Grand Cross

by Merethe Walther

  The seating area was pretty large―a huge chunk of blasted-out rock that left bits of the floor uneven. The waiters skated around on zero-g shoes, their feet skimming over the upturned bits of rock without a hitch. To the right were the food preparation areas, and to the left was a giant holo-dome that covered the open space, all that stood between them and a frigid death. Still, despite herself, Aralyn had to admit that the result was pretty beautiful.

  A young woman who looked to be barely Kita’s age sat them at a small table and promised that their server would be right over and then hurried back to her hostess’s podium as another group of people approached, raucously drunk and half-dressed. One man’s pants were undone at the zipper, and another woman’s shirt had been ripped open, exposing her breast. She didn’t seem to mind, however.

  “These prices are not cheap,” said Riordan, staring down over the menu, his eyes boring holes in the digital menu board that was lighting up their tabletop.

  “Yeah, but the food probably is,” Kita grumbled. “Who the hell wants to pay that much for a sandwich? I bet the meat isn’t even the good fake stuff.”

  A tingling sensation along the back of Aralyn’s neck sent fearful needles prickling down her spine. Was someone watching them? She looked down at her wrist module, which she’d turned back on once they’d cleared Redux. They still had fifteen hours to go before the meeting was scheduled, so perhaps she’d been wrong when she thought that their guy wouldn’t show up early. She shifted in her seat, uncomfortable, and tried to get a look around. No one stood out to her and nothing seemed out of place. At her squirming, Caden put a hand on her arm.

  “Everything okay?” he asked.

  Aralyn hesitated. Last time she’d felt this way, she’d ended up arrested for orachal smuggling. Still, she didn’t want to be an alarmist and send them all scurrying back to the ship in fear if her concern had simply gotten the better of her.

  “Yeah,” she said, forcing a smile. “Just anxious, I think.”

  Caden nodded. “Me too.”

  They made their food selections, and a skinny blond man brought their meals out to them. Aralyn and Caden had decided to try some soup, since that probably contained the most “real” ingredients, while Kita tried one of the expensive sandwiches and Riordan opted for a pseudo meat and two veg deal. Surprisingly, the food was good, and they finished their meal in record time.

  “That was actually decent,” Kita said, sitting back and patting her stomach. “Probably still not worth the creds, but better than anything we’ve had in months.”

  “Yeah, that was… not what I had anticipated,” Aralyn agreed. “Now the rough part.” She signaled the skinny blond waiter for the check, crossing her pointer fingers together to form an “x.”

  He nodded to her and went over to the small computer station, then headed over to their table. “It looks like your bill was already taken care of,” said the waiter, pressing the digital display on the table by their plates.

  The numbers showed just as he said. Someone had, in fact, paid for their expensive meal and left a sizeable tip, as well. Aralyn looked at the time stamp on the corner. Thirty minutes ago. Shortly after she’d felt someone watching them. Aralyn pivoted, looking around the room, but again, no one stuck out to her.

  “Who paid for this?” Caden asked the waiter, who seemed surprised at their reaction.

  “Uhm, he didn’t say. Just told me he was a ‘a friend’ of yours,” the waiter replied. He took a step backward, gave a nervous wave, and said, “Have a good day!” before pivoting on his heel and heading back over to another table.

  Kita, wide-eyed, looked at the bill again and then around them. “You think it’s our contact? Or…” She didn’t finish the thought, but Aralyn was ninety percent certain she was going to suggest either Caden’s father or one of Eladia’s people.

  “It’s definitely someone who wanted us to know he was watching,” Caden said, glowering around the dining room. “And wanted us to know that he knew we were here.”

  Riordan scrubbed at his face with his hands in quick, aggravated movements. “I am so tired of this cloak and dagger bullshit!” He shoved off from the table and stood, almost knocking his chair down in the process.

  “Rio, what the hell?” Kita demanded. “Chill out, man.”

  With a sigh, Riordan physically bit back whatever words he’d been planning on saying and shook his head. “I’m going to get a bunk and turn in.”

  “We’re being watched―is that the best idea?” Caden asked.

  “What does it matter?” the hacker exploded. “They already know we’ve arrived.” He stomped off toward the signs advertising sleeping areas without a look back.

  “Asshole,” Kita said after he left, taking the last few sips of water in his glass.

  After the conversation they’d had earlier, Aralyn wasn’t so sure. The appeal of running away from the situation was pretty great. “I can’t really blame him. I mean, I’ve got Kragg to rescue, and you two”―she pointed at Caden and Kita―“have a score to settle, but Riordan’s only problem in this is that he’s on the run from the law and we’re the ones who saved him.”

  It was a problem that going into hiding would be sure to fix, even if it was only temporary. This wasn’t the old days, after all. There was a whole galaxy at their fingertips; plenty of places to go to ground and never come back up from again.

  “So what, he doesn’t care that all of those people are being enslaved? Abused? Treated like sex dolls and discarded just as easily?” Kita’s cheeks went red and her voice trembled as she said the last words. “Eladia and her people took seven years of my life. And they’re out there taking much more from many others. If Rio doesn’t care about that, he’s an asshole.”

  Aralyn sighed and stood from the table as well. “Yeah. I guess that’s true.”

  The bigger picture was much bigger than just them; than their individual problems. The big payoff they’d been looking for at the start of this was just a distant dream now.

  “Getting some bunks might be a good idea though. And Rio was right about one thing,” Caden said. “They know we’re here. No use in hiding, even if it isn’t our man.”

  “To the hostel, then,” Kita agreed.

  Try and she might, Aralyn couldn’t get a feel for anyone in the restaurant, and even in the dark corners, she didn’t get the impression that anyone was still there watching them. Now, all she had left was the paranoia that they were being watched, rather than any proof.

  Always go with your gut. That’s what Kragg had told her more times than she could count. But her gut had gotten her into more trouble than she’d care to admit. She shrugged to herself internally as they walked back into the low-gravity hall and floated down toward the bunk area. Maybe that hadn’t been her gut; maybe that had just been pride and a determination not to get screwed over.

  “And look where that got us,” she muttered.

  Caden peered over at her but said nothing as they entered the bunkrooms. Gravity here was not quite as realistic as it was in Redux, but better than zero-g. They could sleep without floating off the bed at least.

  “You know, all this low gravity is gonna be great for my back,” Kita said, stretching. “Might even end up an inch or so taller after this!”

  The bunkroom was larger than Aralyn suspected it would be, which was both a blessing and a curse. A blessing because the rows of bunk and trundle beds were evenly spaced, and a cursed because there was nowhere to go that was out of sight. The floor was tile, the walls were a holo-field shell that formed a rough rectangle and were probably meant to keep people from rolling into the hard rock surface. Plus, the holo-field likely helped keep in the heat and environment.

  The rest of the station’s open areas had all been a little chilly, so a room with a bunch of warm bodies would likely insulate itself a bit. Over to the right were unisex bathing and toilet areas, and over to the left was a small sitting area with three couches and half a dozen arm chairs that looked
like they were well-worn. Three beds, end to end, were lined up in rows through the central portion of the room, and although there were practically no people in there, it would probably change once people came back from Redux looking for rest.

  The bunks were clean, and Riordan had claimed a bed in the far corner near the bathroom, where he was laying on his side facing the holo-field wall, clearly not looking to be interrupted by any of them.

  “Guess you two are trading your stick in the ass back and forth,” Kita said to Caden, rolling her eyes. She went to the left side of the room and keyed a few buttons into one of the bunks, immediately taking the bottom one. She laid down, pulled a tablet out, and started playing games.

  Caden pinched the bridge of his nose. “You good staying in here? It seems a little too… open.”

  Aralyn chewed at her lip for a moment. “Yeah it does. But it’s better that we stay together, and I am not sleeping in one of those coffin things.”

  A harsh bark of laughter tore unexpectedly out of Caden’s throat and he smiled. “I’d have to agree with you on that… but I guess that means the ship is also out, so no alone time, then.” He winked at her, but in a moment the smile was gone, and the storm clouds rolled back into his eyes. “Over there okay?” He pointed to the remaining bunks by Kita and frowned, his face going blank.

  Aralyn nodded, and they walked over to fill out their bunk designations. She took the bed above Kita’s and Caden took the one lined up next to it. Apart from Riordan pouting in the corner, they were clustered fairly close together. She typed in her information―the fake data Taav had given them―and fed in the stolen bank account number they were using since all of their various accounts and assets had been frozen, or, in Aralyn’s case, wiped out completely.

  Being arrested had not been good on the wallet. So for the time being, an old pensioner retiree, Edna Hyrtin, was unwittingly helping them pay for the beds they’d be sleeping in that night. It didn’t feel good robbing creds from an old woman, but Ms. Edna Hyrtin had made her fortune by laying off a large number of factory workers nearly twenty years prior, assisting in the shitty economic situation back on Earth and leading to massive revolts, so it wasn’t ideal, but felt better once she thought about it that way.

  Stealing from the rich and corrupt to give to the poor―namely themselves―had been Kita’s idea. But they’d only been able to do it with Riordan’s expertise in breaking into accounts to begin with. Aralyn frowned as she climbed up onto the top bunk and laid down. It was clear that Riordan was unhappy, but it felt like there was more to his sudden attack of conscience… Or whatever passed for that in his head, anyway.

  There’s no point in focusing on him right now. We’ve got bigger galactic fish to fry.

  The thought was sobering. Their mysterious benefactor… friend or foe? And why go to all that trouble to make sure they knew he was watching? The idea didn’t sit well with her. But either way, they didn’t have a choice. She wasn’t about to go running off and leaving Kragg behind. One way or another, they had to find him. They’d done it with the partial name list for months. And now they had a chance to try something else. If there was even the remote possibility that they could get to Eladia, she wouldn’t let it go.

  Apart from the soft breathing of other people sleeping in the room, the distant sounds of the showers, and the tiny bleeps that came every so often from Kita’s tablet, the room was quiet. Aralyn yawned and reached over for the purple button along the inside of the bed rail―a half moon with some twinkling stars alongside it―and watched as a holo-canopy descended over the bunk, sealing her in a dark tent.

  The only light inside was the dim blue glow of the button beside the moon-and-star one, with a white sun and some clouds on it. She finally reached up and slipped off her mask, content that it would be safe to take it off here, even though there were cameras everywhere else. She reached behind her and pulled the shotgun from its holster, sticking it up under her pillow after double-checking that the safety was on. It wasn’t long after snuggling into the blankets that she drifted into sleep and dreamed of Earth.

  Chapter Six

  Pressure on her mouth brought Aralyn slamming back into consciousness, breathing hard. Her eyes wide open, all she could see in the dark was a man standing over her, holding a finger to his lips in an attempt to keep her from screaming. The stranger in front of her was a complete mystery. A long-sleeved brocade coat covered his arms and she could feel the gentle fabric of his gloves against her mouth. His mask wasn’t ostentatious like many of the ones that Aralyn had seen in Redux, but she couldn’t recall seeing it at all earlier while they explored. It was the frowning face of a tragic mask. For one brief moment, she wondered if a matching companion wearing the comedy face would pop out from behind him, but the room remained quiet, and only the two of them were awake.

  “Aralyn Solari…” He seemed to roll the sound of her name around for a moment, as if testing it against his tongue. His voice was lyrical; softly accented, and he lifted his hand a bit but didn’t entirely remove it. “Come with me. Silently.”

  Aralyn only blinked in uncertainty, trying to chase the sleep from her eyes, wondering if Caden or Kita would hear and wake up. No one else stirred.

  He tilted his head as if waiting for her to respond. She noted with some surprise that the canopy over her bed was gone, even though the person inside was the only one supposed to be able to remove it―apart from someone with an emergency key, of course. She realized that he was still waiting for her to respond, so she nodded her head “yes” as slow as she could. He removed the hand from her mouth and stepped backward with a flourish, extending a hand to help her down from the top bunk. She pretended not to see it as she fumbled with her own mask, wondering if she should take the chance on grabbing the shotgun, but she hesitated to show the gun in an area where other people might see it and take it away.

  She left it behind and hopped to the floor, gesturing in an “after you” manner to her potential captor/escort. He nodded gracefully and led the way, stepping lightly on his feet, almost like a dancer. From the back, all she could see was his long black hair, tied in a messy bun at the crown of his head. He didn’t look behind to see if she was following, but kept straight on going, never once doubting that she’d be right behind him. He seemed… comfortable with the idea of getting his way. She doubted that many people had told him no before. Whether that was because of skill or entitlement, she wasn’t sure.

  He’s cocky, Aralyn thought. That might be useful later on.

  She turned to give one last look at the bunks behind her, but Kita and Caden were both sealed within their own canopies, and she couldn’t tell where Riordan was in the gloom of the darkened interior. She knew if she started yelling, they’d wake up in a flash, but… then what? If this man was their informant and she proved that they couldn’t be trusted… She shook her head, almost as if to reassure herself, and turned after the stranger, hoping she wasn’t walking into yet another trap.

  They went out into the hallway, the low gravity catching her by surprise and making her gut flip in fear. The masked man turned at her tiny squeak of terror and waited a moment before continuing onward down the hall. More intrigued than concerned, Aralyn still took the opportunity to bend and get the knife from her boot before following him.

  She assumed he would take her to the dining area; this late into the “night,” they’d probably be closed or have machine vendors running only. The dining room had been a good place to talk, since, despite being in a large open area, noises hadn’t carried through it very well. But instead of turning right and heading toward the hall that would take them near the club, they turned left toward a digital “employees only” sign that blinked as they got up close. The distant thrum of bass music from Redux reverberated through the walls, but when they passed into what appeared to be a janitorial area, the noise disappeared almost entirely once the door was sealed again.

  The room was clean if a little dusty, and a tiny array of moto
rized cleaning buckets sat resting against the far wall. Near them was a small bed and a wall monitor above it displayed a news program from the inner system. In it, a blonde woman was centered on the screen, her head next to some blurry cam video of Aralyn, Caden, Kita, and Riordan being loaded onto the ship in UDA custody. Though it was muted, the program was playing on a loop, and Aralyn stared at it for a long time without speaking. They’d wanted it to be convincing, and it was. She could see the fear in their faces even with the shaky floating lens footage.

  To her right was a small kitchen nook and a rickety table with four thin chairs. The walls were stark holo-fields, apart from the wall that separated the room from the walkway.

  “Please, have a seat,” said the stranger, taking off his mask and tossing it onto the table.

  Aralyn blinked, eyes wide as she studied him. “You’re, uh…” she began. “Not exactly…”

  The stranger looked up at her with a smile that suggested he was all too familiar with this reaction. “Not what you were expecting?” he asked.

  Full, dark lashes framed warm, hazel brown eyes that were somehow still sharp, like a bird of prey’s. He wore his beard and moustache short and perfectly trimmed, and his skin held a natural bronze in it despite living out in deep space away from the sun. Aralyn had no words for a moment; she struggled to remember that he had basically kidnapped her. Handsome men had never disabled her like this before, and her face flushed in embarrassment. She was grateful for the mask over her red-hot cheeks.

  “W-who you―who are you?” she demanded, fumbling like a teenager talking to her first crush. “And who do you work for?”

  The stranger gave her a deep bow before offering her a disarming smile and extending a hand for her to place hers in. “Apollo van Dien,” he began. “And at the moment, I’m not working for anyone”―he grabbed her hand and kissed the back of it, sending shivers down Aralyn’s arm―“but that can always change.”