Ghosts of the Vale

by Paul Grover

  Jay stared at her.

  “I was thinking more around five,” she said.

  It was Jay’s turn to laugh. “I’ll do it for six and a half.”

  “Delivered?”

  Jay put out an oily hand. Tish shook it with a smile.

  “Delivered,” he replied.

  Mira pulled the credit disk from her pocket and watched while the large man processed the transaction.

  “I’ll have my lad bring the pallet over in two hours. Just let me know your berth.”

  Mira scribbled their dock address on a scrap of paper.

  They turned and left.

  “Why haggle?” Mira asked as they walked away.

  “Because it tells him I know what I’m doing, and I left enough fat in the deal to show respect. I might need some other bits so it’s good sense to keep him sweet.”

  Mira got it. She was out of her league; Tish was the one with local knowledge; this was her world.

  “Besides… it leaves a bit more to spend on your wardrobe, Thorn. From now on I am in charge.”

  Tish took her by the arm and led her back toward the mall.

  They rounded a corner and a big man blocked their path. Mira recognised him instantly. This time he was not dressed in a D37 uniform, instead he wore the metallic blue body armour of the Blue Knights Mercenary Company. His gloved hand hovered over a pistol.

  “You!” Mira said. “Who are you? What do you want?”

  “Mira?” Tish asked, her grip tightened Mira’s arm.

  “Fancy bumping into you, Thorn…” He glared at Tish. “Get lost skank, before I snap your neck.”

  “Tish… do as he says,” Mira said.

  “No! Leave her alone.” Tish launched herself at him. The big man swatted her away and she fell to the deck.

  “Chill the fuck down, Red,” he said. “I need your girlfriend for a little job I have underway. Once I’m done, I’ll let her go.” He grinned. “I’m doing you a favour. There is a bounty on her and there is no shortage of hunters on the station.” He grabbed Mira’s arm and dragged her away. “So do as I say, Tish, fuck off.”

  “Tish go to the ship… we’ll figure this out.” Mira locked eyes with the her, Tish nodded scrambled to her feet and ran.

  The big man fastened the cuffs around Mira’s wrists.

  “So what’s happening?” she asked. “Who are you?”

  “My name is Karl Manson, back on LDC-132 you interfered with my mission and your friend Eden killed my men. That was bad enough, but then you interfered with Frontier Company’s business on Mizarma and you killed their people. You have a lot of blood on your hands.”

  He shoved her forward toward a transport tube station.

  “You know they probably would have left it at that, but you, Thorn, you just would not let things lie. You turn up on the Phobos Orbiter and bust out enemies of the state. You really know how to piss people off.”

  Manson guided her through the crowd.

  “Nothing to see here folks, just a bounty being collected,” he boomed. People turned back to their business.

  “Your bounty is just a sideshow,” he said. “The stakes are higher now.”

  “What about my friends?”

  “No bounty on them. So as long as they stay out of this they are not my problem.”

  Mira slowed her pace and weighed up her options. With her hands bound there was little she could do.

  Manson shoved her onward.

  “We can do this the easy way or the hard way. It’s not far to the tube. We can walk and shoot the breeze or I can stun you cold and drag you. What’s it going to be, Thorny?”

  “Don’t call me that, only my friends get to call me that. I’ll walk.”

  He nudged her in the back with his weapon. The few humans they encountered took no notice. Manson met those who stared a little too long with a disinterested glare.

  They reached the tube station without incident and Manson called up a pod.

  “So what’s my price?” Mira asked eventually.

  “A couple of hundred thousand; not a lot more than a thief. Don’t think you can offer me more. I’m a man of principle.”

  “So how did you get off Arethon?” Mira asked. “Eden triggered a mass sink. It’s not something you walk away from with a bad case of sunburn.”

  “Yeah, there was no one more surprised than me. You should have seen the look on the bitch’s face.” He paused. “Mind you I could ask you the same question. You were stone cold dead when we first met, blood all over that sweet little face.”

  “They cloned me. What about you?” she asked.

  “No… something… I don’t…” He faltered. “Thorn, I do as I am told. There are some big players in this game and I guess we’re just on different sides.”

  “We don’t have to be.”

  Manson shoved Mira into a seat.

  “Spare me the bullshit please! I think I preferred you when you were not talking. Shut the fuck up, short stuff.”

  Manson rested his large frame against the bulkhead of the tube carriage.

  The part of her mind not consumed with straightforward hatred was running escape scenarios and coming up blank every time. Whatever way it went down she needed Tish’s help. She took a breath, calming herself as confidence fell over her.

  Tish will sort this. She’s the smartest person I know.

  A short tube ride took them to a processing facility on an unknown level. The reality was Mira did not know where she was in relation to the docks. If she were to break free, finding her way back would be a problem. Manson would just chase her down and stun her.

  Manson guided her out and toward a processing facility. He hit the entry button and an armoured double door drew back. The bounty office had a high steel desk manned by two bored looking men in Nova Vision corporate uniforms.

  “Morning boys,” Manson said with a smile. “Brought you a present. Don’t be fooled by the pretty face, she is lousy company.”

  He shoved her forwards.

  The first officer took charge and processed her details.

  “Thorn, Mira Alice,” he said without looking up from the screen. “Sorry man, there is an exclusive lockout on this one… Victor Rybov has rights.”

  Rybov? Ever feel like the whole fucking galaxy is out to get you? She wasn’t sure if it were her voice or her Shadow Sister. It was a fair point even if uttered by the dark side of her psyche.

  Manson shrugged.

  “No matter, he can take her anyway. If he turns up, he can buy me a beer from the proceeds.”

  The clerk nodded.

  “Okay. Mr Rybov has seven standard days to claim his prize. He’ll be notified and have the option of a waiver. It means she has to remain in our custody until the lockout elapses or Rybov renounces his claim. You will be liable for her fees.”

  Manson slapped a credit disk on the counter.

  “I’m good for it.”

  The clerk looked at his colleague.

  “Doug, take her down. I’ll finish processing.”

  The second man came to the front of the desk. Manson unclipped the cuffs and Doug searched her. Mira shuddered as his hands lingered a little too long.

  She was escorted to a cell a level down; it was the first of three. The metal walled room contained a bunk, a steel washbasin and toilet behind a partition. It was lit with a dim white light.

  “Got anything closer to the pool?” she asked.

  “Funny,” her jailer replied and shoved her in.

  The door slid shut behind her. Mira surveyed the tiny room.

  She sat on the narrow bunk. Her mind was oddly clear. Her Shadow Sister silent. She rubbed her temples as the residual alcohol wore off. Tish would come up with an idea to get her out of this. She lay on the bunk and closed her eyes. Being well rested meant she could pounce on any opportunity that arose.

  Tish ran back to the parts market. Big Jay was talking to a boy in his teens. There was a likeness in their faces.

  “Ba
ck again?”

  “Yeah… yeah… I need more parts… electronics.” She gasped. Her hands were shaking.

  “Are you all right?” Jay asked. “Where’s your friend?”

  “Something bad has happened, I need… I need the parts to help her.”

  The kid brought her a glass of water.

  “You want to take a seat, Miss?”

  Tish drank and steadied her breathing. Jay wheeled his duct tape chair over to her.

  “It’s more comfortable than it looks.”

  She explained the situation in as general terms as possible. Jay reached behind him and pulled down a paper pad and graphite pencil.

  “Tell me what you need. What’s your name, Miss?”

  “Tish.”

  “You know me. This is Randall; he’s my lad.”

  The boy smiled nervously and blushed.

  Tish scribbled a list of twenty items and gave Jay the pad. He scanned it.

  “Looks like you want to construct a limpet. Station authorities might take a dim view,” he said.

  “I know… sorry… I don’t want to get you in trouble, but…”

  “Relax, I just supply parts; what you do with them is up to you.”

  He gave the list to his son, who disappeared out back.

  Tish fumbled for her credit disk, she froze when she realised Mira had it.

  Jay held up a hand.

  “Don’t worry, pay Randall when he drops off your other parts. These are all micro components; nothing of great value.”

  Tish thanked him.

  Randall reappeared with a plastic crate.

  “It’s all there. I swapped out the transformer for a higher rated one… I guessed you would be working in a vacuum.”

  Tish took the crate. The young man blushed again.

  “Thank you, both of you. Let me know how much extra you need; I’ll sort it.”

  Jay winked.

  “Don’t mention it. Us ‘tier folk have to stick together.”

  Tish turned and left, running toward the docks.

  Rybov awoke to Sofi shaking him. He had fallen asleep in the Revenge’s small crew lounge. Waking seemed to be a journey from the depths of an ocean.

  “Vic! Vic! Wake up,” she said.

  “What is it girl?” he grumbled as his implants fired up. Why did he agree to take the kid on? It was more than paying off a debt, something about Marie Brennan had affected him. He admired her. A hard life had not crushed her. She was the Frontier. Everything about her reflected the reality of life out here.

  He shook the rambling thoughts from his mind and focused.

  The kid was agitated about something. “Vic, you have an urgent message. It’s come from Tellerman Gateway.”

  “Tellerman?” He stood and walked to the flight deck. The only person he knew on Tellerman was Talia. His heart quickened; could Manson have harmed her?

  “We’re FTL; how did it arrive in FTL?”

  Sofi looked at the deck with guilty smile, there was a cocky edge to it.

  “I dropped the ship and rebuilt the envelope… Sorry I read how do it in the manual.”

  Rybov glared at her yet felt no anger. The kid was smart and no harm had been done.

  “Don’t do it again,” he grunted.

  He rolled the stiffness from his shoulders as he walked to the flight deck. When he arrived, he found consoles covered with the ship’s operating guides and oversized datapads. The kid had been obsessed with them ever since she came aboard.

  “What were you doing up here?”

  “Learning to fly,” Sofi replied. “I want to be a fighter pilot in the Navy.”

  Rybov grunted. “Learn how to use the coffee machine.”

  Since the kid had been onboard Vic had quit the smokes. Coffee was a newly discovered substitute. He tapped into the comms system. The inbound message came from the Tellerman bounty office. Joel Barnard’s voice came through the cockpit speakers.

  Hey Vic, Joel Barnard, remember me? Nova Vision? Tellerman Bounty Office? Listen, man, I’m not supposed to get in touch with hunters but someone has been out of order and you need to know.

  You were exclusive on the Thorn contract, well somehow another hunter has got wind of it and captured her on Baikonur. He’s claiming the full non-exclusive prize.

  You should get official confirmation shortly but seeing as you’re a friend I thought you deserved a heads up.

  As the law stands he can claim the prize in seven days unless you file a counter claim. I figured if you knew you might head over and make things right.

  Anyway the guy you are looking for is a scary motherfucker called Karl Manson. He was in here asking about you. I guess you two must have a beef. That’s none of my business.

  Look I hope this helps if you are ever back this way I can always do with your help clearing my list.

  Take care man.

  Rybov closed the message. It was genuine and he was certain it had been sent at Manson’s behest. He could detect tension in Barnard’s voice. He was being set up.

  Manson was using Thorn as bait.

  Fuck her, she means nothing to me… I could sell the data and live out my days on Mizarma or anywhere else.

  Except that wasn’t who he was any more.

  Sofi brought him an aluminium mug of black coffee; it was strong and aromatic.

  “You okay, Vic?” she asked.

  “Yeah, kid.”

  He sipped his coffee and tapped in a new course for Baikonur station. The NaviComp pinged and he dropped out of FTL, optimised the new course and waited until the hyperdrive was charged. He built an envelope and jumped the ship.

  “Sofi, we are going somewhere dangerous. You stay on the ship. We’re 10 hours out, so get this deck tidy.”

  Sofi grinned and gathered up her manuals and carefully written notes.

  Rybov held his coffee mug in two hands and watched the energy clouds of the envelope dance outside of the viewports.

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  JUST focus, it’s a setback; we can fix this.

  Tish ran through the main hub, heading for the ship. Like most of the corridors in the docks it was dark, lit only by grimy low output sodium lights. The steel walls were grey, patched with diamond plate and carbon weave. Pier access tubes branched left and right. Tish was counting them down; each one she passed brought her closer to the Second Chance.

  She ran almost blindly, threading her way through small groups of humans and automated cargo bots. She stumbled over a small cargo drone, sending it skittering to the other side of the corridor. She regained her footing and glanced behind. The machine was collecting and remounting its cargo canister with articulated limbs. No doubt the bot was sending an interference alert to its controlling core. She hoped a security detail would not follow up the incident.

  “Sorry, little bot,” she said.

  Where was Xander when she needed him? He would have a plan. If he didn’t he would pretend and make her feel better.

  It’s just me. I have to fix this. No… it’s not just me. I have friends… they will help. I need to guide them.

  She arrived at the Second Chance, opened the lock and ran aboard.

  Shannon was waiting in the main corridor and stepped aside to avoid being knocked from her feet.

  “Shannon,” Tish said. “Mira has been taken by a bounty hunter. I need to save her, I need your help…”

  “Tish, slow down. Come on let’s go to the crew lounge; you can explain there.”

  Meyer, Hofner and Barnes joined them. Tish sat, stood, paced and sat again

  “Slowly, Tish. Tell us everything,” Shannon said. Meyer moved over and took Tish’s hand.

  Tish explained what happened from the moment they left Big Jay’s.

  “Big guy? Blue Armour? Augmented?” Barnes asked.

  “He said his name was Karl Manson. No implants though,” Tish replied

  “One of the Mercs from Arethon. They all died when Eden set off the bomb...” Barnes said.


  “Mira knew him or at least had seen him before. On Mars, I think. Mira died on Arethon too. She came back.”

  Silence blanketed the lounge. Tish broke it, springing to her feet.

  “I have a plan,” Tish said. “I need everyone’s help.”

  “Tell us what you need, Tish. We can’t storm into a detention block. There are not enough of us. Even if we freed her, we won’t get out alive,” Barnes said.

  “No, we can do it another way; I have a hack kit called Moonlight. It started out as a Verani Cyber weapon designed to infiltrate Federal Computer Systems. I can use it to change data, open doors, turn off cameras. We can get Mira out safely… but…”

  “Go on,” Meyer prompted.

  “I need to place a Limpet onto a comms array. It means a spacewalk.” She shuffled, uncomfortably. “I can’t spacewalk… I’m sorry…”

  “I’ll do it. How hard can it be?” Shannon said.

  Hofner stood.

  “Leave the training to me. You’ll pick it up in no time Shannon, just forget everything you know about flying in atmosphere. I’d go myself but…” He held his arm aloft. “My augmentation interferes with an EVA suit’s systems.”

  “What about me?” Barnes said.

  “I need someone on the station to meet Mira and bring her back to the ship.”

  “When do we go?” Barnes asked. He stood awkwardly. The medbay’s automated system had fused his ankle, but he was clearly still in pain.

  “It will take me a few hours to assemble the Limpet and work out where it goes. That will give Shannon a chance to train on the EVA suit.”

  “Can I do anything?” Ben asked from the door. “When I was a kid used to put together micro-electronics projects.”

  “You can help me. An extra pair of hands will be useful.”

  Tish stood. “Let’s be ready to go in eight hours.”

  Shannon Wade sucked down a lungful of tanked Nitrogen-Oxygen mix and held her breath while she waited for the airlock to cycle. As the hatch irised open, she gazed into a darkness studded with stars. She exhaled and released her mag boots. Five hours of training in the hold had given her enough confidence to operate in zero-g. She had picked up the basic skills but now she was confronted with the void, the enormity of the task ahead of her finally sank in.