Home Run (Smuggler's Tales From the Golden Age of the Solar Clipper Book 3)

by Nathan Lowell

  “Can you ask him?” Konstantin asked.

  “Yeah. That’s the kind of thing I’d like to do in person,” Natalya said.

  “We have a ship,” Zoya said.

  “It needs a captain and engineer.”

  Zoya shook her head. “Only if it’s carrying cargo, and it’s set up for single-person operation. As it sits, it’s just an expensive yacht.”

  Natalya poked the last piece of cookie into her mouth, the soft crumbly confection melting in her mouth sweetening the slug of coffee chasing it. She sighed with the simple pleasure. “True.”

  “When do you want to go?” Zoya asked.

  “Not today. Lemme think about it. It’s a lot to take in and this is a nice quiet place to do it.”

  “Ms. Grimes said she’d send you some referrals,” Konstantin said, speaking into the back of his cup. “Might be useful to see what the local talent is. Dark Knight isn’t the only station doing cross-border trading.” He glanced at Natalya with a wink. “You know what ship you want?”

  “I’m leaning to Barbell for the huge cargo capacity. The disadvantage is you can’t diversify.”

  “The new Eighty-Eights look sweet,” he said. “Have you seen them yet?”

  Natalya shook her head. “They’re not in production yet, are they? The last I heard Manchester wasn’t going to have the first one off the ways until next stanyer.”

  “The first one came off the ways in January. They’ve been running space trials on it around the local cluster. Here to St. Cloud and back. I think they made a run over to Dunsany Roads to show it off at the Confederation seat there.”

  Natalya felt the tug. “Having the newest model of the newest class would be kinda cool for a new freight line.”

  “But ... ?” Zoya asked.

  Natalya gave Zoya a glance. “Have we forgotten the ‘flying coffin’ so soon?”

  “Yeah, but the redesign came out nice.”

  Natalya nodded. “I have to give you that. Still. I think I’d prefer a proven design. We already know how easily a Barbell can be upgraded for Toe-Hold space. I don’t want to spend the next decade three-hopping from here to Zvezda Moya.”

  “Good point,” Zoya said, screwing her lips into a grimace.

  “Advice?” Konstantin asked.

  “Sure,” Natalya said.

  “Go see the Manchester people before you decide.”

  “You are suggesting that I actually seek the necessary information from the people who have it rather than spinning my ship with speculation?” Natalya asked, grinning across the table at him.

  “It’s a weakness I have,” he said.

  Natalya looked to Zoya. “Wanna come with me?”

  “I do,” she said. “But I think I have some fence mending to do.”

  Konstantin found the inside of his tea cup particularly interesting.

  “I’m not sure how I feel about taking the Star Struck over by myself,” Natalya said.

  “It’s just like the Peregrine, but bigger,” Zoya said.

  “Yes, but do you remember the last time I docked at a ten-meter ring? I don’t.”

  “I’ll go,” Konstantin said.

  Zoya’s head whipped around so fast, Natalya thought she might have injured her neck.

  Konstantin smiled at her. “You’ve got this. May as well get used to working with Cedar while I’m still in system.”

  “Cedar?” Zoya asked.

  “Cedar Sanderson. Worked her way up from the barges. I think she’s held every production job in the company at one point or another. She’s my number two.”

  “How old is she?” Zoya asked.

  “Don’t look like that. She’s got ten stanyers on you but she started young and worked hard. I think she’s got her eye on your job.” He grinned. “Mine’s just one step from yours.”

  Zoya looked across the table at him, her eyes narrowing. “What’s really going on?”

  “She’s really next in line. I’ve worked with her for the last five stanyers. You know our policy. First job ... ”

  “Hire your replacement,” Zoya said, finishing his thought.

  He nodded.

  “Where do I find her?” Zoya asked.

  “In her office, I suspect.”

  “Which one is hers?”

  “The one that used to be mine. Remember where it is?”

  “Across from Gram’s?”

  Konstantin shook his head. “Across from yours.” He emptied his tea cup. “Better get used to it.” He stood and nodded to Natalya. “Let’s go see what Manchester has in their back lot, shall we?”

  Natalya took a last swig from her mug. “Back lot?”

  Konstantin smiled. “You don’t think they just let the ways stay empty, do you?”

  Natalya followed him out of the kitchen and down the passageway toward the docks. “I didn’t give it a lot of thought. I figured I’d have to wait a few months for it to be built.”

  “Well, you’ll probably have a few weeks for them to do any customization but I’m pretty sure they have at least two Barbells and a mixed freight container ship built on spec.”

  “Don’t they make a fast packet, too?” Natalya asked. “What’d they call it? Dart?”

  “Javelin,” Konstantin said. “Unwin’s so much better they don’t even try to compete in that space. You can order one. They’d build it. I wouldn’t bother.” He paused to open the security door. “Now tanker? If you wanted to get into hauling gas or liquids, Manchester’s tankers are brilliant. Small crews, high volumes, setting up trade routes is simple because almost everybody needs gas. They even have some segregated tank setups. Carry up to three different fluids at a time.”

  “Future expansion, maybe,” Natalya said, stopping beside Konstantin.

  “That’s the way to do it,” he said.

  Natalya looked around wondering why they’d stopped until Konstantin stared at the lock control. She keyed the lock open and walked through into the Star Struck. “Sorry, didn’t realize we were taking my ship.”

  Konstantin grinned. “You might as well get used to flying it, since you’re the newest shipping magnate and all. I’m just here for comic relief.”

  “How long to get over to the yard from here?”

  “Not long, the Rock is at its closest approach right now. Another few months and it would be a lot longer. We’re close to the orbital, too, and getting closer. Your timing is good.”

  Natalya led the way up to the bridge and plopped into the engineer’s console.

  Konstantin took one of the extra seats on the bridge and buckled in. He looked up at Natalya, a cherubic smile on his face.

  Natalya laughed and changed seats. “Habit.”

  “You’ll break it,” he said. “You haven’t had it very long.”

  She ran through the pre-flight and signaled for departure clearance. The reply came back almost immediately. “Do I need to declare Usoko on board or anything?” she asked.

  He laughed. “Not unless you want a swarm of newsies chasing you all the way to the yards and back.”

  She keyed the docking release and felt the vibration through the deck when the clamps retracted. A quick glance at the ship’s sensors confirmed they were free in space so she popped a quick burst on the thrusters and started the ship easing back from the station. “She’s not quite as spritely as the Peregrine,” she said.

  “I’m not surprised,” Konstantin said, lounging back in the chair. “It’s got to have at least an order of magnitude more mass, even empty.”

  Natalya nodded. “At least. I don’t know exactly how much but I think the Peregrine massed less full than this ship can carry.” She pulled clear of the station and swiveled the ship to point at empty space before she swapped over to the navigational screens and used the ship’s computer to figure out the best course to the yards. The solution snapped into view almost as soon as Natalya had asked for it. She loaded the course into the autopilot and passed control to the machinery. “Two stans,” she said.
r />   “Excellent.” Konstantin released his straps and stood. “I’ll go make some coffee. You watch for obstacles.”

  Natalya laughed as he dropped down the ladder and off the bridge. She sat there on the bridge by herself, marveling that the view through the armorglass seemed, somehow, brighter. Unlike on the Peregrine she had a full 360° view from her seat. Even with the solid overhead, it felt roomier. She’d explored every centimeter of the ship on the run out from Zvezda Moya. The engineering space wasn’t as small, but the equipment filling it took up more volume. Engineering spaces rarely had much room and the Unwin Eight was no exception. Still, she liked the ship. The scrubber used a familiar cartridge system. The holds that gave the ship its name felt like being outdoors compared to the Peregrine. They wouldn’t feel so spacious when full, but at the moment, just sticking her head in to hear the echo amused her.

  Konstantin returned to the bridge, two cups clasped in one huge paw. “Here you go,” he said, handing one off to her.

  “I thought you were a tea drinker,” she said.

  He shrugged and took his seat again. “I like them both. Coffee always seems to taste best on the bridge.”

  “You miss being on the bridge?” she asked.

  He took a sip from his mug and paused for a few heartbeats. “Not really. I spent a fair amount of time on the barges when I was younger. It’s something I can do, but all things being equal, I’d just as soon spend trips in the galley.”

  “Cooking?”

  “It’s about the only time I get the chance, other than Genevieve’s infrequent days off.”

  Natalya watched as the autopilot adjusted course on their first way point. “What will she do now? For that matter, what will you do now?”

  Konstantin took a deep breath and let it out, a shallow smile curving his lips. “Genevieve? I don’t know. I suspect she’ll be a bit lost at first.” He shrugged. “As will I.”

  “Think Zoya will hire her back?”

  He shook his head. “I hope she doesn’t. Genevieve would accept but I hope she’ll do something adventurous and extravagant.”

  “Like what?”

  Konstantin shrugged. “There’s a passenger line that offers a ‘round-the-annex’ cruise. It’s a long ride but visits a lot of the Confederation ports as well as some stops in interesting places along the way. A ticket for the full circuit is pretty steep, but it includes hot and cold running everything. Food, drink, entertainments, anything you can think of to keep the paying customers from jumping ship at the next port and going home.”

  “That would be extravagant. Could she eat somebody else’s cooking?”

  He laughed. “I suspect so, but then she’d probably try to figure out the recipe and how to make it better.”

  “Maybe she’ll open a restaurant,” Natalya said.

  “Grandma’s Kitchen?” Konstantin asked with a smile.

  “Genevieve’s Kitchen?” Natalya asked. “She’s not a grandma, is she?”

  “She is, actually.”

  “Maybe she’ll go spoil her grandkids for a while,” Natalya said.

  Konstantin laughed. “Don’t suggest that to her. Her youngest grandchild has four kids of her own.”

  Natalya laughed.

  “I suppose she could go spoil them,” Konstantin said, sipping his coffee and staring out into space.

  “And you?” she asked.

  He sighed. “I don’t know. I’ve been doing what I love for more than half a century.” He glanced at her. “Wasn’t always the same thing, but you know what I mean.”

  Natalya nodded.

  “Now, I need to step back. It’s one of the reasons I wanted to go with you today, actually. Zoya can’t be looking to me while she’s trying to consolidate her position. I can’t been seen as the hand behind the throne, either.” He shook his head. “I’ve always done what I wanted to do. Madoka and I started with a barge and a dream. She had the business sense. It may have skipped a generation but Zoya has it.”

  “I don’t know. Sounds like your son is doing pretty well wildcatting. That can’t be easy.”

  Konstantin frowned but nodded. “It’s not easy and he’s doing very well at it. He fills his holds, pays his crew. I don’t think he ever got over losing his wife. Still blames himself, I suspect.”

  “Have you talked to him? Is that how you know?”

  Konstantin shook his head and sighed, looking out into space. “It’s what I’d do,” he said, his voice very far away.

  Natalya considered that as she settled down to drink her coffee and let Konstantin consider his options in peace.

  As the sprawling yard grew nearer, a local traffic message directed her to a lock at one end of the massive construction. “I thought our platform was huge,” Natalya said.

  “They’ve had a few decades to work on this,” Konstantin said. “I’m not sure what they’re planning on putting up in Zvezda Moya but it’ll be at least five ways for ships up to three hundred meters. They’ve got seven ways here.”

  Natalya brought the ship in close to the dock, holding at ten meters. The side of the station looked massive. Natalya looked at Konstantin. For his part he seemed to be staring at the docking ring ahead and paying Natalya no mind.

  Natalya armed her docking ring and eased the ship up to the side of the yard structure. Her screen showed her track with a bullseye. The ship slid straight to the center and Natalya zeroed her velocity when the clamps chunked onto the locking ring. She blew out the breath she’d been holding.

  Konstantin pulled off his seatbelt and stood to smile at her. “Nicely done.”

  She felt her face heat up at the praise. “Thanks. Wrench monkeys don’t get this view very often.”

  He laughed. “You’ll never be a wrench monkey.” He headed down the ladder. “Let’s go see what we can find, shall we?”

  A uniformed escort met them at the dock. “Good afternoon. Welcome to Manchester’s Margary Yards. May I ask your business with Manchester today so that I might direct you to your destination?”

  Konstantin hung back, letting Natalya drive. “I’m Natalya Regyri. I’m here to pick out a ship.”

  The man’s expression never changed from the politely attentive even though Natalya couldn’t believe she was standing in the docking gallery of Manchester’s Yard asking for—in effect—a menu.

  “Do you have an existing appointment?” he asked.

  Natalya’s stomach sank. “No, sorry.”

  He just barely smiled. “May I have your name again? I’ll check to see if there’s an associate who can take care of you.”

  “Natalya Regyri.” She spelled it for him.

  “Natalya Regyri,” he said. “Did I pronounce it correctly?”

  “Yes,” she said.

  “Excuse me one moment.” He backed away a few steps and tapped into this tablet before holding the device up to his ear. “Yes, sir. A Natalya Regyri with guest,” he said. His gaze focused in the distance somewhere over Natalya’s shoulder.

  She did her best not to look, too.

  His gaze snapped into focus on her. “Yes, sir. Natalya Regyri.” He spelled it out.

  He stared at her and nodded several times at whatever was filling his ear. “Yes, sir. Immediately.” He pressed a few buttons on the device and dropped it into a pocket, reassembling his welcome smile from the shattering it had just received. He stepped up and ushered them forward with a sweeping open-palm gesture. “If you’d step this way, Director Aitken will see you now.”

  The sign on the door read “Director Jack Aitken.” Their escort tapped the panel once with his knuckle and the door retreated into the bulkhead. A receptionist behind the desk stood and gave Natalya a nod. “Ms. Regyri?”

  “That’s me,” she said.

  She slipped a hand under the edge of her desk and a buzzer sounded from the pair of double doors across the room. “Director Aitken will see you now.”

  Natalya crossed the room, feeling a little self-conscious about her attire. Konstantin
followed just a step behind and slightly to her left.

  “Just remember, it’s your money,” he said, his voice barely audible over the swish-swish of their boots across the lush carpet. “Because he sure as hell will and he’ll want it to become his.”

  Natalya laughed as she reached the door which opened on its own, welcoming them into the inner sanctum.

  Aitken rose from behind his very utilitarian looking metal desk and came around with a smile that reeked of profit-taking and a hand extended toward Natalya’s virtual wallet. The smile stuttered just a fraction when he glanced at Konstantin coming in behind her. His hand wavered just slightly, apparently having difficulty with target lock between the naive new customer with deep pockets and the longtime adversary with deep bank accounts. “My dear Ms. Regyri, I’m so glad to meet you at last.”

  “Director Aitken,” Natalya said, giving the glad-hand a bit of a squeeze and releasing it as quickly as possible so he’d turn to Konstantin and give her an opportunity to wipe her palm against the side of her pants.

  “Konstantin,” Aitken said, giving the man a double-hand over-and-under pump. “I was so sorry to hear of your loss.”

  “Thank you, Jack. It took us all by surprise.”

  Natalya marveled at Konstantin’s composure.

  “What will you do now?” Aitken asked.

  Konstantin shrugged. “I’m stepping down. Should have done it a decade ago so Madoka and I could have shared our twilight years.”

  Aitken all but drooled on his well-polished shoes. “Oh? I hadn’t heard that.”

  Konstantin nodded and threw himself into a chair without being asked.

  Aitken covered by holding a chair for Natalya. “Please have a seat, Ms. Regyri.”

  “With Madoka gone, it’s time to hand the reins over to the new generation,” Konstantin said, shrugging as if he’d just said he was going to the sushi bar on the corner.

  Aitken’s smile stuttered again, but recovered as he returned to his throne behind the desk. “The new generation?”

  “We recalled Zoya. She’s inherited the company.”

  “Zoya? Your ... grand-daughter?”

  “Yes.” Konstantin smiled. “She’s just gotten back from starting up our new operation. Hell of a job. Less than two stanyers, zero to fully vertical alloy production. Rock to finished metal.”