18: Starship Afternoon; Mistral Reckoning
“LARGAS Swift, this is the Commonwealth Survey vessel Mistral. Hold your position and do not approach.”
The four of us glared in unison at the com panel. Not that it did any good, but I felt the solidarity of a species’ appropriate reaction. Which didn’t happen to me all that often.
Paul was doing the talking, my no longer having a voice to impress, and he having more patience. “If it’s the Centos Pa you’re worried about, they’re here as observers. Please tell Captain Clendon Paul Ragem needs to talk to him. We’re here to help—”
“Hold your position and do not approach.”
I knew that voice. Comm Officer Snead. Probably a good officer under normal circumstances but one sorely lacking in the ability to think outside of his orders. Especially when it came to non-Survey personnel. Most especially with anything to do with the All Species’ Library of Linguistics and Culture.
We’d history.
“Largas Swift to Mistral. Swift to—”
Rudy made a throat-cutting gesture meaning we’d been cut off. Or that he wished to do violence upon the Mistral’s comm officer which seemed an overreaction. Then again, we’d a space monster lurking and potentially ready to grab us, so maybe—
“New signal incoming.” Rudy raised his eyebrows, looking to Paul.
“If it’s the Centos Pa again,” snapped my friend, proving even his patience had limits, “have them hold—”
Rudy shook his head. He gave Nia a dubious glance, then turned to Paul. “It’s coming over the reserved channel.”
The one used by Paul’s Group. Our Group, I reminded myself, meaning the person using it had followed a possible threat to us on to the Mistral. Had contacted Paul once before.
Was the reason we were here.
Secrecy hardly mattered now. Besides, since Nia knew about me, she joined the Group. Sort of. “Let it through, Rudy,” I said before Paul had to wrestle his conscience.
“Largas Swift.”
“Paul? Esen? Are you there? Can you hear me?”
Evan Gooseberry?
My turn to look at Paul for an answer. His frown wasn’t reassuring.
“Evan, this is Paul Ragem. What’s wrong on the Mistral?”
No wonder they didn’t want us to dock. A faction agent, out to harm Paul, was loose on the ship. The ship where I’d planned to shelter my friends while I dealt with the Null and—not that they knew it—did my utmost to learn the truth about Veya Ragem and Starfield the Very Strange Pony.
A Web-being could feel persecuted by the universe at times.
“—until they locate Strevelor,” Evan finished, “I’m stuck in here.”
Rudy scowled. “Explains why they can’t let us dock.”
“Evan, thanks for this. Sit tight and be careful.”
A brave chuckle. “Not much choice there. You be careful too.”
“Always. Swift out.” Paul looked at us. “Ideas?”
“Why don’t we send out the—” Nia brought her fists together, then pantomimed an explosion “—on our own?”
Because that was NOT my plan and put them all in danger and— I gathered my wits and tried not to hyperventilate. “We—”
“Too risky,” Paul told her. “We couldn’t get out of range in time.”
She looked to Rudy. “The lifepod?”
His eyes turned cold. “You’re suggesting we abandon my ship and feed it to this monster?”
“Yes.”
Not that great a ship. A thought I kept to myself.
“Even if I was willing,” Rudy growled, “which I’m not, by the way, it wouldn’t work. The pod’s got no propulsion system. After the initial kick from the ship, it drifts. We’d still be in range.”
My friend’s expectant gaze rested on me. Did I have a plan?
The answer being yes, I’d had one you’d have hated but it’s ruined now so not telling, wasn’t at all helpful.
“We run,” I said finally. “Tell the other ships to do the same. Try again.”
Paul narrowed his eyes. “It’s heading for Botharis. We can’t let it—”
I’d never been happier to hear the com make its little sound. Rudy, looking as if he felt the same way, toggled it on. A new voice filled the bridge.
“Swift, this is Mistral. You’re cleared to dock. Make it quick.”
I beamed. “There you go. All fixed.”
“Swift, be advised an unauthorized lifepod has ejected from Mistral. Scope shows an unidentified ship dropped from translight, heading to intercept. Once you’re on board, we will pursue.”
Or not.
There’d been times—a growing number—when I’d wished a moment of my life would slow down.
Possibly I was the only semi-immortal being of perfect memory to have such desires. Certainly Ersh encouraged me to hurry up and mature, Youngest. Looking back now, I supposed it was also rare for any of us to be in a rush.
I’d put Ersh and my Elders through a plethora of moments they hadn’t seen coming.
This one, I did.
“They have to cut the Swift loose to pursue. Bess will fine. She always is.” Rudy, although he’d strong and often inconvenient parental instincts concerning this me, also had a ridiculous confidence in my abilities.
Nia, who didn’t know me, shook her head. “I don’t like it. Maybe we should take the boom to the Mistral.”
I shook my head back. “They wouldn’t like that. We’ll stick with our plan. The only difference is I’ll use the lifepod and the Centos Pa will retrieve it.” Skalet owed me. “I’ll be fine. Tell them,” this to Paul.
Who knew me best of all, better even than Ersh, and this was the moment. If I couldn’t convince him I was going to behave, I’d have to do something rash. In anticipation, I’d positioned myself by the tube door, ready to open it. Ready to lock it behind me and wait until they had to leave the ship.
When what I wished for, more than anything, was for this moment to last. To look at my dearest first friend as long as time would let me.
Paul tilted his head, gray eyes puzzling at me. Before puzzling became concern, I scrunched my face in worry I’d no need to feign. “How will I know you’re safe? You can’t call a ship that’s supposed to be empty. There could be,” darkly, “more faction agents on the Mistral.”
His expression softened. “Evan has the translight com. I’ll keep in touch with that.”
A deep CLANG shuddered through walls. “We’re linked.” Rudy manipulated controls and the lights inside abruptly dimmed; the ever-present back-of-the-teeth whine of the Swift’s engines disappeared.
“What are you doing?” Paul demanded.
“It’d look wrong if I left her up and running.”
Meaning life support would be at minimal. Being Bess, I wouldn’t need to worry about air for days. As for freezing? “I won’t be in here long anyway,” I assured them. “You should get going.”
A crackle on the com. “Move it, Swift!”
“I’ll set up the airlock. See you later, Bess.” Rudy opened the hatch in the floor and launched himself headfirst to the antechamber below, calling back. “Nia.”
Who hesitated, looking at me.
“Thanks for the boom,” I told her, finding a smile after all. She gave me a grave nod in return, then sailed down as Rudy had, her boots disappearing in the tube.
And then there were two.
“Old Blob.” Paul paused at the hatch, regarding me with familiar and slightly impatient fondness. “Set the trap and get clear. Promise.”
“I know the plan,” I countered, which wasn’t the same. Before he noticed, I hurried on. “Nia mustn’t get into trouble.”
“She won’t.” He began to frown. “Esen—”
“Was never here,” I interrupted, waving at him. “Go. Go.”
Unlike the other Humans, Paul Ragem descended feet first. Presumably to keep an eye on me as long as possible, so I stuck out my tongue until his head disappeared and the hatch closed.
My moment, over.
An assortment of noises marked whatever was happening below to remove my friends from the Largas Swift. To be on the safe side, I sailed up to the crew quarters and tucked myself in the accommodation. The others had taken advantage of it during the trip, leaving behind a homely smell my Lanivarian-self would have appreciated in more depth.
This me wanted to plug my nostrils. Still, I’d my own bodily requirements, not that I’d be Bess much longer. Once the Swift was free and clear of the Mistral, I’d climb out, use my helpful Human hands to open what was closed, set the cargo hold to vent, and be myself again.
In more ways than the obvious. My fingers closed over Paul’s medallion. I waited. Waited.
A final shudder and a louder-than-before CLANG!
The ship was loose.
I began counting to myself, just to be sure. I’d reached five when I heard something else.
A person something else.
My initial thought was a glad, if truly foolish, notion that Paul hadn’t been able to leave me—
My second was that the faction agent hadn’t been on the lifepod at all but had waited for a ship of his own. If he was here to find another way to harm Paul?
I needed living mass.