016.01
“I’m going down to the planet,” I
announced.
“I wouldn’t advise that,” Horus replied
immediately.
“Nor I,” Sam chimed in, “you risk
coming in contact with whatever he is spreading below and bringing it back on
the surface of the pod to contaminate the entire ship.”
So, I stayed on board Ma-rye-a and my
crew and I were witness to the largest genocide of this century. Attalla
released biological death from his little black box and the iisadsu fell from
the sky like rain. He must have told the oacoco to stay below the surface
during the release. Ma-rye-a told us she could still detect their life forms.
We tracked the movements of Attalla’s
pod as he rendezvoused with the battle cruiser for a hull clean up.
We saw the cruiser’s crew deliver the
body containment and disposal units to the surface and tracked their meticulous
clean-up of the iisadsu species.
I collected Attalla’s personal items
from his cabin and placed them in a capsule that Sam jettisoned into space.
I didn’t care if he found them or not. I
didn’t care if I was paid for my services or not. I didn’t care if I was black
listed in this galaxy. I didn’t intend to ever come back.
I had Ma-rye-a lay in a course to
Daniel’s place on Trade Post 1313. I needed some lengthy R&R with a good
friend to get past the last two episodes of my life.
016.02 - Special
Delivery
Daniel snatched the box of
chocolates out of my hand.
“3su, it’s over,” he pronounced in
as stern a voice as I have ever heard from him. “Get your butt out of my chair
and back in the pilot’s seat on Ma-rye-a.”
I must admit it took a lot to push
Daniel to this point. I’d been languishing around his place for longer than I
should.
“It’s been over three months,” he
stated flatly. “Time to move on.”
That
long? I really have lost track of time.
“Fine,” I said. “I know when I have
outstayed my welcome.” I uncurled from the comform chair and came to my feet
snatching back the chocolates in the process. “I’ll go!”
Daniel reached out a comforting hand
toward me, perhaps regretting being so stern. I glared at him. He retracted it.
“I know you went through a lot
before you got here,” he said, “but you’re not getting any better sitting here
all day watching M chips and eating chocolates. I don’t know what you need,
3su,” Daniel admitted. “I just know this is getting you nowhere.”
I yanked my throw tighter around my
shoulders like a shield against his words. I knew he was right. I should
probably have seen a counselor or taken some drugs, but chocolates have always
been by drug of choice. I honestly believed I could handle all the shit that
hit the turbo exhausts the last year without any professional help.
“I did some research online. I sent
the information to Ma-rye-a. There is a Dr. Phinis Morie on the Mother Ship -
Destiny. He specializes in PTSD. Supposed to be cutting edge and does it
without any heavy drugs. He uses meditation and biofeedback training. I know
you don’t like the idea of drugs, but you need something – for a time – until
you can work your way through this.”
Daniel knew I didn’t like feeling
doped up and foggy – out of control. That was the reason I didn’t just check
into a dream facility or see a med tech.
“I’m not throwing you out,” Daniel
apologized.
I raised my left brow.
“Well, maybe I am, but it’s for your
own good,” he emphasized.
I leaned over and kissed him on the
cheek, bundled my blanket more securely around me and chocolates in hand, made
my way to the bathroom to get cleaned up and back into the black hole of life.
*****
016.03
I’m sitting in the Slow Sip waiting
for a job to come up.
I put in a call yesterday to Dr. Morie
from the bridge of Ma-rye-a. I have an appointment. It’s not until next month.
He is a really popular guy - must be a lot of messed up combat personnel out
there. We did a lengthy interview/eval over the NET. He told me where to pick
up a download off the NET and meditation recordings, along with exercises to
use until the appointment. He issued me some meds – which I haven’t taken yet.
In the meantime, I decided to see if I
could pick up a transport that would take me his way so the trip wouldn’t be
all on my chit. So here I sit with a Muldavian Spritz in hand waiting to see
what pops up.
Haven’t seen anyone I know except Katka
behind the bar, but I’m sure I will. There is a saying around here ‘if you sit
at Slow Sip – or SS as it is commonly known - long enough you will eventually
run into everyone you have ever known.’ I hope I don’t have to sit here that
long.
*****
016.04
Well, the saying is true, or at least
circumstances make it seem so. You might truly meet everyone you ever knew when
you sit in the SS long enough.
I’ve been here a little over two days
now – off and on – more on then off. I have already bumped into Bronwyn again.
He is on his way to Goliath’s third moon with a med delivery. He just stopped
off to make a rendezvous with a equip ship. Bronwyn’s disintegrator for his
mess broke down. Said his interior was getting pretty ripe with green growth on
leftovers. Yum, the thought made my current serving of palm rice and vegetables
go down kinda lumpy.
Hada and her son, Fin, came through. We
had a very pleasant visit. I felt so much better after talking to her. She is
on her way to Refitting Station Terrell to catch a ride to the Dagosh system to
continue her work. There is a fabulous dig there. She is so excited about it.
She seems to have adjusted to life without Alton. Hada has found her passion
again in her work. She rattled on and on about the new dig and what they were
finding, and hoped to find. She is proof there can be life after the death of a
loved one.
Fin is growing by leaps and bounds. In
just the short time since our last visit he has reached that age where you
notice the child is no longer a child, but becoming a youngster. Unchins grow
so much quicker than humans. No doubt he will be a teenager the next time I see
him. He still has his mahserg, Mah. They are inseparable.
Shortly after they left I got a ping on
my NET AD. I am off to pick up an artist’s shipment. Light work – excellent
money. All I have to do is smuggle it in to Kadear on
Alta III and deliver it to their dictatorial
ruler’s son Aldobi-rand. It’s totally against Galactic regs,
but hey, a girl’s got to get her kicks someway.
*****
016.05
“It is so good to have you back
onboard.” Cassie almost cooed. “There hasn’t been anyone to share with in
ages.”
I feel mean leaving my crew for so long
unattended. I know many people would say I am giving them feelings they don’t
have as AI’s, but they would be wrong. I honestly believe Daniel managed to
endow my crew with feelings for me and each other. The only thing they lack is
the tactile. Disembodied voices cannot give you a hug when you’re down.
Sometimes a person just needs the human touch.
“I’m glad to be back and sorry I left
you all so abruptly,” I apologized.
“It’s all right,” Horus said in his
cultured English accent. I realized I missed that lovely tenor voice. “We all
know how much you needed a nice long break.”
One of my favorite cranberry/orange
scones appeared in the prep unit at my elbow. Moby was showing his pleasure at
having me back by keeping me supplied with loads of tasty munchies and my
favorite drinks.
“Thank you, Moby.”
“You’re welcome, Captain.”
“I have the secure storage area in the
bay clear, cleaned, and ready to accept cargo,” Sam announced.
“Excellent, Sam.”
I turned my attention to Ma-rye-a. She
had been quiet since I came back onboard. I was sure she listened in on Dr.
Morie’s and my conversation earlier. I was rough around the edges and soft in
the middle during his eval. I knew Ma-rye-a was more aware of how much things
got out of hand for me and my emotional state then the rest of the crew.
“Are we ready to head out, Ma-rye-a?”
“On your command,” she replied.
“Take us out then.”
Safely back in the security of my ship,
surrounded by my attentive crew. A quick delivery to an exciting locale with
interesting people. Things were getting better all the time.
*****
016.06
I stood holding the two pills in my
hand, a glass of water in the other.
“Go ahead and take them,” Ma-rye-a
coached. “We’ll watch over things while you sleep.”
I only hesitated an instant. I downed
them before I changed my mind. It had been ages since I experienced a good
night’s sleep, free of nightmares.
Ma-rye-a turned on Dr. Morie’s meditation/relaxation
recording. He was giving instructions to lie down and relax. His voice was
soothing as he started at the top of my head and worked his way down describing
the act of releasing tension one body part at a time.
“Breathe in cool, calming air… Breathe
out the warm, tension filled air.”
The sound of ocean waves as the
undercurrent to his soft voice eased me slowly and gently to sleep. It would be
the first time in over three months I slept without waking up in a cold sweat.
Bless you Daniel. Good and honest friends are hard to find.
*****
016.07
“Sam, there is a bot in the hallway
outside the lounge,” I called to my security/maintenance chief. “Is there
anything I need to know?” It wasn’t a normal occurrence to see one of his bots
just sitting – not doing anything as far as I could see.
“Nothing to concern yourself about,
Captain,” Sam answered. “Just doing an electrical upgrade to the V system.
Didn’t want you to walk into a mess, so I put A4 out there to intercept you.”
“I wasn’t headed in, just past,” I
explained. “I didn’t know we were due for any upgrades.”
“Something Cassie spotted on the NET
last time she was surfing. A bit of a recall issue that I can do a work-around
until we get to the Destiny where I can pick up the replacement part,” Sam
said.
“Good deal. Will it be done by this
evening? I was going to use the lounge for one of Dr. Morie’s biofeedback
trainings.”
“I’ll have it ready by 1900. Will that
do?”
“Fine. Thanks for staying on top of
things.”
As I walked away the bot slipped
silently in the door through a crack just big enough to accommodate its width.
*****
016.08
“Merry Christmas!” My crew all sang in
unison.
I was standing in the doorway to the
lounge totally shocked into speechlessness.
The room had been transformed into a
winter wonderland. In the far corner were a group of three trees in graduated
sizes all covered in snow, decorated in small twinkle lights with glass icicles
hanging from each limb. The carpet was covered with some sort of artificial
snow that felt and crunched so realistically under my boots I expected it to be
wet when I reached down to touch it – it wasn’t. When I raised back up it was
snowing on me, but not sticking or getting me wet. Sam must have installed some
sort of simple imaging chamber unit. There now was a fireplace in the room
where there used to be the V consol. It crackled and actually gave off a wood
smell and heat. A plate of Christmas cookies and a mug of hot chocolate were
sitting temptingly by my chair.
“Isn’t it wonderful?” Cassie gushed.
“It was Ma-rye-a’s idea, but I did the shopping.”
“Sam set it all up,” Ma-rye-a
explained.
“We were so afraid you would want to
come in when you found the bot outside the door this morning,” Moby said.
“We all thought you wouldn’t mind us
spending some of your credits for the surprise. I authorized it,” Horus
confessed. “If you don’t like it…”
It wasn’t that I didn’t like it. I
loved it. I could hardly talk for the lump of emotion in my throat.
“I love it,” I finally choked out. “I
lost track of time. I had no idea it was Christmas.”
“That’s what you get when you stay
planet bound too long and don’t have a ship’s log to keep up,” Ma-rye-a gently
chastised.
A tear rolled down one of my cheeks. I
wiped at it with my hand. Something bumped my foot. When I looked down it was
A4 with a box of tissues on his back.
“We knew you would need some,” Sam
explained.
“Let’s open presents,” Cassie sang
excitedly.
I hadn’t even noticed there was a pile
of packages by my chair all dressed up with ribbons and bows. This was going to
be a Christmas to remember.
*****
016.09
I stood outside the shower in my cabin
and looked at myself in the mirror. I looked a damn sight better than I did two
weeks ago when I first came back onboard. The meditation, vigorous exercise and
limited drugs have done their work. I have some color in my cheeks and when I
stepped on the scale and found myself two pounds lighter, there was a smile on
my face. I have confidence I am going to get through this. There hasn’t been a
nightmare in sight since starting Dr. Morie’s regiment. I think the Doc knows
what he’s doing.
I’m going to get a new haircut when we
reach the artist colony. Maybe a new black spacer suit to go with the cool
leather boots with all the buckles my crew gave me for Christmas. Nothing makes
a girl feel better than some new duds. Forget ‘you are what you eat.” ‘You are
what you wear!” Clothes do make the woman in my book.
*****
016.10
This place is spectacular. If it
wasn’t the fact that it makes me feel totally talentless I would move here.
Incredible art is everywhere you look – paintings, sculptures in everything
from paper-mache to bronze to marble and everything in between. There are
pieces done in media I have no idea what they even are. I am told the whole
planet is like this. I just can’t imagine.
The landing bay I pulled into was painted
with murals of exploding stars and universe nurseries. The landing pad itself
was an incredible mosaic of some impervious glass that took on a succession of
colors as the heat from my thrusters cooled on its surface. The blast shields
have replicas of various forms of dragons on them. I watched as another pod
took off and the heat and exhaust from his thrusters made the dragon appear to
be breathing fire and smoke.
The colony is comprised of many
levels, each with living quarters, working studios and showrooms. Each level is
dedicated to a different medium – painting, sculpture, pottery, drawing, holo
display art, Flat Gamer art, etc. The levels are all clustered around a
circular atrium landscaped with trees, stream, bushes and flowers. There is an inner
circular ramp that looks out over the atrium and gives the pedestrian access to
the atrium floor and each level as it runs up the inner wall. The ramp is lined
with art. Of course, there are elevators, but those are used mostly for the
movement of art from level to level. The view as you walk up the ramp is just
too good to pass up.
I made my way to the 11th
level following Furgus’ directions. His studio is a riot of color. It is hard
on the eyes. You can’t rest on just one object – you just keep getting pulled
away to look at another piece.
“This is it,” Furgus said as he
pulled a drape off a huge life sized portrait.
It literally took my breath away. It
was a of a man on a dresarge - a kind of massive four pawed, two headed beast
with brilliant green eyes and a tail that could take out any approaching enemy
from the rear. But, the beast was nothing beside the man riding him. The way
Furgus had depicted him was more than a man, he was verging on godly. His jet
black hair fell in braids to either side of his head and down over his massive
shoulders rippling with muscle. His facial structure was as they often describe
“chiseled” with a wide brow, high cheekbones, bold nose and full lips ending in
a dimpled chin. His eyes were the most extraordinary shade of lavender. His
biceps were ringed with tribal tattoos. His chest was broad making its way down
to narrow hips and thighs that gripped the sides of the dresarge with tension
you could see through the fabric of his trousers.
His hands and feet were bare of
gloves or shoes. You could see the strength in them as the fingers and toes
curled into the fur of the dresarge to control it.
When I breathed in there was a
shudder to my breath.
“So, you like it?” Furgus asked.
“Like it? I think I’m in love,” I replied
not taking my eyes off the painting.
“I had to create it off a vid he
sent me since travel to Alta III is forbidden. The dresarge was moving. I had
to capture some stills and work from them. I think it is a pretty good
likeness,” he said with some pride.
“If it is, I can’t wait to meet the
man.” My mouth watered at the thought.
“I’ll get it crated up. As we
discussed, the deal is I pay you half here and you get the other half from
Aldobi-rand upon delivery. He wanted to make sure he received his merchandise
since in essence we are smuggling it in.”
“Right,” I said absently. This was
going to be even more of a challenge than I had anticipated. I not only had the
difficult smug to accomplish, but also a hulk of a man to meet, and hopefully
impress. I could hardly wait.
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