The Tracker's Dilemma: (A Mandrake Company Science Fiction Romance) (4 page)

She would have to give A27—Tick—an updated IQ test the next time he was in her lab. Nothing of his present speech suggested intellectual leaps, but the other subjects she had tested had improved in both quantitative and verbal areas after the fourth week. Of course, the mercenaries were far more excited by improvements in the gym than in their brains.

“My parents and brothers were all back on Grenavine when our world was destroyed,” Tick said, and she realized he’d been burbling on and she had forgotten to pay attention. “Hard as it seems, I do miss them. Didn’t appreciate them much when we were all alive, since they were mostly ass—unpleasant to me, but there were some fun moments. My sister is still alive, out chasing criminals or whatever she’s doing now, but we don’t get together much. It can get depressing when you don’t have anyone left.” He gave her a look, which she interpreted as nostalgia. Or loneliness.

Lauren experienced loneliness from time to time, especially in the evenings when Ankari and her other business partner, Jamie, were spending time with the mates they had selected on the ship, but she easily distracted herself with her research. Loneliness seemed such a weakness that she hated to acknowledge it. Surely, the great researchers of the past hadn’t wasted their time pursuing companionship when there was so much to be discovered, so much to be done that could improve the human existence.

A bleep came from a panel by the door.

“The shuttle bay is pressurized.” Mandrake nodded toward the door.

It opened, and he walked through with Ankari following behind him. Reluctantly, Lauren started after them, mentally bracing herself to deal with her younger sister. They had been best friends as children, only two years apart in age, with neither of them having anyone else to cling to when their parents died. But Hailey had turned into a vapid teenager with vapid passions. Adulthood hadn’t changed her much.

“Ah, Doc?” Tick asked, surprising Lauren by following her into the shuttle bay. “I wanted to—I mean, I know I said I was fine the other day, but the captain checked up on me, and, er, he suggested—actually, it was more of an order—that I report some stuff to you.”

“Have you experienced interesting physiological changes?” Lauren stopped, her curiosity piqued.

“You might say that. I, uhm… Can I come to your lab later? I’m not sure this is the place to discuss… things.”

His gaze shifted past her shoulder to where the shuttle pilot was strolling out of the hatchway, a giant grin on his face. A13, Lieutenant Frog. He had been one of her first subjects. Lauren wondered if his grin implied that he had experienced improved piloting skills while picking up Hailey from the space station.

“I got kissed,” Frog announced, his grin broadening even further as he reached the captain and Ankari.

Ah. Improved piloting skills were not likely the source of that enthusiasm then. Lauren couldn’t be surprised, not with Hailey’s reputation for libidinous activity, though she was perplexed that Hailey had chosen some mercenary with braids of hair that hung to his butt for a carnal encounter. Typically, she used her wiles to woo professors, board members, and those who could sign off on funding for her ridiculous experiments or otherwise assist with her career goals.

A robot rolled out of the hatchway and down the ramp, carrying several boxes.

Ankari looked at it and then at Frog. “By a person, or...?”

Frog glanced at the robot, then snorted. “By Dr. Hailey. If I hadn’t been busy piloting, we could have done more than kiss. She is an enthusiastic woman.” Frog turned his grin on Lauren. “You two are truly related? That’s amazing.”

Sensing that she was being teased, or soon would be, Lauren looked coolly at him. “She did not finish graduate school and is
not
a doctor. If she told you to call her that, it means her delusions have progressed further since we last met. She barely finished—”

“Lo!” came a cheerful cry from the shuttle’s hatchway.

Lauren winced.

Hailey Keys ambled down the ramp after the robot, wearing a skirt that hugged her thighs like sausage casing and a tight blouse that made it look like her breasts would burst free at any moment. Her dark brown hair tumbled about her shoulders and down the back of the white lab coat she wore, as if she were a real scientist. As if anyone would look at her and think respectable science thoughts.

Frog gazed at Hailey in rapture as she sashayed toward them. Captain Mandrake wore more of a suspicious expression, but even his gaze lingered on Hailey’s attributes until Ankari nudged him with her elbow. Lauren expected Tick to drool every bit as much as Frog, but he only glanced at Hailey before looking back to Lauren. He must truly have some concern on his mind. She hoped that nothing was wrong. So far, the results from her experiments had been overwhelmingly positive with few negative side effects reported, but she knew better than to expect that further refinements wouldn’t be required. Tinkering with nature always had its dangers.

“It’s so good to see you, Lo,” Hailey said, stopping in front of the group.

She flung her arms around Lauren’s shoulders before Lauren could think to step back—or duck. It was just as well. She had often been informed that resisting physical contact was insulting and that hugs from friends and family members should be endured, whether they were appreciated or not. Their mother had been like Lauren, not quick to share emotions and inflict touching on people, but their father had been more of a hugger. Instead of the wonderful intellectual qualities Hailey could have taken from him, she had chosen hugging. Odious.

“Hailey,” Lauren said. She couldn’t bring herself to utter the trite “It’s good to see you” greeting, but she managed a “It’s good that you’ve arrived safely,” which seemed in the same spirit.

Hailey’s smile was knowing—they had lived together in the orphanage until they had gone away to the same university, so her sister knew her opinions on most things, including social conventions. Too bad that didn’t equate to her forgoing hugs and needless sharing.

“You must be Captain Mandrake.” Hailey looked at him, but also glanced at Ankari, who was standing quite close to him. Thankfully, Hailey did not try to hug him. She offered a hand as she smiled over at Frog. “I’ve already met Lieutenant Frog.”

Frog winked at her as Mandrake accepted Hailey’s grip. While they were still shaking hands, her gaze drifted over to Tick, and she gave him a long look up and down, the corners of her lips curving upward in appreciation.

“And who is that handsome fellow?” Hailey asked, lowering her hand.

Lauren knew that Tick had an admirable physique—she wouldn’t have accepted substandard specimens, after all—but she saw no reason for the way Hailey’s gaze lingered, nor for the long look she gave his crotch. Surely, that wasn’t a socially acceptable convention, especially in the company of strangers.

“That’s Sergeant Tick,” Ankari said.

Tick noticed Hailey’s probing gaze, and he scratched his head, his expression somewhere between flustered and bemused.

For some inexplicable reason, Lauren had an urge to step in front of him, to block Hailey’s appraisal. A27 was
her
specimen. Lauren knew Hailey hoped to run tests on some of her people—showing a complete disinterest in this had done nothing to convince Hailey to forgo this visit—but that was
not
going to happen, not for the ridiculous research
she
did.

“Tick?” Hailey asked. “That’s an unflattering name for such an appealing face. Is it because when you’re in bed with a woman, you hang onto her until she’s completely satisfied?”

“Uh.” Tick glanced at Lauren. “Sure, ma’am. We can go with that.”

“Tick is our tracker,” Mandrake said.

“Yes, ma’am,” Tick said. “I also follow after enemies, sticking to ’em like a tick sticks to a hound, until the
captain
is completely satisfied.”

“Hm, if all of the mercenaries are like you two men—” Hailey, perhaps having noticed Frog’s frown at the attention she had given Tick, reached out to squeeze his biceps, “—then I am most excited to travel with you.”

“I’m sure,” Ankari murmured.

Lauren wondered if her prediction that Ankari would dislike Hailey was coming true.

“Yes, about that,” Mandrake said, “what exactly is the nature of the mission? Ankari mentioned you wanted an escort for a research expedition that could turn dangerous, and that you’re willing to pay well.”

Lauren snorted. “More likely, she wants an escort that just happens to have crew members who are undergoing my experiments.”

Hailey gave her an edged smile. Mandrake frowned at Lauren, then at Hailey, then finally at Ankari.

“What exactly is going on?” Ankari asked, frowning herself now.

“I
do
need an escort,” Hailey said, “to Sturm to be precise. I also need help finding a group of people on the moon who seem to prefer not being found. I understand the jungle there has some dangerous predators.”

Lauren shuddered, vividly remembering the velociraptor-like creatures that had tried to eat her, Jamie, and Ankari when they had been marooned on the moon. She had no wish to return.

“And,” Hailey went on, “I’ll admit it’s also true that I’m hoping Lo will give me access to her research and some samples of the strains of ancient alien microflora that she’s created.”

“For what purpose?” Ankari asked. “You didn’t actually mention what kind of research you do, Dr. Keys.”

“Ms. Keys,” Lauren corrected.

Hailey flicked her fingers in lazy acknowledgment. “I specialize in extrasensory perception,” she told Ankari proudly, as if her studies weren’t a bunch of woo woo nonsense.

“ESP?” Tick asked, his voice oddly squeaky.

“Indeed so. In addition to hoping to get a few samples of her microflora strains, I wouldn’t mind gaining some access to Lo’s specimens so I can run some tests on the way to Sturm. I saw some interesting activity on the brain scans she uploaded to her account, and I can’t wait to see if my hypotheses are correct. And eventually, I hope to inoculate my own Grenavinians. I’m prepared to pay handsomely.” Hailey nodded at Ankari, probably knowing that she ran the business and handled financial matters. As if Lauren would give up her proprietary blend of microbiota for any amount of money.

“Grenavinians?” Tick asked, his voice still squeaky. He looked around, as if he needed something to lean against.

“I see,” Ankari murmured, giving Lauren a look that she didn’t know how to interpret.

All Mandrake did was sigh. “Let me gather some people, and we’ll meet in the conference room in an hour, Ms. Keys. You can tell us more about what you need, and we’ll discuss finances and logistics.”

“That will be most acceptable, Captain. Perhaps the strapping Lieutenant Frog can show me to a room on the way?” Hailey snapped her fingers at the robot holding her luggage, then led it and the cheerful Frog toward the door.

“It is possible I dislike her already,” Ankari muttered.

Mandrake sighed again and nudged Ankari. “Is it wrong of me to wish that Farley had spoken honestly and that someone
did
want to hire us for a war?”

“I’m not sure yet,” Ankari said. “Lauren, ESP?”

“Complete piffle.” Lauren sniffed. “I will take no responsibility if you insist on trailing along after her. I have no idea what Grenavinians she hopes to find on that awful moon full of those awful raptors—” Lauren shuddered again at the horrible memory of that night in the storm, “—but I most certainly will not be going down there with you, and I will
not
be providing her with my microflora. I don’t care what she offers to pay.”

Lauren strode from the room, barely noting the oddly stunned expression that Tick still wore. She was annoyed with Hailey’s presence here and even more annoyed that she wanted to involve the company with her ridiculous research. Sturm! Who in their right mind would go there? She fully intended to lock herself in her lab for the next month and ignore Hailey, ignore this mission, and keep the door locked if anybody tried to disturb her.

Chapter 3

Tick hurried after Lauren—she had disappeared quickly, striding briskly from the shuttle bay. The captain had already informed him that he was wanted in the conference room for the meeting, but he’d also said they had an hour before that started. Now more than ever, Tick wanted answers to his questions. He should have asked them days earlier, when Lauren had been asking him about side effects, but he hadn’t had any more strange visions since then, so he’d thought it all might have been a fluke. No need to report flukes, right?

Unfortunately, the captain hadn’t seen it that way. And after listening to Hailey speak vaguely about Grenavinians and ESP, he knew he couldn’t keep this to himself.

He had his tablet open, reading entries on extrasensory perception as he strode through the corridors toward her lab. The network encyclopedia talked about card tricks and babbled about precognition, clairvoyance, psychokinesis, and other terms Tick had only read about in books. In
fiction
.

When he reached Lauren’s lab, he forced himself to knock on the door instead of bursting in and demanding explanations. It was difficult. A feeling of panic rode behind his breastbone, refusing to go away. What was special about Grenavinians? Aside from the fact that they had green eyes and their parents had insisted on cursing their children by naming them after plants? And that their—his—planet had been destroyed by the government a decade earlier, he thought grimly. But that wouldn’t account for any strange mental quirks, surely. He had been billions of miles away from his planet when that had happened.

Tick knocked again—there hadn’t been an answer.

The door slid open, accompanied by an exasperated, “What? I told you, you’re not getting any of my specimens.”

Tick walked in, not daunted by Lauren’s exasperation, assuming it wasn’t for him. “Not looking for any specimens, ma’am. Just needing to report some… oddness.”

Lauren had been standing at a lab bench, her station fenced in by all manner of microscopes and computerized equipment that Tick couldn’t identify. As soon as he spoke, she turned and said, “Oh.” A moment later, she added, “I thought you were my sister.”