Destiny's Choice (The Wandering Engineer) (46 page)

“Another
project?” the captain asked, nodding his chin to the loads of crates. Everette
was a little snookered but he helped out anyway. Irons wasn't sure if it was
because he wasn't sure he could find his cabin in his inebriated state or if
April had charmed him into it.

“I
want to work on a care package for Briev and Triang.”

The
captain nodded in understanding. That was something they had left out in his
briefing. Oh they had a small package, but nothing like what they had given
Agnosta. He wasn't sure why that was.

“Ah.
Good. Sounds good. Keep me up to date. Let me know if you have any problems or
need anything,” Ferguson said as he walked out. He patted the purser on the
shoulder as he passed. Givens ducked his head in, saw the gear they were
unloading and scowled fiercely. April smiled sweetly at him but didn't say
anything.

“Coming
through! Clear the way!” Bailey said, pulling a load. Givens stepped aside with
ill grace as the cart came through. “Where do you want it?” Bailey asked,
slurring only slightly.

“Right
there chief, that's just fine.”

“You
make a better door than a window Givens. Either pitch in or push off, we've got
work to do,” Bailey growled rubbing his biceps.

Charlie
gave him a dirty look and turned, storming off. Everette grinned, glad they had
gotten one over on the purser.

“What
a jerk.”

“Thought
he'd pull a fast one and it backfired. Gotta love cheating a cheater.”

He
stroked April's gorgeous red hair. She nuzzled into his shoulder, hugging,
pressing herself to him. He rubbed his cheek against the sensual touch of her
hair, enjoying the tactile sensation.

“Something
on your mind John?” she murmured. He chuckled. She'd gotten better at reading
his moods, and getting close to reading his thoughts. Slowly they separated so
they could look into one another's eyes.

“You're
getting good at that you know?” She smiled at his gentle tease.

“And
you're dodging the question,” she said.

“Your
reporter instincts tell you that?” he asked, amused. She poked him in the ribs.
He oofed obediently then spread his arms as she turned in his lap. She caught
his wrists and wrapped them around her like a blanket. “Better?”

“Yup,”
she said smugly.

“Your'e
impossible you know that?” he said chuckling. She responded with an elbow and
kissing sound. He snorted.

“So,
spill. You're worried about the future aren't you?”

“Just
wondering what's in store... What tomorrow brings. I'm going on, and you've got
to go back to Pyrax.”

“John...”

“No,
seriously. You've got a career. A good one. We...” his voice roughened with
emotion. “We need you where you are at. Doing the most good for as many people
as possible.”

“Who's
we? You and Sprite?” she asked, voice distant.

“We
the people,” he said softly, nuzzling her hair once more. He felt her stiffen
and he sighed. He didn't want a fight, didn't want a nasty break up.

“John...”
his hug tightened for a moment. She gasped and then seemed to relax. After a
moment he relaxed and she turned in his grasp to face him once more. “Look,
I... I know what you’re doing...”

“April,
if it was just us two I'd...” He paused as she put her fingers to his lips.

“Hush.
My turn to talk,” she said, eyes locked on his. He nodded and kissed her
fingertips. She smiled and dropped her hand slowly. “I, I don't know where the
future will take us. Honestly, I don't know,” she looked away, biting her lip.
“I don't want us apart, but I...”

He
waited patiently as she gathered her thoughts. “I don't want to lose you,” she
said softly after a long moment. He hugged her and stroked her hair.

“You
won't,” he murmured.

“Sure
you say that now...”

“You
won't. I'm a past hand at long distant relationships remember? If anything I'll
lose you to some dashing young buck who will come in riding a cycle...”

She
threw her head back with a laugh, and he chuckled with her. Her arms wrapped
around his neck and she pulled his head down so their foreheads were touching.
“No matter the time or space between us, we'll always have today. Remember that
John.”

“Of
course,” he murmured.

“Then
live for today, let tomorrow take care of itself when it comes.”

“Yes
ma'am,” he murmured, watching her eyes twinkle and her inviting full lips part.
They enveloped his and he let his worries fade away with the moment...

“Admiral,
I have a suspect for you,” April said, coming over to him. He looked up,
welcoming smile quickly forgotten.

“Suspect?”
he asked, a thread of concern in his voice. He knew he couldn't stop her, her
inquisitive mind was something he cherished, but this was... hell, just being
around him was dangerous! What was he thinking?

“For
the assassin. Or assassins in this case. I did some digging and well...”

“You
did some digging?” he asked. He wasn't sure if he should be amused or appalled.
She could easily get herself killed if she turned over the wrong rock at the
right time.

“Hey,
it's my hide on the line too you know!” she punched his arm. He rubbed it.

“Ow!
What was that for!”

“For
thinking that I was getting into trouble.”

“I
didn't say that!”

“No
but you were thinking it!”

“Okay,
mind reader, what's the story?” he asked, firmly getting a lid on his
exasperated temper. She punched him again. He grimaced, rubbing his arm. “And
that one?”

“For
thinking I'm not a big girl and can't handle myself.”

“Off
the mark that time,” he said shaking his head. She shrugged. “Close though.”

“Then
you deserved it,” she sat down, straddling a chair and smiled politely to the
waitress who came over. She took their order and then retreated.

“I...”
she leaned conspiratorially closer. “I heard some interesting things and did
some digging in the pursers records. The Neo's remember them?”

“Which?
Chief Bailey?”

“No,
no, the cats.”

“Um...
Cheetahra left...”

“No
the lionesses. Well, them and the boys they took with them here. We don't see
them that often, well the lionesses, but the males are lazy and like to sleep
most of the time. We see them at night on grave.”

“Okay...”

“Well,
when someone asked them about how they could afford the trip the male just
pointed to the leader, Asia.”

“Um...”
He tried to think. Come to think of it, how had they afforded tickets for all
the adults? Cheetahra had told him she'd been saving for years and had taken
extra courses to help work her passage. But the others were only doing menial
tasks so...

“So
how come they are here?” she asked, staring into his eyes.

He
blinked, surprised. “Reading my mind again?” he asked amused.

“Like
a book. I dug into the computer records. All they say is that their tickets
were paid for. By, get this, the Pyrax ruling council.”

“Interesting,”
he said, nodding as the waitress set their order down in front. He waited until
she had left before he picked up the drink and took a sip. “And you think...”

“That
they were paid their passage with your death.”

“Huh.”

“They
get a two-fer. A paid trip, and revenge for killing what's his name. Leo.”

“Interesting,”
Sprite said. “Ask her for the evidence.”

“Can
you give me the files you mentioned? Sprite doesn't have access.”

“I
didn't say that!” Sprite said. He raised an eyebrow. By now April recognized
the signs of his talking with his AI and sat back, toying with her fork. Sprite
grimaced. “I meant I don't have access to those records. They aren't on the
main net.”

“Oh.
Okay, Sprite doesn't have access to them.”

“That's
because they are on a chip. I got my hands on it by other means,” April said
with a smirk.

“Oh?”
he asked. “Dare I ask how?” The smile widened into a predator's grin. He
snorted.

“You
can ask, but I'm not telling. Here.” She slipped a chip over to him. He put his
right index finger on it and then pushed it back. She blinked at him. “What?
What's the matter? Don't you want it?”

“I
just got it. Sprite downloaded it and is checking now.”

“You...”
She blinked at him in confusion. He wiggled his right fingers. She shook her
head, brows knit again. He always thought she looked cute befuddled and
annoyed.

“Implants
dear.”

“Oh.”
She shook off the confusion and tucked the chip into her breast pocket, looking
around to see if anyone saw her. Then she picked up her drink and sipped. “So?”

“So,
it is a lead, and it does make for an interesting hypothesis. One that fits the
circumstances. We eliminated some of the pride because they weren't in the
vicinity of the incidents or didn't seem to have the technical know how. But a
concentrated effort from multiple sources is a different matter that bears
investigating.”

“True,”
he said nodding.

“Is
that a yes?” April asked amused. He blinked at her, awareness returning to the
outside world.

“Sorry,
yes, viable suspects that need investigating Sprite said.”

“Ah,”
she grinned around the fork full of pasta. “Good then, work's over. What's for
dessert?” she asked in a husky voice.

She'd
timed it just for when he had the drink to his lips. He sputtered and she
laughed at him. He mopped up the mess, shaking his head at her mirth.

He
looked on, casually hiding his indifference to others around him as he examined
the evidence. It was thin at best. A minor notation in the accounting codes,
and a major financial discrepancy built on supposition. He wasn't comfortable
about this.

“Admiral,
I know it's not much to go on but it's all we have. It also fits the pattern.”

“The
virus doesn't. And they are Neo's from a gang. Neo's with a reputation for
fighting as a pack yes, but also for direct confrontation, not these
strikes...” he puttered off suddenly.

“Go
on, say it. Strikes from the dark. Ambushes. A predator's mentality. Also I
would like to point out to you, poison is a favorite assassination tool of women.
Third, the virus might have been by someone else. We only have the fact that it
was a definite attack to link it to the others.”

“The
airlock...”

“Was
a crime of opportunity. That I'll grant you is a bit much, and I don't have a
hard link on the whole pride at the time of the incident. I know at least two
of the females were in the galley at the time so it rules them out.”

“But
we don't know if they have the skills to do any of this. I doubt they had
access to main engineering!”

“Correct
Admiral, doubt. We
don't know
.” Sprite pointed out. “We know little
about them, their education, mentality, we're drawing inferences from general
sources and our own interactions with other Neo's, there is nothing, I mean
nothing in the database about them. Well, their leader Asia and her second Hera
have a thing for romance novels.”

“Okay...”

“And
the males like to play virtual blood sport games. Melee combat or first person
sword or shooter games. There have been several complaints about broken
controllers and shredded furniture in the rec area.”

“Joy.”

“I'd
like to take this further.”

“Of
course,” he said, nodding. “But we can't do it virtually. You can check their
behavior and patterns from surveillance footage, but it will only get you so
far, and your record search...”

“Only
gives us a small look at their intelligence based on what they order and how
they go about finding it,” Sprite finished. “Which means we need someone to
interact with them and draw out the truth.”

“Oh?”
he asked.

“Someone
who can ask the right questions and....”

“Hold
it!” he said getting to his feet. “Not April, no way!” the thought of April in
the same room with a Neo-cat wasn't something he wanted to think about. In the
same room with a homicidal pack of them??

“No,
in this case it's best to go with the authorities. I've informed Mister
Chambers. He said he will look into it directly,” Sprite said.

“You...”
Irons snarled, knuckles going white.

“Sprite
beat me to it by a microsecond Admiral,” Defender informed him. “It is
protocol, and we must follow it. The investigating authorities have to be kept
up to date.”

Irons
waited a moment, getting his furious thoughts under control. “Did it ever occur
to either of you that
he
may be a suspect? Or unwittingly working with
the assassin?” he ground out, patience on thin ice.