Page 150 of Pets in Space 10
Adele moved to the next container before replying to Lynx’s mockery.
“You know as well as I do that Revel never admits error. Not even to herself. The maintenance contracts allowed her to feel magnanimous rather than meager when she inevitably advanced that inept warrior to the principal role that I had earned.”
Varret shook his head. “It has been five years. Still so bitter?”
“Not bitter, so much as annoyed that it took me seven years to realize something I should have recognized in three.” Done with the final container, Adele closed her CAD. “All is well. And discussing Revel puts me in ill humor.”
Lynx closed his CAD. “Well, you will have your revenge. It will be SkyHigh, not Zero-Grav, that installs and maintains the Zero-Grav dropped on Bright Star Prime.”
Six months ago, Bright Star’s stellar exploration vehicle, the Nightingale, had barely begun exploration of the Thirteenth System’s two habitable planets when the despoiler fleet attacked.
An ancient and vicious cult, the despoilers had sought to claim the Thirteenth System as the first step in galactic domination.
The armada amassed by Serengeti’s preeminence, Lucius Merico, arrived and defeated the despoilers, but it was a vicious battle where half the armada was lost. In the aftermath, the armada discovered a Zero-Grav platform on a despoiler freighter and deposited it on Bright Star Prime.
Along with the installation of the Vortex on Deuce, SkyHigh was tasked with making the Zero-Grav operational.
For the next few seasons—years, if Adele succeeded in her design—SkyHigh would be the only launch platform provider serving the Thirteenth System. She could not contain a satisfied chuckle. “It is useful that I designed several of the key components in that Zero-Grav model.”
Miguel’s grunt had her turning to the section with the equipment and a sight that turned her chuckles to laughter.
The engineer was hanging from a restraint with his knees curled behind him so that his full weight was on the brace.
His tunic rode up, revealing taut olive skin over defined muscles.
But what brought forth laughter was that he was swinging like a six-year-old from playground equipment.
Catching her gaze, he grinned and used the brace for a chin-up.
Shaking her head, she called, “Robyn, any movement in the brace?”
“None. Tight as a prelate’s lips.”
“Not reassuring. Shrine gossip fuels half the media.”
“Fine. Tight as Miguel’s buttocks.”
“Flirt on your own time.” Reassured, Adele turned back to Lynx. “Any issues with your containers?”
“None.” He nodded toward Miguel and Robyn. “Can we get them their own barracks?”
The engineer and the mechanic flirted shamelessly, but that was the extent of their involvement. Stowing her device, Adele shook her head. “The militia have two and they sealed the fourth to save on environmentals.”
“Two?”
“Perk of this voyage. No one is compelled to take a top bunk.”
Lynx shouldered his gear bag. “Clever. Thirteenth System and better accommodation than standard duty. They wanted the best available for this voyage.”
In the other cargo hold, the spear carried a wide range of supplies for the nascent colony at the base of the vistrite seam. By the time the Vortex was operational, there would be a small militia base at the camp.
“Serengeti will protect the vistrite at all costs.” As the last of Adele’s tension ebbed, she ran her fingers over the nearest container. “It serves me well, for I will give my all to see this platform safe and functioning at the base of the new crevasse.”
Catching up to them, Miguel said, “It is not only the vistrite. There is vast wealth on both planets, and the launch platforms provide the gateway.”
The contract for the Vortex allowed for the addition of three more on Bright Star Deuce.
When integrated, the four could support a militia starburst, a luxury passenger transport, or a mid-sized freighter.
Colonists, supplies, militia—everything the Bright Star Consortium needed to exploit the first new system discovered in over two centuries—would flow through her Vortex.
Adele nodded. “We cannot deviate from the schedule by so much as a day. Bright Star is accepting bids for land leases and mineral rights in the new year. If they do not have functioning launch platforms, it all comes to naught.”
Adele was an engineer and technologist by inclination and training, but a successful commerce enterprise required a solid understanding of financials.
The construction costs of the Nightingale would have been staggering.
Add in the ancillary costs for everything from infrastructure to the governing council’s fees, and the Bright Star venture required massive resources.
The third partner in Bright Star, the Matahorn Alliance, controlled over half the financial institutions in the Thirteen Systems, but even their resources were not endless.
Bright Star needed the funds the licensing agreements would bring.
They exited the bay to the sound of warning chimes.
They had half a period to secure themselves for the launch.
In the small observation salon, officers had claimed the seats with the best view, but they had left a comfortable grouping for the SkyHigh group.
As excited as she was by the voyage, Adele felt a familiar sense of loss as Fortuna shrank to a purple marble and disappeared.
Miguel grinned. “Can you believe it? We are following the path of the Nightingale.”
Robyn returned his grin. “I am more excited about following the crew. Captain Raleigh is all a woman could desire.”
The Nightingale crew spent months training on Fortuna while the Nightingale was under construction. Featured in endless media streams, the heroic crew and officers had captured the imagination of the galaxy.
Miguel clutched his heart in mock distress. “You wound me, woman.”
A smile in his eyes, Lynx leaned toward Adele. “And then there is Commander Lochan.”
Her friend knew she was fascinated by Lochan Rondel of Matahorn, the Nightingale’s security chief.
She could not help tracing the small black contraceptive mark at the base of her thumb.
Not that she was about to discuss her carnal fantasies.
Instead, she turned the conversation back to what they would find in the Thirteenth System.
Nightingale: Sevenday 39, Day 2
Lochan hastened into Captain Raleigh’s conference chamber.
As the Nightingale’s security chief, Lochan was responsible for the safety and security of the vessel and its crew, including the scientists and geologists surveying the two planets.
In two sevendays, he would become responsible for the SkyHigh team and their platform.
After twenty years serving in Matahorn’s militia and security-privilege departments, he had leapt at the chance to join the Nightingale.
A warrior by genetics, his grandsire’s signet had passed to a different branch of the family and was held by a second cousin.
Lochan’s branch was well respected, but their wealth had diminished.
As a member of the command crew, his compensation would provide the wealth needed for a signet, and his service, the honor proof . . . if they succeeded.
The despoiler invasion had interrupted the survey of the two habitable planets and then cost another two months as they transited to and from Fortuna for repairs.
When they finally returned to the Thirteenth System, they were beset by sabotage, including murder and an incident that resulted in First Officer Bran Hyssop and the lead zoologist crash landing on Deuce.
They had two months to finish the three months’ worth of surveys needed for the coming bidding process.
With a grunt, Raleigh set aside his slate.
Dark-skinned with close-cropped black hair and black eyes above prominent cheekbones, he topped Lochan by two inches and had a breadth of shoulder to match.
Gesturing Lochan into a chair, he asked, “What think you of the plan to use two of Nightingale’s flyers to transport the platform components to Deuce? ”
The flyers were essential to the surveys.
Giving them over to transport duty would not help them regain the days lost to sabotage.
“Bran resisted but was overruled by Serengeti. Naught holds more importance than the vistrite. We could ask to borrow flyers from the Second System spear on patrol, but that will give them landing permissions.”
Since the battle, the Bright Star partners and the larger system governors have provided a series of militia transports to patrol the Thirteenth System’s boundaries.
Raleigh shook his head. “Once we allow one governor’s militia on Deuce or Prime, all the others will demand the same privilege.”
Until the bidding for rights in the Thirteenth System completed in the new year, they could not risk the slightest information leaking. Even a small soil sample could give a commerce enterprise an advantage in the bidding. “I thought that would be your opinion. Approval to proceed as planned?”
“We have two sevendays before the spear reaches us. See if you can find a way to reduce the use of our flyers.” Raliegh’s deep bass voice held a hint of challenge. “Now, tell me why you want to take the SkyHigh engineer to Prime?”
“It is in my report.”
Raleigh raised a finger. “You can pilot one of the spear flyers, returning our survey pilots to duty.” He raised another finger.
“The site has been untended for months, and there is no way of knowing what may have occurred.” A third finger came up.
“After the recent sabotage, we should have someone absolutely reliable guarding both the engineer and the Zero-Grav.”
He closed his fist and leaned back. “Admit the true reason.”
Lochan should have known Raleigh would see through his carefully crafted arguments. “I have not spent a night off this ship in months. It is only overnight. And all my other points are valid.”
Raleigh inclined his head. “For truth, I would like better information than what is provided by a low-altitude flyover of the platform site. But add a second flyer from the Serengeti spear with a militia guard. I am not comfortable with a solo mission to Prime while the Nightingale remains in orbit around Deuce.”
“I remain of the opinion the saboteurs were corrupted after joining the crew.” Lochan looked out the window at the aqua planet below.
“Which allows the possibility of other corruption. Another reason I would be the one to visit Prime. I have no idea how difficult it is or is not to sabotage a launch platform, but I know that neither I nor the SkyHigh representative are likely to do so.”