Ion 417: Raiju (11 page)

In the midst of docking, that same Kanari that had brought the holo cube to the Captain stood by with her little tablet once more. She handed it over to him; and with a short glance at it, he actually smiled. He watched her bound back out of the door before turning to us with the news. It seemed that in the hours that we had been circling down to Reliance Station, his crew had been hard at work to bring some life back to my ship.

The latest word from that team was that they had managed to get the stellar drive back into operation, and had cleared up most of the minor faults. They were still unable to get the ship's AI responding, but life support was once again pumping out clean air.

As soon as the clang reverberated through the ship of the docking collar locking down, we turned and descended the passageways to the airlock. We were greeted there by four Kanari, including the young one that had brought us the holo cube. He stiffened up immediately when I greeted him by what I hoped was a close approximation of his name. He led the way as the three others escorted us through the docking area to the repair bay where our ship was still getting locked in place.

This was my first chance to actually see the outside of the ship I had stolen in my escape. The best description I could give was to say that it was like slicing a tear drop in half. The tip of the drop sat just below the view ports for the cockpit. Under the nose was the large cargo hatch that opened to the front of the cargo bay. The rounded rear of the drop was the airlock passage. The airlock passage served the dual purpose of dropping down as an entrance ramp with the ship poised on landing struts, as it was now.

The whole thing was something of a dull grey color, with scorches and little pockmarks from impacts. Panzo had mentioned that this was once a military vessel, though I found it hard to believe that Teyrn Elon would leave the outside battered when he had changed the inside so much.

TOC

GO

There were two more Kanari standing before the ship, awaiting our arrival. These wore the dark green of the maintenance division, or so the patch proclaimed. As we approached, Captain Korcktl leaned over to tell me that he was leaving us in the capable hands of Senior Repair Operator Z'Turstl, and his crew. This would be the Kanari in charge of seeing that our craft was once again worthy of carrying a Director.

After a brief exchange of greetings where the Captain acted as though this old Kanari was his dearest friend, though he couldn't even recall the name of the assistant standing next to him, he departed with vows to check back on the progress. The Captain and his escort turned about to return once more to his ship. I bid them goodbye, with my gratitude, and even added a thank you to the young Kanari that had been the one to climb those stairs and face our pistols.

"I understand that Captain Korky brought you in after your ship collided with a plasma stream. I will be supervising the repairs, while my crew chief Panzo will be your direct contact if I'm not available. If there's anything that you need, he can get it for you."

Panzo had already made a cursory inspection of the ship while we were still docking, and had a list of things that were in need of repair. All I had to do was to give my authorization and a crew was ready to go to work. The list was seventeen screens on his tablet, and I had no idea if I was agreeing to replace the melted AI, or paint the ship fuchsia and fill the hold with moatra berries. The berries were good, but filling four hundred cubic meters with them seemed a bit much.

Senior Repair Operator Z'Turstl excused himself, promising that he would get back in a few days to assess the repairs, and assured me that Panzo was quite capable of managing the maintenance crew while he was occupied elsewhere. As Z'Turstl walked away, Panzo took charge and with a few short orders into his comm the crew started swarming over the ship. Turning his attention to us, his tone brightened.

"Captain Korcktl sent me a short comm alert as you were still inbound. He wanted to make sure that you received the best of care. Please forgive Z'Turstl for his departure; I didn't tell him who you were. He thinks you're just the latest hormonal flare of the Captain."

Panzo led us on a tour of our own ship, showing the points where his crew would be working. The message from the captain had given him the chance to look up the technical information about our ship. Taking it a bit at a time like this, I got the feel of just how that electrical surge had affected nearly every system on the ship. We were very lucky to be alive. Already there were four Kanari stripping panels away from the machines in engineering. When we arrived at the mid deck hatch, where I had let loose the burst, Panzo asked if I would open the hatch lock.

"On these old battle jobs they liked to stick the AI in a hardened spot, like this one."

He told us that since the rest of the work was relatively straight forward, and the AI work was essential, that he would be doing that part personally. He had one other person with good experience working on the AI's, but he'd only use her if the job needed her expertise as well. Traxel stepped over to the controls, tapping in the codes. The hatch buzzed loudly, but failed to budge until he pounded on it a couple times. As the hatch swung open, Panzo let out a low whistle. He turned to me and lowered his voice.

"Not to worry Director, my oath covers discretion for my clients."

We ended the tour back in the repair bay with him asking where I would be staying while the repairs were proceeding. I hadn't even thought of that. I knew nothing about staying anywhere. Traxel spoke up with a thought that it might be better to remain with the ship, as all of the hotels would have records of the guests that anybody could get their hands on. That sent a shiver down my back with thinking about Teyrn Elon tracking us down. I didn't hesitate in confirming the thought to Panzo.

"Yes, it would be best to remain with the ship."

"Then I will have the crews work on the command deck things first. They should be done and out of the way by the time you have dinner. Let me know when you leave, and they can start then."

I hadn't even thought of dinner, but the mere mention of it brought a rumble to my stomach. I climbed the ramp and stairs up to the common room, and went about finding myself something that sounded good -- Frivalfin with Yaki noodles sounded different.

The two of us were alone for the first time in many hours. I had to stop and reorganize the plan. What plan? Mental laugh. I had been bluffing along so much that I didn't even have an idea of the rules to this game I was playing. My life, correction our lives, depended not only on playing this game but winning it as well. As soon as I ate I could start working on a revision to the non-existent plan.

Traxel was once again winding himself up with anxiety as he paced back and forth through the common room. I tried my best to ignore him as I set the controls on the rehydrator, but all of that resolve vanished the moment I pushed the engage button and nothing happened. I rounded on him ready to literally bite his head off as his low muttering drove away the last vestiges of calm.

"What is it now?"

"Doomed... We must run before they find us. With no money to pay for repairs, it will charge to Flux Genetics. A message will go straight to him! We can sneak onto the drop train, and be down on the planet in twelve hours."

"Money? As in gold?"

"Gold would be easiest to trade, but have none. Platinum or diamonds also good."

I led him up the passageway to my cabin. The pulse laser rifle was laying on the bed when I know it had been in the wardrobe, which left me curious about the other item. Everything on the shelves had been moved around and mostly put back. I flung open the wardrobe to find the box was sitting at the other end of it. Obviously they had looked in there too. I moved it to the bed for easier access, and opened it up. All the stacks were still in place.

"Will this be enough to repair the ship?"

Traxel looked into the box and gave a whistling sound. He started to reach into it, and then pulled his arm back. It was almost as though he expected the box to rip off a limb. I could see that he hadn't seen them before, and realized that it must have been something Teyrn Elon had stashed away. I hoped it would be enough to fix our ship. Of course repairing the ship would not be enough, we had to reach Sol.

"Remember that we need fuel as well."

Finally he reached in and lifted one of the stacks, holding it up to the illuminators in a way that made me think that he doubted its reality. His mood brightened considerably, leading to a short stomping dance around the cabin while he did his little staccato chirp.

"We are saved!"

He lifted ten of the stacks from the box, and laid them to the side.

"Those will fix us, and get us a good comm system."

He lifted two more stacks from the box, setting them on the bed next to the first ones.

"That will fill the fuel tanks to the top."

I'm not sure if he was trying to hide them, or simply thought I wouldn't mind. As he was busy laying out the stacks of coins to take care of the ship he slipped two of them into his own pocket. I had no argument to it; I mean, he had earned every bit of it with getting us past those Guardsmen. It was an attempt to save his own life that had prompted him to enter me as a Director in the computer, but it had saved us both. He could have pleaded his way into having them arrest me, and he'd be safe, but he chose to stick together.

Three of his hands plucked stacks out of the box. One was set even further aside, with instructions that it should go to the rescuing Captain. Even as he said it though, he recanted and said that he would take care of that little detail. Traxel put forth that as a Senior Director I would have an assistant handling the details of things that needed to be accomplished. I nodded agreement to his offer to handle the delivery of coins to the various people to get the job done. For his part he agreed to return to the ship within two days, after acquainting himself with local entertainment. The other two stacks that he was holding he held out to me.

"This should go to expanding your wardrobe Director."

He was correct. Seeing that image in the holo had made it clear that I needed something else to wear. It was especially critical in my role as Region 1 Senior Director of Flux Genetics. That was a role I needed to learn more about before I made some catastrophic blunder. I thanked him as he turned to leave, wondering if I really would see him in two days.

A part of me wondered if I could truly trust the Cardovan that had originally been intent on returning me to the Teyrn. Maybe it was the memory of those missiles, and the reception he would get if he did return to that orbital lab. I wasn't going to survive if I didn't extend him a little trust. Still there was a knot of anxiety sitting in the pit of my belly as he walked down the ramp.

Whoever designed shipsuits was totally ignorant to the concept of pockets. The only way to carry something was strapped to a belt, or in your hands. To me that seemed to most ridiculous thing to do. In times like the loss of grav field like we had coming in, it became essential to use both hands to move around the ship. A shipsuit should be able to let you do that.

I found an ammunition pouch in the games cabinet, and emptied the spare magazines from that to drop ten of the rolls into it. I know that Traxel's assessment of a couple rolls being sufficient was probably correct, but I wanted to make sure about it. This would be my first attempt at bartering for something of substance. I wanted to make absolutely certain that I had enough to purchase a few sets of clothing, plus something for dinner.

The cleanser unit was another of the systems that was still non-functional, so I settled for braiding my hair back and headed down the ramp. It was time to put on a show again. All I could do was think really powerful person. I found myself standing at the bottom of the ramp looking around at a busy scene of workmen running everywhere. I didn't have the slightest clue as to which way I should go.

Panzo was easy to locate, all I had to do was to look for the group of workers. He was in the middle of it directing them, and giving quick assessments of parts that they brought him. He was so intent on the work that he never saw my approach. When he paused for breath between streams of directives, I pounced on the opening to ask about food. He blinked at me in the wake of my sidetracking his thoughts from work to mutter, "Food?"

"Yes, I am quite certain that even Kanari must ingest sustenance occasionally. Where will I find some food that I can eat?"

He paused only a breath before pointing me toward a lift with directions to a restaurant several levels above. I took a few steps toward the lift before a thought blossomed in my head. Without pausing to consider if it was the right thing to do, I was turning to inquire if his crew was hungry as well. I think he was joking when he responded that Kanari think about eating all the time. I tossed a roll of coins to him.

"Go ahead and feed them then."

I boarded the lift and tapped the button for Promenade. The door opened onto a section of arching walkways that stretched over grassy areas. Everywhere I looked there were hundreds of Kanari. Mixed in with them were about half that many people of other races. Everyone seemed to have someplace to go, and were in a hurry to get there.

The walkways converged on spots where entire rooms were dedicated to certain products, and all seemed to be offered for sale. For the moment my belly was reminding me that the smells wafting through the area meant that food was nearby, and it wanted some.

The third walkway to the left, and over two arches, brought me to a spot facing a room full of tables where a few people were eating. This was the source of the delicious aroma I had been following. A colorful sign propped in front of the window displayed what appeared to be a steaming plate of food. As I stepped through the door I was greeted by a young Kanari asking if I was expected, or would be waiting for someone.