Shadowed Passage, page 12
Chapter 22
DualE's jumpspace traverse wasn't pleasant. Her past misdeeds overprinted present and future sins. The Confluence force arriving at Slate's Progress as Penance readied to jump seemed real, not a pre-cryo hallucination. It repeated over and over in deepsleep, along with her betraying the brothers in service to a second master, the Confluence Navy. More distress overlaid those nightmares. Zofie betraying Carver. Rowland betraying her. Rowland betraying the peace accord.
Her chest warmed from the inside out as lung fluid was displaced by oxygen. Pins and needles attacked her extremities. Cryo dreams crept back into the blackness of her subconscious.
She was first to revive, body before soul. She checked arrival coordinates and de-barnacled Penance when satisfied their transport had fulfilled its charter. She scanned the commlinks, relying on her naval-based algorithm to reveal military messages. It was quiet. At least the fleet hadn't jumped immediately from Slate's. They would come; she knew Rowland's tactics. He would use the attack on Argosy to disguise his own agenda to secure what he thought the Confluence deserved.
She activated the remaining coffins' revival routines. She wasn't here to protect Argosy Realm and the Eddy. She was here to protect Pious and his brothers. And to find Carver.
DualE hunted through the shipyard's registry for record of the Whisper. Her naval routines couldn't decrypt the location but the Whisper was in dock. She scanned visual recognition bases but nothing certain pinged. She changed her comm scans to a longband modulation only one person would use. Tagged. "Thank you, Carver." An automatic signal but she could triangulate its source as she approached the 'yard.
Coughs and splutters signaled more activity within Penance. The brothers woke. She heard them rustle while cleaning up then Pious spoke. "I will take my brothers' confessions from deepsleep, DualE. You are welcome to participate."
She turned away from the controls for a moment. "I'll be okay, thanks, Brother Pious. My nightmares were more external this jump. I want to dock us on the lee side of the shipyards." Any incoming hostiles would arrive jumpside. Every second of warning and cover opposite could make a difference in survival or escape. She'd contact Carver once they were locked on.
"As you wish," said Pious. "You are a full partner here."
She studied him for a moment, his frailties enhanced by cryo. He'd aged on this voyage. She returned to her navigation task and tuned out Cardinal and Remorse's voices as they cleansed themselves before Pious.
"Permission to dock on gantry twelve," she hailed. "We need basic service only and wish to observe the Eddy unobstructed by the bulk of the station. Our funds are limited and the remote gantry's fees are acceptable to our mission."
The automated harbor-master responded after a minute. "Granted, Penance. State your business."
"Our business is non-commercial. We're on a religious commission to offer a message of faith to the Eddy."
There was no emotion in the mechanical reply. "Non-commercial business is subject to duty. A tithe on your fund-raising efforts with minimum to be determined based on length of occupancy. Proceed to gantry twelve."
Damn. It had mentioned their identity. If Zofie was watching for them, she knew.
DualE didn't wait for docking to locate her target. Using Carver's signal, she found the Whisper and flagged its location. Carver may or may not still be with it. Zofie's ship was a long hike from gantry twelve but DualE wouldn't change her first priority. Protect the Penance and its crew.
Thirty minutes later, she docked. Umbilicals from the gantry responded to her invitation to connect. They would have air, heat and water for their fee.
She cracked the inner lock and adjusted the air circulators for four. She was about to EVA to check her anchors when the comm pinged.
"Welcome, Penance." A man's voice, not the automaton. It was familiar but she couldn't place it. She turned to Pious. "Recognize the speaker?"
He shook his head.
"This is Penance. Are you the welcome wagon?"
"I can be. You're a long way from the normal docking gantries for ships your size. I will be at your door in an hour. Please be present."
"Identify."
The screen flickered and DualE got a visual. "Don't you recognize me?"
"Gar Kondradt."
"One hour, DualE."
"I'll put the kettle on." DualE's job to ensure the brothers' security had begun in earnest.
"Do what you need, brothers," she said. "I have preparations to make for our visitor. Especially if he's not alone. Then, I need to find Carver."
Pious remembered Kondradt from Argosy Station. At least by reputation. DualE returned from her external inspection.
"You don't have to prepare on your own, DualE," he said. "The brothers and I are schooled in self-preservation. You must consider us another resource."
"I will. Arm yourselves. I doubt he'll be aggressive on this visit. He's looking for information. But that doesn't mean he won't return or won't send a physical message at some point."
"Rumors on Argosy Station pegged Kondradt as a financial threat." Pious tried to recall anything else he'd heard while he and the brothers searched for the elusive Carver Denz and his mining fortune months before. Kondradt might not have even been aware of them. He would be aware of Denz. The high profile from his lode discovery was known throughout the Realm. How well did Kondradt know DualE? Was she the reason for his visit?
"Do you think he can help us find Denz?" Cardinal asked.
"Good question," she answered. "I prefer to find Denz on my own. I won't ask Kondradt to lead me to him." She looked to Pious and then the other two. "I'd rather you not mention Carver in Kondradt's presence. Not yet."
"But the sooner we locate Denz," said Remorse, "the sooner we can be on our way to the outer settlements."
"True," said Pious. "Our mission is paramount but a small delay won't hurt. We have a message to deliver to this facility. As for Mr. Kondradt, DualE is right, we must rely on her expertise when it comes to dealing with men like him." DualE believed she could find Denz. Had she already found him? If so, why not share? Then again, he hadn't chosen to share completely with her. "We will listen to Mr. Kondradt and evaluate our next steps from there. In the meantime, Brother Remorse, you will announce our presence and locate a suitable location for my address."
"Make it as soon as you can," said DualE. "And have more than one possibility. I'll accompany you to scout the locations after Kondradt leaves." She spoke to Pious. "Before scouting venues, Remorse and I will track down Zofie and our MIA." She leaned over Remorse's shoulder. "Confirm the Whisper's location and how we get there."
"I will accompany you, DualE. I need to get a sense of this place." He retrieved his last sermon from Slate's. He pulled DualE away from the console. "You know these outposts as well as I do. Any hints you'd suggest when it comes to my first message?"
"This 'yard was an embryo the only time I was here. That'd be six years ago. But one 'yard's pretty much the same as another. Different from Gamma Hub though."
"I assume this reflects the frontier attitude of the Eddy in general. An independent mindset. Resource-based economics and living strike-to-strike."
"You got it. They are used to protecting themselves, not relying on authority for support and not asking them to interfere." She read his notes upside down. "What's your message?"
"Self-reliance is a virtue but don't shut out your fellows who may need your aid or support. They did mount an armada, ready to engage the Confluence, a much larger and better-equipped foe. There is some degree of cooperation latent within these pioneers. I'll catalyze it if I can. A spiritual alliance doesn't mean the end of independence."
DualE called to Remorse. "Find anything?"
"Yes. Three potential sites. Two public areas and a bar. And Whisper's location is confirmed, though a barnacle is scheduled in three shifts. Its jumpfreighter is waiting for a barge from an Eddy pocket to arrive and then she'll be away."
"Break your station link. Kondradt may have a scanner."
Their protector anticipated. Pious asked, "Won't it look suspicious to be inactive? After all, we just ascended from jumpspace."
"Brother Cardinal, start plotting outbound courses for Penance." She glanced at Pious. "If you agree?"
"Certainly. I want to cover as much space as we can in a timely fashion."
They settled into their respective tasks and thoughts.
Remorse broke the silence. "Brother Pious, we have company."
DualE faced the 'lock. "Kondradt."
DualE's tone implied strong emotion. Hate? Fear? Mistrust? All the emotions Pious fought hard to cleanse from himself when he got the cancer diagnosis in Gamma Hub. None were helpful in moving forward and completing his missions. Could he rely on her? They needed Denz to balance her instinctive fight reaction.
"Show him in, Ms. DualE."
Carver saw the incoming jumpfreighter dislodge three barnacles. He couldn't get into the shipyard's log to identify Penance or the Crossed Swords but if it was among the new arrivals, he hoped Cardinal or DualE would recognize his signal.
He could ask Kondradt or wait for Zofie's hacking expertise but he didn't relish being indebted to either. A manual search-and-locate crossed his mind. Carver weighed the risk of being seen versus finding the brothers and decided to wait a shift or two. Zofie wasn't due to leave for at least three more shifts. He'd use the Willie Renfrew identity to book lodging. He ran a hand over his itchy stubble. Another few shifts and the beard would make an effective disguise. Patience was hard to swallow. He needed to act. He needed to fulfill his commitment to Pious. He had to get away from Zofie and commerce.
A message from the incoming cargo ship hauling Zofie's camouflage machinery pulled him out of his frustration. He guided them to the pre-arranged location the Reds were using as their storage. "This is Whisper. I'm Zofie Ked's authorized agent. Payment will be transferred upon satisfactory inspection."
"Inspection? Don't make me laugh," answered the shipper. "This is salvage. If it passed inspection, it would still be in use."
"Nevertheless. It requires confirmation that it is what you claim and not mining slag."
"Then get someone out here in a hurry. We've got our own schedule to maintain and you paid extra for quick delivery."
"I appreciate it." Carver switched contacts. "Reds, this is Whisper. Can you verify the incoming shipment's contents? Zofie's tied up somewhere in the 'yard. The shippers won't release the cargo to us until we pay and I won't pay until the cargo is confirmed."
It took a moment but he got an answer. "We're on our way, tell the shipper to dock and we'll let you know when funds can be released."
"Thanks." Before he put out a general call for Zofie, he'd try a direct contact with Penance. "Hailing barnacle Penance. Come in. Penance come in."
A 'fail' light flashed on the screen. Interdict word Penance disallowed.
Zofie'd anticipated his attempt and programmed Whisper to block him.
"Hailing Cardinal."
Interdict word Cardinal disallowed.
Damn.
Zofie entered the Whisper. "Having trouble?" She dropped her pack on the deck and scrolled back through his attempts on screen.
Carver didn't hide his work. "Yeah, I think Penance docked with a few other new barnacles and I'd like to reunite. Your camouflage shipment for the Reds is here and they are inspecting it now. I suggest you get out there if you want personal confirmation before you make payment."
"I'll talk to Penance. Once I've looked at the machinery we're using to disguise the artifacts."
"Zofie, if I were you, I'd have a look at those so-called artifacts as well."
"You don't trust the Reds?"
"It isn't me who needs to trust them, it's you. Why should you trust them? Marshall turned out to be a front, why not these guys?"
"Because these guys are dealing on a whole different risk level. They've trusted me."
Their first mistake, Carver thought. "I'm saying there's more than one Gar Kondradt in the Eddy."
Zofie chewed her lip and nodded. "You make sense, Carver. Are you sure you don't want to chuck the brothers and partner with me officially?"
"No."
"Just the same, come with me. If Penance is here, I'll get you to her after we do the inspection."
"I shouldn't be seen."
"We'll scooter. I've got one parked outside. We can avoid the inside of the station."
He looked around the Whisper. "Can't say I'll miss this one." He donned a visor with drop-down anti-glare specs. "Recognize me?"
"You'll return those when we find the Penance."
Chapter 23
DualE put her arm across the inner 'lock at Kondradt's neck level. "Indulge me, sir. My job is to protect the brothers."
Kondradt raised his hands and spread his feet, a smirk on his lips. "If I wanted you dead or injured, you'd already be casualties."
She frisked him and lowered her arm. "And you'd be collateral damage. Come in." She poked her head outside and scanned the nearby area. One person, a woman DualE thought, stood a hundred meters away. Beside her was a two-person scooter. One of those would help DualE cover more of the shipyard looking for Carver. She shut the outer door and joined the rest.
"Why are you here, Kondradt?" DualE observed his body language more than his lips. The man didn't betray any inner emotion or discontinuity. He was good. Better than a politician. "I'm genuinely puzzled."
"How so?"
Answered with a question. She'd play up to a point and then go beserker whether Pious approved or not.
"We're not a source of income," said Pious, "we're a recipient."
Good pick up, she thought. Pious was a strategist at least Kondradt's equal.
Kondradt alternated his attention from DualE to Pious and back, finally settling on Brother Cardinal. "Income? No, you're right. There are more valuable things than credits. Information for one. I'm not a dealer in information but merely the middleman. An agent, if you will. You've just arrived from Slate's Progress and before that, the Confluence. My own time in Bohr was cut short when Chancellor Mekli requested my early return to the Realm. We need to prepare for the detailed work to come in enacting terms of the accord. I've interviewed the other barnacles and the captain of your transport. You're the last, so don't overreact and believe you're unique."
"What can we tell you?" asked Pious. "I'm not sure anything we'd notice would be relevant to your questions."
DualE continued to monitor Kondradt for any give-away tells.
Kondradt stretched his legs out before him, brushing an invisible mote from his knee.
He was about to lie, DualE concluded. She studied his hands. Thumb and forefinger of his left hand rubbed. She had him. Maybe. She glanced to Brother Remorse. He too watched Kondradt's hands. Confirmation? They'd debrief once Kondradt left.
"I piece together all the information I can gather," said Kondradt. "A small item you provide could support or bely a critical assumption. You're a judge of people, Brother Pious. An expert one. What were your impressions of the overall mood aboard Slate's? Are the people satisfied with the Confluence accord outcome? Do they regret a peaceful, perhaps disadvantageous, solution? I spent the last number of years aboard Argosy Station, an unofficial steward."
A borderline criminal boss, according to DualE's naval briefing before she traveled there the first time.
"The mood in Slate's was one of uncertainty," Pious answered. "We were there months ago and were warmly received. This time, the reaction to my message was less enthusiastic. I left one of my brothers behind to try and restore a larger following."
Interesting, DualE thought. She hadn't noticed disappointment in Pious after his sermon.
"Why do you suppose your message didn't get the expected reactions?"
"I think the second last time we were there, the occupants' immediate future was in question. Would they face battle? A war they might not have chosen to fight? Slate's was a privateer. Now it's part of the Realm proper, I gather from speaking with Slate. He's no longer the sole administrator but one of a group."
"The future is more defined with the accord," said Kondradt. "Your counsel may not be needed. Not right now. I wouldn't despair, these things swing back before you know it."
Too right there. DualE guessed the uncertainly returned to Slate's in spades with the arrival of Rowland and his fleet. She wouldn't volunteer that information to Kondradt. Not yet.
"Your impressions tally with what I've put together from the other two barnacles." Kondradt stood, smoothing the wrinkles from his flimsuit legs. "One other thing. The barnacles claim a number of ships arrived at Slate's immediately prior to your jump. What did you see?" He made eye contact with Cardinal. "You're the astrogator, right?"
"Yes. There was a ship. More than one I couldn't verify."
"Freighter?"
Don't tell him, don't tell him, don't tell him, DualE tried to telepathically influence Cardinal.
"No. A frigate, maybe the Rickover. It transported us to Argosy." Cardinal looked at Pious. "What do you think it meant?"
Kondradt didn't seem surprised. "They'll be here soon enough and we can ask them."
Kondradt already knew. He wanted honesty from the brothers. Maybe it was a good thing Cardinal did spill. DualE asked, "If we think of anything else, how do we contact you?" She might trust him after all to locate Zofie.
"The frequency I used to hail you. Don't be too specific, just say you'd like to meet and we'll arrange it. I thank you for your time and cooperation. Good luck with your mission, Brother Pious. If you're going beyond this shipyard, let me know. I can direct you to some of the more lucrative operations."
He gave DualE a nod. "Don't let your guard down. This 'yard can be dangerous."
A warning or a threat? "Don't worry," she said, "I never do."
Kondradt left and DualE closed the 'lock. She put a finger to her lips and moved silently about the cabin. She examined every spot Kondradt had been near or touched. No bugs.
