13 Degrees of Separation (33 page)

The young man smiled. She saw however, how he shuddered in
ill concealed contempt and revulsion when her mother first petted his arm and
then turned her smile onto her daughter. He realized she was onto him but tried
to stick to the plan. He tried to win her over, “How about you come to the
winning team. Make something of yourself.”

Mairi's eyes flashed dangerously. “I am on a winning team.
We just need a fair game and a level playing field,” she said using one of
Savo's pet phrases.

“The Yard dogs are yesterday's news. They are dead before
they ever got going. They know it. They're just wasting time. Your time. We'll
double what you're being paid now.”

Her mother clapped her hands together. “That's wonderful!
When does she start?” she asked, eyes shining.

Mairi fumed, angry that her mother had jumped into this. “I
haven't agreed to anything
yet
,” she growled.

“We'll have our people transfer your ship for disposal and
get you a new one. You'll have to share it, unfortunately we can't build
another, no one can right now but you'll have plenty of time off to spend your
earnings here on the station or down on the planet. I'll have the work crew in
the slip in an hour,” he said smoothly, ignoring the girl. After all,
technically she was still a juvenile.

“That's wonderful!” Olga said, smiling beautifully. “Isn't
it dear?” she turned, giving her daughter a pointed look to go with the warning
tone in her voice. The implied threat went right over Mairi's head.

“No, I'll
think
about it,” she said, getting up and
leaving.

“She's just shy,” Olga said, dabbing at her face with a
napkin. “And not used to company.”

Mario smiled politely. “A little rough around the edges. A
rock hound.”

“True,” Olga laughed but her eyes suddenly glittered. She
didn't like his implied insult.

...*...*...*...*...

An angry Olga confronted Mairi when Mario was gone. “What's
the matter with you? Why are you throwing this away?”

Mairi didn't look at her, busying herself with clean up.
Her mother was always a disaster, she never cleaned up after herself. “I don't
want it,” she said pointedly, folding laundry.

Olga blinked at her. “Mairi baby, sweety, you don't know
what you want child.”

Mairi turned on her, dropping the thin azure blouse. It was
one of her mother's and she didn't care anymore about clean up. “I'm
17
mother, I am legally an adult in this system, which by the way is 16 if you
didn't
know
that. I do know what I want. I just don't know how to go
about getting it. And no one,” she turned glaring. “No one is taking the bitch
from me. And they are
not
recycling her either!” she said fiercely.

“No one is saying that honey,” Olga said trying to sooth
ruffled feather as she spread her hands in appeal.

“Oh no? He just did mother,” she said sitting on the couch
and pulling a pillow onto her lap to hug. “He did and you know he did. That's
what he's really after. For some reason they feel really threatened by Yard
Dogs. I don't know why. But they want us gone. Mark my words mother, I work for
them, the bitch is toast and after oh, a month they'll show us the door.
Both
of us. They just want to screw us mother. They want us out of the way to screw
the dogs.”

Olga bit her lip unsure of herself.

“You know it and I know it mother. It's a gamble but not
the kind I take. Uncle Edgar's maxim 4, 'if it sounds too good to be true it
usually is'. No. You like that sort of thing leave me and the bitch out of it.
Court him to your heart's content mother but I bet you,” she waggled a finger under
her mother's nose. “I bet you that he'll drop you the moment my saying no get's
through his head.”

“But...”

Mairi cocked her head at her. “Deal?” she asked hand out,
ready to shake.

Ogla stared at her. “You don't know what you're saying
dear, it's just a mistake.”

Mairi snorted. “Yeah right.” She got a nasty thought and
got up suddenly, spilling the pillow to the floor. Her mother reared back in
surprise. “I've got to go check on the bitch.” She turned and rushed out.

As Mairi jogged the corridors she called Savo with her
Bluetooth. Savo yawned on the tiny HUD. “Whatya want?” he asked, baring his
canines. He'd just worked a graveyard and taught a martial arts class. He was
beyond bushed.

“Mom just brought her latest boy toy to our apartment.”

“So?” he asked disinterested.

“So he's got a crew headed to the bitch to tear her apart.
He's a shifty bastard. He tried to get mom to get me to quit and go work for
him. Work for free.”

“Ah. I see,” Savo said, brown eyes narrowing. “I'll be
there in ten.”

“Make it five,” she said, picking up her pace and dodging
around groups in the way. Some stared at her but she kept moving.

“I've got some calls to make. I've got a couple friends in
security that owe me.”

“Good,” Mairi said picking up her pace.

...*...*...*...*...

“Clio!” Savo called through his wireless link. Clio didn't
respond for a moment. He swore, typing in another address and flagging a
distress signal.

“Yes?” Clio asked.

“Security breach at the dock! Lock it down and damn it
record! Record everything and get Derrango there!” Savo said and turned to the
next caller.

“On it,” Clio replied as her connection terminated.

“What's going on?” Petunia asked, rolling over and looking
at him sleepily.

“Trouble, that's what,” Savo said getting up.

...*...*...*...*...

Mairi caught sight of a group of men passing Harif at the
front entrance. She swore, she saw the gold logo of some corporation on the
back of the hind most's coverall. She broke into a run, passing Harif. “What?”
Harif asked, eyes wide.

“Call security dummy! What the hell were you thinking!” she
called rushing forward.

“What the hell do you think you're doing??!” Mairi
shrieked, ready for war. She knew the odds were against her, six to one, and
they were all males. Tough broad shouldered males versus her tiny singular
frame. “Get the hell away from my ship!” she snarled ducking past one and
rushing past them to the hatch to the berth.

Mairi blocked the group of sullen workers trying to get to
her little ship. They waved a work order. She used her own small body to block
the passage. Grimly the workers offered to space her. She felt a thrill of fear
but was lucky security and Harif arrived just as the big broad shouldered tough
nearest her reached for her. Just in time she thought with a sense of relief as
the others nudged the man and he stopped and turned with them. Harif was
confused by the situation, he'd let them pass thinking they were innocent.

Deputy Fife arrived as the two groups devolved into a
shouting match with the 2 security guards between them. Fife took one look and
banged the butt of his pistol on the metal wall, getting everyone's attention.

Savo arrived on the scene and confirmed that they're in
Yard dog space. “Thought so,” Fife said, nodding. “Saw the sign above the
door,” he said, pointing back the way they had come. “Though it could use some
work,” he said.

“We've got our orders,” the foreman of the corporation
said. He pulled out a tablet and flashed their orders. The skeptical deputy
took the tablet and looked it over. As he did so the big fella in charge made a
phone call. He turned, quietly explaining the situation and then hung up. After
a few minutes of wrangling a corporate lawyer named Dreyfus called the deputy
directly. The attorney claimed it was all a big misunderstanding. When Fife
scoffed at that Dreyfus stated a representative was coming to them.

“Misunderstanding my ass. This was planned. It just didn't
go the way you planned,” Savo snarled.

The incident was documented despite prostrations of the
corporation attorney. A Veraxin lawyer showed up to spring the work crew. He
tried to call in an intervention from the station council to call the security
forces off but Yard dogs hammered the rules home. As they argued a media crew
rounded the corner and immediately went to work.

Clio, Savo thought, smiling grimly. She'd even called in
the media, good for her. The news of a small underdog getting screwed by the
big mean corporation would make for good headlines he realized. He nodded when
he recognized the reporter, Toni Chambers, perfect. The girl adjusted her hair
and trench coat and then went to work. She quickly sketched out the situation
and then turned on the scene.

By that time the lights from her hovering camera robot had
been seen by the security officers and corporate flunkies. The lawyer turned
and couldn't quite suppress a chitter of annoyance.

Chapter
6

Savo arranged security around the clock. The chimp brought
a new face into the group, Gord, a hospital security officer interested in
picking up a second paycheck. He was a nice guy, smooth and efficient at his
job. One of the first things they did though was change the locks and instruct
all staff not to let any outsiders into the berth. Clio and another AI now took
turns watching over slip bay and area.

...*...*...*...*...

Clio called in the favor to friends in the media business
that admiral Irons had helped. It's a two day Major story, greed, corruption,
malfeasance... subterfuge...

The McDougall corporation's attempts at ducking the
situation and blowing it off coupled with their pointed 'no comments' only fed
the story, blowing it up into a swarm, but only briefly. To cut the story short
the corporation held a press conference where they promised to pay restitution
for the 'unfortunate misunderstanding'.

But privately Mr. Dreyfus, the senior attorney representing
the industrial giant told the Yard dogs to piss off. He bragged that they had
the court system sown up and there was no way they'd get a credit. Of course
Clio recorded the entire encounter from several angles. Clio acting on the Yard
dogs behalf turned the recording over to media but other events on the planet
preempted them. Their time in the spotlight was over.

“We've made an enemy,” Alice said.

Savo snorted in annoyance. His brown eyes glittered,
looking at the woman. “They've always been the enemy. We've known it. They just
came out into the open about it. No more skulking from the shadows,” he said.

“Well, not so much,” Clio agreed. She'd gone before an
arbitration judge to handle the promised and reneged restitution. The judge had
been ready to toss it until she'd sweetly brought forward the recording of the
Mr. Dreyfus telling Savo to piss off.  He hadn't been at all amused about the
snide way Dreyfus had bragged about court corruption either. He'd ruled in
favor of the Yard Dogs, even piling on a penalty fee and slapped Dreyfus with a
contempt of court charge. Dreyfus had immediately filed an appeal.

Outside the court house both parties had been met by Miss
Chambers and her camera bots. Dreyfus had ducked and waved off her attempts at
engaging in an interview. Savo managed to separate from his group and stay out
of the lime light as the reporter turned on Ralph and Alice.

Alice had smiled and politely answered the girls questions.
Then she'd nodded and taken her husband by the arm to continue on their way.

Later that evening in the bar they turned the news on and
watched. The bar patrons cheered at the ten second spot they got.  Ralph threw
a towel over his shoulder when the story concluded. “And that's that. Who's up
for the game?” he asked, reaching for the wall screen remote.

...*...*...*...*...

A day after the story broke Mairi's mother came back to the
apartment tearful, her rich beau had dumped her coldly with a text message. She
blamed Mairi. Mairi ignored the accusation and further accusation that she
didn't want her mother to be happy. She was disgusted with her mother's
attitude, that everything revolved around her and her happiness. Apparently she
didn't matter? She scowled at her mother whenever they were in the same room
for nearly a week.

The silent treatment lasted about a week before they began
to make small monosyllable comments about this or that. Over the course of a
weekend that grew to casual comments about the news and noises of agreement. On
Monday Olga came back to the apartment swooning over the virtues of 'Azeal'.
Mairi rolled her eyes and ignored it. Apparently everything was back to normal.

...*...*...*...*...

Kennet's play for time kept him out of the light of the
judicial mess Dreyfus had kicked up. He'd managed to keep his own hands out of
it, fortunately Dreyfus hadn't known of his involvement and the corporate heads
were keeping it that way. Of course for a price, one he'd have to pay later. He
hated that, but it had to be done.

At the hearing his attempt at explaining off the charges
and fees as accounting errors were countered. The Veraxin accountant testified,
and he fumed as the judge listened and then ruled. Kennet had indeed tampered
with the document, had charged the Yard Dogs inappropriate fees for work they
did themselves, and then most damning of all, had tried to cover it up and even
lied about it in front of the judge. Kennet stood there, feeling at a loss as
the judge raked him over the coals, fined him and then issued an order for him
to not interfere or interact in the workings of the Yard Dog or it's
interaction with the station ever again... and then informed the junior
councilor he was being recommended to the bar for a hearing on disbarment as
well. All Kennet could do was acknowledge the punishment before the judge
dismissed him like an errant child being sent to his room. He fumed again as he
logged out of the court.

...*...*...*...*...

Governor Randall had a state of the union address a four
months and a week after he took office, on the traditional Landing day holiday.
He was a popular Governor, suave and charming yet strong in a crisis. Already
he'd helped in areas affected by the series of hurricanes that had battered the
eastern coast. His wife was another popular figure, her attention to education
and medicine was inspiring, as was her compassion for those in need. Images of
her helping others or touring medical facilities or schools were in the papers
and on the news weekly.

Randall however was the true power and everyone knew it. In
the address he vowed to increase the system's industrial capacity and to find
ways to encourage companies to hire additional people to offset the lost jobs
on the planet. “What lost jobs?” Ralph demanded. He was shushed by the other
patrons.

“In conclusion I am proposing a tax break for all
manufacturing and industrial companies, up to 100 percent if they add
additional hires to go with any industrial equipment they purchase.” That
brought a cheer in the bar. A drunken patron asked for drinks on the house.
Ralph tossed a wet towel over the expectant man's head.

The Governor moved on to talk about education and medicine
before he came back to a topic of interest. He proposed a tax on companies
playing the resource markets causing inflation. “I know everyone has a right to
make a living, and everyone wants to make a profit, but not at the expense of
the economy in general and the targeted destruction of a particular company.
This must stop. I am directing the attorney general to begin investigations
into such practices. If you do not belong in such a field I suggest you get out
of it. You wouldn't like a manufacturing concern playing with medicine would
you? No? Stay in your own field,” he chided.

“That won't go over well,” Ralph muttered. Alice nodded,
crossing her arms.

“I think that's about all the help we're going to get outta
him,” she murmured. Ralph hugged her to his side and rubbed her bicep gently.
She rested her head against him for a brief moment.

...*...*...*...*...

When the tax haven went though many companies took on new
hires. The station had a job fair, with many people flying up to attend. The
shuttles were swamped with people wanting to come to the station, which was a
problem since two of the long range shuttles were down due to maintenance
concerns. Unfortunately the station didn't have replacements, nor replacement
parts at the time. They were backlogged according to the news.  The
corporations had flooded the station's industry with requests for equipment, trading
hoarded material to get it or get priority over other companies and interests.
It was a mess. Unfortunately Taylor and Rasha were neck deep in it trying to
sort it out with the rest of the council. They couldn't admit to the others on
the council that the Yard Dogs could solve the problem without breaching the
confidentiality of the business.

Still the dogs lucked out. They picked up some new hires, 2
more people that had been turned away by the other companies. But both of the
people were totally green with no space experience.

Kaira was one, but she wasn't just off the boat, she was an
old hand on the station who had it out with her super and quit before she could
be fired. She was a fiery red head with flashing green eyes and a spitfire
attitude. She didn't take guff from anyone and was eager to prove a woman was
just as good as any chauvinistic male. She wanted to space walk in the worst
way but had never suited up. She'd signed on as a rigger until they could get
the factory modules up and pressurized.

Petunia reluctantly took them on and started suit training
them. Getting them suits and equipment was another expense, fortunately ones
they had planned on. They also didn't have to wait for the suits, they had
their own replicators that could make them.

Mairi kept bringing in rock chunks daily to supply their
growing needs. After her fourth trip they replicated a kick motor to help her
bring in larger loads.  They also replicated several beacons when Kennet
started a drive to seize all the rocks around the station not already tagged.
Anything over the size of a meter was tagged in a 72 hour spree. Tugs jostled
each other to get in and place their markers. The Dogs didn't care about the
content as much as making sure they weren't shut out. The molecular furnaces
could break down rock if needed.