“That’s it,” he breathed in her ear as they swayed gently to the music, “you’ve seen everything.”
“What a wonderful ship,” one of her delicate hands moved from his shoulder to entwine itself in his hair and pull his head downward. He was lost in a cloud of her perfume and bent his head to her beautiful lips.
“Captain, what the frag do you think you’re doing?”
“Eh?” The music stopped, the lights went up and Raan stepped away from Adrianna. “Major…” he began.
“Adrianna, I think it’s time you went for a lie down,” snapped Erion.
“I’ll take her,” Raan took her hand.
“No, Captain. I’ll take her.” Erion gently took the girl’s elbow and walked her out of the crew lounge. She turned her head at the hatch for the crew quarters, “wait for me here, Captain.”
“Yes, Sir.” Erion was back within five minutes, barely holding her anger in check. “What do you think you’re doing? She’s a guest on this ship and she’s scarcely out of her teens.”
“Major, I think I love her.”
“Don’t be an idiot!” Erion caught sight of his face. “You’re serious aren’t you?” She took his arm, “Come on, sit down with me.”
“I know it sounds like a cliché, Major, but I’ve never met anyone like her before. She looks like an angel but, believe me, she doesn’t kiss like one.”
“This all seems rather sudden for you, Raan. What makes her so special?” He shrugged.
“I don’t know, Erion. All I know is that for the first time in my life, I’m thinking about settling down.”
“Raan, we’re in the Rebel Alliance. We’re at war with The Federation!”
“All the more reason for taking love where you can find it, Major.” Raan stood up. “We’re short on pilots and it’s my turn up top.” He walked to the main hall without looking back and left her there alone with her thoughts. When Erion walked into the Pilot Section, Adrianna was already there, apparently deciding that she didn’t need a rest after all. Going by the looks they were giving each other, things were getting more serious by the minute. They never spent a second apart and Erion was getting concerned. Something just didn’t feel right and she wished Starfire was there to get her opinion. They were all in the pilot section apart from Professor Lear, who just seemed to wander about in a cloud of happy confusion.
“Where’s your grandfather, dear?” asked Erion. “Would you like to go and find him?” Erion wanted to get Captain Raan on his own, but it looked like it wasn’t going to happen. Adrianna, sitting next to Raan in the co-pilot seat, lifted a pale hand to her head as if she had a headache.
“What’s wrong,” asked Raan, concerned.
“I don’t know,” she answered. “I suddenly feel faint.”
“Come on,” Raan stood up and took her elbow. “I’ll take you to your quarters. He turned to Delta Ten. “Can you and Erion manage here?”
“Of course,” Erion turned from her Navigations post. “Keep me informed, Captain.” Raan guided Adrianna through the crew lounge and into her quarters. She was leaning heavily against him and he could smell her perfume. It was elegant and perfect, just like her and he felt his senses reeling.
“Let’s get you lying down,” Raan automatically spoke to her as if she was a little child, just like her grandfather did. He placed her on the bunk, and made to leave, but her hands snaked around his neck and drew him to her. He pulled back, but her perfume enveloped him in a cloud of joy and his face lowered to hers until their lips crushed together.
“Raan’s taking his time,” mused Erion. “He’s not answering his link either.”
“Would you like me go and check, Major?” asked Delta Ten.
“No thank you, Del. You’re far more valuable here, looking after the ship. I’ll go and see how Adrianna is and then find Raan.” Professor Lear was standing outside Adrianna’s hatch when Erion walked up. “Professor,” she asked, “how is your granddaughter? She left the pilot section because she felt unwell and Raan brought her here.”
“Yes, they are here,” said the old man, simply.
“They?” Erion picked up on something in the professor’s voice. She walked to the hatch and waved her hand over the ident. There was a little chime but there was answer. “Adrianna; Raan; are you in there?”
“I have already told you,” the professor’s voice took on a harder tone, “they are in there and they do not wish to be disturbed.” Erion raised her left wrist and spoke into her comlink.
“Computer, emergency override Dubois One. Open hatch C Six.” The hatch slid open and Erion marched inside. Raan and Adrianna were entwined on the narrow bunk. His boots were missing and his shirt was undone. Adrianna’s hands were inside it, clawing at his back and moaning in ecstasy. “Captain!” she snapped. Raan looked up at her in a confused sort of way, as if he didn’t really know where he was. “Captain Raan, get dressed and get out of here!” yelled Erion, holding back her temper with difficulty. She flung his boots at him. Years of Marine training took over. There was something in the harmonics of the order that Raan’s subconscious mind recognised even if he didn’t, and he made to rise.
“No, Raan, don’t go. Stay here with me,” Adrianna’s voice pleaded. “I love you Neall, I don’t want to be apart from you for even a second.”
“Now Captain!” Erion could see he was wavering.
“Please leave them be, Major.” Erion turned to see the Professor standing with a small pistol aimed at her chest. “Who are we to stand in the way of true love?” Erion touched her wristlink, stealthily.
“This isn’t love, Professor Lear,” she looked at Raan, who was still confused. “She’s done something to him.”
“But does it matter if they are happy?”
“Yes,” snapped Erion. “Of course it matters. You’re a fool if you can’t see the difference.”
“I have no choice, Major Dubois. I have no choice.”
“There’s always a choice, Professor,” she answered, looking behind him as a soft, white vapour streamed slowly out of the heating vent and dribbled to the floor. “There’s always a choice.” She felt her own senses reeling and the last thing she saw was the old professor as his knees buckled and he slipped to the floor.
“Major? Major! Wake up!” Erion floated back to consciousness and opened her eyes. Everything looked fuzzy for a moment, then Delta Ten’s damaged face came into sharp focus. “Up you come,” Delta Ten lifted her to her feet and she stood looking at the broken furniture strewn about the floor.
“What the frag happened?”
“Adrianna went berserk is what happened,” muttered a voice from the bunk. Raan was sitting on the side of it and pulled his black boots on as he spoke. He stood up, tucked in his white shirt and reached for his gun belt.
“Del?” Erion looked at the android’s face. Part of it had been ripped away to reveal several thin tubes that flashed with pure, white light. One of his sleeves and a good part of the outer skin of his arm had been torn off and there was also the glint of shining steel rods and white oil that ran down the inside of his forearm.
“I believe Adrianna to be an android, like me.”
“Not quite like you, Del,” said Raan, darkly. “You don’t go round trying to rip people’s heads off for no reason.”
“Not as yet, Captain,” said Delta Ten, with the implied tone that it could shortly happen.
“Where did they go?” asked Erion. Raan shook his head, then a klaxon sounded and the on-board computer came to life.
“Warning, the outer casing of ion engine number one has been opened.”
“Shit,” said Raan.
“Well at least now we know where they went,” said Erion.
Chapter 5
Hal and Starfire sat facing each other in the aircar as it made its way to the Steelers Cafe. Steelers was the name the residents of Steel City called themselves and the cafe was a favourite city haunt. Hal had arranged to meet his contacts there and as was his cus
tom, arrived five minutes late so he could see who was or wasn’t watching the joint.
The café sat on the opposite corner to the Steel City Public Library and stretched along both sides of the corner. There were two glass windows at the front with a door right on the corner. They walked straight in and skirted the stairs that led to the basement. The stairs were carpeted and the sound of live piano music and the aroma of freshly ground coffee rose from the cellar.
It was packed and they sidled around the many tables placed haphazardly on the painted concrete floor. It was what they called a two tier café. The rich clientele sat in padded chairs and had white tablecloths while the working class ate the same basic food, but served themselves and cleaned up afterwards. Because depth was an aspired luxury on Terrell, the first class café was downstairs.
There was a man, a woman and a young, blonde girl, perhaps four or five years old, sitting at a small table with built in seats. The woman was thin, with a care-worn expression and the man was stocky. He had a pock-marked face and at least a two day stubble. Hal made for the table with Starfire close behind. There was a credit on each seat, as was the custom when saving places for friends. They picked up the credits, slid into the seats and put the credits on the table, on top of the cashcard that Hal took out of his pocket. The man looked down with a surly expression and it was left to the woman, who spoke quietly to Hal.
“How are you?”
“Okay. You and the kid?”
“They’re both fine.” The man slid two passes across the table and pulled the cashcard and the two credits towards him in return. He glanced at Starfire. “And this is?”
“Come on,” said Hal, ignoring the question and rising from the seat.
“Uncle Hal?” The young girl whispered. She looked upset. The man shushed her and looked furtively around the café in a way that immediately made him look suspicious.
“I told you he couldn’t stay, sweetheart,” the woman looked upset too, but the man glared at Hal. “What, no money? No little present for her? You know she’s been looking forward to seeing you since your vidcall.”
“You shouldn’t have brought her,” said Hal, flatly. “You always were an idiot.”
“I thought it would be a good cover,” the man licked his lips and lowered his voice, “you know, what with you being wanted and all.” Hal’s grey eyes grew dark and flinty and he pointed to the cashcard and looked at the young woman.
“There’s two thousand credits on there. One thousand is for the people who let us take their place today. The other thousand is for her. Put it to her education, buy her something or let him drink it and gamble it away like you usually do.” He looked the surly man in the face. “I’ll know if that thousand creds doesn’t get to the right people.” The man’s chubby fingers hurriedly pushed the cashcard into his top pocket and hastily zipped it up in case Hal asked for it back. Hal’s cold eyes swivelled to the young woman again and she said, quietly,
“You promised, Hal.”
“I gave my word and I won’t break it, but I don’t have to like it.” The woman seemed to breathe a sigh of relief.
“Hal, please understand,” the woman went to touch Hal’s hand, then thought better of it. “I have to live somewhere, Hal. He left me with nothing. I have to think of Paige.”
“There’s other ways of making a living,” said Hal, softly. “Damn it, you were in the City Militia, Ionna. You could break his arm with a plastic spoon. Why do you put up with all his crap?” He stood up and glared at the man. “If I ever hear you brought the kid to a meet like this again, I’ll kill you,” his grey eyes flickered to Ionna, “no matter what I promised.” He gave the sweating man ‘the stare’ and walked away from the table. Starfire looked back at the man’s shocked face and then had to rush to keep up with the tall, fair haired gunman.
“Uncle Hal?” asked Starfire, speaking so quietly that she actually mouthed the words instead of spoke them. “Was that your brother?”
“Nope.”
“And the young girl? Is she your niece?”
“No relation.”
“So what was that all about?”
“That fat slob ain’t her dad. I knew her real dad and Ionna. They were in the ‘Terrellians Back Outside’ movement and I got hired to protect them. He got shot at a rally on the surface just before I got there. Before he died, I promised him I’d look out for her and the kid. Then Ionna took up with that loser, just because he had a job and rooms. I stopped sending money when I found out he gambled it all away.”
“And he’s still alive?” said Starfire.
“Ionna made me give my word not to kill him,” Hal continued bitterly, as if not killing someone was a monumental task. “He knows I got my eye on him, though. The kid’s dad still has a lot of really good friends. He knows if he lifts a hand to the kid or her mother, he’s a dead man.”
“Oh,” said Starfire. “And you really think this guy is a good contact then? What’s to stop him turning us in for a few more credits?”
“I got him for murder,” whispered Hal with a wicked smirk. “Got the weapon with his prints all over it and a holo showing him killing three other guys. They were a from a big crime syndicate here. I got stuck with the rap, but he knows if anything happens to me or Ionna that can be linked back to him, the holo and the gun goes to the mob.”
“Blimey,” said Starfire. “Who do you trust to look after that evidence? Thirty Seven?” Hal turned his mouth up in a sneer that was almost a laugh.
“I ain’t got no evidence. I told you the guy is stupid. He just thinks I do. My word is good though, it would be enough.”
They spoke quietly, heads almost touching, in the queue for an aircar. There were people everywhere. They knew they would not be overheard. It just wasn’t done. Not in Steel City. There was whispering everywhere. Dozens of low conversations blurred into a low muttering as hundreds of people shuffled past.
There were no vehicles on Terrell. Everything, people included, was conveyed by aircar and there was no need for roads. The little spheres were transported using compressed air and, as the whole system was pressurised, it only needed a few strategically placed pumps to keep everything going. Unless going to another city, Terrellians never had to wait more than three minutes for a car so, although they only seated ten people, the queue was moving steadily towards the oval door. As every person walked inside, they spoke their destination into the com by the hatch. Hal and Starfire were the last in and because two of the passengers were uncharacteristically overweight, everyone had to budge up to fit around the circle seat. The car waited for a couple of seconds to work out the route and they set off down and around the aircar tunnel system. Heads touched and the whispered conversations continued. Privacy and space on Terrell was a luxury afforded only to the very rich. It would never have occurred to the average Terrellian to eavesdrop and although Starfire and Hal had been away for a long time, they unconsciously fell in with the unspoken customs and complicated social rules. The aircar stopped and the pleasant computer voice said,
“Aurian Space Marine Base, Gate Six.” Hal and Starfire left the aircar and started to walk down the narrow, concrete street towards the fancy glass doors at the end.
It was customary to walk on the right and keep to no more than two abreast so they carried on their whispered conversation right up to the doors. They were seven feet high, made of shining plexiglass and reached to the roof. The entwined letters A, S and M were etched on each of the double doors, along with the number six. They slowed down now because there were several other people crowding through the doors. They kept to the right and walked past the large desk with two sergeants sitting behind it in the role of receptionists. They carried on their whispered conversation and went through the single doorway, along with all the other workers. Everyone held out their passes and identity cards and carried walking at a slow pace. Nothing bad happened and Starfire refrained from giving a sigh of relief. She did inside though.
They had been b
riefed and both walked to a row of cleaning carts and took one each. They trundled them away from the heavily travelled corridors and headed for the filing rooms and maintenance departments.
It felt familiar, walking down the corridors. As with any large, government funded body, items like uniforms and food were purchased in bulk, so price and quality usually slid down the scale towards the value end of the market. The food in the dispensers was sufficient in the required nutrients but deficient in taste and the Vanity Units all came with a pre-loaded body scent that was not too manly and not too flowery. The whole place carried a background aroma of bland cooking and every Marine they came across smelt faintly of ‘Sandalwood’, or rather the cheap, Marine version of it. Memories came flooding back and Starfire felt as though she was visiting her old school on open day. Everything looked the same, but different. They kept a couple of brooms for effect, but hid the cleaning carts in a stationary cupboard.
“Stop marching!” hissed Hal as they walked along, “slouch a bit.”
“Sorry,” Starfire mumbled back and relaxed her ramrod spine, “force of habit.”
“Here,” Hal came to an open door, which had the name, ‘Commander J. Brin’ stencilled on it. They slipped inside the empty office and Hal sat at the metal desk. He flexed his fingers and started to clatter them over the keyboard while Starfire held the door open by a tiny crack and peered out through it.
“Fraggin’ hell!” muttered Hal. “And we thought it was going to be hard.”
“What?” hissed Starfire.
“Never mind, Lieutenant, let’s go.”
They were back to their little carts with hardly any time to spare and set off for the nearest aircar.
Starfire and the Space Dragons: A Grennig Crew Adenture Page 5
