Starhawk (38 page)

DRAKE PEIFER, IN
the
Baumbachner
, needed another two days to get back to the Wheel. Priscilla had just finished conducting a tour and was on her way to her office when she received a call from Morgan White.
“They'll be here in about thirty minutes,”
he said.
“We thought you might like to come down and be the comm op who brings the
m in.
”

She needed a boost. “Yes. Absolutely, Morgan. Should I dress for the occasion?”

“Just come as you are, beautiful. We'll have champagne for the occasion.”

She called Frank's office and left a message letting him know where she was going. But he and Patricia were already at the operations center when she arrived. And, as usually happens when a ship comes in, a crowd of sightseers had shown up. Appropriately enough, Yoshie was the op on duty, but she got up and gave her seat to Priscilla. “Live mike,” she said.

“
Starhawk
,” she said. “Get ready to turn control over to us.”

Drake laughed.
“Hi, Priscilla. Ready when you are.”

“How'd you know it was me?”

“Who else calls this happy wreck
Starhawk
?”

“I'll drink to that,” said Morgan, looking at the champagne.

She pushed a white pad, and the launch doors began to open. The
Baumbachner
was visible on one of her screens, silhouetted against a full moon. She relayed the ship's ID information. “Okay, Drake,” she said, “we'll take it.”

“All yours, Ops,”
said Drake.

An amber lamp blinked on. He'd relinquished control. She transferred it over to the AI. And they watched as the ship made its final approach, slowed, and eased into the bay. All engines shut down, and it floated directly to delta dock, where the magnets took hold and locked it in place. An access tube reached out to it and connected with the air lock. Then, after a few seconds, the hatch opened, and they came out, Denise and Mary, Tony, Brandon, Samantha, and, finally, Drake.

They exited the tube, and everybody applauded. There were smiles, embraces, and laughter all around. Drake came over to Priscilla. “Good show, Hutch,” he said. “I think you have a new career, if you want one.” He saw people headed for the champagne and joined them.

“You know,” said Denise, “you enjoy referring to
that
”—she indicated the
Baumbachner
—“as the
Starhawk
. But
you're
the starhawk. You and Drake and Preacher and Easy and the rest of them. And Jake—”

Morgan popped the cork.

ALICIA TOOK THE
pass and flipped it to Dani, who drove for the basket. The defense closed on her, and she went for the jump. Somebody hit her arm, the ball popped into the air, and a whistle blew. “Personal foul, number eleven,” said the referee. “Two shots.”

The crowd began waving and clapping to encourage Dani as she stepped to the foul line. It was still early, only a few minutes into the second quarter with the Hawks down one.

Alicia took her position behind the circle, where it would be her job to make sure that if the Explorers got the ball, they wouldn't be able to charge down court and make an easy basket.

Dani made the first toss. Tie score, and the crowd applauded. The referee handed it back to Dani. Then the Explorers' coach called time-out. His team strolled back to the bench and huddled.

While she waited, Alicia looked around at the spectators. She hadn't realized how much it had meant to her when Jake was sitting up there with them, usually near midcourt. He always came early and usually got one of the seats behind the Hawks' bench. That had been a good time. She hadn't realized how much it had meant to her until suddenly he wasn't there anymore.

She didn't even know whether he'd received her last message, the one she'd sent when she saw that the
Venture
had returned from that Orfano place.
“When you get a chance, let's talk.”
Marvelous.

She'd gotten in the habit, when they played at home, of surveying the stands. Of pretending that he might show up. That they might get one more evening together.
We never really appreciate what we have until it gets lost.

Then the Explorers were jogging back to their positions. When they were in place, the referee blew his whistle and handed the ball to Dani. In that moment, just before Alicia's attention went back to the game, she saw a familiar face.

Not Jake's, of course.

She wasn't sure until, as she backed up on defense after a Hawks' field goal, she had time to look again. Six rows down from the top, near the center of the stands. An attractive woman with black hair. It was Priscilla Hutchins.

Their eyes met. Priscilla smiled and raised a hand. Alicia responded.

 * * * 

AT HALFTIME, PRISCILLA
descended to court level. “It's really nice of you to come by, Priscilla,” she said. “You don't live in this area, do you?”

“No.” She laughed. “I'm from Jersey.” They stood facing each other for a few moments. “I wanted to tell you how sorry I am about what happened to Jake.”

“Thank you,” she said. “I miss him.”

“I have a message for you.”

 * * * 

WHEN THE GAME
was over, Alicia and Hutch went to the Roundhouse. Hutch didn't really care about the outcome of the game, and Alicia had already forgotten it.

 * * * 

NEWSDESK

November 6, 2196

MCGRUDER SWEEPS TO VICTORY

Wins 52 States

 * * * 

THE WASHINGTON POST
EDITORIAL

Norman's campaign went underwater after his effort to paint McGruder's leaving the
Thompson
during the space-station incident as “a political stunt.”

—November 7, 2196