Curse of the Iris

by Jason Fry

  “Every heart, Tycho, has places that are secret and doors that are shut,” he said. “Think long and hard before you start opening them. They can prove difficult to close.”

  Tycho, still upset, got off at the wrong level for Saint Mary Star of the Spaceways, then had to retrace his steps through the chilly lower levels of Port Town.

  “Come in,” Father Amoss said when he met him at the door. “It’s cold.”

  He led Tycho to his small office off the sacristy and poured him a cup of hot chocolate.

  “Thank you, Father,” Tycho said. “I came to talk to you about Loris. This won’t be easy for me, but please give me a chance to try to say it.”

  Father Amoss nodded. “Go ahead, Tycho.”

  Tycho swallowed, then plunged ahead.

  “I thought a lot about what you said, last time we were here. I’ve thought a lot about a bunch of things recently. We were wrong, Father—wrong to treat Loris the way we did. I tried to convince myself it was my sister and brother who were wrong, but it was me, too. I was there, just like they were, and I didn’t speak up.”

  Tycho looked at the floor.

  “We were wrong—but it’s worse than that,” he said. “Long ago, Father, my family did a terrible thing to Loris’s. I didn’t know about it when we met him, I swear I didn’t. And I don’t know how to fix it. I don’t even know if I can fix it. But I want to try. I need to try. So would you tell me where he is, please?”

  Father Amoss was silent for a moment. Then he put his hand on Tycho’s shoulder.

  “I’m sorry to be the one to tell you. But Loris died three days ago.”

  “Dead?” Tycho lifted his eyes and stared at the priest, stunned. “What happened?”

  “A lot of things. A lot of things that had borne down on him over the years. But he was at peace at the end.”

  “He was at peace? What does that matter? What’s a few minutes of peace worth, after a lifetime like that?”

  “It’s worth everything. He’s at rest now, and his soul is in the hands of God.”

  Tycho looked away, trying to think. He had dared to imagine this morning so differently. Father Amoss would hear his admission and agree to let him help with Loris, healing the wounds his great-grandfather had inflicted on the Ungers. And then he’d return to Darklands, knowing that soon his family would get the message from the Jovian Union, telling them they now owned the Hydra. Things would be different—the past confronted, and the future rich with possibilities.

  And now all of that was gone.

  He looked back at Father Amoss and felt his cheeks flush. Loris Unger had died in the frozen tunnels of Port Town, and he’d reacted by feeling sorry for himself.

  Father Amoss leaned forward.

  “Tycho, listen to me,” he said. “You’re not responsible for the acts of those who came before you. Life will give you burdens enough of your own. You only need to answer for your own acts—which you’ve done today.”

  “But none of that will help Loris.”

  “No, it won’t,” Father Amoss said. “The past is for the Almighty to judge. It’s the future that’s your responsibility, Tycho.”

  Tycho nodded, then peered into the dim sacristy, at the cots and duffels, the stacked dishes and folded clothes.

  “The other men who live here, Father—who are they?”

  “Every man’s story is different. But what unites them is misfortune. They lost their way somehow, through the misdeeds of others or their own weakness or simple bad luck.”

  Tycho reached into his jumpsuit and pulled out the currency chip that contained Loris Unger’s share of the Iris cache. He pressed it into Father Amoss’s palm.

  “Please take this,” Tycho said. “It was for Loris, but use it to look after them instead.”

  Father Amoss nodded and tucked the chip into a pocket of his cassock. He walked to the door with Tycho, then remained there as Tycho zipped his parka and picked his way around the puddles in the dim hallway. At the corner, Tycho turned and saw the priest standing in the warm yellow light spilling from the doorway of Saint Mary’s.

  Father Amoss lifted his hand in farewell, and Tycho raised his own. Then he turned and waited for the elevator that would take him back to the upper levels and the grav-sled that would carry him across the frozen wastes of Callisto to Darklands, where his family was waiting.

  A SPACER’S LEXICON

  A

  abaft. To the rear of.

  able spacer. The most experienced class of crewer aboard a starship. Able spacers are more experienced than ordinary spacers, while crewers with too little experience to be considered ordinary spacers are called dirtsiders.

  admiralty court. A court concerned with the laws of space, including the taking of prizes. The Jovian Union maintains several admiralty courts in the Jupiter system and abides by the decisions of the admiralty court on the neutral minor planet Ceres, with privateers and warships expected to report to the admiralty court with jurisdiction over the area of space where a prize is taken.

  aft. Toward the rear of a starship; the opposite of fore.

  air scrubber. A collection of filters and pumps that remove carbon dioxide and impurities from the air aboard a starship, keeping it healthy and (relatively) clean.

  amidships. In the middle of a starship.

  armorer. A crewer in charge of a starship’s hand weapons. Most crewers on privateers and pirate ships carry their own arms.

  arrrr. Originally an acknowledgment of an order (“yar”), it has become a nonspecific pirate outburst, adaptable to any situation. The more Rs, the greater the intensity of feeling.

  articles. A written agreement drawn up for each cruise, setting out rules and the division of any prize money and signed by all hands aboard a privateer or pirate ship.

  articles of war. The body of space law governing hostilities between spacegoing nations and their starships.

  avast. Stop!

  aviso. A small, speedy starship used for carrying messages across space.

  aye-aye. An acknowledgment of an order.

  B

  bandit. An enemy starship, typically a small, maneuverable one that’s likely to attack you.

  bandolier. A belt slung over an arm or across the chest that holds carbines, ammunition pouches, and other nasty things.

  barky. An affectionate nickname for one’s own starship.

  beam. The side of a ship, always identified as port or starboard.

  beat to quarters. A summons to battle stations, in ancient times accomplished by beating out a rhythm on a drum, in modern times achieved by playing a recording.

  belay. A ranking officer’s order countermanding a just-issued order.

  belowdecks. The deck of a starship below the bridge or quarterdeck, generally reserved for spacers and officers who aren’t members of the bridge crew. “Belowdecks” also refers collectively to these spacers.

  berth. A sleeping place aboard a starship.

  bilge. In ancient seagoing ships, the lowest part of a hull, which filled with foul water also called bilge. In modern parlance, anything foul or nonsensical.

  blacklist. A list of spacers to be punished for failure to properly perform their duties or for other breaches of discipline.

  blackstrap. Cheap, sweet wine bought in ports.

  black transponder. A transponder that identifies a starship as belonging to a pirate captain or, more commonly, transmits a blank identification.

  blaster. A pistol or other handheld cannon.

  boarding action. The invasion of a starship with marines or crewers.

  boarding party. A group of marines or crewers whose job it is to board and take control of a starship.

  bogey. A starship that has been seen on scopes but not yet identified.

  bosun. A crewer whose duties include daily ship inspections. The bosun reports to the chief warrant officer.

  bow. The front of a starship.

  bow chaser. A gun located at a starship’s bow, designed for f
iring at ships being pursued.

  bridge. A starship’s command center, generally called the quarterdeck on warships, privateers, and pirate ships. On the Shadow Comet, the quarterdeck is the middle deck and is reserved for the bridge crew.

  bridge crew. The officers who serve aboard the quarterdeck or bridge. On many privateers, the bridge crew is limited to the family that owns the ship or their close associates.

  bridle port. A port in a ship’s bow through which the bow chasers extend.

  brig. A room used as a jail aboard a starship.

  broadside. A volley of shots aimed at the side of an enemy ship and delivered at close range.

  bulk freighter. A large merchant ship, typically corporate owned.

  bulkhead. A vertical partition dividing parts of a starship. In the event of a breach, bulkheads seal to isolate damage and prevent the atmosphere from escaping.

  buoy. A marker defining a spacelane. In the modern age, buoys send electronic signals to starships and maintain their positions through small, efficient engines.

  burdened vessel. A starship that doesn’t have the right-of-way; not the privileged vessel.

  burgoo. A gruel made from shipboard rations, not particularly liked by crewers.

  C

  cabin. An enclosed room on a starship. Generally refers to an officer’s personal quarters.

  cannon. A general term for a starship’s hull-mounted weapons. Cannons can fire laser beams or missiles and are designed for different intensities of fire and ranges.

  captain. The commander of a starship. Traditionally, a former captain is still addressed as Captain.

  carbine. A pistol.

  cargo. Goods carried by a merchant starship.

  cargo hauler. A no-frills class of freighter, typically corporate owned.

  carronade. A powerful short-range projectile cannon used in combat.

  cartel ship. A starship transporting prisoners to an agreed-upon port. Cartel ships are exempt from capture or recapture while on their voyages, provided they don’t engage in commerce or warlike acts.

  cashier. To discharge a crewer.

  caulk. Thick rubber used to plug holes and seams in a starship’s hull.

  centaur. A celestial body with an unstable orbit and a lifetime of several million years, with characteristics of both asteroids and comets.

  chaff. Scraps of metal released by a starship to confuse the sensors of an enemy ship or guided missile.

  chamade. A signal requesting a cessation of hostilities and negotiations.

  chandler. A merchant who sells goods to starships in port.

  cheroot. A cheap, often smelly cigar.

  chronometer. A timepiece.

  coaster. A starship that operates close to a planet or within a system of moons, as opposed to starships that make interplanetary voyages.

  cold pack. Flexible packet kept cold and used to numb minor injuries.

  condemn. To seize a ship for auction or sale under prize law.

  container ship. A large merchant ship that typically carries cheap bulk goods.

  convoy. A group of merchant ships traveling together for mutual protection, often with armed starships as escorts.

  corvette. A small, fast, lightly armed warship.

  crewer. A member of a starship’s crew; the equivalent of sailors on ancient ships. “Crewer” technically refers to all members of a starship’s crew, but members of the bridge crew are rarely if ever called crewers.

  crimp. A person who captures spacers in port and sells them to starships as crewers, usually by working with a press gang. Navy officers who lead authorized press gangs are never called crimps—at least, not to their faces.

  crowdy. A thick porridge. More edible than burgoo, but not by much.

  cruise. A starship’s voyage.

  cruiser. A fast, heavily armed warship.

  cuddy. A cabin in which officers gather to eat their meals.

  cutter. A scout ship.

  D

  dead lights. Eyes.

  derelict. Cargo left behind after a shipwreck with no expectation of recovery. Any claimant may legally salvage derelict.

  destroyer. A small warship with the speed to hunt down small, nimble attackers.

  dirtside. A spacer’s term for being off one’s ship on a planet or moon. Said with faint derision and distress.

  dirtsider. A spacer with minimal training and experience, limited to simple tasks aboard a starship. A hardworking dirtsider may eventually be rated as an ordinary spacer.

  dog watch. Either of the two short watches between 1600 and 2000. At two hours, a dog watch is half the duration of a normal watch.

  down the ladder. Tradition in which a midshipman spends a year or more belowdecks, learning the spacer’s trade from an experienced crewer.

  dreadnought. A large, well-armed, but slow warship.

  dromond. A very large merchant ship, often one that carries expensive goods.

  dry dock. A facility where starships are taken out of service for substantial repairs or refitting.

  duff. A kind of pudding served as a treat aboard starships.

  E

  engineer. The crewer or officer responsible for keeping a starship operating properly.

  engine room. The control room for a starship’s engines. Sometimes the same as the fire room.

  ensign. A flag indicating a starship’s allegiance.

  escort. A starship providing protection for another vessel, typically one that is unarmed.

  F

  fanlight. A portal over the door of an officer’s cabin, providing light and air while maintaining privacy.

  fenders. Bumpers on the sides of a starship, used to protect against damage in crowded shipyards, on landing fields, or in parking orbits.

  fire room. The control room for a starship’s reactor. Sometimes the same as the engine room.

  fireship. A starship loaded with munitions and exploded among enemy ships to damage them.

  first mate. A starship’s second-in-command.

  flagship. The starship commanded by the ranking officer in a task force or fleet.

  flip. A strong beer favored by crewers.

  flotsam. Debris and objects left floating in space after a starship is damaged or destroyed.

  flummery. A shipboard dessert.

  fore. Toward the front of a starship; the opposite of aft.

  forefoot. The foremost part of a starship’s lower hull.

  freighter. A general term for a merchant vessel.

  frigate. A fast warship used for scouting and intercepts, well armed but relying more on speed than weapons. The Shadow Comet, the Ironhawk, and the Hydra are heavily modified frigates.

  G

  galleon. A large merchant ship, particularly one that carries expensive cargoes.

  galley. The kitchen on a starship.

  gangway. The ramp leading into a ship, lowered when a ship is on a landing field.

  gibbet. A post with a protruding arm from which criminals sentenced to death are hanged.

  gig. A small, unarmed ship used for short trips between nearby moons or between ports and starships in orbit. An armed gig is generally called a launch.

  grav-sled. A small wheeled vehicle used for trips on the surface of a minor planet, moon, or asteroid. Not a luxurious ride.

  green. When referring to a system or process, an indication that all is ready or working normally.

  gripe. A malfunction or problem with a system aboard a starship.

  grog. A mix of alcohol and water, beloved by starship crewers. Also refers to alcoholic drinks imbibed in port, which shouldn’t be mixed with water but often are.

  gunboat. A small but heavily armed warship. Often found patrolling ports or spacelanes.

  H

  hail. An opening communication from one party to another.

  hammock. A length of canvas or netting strung between beams belowdecks, in which crewers sleep.

  hand. A crewer. Use generally limited to discussion
s of “all hands.”

  hang a leg. Do something too slowly.

  hardtack. Bland starship rations that don’t spoil over long cruises but aren’t particularly tasty. Unlike in ancient times, hardtack is rarely actually hard.

  hatchway. An opening in a ship’s hull for transferring cargo to and from the hold.

  head. A bathroom aboard a starship.

  heading. A starship’s current course.

  head money. A reward for prisoners recovered.

  heave to. A command for a starship to stop its motion.

  heel. To lean to one side.

  helm. Originally the controls for piloting a starship, but now generally a term indicating an officer is in command of a starship.

  HMS. His (or Her, depending on who is the monarch) Majesty’s Ship, a prefix for a warship from Earth.

  hold. The area of a starship in which cargo is held. Hatchways or bay doors generally open to allow direct access to the hold.

  hominy. Ground corn boiled with milk.

  hoy. A small merchant coaster.

  I

  idler. A crewer who isn’t required to keep night watches.

  impression. Forced service aboard a starship during wartime.

  in a clove hitch. Dealing with a dilemma.

  in extremis. Unable to maneuver safely due to malfunction, damage, or some other condition. Privileged vessels must yield the right-of-way to starships in extremis.

  in ordinary. Out of commission; said of a starship. Also applies to the crew of a starship while she is laid up in ordinary.

  in soundings. Sufficiently close to a celestial body that its gravity must be taken into account during maneuvers.

  intercept. The process of examining a starship for possible boarding, often followed by a boarding action.

  interrogatories. Reports prepared about an intercept and boarding action, detailing events with evidence from the ships’ records. Interrogatories are submitted as part of a claim in admiralty court.

  invalid. A spacer on the sick list because of illness or injury.

  J

  jetsam. Objects jettisoned from a starship in distress.

  job captain. A captain given temporary command of a starship while the regular captain is away or indisposed.