Tabitha deflated. “At least we know that they’re on Zaphod somewhere. It’s a start.”
“I can narrow it down some for you,” Tallinger supplied hesitantly. “I have a copy of the transport log for the journey.” He held out his wrist-holo, and Harry touched his to it to transfer the data. He gave Harry a beseeching look as he turned to leave. “Harry, please…”
Harry spun back and punched Tallinger again. “Don’t.”
Tabitha grabbed Harry by the arm and steered him out of the office. They strode past the speechless receptionist and back out to the elevator in the corridor.
Harry tapped his wrist-holo. “Sending the log to the Achronyx now.”
Got it, Hirotoshi informed them a moment later. Harry’s leash has been altered to allow him freedom of the station. If he tries to leave, zap. Station security will be there to pick Tallinger up in thirty seconds.
Tabitha turned to Harry. “You can go home.”
Harry tilted his head in confusion. “But… No, I’m coming with you.”
Tabitha shook her head and turned to leave. “This is Ranger business. Don’t try to leave the station. You won’t enjoy the result.”
Harry rubbed his neck. “No, I won’t. All I ask is that you bring my daughter home, Ranger.”
Tabitha strode away with her cloak billowing around her. “That’s my intention.”
K’nthel System, Traveler’s Rest, QBS Achronyx, Bridge
“Again?” The station traffic controller stuttered her surprise. “You Rangers don’t sit still for a minute. Where are you going this time?”
“Down to the planet,” Tabitha replied.
The controller sucked in a breath. “Ooh, I don’t see that you have clearance to go to the surface.”
Tabitha took her feet off the console and got up out of her chair to give herself the relevant permission. Her fingers flowed over the keys as she spoke. “What do you mean, we haven’t got clearance? I’m a Ranger; there’s nowhere in the Empire I don’t have clearance to be. Check again.”
The controller came back a moment later sounding a little embarrassed. “So sorry, Ranger, my mistake. I’m sending your approval now. Have a safe flight.”
Tabitha cut the connection and went to find Hirotoshi while the autopilot took care of the transit. She found him in the galley preparing a meal for the three of them.
Hirotoshi inclined his head as she entered the galley. She took a stool across from him at the counter and stole a pea pod. “What are you making?”
Hirotoshi indicated the pan of vegetables on the burner. “Lunch.”
Tabitha wrinkled her nose. “It smells good. Doesn’t look like something humans should eat, though.”
Hirotoshi raised an eyebrow. “May I remind you of our first meal aboard this station?”
Tabitha snickered. “That was Ryu’s payback for ratting me out to Barnabas. Besides, it wasn’t horrible.”
“It was. And if it was payback for Ryu, why did I also have to eat it?”
Tabitha snagged another pea pod. “Because your face was just priceless!”
Hirotoshi nodded. “I see.”
Tabitha winked. “If you could have seen it, you wouldn’t look so offended right now.”
Hirotoshi tossed the vegetables in the pan as he added the next lot of ingredients.
Ryu came wandering in, took a seat at the counter, and held out his hands, palms together.
Tabitha grinned. “Oh, it is so on.”
They all chatted while Tabitha and Ryu played slaps and Hirotoshi cooked.
When the food was ready, Hirotoshi brought it over and sat at the counter.
Tabitha stuck her tongue out at Ryu and picked up her cutlery. “So, next steps. We’ll be on Zaphod in little over an hour, so we need a plan.”
“What about the logs Tallinger gave us. Were they helpful?”
Tabitha half-shrugged. “Kind of. We know where we’re going, but not what we’ll find when we get there. Well, I know what we’re going to find, but neither of you wants to listen to the voice of reason.”
Ryu choked on the bite he was in the middle of swallowing.
Hirotoshi leaned over and slapped Ryu’s back to clear the obstruction. Once he was assured that Ryu was fine, he turned his attention to Tabitha. “Kemosabe, I must admit that it looks like the Order, or at least some of them, are involved in this.”
Tabitha narrowed her eyes. “You’re agreeing with me?”
Hirotoshi’s mouth twitched at the corner. “No, I am simply considering every outcome, so whatever way our plan fails, I will be prepared.”
Tabitha scowled. “What makes you so sure it will fail?”
It was Ryu’s turn to laugh. “Because no plan survives contact with Ranger Two.”
Chapter 8 Nickie
Rebus Quadrant, Themis Colony, Aboard the Penitent Granddaughter
Nickie, wake up.
Nickie.
Nickie!
Meredith probed the edge of Nickie’s consciousness. She groaned and rolled over on her slab of a bed, pulling the blanket over her head as she turned. Go away, Meredith. It’s not even morning yet.
Nickie, you have to wake up and get to the control room. The long-range sensors have detected an approaching ship. Keen is requesting your presence.
Nickie sat bolt upright and threw the blanket off. A ship? Why the fuck didn’t you start with that?
She jumped out of bed, then sat down again quickly when the room spun around her and a thousand tiny miners got to work inside her skull with itty-bitty pickaxes. She held a hand to her head and probed for injuries that weren’t there. It’s been a while since I had a night like that, Meredith. The people here really know how to cut loose. Did I get into any fights? Please tell me I didn’t.
No, Meredith replied coolly. You were too busy drinking the colony dry to start one. You should be more careful, Nickie. You consumed enough alcohol last night to put an unenhanced human in the hospital.
Nickie snickered, then held her head again when the movement of her shoulders caused a fresh throb of pain. Yeah, well that’s how much it took to get around my nanocytes. It wouldn’t have been much of a celebration otherwise. Besides, my nanos will take care of the hangover. It’s not a big deal.
Meredith sniffed reproachfully. Your nanocytes can only do so much. Don’t forget that you only have one energy pack left. If you get any major injuries after that, you will have to heal them at your natural rate.
Nickie shrugged. That’s still three times faster than a regular human. She dragged her coveralls on and hurriedly laced her boots.
It would not be enough if you were caught in a life-or-death situation.
Nickie snorted. Well, that’s not fucking likely to happen since I’m stuck here with no chance of any action whatsoever for the foreseeable future. The Skaines have gotten the message to leave this place alone for now. I’m golden, so stop nagging. She left her quarters and headed to the control room at a half-jog.
Meredith was not done. For some reason, I’m completely unsurprised by your attitude. Fortunately for you, I am better informed about the risks you take than you are.
What’s that supposed to mean?
Meredith brought up a stream of statistics in Nickie’s HUD. You see? If we look at your kill-injury ratio between activating packs, you’re statistically likely to have another incident shortly.
Nickie ran her own rough calculations as the stabbing pain receded to a dull ache. Yeah, well you should check your math. That first pack was activated to flush the drugs from my body, not because I was in any life or death situation. If we’re going by this flawed scale, I still have hundreds of kills before your predicted event.
Well, maybe you should reassess your memory of the situation because without that pack to flush your system, your reaction times would have been slow enough to get you killed in that fight.
So you say.
I am only recounting facts. Deny the truth all you like, Nickie. Just be caref
ul.
Rebus Quadrant, Themis Colony, Control Room
Nickie pelted down the corridor and burst into the control room, almost tripping over her feet in her hurry to get in there and find out if they were about to be attacked.
Grim nodded from his place off to the side when she entered. Keen was still in the chair she and Adelaide had left him in the night before, and was still wearing the same clothes. He had been there all night, judging by the dark rings under his eyes and the stubble coating his cheeks. Nickie was glad she wasn’t the only one not at her best that morning.
Adelaide leaned over Keen’s shoulder to peer nervously at the monitor, and Raynard was pacing up and down the control room with a worried expression stamped across his features. All three were visibly relieved to see her.
Nickie headed straight for Grim. “What do we know?”
“Good morning to you, too. Nothing much,” he admitted. “The ship showed up on the sensors right before we called for you.”
She went to stand by Keen to get a better view of the screen. “Have you contacted them?”
Keen couldn’t tear his eyes from the screen. “Um, not yet. We’ve been waiting for them to come into communications range.”
Nickie shoved his chair aside with her hip and leaned on the console. “Meredith, take over in here and open a channel to the ship.”
There was a pause while Meredith performed the necessary actions. “The ship is broadcasting on a Federation frequency,” she informed them a moment later from the speaker.
Nickie felt the tension fall from her shoulders as the level of urgency dropped. She pulled up a chair and put her feet up on the console. “You can all relax, we’re not about to be attacked. Stand down the defenses and get a video link onscreen, Meredith.” The screen did not change. “What are you waiting for?”
“There’s some atmospheric disturbance. I can give you an audio link.”
Nickie huffed. “I suppose that will have to do.”
“You are connected to the ship’s bridge.”
Nickie folded one arm behind her head and motioned for Keen to pass her the handset. “Unknown Federation ship, this is Themis Colony. Please identify your ship and purpose for entering the quadrant.”
“Hello?” the voice was male and young-ish sounding. “This is John Deblanc of Zuifra, aboard the Briar Rose. I’m looking for my friend Nickie. Nickie Grimes. Have I found the right place?”
Grim’s pointed stare said it all. Nickie felt her face redden as the others fixed her with similar looks of shock, but she ignored them. John was speaking again.
“Hello? Hello? Are you receiving me, Themis Colony?” There was confusion in his voice.
Nickie swung her feet down and sat up. “We hear you loud and clear,” she replied. She took her finger off the button and sighed resignedly. “Yes, you have the right place. You have permission to land at the coordinates I’m going to send you in a minute.”
“Great! I’ll see you there.”
Nickie’s top lip curled at John’s cheerful tone. She cut the audio link and got up to go meet the not-so-lost prince at the airfield. “Meredith, send him the coordinates.” She pointed at Grim, who was doing his best to look anywhere except directly at Nickie. “Not a fucking word.”
Grim put his hands up. “I wasn’t—”
She held a finger up to cut him off. “I said not one.”
She flounced out, and Grim looked at the others. “You saw that I didn’t say anything, right?”
Rebus Quadrant, Themis Colony, Airfield
Nickie waited at the side of the airfield while the ship landed. She was a little unsettled by the presence of the Briar Rose, and that was before Prince Precious even disembarked.
Mere, that ship looks a hell of a lot different from the Federation ships I remember.
Things move quickly in the Federation, Nickie. You didn’t expect progress to grind to a halt in your absence, did you?
No, but look at it. She could tell just from the outside that this ship was much evolved compared to the technology that had been available to non-military persons when she’d still been a part of the Federation. She wondered for a second what else might have changed since she’d been gone, but she pushed the thought away before it could sting her too badly. It’s a good-looking ship.
I’m talking to it. Or rather to Briar, the ship’s EI, right now.
What? What do EIs talk about?
Meredith snickered. Whatever I want it to. That baby EI is no match for me.
The ship completed its landing, and the door opened far too slowly for Nickie’s liking. A figure in a spacesuit emerged and stood silhouetted in the doorway for a moment before descending the ramp.
Nickie kept her face straight, but she was cracking up inside. Oh, my God, Meredith, of all the things. He’s wearing a cape. A fucking cape!
Briar tells me that this is one of his tamer ensembles.
I hope you're more loyal to me than Briar Rose is to John.
Meredith feigned outrage. I cannot believe you would even ask such a question. Of course, I’m looking out for your best interests.
Shit, sorry. I forgot you were sense of humor-challenged. Nickie smirked as John walked toward her, holding his very shiny helmet under one arm. It’s a pity he’s got such questionable fashion sense. He’s actually pretty hot.
John held out his free hand as he arrived at her position. “Nickie?”
“That’s me.” Nickie caught a whiff of herself as she accepted his handshake. Ugh, what a day to skip the morning shower. She retrieved her hand from John’s firm grip and ran it self-consciously through her tangled hair. She caught herself and shoved the hand into her pocket.
John appeared not to notice Nickie’s discomfort. He smiled disarmingly. “Good to meet you. I’m John Deblanc.”
Is that a fucking dimple?
It does indeed look to be a dimple, Meredith replied.
Are you laughing? Meredith, stop laughing!
Nickie scowled. “What are you doing here? And how the fuck do you know who I am when I only heard of you yesterday?”
John’s dimple deepened. “Funny you should say that. I was tracking the message my parents sent. I didn’t know you existed until yesterday. I just followed the message, and here I am.”
Nickie wished Grim had come out to the airfield so she could rub his face in it. She scowled at the prince. “I’d prefer you didn’t know I existed at all. It’s kinda the point of being so far from the Federation. You’ve wasted your time coming here. I don’t want anything to do with Federation business. You should be on your way.” She moved to leave, dismissing John with a wave.
John reached out to stop Nickie from leaving but stopped short of touching her when she glared daggers at him. “Wait a minute. It’s not exactly Federation business. I need your help.”
Nickie almost felt guilty about the confusion she was causing John. She didn’t want him here, though. Not him, and not anyone else from the Federation, unless it was her aunt returning. “You’re from the Federation, and that makes it their business. Which makes it not my business. Speaking of, you should call and let them know you’re not dead. You know, stop them worrying and reaching out to busy people who don’t want to be disturbed.”
John glanced around with a slightly bemused expression. “Yeah, you look very busy doing,” he looked her up and down skeptically, “what, mining?”
Nickie narrowed her eyes at him. “I’m swamped, thank you very much. Thought you needed rescuing? You don’t look like you do.” She turned her back on him and stalked off toward the Penitent Granddaughter. Meredith, get the ship open so I can lose him already.
John shrugged and set off to keep up with her. “Yeah, I haven’t checked in recently. Nice of you to come running to save me when you thought I was in danger.”
Nickie snorted in disbelief. “Why should I? I don’t know you from Adam.”
Or ADAM, Meredith chipped in.
Not the time, Meredith.
You complain when I joke, you complain when I don’t. What do you want from me?
Silence would be nice. She tuned back in to John somewhat reluctantly.
“I need help to do this. If you’re being called on to help rescue me, I think the odds are you’re up to the task I have to complete.”
Nickie paused while she waited for the ramp to descend. “Look, I’m not going to help. You should save your breath. Go call your family and tell them you’re not dead, then you can get back to having adventures you can post on Rich Kids of the Federation without any more involvement from me.”
She hopped onto the ramp before it even touched the ground and stormed through the door of the ship. Meredith, retract the damn ramp.
John hopped on after her, wobbling to regain his balance as the ramp pulled him in.
Meredith!
I’m sorry, he was too fast. Or the ramp was too slow.
Nickie wasn’t fooled for a moment by Meredith’s evasion. Whatever. I’ll get rid of him myself.
John called after Nickie as she made the turn toward her quarters. “Just hear me out, please! This isn’t the trivial matter you’re making it out to be.”
It wouldn’t hurt to listen, Nickie. He seems rather concerned.
You bitch! I knew you were slow with that ramp on purpose. She growled in frustration as she entered her quarters and headed for her wardrobe. The prince appeared in her doorway as she was taking out fresh clothing. Nickie nodded at the chair in the corner. “Well, come in then. Start talking. You have ten minutes, and then I’m kicking your ass off my ship.” John hesitated for a moment. Nickie shook her head. “Your ten minutes has already started.”
John sat down and sighed. “I really do need your help.”
Nickie took her things into the bathroom and stood in the doorway. “So you’ve said. Multiple times. What you haven’t told me is what you need my help with.”
She went back into the bathroom and dropped her coveralls. John gasped. “Don’t act like you’ve never seen tits before,” she told him as she stepped into the shower and turned the water on. “Just get on with it, I haven’t got all day. Some of us have to work to live. We’re not all so pampered that we can just spend the day chatting.”
Labyrinth (Deuces Wild Book 3) Page 9
