Tin Star (22 page)

We ate food and we laughed. If I hadn’t known that there were too many layers to the evening, I could have called it somewhat pleasant.

Els was calm. She nodded at me over and over again, as though she thought everything was going well. The poisoning was taking longer than I expected.

But soon enough Reza could not stop staring out the sphere window. He was deep into a third jert juice. And Caleb was staring at his hands. They were sweaty. Caleb’s eyes were glassy and hard. At last I could see that the poison was beginning to take effect. I told the waitress to bring a bottle of low water. The water would help them when they woke up.

Part of me wished that Tournour would show up and nod to me that everything was going fine. I was so worried that I was going to fail. But he didn’t. I had my part. He had his. I swallowed hard. I had to complete the plan.

I was in over my head. I could see that now.

And what if I was wrong?

I was playing with so many lives. We could all die and Brother Blue could walk away. That focused me back to the matter at hand. I could not fail.

Caleb’s breathing began to be labored. It would soon be time to take them elsewhere.

The stars transfixed Reza.

“Can’t see the sun,” he said. “Can’t see it.”

I wanted to take his hand, tell him that it would be all right. I wanted to kiss his cheek. I wanted to crawl into his arms. I wanted to tell him how sorry I was that I wouldn’t be going with him.

He turned his eyes on me. They were a deep brown like mud. They were bloodshot from the drink and from the poison now taking effect. Was his reaction normal? Had he been given enough? Too much? The waitress returned with the water, and I encouraged them both to drink it.

“You don’t look well,” Els said. “You should go lie down.”

Els helped Reza, and it was up to me to guide Caleb.

He stumbled, and I held him up.

Reza and Caleb were slipping further and further away. I wondered if they would feel pain. The doctor had said the process of their systems slowing down would be uncomfortable.

Els suggested walking them all over the station until the boys were confused and did not know where they were. I agreed because I didn’t want her to notice any care on my part.

Els was whispering to Reza. And then she pushed him and he wandered away, stumbling down a corridor. I had told her to dump Reza, and then we would separate. I told her she should make her way back to the entertainments deck and sit there for two hours and make sure that she was seen. I had my own alibi to create.

I turned to Caleb.

“I’m uncomfortable,” he said. “I feel rotten.”

“You should go back to your bin and lie down.”

“Yes, that’s a good idea.” Then he smiled at me.

“Saving the galaxy, to get my girl.”

“Yes,” I said.

“When do we leave?” he asked.

“Soon. You’ll be down for nine more hours, and then we’ll be gone. The passes will be waiting for you when you wake up. There’s a ship headed to the Outer Rim a few hours after that.”

“Thank you, Tula,” he said. “I knew from the moment that I met you that you’d get me off of this station.”

He turned and stumbled away. I watched him. He did not make it far before he staggered and fell.

I knew that his heart was slowing and stopping. I knew that his muscles were tightening. I hoped that the pain of it was quick. I unrooted myself from my place and ran to the arboretum. I felt like I’d plunged a knife into my own heart.

I went to my favorite tree and curled myself at its base. I hugged the tree and sobbed. I let the bark press into my skin. The pain of it helped me to feel better. I hoped I had done the right thing.

In the morning, Thado awoke me. It was not the first time that he’d found me here asleep. He said nothing. He handed me a fruit and went about his business. He would be my alibi, and I would owe him.

34

It didn’t take long for the boys to be discovered.

Els acted the part of hysterical girl brilliantly.

“But what happened! What happened!” she wailed.

She was clutching on to me in Tournour’s office. He handed her a piece of cloth to wipe her eyes and blow her nose.

“It seems as though the boys had a night of hard drinking,” Tournour said. He was looking at me when he said it.

“What will I do?” she screamed.

“It’s hard to know what effect some of the more exotic drinks will have on a physiology,” he said.

“I feel I’m responsible,” I said.

Els shot me a look as though she thought I were going to confess to the poisoning.

“It’s a shame they didn’t ask you,” Tournour said. “But that doesn’t make you responsible.”

She looked relieved.

“I feel guilty,” I said.

“Nonsense,” Tournour said.

“Did you want to have a memorial? Or can we just recycle the bodies?” Tournour asked. “I wasn’t sure what kind of arrangements you Humans have.”

“No!” Els yelled. “We have customs. We have rites we need to perform.”

“Tell me what needs to be done,” Tournour said.

“We need to have a viewing,” I said.

“We’ll help you make the arrangements,” Tournour said looking at his datapad typing away. “But there is no room in Docking Bay 8 right now. We’ve had an overflow of travelers from that last Imperium ship. But we can set something up in Docking Bay 12 immediately.”

“Thank you,” Els said. She got up to leave. I stayed seated. “Tula, aren’t you joining me?”

Docking Bay 12. I couldn’t bear going back there.

“In a moment,” I said. “I have business to finish.”

The door clicked shut. I knew that she would tell Ven Dar where the bodies could be seen.

“Docking Bay 12?” I said to Tournour. “Can’t you make it somewhere else?”

“Don’t let a place define you,” he said. “That was your past. Now let it be your future.”

Then he clicked his communiquer and gave direction for the bodies to be moved to Docking Bay 12.

35

Back to the beginning.

The last place in the galaxy that I wanted to go to was the hangar at Docking Bay 12 to meet with Ven Dar and Brother Blue.

No one was there except for the boys. They were lying in cryocrates. I put my hands on the glass tops. They looked almost peaceful.

I was glad to be alone in Docking Bay 12 to make my peace with the place before I saw Brother Blue face-to-face. I’d been preparing myself for this moment for as long as I could remember. As soon as he arrived I would confront him and I would kill him. I couldn’t wait a moment longer. It would throw everything out of balance, but I didn’t care. He would be dead.

I headed to the anteroom, a pilgrimage to where I had begun on this station. I noticed a crate in there, ready to be shipped with the word Trevor on its side. Even though he was boxed up, I was glad that my robot confessor was there with me in this difficult moment, just as he’d been there for me before. I could hear Brother Blue and Ven Dar talking as they arrived in the docking bay. Just hearing Brother Blue’s voice made me shake. They did not see me in the dark corner. And to my surprise, instead of going to him and confronting him immediately, I crouched behind the crate that held Trevor.

Perhaps I was a coward.

No.

I would wait until Els arrived before showing myself. That was it, I thought. I just had to be patient.

Brother Blue’s voice was so smooth and mellifluous when it poured out of his mouth. Most people would think that the tone was sweet. But to me, it was something awful. I began to shake even harder.

“So this girl, Els, who’s been passing you the information, has a relationship with a Human that has been on this station since the
Prairie Rose
crashed?” Brother Blue asked.

“Yes, Brother Blue,” Ven Dar said.

“I thought there were no Humans on this station. The records say there are no Humans on this station,” Brother Blue said.

“Well, technically they say that, but apparently this one girl was left behind from a colony ship that was destroyed. No one claimed her. She was considered dead along with the others.”

“The
Prairie Rose
.”

“Yes,” Ven Dar said. “That’s why I’ve been asking about it. It seemed only logical to help get the information that they sought to smooth any suspicions she might have.”

“And you’ve seen this girl with your eyes?” Brother Blue asked.

“I have not spoken to the colonist in person. But I’ve seen her from afar. The two girls are quite thick. The colonist helped to eliminate the two rebels.”

“So the boys are dead?”

“Yes.”

“How unfortunate for them. May their souls rest in peace. I will need to see the bodies.”

“That’s why we’re here.” Ven Dar said. I watched them as they walked over to inspect the two cryocrates. They seemed to believe the boys were dead. I breathed a quiet sigh of relief.

“Gentlemen,” a third voice chimed in. It was Tournour. My heart leapt. I could face anything now that Tournour was here.

“You may take as long as you need to have a viewing, as I understand is your Earthly custom,” Tournour said.

“I am satisfied that these Humans are deceased,” Brother Blue said. “I’m glad that I happened to be on my way to Earth when this happened so I could see these traitors myself.”

“Yes,” Tournour said. “Fortuitous.”

It was then that Els arrived.

“And this must be the Human girl, Els?” Brother Blue asked.

“No. It’s the other one. From the colony ship,” Ven Dar said.

I could see Tournour, from where I crouched. He did not correct Ven Dar. I should have stood up and shown myself, but my legs were rubber.

“Tula Bane,” Brother Blue said. “You survived. If only I’d been carrying weapons then. But it would have looked bad to my followers. I see you’ve grown into quite the young woman. I almost didn’t recognize you with all of that paint on your face.”

“No, Brother Blue, you’re mistaken. I’m Els,” she said. “I’m the one who contacted you. I’m with the Earth Imperium Alliance.”

“I’m confused. Ven Dar? Is this the girl you dealt with?”

“I have never seen you before in my life,” Ven Dar said to Els. “Except for from afar, making arrangements with my contact, Els.”

“I didn’t want to arouse suspicion with my crewmates,” Els said. “Tula and I swapped places. But now they are dead, and I can finally come forward.”

Brother Blue called to Tournour, not trusting his aide or Els.

“Which Human is this?” Brother Blue asked Tournour. Tournour was looking at me, crouched in the anteroom between the two cryocrates. He turned to Brother Blue.

“I do not claim to be able to tell the difference between one Human and another,” he said slowly.

“Where is the other girl?” Brother Blue asked, his voice rising to a vicious level.

“Tula will be here soon,” Els said. I could hear fear in her voice. “She’ll confirm what I said. We can trust her. She helped me to dispose of the boys.”

“I thought I had cleaned up all my messes,” Brother Blue said.

“I know it’s confusing,” Els said. “But I had to make sure that the boys weren’t on to me. But now that they are dead…”

“Brother Blue, I can assure you that this is not the Human female that I did my dealings with,” Ven Dar insisted.

“Let me ask you, child. What was the quarrel we had again?”

“I have no quarrel with you,” Els said. “I want to be your ally. I had Tula bring the data plug to your man.”

“Why are you asking about the
Prairie Rose
?” Brother Blue asked Els.

“I don’t care about the
Prairie Rose
,” Els said. “I just care about getting off of this space station and starting the new phase of my life.”

“Ven Dar, you’ve been deceived. This is Els, not Tula Bane,” Brother Blue said. “Tula Bane would never have forgotten our quarrel.”

“I’m sorry, sir. You can see how she manipulated me. Humans are so tricky to understand,” he said.

“Yes. We are,” he said, and then turned to Els. “You want power. You want prestige. You want a place with me?”

“Yes,” Els said. “I’ll be an excellent asset to you.”

“Too bad you weren’t on the
Prairie Rose
. I could have used a girl like you back then, when the Imperium took over. Tula was such a disappointment.”

“She’s too soft for her own good,” Els said. “We don’t have to bring her along.”

And there it was. It was unsurprising that Els would betray anyone in the way of her personal agenda, but it made me sad for her. It must be terrible to be so heartless.

“I agree. And I agree to all of your terms,” Brother Blue said.

“Thank you, sir. You won’t regret it,” Els said.

“But it comes with a new requirement.”

He removed a two-shot phase gun from his robe.

“That you are dead,” he said.

A shot rang out. Els fell quickly and without a scream. More like she crumpled in a heap.

“Commander, what have you done?” I heard Ven Dar scream.

“I’m sorry, Ven Dar, you were a good aide. You’ve been indispensable. Very thorough, but I cannot have any loose ends about this.”

And then there was another shot, and I knew that Ven Dar was dead as well.

I covered my mouth with my hand. I felt helpless. Tournour was in danger, and I had to help him. But I was paralyzed with fear. If I revealed myself, Brother Blue would kill me for sure this time.

“Where’s Tula Bane?” he asked. I stood up from behind the cryocrate.

“There she is,” Tournour shouted and pointed at me in the anteroom.

Tournour was now running toward me, he had both a phase gun and a knife out. Something in his eyes made me trust him. He fired two shots next to me, spending his clip and then stabbed me with the knife. But also there was that smell again. I was calm, and I knew to play dead.

“Well done, Constable,” Brother Blue said as he walked toward us. “I really do love working with the Loor. You may recycle all of these Humans as you will,” Brother Blue said.

I heard Brother Blue as he approached the anteroom. He crouched down close to me and stuck his finger in the stab wound to try to get a reaction out of me. It hurt more than anything and I nearly passed out from the pain. But the smell that Tournour was emitting seemed to get stronger and I relaxed into the calm and laid there like a stone. Brother Blue snorted in satisfaction.