Espero (The Silver Ships Book 6)
Page 34
“Mr. President,” Oppert said, answering the comm on his reader and struggling to sit up from his comfortable camp cot where he had been asleep.
“Apologies, General, for the early morning comm, but I’m informing you that I have issued emergency orders to Cressida TSF forces to interdict the illegal actions taking place in the domes of Jolares and Udrides.”
“Uh … President Drake, I would advise against any such actions against the domes. They do have legal autonomy.”
“Get the stuffing out of your ears, General. I’m not requesting you send in troops. This is a courtesy call to inform you that I’ve already sent in troops. We have illegal drug manufacturing in the Jolares domes. The lab chemists and techs have had their families kidnapped to force their cooperation.”
“How did we learn this?” Oppert asked, wondering why he failed to receive this information.
“The Harakens discovered it.”
“Why are the Harakens at the Jolares domes?”
“They were searching for the source of the drugs that have been distributed to their young people in Espero.” Drake deliberately left out the part about the kidnapping, not wanting that to be publicized until he had an opportunity to talk to Alex in greater detail.
“The Harakens should have come to us with their problem,” Oppert declared hotly, rising from his cot to step out of his spacious tent into the green of the surrounding forest.
“What they should or shouldn’t have done is moot, General. That’s in the past.”
“Excuse me, President Drake. Earlier you said Jolares and Udrides. Were their drugs on Udrides?”
“That’s an entirely separate event, General. Toyo and his security forces attacked Kadmir’s domes, killing people either by the use of illegal energy weapons or by cutting their throats.”
“Inconceivable,” Oppert said softly. “Was it Kadmir who called you for assistance?”
“No, again it was the Harakens, who were planning to meet with Kadmir and arrived at his domes just after Toyo landed and began killing people.”
“This makes no sense, Mr. President. Why would Toyo do such a thing? He’s been running a successful establishment, making credits by the shuttle load.”
Drake sidestepped the general’s question. He didn’t wish to discuss the recent events until he had formed more succinct responses to the tough questions. “General, now is not the time for lengthy questions. Cressida’s TSF resources are stretched thin. I need two more travelers full of troops with senior commanders aboard sent to each of the Jolares and Udrides domes. I need them en route yesterday.”
“Understood, President Drake.”
“One more item, General. What information crossed your desk about the manufacture of illegal energy weapons?”
“There were rumors, Sir, but nothing worth investigating.”
“Well, you were either misinformed or uninformed, General. They exist, and Toyo’s people used them to kill sixty-three civilians.”
-34-
Miranda urged her people to hurry, even as she carried a crate packed with lab equipment that no two Harakens could lift. When she broke out into the main concourse from the lift, she received a comm from Reiko. Miranda sent.
Reiko nearly giggled at their president being labeled as “the dear man in charge.”
Reiko waited and watched as the TSF traveler closed on Jolares. She requested Eric entertain the New Terran officials, which was a euphemism for keeping them away from the bridge, if Reiko had to challenge the traveler to buy Miranda time.
Down below, Miranda redoubled her efforts, prioritizing the loading and ensuring the two biochemists and their families were aboard first.
Stratford was vociferously objecting to being detained and started screaming about New Terran rights and Harakens overstepping their bounds, when Billings smacked him across the face.
“Your egotistical pursuit to create more fantastical compounds landed me and my family in Toyo’s prison,” Billings yelled at Stratford, as the biochemist held a hand to his reddening face. The family members were too shocked to move. “The Harakens have just freed us, and I don’t care where they take us. So get your butt aboard this vessel, or you won’t have to worry about the Harakens. I’ll throttle you myself.”
As the Stratfords clambered into the traveler and Billings helped his family up the hatch steps, Miranda said, “Quite effective, Ser. Your assistance is noted.”
Harakens grabbed as much lab equipment and material, as readily available, bagging and sealing the potentially contaminated material in vacuum-packing equipment seized from the domes’ kitchens. When Reiko commed to ask whether she should provide interference, Miranda waved her off, piled the troopers aboard, received bay clearance, and launched the traveler.
Using the Tanaka’s telemetry, Miranda tracked the incoming Cressida traveler. She flew low, keeping the moon between the two shuttles as she sped off in the opposite direction. When the Tanaka indicated the TSF forces were descending toward the domes’ landing bay, Miranda accelerated, using the body of Jolares to hide her from the TSF as she raced for the Rêveur.
* * *
Miranda eased the traveler into the liner’s bay. Terese and Pia waited anxiously in the airlock for the clearance signal that pressure was achieved. Both of them had spent hours reviewing Miranda’s vid files, which were taken of the lab and the biochemists.
With his ego driving him, Stratford made the mistake of choosing to descend the traveler’s hatch steps first. Having helped his family to the deck, he turned around and encountered Terese, who promptly slapped him hard across the face.
The sound reverberated across the bay, and Billings, in the middle of helping his family down the hatchway, paused to regard the two, Haraken and New Terran, in confrontation. Stratford might have out massed the Méridien-built woman, but her flaming red hair and angry eyes said she was a match for any two or three New Terrans.
“Why is everyone slapping my husband lately?” Stratford’s wife wailed.
“Perhaps, because he deserves it, Ser,” Terese replied hotly, daring the woman to say more.
“But we’ve never met,” Stratford objected.
“Your reputation precedes you, Ser. I have an entire wing of young people on Espero, who I ordered placed into unconscious states, because they were addicted to your insidious drug.”
“I just made the compound. I didn’t know what Toyo would do with it.”
“And there lay the excuses of all weak men,” Terese retorted, and then, in a whiny voice, she added, “I just built the destructive device; I couldn’t control how it was to be used.” She glared at Stratford, waiting for his response, but the biochemist thought better of opening his mouth. “If you produce potentially dangerous creations, Ser, without adequate oversight and controls in place, then you have no moral foundation on which to stand when people die from your invention.”
Terese motioned the two biochemists and their families aside as crew began carting the lab equipment off the traveler, heading for the engineering suite, which was now Terese’s laboratory. “Ser Billings, greetings. I’m Terese Lechaux. This is my senior medical technician, Pia Sabine.”
Billings hesitated but was grateful when the
Haraken woman politely extended a hand.
“Pia, you, and I will be working together, Ser Billings, to support this individual,” Terese said, pointing a finger at Stratford, “in creating a compound that effectively blocks the craving for his addictive hallucinogen.”
“The name is Charles Stratford, madam. I would thank you to address me properly.”
Terese whirled to eye Stratford, and he shrank back. “Lesser creatures are not given names,” Terese declared hotly. “We will see if you are able to earn the status of human being.” Terese spun around and made for the airlock, waving an imperial finger over her shoulder for the families to follow.
Billings passed Stratford and bestowed a huge grin on him that showed how much he was enjoying Stratford’s discomfort after the long arduous months his family had endured subjected to Toyo’s incarceration and daily threats.
Having witnessed most of Terese’s introduction to the biochemists, Svetlana said to Deirdre, “I was wondering why our president directed us to the Rêveur … now I know.”
“To protect Stratford from Terese until she’s done with him,” Deirdre said, laughing.
“I’m sure the New Terrans will want him for prosecution, and it would be most embarrassing to have to tell them that our chief medical specialist spaced him as human waste … so sorry,” Svetlana replied.
The two women shared a brief laugh, but each thought Stratford would require close observation. Alex would be upset if something happened to the biochemist while he was in the Harakens’ care. Not that Terese had ever committed bodily harm on a person … yet. But Stratford’s descent into depraved invention and disregard for human safety was provoking the fiery redhead’s temper.
* * *
The chemists’ families were ushered to their cabins by Pia, who displayed the amenities of the first cabin for the wives.
“Will we be locked in?” Billings’ wife, Janine, asked.
“No, Ser, we’re Harakens, not New Terran criminals,” Pia answered simply. “You may consider this ship safe to wander around. This includes the children. If you need something, please ask any crew member, and they’ll be happy to provide it for you.”
“How about food?” Stratford’s wife asked. “The children haven’t eaten for a while.”
“Midday meal is less than a half-hour away. Unpack your belongings, use the refreshers, and I will be back to take you to meal time. You will require a crew member to order meals for you or snacks for the children as you are without implants, but, again, any Haraken will assist you.”
While Pia settled the families, Terese introduced the biochemists to her lab space. “While our equipment will be unfamiliar, you’ll find it’ll make your research proceed faster,” Terese said. “We have brought your existing manufacturing equipment, so that we might examine your process and enable us to understand the original compound better.”
Stratford’s ego had recovered from the ignominy of Terese’s public humiliation, and he gazed at Miranda and Deirdre, but settled on Svetlana, who still wore her delicate wrap, declaring, “I’m not working for this woman. Get me someone else who speaks to me in a civil manner.”
“Since you seem to be addressing me,” Svetlana replied, “let me inform you that you shouldn’t be fooled by my dress. My attire was purely for the edification of foolish New Terran patrons. You may address me as Commander Valenko. This is Commander Canaan, and our curvy friend is Miranda Leyton.”
“But let’s speak to your concern, Ser,” Deirdre said. “Our leader has a saying. Perhaps you’re familiar with the expression of an airlock to nowhere. If you’re of no value to us, we have no need to keep you around.”
“You don’t fool me with your tough act. Everyone knows Harakens don’t kill except in self-defense,” said Stratford, confident in his knowledge.
Miranda stepped close to Stratford, staring into his eyes, careful to keep any emotion from her face. “Do you know what I am, human?” she asked, evincing a flat tone and evenly paced words.
“Yes … yes, you’re one of those … um —” Stratford stammered.
“SADE is the word you’re searching for, Ser. Do not use any other term within hearing of a Haraken. Since you know what I am, you know I’m not human. Logic, not emotion, controls my being. I do not have the same constraints on my choices as do my human cousins and would have no problem applying any level of discipline to you that I see fit. Do you understand me?”
Stratford flicked a glance between Svetlana and Deirdre, searching for some human compassion, but he was met with hard stares.
“I’m waiting, and I’m an impatient individual,” Miranda said.
Stratford tried to ease away from the SADE, but eerily she maintained the distance between their faces as if they were strung together. “Okay,” he finally said.
“Okay, what?” Miranda asked quietly.
“Okay, I will work with this woman,” Stratford replied.
When Billings found Miranda gazing at him, he wiped a smile off his face, jumped away from the table he was leaning against to stand straight, and said, “I’m more than pleased to work with Ser Lechaux.”
“Good, that’s settled. I will expect to hear results soon,” Miranda said, returning her gaze to Stratford. When she left the lab, she made sure to do so in an un-Miranda–like way. No swaying of the hips; no artful motion designed to attract the human eye. Her movements were perfunctory, bordering on mechanical, and Svetlana relayed to her the image of Stratford, cringing as he watched her leave.
Miranda sent to Terese, Svetlana, and Deirdre.
* * *
Christie took a seat across from Cordelia as Franz piloted the traveler out of the Udrides domes. She wore an expectant look on her face, and Cordelia obliged her.
“We successfully traced the drugs, which were distributed in Espero, to Jolares, where we believe you were initially held,” Cordelia began. “It isn’t clear under what circumstances Ser Kadmir managed your rescue.”
“Rescue?” Christie challenged. “I don’t think so. The same man who took us off the freighter after the kidnapping in Espero was the same one who transferred us to those domes we just left. Although it was in the early morning hours when he did it, we just walked out of our suite to the waiting shuttle.”
“We are in complete agreement there,” Amelia said. “Kadmir did not rescue us. He had to have some sort of deal with Toyo.”
“Some sort of deal that later went wrong,” Eloise added.
“Be that as it may, what we’ve discovered is that these domes operate under the guise of mining companies, and, under the New Terran charter granted to these establishments, they’re allowed to operate without interference from the government when it regards internal affairs and that includes the oversight of the TSF.”
“That’s a mistake,” Christie grumped.
“Wait, Cordelia, are you saying that if our people had asked the New Terran government for permission to enter and retrieve us from either of these domes, they would have been denied?” Amelia asked.
“Precisely, young one,” Cordelia replied. “We sent one group, masquerading as miners catching a ride with three Méridien holiday travelers, into the Jolares domes. They discovered the lab and the biochemists, but it resulted in a fight and the loss of one of our people. A second traveler, carrying troopers, was sent to secure that location for the TSF and was done so with presidential permission.”
“So the government knows that illegal drugs were manufactured there?” Eloise asked.
“They do now, after the fact,” Cordelia said.
“But we didn’t have permission to be there in the first place. So, it’s like we invaded their territory,” Amelia sai
d.
“Then, it must be worse for what was done at Udrides,” Christie said.
“There, it’s less clear. Alex was invited by Ser Kadmir to retrieve you, but when Ser Toyo attacked, Kadmir refused Alex landing permission. The president disobeyed and subsequently discovered the incursion by Toyo’s people,” Cordelia explained.
“I can’t believe Toyo killed all those people,” Eloise said, shuddering. She still had images in her mind of the throat-slashed dead, and she wished she could erase them from memory, just as she could remove data from her implant.
“So what kind of trouble is my brother in after all this?” Cordelia asked.
“That remains to be seen, young ones. President Drake will require our help to support what steps he wishes to take with his Assembly,” Cordelia said.
“So President Drake is on our side?” Amelia asked.
“That remains to be seen as well,” Cordelia said.
“And I thought the drugs and our kidnapping were the worst things that were happening,” Eloise complained.
* * *
During the remainder of the flight, Cordelia collected the memories of the girls from the moment they approached the illegal club in Espero to the moment they hugged Alex. After living through the girls’ traumatic moments, Cordelia yearned to return to Espero and surround herself with her adopted children.
Although the Rêveur’s crew was aware who rode in Franz’s traveler, Pia communicated strict instructions to all aboard to allow the girls some time to themselves. She met the young women in the bay and promptly escorted Christie, Amelia, and Eloise to one of the Rêveur’s more expansive suites.
Once left alone, the girls mobbed the refresher together. Afterwards, they lay down for a nap and didn’t wake until Pia came for them for evening meal.
When the three girls, refreshed and enjoying wraps provided by Pia, walked into the meal room, they were greeted, hugged, and touched by passing crew members.