Inadvertent Adventures

by Jones, Loren K.

  Ann sat frozen for a moment, then tears forced their way to her eyes and she sat and cried in the com-booth, remembering the man she had loved and left. Then she fought down her heartache and gritted her teeth. She seemed to hear Grandma Muireann’s voice scolding her. That boy is gone girl. Love the man ye have. There were no outward signs of her grief when she opened the com-booth’s door and walked out.

  Chapter 24

  WHILE ANN WAS GONE, A MESSAGE packet arrived addressed to “Captain Stevenson, Admiral Ann’s Revenge.” Mandy was on watch at the hatch and signed for it, then tucked it into Ann’s mail slot.

  *

  The Admiral Ann’s Revenge boosted out of the Georgia System with an assorted cargo that ranged from spices to paperwork, all bound for DA-CC in New Frankfurt. Ann hadn’t spoken to anyone since she had returned from the space dock except to get them under way, and everyone respected her silence. The look of misery in her eyes was so pronounced that no one dared ask what had caused it.

  Sterling suspected that he knew, and waited until they were alone in their quarters before bringing it up. “You spoke to Hiroshi, didn’t you?” It was more of a statement than a question.

  “I had to. He sent me a note that just said, ‘Call me.’ I had to talk to him.” Ann didn’t turn around when she spoke. She just held onto the door of her locker for support. “He still hates us. And he’s dying.”

  Sterling closed his eyes for a moment, then walked over and wrapped his arms around Ann. “He has that right, I guess. You know, he has never spoken to me about it. Not even to curse me.”

  Ann began crying, her whole body shaking as sobs tore through her. “I never meant to hurt anyone, Sterling. I thought he understood that I didn’t mean for it to happen.”

  “I didn’t either,” Sterling murmured into her hair. But I’m so very glad it did.

  *

  Once the ship was headed out of the system, Sterling nudged Ann’s elbow. “There’s a packet for you.”

  Ann looked at him, then turned around and checked her mail slot. A plain tan envelope sat there waiting, and she reached out to grab it. “When did it come in?”

  Sterling shook his head as he replied, “No idea.”

  She gave him a frown then looked at the envelope carefully. “There is no return address, but it has a CSS Government stamp on it.”

  “Open it,” Sterling prompted, leaning forward.

  “Greedy,” Ann said with a laugh. She opened the envelope and pulled out a sheaf of papers. “It says, ‘From Doctor Alfred Grace, CSS Survey Biological Testing Laboratory.’” Ann stopped reading as her eyes widened and she looked at Sterling. She looked back at the papers and continued reading. “Analysis of the plant samples that were submitted reveals no biological hazards beyond the alcohol content. Nutritional value is medium, in the region of Terran asparagus for the ice-plant-like vegetation, and Terran snow-pea pods for the thick leaves. High amino acid content. Medium vitamin content. Conclusion: These plants should all be human edible if a way to extract the alcohol is found. Suitable for use as fodder for ruminant animals. Test animals showed no undesirable side effects.

  “Water Sample Number One: the fluid contains a high proportion of potassium chloride. There are several microscopic life forms similar to protozoa, and a plankton-like plant. Water Sample Number Two: Fresh water, with expected trace elements including a higher than normal percentage of selenium. Few biologicals found. Lab animals consumed it and showed no noticeable side effects.”

  Sterling barely breathed as he whispered, “We can eat the plants and drink the water.”

  “There’s more,” Ann said as she turned the page. “The insects showed no biting apparatus that could seriously affect human tissue. They did show a high metabolic rate and fed off of the plant samples during their voyage. Experimentation with sugar water showed no appeal, but a drop of Vodka caused a feeding frenzy. Our conclusion is that, for these insects at least, the alcohol is the primary nutrient.”

  Ann looked at the last page and smiled. “Air samples showed no trace of pollution. The oxygen content is very high, nearly toxic at one atmosphere, but safe for all Earth-originated species at the reported atmospheric pressure. Signed, Doctor Alfred Grace, Director, CSS Survey Biological Testing Laboratory. Copies to be forwarded to CSS Navy Survey Command, Planetary Claims Commission, and Captain Stevenson of the Admiral Ann’s Revenge.”

  Sterling was grinning so hard his face hurt, but he didn’t care. “It’s habitable, and the plants are edible. Now all we need is for the no-sentient-life signoff and we have a planet.”

  Ann smiled broadly as she nodded her agreement. “We have to tell the crew.” She turned and led the way to the wardroom with the papers clutched in her hand.

  Katrina saw them enter and smiled when she saw Ann’s smiling face. “Coffee, Captain?” she asked.

  Ann walked up to Katrina and hugged her tightly for a moment, before stepping back and grinning even wider. “It’s habitable, Kat.”

  Katrina squealed, “Frisland’s habitable!” as she hugged Ann and jumped up and down.

  Carrie-Marie burst out of her office and skidded to a stop just before she ran into Sterling. “Did I hear that right?” she asked in a barely controlled tone.

  “Yep,” Sterling said with a chuckle.

  “We thought we’d tell everyone and celebrate a bit,” Ann said as she walked to the com panel on the wall. “Control, Wardroom. Patch me into the ship-wide system.” There was a click and Ann continued, her voice echoing through the ship.

  “Attention all hands, this is the captain. We received a message packet just before we left orbit. I won’t read you the whole thing, but the gist of it is this: Frisland is habitable based on the samples we brought back.” She paused as the sounds of shouting drifted down from Control. “We can breathe the air, eat the plants, and drink the water. The Duyfken will have to determine if there are any microbial hazards or a sentient species, but so far the planet looks good for habitation. All off-watch personnel are invited to the wardroom to celebrate.”

  Olaf and Denise burst through the hatch just a moment later, and Balder was close on their heels. Amanda and Bart were on watch in control and Thom was on watch in the engineering spaces.

  “It’s real, Captain?” Balder asked as he came to a stop.

  Ann handed him the message and he sat at a table, scanning it. Denise and Olaf looked over his shoulders, and Carrie-Marie and Katrina went to the other side of the table to read it upside-down. “Lords of Space,” was all Balder could say.

  “CM,” Ann said, and waited until Carrie-Marie was looking at her, “break out the special stores, article fifteen.”

  Carrie-Marie smiled broadly and went to the secure storage locker that only she and Ann had keys to. She returned with a bottle of New Erin Whiskey. “Kat, we need glasses,” she said, and Katrina quickly brought a tray of small tumblers. At Ann’s nod, Carrie-Marie poured.

  When everyone had a glass, Ann made the toast. “To the crew of the Admiral Ann’s Revenge, the Planet Frisland, and the Farflung Star System. Salute!”

  “Salute!” six voices replied, and everyone downed their drink in one gulp.

  “We’ll let the watch standers have their drink later,” Ann said as she smiled at everyone. “CM, return article fifteen to storage. My friends, it looks like the Lords of Space have smiled on us.”

  *

  Brandon Von Rubenstein sat in his office and fumed in impotent rage. That insufferable little bitch had defied him and cost him the chairmanship of DA-CC. He needed an additional twelve percent vote to regain control of DA-CC, but because of Katrina and the lies she’d told, no one would even discuss it with him. None of the other board members were willing to cross Alex to aid him.

  And now a new player had emerged. A player he’d been sure he was quit of more than thirty years in the past. The note was in his pocket. A real paper note, written longhand with a stylus of some kind.

  Brandon,
beloved, I understand that your youngest daughter has brought you a new fortune. Do remember what you owe me, muirnin. And what I can do to you.

  He didn’t have to wonder who the note was from. Only one person had ever called him muirnin. He gulped schnapps as his stomach clenched into a knot. A foolish indiscretion. One drunken romp one night in the heat of passion that had ended with a gun in his hand.

  She had covered it up. Made the body and evidence disappear. Made him her virtual slave. Her lap-dog untill she tired of him and sent him on his way.

  Now his hands clenched around the glass as he wondered how he was going to get Katrina to return home so he could rescind her disinheritance. So she would once again be his daughter. So she would once again be under his control.

  *

  The trip through hyperspace was routine, and the Admiral Ann’s Revenge emerged in New Frankfurt space seven days later. As soon as their reply to the system control identification query was received, DA-CC contacted them.

  “Admiral Ann’s Revenge, please proceed to DA-CC Dock Bremen. You will be met there. Captain and First Mate Stevenson, please be ready to travel down to the planet for contract negotiations. DA-CC Control, out.”

  Sterling chuckled. “We’re still eight and half days out. You don’t think someone is in a hurry, do you?” he asked Ann.

  “Maybe. I’m sure there are other conglomerates that are going to want to contact us while we’re here. DA-CC may just want to ensure they are first.”

  “Possibly. And when they hear the news about Frisland, even more are going to want to get in on the action.”

  Denise shook her head as she chuckled. “Sterling, Ann, be careful.”

  “Of what?” Ann asked.

  “Of getting chapped buns. There’re a lot of people who are going to be kissing your-”

  “Denise!” Ann interrupted with a laugh. “Lords of Space, this is just the first round of negotiations.”

  Denise chuckled as she turned back to her panel. “Course set for DA-CC Dock Bremen.”

  Ann said, “Mister Stevenson, make course corrections to match the navigator’s plot.”

  Sterling typed the commands into his panel and the Revenge shivered for an instant. “Course corrections made, Ma’am.”

  Eight and a half days later they were two hours from arrival, and Ann turned over the watch to Denise. “We’re going to get ready to meet with the DA-CC Board. Get the kids up here to bring us in. You have the ship.”

  “Aye, Ma’am, I have the ship,” Denise answered, then pushed the ship wide address button on her console and said, “Miss Carter to Control. Mister Roberts to Control.”

  *

  Six people were waiting for Ann and Sterling when they emerged from the ship several hours later. “Captain Stevenson, I am Heinrich Stroheim,” the leader of the group said as he stepped forward to shake hands with both of them. “Have you any baggage?”

  “Just our carry-cases,” Sterling answered.

  “Very well. Please come with us. The shuttle is down this way.” He led off and Ann and Sterling fell in behind him with the five other men following close on their heels.

  Chapter 25

  DRESDEN WAS AN IMPRESSIVE CITY WITH a population of over seven million people. It had been founded by the original colonists at the same time as the capital city of Berlin. The three thousand original colonists had chosen the best of the arable land on the continents, and become the aristocracy of this new world. Thirteen hundred years of expansion had swelled the planetary population to three billion with immigrants from almost every planet in the Confederacy and every nationality of Old Earth, but only the original families could legally use the prefix ‘Von’ on their surnames.

  Dresden Argo-Commerce Collective Headquarters was housed in a modern skyscraper with anachronistic crenellations around its roof. The grounds were carefully manicured to present a garden-like appearance as visitors approached.

  Ann and Sterling were escorted into the building and up to the seventy-sixth floor. Exquisitely polite functionaries took their bags and they were guided to an ornate office with Chairman blazoned across the door in gold letters.

  A young man stood and bowed his head sharply. “Countess Alexandra will see you in a moment, Captain and Mister Stevenson. May I offer you refreshments?”

  “No, thank you,” Ann answered.

  The door opened and Countess Alexandra smiled broadly. “Welcome, my friends. Come in and join us. We were just going over the proposal that we wanted to lay before you.”

  “Thank you, Countess Alexandra,” Ann said as she and Sterling accepted the invitation. Eight men and women were arranged around a long table, and Countess Alexandra led Ann and Sterling to a pair of empty seats at one end before returning to her seat at the opposite end.

  “Well, it would seem that a simple Tabasco-pear shipment was the beginning of a far more lucrative business association than anyone could have imagined. Let me begin with introductions. To my left is my brother, Brandon. To my right is Sandra Von Daniken. To Brandon’s left is Edward Von Hassen. To Sandra’s right is Poul Von Anders. To Edward’s left is Helga Von Ober. To Poul’s right is Ernst Von Habsburg. To Helga’s left is Rudolph Von Lowenstein. To Ernst’s right is Eva Von Reinhardt.”

  Ann spoke for both of them when she said, “We are pleased to meet you all.”

  “Before we begin,” Brandon Von Rubenstein said, focusing his gaze on Ann and Sterling, “I would like to know what has happened to my daughter.”

  Ann looked into his eyes without flinching. “Your daughter is well. She was injured when we first emerged in the Farflung System, but has healed completely without any complications. She has so far completed almost half of the coursework to earn her First Class Spacer Certificate.”

  “And still she does not wish to come home?”

  Ann shook her head. “I have not discussed it with her in recent weeks, but she has not asked to leave the ship while we are in port.”

  Brandon bit his lips and focused his eyes on the table. He muttered, “She must come home.”

  Countess Alexandra looked at him for a moment, and then turned toward Ann and Sterling. “As you are no doubt aware, DA-CC has interests that stretch well beyond agriculture. Mining, both asteroid and planetary, comprises nearly seventeen percent of our annual gross. We would like to send our assayers to the third planet of your system to see what it can offer. The sensor readings you provided us in the Georgia System indicate that the radiation levels are well within limits for a robotic mining operation so long as the habitat and port are properly shielded. There is the added benefit of the first gas giant showing an abundance of the elements needed for starship fuel. A single refinery ship could provide for all foreseeable fuel needs for several decades.”

  “What are your terms in exchange for these concessions?” Ann asked.

  “For now, we will absorb the expense of the refinery ship,” Sandra Von Daniken said when Countess Alexandra looked at her. “In return, we are asking for five years exclusive mining rights for the third planet at no cost, then a five percent net payment schedule after that. Assuming that there is something worth mining there.”

  “And if the assayers report that there is nothing of interest on the third planet?” Sterling asked, focusing his attention on Sandra.

  “Then we write it off on our taxes as a loss. Still, the preliminary information on your habitable planet is promising, so there will be a need for fuel. The refinery ship will provide us with sufficient revenue to justify keeping it there unless a sentient species is discovered. If that happens, then we will have to reassess our options.”

  Countess Alexandra took over the conversation again. “For reasons that we are all aware of, I am inclined to be generous with this contract. Still, I have stockholders to consider. If your planet turns out to be habitable and does not have a sentient species, then DA-CC will want to establish a presence there as well. The Survey laboratory’s conclusions about the edibility and nutritiona
l value of the plants you brought back makes me think that it would be wise to establish our interest now rather than later.”

  Brandon Von Rubenstein caught his sister’s attention and spoke when she nodded. “While there is no way to know if Terran plants will thrive on the planet Frisland, I am almost certain a market for the native plants can be found. Especially with their alcohol content. A plant that is as nutritious as asparagus and loaded with alcohol will probably be much more popular than regular asparagus.” There was a ripple of laughter around the table when he finished speaking.

  Sterling said, “I agree, Sir, but we have yet to taste-test it. That will be one of those, ‘If you die we’ll name something after you,’ moments.”

  A few of the board members chuckled.

  “There is that,” Brandon agreed.

  Ann took the floor before anyone else could speak. “Let’s table the discussion concerning Frisland until the Duyfken makes her report. Until then, it is all speculation.”

  “Perhaps that is wise,” Countess Alexandra agreed, silencing Brandon with a raised finger. “After all, it may be that Frisland will become a protected world and no one will be allowed to exploit it. You are, however, aware of our interest.”

  “If I may,” Helga Von Ober asked, catching Countess Alexandra’s eye and receiving a nod to continue, “I would like to know what other companies have made contact concerning these planets. It would be good to know who our competitors are.”

  Ann bowed her head for a moment. “Germanicus Mining and Minerals has contacted us, but we informed them that we already had an agreement in principal with DA-CC through your manager in the Georgia System.” She looked at Brandon and saw a little more life in his expression. “Johan, with a little help from Katrina, convinced us to talk to you first before entering into any discussions with other concerns.”

  “That was very trusting of you,” Ernst Von Habsburg murmured.