by J. N. Chaney
It took me a second to realize that Maksim was talking about me.
That serum was one hell of a drug. Maksim’s eyes were glazed over, and he sported a silly grin on his lips. He could have easily passed for someone who had been out all night drinking.
“My brother, my brother,” he kept on repeating. “My brother, there are great things in store for us. Two swords. Two blades pointed away from one another.”
“Maksim,” I said, trying to get the conversation back on track. “How many other Disciples are on the ship?”
Maksim shrugged. “I don’t know. Maybe zero, maybe a hundred.”
“You just said there were others on board,” Arun pushed. “You told Stacy and Elon there were others here.”
“I lied to get into their head,” Maksim said, shaking his own head. “I don’t know. The Disciples would never tell me if there were others on board for this very reason. If I were caught, I could expose their plans. This way I am unable to. That’s the truth.”
I looked over at Arun. I believed him. There was no reason not to know that he was high on the happy juice. It made sense anyway.
Arun’s brows were knit in a line of thought.
“Iris,” Arun finally broke the silence. “How sure are we that the truth serum is actually working.”
“Ninety-two point nine percent,” Iris explained. “It’s highly improbable that he is able to lie at the moment.”
That was it then. There could be no more threats to The Orion, or there could be a dozen cloaked Disciple just waiting to be activated. Only time would tell.
Chapter 19
The suits were going to question Maksim more of course. While he was still high on the drug, they’d use the time to get out anything more that they could. The piece of information we needed most was beyond our grasp.
I went to bed that night battered and bruised, wondering how Arun and Elon were going to break the news of the water shortage to The Orion the following day. I didn’t envy them that conversation.
Ricky was still out, probably drinking, definitely gambling with some of the other mechanics or passengers on The Orion. I fell into a fitful sleep.
When I woke, dull memories of a ruined building touched at my thoughts. I had woken before my alarm even went off. I sat in the lower level of the bunk Ricky and I shared.
I quickly realized what had interrupted my sleep. Iris’ familiar voice reached my ears over the comm system that traveled the entirety of The Orion.
“Good morning passengers and new colonists of Kronos Five,” Iris said in a warm tone. Or at least the tone would have been warm, had I not known what was coming next. “Many of you are asking why the water system is unavailable on your levels. Please do not worry. We are working on the issue now. We are asking everyone to either meet at the Assembly level or stay close to a comm unit. At 0900 hours, we will be holding a conference to answer all of your questions. Thank you for your calm understating.”
I blinked a few times in my bunk, rubbing my eyes.
“What—what the heck is going on with the water,” Ricky asked, swinging his head down over the edge of the bunk so I could see him in the faint light of the room. “Hey, what happened to your face?”
“Oh, right,” I said, touching the bruised places on my cheek and jaw. I had thought about not telling Ricky, but he was going to weasel it out of me one way or the other.
I told him everything. From fighting the cloaked Disciple, to being recruited by the Civil Authority and the issue with the water. Ricky was the closest thing I had to a friend, and as much as I wanted to deny it, it felt good to talk to someone about it.
As I went on, Ricky’s mouth grew wider and wider. He nearly fell out of his bed when I told him about the poisoned water.
“Man, I hope you’re getting paid for all of this,” Ricky said when I finally finished.
“Really?” I asked, getting out of bed and dressing for the day. “I just told you we have to ration water for the next five and a half weeks and that there could be cloaked Disciples ready to sabotage the air we breathe, and all you can think of is money?”
“Well, all I’m saying is that if you’re going to be involved with the higher-ups in the new colony we’re creating, maybe you should consider having a manager,” Ricky swung his skinny legs off the bed and reached for the lights in the room. “I mean, you gotta get paid for your services.”
“I’m assuming you could be my manager?” I asked, buckling on my long cargo pants.
“If you want me to, then yes, I accept the position,” Ricky shrugged, tapping his right pointer finger on his chin. “You should be compensated for putting your life on the line. There’s a term for that. What is it?”
“Hazard pay?” I answered.
“Yep, that’s it,” Ricky said, hurriedly dressing. “You should get hazard pay along with your normal hourly.”
“Pump your breaks there,” I told Ricky, shoving my feet into my boots. “I told them I didn’t want a job.”
Ricky stopped midway through putting on his shirt. “Dean, are you serious? You didn’t even negotiate with them?”
“Nope,” I grunted as I lifted my arm to put it in through my shirt. Pain raced up my body from my ribs to the area where I had been shot by Stacy. That memory brought a sardonic grin with it.
“We can still get you a reasonable deal. I’m sure of it,” Ricky consoled himself as he continued dressing. “We’ll tell them there was a misunderstanding and we’re back at the table accepting offers.”
“I’m not sure it works like that,” I told him.
“Please, please, Dean,” Ricky patted me on the arm. “Let me do the talking.”
I shrugged with an amused smile, and we exited the room together, heading for the male restroom on our level. Not to our surprise, there was no running water. Amongst the groans and complaining of the others on the level, Ricky and I made do. I cleaned my face with a wet disposable cloth that had been provided, then rinsed out my mouth with some mouthwash. My long unruly hair was an easy fix. It went behind my head in a knot.
As we were getting ready, the complaints from the other users of the restroom were growing. Every time someone came in, there was the same conversation to be had.
“Are you serious? No water?” One hefty man said to another. “What’s going on now? Problems with the pipes?”
“Not a good sign so early on in our trip,” Another large man said as he disrobed. “How am I supposed to use these little disposable wet nap towels to clean my whole body?”
I wasn’t fast enough to look away before he dropped his towel. That was an image that would be burned into my corneas for a very long time to come.
“Stranger nudity is like looking at the sun, man,” Ricky said as he used one of the small hand towels to clean behind his neck and ears. “You get a glimpse of it somewhere in your peripheral vision but then look away. Never glance directly at it, or you’ll go blind.”
“Noted,” I said as we finished our meager baths at the sink.
“I guess I’m just cleaning my pits and bits today,” a little boy said as he ran into the bathroom next to his father. “That’s okay with me.”
“They need to get this water working fast,” his father said with a frown. “This can’t go on for long.”
We walked out, heading up toward the spiral staircase on the end of the level that stood next to the elevators. We were only a few levels from the Assembly, and it would be easier to take the stairs instead of wait.
“Man, I still can’t believe that there could be invisible Disciples on board, just waiting to slit our throat while we sleep,” Ricky said, letting a puff of air escape his lips. “I mean, that’s terrifying.”
I pressed a finger to my lips, signaling him to shut it. A woman passing us on the stairs stopped to stare at us with wide eyes.
“Sorry, ma’am,” I said, pushing Ricky along. “Nothing to worry about. Just talking about a premise for a book we want to write.”
&
nbsp; I’m not sure she believed me, but I didn’t wait around to find out. Ricky and I walked on, joining a gathering throng as we made our way to the Assembly level.
Although it was still full, the level wasn’t as packed as when we had the initial launch speech there days before. The window lining the gigantic room were all displaying the wonders of slip space. The multicolored light that played across the glass windows was still something everyone was getting used to.
Iris walked to the podium set to address the crowd as both Arun and Elon joined her. The sounds in the Assembly level quieted while we waited for their explanation.
I didn’t see Stacy in the room, but I knew she was there somewhere toward the front of the crowd.
“What’s happening with the water?” Someone shouted.
“Tell us, is there something wrong?” A woman screamed from the middle of the pack.
“Please, all your questions will be answered in a moment,” Iris said, trying to pacify the crowd. “There is no reason to worry. We have things under control.”
“Then why don’t we have water?” Another voice shouted.
“Yeah!” more angry voices added.
“I can see that you are all concerned and rightly so,” Arun said, taking the podium while Iris moved to the side. The microphone allowed her to drown out the questions being hurled at her. “We can start the meeting a bit early, and we will have time to answer questions. Please, allow us to tell you what is going on.”
The room seemed to realize they weren’t going to get anywhere with everyone throwing questions at her at once. A stressed silence filled the area.
“Thank you,” Arun said. She stood straight, wearing her grey uniform. Her white hair was braided in a long design behind her back. “First, allow me to tell you that we have enough drinking water for every single member until we reach Kronos Five. Once there, we will be able to pull moisture from the atmosphere and tap into the water reserves found on the planet.”
Murmurs rippled through the crowd. Heads nodded in agreement and smiles were exchanged. An unexpected relief descended on those gathered.
“There’s been an issue with the water that we are currently working on,” Arun said. “Understand, we have our best minds on it. In the meantime, water will be rationed and the use of the showers, washing of clothes, and dishes will be minimized. We will figure this out together, but the main thing is that we stick together. There is no reason to panic. We are hoping to have a solution to showering soon. I’d be happy to take anyone’s questions now.”
“Well, what happened to the water in the first place?” A woman asked, somewhere to the right.
“We’re looking into that, and we should have answers for you soon,” Arun lied.
I was torn as I stood and watched. I understood exactly why she was lying to them. Telling them the truth would start a mass panic. Cloaked Disciples on board, poisoning their water and tampering with their air, would put everyone on edge and having neighbor accusing neighbor.
Then why was I so disheartened by it? I would do the same thing in her position. It just left a bad taste in my mouth to lie to so many people.
The meeting went on with more questions asked and answered. By the time we were done, the colonists of Kronos Five weren’t exactly happy, but it seemed they understood what was going on and that it was being worked on now.
Ricky caught my eye as the meeting was adjourned.
“What?” I asked.
“So, that’s it?” Ricky motioned to the space around him. “That’s all there is. You’re just going to report back to Boss Creed like that? It’s all over?”
“It is all over,” I said. “There’s not much we can do now. I’m sure Iris and the Eternals will come up with a plan to sniff out any Disciples if there are any more. In the meantime, we go on like business as usual.”
“As mechanics,” Ricky added.
“Yeah, what’s wrong with being a mechanic?”
“There’s nothing wrong, but we could be secret agents, like super spies or something,” Ricky said shaking his head. “Did you talk about me to Arun at all?”
“What? No,” I said, confused at first, then realizing why Ricky would ask the question. “I’m not sure you’re her type.”
“What? Incredibly smart and entrepreneurial?” Ricky asked as we made our way to Boss Creed’s office and our next job.
“No, gambling prone and the target of the Warlords,” I answered.
“Ah, everyone needs a hobby, and besides that one Warlord in the brig, I left the rest of those chumps back on Earth.”
Chapter 20
“Hey, can you hand me the socket set?” I asked Ricky, looking to my right. “The one with the red handle?”
“Sure thing, super spy,” Ricky said, placing the requested tool in my hand.
He’d been calling me names like super spy and secret agent since I told him about the events surrounding Maksim’s capture. That was three weeks ago. We were halfway to Kronos Five and against all odds, the passengers on The Orion hadn’t torn each other apart.
Water was still rationed. But the tech team had found a way to clean clothes and dishes using a chemical substance. Showering was still a point of contention. Everyone was tired of wiping themselves with antibacterial clothes, but we all had enough to drink.
I’d seen Stacy a few times as she resumed her undercover identity as a mechanic. She always had a smile for me. I had to bite my tongue a few times and not ask how the search for more Disciples was going. I was sure she’d tell me, but it wasn’t really any of my business.
I hadn’t seen the Eternal brother and sister team at all. They were no doubt busy with tasks calling their attention around the ship. Even Iris was someone I found myself thinking about a few times.
It’s over, I told myself. Stick to what you do. It’s already enough you’re on a seed ship hurtling through space. You don’t need to enlist as some kind of agent on top of that.
“You sure you don’t want to sit in on the game tonight?” Ricky asked as we worked on repairing one of the larger sweeping drones that cleaned the floors. “I’m sure the guys wouldn’t mind someone sitting in. I can show you how to play.”
“No thanks,” I said, politely refusing to join in on one of Ricky’s gambling nights. “What do you guys bet with anyway? I mean money isn’t going to be any good at the colony, at least not until things get up and running.”
“Yeah we thought about that,” Ricky said with a shrug as he tinkered with the machine’s power core. “But we decided to do it anyway. Sooner or later, there will be stores and such. We started playing for fun, but it just wasn’t the same.”
“Yeah, I bet,” I said leaning back from my work. I cleaned my hands on a dirty rag. Ricky and I were in a large back closet area on a cafeteria level. They kept the sweeping drones on rotation. It was our glamorous job that day to make sure the drones not working, were maintained and ready to go when their time came.
“So, you and Stacy huh?” Ricky said, unable to let more than a few seconds of silence pass at any given time.
“Nope,” I said with a shake of my head. “Not at all.”
“Oh, come on.” Ricky rolled his eyes. “You and Stacy for sure. It’s obvious she’s into you.”
“How so?” I asked.
“The way she gives you that smile,” Ricky said. “I’ve caught her looking at you a few times, and she’s not exactly hard on the eyes. Maybe once we settle onto Kronos Five, you two can—”
The rest of whatever Ricky was going to say was cut off as the ship buckled for the first time. It wasn’t just a tremor. It was a full-on earthquake as the floor below our feet rocked and rolled.
It was the first time that had ever happened, and red warning lights flashed overhead.
“What the f—”
Ricky was cut off again as Iris’ voice filled the intercoms. “Passengers of The Orion. Please make your way to your rooms and await additional details. There is no need to panic. We
will give you further instruction, as soon as we have more information for you.”
The ship buckled again, this time so hard even in my kneeling position, I was almost thrown onto my back. Tools and canisters along the shelves in the utility closet, were falling all around us.
Ricky and I exchanged glances, both thinking the same thing.
“Disciples,” Ricky said to me as if he could read my own thoughts. “It’s the Disciples, man. There’s more of those cloaked mother fuckers here on board. What are they doing now?”
“I don’t know,” I said, rising to my feet as I headed for the door.
“This is your head’s up warning, Mr. Slade,” Iris’ voice reached my ears before she phased through the door in front of me.
“You’re what?” Ricky asked.
“Never mind that,” I said, impatiently. “What’s going on out there?”
“I have been requested to escort you to mechanic Stacy Wilson.” Iris glanced over to Ricky. She blinked her right eye rapidly. “There is a mechanical issue that needs your expertise.”
“What’s wrong with your eye?” I asked.
“There is an issue that only you can resolve.” Iris did the weird thing with her eye again. “An issue you have helped us with before.”
“Are you winking at me?” I asked. “You can just say it out loud. Ricky knows everything.”
Iris gave me a disapproving look before turning to Ricky.
“It’s true,” Ricky said, getting up and wiping his grease stained-hands on an even dirtier towel. “As Mr. Slade’s agent, I’m aware of the matters he was involved in. I’d like to speak to someone about my client’s inclusion in the spy force academy.”
“The what?” Iris looked at us confused.
“Or whatever it is that you’re calling it these days,” Ricky said, trying to save face.
“This can all wait,” I interrupted. “What’s going on?”
“I can tell you on the way,” Iris said as she headed for the door.