“Ellora Grace, do you read?” Fred’s voice cut through the suit com’s overlapping conversations.
“Right here, Fred, just follow the beacons.” I’ve never been so happy to see my ship as Winter cast out a grappler to snag the metal fuselage and I followed the line all the way to the airlock.
I yanked my helmet off the sec the lock cycled through. “Don’t cast it off! These nasty little things don’t seem to like it for some reason.”
Winter had her hand on the eject/retract button, and she shot me a quizzical look before her expression morphed into one of horror. “Mehariet shuushoneki, is that what I think it is?” She pointed to the mine encased in its housing. It was still inert although I’d placed it on the metal floor of the ship when I pulled off the ill-fitting envirosuit.
“Yes, and I don’t know what this is protecting us or how it came to be, but I’ll take it for now. We should take this thing to Marion; he might be able to determine if it is a lifeform.”
Winter looked physically ill for a nano. She recovered swiftly though and shoved the case with the mine into a containment capsule and activated the field. The blue glow enveloped the clear plexisteel container effectively placing the mine into stasis. “Warn me next time you bring any Bildarthian chuksa on this ship.” Winter glared at me and stalked off leaving me to reel in the rest of the payload.
“Hello to you too, glad you are safe,” I muttered under my breath.
“I am happy you are safe.” Fred chimed in softly.
I sighed. “Thanks.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“What in the seven hells is that?” Marion took one look at the containment canister and the grim expression on Winter’s face.
L’Marchonase wore an equally grim expression. “Well, cousin, I’m hoping you can tell us.”
He walked all the way around the canister shaking his head. “This is one of those mines, isn’t it? You sent one of your insane chuksa Mentari out there to…”
I didn’t let him finish. “I took the Ni’chine ship after I’d discovered what they were carrying in their cargo hold. I also discovered that one of their slaves wasn’t what it said it was. My intent was to capture the imposter posing as a human, but the mines disintegrated his escape pod. I saw an opportunity and used it.” I lifted my chin to stare at him. He blinked at me but wisely said nothing.
“This form does not like a piece of metal from the ship. I think it wise to get a metallurgy and spectrometer team to look at the chunk to find out why. In the meantime, I think whatever it is wrapped in holds it inert so be careful with the material.”
Marion slowly nodded his head. “I’ll run an analysis on the wrappings first. I’ll let you know what I find shortly.”
We left him conversing with his techs and headed for the battle bridge conference room. “My man in the Kerlian parliament should be ready to report.” L’Marchonase looked tense and as we entered the room I could see why.
The man with the shaggy dark hair and green prosthetic eye sat drumming his fingers on the redwood table. He didn’t look like a diplomat dressed in a long duster coat made of Parchense duja leather. His eyes were almond-shaped and only the deepening wrinkles around them betrayed his age. He held his mouth strangely like his lips were overly extended at the corners. My overall impression made me think about my elfin cousins back on Altamira. When he stood, he was easily as tall as Winter. His glance slid over the both of us and he gave a slight nod to Winter.
Winter didn’t react. She took her seat and folded her hands in her lap. I sat down in one of the chairs behind her but close enough where I could hear the conversation. L’Marchonase gestured for him to begin.
He nodded. “The Kerlian Viseur and the primary adjudicator, called the Glazier, are rumored to have invested heavily into a project which needs the supply of Garundi amber to be profitable. While the amber does produce a notable euphoric effect, their leaders have found a way to increase the effects of the amber, perhaps to use as a narcotic or for medical anesthesia. If so, my contacts believe they intend to market the drug to their own people and export the remainder either legally for medical use or illegally as a party drug. I heard a rumor, but have no proof of, a contact within the Hideku to move the meds off-world.
Winter shifted in her seat but made no comment.
“I have also heard the labs creating these drugs are not on Kerlian but are in orbit. Allegedly, they have two built and two still under construction. The Viseur and Glazier siphoned off funds from off-world exports and import taxes to create the labs. The discrepancy was noted by their consular staff but written off as an armament deal gone bad with the Sambrosians and a new race called the Trangee. I do not think the Kerlian parliament is aware of the depth of the embezzlement.”
“That sounds like a large-scale operation and one hard to hide.” L’Marchonase frowned.
“I thought so too, but they’ve acquired technology from somewhere that hides the labs from conventional detection. My guess is it must be the Trangee. I’ve never heard of them before, and in my experience, the Sambrosians don’t have the kind of technology to hide orbital platforms.”
L’Marchonase nodded. “Were you able to find out any information about missing ships? The transit authority seems to keep poor records.” He made a face indicting his disgust.
Diargento thumbed the controls on the table. “My contacts weren’t specific, and this is a little out of their league. But they did indicate there is a general wariness to travel beyond the buoy boundaries marking the main routes here, and here.” He marked the holo map with a stylus indicating a blank section of space.
Winter nodded and L’Marchonase’s frown deepened. “Seems you were correct, Winter. They have one way in and one way out just like we would.”
Diargento glanced at Winter. “This wouldn’t have something to do with those mines I’ve been hearing about?”
L’Marchonase sighed. “I expected Skelly to fill you in. Did he tell you we captured one and are working on developing a countermeasure?”
Diargento grinned and he had a fair number of prosthetic teeth inlaid with auran. “He told me about the mines. You’ve found a way to neutralize it already?”
L’Marchonase’s shrug was both poetic, practical, and indicated nothing beyond what Diargento apparently already knew.
Diargento left shortly thereafter, whistling to himself, and I thought, “There goes an extremely dangerous man.”
Winter apparently agreed with my unvoiced thought. “Enri, he’s trouble. Valoise and the Ebroni woman are plotters, but they are essentially too greedy for their own good. That one,” She indicated the departed Diargento with her hand, “Is the zagritzah at the bottom of the cistern. He’s biding his time.”
L’Marchonase sighed heavily. “I know. The only reason I’m still Grand Captain of this fleet is that he and Skelly have not moved against me. Those two are intelligent men and they also know they stand to make a lot of money because each of my crazy plans has worked…in the past. I’m only as good as the next score, and we need to make one soon to keep the smaller ships in line. He knows it too.” L’Marchonase’s com chimed, and he answered. He made some non-committal noises and commed off. “Marion’s found something. He’ll be up.”
I used the intervening few chronos to visit the ‘fresher and smooth out my hair. When I emerged, Winter and L’Marchonase were deep into a discussion of drone harassment tactics and how to use both ends of the bottleneck against the Garundis and Kerlians. Marion rushed in, threw himself in a chair, and immediately dialed up a carafe of cafcocoa from the culinary dispenser. He grabbed the thermocup, took a big swig, winced at the heat, and swallowed rapidly. He waved the cup at me.
“You’re not going to believe this. The reason why the mine is currently inert and why it doesn’t like the chunk of the wreckage is because both are organic matter. I think I am looking at egg protein…well I know I am because the metal section of the ship is from the Ni’chine birthing well.”
I blinked. Ni’chine lay eggs? Birthing wells?
He must have read the expression on my face. “I know, it was a surprise to me too. Our lady of cryogenic storage laid eggs recently because she has the egg brooding patch visible on her lower abdomen.”
“I didn’t see any eggs on the ship.” Not that I could have found them in the mess.
“I don’t know a lot about the Ni’chine,” L’Marchonase spoke up, “But I do know those two weren’t a brooding pair. I got the impression one was a hatchling of the other.”
Marion nodded. “I got the impression as well, which means the brood was brought on by something else. They would have used the eggs for food, or randomly smashed the shells if the mood struck them.”
That would explain the smell. I wrinkled my nose. Winter remained impassive.
“I have a hypothesis based on the organic matter on the ship’s metal and the pouch around the mine. They are both made of embryonic protein, although I couldn’t tell you what lifeform created the pouch and the protective barrier around the mine though. I want to do a quantum dissection on the mine but rather than do it here on the Siren, we’d need to set me up on a disposable ship.”
L’Marchonase shook his head. “I would like to know the function of those mines as much as you do. But you know how I feel about risking members of my immediate family.”
“Enri, you said the crews are restless. Every rotation we wait, the certainty of mutiny becomes closer to reality. How many people on this ship know I am your cousin? Entirely too many, and I knew it would come out at some point. I am a liability to you, and you know it.”
Winter stood, and I stood with her. “You have much to discuss, Enri. We should leave you…”
“No.” L’Marchonase indicated the chair and Winter slowly sat back down leaving me to creep back into my seat. “My cousin and I can debate this later. While Marion is here, you,” He pointed at Winter, “Should narrate the fight with the Ni’chine for me.”
“Enri, I don’t…” Winter trailed off as the security footage from the fight was displayed on the holo system in the middle of the table.
The security Eyes caught Winter in one of the Siren’s lower cantinas drinking steadily and watching a newsie holo on her tabletop. She clearly minded her own business and did not even appear to notice when the Ni’chine and their two mounts entered the bar. The Eye moved forward a solis and it was clear the Ni’chine acted drunk and belligerent. They insulted the bar staff, deliberately dropped drinks, and acted with hostility toward everyone. In time, they were joined by two heavily hooded figures who appeared to be drinking less and intentionally chiding the Ni’chine for their lack of ability to bring in a live Hashtaaleen. The audio feed from the Ears in the bar fought through the ambient noise and provided a translation streamer at the bottom of the holo.
I didn’t tell Winter what I’d seen on the ship. I didn’t even know how I’d broach the subject. I wasn’t sure I could, either. So, I sat and watched as the taller of the hooded individuals approached Winter’s table. The two Ni’chine dismounted and chained their humans to the bag and chattel hooks under the table. They circled around behind Winter while the tall, hooded humanoid spilled his drink all over her. The second hooded one waited until Winter appeared distracted by the sudden bath in alcohol before plowing into her from behind. The two Ni’chine drew their knives and dove on top of Winter. The hooded ones attempted to hold her down while the Ni’chine presumably tried to saw off her head. They only got ragged chunks of hair as Winter twisted out of the grip of the hooded ones and sprung the catch on her stave. Winter slammed the business end of the weapon into the face of one of the Ni’chine and she howled as her eye was wrenched free of its socket and thrown across the room. The hooded humanoids wisely backed off and disappeared into the crowd, leaving the Ni’chine to fend for themselves. Stupidly, they continued to attack Winter and she dispatched them in a few chronos. Winter pulled the drink bulb from the socket on the table and left the bodies on the floor of the cantina. The Eye caught the hooded humanoids standing outside in the gathered crowd and watched as Winter staggered away.
I saw it, and I am sure Winter saw it too although it was in the holo for only half a nanosec. The cowl of the taller of the two hooded ones slipped exposing a flash of a colorful facial tattoo.
Valoise!
I’m sure Winter must have thought so too. She turned to me, tilted her head, and shrugged. “I wish I could tell you what happened but, I don’t remember any of this, Enri.” She looked back at him and gave him a closed-lipped smile.
I knew the expression on her face though even if L’Marchonase didn’t. We were going to pay the captain of Siren fleet ship Sausenty-Une a visit soon.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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