Galaxy's End: Book One

by LeRoy Clary

  “Clever. Okay, the next item of business is to ask when we can depart.”

  The admiral shrugged and looked younger and happier than she had the previous night. Almost gleeful. She said, “We still have a few things to iron out. I also have bad news to share.”

  Kat’s smile faded.

  The admiral said, “I was called away a moment ago because it seems a vengeful crewman on your ship has managed to kill the murderer known as Chance. Poison, it appears. I’m sorry. It seems to be revenge for the death of the captain. That’s what my people believe.”

  “Dead?” Kat asked in a hushed tone.

  The admiral continued, “I assume this is an issue you will resolve on your trip to Heshmat. It does not concern us. From my standpoint, you can either discipline the killer or provide a reward for services rendered. Your choice.”

  Kat couldn’t catch her breath. Her eyes were wide. The air inside her lungs wouldn’t leave, and she couldn’t draw in more. Spots roiled before her eyes. Things turned black.

  She woke with both the admiral and Captain Stone kneeling beside where she lay. Her breathing came in gasps. After sitting up and assuring them she was well, Kat finally asked a question from earlier that hadn’t been addressed, “Five what? What were you talking about?”

  The admiral laughed and said, “I’m sorry. It seems we have a mutual interest in where the advanced technology came from and what else might be gained from there. I will provide four marines and one officer to travel with the Guardia to the rim where we believe it came from, as well as the gel the ship carries in cargo. My marines will protect you.”

  Captain Stone said, “And they will make sure we keep our end of the bargain and bring any useful information back here.”

  “Of course,” the admiral smiled. “Mutually beneficial, we both hope.”

  “That’s what you two were arguing over. Just the number of marines when both of you knew upfront that there would be military on board?”

  Both smiled.

  “Chance is dead?” Kat asked.

  “I’m sorry,” the admiral repeated. “My guards will pay hell for allowing him to die under their watch, I assure you.”

  “Fine,” Kat said as she found her way to the sofa again. “He was a liar, manipulator, and schemer. Besides, being a killer.”

  The admiral said, “Another small piece of business we have to discuss. Your ship is no longer named Guardia. It is now Escolta, which also means ‘police’ or ‘guard’ in an ancient language—a coincidence, I’m sure. Your ship is now decorated with stars painted on the outside of the hull, a nice touch in my estimation.”

  “My First Mate is very good at choosing names.”

  “And in paying to have the history of a ship deleted as a new one is created. Not only the digital paperwork but right down to the bottoms of the eating plates in the galley has the new name engraved. All tools and test equipment are tagged with old appearing labels and the new name.”

  “That pipefitter sure seems to have shared a lot,” Captain Stone snarled.

  The admiral spread her hands wide. “After the initial contact and information, I may have hired a few more locals with poor reputations to investigate the work being done on your ship. It was not hard since hundreds of workers helped transform the Escolta.

  They remained at the base three more days, all busy, and the subject of empaths never came up. Captain Stone and Kat remained on the planetoid the entire time. Dozens of meetings were held. The admiral's people offered suggestions as they refined the plan.

  Best of all, the Escolta was being fitted with a direct-link subspace radio which connected the communication hub of the secret Bradley Concord shipyard with the Escolta. Messages would still be expensive in terms of energy, but private, and at no cost to the Escolta.

  The admiral complimented both Fang and Bert at various times. She never knew how good they really were, or she would have probably tried to recruit them. On the morning of the fourth day, a shuttle took Kat and the captain back to the Dreamer after finalizing several details with the admiral.

  Things had changed aboard the ship.

  Evidence of thorough cleaning and painting were everywhere. The taint of oil and hot machinery gone, the air even had a faint and agreeable scent. The crew smiled a welcome. The passengers broke out clapping and cheering in the galley when they entered.

  The workers and military had spread rumors of how Captain Stone had saved the ship and their lives. The crew had been told to expect healthy bonuses because of the Dreamer’s return and the lawsuits that had been avoided from the passengers, who were also to receive a future passage at no cost.

  The supplies had been loaded, and the marines were in their quarters, which was a cabin for each, small but the trip to Heshmat would take only six days. The wormhole routes were well-charted and almost direct.

  Nobody mentioned the steward, Chance. Captain Stone and Kat noticed the door to the cabin where he had been poisoned was sealed and locked. Nobody would have wanted to occupy it anyhow, but it was a symbol.

  Captain Stone went for an inspection of the ship, bow to stern. She shook hands, accepted slaps on her back and compliments, and poked her head into every space, cabin, and compartment. She talked to all, made certain the ship was ready to safely depart, and finally entered the bridge where Fang lolled in his chair, the mister on full blast with a swarm of tiny insects swirling around his head. Now and then, his long tongue whipped out and plucked one from the air.

  She settled into the captain’s chair and said, “It looks like you’ve had a nice vacation. Are you ready to take us out of here?”

  Fang said, “Been ready for three days.”

  “Anything I should know about?”

  “No. I suspect you heard about Chance?”

  “Yes. Any idea who did it?”

  Fang snapped up another bug. “Damnedest thing. The cabin door was locked. Vids don’t show anybody entering. The best estimate is someone on the crew knew a way to get in that isn’t shown on the specs for the ship.”

  Captain Stone turned to him. “How reasonable is that?”

  Fang shrugged. “He killed for profit. Put all our lives in danger. I’m not going to waste my time speculating or investigating. If I happen to stumble across the one responsible, I may express my profound thanks.”

  “Meaning I should shut up about it.”

  “I wouldn’t presume to tell the captain what to do or not to do. But if anyone deserved to die, it was him,” Fang said harshly.

  A ping sounded. “I agree,” Bert added from his location in the comm room.

  She couldn’t help but wonder if either of them had had anything to do with it. Or both. However, the man had murdered the last captain to sit in her chair, the very one she was in at the moment. With Chance dead, the chances of her living improved, and she refused to smile at the pun on the word, chances, and his name.

  Out loud, she said, “Make final preparations to depart and report any discrepancies to me.”

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

  Kat

  My eyes never left the captain. I accompanied her on the inspection of the ship as if I was her First Mate. I was not scared anymore, not since Chance died. That did not mean I was a silly girl without any fears. I’d survived a dozen or more years on my own while living on Roma, if “on my own” meant having Bill and Bert there to help. I was used to overcoming fear.

  But those two were my friends, not my parents. I could have left them at any time and gone on my own. I’d even considered doing that more than once. Now, I was a crewman for a ship I’d never seen, bound for uncharted territory on the human rim, which was another way of saying we had no idea where we were going after reaching the Escolta.

  Captain Stone announced we were in the final stages of preparedness before departing for Heshmat and the ship I hoped to call home. I used an old-fashioned check sheet she sent to my tablet. She talked. I recorded.

  She made a point to speak to every p
erson we encountered, crew or passenger. Together we inspected the ship in areas I’d never been. She opened hatches, cupboards, and closets methodically. Now and then she had me record an item but despite the age of the ship, I believed most were minor discrepancies and she seemed pleased.

  Eventually, we reached the engine room. McL met us and trailed behind. I grinned at Bill, wanting to stop and speak but my duties were as important as the things he repaired. At least, that’s the way I’d tell it.

  I’d never seen him so happy.

  Beside the console where McL sat while on duty, sat a place like the bridge only smaller, complete with screens filling the wall providing information for him. There was now a makeshift desk. On it were two tablets with exploded views of mechanical things, and a self-paced program on electronics.

  McL was tutoring him. He was loving it. That made me happy.

  We left them after Captain Stone pelted them both with compliments. She said mysteriously, “Only one more thing to check on.”

  She took us back in the direction of the crew’s quarters. She said to Bert, “Please have the marines assemble in the dining room and ask the passengers to vacate it long enough for us to meet as a group.”

  I’d forgotten about them. During our inspection, they hadn’t been visible. It occurred to me that they might be sleeping because of the time-difference observed by the planetoid and the Dreamer.

  Bert pinged without answering. That was enough to tell the captain what she asked was done. I said to her, “Can I ask what the meeting is about?”

  She spoke over her shoulder as I imagined her stance becoming more erect, her back straighter. “The marines report to the admiral and probably have orders they cannot share with us. That is as it should be. However, I am the captain of this ship until we arrive, and they will understand that.”

  When we reached the door to the dining room, she pushed it open harder than necessary. Inside stood four marines wearing working uniforms of heavy material. They were ramrod straight, standing two-by-two, eyes focused directly ahead. An officer stood facing them. None so much as flinched as the door flew open and slammed into the doorstop.

  My eyes took in the scene instantly—then found the officer. He wore two bars on his shoulders, the insignia of a lieutenant. I knew him. It was Lieutenant Anders, the young, handsome soldier who had escorted us on our arrival at the base.

  He was beautiful.

  My face burned. My mouth felt as if it was filled with dry sand, and at the same time, I reached a hand to my hair to smooth any strays.

  He saluted and snapped something about reporting as ordered.

  His eyes were on his men, two humans, one husky marine that looked more human woman than not, and one that looked female, but her legs were far too long for the rest of her body. Her exposed skin was a light shade of gray.

  To my disappointment, Lieutenant Anders didn’t look my way.

  Captain Stone nodded and told the lieutenant to stand at ease. He repeated the order and as one, his men spread their feet apart the same distance and their hands went to rest on the small of their backs. There were no weapons in sight, but I suspected there would be some in their cabins.

  Captain Stone didn’t invite them to further relax. She spoke to all. “You have your orders and I expect and demand you carry them out. However, there is one item that will be clear. I am the captain of this ship. Even where the position is temporary, I am the captain. That is equivalent to being queen, emperor, dictator, admiral, and monarch all rolled into one. Do you understand?”

  Despite the captain being in a temporary position and a female civilian, they all answered as one, “Yes, sir!”

  It was as if they all thought her hard of hearing because they shouted. She said, “Lieutenant, you may dismiss your men. Would you please remain behind?”

  He called them to attention and dismissed them. Within a few heartbeats, they were out the door. Lieutenant Anders’ eyes finally found me. He smiled.

  My knees didn’t buckle. My breath came fast and hard. A sweat broke out. Despite all that, I hissed, “G-good to see you again.”

  Captain Stone was watching me closely and I knew I would receive a private lecture about shipboard etiquette or fraternizing with the military, or a related subject that would warn me away from the lieutenant. She said, “If the two of you will sit, I’ll round up a steward.”

  We were alone.

  He looked at me.

  I looked at him.

  He motioned to a table and we sat facing each other. Finally, he said, “How are you doing?”

  It was my turn. Time to dazzle him with my brilliant conversational response. “Okay.”

  That was it. All that came out of my mouth. Okay. I wanted to say more and didn’t dare.

  He saved me. “Me too. This is a little awkward for me, I confess. I asked the admiral to appoint me to the position.”

  “Because of me?” I blurted.

  His hesitation told me I’d misread the situation. I’d balled it up. He said, “Partly. The rest was the opportunity to explore. To do something unique. As marines, we do a lot of equipment and uniform inspections, guarding entryways, weapons practice, and not a lot else. This is a chance to make my career.”

  Partly? He said the word to placate me. Even if he was serious, I was only worth part of an excuse.

  Captain Stone returned, a steward in tow. She took a seat beside me.

  I said, “Captain, I have some urgent duties to attend. May I be dismissed?”

  She looked confused but nodded.

  I scurried out and found my way to my cabin where I only cried half the night and beat my pillow with my fist a hundred times. Well, maybe two hundred.

  I fell into a deep, sleep that was restless. That sounds odd, but what happened was the sleep was deep after my emotional outburst over making an utter fool of myself. However, dark dreams repeatedly woke me, most of them concerning fighting alongside the four marines and slimy aliens who took over the Dreamer.

  Lieutenant Anders stood aside and judged my amateur attempts to fight off the intruders. I was not particularly good at it.

  When I woke, I went to the fresher and spent more than my usual time inside despite telling myself to act in my usual manner. Forget the marines. I had other things to do. What, I didn’t know, but they wouldn’t involve a certain lieutenant.

  While I slept, we had left. We’d already cruised in normal space to the nexus and entered. The shift in realities was probably what woke me.

  I had nowhere to go. Bert, Fang, Bill, and the captain all had jobs to do. I had nothing.

  After eating alone in the dining room, I wandered to the bridge. Fang and the captain were there, as always. I went to my seat against the wall and sat quietly.

  Fang watched the navigation screens and from what I could discern, anything outside of the ship. Captain Stone watched information appearing in front of her concerning the ship, fuel consumption, air quality, duty rosters, and a thousand other items, any of which could devolve into danger if ignored or not corrected.

  I realized that unlike in my only experience, which was living on Roma, repair problems could be delayed. Workmen could schedule repairs, no matter the kind required. A building owner needed to know nothing of heating, cooling, or ventilation to understand they were malfunctioning and schedule a repair.

  In contrast, we were in a small ship in a huge, empty place. There was nobody to call for help. If our air turned sour or toxic, we either corrected it or died. It was that simple. However, with that realization, came others. If the heating failed, we would freeze. If the food replicators failed, we would starve. The list seemed endless. There were a lot of ways to die.

  I spoke softly so I didn’t interrupt too much, “Captain, when you have a few moments of spare time, can we talk?”

  Her chair spun until she faced me. “If there is an emergency, alarms will sound. What’s on your mind?”

  “Me,” I admitted, ignoring what looked lik
e a grin on Fang’s wide face. “Everyone has a job but for me.”

  “I see. Feeling a little left out?”

  “Useless is a better description.”

  She chuckled more to relax me than because of humor. She said, “The admiral and I discussed you at length, you know. Of course, I never mentioned your unique abilities, but you may want to hear her assessment.”

  “I’d rather hear yours.”

  “First, we will start with hers. You spoke when needed, corrected me without embarrassment a few times, added significantly to our plans, and offered suggestions for the joint venture we readily adopted.”

  I was taken aback. The admiral had rarely spoken directly to me.

  Captain Stone continued, “All of those are her words, not mine. Those are the reasons she requested you be allowed to consider joining her staff.”

  “Her staff? Me?”

  “I refused on your behalf, however, I assured her I would tell you of the offer and if it is your choice after our mission, you may accept.”

  I was stunned.

  She spoke again, more gently, “The offer did not include Bert or Bill. And of course, not Fang or me. To have you on her staff, she might be willing to transfer one or more of them to positions. The choice is yours.”

  I searched for any trace or hint that she wished to be rid of me. I said, “Captain, my new home is with you. I want to be part of the crew of the Escolta but not as a freak with a mind-trick as my only contribution.”

  “I hoped you’d say that but had to present the offer in the best possible terms. Now, to address your future directly. In my opinion, the five of us on the Dreamer are a team. A good one. Within a year or two, we’ll be something to contend with.”

  She paused to allow me time to gather my thoughts. My breath came easier.