<Yes,> she said. There was a pause as she grew quiet. Andy didn’t know how to explain the feeling but she seemed to go away for a heartbeat. He was able to turn his attention back to Cara, who was grinning at the comms desk in a way he hadn’t seen before. Kerda was telling her a story about his school and a friend who had tried to catch a goat during class. Kerda’s voice had lost all professional stiffness. Now he was a young man excited to tell a story.
The distant quality of Cara’s smile made her look almost infatuated.
She was oblivious as Andy stared at her, studying her responses.
<I…I didn’t remember.> Lyssa’s voice shocked him back into the present. He blinked, looking away from Cara just as she burst out laughing at Kerda’s story.
<You forgot?>
<No. It’s…It’s like I didn’t know until you mentioned it. Then I knew it again. I didn’t miss him and then I did. It’s…terrible.>
<Yes,> Andy said. <Grief is like that. You think you’re passed it and then it crashes back down on you.>
<This is how you feel about Brit.>
<Maybe. I don’t know what you’re feeling exactly. Look, I should call Fran and Petral. I don’t know how much longer Cara can entertain the lieutenant.>
<He seems to be entertaining her.>
<Right. Anyway, we’ll talk about Jickson later, all right?>
<All right,> she said.
The unexpected sadness in her voice made Andy add, <It’s good to feel that way, though. Really. It’s good to feel. And it’s good to talk about it. I’m not going to let you grieve alone unless you want it.>
<You don’t share your grief about Brit with anyone else.>
<It’s different with the kids. If there was someone else I could talk to, I guess I would.>
<You could talk with Fran. You copulate with her.>
Andy cleared his throat. <I’ve asked you not to use that word.>
<It’s a fitting word.>
<Whatever. I’m starting to think you do have a sense of humor, Lyssa. It’s not polite to tease me like that when I’m trying to be real with you. It’s almost like you’re deflecting.>
<Animals copulate,> she said. <Humans are animals. I think it’s definitely the correct word.>
Andy ignored her. He switched to the general shipnet. <Fran, Petral,> he said. <We’ve been pinged by the Protectorate SF. They want a crew list. Is there any reason I shouldn’t give them your names? If I lie and they do a scan, we’re getting boarded for sure.>
Fran came back immediately. <Give them my info. I don’t have anything to hide. If they want to know why I’m leaving Cruithne, I’ll talk to them myself. I filed business records back there, so it’s all in the system if they want to look it up.>
<Thanks,> Andy said. Fran continued to prove herself reliable and self-reliant. She’d also saved Sunny Skies from the scrap heap on Cruithne and repaired the damage to Airlock One after Zanda’s final attack. She also seemed to like Andy for some reason, which he still hadn’t figure out.
<Not happening,> Petral said, cutting into this reverie. <I don’t exist on Cruithne. I’m not about to get picked up by Marsian systems on some random freighter. I was never supposed to be here.>
<You got any options for me,> Andy said. <An alias, maybe?>
<Tell them I’m your wife. She’s already on the registry, right?>
Andy chewed his lip. The pretense might have worked if Cara hadn’t already told the Protectorate lieutenant that Brit was gone. He might try to play it off as Brit being gone in another part of the ship.
<No one’s pretending to be that bitch,> Fran said.
<Oh,> Petral said. <Did you miss your chance to play wifey?>
Rubbing his forehead, Andy cut in, <Look. That’s not going to work. Cara’s been talking to their comms lieutenant to buy us some time. He already started asking questions about Brit and she told him her mom was gone.>
<Gone as in dead?> Petral said.
<That was what he took away from it. Come on, Petral. Are you telling me you don’t have an alias to give them?>
<I’d rather not burn a perfectly good background if I don’t have to.> She stopped as if she had remembered something. <Wait. I do have something. I’m putting myself down on the passenger log as Mara Kraft.>
<Isn’t that a little close to the Cal Kraft guy who’s chasing us?>
<Exactly,> Petral said. <I’m going to drop a little info bomb on our friend Cal Kraft.> Mental laughter floated across the Link. <I need your comms station, Andy. I’m going to get into the Mars 1 justice network and file for a restraining order against him. I doubt it will really stop him from reaching the ring, but it might slow him down a bit. They’ll also send me a ping when he crosses the geospacial boundary.>
<What makes you think it will get approved?> Fran asked.
<They’re auto-approved for thirty days anywhere in SolGov,> Petral said. <I’ve done this before. It’s not like it ruins a person’s life or anything. It’s the magic of bureaucracy.>
<Hold on,> Andy said.
Cara was giggling at something else Kerda had said. Andy leaned close to her ear and whispered that it was time end the conversation. Her face fell but she nodded.
“I’m going to have to go, Bran,” she said. “My dad says he’s got the info you want.”
Over the ship’s Link, Petral said, <I just updated the log to show Mara Kraft as a passenger. The crew manifest has you, the kids and Fran. Congrats, Fran. You’re official.>
The technician didn’t respond.
“Oh,” Lieutenant Kerda said. “Sure. We’re ready to receive whenever he’s ready. It’s been really fun talking to you, Cara. I’ve been out here so long I’d forgotten home. Thanks for helping me remember. Look, when you get to the ring you should look me—”
“Captain Sykes here,” Andy cut in, clearing his throat. “It’s time for you to brush your teeth, Cara. I know you’re only twelve, but you want to hang onto your real chompers as long as you can. Right, kiddo?”
“Yes, Dad,” she said, glowering at him.
“Uh,” Kerda said nervously. “Captain Sykes. Your daughter sounds so much older than that. She’s a real talker.”
“Right. It’s easy to forget.”
“Yes, sir.”
Andy sent the ship’s info Petral had updated. “You have our logs?” he asked.
“Yes, sir,” Kerda said after a minute. “Everything looks in good order. I’ll forward the entry to the Mars 1 Ring Port Authority. Safe travels, sir.”
“Stay safe yourself, Lieutenant,” Andy said. He closed the channel.
Cara had a smirk on her face. “Grandpa Charlie would have been proud?” she asked.
Andy gave her a sideways look. “Too proud,” he said.
CHAPTER FIVE
STELLAR DATE: 09.13.2981 (Adjusted Years)
LOCATION: Sunny Skies
REGION: Mars 1 Ring, Mars Protectorate, InnerSol
Andy released control to the M1R tug drone and watched the holodisplay closely as Sunny Skies made final velocity adjustments before docking. In another five minutes, Airlock One had become fixed to a docking scaffold and they were drawing power from the ring. His stomach did a small flip as the habitat ring slowed, and rotated its pods, adjusting to the greater spin of Mars 1.
<I felt that,> Petral called over the Link. <Are we hooked up?>
<We’re docked. I’ve connected power and linking to their network now. You’d better not do anything they’ll trace back to my ship.>
<They know we’re coming here. I’m going to do what I can hide the fact we were anywhere near Mars.>
Andy stopped himself, realizing he was taking his anxiety out on her. <Sorry. This is making me jumpy.>
Petral chuckled. <If Mars 1 is what makes you jumpy, but space battles and firefights don’t, I’ll take it. We’ve arrived at one of the busiest places in Sol. Hiding this little ship is child’s play.>
Andy leaned back in his seat and stretched. <I want to believe tha
t. I’m going to need to get some supplies. I’ve also got a list of possible cargo jobs. You want to take a look at it?>
<I can do that. I’ll do what I can to help you before I leave. I can connect you with these jobs and then lay in a dummy course that might buy you a little time, at least. And I’ll be watching from Cruithne.>
<So you’re going back?> Andy asked, wondering what would be there for her after the fighting on station.
<Of course, I’m going back. I can’t let Starl think he can operate without me. Before long his head won’t fit inside a flight helmet.>
<I thought you might change your mind,> Andy said.
There was a pause. Andy didn’t know her well enough to be able to read between her words. She didn’t let any emotion slip over the Link. <You and your little family are all right, Andy Sykes. I’ll do what I can to help you.> She sighed. <Sometimes you meet somebody and it’s like looking at a new set of clothes that probably fits but you don’t know if they’re your style.>
Andy blinked. He wasn’t trying to suggest he wanted a relationship with her. He had thought she had a big ego, but this was beyond what he had guessed.
<And then somebody else swoops in and grabs that deal right out of your hands anyway.>
<Well,> Andy said. <I was talking about you joining the crew. I thought you might want to work on the Sunny Skies for a while. But if you’re set on going back to Cruithne, I understand. You know anybody on Mars 1 I could trust?>
<What are you looking for?> Petral asked, all business.
Andy wasn’t sure if her tone was a dismissal, disappointment, or maybe relief. <Generalist, I guess. Good under pressure. Engineering and piloting skills.>
<Another Fran? You want them to be cute in a spunky way, too? Freckles?>
<Built like a tank would be a plus,> Andy said, quashing the image of a tank-like Fran that came to mind.
<I don’t know anyone like that in the Mars vicinity, which is surprising. But I do know someone you should talk to on Ceres. You’re still going to Ceres, right?>
<It depends on what jobs I can get. I’d prefer to go straight out and hit a small location in the JC.>
<Good answer.> Petral’s tone carried guarded approval. <Have you thought about Heartbridge planting false jobs on the boards yet?>
<It had occurred to me,> Andy said. <That’s one reason I wanted you to take a look at what’s out there.>
<Here I keep thinking you’re just a pretty face. Anyway, I know someone on Ceres I think you should meet. If you go there, I mean. She’s not a tank but she has excellent tools and she knows how to use them.>
Andy frowned. <What’s her name?>
<Fugia. She’s from Cruithne, of course.>
<How many of you does Starl have scattered all over Sol?>
<It’s not Starl that does the scattering. It’s the place. A place like Cruithne, Lowspin especially, I guess it breeds a certain kind of human.>
<Sounds like Summerville, South Carolina,> Andy said.
Petral gave a throaty laugh that sent a shiver down Andy’s back. <You mean everybody wanting to get the hell out of the place? Maybe. But you find yourself drawn back, too. No place is quite like Cruithne. I think it’s the weird orbit. Here’s a tiny dot in the universe that can’t decide where it wants to be, but keeps doing it in a predictable way, like an island floating back and forth between continents. Our own little Bermuda Triangle. For my line of work, it’s a good place to be.>
<I don’t know if I’ve really thanked you for what you did getting us off the station,> Andy said.
<You’ll pay me back eventually, Captain Sykes. Don’t worry.> She chuckled again. An image of her deep blue eyes flashed over the Link, making Andy feel like she was looking directly into him. It was unsettling.
<How’d you do that?> he said.
<You don’t realize how open you are across your Link. It might be why that AI hasn’t made you crazy yet. You hear me in there, Lyssa? Watch out for people trying to sneak into Andy’s mind.>
<That’s not possible,> Andy said.
<If you can get out, someone can get in. That’s how ports work.> Petral released a long sigh. <All right, I need to get some work done. I’ll check back with you in a couple hours. You aren’t leaving the ship, are you?>
<I need to go down to the exchanges and find a delivery service.>
<You can do all that from here. You don’t need to leave.>
<They tack on transfer fees if I don’t do it in person. I want to check everything, anyway. I don’t trust some merchant service to verify quality.>
<It’s not like you don’t have thousands to choose from. You’ve got the money now to just pay the fees. Seriously, I don’t think it’s a good idea for you to leave.>
Andy looked up from the list of supply vendors he had been scanning and frowned. Once the goods were on the ship, it was twice as difficult to get anything off that didn’t meet his standards. He wasn’t going to get caught out in the middle of the Jovian Combine with a ton of rancid protein additive. As much as he liked pancakes, he was sick of living on cheap carbohydrates.
She was right about the money, though. There were separate lists of transfer agents organized by trust ratings he could hire to manage all this for him. He could sit in the dayroom with the kids watching vids while someone else did the work.
The thought of paying someone else to negotiate his deals put a sick feeling in Andy’s stomach. He was sure the idea would make his father roll in his grave. Deals were the joy in life, right? Humans tell stories and make deals.
<I’ll only be off the ship for a few hours,> he said. <I’ll take Tim. It will be good for him to get out and see some things.>
<What about Cara?> Petral said. <I’m not here to entertain her.>
<Neither is Fran. She can take care of herself.>
Mention of Fran seemed to irritate Petral. <Maybe I’ll take Cara out somewhere in the dock section? I won’t be seeing her again. It might be nice.>
<You make it sound like the kids annoy you.>
<I’ve grown fond of Cara in the last couple weeks. She’s a smart young woman. She’ll have you running in circles soon enough.>
<So now you’re leaving the ship, too?>
<I won’t take her far,> Petral said, her tone mollifying.
<I think she would enjoy that, but I should ask her.>
<Fine.>
Andy switched on the internal comms. “Cara? You there?”
She answered immediately, “I was about to come up to command. Are we docked?”
“We’re docked and hooked into the network. I’m going to go pick up some supplies and am going to take Tim with me. Do you want to take a walk with Petral?”
“With Petral?” she asked.
Andy couldn’t tell if there was excitement or concern in her voice. “She’s leaving soon,” he said. “You two seem to have hit it off.”
“I guess,” Cara said.
Andy frowned. “You want to stay on the ship?”
“Should we leave Fran here alone? We’ve never really done that.”
“Are you sure, Dad? You’re not just thinking with your feelings?”
“What does that mean? You know this is an open channel, right? Fran are you listening in?”
Cara snickered. “Why would I talk about your feelings on an open channel? Wouldn’t that embarrass you? Would that make you turn red?”
“You’re pretty funny,” Andy said. “Do you want to go with Petral or not? If not, I’ve got a list of systems I need you to check. Since we’re back on network, we also need to see if Alice has any updates.”
“What’s Petral going to do off the ship?” Cara said.
There was a click as someone else entered the channel. “We’re going to visit various public terminals in dangerous sections of this shipping port and talk to filthy people with bad breath,” Petral said. “Wholesome stuff. You’ll learn a lot.”
“Can I take a gu
n?” Cara asked.
“No,” Andy said.
“You won’t need a gun,” Petral said, amusement in her voice. “An operator fights with her head first, anyway. If you need a gun, you’ve probably already lost. Plus, this isn’t the Wild West. Unlicensed civilians can’t carry weapons on Mars 1.”
“Fine,” Cara said.
“When are you leaving?” Andy asked.
“Ten minutes,” Petral said. “Get your running shoes on, Cara. Meet me at Airlock One.”
“Take your brother,” Andy said. “I’ll meet you there as well.”
“Tim’s in a bad mood.”
“Tim’s always in a bad mood,” Andy said. “I’m starting to think it’s a personality trait.”
“He learned by watching you,” Cara replied.
“Watch yourself, young lady. I’m going to buy food, including juice. We’ll spend the next six months drinking watermelon flavor.”
“I hate watermelon flavor!”
“Hurry up,” Andy said. He turned off the channel, then stood and stretched.
<You ready for a field trip?> he asked Lyssa.
The AI didn’t answer immediately, then said, <Do I have a choice? You seemed determined to do what it’s been recommended you not do.>
<So you trust Petral more than me?>
<Petral is jealous that I was implanted in you and not her.>
<You know that for a fact?>
<I expect her to attempt to access my systems.>
<How would she do that?>
<Just as she said.> Lyssa’s tone was flat. Matter of fact. <Across the Link. If I can get out, she can get in.>
<Do you know how to stop her?>
<I don’t know.>
<Should I confront her about it?> Andy felt like every conversation with Lyssa was a game of twenty questions, every grain of information he gleaned only came through a process of elimination.
<No.>
Andy waited. He still wasn’t certain how much of Lyssa’s paranoia was warranted. <You think she’s working for Heartbridge?> he asked.
<She works for herself.>
<That could be worse.>
<She’s older than you think she is,> Lyssa said.
<I haven’t thought about how old she is.> It was only sort of a lie. He had considered it only in the context of whether or not she was old enough to be attractive to him.