13 Degrees of Separation

by Hechtl, Chris

  ...*...*...*...*...

  Desi fielded the media circus as they inquired about confirmation and additional details. She smiled and politely pointed them in the direction of the video website Zark had put up weeks ago showcasing their shuttle construction. She fielded a series of questions until a pre-arranged call from Clio allowed her to escape. “That went well!” she said, all smiles.

  “Better than expected. Very good,” Alice replied, smiling as well.

  ...*...*...*...*...

  Toni Chambers did a piece on the station and the Yard Dogs, how they could now build things in space, one of only 3 other systems in the sector known to have the ability. One of only 2 capable of repairing a ship to nearly new. Also one who could actually build a ship given time and resources. Her piece was full of hope and inspiration for a renewed and rejuvenated Antigua and Federation. The next morning they received calls from temp agencies and hiring agencies. Hundreds of people were asking to work on the Yard.

  ...*...*...*...*...

  With news of the Major project the Yard Dogs were denuded by inquiries for work. They took on a third wave of trainees, some experienced hands tired of working for the station, some greenhorns from the planet. The poaching didn't go unnoticed by the station human resources department. Loosing veteran space hands started to affect the various repair projects going on around the station. The station was forced to hire on additional help and find ways to retain what space hands they already had.

  With the expansion of the Yard Dogs and need for trained qualified personnel, Rolo, one of the old space hands on the station started a new business. He'd heard Petunia grumble about the need to train, and knew she had her limitations. He also saw an opportunity, one that minimized his own risk of being out in hazardous space situation, while still providing work. He had been exposed to a massive radiation dosage early in the station's repair so he was limited in his space walks until the medics cleared him.

  He hired two of his fellows on as support instructors and opened their own space hand training center. They were quickly certified by the Yard Dogs, and the station. Their two week course was intensive and expensive, but when the students graduated they had guaranteed jobs waiting for them... and the experience to jump in without much additional training.

  The Yard Dogs were one of the few employers that was equal opportunity. If a person was willing, they'd find them a position. Neo, elf, Veraxin, Naga, Gashg, Centaurian, or any other species, it didn't matter to the dogs. All were welcome. Though some found that they just didn't have what it took to be in a suit.

  ...*...*...*...*...

  Harif was increasingly not around the berth or Yard dogs space. He wasn't doing his job, something that was odd to Mairi. He'd gotten all sorts of goodies to play with, his own machine shop on the base but he was still acting odd. She heard he might quit or be fired. That he may of had another job offer. She tried to talk to him about it, but he avoided her. Of course they had other employees now, some good, some green. It seemed that whenever Harif left though, things started to go wrong. Accidents started to happen.

  At first they were minor, a loose bolt, a slippery patch on the deck where something was spilled, a rolling cart with the brake off. The loose bolt had been caught by a robotic inspection. Lucca, the Neo dog who had done the work and signed off on it swore she'd tightened it though. They all thought she was covering for herself so ignored it.

  The rolling cart incident was more troublesome. Mairi herself had rolled the cart in and applied the brakes. She'd turned to working on the Bitch, she'd brought the cart in to transport the grappler she needed to rebuild to the machine shop. Petunia had called her away to deal with an automated tug problem. She'd spent nearly an hour dealing with that, guiding the tug and re-writing it's flight plan before she'd returned. But when she winched the arm onto the cart and then released the tension on the chains she'd gotten a nasty surprise. The entire cart had moved, slamming the detached gripper arm into the Bitch's lower window, cracking it. She'd sworn, glad she hadn't been anywhere near the thing when it moved.

  Savo came in and caught her swearing. “What happened?” he asked.

  “I frigging well know I locked this down!” she said, kneeling over the cart. The brakes were foot pedals that when you stepped on them they locked the wheel from turning. She'd double checked each when she set the cart up. But now they were all off. “What the hell!” she snarled, turning.

  “What happened?” Savo asked again. She angrily pointed to the cart. He looked at it and then looked up to her in confusion. She sighed and wiped hair out of her eyes and then explained. He listened patiently and then went to check the logs. He was troubled by them however.

  “Something's odd here,” he said.

  “What?”

  The time stamps. They don't add up,” he said, pointing to the video.

  “They what?” Mairi asked, still looking at the cracked windshield. Her practiced hands went around it. She knew she'd have to pull it, and that it would frack up her schedule for the next several days as it was replaced. “What do you mean?” she asked.

  “This,” he said, pointing to the screen. She came over and stood behind him until he moved to the side so she could see clearly. On one side was a screen grab of the bay, on the other was a similar one.

  “What am I missing?” she asked. The time stamps... she checked. They matched. She turned to the chimp.

  His brown index finger stabbed at the clock in the left image, and then the clock in the right. She looked. They didn't match. She swore again.

  “What the hell? A glitch?” she demanded.

  “That's no glitch. Someone's fucking with us. But I'm not sure who.”

  Just as Savo started to punch at the tablet in his hands, demanding answers a klaxon sounded and the hatch doors swung shut with clangs. Red lights strobbed. “What the hell? Another drill?” Mairi asked, hands going to her ears. She'd been in space for most of the mandatory drills the Warners had insisted on.

  “Fuel!” Savo said, looking up. “Something's wrong!” he said, pointing to the fuel tank on the other side of the Bitch. Mairi turned just as she heard whistling.

  “No no no!” Savo screamed as the fuel tank ruptured. He grabbed for Mairi but she was already in motion.

  The fuel was a binary solution, kept suspended and away from any oxidizer. The lights went out, a sure sign someone somewhere knew the risk. The pumps shut, they only had the air in the bay now, and it was rapidly filling with fuel and fumes.

  Mairi turned, and pointed to the hatch, clamming her mouth shut. The Bitch was out, with that breach she couldn't support them. She'd blow out when the crew blew the bay. If they didn't vent the bay the fuel leak could endanger the deck and compartments above and below it.

  There wasn't any time to get to her suit either. She turned, and waved to Savo to get to the hatch. He nodded as the gravity cut out and then swore briefly as he wind milled in the air. He tumbled end over end.

  Mairi however had other concerns. She was on her way to the manual door controls by the exterior hatch. It was a long shot, but the only one they had left. With the power out she'd have to do it manually. She got to the controls as Savo got himself under control. He tried to open the hatch but of course it was locked.

  She slapped the metal siding, making a sharp sound. He turned. She made a show out of wrapping her arm around a support strut built into the wall. He nodded and repeated her maneuver. When she was sure he was safe she disengaged herself, planted her feet and started turning the wheel attached to the gear train for the door.

  Savo opened his mouth to protest but then clammed up. He could just make the girl out, the emergency glow in the dark strips gave just a glimmer of light in the compartment. It was dark and scary. He was more scared of a sudden light though. He knew if they didn’t do something soon it would be the last light either of them saw.

  Mairi risked her life to cut off the air supply in the compartment to prevent an explosion. As she tur
ned the wheel, bringing her weight down onto it, the locks disengaged. Someone outside had recognized what she was doing and had undogged the hatch. She let out her breath slowly, took another breath and then tugged.

  There was a bang and then air started a turbulent flow to the cracked door. Items not locked down started moving with the flow, slamming into the hatch door.

  A tablet sparked and the fumes near the door erupted. It was a minor flare up, but it filled the compartment with flames before the vacuum snuffed it out.

  Instinctively Mairi hunched over the wheel, head down, wrapping her arms around it. When the flare died she started to close the wheel but her strength left her.

  Savo arrived, he'd somehow gotten to a pair of emergency breathers near the hatch and gotten their storage compartment open. He had one over his face. She felt his hands place the full face mask over her face. She gasped and then took a deep breath of gloriously stale air. She looked at Savo and grunted. The chimp's fur was gone, he was a mess. She turned as he did, and grimly the two of them tugged on the wheel until it shut.

  She couldn't hear the hatch behind them open as emergency personnel arrived on the scene. She turned, half blind, holding Savo. He held her. She realized she was singed too, her scalp and skin prickled from freezer and fire burn.

  Theo the paramedic hustled them into rescue balls and then towed them out of the compartment. The jostling broke their burnt skin. Savo had passed out but soon recovered when they were in the pressurized corridor. He winced and touched his burnt skin before he looked down at his arms and started to cuss up a blue streak when he saw his burnt fur.

  Mairi touched her own melted hair and winced. “Well, it'll grow back,” she assured him through the mask. “I just want to know, did someone order original recipe or extra crispy?” she quipped. He glared and then laughed softly. They watched as Ezri and Regina came into the compartment and started to treat them.

  ...*...*...*...*...

  “What the hell happened?” Taylor Warner demanded, furious. “This was no accident! Sloppy I can understand, but this...” They'd investigated of course, and they'd found the valve had a small leak. It was odd though, it had passed every pressure test but failed... and again, odd that a replicated object would have a flaw... There were too many things that weren't adding up.

  “We're lucky no one was killed,” Rasha said, looking at Savo and Mairi with concern. “It's strange though, for an accident of this nature.”

  “You're right it wasn't,” Savo croaked. His voice was still screwed up from the damage. He and Mairi had spent the past 24 hours in a regen tank to get them this far. He hated it, he never wanted to feel things in his throat and lungs. At least he didn't feel like he had been cooked though.

  “Don't talk,” Rasha urged.

  “Got to. Time stamps don't match. I checked before boom. Check it. See who did it,” Savo urged from his bed.

  Clio, Taylor, and Rasha instantly looked into what the chimp referred to. The mention of a time stamp not matching instantly changed the incident from an accident to intentional sabotage and criminal act.

  “He's right,” Clio said, pointing out the discrepancy with the wall clock. She looked at the logs and then silently passed them on to Taylor and Rasha.

  “Call the Sheriff,” Taylor snarled. “Where is he? Where is Harif?” he demanded, eyes flashing in rage.

  “Not here. He caught Yuri's shuttle back to the station an hour ago. Right after he put in his resignation,” Clio replied, checking the in and out logs.

  “Oh goddess, Mairi,” Rasha said, looking at the girl. Mairi had heard the trio mention Harif's name. She immediately hunched up, wrapping her arms around her knees, head down. “I'm sorry honey, so sorry,” Rasha said, virtual hand touching the girl. Savo looked at the girl and sighed.

  ...*...*...*...*...

  Mairi' heart was broken over Harif's betrayal. Savo held her as she cried. He stroked her shoulder. His strong arms made her relax, she had no other choice. When the crying jag slowed to a stop she inhaled deeply and then snorted. “What?” He asked.

  “You still need a shower. You smell like burnt fur,” she coughed, waving a hand over her face.

  “Yeah well...” Savo grimaced. He was wearing a lot more clothes than he normally did. He hated it, but he felt more naked than a human right now. He didn't know how they handled it. The girl had a hat on covering her bald and burnt scalp.

  Mairi vowed to track Harif down but Savo and others held her back. “Don't interfere. He's going to be hunted by the best. Let the little bastard squirm. Sheriff Derrango or Deputy Fife will catch up to him eventually.”

  “Yeah... but I want to be the one to pin his balls to the wall,” she snarled.

  Savo winced. From her expression the kid meant every word. With her fearsome reputation he was fairly sure she'd do it too. “Maybe so but that might get him off. And we've got other bigger fish to fry here. No if he's smart he'll turn himself in, he's got nowhere to go. If the corporation gets him he's toast. They'll feed him to the nearest recycler and deny ever seeing him.”

  “Pretty much what I'd do,” Mairi vowed, remembering Digs.

  “Yeah well, that's sort of frowned on around here so let the authorities do their job.”

  “Yes sir.”

  “Don't call me...” he sighed and shook his head. “Forget it smart aleck. Just go get some rest,” he said, tugging on the hat brim. She laughed when he pulled the hat down over her eyes.

  “Just remember we're not all like that. Don't take it out on all of us. K?” he asked, brown eyes locked into hers. She nodded and reached out and hugged him. He chuffed and then squirmed out of her grip. “Knock it off, hitting on the boss. What'll my wife and family think?” he demanded mockingly. She threw her head back and laughed.

  “Hey what'd I say?” he demanded.

  ...*...*...*...*...

  Harif sat in his cell, unhappy about everything. He'd screwed himself, he realized that now. He looked up when he heard the lock disengage. A drunk down the hall hooted and then grunted as another kicked him. There was a soft groan and then silence.

  He'd been momentarily distracted by the kick, turning to the sound. That was one thing that scared him in here, someone with a shiv or an ax to grind killing him. When he turned back to the bars framing his cell door and only look into something other than blank gray walls he flinched. A familiar small figure with burning red eyes was on the other side of the bars.

  “Why,” she asked softly, coldly. She had wanted to do this even though Savo and Alice hadn't wanted her to do it. But she had to, she had to confront the prick herself. She had to know herself, not here it second hand. “Why Harif? Tell me that. You owe me that,” she snarled.

  Her arms are at her sides. Harif gulped and then felt his brow sweet as those eyes bore into his. He couldn't more, could hardly breath. Finally the spell seemed to ease as Mairi crossed her arms. “Well?” she demanded.

  He licked his lips uncertainly. “I... my attorney said to keep my mouth shut.”

  “Why Harif?” she demanded, still not giving up.

  “The money all right!” he said angrily, getting up and pacing. “I'm an idiot! I know that now! I got greedy. Stupid and greedy. They dangled enough creds so I could retire on and I jumped at it.” He paced for a minute and then gave her a sidelong look. Her red eyes bore into him once more, seeing into his soul. Something shriveled inside him. “You'd do it too if they'd given you a chance,” he said.

  “They did. I turned em down,” Mairi replied. “I suggest you help the sheriff.”

  “You think it will help?” Harif asked, laughing bitterly. “It'll what? Shave a year or two off my sentence?” he asked.

  “No, I wanted you for spacer's justice but they are still debating it,” Mairi replied. “Spacer justice means you get a quick trial and then you are spaced,” she said softly. He stared at her, frozen in shock and intense fear.

  “You feel the air ripped from your lungs, your body tearin
g itself apart as your blood freezes. Your eyeballs boil, your lungs implode.... cold, so cold,” her voice whispered. He shivered involuntarily “I should know, I went through a small taste of it to avoid getting killed by you.” He shivered. “It can take some people a couple of minutes to die I heard. I'd make sure you did,” she said. He gulped. “The Spirit's of space may have mercy on you. I sure won't. You better hope they decide to hold you. If you and I ever cross paths again...” she left the threat lingering in the air. He stepped back and tripped on the edge of his bulk. He sat hard and gulped, looking up at her from the prone position.

  “You've got about 24 hours before they figure out what they do with you. If they have enough of a case on the others they'll keep you and ask for you. If not, you're mine,” she growled. He shivered again, gibbering in terror. He could feel his bladder loosening.

  Her pitiless eyes bore into him. “Do what they want. Serve your time. When you get out, get out of space. Go to the ground dirtsider, and dig a deep hole there and hope I never come looking for you,” she whispered, voice ugly with hatred and barely suppressed rage.

  Harif nodded hysterically, seeing the mayhem barely leashed within her. He'd heard of spacer justice. He didn't want to go out into the outer dark without a suit. It was a terrible way to die. He nodded again.

  Her pitiless eyes studied him like something she'd scraped off her boot. Slowly she turned and walked out without further word. He crawled onto the bed and into a fetal position.

  Mairi paused after she left the jail. She turned, spotting the sheriff there looking at her. Slowly he tipped his hat back, eying her. “You little lady are somethin else. You ever want a job, let me know,” he said. They had enough for a circumstantial case, but they needed to flip at least one of the lower people in the scheme to roll on the others. Once they did that the entire mess would unravel and they'd begin falling all over themselves pointing their fingers at each other in order to save their own hides.

  Harif was the first domino, she'd knocked it over expertly, or so he thought. He'd give the little bastard a little more time to sweat before he sent someone in to provide him a chance to confess, repent, and beg for absolution and mercy. Not that the little slike deserved it, but they had bigger fish to fry here.