Reading the Wind (Silver Ship)

by Brenda Cooper

  “Sure,” I said, gesturing for the girls to follow me. I turned around to ask Induan if she had even been inside a space ship. Alicia grinned up at me with a slightly self-satisfied smirk, and Induan was nowhere to be seen.

  A flash of movement caught my eye. Induan, waving at me, a slip of silver against the silver corridor. Her hair, skin, and even her clothes now matched the silver ship instead of the white surface outside. “Wow,” I exclaimed. “One of your mods?”

  She nodded, smiling, showing me that her teeth remained as white as the rest of her had been. Alicia stepped past me, probably curious about the ship. Induan’s skills undoubtedly didn’t surprise her.

  I shook my head. “Is that automatic, or do you have to tell it to do that?”

  “I can turn it on or off, but if it’s on, it’s automatic.” She demonstrated by becoming suddenly normal—with soft blond hair, pale skin, and normal-blue eyes. None of her beauty faded with the loss of the exotic colors.

  “So what about the clothes?”

  “The receptors in my skin talk to receptors in the clothes. But only special clothes.”

  Alicia was wearing the same outfit. I turned around to find my dark-haired pale girl had turned a bright silver. I blew out a long whistle. “How?”

  “Some mods don’t take too long. Jenna let me and Bryan each pick one we thought we could use on Fremont.”

  I didn’t get to do that! “What did Bryan pick?”

  Alicia turned off her silver. “I better not tell on him,” she said. She leaned in and gave me a kiss, her lips soft and sweet.

  We resumed our exploration of the ship with no further surprises, except the lush beauty of the pocket garden that showed Marcus’s unique touch: the tomatoes glowed bright red.

  After about a half an hour, the three of us trooped into the control room. Marcus sat still, a blissful look on his face. After a moment, he shook himself loose from the ship, still smiling. “She’s fine. She’ll get you there. Jenna should be here any minute—she just messaged me.” He glanced at Alicia. “Do you know your way around enough to load the boxes outside into the hold?”

  She glanced at Induan. “Want to help?”

  The chameleon girl grinned. Marcus gave them a few more specific instructions, and we went back outside, arriving just as Jenna’s skimmer landed.

  Marcus started toward it at a light jog. I raced a bit to catch him. By the time we reached it, four people had climbed out: Jenna, Bryan, Tiala, and a woman I’d never seen before in my life, but whom I knew, deep in my bones, was from Islas. Maybe it was the cut of her nearly uniformlike light blue tunic and straight-legged pants, or her short dark hair, or something subtle about her features. She fit the profile I’d been studying. An Islas expatriot?

  Whatever she was, Marcus walked right up to her and folded her briefly in his arms. “Dianne.”

  When they separated, Dianne had a bright glow on her face. She cast her wide, dark eyes down for a moment before she looked back up at him. “Of course I came. I hope that I will be able to help.”

  “I’ve no doubt of that.” He turned to us. “Joseph, I’d like you to meet Dianne Kiron. Consider her my contribution to this trip. My best addition, if you will, besides your transportation.” He sounded quite proud of himself.

  I extended a hand to her. “You are from the Islas Autocracy?” I asked.

  Her eyes rounded and her mouth made a little “o.” “Marcus said that you are smart.” She hesitated, searching my face as if trying to decide whether or not to trust me. She gave a tiny nod. “Yes. Marcus suggested you may need someone who understands the Star Mercenaries on this trip.”

  “We might.” How had she fit into Islan society? Was she a Star Mercenary, a scribe, a merchant, an artist or what?

  Marcus glanced at Jenna. “There’s no one else, is there?”

  She shook her head, her voice slightly bitter. “I asked some old friends and they are all doing other things. So yes, let’s get going.”

  Bryan spoke up. “Then who is that?”

  We all looked up together. Another skimmer. Marcus frowned. “Port Authority.” His jaw tightened and his green eyes grew cold. “They have no jurisdiction here—this is a private port that doesn’t use any of the government spaceports. We have the trip cleared.”

  Regardless, the skimmer kept coming. It was easily three times as big as any of ours on the ground. My skin crawled.

  Marcus said, “Go, Joseph. It will be okay. I’ll take care of this.” He sounded like he was trying to convince himself. “Take everyone except your dad. Help Alicia and Induan get the last boxes loaded.”

  Jenna glanced at the incoming Port Authority and then at our skimmers. “Wait—the last of our supplies. Take what’s in my skimmer.” She strode quickly there, opened the top and the side doors, and began lifting boxes carefully from between and under the seats, handing one to each of us. Dianne’s was small, and fit in the crook of her arm. Mine was heavy, and I started right off with it, wanting to make it inside as soon as possible.

  We’d left the doors open. I walked in, set my box down, and stood by the door. Dianne passed me first, her eyes rising to meet mine for just a moment. Something like worry or fright touched them, and she nodded at me, nearly deferential. It felt strange to have a grown woman look at me that way. What had Marcus told her about me?

  Jenna followed, her face set, her eyes on Dianne in front of her. Tiala followed Jenna, looking naked without her bird, Bell. This was the first time I’d seen the two sisters close to each other since Jenna’s miraculous healing, and their similarity made me smile. No wonder I’d mistaken Jenna for Tiala. Bryan walked easily along the rear, the only one carrying a larger box than mine. He smiled at me. “We’re going home.”

  I nodded. “We sure are.” I glanced back at the pile of skimmers outside, where the Port Authority’s big skimmer was just landing. “We are,” I whispered.

  He stopped, looking over his shoulder at the Authority, too. “No matter what.”

  I clapped him on the back, suddenly realizing that he was no longer playing big brother, but just brother. Maybe he thought I could protect myself these days. I looked for some sign of the mod he had chosen. He didn’t look any different. But then, I hadn’t noticed anything different about Alicia. I jerked my head down-corridor. “Go on. I’ll catch up.”

  He went.

  I made sure the box I’d set down wasn’t visible through the door, then flattened myself against the wall, peering around quickly to get a good look.

  Lukas walked up to Marcus and extended a hand. Uniformed Port Authority people were climbing out of the skimmer, seven so far, and more coming. I peeled my head back, slowly, trying not to draw attention. This would be a great time for a chameleon mod. Except Induan had been pretty visible against the white surfaces out here, and both girls had been three-dimensional etchings against the silver surfaces of the ship. Now, if we were in the Lace Forest at home …

  I couldn’t hear what anyone was saying. That meant no one was yelling at anyone, which was probably good. I should do what Marcus told me to, and get us ready. The scene outside the door pulled at me—I needed to know what was happening.

  What if we had to take off?

  In spite of everything he’d done, I didn’t want to leave my father behind. Sweat beaded my forehead. I picked up my box, and raced as fast as I could to the ship.

  I stood in the rounded ship’s bay, panting. The pile of boxes being loaded had shrunk to ten or twelve. Bryan was heading down the ramp, empty-handed, coming for a fresh load. I shoved the heavy box at him, sighing with relief as he took it, grabbed two lighter ones, then a third, and the two of us headed back in. “I don’t like this,” I said.

  “Did you learn anything?”

  I shook my head. “I can’t hear them. But it’s Lukas, the same creep that met us off the ship. How fast can we finish this?”

  “Depends on how well you want the cargo strapped down.”

  Good question
. Creator maintained gravity all the time, and unlike New Making, it kept the same gravity over the whole ship. My father and I could control that for the first part of our flight, and we’d have time to recheck cargo before our first turn. “Doesn’t have to be perfect.”

  “Good.”

  As we climbed into the ship, Induan and Alicia eeled past us, going down the narrow ramp. Alicia put a hand on my back, stopping me. “What’s happening out there? Who is that woman? Who else is here?” Induan stood behind her, head cocked, an intent look on her face.

  “I don’t know,” I repeated. “The woman’s name is Dianne. Jenna brought her, but Marcus picked her. You never met her?”

  Alicia shook her head. “Where’s your father and Marcus? Jenna is acting all mysterious and telling us to load the cargo fast.”

  “The Port Authority is here,” I whispered.

  Both girls’ eyes rounded, and Induan immediately faded to the background, a chaotic shift from normal to part silver from the ship and part off-white to match the hangar walls. I bit back a laugh at the unintended consequences. “So yes, let’s get her loaded as fast as we can.” I frowned at them, arching an eyebrow, trying to be like Marcus.

  Alicia looked ready to burst out laughing. “We can get most of it in one more load.” With that, they turned around, Induan still oddly striped and Alicia still normal.

  I’d probably be in a lot of trouble once Alicia started turning that chameleon mod on casually.

  I stared at their backs for a moment, then turned and hurried to catch up with Bryan.

  Inside, Tiala and Jenna took the boxes from our arms and stacked them. Jenna easily lifted the one I’d just gratefully foisted on Bryan. I comforted myself by thinking she didn’t have to carry it far. The little hold was nearly full. We started to turn to go back for more, but Jenna barked, “Joseph! Go to the Command Room. Just in case.”

  Just in case the other pilot never got in here. I swallowed and nodded. “Do you know what’s happening out there?”

  “No. But you might if you got into the Command Room.”

  Duh. And I’d been trying to listen outside. Of course the ship would be connected to the spaceport and to its surroundings. There were cameras. “Where is Dianne?”

  “In the Command Room. Alicia and Induan are right here.” She glanced around. “Maybe. Hell, I don’t know. You worry about getting us ready to fly.”

  “I’ll get the last of the boxes,” Bryan said, already partway out the door.

  I raced to the Command Room. Like in the New Making, Creator’s Command Room nestled near the center of the ship, next to a galley. Four comfortable pilot-style chairs with thrust-straps sat at attention around a square silver table. In one of them, Dianne sat so still she might as well have been a statue.

  I sat down opposite her.

  She lifted her head, her eyes warm and soft. “Please bring up the screens.”

  I closed my eyes and opened to Creator. It opened back—reporting out, as if eager to have a human to talk to. Creator’s AI was fully integrated, just Creator herself, unlike Starteller who rode in New Making but could have been separated. Merging with Creator, feeling her thrum through my bones, hearing the ship’s reports like thoughts inside my own head—it was like running where the New Making had been crawling. Or perhaps Marcus’s training had taught me more than I knew.

  “Joseph.” Dianne’s soft voice pulled me back, although Creator remained part of me as I ran the threads to the cameras and turned three of them to show on the walls.

  One camera showed the big bay, which still held three boxes. No sign of Alicia, Induan, or Bryan.

  On another screen, Marcus and Lukas, standing a meter apart. Marcus had his back to me, but his stance looked calm and resolute. My father stood near him, his back to me also.

  Lukas’s neat-as-a-pin hair, with the red streak, bobbed up and down as he spoke. Five of his people surrounded him. I recognized Ming, the dark-haired woman who had called the skimmer for us when we left the port. Her eyes looked up at me briefly, as if she sensed my presence. She was the one who had told me it was Marcus who convinced Lukas to leave me alone when we first landed.

  The third camera showed the doorway of the hangar, and a brief quick movement that might have been Alicia or Induan. Not white like the tarmac, but green to match the hangar.

  No wonder some boxes remained in the ship’s bay.

  I turned on the audio for the hangar door. Alicia’s voice, pitched low: “Can’t we get closer?”

  Bryan. “What for? Marcus can handle things.” Good for Bryan.

  The audio was two-way, to allow people on the ground to talk to people inside Creator. I held my tongue though, afraid the people outside would hear me, if I spoke.

  Bryan, sounding more insistent. “Come on—let’s get Creator loaded.”

  “In a minute.” Alicia snapped at him. “I need to know what’s going on. We can’t see everyone that came in that skimmer. Where are the others? Is there a back entrance?”

  Dianne cleared her throat. “There is no back entrance. But there is probably trouble.”

  I zoomed the camera out. Six uniformed Port Authority people hugged the wall just around the corner from Marcus’s line of sight. The leader made a come-on gesture just as I spotted them, and the group broke into a jog. I spoke into the microphone. “I see you. You do not have permission to enter here.” They stopped, momentarily confused. “Close the door,” I hissed. It probably wouldn’t open for any of them.

  Alicia got the message and spit an answer at me. “I don’t know how!”

  Dianne, behind me. “There is a palm-pad on the door. It will close for anyone.”

  “Palm-pad. On the door.”

  A second of silence.

  The crowd outside rushed the door.

  “Got it.”

  “Come back,” I insisted.

  “Not until I know the door is shut.”

  Damn her. Bryan’s voice, directed at me. “I’ll get her.” I couldn’t see any of them, but I pictured him picking her up and throwing her over his shoulder.

  I tried to watch all three cameras. Bryan and the two girls should show up on the hold camera any moment.

  “The door.” Dianne’s voice, urgent.

  The big door hadn’t yet slid all the way closed.

  The lead Authority person stuck a foot into the opening, and the door stopped. “What the—?” I exclaimed.

  “Safety feature,” Dianne said. “There should be an emergency override.”

  Outside, my father bolted toward the door. Ming took off after him. Marcus, Lukas, and the others held their positions.

  Why didn’t Marcus do something?

  Something tugged at me. Marcus, from inside the webs. “Are you ready?” he asked.

  I blinked, nodded. “Sure.”

  “Strap in. You’ll have to fly. Hold until I tell you when.” The engines started. Surely he started them, although he appeared to just be standing, talking to Lukas, ignoring the melee by the door. Lukas ignored it as well, keeping Marcus fixed in his gaze. I’d bet money they were both holding at least two conversations, even though Lukas was no Wind Reader.

  I fumbled with the soft straps, struggling to get the cool metal buckles to close without taking my eyes off the camera views. Dianne’s eyes widened and she began to do the same.

  Bryan, Alicia, and Induan raced through the corridor door into the big room.

  Jenna screeched, “Grab the boxes!”

  They slowed, fear flashing on their faces, but they obeyed her, grabbing boxes before coming on up the ramp.

  The ship registered them as onboard. “Strap down,” I called out.

  There. That was who I cared about. I’d wait, though, for my father. If there was time. If he could get through the security goons. I glanced back up at the screen. The door finished closing. The only people left outside were Lukas’s people, and Marcus.

  My father had made it.

  Marcus. “Close your eyes
. Connect fully to Creator. I’m connected, too. I’ll stick with you as far as I can.”

  I needed to know. “What did Lukas come for?”

  Silence. A long beat when I and Marcus breathed in unison. Our connection wasn’t voice; it was the deep, intimate knowing we’d shared when I flew in, and more. Much more. I knew his soul. And he was torn. “They claim that if you fly in and fight Islas, it will be made into the first strike in the war between the five planets.”

  “What if I go, and just get Chelo?” Creator was ready. I was ready. “What if we—if we don’t fight?”

  “Then Lukas will be wrong.”

  “And if we do more, he’ll be right?” I breathed out, a long slow breath, mine alone.

  “Joseph.” His energy had gathered, strengthened, become more sure. “Joseph. Neither Lukas nor I know what you will find. Do what you need to do. It’s all any of us ever can.”

  I closed my eyes, feeling the ship fully, fitting her to me like skin. I couldn’t see; I had to trust. Marcus in my very being, speaking and not. “Close Creator’s door.”

  I did. The ship’s engines rumbled louder. Marcus again. “I’m opening the top of the hanger for you. Your course is already set.” A small part of me felt what he did, how he tripped a mechanism and the ceiling began to slide away. Most of me rode the power and water and air and engines of the ship.

  I was ready.

  Creator was ready.

  We waited.

  Familiar steps. Jenna, coming in to the Command Room. I heard her strap in. I checked on the others. Six more bodies, all prepared, strapped into chairs that worked as acceleration couches, scattered throughout various rooms in twos.

  The ceiling clicked fully open.

  Blue sky beckoned above us.

  Six bodies?

  Dianne, to me. “We have someone extra.”

  And I was so far down, so deep into the ship, that I barely heard Jenna whisper, “Ming,” as I, as Creator, bolted from the hangar and flew, a silver arrow shot from Silver’s Home for Fremont. Once again, I flew against the Port Authority’s wishes.

  I whooped, and in the far background of my heart, I heard Marcus say, “Good Journey.”