The Reaper Diaries: Supernova, Part 8
25 Jan 2016Michael Wolfe
“Am I a plant?”Nova was staring at her tablet, still reading the Lysenko corporate files. “Nope.”
“Am I a mineral?”
I was on my forth beer. Before us, the blackness of space stretched, and the distance to Hutton on the heads-up display was- well, too long and depressing to even look at.
“Nope.”
I tilted my head to the side, wondering what Nova had in mind. “Am I… alive?”
My partner looked up, considering the question. “Sort of.”
Taking another swig of beer, I made a face at her. “That ain’t no kind of answer.”
She shrugged and went back to her tablet. “I’ve never thought of it in those terms before.”
“Am I a virus?”
“No.”
“Am I man-made?”
Nova considered. “First yes, then no.”
“Uh… am I one of those rogue AIs from back in the day?”
Nova’s eyes shot up at me, a look of impressed surprise in them. “Yes!”
Well hell. I gave myself a “not bad” face. “Ok. Give me a second to think of yours. I’m running out of ideas.”
A bored look crossed my partner's face. “Actually, I’m a bit tired of twenty questions.” She jerked her head back toward the crew quarters. “And it’s time to change your bandages.”
I took another swig, finishing my beer. “Already?”
One of Nova’s eyebrows shot up. “Yes, already. Not sure if you noticed, but someone put a couple new holes in your body the other day. The only reason the hospital let you out was because I pinky-swore with the doctor that I would make sure the wounds were treated.”
“And they didn’t consult me?”
My partner smirked, set the autopilot, and stood up. “Nope. The nurse said you had a stubborn look to you. So far, you’re proving her right. Now let’s get those bandages changed.”
I rolled my eyes and started unbuckling myself from the co-pilot’s chair. “Yes, Nurse Nova.”
“So, uh- isn’t this dangerous, leaving the ship unattended on the way to Hutton? I’ve heard that pirates like to set up shop in these parts.”
I was sitting on one of the bunks, flight suit stripped to the waste, and my t-shirt laying beside me. Behind me, Nova was sitting, her back against the wall and legs on either side of me. As promised, she was applying a new bandage and was taping me up. Thankfully, the hospital had set her up with a supply of antiseptic ointment, tape, and pads to augment the ship’s regular medical kit.
“That’s what I’ve heard, too- but they seem to have moved on. A few months ago, Hutton was trying to put itself back on the map by giving out those special souvenir mugs, but they needed lots of scrap metal to make them. Traders showed up in record numbers, which attracted pirates, which attracted bounty hunters.“ Nova shook her head. “The whole place was a shit-show for about a week or so.”
I turned to her. “You say that like you were there.”
Smoothing the tape against my lower back, she nodded. “I was. Hutton was one of the first really big shin-digs I’ve been to. I went to deliver some scrap, and stayed to help blast some scumbags.”
I smiled and looked over my shoulder. “A little more exiting that way, ain’t it?”
She grinned at the thought. “I fell in love with two things on that job: bounty hunting, and the Bluebird. And yeah- being on the other side of an interdiction was pretty damn liberating.”
I chuckled. “And- that’s your bounty hunting rig? The Bluebird?”
A look of amusement crossed her face as she reached around to change my front bandage. “It’s my baby, isn’t it? I can do anything in that ship- mine, hunt, trade, explore-“ She grinned and poked me in the side, causing me to squirm a bit. “It’s not a one-trick pony like that Vulture of yours!”
I frowned and poked her back. “You leave the Hand of Blue out of this. I’ve gotten enough grief on this job without my partner disrespecting my ship!”
She looked down slightly and grimaced. Even after a week, my torso was still covered in cuts, scrapes, and bruises. “Well, I can’t argue that. Maybe you’re due for a month or so of nice, easy planet-scanning.”
I screwed up my face as she replaced the bandages and made sure the wound was disinfected. “I know it helps to be a bit of a loner in this line of work, but even I have limits. Besides, there ain’t no money in exploration anyway. The people who do that for months on end always seemed half a bubble off in my book.”
“I know what you mean. But still-“ My partner secured the tape around the bandage. “- you wouldn't have to be alone, you know.” Her hand lingered on my body.
I chuckled. “I like people and all- but being cooped up in a ship with someone else-“I shook my head. “It ain’t my cup of tea.”
Nova scoffed, and reached to her side and handed me my shirt. “It ain’t all bad, you know,” she said quietly.
For the first time, I noticed- really noticed- how close we were, her body nearly pressing against mine. I tried to smile as handsomely as I could, looking back at her in the eyes. “Especially when your ship gets blasted and you need someone to scoop you up.”
She leaned forward and smiled in return. “Or when some ape of a merc is trying to take you down with him.”
Next to my shoulder, our faces were nearly touching. I felt Nova’s hands gently rest against my waist. Her voice had dropped to almost a whisper.
“Well,” she said. “Too bad you’re such a loner.”
With that, she gripped my waist and pushed me up off the bunk, making me get out of her way. Silently, she walked back to her pilot’s chair, her flight suit hugging her figure the entire way.
I looked down at the wadded-up T-shirt in my hands. Something tells me that “ain’t my cup of tea” was the exact opposite of what I should have said.
The mental picture of how well Nova’s flight suit fit her was now mocking me.
Here you are, ship on autopilot, nothing but time and a couple bunks- and you could have been spending your first Hutton run getting’- I thought it over- well, probably not laid, but at least real comfy with a beautiful, blue-haired young lady. Instead, you had to blow it by opening your mouth.
I shook my head and sighed.
Way to go, Commander Smooth.
“So, that’s it?”
Nova was bringing us in, as the Hutton Orbital came into view. “That’s it.”
I frowned and shook my head. “Doesn’t look like much, does it?”
Nova secured permission to dock, and started steering the Cobra around for her landing approach. “It ain’t, but Hutton's got loads of sentimental value. A long damn time ago, it was one of the first stations to be built away from Earth, but it stopped being such a big deal as time went by. Now, it exists to brew Centauri Mega Gin and sell those damn mugs to everyone who stops by. ”
I looked out the window. “Well, relic or not, it’s the closest I’ve ever been to Earth.”
Nova hit the landing gear as she slowed to a halt above the pad. “Ever wanted to go back to the crib?”
Turning back to her, I shrugged. “Wouldn’t mind. I just don’t want to get cozy with the Feds.”
As the ship touched down and settled, Nova turned back. “Why is that? You’re an independent, right?”
I smiled slightly. Hey Gideon, I’m going to work for the Federation for awhile. Don’t worry, though- it’s so that I can visit the Sol system. No hard feelings from the Chapterhouse, right?
“Even an independent can run into conflicts of interest, darlin’. You’ll learn that.”
As the Cobra settled into the hangar bay, Nova unbuckled herself from her seat and stretched. “Well right now, I’m content to just learn what the hell is going on with Lysenko.” She turned to me. “You ready for this, Mr. Aches-and-Pains?”
I stood up as readily as my injuries allowed. Patting the pistol in its thigh holster, I nodded. “Let’s do this.”
Seeing it, Nova shook her head. “Better leave it on the ship. Those are illegal here.”
Frowning, I started to unbuckle the holster. “So much for doing this Old West-style.”
Nova chuckled and raised an eyebrow. “It’s not like the guns-blazing approach has been working for you, anyway.”
For being so damn remote, Hutton was actually a very busy place. The exact reasons for it being so didn’t make sense to anyone except pilots. Yeah, it peddled a very exclusive kind of liquor- but booze alone can’t sustain an entire station. No- Hutton orbital clung to relevance through the sentiment of the people who held her dear in their hearts. Even then, it made the hardest kind of sense as to why it stayed open.
Everything was more expensive out here- food, supplies, lodgings, and especially fuel. Hutton was the center of its own unique little ecosystem- professional haulers who came and went with careful planning for fuel, amateur sightseers who underestimated the supercruise distance and routinely ran out of the same, and a permanent contingent of Fuel Rats who routinely rescued those same sorry unfortunates.
All in all, it was an odd crowd to be rubbing shoulders with. Still, I thought. It’s a hell of a hiding spot.
“So,” Nova said as we walked down one of the busy main corridors, the tablet in her hand. “Any idea of where to find this Winston Jenner?”
I exhaled through my lips and shook my head. “None. That’s if he’s even still here. It’s been more than a week since he would have heard from his man Giles. That’s enough to make anyone on the run a little skittish.”
Nova screwed up her face and looked around. We were shoulder-to-shoulder with multitudes of people. Old, young, clean-cut, grizzled, and people in suits, flightsuits, and technician coveralls- folks of all different kinds were around us, and goddamn any of them could have been who we were looking for.
My partner gestured around us with her tablet. “Well, when’s the last time you’ve ever had to find someone from out of the blue? What did you do?”
Looking up at the ceiling, I shook my head at her question and tried not to smile. I enlisted the help of a woman with funny-colored hair, that’s what I did.
I looked over at Nova and tried to imagine her and Kyndi working together. They would either get on brilliantly, or - I shook my head again- hate each other's guts. Or some bizarre, womanly combination of the two.
“I got lucky. Very lucky.”
Nova pursed her lips and continued to eye the crowds surrounding us. “Please don’t say that that’s your plan.”
I grinned and gently steered Nova towards a little neon-lit restaurant. “C’mon, darlin’, don’t you know the unofficial motto of the Pilot’s Federation? ‘If you ain’t lucky, we cain’t use yer!’”
Eventually, we found the commons area and walked by a respectable-looking, self-order restaurant. I stopped and walked up to a table, looking at the decor. Pulling a chair back, I motioned for Nova to sit. She looked at me, a slight gleam of annoyance in her eye. “What are you doing?”
I sat down on the other side of the table. “Being a gentleman. Taking you out for dinner. Helping the job along by not working on a full stomach. Choose any of those answers you like.”
A slightly snarky look crept across Nova’s face. “Well, the gentleman and dinner parts sound pretty good- but since you’re such a loner, it can’t be either of those, right?”
I raised an eyebrow. “My highly-refined man-senses are detecting sarcasm from the lady.”
Nova just smiled. “I’d rather you used them to detect this Jenner guy.”
We both held the holo-menus in front of our faces, pretending to be engrossed in them.
Yep, I thought. Should have just agreed that a wander-and-scan trip sounded great.
Just as the silence was starting to get gratingly awkward, a presence darkened the table. Standing over us was an older man, with grey hair and intelligent, blue eyes. We three regarded each other for a moment, Nova and I trading curious glances.
The man looked at each of us for a moment, and wryly asked us a question. “You two wouldn’t happen to have a ship heading off-station, would you?”
Again, Nova and I traded a look. Though passenger ships weren’t exactly common on a place like Hutton, it wouldn’t have been incredibly difficult to book one, either. Certainly easier than walking up to strangers at a restaurant and asking if they were pilots.
Nova regained her voice before me. “We, uh- yeah, we’re pilots, but we only have a two-seater, and- you know-“ She waved a finger back and forth between me and her.
Undeterred, the man only raised his eyebrows and continued to look us over. “Well, it must be my mistake. I was certain that you two were looking for someone here on Hutton. And I’m expecting someone to fly me out of here.”
The hell is up with this guy? Nova and I traded another glance. I cleared my throat.
“Uh- listen pal, I don’t think you’ve got the right people. There’s pilots all over the place here, maybe one of them can-“
We both noticed at the same time that the man had been staring at Nova’s tablet with his eyebrows raised. Nova flipped over the display and looked up at him again, this time getting a little testy. “Look, I really don’t think we’re the ones who were supposed to get you.”
Instead of apologizing, the elderly man actually pulled up another chair and sat down at our table. He looked at Nova, a twinkle in his eye.
“No, miss- I don’t believe you were. But whoever gave you that-“ He gestured to the exposed side of the Lysenko disk inserted into the slot- “certainly went to a lot of trouble to do so, and I haven’t heard from him in over a week.”
Nova and I looked at each other in surprise, neither of us knowing what to say. Instead, the old man reached into his pocket and pulled out a mini-tablet of his own. On it, a set of large numbers was reading 0.0 meters.
“And since I had no idea who would end up making the trip out to this God-forsaken hole, my man Giles had the foresight to install a tracking beacon onto the disk he gave to whomever was supposed to retrieve the data from my ship. Saved me a lot of asking around, that one.”
Nova leaned forward, barely able to form words. “You mean- you’re-?“
The man straightened his jacket and smiled cordially. “Doctor Winston Jenner, astro-biologist and former CEO of Lysenko Corporation- at your service.”
Nova and I looked at each other, and then back to Winston. I shook my head. “Wait a second- you’re the one behind this data grab?”
The elderly gentleman in front of us smiled and slowly nodded. “I am. For the good of the company, possibly for the good of civilization- I had to make it known what Lysenko was up to.”
I narrowed my eyes. “Would this have anything to do with the mysterious ‘device’ that you and Giles were talking about?”
Slowly, Winston drew a deep breath and exhaled it carefully. “I see that you two have been going through information that doesn’t concern you.” He shook his head. “That’s the trouble with outside contractors- they have no sense of boundaries.”
Nova cut in angrily. “I’d say that any boundaries on this job got blasted away with my partner’s ship when those Lysenko Eagles ambushed us when we were meeting up with Giles! We’ve been on the run ever since.”
A concerned look crossed the old man’s face. “Giles, you say? Where is he? I haven’t heard from him since he informed me that he had found a contractor for the retrieval job.”
My partner and I looked at each other. She subtly tilted her head at Winston.
Ok, fine. I’ll be the one to break the news.
I shook my head and tried to adopt my most sympathetic expression. “Winston- Mr. Jenner- Giles was with us when we were ambushed. In his own ship.” I took a deep breath. “He, uh- he didn’t make it. I almost didn’t make it.” I threw a glance at Nova- and for the first time since we sat down, she had a look of caring in her eyes. Even her bionic one.
For his part, Winston took a few moments to digest the news. “Damn,” he said at last, looking down. “Damn. Giles had been my personal assistant for the better part of twenty years. A good man. Dependable. Loyal.”
Looking back up to us, he continued: “If Giles changed the meeting place to deep space, they must have found him out as well. He was my last inside connection within the company. The only hope I had of getting the information from my ship before they did.”
Nova slid the disk from her tablet and held it up. “You mean this?”
Winston eyed the shiny, circular disk for a moment and tiredly nodded. “That, and the data core. Did you retrieve it in time?”
I jerked my thumb back toward the hangers. “Yeah. It’s back in our ship.”
My partner leaned forward, a serious expression on her face. “And it’s all yours once we get our five mil.”
For the first time, a look of insecurity crossed Winston’s face. He slumped in his chair slightly, and suddenly looked like an old, haggard man instead of the slick, confident executive he had been playing.
“My dear, sweet child-“ he shook his head- “I’m afraid that this affair is well beyond money at this point.”
Nova and I looked at each other in disgust. I leaned forward, copying Nova’s body language. “Not for us, it ain’t!" I jerked my thumb towards Nova. “The only reason we came out here was to find out what in seven hells is even going on!”
For a moment, Winston simply regarded us with a dispassionate air, as though he was trying to decide something. Finally, he leaned back in gesture of surrender.
“When I said that the whole affair was beyond money, I was making two points simultaneously: first, that I don’t have access to even one million in credits, let alone five. All I have is a relatively small cache of common credit chips that the company couldn’t freeze when the board decided to throw me out. I’ve been living off of that, but it won’t last forever.”
He sat up, and straightened his jacket again. “Second, this really and truly is greater than monetary concerns. It’s a long, sad tale of decline, greed, and arrogance. If you’re truly all that Giles was able to send before his own passing, then you may be the only hope I have of righting a grave wrongdoing.”
Nova shook her head, clearly annoyed. “So, we were working for free this whole time? And what are you talking about? What ‘grave wrongdoing’? I’m sorry you lost your job and all, but do you have any idea what happens to those who post a false job offer? You get blacklisted by the Pilot’s Fed, and good luck getting anything done after that.”
The old man chuckled. “Oh, that wasn’t me who hired you- that was Giles, in his last official act as a Lysenko representative, secretly working on my behalf. Consider it a parting shot from a bitter old man.”
He sighed. “But I wasn’t joking about the wrongdoing. Before I tell you about that, I have to tell you about Lysenko itself. We’d best order some dinner, because there’s quite a lot that you two don’t understand…”
“Have you ever heard of Trofim Lysenko?”
Nova and I looked at each other and shook our heads. “Can’t say we have,” I answered.
Winston nodded as our food arrived. Dinner on Hutton Orbital was a far cry from a five million dallar payday (with two of that going to Nova), but it was better than nothing.
“Not many people can. Trofim Lysenko was a political hack masquerading as a scientist long ago in old-earth Russia. He took a pre-existing technique for growing grain in winter and passed it off as his own. Since there was a famine at the time, he was hailed as a national hero by the political leadership at the time and given the full backing of the state. Even legitimate scientific dissent against his unproven methods was outlawed.”
He shook his in pity, and continued. “It was all nonsense, of course. His methods were no better than existing agricultural techniques, but he had couched his hypotheses in ideological terms that pleased the ruling class. So his methods were kept in place, and he retained his position of power for decades.”
Nova took a sip of beer in between bites of a synthburger. “I’m guessing this guy’s last name is relevant somehow?”
Our host again nodded and swallowed a gulp of his steak. “Indeed it is. You see, Lysenko went down in history as an example of what happens when politics and ideology are allowed to pollute the scientific process. Nearly two generations of biological and genetic understanding were lost because of the Russian state’s adoption of that man’s scientifically ridiculous but ideologically pure methods. Over a millennia later, Lysenko Laboratories was founded in lawless, independent space. The company bore his name not in veneration- but as a constant warning to remain scientifically vigilant. It would seem that the warning's effectiveness has waned.“
The old man’s eyes shifted away from us, as though he was less telling a story and more remembering events long past. “In the early days, Lysenko was founded to research ways to get crops to grow on inhospitable planets. Lots of genetic modification involved, of course- but never with any malicious goals in mind. We were simply a group of researchers who wanted to help the poorer and more remote planets on the edge of the bubble. And for a long time, that’s exactly what we did."
"For the first few generations, Lysenko was supported by selling bulk seeds that were tailored for nearly any kind of terrain. Unlike other firms, however, we were in it for more noble reasons that making a quick credit. For example, our seeds could be planted and re-planted at will- they weren’t designed to blight after one harvest if you tried to re-plant.”
I washed my own synthburger down with some cold ale. “I appreciate the walk down memory lane, but what’s this got to do with us?”
Winston turned back to us and smiled, a hint of sadness in his eye. “Patience, young man. For a long time, life at Lysenko continued in this fashion, with independent factions from all over buying our products. In fact, we had representatives on many worlds, working with the locals to custom-design crops that would flourish on their planets. Without any hope of the Federation or Empire sponsoring a terraforming project, specialized agriculture was the next best thing that could be done to create sustainable food sources.”
Winston smiled wistfully, again shifting his gaze away form us. “It was good work we did. Necessary work. Noble work. But after enough time, my colleagues began to leave, either taking work with other firms, or retiring outright. I found myself in a position of leadership, due more to my longevity than any executive experience I possessed.”
“Of course, it was necessary to replace those who had left the company, and we did- hiring smart, quick-wittted young men from within the finest Federation universities. And the company began to thrive, as the board began to pressure myself and the other remaining researchers away from food production and more towards bio-weapons. I resisted the change, of course- my degree and life’s work was in agriculture. But the newer, younger men and women taking over the company saw more money in selling weapons than foodstuffs- and gradually, Lysenko became a weapons lab instead of the helping hand it had been for a century. Even our mission shifted away from biology and more towards experimental applied physics. In a final insult, I was forcibly removed from my research job and given the position of CEO, the last respectable public face of a once-noble organization.”
Nova’s eyes narrowed. “If you were so opposed to the move, why did you accept the new job?”
Winston scoffed. “Because I naively thought that I would have the power to reverse Lysenko’s decline and restore her original purpose! But I had no real authority- the board and the junior executives worked in tandem to thwart my every move. I was a figurehead, nothing else. My scruples were impotent against the greed and arrogance of the new generation of young men running it. In my closing months as the figurehead CEO, I stumbled upon a secret project that had been concealed from even me- a weapon so hideous, so destructive that I was shocked at even the idea behind it.”
I took another bite of my burger and signaled for another beer. “I’m guessing that we’re getting close to the part where my partner and I come in.”
Our elderly host nodded. “Lysenko had been in secret contact with the Federation, Alliance, and Empire, pitching this device, promising to wreak destruction on a scale unseen. Negotiations were still preliminary, but the prices discussed for the development of this weapon reached into the trillions of credits. Development wasn't complete, but a prototype had been comstructed and a demonstration was scheduled, with representatives from all three major powers expected to be present.”
A disturbed look crossed Winston’s eye. “By that time, the noose was closing and my days as the figurehead CEO were numbered. I resolved to take action, and gathered the small handful of people I could trust. We were able to destroy all the research associated with the weapon and abscond with the prototype, loaded on board my personal Anaconda. The plans for the weapon itself were loaded onto the ship’s data core, along with hiding the complete corporate records in its logs.”
Nova leaned forward, her jaw dropping- “And this weapon- that’s what we were salvaging?”
Winston nodded. “Indeed, though it was only of tertiary importance. The real goal was the data core and corporate records.” He gestured towards Nova’s tablet. “Unfortunately, my ship was sabotaged, and all aboard perished- as I'm sure you discovered. After hearing about their fate, I booked the first transport I could find to the last place anyone would look for me.”
He looked around, smiled ironically, and continued. ”And since most of of my supporters died aboard the ship, it fell to Giles to commission a few independents to conduct the salvage operation. The ink on your contract with him wasn't even dry before he fled the company in a T-9 he had bought with some company funds I was able to wire him. After that, the board discovered my meddling, and dispatched a team of mercenaries to find him, myself, and my ship. I had gone from CEO to fugitive in a matter of days.”
Smiling sadly at Nova, he gestured around him. “So, no. I’m afraid that there was no golden parachute to be had for this former CEO. Just whatever he could pack and a dwindling pile of credit chips.”
For a moment, we three just sat and regarded each other in silence. Not knowing what else to say, I leaned forward and scrutinized the man. “So, what exactly is this weapon we were scavving?”
A look of disappointment crossed Winston’s face. ‘I wish I knew. I was only able to discover that there was something in the works, but not exactly what. That’s why the data core was so crucial. Whatever this device is, steps were taken to keep it from me.”
I narrowed my eyes and finished my beer. “And if we just hand the stuff over to you- what then?”
The old man shrugged and dabbed his mouth with his napkin. “Then I leave, find a new sanctuary, and do my best to warn the powers involved about the danger. I still have a few contacts with various governments that might come in handy.”
He learned forward, smiling slightly. “Of course, I had hoped that you two might be of further assistance. I’m working alone on this, and a ship and some muscle might come in handy. It’s a rare research lab willing to employ murderers, you know. And you have to assume that they’re following you.”
Nova snorted and shook her head. “We don’t need to assume.” She jerked her thumb towards me. “Matt here took a bullet and lost a ship. Mine is floating around in deep space with its engines shredded. Why the hell would we stick around and help you? This job’s been a goddamn disaster.”
Winston smiled a little wider, a sympathetic look on his face. “Imagine how this has been for me. I’m over a hundred years old, and I’ve watched my life’s work and purpose burned to the ground by greed and corruption. Now I’m on the run, hunted, and not entirely certain what my next move will be. Quite a way to be spending what I had hoped to be my twilight years.”
I frowned and held out my hands. “Well, I’m sorry that things didn’t work out for you. If you want the stuff, it’s yours. We’ve got to move on. You understand, right?”
The man nodded and stood up, using a credit chip to pay for dinner. “Of course. But I don’t want the intel, not yet. I’ve got some things to square away before leaving. If you really want to turn your back on what’s happening, we’ll meet at my hotel room tomorrow morning, transfer the merchandise, and part ways forever. Deal?”
Nova and I looked at each other and shrugged. Finally, I sighed and nodded. “Dock fees on Hutton are ridiculous, but if you want to sleep on it, I guess we can do that.”
Winston nodded and shook both our hands. “Good”, he said. “Good.” He wrote a room number on a slip of paper and gave it to me. “I’ll see you then.”
“So- what do you think?”
Nova and I were sat in the pilot’s cabin of the Cobra, still processing the dinner conversation. Exhausted from the day of flying, we had taken turns showering and winding down for the night. Like before, she was changing my bandages, sitting behind me on the bunk. Unlike before, we had both remained silent while she was doing so. While I couldn’t speak for Nova, I wasn’t any closer to deciding what to do. I shook my head while downing some pain medicine.
“I ain’t for sure yet. The job was a fake from the goddamn start, I’m out a ship, I’ve taken a bullet, and I’m in the red on cash flow. Normally, I’d have ditched long ago, but-“
Nova frowned, smoothing the tape to seal the bandages. “-but it might not be the right thing to do if the old man was telling the truth?”
I looked down and nodded. “Yeah. Something like that. If there’s anything to this ‘mysterious superweapon’ horseshit, a lot of lives might be at risk.”
For a moment, Nova was silent. “I know.”
I turned back to her. “So, what's it gonna be? Call it a day, or see this thing through?”
She looked up at me and smiled. Handing me my shirt, she looked at my battered, freshly patched-up body. “I’d say we’ve got too much skin in the game to turn back now.”
Grimacing from the pain as she helped me get my shirt down, I winced and nodded. “Tell me about it.”
From behind me, Nova tenderly gripped my shoulder. I took her hand and gently squeezed it.
"So, help out the old man and get to the bottom of this?"
I felt Nova squeeze back. "You got it."
Memories of the time I spent looking for Katie flashed before me. “I’ve gotta warn you, though. There ain’t much money in do-goodin’.”
From behind me, I felt Nova gently lean forward and kiss me on the cheek. “Found that one out the hard way,” she agreed. “But it’s not always about the credits, right?”
I looked back over my shoulder, my face inches from hers. Images of Katie and her parents in a long, reuniting embrace in New Township Square made me smile in remembrance. “I reckon it ain’t, darlin’.”
By unspoken agreement, we laid down next to each other to sleep, and pulled the blanket over us. I put my arms around Nova, and felt her nestle against me for the first time. Brushing the hair back from her face, I considered her question further.
“Yeah.” I kissed her on the forehead, causing a sleepy smile to spread across her face. “I reckon it ain’t.”
As I watched Nova’s body begin to rise and fall in sleep, I reflected on our decision to help.
Can’t give up now, I thought. There’s way too much at stake.
“You can’t give up now, Matt.” Tayesha stood over me, shaking her head as I buried my head in my hands. “There’s too much at stake!”
I looked up at my classmate. “It ain’t about giving up. It’s about this goddamn math being so far above my head I have to take a shuttle just to look at it!”
My classmate sat down next to me. She put a dark-skinned hand on my shoulder. “I know that you hate this part of academy, but you’re making progress. Really you are.”
Seeing my skeptical glance, she continued. “Look- you’re doing great on the instructor flights. The way you set down that Sidewinder for your first solo landing- I swore you were cheating and using the landing computer. But you weren’t.” She laughed sympathetically. “I still can’t land a ship without bruising my rear end and causing little shield flashes to spark. You’re a natural at this- you just have to pass the exams!”
I sighed and looked over at her. “Easy for you to say. You’re a goddamn math whiz. You read those equations like they were children’s books.”
She smiled and gave me a supporting hug, helping me to my feet. “And you already fly a ship like you’ve been doing it for years. We just have to help each other.”
Groaning, I pointed to the math book. “You’re right. Doesn’t mean I like it. But I guess I have to do it, don’t I?”
Tayesha smiled and handed it to me. “And I have to learn to land without damaging anything. It’s time to hit the books for us both…”
I woke up, feeling Nova’s hand on my shoulder. “Wake up, partner! It’s time to hit the books.”
Blinking a few times, I momentarily overlayed Nova’s and Tayesha’s faces.
Tayesha Khafi. Goddamn lifesaver of a tutor.
Shaking my head, I sat up, the memory of my old classmate still strong. I haven’t thought of her in years. These leftover stasis drugs really do take you down memory lane, don't they?
I looked up, watching Nova pour a cup of coffee. “What do you mean ‘hit the books’?”
She looked back and gestured outside the ship. “I mean find out what the hell is going on with this Lysenko deal. And Winston Jenner. And this ‘device’, whatever it is.”
I grinned. “You just want to do more snooping through more corporate secrets.”
Nova smiled back as she sipped her coffee. “And possibly avert a catastrophe. And save lives. And be a big damn hero.”
She giggled and helped me to my feet. “But yes. Rooting through other people’s secrets is part of it.”
I stretched, causing dull waves of pain throughout my body. “Then let’s not keep him waiting.”
The rest of the morning went pretty smooth. We met inside Winston’s Spartan hotel room, agreed to travel to a system with the kind of tech needed to read the data core, and make plans from there. We further agreed that it would be better if we traveled separately to confuse anyone who might still be after us. He would take a commercial transport, and we would follow in our Cobra.
Hell, I thought. Finally something about this job that went smooth.
Nova must have been feeling the same way, because she had an unusually satisfied look in her eye as we strode back to the hangars together. “Well, I guess there’s only one thing left to do.”
My face contorted itself into a scowl. “I hear you. Let’s track down the bastards behind all this and make ‘em pay.”
Nova looked up, one eyebrow raised. “Well- no, actually.” She jerked her head to the side and grinned. “Gift shop’s that way. I don't know about you, but I'm picking up a Hutton mug! ”
