by neetha Napew
‘Yes,’ Millard said thoughtfully, and began to tap out codes on his terminal. ‘We’ll just see.’
Yana began pacing restlessly, fretting about Sean. He’d have so much more to do now with who knows how many people foisted off on Petaybee. She reread the communique, her free hand going automatically to the little bag of Petaybean dirt that generally provided her with comfort as she tried to get more of Sean than the words conveyed. Even if Johnny Greene had sent the message, it was from Sean and by Sean and therefore ‘Sean’ and she gathered what comfort she could out of that contact. It was stupid of her, at her age, to need the man so desperately and yet she did. Here she was in the lap of luxury, being scrupulously cared for and pampered and wined and dined, and not liking it a bit simply because Sean wasn’t here to share the absurdities with her like Macci and his Second-Skin and loincloth. Sean would have looked just as well in such attire: probably better since he had a second skin of his own, if it came to that. The memories that thought provoked made her smile, and she nibbled at the edge of the message, until she realized what she was doing. She really was being ungrateful, especially when Marmion was going out of her way to be so accommodating and helpful. Not that she didn’t appreciate it all, except that she had managed to get accustomed to the discomforts of Petaybee. Now she’d have to learn to love them all over again. It would be snowing soon, and she’d miss it, and freeze-up and all the other wonders that Petaybee had in store for people in their first year. She resented her absence terribly and that reminded her of who might be responsible for all the delays.
‘Do you know where Matthew Luzon is right now?’ she asked, stopping and turning to survey those in the lounge. ‘And where are Diego and Bunny for that matter?’ she asked Sally and Millard, and asked the same question of Bailey and Charmion who entered at that critical moment.
‘Must be around here somewhere,’ Millard said, swivelling about as if the two had to be in the lounge, visible or invisible.
At that precise moment, there was a request for entry.
‘Macci Sendal,’ was the response in a resonant voice.
Sally and Millard exchanged astonished glances.
‘You made a conquest, Yana,’ Sally said, grinning. ‘Shall I admit him?’
Yana was flustered. ‘Whatever would he want with me?’
‘I suspect business,’ Sally said. ‘After all, Rothschild’s have always diversified. I don’t recall them having any Pharmaceuticals…’
‘Yes, they do,’ Millard replied. ‘They have recently acquired a major holding in SpayDe.’
‘You’re quite right,’ and Sally hurried to press the door release. Til just replicate some refreshments.’
Despite the fact the man was wearing more normal station apparel instead of the formal SecondSkin, he was as devastating as ever as he came forward to greet Yana. He had a small posy for her, smiles for Sally, Millard and Marmion’s young relatives, and he accepted Sally’s invitation for mid-morningses even as he led Yana, still holding the hand he had kissed so extravagantly, to one of the smaller seating arrangements on one side of the large room. Sally passed the refreshments and then, to Yana’s amazement, left her with him. He bent a lambent gaze on her, ravishing her with his eyes, which was disconcerting to say the least. Had he been another officer she’d have known how to handle the situation but he was too highly placed in society, as well as the financial circles, for her to use those forthright tactics.
‘Now, tell me more about this magical planet you come from, Yana. There was no chance to discuss anything intelligent with you last night. Especially when Pies was acting hostess.’ He caught her eyes with another of his ravishing glances - she did wish he wouldn’t - and she felt herself flushing at the ardour he was projecting. Really, it was much too early in the morning - or did she mean too late - for this sort of … foreplay. He was leaning forward towards her now and the scent he was using oughtn’t to be allowed, it was so aphrodisiac.
She had opened her mouth to answer when the entry chime rang again. And continued to ring with each new arrival, someone else who had attended that party who now wished to discuss ‘business’ with Yana.
Yana urgently motioned Sally and Millard to join her, and then Sally brought Cynthia and Cynthia thought that Marmion had better be involved.
‘You dear people, Petaybee’s only a small planet,’ Marmion said, arriving not a moment too soon and instantly assessing the scene. ‘With very limited facilities. And while it’s certainly marvellous of you to volunteer…’ That word stopped any conversation as the various representatives turned blank faces in her direction. ‘… to help the Colonel set up a modern depot.’ She smiled at the sobering effect of her little speech, for she, they - and the surprised Yana - knew that no-one had ‘volunteered’ anything. They’d all been trying to get into a best-advantage situation. ‘How good of you to offer. Mind you, who knows what a planet is willing to pay for such amenities but it is a planet that is virtually untouched. Nabatira-san, I think you need to send at least five of those marvellous structural cubes to Petaybee, just to cope with the influx. Yana, you don’t think Petaybee would mind an up-to-date self-catering hostel? No, two, I think: north and south.’
By the time the bemused entrepreneurs got a chance to retreat, Marmion had made sure that each had signed a contract to deliver, at a cost later to be discussed with the planet, sufficient of their products to replace what Intergal was taking off-planet. And of a higher quality and more modern design.
‘I think that about takes care of that, Yana, don’t you?’ Marmion said when the door to her suite finally closed on Macci’s heels. ‘Macci didn’t get you to sign anything, did he?’ she asked Yana.
Dazedly Yana shook her head. ‘But another two seconds and I’d’ve signed anything he put in front of me. Is he always like that?’
‘He makes a habit of it. Dangerous man,’ Marmion said, ‘but you handled him very well considering none of us expected him to appear quite so soon this morning.’ Then she made a full circuit of the room with her eyes. ‘Where did Bunny and Diego get to?’
Sally and Millard exchanged horrified glances. Marmion, however, was looking straight at Bailey and Charmion.
‘Haven’t seen them, Aunt Marmie,’ Bailey said. ‘We only just woke up when the mob arrived.’
‘While I don’t blame them for a moment for leaving the babel…’ Marmion broke off. ‘Where are they?’
8
Gal-3
Contents - Prev/Next
The repair-bay light was still on by the time Diego and Bunny reached the corridor. When the light was on, the outer hatch was still opened and no unprotected personnel could enter. A skeleton crew, suited up with oxygen and grav boots, would shepherd new arrivals on board and tend to any emergency needs. Diego had observed such procedures on many stations before.
As soon as the light went off, it meant the outer bay door was closed, the oxygen levels had returned to normal inside the bay, and it was usually OK to go in and look around, if you kept out of the way. Right now the light was staying on for what seemed an unusually long time to Diego. He hoped there wasn’t a radiation leak or some other problem that would prevent them from having a look-see. He also didn’t want Charmion and Bailey appearing, bored as usual with what was commonplace to them, and taking Bunny off before she had a chance to see what really did interest her. He knew she’d enjoy observing actual repairs to a space-going vessel but she sure wouldn’t if Charmion was there to act as if it was all so boring and so grubby while Bailey made another try at sweet-talking Bunny away from him.
Just when he found he was getting bored by the interminable wait, the light went off. He tugged Bunny’s hand. ‘Come on. Act like you belong here.’
At that point the inside hatch irised open and six figures, still suited and with helmets on, which was a little weird, emerged and headed down the corridor in the opposite direction from Bunny and Diego. As they disappeared, Diego said, ‘That’s funny.’
&
nbsp; ‘What?’
‘First thing folks usually do is crack open their helmets! Hmmm.’
‘Maybe they’re coming right back,’ Bunny said. ‘I don’t usually wear my parka and snowpants in the house either, but if I just have to go inside for a moment, it’s easier not to take off all those clothes first.’
Diego shrugged. ‘Yeah. Maybe.’
But he peered through the viewport first. The derelict was alone in the repair bay, the outer hatch closed. The hole in her side was big enough to drive a good-sized shuttle through. He checked the dials on the lock.
‘Well, there’s oxygen inside so maybe they just did go to get something, Bunny,’ he told her. ‘And no-one’s inside. So we can at least take a close look at that damage.’
‘Won’t we need some kind of code to get through here? Or will the bracelet give us access?’ Bunny asked.
That was a good question. He hadn’t counted on the bay being empty. He’d planned to ask the repair crew but they’d gone off. Generally crews didn’t mind letting you look, if you asked first and kept out of the way.
But at the door he was surprised to find that the iris still bore a pupil of space in its centre where it hadn’t completely closed. By sticking his foot through the opening he got it to enlarge enough to let a body squeeze through.
Bunny reached around him, to one of the folds, and touched something shiny. ‘This is caught.’
‘Can you use it to pry the door open a little more?’ Diego asked.
‘I think so,’ she said and complied. Sure enough, when she had wiggled the bit around, the hatch creaked fully open. When they had both stepped through, Bunny pulled the object free and the hatch closed behind them, silently this time. There was a faint smell of singed protein in the air, the same smell Diego had noticed when the dentist drilled his teeth.
‘Maybe I shouldn’t have done that,’ she said with a backward glance. ‘We might need it to get out.’
‘Nah, the crew will be back pretty soon. Come on, let’s see what holed the ship.’
Their shoes clanked hollowly on the metal grid floor as they walked towards the lone ship squatting like a toad in the cavernous bay.
‘It’s a queer shape, isn’t it?’ Bunny asked, whispering. ‘It doesn’t look much like the other ones.’
‘Probably wasn’t manufactured by an Intergal company,’ Diego said, dropping his own voice to the same level. Though why they were whispering he didn’t know. Their footsteps were loud enough to wake the next watch; why try to sneak around? But the bay was huge, except for this - this corpse lying in state. ‘Maybe that’s why people went to such trouble to drone it in: figure out its design capabilities or something. It’s a derelict for sure.’
Bunny was slightly ahead of him, and she peered around the corner of the hole. ‘Uh-oh. Diego?’
‘Yeah?’
‘Look.’
He looked over her, his chin resting on the top of her glossy black crown. The interior of the hull was not empty.
The hole sure had been big enough to fly a shuttle through and that’s just what somebody had done. A good-sized shuttle - twenty-seater at least from what he could see, crouched inside the hull, wearing it like a disguise. Beside the shuttle lay the bodies of seven people clad only in their underwear.
Bunny turned over a woman who had been lying on her stomach. A burn hole drilled through the centre of her forehead. A gingerly examination of the other bodies showed similar burn holes, all fatal.
‘Frag!’ Diego breathed, and peered anxiously at the shuttle. But nobody stirred.
‘Diego?’ Bunny asked. ‘Why were these people killed?’ Her voice had a plaintive note to it and he thought that whatever the dangers provided by Petay-bee’s weather and conditions, mass murders didn’t happen on Petaybee - at least not yet. She looked pale under the brilliant white lights of the bay. Shock, he thought, a little numb himself.
Then he thought, Think. ‘I’m not sure, gatita, but I’m willing to bet the guys we saw in the space suits weren’t crew. These guys were. And Gal-Three just got boarded by unfriendlies. And if the legit repair crew were wearing security bracelets, those… murderers are wearing them now. I think that we’d better tell Marmion so she can alert that Commander dude.’
‘You’re right, Diego. That’s what we’d better do real fast.’
‘There should be an alarm right here someplace…’ he said, crossing to the far wall. But where the alarm activation mechanism had been was a large hole. He turned to look for the comunit, but the screen was blank, the buttons dark.
‘We’ll have to locate a working unit,’ he told Bunny.
‘Wait. Maybe - shouldn’t we do something to the shuttle, maybe? Disable it? So they can’t get away with this?’ She sounded angry now, which put more colour in her face.
‘Buns, gatita,’ Diego said, throwing up his arms in a dramatic gesture,’ they’re on a shipping deck. There’s plenty of other vehicles here they could use. We’ve just got to keep them from breaching the security of other levels. Or whatever they’re on this station to do. You coming?’
‘Sure,’ she said, but the hatch refused to reopen.
‘The last time I saw them, they were watching the collies bring in a derelict,’ Millard told Marmion.
‘Yes,’ Sally said. ‘That’s right but they were told they’d have to wait for Charmion and Bailey.’
‘Right,’ Yana said in a droll tone of voice. ‘And kids always do as they’re told, don’t they? Look, never mind. They’re my responsibility. Just tell me how to get to the repair bay.’
‘I’ll show you, Yana,’ Marmion said. ‘I’m sure they’re fine. Sally, go put in a page for them, will you, dear? And Millard, if you would let Faber and the others know to meet us in my salon in three-quarters of an hour, that would expedite matters considerably.’
Millard looked dubious and started to say something but just then Macci strode up to them, looking less languid than Yana had ever seen him before. He visibly relaxed when he saw her, as if he’d been searching for her and her alone.
‘Macci, dear, I don’t suppose you’ve seen the youngsters, Diego and Bunny, around anywhere, have you?’ Marmie asked.
‘As a matter of fact, I have, entering Bay 16.’
‘Which one would that be?’ Marmie asked.
‘It would be my pleasure to escort you there.’
Millard still looked anxious but Marmion waved him away with, ‘How considerate of you, Macci, but then you always are and you’re the perfect escort. Millard, you can then go ahead and get the meeting arranged for me, will you? Thanks.’
Yana was treated to a view of Macci’s splendid back and the smiles of encouragement which he tossed over his shoulder as he led them down the corridors. They passed a number of people in the first few levels of their descent. On reaching the docking area, Macci led them on a twisting turning route until they found themselves in a long silvery tunnel, the kind of passage that always reminded Yana of being in the guts of a large worm. At the far end of the tunnel, several figures approached clad in white helmeted suits of the type one wore for making ship’s repairs or effecting an exterior ship to station link.
‘Now, there hasn’t been a leak anywhere, has there?’ Marmion asked, surprised.
‘Oh, we’d’ve been denied access to this area if there was, but I’ll just check it out, ladies,’ Macci said and sprinted athletically towards the men. Marmie and Yana increased their strides so they were not far behind him.
Yana and Marmion could hear him speaking, though not what he said. Then suddenly, he crumpled to the floor. The men stepped over him, blocking him from the women’s view. The leading figure now held a weapon, which was pointed at Marmie and Yana. Instantly Yana flung herself into Marmie, knocking her to the floor. She heard no projectile zinging towards them, no snake’s-strike hiss of laser, only a sort of slow whine. She looked up, her nose filling with a sweet perfumey fragrance. A pink cloud blossomed between her and the men, obscuring them a
nd enveloping her and Marmie.
‘Shit,’ she said, remembering to hold her breath and wondering what she could do to stop being gassed again. That’s when she remembered the alarm Marmion had given her. She got her fingers to the buttons and pressed what she hoped would be the right ones before she lost consciousness. Her last thought was: Not some kind of fraggin’ gas again.
Kilcoole
Sinead didn’t worry about making her ‘guests’ comfortable.
‘They can bed down with the dogs,’ she told Aisling. ‘Maybe if they become acquainted with some animals they’ll acquire a little more respect for them.’
‘Now, alannah,’ Aisling’s soft reproof carried out of the blanket chest from which she was busily flinging bright woolly throws onto the bed. ‘They’re off-worlders and freeze-up has begun. Even if they were poachin’, sure it won’t look good if they freeze to death their first night here. What are you cookin’?’ Aisling was always suspicious when Sinead cooked. Whereas Aisling Senungatuck was a very good cook, Sinead’s repertoire was limited to spitted small game over a campfire. And then she was likely to get it half done, if she was too hungry, or incinerate it if she became preoccupied.
‘Fox,’ she said.
‘Fox?’
‘They killed it, they’re gonna eat it.’
‘But nobody eats fox,’ Aisling said.
‘Not as a rule. But they don’t need to know that.’
‘At least let me add a few spices.’
‘Not a one,’ Sinead said with an evil grin.
‘Well, take them out a few of these blankets. They’ll need ‘em.’
‘What? With all those warm pooches around? Nah, I don’t think so.’
‘Sinead…’ Aisling let her voice take on the tone her partner would recognize as signalling impending doom.
‘Oh, all right. But you worked so hard making those pretty blankets and they’re gonna end up smelling of dog.’
‘Then you can help me wash them later. Call those men in to eat now.’
‘No, we’ll eat out front.’
‘Sinead.’
