April 8: It's Always Something (35 page)

"I'll be sure to contact your man," Jeff promised. And that was the last they spoke of business.

* * *

Billy Costa was ready to be back home. Seeing the ocean was interesting for about ten minutes the first day. Then he wondered why people got all poetic about it. Over the next few days he did see it in different moods and colors. Right at sunset it could be pretty for a few minutes. He even saw some decent waves come up one day with a bit of foam, but no real storm.

Li's ketch picked him up while Billy was there. Now that was a pretty boat and complex in ways he wasn't sure about, as far as the function. They used the sails, but he was pretty sure they made it look easy with long experience. It didn't escape his notice it wallowed back and forth on waves he could barely feel on the
Isle of
Hawaiki.
The
Isle
was so big it was like a habitat more than a vehicle. He had to stop moving and grab the rail to be aware of any rolling motion.

The food on the
Isle
was pretty good. They had a grill on the deck outside the galley that let them cook over a real charcoal fire. The beef was a treat, except they served it so often he was getting tired of it, something he never expected. Pretty much everything was frozen, but of good quality. They had more potatoes and rice than he was used to, and lots of sweet drinks and tea. But the cook apparently didn't know how to make a sauce that didn't pour out of a bottle, and their coffee didn't impress him.

There were little things that bothered him that he tried to tell himself to ignore, but he didn't do a very good job of it. The ship was dirty. Not just the living spaces but everywhere. There was dirt and grime in the corners and recesses. It was hard to believe the vessel was only a couple years old. He never saw any vermin, but he'd never looked to see where his food was prepared, because he didn't want to know. His mother's house in Kansas was never like this, he was positive it wasn't any false memory. And the spaces on Home never had a pattern of grime on a hatch and cleaner areas around the release where everybody touched it to open it. Maybe wear on the finish, but never just
dirt
. People wouldn't put up with it.

The crew talked a lot over dinner and he quickly had a reputation as being quiet. He wasn't all that quiet back home, but the conversation seemed boorish to him. They recounted supposed adventures and tried to one-up each other. He had no interest at all in soccer or other sports. Their views of other nations seemed to be rather shallow to him. He agreed the Chinese were not to be trusted, but he based that on the long view of their history, not how a Chinese merchant tried to short change them in Perth. Their view of women was something that would get them called out on Home, by the ladies themselves.

The original idea had been for the crew to install the Singh fusion power source. He'd refrained from implementing that program after talking to the supposed machinist. He saw to the device being prepositioned but not uncrated. He didn't trust either the machinist or engineering mate to hook it up without busting something or killing themselves.

He'd privately said as much to Captain Havilland, and been told with far less argument than he expected, to arrange for a technician to come down to install it. The captain didn't exactly defend the men, but said they were fine for systems they
knew
, and assured him he didn't want to deal with the same specialties manned by people from third world countries. He's claimed he once saw a boat with nothing but a hammer and an adjustable wrench in the engine room. Everything else had been stolen and sold off in port. Billy hoped he was joking.

Finally it was time to leave. There were several devices crated up in his hold that were supposed to be tech that Home didn't have. Some of the sonar gear was better than what they had, but the goal was to extract the software and reverse engineer the hardware, not just re-install it and try to get it to work. The device called the MONIKER was some kind of com gear. Billy was most leery of it, because the captain of the sub had warned him it contained a demolition charge for destroying the core. He assured Billy it had the initiator removed, and the device was almost impossible to set off without that. Almost didn't make him feel good about it, but the machine would need to be significantly disassembled to remove the charge.

Home ships no longer asked Earth control for clearance to land or lift. As a courtesy he pinged a relay satellite with his longitude and latitude and with a message to ISSII that he'd be lifting for orbit and trans-lunar insertion in sixty seconds. They could share with Earth control or not as they wished. If they didn't like that they were welcome to try to shoot him down. The
Chariot
was armed and didn't need to ask permission up any chain of command to respond to threats. He also copied Home local control with his estimated arrival. That put the information in all the critical off Earth systems. Earth could go pound sand. He informed the bridge of the
Isle
that he wished to be fully ungrappled at the top of the hour, local. The helmsman acknowledged and at twenty seconds short of local noon he felt the rumble of the landing jacks being uncovered.

"Clear to lift." the Helmsman said, so that he finished the statement right on the mark. He seemed the most on the ball of all the crew. Billy had the plasma chamber pumped down, and stabbed the power button a scant half second later. The aluminum cover to the exhaust throat vaporized and the shuttle lifted like a missile. He was anxious to go and more acceleration used less fuel in the long run. He ramped up smoothly to six and a half G, felt a slight shudder as the
Chariot
went transonic, and saw the horizon rotate into view upside-down as the auto pilot rolled him over pointed east and then bumped the ship up to eight G. He kept it to that, unsure how much the technical cargo could take. The odd tidal gradients of the compensator tugged at him unevenly, his lower legs actually lifting slightly. At his head he only felt about two G, and half again that was pressing his butt back. He passed some very high ice clouds, and the sky outside his front ports turned dark quickly, the way it was supposed to look.

* * *

"Do Carlos and Sophia like me?" Jeff asked, troubled.

"What do you mean?" April asked, surprised. "They
adore
you. I enjoyed last night, didn't you?"

"Yes, but it bothered me it turned out they wanted to do business," Jeff admitted.

"We've done things with them before and business never came up."

"That's true."

"You do business with me all the time and never question my motives," April pointed out.

"Yeah, but that's different," Jeff insisted.

"Good, but tell me why." April demanded.

"There's only a few people I trust completely," Jeff said, demonstrating with his hands cupped around a very small area. "Then there's everybody else," he said, waving an expansive hand.

"I can't say that's the stupidest thing I've ever heard," April admitted. She sat and thought about it a bit and then took their plates away and topped off their coffee. She could see it wasn't safe to make a blanket argument against something, if it kept him safe in this world.

"I'm thinking about it," April said.

"Yeah, I know," Jeff said. He wasn't in any hurry.

Sometimes April wished she could ask Jeff to do a brain scan and stimulus/response study. She suspected he'd show some interesting responses. Perhaps similar if not exactly autistic. It was so
invasive
however. She wasn't keen to have one done herself. Once you did one they could pigeon hole you, and nothing was ever 100% safe if you kept the full digital record instead of just a summary. Not unless you saw the memory destroyed out of a disconnected machine...Her parents had agreed never to do a deep study of her or her brother Bob. That kind of testing had a really bad history from their own childhood era. It was worse on Earth where they could hang a judgmental diagnostic code over you practically in your crib.

"How does anyone get from the
wild
," April asked, with the same wide sweep of her hand Jeff had used, "into the trusted group?"

"Always act in my interest from when I've first known them. Like my dad," he said.

"Or, make a formal alliance..." he added. Still leaving the statement hanging open by the way he trailed it off.

"Like Heather and me," April supplied.

"Yeah."

"How about Jon?" April asked.

"He's always acted in our interests. Or at least explained the best choice he could suggest when there wasn't any other option or certainty," Jeff said with conviction.

"Dave?" April asked.

"We have a long history of solid contracts. He's always been honest, and when adjustments had to be made, fair. I trust him," Jeff said, but then looked distressed. "But I don't know if he
likes
me."

"OK, so your core group of trusted has at least two sub-groups. Based on what?" April asked.

Now it was Jeff's turn to sit and think. It was visibly difficult.

"People who treat me well, in my estimation, but some, we have an emotional attachment, and some not, or it's at least indeterminate," he decided.

"Some people are never going to
tell
you they like you," April insisted. "They weren't raised in an environment where that was normal. Some have had it misinterpreted or abused and given up verbalizing it. Many, many, people expect it to be better demonstrated, than said out loud. Have you ever told Dave you like him?"

"No," Jeff said, and looked stricken. "Don't ask," Jeff said, holding a hand up. "I know what you're going to ask next. I don't say that to Dave, because I learned it makes some people uncomfortable. And because it's safer to let them say it first."

"Bingo," April agreed. "Isn't there anybody who you trust deeply, but they never asked to be your ally formally or said that they like you?"

"Barak, but he's a special case. He's got ties to me by both Heather and you. And he's one of the people I expect to act on principle. There aren't a lot of those either..."

Jeff frowned and expanded that. "I know a lot of people who will act on principle. But we may not agree on what principles are
right
to follow. In the very extreme, I expected Patrick to act on principle, but it made me kill him."

"Tell me a couple," April requested.

"Oh, easily, Eduardo Muños, Irwin Hall, Jon Davis again. Your father actually..."

"Maybe you need a couple more circles," April suggested. "Like a target, with your trusted people in the bull's-eye, and a ring of people on probationary status around them, out all the way to confirmed enemies on the rim."

"No, nothing so simple," Jeff said, then paused at April's hurt look. "You've help me immensely, but that's too...self centered. It's helped to verbalize this. But what I see, now that we've discussed it, is not a set of rings, but a big Venn diagram, and I'm going to think on it and refine it. I'll find where everybody fits, and probably a big circle floating off unconnected for unknowns and strangers. Thank you," he said sincerely.

"Glad to be of help," April said. That seemed safe.

Chapter 25

"If he's going to be here all the time we need a bigger apartment," Barrack said.

"Are you unhappy with Kurt?" Deloris asked.

"You're hearing what you're afraid I'll say, instead of what I actually said. Don't be putting words in my mouth. Come right down to it I could probably live with Kurt easier than you and Alice. He's neater, he cleans the shower drain, and he doesn't try to talk to me before my second cup of coffee. But four people and one bathroom is tough. We need at least another half bath but preferably a full one, even if we have to cut stone," he said pointing at the back wall. "It's probably easier to just contract for a new place than remodel. This one will sell in ten minutes, tops."

"He hasn't indicated he's going to stay on the moon even," Deloris said. It seemed to upset her.

"I know, he's mentioned a few times he intends to go to Home again and sign up to pay taxes. I don't think it would be a kindness to try to deflect him from his long term goals," Barak said. "I also might point out he still has his own place and hasn't
asked
to move in and let it go. He still keeps his clothes there and goes back to change and shower mostly, thus what I said about needing a bath."

"Except we really like having him here," Deloris said, pouting a bit. It wasn't like her. At least she did say 'we'. "While he's been here there's more often somebody at the apartment when our shifts are all different. I hate coming home to an empty place. He might be waiting for an invitation."

"May I ask what attracted you to Kurt?" Barak asked. "You've never brought anyone else home from one of your pilot assignments. Not that I'm being critical of him. I think you're a fine judge of character, but I don't understand how you did it so quickly."

"A couple things," Deloris said, scrunching her eyebrows together, thinking. "He was interested in me, but he wasn't
pushy
. We were talking like old friends pretty easily. Most guys just keep after you even after they know you aren't interested. I think I surprised him with my invitation, after he was sure I wasn't interested. And he said some things about making mistakes. That's just so rare in anybody now, to actually admit they aren't above error. It really didn't take long to see what sort of person he is, and I'd hate to see him not be part of our lives again."

"You still have us, and if Kurt moves back to Home, I bet he'll be happy to have a lovely pilot drop into his life on a regular basis, and brighten it with her presence."

"If he doesn't get bogged down with...other obligations," Deloris worried.

"I have a hard time imagining he's going to go the whole solid main shift work for a multinational with a Mrs. at home, flowers on the corridor wall, cartoon greetings on the door screen, and two and a half kids and a cat."

"Probably not," Deloris agreed. "I'd bet more the other way, that he'll take a post on an ice runner or Mars for awhile."

"What you said...for awhile. We're all going the life extension route," Barak pointed out. "We've all had the basic preliminaries and everybody is making enough money we shouldn't have any trouble getting the newest work and upgrades. If we live as long as we think we might, then there is no reason to lose people from our lives forever. As long as we are all civil and don't estrange anyone we can accumulate a huge cloud of real friends and associates. Much more than people used to when they had limited travel and short lives. Why not have close friends who say they are off for a decade to do something in the moons of Saturn and you'll just say – sweet, see you in a decade. You'll have some good stories."

"That quite a vision," Deloris allowed. "I haven't thought about how living longer will change things. I like the idea of knowing people in every port."

"And you're maybe just a little greedy," Barak teased.

"I'm a pilot," Deloris said. "I want
at least
two back-ups for every vital system."

* * *

"The Japanese ceded us landing rights," Jeff said.

"And yet you don't sound all that thrilled by it," April said.

"A little surprised maybe. I'm happy to have another port, and I'll use it quickly to establish we intend to use it, before some politician up and rescinds it. It's harder to take something away that's in use. If we delay a month it just encourages one of the parties opposed in the first place to do that."

"But?" April asked.

"But it irritates me that they made a rule that crew can't stay over more than ten days, and they have to get a visa if they want to leave the area of the port at which they landed. They define that as being in the same prefecture. We don't cap their visits here."

"That's incredibly generous for Japan. One thing I learned from my Japanese class is there's a wall. The Japanese will be polite, hospitable even, but they don't really approve of foreigners. I suspect they'd all be much happier if we just didn't exist," April said. "Be happy they didn't say they had to stay in the hotel and not go out in public until they lift again."

"I kind of figured all that out when my dad made me study Japanese," Jeff agreed. "But it's been years. I sort of expected it to change."

"That kind of thing takes generations," April assured him. "I thought for awhile I should go live a year or two in Japan if I wanted to be really fluent, but I've decided it would just irritate me to see the conformity and deal with the crowds and noise. Japan has a lot of school and workplace behavior I'd consider bullying, and you know how well that would go over if anybody tried it with me."

Jeff made a derisive snort. "You'd try to organize another rebellion," he predicted.

"It didn't seem...my cup of tea. Works the other way," she pointed out. "Did you notice the surge of Japanese coming to Home as soon as it was Japanese owned again?"

"Uh...no."

"Bet you won't either. We've different than North America or Europe, but it's still a foreign culture."

"I did have a Japanese fellow say something good about Home," Jeff remembered.

"Oh? What was that?" April asked.

"He noticed that we don't litter, just like in Japan."

* * *

"You seem despondent, Elder Bellini," The lieutenant seemed worried about that. As well he should be. He applied self criticism quickly, to see if he was at fault, and upsetting his superior. If it was he, then the man would have to correct him. He was unaware of any transgressions on his part.

"It has nothing to do with you," Bellini assured him. "I am conflicted and trying to resolve a doctrinal matter, internally."

"You have the ear of General Kilpatrick. Surely for someone close he'd spare a moment to listen and help you resolve it?"

"My problem
revolves
around general Kilpatrick," Bellini admitted. "He desires to avoid conflict with the heathens of Home. They
are
dangerous, but everything in me says it is wrong to back down, even temporarily, from such a great evil as tampering with God's perfect code of life."

"Perhaps then speak with Colonel Brink. I've found him a virtual fire of faith. When he speaks you can see the spirit dwelling in his eyes. It's almost scary. He has never cut me the least slack in my devotions, not that that's bad! It's been all to my good. I believe he'll know how to help General Kilpatrick. I feel your problem is far out of my depth, but I will pray for your resolution."

"Thank you, Lieutenant. I know the Colonel by reputation. I'll speak with him."

* * *

"Heya Kiddo, you got any plans for supper?"

"Diana! You're on local com!" April said, amazed.

"I'm going to have some heavy gene mods done, and this seems to be the place to do it. I don't have to worry about avoiding jurisdictions that won't like what I've done to get back home. That's another thing. The times are a bit uncertain, and I decided an absence from Hawaii was prudent right now. If things look sweet...I may go back. If not, well this seems as good as any other place I'd care to live."

"But it's impossible to get a room on Home. Even a hot slot is a problem. Where are you staying?"

"The Doc, who claims to know you, has been losing business because of that very problem. He didn't have anywhere for his foreign patients to stay, so he divided up his own living space and made two really tiny rooms to house patients. The rooms share a bath and I'll have to eat at the cafeteria. But he said you can buy a card and it's not that bad. I haven't been by, I called you first. But I saw pictures, and it doesn't look any worse than your average jail cell. I can do it for a week."

"You absolutely will
not
. You'll come stay with me," April insisted.

"I seem to remember you don't have much more room yourself," Diana said. "You described the bathroom being like a travel trailer. You sit on the throne to shower."

"That was ages ago when I first met you. I have my own place now, I haven't been living with my folks for a couple years. I have two couches or a
big
bed. The bath has a real shower and a kitchen too."

"All the comforts of home," Diana quipped. "I'll call Ames and tell him to pedal the live-in package to somebody else and I'll do the treatments out-patient. He better give me a discount or I'll make his life miserable."

"Tell him if he doesn't give you at least a partial rebate you'll write about it in "What's Happening". He'll know what you mean, and be happy to comply. It makes you sound like you know how things work here too."

"Which I may seriously need to learn."

"Can you find your way here?" April asked.

"Have a map," Diana said with no confidence at all.

"A paper map?" April said with scorn.

"Yeah..."

"Totally useless. Are you down to the one G level with the offices and cafeteria yet?"

"Not yet. That's where I was going, but there was a fellow who was friendlier than I liked and a mob jamming into the elevator, so I went back to the security station and asked the lady cop where there was a public com. I mentioned calling you by name. She looked like she had never heard of the idea of a public phone and handed me her pad. Did you know the cops have your com code in their one touch list? I'm not sure if that's good or bad."

"Only to the good," a muffled voice said. "Jon Davis will want to know why, in horrid detail, if we don't take care of Lady Lewis."

"Who's this Davis?" Diana asked skeptically.

"My boss, the head of Home security," the voice said off camera.

"Lady Lewis?

"Don't ask, and we don't
do
titles on Home!" April said extra loud for Margaret to hear. She was doing that just for Diana's benefit. It wasn't sincere or funny.

"Yes, M'lady," Margaret said a prim voice, just to be irritating. Diana raised an eyebrow.

"Here's what you do. Go down to the business level. That's all the way down to the full G deck, and there's a ship's chandlery there. Tell Zach I said to give you his best spex and get you an account on Home com. Put it on my account with him and by the time you have them on your face and a com account I'll probably be there. If I'm not have Zach show you how to do a map with them. It'll be 3D and guide you point to point. It's near lunch time and I'll meet you at Zach's store and take you over to the cafeteria, it's right there."

"This Zach knows you?" Diana asked.

"Unless he worries about you being an Earthie and denies it. He's kind of paranoid. He might decide you're an assassin or a bill collector. But you can tell him I'm on the way over."

"I'll do that," Diana promised.

When April arrived at the Home Chandlery and Provision Company not only was Diana there with a set of spex on her face, but Margaret was there in her powder blue security uniform with a beret and an Air Taser. They were both perched on stools and Margaret was drinking coffee from one of Zach's house mugs.

"I only had to work the shuttle docking today and was going back off duty. I walked Diana down so she didn't get lost," Margaret explained.

"How can you get lost in a big tin can?" Diana asked.

"How can you get lost on an island surrounded by water?" April countered.

"Ouch...I hear some pretty stupid tourist stuff so I better not say any more," Diana agreed.

"Has Zach showed you the map functions and door to door directions?" April asked.

"I have, now I'm trying to sell her a gun. Never too early to start fitting in," Zach said.

"And if I'm out of here in a week or ten days I can't take it home. Well actually, I might be able to," she corrected. "But I'm not going to count on it."

"That's not a problem. I buy used guns," Zach said.

"Used a week, and probably never shot? I shudder to think how much it would depreciate in that time," Diana guessed. "Why don't you just
rent
them for folks like me who'll only be here a week or two? Just like rental cars or vacation condos."

Zach looked at her with his mouth hanging open. Then he turned and disappeared in the back and returned with a slim automatic pistol in a clip over holster, with an integral magazine pouch. He laid it on the counter and slapped a coin down beside it.