by Jucha, S. H.
Reviewing the records, Alex asked the SADEs to cross-reference the individuals at the terminals, who would have handled the crew and passengers embarking and disembarking for all four freighters.
“Interesting,” Julien said, smiling at Alex. “We’ve discovered a Ser Dubois, who has serviced the freighter, Bountiful, on its every docking and undocking. That would be statistically impossible.”
“I want to talk to Ser Dubois now,” Alex replied.
“I thought you would. I’ve relayed the information to the twins. The SADEs are attempting to locate his implant as we speak,” Julien replied.
Unfortunately, the SADEs wouldn’t locate Ser Dubois. When the three girls, restrained and bagged, were carried past him, two exhibiting slender Méridien shapes, Dubois panicked, but before he could object he was stunned and hauled aboard the freighter. When the ship cleared Haraken space, Dubois became one of the many small objects making their way inexorably toward the furnace that was Hellébore.
“But we’ve discovered two criminal organizations,” Renée objected. “Who’s to say whether this freighter belongs to Ser Toyo or Ser O’Brien.”
“Henry,” Alex and Julien said simultaneously, and Alex dropped a kiss on Renée’s forehead before he ran after Julien.
Henry sat up abruptly when he saw the huge Haraken president and his digital man come through the cell door in a hurry.
“You’ve been holding out on me, Henry,” Alex said, crossing the cell toward Henry, who climbed up on his bed to squeeze into the corner of his cell.
“No, no, I didn’t,” Henry objected, his eyes bulging in fear.
“You didn’t mention that you have a freighter dedicated to your people’s coming and going at Haraken.”
“A freighter dedicated to us?” Henry repeated in confusion. “No way! That would be stupid … draw attention to our operation in no time.” Henry remained standing on his bed after the two individuals abruptly left his cell, afraid they might return. When they didn’t, Henry slid down on his narrow cot to curl up. He wished for the same thing as Trembles — to return to New Terra where the adz weren’t so relentless.
Alex started pacing, organizing his thoughts. The kidnapping took place on Haraken, and the kidnappers, who were New Terran, were caught. The illegal club was shut down, and another gang, with a second leader, was discovered; but the leader had eliminated her team, who were also New Terrans. Now the girls were aboard a freighter, sailing under the Oistos banner, headed toward the mining moons of Ganymede, which meant that the girls’ recovery might well become embroiled in a political protest Alex would need to lodge with the New Terran government. Nothing in that train of thought satisfied Alex’s desire to recover the Haraken girls with the greatest haste. He needed a second option and an odd idea occurred to him.
Alex announced to the team.
There was just the slightest delay from Alex’s people, before Renée chimed in, sending,
-7-
The following morning, preparations were well underway for the Rêveur’s exit, the earliest possible moment that could be arranged. Before he left, Alex worked to execute his duties as Haraken’s president, the first of which was to notify the Assembly Speaker of his intended absence.
Eric had been kept abreast of the recent events, beginning with the twins’ search for individuals known to be without Haraken ID, capturing the one called Henry or Wheezy, whichever you preferred — the twins still weren’t sure of the man’s real name.
Alex could hear the mirth in Eric’s thoughts and smiled to himself. If any individuals had undergone a greater transformation than Eric, Alex didn’t know them.
As Eric once said, after the Librans’ rescue, his goal was to become a better human. Gone was the strict demeanor of the Méridien House Leader. The years as ambassador had brought Eric a wonderful sense of balance in the face of the difficult contests of wills, involving the needs of both governments. That he was Méridien, but not Libran, was why he was initially not considered for the Assembly, but, in time, the people saw the changes in Eric and embraced him as one of Haraken’s valued leaders.
Alex admitted.
This time, Eric laughed out loud.
* * *
After evening meal, Bibi Haraken’s transport landed at the Racine home. With her was Shera Beaufort, Amelia’s mother. Bibi was the matriarch of the Haraken clan and one of the planet’s first Assembly representatives. Recently, she stepped aside, and the populace elected Jason Haraken to her position. It seemed the Librans, despite becoming the minority in Espero, were uncomfortable if a member of the Haraken clan did not represent them in the Assembly.
After the amenities were observed and Alex updated the women on the events of the past several days, Bibi, direct as always, got right to the point. “What do you intend to do to get our children back, Ser President?”
“Go on vacation,” Alex replied and quickly held up his hands to forestall the women’s responses. “Let me explain. If we try to involve our governments, communications and negotiations will become protracted. The girls have been kidnapped by a criminal organization, which is not about to advertise what it’s done. My thinking is that they are holding the girls because they don’t know what to do with them. Having made the initial mistake of taking them, they’re probably hoping not to be discovered, but, if they’re found out, they’ll want to make a deal.”
“There’s no indication the girls were at the club to … to participate, is there?” Shera asked.
“Nonsense,” Bibi snorted, appalled by the question.
“If I was to guess, and I believe I know this threesome as well as anyone, they were there investigating. An illegal club dispensing dangerous drugs at the hands of criminal trespassers …” Alex let the statement hang in the air.
“Yes … yes, I suppose it would have been irresistible to
your sister,” Shera said.
“Are your eyes closed, Ser?” Bibi declared, turning to stare at her companion. “Since these three were barely teens, they’ve operated with one mind. No one of them dragged the others to that club. They would have done as they’ve always ever done — hatched the plan together. To insinuate that Christie led your Amelia there is to say you don’t know your daughter.”
Shera regarded Bibi for a moment, tears forming in her eyes, “Apologies, Ser President,” she said, through sniffles and glancing toward Alex.
Bibi moved over to Shera and threw an arm around the younger woman.
“We understand that three of these criminals were murdered,” Bibi said.
“Those individuals were from a rival gang, and they were killed, we believe, by their leader, who has fled the system.”
Bibi shook her head at the thought of this type of people infiltrating their society. “So you’re taking vacation, Ser President. Good timing. Libre is coming,” said Bibi. She referred to the Librans marking the day they were freed from the Confederation. It was a bittersweet celebration. A quarter of a million incarcerated Méridiens escaped Libre, the penal colony for the independent minded, in massive city-ships constructed with the help of Alex and his people.
However, more than two thousand treasured elders were left behind on Libre, despite the fleet waiting until the last moment before it was forced to set sail. The late launch meant the fleet fought the dark travelers of the giant Nua’ll sphere to gain the system’s exit.
In the intervening years since Haraken was settled, Alex never appeared at the ceremony commemorating Libran independence or appeared in public at all that day, for that matter, and his privacy was respected. The then Admiral Racine might have done more than anyone to help save the Librans, but to him he failed to save the last two thousand, including Fiona Haraken, the planet’s namesake and the Librans’ beloved elder.
On the Librans’ day of celebration, Alex and Renée would end the evening sitting in their gazebo, overlooking the sea, allowing them to watch Hellébore’s setting orb. Alex would play Fiona’s parting words to the fleet as the people fought to escape the system.
“While you’re on this vacation, how will this work?” Shera asked, confused.
“That’s an excellent question, Ser,” Alex replied.
Bibi barked a harsh laugh. “No plan at all, Ser, I see.”
Alex shrugged. “I can’t do anything from here but negotiate, which I don’t see as a winning tactic. The girls were taken to the moons of Ganymede in the Oistos system. Once I’m there, I’ll have options.”
“Well, no strategy before you exited Hellébore for Sol worked for the UE,” Bibi admitted. She stood and gently pulled Shera up with her. “May the stars guide you in your efforts to bring our children back to us, Ser President.”
After their guests left, Renée offered thé and a light meal, which Alex refused. He sat on the couch, thinking, and Renée curled up beside him.
“Don’t you think it’s odd that I can’t come up with a strategy to attack these problems before we go on these … these adventures?” said Alex, which caused Renée to laugh so hard she developed hiccups.
“Foolish question?” Alex asked, with his inimitable lopsided smile, while Renée regained control of her breath.
“There is no formula for success in this universe, my love, and if any two people should know that, it’s us. Now is not the time to doubt what has always worked for you. I trust that, and you should too,” Renée said, throwing her arms around Alex’s neck and hugging him close.
* * *
In the early morning hours and after saying goodbye to Teague and Alex’s parents, Katie and Duggan, who would care for their son and the Idona children while the SADEs were away, Alex and Renée stepped outside their home and into the sweet smell of dew-laden grass, as a traveler landed in the meadow nearby.
The hatch swung down, and two crew members hurried down to collect Alex and Renée’s personal belongings, which were stacked on the front porch of the house. Next down the steep steps was Svetlana Valenko, a wing commander under Commodore Sheila Reynard.
“Greetings and a good morning, President Racine, Ser,” Svetlana said jauntily.
“Did you do something to get demoted, Commander Valenko?” Alex asked, as he returned her salute.
“On the contrary, Mr. President, things are going well.”
“Then why, Commander, should you set aside your duties today to play shuttle pilot?” Alex asked, as he helped Renée up the hatch steps.
“I’m your copilot today, Mr. President. Commander Canaan is your pilot. I was never able to visit New Terra during my time training fighter pilots there … Niomedes, yes, but not New Terra. I’m quite looking forward to visiting your home world.
Alex eyed Svetlana, a gene-sculpted Méridien, who was a sublime example of the Nordic Europeans of Earth with her straight, white-blonde hair, deep blue eyes, and slender nose, but the Libran ignored his stare, instead smiling back and continuing to chat amiably about the impending visit to New Terra and the opportunity to visit a new world.
Soon after Alex and Renée boarded the traveler, they were setting down aboard the Rêveur. Once the bay was pressurized, they descended into a hive of activity. A second traveler, operating as a freight shuttle with its rear end dropped, was in the process of unloading, by crew in environment suits directed by Mickey Brandon.
“Morning, Mr. President,” Mickey said brightly, opening his helmet.
“Don’t tell me, Mickey, you’re joining us for a visit to New Terra,” Alex said.
“Absolutely! Wouldn’t miss a chance to visit the home world!”
“A great deal of personal belongings,” Alex said, pointing to the crates the crew was unloading.
“GEN machines and lab equipment for the engineering suite,” Mickey replied. “They’re requested by Terese.”
Renée hid a smile behind her hand.
“And who might Terese be visiting on New Terra?” Alex asked, his eyes narrowing.
“I’ve no idea, but Pia is on her way down, and you can ask her.”
Alex stopped his questioning and scanned for implants aboard the liner. His app returned the count of 189, which he shared with Renée. They exchanged glances and Renée shook her head, signaling she had nothing to do with whatever was happening.
“Do we, at least, have our suite, Mickey, or has that been taken up with equipment?” Alex asked.
“I’m sure it’s available, but Ellie is in charge of cabin assignments. So, you should check with her.”
“Ellie?”
“Sure … it’s a vacation, so why wouldn’t Ellie join Étienne? I mean Alain is here with Tatia,” Mickey said over his shoulder, as he ran to help the crew muscle a huge crate onto a grav-pallet.
The airlock was already cycling, so they waited for the bayside hatch to open when Claude Dupuis stepped out.
“Claude,” Renée exclaimed, hugging the Méridien.
“Are you on vacation too?” Alex asked, after exchanging greetings with the electronics specialist, who was kept eternally busy helping Z fabricate and upgrade his avatars.
“Vacation?” Claude said. “No, Sers, with so many of the Rêveur’s survivors joining the voyage, I supposed it to be a sort of reunion trip and didn’t want to miss out. Excuse me, Sers,” Claude added. His delivery was so straight faced, that neither Alex nor Renée understood whether he was teasing or serious. Had they seen Claude’s face, as he ran to supervise an offloading of Z’s avatars, they would have seen the subtle smile he wore.
Alex and Renée no sooner gained the first corner in the corridor just forward
of the landing bay, when Pia, hurrying around it and warned just in time by her proximity app, managed to dodge Alex. “Apologies and greetings, Ser President. Just like old times, isn’t it?” she said, and then hustled toward the bay.
The couple traveled a scant 10 meters more when Ellie Thompson rushed up to them.
“Commander,” Alex said drily, by way of greeting.
“Apologies, Ser President. I meant to greet you as you landed, but it’s been so hectic. The owner’s suite has been readied for you. Shall we?” Ellie replied, prepared to lead the way.
Renée barely managed to stifle her snicker. “I believe, Commander, that Alex and I are familiar with the way.”
“Oh … of course, Ser. Apologies,” Ellie replied, embarrassed that in dutifully following her checklist and never having stepped aboard the Rêveur, she forgot this was the derelict liner that Alex had rescued.
“Commander, obviously you’re exceedingly busy,” Alex said graciously. “Why don’t you return to the next item on your to-do list?”
Ellie offered a quick “Thanks” and rushed off, much to Alex and Renée’s amusement. They made their way to their suite via the lift and corridors amidst a hectic rushing of crew, who jumped aside as Alex and Renée passed. Ellie was correct. The suite was well-prepared for them, and the pair settled into familiar surroundings. The couple’s favorite thés were stocked, bed covers were fresh, and the salon’s furniture was restored to its original configuration, comfortable for a pair on vacation.
“Captain Cordova,” Alex said, nodding a greeting as he gained the bridge, while Renée bussed both cheeks of the elderly gentleman.
