Fractured Alliance

by Robert Stadnik

  Not surprisingly, the sign to the agency was small and not attention grabbing, just as Max expected. Of course, the inside of the place would be a different matter. Sure enough, when he entered the establishment, he wasn’t disappointed.

  The interior screamed fancy and alluring. Bright and glittering drapes adorned the interior, seemingly hanging everywhere in some chaotic fashion. The chairs and couches were all oversized and bulging with plush cushions. The lighting was subdued to provide an intimate atmosphere. To the side was a bar, stocked with a variety of champagne only. As PHOENIX wasn’t equipped to make champagne, each bottle was marked up considerably by the ECON system. Whoever elected to buy a drink here would pay a premium for it. On the second level were gold railings running along the walkway. Each door, leading to a private room, was gray and accented with glitter.

  It was as Max expected, a first-rate establishment. He expected nothing less from the owner, who he knew. Speaking of her, he spotted her on one of the couches, reviewing something on her DAT. She was covered from the neck down in a very elaborate dress. She even wore black silk gloves that accentuated her gray and white dress. Her long gray hair was tied up in a bun.

  “It must be a small world if you and I wind up in the same place,” Max said as he approached her. “Hello, Esther.”

  The older woman looked up and immediately recognized who was talking to her. “Well, I’ll be. Max Coumons. I thought I’d never again set my eyes on your gorgeous self.” She tossed her DAT to the side and stood up, hugging Max. “It’s so good to see you again, darling. I’m still mad at Chris Anne for stealing you from me.”

  “From what I remember, you took it as a personal compliment that Chris wanted your favorite escort,” Max reminded. “You were hardly upset when I left.”

  “I expected you’d pop up in whatever agency Chris was planning to open,” Esther said. “Instead, you both disappear off the face of the Earth. I found out a few months ago that Chris had been living here. I’m a little surprised he brought you to this shabby place.”

  Max laughed. “You’re dissing the ship that you just moved to?”

  “Well, someone has to add a bit of class to this place,” Esther teased. “You can’t be working as an escort. They told me I’m the first to offer such services here.”

  “I own The Lounge,” Max revealed.

  Esther was impressed. “My, my, we’re moving up in the world. Having your own business? Impressive.”

  “Chris left it to me when he left the ship. I was his bartender.”

  It was Esther’s turn to laugh. “From what I remember, you couldn’t mix a drink if your life depended on it.”

  Max blushed. It was true. Esther tried to teach him to bartend, and he wasn’t good at it. “Chris was a patient teacher.”

  “Well, good for you.” She ran her fingers up and down his chest. “Seems like you haven’t lost any of your chiseled physique. Did you come by to get back into the game?”

  Esther was always good with wooing people with compliments. Max gently squeezed her hand. “I’m here on behalf of Captain Roberts.”

  “Oh, poo!” she teased as she playfully slapped his chest with her other hand. She plopped back down on the couch and crossed her legs in a very ladylike manner and regained a dignified pose. “The captain sent you? You certainly have moved up in the world. So, what does the celebrated Captain Roberts want of me?”

  “He just wants to be sure that you follow all the laws regarding agencies,” Max explained.

  “I uprooted my life to run an agency free of regulations,” Esther replied in a polite but sarcastic tone. “You know me better than that.”

  He couldn’t argue with her. Esther ran several agencies successfully, but her loyalties were always with her staff. She went above and beyond to make sure her dancers and escorts were taken care of. She never allowed any client, no matter how much money they had, to take advantage of her people.

  “I wasn’t worried about it,” Max smiled. “I didn’t even know you were running this place until a few hours ago. I’ll let the captain know he has nothing to worry about from you.”

  Esther patted Max’s arm. “I appreciate your confidence in me. Does the captain have any other concerns?”

  “Just about trying to employ aliens,” Max replied. “He wants to be sure you’re aware of the cultural stuff regarding the sex of the races that are on PHOENIX.”

  Esther sighed. “You can let him know he has nothing to worry about. As of now, only humans will be working here.”

  Max was surprised to hear this. “Really, because rumor is…”

  Esther interrupted him. “I heard people here love to gossip. It appears none of the alien governments sent individuals who specialize in my particular industry. For now, Selection will be strictly for human pleasure.”

  “You seem a little disappointed,” Max observed.

  “You know me, darling. I’m always about blazing a new trail. I was hoping to have the first alien mixed agency, but I can be patient. With the ship’s mission of exploration, I hope we’ll have the opportunity to have new aliens come to live here.”

  Esther snapped her fingers. A few moments later a bot rolled up with two glasses of champagne. She took one and handed Max the other. “For now, I’m content with reconnecting with an old, but still very handsome, friend.”

  “Cheers to that,” Max said as they clinked their glasses.

  ********

  Julie had planned on going home but was too concerned about the Cresorians she saw enter Homeworld Decadence. Given all the public disturbances involving them, she wanted to witness firsthand how they acted in public. She read all the reports on them and could hardly believe a race Drix was a part of could behave in such a disruptive manner.

  She made her way over to the restaurant. Mu was at the host station, and she went and spoke with the Rifva, explaining the reason for her visit. He pointed over to the table where the Cresorians were seated. A group of four were seated by a window with a view of the street. They seemed content and were browsing the menu provided to them. After watching them for a few minutes from the host station, Julie was still not at ease. She wouldn’t be satisfied until they left the restaurant. She decided to take a seat at the bar and watch them from there. Mu made sure there was a seat available for her. He was grateful to have the captain there in case something happened.

  Julie ordered a glass of white wine as she continued watching the Cresorians. She didn’t do it so much with suspicion; rather she was watching out of curiosity. Given her recent honeymoon with Mitchell and preparing for the ship’s journey into deep space, she didn’t have the opportunity to meet with any of the ship’s Cresorian residents. She felt she owed that to Drix. He was the first Cresorian they encountered and the first alien to live on PHOENIX. He assimilated to life on the ship and was well liked by everyone. His death had a profound impact on the crew.

  If Drix could live contently on PHOENIX, why couldn’t his fellow Cresorians? This was a species that spent hundreds of years living on ships, roaming through space as nomads. For them to live in a community was a foreign concept to them. Julie remained optimistic. She was certain they could make the transition.

  It was at that moment a loud shattering sound shook the captain from her thoughts. She looked over and saw the table the Cresorians were at had been overturned. Broken dishes laid everywhere as people scrambled away from the scene. The Cresorians were standing, and one seemed to be holding a knife.

  “Ah, hell!” Julie muttered as she jumped from her chair and rushed over. “Olson to security, I need an armed team to Homeworld Decadence ASAP!” Her attempt to reach the Cresorians was impeded by all the patrons racing out of the restaurant. She saw Mu heading over to them. She tried to call out to him to stay back, but all the yelling and screaming drowned her voice out.

  Mu reached the Cresorians and tried to reason with them. “Please, you must not act like this. Whatever has upset you we can…”

 
One of the Cresorians cut him off. “You think us fools. Blatrex!”

  Mu held his three hands up. “There is no need for this.”

  Just then another Cresorian grabbed the Rifva and hoisted him up. In mere seconds, Mu was thrown through the glass window and hit the outside payment. The impact rendered him unconscious.

  People ran to get away from the violent scene, but one individual remained. Vun happened to be in proximity to the restaurant. It had enjoyed its first experience dining there so much that the Gercol decided to go again. It never made it inside when the commotion began. Vun watched as Mu flew through the restaurant window. As the Rifva laid on the street, the Gercol slid over to his aid. As Vun tended to Mu, two Cresorians jumped through the window. They were not finished with the Rifva.

  “Move! Our honor must be satisfied,” one of the Cresorians demanded.

  Vun never said a word. Seeing Mu laying hurt on the ground upset the Gercol. How could anyone harm such a gentle creature? It extended a portion of itself out and bound one Cresorian against the wall. The Cresorian struggled to break free but found the Gercol’s hold to be powerful. Seconds later, Vun threw him far down the street. People stopped to watch. They’d never seen a Cresorian fly through the air.

  The second Cresorian pulled a knife out and approached the Gercol, but then felt something cold and metallic against his head. “Drop it or I’ll fire.” The Cresorian looked out of the corner of his eye to see Captain Olson, holding a pulse gun to his head.

  “Is this how you treat visitors who live on your vessel?” the Cresorian asked.

  “You’re in no position to question me,” Julie warned. “Drop the knife or I pull the trigger. Your choice.” Any guilt about threatening a member of Drix’s race left her. She was dealing with a hostile situation and would do what was necessary to protect the crew.

  Security officers showed up, sealed off the restaurant, and blocked the surrounding vicinity. The Cresorian realized he was outnumbered and dropped the knife. He offered no resistance as a security officer handcuffed him.

  “There’re two more inside,” Julie said to one of the officers. “And another one about a half block down that way. Secure the area and let me know when they’re all in custody.”

  “Yes, captain.” As the security officer left to coordinate with his team, Julie went over to Vun, who was standing over a still unconscious Mu.

  “I do not know what injuries he may have,” a concerned Vun said. “I am not familiar with his composition.”

  “Olson to medical. I need a team here at Homeworld Decadence for an injured Rifva.” She looked at Vun. “Don’t worry; he’ll be taken care of.”

  “I will remain with him until your medical people arrive,” Vun promised. It looked back down at Mu. “Why would they harm him? He only wanted to make others happy through the consumption of food. There was no need for this.”

  “I don’t know,” Julie replied as she stood up and looked around at all the damage. This was not going to sit well with John at all.

  ********

  John had already left Central before the outbreak with the Cresorians began. He was escorting Andre back to his quarters. The captain helped the elderly man with his grocery shopping, something John had not done in a long time. X handled all the captain’s shopping, as John always joked he had no time for such domestic chores. The young captain was enjoying learning more about his newfound friend.

  When they were done, Andre insisted that John come to his quarters for a drink as a thank you. Seeing how much trouble he had getting to Central, John felt obligated to escort him back home. On the way, the captain showed Andre how to ask Vish for help getting around.

  “Where would you like these?” John asked as they entered Andre’s quarters.

  “If you can set those on the counters,” Andre said as he shuffled over to the refrigerator in the kitchen.

  “I can put the groceries away for you,” John offered as he put the bags down.

  “Nonsense,” Andre replied. He pulled a chilled bottle of wine out of the refrigerator. “It’ll give me something to do.” He retrieved a wine opener and looked at John. “I’m afraid I don’t have the strength.”

  John took the opener and wine bottle. He couldn’t remember the last time he saw a manual wine bottle opener. “Have you considered getting a house bot? They’re great, and one could help you out with all sorts of things. We have plenty in inventory.”

  “I never had much luck with them.” Andre retrieved two wine glasses. “My wife and I tried one. It always gave us problems.”

  It took little time for John to open the wine bottle. “We had to do without house bots during the Screen mission. There wasn’t time to stock the ship with parts to maintain a fleet of them. That’s one of the things I remedied when we rejoined TERRA. They’re very helpful.”

  “I don’t know,” Andre muttered. “Machines break down.”

  John could tell he was hesitant about the suggestion. “They’re some unreliable models out there, but some very good ones. I have one who’s been in my family over twenty years.”

  Andre was amazed to hear such a thing. “I didn’t think they lasted that long, but it doesn’t matter. I’m too old to have new toys.”

  John chuckled at Andre’s comment as he poured each of them a large serving of chardonnay in each glass. “I guess not everyone’s good with technology. I had to do without my bot during the Screen mission. I left him behind on Earth when I was recruited.”

  Andre took notice of the captain’s comment. “Him?”

  “His name’s X. I consider him my family,” John said as he sipped his wine. “He helped raise me after mom and dad died.”

  “I’m sorry to hear that,” Andre said. “You have good memories of your parents?”

  “I don’t remember them. They died when I was just a baby. Besides pictures, I just have the stories my sister told me of them.”

  “Oh? Is your sister on this ship?”

  John shook his head. “She died some years ago.” He wanted to change the subject. He still harbored conflicting emotions about what happened to her. During the Screen mission, John learned that she was murdered by Admiral Johnson, the man who selected John to command PHOENIX. John was so bent on getting revenge when they completed their mission, but he never had the opportunity as the admiral died before PHOENIX returned to the solar system.

  “Maybe we should start with getting you familiar with a DAT,” John suggested.

  “I’m horrible with them,” Andre admitted. “I still use pen and paper to take notes and review my finances. I know you don’t carry paper on board, so l brought as many notebooks as I could carry.”

  “They’re easy to use,” John assured as he held up his glass. “For now, here’s to making a new friend.”

  Andre lifted his glass up as well. “Thank you, captain. I do appreciate your offer, but they’re more important things you could be doing than teaching me how to use a device.”

  “Nonsense,” insisted John. “The welfare of the crew is my primary concern. I know I can’t meet everyone, but it’s nice to have a chance to get to know some of them,” as he looked around. He spotted some pictures of Andre with an elderly woman. “Is your wife here?”

  Andre shook his head. “No, I lost her about a year ago.”

  John regretted asking about her. “I’m sorry.”

  Andre took a sip of wine. “It’s okay. We were married fifty-two years. We raised a family and enjoyed a good retirement together. I always assumed we could tackle anything. I wasn’t prepared for when she got sick.”

  “May I ask what she had?” John asked.

  “A rare form of dementia. It’s one they haven’t found a cure for yet. I watched her decline for six years. I took care of her, but my own health began to decline. I finally had to place her in a nursing home. It was the hardest thing I ever had to do.”

  John had a lot of sympathy for Andre. He could hear the sadness in the old man’s voice as he talke
d about his wife. The captain was devastated when he lost Alex’sis, but at least it was during a battle, and her death was quick. He couldn’t imagine watching a loved one slowly wither away.

  “I lost someone very dear to me,” John revealed. “We only had a short time together. She meant a lot to me. I miss her so much.”

  It made Andre feel better that John could relate to how he felt. “You know how it is then. My wife declined quickly after I placed her. It was hard, but I knew it was for the best. I spent a year after she died trying to keep busy, but nothing seemed to help.”

  “What about your kids?” John asked. “Did they help?”

  Andre sighed. “I have one son, Mikal. He and I never got along. I tried making up with him after his mom got sick, but he wanted nothing to do with us. Another reason I decided to leave Earth. There was nothing for me there. When I heard about the lottery, I signed up. Never expected to be picked. I let my son know I was chosen, but I never heard from him.”

  John felt bad for Andre’s family situation. He wanted to provide him some comfort. “The hardest lesson to learn is that life isn’t fair. I lost my parents, my sister, the love of my life. It was like the universe was trying to test me or something.”

  Andre broke a weak smile. He appreciated being able to talk to someone who could relate to his situation. “How do you do it?”

  John was perplexed by his question. “What do you mean?”

  “How do you keep going? You lost so many important people in your life. How do you keep going?”

  John thought about it for a moment. “I count the crew as my family. We went through a lot together during the Screen mission. Most of them are still here, and we’ve become a close-knit group. I know I can count on every one of them. I genuinely care about their happiness. PHOENIX is my home. I can’t see myself ever leaving it.”