Dad plays a few of the other vids that show more altercations between Scott and the unknown man. Dad stops on the last one where we see the kid and his parents enter the Tempest through the same airlock from earlier. The family looks shaken up. The captain greets them and invites them onto his ship.
"I think your hunch about those being his parents might be accurate. It's too bad they got in the middle of whatever happened over there." Dad strums his fingers on the desk.
Something about the kid's parents strike me as a bit off. I'm not sure exactly what though. I watch the vid again. They seem nervous and jumpy rather than upset or distraught that their ship just got attacked. And I don't remember any kind of jump ship docked with the Tempest when were there. So where's their ship now?
I touch the display and go through the documents the captain saved. I stop on a large file and point to it. "Have you ever seen any kind of machine like this?" The document contains diagrams and lots of formulas and technical writing that I can't understand.
Dad squints at the data as he reads. "It looks a prototype for asteroid mining equipment. I know that scientists have been trying to come up with a faster and more efficient way of extracting metals and minerals in all sorts of harsh environments. This would allow exploration to be more feasible farther out from our solar system." He smiles. "Our scientists here on Delta don't like that idea because then we won't be the last stop before open space anymore. With better mining technology people could be more self-sufficient farther away and set up new colonies outside of this galaxy."
I can understand that. Our economy here on Delta is dependent on space explorers stopping here for fuel and supplies.
"So this prototype could be worth a lot of money. But why do you think Scott — the sergeant — is involved?"
He shakes his head, looking suddenly tired. "I'm not sure. Money? I really don't know him that well, as he's only been here for a year or so."
"Really? He must've gotten here about the same time I did, because I remember seeing him my first week of school."
Dad absently nods. "Yes, he must've come about the same time you did then."
I roll the data stick in my palm. "These diagrams must be worth a lot if the captain was trying to hide them literally under his skin. Was the Tempest a mining research ship?"
"That's what's so confusing. They're listed as a prototype ship for a new star drive. They were hired by a group of corporations to build faster ships." He pulls up some documents on the cube. "They've made stops all around the galaxy, usually at mining colonies, timing their trips, decreasing their flight time between each stop. They were supposed to make one last trip out of the system, and then back to Delta."
I look up. "So they already docked here on the way out? Do you remember seeing them?"
"According to the dock manifest they were here a few weeks back. But I don't remember them. They must not have had any medical issues."
The only way Dad would have had to meet the incoming vessel is if someone died or the doctors needed help with an outbreak or major trauma. I twist a curl around one of my fingers as I stare at the data stick in my other hand.
"They could've met up with Scott at that time. I wonder why the captain didn't just give the data stick to Scott? Why did Scott then allow the ship to leave Delta?"
I look up and find Dad resting his chin in his hands, his eyes closed.
"Dad?"
He jerks awake.
I smile. "I think we'd both better get some sleep. I've got school in the morning and you need to start on the other autopsies tomorrow." I stand up and stretch. I put the data cube and the new stick in my pack and head toward the door.
Dad stands up and follows me out.
"I'll come help you after school."
He nods, his eyes barely focusing.
I stop and point down the corridor. "Dad, what about the door that connects us with security?" It was meant for an emergency exit in case there was a problem on either side of us. The door does have a large bolt running through it to make it impossible to break down. But now I'm worried about our safety, since Scott is somehow connected to the Tempest. And has access to the whole station.
Dad walks over to the door and enters a code into the door lock. He looks at me. "I've locked it so it will only open for our special code. You remember the one we set up for emergencies?"
I roll my eyes. "Yes, Dad." When I was very little, Dad had given me a phrase that only him and I knew. It was just something silly but meant a lot to me. That way after he left Mars, when we would talk on the vid I would know it was really him. I was so young when my parents separated that sometimes I imagined he was just a computer talking to me over the vid. Each time we talked, he would say the code and I knew for sure it was truly my dad.
I smile, feeling more secure. "Goodnight, Dad."
"Night, Bren." He kisses the top of my head and wanders off to his quarters.
17
Back to School
Back in my room, I tuck my pack underneath my bed and take out my tablet to check what classes I have tomorrow. I groan. I have several classes with Derek in the morning. I have no idea how he's going to act toward me. Will he be the warm, open Derek that helped me in the pods and I spent the night on the couch with? Or the jerk Derek who calls me muerta? Or the awkward Derek who was distant the last time we talked? I'm so confused right now about him.
I really thought I'd be all right here on Delta without friends. I have my dad and our apprentices, and I keep busy with school and work around the morgue. I don't have time to socialize.
But it was really nice having someone my own age to talk with. It felt good for that short period of time to have someone interested in me. I didn't date much in the colony because most of the boys were either intimidated by my height — or my job.
I flop into the bed and pull the covers up. What is wrong with me? I have refrigerators full of deceased who suffered horribly to avoid an even greater danger than death. And here I am worrying about how Derek is going to treat me at school. I pound my pillow and try to empty my mind of him by recalling the details of what I saw in those pods. Not the bodies. I concentrate on the whole area. Every room also tells a story, and pod 4 and pod 5 need to tell me their secrets. I toss and turn before I finally fall into a fitful sleep.
I'm awake before my alarm goes off. My mind is mush, and I'm not looking forward to this day. I carefully get dressed, not sure why I even bother to make sure my hair and clothes are all in order. My usual everyday style is pants and whatever clean sweatshirt I can find. Most often, it's one of the Delta Station sweatshirts Dad sent me years before I moved here. They're quite faded now.
But today I wear one of the few civilian outfits I own. Dad took me shopping with him the first day I arrived. I had stepped off the transport ship with only mining clothes and the sweatshirts he had sent me.
I tame my curls so they frame my face rather than strangle it. I look in the mirror and make a face. "What are you doing, Bren?" I ask my reflection.
I sigh and gather my pack. I hesitate but then take out the data stick. I stare at it and think of what the captain went through to protect this information. He gambled the lives of his crew and a few rescued strangers in order to protect it.
If someone is looking for it, and now that I know Scott is somehow involved, the first place they'll look is on me, in my quarters or in the morgue. I don’t think they’ll find my back up copy, but I've got to find a better place to hide the original until I can figure out who to trust, and what to do with the information.
I put it in my pocket and throw my pack over my shoulder. I head out, making sure everything in the morgue is secure and locked up. Dad must still be sleeping, and the apprentices aren't here yet, because it's very quiet.
I slip out the back door and head toward the nearest greenhouse entrance. I keep my head down and walk quickly past the cafes and restaurants. They're just opening for the day and I can smell coffee brewing and fresh baked
breakfast foods. My stomach rumbles reminding me that I didn't grab anything to eat. I hesitate a moment at the edge of the moving walkway, the aroma calling to me.
Just as I’m about to step off, I catch sight of a maroon security shirt and instinctively step back away from the food area. I keep near the glass and quickly move toward the closest corner entrance into the greenhouse and slip in.
I inhale deeply the rich moist air. I love the sight, smells, and the sounds of the living ecosystem. The greenery welcomes me as I walk up the dirt and pebble path. I can't believe people used to actually live among this much beauty and fresh air. Where did we go wrong with Earth? Even though we had an intense desire to expand outward to space, we should've at least left Earth pure and whole. Now these greenhouses are just small examples of what we used to have.
Small purple flowers grow beside the path, and I lean down to touch the soft petals. I hear a noise at the entrance and stand back up to hurry down the path. In the center of the greenhouse is a clear pool of water. I hurry toward this secluded pond. It’s filled with bright colored fish that I often come to visit. Their range of colors and calming movements help me forget days of working among death. Set back from the pool are several trees that are remarkably different than any of the others in the greenhouse. These ones are massive and their branches are gnarled and twisted to create walls of wooden confusion. They're beautiful. They grow so close together that they make a kind of hideout where I often come to sit to be alone.
My hidden sanctuary welcomes me as I wriggle between the massive branches. I reach under one of the massive roots that arch out of the ground. I dig a hole deeper under this root and place the data stick inside. I cover it back up and scatter loose dirt around to cover anything I've disturbed.
Nervously, I slip out of the greenhouse without encountering anyone, and head back to grab something to eat.
The food area is busier now, with shift workers stopping by for breakfast or dinner. I wait in line at one of the few businesses that I'm comfortable with. Some people are openly wary of me; staring at me, stepping away from me in line, making sure they don’t touch anything I do. But most just keep their distance and don’t make eye contact. Miss Ana is one of the few people that is truly nice to me, so I always buy food from her cafe. She has a warm smile for everyone, and doesn't treat me any differently.
I can feel people in line shifting away from me as I make my way forward. I stare at my shoes. I'm almost up to the counter when I hear familiar laughter. I look to my right to see Derek with a group of friends walking into the cafe next door. He doesn't notice me at first.
Just as I’m about to raise a hand in greeting, I hear, "Muerta!"
One of Derek's friends points at me, elbowing Derek. "How was it being on the same ship as the muerta?" More laughter as they jostle Derek around.
Derek looks over at me but then looks away, allowing himself to be pulled along by his friends. My chest tightens, and I look back down at my shoes.
I feel warmth creeping up my neck even as the rest of my body feels cold. My stomach, already empty, tightens and I feel sick. I know from our past conversations that he's remorseful about his friends doing this, but he didn't do anything to stop it just now. He just let it happen, again. Hot tears threaten to fall as I realize this time it hurts even more. I shouldn't have let Derek so close to me.
The person in front of me grabs her food and hurries away, leaving me on the verge of tears in front of Miss Ana. She looks at me and then narrows her eyes at the door of the nearby cafe where Derek just disappeared. "You just ignore them, hon. Boys don't grow up until they're at least thirty." She laughs the deep belly laugh that always makes me smile.
I blink away the tears. "Thanks, Miss Ana."
"Your usual?" She winks at me.
“Yes, please.” My stomach growls so loud it makes her laugh again.
She hands me my breakfast sandwich and scans my wrist.
"There you go. You hurry on to school and don't mind those immature chavos."
I thank her around a mouthful of food and head toward school. The main walkway is packed with people, so I angle toward the far side at the edge of the crowd, overlooking the greenhouse. People make room for me as I cross, since they don't want to touch me. I stand still while I eat and let the walkway pull me along until it reaches the school section.
Just as I sit down in the back of my first class, I hear Derek's voice out in the corridor. My breakfast threatens to come back up, but I take a few breaths to ease it back down.
Derek's friends radiate smugness as they cross the classroom. Derek is the last to enter. I watch him as he follows his friends.
He looks up and briefly meets my gaze. For just a second I think he's going to smile at me, or wave. But he blinks and looks away, the moment lost. I look down at my hands clasped in my lap. What was I really expecting? That one day would change Derek Paz?
I sigh and pull out my school data cube. After getting to know Derek without the influence of his friends, and having shared so much together, my heart hurts. It's going to be a long year having to sit in class and watch him and his friends act like jerks.
18
Unexpected Friendship
My morning classes are pure torture. Derek is in every single class, and usually with one or two of his buddies. Every class I can hear whispers of muerta, and Derek sits there stone-faced and acts like I don't even exist.
By lunchtime, I'm emotionally a wreck. I lock myself in one of the girl's bathroom stalls. I put the seat down and sit hugging my knees to my chest. Several girls come in and leave, chattering about their classes and apprenticeships and what they'll do next year. I'm about to leave when another set of shoes appears below my door. I freeze, waiting for her to leave.
"Brenna?" says a small voice. I recognize her from several of my classes.
"Yes?" I roll my eyes at myself. I always hate when girls have conversations while in the stalls.
The girl hesitates before stumbling on. "I just wanted to thank you for what you did on the Valiant. My brother, Adam, is one of the security guards that was with you when you discovered that electrical fire."
The silence becomes heavy and awkward when I don’t say anything. I step down from the seat and open the door.
She steps back far enough to let me out. She has tight blond curls and is at least six inches shorter than I am. She's fidgeting with the sleeve of her frilly shirt.
I smile. "You're welcome. That's very nice of you to say. Especially since everyone else seems scared of me."
She smiles and her shoulders relax. "They're not really scared of you exactly. Just," she frowns, "they're just afraid of what kind of person you must be to be able to handle touching dead people."
"Like I'm diseased or some sort of a monster that likes to cut people?" My tone is curt, and I immediately hold my hands up. "Sorry, I didn't intend that to sound so mean. Especially not toward you."
Her blond curls bounce as she talks. I wish my curls were that well tamed. "That's all right. But yes, that's more or less what people think of you and your dad. But my dad is good friends with yours, and you both seem very normal." She smiles, her white teeth perfectly straight. "I'm Annie Clarke, by the way."
"Well, Annie, that's probably the nicest thing anyone has said to me here on Delta." I smile back.
She points to the door. "Are you going to grab some lunch before the afternoon classes?"
My stomach drops as I picture running into Derek and his friends again. "No, I'm not sure I can handle any more teasing today. I think I'll just head home. I've got a lot of work to do there." I frown thinking that maybe I shouldn't have mentioned my work. I'm sure I've just scared her off.
She twists her mouth in a crooked smile. "Yes, I can understand that. Derek and his friends can be quite mean when they're all together. Why don't we go get lunch at one of the cafes? My afternoon classes were canceled due to some sort of emergency, anyway."
I follow Annie back out
to the business district and we find a clean table that faces the main corridor. From here we can watch people pass on the main walkway as they go about their station business.
Annie is very outgoing, and seems to know just about everyone. She chatters on about how her parents brought her brother and her here to the station when they were very young. While her father works in security, her mother's passion is the greenhouse that I love so much. I’m pretty sure I’ve seen a petite blonde woman in there tending to the flowers and trees. It’s a small station and it’s nice to be able to connect a face with a name and their family.
When our food arrives, she digs in with gusto and for a few minutes, we just eat in pleasant silence.
"So, Annie, both your brother and father are in security? Do you apprentice with them, or with your mother in the greenhouse?"
She giggles, wiping away crumbs off her bright pink shirt. I like that she always wears happy colors. I've seen her in the corridors dressed in every color imaginable. "No, I don't have the patience for the greenhouse, and I don't like security work." She grimaces, making me laugh. "My dad was able to get me an apprenticeship in communications. Not sure if you noticed, but I like to talk." She smiles.
I grin back at her. "So what do you do in communications? Besides talk."
She finishes her sandwich and leans back in her chair. "So far I'm learning about the different types of communication, whether it's station-wide, ship-to-ship or deep space communications. We work closely with security to keep track of all the ships in the area, and their docking schedules."
I straighten up in my chair, my food forgotten. "Did you know that the Tempest stopped at Delta a few weeks ago?"
Her expression turns serious. "Yes, I was in the control room that day. It was nothing out of the ordinary then, but looking back on that last communication, and knowing that most of them died just a week or so later, gives me the chills." She wraps her arms around herself, her normally happy face somber.
Delta Fringe Series Boxset: Books 1-3 Page 9
