\u201cYou know,\u201d Caree said cheerfully as she slathered salve on Rake\u2019s battered chest, \u201cI never got to ask you. Where\u2019d you get the money for the insurance policy?\u201d<\/p>\n
Rake grimaced, more from the coolness of the gel than from pain. \u201cWhat are you talking about?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m not a fool, Rake,\u201d she said lightly. \u201cYou\u2019ve been involved in a lot of jobs in the outer worlds. Including several in the zero security zone, outside civilization. You\u2019ve made a name for yourself as a great pilot and a man who can think on his feet. But none of those jobs have been a big score\u2014nothing that would\u2019ve taken the millions you would\u2019ve needed for an insurance policy.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOh, come on,\u201d Rake complained. \u201cAre you really telling me you\u2019ve seen my finances? You\u2019ve been looking into my books?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo,\u201d Caree said with a shake of her head. \u201cI don\u2019t need to do that. I also<\/i> know what kind of lifestyle you\u2019ve lived. You\u2019re burning cash like anyone living in the outer worlds. Not to mention the upgrades to your ship,\u201d she added. Then she paused. \u201cThat reminds me\u2014do you have another insurance policy?\u201d<\/p>\n
Rake shook his head. \u201cNo, I don\u2019t. There was only enough cash for one.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSo where\u2019d the money come from?\u201d<\/p>\n
The pilot hesitated for long moments, the silence heavy as Caree finished smearing salve and began wrapping his wounds with bandages. Finally, he said, \u201cI don\u2019t know.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou don\u2019t know?\u201d she repeated skeptically.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo. I was given a large lump of cash over a year ago, with express instructions to get a life insurance policy. I didn\u2019t question it\u2014just made a trip to Terra and went through the process. Then, three weeks ago, I got another payment with instructions to ensure my memory was up to date\u2014enough cash to cover the update and the trip to Terra.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd you didn\u2019t ask where this was coming from?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI did<\/i> look into it, a year ago, when I got the first payment. The money came from an account on New Persia with a name that went nowhere. I had some friends look into that<\/i>, and the money for that account came from Earth, and the transfer date was before the Great War.\u201d<\/p>\n
Caree grimaced. \u201cSo, no way to trace it.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo, there\u2019s no way.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSo, you think your mystery benefactor had something to do with your death?\u201d Caree asked. \u201cI mean, it\u2019s like he knew you might not make it through\u2026whatever you got yourself into.\u201d<\/p>\n
Rake nodded. \u201cGood chance.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSo, that begs the question\u2014what were you involved with a year ago? Someone apparently was making an investment then to ensure you survived.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m not sure,\u201d Rake confessed.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy not?\u201d Caree asked.<\/p>\n
Rake considered his options carefully. I really <\/i>don\u2019t remember, but that might be because of this body. Or maybe it\u2019s because I really <\/i>don\u2019t remember. Until I can get my ship back, and get to all my ship logs, I really don\u2019t know.<\/i><\/p>\n
\u201cMost of my memories from\u2026before\u2026are kind of fuzzy. According to the doc on Terra, it\u2019s common after the wake up,\u201d he lied. \u201cHe said it might take a few weeks for me to recall everything clearly.\u201d In a few weeks, I\u2019ll either be clear of this, or dead<\/i>.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo, what\u2019s your plan?\u201d the woman asked. \u201cBesides get to your ship?\u201d<\/p>\n
The pilot slid off the bed, carefully pulling on a fresh shirt over his tender skin. \u201cIf I can find my ship, the navigation logs should tell me where I\u2019ve been. Between that and my personal logs, I should be able to reconstruct what I\u2019ve been doing, and hopefully pay off whatever crime boss is sending all these guys after me.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cA crime boss?\u201d Caree was skeptical. \u201cThose were Lantash authority sloops that shot up our tail, not pirate ships.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cA skiptracer working for the law wouldn\u2019t risk shooting up an insurance facility,\u201d Rake said firmly. \u201cNo, it has to be someone on the outer worlds\u2014maybe even someone in the zero security zone.\u201d He raised an eyebrow. \u201cYou want some help with your wounds?\u201d<\/p>\n
The dark-haired beauty offered a wink before smoothly doffing her shirt, offering Rake a smile. \u201cNot the first time you\u2019ve seen this, now, is it?\u201d<\/p>\n
Rake nearly swallowed his tongue as he picked up the can of salve. As methodically as he could manage, he carefully began rubbing in salve over her wounds. Like his own, they were small and many, tiny cuts that had covered her chest in a sheet of blood. With his off hand, he picked up a towel and carefully began to clean the blood from her skin as well.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo, not the first time,\u201d he finally managed to say.<\/p>\n
Caree offered him a teasing grin. \u201cPay attention to your work,\u201d she said lightly.<\/p>\n
\u201cOf course,\u201d he said, reverting to biting his tongue.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo,\u201d she said after a few moments of silence, \u201cwhat comes after you find your ship? You round up your crew and go after\u2026whatever it is?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo crew,\u201d Rake said.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo crew?\u201d she asked in surprise. \u201cHow do you man your ship?\u201d<\/p>\n
The man hesitated for a moment. How many secrets do I really want to give her?<\/i> \u201cShe\u2019s an advanced ship, designed for a minimal crew. The complement is supposed to be three, actually\u2014a pilot, a weapons officer, and an engineer.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd you, of course, do all three.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m a man of many talents,\u201d Rake boasted.<\/p>\n
Caree leaned forward against his hands, still cleaning up her battered chest. \u201cYes, yes you are.\u201d<\/p>\n
He did his best to maintain composure, but she was very<\/i> good at distracting him. \u201cI do my best.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSo,\u201d the dark-haired woman said after a few moments of silence, \u201cWhat\u2019s the name of your ship?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cGetting personal, are we?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cGiven our mutual lack of clothes, I\u2019d say we\u2019re already personal, aren\u2019t we?\u201d Caree winked.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo do you really want to talk about my ship?\u201d he asked dubiously.<\/p>\n
\u201cIsn\u2019t that the way to sweet-talk you pilots?\u201d she asked in return. \u201cTalk about ships and engines and guns? I thought you\u2019d like that kind of pillow-talk.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re not on a pillow,\u201d Rake said dryly.<\/p>\n
\u201cLet\u2019s fix that,\u201d Caree grinned, taking his hand.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Almost eleven hours later, the intercom in Caree\u2019s cabin beeped for attention. The dark-haired woman lazily rolled off Rake\u2019s chest and stretched out to tap the button. \u201cGo ahead.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cCap, we found the canyon,\u201d Wings reported. \u201cJust like Earthstepper described.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cPut us in stationary orbit over the canyon and wait for us,\u201d the captain ordered. \u201cWe\u2019ll be there shortly.\u201d<\/p>\n
Wings was silent for a moment. Rake guessed he was processing the meaning of we<\/i>. \u201cYes, cap.\u201d The intercom beeped to signal the line closing.<\/p>\n
\u201cGuess that means we have to get up,\u201d Rake grumbled.<\/p>\n
\u201cAre you complaining, sweetheart?\u201d Caree asked with a wicked grin. \u201cDidn\u2019t get enough rest?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cPlenty of time in bed, but not much rest,\u201d he answered lazily. \u201cI haven\u2019t had much sleep since I woke up from the insurance facility.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSleep when you\u2019re dead,\u201d she teased.<\/p>\n
\u201cAlready did that once. Wasn\u2019t restful.\u201d<\/p>\n
Caree smacked him playfully in the shoulder. \u201cQuit your complaining and get dressed, dead man.\u201d<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
It took twenty minutes of haggling over the short-range radio to secure permission to land\u2014eight minutes of arguing over Rake\u2019s out-of-date clearance code, and another twelve minutes to settle on berthing fees that, while still high, weren\u2019t as outrageous as the initial offer. Caree had wanted to continue the negotiation, but the Starfall<\/i>\u2019s passive sensors had picked up faint sensor pings from one of the Lantash sloops\u2014too weak to reveal the location of the ship, but plenty of warning that the authorities hadn\u2019t given up their search.<\/p>\n
The landing zone was concealed at the bottom of the canyon, with no external lights or signals to betray the location. Rake had to admit that, in spite of his professional distaste for riding in a ship he wasn\u2019t flying, Wings was a pretty fair pilot. The big man slipped the freighter under the overhanging rock, putting plenty of cover between them and their pursuers.<\/p>\n
It took another minute of careful maneuvering to mate the Starfall<\/i>\u2019s airlock with a docking tube extended from seemingly sheer stone wall.<\/p>\n
As the airlock hissed open, wind blew over Rake, ruffling his too-long hair. His ears popped as the pressures equalized, and the artificial breeze died off.<\/p>\n
The gun in his hand felt wrong. Not because Rake had any problem with carrying a handgun\u2014especially into ratholes like the Lantash Six smuggler hole. He had, for that matter, carried a sidearm most of his adult life. No, the problem was that the pistol was all wrong<\/i>. The weapon was too light, the barrel too long. The balance was entirely off, and he couldn\u2019t feel the natural point of the weapon when he swung on a target.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo boarders?\u201d Caree asked when the airlock and connecting tube remained empty. \u201cI thought they\u2019d send a welcoming party.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo reason to bother,\u201d Rake said grimly. \u201cEveryone inside will be armed, so if we run in guns blazing we\u2019d be dead. They\u2019ve probably got dozens of coilguns embedded in the rocks pointed right at the ship. If we do anything too stupid, they\u2019ll cut the Starfall<\/i> to shreds.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAh. So why, exactly, are we walking into this place?\u201d Caree asked warily.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is hardly the first smuggler hole you\u2019ve walked into,\u201d Rake commented. \u201cAny place like this can\u2019t depend on local security\u2014they\u2019re hardly going to call the Lantash authorities, are they? So they take precautions to ensure nothing too horrid happens.\u201d<\/p>\n
Caree glanced back at her crew, gathered behind them. \u201cSo, I\u2019d guess we should leave the crew here.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat would be ideal. We don\u2019t want to risk starting a fight.\u201d<\/p>\n
Caree waved off her crew. None of the four looked happy, but they retreated back into the Starfall<\/i> as per their captain\u2019s wishes. When they had all vanished, the dark-haired woman looked over at Rake. \u201cAfter you.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYep.\u201d Rake walked through the airlock and into the connecting tube.<\/p>\n
The air was a bit stale and smelled of grease and solvent, and he could hear a faint hiss of escaping air. Must be a leak somewhere<\/i>, he thought uneasily. Hope the whole place isn\u2019t like that. It sure wasn\u2019t the last time I was here, but that had to be three years ago.<\/i><\/p>\n
Wasn\u2019t it?<\/i> The fact that he couldn\u2019t precisely remember bothered him. Is this body going downhill already? Or is it normal to not remember details like that?<\/i> The uncertainty was nearly as bad as the memory loss in the first place.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo, what do we do now?\u201d Caree asked quietly.<\/p>\n
\u201cLooks like company is coming,\u201d Rake nodded toward an approaching man in a dirty brown uniform, flanked by two armed guards.<\/p>\n
The station\u2019s staff made no pretense at friendliness. \u201cRake Earthstepper. Different ship than the last time through.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNot mine,\u201d Rake said as he jerked his thumb toward Caree. \u201cHers.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWho\u2019s paying the fees?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cRake volunteered,\u201d Caree said casually.<\/p>\n
He grunted a reluctant agreement. \u201cFrom my account on file,\u201d he said. \u201cWe also need to fuel the ship.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cFuel\u2019s hard to come by,\u201d the unarmed man said. \u201cExpensive to get out here.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cFive,\u201d Rake said.<\/p>\n
\u201cHa! Didn\u2019t know you were a comedian, Earthstepper. Twelve.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cFor twelve I could buy a ship with a full take of fuel,\u201d he said with a shake of his head. \u201cSeven, no more.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cEight, and I send someone out to scrub the windows,\u201d the staffer said dryly.<\/p>\n
\u201cEight it is. How long?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019ll be slow,\u201d the station\u2019s negotiator said. \u201cThe passives we have on the ring shows a couple of Lantash sloops headed this way. They haven\u2019t found us yet, but we\u2019ll have to run the lines manually. No heavy equipment when the authorities are that close. Two hours, maybe?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cLess would be more,\u201d Rake said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ll see what we can do. In the meantime, are you going to enjoy our local facilities?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cJust the pub. Which way?\u201d<\/p>\n
The man pointed down one of the shafts hewn from the stone of the rings. \u201cSurprised you even have to ask. And I have to ask, what happened to your ship?\u201d the man asked. \u201cI\u2019ve never seen another like it, and it’d be a shame if some authorities got their hands on it.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cJust on my way to retrieve her,\u201d Rake said casually. \u201cNo one flies my ship but me, and no one will ever catch her, either.\u201d<\/p>\n
The negotiator and his two flunkies disappeared toward the docking ring and the Starfall<\/i>, presumably to start the fueling process, while Rake led Caree down the stone hallway toward the pub. \u201cYou handled that well,\u201d the captain commented. \u201cYou\u2019ve been here a few times, haven\u2019t you?\u201d<\/p>\n
Rake shrugged nonchalantly. \u201cA couple times. It\u2019s a good refueling hole, and not a lot of people know about it. The people that do know keep their mouths shut, which is why there\u2019s a smuggler hole this close to a \u2018civilized\u2019 world.\u201d He raised an eyebrow at her. \u201cYour crew will<\/i> keep their mouths shut, won\u2019t they?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m insulted,\u201d Caree said, her tone sharp.<\/p>\n
\u201cHey, secrecy keeps a lot<\/i> of smugglers alive, including me. I don\u2019t want one of my holes compromised.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou might have already compromised them by sending us here with those patrol boats chasing us,\u201d she retorted.<\/p>\n
\u201cDoubtful,\u201d he said dismissively. \u201cThey\u2019ve kept their heads down plenty of times when the local authorities are orbiting overhead. Dozens of meters of solid rock is a good cover, as long as no one goes in or out with a sloop nearby. Now,\u201d he added as they stepped out of the passageway and into a larger, dimly-lit cavern, \u201clet\u2019s just relax with a few drinks while they refuel the Starfall.<\/i>\u201d<\/p>\n
Like the passageways, the cavern had been carved from the solid stone of the rings. The ceilings were rather low\u2014barely two and a half meters high\u2014but the room itself was nearly sixty meters across, roughly circular. A handful of passageways led away from the pub, with dozens of small niches carved into the walls to provide privacy.<\/p>\n
Lamps rose from the floor, a scant meter high, providing the sparse illumination. Power cables and cords were strung openly across from the floor, trip hazards that the pub\u2019s proprietor didn\u2019t seem to care about. Tables, sparsely occupied, were scattered through the open space, some near lamps and some shrouded in darkness. There seemed to be little pattern to the lights and the tables, and the lack of order bothered Rake just a bit.<\/p>\n
He didn\u2019t let his discomfort show, however, as he led Caree toward the center of the pub.<\/p>\n
The pub\u2019s owner and operator, a too-thin woman barely in her twenties but tougher than the stone walls of her business, was busy cleaning a sinkfull of plates, her back toward Rake and Caree. The bar cut a neat, illuminated circle in the middle of the pub, with a small cooking range and stove at the center of that.<\/p>\n
\u201cRake Earthstepper,\u201d she said gravely without turning her head. \u201cWhat the hell are you doing here?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAlo, Meg,\u201d he said easily as he slid onto one of the stools ringing the bar. \u201cHow\u2019s business?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cQuiet. I like it that way.\u201d She turned away from her dishes, eyeing Rake warily. \u201cYour poison?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cCouple of your local brew,\u201d he ordered. \u201cOne for me, one for the captain.\u201d<\/p>\n
Meg raised both eyebrows as she produced a pair of dark bottles from under the bar. With practiced ease she twisted both tops off simultaneously and set them down before the spacers. \u201cDidn\u2019t know you would work for someone else.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNot my preference, but I do what I have to do.\u201d He picked up the nearer brew and gestured for Caree to take the other. The captain gave him a dubious glance but took a drink, which was followed by a surprised look and a longer, slower drink.<\/p>\n
Meg smiled at Caree. \u201cZero-gee brewing, Cap. Can\u2019t make a brew that\u2019ll touch mine if you\u2019re stuck on a planet.\u201d<\/p>\n
The captain frowned. \u201cBut you have gravity here.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cArtificial, just like your ship,\u201d Meg explained. \u201cAnd only in the habitable places. Storerooms are all packed tight with the grav shut off, unless there\u2019s some reason for it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Rake took a swallow of the beer and smiled. \u201cNobody could brew like you, Meg, even if they could<\/i> figure out your secrets.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSuch a flatterer, Rake.\u201d She raised a blonde eyebrow at him. \u201cSo, what are you doing working for someone else, and showing them this little hidey-hole?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOn my way to Clarion to get my ship,\u201d Rake clarified. \u201cThis is a short-term gig only.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019d heard a rumor you got yourself killed on Clarion,\u201d Meg said dubiously. \u201cYou have to make a run for it without your ship?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSomething like that,\u201d Rake smiled. \u201cSo what, exactly, have you heard?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWell, popular rumor was you took a job you shouldn\u2019t have\u2014a job from Boss Bruno. Whole thing went south, and you got killed by some of Bruno\u2019s lackies on Clarion.\u201d She laughed as she twisted the top off a brew for herself, taking a long, slow pull. \u201c\u2019Course, that all seems rather foolish with you standing here.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMmmhmm,\u201d Rake said noncommittally as he took another swallow of beer. Fear soured the taste, though. Oscar Bruno. What the hell was I thinking to take a job from him?<\/i><\/p>\n
\u201cWhat doesn\u2019t make sense about the whole thing,\u201d Meg continued, \u201cis that there\u2019s still a price on your head. I checked the ComNet when I heard you were trying to land here with your old code. See, you landed here a few weeks ago with that code and picked up a new one. Between that, you being reported dead, and a price still on your head, tells me you had an insurance policy.\u201d<\/p>\n
Rake set his beer down on the bar silently. He opened his mouth to respond, but found himself struggling for words when he saw a pistol in Meg\u2019s hand, leveled straight at his forehead.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
\u201cYou know,\u201d Caree said cheerfully as she slathered salve on Rake\u2019s battered chest, \u201cI never got to ask you. Where\u2019d you get the money for the insurance policy?\u201d Rake grimaced, more from the coolness of the gel than from pain. … Continue reading