Ed knew the Klatt home world was in the Acheron region out on a distant arm of the galaxy, so this cell, although a little larger than the one before, could be home for a while.
The ship seemed newer in its design and as far as his accommodation went, the bed looked unused and the toilet didn’t stink, so that was a distinct improvement. The food however wasn’t. Same cold mutton-like stew as before and he grimaced at it as soon as it appeared through the door hatch.
‘Can I order a nice rare sirloin chasseur for dinner tomorrow, buttered new potatoes and perhaps some lightly steamed calabrese?’ he said to the hand as it pushed the steel dog bowl through the door.
The silence from outside the cell gave him his answer as he picked up the bowl and sniffed it tentatively. With the initial observation confirmed he held his nose with one hand and shovelled it in with the other, washing it down with the cup of metallic-tasting water.
He froze as he thought he heard a voice out in the corridor. Lying down and quickly putting his ear to the small gap around the food hatch, he listened as the faint voice came again.
‘Oh, for fuck’s sake, can’t the chef make anything else?’ the familiar voice complained.
‘Pol, is that you?’ he called, cringing immediately as he realised it was a stupid question.
He held his breath as a crash sounded from outside.
‘Bastard,’ replied Pol. ‘You made me drop my delicious dinner. Of course it’s fucking me.’
‘I’m sorry you’re here too,’ he said.
‘So, it wasn’t you that booked this holiday cruise then?’
‘No, they were after me. Did you disturb them?’
‘They disturbed me by demolishing your stupid noisy clock.’
‘Stupid,’ exclaimed Ed. ‘That’s a seventeenth-century Michael Bird longcase clock, I’ll have you know.’
‘Well, it’s buggered now,’ she said.
‘Cost me seventy grand.’
‘Get me out of this mess and I’ll happily buy you a new one,’ she said. ‘So long as it’s not outside my bedroom this time making that infernal racket.’
‘I’m sure Andy’s on the case.’
‘Will they let him take the Gabriel?’
‘It’s in the contract.’
‘So, we just sit and wait?’
‘Not much else we can do.’
‘Can’t you use your DOVI and mess with the ship?’
‘No, they know about that and have shielded me. They’ll space me if I try and use it.’
‘Oh, shit,’ she said.
‘Yeah, oh shit indeed.’
‘No, Ed, you don’t understand. I’ve been using mine.’
‘You have a DOVI fitted too now?’
‘Uh, huh,’ she grunted. ‘Cleo set me up so I can fly the ships. I’ve been having a peek around this one too.’
‘They haven’t detected it then,’ he said. ‘That’s good. It must be working on a completely different frequency.’
‘D’you want me to interfere with their systems?’
‘No, they’ll know it was us. We’ll keep that little gem under wraps for now until we really need it.’
‘Where are they taking us?’
‘Klatt home world.’
‘Where’s that?’
‘Zee-Klatt III. If my memory serves me right it’s in the Acheron region.’
‘I have no idea where that is.’
‘A long way away on an outer arm and without knowing the capabilities of this ship, I have no idea how long that will take.’
‘I’ll set up the sun lounger.’
Ed smiled for the first time that day.
‘You have the same sense of humour as Andy.’
‘As he says – keeps you sane during stressful situations,’ Pol mused.
‘Did Cleo set you up with a Krypti as well?’
‘That’s something I was going to ask you about,’ said Pol. ‘She mentioned it in a conversation and I was a bit embarrassed to ask.’
‘Memory chip,’ said Ed. ‘It sits under the back of your skull and records everything you know, do and say. So, if the worst happens you can be reborn in a Theo birthing chamber with all your previous knowledge intact, like Linda and myself.’
‘Okay,’ she said, sounding a bit doubtful. ‘Would I be reborn in a Callametan or a human body?’
‘Good question,’ said Ed. ‘I have no idea. That’s a conversation to have with Phil.’
‘Hmm,’ she grunted. ‘I don’t think I could manage with only two arms. That would be well weird.’
The sound of boots in the corridor had Ed scuttling back to his cot, as the hatch where his head had been crashed open and his cup and bowl were taken away.