Titan Encounter (3 page)

“She did! She fought
like a tigress. We darted her.” He smiled.
“Didn’t want to
damage the goods.”

“Did you take anyone
else captive from that ship?”

“Why
so many questions?”

“Just
curious.”
Justin smiled politely. “That was the last question, I promise.”

“The crew wanted to
fight. We killed them.”

“This would have
been an older man, not a member of the crew.”

Ferren
looked concerned.
“Has she gotten to you? She’s nobody. Let me take her off your hands.” 

Justin waved his
hand. “About the older man…”

“We killed him,” the
pirate said matter-of-factly as he punched numbers in his slate. 

“Why?”

He looked up.
“Why not?”
He paused for a moment as if he expected a reply,
but none came so he returned to the slate. “He was of no value and besides he
shot at us and blocked our way to the cargo bay.”

“He was the girl’s
father.”

Ferren
looked up and
grinned, exposing the rot that passed as his mouth. “I’ll pay you for anything
she has cost you.” He leaned forward and chuckled. “What do you want for her?”

Leaning back to
avoid the pirate’s bad breath Justin said, “She’s not for sale.” Justin fumbled
with his slate. “Have you transferred the funds?”

“Tell me how much
more to add for the girl.”

Justin shook his
head.

“Everyone has their
price.”

“I already set her
free.”

Concern spread
across
Ferren’s
face. “Have you registered the
emancipation?”

“I will.” Justin
felt a wave of desperation from the pirate.

The fat man’s face
turned cold, but his eyes were like hot daggers.

The hair on the back
of Justin’s neck stood. He eased his hand toward a gun installed years before
under the desk.

Ferren’s
words came slowly.
“We’ll discuss her later.” He breathed deeply and slid the slate into his
pocket. “You’ve been paid in full.” Just a hint of a grin crossed his face,
“Now about your sister.”

“What about her?”

The fat man stood
and spoke with a sincere tone of voice.  “I have a good ship, the Acheron,
and a good crew. Thanks to this last job I have no debts.” He paused and
squared his shoulders. “It is time for me to marry, and I have chosen your
sister.”

Justin’s
eyes widened in disbelief.
“No.”

“Why
not?”

“I don’t have to
give a reason.”

Again,
Ferren’s
face turned cold. Justin’s fingers inched toward
the gun.

“You’ve come far
from slave to freeman, but…well, what family do you have? Who is your family?”

I wish I knew.
“Are you done?”

“No.” 
Ferren
achieved a thoughtful look.  “You manage your
business well and you’re a good salesman and a successful entrepreneur and now
you think you’re better than the rest of us…”

Yes—I am.
“No, I don’t.”

“…however my family
is one of the oldest in the Confederation of Free States. A powerful family…”

I know
,
I pay protection money to your uncle every month.

“
descended
from two senators from the last free government of Earth; my family is still
powerful in the CFS.”

Your cousin bought a
seat in the senate.

Ferren
bent forward. “And my
new friend from the Empire just bought all the cargo from my last run, and he
wants the Earth girl.”

“Naomi?”
She’s
from Earth?

Ferren
nodded. “He paid
well for the cargo, but he wanted everything from the ship, cargo, survivors
and even the bodies. He’s willing to pay well for the girl.”

“Why
bodies and survivors?”

“Why should I care?”
Ferren
raised his arms in exasperation. “We can both
profit from this. He pays well for the Earth girl, we share that money, and I pay
well for Mara.” He stood as tall and straight. “Name your price for both of
them, I can pay it.”

“No sale.”
You
fat pig.
Justin’s finger rested on the trigger.

Their eyes locked
for several moments.

“I’ll have them
both.” The pirate turned and slowly walked away.

Justin’s words came
slowly and gently, to soften the blow of the message, “So,
Ferren
said that you were the only survivor on the ship. Your father didn’t….”

Tears welled in
Naomi’s eyes. “I hope that someday I have the opportunity to kill that pirate.”

“I’ve wished the
same thing once or twice, but he has nasty friends. I don’t recommend it.”

A few seconds later,
she walked to the window overlooking the main docking bay. Justin joined her
and together for several moments they stood at the window overlooking the
bustling cargo bay below.

“These people, they
all work for you.” It was more of a statement, than a question.

He nodded.

“You are
prosperous?”

He smiled. “Yes.”

“But you live off
the death and destruction of others.”

“What?” The
statement felt like a blow.

“You seem a better,
nobler sort than this.”

“Thank you—I think.”

As a tear rolled
down her cheek, she nodded. “Yes. You are like a king who lives in a sewer. You
may be a king, but your subjects are only the vermin of the dark.” She turned,
wiped her face and walked from the office. 

Seconds later Mara
entered. “Naomi’s crying.” Her eyes narrowed. “What did you do?”

Justin, still
pondering Naomi’s words, frowned. “It wasn’t me, well maybe…sort of.” He
reiterated the information
Ferren
had provided.

Mara looked back at
the door. “I guess we both know how she feels.” She stood beside Justin for a
moment looking down at the bay below. “I feel awful.”

“Why?”

“Because when I saw her
crying, I was coming here to ask how long she would be staying.”

Justin frowned and
shook his head. 

“I didn’t know you
had just told her she was an orphan.” Her mouth agape, words seemed to stumble
forth. “And…and I said I felt bad about it. I…I was just,” she shrugged,
“wondering.”

Together they stared
out the window for several seconds.

“So, ah…just for
planning purposes—how long will Naomi be staying with us?”

“You’re cold, Mara.”
Justin turned to her. “Do you want me to kick her out today?”

“No,
not today.”
She sighed. “You’ve got me flustered, that wasn’t how I meant it.”

Justin stared at
her. “So, it’s my fault you’re upset?”

“Yeah, sort of….”

“She’s a good worker
and,” turning back to the window, he continued, “she’s been doing a bright job
on the inventory you procrastinated on.”

“I’ve always been
better with the mechanical work than the administrative stuff.”  A hand
whipped around, brushing her long hair aside and exposing the implant at the
base of her skull.  “That’s why Garrett had this put in the back of my
head.”

Justin’s gut
tightened. He hated to recall the day Garrett, their former master, had Mara
implanted and he was sure she knew that. 

She sighed and her
eyes softened “and besides I don’t think she has been open with us.”

“What’s that
supposed to mean?”

She ran her fingers
through her hair. “I’ve always marveled at your ability to tell if someone was
trying to deceive you….”

“What’s your point?”

“I think your
genitals are blocking the path to your brain.”

Justin rolled his
eyes

“What do we know
about her?”

He frowned as his
eyes narrowed. “We know enough—she’s a good worker.”

“And I’m not?”

There’s no way I’m
going to win this argument.
“This is not about you.” He picked up his slate from
the desk and marched from the office.
My genitals blocking the path to my
brain!
He turned down the passageway.
I’m an intelligent grown man—a
good businessman, not some hormone-driven adolescent
.
Sure Naomi is
attractive.”
He took a left and strode down another passageway.
“But
that hasn’t affected my judgment. Mara is jealous, that’s all—jealous
. He
headed down a flight of stairs.
We know enough about her. We know….
He
stopped midway down the stairs as he recalled what he did know about Naomi.
She
is a good worker. Her father traveled on business and she had accompanied him.
He
also knew that Naomi was from Earth, but that information had come from
Ferren
.
And why is someone so willing to pay the pirate
for the cargo, bodies, and survivors of the ship?

Justin sighed
deeply.
I need a drink.
  He had disagreed with Mara in the past,
they had yelled and cursed each other on occasion, but he had come to respect
her opinion.
Okay, Mara, you’re right, we really don’t know much about
Naomi.

He continued
downstairs to the main level.  Just ahead was a woman barely out of her
teens. Maybe six years younger than Justin, he had hired her as an apprentice
welder. “Congratulations on the baby.” 

She smiled,
“Thanks.” Then her face turned dark. “Did Roark tell you? I told him not to say
anything yet. I’m so going to…”

“No, he didn’t tell
me.”

She put her hands on
her belly and looked down. “I’m not showing already am I?”

Moving away as fast
as he could he said, “No, you look fine.” 

“Then how did you
know?”

He rounded the corner
and nearly ran for the airlock into the main cargo bay.
How did I know she
was pregnant?
Entering the bay, the sight of Naomi pushed all concerns from
his mind. Approaching the corner where she sat, staring at a blank wall, he
coughed.

She jumped. “Oh, you
startled me.” Her eyes were red and puffy.

“I’m sorry,” he bit
his lip, “about everything. Ah…well, I’d like you to come to dinner at our
quarters this evening.”

She looked up in the
direction of the private quarters.
“Dinner?
With you?

Justin nodded. “
Yes,
and my sister?”
I hope you don’t mind Mara.

“Really, I am okay.
There is no need….”

“It’s not just about
the bad news. I want to get to know my new employee.”

Naomi’s eyes
widened. “There is not much to know about me.”

Her nervousness at
the idea of dinner emboldened him. “Then we’ll have more time to enjoy the
food.”

“Ah…you are kind,
but….”

“I insist.” Justin
smiled, turned, and walked away.     

*              
*              
*

Hands planted on her
hips, Mara said, “You want me to cook dinner for your date?”

“It’s not a date.
You’re going to be here and you said we didn’t know much about her.”

“Then ask her
questions. Use a little alcohol, but not my cooking.”

“Please Sis. You’re
a brighter cook than I’ll ever be.”

“Get a wife.”

I’m working on it.
“Speaking of wives,
earlier today
Ferren
made an offer to marry you.”

Mara shuddered.
“What did you say?”

Oh, this could be
fun.
Forcing a blank expression on his face, he glanced at her. “You know
Ferren
is from an old and powerful family.  Networking
with his family and friends would help my business.”

Mara stared at him.

Justin avoided her
gaze. “He came into some money recently and has paid off his debts.”

He could feel her
eyes bore into him.

“He’s got a good
ship.”

He turned. Their eyes
locked. He smiled.

She grinned back at
him. “You never could lie to me.”

“I told him ‘no,’
but he did ask.”

She pulled a knife
from her trousers and gave it a little flick. “The day you say “Yes,” will be
the last day
Ferren
is fertile.” They both laughed

She sighed. “All
right, you clean, I’ll cook.”

“Thank you.” Still
grinning he asked, “Do you always carry a knife?”