by R. K. Thorne
“Mute complete,” said Xi placidly.
Ellen strode closer, stopping just inches before him and eying him a long moment before shaking her head. “What I have to say doesn’t leave this room. Got it?”
“Of course.”
“We have a traitor on board.” Anger glinted in the corner of her eyes, and her jaw tightened.
“A what?”
“A traitor. A spy. A leak. Something. Someone is deleting data from our missions. Armor cam footage. Confiscated data. And they’re also deleting evidence of their activity in the system, even surpassing Xi and her alarms at times.”
“Shit.”
“Yes. Shit is right.”
“What does this have to do with me playing your guard dog?”
She glared at him. “You’d prefer to be my attack dog?”
He couldn’t hold back a smirk. “Definitely.”
She shook her head. “Preferences noted, but this is serious, Kael. Three days ago, someone bypassed one of Xi’s safeguards and accessed Adan’s medical records—all of them—allowing them to discover he has a serious allergy to philopraxis. Luckily, Xi caught the record of access and the time before they could edit it to cover their tracks. But unluckily, who accessed the file had already been erased. But we know they are on board.”
“So you think someone is trying to hurt Adan?” he said slowly.
“I think someone is trying to kill him. I didn’t assign you here to guard the bridge. I want you guarding him.”
Eyebrows raised, he just stared at her for a moment. That was certainly not what he’d expected to hear.
“We checked sick bay. The usual store of philopraxis is suddenly and conveniently missing. Records show no one has accessed it in months.”
“How is it administered?”
“Injector. Could have been a coincidence. We use a lot of sedatives for anesthesia, and when the landings are particularly bloody, we do run out of even the less commonly used ones sometimes. Things get messy, or there may have been a species that required philopraxis’s unique properties. Recording isn’t perfect.”
“But you don’t think that’s what’s going on.”
“No.”
“So you weren’t trying to bench me.”
“No. I assigned you this because I trust you.” She folded her arms across her chest, eyes narrowing.
“And you were going to tell me that… when?”
She sighed, the tension in her face easing. “Eventually.”
“Eventually?”
“I hadn’t decided.”
He snorted, then ran a hand through his hair, which was still too long and needed utterly shaved off at this point.
“When we landed, at the very latest. I’ve told Adan the basics. But this doesn’t make sense. Why would anyone want to kill Adan?”
“Because he’s the pilot?”
“Possible,” chimed in Xi. “But Fern is a reliable backup pilot for most scenarios, as am I. What does the loss of Adan alone do?”
Kael rubbed his chin. “Maybe they aren’t planning to stop with Adan.”
“Also possible,” Xi agreed.
Ellen scowled. “Even worse. We have to figure out who it is. And stop them.”
He rubbed his chin. “Do you have any theories on who could be behind all this?”
“Well, Adan has the skills to edit the files, but why would he want to poison himself? The files we’re talking about are not open access. Only comms officers and the doctors have access. And me.”
“So, Zhia, Merith, Levereaux, Dremer, and Taylor?”
“Yep.”
“Oh,” he said, dots connecting. “That’s why you’re taking Zhia.”
“Yes. But we don’t have an excuse to get Merith or the others off ship. Yet. I’m working on it. Well, except for Dremer, who’s always willing to go. Taylor may go down with Josana to help her get settled, but I can’t count on it. But she’s the least likely to be able to hack those files.”
“Well, why not take us both with you instead? And leave all the suspects here.”
She frowned at him.
“We’ll be sitting ducks just hanging around on the bridge, bored. Zhia can guard the ship. The others would naturally stay here anyway, right?”
“They have the right to leave. Run errands. But mostly, yes.”
“Even if they leave, I should be able to keep Adan away from them more easily.”
“You do just want to see Capital, don’t you?” she said, eyes twinkling.
Xi’s voice chimed in. “Commander, I cannot control environments off the ship as thoroughly as those onboard. I may be able to detect a philopraxis injector when it enters the bridge or other locations. However…”
“Yes?”
“However some of my sensors were clearly thwarted when the drug was taken from sick bay.” There was a pause. Was it his imagination or could an AI sigh? “Ordinarily, I would suggest my observation would be the most effective and thorough security. Human senses cannot easily surpass mine.”
Ryu raised an eyebrow. “But… ?”
“But considering the deft hacking taking place, I suppose there may be more security in unplanned locations. Much as I might hate to admit it, Kael’s suggestion is an excellent tactical option. According to my calculations—”
“C’mon, Xi. You have to make him work for it. You can’t let new recruits go around thinking they run the place.”
“But Commander—” Xi started.
“Don’t worry, Xi. Good idea, Kael. There is one complication to the matter. Adan, as an outsystemer, doesn’t have citizenship on a core planet. Doug offered to get him one, or a new identity, but he doesn’t want it. It shouldn’t be a problem as long as we stay on the right side of Capital law. We can get him a travel doc. But if for some reason he were to break the law—or even be accused of breaking it—things could get very bad very quick. Noncitizens are supposed to be afforded a trial on Capital, but sometimes those trials take suspiciously long to be scheduled.”
Sounded better than Faros. “How long are we talking?”
“A decade is not unheard of,” Xi said placidly.
Kael winced. Maybe not better than Faros then. “Well, we’ll be on the right side of the law, won’t we?”
Ellen leveled a stare at him. “Because you’ve known me to be a very law-abiding galactic citizen?”
“Good point.” Breaking into and blowing up or stealing from Enhancer outposts was probably not legal. And that was just one of many missions. That he knew about. Right and just were not always the same as legal.
“We may not all be on the right side all the time. Just make sure the two of you are.”
“Got it.”
“He doesn’t usually go on missions either. We’ll need some explanation for why he’s necessary to the team.”
“Is there something he can do or acquire here that he can’t other places?”
“Yes,” said Xi. “But not legally.”
“Like what?” asked Ellen.
“Scripts. Hacking utilities from experts. Even some drone hardware upgrades. A few of those might be legal. All would likely be useful.”
Ellen tapped her chin thoughtfully. “Well, we don’t have to actually acquire them for a cover story to work. I’ll brief the others on the changes. Good work, Lieutenant. Anything else?”
“No.” He started to turn to go. “Oh, uh—the capsule. How is… she doing?”
“I just checked with Dremer. She’s doing well. Growing fast,” she said slowly. “Nothing to worry about.”
“Good.”
“I’m sure you could stop by and ask yourself.”
“No thanks, ma’am. I’m ready to go hunt down my charge and start this mission.”
“I’m sure it can wait till after dinner. But look, I care about Adan. He’s a good kid.”
“Isn’t he older than you?”
“Only by a little. But he’s had a tough life and deserves better. I wouldn’t like to see
him buy the farm so soon. Watch him like a hawk for me, okay? I wish I could do it myself.”
As if he hadn’t already been determined as hell since the moment she’d said she trusted him. “Of course, Commander. Like a hawk on a rabbit.”
The door slid shut quietly behind him as he strode away.
He’d meant to form plans as he walked back, think about how he was going to stick to Adan like glue without it seeming suspicious. But his thoughts just hung in a haze, ignoring the practical.
She trusted him. She’d given him a mission she couldn’t give to the women she’d served with for ages.
Maybe a chance to prove himself. Worthy of trust.
Maybe worthy of more than that.
He whisked down the ladder and around the last corner. He was so lost in his thoughts he almost ran into Zhia, who was perched low on a stool right outside his hatch.
“Shit—sorry, didn’t see you there.”
“No problem.” She barely looked up, finishing a curve of thick forest green against the metal.
He eyed the painting, seeing nothing but splotches of color yet. “What… are you doing?”
“Oh, I’m throwing a party. What does it look like?”
“Did the commander approve that one?” And what did it mean if she did?
Zhia grinned, only a little sheepishly. “Not yet.”
“Bet you’ll be disappointed to give this up while you’re out on the mission,” he said casually, sidling around her toward his hatch.
She groaned. “If it’d keep me away from Capital, I’d paint you whatever you wanted.”
“If that’s the case, I’ll take an ocean view. But it can’t be that bad, can it? I mean, I know Capital types, but—”
“It’s that bad. Now quit talking about it. You’re ruining my groove.”
Laughing and shaking his head, he headed into his cabin and shut the hatch behind him.
Chapter Three
“Hey! I hear you’re coming with us!”
Adan barely had time to set down his coffee mug before Jenny plopped down in his lap, her arm flopping across his shoulders. He glanced at the door. He knew she meant it only in a friendly, brotherly way, but it still made him nervous Josana would walk in and not be a fan.
“So I heard.” He shook his head and pretended to be very interested in the view screen, even as the sweet scent of citrus and springtime flooded his senses. Usual Jenny. He shoved aside memories of the orange groves his mother had kept once upon a time. That time, bittersweet as it was, was long gone.
Feeds of readings from the nearby systems streamed past. Xi was watching them; he didn’t need to. But Jenny didn’t need to know that.
“You excited?” Her hand squeezed his shoulder.
“I guess,” he muttered, shrugging. He was excited, but that was another thing he wasn’t sharing.
“Liar.” Her stare was boring into him, but he held on to the view screen a little longer before he met her shining green eyes. When he did, her smile lifted. He strove to ignore it, just as he strove to ignore her curves pressed against him. And the slight sprinkle of freckles on her nose. Or how she seemed sized just right for just this spot. Eyes, keep focused on her eyes. No, the view screen.
“I don’t mind hanging out on the ship with Xi.” He glanced up to indicate his invisible flying companion and copilot. “But it’ll be a nice change.”
“Sure, whatever you say. Does Xi make a good Red Dwarf Commander opponent?”
He snorted. “No.”
“You haven’t asked,” Xi said coolly.
“I prefer fair, even match-ups.”
“Do you really? Or do you just prefer winning?” Jenny’s eyes twinkled.
He dodged the question, mostly because she had him pinned. He did prefer winning. But he wasn’t terribly proud of it. “I don’t need to play to know Xi can beat me senseless.”
Jenny let out a chuckle, throwing her head back. “Oh, certainly getting beaten senseless only happens in the field.”
“Brainless?” Xi offered. “Witless? Adan, I am offended you do not believe me capable of modulating my abilities to your skill level.”
“Offended? That’s a new one,” Jenny muttered.
“Sorry, Xi. Noted. But surely on the ship I’m safe to not get beaten beyond, say, a mild depression,” said Adan.
Jenny snapped her fingers. “That reminds me why I stopped by. Do you have something to wear other than this?” She plucked at his jacket collar.
He frowned, looking down. He loved that damn jacket, even if it was getting too old and wearing thin in spots. Ones like it were hard to come by. Tan canvas and covered with pockets and pouches of every kind, it held immense utility, even if it wasn’t the most fashionable choice. “What’s wrong with this?”
“It doesn’t deflect lead.”
“Oh. The commander said we were wearing civvies.”
“Well, yeah, but you never know when shit goes sideways.” She wiggled in illustration, and he swallowed. Might be time to ask her to get off him. Enough wiggling from anyone in her position could wake the dragon, and he didn’t want her to get the wrong idea. He shifted. His hand slipped off the armrest and came dangerously close to brushing her thigh.
He gripped the armrest with renewed vigor and cleared his throat. “Must you always invade my space to have a conversation? And do you have anything to wear? I’ve never seen you wear anything but naval jumpsuits and climbing gear, none of which look like civvies to me.” Not like the robes and dresses some of the other women wore. Like Josana wore, except those delectable corsets she had… This was definitely the wrong time to think about that.
Jenny sprung away and into the copilot seat, seemingly unfazed by his comment and as effervescent as ever. “I have lots of things to wear. My adoring public awaits.”
“Your what?”
“Point is, do you have armor to take as backup?”
“No.” He narrowed his eyes at her. “I didn’t ask you to protect me, Jen. And I’m willing to bet I’ve survived plenty worse than anything we’ll encounter on Capital.” Now if someone on board were truly out to drug him to death, that might be a different story. And he might be paranoid, but he wasn’t paranoid enough to believe that.
“Maybe you have. That doesn’t mean you won’t buy it tomorrow.” Jenny waved him off. “You should have a case of armor in the unlikely event that everything goes to hell. Right now, Audacity is your armor, right? I have an old one you can borrow. I’ll let the commander know.”
“I’m sure that won’t be necessary.”
She stood up and jabbed a finger at him. “Tell you what, hotshot. I would rather not pull a bullet out of your shoulder, so we’re taking it anyway. You said you’re willing to bet, right?”
“I’m always willing to bet.”
“Then if it is necessary, you owe me a cigar.”
A crooked grin stole onto his face in spite of himself. “All right. And if it’s not necessary, you owe me one.”
“Deal. But it better be a good one. Not those cheap ones you picked up at Molyarch.” How did she know he’d picked up any at Molyarch Station? They were cheap, she was right. It was all they’d had.
She held out a hand, and he shook it, her grip firm and skin rough.
“It’s almost like you hope I’m going to get shot at,” he said before letting go.
“I like cigars, what can I say. And winning bets. And especially cigars I smoke after I win bets.”
He lowered his chin and gazed at her over the top of his flight glasses, smiling broader now. “Prepare yourself to be disappointed.”
She only beamed back at him, a beat longer than perhaps she should have, and then she bounded off, presumably to do as she’d said and chat with the commander.
Kael bounced his boot, tapping it erratically against the metal floor grating. His arms folded across his chest, he’d been leaning against the wall and waiting outside the bridge for at least fifteen minutes. His Foundation-issued f
light suit was black and conspicuously inconspicuous, but it was also just the right temperature, and its pockets had pockets. Too bad he couldn’t fit anything in there that would help him find Adan. And make the pilot talk.
“You’re sure he’s coming, Xi?”
There was a pause before the AI answered. “Yes, Kael. He has stopped for coffee.”
“Better be damned good coffee to be fifteen minutes late for his shift.” Fern’s blond head leaned out the door, looked in both directions, gave Kael a friendly nod, and then disappeared back into the bridge.
“Better be bringing me some,” Kael grumbled.
“I took the liberty of suggesting that,” Xi said. “But he did not seem to appreciate the suggestion.”
Kael snorted. Yeah, this mission was going great already. “Well, I do, Xi. You sweetie, you’re always looking out for me.”
“I look out for everyone on the ship equally, Kael.”
“And I am one of everyone.” He gave the ceiling a wink. “And happily so.”
“I… do not think I understand. Technically this is true, but I sense more is meant. My models cannot interpret your expression.”
“My expression.”
“This… wink.”
“Ah, don’t worry about it, Xi. Just bein’ myself.”
“There, again, this expression is most—well. Let us discuss it later.”
A set of footsteps finally rounded the corner, and Kael shifted forward quickly, ready to follow his quarry onto the bridge. Adan approached, coffee indeed in hand. Two cups, actually. The pilot had his own navy flight suit, tousled brown hair, and a clear chip on his shoulder.
Kael propped his hands on his hips. “Aw, you shouldn’t have.”
“I didn’t,” said Adan with a smile. “This is for Fern.”
“See ya, losers.” Fern swirled past, pivoting to grab the coffee and disappearing down the hallway. “Better not be late tomorrow, Adan! Ship’s yours.”
Adan only pursed his lips after her, glanced at Kael in annoyance, and shuffled onto the bridge. “What do you want, Theroki?”
“Where have you been? I’ve been looking for you everywhere.”