Dark Vengeance (8 page)

Chapter 5

When the artificial window again began glowing orange from its rising sun, we joined back up at the medical facility. The coast was clear so we rode the lift up to the flight deck and from the balcony entered what appeared to be a ready room. There were several chairs facing a large screen on the wall and tables on each side with display surfaces.  On the right, a door led to a curving hallway that accessed a number of rooms that were probably living quarters. On the left, a very serious looking set of gray metallic sliding doors was closed. Some form of complex hand scanner was on the wall next to it. As we continued to look, the doors slid open to reveal a small airlock-type of chamber with a display screen and more controls. The opposite wall was another set of the same gray sliding doors. They suddenly popped open and Captain Mars emerged from a dimly lit red-light room dense with a million different colored controls and indicators. We could only make out a small portion but it was obviously the flight deck.

Mars motioned to chairs by the display tables. “Let’s sit for just a moment, shall we?” he suggested. We nodded and complied.

“I don’t really have anything new, but we are set up for extended surveillance. I suppose it will be wait-and-see for awhile,” said the Captain.

“We’ll spend our time trying to appear as proper tourists, but we’ll be keeping a close eye out,” answered R.J.

“Perhaps a small concealed weapon for both of you would be appropriate.”

“It’s doubtful it will come to that, but if the situation arose, that might be a good thing,” replied R.J.

  “Has security noticed anyone that has broken their normal routine, even in a small way, since the crime?” I asked.

“Nothing that we’ve seen so far, Mr. Tarn. We’re even using the ship’s biometric sensors and there have been no telltale anomalies picked up on anyone, either. I’m having a secure channel set up for the three of us to communicate. My staff will be bringing you both special wrist-coms. I’m really too busy to talk now, but please contact me if you notice anything at all.”

The Captain gave us a somber nod and excused himself back to the flight deck. R.J. and I rode the lift back down to begin the day’s charade of happy times on a luxurious cruise.

In the gym, the Golian was already working out. Body heat from the workout seemed to make the ridge down the center of his face more pronounced. The large upturned eyes appraised me as I passed. I gave my usual nod, got one in return, and saddled up with my favorite machine. Thirty minutes later the sweat was again dominating the cold air. I put in another twenty in a running room and hit the wet showers. I hoped the brown cargo pants and tan collared work shirt would make me look less threatening to strangers. More often than not it is the clothes others react to, not the person wearing them. Jack the Ripper was said to be very well dressed. On my way out, the Golian had just finished up and was closing his workout bag. I took a chance, being careful not to offer a hand to some unexpected and undesirable greeting custom.

“We seem to have some things in common. I’m sorry, the guest list did not include a name for you,” I said, ready to step back quickly, if necessary.

He straightened up and did not seem taken back by my forwardness. He gave me a momentary check-over like a fighter watching for clues. “I am Ambassador Ian Athos, Captain Tarn. Glad to formally meet you. May I be of some assistance?”

“We seem to share an appreciation of some of the things Star Seven has to offer, Ambassador. Can I interest you in a drink next door?”

“A fine offer from another warrior class individual. Yes, we should compare notes on the fine art of distillation.”

I laughed. He seemed pleased. We crossed the concourse and took seats at a table near the bar. Off duty staff members dressed in gloriously colorful skin-tight outfits were the only other patrons. They were speaking in low tones and glancing our way trying to be inconspicuous but failing at that. Athos signaled the man behind the bar and gave a two-finger sign. The bartender nodded.

“Not a typical voyage wouldn’t you say, Captain?”

“You mean the incident in security? Yes. It is troubling.”

“The security officer apparently made his mark. I salute and envy him.”

“You envy him, Ambassador?”

“He died in combat, Captain Tarn, defending others. Is there a more noble way to leave this experience? Will you or I do as well?”

“Perhaps, if we live long enough.”

Athos laughed. It sounded like an interrupted cough. “Would you prefer to go out as an old man in bed with his children gathered around him weeping, then?”

“Well, now that you put it that way…”

Athos laughed again, longer this time. “Captain Tarn! I find I do like you. You attempt to reflect a conventional philosophy while at the same time agreeing with me completely. You must be quite a negotiator!”

“I have many scars, Ambassador, which show my negotiating abilities to be somewhat lacking.”

“No, no, no, Captain. You are sitting here with me about to enjoy a fine Golian wine. You are here because on all those occasions your negotiating talents were greater than those debating you.”

I laughed. “Ambassador, now you’re doing it.”

We both laughed. Athos said, “Yes, it is a talent the best of warriors invariably develop. The ability to say one thing and mean another. It comes from too many attempts at trying to avoid bloodshed. Too many attempts that failed.”

“Tell me, Ambassador, what have you heard about what happened in security?”

“Probably less than you, I suspect. I only know that the security officer, despite his smaller size, was able to kill a thief before dying from his own wounds. Between you and I, from one warrior to another, I suspect there is much more to the story.”

“Why do you say that?”

“How could a smaller, badly wounded man gain enough tactical advantage to shoot his assailant after having lost the initial engagement?”

“Ambassador, you seem to have a great deal of knowledge of tactics not related to an ambassadorship.”

Athos smiled with one side of his thin mouth. “In some case, the affairs of an ambassador can be very dangerous, Captain. In those cases, the Golian high council is very cautious about sending a representative not easily interfered with.”

The bartender approached and placed our drinks in front of us. Athos nodded to him and waved him away. He held up his glass of semi-clear liquid that looked like it had a circle of sunlight in the center of it. We toasted and drank. It was a heavenly wine just as he had suggested.

He continued. “So it is my turn, Captain. Do you know more than I concerning the unfortunate occurrence in security?”

This was the point in the conversation I secretly had been working toward. I was now free to suggest the third person scenario to him to see if there was any telling reaction, or I could just add a tiny bit of spice to the story and watch how it played out. “I did hear that the security officer managed to get off three shots before he died.”

“Ah, how admirable. How much would you wager that the man refused to die without first stopping his assailant, Captain? I would bet that it was his last shot that hit the target and only then did he succumb, knowing he had stopped a criminal from harming anyone else.”

“You may be right.”

“Well, Captain, I must say I have enjoyed your company. Please, let us do this again, perhaps regularly. You are the first person aboard whose conversation I find I enjoy. But, I must return to my room to check on communiqués from the Golian home world.”

“Bad news on that, Ambassador. I’ve heard that subspace communications are down. No word on when they’ll be restored.”

“Well, I must check to see if any arrived before the outage. I’ll see you again, Captain.”

“I look forward to it, Ambassador.”

He grabbed his gym bag and headed out. The bartender paused from counter polishing to watch him leave. The off-duty staff continued their nervous glances.

Carryall in hand, I took the time to stroll the concourse hoping to spot anyone else high on the suspect list. Fantasia was on duty at the service desk. When she spotted me, she paused to see if I was incoming then waved and smiled again as I passed by. The medical center had two staff members in the waiting area but no one else.

On the way back to my quarters, I lucked out. The Crystal sisters were lounging at the pool. I waltzed casually in, looking around as though searching for someone I knew. A merry call from one of them drew me to poolside. “The water is simply marvelous, are you coming in?” The sister who had spoken was in the water hanging on to the opposite side, talking to her counterpart, who was stretched out on a transparent lounge chair that looked like it was constructed of Plexiglas except it flexed and moved like cloth as she changed position. The two of them wore one-piece flesh tone body suits that covered most of the torso but concealed so little it made you wonder why they had bothered to wear anything at all. They were both strikingly well endowed and immaculately sculptured. I crouched down and smiled and waved.

“We were just talking about what happened yesterday. Isn’t it awful?” added the first sister.

Upon hearing the first sister’s exaggerated exclamations I immediately assumed my best imitation of the incredulous tone any fourteen-year-old earthling would use. “Oh my god, yes! How gross was that?”

The sister in the water continued, “I’m Areanna. This is my sister Dennara. We’re on our way to Enuro to perform. What’s your name?”

“I’m Adrian. Very glad to make your acquaintances. Did either of you actually see what happened yesterday?”

Dennara pushed up on one elbow in her lounge seat. “No, but we went down there right after it happened. It was terrible to see. They took the dead people out right past us. One was a Sentian man, an ambassador I think.”

“Yes, and he was a very handsome man. It made me wish I had known him,” added Areanna.

“And a security person was killed also, I heard,” I said.

“Yes, one of those small service people. It’s such a shame,” said Dennara. “They are so cute.”

“You know I’ve heard the Sentians can pass through solid walls and when they make love they can actually reach in you and touch your heart. It’s supposed to be really, really amazing,” said Areanna dreamily and she stroked the water with one hand to keep her position.

“Sounds like the last Artinian I went out with,” replied Dennara, and the two fought to stifle their laughter.

“Well, are you coming in or not?” demanded Areanna. “You’re quite the male of the species, aren’t you?”

“I’ll go see if I can find my suit. We earthlings are quite shy, you know.”

“We have remedies for that. You should hurry back,” laughed Dennara.

They had told me everything I needed to know. There was so little depth to either of them I doubted they had a single real secret between them. Could they have been in partnership with the Sentian and eliminated him when the time was right? I doubted either could construct that detailed a plan. They were of the elemental group. The only things important to them were the opportunities available right now and those they were wishing for next. Their beauty and sensuality had allowed them to give no thought to tomorrow. Tomorrow would be provided for by the next army of admirers. All they need do is choose one that could best deliver their immediate whims and desires. They had nothing whatsoever to feel bad about since nothing was particularly meaningful to them. Tomorrow would present another wonderful array of choices to be chosen from.

As I left the swim zone, I spotted R.J. in the lounge seated at a table with Ambassador Beltran, the only man I’d ever seen who might someday be able to compete with Jabba the Hut for total body mass. He had to sit in an armless chair with his doughy hips drooping quite considerably over the sides, his fat pole-like legs only useful in preventing the inevitable slide downward. R.J. was listening intently to the Ambassador and when he noticed me he managed a tiny shake of the head that signaled, “Don’t interrupt.” I smiled and headed on to my stateroom.

It took 30 minutes to get the food service panel to deliver a perfect blend of coffee. I was just delighting in the first sip when R.J. entered through the adjoining door. He eyed the coffee, and gave me a questioning stare.

“Oh, it’s spectacular. Maybe the best mix I’ve ever accidentally made.”

He went to the dispenser in the wall, order what I had just ordered, and took the resulting steaming mug quickly to his lips for a taste test. He raised his eyebrows and nodded congratulations, then sat across from me at the information desk.

“So did you get anything out of Jabba the Hut?”

“I have a Tolien chess match with him tonight. I’ll take the rest of the day to learn it, then I’ll let him win in such a way that he thinks he’s a genius who just beat a grandmaster and has to be humble about it.”

“Where is he on our list of suspects?”

“Well, obviously he will never qualify for Special Forces, but he travels with a body guard who fits the bill quite nicely. We’ve seen the ambassador walking alone out there, what we didn’t know was that the body guard is somewhere nearby watching at all times. It allows the ambassador to give the impression he’s not afraid of anyone or anything.”