by S. E. Smith
“Frustrating,” Dian said, keeping her eyes on the scenery. “You think she’s interested in giving you a second chance?”
“Yeah, recently we were involved in resolving an incident with an unhappy passenger —the diva you want to hear sing in fact—and Juli seemed to unbend toward me a little. I’m willing to take any slightest opening to change her opinion of me.” He realized his fists were clenched in frustration. “I liked her so much and I blew it. Only seeing her in the captain’s staff meetings when the atmosphere is formal and all business all the time eats at me. I sure can’t ask a girl out in the middle of a work-related gathering.” He gave a short bark of laughter. “I’d like to see the captain’s face if I did breach protocol so drastically! But I never cross paths with her otherwise. I don’t mix with the passengers, not my job, and taking care of their every whim is all consuming for her.”
“You can send her a vidcom, stop by her office…” Dian’s voice trailed off and poked him in the ribs with one finger. “Steven Aureli, don’t tell me you’re too shy to do any of those things.”
Recognizing his own failure, he nodded. “I can’t screw up with her again or there’s no chance.”
Sighing dramatically, with a smile quirking her lips, his aunt said, “All right, so I can clearly see now this whole cruise of mine is going to be one long, carefully plotted campaign to bridge the gap between you and this presumably lovely lady, with the objective of obtaining you a second chance to impress her with what a great guy you truly are.”
“You’ve stated the matter concisely as always.” He was laughing.
Dian stroked one of Charrli’s soft ears. “I think we can help him out here, don’t you?” she asked the dog, who gave an enthusiastic woof. “We can’t wait to meet her.”
Juli stood beside her incapacitated and ominously smoking CLC Line car, cursing. Why had the company given her a vehicle in dire need of repair? What the seven hells kind of inefficient operation was CLC running here on this planet? We’re a top notch line, high reputation, we don’t have mechanical breakdowns. Hot, furious and stressed over her to do list, which loomed in her mind like a rogue planet, she commed the office at the spaceport, although the link was patchy and the call kept dropping out. Incredulous at first, the CLC clerk eventually became properly apologetic about the vehicle’s failure and said they’d have a tech pick her up shortly.
Juli flicked her com off and threw it in her purse on the front seat. Although she’d taken a major thoroughfare to the district where the lawyer’s office was, the traffic was light but no one stopped or offered assistance. Probably mostly robo-driven, and the few humans driving were in a hurry. She pushed her hair off her face and leaned on the car. This would mean she’d miss the crew shuttle to the Nebula Zephyr. She’d have to wait until tomorrow, which meant a night in a planetside hotel, on CLC’s credits of course. This whole trip was work related business. “How long did the dispatcher say this would take?” She checked her wrist chrono and frowned, eyeing the darkening sky. Either it was late in this planet’s day or a storm was brewing. Just my luck.
A groundcar swerved smoothly into the emergency lane and came up behind her. She prepared to tactfully refuse whatever offer of help the driver might make but to her complete astonishment, Third Officer Steve Aureli got out of the driver’s seat. He was in civvies rather than the CLC uniform but looked as tall, broad shouldered and handsome as ever. She was rendered speechless by the unforeseen arrival of the one man she most wanted to see and the tension left her body in a rush.
“Juli? I thought I recognized you—what’s the problem?” He gave the smoking car the side-eye as he walked to join her.
“I’m glad to see you,” she said. “What a coincidence. I had Ship’s business to take care of in the city business district so I picked up a CLC car at the spaceport but it’s sure turned out to be a clunker.”
“Heading back to the spaceport?”
“Yes, although I’ve missed the shuttle to the ship by now.” Juli winced as a few droplets from the sky hit her cheeks. “Oh wonderful, and now it’s going to rain.”
“We can give you a ride,” he offered. “The side of this road isn’t a good place for you to be stranded, especially with a storm coming.”
A gust of cold wind buffeted her to emphasize his remark and she shivered. What happened to the hot sun of just a few hours ago? Peering at his sporty groundcar, she hesitated. “I don’t want to be a bother or ruin your date.”
He laughed. “No bother and it’s not a date. Remember I told you my aunt Dian was going to be a passenger on the next leg of the cruise? I picked her up this afternoon and I also have the use of the captain’s personal shuttle, so I can take you all the way to the Zephyr with us. Plenty of room in this rented car of mine.”
“Say no more, I’ll be thrilled to accept your help then. Let me grab my purse.” Heart unaccountably lighter because he wasn’t on a date, Juli fished her possessions out of the car, and went to climb in the backseat of his racy red vehicle, as he held the door for her. Hope never dies, I guess. Oh, Juli, get over this mad crush. Angry at herself for her racing pulse and the effect this man invariably had on her, she stumbled and Steve steadied her with one big hand. Her body tingled a little at the physical contact.
“I’m Steve’s Aunt Dian,” said the lady in the front seat, swiveling to study Juli. She extended her gloved hand.
Juli tried not to stare. Dian was elderly but wearing full, expertly applied makeup and her syntho hair was coiffed into a confection of pink and blond a trideo star might admire, accented with a glittery star-shaped barrette. Her pink and cream woven suit was by a high end fashion designer, or else a very good knockoff and she presented an altogether glamorous and retro picture. This is practical, stoic Steve’s aunt? Juli detected no family resemblance although of course that didn’t mean much. “I’m so happy to meet you and glad you’ll be sailing with us.”
Next instant, a barking ball of golden brown fur sailed over the seat, landing in Juli’s lap with a thud. With a startled scream she tried to fend off the pet, which fortunately seemed intent on getting into her purse, rather than actually attacking her personally.
“Charrli, don’t be rude,” said Dian, snapping her fingers in annoyance. “No one asked you to do a search and destroy mission on Juli’s belongings. Get back here where you belong.”
Hand on the controls, Steve studied Juli. “Do you have a snack in your purse?” he asked. “Charrli’s a real chow hound.”
“What an inelegant way to describe my champion purebred miniature Deskaza dog.” Despite her protest, his elderly relative didn’t sound too offended. “I’ll have you know they’re a rare breed.” She snapped her fingers again and the doglike creature made one final attempt to open Juli’s purse before obeying his mistress’s command and returning to the front seat with a sniff. “I apologize for Charrli,” Dian said, cuddling him close so all Juli could see were the tips of his triangular ears and his intense brown eyes peering at her over his owner’s shoulder. “Although I must say you and he are obviously going to be great friends while we’re on your ship.”
Apparently satisfied peace had been restored, Steve put the car smoothly into the traffic flow.
“There’s nothing in my purse attractive to a dog,” Juli said. She reached in with both hands and fished out the scarf-wrapped box holding the rock. “Maybe he likes the smell of the straw in this old basket?”
Charrli wiggled his hindquarters, escaping his mistress’s hold and crouched beside Dian on the seat, growling. His ears flared out wide and Juli tried not to laugh because he really was adorable despite his best efforts to act menacing.
“What is that?” Steve asked, eyes wide as he took in the dilapidated, colorful container. “A souvenir?”
“Someone’s souvenir, not mine.” With a chuckle she put the package away again. “And not from this planet. It was a passenger’s good luck charm, I gather, until it started bringing him bad luck. Or so the story
goes. The Line’s been asked to return the thing to Tahumaroa Two and I’m the stuckee.”
“Why doesn’t the owner take it himself?” Steve navigated through the traffic effortlessly but of course he was the Nebula Zephyr’s chief pilot and a former military fighter jockey so even rush hour on an alien planet didn’t faze him.
“He’s dead.” Juli put her hand to her lips and inhaled sharply. “I didn’t mean to sound so dramatic.” Patting her purse, she added, “This had nothing to do with his death, unless the lawyer forgot to fully brief me.”
“No one bashed him in the skull with it then?” Steve asked, going along with her train of thought. “Guy must have had serious gravity, to persuade CLC to have you deal with this after he passed away.”
“All in a day’s work for the cruise director.” The closer she came to the spaceport, the better she felt. Maybe she could knock a few items off her to do list before going to bed tonight after all.
“Do you live on this planet?” Juli asked Dian as she attempted to straighten her uniform after the pet’s exuberant antics, in anticipation of their arrival at the local CLC office. She needed to appear calm and well put together when she protested the office manager’s unsuitable choice of a defective vehicle for her. Juli hated making a scene of any kind and her uniform was her armor for the upcoming confrontation
“Oh goodness no, dear. I was here for the famous festival of color and lights in the lake district.”
“My aunt writes travel guides and does trideocasts,” Steve said. “Highly rated ones.”
“But I don’t review cruise ships,” Dian said with a merry laugh. “Well, not usually, not unless something or someone upsets me.”
“We’ll do our best to avoid giving you anything less than the perfect cruise,” Juli said, rising to the implicit challenge. “You’ve given me a goal to strive for—your first positive starship review.”
“I’m sure the voyage will be fine. After all, Steve will be at the helm, right, dear?” She patted him on the arm and Juli worked hard not to show her amusement at the way his aunt was talking to the ex-military officer.
Steve didn’t seem to mind, taking his right hand off the controls to squeeze his aunt’s hand. “I’m not flying her all the time. But enough of the time so I’d asked Juli last week to look out for you too, make sure your event calendar is kept full.”
“And of course I’m keenly anticipating the private concert by the diva,” Dian said, nodding. “My most recent viewers’ poll indicates a high interest in a report. So rare for her to sing outside her home planet anymore.”
“Yes indeed,” Juli murmured in her most noncommittal tone. It was unclear to her whether the diva in question would honor her promise to sing a few songs for the elderly woman. So far the diva’s record for remembering her extravagant promises and bestowal of favors was pretty hit or miss. There was always an excuse—too hot, too cold, a scratchy throat, not enough tea on her breakfast order…
“Divas earn their designation,” Dian said with a sympathetic smile.
Was I talking out loud? Juli was horrified, unable to believe she might have been committing such an unprofessional breach of etiquette.
Dian was scratching Charrli’s chin at the moment and cooing to him what a good boy he was as the creature batted its big brown eyes at her, so Juli wasn’t able to clarify. She made a resolution to guard her tongue more closely in the future. Dian might be family of a crew member but no one should hear the cruise director complain about a passenger.
At the spaceport, Juli had a few pithy words with the CLC office manager, who apologized and swore the groundcar she’d been given was freshly tuned and top of the line. “Everything turned out all right,” Juli said finally, to the manager’s obvious relief. “Officer Aureli rescued me in the nick of time.”
“My pleasure,” he said. “I need to be getting back to the ship now, if you’re done here.”
Deciding she’d given the office manager enough of a lecture, Juli accompanied Steve, Aunt Dian, Charrli and a sizable pile of luggage to the captain’s flyer, which was waiting on the landing pad. In short order Steve had the craft rising above the city and heading for the rendezvous with the Nebula Zephyr high above in orbit. Juli made polite small talk with Dian about the festival she’d attended and what she was hoping to see and review on Tahumaroa Two and Three. She tried to get an idea what sort of activities Dian might enjoy on the Zephyr while in transit but the elderly lady was equally agreeable to each suggestion Juli offered.
This should be an easy flight. Juli sank into her luxuriously padded seat as Charrli barked at her.
Chapter Three
Next morning Juli had a nagging headache, which was annoying, but she took a headclear and while she was waiting for the med to take effect, she opened her purse and fished out the straw box. Unwrapping the scarf remnant again, she examined the rock without touching it. The stone was roughly triangular, in a pyramid shape, with a broad base. Black, with crystalline sparkles in a few places, the lump of minerals had a certain roughhewn beauty. As she rotated the box she noticed a vein of white and dark purple stone running up one side of the lump.
“Not the most gemlike specimen, but not boring either,” she said to herself. As her com chimed, she rose with the box in her hand and set it on her desk. The message was from a law firm on the planet, but not the one she’d dealt with the day before. Curious, Juli opened the message and read it with growing amazement. These lawyers were making her an offer of 100,000 credits for the rock on behalf of their client, who was allegedly an old friend of Mr. Rodrimueller’s. According to the message their unnamed client had admired the souvenir for years and wanted it as a keepsake. “Lords of Space, what is this thing made of?” She eyed the rock skeptically. Quickly she sent her response, saying she was sorry but CLC had pledged to carry out their late passenger’s wishes and the souvenir wasn’t hers to sell. “I’m going to be late.”
Luckily the headclear had done its job. Checking her hair in the mirror, Juli dashed out of her cabin and headed for the captain’s wardroom to attend the weekly staff meeting. Captain Fleming was not tolerant of tardy attendees. In fact, the best tactic was to be firmly in the chair before he entered the room. Since the ship was relatively empty of passengers until the embarkation later in the morning, she made good time and slid into the conference room with two minutes to spare. Of course she collided with Third Officer Aureli, who laughed and set her on her feet.
“Thanks,” she said shakily, and rushed to her assigned chair, blushing furiously. Damn it, she was a high ranking member of the command staff, an officer, not a kid late for class. Juli schooled her features as best she could and gratefully accepted a mug of coffee from Steve, sipping the bracing brew. Her cheeks grew warm, not just from the coffee, but also because he’d paid so much attention to her.
Captain Fleming entered the room on the dot, took his seat and the meeting began.
Safety updates, a few bulletins from the Line head office.
The Chief Engineer reported on new technology he was implementing.
Jake Dilon, Head of Security, shared a bulletin from the Sectors Criminal Intelligence Agency. “According to my sources, the rumor is the newly reconstituted Amarotu Combine dispatched a team of thieves on the trail of a rare, expensive bauble. We’ve been warned to keep an eye out, along with the other major passenger liners, to be on the lookout for suspicious activity.”
“No other details?” Fleming asked.
Jake shook his head. “Kind of a useless report, if you ask me. Does space have stars? Do our rich passengers have pricey baubles? Of course we’ll be maintaining a high situational awareness just like we always do.”
Fleming checked in with Juli. “We have anyone on the next leg of the cruise who travels with unusually valuable gems? How about the diva?”
Juli shook her head. “The diva has an amazingly deep jewelry box but she informed me her quote good stuff unquote is in storage. Apparently we on the Zeph
yr don’t rank with the audiences who come to hear her sing full operas. She didn’t bother to bring the Centauri Diamond Tiara or the Rigel Ruby Heart the emperor of something or other gave her, which are two of her more famous pieces, or so she boasts. As savvy as the Amarotu Combine thieves are, they’d know not to make her a target. As far as the new passengers arriving later today and the next few days, I’ll double-check the passenger manifest.”
“We can go over it together,” Jake said. “I’ve put my team on an extra alert. But I think this time we’re not going to be the target.”
When it was her turn to report, Juli gave the statistics on the passenger breakdown, between those continuing on with the ship and the new arrivals. Her revenue numbers were solidly profitable. “I’m going to re-examine the scheduling of the Comettes shows and other special events, however, to see if I can maximize the amount of time people spend on the promenade. Several of the shops aren’t meeting their targets and I think we aren’t giving guests enough time to linger before the curtain goes up.” Fleming was first and foremost a starship captain, through and through, and the business details bored him, although the man had a steel trap mind and missed nothing. Still she kept her status reports crisp and high level.
“Stay after the meeting and you can brief me on the errand you ran for us on the surface yesterday,” he said.
“Yes, sir.”
The ship’s Hotel Director was next. “Chef Stephanie reports the entire shipment of creams, cheeses and butters received yesterday was spoiled and had to be destroyed. She was most upset.”
“Did we use our usual purveyor?” It was the Second Officer asking the sharp questions now. He was more directly involved day to day with both Juli and her counterpart the HD then Captain Fleming was.
“Yes, although if there’s another incident of this nature we’ll be looking for a new source.” The HD scowled. “The chef was annoyed and throwing her pots and pans around the kitchen while her staff and I ducked for cover. Pure bad luck to have this kind of thing happen.”