New characters enter the story universe of E J Randolph’s Federation Diplomat series, which begins with Retrograde
E J Randolph
My companion blew a puff through his long, trunk-like nose as we wound our way past tall, crumbling red-brick warehouses. “Those humans are staring at us.”
“Not at me. You. I’m a human woman. You’re a seven-foot male Varnier. Of course they’re staring. Don’t see too many of your kind on Federation planets since the war, even on a cosmopolitan entrepot like Bellasport.”
His normally blue face darkened to purple. “If you hadn’t saved my life, I wouldn’t be here.”
“Yeah, I know. It’s tough being bonded for life.” Sarcasm dripped from my voice.
He drew himself up into his huffy-most self. “As you well remember, Darleta, I am honor-bound by the rules of my society.”
I gave him a sidelong glance. “That pearly orange skin color you had when I met you was prettier.”
“Bonded color is blue.” His voice sounded snippy.
“Good thing you know more than mixing perfumes or I’d have figured out a way to toss you off my spaceship, bonding or no bonding.”
His four-inch trunk waved back and forth. “I’m useful.”
“Yep, you mix the best cocktails.”
He sniffed, a loud sound through a trunk. “That’s the least of my talents. Have you forgotten I detected the cause of this latest engine malfunction through smell alone?”
“Yeah, but if we don’t get a big infusion of cash, we’ll be marooned on Bellasport forever.”
“Find hubby and make him give you another spaceship. He has a whole fleet.”
I snorted. “I wouldn’t have this one if that creep hadn’t left one behind, thinking it was a wreck. I’ve kept the Athena flying for five years, and I intend to keep it flying.” Sure, I could have stayed in the marriage by looking the other way when Ken wandered, and I could have continued to live in luxury, but silly me, I wanted LOVE with capital letters, even if it meant I lived a precarious, lonely life. At least I didn’t have my nose rubbed into Ken’s infidelities every day.
I pulled up a map from my wrist computer and turned into the left-hand street. “Only a few buildings down. This merchant sure is paranoid. He gives us one address. We get there, dismiss the robotaxi, enter, and find out we have to walk three blocks.”
A group of people in green and gold gang colors blocked the sidewalk. We stepped into the street and walked around. I glanced back at the rowdy crowd. They stared at us and some fingered fling knives. My muscles tensed. If I didn’t need this delivery so bad, I’d never have come into such a rough part of town. What good would a perfume maker and a small-time cargo pilot be if these people decided to make trouble?
Qvartic’s skin turned black, the Varnier combat color. To our rear someone yelled out. I glanced over my shoulder to see how close the thugs were, but they were running down the street as if their lives were at risk.
Qvartic gave me a smug smile, and blue replaced black on his skin.
I moved closer to him. “Did you change your status?”
He shrugged.
Like always. I never got the complete story out of him. Was he really bonded to me? Yes, I’d saved his life. And, yes, in his culture that meant he was bonded to me for life. But he could well be an anti-blessing in disguise.
I stopped at a five-story building with peeling paint. This was the right address. We took the lift to the fifth floor, and I pressed the buzzer at Nampoon’s Emporium.
A stout Asian opened the door and waved me in. He glared at Qvartic. “Aliens stay out.”
“He comes in or I leave.”
The Asian seemed to consider for a moment. He nodded and Qvartic took a giant step inside before the vendor could change his mind. Qvartic grinned at the guy.
“This way.” The Asian waved his hand and waddled down a hall lined with gold-tinted brocade wallpaper.
We followed him into a large room with the same wallpaper and several large antique vases. Heavy red velvet drapes hung on the windows. A young woman sat with a bowed head and clasped hands on an ornate chair. She wore traditional Chinese clothes, the material covered with orange and pink flowers and trimmed with gold embroidery.
I stopped inside the door. “What is it you want to have transported?”
He pointed to the young woman. “I have arranged a favorable marriage for her with a rich merchant on New Union.”
A tear rolled down the woman’s face.
No way. I couldn’t be part of this. I transported cargo, not people. A small voice in my head whispered, “What choice do you have? It’s transport her or lose the Athena.”
I straightened and pulled up a screen on my wrist computer. “If you’ll transfer funds, we can finalize arrangements.” I worked to keep my voice neutral.
He frowned. “It’s half when you pick her up and half upon delivery.”
I set my features. I needed a lot more cash. And this was ridiculous. She was not some piece of cargo. “You have to pay the first half now because we must pick up supplies. I didn’t know I’d need to buy more food. In addition, there will be a surcharge of ten percent.”
His eyebrows rose.
“Labor costs such as preparing food. Extra air filters that have to be ordered and delivered to my spacecraft. Waste facilities. I can’t just toss her into a cargo bay. I need to prepare quarters suitable for a young woman.”
Would he buy that?
He smiled. “You’ll treat her like a lady. That’s good. I chose a lady pilot because my niece’s virginity must be protected at all costs.”
Her virginity? What was this? The Middle Ages? In the twenty-seventh century?
This transaction had to be illegal. But I wasn’t here as a cop. I was here to make some money. And, niece? Really? I smelled something fishy.
I pulled up another screen and opened my transfer account.
Mr. Human Trafficker picked up a screen from a counter and punched in numbers. A lovely three thousand standard Federation units showed up in my account.
I smiled. “Good doing business with you. We’ll be back tomorrow for the–” I glanced at the young woman and scratched my cheek “–package.”
The Asian walked us to the door. “See you tomorrow.”
Qvartic and I took the lift to the street level.
I called up a robotaxi. “We don’t have much time. We gotta get the parts and see if we can fix the ol’ gal.”
“All by ourselves?”
“You heard the guy. We’re only getting half the fee upfront.”
***
We arrived at the Athena with a load of parts and a nearly empty bank balance and set to work. Finally, around dawn the following morning, the spaceship hummed to life. I patted her hull. She was living up to her name. Athena, the goddess, had wings. Athena, my spaceship, could fly again.
I leaned against the bulkhead and turned to Qvartic. “We did it.” I glanced at the time. “We’ve got a couple hours to eat and rest. Then we’ll get our package.” I grimaced. “The Asian was willing to spend way too much for transporting the young woman. He certainly could have sent her on a passenger spacecraft with all the amenities.”
“Not our concern.”
“Maybe not. And right now, I can’t afford to have scruples.”
Two hours later, Qvartic and I, cleaned up and wearing uniforms, looking like we might actually be a captain and crew, showed up outside Nompoon’s. I pressed the button.
The Asian opened the door, and his face creased into a wide smile. “Good, you’re on time.”
“Always professional.” I kept my voice and face bland.
He waved to the woman. She came forward, head bowed, a valise in her hand.
I gave her a nod. “Come with me. I have a robotaxi waiting.” I reached for the valise, but she shook her head and held on, her knuckles turning white with the strength of her grip. Sure, she could keep it. I was trying to be polite and had no plans for stealing it.
The Asian waved and closed the door.
We descended to the street level and got into the robotaxi. The young woman’s shoulders slumped, and she stared at the floor. At the docks, I paid for the taxi with my universal credit card and led the way up the gangway. Qvartic closed the hatches.
The young woman stood with a lowered gaze.
I set off down the passageway. “Follow me. I’ll show you to your quarters.”
Her footsteps sounded behind me.
I opened a hatch and ushered her into our spruced-up closet with its small bed. “You can spend all your time in here if you want, but you may prefer to come into the crew lounge for meals.”
She nodded, lay down, and closed her eyes.
Perfect. No messy questions or requests.
I went forward and contacted the tower. Soon we rose into the clear blue sky of Bellasport. We passed through the flicker space portal, and I set a course for New Union.
I glanced at Qvartic. “This will take a week and a half. If Sleeping Beauty is quiet the whole way, we’ll get this done clean and easy.”
He waggled his trunk.
Uh-oh. “Did you sniff something?”
“Heavy drugs.”
“And you think they’ll wear off before we arrive?”
“Absolutely.”
I covered my face with my hands and groaned. “Will we have a screaming, hysterical passenger to deal with? We could always let her slip away on New Union.”
“And be stuck on New Union until we get a cargo?”
“They’re so clanny on New Union. They always give their cargoes to local carriers.”
“We’ll be stuck.”
This didn’t merit a reply. He was right. I had to deliver the young woman.
He stood. “Time to fix something to eat.”
I checked the gauges and followed.
He brought out fresh vegetables.
“Where did you get those? And when?”
He put his fingers to his lips.
All right, it was a secret. I wasn’t going to complain. We’d be feasting today. Might as well enjoy it. We’d be eating food from the fabricator soon enough.
The aroma of simmering vegetables and spices filled the small spacecraft. The door to the closet opened, and the young woman stared out. A few moments later, she walked with small, timid steps into the crew area.
I pulled out a chair. “Eat with us. Food will be ready soon.”
She sat, pulling her arms and legs together.
Qvartic handed out dishes with a flourish. Really, he was such a ham sometimes.
The young woman took a bite, and her eyes opened wide. “Delicious.” She scraped every bite from her plate into her mouth.
The woman returned to her room, and Qvartic cleaned up.
I jabbed the air. “We don’t know her name.”
“You could ask.”
“That’s too rational.”
He lifted one eyebrow at me.
“I’ve got records to work on.” I hurried from the crew lounge. In the control room, I sat and stared with unfocused eyes. I still had a bad feeling about the young woman. Was I imagining things? I was quick to see inequities. Maybe too quick. I’d have to get her to talk to me.
***
The next days passed with surprising calm and quiet. Maybe this was a willing transaction after all. The bride may have just had the jitters. Completely understandable. Her name was Lily. She came out for meals but otherwise stayed in her room.
Qvartic and I settled into our normal routine. Check the gauges. Shove everything in the lounge to one side. Work out. For him that meant two hours. For me, twenty minutes. Then computer games and research on the planet we were headed to.
Qvartic studied the Federation languages. He said he wanted to fit in without using a translator and learn all the local customs. Was he planning on returning to his people and offering his services? I had saved him from his own kind, but he said they were an opposition faction. Did that mean he had a group he could return to someday?
***
At breakfast the last day of the journey, I turned to Lily. “We arrive today.”
Her spoon clattered into her bowl, and she shook.
“What’s wrong?”
She turned wide eyes to me.
“Don’t you want to get married?”
She shook her head and ran to her room.
I rapped on her door. “Look, if there’s a problem, we can deal with it. I would never force someone into a loveless marriage. I’ve been there. It’s not pretty.”
Silence
“Lily?”
The hatch creaked open a couple inches. One eye, showing far more white than usual, gazed at me. “What can you do? Someone will be there to meet this ship.”
I grimaced. In my mind, bank notes sprouted wings and flew away. “We don’t have to land. We can turn around as soon as we emerge from flicker space. I’ll have to get permission from the local tower to reenter the portal. It’ll seem strange, but what can anyone do? They can’t shoot me down at that range. They can’t make me land.”
Lily stared at me for a few long seconds. “There’s something I need to tell you.”
My stomach went from feeling queasy to doing somersaults. Would my initial misgivings turn out to be right after all?
“I’m not here to get married. I’m delivering contraband.”
I froze. This was worse than I expected. I could be banned from any delivery service. There went my last vestiges of having a life. This old tub and my business were all I had. Without significant skills, I’d be stuck in some dead-end job on a planet and never be able to afford another spaceship.
She bowed her head. “My family owes a lot of money. We couldn’t pay it off. When a representative of the loan association came to our house and offered a way out, I volunteered. I don’t know what’s in my valise, but I’m sure it’s illegal. The representative said he couldn’t use normal freight services because they examine all outgoing packages.” A half sob escaped, and she turned away for a second. “I’m a coward. I don’t want to die. But if I fail, my family will suffer.”
What could be in that valise? I tapped the intercom button on my wrist computer. “Qvartic, come to Lily’s room.”
She put her hand over her mouth.
“Don’t worry. He’s not going to hurt you. He can sniff your parcel and tell us what’s in it.”
***
Lily laid the valise on the deck. Qvartic bent and sniffed. His hand went toward the handle.
Lily shrieked. “No, don’t touch it.”
Qvartic turned to her.
“It might explode.”
I took a step back. “Why do you think so?”
She bowed her head. “I overheard someone talking. I am to die with this delivery. New Union refuses to pay protection money to the Iron Pigs, so they’re sending a message to the government. And they’re going to kill all witnesses.”
I shot a hand toward the bulkhead and steadied myself. “Is someone waiting with a detonator?”
“That’s what I heard.”
My knees buckled.
Qvartic glanced at me. “I smell traces of gas. I bet opening the valise lets the gas out. May be enough to blanket the spaceport and put it out of operation for a long while. Certainly there is a timer for a detonator to explode the gas. I highly doubt someone is waiting with some kind of trigger. Everyone around will die instantly from the overpressure.”
Lily threw herself face down on the bed. “I failed. Now my family will die. But I couldn’t do it.”
I closed my eyes. We were done for.
Qvartic stood and leaned toward my ear. “I may be able to disable the detonator.”
“OK, that saves our lives, but then we have a bigger problem. An interplanetary crime syndicate gunning for us.”
“Maybe not. Malfunctions happen all the time.”
Lily lifted her head. “Do you mean you can stop the explosion?”
“Yes.”
Now where did Qvartic learn this? He’d claimed to be a perfumer, and I had considered him superfluous as crew. Then he’d started diagnosing engine trouble from smell. Now this. He was certainly more than he’d led me to believe he was. But his life was on the line now. No place for subterfuge. He had to save himself as well as the Athena.
He picked up the valise. “I’ll need to be in a compartment sealed off from the rest of the ship. Too bad I can’t do this in a spacesuit, but I need fine motor movement.”
I nodded. “The hazardous waste compartment in the storage bay. Has blow-out walls to the outside and complete sealing between it and the rest of the bay.”
He returned in a few moments with a large toolbox, and we headed to the storage bay. He entered the hazardous waste disposal area, and I sealed him in.
Now, all I had to do was wait. I went to the crew lounge and stared at the minutes passing. Hours passing. Lily joined me, and we both watched the time creep. I laid my head on the table.
“I’m so sorry.” Lily’s voice came out small and contrite.
“It’ll work out.” I doubted my voice held much conviction.
The intercom clicked. “I’ve done it.”
I ran to the hazardous material compartment and opened the hatch.
Qvartic walked out and closed the hatch behind him.
“Where’s the valise?”
“Don’t forget all the poison gas. We need a hazmat team to remove it. It’s in a container. The top comes off when the valise is opened.”
“Lily needs that valise. She has to walk out and prove the bomb malfunctioned. Otherwise her family dies.”
Qvartic gave me a long look. “You humans are too complicated.” He turned and opened the hatch.
I sealed it behind him.
An hour later he intercommed the bomb was reassembled with a vital piece missing. I opened the hatch, and he came out, carrying the valise. “It’ll take them a while to figure out what’s missing. Lily can open the valise, and nothing will happen. They’ll blame the person who made the bomb, not Lily. It’s a tiny piece that could believably have fallen out while the bomb was being assembled. Can’t let the gas out of the valise into the spaceport. Any spark might be sufficient to set it off. Of course, that means the criminals get to keep the gas.”
Lily hugged me. “You saved my life.”
I looked at Qvartic. “You saved a lot of lives. And we can’t tell anybody about it. At least not here on New Union where it could get back to the syndicate.”
Did I see a little smile on his face? Of course the big Varnier didn’t want his abilities known. Once again I asked myself, had he jumped at the chance to be bonded to someone who traveled around the Federation? For no pay? He must be getting something of value from the situation. My gut told me someday I’d face a bigger problem. But for now, it was enough to live to see another day.
I punched him in the shoulder.
He gave me a quizzical look. “You humans are strange.”
***
The tower gave us landing instructions. We joined the queue for passengers. I sat as we inched toward the terminal. What kind of back-up plans would this syndicate have? Would they make sure we never made it out of here? They had to worry about Lily blabbing. Or maybe they were just thorough. I filed a request with the tower for immediate departure instructions.
Qvartic raised his brows at me.
I pursed my lips “Can we get to Bellasport from here?”
He ran the calculations. “We’ve got sufficient supplies.”
I clicked the ground to ground communications with the tower. “Filing flight plan to New Horizon for a freight pickup.”
“Roger that. You are cleared on runway eight as soon as you drop your passenger off.”
I clicked off the communicator and took a deep breath. We might make it out of here alive.
I stopped in front of the terminal and opened the hatch. Lily trembled as she walked down the gangway. She headed toward immigration where they would check her bag.
Qvartic pulled the gangway in and closed the hatch.
Lily disappeared into the terminal.
“Now.” I pulled out of the line of spaceships and sped to runway eight. If I could get off the ground, we couldn’t be stopped.
A truck veered toward us.
I pushed the throttle forward, cutting off a commercial liner that was steering toward runway seven.
“Come on, Athena.” On the tarmac, I pushed the boundaries of her takeoff speed. We rose straight up like a rocket.
Static and excited voices came out of the ground to air communication device. I shut it off.
“Anything in the air coming at us?”
Qvartic checked. “Yes. A missile heading right toward us. We don’t have anything to defend with.”
“We have a few defenses. Try the flak.” I began evasive maneuvers. “Just a bit more. Have to clear the atmosphere.”
His eyes widened. “It’s closing.”
I gritted my teeth and checked my gauge and the sensors. This would be pushing it close.
I reached for the red flicker space button on my console and pressed.
Colors streaked across the external sensors. I flopped back into my seat. “We made it.”
Qvartic hunched his shoulders. “You took a big risk. How did you know?”
“Lily said they wanted no witnesses. They had to be prepared to destroy us.”
“You filed a false flight plan.”
I grinned at him. “What do you think?”
“Humans are strange.”
Our subterfuge seemed to boggle him. No wonder the Federation won the war. Maybe when you were big and scary, you didn’t rely on being sneaky. In one on one combat, no human could stand up to a Varnier. But they were learning. Was that one of the reasons Qvartic was satisfied to be bonded to someone who had no advanced weaponry or access to decision makers? I wasn’t the typical target of a spy. But I was human. And I could be sneaky. Maybe what they wanted to learn was all around.
“I also didn’t go through the designated flicker space portal. I free-form jumped. That could give me some problems in the future if word gets out. But I’m sure the controllers tracked that missile, so I’ll have a logged reason.”
“Why Bellasport?”
“I have a certain Asian merchant to talk to.”
###
Find more from EJ on Amazon and on the internet.
The Delivery, EJ Randolph (copyright 2020; all rights reserved.)
