Persephone Evasion

by T. M. Catron

  The next man they displayed was Solaris and his many faces. Thankfully, not his current face. Unity didn’t have that one, yet. Her CO was ranking with the pirate king. Rance turned away in disgust. Solaris was nothing like Pirate Kaur, and to conduct a manhunt for her friend as if he were a criminal made Rance’s blood boil.

  “I’ve got something,” one of the security men said. “We have an unauthorized entry into the vault.”

  “How did that happen?” Jane asked. “Only one other person besides me has permission to access it.”

  “That’s right, the curator went down there.”

  “What?” Jane asked, moving to his side.

  The man called up a video with a time stamp and pointed.

  “Huh,” he said, and rubbed his chin as if he had a beard. “Unless the curator has suddenly taken to wearing a black cloak down into the vaults, someone else has found a way to get in.”

  On the screen, a figure walked down the hallway, cloaked and hooded so that they couldn’t see his face. Rance assumed he was a man because of the length of his stride and the way he carried himself, but she couldn’t be entirely sure the figure wasn’t a tall woman.

  When he reached Vault 5113, he turned to face it, waiting for the retinal scan. A second later, the vault opened. The camera switched views, then followed him in where he proceeded to unlock the box. Rance couldn’t see how he did it, exactly. One second, his hand was on the lid. The next, it was open, and the man pulled out the sword. It was a short, single-edged sword with a unique, forward-curving blade. Markings ran up both sides. Just before the man tucked it under his cloak, the sword flashed. Rance couldn’t tell if it had just caught the light or if something else had caused the blaze.

  The security man whistled. “Wow,” he said.

  The cloaked man walked out the room. The security guard changed views, and the hall camera picked up where the room camera left off.

  The man was gone.

  “What the—?” The guard changed camera views several more times. He skipped backward, then forward. Finally, he paused it with the man just as he pulled the sword from the box. He wore black gloves. The time stamp was the day before. “Where did he go?”

  The air rippled with tension. A man didn’t just disappear. There had to be an explanation.

  “Transfer all of this to the captain’s handset,” Jane said, nodding to Rance. Rance fished her handset out of her pocket and handed it to her mother.

  “I’m not allowed to—” the guard began.

  “I’ll clear it with the curator myself. Just do it. And begin looking. He may still be hiding in the museum. If he isn’t here, I want to know which door he used to get out.”

  The man complied, and Rance wondered how her mother had gained such clout that she could waltz in and order security vids, and then waltz back out with those vids in hand. Then, Rance began to wonder who the curator was.

  She didn’t get a chance to ask because Jane stalked out of the room with the newly downloaded video on Rance’s handset. She handed it back to Rance as they wound their way through the crowds that had swelled since they had walked into the vaults.

  Large windows near the ceiling allowed natural light to filter down through the halls. The walls practically sparkled. Rance again wished that they had more time to explore but promised herself that she would come back someday when she had more time.

  “I know you can’t talk about the artifact here, Mother, but what will happen if we don’t find it?”

  “I can only guess,” Jane said, her eyes darting around the hallways. “But the artifact is rumored to hold secrets of the universe.”

  Rance stared at her mother, who was generally a sensible person. “Magic is a myth, too, Mother. I wouldn’t have thought you believed in it,” she said.

  “As a rule, I don’t. But there’s something about those artifacts that even the Galaxy Wizards never quite understood.” She glanced at Solaris, who was oblivious to her staring as he looked around the room and over the heads of the visitors.

  “There’s no point in looking around now,” Rance said to him. “He’s long gone.”

  “Or he could be hiding in the museum, and we would never find him,” Solaris said. He frowned. “This place is perfect for moving around unseen.”

  “Yesterday,” Jane muttered. “One day late.”

  “Trouble at four o’clock,” Solaris warned. He remained casual. Although Rance wanted to turn and look, she imitated him. Similarly, Jane acted like she hadn’t heard Solaris’ warning.

  “Is it the same person from Persephone?” Rance whispered.

  “Yes. Both of them.”

  A surge of fear rippled up Rance’s spine, causing goosebumps. The Galaxy Wizards had found them. Did they know who Solaris really was? Did they know Jane’s identity? Rance’s? She thought of this more than any physical danger. The Wizards wouldn’t hurt them, would they? Rance wanted to telepathically communicate with Solaris, to ask him all these questions. She had to settle for frustrated silence.

  “They disappeared,” Solaris said.

  “How do you know without turning around?” Rance whispered.

  Solaris glanced at Jane, who was scowling as she walked. Rance had never seen such worry on her face.

  “Anyone hungry?” Jane asked suddenly, nodding to a cafeteria. “I’m buying.”

  This particular cafeteria was small and crowded, geared toward families with children. An anti-gravity chamber lined one side. Its transparent walls allowed parents to watch their children float around in the obstacle course inside that was set up to look like a mini space station.

  Rance, Solaris, and Jane seated themselves in a corner, pretending to look at the menu scrolling across the table but watching the door instead.

  “We’ll have the most trouble when we try to leave,” Solaris said. “Too many open streets between here and the Streaker.”

  A server walked up to the table. Her skin was flawless, her eyes beautiful and friendly. Long brown hair framed her face. Only a small tattoo on the side of her neck gave away her real purpose. An android—perfectly programmed to make them feel comfortable and compliant.“Can I help you order?” she asked pleasantly.

  “We’re fine, thanks,” Rance said. “We’re just deciding.”

  “If you have the new Zeus 56Y implant, you can pay by placing your palm on the table when the handprint appears.”

  “Yes, thank you.”

  The server smiled and moved to another table.

  “Zeus Corp has an implant for everything now,” Solaris said thoughtfully. “What does the new chip do?”

  “I think it does everything but breathe for you,” Rance said. She loved new tech and had been following the company for several years.

  “Isn’t your lens implant made by Zeus?”

  “Yes. And if Abel hadn’t screwed it up, I might have the Ghost ear implant as well. I would never have to carry a comm with me again.”

  Jane frowned. “Zeus can track anyone wearing their tech.”

  Rance smiled at her mother. “Not if you’ve made certain modifications.”

  “Do you think that stops them? Modifications only prevent someone outside of Zeus from tracking your data.”

  Solaris turned to Jane with a worried look. “You think Zeus has been tracking the captain all this time but just can’t give the data to her father?”

  Suddenly, Rance felt a bit nauseated. “Or won’t give the data to him.”

  Jane’s face looked tight. “I’m not certain, but I got rid of my implant months ago, and as much other tech as I could live without.”

  “You mentioned your notes not being safe anymore,” Rance said.

  Jane nodded.

  “Because of the people following us or because of Father?”

  She scoffed. “Your father knows where I am. I’m not concerned about him.”

  The android walked by the table again. Rance’s gaze followed her across the restaurant. On the opposite wall, a child pou
nded on the playroom glass with a gleeful smile on her face. Two long braids floated around her head in the weightless environment.

  “Mother,” Rance said. “Why are they still following you if someone has already stolen the artifact?”

  “I have two theories,” her mother said. “Either they stole it and think I know where the other one is, or they don’t know that it’s stolen and want me to hand it over.”

  “How do we get out of this predicament?” Solaris asked. “We need to find out where that artifact went, but we can’t comb the museum or the streets when the Wizards are looking for us.”

  “I’m surprised you haven’t come up with anything yet,” Rance said dryly. “You’re always full of bright ideas. Any ventilation shafts we can use this time?”

  Jane quirked a questioning eyebrow. Rance ignored it.

  Solaris smirked. “I’m still thinking. So far, nothing has come to mind that doesn’t involve creating a rather violent fight in the middle of these crowds. We don’t want to draw attention to ourselves.”

  More than anything, Rance wanted Solaris to disguise the three of them so they could leave the museum in safety. She locked eyes with him, and he seemed to understand her thoughts. He shook his head slightly. Jane caught the look, though, and glanced back to Rance.

  Rance and Solaris had discussed the idea before they left the ship. Solaris couldn’t disguise them without Jane finding out about his abilities. He didn’t want to reveal himself and risk anyone linking him to the Galaxy Wizards, including her mother. Rance had agreed with him at the time. Now that they were being chased, though—

  “We want to slip away and be gone before they realize they’ve lost us,” Jane said finally.

  “Exactly,” Solaris said. “I see who Rance gets her intelligence from, Jane.”

  “Your flattery is going too far, Roote.” Jane gave him a sharp look. “If I didn’t know better, I’d think you were purposefully trying to make me like you.”

  Solaris shrugged. “Just calling it how I see it. And don’t you like me already?”

  “The jury is still out.”

  “Hang on,” Rance said, still watching the android. “I have an idea. We need to send them on a wild goose chase, correct?”

  Solaris smiled. “A diversion? I thought you’d never suggest it, Captain.”

  Rance nodded discreetly toward the android. “How about using that?”

  Since the museum androids were too short to imitate either Rance or Solaris, the group had to settle for finding Jane’s lookalike. After a few minutes, they realized the restaurant one was the closest match. It was about Jane’s size, and the hair was a close shade of brown.

  “How do we get it to go with us?” Rance asked as they stood outside the doors.

  “Your plan is leaving much to be desired, Captain,” Solaris said.

  “I’m still waiting for your idea, sunshine.”

  Jane peered inside the cafeteria. “Do you two always banter back and forth like love-struck teenagers?”

  “Only when danger is imminent,” Solaris said, his ears turning red.

  “Or when it isn’t,” Rance added.

  “We only need her to exchange clothes with me and then go on an errand for us,” Jane said, ignoring their answers.

  “How will we get her to do that?” Rance asked.

  Jane smiled and pulled her scarf over her head. “I’ve been walking these halls for years. One of the perks is getting to boss people around.”

  She entered the cafeteria. The other two leaned against the wall to wait. They kept their eyes on the crowds, searching faces for anyone familiar.

  “I know someone else who likes to boss people,” Solaris whispered. “The vagrappe doesn’t float far from the branch.”

  “Your clichés are not winning you any points for that date.”

  “I thought it was off the table?”

  “It is.”

  “Then I can go back to teasing you mercilessly.”

  “Go back to it?” Rance asked. “I hadn’t noticed a difference.”

  “What policy were you going to tell me about?”

  Rance took her eyes off the crowd to look at Solaris. “You want to talk about this now?”

  “I’m curious. And we need to act casual.”

  “Right.” Rance shrugged. Act casual, sure. She would only be discussing one of her most painful memories. Although now that Rance was fond of Solaris, that painful memory hadn’t surfaced much recently. “I’m afraid to date someone I work with.”

  There. She’d said it.

  "I’d guessed as much. Why?"

  Rance breathed a sigh of relief. Now that she had admitted her feelings, a weight lifted off her chest. When Solaris didn’t reply, she continued, “Remember I told you about a CO that got killed, long before you joined the Streaker?”

  “Yes.”

  “Terryn and I—well, we had a thing for each other. I think it was more serious for me than it was for him, but I fell for him, hard.”

  “I thought he had an accident.”

  “He did. He was transporting a hover pallet of crates up the ramp of the Streaker. Terryn had overloaded it, and the top was unstable. It tipped over, pinning him beneath.” Rance paused for a strengthening breath. “The thing is, if I had been watching the pallet instead of him, I would have seen it fall. I could have warned him in time. Instead, I was focused on my feelings for him and not the danger. And he died.”

  Solaris winced. “I’m sorry.”

  “I blamed myself for a long time.”

  “And now?”

  Rance chewed her bottom lip for a moment. “To some extent, I always will. It was an accident, and as captain, his death was my responsibility even without the complicated relationship. When Terryn died, the guilt crushed me. I couldn’t make good decisions, couldn’t do what I needed to do. The people who lived on the Streaker depended on me for their livelihoods, and I couldn’t cope with my grief long enough to take on jobs or pay them. Tally helped me through. And James. That’s how he and I became such good friends. After that, I decided that getting involved with employees caused problems. Roote,” Rance whispered. "We’ve gotten through some hairy situations. What would happen if I let my feelings for you cloud my judgment?"

  “At least you admit to having feelings for me.” Solaris resumed watching the crowd, his quick smile turning to a frown. “Ordinarily, I would tell you that your policy makes good sense. When a captain gets involved with the crew, things get messy.”

  Rance looked up at him. “But?”

  Solaris half-smiled. “If I encourage such a policy, where does that leave me?”

  Rance smiled, and the somber mood lifted.

  “Company at eleven o’clock,” Solaris said, his tone changing to business.

  “Who?”

  “The man wearing the plain jacket.”

  “That’s not who we saw before.”

  “Yes, he is. You didn’t think I was the only one who could change my face?”

  “You said you were better at it than anyone else.”

  “I am.” Solaris turned his body away from their unwelcome visitor, leaning on the wall to face Rance. “He doesn’t know who I am, not yet. That’s why I’m better at it than everyone else. They must know your mother is in there, though. That’s going to make things more difficult.”

  “Where is she, anyway?” Rance looked at her handset and saw that almost thirty minutes had passed.

  The cafeteria door slid open. The android walked into the hall, turning right. But it wasn’t the android, it was Jane. When she passed Rance and Solaris, she ignored them.

  Jane had done a perfect job of making herself look like the android. Dressed in a flattering but tasteful Imperial Museum uniform and with the addition of makeup, she looked twenty years younger. Jane must have had makeup with her although Rance didn’t know where her mother would have kept it. Mindful of the Galaxy Wizard watching them, Rance let her mother pass and watched the door as if
she were still waiting for her.

  Jane was going to visit the museum’s head curator. The plan was for her to go there dressed as an android, find out what she could from him, and then meet Rance and Solaris at the front doors. From there, the plan became shakier—they would have to evade anyone looking for them while heading back to the spaceport. Rance’s anxiety rose as she realized that Jane didn’t know the Wizards had shown up. She almost ran after her mother, then thought better of it. They needed to give their current plan a chance to work.

  “I forgot to mention,” Solaris said, “Galaxy Wizards can read lips.”

  “How did you forget that?” Rance said, moving a little closer so that Solaris’ body hid her face from the Wizard.

  “You’re getting a bit cozy, Captain.”

  “Knock it off.”

  Solaris sighed. “Now you won’t even flirt with me.”

  Rance bit her lower lip, anxious that the android was taking so long to exit the cafeteria. “It’s not you, Roote, it’s me.”

  Solaris snorted. “That’s worse than saying I just want to be friends. But it’s okay.”

  Rance tore her gaze away from the door to look at him, to let him know she was sincere. “I’m sorry.”

  She was terrified that Solaris wouldn’t believe her, that her refusal would offend him. Rance cared for him more than she wanted to admit, and that scared her too. She had participated in their flirting, had welcomed it even. But now that Solaris had made it clear he wanted to move beyond banter, Rance was having second thoughts. What if he left? What if Rance was a terrible person and he grew to hate her? What would happen to their friendship? What if something happened to him?

  Deep down, Rance’s worst fear was losing a crew member. It’s why she ‘mothered’ them, as the guys called it, why she always ran a risk assessment before taking on a new job. They were her family, and she couldn’t imagine life without one of them. The captain’s deep-seated sense of responsibility kept driving her toward being a better person, toward protecting them. And part of protecting them meant that she had to make decisions they didn’t always like.