Shadowed Passage, page 5
If Zofie worked alone, intending to exploit his talent or luck to benefit her enterprises, then his disappearance warranted concern only with DualE and the brothers. They'd still check outgoing manifests and unless Zofie had arranged for undocumented barnacle passage, they would follow.
Carver tried the outside cameras to locate the Whisper more precisely. They too were locked off. He finished eating and searched the cabin. Nothing useful for a weapon besides blunt instruments and Zofie so far hadn't threatened or acted physically against him, aside from the knockout drug. He needed a plan but questions had to be answered first.
He reclined in the pilot's chair and evaluated. First of all, if anyone in the Eddy knew he was here, was he Carver Denz or Willie Renfrew?
The Renfrew identity shouldn't raise any flags out here. Renfrew'd been a minimal asset persona he'd used on Argosy Station to mask his transport back to Bohr months ago.
The Denz identity could present a problem. His notoriety throughout the Eddy came from a large strike he'd made while working undercover for Admiral Rowland. Carver's guise as a prospector took an unexpected turn when he'd located a Schoenfeldium bonanza. The key mineral used in jumpspace technology was oversupplied for a brief time while every vested party claimed an agreement-specified portion. The share the Realm received hadn't satisfied them. Certain quarters could still harbor a vendetta. Protective custody aboard Argosy Station might have been genuine. If so, Zofie'd brought him from the fire into the crucible.
His thoughts returned to Zofie's motivation. If she wanted him punished, she could have left him in Argosy's brig. Unless the resentment against him had escalated to charges from the Realm. Maybe her new career included bounty hunting. If she'd returned him to the Eddy to collect a reward, the peace accord with the Confluence wouldn't protect him.
Carver checked the Whisper's systems. If he couldn't escape from the ship, could he escape the shipyard in the ship?
It was no use; he had no way to see where he was going. External cameras and proximity sensors were all deactivated. The single port was his only viewpoint and that wasn't enough for navigation.
If she returned with company, maybe he could grab her and use her as hostage to get away. There was nowhere to hide except in his cryo coffin and it wasn't an ideal ambush launch point. He scanned the floor, walls and ceiling. Over the door, his muscles might hold him for a minute in the shipyard's minimal induced gravity. Anyone entering wouldn't look up as their first reaction. He climbed up the wall and braced himself between beams. His stomach muscles rebelled and he strained to keep position in the practice run to a target count of twenty.
Carver dropped down to the deck and massaged his gut. It might work if he could push off hard for added momentum. He kept his ear to the lock and speculated on steps to take once he was free. Allies in the 'yard? Unlikely. His best course would be to reverse the jailer-prisoner roles with Zofie and wait for DualE. He heard the outer lock open and clambered to the ambush position.
The Eddy 'yards were relatively deserted. Zofie expected more traffic. It hadn't been that many weeks since the order to break up the Realm's armada had come from the Confluence negotiations. Unless the rumors of that armada were exaggerated. Chancellor Mekli's threat a bluff? She doubted it. Mekli didn't strike her as the type to take that kind of risk. No, the ships had dispersed. Or relocated elsewhere until the peace was guaranteed.
Zofie shuttled to the admin center to clear her paperwork and to evaluate what opportunities were present.
She dug out her registration and charter documents for the initial scrutiny.
"Can I speak to the harbor master? I have intel from Argosy Station. I know he'll be interested."
The clerk appraised her, trying to make up his mind if she was genuine or just wanted special treatment. "What could you know that the captain and crew of the Ranger didn't. they were through here an hour ago with a similar story. 'Big information'."
"Because I'd been to the Confluence before my last three weeks aboard the station, chasing down every rumor and confirming every fact. Because I didn't spend my leave from the Ranger getting and staying drunk."
"Leave your contact info, I'll pass it on when he emerges. At the moment, even I can't talk to him."
It didn't seem like a brush off but Zofie couldn't be certain. She keyed in her comm code. "Don't wait too long. If your office isn't interested, they'll be commercial traders who will be." She hoped.
The clerk didn't seem impressed by the threat. "We're a free economy. Do what you must. We'll find out once you pass on anything out here."
She leaned close. "There's always an advantage in being first."
She checked her watch. Carver should be awake by now. One more stop, then she'd return to the Whisper and begin her explanations and apologies. Assuming Carver hesitated long enough for her to speak before he did something stupid.
Most of the shipyard passageways were vacuum. This wasn't a place the Realm wanted prospectors or anyone else to linger. Except for one atrium and a trading floor with a bonus. A tavern. The lone drinking, inhaling or otherwise mentally impairing establishment in the station and she expected under surveillance. Hence the encouragement to leave the station or congregate there. She stepped through the lock into Eddie's Dive.
Noise, smells and sights of two dozen spacers even at this time in the second shift assaulted her and it took a moment of scanning the room to acclimate. This wasn't her alternate source of trade. This is where she could make the first of a series of contacts until she finally met a target in one of the off-the-radar carrels which had to exist somewhere in the 'yards.
She took a mild stimulant from the dispenser and perched to one side of the main buzz. Eye contact soon attracted two fellow customers. Male and female.
"I'm Marshall. The Banshee," said the woman.
"Higgins," said her companion.
Zofie reciprocated the spacer-condensed exchange. "Ked, The Whisper."
The woman carried the conversation. "Watched you dock. You barnacled the Ranger? Saw it come in too. Argosy's the rumor. Waiting for news from Slate's." Her speech was clipped in the manner of a spacer who spent too long cooped up in a small ship. Conversation mutated from garrulous in the early weeks to as needed to silence. Higgins and Marshall had been out in the deep for an extended tour.
"Sit," invited Zofie. "I can't stay long, have to get back to my partner, see if he's okay. He had a rough jump."
The couple sat but the man turned away from the two women, constantly surveying the other customers.
"Anything I know about Slate's is weeks old and second hand at the best. I wanted to land here as soon as possible. Before..."
Marshall nodded. "Confluence oversight."
They drank in silence. Zofie returned her half-finished drink to the recycle basin. The woman did the same. She whispered under the noise of the suction drain. "Come see us at loading dock 14M. Next shift. We'll trade."
"Any other traders in Eddie's?" Zofie took a last look at the Dive's clientele.
They moved toward the exit, the woman speaking in normal tone. "Someone's always interdicted and needing a broker. Tread carefully." Marshall left Zofie alone.
A trio in red spacer suits eyed her. One nodded his head.
Zofie circled past them before leaving. Business or pleasure? Threat or opportunity? Her instinct didn't say. Was it worth the risk? She decided. She hadn't come out here, kidnaping a friend along the way, to bide her time. She dropped a comm card on the table among the three.
She retreated to the gantry where the Whisper berthed alone. She disliked the quiet. Like jumpspace, silence gave a soul too much opportunity to contemplate the self and find it wanting. She checked her comm before entering the lock. Nothing from either the master nor the reds.
Time to clear the air with Carver. Before he lost his temper, if possible.
She cycled the inner door and braced herself. "Carver?" She couldn't see him through the lock. She'd have to go inside. "I'm coming in. Give me a chance to explain before you do anything rash. Okay?"
Silence. She pulled off her suit and threw it inside. A blur from above dropped on the suit, crushing it to the deck.
Carver bounced once, grunted and rolled on his back, a look of disgust on his very red face.
Zofie laughed. "I can't help it, Carver. I'm sorry. That was a brilliant plan."
He rubbed his stomach. "Yeah, brilliant. Like most of my plans."
"Can I come in without you trying another one?"
He got to his feet and hung up her suit. "That was my only plan."
"Right." She stepped in, still facing him at all times. "I owe you an explanation."
Chapter 10
Slate's Progress rotated slowly against its gas giant neighbor. Illuminated by normal external maintenance and docking activity, it did not look like a weapon staging arena. DualE guided the Crossed Swords behind the Penance on the station's computer track beams, keeping a vigil for any hostile sign.
The barnacle-jump from Argosy Station had been paid by Pious' brotherhood funds. He was anxious to rekindle support on Progress before moving on to the Eddy. Pious and his order deemed the Eddy was the place to grow their following now, before the Bohr-Realm alliance eroded their solitude with Confluence distractions and mind-candy.
Denz's trail led to the Eddy, apparently in cooperation with someone outside Rowland's control. The mysterious 'who' was solved by a brief message left for Pious from the Whisper before she jumped. Zofie. A human barnacle on all their souls.
Brother Cardinal maintained radio silence while the two small craft touched the gantry berths and locked in. DualE'd recommended the silence until she could evaluate the situation. Only it appeared there was no situation to evaluate.
DualE opened the airlock to admit the mechanical sniffers and scanners. Slate kept his overhead costs lean. The sensor 'bots took all of ten minutes to scan her and the Crossed Swords. Her comm beeped as they drifted out to perform the same duty aboard the Penance. She checked her screen. Entry granted, no taxable items. "I love the minimal bureaucracy out here," she said aloud.
She shut down the drive and activated the dock power input to keep her ship habitable and ready for departure on short notice. Her ship? She was missing a partner. The jump from Argosy to Slate's had been partly to fulfill Pious' flight plan and to ensure the Whisper hadn't disguised its destination. Zofie was devious by intent. DualE doubted the woman could fathom a different existence. "I should have killed her when I had the chance," she said, half-seriously.
The dock was pressurized. She donned her robe and went next door.
The sensor 'bots were leaving Penance as she arrived. She poked her head inside. "All clear?"
"Come in," said Pious. "Yes, we've passed the security barriers."
Penance's comm pinged a steady stream of notifications.
"You're popular," said DualE. She squeezed between Cardinal and Atone to glance at the screen.
"Outstanding messages from a few followers on Slate's," said Atone.
She looked to Pious. "They knew you were coming?"
"Returning," he corrected. "Not specifically now. These are all posted over time, waiting for us to arrive. No anticipation as to when."
"This one's new," said Cardinal.
Pious leaned in front of DualE. "From our sister Chels. She must be well-connected to know of our arrival. Acknowledge and ask her to meet when she can."
The follower Pious mentioned. "Is she part of your team?" DualE asked.
"Both, I hope. Her jump sickness keeps her here. A blessing to us. Chels broke the ice for us on our previous visit. We created momentum for our mission and it appears she's kept it going in our absence."
DualE ran the sequence of the brothers' previous mission in her head. "This is where you started tracking Carver."
Pious nodded. "As important as our work was here, I made a judgment to interrupt our tour and follow him."
"The right decision by all appearances," she said.
"Financially, yes. Spiritually, I still have doubts. I carry a guilt that we prematurely abandoned Chels and the others."
DualE turned to Atone. "Any menacing messages in the batch? Ones I need to deal with? It's time I started contributing my expertise. Doubly so until we find Carver."
"Nothing negative," Atone answered. "Pledges. Confessions. Encouragement."
"Station news?"
"None worthwhile at my initial glance but I'll go through them and send you any." Atone got a nod from Pious.
"It looks like business-as-usual on Progress." DualE evaluated her next step. "I'm going aboard and talk to Slate if I can. Get first-hand information. Then I suggest we meet this Chels."
"I'll accompany you," said Pious. "Commander Slate was quite accommodating on our previous visit. I'd like to thank him."
DualE changed her approach. A military-style face-to-face with Slate on short notice wasn't the right way to roll here. "You can take the lead and introduce me to Slate. When you've arranged a rendezvous with Chels, I would like to meet her as well."
DualE left her airlock unsealed. She welcomed the fresher air of the station. Not without odor but a magnitude cleaner than the funk in the Crossed Swords. She had no luck identifying the most recent arrivals from Argosy. If Zofie and Carver were here, she'd need Slate's help. Pious would be helping her with that, more than she helping the brothers. No guilt there.
She sponged the deepsleep sweats as best she could and donned a clean tunic. Her short-cut hair stood up with a quick brush. She finished buttoning up when Pious rapped. "Ready? I've apprised Slate of our arrival and requested a brief audience. He's available now."
They made their way to the central axis. "Quite different from Argosy Station," Pious commented. He pointed at the open core above them. "It took getting used to on my first visit. Vertigo sufferers wouldn't enjoy the architecture."
"No problem for me. I've been dropped onto planets from a thousand kilometers up and glide-chuted to the surface."
"What did you think about on your way down?"
"Not to land headfirst and to bend my knees upon impact."
DualE noticed the number of residents who recognized Pious and greeted him as they moved. He spoke briefly to each without stopping.
"Thank you, sister...It's good to see you again...We'll announce a service once Slate gives us clearance."
He shook hands and clasped arms, never slowing in their progress toward the central lift system. The route up to Slate's office was an open platform with space to accommodate half a dozen riders or small cargo. The waist-high railing looked frail but it had apparently served thus far.
"The vertigo I was referring to earlier," Pious told her. His hands gripped the open car's rail as they ascended the length of Slate's Progress.
DualE noted the chaotic structure. Decks ending without walls. Walking platforms stretching across large gaps. Pious had been right. Slate's Progress was not for the acrophobic. Her military evaluation kicked in on the trip up. "Strategic structural damage would be difficult with a pinpoint attack on this station," she said. "You'd need a large, indiscriminate weapon to cripple it."
"I'll accept your word. Implication?"
"Whatever hit the Orson and Argosy was a narrow, focused beam. Not a weapon which attackers would use to destroy a target in one shot. The cancerous by-product was easily contained." Though in the midst of a dogfight, cauterizing the growth could be difficult. "Implication? I don't know yet. I'm still gathering and processing information."
"You're puzzled."
"More than a little. Why a random attack using a precise weapon? An odd combination. If intentional, then what reaction was anticipated?"
"The naval mind seeks the balance the faithful mind embraces. I must often reconcile contradictions in actions, words and philosophy."
"Add my question to your list, Brother Pious." The lift slowed and DualE's stomach rose. "Remind me to eat," she said.
"My lifestyle prepares me to fast frequently but if time permits a meal here, I will join you." Pious led them along a platform to an open office manned by Slate.
Slate's build reminded DualE of Gar Kondradt, stocky but he differed in his body language. Kondradt used his sturdiness to intimidate, Slate seemed open, not constantly evaluating risk versus profit. Slate's evaluation would place the station before personal gain.
"Pious. Welcome aboard. You left before I could attend one of your sermons last time. Chels recounts your guidance often. Sit. I can't spare much time but I'm glad to see you, especially for her sake. She's kept your words alive to the point of obsession."
"Do you and Chels spend much time together?" Pious asked.
Slate reddened. "A recent attachment. I never had time before. Running this complex is a team job. Unfortunately, I was the whole team."
"And now?" asked DualE.
"Commercial expansion. Queries from the Confluence. I've hired underlings, overseers and accepted a few policy specialists. They'll all be needed for the looming shared governance. There's more paperwork but I delegate up, down and sideways." He studied her shoulders. "And you are? A fellow missionary?" A skeptical note in his voice revealed an observant man.
Her tunic did not hide DualE's musculature. "As you say, Commander Slate, I'm a recent attachment."
"Appearances can deceive. My Chels doesn't look like a spiritual person but her faith is strong."
"I am committed to the brothers and their cause," said DualE. "I'm also committed to their safe passage."
Slate hesitated a moment. "Your jumpship captain apprised me of a disturbance at Argosy, related to the Eddy. Can you confirm? Tell me more?"
DualE wasn't sure what to say. Rowland hadn't ordered her to keep silent and Slate would suspect if she withheld too much. Pious might tumble to her dual role if she didn't say what they both knew. "There was an attack on the Orson as it left jumpspace," she said. "Argosy Station and two ships in dock were holed by the same projectile, exact nature unknown." DualE gave Slate time to digest the news. She pointed away from his aerie. "Progress appears busy but not under threat. What can you tell us?"
