by S. H. Jucha
Stepping to the corridor side, Harbour watched as family members, friends, and associates greeted the arriving passengers. Many were abuzz with the news of who was riding the El with them, but the groups, either spotting Harbour or being warned of her presence, hurried on. Soon, she was left alone in the corridor.
After a few minutes delay, the cap doors rolled aside, and Harbour watched a security team unhook and unbelt Helena and Sasha and then lead them onto the station deck.
Sasha was terribly disappointed by the return of gravity, but that quickly shifted when she saw the bustle of the station — people wearing incredibly decorated skins and shops displaying enticing goods.
Harbour’s sensitivities were attenuated to prevent being overpowered by the normals, who had surrounded her at the gate. Despite that, she could feel Sasha’s broadcast. Not only was it considerable, but it shifted in an instant from dark to bright, unhappy to elated.
“Harbour,” Cecilia called out, and directed the group’s attention toward her.
Helena hurried forward and threw her arms around Harbour’s neck, and she reciprocated with support and strength.
“I’ve thought about you for seventeen years,” Helena said, sniffling and swiping at her tears.
“There are more steps to take,” Harbour said, holding Helena’s hands, “but this is the beginning of the end. Have courage. You’re safe now. I’ll see to that.”
Harbour stepped to the side and regarded Sasha. The child’s broadcast was mercurial, as emotions swung in different directions. She noticed that Sasha’s hand had never left that of a tall security officer. The name patch said Nunez. She sensed a balance of concern and intention from him.
“Sasha, say hello to Harbour,” Helena invited. “This is the woman who I’ve told you and your sister about so many times.”
Before Sasha could reply, the cap behind them opened, and the group turned around to see the security team exit with Markos and Giorgio in tow.
Harbour sensed the hostility from Sasha ratchet to an incredible level, but it dropped when Nunez bent down to whisper in her ear.
“Everyone, let’s head for security administration,” Liam announced, but he hesitated when he caught Harbour’s minute shake of her head.
“We’ll join you soon, Major,” Harbour replied. She stepped in front of Markos, smiling warmly. “It’s so good to see you governor … under arrest.”
Liam pulled on Markos arm, and the governor was denied an opportunity to retort, but he definitely heard Sasha’s giggle. Giorgio lunged and hissed at Sasha, who was caught off guard and jerked back.
However, Harbour wasn’t about to let Giorgio get away with a slight against one of her people.
Giorgio gave Harbour a nasty grin as he came abreast of her, but a massive onslaught of panic caused him to shriek and jump. He spun out of Miguel’s grip, searching for the danger.
“Some tough security chief,” Miguel commented, grasping Giorgio’s arm and pulling him forward. He gave Harbour a tiny smile, as he passed her.
“I thought we weren’t supposed to do that?” Sasha asked Harbour, as her tormentors were led off.
“Did you feel what I did?” Harbour asked Sasha, noting the girl had let go of Nunez’s hand.
“Barely, but Giorgio jumped like he was shocked,” Sasha replied. She giggled and added, “He deserved that.”
“What I did is called directing. It enables an empath to focus the power on one person instead of everyone around them. Would you like to learn to do that?”
“Okay,” Sasha replied. She made it sound as if she didn’t care one way or the other, but the small pulse of excitement that Harbour detected gave Sasha away.
“Pretty,” Sasha said, tracing the filigree pattern on the side of Harbour’s skins.
“Pretty bad,” replied Harbour, doing the same to Sasha’s skins, eliciting a giggle from the girl, who regarded her skins and then Harbour’s. “I think those skins of yours call for some shopping.” Before Cecilia could object Harbour added, “Lindstrom and Nunez, I’m sure Sasha would love to have you join us.”
“Please,” Sasha said excitedly, and clapped her hands when the security team nodded their acceptance.
As the group left the passenger gate side corridor, Cecilia sent the major a message, which said, “We’re going shopping.” Cecilia glanced at the reply, “Please clarify.” She typed quickly, “Harbour’s leading, and we’re following.” There wasn’t a reply, and Cecilia sent, “Harbour’s helping Sasha adjust to the station. It’s better than taking the child from a room in her house to a room in security.”
The captain’s reply was simply, “Agreed.”
* * *
Major Finian reported in person to the commandant after accompanying Sergeant Miguel and the prisoners to the lockup. He left Devon and Miguel to file the charges against the two men. As Liam expected, the commandant was livid and screeching at the top of his thin voice when he discovered he hadn’t been kept in the loop.
“Commandant, I ordered Lieutenant Higgins to shut down the communications link downside before we descended. It gave us the edge we needed. Our team arrived seconds after the governor and security chief exited their vehicles at the house. It was obvious that they had been warned by downsiders on the El once we were inside the dome. There’s no telling what they intended to do to hide their crimes.”
“You could have called me on the way up, Captain. It’s your responsibility to keep me informed.”
“That’s my fault, Commandant. I assumed Lieutenant Higgins hadn’t restored the link. I learned afterwards that he had. Regardless, my attention was focused on ensuring that those in my custody received the proper clothing when they arrived and the daughter was kept entertained.”
“Entertained?” Emerson repeated.
“Sasha is a young, bitter girl, who is a powerful empath. Her anger stems from the fact that she’s been confined to some third-floor rooms in the governor’s house for her entire life.”
“How powerful is she?”
“I’m no judge of these things, Commandant, but she was able to mentally cripple some of my people within a few meters of her.”
“Well, I think it’s best that the girl is isolated for now … Harbour, so pleased to see you.”
Liam took in the commandant’s choked expression, before he whirled around. Harbour was standing in the doorway, a stormy expression on her face.
“I thought you’d like to meet Helena and Sasha, Commandant,” Harbour said. “I wanted to inform you that I’m formally declaring these women are now under my protection.”
“We haven’t even sent the charges for the governor and his chief of security to the Review Board, Harbour. It’s imperative that we keep them under our protection until events have run their course.”
Liam winced. He expected Harbour to retaliate, either mentally or vocally, but she merely smiled and turned to speak to those who waited outside the commandant’s office.
“Ladies, come say hello and goodbye to the commandant,” Harbour requested.
Helena stepped through the doorway first and nodded politely to Emerson.
When Sasha entered the room, she looked up at Harbour and asked, “What’s a commandant?”
“That’s a commandant,” Harbour replied, pointing at Emerson. “He’s the person who is in charge of station security.”
Emerson was puffing up with pride, when Harbour added, “He’s the person who would be responsible for rescuing lost people, like your mother.”
A scowl crossed Sasha’s face, and Emerson deflated.
Harbour placed a hand on Sasha’s shoulder, which curtailed the rising storm. Instead, Sasha glared at the commandant and announced, “He’s not very good at his job, is he?”
The security team, who had accompanied Harbour, Helena, and Sasha, crushed their snickers, but Harbour laughed. “No, he’s not,” she agreed. “Come, ladies, we’ve taken up enough of the man’s time. Call me, Commandant, when you need their testi
mony for the Review Board’s initial interviews to confirm your charges. We’ll remain on station for the next two days.
“Sasha,” Liam called out, “nice skins.”
The little girl wore a pair of deep silver skins with delicate, bright blue filigree worked around the shoulders and arms. Her long hair was pulled into a ponytail, like Harbour’s, and was captured by a rainbow-colored clip. Sasha flashed a brilliant smile and preened. She nearly rose off the deck from the compliment.
As Harbour ushered the women out the door, she winked at Liam and sent a small amount of warmth his way. In the hallway, she said, “Sasha, you have to say goodbye to Cecilia and Nunez. They have to go back to work.”
“No, they can stay with us,” Sasha loudly objected.
Nunez interrupted the brewing storm, dropping down on his knees in front of Sasha. “You know the governor and Giorgio were bad men, right?” When he received a stubborn nod of agreement, he plowed on, “Well, that’s what the corporal and I do for a living. We catch bad people.”
Sasha looked at Cecilia for affirmation.
“There could be other little girls out there who need our help,” Cecilia said.
“Okay,” Sasha agreed grudgingly. She threw her slender arms around Nunez’s neck, and the entire group was treated to a blast from her.
The commandant watched Harbour lead the women away. “I can’t believe what I just felt,” he said, smiling and placing a hand on his heart.
“It was meant for Nunez,” Liam replied. He wasn’t happy that Emerson received something precious, which he didn’t deserve. “The girl hasn’t any control. She can just as easily devastate a group of people, while meaning to hurt one person.”
The thought quickly sobered Emerson, thinking he could be the girl’s target for his failure to rescue her mother and her.
“With your permission, Commandant, I’ll see to expediting the charges and calling an emergency session of the Review Board. I’m sure that you have your own calls to make,” Liam said, with a tip of his fingers to his cap.
Emerson’s eyes narrowed at Liam, wondering if there was an underlying meaning in his last sentence, but the man wore the blandest of expressions.
“Get to it, Major. Dismissed.”
-21-
Jessie
The Spryte was docked at the YIPS, unloading a pile of ingots that the crew of the Annie had produced before leaving for Triton. The three bay loads of valuable metals added a substantial amount of coin to the company’s coffers, and, because the individuals who signed with Jessie received a stipend plus a share of the company’s annual gains, it made for happy crews.
It had been a risky decision on Jessie’s part to chance exploring Emperion. Captain Rose was the first to sail to Minist, the closest moon, while he possessed a single mining ship, the Annie. The other miners plied their trade in the belt. Although farther away, the massive collection of diverse asteroids guaranteed a haul of one cargo type or another.
But, on Minist, Rose found nothing but common aggregate. If his ship had carried the proper smelting equipment, so that he could have set up production on the moon, he might have carved out a decent profit. But he lacked both the equipment and the auto-controlled sleds that Jessie later produced for the company. Minist became known as Rose’s Reward and was used in the negative when a captain described an unsuccessful trip to the belt and back.
After unloading at the YIPS, Jessie intended to return to Emperion and help the Pearl’s crew with the shoveling of the massive fields of frozen gases. Two ship crews could work the moon’s rich surface twice as fast. Jessie knew word about the increased frequency of the Pearl’s visits to the YIPS with full tanks was spreading quickly. It wouldn’t be long before other mining captains decided to cease prospecting the belt, add tanks to their ship’s axis, and come for loads from Emperion.
It was the growth of Pyre’s society that had increased the demand for the frozen gases. The YIPS produced methane and other products for the construction of the JOS terminal arms, hydrogen for engine mass, oxygen for ships and stations, and, to a limited extent, water, which everyone needed. The Annie’s original survey of Emperion indicated that the moon was completely covered in frozen gases to a minimum depth of 60 to 80 meters.
While at the YIPS, Jessie heard from sources of the arrests of Markos Andropov and Giorgio Sestos. Couldn’t have happened to better people, Jessie thought when he heard the news for the first time. But the part of the announcement that Jessie paid close attention to were the recoveries of Helena Garmenti and her young daughter. In his gut, he’d trusted the story Aurelia had told him. Now, he had proof that he was right to protect her.
“Captain, you have a call from Harbour,” Ituau announced, over his comm unit.
“Transfer it, Ituau, and you can stop your grinning before I find some scutwork for you to do,” Jessie replied.
“Absolutely, Captain,” Ituau deadpanned, before she made the connection. She thought it was a good thing the captain, who was in his cabin, couldn’t see the broad grin she had on her face, which she was unable to erase.
Rather than take a seat at his desk station, Jessie took his hand unit and eased into his comfortable reading chair. “You’ve had a busy day, Harbour,” Jessie said, without preamble.
“To say the least,” Harbour replied. “By the way, this call is secure. It’s my back channel through the JOS.”
“You still aboard the station?”
“Yes. Helena needs to testify before the Review Board to substantiate the charges so that security can hold Markos and Giorgio over for trial.”
“How’re the women doing?”
“Helena is happy to be rescued, but I think she’s a little lost. She’s come home after seventeen years and the birth of two daughters. The station isn’t the familiar place she left behind.”
“I can’t imagine the life she’s led downside. It’s a wonder the woman never did in the governor.”
“Helena is a soft-spoken woman. Not the type to strike out … more the quiet, desperate type.”
“What’s the daughter like?”
“Sasha is another thing entirely,” Harbour said, laughing. “Willful, temperamental, and angry, and, on top of that, a powerful and untrained empath.”
“Yikes,” Jessie replied.
“You can say that again. But, I believe I have Sasha following my lead.”
“So quickly, what did you do to her?”
“I met a resentful, young girl dressed in a secondhand pair of oversized skins, and I did the one thing that would appease any female, young or old. I took her shopping.”
Harbour heard Jessie laugh, and she curled her legs under her on the chair. It was the first time she’d heard his laughter.
“Tell me, does security have them, or do you?” Jessie asked.
“The women are under my protection. I’ve stated that formally to the commandant.”
“And how is our dear commandant doing?”
“Funny you should ask. I’ve listened to a recorded conversation between Emerson and Lise Panoy. It’s evidence that he’s colluding with Lise to help her gain the governor’s position.”
Jessie sat up in his chair. “And how did you learn this?”
“This is shared under the blanket of conversations that we’ve been having, agreed?”
“That goes without saying, Harbour.”
“Major Finian and Lieutenant Higgins are onto the commandant and have been for a while. When the commandant was stalling about taking action from my search results, the major’s suspicions were confirmed.”
“I’m not tracking here, Harbour. What search are you talking about?”
“Sorry, Jessie, things have been happening so fast. I’d shared the information you relayed to me with my spacers, empaths, and a few select residents. We spread rumors about Aurelia and the possibilities of how she must be evading security. That led Danny, my pilot, to develop an idea, which led me to request that Major Finian search the JOS perso
nnel database against Aurelia’s DNA profile.”
“And that led to the match of Helena Garmenti,” Jessie finished for Harbour, “which gave the major an excuse to request a warrant from the commandant. Harbour, you’re a clever woman.”
“Thank you, Jessie.” What Harbour really wanted to know was whether Jessie liked clever women or preferred the silent type.
“When does the Review Board interview Helena?”
“Tomorrow afternoon. The commandant was forced to call an emergency session to gain permission to holdover Markos and Giorgio for trial.”
“I say throw the pair of them out an airlock and be done with it,” Jessie said.
Harbour heard the vehement undertone in Jessie’s voice, and she sought to understand the reason for it. “What happened to a spacer’s demand for justice?” she asked.
“Under the circumstances, I think expediency would be better.”
Then it clicked for Harbour. Jessie’s support for his crew members extended throughout their lives. It didn’t matter whether they were active, retired, or broken, in which case they needed Harbour’s support. Once he adopted them as crew, so to speak, he took on the responsibility. In this case, he’d done the same for Aurelia. She might have been a trainee who he was hiding from security, but, as far as Jessie was concerned, she was now his to protect.
“Jessie, where are you now?”
“The Spryte is docked at the YIPS. We’ve finished unloading, and I’m giving the crew some rest before we sail back to Emperion and support the Pearl’s crew.”
“Are you planning to stop in at the JOS?”
“I wasn’t planning to, Harbour. Did you need to speak to me face-to-face?”
It was a loaded question for Harbour. The answer was yes, but for more than one reason.
“I wanted an opportunity to discuss in detail your trainee’s future, the future of the governorship, and the possibility of a change in the way we run our society.”
