The Mars One Incident

by Kelly Curtis

  “What’s it matter to you?” Christopher said annoyed.

  Alma held her hand to Christopher to calm him and let her handle this, “For the Indy. I need to make the ship really mine.”

  Johnathan smiled, “I don’t know why people talk so badly about you Captain, you seem like a sensible woman to me. Unfortunately, I don’t have any Trappist phasers right now.”

  Alma gave him a smile, “ Really?”

  “Really.”

  “Would you mind double-checking your supply? I’ve spices from Earth to trade.”

  “Which spices and how much?”

  Alma smiled, “A lot; basil, cayenne pepper, chicory, paprika, white mustard and vanilla to name just a few.”

  “Real vanilla?”

  “Yes,” Alma knew she was getting somewhere now. “I come just as prepared as any pirate. Now, what do you say?”

  Johnathan picked up his bag and said, “Let’s go.”

  “Trappist weapons, right? I don’t want to waste my time,” Alma said as she walked next to Johnathan back through the main trading hall towards the docking port of the station.

  “I promise you Captain, I’m not going to waste your time at all. I’ve some buyers for those spices, especially vanilla. You know, Unification people love it? Out of all the spices, they can’t seem to get enough of vanilla. Real vanilla though, they seem to really taste the difference between the artificial and genuine vanilla.”

  “I didn’t think the Unification came out this far to trade?”

  “Oh they don’t, I’ll take your spices and go to Fire,” the Red’s capital planet and the only truly cosmopolitan planet in this remote section of the galaxy.

  “Have you been to Fire before?” Alma asked. She had never been to Fire or any of the Red’s planets. She had heard a lot about them though from traders and of course her cultural and military studies at the academy.

  “Twice and both times I was loaded up with spices and both times I came home a rich man.”

  “What happened to all your riches then?” asked Eito humorously.

  Johnathan laughed and replied, “I fell in love, twice, spent all my money on good food, wine, and gambling, twice. It’s an ongoing circle in my life. So Captain, when I return from Fire and am a rich man again, maybe you can condescend to give a pirate like me a chance?”

  “She’s spoken for,” said Christopher.

  Johnathan laughed, “By you?” This young blonde man was attractive but seemed way too innocent to catch the romantic eye of the lovely Alma Johnson. When the man said nothing he replied, “I didn’t think so. What do you say, Captain?”

  “I say, show me your cargo and anything can be discussed,” Alma replied, amused. She liked this game and enjoyed that Christopher didn’t realize it was only a game to pass the time as they walked to the docking bay.

  They approached a good-sized cargo ship and Johnathan said, “Here she is. The Explorer.” He unlocked the hatch with a code and Alma, Eito and Christopher stepped in after Johnathan.

  “How many crew do you have now?” Eito asked causally.

  “Looking for another job?”

  “No, just curious.”

  “Thirteen plus me. We’re all human, unfortunately. We had a Trappist, but she left us. She said she was tired of slumming it and that we smelled too human.”

  “What do humans smell like to Trappists?” Christopher asked.

  “I don’t know. I didn’t bother to ask her, but the way she said it, I don’t think it’s a pleasing smell.”

  “I heard that many other species mask their natural scents,” commented Alma as they were led through the ship.

  “Yes, they do. Unification ships smell like a perfume factory.”

  “You’ve been on a Unification ship?” Christopher asked in awe.

  “You bet. A couple of times and now I’ve even lived long enough to tell you how it smelled,” Johnathan laughed.

  Alma, Christopher and Eito were led into the large cargo hold of the Explorer. It was filled with random bits of technology and unmarked shipping containers. Johnathan began pointing to different weapons. He had Trappist phasers, Red blinders, and all kinds of minor defensive and offensive technology from different civilizations around the galaxy. Then Johnathan brought them to another corner and said, “And this my friends, is the real prize, completely out of your price range of course, but I’m so proud of it I have to show someone.”

  “That’s not…” Eito began looking at the equipment.

  “Where did you get that?” Alma asked in disbelief.

  “I know,” said Johnathan still surprised himself he had it. “I never thought they’d trade for it. I assumed they had a ban on trading these kinds of things to humans, just like the trading bans the Trappists and Red have, but I asked and then to my surprise, the trade happened.”

  “Have you used it?”

  “Yes, I actually traded for two, if you can believe it? And then installed one for myself.”

  “That’s how you are able to go to Fire so nonchalantly,” commented Alma.

  “You bet. This jump drive gets me there in five days instead of five months. It’s an older model and that’s why they were getting rid of them, I imagine.”

  “What kind of Unification vessel traded this to you?”

  “Oh, it was a bit strange, they were scientists.”

  “What did you trade for it?” asked Alma immediately suspicious. Unification technology was the most prized technology in the entire galaxy and it was completely out of any human trader’s price range so the fact that this man had not one, but two Unification jump drives, no matter how old, was unprecedented.

  “It was the strangest trade I’ve ever made in my life,” Johnathan admitted. “They wanted to do some experiments on me and that was it.”

  “What kind of experiments?” Eito asked looking his friend up and down for any outward marks of being used as a test subject by aliens.

  “Blood tests, physical tests and a lot of questions about human culture. I’m not going to lie, it was the oddest day of my life,” it was on the tip of Johnathan’s tongue to also tell them that he had to donate some sperm too, but at the last minute, he decided that was too embarrassing to share. At the time, he had asked if his Unification trading partners had any pornography. They shook their heads in confusion, but then after a few minutes of him trying to explain what pornography was, they produced, what he assumed was a Unification prostitute, and she had helped him complete that intimate part of the medical exam. Sometimes he still had nightmares about being intimate with a strange Unification woman in such a sterile environment and for purposes he hoped were purely scientific.

  “Odd,” Alma commented. “Did they say what they were going to do with the information? Why they wanted it?”

  “No, that was part of the deal, that I did the physical and psychological tests for them and promised not to tell anyone,” they all four laughed at that, as humans weren’t good at keeping secrets, “and I couldn’t ask any questions.” Humans did excel at not asking questions though. Especially when trading for technology, as they were, most of the time, desperate trading partners.

  Alma was practically drooling over the old jump drive, “What do you want for it?”

  “Sorry Captain, more than spices, UCs or whatever other Earth goods you may have. I’m going to trade it on Fire with your spices.”

  “I’ve a painting from Harold Johnson as well.”

  “Certified and signed?”

  Alma nodded, “Yes.”

  “Is it Last Night on Earth?” That was Harold Johnson’s most famous painting. It depicted the last humans destroying their personal technology.

  “No,” Alma replied wishing she could somehow get her hands on that one, but she knew her father would never allow her to have it. Right now it was on loan to a museum anyway, “I have a lesser known work called Blue Skies, but everyone can tell it’s Harold Johnson’s work immediately and it’s still a formidable piece of w
ork.”

  Johnathan considered this, he could get a lot for a Harold Johnson painting on Fire, “I’m sure it is and as much as I love your father’s work. Yes, I know he’s your father. I think everyone in the galaxy knows this. It’s still not nearly enough for jump drive. It’s enough for some weapons though. Come this way, let me show you what I’ve got,” Johnathan said enthusiastically leading them back over to the Trappist weapons.

  Alma was dismayed. That jump drive was invaluable, but she could tell by Johnathan’s demeanor that there was no chance he would change his mind. And she didn’t blame him, he could get so much more for the jump drive on Fire than she could ever offer him now.

  In the end, Alma negotiated for Trappist phasers, enhanced short range sensors, and a Red communication and translation device. The communication and translation device could be integrated and allow for better communication with off-worlders and in addition give cultural prompts, for example if a species had a set phrase for ending a conversation, the communication device would prompt the speaker. And to try and make Afia warm to her a little, she bought her a powerful, but miniscule, Trappist sensor that could be worn on her wrist . Johnathan assured her although it was small, it could pick up the most subtle traces of radiation and particles. For this she traded all the spices she had brought along specifically for this purpose and her father’s lesser known painting.

  That evening, Afia, Alma and Christopher had an invitation to dine with the Titan Station Master.

  As they were walking through the busy station, Afia asked, “Have you met the Station Master before?”

  “I’ve not had the pleasure. Is there something I should know?” asked Alma disbelieving that Afia would tell her anything of use, but then again, Alma reminded herself that Afia had not been displeased with the gift of the Trappist sensor.

  Afia had to admit that Alma was growing on her, not much, but so far Alma had impressed her with not being as terrible a leader as she first thought and there was no doubt, the woman was a genius. So she would give her this, “He’s an insufferable misogynist, but if you play into it, you’ll get the information you want.”

  Alma stopped walking and Afia and Christopher followed suit. People went around them in the busy station corridor, “What do you mean ‘play into it’?”

  “You know, let him think you know nothing because you have a vagina. It’s your advantage being young and attractive.”

  Alma couldn’t decide if Afia was setting her up to make an ass out of herself or if she was truly giving her some good advice, “Thank you. I’ll keep it in mind.” She began walking again and the others followed.

  Soon they reached the Station Master’s personal rooms. Large human guards dressed in outrageously ancient uniforms stopped them. And although their uniforms were patterned from those on Earth centuries before, their weapons were formidable 27th century Red war sticks. One strike from those and you’d be out for a day, after two or three strikes and you’d be dead. The Red war sticks, like most weapons, were illegal on Earth.

  “I’m Captain Alma Johnson, this is my first officer Christopher Bates and my science officer Afia Kamau. We’ve been invited by Station Master Harlow for dinner.”

  The guards nodded and then allowed them entrance. The Station Master’s rooms were opulently decorated and as they stood in the foyer they were greeted by a beautiful woman with long dark hair and dark eyes wearing very little over her young body. “Greetings, I’m the Station Master’s housekeeper, Ray. He’s still in a meeting, but please come in and sit down. May I get you all a drink?”

  “Thank you,” replied Alma giving Afia a look that said, You-weren’t-lying. The only issue now was that Alma wasn’t a good actress like her mother.

  Christopher watched Ray walk and wondered why a woman would demean herself to dress like this and call herself a housekeeper. Then a thought occurred to him, “Ray, were you born on the station?”

  Ray turned around and motioned for them all to sit in the plush violet colored sofas in the sitting room. There was an expansive window that looked out onto Saturn. “Oh no, Commander. I was born on Earth, like you. I’m part of the twelve.” She said her words in such an alluring way Christopher felt himself becoming mesmerized.

  “But you chose to wear that… uniform?” asked Christopher disbelievingly .

  Ray looked down at her almost completely naked body, ran her hands over her slender hips and countered, “Don’t you think it suits me?”

  Christopher didn’t know what was coming over him, he felt completely taken in by her now.

  Then Alma slapped him across the face.

  He gave her a dirty look, “Hey?”

  “She is using pheromone enhancers to influence you. Snap out of it.” Alma looked at Ray then, “And you, just the drinks. No pheromones or any other influencers. I’m not sure what kind of guests the Station Master usually has, but we aren’t here for sex or to be loved up.”

  Ray shrugged and said nonchalantly, “I’m just doing my job as housekeeper.”

  Alma nodded, “Okay, well you have ‘housekeeped’ us enough now.”

  Water in decorative gold rimmed glasses were placed in front of all three of them. Ray disappeared into another room in a pout. They all sat quietly and no one touched the water.

  Afia said, “I think it’s best not to drink anything until we see the Station Master doing the same. That’s what we were always instructed to do before with our last captain and he and the Station Master went way back.”

  “And was Ray here before?”

  “Oh yes,” replied Afia, “but our last captain wasn’t interested in women so she had no effect on him. I had no idea she would behave like that.”

  “I see,” replied Alma. “I guess it’s a good thing you and I like men too.”

  After a few minutes of silence, Christopher said, “The peace is in the water.” It was a Terra Nova saying and Afia and Alma exchanged glances.

  “What do you mean?” asked Afia.

  “I was just thinking,” said Christopher, “about what Terra Nova always says about the peace being in the water. Just like the lust in the air through the pheromones.”

  “Do you believe the water on Earth is infected with something to make us more pliable?”

  “I don’t know,” Christopher picked up his glass and took a big sip of water. “I often wonder. Everything always seems more real when I’ve been away from Earth.”

  Afia got out her small scanner and held it over the water, “It’s just water taken from the ice of the moon.”

  “Afia, you’ve been in the fleet for a long time, do you ever feel different when you’ve been away for so long?”

  “In some ways, of course,” she looked directly at Christopher for half a minute and then asked, “Are you talking about something specific?”

  Alma wanted to tell Christopher to stop talking about Terra Nova, but she couldn’t without implicating them both in Afia’s eyes.

  “Do you feel more prone to violence when you’re away?” Christopher asked.

  Alma tried to look out and admire the beauty of Saturn. She didn’t want to give this conversation any more currency than it already had.

  “Our work can be very violent and I rarely encounter that on Earth, so I honestly can’t say as I can’t compare the two,” Afia answered evenly.

  “Have you ever done anything on ship that afterwards on Earth, you wonder if you were even the same person?”

  Afia looked Christopher dead in the eyes, “Are you referring to something specific now, Commander?”

  “Maybe, I am? Or maybe, I’m just making general conversation,” Christopher replied. He was sure after watching Afia this past week that she had definitely been the leader of the mutiny that had their last captain and first officer killed on the Indy.

  “Ask me,” Afia said coldly.

  Before the conversation could escalate anymore the Station Master walked in with a broad smile. He was a large man both tall and wide and wor
e the most ridiculous clothing one could imagine, lots of brightly colored embroidered silk that must have cost a fortune from some of the best design guilds on Earth.

  “Welcome, welcome. Captain Johnson. My goodness what a sight for a poor old man’s eyes. They told me you were a gem to look at but even that description doesn’t do you justice. The purple uniform looks good on you. Afia,” he said turning his eyes to her now, “as always it is a pleasure to see you. I’m still waiting for that duel you promised me.” Then he turned his eyes to Christopher and said, “Commander, I envy you having these two women onboard ship with you.”

  Christopher looked away and rolled his eyes at the wall. He wondered how this man was able to hold such a vital role in the solar system with such archaic ideas. Christopher was a strong believer in sending people who didn’t conform to modern JC society to the Ethereal and that even sometimes included his traditionalist parents.

  “It’s good to meet you in person, Master Harlow,” said Alma. “Thank you for inviting us for dinner.”

  “Of course, I always want to get to know the new captains,” he purposely didn’t specify whether they were in the JC or pirates. “You know, it’s vital that we all know each other out here, as we are all striving for the same things.”

  “Are we?” asked Afia.

  “Yes, I think we are. Peace and prosperity. Isn’t that what you want, Afia?”

  Afia laughed a little and Alma wondered how well they really knew each other and if it had always been in a professional way.

  “Oh Alma, don’t worry about Afia. She’s always been a cynic,” replied the Master. “You can trust me though. Now, tell me,” he said too warmly as they sat down at a dining room table set for a three course meal, “What news from Earth?”

  Alma looked at him blankly for a moment. Of course, he would have his own crier and know all the news from Earth. He was looking for something more, but she didn’t know what. As she was terrible at diplomacy and small talk, she decided to chance it and just go directly to the point of their visit, “There have been rumors of Terra Nova gaining enough support for a proper coup. You haven’t heard anything like that out here have you?”