Veklocks

by S. H. Jucha

  Setting both comm units down, Henry regarded his half-eaten meal and said, “I think I’ve lost my appetite.”

  Liam stopped eating and eyed Henry’s stricken face. “It was only conjecture,” he said.

  “Not anymore,” Henry replied. He drained his water glass, which a server refilled.

  Henry hefted his comm unit and said, “Captain Randall ‘RJ’ Jordan is a board member and one of your nine. A few years ago, he confessed to me that he had financial troubles. I think he was sounding me out for a loan. Later, he told me that one of his investments had paid off, and he was financially secure. I remember taking him to the Starlight to celebrate.”

  “This information only indicates the possibility of nefarious contact with downsiders,” Liam said. “There’s every possibility the calls are innocent. That’s why we need the warrants to record them.”

  Henry set his comm unit on the table. He picked up a utensil and continued to eat, although he didn’t feel hungry anymore. It was an old habit borne of shipboard life. Spacers never wasted food.

  In Henry’s mind, he saw himself balanced on the edge of an ethical blade. Convening the Review Board to consider the warrants ran the risk of revealing Liam’s hand. However, granting Liam’s request to record his verbal approval went against the tenets of the Review Board, which he’d sworn to uphold. Yet, it seemed the only way to fight against the families’ infiltration of JOS security.

  Images of the Jatouche, who were working aboard the Belle, hung in Henry’s mind. The aliens represented tremendous potential for Pyre’s future.

  “We’d better prepare our people to be worthy of their beneficence,” Henry muttered.

  “What?” Liam asked. “I didn’t hear you.”

  “I’ll be a few minutes,” Henry said. He picked up the two comm units, caught Maggie’s eye, and gestured toward her office. When she nodded, he entered the small room, shut the door, and composed his thoughts.

  Henry chose to address the board, as if he was presenting the warrant applications. He made his case for their approval. When he finished, he explained his reason for granting the applications unilaterally because of the positions the suspects held within security.

  When Henry returned to the table, he said, “You have your warrants, Liam, but you should understand that you just put both our careers in jeopardy.”

  “If I can break the families’ hold on the security department, I’ll gladly give up my job if I’m asked to resign,” Liam stated defiantly.

  “I feel the same way,” Henry said. “I’m tired of the families’ coin corrupting stationers.”

  “And spacers,” Liam added unhappily.

  “An ex-spacer, if it proves that RJ is guilty,” Henry corrected.

  * * * *

  The next morning, and with Liam’s approval, Cecilia set up the code to record the nine targets. With the call frequencies, the natures of the contacts were soon obvious.

  In most cases, JOS security personnel were routinely giving confidential information to family security. They shared data on investigations, comm IDs, and arrests. Much of it was to facilitate the potential for blackmail.

  Of the nine suspects, eight committed multiple felony offenses every day. Only one individual proved to be innocent. His partner worked downside, and the couple chatted regularly.

  RJ Jordan, the Review Board member, was one of the greatest offenders. His high level of access to warrants and trials was extremely valuable to the families.

  “Eight of the nine,” Cecilia said in the follow-up meeting. She’d sent links to Liam and Miguel of key conversations of each of the eight.

  “We need proof of financial gain in return for the information flow to warrant the more severe charges,” Liam said.

  “Already done,” Miguel replied. “Every one of them has been profiting on a regular basis. The transfers were traced to accounts that were opened and closed within one or two days.”

  “Standard operating procedure for the families,” Liam commented. “That means we won’t find the proof to indict the families, only the station accomplices.”

  “Our board member, RJ, is an enterprising individual,” Cecilia noted. “He shares the same information with three different individuals.”

  “It’s too bad we can’t do anything about the downsiders who these eight call,” Liam said.

  “What about bribery charges?” Miguel asked.

  “We’d be guessing,” Cecilia interjected. “The downsiders answer their comm units with hello, yes, or speak. They never use their names, and our eight traitors never call the downsiders by name. I don’t think our security personnel or the board member know who’s on the comm. Another point, I’ve heard different downsider voices answer the same comm unit. I think their devices are registered to a family or, perhaps, they’re unregistered.”

  Liam and Miguel stared at Cecilia with stunned expressions.

  “It’s possible,” Cecilia quickly added. “Remember who works for Dorelyn Gaylan. If I can create an anonymous and unregistered comm ID, then he can too.”

  “If it’s anonymous, how do you call it?” Miguel inquired.

  “You wouldn’t, I would imagine, but you could probably make untraceable calls to others,” Liam guessed.

  “Half right,” Cecilia replied. “An unregistered device can be called if you have certain details about the unit.”

  Miguel had another question, but Liam signaled him to silence. He wasn’t sure that he wanted to know more about the subject, at this time.

  “Essentially, we don’t have enough evidence to pursue arrest warrants against family members, but we have all we need to take down our informants,” Liam said.

  “Speaking of our board member, did you warn Jessie and Harbour off?” Cecilia asked.

  “Yes, I met them and found they were still working on estimating the cost of their services,” Liam replied. “I told them they needed to delay their submission to the board until I resolved an internal matter.”

  “How did they take it?” Miguel asked.

  “As you would figure,” Liam replied. “Jessie wasn’t satisfied with my vague request, and he wanted more details. Then Harbour fixed on me. Moments later, she tells Jessie that it’s all right, and they’ll wait to hear from me.”

  “I find that eerie,” Miguel said, shuddering.

  “I don’t know,” Cecilia mused. “It cuts down on the lying when empaths are around. I kind of like that.”

  Afterwards, Liam had a second meeting with Henry, who reviewed the recordings and the applications for the arrest warrants. He gave Liam his oral consent, which the commandant recorded.

  “I can’t believe Jordan,” Henry lamented. “He was a fine captain.”

  “Coin or the lack of it makes people vulnerable … makes them do unsavory things,” Liam replied, “and selling secrets isn’t the worst of those things.”

  That night, Cecilia and Miguel led teams of security to arrest seven of the eight. They tracked them via their comm units, finding them in their cabins, at cantinas, and one was visiting a coin-kitty.

  Liam, Henry and two agents visited Captain Jordan’s cabin. He lived in a modest area of the station, as befitting a retired mining captain who’d had some luck.

  When RJ answered the cabin’s door, he saw Liam standing beside Henry, and the smile on his face faded. “You know,” he said.

  “We know,” Henry replied.

  RJ stepped back to let the foursome enter the cabin. Liam presided over the arrest, and the two agents took RJ into custody.

  “You look like you could use a drink,” Liam said to his friend, after the agents escorted RJ out.

  “Let’s make it the Miner’s Pit,” Henry replied. “I could use the company of some honest spacers.”

  Liam secured RJ’s cabin by entering his commandant’s override into the door’s access panel. Then the pair leisurely strolled to the Pit. They were sharing drinks, when Jessie and Harbour walked into the cantina. Their entrance was
heralded by shouts of greeting from Maggie and most of the patrons.

  Liam stood up and gestured to them.

  Maggie quickly scooted two spacers to the bar and put another table together.

  “Celebrating?” Jessie asked, after some handshakes.

  “No,” Harbour corrected, while hugging the men. “What’s wrong?” she asked.

  “A death,” Henry said morosely. He was on his fifth drink.

  “Who died?” Jessie asked in alarm.

  “Not who, what,” Henry replied. “My faith in humankind.”

  Jessie looked at Liam in confusion.

  “We arrested security personnel tonight. They were selling intelligence to the families,” Liam explained.

  “Emerson,” Jessie said in disgust. “If he didn’t hire them because they were twisted, then he probably corrupted them.”

  “Why are you upset, Henry?” Harbour asked.

  “One of the people we arrested is a board member,” Henry replied. He downed the remaining half of his drink and held up his empty glass to order another.

  Jessie and Harbour glanced sharply at Liam, who raised his eyebrows to confirm their concerns.

  Henry caught Maggie’s attention. She worked her way to him through the tables, heard his order, and glanced toward Jessie.

  “Captain,” Jessie said firmly, as if he was addressing a crew member, “I think it’s time to turn in.”

  Henry stared bleary-eyed at Jessie and then Harbour. “You’re probably right,” he said.

  Liam helped Henry to his feet, and Maggie signaled a nearby spacer.

  “This is Brody, Captain,” Maggie said. “He’ll see you to your cabin.”

  “We’ll be all right, Captain,” Brody said. “I’ve got one good leg, and in your condition, your two wobbly ones should make a good one. We hang on to each other, and we should have a pretty good pair.”

  Henry laughed at Brody’s analysis of their mutual impediments. The retired captain and ex-spacer linked arms and navigated their way toward the exit hatch.

  “Henry’s taking the board member’s arrest extremely hard,” Jessie said to Liam. “It was a captain he knew, wasn’t it?”

  “I can’t say,” Liam replied.

  “No need,” Jessie allowed. “Are we cleared to present to the board?”

  “Yes, but I’d wait a week or so before you do,” Liam replied.

  “Understood,” Jessie said, and Harbour and he watched Liam leave.

  “The families have lost their security contacts,” Jessie commented to Harbour.

  “Dorelyn will certainly be angry,” Harbour said. Then she grinned and added, “It couldn’t happen to a nicer woman.”

  Jessie smothered his laugh. “Is that any way for an envoy to speak?” he teased.

  -5-

  Twenty

  Beatrice “Birdie” Andrews had the comms on the Honora Belle’s bridge. The colony ship was holding station near the YIPS, while the Jatouche and the Pyreans assembled intravertors in the ship’s bays.

  Four sets of intravertor parts from the first group sent to the Pyreans were being completed aboard the YIPS. Then they’d be towed to the Belle.

  The colony ship would store the intravertors in its bays until the launching platform was constructed. The platform was the second project promised the Pyreans by the Jatouche in return for the explorers’ efforts.

  Mitch “Dingles” Bassiter, the Belle’s new captain, stepped over the hatch threshold to enter the bridge. He stood there, enjoying his morning drink, until movement on a monitor caught his eye.

  “The Triton monitor,” Dingles said emphatically.

  The first mate and Birdie ended their discussion to observe the monitor, which received a constant transmission from the dome’s console. The Belle relayed the broadcast Pyre-wide, and the stations had dedicated a channel to the imagery.

  “They’re new,” Birdie commented, eyeing the three winged-and-feathered aliens, who towered above the humans.

  “And our Pyreans are back,” Dingles said sadly.

  “Does that mean Rictook is gone?” Birdie asked.

  “I think so,” Dingles replied. “Notice Jaktook is here, but Tacticnok isn’t.”

  “Then she’s the new ruler,” the first mate surmised.

  “That too,” Dingles agreed.

  “Quite the discussion,” Birdie noted, gesturing at the monitor. “I’d have expected a call from Devon or Aurelia. Instead, our Pyreans and the Jatouche are facing the bird aliens.”

  Dingles and the bridge crew were mesmerized by the interplay. They were disappointed that they couldn’t observe Aurelia’s work at the console. Their view was a wide angle from on high and pointing toward the deck. It would remain static until a console operator changed it.

  “Captain, does this look like a friendly discussion?” the first mate asked.

  Dingles still tended to look for Harbour when a crew member spoke of the captain. He’d been her first mate soon after she’d rescued him from security’s holding cells. Space dementia had forced his retirement from Jessie’s ship, the Spryte, but he’d fared no better aboard the JOS.

  Harbour had not only given him a second chance at life, as a crew member and then as her first mate, but the empaths had cured him of his dementia. Now he was partnered with Nadine, an empath. Dingles celebrated his transformation every waking moment.

  “I wouldn’t say it’s unfriendly,” Dingles opined. “What I think is important to notice is how the Jatouche stand with our people. Wait one, while I get the envoy.”

  Dingles pulled his comm unit, thumbed the screen on, selected Harbour, and placed a call.

  “Yes, Captain,” Harbour replied.

  Dingles could hear Harbour’s brisk breaths and the sounds of others nearby.

  “You free to talk, Envoy Harbour?” Dingles asked, employing her title.

  “On my way to meet with my advisor, Captain, and I’m running late. And you know how the man likes punctuality,” Harbour replied. “I’m nearly there. Give me a moment.”

  Harbour smacked the red hatch release of the Pit, and Jessie triggered it open from inside. They’d be getting an early meal before regular business hours. It was an opportunity to review their presentation to the Review Board.

  Dingles heard Jessie’s voice, then Maggie’s, and the drop off of the corridor crowd. He liked the Pit, but the Belle provided him a level of comfort he couldn’t have imagined — fresh food daily, a cantina at night, a wonderful woman, and the company of friendly aliens.

  “Go ahead, Captain,” Harbour said to Dingles.

  “We’ve visitors at the dome, Envoy,” Dingles replied. “Our Pyreans are home. Jaktook and Kractik are here, and we have three new aliens.”

  “Have they called?” Jessie asked.

  “No, Advisor,” Dingles replied. Jessie posed another confusing individual for Dingles. He found it difficult not to address Jessie as captain. His title was now advisor or, more specifically, Advisor Cinders to Envoy Harbour.

  “There’s something about the discussion with these three new aliens that I think you should know,” Dingles continued. “The Jatouche are standing tight with our people, while they face the bird aliens. You’d think they were all latched on.”

  “Describe the bird aliens, Captain,” Jessie requested.

  Dingles did the best he could. Birdie helped him by supplying suggestions via hand signs.

  “The Veklocks,” Harbour interjected, when she’d heard enough. “We passed through their dome on our return home.”

  “Do you know why they’re here?” Dingles asked.

  “I have some ideas,” Harbour replied, “but it’s your description of the parties’ stances that I find interesting.”

  While Harbour and Dingles were talking, Jessie tuned the Pit’s monitor to the Triton channel.

  Birdie signaled Dingles, who said to Harbour, “Envoy, Aurelia has placed a call.”

  Dingles heard Birdie briefly chat with Aurelia. When Birdie ga
ve him a thumbs-up, he closed his comm unit, and Birdie transferred Aurelia’s call to Harbour’s comm unit.

  “Hello, Envoy Harbour,” Aurelia said with formality.

  “Hello, Aurelia,” Harbour replied. “I see that you have guests … our Pyreans, Jaktook, Kractik, and three Veklocks.”

  “The Veklocks, who are partners, are called a triumvirate,” Aurelia elaborated. “They’re here at the request of the Tsargit. Patrus is their leader, and the other two are Opalus and Pesart.”

  “Put them on,” Harbour instructed, while eyeing the Pit’s monitor.

  “I’m Patrus, Envoy Harbour. We’ve been sent by the Tsargit to speak with you.”

  “Welcome to Pyre, Patrus,” Harbour replied. “You’ve probably become aware that our dome’s infrastructure is limited. We can’t get a ship to Triton for …” Harbour consulted Jessie, who hand signed three weeks. “For twenty-one cycles,” she finished.

  “Your ship transport is unnecessary, Envoy,” Patrus replied. “We’ve been informed that we must cross vacuum to reach your vehicle. We’re unprepared for such rudimentary … we’re unprepared. We have no vac suits.”

  “Might I suggest an alternative, Envoy?” Jaktook interrupted. “The triumvirate, Kractik, and I will return to Rissness. We can wait for you and your advisor at Rissness Station.”

  Jaktook sensed hesitation from Harbour, and he could imagine the numerous projects that clamored for Harbour and Jessie’s attentions.

  “Envoy Harbour, it would be an appropriate time for you to escort another twenty of your citizens to the station,” Jaktook offered.

  Harbour didn’t consult with Jessie. She didn’t need to ask. Both of them would gladly journey to meet with the Veklocks, despite the demands on their time, if it meant another twenty spacers or critically injured could be repaired.

  “We accept, Jaktook,” Harbour said.

  Patrus regarded his mates, and their beaks tipped in agreement.

  “We’ll be returning, Envoy,” Patrus said. “When can we expect you?”

  “We have important business to conduct here before we can launch for Triton. We’ll make Rissness within thirty cycles,” Harbour replied.