by LeRoy Clary
She said, “So, allow me to share my tentative plans—for after we complete this mission. The Escolta has a crew I’m proud of. We have gone from me being a young, inexperienced owner-captain, to a successful trader with large bank accounts on several worlds. It seems I’ve fought and won a war. What else is there?”
I knew all that but didn’t have any idea of where the conversation was going. A glance at Fang found him looking at me with only two pairs of eyestalks, but his left flipper was held high, and a pseudo-thumb pointed upward. He approved of where the conversation was headed.
“I’m bored with buying and selling. Or shipping. I want more,” she declared. “This venture could be the start of it. Bert estimates the salvage on the Dreamer to be far higher than I expected. My First Officer on the Escolta is more than ready for full command and he often acts as captain in my stead. Lately, I’ve worried that she might leave me if a command position came available on another trader.”
She was talking about her crew and her future. I’d asked about me. Where did I fit in? What could I do?”
Captain Stone sensed my impatience and reclined her chair slightly. She said, “I was not much older than you when my father died and left me with the Escolta and a tiny crew with few resources. I floundered for a few years. It was hard and that shouldn’t happen to you.”
“I don’t understand.”
“Everyone had a job but you. Those were your words. Well, my input is that if my First Officer captains the Escolta, I am free to purchase another ship, which it now seems I can afford. I will captain it but will need a good first officer. If that suits you, I’d be honored.”
I leaped to my feet, rushed the few steps to her, and gripped her in an unbreakable hug. I didn’t know what a first officer did, but it sounded important. I could learn. Fang cackled with joy and Bert sent a series of happy pings our way.
Once she extracted herself, Stone scowled falsely and said in her sternest voice, “First Officers do not choke their captains with hugs. Lesson number one.”
“What’s lesson number two?” I asked.
“Learn everything about starships. I’ll provide you with material to study. You will learn more about ships than you ever wanted. However, your primary duty will be the administrative side at first. You will handle the crew, their complaints, promotions, duties, and the rest. You will order food, repair parts, review equipment upgrades, and ensure everything on the ship runs as desired.”
“What does the captain do?” I asked dumbly.
“Decides where we go, how we get there, and what we will do upon arrival. That’s a full-time job, I assure you.”
Her response was flippant, and I sensed there was more but didn’t know what to ask. I looked to Fang for help, and he avoided me, turning all eyestalks away. I gave it more thought and one item stuck out like a pink air-dancer in a flock of blues. “If you are not going to buy another ship to trade, what is it going to do?”
“Explore the rim,” she said. “And beyond.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
Captain Stone
Watching the changes on Kat’s face as she doled out the information about a new ship and exploration was more fun than when she had gathered Bill, Bert, and Fang together to tell them. All knew working out near the rim of the human sphere was dangerous.
However, the potential discoveries of new races, making new trade agreements, learning unknown technologies, and hundreds of other things made exploration exciting. The stories of others who did the same were legendary.
There were also the ships that had mysteriously gone missing recently, the others that had been attacked, and local inhabitants wanting no part of explorers. Big risks equal big rewards some said. Others compared it to searching for lost treasures—when there was no verified documentation that the treasures ever existed. Few who attempted it returned wealthy.
Yes, there had been a few heroes emerging from exploration. Not many. The truth was that the inhabitants of each new world discovered already knew something of its nearby neighbors.
Often there was existing trade between two or three planets nearby. As the human sphere expanded and discovered one of them, the other trading partners were quickly found, identified, and the products they were willing to sell noted, as well as products they wished to buy.
Thus, the traders moved the rim outward like an expanding balloon, always at the edge, seldom venturing beyond because of the unknown wormholes. There was no way to calculate where a ship would emerge, or if there was a route back. Often there was not.
Traveling through wormholes was not like going from here to there. Instead, it was like diving into an ocean covered with life-rings while blindfolded. When you surfaced inside a life-ring floating above, that was your new location. If you knew which wormhole or life-ring to enter, you also knew your destination. Otherwise . . . it could be anywhere.
Charted wormholes meant you could find your way home. If they were unknown, a ship could spend a lifetime searching for a way to return home or locate a charted nexus, which was where two wormholes converged.
It wasn’t typically the military that brought new worlds into the human sphere, it was the traders. Each trader vied for profit and each new world discovered was a new opportunity for unimagined wealth.
Established trade routes paid the bills. New worlds created empires.
Captain Stone had three huge advantages over other rim explorers. She had cash. She had the coming salvage payment. She had a ship that earned a steady income that would support her for years of discovery, even if none of the discoveries brought in a profit.
However, if she found a planet with needs to fill or cargo to ship, the Escolta could sweep in and be the first, and thus the most profitable. That was the core reason she had been so willing to work with the Bradley Concorde admiral. It benefited both. Even better, the admiral was willing to finance a good amount of the initial costs in hopes of finding technology that would help her win her war.
She glanced at the small study-table in the corner of the bridge, and at the newly installed command chair beside hers. Kat was studying, and when she was not, she sat in the new chair and observed Fang and the captain. There was much to learn as she had found out the hard way when she inherited the ship her father left. Not only the operation of the ship but leadership skills.
It would take years for Kat. The big difference was that Kat would have a mentor and never have to face the problems she had.
It was now five days since Kat had come to her with the request of learning a position on the crew. Everyone aboard the Dreamer was aware of the training position. That was not true of the personnel on the Escolta.
Heshmat Habitat was at the nexus of the final wormhole where they were transiting. Just ahead, as Fang put it. The Escolta was waiting there for her, completely reoutfitted with her new name, past trade transactions forged, new paint on the hull, and inside, repair documents certifying installations and repairs done over the years for the Escolta—all untraceable for one reason or another.
To even the most intense investigation, the Escolta had plied the human sphere trade routes for over fifty standard years and had an impeccable reputation for fairness and trustworthiness. Creating that sort of background was not cheap. However, it would allow the Escolta to charge maximum rates while earning maximum profits, and little interference from local authorities who were busy chasing after those with poor reputations that were possibly wanted on other planets for crimes committed there.
All that was fine with the captain. The cost of doing business. What worried her was the reactions of her crewmen when they suddenly found out there were four more of them. Bert would dig in and fill a compartment or two with his tunnels. His input and value would be realized immediately. Bill would, at first, become a helper in the engineering department, and they could always use additional help. He would be welcome.
Fang was a sore thumb. He didn’t fit anywhere in the chain of command but did many of the
same functions as her First Officer. Their duties were going to overlap for a while, and there would naturally be friction. She hoped the promise of a new ship and turning over command to the First Officer would forestall any real problems.
Which brought her to Kat. She had already met with each of the new crew and stressed the importance of keeping Kat’s secret. Nobody on the Escolta would know. That was not entirely true. The First Officer was aware of part of the story and she would warn her to keep it all to herself.
When she placed the first three in their new positions, there would naturally be adjustments. When she introduced Kat as her trainee to be a future First Officer, there would be trouble. They would want to know why a homeless, helpless, sixteen-year-old was being placed into that position instead of one of them.
That was the problem she had to solve—and quickly because they would exit the wormhole at the end of the next sleep period.
Kat stood and said, “I’m going to grab something to eat. Can I bring either of you anything?”
Both declined. As the hatch closed, Fang slurped a dirty-white liquid with small swimmers and said, “What’s bothering you? I’m scared to say good-morning because you will use that great foot of yours to stomp on me.”
“Nothing.”
“She’s gone for a while. Talk to me. You’ve been getting more agitated with each light-month we travel, and that girl is the reason.”
Captain Stone sighed. She had earned respect with her crew by being honest and this was no time to change that. “It’s Kat, you’re right. Several crewmen on the Escolta are qualified for advancement and have been with me for years. They will probably feel they’ve more right to a training position for First Officer than a youngster like her. I’m trying to avoid those sorts of problems, but I think at least one will have hurt feelings. It’s the kind of thing that festers like an old sore on the crews of ships.”
Fang snapped up two insects flying circles around his head with one snap of his red tongue. He crunched them as if eating hard candy and said in a laconic tone tinged with humor, “Two points will resolve this issue. One is that you already need to replace the existing First Officer when he is promoted to command either the Escolta or the ship you are thinking about purchasing, so effectively nothing has changed as far as who gets promoted and when. Your crewman will be promoted soon. The second point that will seal the deal without bloodshed is a small lie you might choose to tell.”
She noticed the emphasis on small. His first point was well taken and was probably enough to avoid some hurt feelings or too much jealousy. “What is your small lie?”
“Both you and Kat have verifiable backgrounds on Prager Four. Just hint she is related. Or lie. She is a lost niece or cousin you found and rescued while on Roma. Family rules. While your crewman may not like it, he or she will understand.”
Captain Stone furrowed her brow and stared at Fang in awe and appreciation—and in wonderment of how he had managed to resolve the problem that simply because it was certainly an easy resolution. It was almost truth, which was not quite a lie. “How did you know?”
Fang shrugged his tiny shoulders. “From a command standpoint, the issue had to be addressed. It was obvious.”
“So, when did you figure it out?”
The eyes in three pairs of eyestalks rolled like those of teenage girls when confronted with something obvious.
“When?” she demanded.
“A few days ago,” he muttered, looking away with all eyestalks.
“And you let me sit here and stew for a few days when you knew the problem and answer?”
Fang said, “Captain, you were not ready to lie until now. And even now, it must be a small one, but believable.”
Her mouth fell open. She was about the raise her voice when she understood as if caught outside in a sudden spring rain. Fang was not only right, but he was also a master at revealing only what he wanted, and when. Her gaping mouth slowly closed, imitated a smile, and she muttered, “Thank you.”
“No problem, Captain.”
His voice sounded respectful for a change.
But he was right and hinting or outright telling her crew that they were blood related solved most of her problems. For the first time in a day, she continued smiling as time passed.
McL had tried to convince her to let Bill stay on the Dreamer. Bill would make a fine engineer for him. She was certain the transport line would hire him with McL’s recommendation. In return, she had tried to convince McL to leave this ship and take a position on her ship. She offered him higher pay and a bonus with each profitable voyage. To his credit, the old man refused because he’d signed a contract and felt obligated to remain until it expired. His signature was his bond.
That was the sort of crew she hired. A few inquiries by Bert found the date his contract was up, and Bert made a note for her to contact him well before the two years passed and offer the job again.
Instead of waiting for Kat to return, she left the bridge, assured a few passengers she encountered the trip would end in a day and they would be on their way to their original destinations. All seemed pleased. A few crewmen passed and said hello or good day.
At the door to her cabin, a steward lolled in a chair half asleep as if she had been waiting there a long time. “Can I help you?” she asked as she strode nearer.
The steward leaped to her feet and stuttered, “I’m not asleep on duty. I’m on my own time.”
“Would you like to come in?” The captain asked.
The steward was the youngest of the galley crew, probably human or mostly so, and her hair was very red, almost glowing red, undoubtedly colored. She had served Captain Stone a few meals and had been quick, efficient, and pleasant. Now she appeared agitated and ill at ease.
The captain motioned for the girl to sit on the edge of her bed, intending to quickly move on and dismiss the girl after she found out what was bothering her. She perched on the edge of the bed with her eyes on the floor near her feet.
“What is it?” the captain asked gently, expecting to hear a complaint about a coworker, a common enough occurrence among the crews of starships; the result of too many people in too small a space.
The girl flushed. Then abruptly she stood and said, “Sorry to bother you, Captain.”
“No, no. Sit back down and talk to me. Your name?”
The girl slowly sat, her eyes still on the floor. “Lila. I’m from Paloma.”
“Is that a planet?” The captain was trying to calm her and assure her that whatever the problem, she should share it. Asking a few personal questions usually put subordinates at ease, especially younger ones.
“A farming world.”
The captain remained calm. The name meant nothing to her, but the girl thought it would or she wouldn’t have said it like that. Stone said, “Tell me the reason you are here, Lila.”
“Paloma, where my home and parents live is out near the rim. Near where you’re going.”
So, the rumors had already spread. The captain had expected they would, but not this fast. She said, “The rim of the human sphere is not a single point in space. It is huge, like the surface of a big ball a hundred light-years across.”
“You’re going to explore the rim near Paloma. I over-heard some marines talking while we were at the place where they build ships.”
“And?”
“The place where you’re going is near my home. Just that. I might know a few things of interest to you.”
Captain Stone was taken aback, but not ready to believe. She said, “Bert, will you verify that Paloma is near our exploratory destination?”
A single ping, followed by Bert’s voice, “Confirmed.”
“How close?”
“Within three light-years of our direct course. It is located at the very edge of the explored rim.”
The steward asked, “Is that your AI?”
“No, a friend. He’s taking the place of the comm officer.”
“Oh, the fuzzy, cute
one.”
A single cheerful ping of agreement sounded before Captain Stone could respond. She said, “Okay, you come from a planet called Paloma that is near where we’re heading. Why are you here? If you need a ride home, you got it.”
“Three Gods, no. It was hard enough getting out of there. I may know something else.”
“Something of value? Are you trying to sell me information?”
“No. Yes. I would like to join your crew if you’ll have me. I’m a hard worker and can do more than serve iced tea to rich old women.”
Another possible crewman for the Escolta? But blind deals offered for free are worth what you pay for them. Besides, she was tired and ready for a nice long sleep. “Why don’t you just tell me what you have to say, and we can talk about a position on my ship later?”
“Okay. On Paloma, I heard talk for years before leaving. Across the rim, out in the darkness, are planets with ships that are not part of what we call the human sphere. They occasionally visit Paloma. Less as I grew older. Some of their planets are being attacked by aliens from farther away.”
That was startling news. All thought of sleep was gone. “Tell me all you can remember.”
“These are rumors. Please don’t get upset if they are not true, but I thought you should hear them.” Lila’s eyes were turning red and tears were ready to fall. She drew in a deep breath and continued, “The ships used to sneak in and out of our spaceport a few times a year. Maybe more. Then less and less. The ones we traded with wanted heavy metals that are rare on their planets. We had plenty.”
Captain Stone leaned closer. “What you’re telling me is rumor and half-remembered speculation, right? Don’t worry about being perfectly accurate. Tell me what you think and surmise.”
“It’s not much.”
“Go on anyhow.”
“The invaders only attack water-worlds, those with great oceans. Other planets with less water are left alone. The only ships still trading in that sector are from those planets.”
“The drier ones.”
