Spark in the Stars

by Foster Bridget Cassidy

  Lian collapsed into his chair. His ass collided sharply with the cold metal, but he didn’t notice. Temina was… Gin? But how…?

  A cold fury filled him. With rigid motions, he tapped the Call button on his sleeve. Even his voice was frosty. “Temina.”

  The real Temina’s eyes were wide. Did she understand the significance of her brother’s deeds? Was she an accomplice? When no reply came from over the Bethany’s line, Lian’s breath caught. Was the man already implementing some nefarious plot?

  “Temina!” he snapped, his adrenaline forcing his heart to race.

  Finally, Temina’s… Gin’s voice came over the line. “Yes, Captain?”

  Oh, thank Pip. Though Lian’s stomach still clenched at the possible threat he’d brought aboard. “Report to my quarters at once.” He ended the call, then regarded the woman on the screen. “You have about two minutes to tell me everything. What motivation would your brother have for lying to get aboard my ship?”

  She shook her head. “Gin doesn’t have motivation. I’m still finding it hard to believe he’s actually there.”

  His years of command straightened his spine and he got back to his feet. Lian glared, done with letting the woman control the discussion. “Gin is here. Talk.”

  She finally seemed to realize the depth of the situation, that Lian held her brother’s fate in his hands. That her brother had impersonated another to gain access to the ship. That would be a felony at the least. A death sentence at the worst.

  She lifted her fingers and pulled on one of her tails. “He’s not usually impulsive. He’s a good kid, just unfocused with no direction.”

  “Did you say he blew up your billy-crawler?”

  Her eyes looked off to the side before meeting Lian’s gaze again. “Well… maybe ‘blow up’ is too strong of a phrase.”

  “Explain the details,” Lian said, deathly cold.

  She flinched slightly but nodded. “Of course, Captain.” She swallowed audibly. “Gin’s always been a klutz. He’s always having mishaps in the garage. That’s why I fired him. He’s too much of a liability to be left unsupervised.”

  Lian lowered his face into his palms. The Class Three Mechanic he’d hired was not only a fraud, but likely to blow up the ship. Lian cursed under his breath, wondering how he could have fucked this up so badly.

  “Is he a known terrorist? If you talk, I can guarantee the Federation will be lenient with you.”

  “Terrorist?” she squeaked. “He’s not a terrorist!”

  “Why else would a person lie to gain entry to an armada spaceliner?”

  “Because…. Well, he’s….”

  A knock sounded on Lian’s door. He spun and stalked to the metal divider. He really wished he could swing it open, release some of his anger. Instead, he settled for punching his fist into the button that opened the door.

  Temina… Gin stood on the other side, his face solemn, his posture slumped. His pitiful demeanor did not soften Lian’s heart an ounce.

  “Inside,” he barked.

  Gin jumped and hustled into the room. He didn’t even react to seeing his sister’s face on the com screen. He’d expected this to happen.

  “Sis,” Gin said softly.

  “Gin!” she yelled. “What the hell were you thinking? Do you realize what you’ve done? What the captain thinks you are? Why can’t you have the ability to think through your actions before you take them?”

  Gin didn’t say anything. He only let his chin sink lower.

  Lian reacted by instinct. He grabbed Gin’s wrist and twisted his arm behind his back. Gin cried out as he bent over at an awkward angle.

  “Where’s the detonator?” Lian demanded.

  “What are you…? Ow!”

  “Where?”

  Temina was yelling something, but Lian was too deeply focused to divert his attention to her. The fake mechanic’s defeated body language had been a ruse, perfect for hitting a detonation device hidden somewhere on his body.

  When Gin still failed to answer, Lian kicked the back of Gin’s knee.

  Gin made a startled gasp and slumped, Lian’s hold on his wrist the only thing keeping him standing. With the element of surprise on his side, Lian gripped Gin’s other hand and pulled it backward too. The man was immobilized and fell to his knees.

  “Please, stop!” Temina shouted. “He’s not a terrorist! He’s just stupid!”

  Lian stilled at that phrase. He turned to the com screen. Temina had tears running down her face. Seeing she had Lian’s attention, she went on.

  “He’s just a dumb kid! I swear to you, Captain, he’s not there to hurt anyone.”

  “I’m not a terrorist,” Gin said, though his voice was high likely from discomfort. “Why on Earth would you think that?”

  Not typically one for dramatics, Lian still couldn’t keep the sarcasm out of his voice. “Oh, I don’t know, maybe lying about who you were and the fact you blew up a billy-crawler yesterday!”

  “I didn’t blow up anything,” Gin protested. “The wires—”

  “Shut up!” Lian ordered. “I’m not interested in hearing from you right now.” He had both his hands occupied in restraining Gin, so Lian lifted his knee—not to hurt the mechanic this time, but to tap the call badge on his sleeve. “Trish,” he said once it beeped. “My screen is flickering in my quarters.”

  That was their code that he needed her assistance in a possibly life-threatening situation. She would be here as quickly as humanly possible.

  Temina was still crying, but at least they’d all fallen silent.

  “Gin,” Lian growled. “Trish will be here in thirty seconds with her hi-gun drawn. I suggest you work very hard to convince me you aren’t a threat to my crew or my ship.”

  “I swear I’m not, Captain! I wanted to get away from my sister. She never gave me a chance. She dismissed me before I could try.”

  “That’s not true!” Temina retorted. “It’s not my fault you ruin everything you touch.”

  Gin raised his chin and glared at the screen. “I’ve been on the ship for ten hours and I haven’t blown up anything yet. The problem was you assumed I’d fail, Temmy. You never believed in me.”

  “Oh Gin, you’re impossible!” Temina said. “I gave you plenty of chances, more than I should have. If I’d been smarter, I would have kicked you out of the garage ages ago. Then you would have come to terms with your limitations instead of sneaking aboard a spaceliner! Do you realize they’ll put you in jail?”

  “In jail here is better than being a dishwasher at Paulie’s!” Gin bellowed. “At least here I’m away from you, Temmy!”

  Lian released his hold on Gin and the man slumped to the ground, his face in his hands. On the screen, Temina’s lips frowned, but she didn’t look ashamed, or even repentant for the way she’d treated her brother. Couldn’t she see how distraught he was? Sure, Lian wasn’t able to see the whole picture, or know their complete history, but he could tell Gin suffered greatly. Even if Temina hadn’t meant to keep him suppressed, he obviously felt it.

  The door to Lian’s room opened and Trish ran in, her gun immediately pointing to the target on the ground: Gin’s shaking body curled up in a ball. Seeing him stationary—and apparently not a threat—she raised her dark eyes to Lian.

  “Sir?”

  He shook his head. “You can put down the gun, Trish.” Lian turned to the screen. “I’ll have Gin call you back later.”

  “But, Captain? What will you do with my brother?”

  “I haven’t decided. But I’ll allow him to call you, regardless.”

  He walked to the screen and ended the call.

  “What’s going on, Lian?” Trish asked, holstering her gun at her hip. “What’s the threat?”

  Lian took a deep breath and let it out in a rush. “This is Ginnovi Oshwald, Trish.”

  Trish’s fingers fondled the handle of her gun. “A plant by Rigel?”

  “I don’t think so. I think it was just bad luck, and bad timing. Gin, co
me sit down.”

  The mechanic raised his face, now as red and blotchy as his sister’s. He slowly got to his feet, then shuffled toward the metal chair. When he sat, he gazed up at Lian, his lips pressed into a thin line.

  “I’m not a part of Rigel,” Gin said. “I’m not a terrorist. I wouldn’t dream of hurting anyone on the crew, and definitely not the Bethany.”

  Lian’s gut told him this statement was true. Now that he knew the secret Gin had hidden, the man seemed much less of a threat. But he had to be sure. He pressed the call badge again, this time, summoning Mother. With the situation no longer volatile, he simply asked her to bring up Temina’s medical records.

  “Gin,” Lian said, leaning toward the man. “Tell me the real reason you’re here.”

  His brow drew down more, his eyes sharp and angry. “You heard it all, Captain. My sister fired me. I went to the bar to drown my sorrows. You came in and recruited me.”

  “I came in to recruit Temina.”

  “Same thing. If you actually looked at our records, they’re identical—though I had higher grades in primary. I’ve logged the same hours in the garage. I’ve done just as much work. But she dismisses me without a chance to prove myself.”

  Mother’s files would show that or not. He moved on to the next issue. “Why did you blow up the billy-crawler?”

  Now, Gin glanced down. “I have a spark.”

  “A what?” Trish asked, moving closer.

  “A spark.”

  Lian looked at his commander and shrugged. It was nonsense to him.

  “And what,” she said, “is a spark?”

  “I… uh… touched some exposed wires when I was a baby. Dad hadn’t turned off the circuit to the fuel cell of an Odessa chaser, and I touched its wires.”

  “Sweet Pip,” Trish cursed softly. “How did you survive that? It must have sent sixty kilovolts into your body.”

  Gin nodded. “I was barely injured, Commander. They took me to the clinic, but other than a second-degree burn on my hand, I was fine. But since then, I’ve got a spark.” He gestured with his hands, as if searching for words. “My body seems to store up electricity, like a static shock on steroids. If I touch things when my spark is active, it can fry circuits.”

  “Then why are you a mechanic?” Lian asked. “Maybe your sister was right that it wasn’t the best field for you.”

  Gin glared up at Lian, and he almost took a step back from the storm in those eyes. “Because I love it, sir. And I won’t let anything keep me from it.”

  Lian found himself nodding. It was the reason he used himself when he joined the crew of the Olton. Mother tried to send him to Earth, and he refused.

  “Besides,” Gin continued, breaking eye contact. “When I have my rubber bands, it keeps the spark in check.”

  “The ones in your hair?”

  Gin’s fingers went to the bands. “Yeah. With the billy-crawler, I forgot to touch it. Temmy made me so angry, bossing me and belittling me. I moved before I thought. My spark jumped into the wires.”

  Lian looked to Trish again. She raised an eyebrow. Gin’s story hadn’t won her over yet. So why was Lian feeling so sympathetic?

  The door opened again and Doc entered. She grimaced when she saw Gin sitting in the chair. Still, she walked to Lian and gave him the requested paperwork. It was Gin’s actual files. The blood draw must have flagged them.

  “You knew,” he accused, shaking the papers at her. “Why didn’t you call me as soon as you discovered this?”

  “Because it didn’t matter,” Doc answered. “Ginnovi’s file checks out just as well as Temina’s.”

  “Except for the fact that he lied about who he was. That should have made you a bit suspicious.”

  “Nope.”

  Oh, he wanted to take her by the shoulders and shake her. She was being difficult on purpose. “Doc, we had an unauthorized person aboard the ship. You should have called me.”

  “Noted,” she said lightly. “I’ll let you know immediately the next time this happens.”

  Gin chuckled, but cut it off when Lian glanced at him.

  Trish ran her fingers through her thick hair. “What are we going to do with him, Lian?”

  “There’s two options. Lock him in the brig until he can be returned to Regulation to face criminal charges. Or, we can give him his chance.”

  Gin’s head rose sharply and he looked into Lian’s eyes.

  “I think he deserves a chance,” Doc said, as if she had a vote in any of this.

  “Dismissed,” Lian told her dryly.

  She saluted, her fist to her chest, shot Gin a smile, then left.

  Why were all his relationships aboard this ship so exasperating? He turned to Trish. “What do you think?”

  Trish took the papers from Lian’s hands and looked them over. “These do look identical. And Gin’s proven he knows his stuff.” She gave the papers back. “I really don’t think he’s a terrorist. He wouldn’t have the guts.”

  Gin huffed, but then realized Trish was siding with him and took the angry look off his face. “Thanks, Commander.” He turned hesitant eyes to Lian. “I’m sorry I lied to you, Captain. I knew what I did was wrong. But the opportunity seemed too good to pass up. It was my chance, and I took it. Temmy says I didn’t think of the consequences, but I did. I knew what would happen if you found out I wasn’t Temmy. I just thought it worth the risk.”

  Lian took a deep breath. He could admire a man who took risks. He did himself, in this line of work. But that didn’t make Gin’s choices right. “I’m going to be keeping a very close eye on you. If you do anything that is even slightly suspicious, I will not hesitate to confine you in the brig. One wrong step and I won’t be as forgiving.”

  Gin’s gray eyes sparkled, and he shot to his feet. He took Lian’s hand in his own and a tiny spark jumped between their fingers. Gin’s eyes widened, but he didn’t let go.

  Lian looked up at Gin, and raised his eyebrows in surprise. That little shock hadn’t hurt, but it still made his fingers tingle.

  Clearing his throat, Lian pulled his hand free.

  Gin recovered from… whatever had happened. He grinned broadly. “Thank you, Captain! I swear, I won’t let you down!”

  “See that you don’t. You’re dismissed. Make sure you call your sister back before returning to the engine room.”

  He raised his fist to his chest. “Yes, sir.” He turned to Trish and saluted her, as well. Then he all but ran to the door. Once he was gone, Lian collapsed into the chair again.

  “Lian?” Trish asked, placing her arm on his shoulder. “You okay?”

  “Too much stress in one day,” he answered. “I hope I’m not making a terrible mistake.”

  “You’re not. It’s easy to see he’s harmless.”

  He cocked his head to the side. “He did admit to blowing up that billy-crawler.” And Lian had felt… something… when their hands touched. A hint of that electricity he claimed to have.

  “And Syrin can bite through metal,” Trish countered. “Doc can impersonate any crew member. Locke can lift five humans in one hand. Each of your crewmembers presents some hazard.”

  Lian barked a laugh. “We are a bunch of misfits, huh? Maybe Gin will fit right in.”

  Chapter 10

  GIN’S HEART beat a quick pace as he ran to the elevator. He couldn’t believe his luck. How had he evaded jail time? It didn’t make sense. He’d been sure Captain Lian—who’d proved himself to be a stickler for the rules—wouldn’t forgive Gin his deception.

  Maybe there is something watching over me, he thought. He’d never given a thought to Pip—the main celestial deity humanity worshipped—but it seemed as if someone intervened on his behalf. Maybe he’d have to find one of those chaplains.

  He took the elevator to the bridge, then the stairwell to the engine room. A few eyes glanced up from their stations when he entered, but quickly returned to their tasks.

  Captain told him to call Temmy, but he sure as hell w
asn’t going to do it now. He needed a cool-off period. He had a few more days till the jump through the wormhole. He’d call before then. Maybe.

  Gin returned to the main console—his domain. His fingers touched his hair band, then he pulled up the engine’s main schematic. He’d review it quickly before moving on to memorizing the blueprints of the upper levels.

  He spent the next eight hours in the ship’s lowest level. He lost himself in the beauty of the Bethany’s inner workings, the subtly unique designs, the complexity of her life systems. She was definitely a top-of-the-line vessel, one that left Gin in awe. The sophistication here was something he’d never even dream of seeing if he’d stayed in Tallahassee.

  The shift changed and Gin still felt energetic. Angela, after a quick innuendo about Gin’s and the captain’s meeting, tried to persuade him to take a break. He couldn’t do it. If the engines were here, he’d never be able to close his eyes and sleep.

  After he felt confident in his ability to recall every detail of the ship’s blueprints, he got to work mapping the physical lines. With Syrin’s help, Gin unscrewed every panel along the wall and inspected the cables and connections that ran through the ship’s interiors. Syrin’s curiosity was also piqued, and he stood beside Gin’s feet and took notes on Gin’s findings.

  At the end of the third shift, exhaustion finally reared its ugly head.

  “If you don’t head to Bunks now,” Angela said as they waited in line to climb up the ladder, “I’m going to call Doc and make her give you a sedative. It’s not right for you to be so perky.”

  Gin smiled through his weariness. Yes, he’d been awake for about forty-two hours now, but that wasn’t an uncommon occurrence for him. When Temmy’d get something good in the shop, he’d be awake for longer than this. The wires excited him. The engines called to him. In fact, being here was nearing a religious experience. It gave him untold strength. But he didn’t want to tempt Angela into tattling to Doc, so he nodded.

  “I’ll go get some sleep. Will you wake me before your next shift?”