“Possibly very.”
“I see now—it is. You want answers of your past, but are you ready for it to affect your future?” The old woman turned to the pair.
“I’d like to think so, but how can anyone be sure that they’re ready?”
“Wise words, but you’re not.” The glow faded. “But I can’t.”
“Why not?” Yeke asked.
“Aede... must find... granddaughter.”
“I’ll take you to her soon, Grandma,” Rei said. “She’s asleep because she worked late. She’s fine, though.”
“No, no one fine... none of us fine...”
Yeke shot Rei a pointed look that she turned away from. She gently took Grandma’s hands in hopes of bringing her back to the present. “We are fine, Grandma. We’re all safe and fine.”
“No, not yet... long way...”
“Feel my hands in yours. We’re here on the ship—safe.”
Rei felt her heartbeat in her throat as she waited for Grandma to acknowledge what she said. Grandma’s rumblings turned silent. The glow returned to her eyes as she pulled her hands free so they could hover over the safe. Her face went slack, though her brow furrowed in concentration.
“Nerves. 8... 8... 30... 16... 17,” she said. Yeke rushed over to her desk to take them down before they were lost to memory. “Can’t see what is inside...more...”
Grandma blinked as the glow vanished. She stepped back, her arms reaching out in search of a seat. Rei quickly took her arm and shot a glare at the safe. “I’ll take you to Aede.”
The door chimed and a tan, willowy woman entered. Her black hair was braided tight to her head and wound into a bun. “Aede!” Grandma exclaimed, and Rei found herself questioning how limited her ability to see was again. “You fine?”
“I’m fine, Grandma.” She took her from Rei as the older woman embraced her tightly. “Sorry for just coming in, but Kuv told me she was here.” As she pulled Grandma gently away purple eyes met the cloudy ones. “What were you doing, Grammie?”
“She was helping me figure out the combination to this safe,” Rei answered quickly.
Aede sighed. “How many pit stops are we going to have to take to investigate this?”
“No idea, but let’s find out,” Yeke said. He walked over and set the combination on the top of the safe. “With our Captain’s permission, of course.”
“Do it,” Rei ordered.
Yeke set to work entering the combination. Rei’s breath caught in her throat as she wondered what was inside to make Grandma say such things. To her, objects like the box and the safe were key to her questions about how it went so wrong all those years ago. They were relics of the past, that was all. Still, she leaned forward as Yeke locked the last number in, conscious that the other occupants of the room were doing the same. She sent a silent prayer to whatever power might be inclined to listen that more surprises weren’t in store. Yeke retreated as the door swung open, allowing his captain unimpeded access.
Rei darted forward. As she reached inside the Essence on her hands flickered, revealing their true nature hidden beneath, but only for a moment. Several boxes rested atop a pile of papers and folders. Rei eased the entirety out of the safe before starting to sort through the boxes. Each contained jewelry that was about fifty years old. They were likely family heirlooms, waiting to be passed down. Rei handed these to Yeke to deal with until she could secure them, then turned her attention to the paper. Most were old documents that were deemed important enough to be kept for her parents’ records. Old newspaper clippings of family achievements were scattered throughout. She carefully set these atop the safe and moved her attention to the folders. Data chips that rivaled anything she had seen since acquiring the Kathya were tucked in the right pocket of the first one. Rei’s eyes widened at the sight and she frantically flipped through the papers stored in the other side of the folder.
“What are they?” Yeke broke the silence.
Rei set the folder down and shifted the papers in one hand. “This mentions Essence... But my planet didn’t discover it existed until deep space opened to us shortly after I was abducted. And that was a few years after... everything.”
“Then how did these get there?” Aede asked.
“It’s not like we’re strangers to governments keeping secrets. Maybe someone had a tie to a secret program...” Yeke quickly trailed off.
“They—my parents—worked for an independent laboratory. It did routine blood work for doctors. As far as I know, the only government tie it had was dealing with governmental regulations and insurance companies. Besides, it wasn’t equipped to do anything more intensive than the basics. My parents always complained about having to wait for more complex results to come in because they had to be sent out to the larger facilities. This is so technical. It’s worse than reading one of Chia’s ship modification proposals.” Rei continued to flick through the documents.
Grandma wandered over and picked up the papers Rei had discarded. “Can just ask?” she suggested and tossed it down in disgust.
“Yes, let’s ask them about what is likely a top-secret program. They’d be more interested in this ship given how advanced it is and then shut us up for asking,” Yeke snapped.
“Stop, Yeke,” Rei ordered. “But I agree, I doubt we’d get anywhere.” She sighed and tossed the rest aside as though they offended her. “We’re going to have to do this backward.”
“What are you thinking?” Aede asked.
“Bruatin,” Rei replied. “You can’t find better experts on Essence than the scientists there. At least, none better on the planets that I feel safe asking around on.”
“I hope you have some idea on how to ask around without giving them the full story,” Yeke muttered.
“I have a few ideas.”
“Do you plan on making this stop before or after we do our drop off on Vantani?” Aede asked. “You know they need at least a week to clear us.”
“Make it after,” Rei said. “We’re running behind since Chia’s grounded us for the moment and I want that stuff off our ship as soon as possible.”
“I’ll let Chia know her timetable. Maybe she’ll be able to get us a connection on Bruatin,” Yeke said and strode out. Rei exchanged a look with Aede who nodded gracefully in acceptance of her silent dismissal. With a gentle hand, she led Grandma from the room.
Left alone, Rei flopped down in the chair she kept in front of the large window to look at the passing stars. Her illusion-less right hand rose and she stared at it with an unfocused gaze. She vividly remembered being forced to listen to the broadcasts of the panic on her homeworld when an Essence-wielding universe was discovered. Her captors had tried to use it to convince her that she had nowhere to turn. That she was an abomination by her people’s standards.
Those papers turned even that upside down. Essence being uncovered years before anyone thought it had. Maybe Grandma was right and she wasn’t ready for all the answers the safe held, but when would she be? Rei secured the folders and papers in the safe behind her desk. Sitting down, a message from Aede already waited for her on her computer. Each target was ranked in terms of best to worst. Settling in, Rei put it to the back of her mind and focused on deciding on something she could do something about, her crew’s future.
CHAPTER TWO
Rei caught her breath at the top of the stairs and let her eyes adjust to the blue light of the bridge.
“Looking good, Boss,” Foniac, her helmswoman, greeted as Rei smoothed the black material of her knee-length dress. “Nalju will definitely give us full price for our loot.”
“I’m not wearing it for that,” she snapped. “I’m wearing it just because it’s clean.”
“Like she’d want to wear something for him anyway.” Yeke leaned against one of the weapons consoles. “Maybe she’s wearing it for me.”
“Wishful thinking. It’s too long to be for you,” Foniac muttered.
“Don’t you both have jobs to do?” Rei demanded as she to
ok her seat.
Foniac turned toward the main window and overlapping holographic screens. Her green hands moved gracefully over the controls before she reached up and ran them over her fleshy, golden Mohawk. The peaks came off her head like leaves of a plant. “Not much for me to do. She goes down easy since Chia did her thing to the engines.”
“I still want to avoid crashing.”
“Whatever you say, Boss.”
Vantani’s golden skies opened before them, twin suns shone high above the horizon. Foniac guided their vessel past ships cruising to and from various docks that dotted the main trading city. It’s shining metal structures served as a beacon of civilization in the middle of a desert planet.
“Identify your vessel,” a sharp voice ordered in heavily accented Banal over the shared comm frequencies.
Aede raced over to a nearby console. “This is the Kathya, identification Alpha sixteen.”
Silence hung over the bridge. “I always hate this part,” Foniac whispered. “They could always tie us to The Power at any time.”
“I doubt it,” Rei replied, her voice low. “Vantani has been pretty neutral in galactic affairs and the Federation won’t touch them. They’re too useful to them as an independent power.”
“Which still surprises me considering how that’s never stopped the Federation before,” Yeke muttered. “I almost wish that we could base ourselves here so we don’t have to deal with them that much.”
“Well, we can’t. We’d be chased out in a matter of weeks due to our law-abiding natures,” Aede replied with a roll of her eyes.
“Access granted,” the voice interrupted. “Dock at access nine hundred and sixty-five.”
Foniac guided them around the city. Smaller vessels darted out of their path, wasting no time before vanishing among the tightly packed buildings. The access they were directed to was far from their approach.
“Where are we meeting Nalju?” Yeke whispered, taking a seat next to her.
“We’re not meeting him anywhere. I’m meeting him in his shop while you guard the goods outside.” She raised a hand to stop his protests. “You know full well that he prefers to deal with the head of an operation, not subordinates. We need every edge we can if we’re going to get a good price. And we’ll need every credit we can if we’re going to investigate that other thing.”
“What other thing?” Foniac asked, turning slightly.
“Didn’t your mother ever tell you not to eavesdrop?” Rei’s brown eyes bore into Foniac’s back. “You’ll find out soon, but I’m not ready for the whole ship to know.”
“I’m not that bad,” Foniac protested. “But maybe tell us over drinks tonight in the Drunken Inventor?”
Aede’s nose wrinkled. “That name gets me every time.”
“Blame Chia.” Rei laughed. “Well, Chia and the rule you all made that you were able to name what you discovered. You know she’ll never turn down a chance to shove the importance of innovation down our throats.”
“That’s because you still won’t accept it.” They turned as a pair of furred ears appeared at the railing of the stairs. “So, how long is our stay here going to be?”
“Going to upgrade the engines some more?” Rei swore she heard a hint of longing in Foniac’s voice as she asked.
“No, another project has my attention and I need some items for it.” Chia’s dark eyes fell on Rei. “I need to know how much time I have so that I know what I’ll need to improvise on.”
“I plan on leaving tomorrow evening at the latest.”
“Splendid.” Chia clapped her hands. “Twenty hours should be more than enough.”
“Ever feel like you’re missing out on all the fun stuff?” Foniac whispered to Aede.
“Who said I was missing out?” Aede replied.
Rei ignored them. “Come on, Yeke. Let’s get this show on the road.”
She strode from the room without waiting for his reply. In the transparent hallway, she paused and looked out over where hundreds of bodies formed a rippling swarm on the docks below. Her gaze rose to the city itself. This close, the buildings appeared to pierce the sky like twisted spears.
“If I get everything, I should be able to open it tonight,” Chia murmured at her side. “I’ve been trying since you left me with it, but nothing has worked. Whatever is inside must be big.”
“Are you sure you will be able to get in? I know you—there has yet to be a box you have had trouble getting in or out of.”
“Kind of like yourself, hmm?”
Rei felt her face redden. “I just do what I need to.”
Chia chuckled. “Anyway, I’m confident that I should have no issues once I get these last pieces of the puzzle.”
“Then don’t let me stop you. Let me know if you need more time.”
“Great!” Chia bounced out of sight and down the stairs at the far end of the corridor.
Rei waited until Chia had enough of a head start before following her down. A sliver of her hoped Chia wouldn’t find what she was looking for on the planet. She dreaded finding yet more mysteries around her parents. But I only have myself to blame since I started this whole quest in the first place.
She took the stairs two at a time while ignoring paths that lead her to the cargo bay faster. She couldn’t project uneasiness going into this meeting; she needed to maintain their credibility. When they had made contact yesterday, they had used the excuse of engine issues, but something in Nalju’s voice told her that he didn’t entirely buy it. Being an experienced seller of contraband, he had likely heard every excuse in the book by now. At the very least, he’d take a closer look at their goods before trying to pay them as few credits as possible. Though not receiving payment was also likely. Rei doubted it would happen; Nalju needed their goods to stay afloat. Regardless, she wasn’t about to take chances.
Once Rei opened the door to the bay, the hive of activity before her drove the dilemma from her mind. Yeke stood in the center, directing orchestrated chaos. Crewmembers hauled crates to the large Essence-controlled wagon where they were stacked five tall before being secured down.
“Would have thought you’d be done by the time I got down here,” Rei said as she stopped beside him.
“Almost,” Yeke said as he noted something on a handheld computer. “You sure you want to go in alone?”
“Yes.” Her tone left no room for argument. “I’ll be fine.”
“True. Usually, it’s the other guy that comes away in pieces if they piss you off enough.” Yeke led her to where Kuv, the head of their security, waited.
“Let’s go,” Rei told them. She heard the engine of the wagon power up and start moving behind her. Outside the Kathya, warm, dry air assaulted her skin, carrying a fine mist of sand. She squinted in the bright light. Foniac wandered past in a daze.
“This is your first time here, isn’t it?” Rei asked.
“Yeah, and there are definitely some things you don’t see every day here,” she replied as several small, winged forms zoomed past a troop of furred humanoids ahead of them. Grey tusks protruded from near their mouths. They spoke in a short, growling language to one another before heading in the direction of a stall with exotic birds hanging from the roof. Meanwhile, a man stood talking to some younger women who didn’t look too different from Rei herself, except their hair was replaced with long feathers. They giggled as the feathers gave an elaborate display of colors in the sunlight.
“Is that what you’re going to do while we’re here—alien watch?”
“I’ll probably get some shopping in too.” Foniac’s grey eyes caught sight of something in the crowd. “Among other things.”
“Don’t get into trouble. We’re already walking a line with Yeke and Kuv going near Nalju.”
“I won’t. I’ll probably just take a quick jaunt and then hold things down here. Have fun, Boss.” Foniac disappeared behind the boxes and wagon.
Rei led the way through the market. Along the left side, animals cried out from the
ir stalls as potential buyers examined them. Their yelps were just barely discernible over the laughter and chatter of the shoppers. On the opposite side, several open-air stands had produce and meats that could handle long trips through space. Venders called to potential buyers in every language imaginable, with only a handful sticking to Banal. A few remained silent, relying on fans to waft the scents from their steaming pots into the crowd.
After politely declining the tenth merchant who approached them, Rei’s hand itched toward her thigh and the gun that wasn’t there. Yeke, as though sensing the danger, quickly led them down the side street that would take them to Nalju’s. Here, the more common sight were the natives of Vantani. Towering humanoids, they generally kept to these quieter areas of the city where outsiders rarely traveled.
The road was lined with massive stone buildings. Some were plain, others had taken great care to paint and adorn the small yards with hardy, deep green plants. Nalju’s squat storefront, with its dirty brickwork, stood out like a sore thumb.
They separated at the front door. Kuv led their crew down the neighboring alley while Yeke remained at Rei’s side, “Be careful, huh? We have no idea if he’s pissed that we were late.”
“I’m not the one who needs to be told to be careful.” Rei gave him a pointed look.
“Why do I need that warning?”
“Because you’ll charge in the moment you think something is up inside.”
“It’s mine and Kuv’s job to protect the crew. If we can’t protect our captain, then we don’t’ deserve our jobs.”
“Well, I don’t need it right now. Now shoo, we’re going to attract odd stares before too long.”
She eyed him long after he disappeared then opened the door. Nalju was an ancient at heart, despite the fact he had the best Essence based security on or off the market protecting him. The door was still manually operated; a little bell that hung above it rang to alert whoever he had on duty that someone was entering the shop.
Forgotten Relics Page 2
