet again, intending to study the charts while they waited.
“Aren’t you excited to see her?” Ankari asked.
“No.”
She and Mandrake exchanged the sorts of long looks that Lauren had grown accustomed to from people around her. She knew she wasn’t normal when it came to social situations—or social anything—and she had stopped caring years ago. She was almost thirty-five and no longer worried about the opinions of others, unless those others happened to be peers evaluating her research and methodology. Her research mattered. Social situations did not.
“She sounded excited to see you,” Ankari said, insistent on involving Lauren in a conversation.
Lauren sighed, folded her tablet, and placed it in her pocket. She would have to wait until she was alone to get back to her work. With luck, this wouldn’t take long.
“I don’t know why I have to be here for this greeting,” Lauren said, mostly to herself, though Ankari’s raised eyebrows meant she had heard.
She spotted one of her test subjects walking down the corridor toward them, A27. He did not appear as tense or distracted as he had at the gym three days earlier. His easy smile was back on his face as he chomped on his caffeinated gum, apparently having no interest in, as she had suggested, refraining from mind- and body-altering substances during the weeks of the trial.
“Aren’t you interested in why she wants to hire us?” Ankari asked Lauren.
“I’m sure it will be something foolish and a waste of time.”
“Sibling rivalry?” Mandrake asked.
It took a moment for Lauren to parse Mandrake’s question. She was familiar with the term, of course, but what could sibling rivalry have to do with what she had been saying? Did he believe that she dismissed Hailey’s research because of jealousy? Hardly that. What was there to be jealous about? Hailey’s research was laughable, her chosen field of study even more so. Why such a smart woman would pursue something so frivolous… it had always boggled Lauren’s mind.
“Not in the least,” she replied.
Mandrake grunted, the answer apparently enough for him.
He wasn’t a big talker, something Lauren actually appreciated about him. She felt so awkward around the mercenaries who tried to draw her into conversations, as if she wished to discuss guns and grenades and killing people with them. She knew most of them hoped to lure her into their bunks, and she found the notion incredibly unappealing. As if she wanted to waste her life performing bedroom acrobatics when there was so much fascinating research to study out in the system, not to mention going over the results of her own work.
“She mentioned some kind of research related to our business,” Ankari said. “I thought you might be working together on something.”
Lauren sniffed. “We are not. You don’t need to befriend her on my account, I assure you.”
Ankari tilted her head, looking puzzled.
“I predict you’ll dislike her,” Lauren said.
A27 stopped next to Ankari and the captain instead of continuing down the corridor. Lauren groped for his name in case a conversation arose in which she was expected to use it. Sergeant… Tick, that was it. A loathsome sobriquet. No wonder she always forgot it—pushed it from her memory was more like it.
“Don’t care for your sister, Doc?” Tick asked. “I had three older brothers that tormented me to no end when I was growing up. Parents were usually busy around the farm or were chasing after my wanderlust-stricken sister and weren’t around to put a stop to it. Used to have to hide out in the woods to escape their beatings. That’s how I got interested in nature and hunting and tracking and such. The trees and varmints didn’t typically beat on me, so I preferred their company.”
Lauren stared at him as he spoke, wondering if she would be expected to remember this information at some future date. It did not seem important. She also wondered if he was experiencing any intellectual improvements as a result of the new intestinal microflora.
According to archaeological research, the ancient aliens had been physiologically similar to humans, but they had lived twice as long, been healthier, stronger, and smarter. Her research had suggested that the bacteria native to this system, specifically those residing in the aliens’ digestive tracts and using them as hosts, may have had an impact on their extreme health and longevity. After all, it had long been proven that gut flora could play a huge role in human gene expression and overall health. Humans had brought some of their native microbiota with them, entirely accidentally of course, when they had migrated to this system fifteen hundred years earlier, but other bacteria had been native to the planets and moons here, and nobody was certain if the species that now inhabited human guts were optimal. Her preliminary research suggested there was much room for improvement and that by inoculating humans—or rats, as she had started with—with the same mix the ancient aliens had hosted, human health might be improved.
She would have to give A27—Tick—an updated IQ test the next time he was in her lab. Nothing of his present speech suggested intellectual leaps, but the other subjects she had tested had improved in both quantitative and verbal areas after the fourth week. Of course, the mercenaries were far more excited by improvements in the gym than in their brains.
“My parents and brothers were all back on Grenavine when our world was destroyed,” Tick said, and she realized he’d been burbling on and she had forgotten to pay attention. “Hard as it seems, I do miss them. Didn’t appreciate them much when we were all alive, since they were mostly ass—unpleasant to me, but there were some fun moments. My sister is still alive, out chasing criminals or whatever she’s doing now, but we don’t get together much. It can get depressing when you don’t have anyone left.” He gave her a look, which she interpreted as nostalgia. Or loneliness.
Lauren experienced loneliness from time to time, especially in the evenings when Ankari and her other business partner, Jamie, were spending time with the mates they had selected on the ship, but she easily distracted herself with her research. Loneliness seemed such a weakness that she hated to acknowledge it. Surely, the great researchers of the past hadn’t wasted their time pursuing companionship when there was so much to be discovered, so much to be done that could improve the human existence.
A bleep came from a panel by the door.
“The shuttle bay is pressurized.” Mandrake
nodded toward the door.
It opened, and he walked through with Ankari following behind him. Reluctantly, Lauren started after them, mentally bracing herself to deal with her younger sister. They had been best friends as children, only two years apart in age, with neither of them having anyone else to cling to when their parents died. But Hailey had turned into a vapid teenager with vapid passions. Adulthood hadn’t changed her much.
“Ah, Doc?” Tick asked, surprising Lauren by following her into the shuttle bay. “I wanted to—I mean, I know I said I was fine the other day, but the captain checked up on me, and, er, he suggested—actually, it was more of an order—that I report some stuff to you.”
“Have you experienced interesting physiological changes?” Lauren stopped, her curiosity piqued.
“You might say that. I, uhm… Can I come to your lab later? I’m not sure this is the place to discuss… things.”
His gaze shifted past her shoulder to where the shuttle pilot was strolling out of the hatchway, a giant grin on his face. A13, Lieutenant Frog. He had been one of her first subjects. Lauren wondered if his grin implied that he had experienced improved piloting skills while picking up Hailey from the space station.
“I got kissed,” Frog announced, his grin broadening even further as he reached the captain and Ankari.
Ah. Improved piloting skills were not likely the source of that enthusiasm then. Lauren couldn’t be surprised, not with Hailey’s reputation for libidinous activity, though she was perplexed that Hailey had chosen some mercenary with braids of hair that hung to his butt for a carnal encounter. Typically, she used her wiles to woo professors, board members, and those who could sign off on funding for her ridiculous experiments or otherwise assist with her career goals.
A robot rolled out of the hatchway and down the ramp, carrying several boxes.
Ankari looked at it and then at Frog. “By a person, or...?”
Frog glanced at the robot, then snorted. “By Dr. Hailey. If I hadn’t been busy piloting, we could have done more than kiss. She is an enthusiastic woman.” Frog turned his grin on Lauren. “You two are truly related? That’s amazing.”
Sensing that she was being teased, or soon would be, Lauren looked coolly at him. “She did not finish graduate school and is not a doctor. If she told you to call her that, it means her delusions have progressed further since we last met. She barely finished—”
“Lo!” came a cheerful cry from the shuttle’s hatchway.
Lauren winced.
Hailey Keys ambled down the ramp after the robot, wearing a skirt that hugged her thighs like sausage casing and a tight blouse that made it look like her breasts would burst free at any moment. Her dark brown hair tumbled about her shoulders and down the back of the white lab coat she wore, as if she were a real scientist. As if anyone would look at her and think respectable science thoughts.
Frog gazed at Hailey in rapture as she sashayed toward them. Captain Mandrake wore more of a suspicious expression, but even his gaze lingered on Hailey’s attributes until Ankari nudged him with her elbow. Lauren expected Tick to drool every bit as much as Frog, but he only glanced at Hailey before looking back to Lauren. He must truly have some concern on his mind. She hoped that nothing was wrong. So far, the results from her experiments had been overwhelmingly positive with few negative side effects reported, but she knew better than to expect that further refinements wouldn’t be required. Tinkering with nature always had its dangers.
“It’s so good to see you, Lo,” Hailey said, stopping in front of the group.
She flung her arms around Lauren’s shoulders before Lauren could think to step back—or duck. It was just as well. She had often been informed that resisting physical contact was insulting and that hugs from friends and family members should be endured, whether they were appreciated or not. Their mother had been like Lauren, not quick to share emotions and inflict touching on people, but their father had been more of a hugger. Instead of the wonderful intellectual qualities Hailey could have taken from him, she had chosen hugging. Odious.
“Hailey,” Lauren said. She couldn’t bring herself to utter the trite “It’s good to see you” greeting, but she managed a “It’s good that you’ve arrived safely,” which seemed in the same spirit.
Hailey’s smile was knowing—they had lived together in the orphanage until they had gone away to the same university, so her sister knew her opinions on most things, including social conventions. Too bad that didn’t equate to her forgoing hugs and needless sharing.
“You must be Captain Mandrake.” Hailey looked at him, but also glanced at Ankari, who was standing quite close to him. Thankfully, Hailey did not try to hug him. She offered a hand as she smiled over at Frog. “I’ve already met Lieutenant Frog.”
Frog winked at her as Mandrake accepted Hailey’s grip. While they were still shaking hands, her gaze drifted over to Tick, and she gave him a long look up and down, the corners of her lips curving upward in appreciation.
“And who is that handsome fellow?” Hailey asked, lowering her hand.
Lauren knew that Tick had an admirable physique—she wouldn’t have accepted substandard specimens, after all—but she saw no reason for the way Hailey’s gaze lingered, nor for the long look she gave his crotch. Surely, that wasn’t a socially acceptable convention, especially in the company of strangers.
“That’s Sergeant Tick,” Ankari said.
Tick noticed Hailey’s probing gaze, and he scratched his head, his expression somewhere between flustered and bemused.
For some inexplicable reason, Lauren had an urge to step in front of him, to block Hailey’s appraisal. A27 was her specimen. Lauren knew Hailey hoped to run tests on some of her people—showing a complete disinterest in this had done nothing to convince Hailey to forgo this visit—but that was not going to happen, not for the ridiculous research she did.
“Tick?” Hailey asked. “That’s an unflattering name for such an appealing face. Is it because when you’re in bed with a woman, you hang onto her until she’s completely satisfied?”
“Uh.” Tick glanced at Lauren. “Sure, ma’am. We can go with that.”
“Tick is our tracker,” Mandrake said.
“Yes, ma’am,” Tick said. “I also follow after enemies, sticking to ’em like a tick sticks to a hound, until the captain is completely satisfied.”
“Hm, if all of the mercenaries are like you two men—” Hailey, perhaps having noticed Frog’s frown at the attention she had given Tick, reached out to squeeze his biceps, “—then I am most excited to travel with you.”
“I’m sure,” Ankari murmured.
Lauren wondered if her prediction that Ankari would dislike Hailey was coming true.
“Yes, about that,” Mandrake said, “what exactly is the nature of the mission? Ankari mentioned you wanted an escort for a research expedition that could turn dangerous, and that you’re willing to pay well.”
Lauren snorted. “More likely, she wants an escort that just happens to have crew members who are undergoing my experiments.”
Hailey gave her an edged smile. Mandrake frowned at Lauren, then at Hailey, then finally at Ankari.
“What exactly is going on?” Ankari asked, frowning herself now.
“I do need an escort,” Hailey said, “to Sturm to be precise. I also need help finding a group of people on the moon who seem to prefer not being found. I understand the jungle there has some dangerous predators.”
Lauren shuddered, vividly remembering the velociraptor-like creatures that had tried to eat her, Jamie, and Ankari when they had been marooned on the moon. She had no wish to return.
“And,” Hailey went on, “I’ll admit it’s also true that I’m hoping Lo will give me access to her research and some samples of the strains of ancient alien microflora that she’s created.”
“For what purpose?” Ankari asked. “You didn’t actually mention what kind of research you do, Dr. Keys.”
“Ms. Keys,” Lauren corrected.
Hailey flicked her fingers in lazy acknowledgment. “I specialize in extrasensory perception,” she told Ankari proudly, as if her studies weren’t a bunch of woo woo nonsense.
“ESP?” Tick asked, his voice oddly squeaky.
“Indeed so. In addition to hoping to get a few samples of her microflora strains, I wouldn’t mind gaining some access to Lo’s specimens so I can run some tests on the way to Sturm. I saw some interesting activity on the brain scans she uploaded to her account, and I can’t wait to see if my hypotheses are correct. And eventually, I hope to inoculate my own Grenavinians. I’m prepared to pay handsomely.” Hailey nodded at Ankari, probably knowing that she ran the business and handled financial matters. As if Lauren would give up her proprietary blend of microbiota for any amount of money.
“Grenavinians?” Tick asked, his voice still squeaky. He looked around, as if he needed something to lean against.
“I see,” Ankari murmured, giving Lauren a look that she didn’t know how to interpret.
All Mandrake did was sigh. “Let me gather some people, and we’ll meet in the conference room in an hour, Ms. Keys. You can tell us more about what you need, and we’ll discuss finances and logistics.”
“That will be most acceptable, Captain. Perhaps the strapping Lieutenant Frog can show me to a room on the way?” Hailey snapped her fingers at the robot holding her luggage, then led it and the cheerful Frog toward the door.
“It is possible I dislike her already,” Ankari muttered.
Mandrake sighed again and nudged Ankari. “Is it wrong of me to wish that Farley had spoken honestly and that someone did want to hire us for a war?”
“I’m not sure yet,” Ankari said. “Lauren, ESP?”
“Complete piffle.” Lauren sniffed. “I will take no responsibility if you insist on trailing along after her. I have no idea what Grenavinians she hopes to find on that awful moon full of those awful raptors—” Lauren shuddered again at the horrible memory of that night in the storm, “—but I most certainly will not be going down there with you, and I will not be providing her with my microflora. I don’t care what she offers to pay.”
The Tracker's Dilemma: (A Mandrake Company Science Fiction Romance) Page 3