The Rings of Grissom: Tales of a Former Space Janitor

by Julia Huni

  “You were on Bill’s shuttle?” she breaks in. “The one that blew up?”

  “Yeah. I thought you knew that.”

  Her lips purse, and she looks me over. “No, I didn’t. That’s... interesting.”

  “Why?”

  “Are you really going to help Bill?” She crosses the room and flings open the shutters. Sunlight rushes in, illuminating the colorful layered carpets, light wood furniture, and bright white walls. She turns, the light throwing her into shadow again.

  “That’s why we’re here.” I turn away. The room is large, and a huge, low bed fills about half of it. Piles of pillows cover the top, and gauzy fabric falls from the ceiling around the sides and end. It’s looped and gathered near an ornately carved headboard. That won’t be comfortable to lean against.

  Near the window, a pair of pale wood chairs with thick flowery upholstered seats and backs flank a spindly table made of the same wood. A pair of bright orange flowers stand in a narrow vase.

  “There’s a force shield over the windows to keep insects out,” Aretha says. “But the shutters help with the light. Sun rises early this time of year. Bathroom is over there.” She points to a door in the corner. “We have water rationing, so there’s a timer on the shower. Or you can use the sonic option, if you like that sort of thing.” Her curled lip tells me how she feels about it.

  She crosses the room and pauses by the door. “I don’t trust you, but I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt. For now.” She turns and sweeps out, shutting the door behind her. The heavy wood rings loudly.

  Eleven

  O’Neill’s entire family is coming for dinner. And I mean every last one of them. All five of his siblings, along with their significant others, and in Akiko’s case, three children. Plus, Bill and his partner and a double handful of assorted aunts, uncles, and cousins. Several of the extended family also have offspring, and soon, the courtyard is more playground than living room.

  “Come to the lounge.” Serena takes my hand and pulls me away from the noise.

  She leads me to the large, open room behind the lounging pavilion. The space takes up a corner of the big building, with windows on the two external sides. Light filters in through cracks between the shutters, but Serena only opens one set. “That wall faces west. It’s way too hot in here with those shutters open.”

  The huge lounge has three separate seating areas. Unlike a similar room in my mother's estate on Kaku, this room is cozy and welcoming. Thick rugs lay scattered across a polished wood floor. Plush, comfortable furniture provides seating. Serena crosses to a cabinet and pulls it open, revealing an AutoBar. “Would you like a drink?”

  “Is there a local specialty?” I ask.

  “The estate produces a fabulous sparkling wine.” She opens the other side of the cupboard to reveal a state-of-the-art wine storage unit. A few flicks to the interface, and a glass of chilled sparkling wine is dispensed.

  “Thanks.” I take the glass and sip. “Fantastic! You said, ‘the estate.’ What does that mean?”

  “The family owns a share in the local wine estate—Apollone Vintners,” Serena says. “We all help out with, well, everything, and we get paid in wine.” As she dispenses another glass, more people filter into the room. She takes my arm and pulls me away from the cabinet. “Get your own drinks, folks. It’s just family today.”

  I glance around the room. It’s starting to fill up. “These are all family?”

  “Everyone wanted to meet you.” Serena nudges me toward a deep chair near the center of the space, next to an elegant old lady. “Have a seat next to my grandmother. Grandma, this is Ty’s friend Triana. This is Lady Rylan Evangelista Mendoza bin Tariq e Reynolds y Simpson.”

  “Call me Angie.” She holds out a bony, thin-skinned fist.

  I smile, wondering if there’s a social stigma against rejuvenation here. The only person I've ever met who looked as old as Angie was Don Huatang. Rumor says he’s nearing 150 years, and all his rejuv has failed at once. He sleeps most of the time, waking only to demand his handlers buy or sell a particular stock.

  “Do you mind if I stand?” The chair looks impossibly comfortable, but I don’t want to be awkwardly gazing up everyone’s noses.

  Before she can answer, I am surrounded by O’Neills. Or maybe they’re Mendozas. I’ve always had a single last name, so I’m not one hundred percent sure how the extras work together. Two men step forward. They’re virtually identical, although one has a faint scar running through his left eyebrow. I wonder if he kept it so people could tell them apart.

  “I’m Roberto,” the unscarred one says. “Call me Ro. And that handsome devil is Yuri.”

  “We’re Ty’s brothers,” Yuri says, unnecessarily. They look like slightly unfinished versions of their brother. Something about the shape of their lips or maybe the color of their hair is different from Ty, but without him standing beside them, I’m not sure what.

  “I’m Triana.” I hold out my fist.

  Ro ignores my hand and wraps me in a bear hug. Yuri throws his arms around both of us, bouncing us up and down. “Group hug!” they yell.

  “Get off her, you animals.” A small woman, taller than Aretha but shorter than Serena, smacks one of the boys. “Leave the poor woman alone! I’m Akiko.” She holds out her fist. “My husband Blas is out chasing children. He’s the tall redhead. That’s our sister Lili and her fiancé Jie.” She points at a pair standing behind the twins. The woman is obviously related to Serena. The man is a shorter, bald guy with broad, muscular shoulders and a shiny head. He smiles, teeth bright in his dark face.

  “Ro, get Triana another glass of wine.” Akiko shoves her brothers away. “And give her some space. I’ll introduce you to the rest of the tribe. You don’t have to remember all their names—we only see them once a month. Usually when there’s food.”

  “Or wine,” an older man says with a grin. “I’m Ole, Brad’s brother. That’s my wife, Rafaella.” He nods to a quiet woman in deep conversation with Serena. “Where’s Ty?”

  “I haven’t seen him since I got here,” I admit. I gulp down the last of my wine before Ro can take my half-full glass.

  “He’s probably playing with the kids,” Akiko says. “They love their Uncle Ty. This is Servenus.”

  The next hour goes by in a blur as Ro and Yuri keep my wine glass full and Akiko introduces me to an ever-growing sea of unfamiliar faces. I wish I’d gotten a family tree downloaded to my holo-ring before the party. Serena said it would be a family dinner—I wasn’t prepared for this much family.

  The wine is delicious, and the twins seem determined to keep a full glass in my hand. It’s definitely alcoholic. A warm buzz fogs my mind and relaxes my inhibitions. Soon, I’m telling stories and laughing with Akiko and the twins.

  O’Neill pushes through the crowd to my side. His hair is disheveled for once, and a tiny chocolate handprint mars his perfect tunic. “Looks like you’re having fun.” He slides an arm around me and takes the glass from my hand. After a sip, he waves the glass at his brothers. “How many of these have you fed her?”

  “You’re so shiny.” I lean into him as the lounge spins around us.

  “Two or three,” one of the twins says.

  “Maybe four,” the other one says with a grin.

  O’Neill’s eyes narrow. “Get some Buzzkill.”

  “She’s fine. Having a great time.” The boys talk on top of each other, and in my fuzzy state, they coalesce into one then split apart again.

  “That’s funny.” I giggle. “More wine, please.”

  “You need to eat something,” O’Neill says. “And take the edge off this buzz. Someone’s been giving you the hard stuff.” He clicks his tongue, and one of the boys slinks away.

  “Akikikikio says you like to play hide-n-seek with the kids.” I smile at O’Neill. Turning my head up to look at him upsets my balance, and I sway. His arm tightens around me.

  “Akiko, why did you let them do this?”

  “How was
I supposed to know she’s such a lightweight?” Akiko’s eyes glitter. “She’s not exactly tiny, so…”

  He shoves the glass at her. “You let the boys spike her drink.”

  The missing twin returns, hands something to his older brother, then disappears into the crowd. The other one goes with him. O’Neill holds a small pill out to me. “Time for some Buzzkill. This one isn’t expired.” He grins, a private joke between the two of us.

  I smile back and open my mouth. He drops the tablet on my tongue, where it dissolves almost instantly. The fog in my brain rolls back, slowly revealing memories of the things I said over the last hours. My face goes hot. “I can’t believe—yikes.” I straighten my spine and turn back to Akiko. “I hope I didn’t say anything offensive to you. I seem to have blathered for quite a while.”

  Akiko grins. “You’re funny when you’re drunk. I’m sorry I didn’t realize what the boys were doing. I should have noticed—they did the same thing to Blas the first time I brought him home. They didn’t spike it, though, just kept refilling.”

  “They’ll be sorry.” O’Neill’s voice is hard.

  “Don’t.” I turn and put a hand on his chest. “It’s not a big deal. I don’t have any secrets to hide anymore.”

  “You did tell us about your crush on your mother’s yoga teacher.” Akiko grimaces.

  “Ugh!” I duck my head as my face heats up again. “That was, like, fifteen years ago.” Across the room, Aretha is talking to a couple who look to have just arrived. I try to divert attention from myself. “Isn’t that Bill?”

  Akiko and O’Neill both turn. “It is,” O’Neill says. “Who’s that with him?”

  “That’s his new partner, Kate,” Akiko says. “Nice woman but a bit stern. She’s a—”

  “Peacekeeper.” O’Neill and I say together. We exchange a glance, and he continues. “She’s the one who deported Triana.” He sets my spiked drink on a nearby table and urges me across the room. “I think it’s time to have a chat.”

  Twelve

  “Hi, Bill. Agent Kato.” O’Neill smiles, but his voice is cold. “Could we have a word?” He’s already sweeping us into the courtyard. “Aretha, could you smooth over any—”

  “No, I think Aretha needs to be in on this discussion.” I raise my eyebrows at the woman. “She wanted to know what’s going on.”

  Aretha nods regally. “We can talk in the office.” She strides across the courtyard toward the opposite corner.

  “Uncle Ty! Come play!” A flood of children surrounds us, calling out, grabbing O’Neill’s clothing.

  He disengages the grubby fingers easily. “I have to talk to the grown-ups, but I’ll play after dinner, okay?”

  “Awww.” Disappointment washes over the eager faces, then they light up again. “Uncle Blas!” The children flow away.

  I glance over my shoulder—the tall, red-haired man has appeared at the entrance to the lounge. He winks at us then calls out, “Hide and seek! Ten! Nine! Eight...”

  Happily screaming children scatter and disappear.

  O’Neill glances at Akiko. “Thanks.”

  She shrugs. “We needed a distraction.” The five of us follow Aretha to an ornate door near the front of the building. Thick carvings cover the wood—vines, flowers, small creatures.

  I run my fingers over a tiny lizard. “This is incredible.”

  “It's several hundred years old.” O’Neill pauses beside me as the others pile into the room. “Grissom was less habitable in the early days—colonists spent a lot of summer days inside.”

  “Is this house from the colonial days?” I look around the courtyard in surprise.

  “No. Our great grandfather bought the door from an estate sale.” He nudges me into the room and shuts the door.

  Unlike the lounge, this room is cool and formal. Heavy wood furniture with little padding fills the smaller space. A huge desk presides over several uncomfortable looking chairs. Aretha swings the shutters open. The large window looks out into a narrow, walled courtyard. Painted tiles cover the walls, but this is the northeast side of the building, so heavy shadows fill the space. A small fountain burbles in the center.

  “This is the room in which official business is conducted,” Aretha says. She turns and leans her hips against the desk. “What the hell is going on, Bill?”

  Bill throws himself into one of the chairs. He winces. “You’ve met my partner, Kate.” He gestures to the short woman standing by the window. She ignores us, staring out at the little fountain.

  “Yes, we’ve met.” O’Neill crosses his arms and leans against the wall.

  I sink onto a nearby chair—how did they make a piece of furniture so uncomfortable? Scooting forward, I perch on the edge.

  “It’s my fault.” Akiko steps out of the shadowed corner and holds up her hands. “I knew how hurt you were. By her.” Her eyes dart toward me then back to him. “I didn’t want her around, so I got rid of her.”

  “You coerced—encouraged? Bribed?—a peacekeeper to deport my—Triana?” O’Neill glares at his sister.

  “There was no bribe! She requested assistance,” Kate says, swinging away from the window. “She pointed out that the young woman technically had no legal status once the cruise ship departed. I chose to enforce that statute.”

  “So, you don’t routinely depart everyone who outstays their visitor’s visa?” I ask.

  Kate’s eyes flick to me and back to O’Neill. “We don’t. We can, but we don’t.” She steps forward and puts a hand on Bill’s shoulder. “Bill is on a retainer to assist in Peacekeeper activities, so I tasked him to take you back to the ship. Where, legally, you belonged.” She raises her chin defiantly.

  “A word to the auditor could cause you some difficulties, I’d imagine.” O’Neill’s voice is calm and speculative. “I can’t believe they’d let a family member administer a contract like that.”

  “Technically, Gwen—Agent Watson—put in the request.” Kate’s shoulders hunch. “We didn’t do anything illegal.”

  “Just shady as hell.” O’Neill’s lips press together.

  “Look, they were just trying to protect you.” Aretha pushes away from the desk, coming to stand in front of us. “Akiko’s your sister—it’s what we do. If I’d known, I’d have helped. But that’s not important now.”

  “It’s important to me.” O’Neill glares down at his sister. “You deported the woman I love.”

  Akiko goes still, her face blanching. After a moment, she takes a deep breath, squares her shoulders, and turns to me. “Annabelle—I mean, Triana. I apologize for all of this. It was despicable behavior, and I have no excuse. Will you forgive me?”

  Her eyes bore into mine in a way that doesn’t feel very contrite. In fact, I get the distinct impression she’d do it again in a heartbeat if I gave her a reason. I raise my chin without breaking eye contact, channeling my inner Ice Dame. “It is forgiven.” But not forgotten.

  “Good.” She swivels back to O’Neill. “We need to figure out what happened to Bill’s ship. The government is blaming him. Pilot error. But it wasn’t.”

  O’Neill looks at Bill. “You’re sure?”

  Bill shrugs. “It went up during the reentry phase. That’s all computer controlled. I laid in the standard program and pressed land. Not much room for error there.”

  “Did they recover the data?” O’Neill rolls his shoulders away from the wall and starts pacing. “Flight forensics is not my field.”

  “You must know someone,” Aretha says.

  “The investigator says the flight recorders were damaged in the explosion,” Bill says.

  “Really?” I jump up from my chair. “The passenger capsule survived intact, but the data recorders were destroyed? Doesn’t that seem a bit odd?”

  Kate nods. “It shouldn’t be possible. That data should have been saved to the recorder stored inside the passenger capsule. But that device was damaged or malfunctioned.”

  “Then how did they come to the conclusion it w
as pilot error?” I ask.

  Bill shrugs. “They couldn’t find anything to blame it on, so it must be my fault—human error is more likely than a malfunction these days. They tried to pin the recorder malfunction on me, too, but it’s not possible to access the device from inside the capsule.

  “What about hacking?” I drum my fingers on the desk. “Could someone have hacked the system—either from inside or remotely?”

  “You were the only person inside the shuttle besides me,” Bill says. “Do you really want to pursue that line?”

  I laugh. “Good point, but we have to look at everything. I’m not in the habit of carrying shuttle crashing loops on my holo-ring, and communications were quarantined, so there was no way for me to download anything. You could have.” I raise my eyebrows at him.

  “Why would I crash my own shuttle?” Bill leaps up. “You sound like the review board!”

  I hold up a hand. “We’re looking at everything, remember?”

  “The fact that Dame Morgan’s heir was on that shuttle should be considered, too,” Kate says. “In fact, a failed assassination attempt makes more sense than anything else.”

  “The review board ruled that out. But who knew she’d be on that shuttle? Besides you.” O’Neill zeroes in on Kate, his eyes burning into hers.

  “Me, Gwen, and Bill.” Kate faces O’Neill, ticking names off on her fingers. “And Akiko. Are you suggesting one of us wanted her dead?”

  “Dead?” Akiko flings herself between Kate and O’Neill. “I wanted her out of your life but not dead. And I don’t give a crap whose kid she is.”

  He ignores his sister, still focused on Kate. “I’m suggesting you jumped on the opportunity to deport her pretty quickly. I’m suggesting you might have used it as an opportunity to take care of other business.”

  “Now hold on a minute!” Bill pushes O’Neill’s shoulder. “If you think Kate is working for a terrorist organization and used family business to—” He breaks off and stomps away. “I can’t even—”