The meeting went on for another twenty minutes. My mind was spinning with the revelation that Amanda was ICP, and about Leon, and Mark’s parents. There wasn’t much I could do about Mark. He clearly wasn’t opening up to me, but I’d formed a relationship with Eloise, and I would continue that and find a way to form one with Libby too. As luck would have it, I didn’t have to wait too long.
Laura and I walked back alone through DECON 4. We went through the process and then met by the airlock. Harris and Hennessey were working on a cover for Amanda when they brought her back, and arrangements were being made for brief excursions to ICP command for the rest of the crew, to deflect suspicion.
“I’ve got to do something, and you’re not going to like it, Laura.”
“I know. You need to get closer to Libby and Eloise.”
“Eloise is less of a problem. We’ve already got conditioning sessions together. It’s Libby I need to form up with. I need to figure out an approach.”
“I could try getting chatty with Libby—see what her challenges are and maybe nudge her to talk to you. Worth a try?”
“Maybe. I honestly have no idea what I’m doing here. I’m concerned about Mark if he’s about to be given access to the shuttle.”
“Don’t worry about Mark. I’ll be working with him. He’ll expect that, as you paired us up before. And you’re not the only one that knows how to flirt you know.”
I was about to protest my innocence, but she just winked at me and walked away. Fuck’s sake.
I headed back into the rec room where I found most of the crew milling about. Mark was seated at the desk in the library corner, poring over some voluminous textbook and taking notes. Eloise was on the sofa, coffee in hand, scrolling through her hollotab, and I saw Laura’s backside disappearing into the training room.
I headed for the dorm to shower after my workout and training this morning. Thinking I was alone, I stripped off and walked into the shower block, where I found Libby soaking in the bath. I ignored her and stepped into one of the shower cubicles. I was just getting used to the steaming water when Libby called out from the bath.
“Hey, Jax. Can I ask you a question?”
“Er, sure. What’s up?”
“How do I choose my occupation on the Bertram? I don’t even know where to start. You seem to be getting on with things in the BRAF. And that’s one of the options open to us. Do you think it would suit me?”
My gut instinct was to say no, but in reality I knew nothing about her at all. “I was lucky with the BRAF. When I arrived, I was just another nobody, so I’ve no idea how I’ve wound up with this gig. I really don’t know enough about you to answer that. I don’t know what you like or what you’re capable of. We’ve had so little time together since we got here.”
“I know, but Eloise says you’ve been really helpful. She trusts your judgement. She told me about the shower in Stage 1 and you covering her up and not telling anyone. Big brownie points for you.” I wondered what else she’d been told.
“That’s good to know. She seems like a decent person. But what about you?”
“Am I a decent person?”
“No, sorry. I meant, what do you want to do? What did you do before?”
“I suspect I’m not much different from anyone else here. I went to LSE for a year before they closed it and then tried to earn my keep taking any job available to me. You know what it’s like out there.”
“I do. This process has saved me from myself, I think. I was drifting. It’s nice to have a purpose.”
“And to be surrounded by women who all dote on you can’t be so bad, can it?”
“Well, I’m not sure…”
“I’m teasing you, Jax. Everyone likes you here. You’re basically the only bloke that talks, so you have a captive audience.”
“Yeah, it’s weird how quiet Mark is. He wasn’t this shy at the start of the process.”
“I think he still blames himself for Leon’s death. I’ve told him plenty of times already that even if it were true, he’s done everyone a favour.”
“That’s true enough. Not sure Leon deserved to die, but I certainly don’t begrudge anyone giving him a kicking. So come on, if they gave you the choice of any job in the world—forget the Bertram, what would you choose?”
“Anything? The world is my oyster and all that?”
“Sure, why not? Maybe it’ll give us some insight.”
“As a kid, I wanted to be a singer. I was desperate to front a metal band so I could daub myself in sinister make-up and wear ripped-everything.”
“Really? You sing?”
“Not so much any more. Sometimes in the shower when you lot aren’t hanging around.”
“I’m not sure singing is a viable option for the Bertram.” I was getting wrinkly. It felt a little odd talking over a wall, but this was the opportunity I needed to get to know her better.
“No, I think you’re probably right. I quite enjoyed the kitchens in Stage 1, but not sure it’s a job I’d want for life.”
“What are the options you’ve seen so far?”
“Well, they have a huge manifesto loaded on a hollotab out on the table by the sofas. It’s a bit intimidating, actually. There are literally hundreds of options, but all categorised into different subgroups. They do have hospitality as a subgroup, and I suspect that includes everything from entertainment to cleaning. What I don’t want to do is select a subgroup, and then get the shitty end of the deal.”
“That’s probably one to discuss with Harris or Hennessey. They’ve been stationed on the Bertram, so they’ll know it better. What were you doing at LSE?”
“Er, economics, Jax. It’s literally called the London School of Economics. But like I said, I only did my first year and then they closed it. Not enough funding to keep it going. And half a degree is basically the same as no degree.”
I was keen to continue the conversation but I was wrinkling up badly, so I rinsed and switched the shower off, wrapping a towel around my waist. I stepped out of the cubicle and Libby was already out, standing in just her knickers. She turned to face me and I didn’t know where to look. Her body was the same light coffee colour as her face and her skin was flawless. The tiny upturn at the corners of her mouth suggested she knew exactly what I was thinking, so I averted my gaze and wandered back through to the dorm. I just needed Jennifer to pop her norks out in front of me, and I’d have collected the set. Fuck’s sake. What is with these women?
Libby followed me, tying a towel into a knot on top of her head as she walked. “What about communications, Jax? I looked at that too. There’re loads of different opportunities there. Some within the BRDF, and others between the central controls of each globe. Think I could do it?”
“I’m sure you’d be capable of anything you put your mind to. If I hadn’t been handed BRAF I’d definitely apply to work in the brewery. Can you imagine? Just spend your days making beer, inventing new flavours and stuff like that? I’ve always liked work that is creative as well as physical.”
“You’re going to stick to flying though, right? It was awesome watching you yesterday. You looked absolutely in control at all times, and you looked like you were enjoying it too.”
“I’m not sure whether they’ll let me. At the moment, basic pilot training is compulsory for all BRDF candidates. No idea why, so I’m just going through that phase of my training. They haven’t yet asked me what I want to do when I graduate at the end of the process. I’ll probably end up polishing the boots of the entire force.”
Libby laughed. “You really don’t know how good you are, do you? Your entire crew responds to you, you exude authority without coming across as a power grabber, and you’re the only rookie pilot in history ever to have won that combat scenario. At least, that’s what Harris was telling everyone last night. You need to believe in yourself, Jaxon.”
My face was burning up under her gaze, and I could feel myself blushing. I was never very good at taking compliments, but then I never really got any, so it’s not like I’d had any practice. I was about to say something back when Amanda walked in, looked at Libby and said, “Hennessey is waiting for you by SECO 2.” Then, glancing down at Libby’s impossibly pert breasts she added, “Probably ought to put some clothes on though.” She walked through to the toilet block without a backward glance, and Libby looked at me and mimed cat claws before giggling and pulling her fatigues on.
“See you later, Jax. Cheers for the chat.”
“Later, Lib. Good luck.”
She waved over her shoulder and sauntered out.
“You work fast.” Amanda had reappeared and was leaning on the walled entrance to the toilets.
“Not really. Opportunity was there, so I took it.” I shrugged.
“Did you really nail me on as an imposter?”
“‘Fraid so. The moment I saw you put Leon down, I knew you weren’t just another Occo. We’d barely been here more than four or five days. Plus, when I balled him out in front of the crew, you were totally impassive. Everyone else was dialled in. I decided you needed watching.”
“Well, keep working at it. I’ll try to get close to Mark and see how that goes.”
“No, don’t. Laura’s got Mark. I’d already paired them up in Stage 1, and the only reason they didn’t end up doing more than a day is because, well, you know why. It made sense to pair them up again. Why don’t you have a crack at Eloise?”
“I thought you were working Eloise?”
“I wasn’t ‘working’ anybody.” I was back to low-talking. We had the advantage of doors to the dorm here, but even so, I didn’t want to be overheard. “All I knew until an hour ago was that something wasn’t right with Mark, and either Eloise or Libby, or both of them, are AoG spies. I don’t know how to investigate. I’m literally just observing and reporting back what I see. Eloise approached me for help, so I took that opportunity, and Libby’s just done the same. But I don’t know what questions to ask. How to probe, or analyse what they’re saying. They both seem really nice.” I shrugged again. I was doing a lot of that lately.
Amanda looked thoughtful for a minute. “What if it’s neither of them?”
“What if it’s both of them?”
“I’m being serious, Jax. Who else has the opportunity to move around freely and unmonitored, and has access to both land and air-sides?”
“Only Harris and Hennessey.”
“And you and Laura.”
“We don’t walk around unmonitored, and in case you hadn’t noticed, we’re escorted everywhere.”
“Not today you weren’t. You left Cooper’s office together, and alone.”
“Sure, but we walked directly to DECON 4, and straight through to here. We also left through the front doors, so were out of sight of the front desk for maybe twenty metres before we hit a wall of security. And, if you take a look outside, there are cameras everywhere externally, so it would be ridiculously easy to prove that. It’s not me or Laura. Laura shouldn’t even be here. They brought her back over from Command in Whitehall and then put her straight in—no warning, nothing. She was expecting to go back to Whitehall.”
“Fair enough, so what about Harris and Hennessey?”
“Why would they wait until now? Why would they show their hand to me, Laura, and you and involve us in investigative discussions about an internal risk? It doesn’t make sense.”
“So we’re back to Libby and Eloise.”
“I didn’t say that. I just said it’s not Harris or Hennessey. There’s at least twenty marines in Opps, plus another half a dozen in SECO 2, plus all the guys outside of DECON 4, where they spend the entire day face to face with…” I stopped. A penny had dropped.
“With? Come on, Jax. What have you just thought?”
“Where’s the only place in the entire facility where BRMC and ICP spend twenty-four hours a day, three metres from each other?”
“DECON 4. You don’t think…?”
“I do. Makes perfect sense. How difficult would it be for two officers to lean a hand through the fence and shake by way of a greeting? I bet they do it every day.”
“I bet they do too. Bloody hell, Jax. It’s got to be worth checking.”
“We need to tell Harris or Hennessey.”
“No, we don’t. You do.”
“Amanda…”
She held her hand up and stopped me. “Jax, you speak to them every day. I can’t start getting all buddy-buddy with them, or it’ll look wrong. Sorry, this one has to come from you. At least they can start looking into it.”
“Fair one. Well, no time like the present.”
* * *
I wandered about for a bit, but no sign of Harris or Hennessey. I grabbed a coffee and sat down on the sofas, flicking through the work manifesto hollotab that Libby had mentioned. She was right—there were literally thousands of available occupations, including some which I just couldn’t imagine existing in space. There was a complete section on agriculture, and an explanation that they entirely filled one globe with crops—wheat, corn, vegetables, rapeseed and tons of others, and an entry that talked about the allotments within every globe. I guessed there were a lot of mouths to feed, and as the sun was the same from up there—if not brighter being that it wasn’t being filtered by a layer of smog, cloud, and whatever else provided a barrier to Earth—it must be just as easy to grow crops in a temperature-and-humidity controlled environment as it was on Earth. If not easier.
I thumbed through the volume for a while, stopping now and then to read a bit more, and as I was slurping the dregs of my coffee Aoife walked in, hair still damp and reeking of oil. Amanda was right.
“How’d it go?” I asked.
“Urgh. It was okay. I just met with that woman who first brought us in to Echo.”
“Cooper?”
“Yes, her. How do you remember her name?”
Shit. Me and my mouth. “She challenged me before we went through DECON 1, remember? And she’s not exactly hard on the eye.”
“For fuck’s sake, Jaxon. Don’t you have enough women throwing themselves at you?”
“I…”
“Don’t bother. Anyway, she was talking about opportunities and security and all that. It was all I could do to keep from nodding off. And there’s more of that shit to come, apparently.” She rolled her eyes at me.
“What are you leaning towards so far? Anything particular?”
“I don’t know, Jax. I think they need to give us more time to look at things. It’s a massive decision and there are so many options open. I was thinking about teaching. I always wanted to be a teacher when I was a kid.”
“They have schools up there?”
“There’s at least two schools in every populated globe. As many as twenty, actually. Nine million people—gotta be a lot of kids, eh?”
It hadn’t even occurred to me that there’d be children up there, but now I thought about it I felt stupid for not realising there would be. Originally, I’d thought that they’d sent more women up than men, because of some sort of primeval instinct to procreate, but I’d been conflicted about that sort of cave-dweller mentality ever since I saw the make-up of this crew. I’d made some assumptions that were foolish, really.
“I can see you as a teacher,” I said, not really meaning a word of it.
“Can you really? Thanks, Jax. What about you? Carrying on with that pilot stuff?”
“If they’ll let me. Finally found something I’m half-decent at.”
“Yeah, you’ve gotta play to your strengths. Imagine what you’ll see as well, flying around in space looking for little green men.” She giggled.
At that moment, Hennessey walked in. “Ah, Aoife. Come and join me in Training 1.”
“Actually, Sara, can I have five minutes with you first? I’ve been waiting for either you or Tyrone to show up. Sorry Aoife, I won’t be long.”
“No worries. I’m going to shower this shit out of my hair, anyway.”
I walked over to Hennessey, who gave me a searching look. “What is it?”
“I have an idea how communications may be getting out.” I explained my theory about the border post by DECON 4, and the connectivity between BRMC and ICP. She listened and looked thoughtful.
“How easy would it be to pass a note over, or whisper a few words as they said hello or goodbye to each other?”
“There’s about fifty of them out there. This facility is totally locked down.”
“Yes, I agree, but there’s only a small number working the gates. Do they do the same job every day or rotate?”
“Well, they tend to do it in stints. So maybe a week on the gate, a week on the scanners, and a week walking the square. They aren’t the same guys that are in Opps—that comprises BRAF and BRMC. Outside, it’s all BRMC. I don’t know about the ICP routine, though. I’ll ask Amy when I see her next.”
“Don’t leave it too long. If what Harris said is correct, we’ve only got a week before that window closes.”
“Are you giving out orders to commissioned officers now, Jax?”
“I—”
“I like a man who takes control.” She winked at me and walked away. Fuck’s sake.