“They look like they could have all been brothers and sisters,” Natalya said.
“It’s the uniform and discipline. Every one of them is turned out the same way. Same nondescript clothing. Same haircuts,” Zoya said.
“Same martial arts teacher,” Natalya said. “Whoever it is, I bet they’re good at it.”
Zoya chuckled. “No bet.”
“What’s with the brother?” Natalya asked.
“No idea,” Zoya said. “He didn’t say much.”
“I think you intimidated him,” Natalya said. “He didn’t say much to you. He was a magpie before you showed up.”
Zoya shook her head. “Go figure.”
“Even Dorion was a bit starstruck when he realized who you were back at High Tortuga,” Natalya said.
Zoya took a deep breath and frowned for a moment before she cracked a sideways smile. “We got him over that by being royal pains in his ass.”
Natalya laughed and headed back into the ship.
Chapter 46
Smelter Seventeen:
2368, March 18
Natalya found herself staring at the Burleson drives for the tenth time in two days. Madigan came up out of the environmental section and stood beside her, wiping his hands on one of the towels he always seemed to have in his pocket.
“You keep staring,” he said. “What are you thinking?”
She looked up at him and shrugged. “I keep trying to figure out a way to make this ship spaceworthy again.”
“Does staring at the drive help?”
She shook her head. “Not really. The problem is the Burleson emitters on the bow. Not only are they not there, but the buses, the support pylons, the hull ... none of it’s there.”
“I’m not certified on these beasts,” Madigan said. “I suspect they need to be aligned to a fare-thee-well to actually work correctly.”
Natalya nodded, forcing herself to stop chewing the inside of her cheek.
“What do you want it for, anyway?” Madigan asked, staring at the same Burleson unit. “Don’t you already have a ship?”
“I do, yes.” She paused. “Honestly, I think that’s my problem.”
Madigan looked at her and laughed. “Having a ship is a problem in what universe?”
She sucked in a deep breath and blew it out slowly. “Peregrine is an antique. Might be the last operational exploration Scout-class ship in the Western Annex. For a collector, it’s a rare prize. Even with all the upgrades we’ve put into it.”
“What’s the problem?”
“I can’t sell it. It was a gift from my parents when I went to the academy.”
“You went to the academy? Why?”
She grimaced. “I ask myself that sometimes.” She looked at him. “Truthfully, it’s because they have the best starship engineering program in the annex. I wanted to work with the best. Somehow I got in and swung the finances. When I left for the academy, my parents gave it to me. I’ve kept it running and upgraded as best as I could on a student budget.” She shrugged. “In the High Line it was basically a yacht. That’s what everybody thought of it.”
“But here in the Toe-Holds?” Madigan asked.
“Here? Out here, it’s a courier. She’s got really long legs. Can outrun most fast packets.”
“Sounds ideal. What’s the problem?”
“It’s an antique and it has next to zero cargo space. I figured I’d graduate, come out here, pick up some data courier jobs, maybe some low-mass, high-value cargoes and run them from one side of the annex to the other.” A bitter-tasting chuckle bubbled up from her chest. “I’m competing with old hands with established routes, long-standing contracts, great reputations, and pimped-out Unwin Eights that can only jump half as far as the Peregrine, but have the capacitors to get halfway across the annex in less than a week. Being able to do it in half a week doesn’t do me much good, because they can augment their runs with eight kilotons of cargo. Peregrine can carry eight hundred kilos as long as it’s not too bulky.”
“Sounds like you got what you wanted and it’s not what you thought?”
“That about sums it up,” Natalya said. “And the kicker is? I don’t really know what I want to do now.”
“Easy. Stay here and run a barge. If this upgrade thing comes through, we’re going to need a lot more barges.” He grinned. “I know a couple of boats that need a new engineer right now.”
“I hadn’t thought of that.” Natalya rolled the idea around in her mind, trying it on for size.
Madigan smiled at her.
“What?” she asked.
“You’re still considering it?”
She nodded.
He shook his head. “Wrong choice for you.”
She felt her hackles rise. “What makes you say that? You think I’m not good enough?”
He laughed, a warm, quiet laugh. “No. You’re too good for us. You belong out there.” He paused. “If staying here had been the right answer for you, you’d have already said yes.”
Natalya considered that for several long moments. Maybe staying at the smelter was a good idea. Usoko wouldn’t scrimp on maintenance. It would be a solid job opportunity. Probably paid well. She didn’t really hurt for credits after working for HTHC, but ships could get expensive really fast. Antique ships even faster. There wasn’t anything she could do with the Mindanao at the moment. They still needed it as a base. The Higbee sections would be along in a few days. She sighed and hoped she’d have a solid idea by then. Still, she couldn’t help wondering if an arch of steel over the bow would serve as a foundation to jump the ship to the nearest yard.
By the time she looked up again, Madigan had wandered off.
Chapter 47
Smelter Seventeen:
2368, March 20
Ally Wishes docked at the marshaling yard early. Zoya and Natalya met the ship at the lock. A lanky older man stepped off the ship and nodded without offering his hand. “Morning,” he said. “Aloysius Brant, at your service.”
“Good morning, Captain. I’m Zoya Usoko. This is my second here, Natalya Regyri.”
He nodded to each of them in turn. “Care to fill me in on where the smelter is?”
“The old one blew up, as far as we can tell. The Usoko main office lost communications with it a few weeks ago. I’m here to get it re-established.”
His eyebrows eased up his forehead farther the longer she spoke. “You weren’t kidding about that piece of the station?”
Zoya shook her head. “Afraid not.”
He shook his head and looked down at the deck. He rubbed the back of his neck with both hands. “How’d it happen?”
Zoya shrugged. “We think it was a hijacking—or extortion—gone bad. Nuke in play happened to go off too soon, obliterating the station and everything on it.”
“Mercy,” Brant said, drawing the word out like a curse.
“We can have your cargo offloaded by this time tomorrow,” Zoya said. “We’re a little shorthanded at the moment.”
Brant nodded. “I can understand that.”
“I’m sorry we don’t have a lot of choice in terms of cargo for you to carry out, but I have a proposition for you,” Zoya said.
Brant looked up and seemed to settle himself, his gaze coming into focus on Zoya and his arms folded across his chest. “What’s that?”
“I’d like to charter your ship.”
“Charter?”
“You may have seen the Higbee parade coming in. That’s our new station. We need supplies—food, fuel, gases, water, everything really—as soon as possible. Right now the only jump-capable ship we have is an exploration scout. I’d like to hire you to address some of that. Interested?”
Brant pursed his lips and looked at Zoya. “Terms?”
“We’ve got a surplus of ore here at the moment. All our cans are already full. We’ve got no place to offload the barges we have here now and we’ve got two haulers and more barges in the belts that are going to be looking for replenishment
in the next thirty days.”
“Go on,” Brant said.
“I’ll give you three cans of ore to take out of here. You can get to Mel’s in a couple of weeks and sell them, use the credits to buy three cans of supplies. I’ll give you a list of stuff we need. Spares for the barges, frozen foods, that kind of thing. When you get them back here, I’ll buy them from you at cost plus five percent.”
“So my cut will be whatever I can get for three cans of ore plus a 5% commission on the goods I bring back?”
Zoya nodded.
Brant settled back on his heels and shook his head. “I’m going to have to front a bunch of credits. Getting paid for the ore will take time and even when I’ve collected for it, I’ll have to pay a lot more for the supplies I bring back.”
Zoya nodded. “Granted. Counter offer?”
Brant tilted his head to the side. “You have a can of metal? Stuff that got smelted up before the station was destroyed?”
Zoya sighed. “We do but it’s all in a Barbell can and I don’t have an empty tractor container to load. We’ll have space when the new station comes online, but that can’t happen before the Higbee people get here.”
Brant nodded. “Ten percent.”
“You’ll take the ore, buy the goods we need and will accept a ten percent bonus over cost?” Zoya asked.
“Yes,” Brant said.
“Deal,” Zoya said.
Brant held out his hand. “Deal. Write up a contract while we’re changing out the cans and I’ll get on my way.”
Zoya shook, then pulled out her tablet as Brant went back aboard his ship and the lock levered shut.
“We’ll need Ahokas for this,” Natalya said.
Zoya nodded. “And I’d like to find out if we have some barge crew who’ve got enough zero-gee experience to learn the cargo rigs.”
“I’ll contact Madigan, see if he’ll ask around for us.”
Zoya grunted and kept arranging blocks of text on her tablet. In less than two ticks she had a contract and handed the tablet to Natalya. “Would you read that over? See if I missed anything?”
Natalya scanned down through once and then did a detailed read. “You took ten percent pretty quickly. You don’t think he’d have taken seven?”
Zoya shook her head. “No, I’m pretty sure he would have, but I’d have been willing to take fifteen. He made an advantageous counter for us. I’m not above rewarding good behavior. Pop-pop always believed in making friends whenever he could.”
“Who’s going to make out the shopping list?” Natalya asked.
“Would you get with Kremer on the Mindanao and ask what he needs for the galley? Check the replenishment status on the ship over there? We can ask Ahokas what she needs here.” Zoya took her tablet back and sent the contract to Brant on the ship. “How’s she doing, by the way? She seemed a bit better after your trip to Mel’s but I haven’t gotten a read on her lately.”
“I’ve been touching base off and on,” Natalya said. “I think she’s coming to terms with her losses, but this waiting for something to happen has been hard on everybody.”
“That’s a fact,” Zoya said. “At least she’s got some cargo to handle. Perhaps that will help.”
Natalya nodded. “I’ll take the shuttle over to the Mindanao and get going on finding some crew to help with the cargo and check on replenishment. One thing we’re going to need sooner rather than later is water. The Mindanao has big tanks, but we’ve been hitting them pretty hard.”
“Fluids in general,” Zoya said. “You know anybody who’s moving that kind of thing?”
“Mel’s has a pretty big retail operation. They must have some suppliers.”
Zoya grimaced. “Another trip? Or can we do it remotely?”
“I don’t know anybody to contact,” Natalya said. “Can you ask our friends next door?”
“I wish we’d thought to ask Rachel when they were here.”
Natalya chuckled. “Not her brother?”
Zoya shook her head and gave a little shudder. “He was just weird.”
“UMS17, Star Struck, Over.”
Natalya and Zoya shared a glance and headed for the ladder to the observation deck.
Ahokas had the mic before they got there. “Star Struck, UMS17, over.”
“UMS17, Star Struck. Special delivery for Natalya Regyri. Over.”
“Who is that?” Zoya asked.
“He just jumped in. He’s practically in our laps already,” Ahokas said. “He’s been here before. I recognize the name.”
Zoya looked at Natalya. “It’s your father.”
“What?” Natalya’s brain hiccupped. “Here?”
“Who else would it be?” Zoya asked. “I ran into him at Port Lumineux. He’s been here before.” She turned to the scanner. “You said he flies an Unwin?”
“I don’t know what he flies these days but he always had an upgraded Unwin Eight,” Natalya said.
“That’s what’s coming in.” She switched the screen. “Registered to DR Enterprises. Demetri Regyri?”
Natalya stared out into the dark. Her brain swirled with a combination of surprise, excitement, and uncertainty. She hadn’t seen him for a decade and now, here he was. What would he say? What would he think?
“Nats? You all right?” Zoya asked. “You’re looking pale.”
Natalya lowered herself into a chair. “I’m fine. I think.”
“Star Struck, UMS17. We’ll have a docking ring for you in a couple of days, over,” Ahokas said.
“Roger, UMS17. It’ll be more than that before I’m in. Be advised I’m carrying five metric kilotons of atmospheric gas bottles along with a couple kilotons of frozen beef. We can split it all between the yard and Mindanao at your discretion. Over.”
“Thank you, Star Struck. We’ll check levels and advise you on distribution. Anything we can do for you? Over.”
“Mercy mission here, UMS17. We’ll stand by for assistance as needed. Over.”
“Thank you, Star Struck. UMS17, out.”
“Star Struck, out.”
Natalya sat, frozen.
Zoya knelt to look into Natalya’s face. “What’s going on, Nats?”
Natalya tried to find words but could only shake her head.
“Say something,” Zoya said. “Anything. Give us a clue.”
“He’s really out there,” Natalya said.
“He is, yes. He’s come to make sure you’re all right.” Zoya paused and took one of Natalya’s hands in hers. “You are, aren’t you?”
“It feels surreal.”
“Are you happy?” Zoya asked.
“Yes,” Natalya said, focusing on Zoya’s face. “Yes, of course. It’s just—it’s just ... it’s just been so long since I’ve seen him, I don’t know what to expect.”
“I thought you got along with your father,” Zoya said. “You always talked about him in such glowing terms. He seemed really concerned for you at Port Newmar.”
“I am. I do. I’m not sure what I’m saying.” Natalya shook her head. “He’s always been larger than life to me. I’m afraid.” The words came out of nowhere and surprised Natalya with their resonance.
“Afraid of him?” Zoya’s voice sounded very far away.
“Afraid of disappointing him,” Natalya said, struggling to get the words around the lump in her throat. “Why didn’t he get in touch before?”
“Disappointing him?” Incredulity filled Zoya’s words. “Why in the world would you think you could disappoint him?”
“I haven’t done anything. Nothing to make him proud of me.”
Zoya blinked several times. “Since he’s seen you, you went to the academy, graduated with honors, got chased into Toe-Hold space, and have survived there on your own for going on six stanyers. What do you mean you haven’t done anything?”
“The Peregrine,” she said. “I was supposed to be a courier. Make a living off my ship. Mostly what I’ve used it for is a glorified yacht. Even out here.”
&nbs
p; “Nats,” Zoya said, tugging on her hand. “Nats, look at me. Really look at me.”
Natalya forced her eyes to focus. She had to blink them a couple of times but eventually Zoya’s face came into focus.
Zoya nodded. “Good. You’re more than that ship. Better than that antique. You’re getting worked up over this and I don’t understand why. Was he ever mean to you? Something from when you were a kid that’s making you afraid to meet him now?”
Natalya shook her head. “No, nothing like that.” She took a deep breath. “I don’t know him anymore. It’s been so long. What do I say to him?”
Ahokas snorted. “I’d start with ‘hi, Dad’ and go from there.”
Natalya looked at Ahokas trying to make sense of the sounds her words made. “But I haven’t seen him in ten stanyers.”
“You think he’s come over to check up on you? Make sure you’re not besmirching the family name?” Zoya asked.
“No,” Natalya said. “I don’t know. I’ve wanted to see him so much and now he’s here and I’m losing my mind.” She shook her head. “I just want him to be proud of me and I haven’t done anything yet. The last couple of stanyers, I’ve just been hanging around, holding your jacket, flying around the annex and only barely making it.”
“Nats, listen to me,” Zoya said, tugging on her hand again. “You’ve saved my life at least twice. You’ve made a living, right out of school, the threat of a murder charge over your head. You helped HTHC overhaul their entire network—”
“That was mostly you,” Natalya said, interrupting.
Zoya shook her head. “No, Nats. That was us. I’d never have survived if not for your engineering that got us back to Ravaine after the shakedown.”
Natalya started to open her mouth but Zoya tugged on her hand again. “No buts. You did that. For all intents and purposes you’re independently wealthy because of the work we did in Ravaine. We’re here helping my grandparents because of you and your willingness to use the Peregrine for the good of others. How can you call that nothing?”
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