| |
Syfar’s Moon, The Red Crater Tavern
Tessa surveyed her surroundings carefully. The Red Crater was typical of most interstellar watering holes she'd visited, but that didn't say much. Until recently, spare time had been at a premium and spending what little she had in a bar hadn't been high on her list.
Magnus came in behind her and did his own appraisal of the scene. An oval stage, currently dark and surrounded by a silver curtain, held the center of a large room. A scattering of round tables provided a clear view when acts were performing.
In the gathering shadows near the wall, booths hosted even shadier patrons. Each table had its own nourichef – a circular platform about three centimeters tall in the middle of the table with a menu embedded in the surface.
Customers came in every shape and size. From doughy, sluglike Zerrites to a party of squawking Aderinians, everyone seemed to be welcome.
"How come there are no Syfe in here?" Tessa asked.
A Lacertilian stumbled by, catching himself on the back of a chair as he overheard her question. He spun around to face her, still using the furniture for support. "Ain't a Syfe bar, is it? You don't wan folks like that here, I promise ya, missus," he slurred.
"Oh? And why is that? I know a couple of Syfe. They don't seem all that bad."
The Lacertilian's laughter ended on a dour hiccup. "Well now, knowing a couple and being plopped in the middle of a litter ain't the same thing, is it?"
He lurched away without waiting for a reply. Tessa slid Magnus a look.
"Pan and Dora might have been a little annoying, but they didn't seem dangerous," she said.
"Syfe aren't hazardous - to their friends. But they count very few people among that number, and everyone else tends to be fair game." Magnus stopped at a large table near the stage and pulled out a chair for her.
"Lucky for me that I'm immune to them," Tessa said.
"As far as you know. They didn't bother you when you met them on Elara?"
"I wouldn't go that far. They couldn't get in my head though, if that's what you mean."
"Huh. Well, from what I hear, they are highly inventive little creatures, so I wouldn't count on that continuing."
Just as when she met the twins on Elara, Tessa felt a tingle slide across her synapses. Magnus paled, his hand going automatically to his blaster.
Tessa reached for hers in reaction. "What–?"
"No need for that," Val said. "Pan, Dora, what did I tell you about invading people's minds without permission?"
The tingling happened again, slightly more intense this time, and Tessa wondered if both twins were talking at the same time.
"Exactly. It's rude, and most species find it invasive. It could get you shot if you aren't careful." Val ‘listened’ for a moment, then rolled her eyes. The rest of her crew took seats around the table as she continued. "Yes, I'll give it to her. I told you I would, didn't I?"
Reaching into her pocket, she pulled out a tiny silver square and handed it to Tessa. It was about the size of the diamond studs Devon had given her for their wedding. She wondered briefly what had happened to those.
Pan settled next to Val, and Dora next to Alex. Both stared at Tessa with expressions she could only describe as expectant.
Tessa held the present up to the dim light. "What is it?"
"A communicator," Alex said. "They brought it back with them. Apparently, you aren't the only one Syfe can't communicate with telepathically. That little gem bypasses your neural net and sends communication directly to your auditory sensors.
Holding it away from her as far as her arm would reach, Tessa frowned. "That sounds painful."
"Shouldn't be," Alex tilted his head to the side as if listening, then nodded at Pan. "He says to try it. If it is uncomfortable, you can take it off."
Doubt swirled, but Tessa pushed it aside with curiosity. "All right. How do I...?"
"Just tuck it behind your ear, right on the bone there." He touched her skin gently. "It's self-adhering and non-invasive." Alex glanced sternly at the twins. "Or at least, it better be."
Dora gave him an injured look as Tessa complied.
We do not lie, Foster Alex. The words were as clear as if Dora had spoken aloud.
Tessa jumped, but settled quickly. "I can hear you," she said.
Both twins gave her a feline grin. Yes, you can, they said in gleeful unison.
"Right, we need to order so they won't kick us out until we've paid," Magnus put in. He commandeered the menu and tapped in a request for ale and appetizers.
"Why would they do that?" Tessa asked.
"Places like this are not liking Syfe for customers," Tamar said.
"Makes the other patrons nervous," Rakan put in.
The Syfe said nothing, but there was a sulky murmur in Tessa's ear. "So, this communicator, does it go both ways?"
No, Tessa Graham. You must speak if you wish us to hear you, Pan said.
We cannot hear your thoughts, Dora assured her.
"All right, well, that's–" Movement to her left interrupted Tessa's response.
Everyone turned as a pink-cheeked burly man in a shiny black vest hurried up. The fringe on his ears fluttered in agitation. "I, um, I, um..."
Alex looked at him. "Can I help you?"
"Well, you see, I, um... I'm the owner of the Red Crater..." He wiped a sweaty palm through his limp, white hair.
Alex smiled at him. "Happy to meet you, sir. My friends and I were just saying what a well-appointed establishment you keep."
Val choked on a laugh, but covered it with her hand.
"I, um... Thank you. That is... Well... I... um," the man stammered.
"Is there a problem?" Val leaned back, letting her Andorran duster fall clear of her holster.
"Yes... No... that is... We don't normally see Syfe in here, and..."
There is no need to thank us for visiting. We will not be staying long.
The man blinked, his eyes rounding with fright.
Val frowned at Dora. "What did I just say?" she demanded.
This man will not shoot us, Foster-Val. He stinks of fear, and he wants us to leave, but we are not ready to go yet.
"We are not causing any trouble, Red Crater owner. We are being here to talk with old friends. There is nothing to be worrying about," Tamar said.
"Oh, that's, umm. That's fine. I just..." He trailed off as his gaze strayed to the Syfe again.
Tessa studied the bar owner and caught the exact moment where his face went from fear to complacency.
"No, no. Not worried at all," he murmured as he tottered off toward the bar. "Wonderful night we're having. Very profitable."
"Pan!" Val said, the single word warning enough.
I did not do anything, Foster-Val. I swear it.
Alex glared at his sister. "Dora?"
He was very stressed. In Zophans, a chemical imbalance usually causes this, so I lowered his adrenin level and increased his soporphin. He is happy. This is a good thing, yes? I did him a favor.
"You messed with his hormone levels?" Horror marked Val's features. "You can't do that to someone!"
Of course we can, Foster-Val. Dora just did. Do not worry. It won't hurt–
Across the room, the man toppled to the floor.
Pan's face squinched in concentration. Not dead, he said as the man's mouth dropped open on a wet, gravelly snort. Only sleeping. You might have given him too much soporphin, Dora.
She gave the feline equivalent of a shrug. Zophans are hard to read, she replied. And I haven't had much practice. He will be all right in an hour or so.
A muscular woman with white hair and impressive cleavage came bustling out of the back, her ear fringe flowing back to mix with her hair. "At the Tarsian brandy again, were we Jop? Well then, you'll have to sleep it off in the back. Can't have you stopping the flow of traffic, especially once the show starts." She grabbed him by the arm and dragged him through a pair of swinging doors into the dark recesses of the bar's back room.
Dash fluttered up from his seat. "I will just go check on him," he said, and moved off, floating through the growing crowd of patrons as if they weren't there. A moment later, he was back. "He actually is sleeping," he said, a note of horrified wonder in his voice. "No other signs of trauma whatsoever."
I told you he would be fine, Dora said. Syfe do not lie. It is beneath us.
Tessa bit back a guffaw as the first round of drinks rose in the table's center. She lifted a glass and tipped it in Dora's direction when Val wasn't looking. The Syfe squinted briefly in what passed for a grin on her feline face.
"Right," Alex said, hoisting his own mug. Everyone followed suit as he continued. "Here's to dead enemies, and the peace that follows."
"Zorcha!" Tamar said.
"Laslan," Rakan echoed.
Variations on the human expression, 'cheers,' went around the table and even Dash murmured a polite "Dolscatha." The Syfe said nothing, but eyed the others curiously.
A frisson of unease skated across Tessa's shoulders, but she raised her glass, nonetheless. It wasn't as if she had any evidence that HiveZ or any of their creatures had survived. She just couldn't believe her battle against them was really over.
"So," Val said. "What's the latest? How did the trip to New Manhattan go?"
Tessa rolled her eyes and gave them all a quick overview, downplaying the attacks from Atah and revealing Ursula's lack of interest in finding Earth again. "Before she left, she promised to have the news media do stories on it, but she didn't think anyone would be interested in actually traveling there. Apparently, the citizens of New Manhattan are happy with the deal Laefa2 made them."
"Who wouldn't be? A whole moon to terraform? No competing indigenous apex species? And you don't have to undertake a long trip into an uncertain welcome," Alex said.
"You make it sound like Atah is some kind of lightweight nuisance," Rakan said. "That ain't strictly so."
Tessa shrugged noncommittally. "She failed. Queller is working on getting the bounty lifted. I'll be fine."
"Once the profit motive is gone, Atah will leave off," Magnus added. "Her reputation says she's in it for the money, nothing personal."
"Killing a person sounds extremely personal to me," Dash said.
"Is true." Tamar took a long drink of her ale and set the empty mug on the table with a bang. "On Werosia, we do not allow such things."
A rueful grin lit Val's features. "We humans tend to frown on murder for hire ourselves."
Eager to change the subject, Tessa pushed the plate of appetizers in Val's direction. "What about the Venture? You guys signed on to whip HiveZ's ass. What will you do now?"
Alex and Val shared a look, and he reached out and took her hand. "That's one of the reasons we were glad you asked to meet. Turns out, we're leaving the monster hunting business."
Tessa's brows rose, but she waited as Val took up the explanation.
"We all talked it over, and we decided it was time to slow things down a little. Running after genocidal maniacs wasn't exactly the safe, secure business we pictured when we purchased the Blue Venture."
"I don't guess it was," Tessa said. "And with Irina to worry about, it makes sense to go into a safer line of work. What are you thinking?"
"We're going to go back to the original plan," Alex said. "High value commodities transport. We've already got a couple of jobs lined up."
Magnus laughed. "Because that's so much safer?"
"OK," Rakan said. "You got a point, but if I have to choose between genocidal cyborgs and hijacking pirates, I'll take the pirates every time. No offense."
"None taken," Magnus said. "I'm a privateer-turned-bodyguard, remember? Not a pirate. That's Jordan's department."
"From story Tessa told, she was saving your tail as much as you were saving hers," Tamar said with a sly grin.
Tessa slipped her hand into Magnus's under the table. "I'd say we saved each other, which is fine by me."
Val sat back, a speculative look in her eyes. She looked down as Pan put a paw on her knee.
You didn't tell us this, Foster-Val. Does it mean there will be no more adventures?
"There will be," she assured him. "Just of the tamer sort."
"And that brings us to the offer we want to make you." Alex cleared his throat as all eyes turned to him.
"What kind of offer?" Tessa asked.
"Well, like Val said, we already have several jobs lined up. Enough so that we can't fill all of them on our own in the time allotted. What would you say to working with us?"
"In case you didn't notice, the only ship I have access to doesn't belong to me." Tessa glanced at Magnus. "I'm not the one you should be offering this to."
"The Oracle isn't the only ship available to you," Val said quietly. "The Arrow–"
Tessa stiffened. "I don't want any handouts from Gaia."
"The Arrow isn't a handout," Val protested. "She owes you–"
"Magnus?" Alex spoke quickly, before the argument could gain traction. "The offer includes you, if you're interested. We give you a cut of the fee on any job you take on. You and Tessa would work out the details of how to divide your end between you."
Magnus squeezed her hand gently. "I'm in, if Tessa agrees."
"You don't have to do this," Tessa said. "I'm not even sure I want to do it."
"What else are you going to do?" Val asked. "Besides make sure Atah doesn't get another chance to take you out?"
Magnus leaned in. "One way to lower her chances is to keep moving. This helps with that."
Alex nodded. "It does, and it's as permanent or temporary as you want to make it. You take the jobs you want, leave the ones you don't. Simple."
Tessa reached over and ordered another round from the menu. "It's a big decision," she said after a moment. "Let me think about it."
Val blew out a relieved breath. "Fine with me."
"Enough of the heavy stuff," Rakan said, lifting a tankard before the platform was level with the tabletop. "Time to party."
The group laughed and conversation continued on other topics. If Tessa didn't talk or laugh as much as everyone else, her friends pretended not to notice, and Magnus never let go of her hand.
