Personal Log 102: 29th February - 6th March, 3302 (Part Two)
11 Oct 2016Jemine Caesar
29th February - 6th March, 3302 (part 2) A series of delivery jobs found Sam and I docking at Cleve Hub, in the Eravate system. On arrival at the Spaceport, our attention was immediately attracted by newsfeeds reporting the tragic accidental death of an agricultural worker on Eravate-5.
"It's unclear precisely how the accident happened," said the report, "but the operative was killed instantly when her head became caught in the mechanical rice-picker she was tending. The dead woman has been named by Eravate Police as Kelli-May Yardley."
I was numb with shock. Kelli-May was the tenth girl on the Harem list.
And I was the eleventh.
A short time later Sam and I were walking along the familiar mall on Cleve Hub towards The Black Hole, the bar owned by Sam's cousin, Mark. As we drew closer we could see the signs of a commotion. Starport Police were everywhere. Then Mark himself appeared.
"Hi, Sam," he said, visibly shaken. "There's been a shooting at the bar, just a few minutes ago. Five dead. I've had enough, Sam. I'm getting out. My heart's not in the pub trade anymore. I don't think I could --"
Suddenly a voice shouted out a warning; "Down! Shooter!" Then a volley of shots rang out, followed by silence. Not far from where we were standing lay the body of a man, his hand clenched round a pistol.
"Come on, Jem," Sam said, urgently. "We should get out of here. Now!"
I was puzzled. "Why, Sam?" I asked. "I don't understand."
Sam took my hand and led me quickly towards the docking bays. "I saw the shooter just before the police got him," he said. "He was aiming at you!"
*****
Sam was convinced the shooting had been the work of the Black Widow Gang.
"Russell said something to me, just before I killed him," he said.
We had left Eravate and jumped to Chowei, checking in to a room on Swigert Port. "He said that if I wanted to stop the Harem Killer, I'd have to remove myself."
I blinked, confused. "What did he mean by that?" I asked.
"I have the feeling," Sam answered, "that he was implying there is more than one instance of me out there somewhere. A clone copy of me, who is the real culprit behind the Harem Murders."
We spent most of the next two days at Swigert Port, watching the newsfeeds for further reports from Eravate about the shooting. As we lay in bed, a thought occurred to me.
"Sam," I said. "If there really is a clone of you, then how do I know you're really you?"
Sam smiled. "The measure of a man," he replied, "is his soul. And I can assure you that you have before you the original Sam Hodkin."
Presently the news broke that the shooter at Cleve Hub was no more than a drug-crazed temperance cabalist, who had decided to vent his feelings at The Black Hole. There seemed to be no apparent connection between him and the Black Widow Gang. Or, indeed, the Harem Murders.
Sam and I returned to LHS 3447 to resume our contributions to the Bluford Orbital metals appeal. My Cobra's cargo capacity was relatively small, so I held no hopes of being a contender for one of the higher reward levels. I was just happy to be helping to develop the system in which I was born.
On March 5th I was interdicted by a Federal dropship. Knowing I was heavily outgunned, I evaded the attack long enough to charge my FSD and escape into supercruise, sustaining no damage.
Then, on arrival in LHS 3447 from Kremainn with a full hold of metal, I was hailed by a commander who introduced himself as belonging to Adle's Armada. I had read about this organisation on Galnet. Adle's Armada was a new minor faction in the system, and had pledged to defend trader ships from pirate attacks during the metals appeal.
"Trade safe, my friend," the pilot said to me. "Adle's Armada is protecting you."
The rest of the week passed without major incident for me, apart from one more interdiction by an Imperial Eagle flown by a Competent-rated pilot named Batse.
Sam was not so fortunate, however. He was attacked while bounty hunting in LHS 3447, and had to eject as his ship came under withering fire. His escape pod took him safely back to Worlidge Terminal, where he was taken to the starport medicentre for minor radiation burn treatment and observation.
I couldn't forget the fact that my life was in constant danger. The Harem Murderer had proved time and time again to be resourceful and merciless in their methods. Ten girls on that list were now dead. I was number eleven. Well, I may be next in line to die, but I was determined to try and carry on as normal. I would just have to be ready for the unexpected, and deal with it as best I could when the time came.
Which probably would not be long in coming.