Nearspace Trilogy

by Sherry D. Ramsey

  I sighed. “Okay, let's get back on track. Viss, get down and check the integrity of the cargo pod. I want to know how they got the doors open and if they damaged the ship at all. Yuskeya, set up a maximum range in-system scan and keep it running. I want lots of warning if anyone else comes looking for us.”

  Viss nodded and stood.

  “Viss, you know I'm going to have to check your story with Lanar.”

  He grinned. “I wouldn't respect you if you didn't, Captain,” he said. “I'm half-surprised you're not locking me in my quarters.”

  “Don't think I didn't consider it. Now get going.”

  Viss flashed me a grin and headed down to the cargo deck.

  “Baden, check all the crates that are in that pod, would you? Just make sure they're all secure again.”

  “Aye, Captain,” he said.

  I saw the gleam in his eye. “And don't open the crates. I know you'd love to get your hands on some of that stuff, but it's strictly off-limits, understood? Whatever's left, I want to deliver to Lanar intact.”

  “Oh, Captain! Just a peek? I swear I won't take anything!”

  I shook my head. “No opening the crates.” I grinned. “I know you wouldn't be able to resist the temptation. Think of it as me saving you from yourself.”

  “You're a hard woman,” he said, shaking his head as he left the bridge. Maja followed him.

  I stood up from my chair, although my body felt that it barely had the energy.

  “Rei?” I stretched, feeling the kinks pull out. “As soon as you get the okay from Viss and Baden, get us back on track for the wormhole to Mu Cassiopeia, please. Once we're underway, I want to double up on bridge shifts. No-one's on duty alone. I am going back to bed, and if anyone wakes me before morning, I'm converting one of the cargo pods into a brig.”

  In my cabin, I lay down on top of the bed without bothering to change my clothes. I wanted to shoot a message off to Lanar right away, lambasting him for first, using the Tane Ikai as a mule ship, and second, not coming to me with his problem instead of Viss. I know Lanar likes to think that I've always been squeaky-clean in my operations, but it hurt that he hadn't simply asked me to help.

  It wasn't safe to send that kind of message, though; PrimeCorp owned the subcorp that had a monopoly on almost all the communications systems in Nearspace, and it was far too likely that any message might be scanned or intercepted. I considered asking Viss if he counted any data runners among his questionable friends and contacts, but decided against it. The ship was hot enough with all that contraband tech in the hold. I didn't need to add any other illegal activities to the list.

  Anyway, I was still too mad at Viss to ask him for any favours. I sighed, rolled over, and resolved to put all worries out of my head and get some sleep. It must have worked, because I didn't even notice when Hirin climbed back into bed with me.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Face to Face With Certain Unreality

  Hirin improved every day after that. We both felt certain that whatever secret helpers functioned in my body were now hard at work in his. He had already regained the improvements we'd noticed on the beginning leg of the trip, and seemed poised to make even further gains. Still, the thought of the next wormhole filled me with trepidation.

  Our encounter with the pirates had one positive result. Maja and I arrived in the galley at the same moment the next morning, and I realized that sometime around the moment she'd arrived at the cargo hatch with a pin-beam Viper in her hand, I'd stopped being quite so angry with her.

  “Thanks for your help last night.” I pulled double caffs out of the machine for both of us.

  She half-smiled and shrugged. “I didn't actually do much.”

  “But you were there.”

  “Sometimes families have to stick together regardless,” she said, handing me a plate of pano with an uncharacteristic grin. “Pirate attacks fall into that category.”

  Rei came in then and we didn't say anything more, but I felt as if maybe there was hope for us yet.

  We were still a day out from the skip to Mu Cassiopeia when Baden hailed me on the ship's comm. Hirin and I were playing quozit in my quarters.

  “Captain, incoming WaVE for you, although the signal's weak. Admiralo Lanar Mahane, on board the Protectorate Patrol Ship S. Cheswick.”

  “Thanks, Baden.” I switched to the incoming. Hirin mimed going to the galley for a snack and I nodded. My brother Lanar's face appeared on the screen, grinning through the grainy reception.

  “Saluton, little sister! We meet again!”

  This time I let the “little sister” thing pass. I was too angry to play games with him just then, but I knew the comm could be monitored, too, so I had to choose my words carefully. “Hola, Lanar. Calling to talk to Viss?”

  “No, why would I—” he broke off and his grin disappeared. He swallowed. “Oh, how's Viss doing, then?”

  “He got quite a surprise when we were breached and boarded by some space pirates. They were interested in some cargo I'm hauling.”

  “Dio! Is everyone all right?” He looked stricken, and I felt perversely satisfied.

  “Yes, and they didn't get away with much. What I can't figure is how they knew we had that particular cargo aboard. They must have had some kind of inside information. I think the shipper must have been careless.”

  “You'll want to speak to him first chance you get, I guess,” he said carefully.

  “Yes, I'm pretty much livid about the whole thing. He'll get an earful when I catch up with him next.”

  “I imagine he'll feel pretty badly.”

  “He'd better,” I said grimly. “So, what's this about? I didn't think I'd see you again this soon.”

  He looked relieved that I'd changed the subject. “I wish this reception were better—we're just outside the wormhole to Beta Comae Berenices, ready to make the skip. Thought I might catch you before you left the system.”

  “You did, just barely.” Apparently we weren't going to have much time. “Hirin's doing better. He's better than he's been in years.”

  “Really? That's wonderful news, Luta. What happened?”

  I grinned. “You might say I worked a little magic on him.”

  He narrowed his grey eyes at me. “I wonder exactly what that means? I think we need to get together, face to face, sometime soon.”

  “You're right about that. Did you get the message from PrimeCorp? About legal proceedings?” I hardly cared if they intercepted my feelings about that charade.

  Lanar snorted. “I did! I think they're bluffing.”

  “I don't know. From what I've seen of them lately it seems like they're a lot more intense than they used to be.”

  “You're right about that.” He leaned closer to the screen, his eyes serious. “You've had more than one . . . encounter with them?”

  “Yes, but I think the details will have to wait until we have that realspace chat. Listen. Does this have anything to do with those changes Sedmamin mentioned? They've always steered clear of you in the past.”

  Lanar's lips flattened into a thin line. “I'd say it has a lot to do with that. I would have expected Sedmamin to be playing his cards a little closer to his chest, but he tends to forget that people can figure things out on their own.”

  I sighed. “I love chatting with you, Lanar, but the riddles get tiring after a while.”

  He laughed suddenly. “You're probably right, but that's all I can say now. You're doing okay, then?”

  I nodded. “I'm fine. I have one passenger headed outsystem and I'm going to have a look around when I drop him off.”

  “Hmmm . . . something interesting where you're headed?”

  “Maybe.” I shrugged. “Maybe not. I'll keep you posted.”

  “Do that.” He paused. “You don't think anyone is following you now, do you?”

  I shook my head. “I don't think so, but I don't know for sure. I have Yuskeya running a constant in-system scan so we'll have lots of notice if anyone turns
up. There shouldn't be any public record of where I'm headed next. I could be taking any one of the skips out of Delta Pav.”

  “Well, if they're following you, remember that not every world is under PrimeCorp control. There are other corps out there, like Schulyer and Duntmindi, that don't like them any better than we do. You'll have better protection there.”

  “I don't think it's going to be a problem.”

  “Are you going to get in touch with PrimeCorp about the legal proceedings?”

  “Are you kidding? The only thing I'll be telling them is to kiss my thrusters.”

  He laughed again. “Good girl! I'd like to see Sedmamin's face if you sent that message. But listen, Luta,” he said seriously, “don't worry too much, okay? Whatever you think, I've got your back. And watch out for those quilberries.”

  The reception began to fade. “What do you—Lanar!”

  He grinned and mouthed gis la revido. I shook my head and waved to him as the carrier wave dispersed. “Yeah, see you soon, little brother.”

  “What did Lanar have to say?” Hirin asked, coming back with some honey kuko for us.

  I blew out a long breath. “He had the grace to look guilty when he realized I knew about his arrangement with Viss. And somehow he knows we're going to Kiando.”

  “What? I thought you didn't log that.”

  “I didn't. And Viss said he didn't tell Lanar where we were heading.” I frowned. “But he told me to watch out for quilberries. I got sick on them once when we were kids, visiting Kiando. That had to be what he meant.”

  “Weird.” Hirin shook his head. “Must be a Protectorate thing. Maybe he knows about Dr. Ndasa?”

  I shrugged. “I don't know. He told me not to worry too much, because he has my back. So he's keeping tabs on me—somehow. I don't know what he can do, though, considering that within ten minutes or so he's not even going to be in the same system. And if Lanar knows where we're going . . . well, what if PrimeCorp does have an informant in the Protectorate?”

  Hirin chuckled. “Don't they have a saying in the Protectorate—'Worry never won a battle'?”

  “Something like that.” All I knew was, I wished I had some of Lanar's confidence.

  We arrived at the wormhole into Mu Cassiopeia around midnight by the Tane Ikai's clock, eleven days after the transfusion. I hadn't bothered going to bed, since I knew we were this close, but apart from Viss, taking his nighttime shift on the bridge, the ship was silent; I thought everyone else had retired. I'd spent the evening alone in my cabin, curled up in the big armchair, reading. It wasn't easy to keep my mind on the book, but I knew nothing else had any chance at all of distracting me. The swiftly approaching wormhole presented a host of potential problems that I'd already been thinking about for a week and a half.

  While I was encouraged by Hirin's progress, I was still worried. If this wormhole skip caused another heart attack he might not survive it, and if he did, there was no way I was going to undertake a further skip with him on board. That meant that the Tane Ikai and I would have to remain in the Mu Cassiopeia system indefinitely. There were two inhabited planets in the system, Kiando and Cengare, and while either one of them made a nice place to visit, I wasn't sure I wanted to be stuck on them. I also didn't think any of my crew would want that, which would mean letting them go, and that would be heart-wrenching. After a lot of trial and error, I'd put together a crew that really worked well together, and losing them would hurt.

  Furthermore, while I could probably find a few jobs running goods between the two planets, a far trader would be expensive to use for in-system runs, and a waste of resources to boot. Even with just me and Hirin to run her, though we had done it before, I might have to trade her in for something smaller, and I would truly hate to do that.

  If my mother wasn't on Kiando, I wouldn't be able to follow her trail any further, even if she'd left one. PrimeCorp would eventually track me down and I'd have nowhere to run.

  I had managed to forget all of that temporarily in the pages of my book, and I looked up, startled, when Viss's voice came to me over the ship's comm.

  “Captain, we're here,” he said in a quiet voice. I think everyone on board was worried about the skip, and it touched me how much they cared about Hirin for his own sake and for mine.

  “Do you want to tackle it now, or wait till morning?” he continued. “It won't cost us much time to wait.”

  It was tempting to put it off a little longer, but as I was considering it, a knock sounded on my door. Hirin's knock, I thought, and sure enough he poked his head in without waiting for my answer.

  “Are we there yet?” he said with a grin.

  “We're there. Do you want to wait till morning before we run the skip?”

  He shrugged. “I doubt anyone's actually asleep, although I think Rei could pilot a skip even in that state if she had to. Why don't we just get it over with?”

  He looked so confident, so like the old Hirin, that I felt marginally better. “Okej, Viss, we'll go now. I'm on my way. I guess you should let the others know.”

  Viss chuckled over the ship's comm. “Actually, Captain, they're all here already. Except Dr. Ndasa. I'll tell him.”

  “Dio! Am I that predictable?” I smiled despite the worry.

  The bridge hummed with quiet efficiency when Hirin and I got there. Maja sat in a skimchair close to Baden's at the comm station. Their heads, his dark and hers fair, almost touched as he explained something to her and I was struck by the sudden realization that I'd seen them together frequently in the past few days. I'd just been too preoccupied to wonder about it. Now I did. My motherly instincts jumped into the red zone when I considered Baden's womanizing ways, but I fought them down. Maja was certainly old enough to look out for herself. I'd keep an eye on the situation, though. Those instincts don't die easy.

  I tugged my attention firmly away from my daughter and to the viewscreen, searching for the telltale dark blotch of the wormhole. From this vantage point, it hung in an area of space with fewer faraway stars in the background, so the spot where no stars shone was not as pronounced, and it took me a moment to find it. We all took our assigned spots—almost the same ones we'd occupied when we entered the Split, but Maja didn't leave her seat beside Baden although she turned to watch her father. Hirin gave me a thumbs-up signal and I told Rei to take us in.

  This hole was a “normal” one, not like the truncated Split, and the swirl of colours was as spectacular as in any other wormhole I'd ever traversed. This time, though, they brought back the memory of my painful dream and I kept one anxious eye on Hirin. He seemed perfectly fine, and everyone relaxed visibly the further we travelled through the tunnel. Perhaps fifteen skips later we sped out the other end and into the star-spangled darkness again. Rei laughed with relief and the men cheered. Maja gave Baden a quick hug and my intuition nudged me again. Even Dr. Ndasa heaved a sigh as if a great weight had lifted from him.

  Only Yuskeya kept her eyes on her screen. She frowned as her fingers danced over the holo controls.

  “Anything wrong, Yuskeya?” I asked.

  She shook her head. “I don't know—I don't think so.” She turned around to look at me and shot a significant glance at Dr. Ndasa. “Just a reading that looked off, but it seems fine now.”

  Hirin was grinning widely. “I'm not sure if you're happy I made it through in one piece or if you're just looking forward to the pleasures of Kiandon jarlees wine. Either way, what do you say I treat you all to a drink when we get planetside, and you can use it to toast my health?”

  There was hearty agreement all around as the others headed for their cabins, but I hung back to talk to Yuskeya. When only she, Viss, and I remained, she said, “The sensors caught a ship signature somewhere behind us when we entered the wormhole, but then it just—stopped. The wormhole might have cut it off, but it also could have been deliberately damped.”

  “Could you get anything on it?” Viss asked.

  She pursed her lips. “It might have been a
PrimeCorp sig, but I can't say. I thought I should mention it, though.”

  “They're a long way behind if the signature was just coming into range,” Viss mused. “But I'll keep the in-system scanners on maximum, just in case.”

  “Thanks, you two. I appreciate everyone staying on the alert.”

  I left them then, my mind already leaping past PrimeCorp and Maja and jarlees wine to the answers I hoped I might find on the next planet. Now I just had to come up with an innocent way to get Dr. Ndasa to take me with him when he went to find the researcher he'd travelled so far to meet. And to decide what I'd say to her if it turned out to be the woman I'd been chasing for fifty years.

  Getting an invite to the Chairman's palace proved an easy task. I offered to help Dr. Ndasa get his massive pile of luggage and equipment unloaded and safely transported to its new home, and he accepted gladly.

  “I didn't like to trouble the Chairman for assistance, when I had just arrived,” he confided in me. “He's already invited me to attend an informal gathering he's holding tonight, and pressed me to bring any acquaintances I liked. I think he's rather keen to have a wide variety of visitors at these salons whenever he can. They're a regular event, or so I've heard. Do you think the others would like to go?”

  I told him I could virtually guarantee it, but I could tell there was something else on his mind.

  “It's only, well . . . he calls them informal, but I believe the Chairman likes his guests to—er—dress for the occasion, if you know what I mean.” He blushed, the pink undertones of his amber skin deepening into a human-like flush.

  I smiled. “Doctor, you needn't worry. Just because we favour plain biosuits, or in my case, jeans and t-shirts, while we're working, doesn't mean the crew of the Tane Ikai can't rise to the occasion. I know that Rei, for one, will be absolutely thrilled at the prospect of dressing up for a change. Don't worry. We won't embarrass you.”

  “Oh, now, I didn't mean—”

  “Not another word about it. What time shall we be ready? We'll pile all your goods into the groundcar from Cargo Pod Two and arrive in style.”