Voyage of the Sanguine Shadow 1: Shadow Galactic (14 page)

“That’s the last of it, and I don’t know how to
use a coffee maker.”

Valerie said, “It’s not hard.”  She sipped from
the cup and motioned it toward him.

“No, I gave it to you,” he insisted.

Valerie raised her brows and tilted her head
slightly.  “I’m not giving it back,” she said.  “I’m sharing.”

Gavin laughed, took a sip and passed it back. 
They talked about Huya, about the people they met, and how cold it got.  They
talked about willow trees and constrictor vines that could move on their own,
and they talked about Gilrenk’s wondrous palace.  When the coffee was gone, she
slipped her arm around his elbow, hugging it close as she leaned into him.

“Are you cold?” he asked.

“No,” she said.  She closed her eyes and sleepily
smiled.

“
Fear is
a question.  What are you afraid of and why?  Our fears are a treasure house of
self-knowledge if we explore them.
” –Marilyn French

Seated at a table in the
mess hall, Valerie, Gavin, Taryn and Takeo quietly talked, enjoying bites of
eggs and biscuits.  It wasn’t long before Filan appeared at the doorway wrapped
in a blanket, drawing their attention.  Her eyes immediately befell Takeo, and
she grinned.  Beaming, he rushed to her side and helped her over.

Visibly relieved, Taryn stepped close and hugged
Filan protectively.  They parted and sat down with the others, giving
themselves to cheerful chatter.  Takeo got back in line, and he soon returned
with another plate of breakfast food.  He set it before Filan and took a seat
next to her.

“How are you?” he asked, his expression a mix of
joy and concern.

“Sore,” she answered, and she gently pressed her
sides.  “Mostly in here, now.  My arms and legs feel pretty good this
morning.”  Taking her fork, she hunched over her plate and scooped scrambled
eggs into her mouth.  “Pretty hungry, too.”  She glanced up from her food and
cast Takeo a teasing smile.  “Did you miss me?”

“Very much,” he answered.  “I think you would’ve
loved it down there.”  They told her all about their trip to Huya.  She
listened intently, laughing brightly at Takeo’s humorous retelling of his
short-lived and bramble-filled trip into the overgrowth, and at Gavin’s comical
tales of travel along the coast.  She hugged Takeo sidelong as Taryn and
Valerie described all the wonders they had seen at Gilrenk’s mansion.

Although long finished with their food, they were
still at the table when Zerki summoned her crew to the briefing room.  They got
to their feet and soon joined the others in the front section of the hauler. 
Zerki smiled at spying Filan, and she bowed her head from across the crowd. 
Filan cheerily returned the gesture.

Zerki looked to Collins.  “Can I please get a head
count?”

Collins silently moved his lips as he tallied
those present.  After a moment, he said, “It looks like everyone’s here.”  He
quickly added, “Except Krane and D’Arro, since they’re manning the bridge.”

“Thanks.”  She cleared her throat and announced,
“Everyone, your attention please!”  After her crew had quieted, she said, “We
sold the salvage, as you know.  That’s no huge surprise.  These days, it isn’t
hard to find buyers for scrap, but our particular buyer was in a generous
mood.”  She allowed a moment for excited whispers to circulate.  “Of course, I
can’t disclose the exact details, but everyone’s getting 4,000 credits after
this meeting concludes.”

A cheer rang out, followed by clapping, hugs and
high-fives shared between the crew.

She raised her hands, and the crew soon fell
silent.  “When I give the word, please form a line over by Collins.  He’ll be
passing out your credits.”  Reaching down to the holographic display table, she
called up a bright world, its surface dressed in gold, green and alabaster. 
“This is Varuna, our next stop.  I’ve already booked a night’s stay for
everyone at the VelAquant, only partly because it synchs best with our own Ship
Time.  Most everyone’s doubled up, so be sure to see Valerie for your room
assignments.”  She advanced the presentation, and several scenes appeared
depicting their luxurious hotel destination.  “Two days and one night, and I’ll
be giving everyone an additional 1,000 credits in spending money when it’s time
to pass out the room keys.”

She received another round of cheers and applause,
and wearing a glad smile, she declared, “Meeting adjourned!”

The room dissolved into excited chatter and
laughter, to stories of drunken bravado and promises of misbehavior.  Slowly, a
line formed in front of Collins, and he opened a sturdy box full of 100-credit
bills.  Valerie took a seat beside him, her tablet in hand.  Glancing over to
his stacks of cash, she asked, “Can I see one?”

“Sure thing,” Collins answered and he passed her a
100-credit bill.

She studied it, turning it over in her hand.  Made
of heavy paper that naturally stiffened when spread flat, its edges were gilded
and elaborately embellished with a border of intertwined white crosshatching on
a surface of rich blue.  At its center, silver lines representing the Milky Way
galaxy sat atop a globe representing Earth.  Surrounded by a goldenrod halo
that bled into the edges of the bill, its canvas was dressed in ultrathin
parallel lines, seated under the outlines of billowing clouds.  At the upper
right corner, “
银河工会”
had been printed over an illustrated planet, while an uncovered world anchored
the upper left corner.  Mighty dragons wrapped the borders of the corner
worlds, their claws reaching for the center of the bill.  The lower corners
each bore waves crashing down upon the bottom edges, under the number 100.  On
the back of the bill, a realistic depiction of the galaxy spread across its
face, with the number 100 at each of the corners.  “Pretty,” she whispered, and
passed it back to Collins.

Looking forward, he smiled at Bruce Cajun, the
first in line.  Quickly, he counted out 40 bills, placed them in Cajun’s hands,
and said, “Here you go, rich man.”  Looking past him, he shouted, “Next!” 
Cajun nodded his thanks and checked in with Valerie.  She marked him as having
received his payment and told him who he would be rooming with.  The line moved
slowly and steadily, adding to the air of goodwill with each person that left
Valerie’s station.

·· • ··

In time, the
Sanguine Shadow
completed its
jump to Varuna.  Krane guided the starship toward one of the planet’s many
orbital star docks.  Designed to be visible from space, Varuna’s network of silver
roads, alabaster spires and emerald cities glittered in the afternoon light, a
labyrinth of light and motion.

When they had docked, the crew disembarked and
boarded several landing shuttles headed for the city resort of VelAquant.  Gavin,
Taryn, Collins, Valerie and Zerki boarded the same vessel and settled in for
departure.  The shuttle detached from its moorings, and through the clouds it
descended.  Neither Zerki nor her companions took their eyes off the splendor
unfolding before them.

Glowing cylindrical spires rose up from verdant mountains
and grassy hilltops, crowned by golden kinetic sails that powered everything
for miles around.  Enormous, polished white spheres hovered above the buildings
and in front of the sails, catching the late afternoon sun and distributing it
over the landscape below.  The grand metropolis was built within the rises more
than upon them, and a lattice of rivers and canals flowed through the
foothills.  Street lamps and lane lights shone brightly upon the roads.  Diaphanous
bridges and gently lit tunnels connected a delta of vibrant undercities.

Their shuttle soon docked within the resort’s
yawning bay, and after everyone was planet-side, Zerki called her crew together
in the foyer.  Great works of light and glass, of water and mist surrounded
them, as did the stairs and elevators that connected all of the VelAquant’s
many levels.  Brilliant holographic and neon signboards identified scores of
storefronts, bars, nightclubs and gambling stations.  Nearby, dozens upon
dozens of check-in counters were manned by as many smartly dressed attendants. 
Zerki excused herself and approached one.

On several overhead display screens, breaking news
feeds showed scenes of devastated ellogon colony worlds.  “What’s going on?”
Taryn whispered, and she nudged Gavin.

He watched the news report.  “I don’t know.”

The station played footage of a ruined city
dressed in thick blankets of rolling smoke.  A human reporter on scene led his
cameraman to group of slain ellogons, their bodies stripped of nearly all their
flesh.  Sound cut in and out as he speculated about the cause and warned
viewers that the Ellogon Empire was likely to declare war on the Union.

“It looks like no one’s claiming responsibility,
yet.”

At that moment, Zerki returned from check-in,
pulling Taryn and Gavin from their trance.  She carried a box of digital paper
envelopes, each with a name displayed upon it.  She distributed the room keys,
and Collins gave everyone a sealed envelope containing their promised spending
money.  Getting up onto a nearby bench, Zerki faced her crewmates and called
out, “Everyone, visit your rooms and drop off your stuff.  There’s a lot to do
here, so try not to get lost.”  She smiled.  “Dinner will be served at the Tako
Grill around 6:00.  That’s tako, not taco.  Attendance is optional but
encouraged.  However, everyone needs to meet here in the foyer tomorrow morning
for breakfast.  We’ll be shipping out after we eat.”

Amidst excited chatter, the crowd dissolved into
the resort’s expanse.  Zerki gathered her things, and began walking for the
building exit.  Valerie hurried after her.

“Where are you off to?” she asked, and she eyed
Zerki’s bag.

“I have to make a quick stop at Barroi Bay.”

Valerie tugged on Zerki’s shoulder, stopping her. 
“Why?”

“I have a meeting.”

Before Valerie could press for details, Zerki
smiled curtly and hurried away. 
She’s blocking me
, thought Valerie. 
Why
would she be blocking me?
  Shaking her head, she walked back to the foyer,
picked up her things, and soon rode the elevator up to join Taryn in their
shared room.

·· • ··

After getting showered and dressed, Valerie and
Taryn returned to the foyer and met up with Gavin, Takeo, Filan, Cajun and
Jenn.  They made their way to the Tako Grill, an ornately themed, open-air
eatery that attempted to capture the essence of feudal Japan in broad neon and
holographic strokes.  Soon joined by the rest of their crewmates, most of the
Sanguine
Shadow
's complement shared plates of gourmet sashimi, truffle fries, and
several rounds of beer and rice wine.  A tribute band played timeless pop hits
and was taking requests.

Takeo and Filan took to the floor, dancing to the
music.  Cajun led Taryn out to join them, and Jenn followed.  Gavin and Valerie
lingered at the table and watched, talking happily about nothing in particular,
doing their best to be heard over the din.  While the others danced, Valerie
challenged Gavin to a round of meteor whiskey.  After forcing it down, he
coughed loudly, and his skin flushed.  Valerie laughed, downed hers without any
visible affect, and she challenged him to another round.

Their waitress returned with the drinks, and
although Gavin knew he had already had too much, he accepted Valerie’s
challenge.  The second shot went down a lot smoother than the first.  In a
daze, he watched Valerie get to her feet and extend her hand.  He was surprised
to see his friends return, and they all decided to visit one of the resort’s
nightclubs.

He was pretty sure he bought her a few drinks at
the bar, and he definitely went out onto the crowded balcony to dance with
Valerie.  He wasn’t sure how he ended up back at the elevator, and he brought
all his focus to bear on the simple act of following his friends to the next
nightclub.

His time was a joyful blur of dancing and music,
of black lights and a well-lit bathroom somewhere inside the second or third
club they visited.  As he started to sober up—he was
certain
he was the
only one who had even been intoxicated—Taryn suggested they all pay a visit to
Varuna’s legendary Sapphire Waterfall.

“What’s that?” Filan asked.  “I don’t know
anything about this planet.”

“My parents used to vacation here every year when
my dad was alive, and they said it’s the most amazing thing they’ve ever
seen.”  She shrugged.  “This is my first time to Varuna, so I don’t know if
it’s really as amazing as all that, but it’s pretty close by Metro shuttle.”

Jenn nodded.  “I’m in.”

Valerie said, “It’s really pretty.  I’m in.”

“Me too,” said Filan.

Cajun asked, “How do we get to the Metro from
here?”

“Take a cab,” Taryn answered, and she pointed
toward a nearby lot of automated vehicles.  “You’ve been in space too long.”

He laughed and nodded.  “Probably.” 

Taryn led the group to the brightly lit collection
of courtesy vans, and she touched the panel of one of the larger vehicles. 
Interior lights flickered on.  Its curved outer shell was composed of tinted,
traffic-grade transparent aluminum, and wide doors on either side allowed easy
boarding for up to eight passengers.  Two white, egg-shaped chairs sat directly
behind the dashboard on a plastic floor of canary yellow, and three rows of two
slightly smaller egg-shaped bucket seats sat behind them.

“No steering wheels,” noted Gavin.  He considered
saying a little more, but he wasn’t entirely sure he had even said “steering”
correctly.

Taryn hugged him tightly, wearing a kind smile. 
“They’re taxis, remember?”

“Ah, sorry, right,” he muttered.

“No worries,” she said and squeezed his hand. 
“Let’s go.”  She steadied Gavin as he found his way to an egg chair near the
front.  He settled in and held the sides of his head in his hands.  Taryn
plopped down in the navigation chair and waited for everyone else to board
before stating their destination.  The side doors slowly slid closed, and the
interior lights dimmed.  A moment later, their taxi van glided out onto
brilliantly lit silver roads.

“You don’t do this much, do you,” said Valerie,
her smile sweet.

Gavin looked to her from between his fingers. 
“No,” he admitted.  “I’m sorry if I said or did anything I shouldn’t have.”

Valerie shook her head and looked forward.  “You
were a gentleman.  And you’re not a bad dancer.”

He exhaled a sigh of relief.  “That was entirely
the liquid courage.”

She took his hand, pulled it gently down from his
face.  “Not entirely.”