Pilot: Chapter 40

Chapter 40

The next few days passed in an odd game of tag. Elena appeared in the bazaar as she was supposed to, letting Smith and Jonathan catch sight of her. Then she would do her level best to disappear before they could catch her. If she escaped the day was hers. If they caught her she would spend more time shopping. By the time her grandfather returned and the Wind Dancer was ready to return, Elena never wanted to go shopping again. Although she did have to admit her rooms now looked a little less industrial.

“I suppose it is for the best,” she thought as she ascended the docking tube and once again took he place on the Wind Dancer. She dropped her bag off and readied the Wind Dancer for departure as every one else settled. As expected Smith and Jonathan saw her and made a beeline for her location. Smith however seemed to have left his demanding questions back on the docking facility and returned to the silent appraisal that he had adopted after the fight with her grandfather.

‘Here’s hoping it lasts,’ she thought. The docking clamps released and Elena guided the Wind Dancer back to the encircling ribbon of water. They circled the docking facility once and then headed off into the black, a ribbon of blue trailing beneath them. Jonathan was taking pictures and Smith was once again studying the instruments.

Elena shrugged philosophically and figured it was pretty much going to be a repeat of the trip out. This time however, safely stowed below decks was a large shipment ready to be unloaded at what was now her homeport and repackaged for sale in Nibbles. A few days later, Peter would be returning with a similar load and the military would be on its own once more.

‘No more meetings,’ she thought happily. ‘No more rapid fire questions and accusations.’ Out of the corner of her eye she watched Jonathan snap pictures with his digital camera and wondered if anyone had told them that. Elena had only been asked to meet with them to correct their information and take them through the channels once.

She had been told any further meetings would go through Peter and Peter alone. Elena glanced at Smith. She couldn’t see him enjoying that. ‘Add to that the fact that we are all going to be running the schedule of the channels for a while and none of us will be available and he is likely to go insane.’ Once Nibbles was up and running, the Storm Chaser would be making supply runs during the season as well. ‘So I won’t be there for him to fuss at anyway.’ The thought brightened her.

‘And the Wind Dancer won’t be around for them to study either since grandfather is taking her right out of port after dropping us off.’ The ship would circling back to unload cargo later. ‘This is the last run I’ll make on the wind Dancer.’ She realized abruptly.

Elena patted the ship affectionately. She would miss it. She had grown up on the Wind Dancer’s decks. Boots, the ships cat circled around her ankles. Elena thought of Spin and the Storm Chaser. The melancholy faded a little. Across the deck Smith and Jonathan prowled still looking for the instruments she had hidden. Since they were built into the hull and below the water line, she didn't have much hope for their quest.

She could almost feel sorry for them. No ship, the only pilot they knew off where they couldn’t reach her and only Peter for a contact, when they could reach him. She had a feeling happiness would not reign supreme. Feeling slightly petty, Elena smiled. She adjusted the Wind Dancer’s heading and turned the ship for home.

Author's Note:
This is the final chapter of Pilot. I am currently working on the second in this series, entitled Storm Chaser and will begin posting on July 14. I want to thank everyone who gave their comments and suggestions. These were incorporated in the final draft. Pilot wil be coming out in print through Brown Street Press. (www.brownstreetpress.com) I'll post here (and do the happy dance of doom) when I get an actual release date. Thanks again everyone. v.

Pilot: Chapter 39

Chapter 39

“I hate politics,” Elena muttered to herself as she made her way through the corridors and back towards her quarters.

“So I guess some things never change,” a familiar voice said from behind her.

“Angie,” Elena said throwing her arms around her friend.

“Did you think you could sneak back dockside with no one noticing?” Angie asked when Elena released her. “Especially with everything going on.”

“I suppose not,” Elena said with a chuckle. “So how’s life?”

“Good, good. Several of us are down in the Aerie. We heard you had a reprieve from babysitting duties so I was sent to find you.”

“That sounds like heaven,” Elena sighed dramatically. “You don’t suppose they have a glass or two of Draxio around do you? I could really use a drink.”

“As long as Lucy and Rowan haven’t gotten into one of their philosophical debates recently there should be a glass or two left.”

“Tell me the truth they aren’t still debating the Varcas war are they?” Elena shuttered and Angie laughed.

“Nope we put a gag order on them over that. They have managed to find several other almost as annoying topics to fill the gap in the time you’ve been gone.” They headed off to the Aerie, one of their group’s favorite watering holes. Elena was more than happy to shuck all talk of partnerships and have conversations merely to enjoy another’s company.

Across the bazaar she spotted Talbot leading a frowning Smith and a note taking Jonathan. Jonathan waved when he spotted her and looked like he wanted to call her over. She waved back and continued on her way unfazed. Tonight was about catching up with old friends. She walked into the Aerie to enthusiastic greetings from friends she had tried very hard not to miss and she broke out into a grin. It was the start of a fun evening.

“This is not the way to start a good morning,” Elena told herself the next day as she fought to keep her brains from leaking out of her ears. “At least this headache isn’t from the Calling.” There had been more than a few glasses of Draxio around last night, although Elena was pretty sure it was in scarce supply this morning.

“Just how many toasts did I drink last night?” As she dressed she tried to count. Laura’s wedding, Karen’s first ship, Dina’s new ship, her own new ship, Angie’s partnership with the house of Havers, Haley’s securing a trade agreement with the Otrasal. The list continued long past Elena’s recall. “Apparently a lot has happened in five years.” Elena knew from experience that a nice tall glass of icy cold wanoc would settle her stomach and banish the hangover quicker than anything.

“Besides I have to make appearances anyway.” Elena made her way down to the bazaar and saw Angie nursing a cup of wanoc. She slid into the chair opposite her.

“You look as bad as I feel,” she told her friend.

“You don’t look so great either,” Angie told her. “Why did you let me drink so much?”

“Why did you keep proposing toasts?”

“Wanoc?” a waiter asked, sidling up to the table. Elena nodded and tried to keep her head from snapping off of her neck. “Thought so.” He whisked a glass from behind his back and Elena mentally tripled his forthcoming tip in her mind. The man was obviously a god in disguise. The two of them sipped their drinks, keeping conversation to a minimum until they could take effect. At the halfway mark, Elena found she had become human again and sighed with relief.

“I think we ought to canonize the first person to put this stuff on ice,” she told Angie.

“Amen,” her friend said reverentially. “The red haze over everything is fading away. And just in time too it looks.” Elena looked to see what her friend had spotted and found Smith and Jonathan walking towards her. Talbot was nowhere to be seen.

“Shit,” Elena said, but there was no force behind the word.

“I have some questions,” Smith said in his customary demanding way. Apparently nice stopped at the docking tube.

“If you’ll excuse me,” Angie said standing. “I need to be elsewhere.” She mouthed the word ‘Sorry’ at Elena before fairly turning on her heels and walking quickly away. Elena didn’t blame her. She had the suspicion that everyone who didn’t have to talk to the military was to avoid them at all costs. Unfortunately she didn’t get that memo.

“When do you not have questions?” She asked Smith. He and Jonathan took this as an invitation to sit down. She glared at them to no effect and took another sip of her drink.

“The goods here are not earth goods. They are from elsewhere but all of the people here are human.” Smith stated. Elena stared at him.

“Was there a question in there?”

“Why?”

“Because the docking facility is a human place. Our home away from home. We trade and bring stuff here where other people can buy it.” She didn’t tell him that all of the non-humans had been asked to remain hidden for the next few days. If Talbot hadn’t mentioned it then she wasn’t about to spill the beans.

“That makes more sense,” Jonathan said.

“More sense than what?” Elena asked.

“Then Talbot’s version.”

“Oh.” Elena didn’t ask what Talbot’s version was. She didn’t want to know. “Where is Talbot?”

“Around,” Jonathan said evasively. Elena frowned realizing they had probably deliberately dodged Talbot. Her suspicions were confirmed when a red faced and panting Talbot appeared on the edge of the bazaar and practically raced over when he spotted Smith and Jonathan.

“I think he found you,” Elena said dryly. Both men looked over and scowled. “I suppose I had better leave you,” She told them.

“Why,” Smith demanded. “Do you have more important secret guild business to attend to?”

“Actually,” she said. “I was going shopping.”

“Then we will come with you.” Elena looked to Talbot who had joined them. He nodded.

“If that is all right with you, Ms. Calabrese.”

“Fine,” Elena said shrugging. “I could use some people for the heavy lifting.” Elena gulped the last of her drink and paid up, leaving the large tip she had already decided upon. The bazaar was as always a wondrous place of the glittering and mundane. Dazzling artwork produced by people whose names the human tongue could never pronounce pressed side by side with phony star charts leading to lost cities built of precious gems. Fruit vendors vied for space beside fortunetellers.

Elena smiled as she made her way through the exotic yet familiar mix. Talbot seemed content to let her answer questions since she kept things simple and chose not to elaborate. He wore a small smile and Elena couldn’t tell if he was pleased with her responses or if he was just happy he didn’t have to answer the questions. By the end of the day she had accumulated quite a tidy pile and led the group back towards her rooms. Smith and Jonathan, as expected placed their parcels down and began examining the room. She shrugged as Talbot shook his head. The rooms were new, what could they learn?

“Its similar to ours,” Smith said. He sounded disappointed.

“Did you expect it to be different?"

“It doesn’t have any pilot things,” Jonathan said. He too sounded disappointed.

“I believe we have imposed upon Ms. Calabrese long enough. If you will follow me please. It is nearly dinner time and your dinner has been arranged. Ms. Calabrese, thank you.” Talbot efficiently herded Smith and Jonathan out of her rooms and she sank onto one of the chairs in exhaustion.

Pilot: Chapter 38

Chapter 38

To her surprise the remainder of the journey was calm. It was also very strained as both Smith and Alexandro reigned in their tempers. Smith allowed Jonathan to ask the questions and she was quite sure it was some sort of male face saving maneuver.

“Then again there really isn’t much to see on this leg of the trip,” She muttered to herself. The stars were still beautiful and gliding through space was always exciting in her mind but she didn’t have to do a whole lot in the way of abnormal navigating. And thus far neither Smith nor Jonathan had commented on the completely alien constellations.

“Of course I have a feeling that’s about to change.” Elena smiled. Smith and Jonathan were strolling out on the decks observing the crew and no doubt searching for the hidden equipment allowing their trip to occur. There was a silver shape on the horizon and it had been growing steadily and noticeably larger for the past hour.

Elena wondered when she would be questioned about it as the ship was clearly aiming towards it. She bet on another hour. Slowly the shape resolved itself into something resembling a gigantic child’s spinning top. The kind with a pointed bit that rested on the ground and a round knob on a metal pole that was pressed down to make the top spin. This top was perpetually spinning.

“At least the round knob doesn’t go up and down as if someone is continually required to press it.” That thought didn’t sit to well with her so she let it slide away. A thin ribbon of water ran around the top’s edge with small pools forming under the ships docked at the station. ‘Not that you can tell they are ships yet,’ she thought. At the moment they were just dots surrounding the giant spinning edifice that was the docking facility.

“What exactly is that thing?” Jonathan asked. Smith hovered in the background carefully pinching his mouth shut. Elena almost felt sorry for him. He wasn’t used to not being in charge.

“It is the docking facility,” she told them. She glanced up at the clock. An hour and twenty-two minutes. She had been so close. “We should be arriving soon. You might want to stow the gear you plan on taking dock side.”

“But won’t we miss you, um, docking?”

“Not if you pack now,” she said with a smile. The two men exchanged glances.

“We will return shortly,” Jonathan said. Elena nodded.

“I promise not to do anything interesting until you return.” They hurried off and in less time than she would have expected they were back. She hoped their clothes were all the wash and wear variety otherwise they would probably be quite wrinkled. She was standing in relatively the same position as when they had left but she saw them do a quick scan to determine if any more equipment had been turned on in their absence. She mentally snorted and decided not to tell them part of her training had been learning to fly blind in case of electronic failure. She could dock the Wind Dancer with no more technology than a similar ship would have had in the 1850s.

The docking facility grew larger as they approached and even though Elena had spent much of her childhood here she had to admit it was impressive. They approached the ribbon of water circling the docking facility and the water they brought with them merged with the larger stream. Some of the water would stay in the stream, some would pool around the ship when it docked and some would return to the earth with them. To give Smith and Jonathan a full view of the place she allowed the Wind Dancer to make a full circle.

The council had made certain that only the smaller vessels would be docked during the military visit. The larger vessels designed to stay either at the facility or to use some of the deeper off world channels would remain elsewhere for a few days. The two men beside her were completely silent for the first time since the trip began. Elena knew it was only a short reprieve but hoped that by the time they had regained their ability to question she would have turned them over to their council designated tour guide. Elena had been thrilled she would not be expected to lead them around the place.

The Wind Dancer’s port flashed green and Elena eased her way into it. The clamps took hold and the crew fastened the end of the landing tube securely to the deck. Everyone moved in a well-orchestrated routine. The tube would allow passage to the docking facility from the ship. The time it took to walk through the tube would allow the body to adjust its internal pressure from ship to docks. Elena reached down and grabbed her bag from where she had tucked it in preparation for docking. From the front pocket she slid a packet of chewing gum. Elena slung her bag over her shoulder and offered each of the men a stick from the pack. They both refused.

“Are you sure?” She asked. “It will help when your ears start popping from the pressure as you adjust.” She popped a piece of gum into her mouth and offered them the pack again. This time they each took a piece. She led them down to the deck where the rest of the crew was gathered. Alexandro had already given the crew their instructions and with a few simple words he dismissed them. They made their way towards the docking tube and began their decent.

Elena waited for her grandfather to gather his bag. When he was ready, they made their way down the tube with Smith and Jonathan following closely behind, still mute but drinking in the details. As expected their ears began to pop and Elena felt the familiar feeling of her body adjusting from the ship to the docking facility. Eventually the tube ended and they stepped out into an open area.

Normally there would be many people milling about, waiting to see who had arrived. The dock may have been one for the families associated with the Calabrese line but all ports were more or less public areas. Elena noticed that even the venders had been cleared from the area. Today only one person waited for their arrival. As he walked towards their group, Elena realized she recognized him. He was the person the council had sent to deliver her ship. She smiled at him but he gave no indication that he had ever met either her or her grandfather before. He walked briskly past both of them and held his hand out to Smith.

“Good afternoon gentlemen,” he said with a smile. “I am Talbot and I will be your escort while you guest with us. Please let me show you to your quarters where you will be able to freshen up after your journey. I do hope it wasn’t too strenuous.” Elena did not hear their reply as Alexandro gripped the elbow of her free arm and led her away once Talbot had moved past them.

‘Slick,” she thought. ‘Very slick.’

“I think we can leave them in Talbot’s very capable hands for now.” Alexandro said. “No doubt they will search you out later because you are a familiar face but for now they are someone else’s responsibility. You have done very well with them.”

“Thank you,” Elena replied. While her grandfather was often very proud of her accomplishments, open praise was not something he often dispensed. They walked towards the family quarters and instead of proceeding as normal, Alexandro stopped her in front of a different door.

“As head of household you are allowed your own set of rooms rather than being required to stay in a suite attached to others.” He pulled out a pass code card that had more in common with a flash drive than a hotel key. The magnetized cards just ended up de magnetized way too often for practical use.

“I don’t really need that much space,” Elena said automatically taking the electronic stick from him. Alexandro smiled.

“You will,” he said. “If not this trip than in the future. Or were you expecting to conduct all business from a table in Danvers?”

“Do you think Danvers would even let me in?” She asked with a laugh. “I don’t exactly have the best of track records.”

“That would be something to work out later. But for now the public space attached to the front of every head of household’s set of rooms might be your best option. I am still just down the hall if I am needed. You have the schedule?”

“Yes,” Elena answered. “Not written of course.” After finding the bug in her apartment she had become very careful of her extra information. “Talbot will escort Smith and Jonathan around. Maria will be arriving with Gregori’s Dream sometime tomorrow. She will pilot the Wind Dancer when you leave to pick up the needed merchandise. I will make sure to be in public spaces for most of the time you are gone so that our two guests believe the ship is still here and that all business is conducted here. Then you return and all of us leave.”

At first Elena had been somewhat confused by the plan but had to admit, allowing Smith and Jonathan to see the larger scale of the operations, the trade between various elements in various galaxies as well as the war like aspects that the raiders could bring out was not a very good plan. She shuttered to think of some of the guild’s defense weapons falling into the hands of any nations military.

“Good,” he said. “I’m certain it will be a very busy couple of days for you.”

“And for you as well. Good trading,” She hugged her grandfather and let him go. He walked towards his suite and disappeared around a curve. It was odd to think of him going out without her.

“Maria’s a good pilot,” she told herself as she unlocked her door. “There is no reason to worry just because I’m not the one piloting the ship.” She knew Maria was just as capable of out running raiding parties as she was but the thought was still unsettling. The door slid open in front of her and closed behind once she had stepped inside, a feature that always made her think of the television show Star Trek.

Personally she thought the docking facility’s designers, at least the earth based ones, had been big fans. “Although once we went to DVDs the recording technology was fairly compatible and transferable to other systems. Digital downloads made it even easier. Quite a market.” Star Trek had quite a high popularity although many of the alien species thought of the show as a comedic spoof. “With apologies to Mr. Roddenberry of course.”

Elena looked around the suite. It was fairly generic and felt very much like a cross between a high-end hotel room and a pre-furnished corporate apartment. Unlike her grandfather’s which had been adjusted over time to suit his tastes. Elena shook her head. Both the Storm Chaser and her head of household rooms still had that just out of the box feeling; nice but too new to be comfortable.

“We will just have to adjust that as soon as possible.” Elena crossed the public space and entered the private rooms. She tossed her bag on the bed and mentally calculated the amount of credits she had in her account. “Enough for a couple of trips into the bazaar,” she decided. The blank off white walls were just a little too confining for her tastes. A bell sounded at the door to the public rooms and Elena re-crossed the apartment to answer it. A messenger stood with a thick envelope of cream-colored paper held lightly in his hands.

“Ms. Elena Calabrese?”

“Yes,” she responded. Apparently her address was already in the phone book. The messenger handed her the envelope and then stood with his hands clasped behind his back. She stared at him for a moment.

“I was told to wait for a response,” he clarified.

“Oh of course, please come in.” She stepped aside to allow him into the public room and gestured for him to take one of the provided chairs. Elena split the wax seal with her thumb and inwardly smiled. So many of the guild dealt with high-end technologies and still insisted on many old fashioned accoutrements. ‘We fly through space, use weapons our planet has never dreamed of and still tend to prefer hand written notes with wax seals over e-mail. No wonder we confound the military,’ she thought as she unfolded the letter. To her surprise it was an invitation from Council member Inoue Riko for dinner that evening if she was available.

“What does one wear for that,” she mused aloud turning the note over.

“I believe the dress is casual, Madam,” the messenger said. “Especially given the constraints of your current circumstances.”

“I see,” Elena said, swallowing nerves. “How thoughtful.” She glanced again at the time and then at her watch. She had forgotten to adjust it to the set standard. “Local time right now would be what exactly?”

“5:08 madam.” That left her enough time to shower, change clothes and reach the other side of the station where Riko’s rooms were located without too much of a hurry.

“I would be happy to accept the invitation.” She told the messenger. He stood.

“Thank you madam. I will convey your acceptance. Will you require direction?”

“No I believe I can find it.”

“Of course. We will make certain you are cleared through security.”

“That would be nice.” She escorted the messenger out. Once the door slid shut behind him she ran her hand through her hair and let out a sigh. What on earth could Riko possibly want?

“Only one way to find out,” she said. “At least I threw one good outfit in just in case.” The time when she had kept a wardrobe on the docking facility had long since passed and she was rather limited by what she had brought. “Apparently I’ll have to look into that.”

At the appointed time Elena found herself crossing a rather dramatic corridor decorated in black and gold. In the corner a golden dragon stood watch. Despite the gold it looked remarkably life like. ‘Like a gilded alligator just waiting,’ she thought as she sidled past it. A large man with a long black braid popped up like a genie in the doorway.

“You have been cleared for entry Ms. Calabrese. Please follow me.” He turned and walked off down the hallway. Elena followed, after all she had been invited to dinner, it would seem strange to run now. The door she was led to had statues of dragons placed to either side of the doorway. They matched the one in the main hall but were naturally of a smaller scale. Privately Elena wondered how they didn’t interfere with the opening mechanisms of the doorway but figured someone else had already come up with something to solve the problem. Her guide announced her and let her into the room.

‘There are no blank walls here,’ Elena thought. The room was done in a tasteful manner that managed to convey a sense of space. Plants gave the illusion of the out doors and Elena wondered how Riko managed to keep them alive.

“Elena. So good of you to accept my rather impromptu invitation.” Riko was seated in one of the chairs grouped around a small red lacquered table. She didn’t rise to greet Elena but merely gestured towards one of the empty chairs facing her. Elena took the gesture as invitation and took her place in the chair. Riko’s gaze slid over Elena, measuring her as a small man in a black three-piece suit wheeled over a tea tray and poured out for both of them.

Elena hoped her black turtleneck, dressed up with three long slim chains and gray dress slacks measured up to Riko’s opinion of casual. As the woman herself was wearing black dress slacks and a green scoop necked top Elena felt she was fairly safe on that account. It didn’t make her feel that much more comfortable, after all there were so many other things to worry about.

“It is my pleasure to be here, although I must confess I am a bit surprised by the invitation,” Elena said. Riko reached for the steaming teacup, a smile tilting her lips. The servant disappeared behind a screen without a whisper.

“Such an honest reaction,” Riko said taking a sip of tea. “How refreshing. Many others would have assumed that since I had invited them they were naturally worthy to be here and tried to determine why with subtle conversation instead of a simple question.”

“Would subtle conversation have worked?”

“No,” Riko said, her smile widening.

“Yet it seems open questioning does not either,” Elena said politely. She picked up her cup and breathed in the steam.

“And you believe you have a right to know?”

“Yes, I do,” Elena, answered simply.

“How do you find working with Peter Baranov?” Riko asked. Elena blinked at the alteration of the conversation and the shift in tone. Riko’s voice had taken on a sharp edge under the silky politeness.

“He has proven to be an adequate advisor during the time I have been dealing with the military.” Elena responded.

“Has he? Well that is council business. I believe there is now other business?”

“Yes,” Elena said catching the emphasis on other. “My grandfather and I had talked about using my existing business to expand the placement possibilities for some of the channel goods. Peter believed it would be a profitable venture and asked to be included in the partnership.”

“And you agreed to work with his cousin Andre?”

“Andre is an excellent graphics designer. Peter suggested him and when I interviewed him, I found him to be exactly what we needed and hired him.”

“Peter?” Riko said, her eyebrows rising in question.

“He corrects me when I call him Mr. Baranov.”

“Oh I bet he does,” Riko said with a laugh. The laugh had a hard edge to it that Elena was not too comfortable with. She reminded herself that council members were dangerous people. With a sigh she realized when she returned she might ask Andre to tell her some of the stories about her grandfather. Knowing them might help her remember that fact, as she seemed to find a council member around every corner. Elena could find no comment for Riko and took a delicate sip of the hot tea instead. Riko’s eyes narrowed in thought.

“I imagine he is quite happy with you right now.”

“He seemed pleased by the progress we have made.” Elena responded not rising to the bait. Riko smiled and tossed it to her anyway.

“You know Andre is a few years older than you and thus far no one has ever been able to get him interested in working for the guild in any capacity. Until Peter sent you, of course.”

“Did they try asking him to use his skills as an artist?” Elena asked calmly. Inside she planned to have conversations with both Peter and Andre. ‘And won’t that be fun,’ she thought.

“You know, I don’t know,” Riko said, a surprised look flashed across her face for an instant.

“Perhaps that is the difference.”

“Perhaps. So how are you finding your non-council arranged partnership with Black Pete going?”

“Thus far it is fine.”

“And his reputation? It does not bother you?”

“I do not plan on giving him reason to show that part of his character to me,” Elena responded. Riko let out another hard laugh.

“Yes I believe it wise to do that.”

“Does my partnership bother you or the council?” Elena asked.

“My, you are blunt,” Riko said.

“My apologies if my question offends.”

“Offends, no. Surprises, yes.” She tilted her head. “It is of no true concern of mine or the council’s what business arrangements have been made. I was merely assuaging my curiosity.”

“I see.”

“And how is your dream journal going?” This time Elena did not even blink at the topic change.

“Well actually. The headaches have completely stopped.”

“And the dreams?”

“They have become more vivid and I believe I understand them better.”

“I am told your cousin Mateo is to become an adherent to your household.”

“Yes,” Elena responded, deciding to keep her details to a minimum.

“He is quite gifted.”

“Yes he is.”

“It appears he is already working on a major project.”

“Does it?”

“Yes.” Elena sipped her tea and decided not to comment. The same servant who poured the tea began setting up for dinner. Not so much as a plate clattered or silverware clinked as he set the table for two.

“This is quite a lovely tea,” Elena said as the silence stretched. Riko smiled a shark’s smile.

“Thank you.” They sat quietly for a moment as the servant completed his task and left. “Does the project Mateo is working on have anything to do with your partnership with Peter?” Elena raised an eyebrow in question. “I can be blunt as well when the situation calls for it.”

“No. Mateo is not working for Peter.”

“That doesn’t answer my question as you well know. I am aware Mateo works for you and that you have a partnership with Peter. Therefore Mateo does not have to be working for Peter to assist him.”

“That partnership is separate from Mateo’s current project,” Elena clarified with a hard smile. Riko seemed pleased.

“Does it have anything to do with the Calling?”

“Perhaps,” Elena hedged.

“Anything you would like to share?”

“Not yet,” Elena said. Riko watched Elena for a moment as a dinner tray was wheeled into the room. A large silver dome topped the tray. Riko glanced at it in irritation and Elena remembered the etiquette of not discussing business over dinner had become near law in some of the council households.

“I have the feeling your venture will prove a profitable one. I would like to become involved in it when you are ready to share. A partnership of sorts.”

“Many others have been looking into this a lot longer. Why would you not seek a partnership with them? It would seem a safer bet.” Riko laughed at the question and rose regally from her chair. Elena stood as well.

“The others have been studying it longer,” Riko admitted. “However none of them have moved beyond theories while you have given one of our best mechanics a list of concrete goals. You are one of the best pilots I have seen with your instincts sharper than many, and it has not escaped my notice that nearly every venture you become involved in become rapidly quite profitable. Are these not enough reasons to become interested in a partnership?”

“They are good reasons,” Elena said carefully. “If I reach a point where it might be feasible to form a partnership I would consider it.” Riko smiled at Elena’s answer.

“That is all I ask,” she said. “Now let us put business aside and get to know one another over a delicious meal.”

Pilot: Chapter 37

Chapter 37

"What do you mean you didn’t use any of the instruments?” Smith demanded. Elena ground her teeth and calmly answered him for what seemed like the millionth time. They were only three hours into the passage to the docking facility and Elena dully wondered how many times she would have to answer it.

“I mean that I didn’t use any of the electronic instruments in the pilot house to see the channels.” Tiredness pulled at the edges of her voice.

“That is impossible,” he bellowed.

“That is a pilot,” Alexandro said. Smith jumped, not realizing the man had joined them. “Elena your shift ended half an hour ago.”

“Of course,” Elena said. She turned to leave.

“And you will refrain from yelling at my pilot,” he told Smith.

“Your pilot is supposed to be answering my questions,” Smith insisted.

“She has done so. You just don’t want to believe her. I believe that makes your lack of knowledge your fault and not hers.” Elena knew it was cowardly but she wanted nothing to do with this argument and kept walking away.

“You were telling the truth weren’t you? They are something you can just see,” Jonathan asked. Elena looked over to where Smith and her grandfather were glaring at each other. She was too far away to make out the words.

“Yes I was. That is why I am a pilot. Now if you will excuse me. I am only off duty as long as there is no trouble so I need to rest while it is quiet.” Elena turned and walked away, ducking behind Anthony and Marco as they went about their tasks. She knew full well they had overheard and discreetly moved to block Jonathan from following.

Instead of going to her cabin Elena found a quiet stretch of deck and sat down, her head resting against the exterior wall of the cabin. From here the ship was at her back and only the dark was in front of her. The entry into the channels always tired her out as if sensing as well as guiding the ship took more of her energy than it seemed. This trip out Elena felt the tiredness but there was also a jumpy sort of energy that made the thought of sleep sound silly.

‘Perhaps it is being on a ship after so long being gone,’ she thought. Elena waited for the whisperings that she remembered from the Calling. They didn’t come and she felt a little of the jumpy tension ease. She rested her head against the wooden wall and watched the stars slide by in the distance. With a start she realized it hadn’t been so long since she had seen these particular stars.

This was the section of space where her dreams always took her. Elena looked around. By now she knew exactly which sectors of space to look for the heat ripples. Elena focused her sight as they passed one such area. For a second the spot remained the same. Then slowly it began to ripple as it had in her dream. Elena sat up straight and leaned forward.

“No not like my dreams,” she whispered. The heat shimmer was different. Instead of rippling as if it were hot air above burning asphalt it looked more like the heat was behind the stretch of space and that the heat was slowly melting the fabric from behind, like a lit cigar held up to a piece of over exposed film. In the center it looked as though the heat was starting to melt a hole. Elena blinked, not sure what would happen if a hole formed.

At the edges of her hearing she could make out the angry tones of Smith and her grandfather. More clearly she could hear scraps of information leak through the small tear. It didn’t sound like the Calling but more like the sounds and images she got from the other side of a channel before she had decided whether or not to take it.

“Perhaps it’s not a good idea to experiment with the military on board.” For a moment Elena wondered what would happen if she turned away. Would the hole continue to form or would it stop? Would her headaches return as they did in the dream? A hole was definitely starting to form. Elena decided to try shifting her sight so that she was not using the inner sight she used to see the channels.

Instantly the hole stopped growing. She could still see the heat shimmer but it was fading and the hole was being repaired, as if patched from the other side. She could still catch vague images and sounds from the other side but they were faint, as if they were being muffled by the intervening space.

Elena blinked hard and leaned back against the wall. A wave of exhaustion rose up and made her dizzy. She closed her eyes a moment to allow the dizziness to pass. Behind her eyelids she replayed the incident. For a moment she could see how the new channel could be opened. She could see where it led and that it was a two-way channel. She could even sense its depth when opened fully. If she could succeed in opening it, she could go through and come back.

“Not this trip though. I promised Mateo.” Elena opened her eyes and realized keeping them open for much longer was going to be a problem. Obviously opening a new channel took much more out of her than piloting an existing one. That was a fact that would need to be taken into consideration. She smiled, the exhilaration still managing to bubble through the exhaustion.

“I could actually do this,” she realized. She also realized the argument had grown more heated now that she had nothing else to distract her. Elena dragged herself to her feet and wondered if someone was about to be thrown overboard. Smith was bellowing, apparently not realizing that when on board, the only law was the captain’s law.

She was sure he would be set straight. Elena couldn’t really work up much interest as she could barely keep her eyes open. She made her way to her cabin, one hand braced on the wall for support. No one noticed. She was completely upstaged.

“They can tell me what happened when I go back on shift,” Elena thought. With great effort, she pried her door open and stepped into her cabin. She closed the door behind her and fell into her bed fully clothed. Within seconds she was sound asleep.

A hard knocking on her door woke her. She mumbled something incoherent but loud enough to let the person on the other side know she was awake. The knocking stopped and Elena pried herself out of bed. She still felt groggy and stiff in the joints. A splash of cold water on her face helped but a whole lot. Elena went up to the pilothouse even though her stomach rumbled at the smells from the galley. Breakfast would have to wait until she had checked their course.

Everything was well and the ship still retained its course towards the docking facility. Inertia was a beautiful thing. A course correction would be needed in half an hour but that was expected. It was always the unexpected that threw you for a loop. Between Earth’s channels and the docking facility was usually a quiet run. Enough ships made the trip with enough frequency that the passages were kept pretty clear. It was the space between the docking facility and other’s ports that things sometimes got tricky.

“And they think earth’s politics are bad,” Elena muttered. The scent of breakfast intensified and Elena turned to see Marco enter with a covered plate. His eyes held a twinkle of mischief and she wondered what had happened after she crashed.

“Please tell me you came to share,” she said.

“I already ate,” he told her. “You slept through breakfast and since it would not be right for you to become faint, I bring it to you.”

“Purely a self serving gesture,” she said taking the plate from him and setting it down on top of one of the machines that still remained turned off. There was no danger in turning it back on, but no practical point in doing so either. With Smith and Jonathan aboard, Elena was leaving off as much of the equipment as possible. She had run the plan by both her grandfather and Peter and both had approved. It meant her breaks were shorter but the military’s belief in technology might be shaken, at least in regards to piloting a channel rider.

“Of course,” Marco said. “They are the only kind I do.” Elena smiled as she uncovered her tray. Marco’s willingness to offer assistance without hesitation was one of his better-known traits. Only slightly less known was his love of gossip.

“I don’t suppose filling me in on what happened after I crashed would fall into that category? Perhaps relieving you of the burden of secrecy?” Elena said. She picked up the fork and began cutting small pieces of her omelet to eat.

“I can’t believe you slept through that.” Elena continued to eat her omelet. “The Captain and the Bear hurled names and threats loud enough to shake the masts.” The Bear had become the crew’s favorite term for Smith. Jonathan had likewise become known as Smiley.

“And which one came out on top?” Elena asked. Marco looked shocked.

“No one outranks the captain,” he told her sternly.

“Of course,” Elena said. “I merely meant to ask if Smith actually made the captain give him any lee way or if he was now confined to quarters.”

“Ah, of course. There is no confinement. The Bear received no special favors and is grumbling but accepting of the realities of life.” Elena nodded and finished her omelet. She picked up the coffee and took a sip.

“Thanks,” she said as Marco picked up the plate and cover. He shrugged.

“It was my turn in the galley today.” He left with the empty plate. A few minutes later Elena saw Smith stalk across the deck and had to admit the crew’s description of a bear was quite accurate. He was grumbling as if he had been awakened from hibernation too soon. He reached the pilothouse and too Elena’s surprise he was relatively polite when she expected him to snap.

Apparently he had decided discretion was the better part of valor, at least in this instance. Elena turned away from Smith and looked ahead. Alexandro stood on deck surveying the daily operations. As his eyes turned towards her she winked. He smiled and nodded and continued on his way. Elena wondered how long the cease-fire would last.

Pilot: Chapter 36

Chapter 36

Elena stood next to Andre and watched her grandfather and Smith square off. Jonathan stood a few feet away from Smith and looked eager to blend into the background. The discussion hadn’t moved past words yet and Elena wondered if one of them would actually take a swing at the other.

“And you get to be stuck on a ship with them,” Andre commented. Elena shook her head.

“Aren’t you sorry you are going to miss it?”

“Well I could take bets on how far out you get before one pitches the other overboard if I were coming,” Andre commented. He turned his head slightly. “Looks like the cavalry is about to arrive.” Elena followed his gaze and saw Peter walking quickly towards the fracas.

“I suppose we could have stepped in,” Elena commented as Peter began settling things down.

“Do you actually think either of them would have listened?”

“No,” Elena said. “That’s why we stayed out of it.”

“You were told that only 50 lbs of gear would be allowed per person,” Peter said calmly. Each of the bags had been weighed. Smith was three pounds over the limit and had been asked to remove items to bring the weight down. Smith had contended that since Elena’s bag had been seven pounds under the limit he should be allowed some leeway.

“I tried to tell him Grandfather didn’t bend,” Elena said. Her bag had already been stowed as had Jonathan’s who came in at exactly 50 lbs. She wondered what would happen if he decided to bring something back with him. That possibility had not really crossed his mind from everything she could tell. The only ship visible from where they stood was the Wind Dancer.

The crew was already aboard and ready to go. Elena knew they had been down at the docks over an hour before she, Andre, Smith and Jonathan had arrived. By the time the military had arrived it looked as though the Wind Dancer had just come into port to pick them up and leave again. Both the Storm Chaser and Gregori’s Dream had been docked in the enclosed areas used during the off-season to shelter the ships from winter storms and to make repairs.

“How soon is Peter leaving?” Elena asked Andre. She kept her voice soft so her question wouldn’t carry.

“About four hours after you,” I think he is going to skirt around the coast to the Yolanda and have Anna ride that channel in.” Elena nodded. That would put Peter about a day behind them in reaching the port facility. Maria would be a passenger on Gregori’s Dream.

“We are loosing the tide,” Elena heard her grandfather yell. “Loose the extra weight or stay here.” He turned and stalked off towards the Wind Dancer.

“That would be my cue,” Elena said. “Thanks for taking care of Spin while I’m gone.”

“No problem,” Andre said. “Take notes. Cause I know someone is getting shoved overboard.” She smiled and followed her grandfather towards the ship. Jonathan cast a nervous glance her way.

“Would he really leave without us?” he asked.

“Yes,” she replied. “Mr. Baranov, good to see you again. Safe journey.”

“Elena, please I thought I told you to call me Peter.” Elena nodded.

“Of course, old habits.”

“Safe journey to you as well.” Elena continued past the men and walked up the gangplank and boarded the ship. She inhaled deeply and smiled. The Wind Dancer would always smell like home.

“Should be some trip,” Anthony said watching Smith tug a few items out of his bag and hand them to Peter. The comment had been made in Italian and Elena remembered to answer in the same language. For this trip Smith and Jonathan would believe only she and her grandfather spoke English.

“Andre’s taking bets that one of them will be shoved overboard before the trip is through.” Anthony snorted.

“That is a sure thing. The trick will be whether they get thrown off into the water or into space.”

“True.” Anthony resumed his pre cast off regime. Elena only hoped if Smith ended up a frozen blob in space she wasn’t the one who had to tell the military. Peter re-weighed Smith’s bag and approved it for boarding. Smith and Jonathan boarded the boat and Elena went to the pilothouse. Smith and Jonathan followed closely on her heels. She received the go ahead from her grandfather and piloted the Wind Dancer out of port and towards the open water.

“You know there are three days before we even get to a channel,” Elena told them. She pointed towards Smith’s bag. “You do have time to go stow that.” Smith frowned but didn’t move. They watched as Elena worked and twice Elena bumped into them as they crowed close. Each time they stepped back, only to crowd in once more when it looked like she had done something that might be of interest.

‘This is going to be a long trip,’ she thought to herself. As they hit the open water and less attention had to be paid to maneuvering around stationary objects she relaxed a little. This seemed to be the sign that she was ready to answer questions. Jonathan pulled out a notebook and began taking notes as both he and Smith questioned every piece of machinery in the pilothouse.

The first day of school nervousness faded under the barrage. She answered clearly and concisely and tried not to roll her eyes as Smith pulled a digital camera from one of his many pockets. Elena wondered if she should tell him that if the camera was on when they entered the Marta the memory card would fry. Once again she had to elbow him back out of her way. She decided not to share.

As the questions continued Elena got the impression that neither Smith nor Jonathan had ever spent much time aboard any form of ship, or if they had they had been solely a passenger and not part of the operations. Many of the things they questioned were standard on a ship of any size.

The weather remained clear and, despite the continuing questions, Elena felt her body ease into the rhythm of the journey. As expected Smith and Jonathan were less than thrilled that the other crewmembers would only speak Italian and since her grandfather tended to ignore them, Elena was the only person they could talk to. When either man wanted to ask something of the crew Elena had to go though the translation routine, at which time she could see the spark of humor dancing in each of the crew’s eyes at the charade.

Jonathan, who had been sick the first day out was looking a little less green and had managed to keep a full meal down by the time they approached the Marta. She hoped he managed to stay that way when they entered the channel. Elena signaled the crew that the approach to the Marta was eminent and she began preparations for entering the channel, as expected Smith and Jonathan raced to her side.

“You’ll need to stay back for this. I need some space,” she cautioned. This was not the time to be bumping into them. They hung back to watch. Elena went around the pilothouse meticulously following the routine of switching off all of the ships electronics. If any one of them were left on there would be a chance that not only that piece of equipment could fry in the passage but when the other components were turned back on it could spark a system-wide melt down. That was not something she wanted to contemplate.

Smith barked out questions and Elena blocked his voice out as she went through her routine. With the electronics off Elena turned her sight towards the water. Clear as a mountain pass the channel rose before her eyes. The depth was right. She smiled tightly and made a few adjustments to their course, aiming the ship to the center of the channel.

“Brace for entry,” Elena called out to the crew.

“What?” Smith said, waiting for the translation. All of the crew moved away from the railings and towards the center. The entry wasn’t always that rough but it was a safety precaution all ships followed.

“You are going to want to hold on,” Elena told Smith and Jonathan.

“Why?” Jonathan asked.

“Cause we are going in,” She told him. Elena focused on the channel. With a jarring bump the Wind Dancer slipped from the ocean and into the mouth of the channel. The first minute of entry felt like the first downward dive of a roller coaster. Light blurred around them in a sickening rainbow that bled to intense white. Smith and Jonathan gasped and grabbed for the wall. A railing had been placed along the inside for just such a reason and both men clung to it. Alexandro stood firm on the deck, his feet planted wide for balance as his ship slipped into the sky.

The Wind Dancer leveled out and the world around them bled from the dizzying blast of white in the channel entrance to the deep black of space. Stars surrounded them and Elena smiled. God she had missed this. She let out a peel of laughter and steered them through the stars, a blue ribbon of water glistening beneath their hull.

Pilot: Chapter 35

Chapter 35

Once the cargo had been sent off to the repackaging center what looked to Elena to be a fleet of vehicles arrived. At the head of the train was the black sedan driven by Thomas. The following vehicles were less glossy and the various crewmembers, after being dismissed by their captains, piled in without hesitation. Each of them carried a bag of gear and Elena assumed they were being taken to their hotel. Anna and Maria stayed. Elena looked around and didn’t see Marcus.

“No Marcus?” she asked.

“He will be meeting us in town. I figured you might not want to drive back alone.”

“Of course,” Elena said. Andre gave a little wave to her as he followed Peter and Anna over to where Thomas waited. Elena waved back and led Maria and Alexandro to her car. The drive back to the city and the dinner and Enzo’s that followed was filled with talk of family and long absent friends. Her RSVP to her cousin Nate’s wedding pleased her grandfather who now felt as though everything was once again right in the world. Maria rolled her eyes and quirked up the side of her mouth in a suppressed grin as Alexandro repeatedly ignored any possibility of bad feelings between Elena and Therese.

“Some things don’t change,” she said to herself as she drove home after dropping Maria and her grandfather off at their hotel. She tucked her car back into its accustomed place in the garage and walked around to the front of her building. She passed a couple of men who looked to be from the military base as she headed towards the door. She tensed and sidled by them, keeping them in sight and out of grabbing distance. One looked at her with an innocently surprised look and the other looked at her like she was crazy. They went their own way and Elena pulled open the door to her building just as Jonathan was walking down the stairs.

“Hello,” he said flashing a smile. “I stopped by since I was in the neighborhood to see if you wanted to catch a flick but you weren’t home.”

“Yes I was out,” she said. Her mind linked the two men outside with Jonathan inside and her eyes narrowed in suspicion. “It is kind of late though and I have an early meeting.”

“Oh well,” he said with a shrug. “Maybe next time.” He strolled out of the door and Elena climbed the stairs. She went into her apartment, closed the door behind her and stood in the center of the living room looking at the things around her. Had he been inside with the other men standing watch? The corner of her living room throw rug was flipped up. Had she done that when she had removed her satchel of maps or had someone else been searching? She slowly walked through her apartment questioning every detail. Was that book where she left it or had it been moved? She stopped in the kitchen and looked at the small lamp that sat on her kitchen table.

Dusting had never been one of her big priorities. She remembered to do it when company was coming but only sporadically at other times. Lately she had been too busy to have company and there was a light layer of dust around the edges of the part of the kitchen table she didn’t use much. Not a heavy layer but enough so that she could see the dark crescent of clean wood at the edge of the lamp base where the lamp had been shifted. Spin, the kitten mewed from the bathroom where Elena had locked her after dropping her off.

‘I could have knocked it a little earlier,’ she thought without any real conviction. She reached out and picked up the lamp. Elena turned it over and was not surprised to see a little metallic dot attached to the bottom of the base. She left the dot in place and set the lamp back down. It made sense to bug her kitchen since it was in the center of the apartment and she often talked to herself while she cooked or ate.

Elena let Spin out of the bathroom. The cat walked delicately past Elena ignoring her presence. Elena tried not to think of where else the apartment might be bugged. After all there was no practical point to bugging her bedroom or shower. Was there? Elena shook the thought away and prepared for bed. At the moment there was nothing she could do about the bugs. She could get rid of the one in the kitchen of course but there was no telling if that was the only one. Elena frowned as she pulled back the covers. She didn’t really care for being spied on.

Out of the corner of her eye she saw the leather journal she had been keeping on her dreams. She slid into bed and pulled the volume over. Elena flipped through the pages, wondering if Jonathan had done the same earlier. The journal was only a record of her dreams and wouldn’t give them any tactical information or any true journal entries about her opinions of current events so she hadn’t taken it to the Storm Chaser. She placed the book back on her nightstand as Spin climbed into bed and curled up on the spare pillow. Apparently Elena was to be forgiven for the bathroom imprisonment. The thought of Jonathan reading her dream journal made her very angry.

“Dreams are supposed to be private,” she muttered softly as she curled up in bed. Her dreams were angry and unfocused that night and there was nothing useful she could add to the journal the next morning. She arrived at the store the next morning as Susan, the manager was beginning the process of opening.

“I still can’t get used to that,” Elena told her with a smile as she walked in. Elena liked that she could count on having Susan take care of the day to day operations but still found herself missing having the store to herself for those few moments of the morning.

“Ready for your big meeting?” Susan asked.

“As ready as ever,” Elena replied.

“So far everything looks great.”

“You think?”

“Oh yeah,” Susan confirmed. “The outside looks fabulous and the early buzz you’ve got going has really gotten people interested. We get at least ten people asking about it every day. The opening is going to be a huge hit. I just know it.”

“Thanks,” Elena said. The phone rang and Elena picked it up.

“Calabrese Imports,” she said in her best cheery voice. That voice was never easy for her to do first thing in the morning.

“Hi this is Steve, Emily’s husband. Is this Elena?”

“It is. Good morning. I hope everything is alright.” Elena quickly did the math in her head. Emily’s due date was still three weeks away but the baby could have come early.

“Everything is fine, Emily is just a bit under the weather today.” Elena smiled. Emily had developed a bit of a guilt complex about taking time off when she knew she would be taking maternity leave soon.

“You tell her to go ahead and take a sick day,” Elena said. “We’ll be able to manage.” In truth Emily rarely took sick days and really only took time off for doctor’s visits no matter how lousy she felt. Elena soothed Steve’s conscious and hung up the phone.

“Emily sick?” Susan asked.

“Yeah, she is going to take the day off. If things get hairy give me a ring on the cell and I’ll be down to lend a hand when the meeting is through.”

“We’ll get by,” Susan said. The bell over the door rang and Elena saw her grandfather walk in while Marcus drove off down the street. No sooner than he had pulled away from the cub than Thomas glided into his place and Peter stepped out of the vehicle.

“Hey, hey the gangs all here,” she muttered. “Good morning,” she said in a louder voice. “If you’ll just let me get my papers we can go on up.” Elena went back to the office and grabbed the information she had put together for this meeting. Andre would be pulling the drawings together. She just had to concentrate on everything else. Elena let the two men up to the conference room and was delighted by the smell of a pot of fresh coffee. Andre was stacking the designs in different groups on the table as they entered.

“Thanks for making coffee,” Elena said.

“No problem,” he replied with a smile. Elena poured out the cups and everyone settled.

“Why don’t we start with the graphics since they are already laid out,” Elena said. She indicated that Andre had the floor. Andre walked everyone through the different design layouts for each of the product lines. Each type had a couple of different versions. Elena had already seen them all and knew which ones she preferred.

Slowly the options for each were whittled down until a final plan was chosen. The same was done with potential web layouts and print advertisements. It took less time than Elena had planned. She had anticipated a lot more debate but over all Peter and her grandfather was willing to defer to her on many of the options. It was a distinctly odd experience.

Once the design decisions were made, Andre gathered his materials and notes into a pile at the end of the table and sat down, ceding the floor to Elena. She passed out the information packets she had prepared and went over all of the little details needed for this venture from the meeting of FDA requirements to the plans for the grand opening planned for the Saturday before Valentine’s Day. By the time she was finished both men looked impressed.

“You two have done quite a bit of work,” Alexandro said. “And it shows. I see no gaps or missing elements. I am satisfied. Peter?”

“I am very satisfied as well. If one good thing has come out of Ian Jensen’s betrayal of the guild it is this,” Peter said. Alexandro nodded and Elena took a sip of coffee, swallowing any comments she might have made. “Have you begun looking at staff?”

“Yes, interviews were conducted last week and I believe we have some good people ready to step up. We have a great manager who can be trusted to run things fairly independently since I will be away much of the time. Andre is going to continue handling the marketing.” Elena smiled at Andre.

“He has also agreed to take on the task of marketing for Calabrese Imports as well which will be paid out of a separate fund. You can see the breakouts on the budget page. Not only is Andre very good at marketing but it will look better publicly to consolidate these two aspects.” Peter nodded.

“I agree. It would look strange to have two separate marketing specialists for each of your businesses.” The meeting concluded with everyone in a well-satisfied frame of mind. Elena watched Peter and Alexandro leave with a shake of her head.

“Just business as usual,” she said. Andre came to stand next to her at the window as the two sedans pulled up to pick up their charges.

“Yup,” Andre said. “Just a normal day wheeling and dealing with two of the most powerful council members.” Elena glanced over at Andre.

“Grandfather?” she asked.

“Oh yeah,” Andre said. Elena shook her head and waved his next comment to silence.

“I think I’d rather not know.” Andre lifted an eyebrow.

“You sure?”

“Yeah,” Elena said with a sigh. “I know sooner or later I might have to know. But right now, I’d rather I didn’t have to.”

“I understand,” he said. “Peter was just my cousin before I heard the stories of Black Pete. I thought people were joking at first. I mean it was Peter.” Elena almost asked if her grandfather’s reputation was as bad as Peter’s but bit her lip instead. There was always time to find out about that later.

“I suppose we better get the PDFs of those to the printer,” Elena said indicating the stack of approved designs and firmly changing the subject.

“I suppose we had better,” Andre said, allowing the subject change.

Pilot: Chapter 34

Sorry for the delay folks. Life came at me a little faster than anticipated. val

Chapter 34

Wednesday arrived and Elena decided to put Ian Jensen out of her mind. Smith had not brought up the incident at their Thursday evening meeting and she hoped he considered it a moot issue. She also hoped he would keep himself out of her daily life but had little hope of seeing that wish fulfilled. Still he hadn’t been by the shop since. Elena was willing to take that as a good sign.

She and Andre headed down to the docks. Today was the day she would see her ship. It would be a good day. The sun was a bright circle in the deep blue bowl of sky. Elena and Andre chatted aimlessly the conversation ranging from bad horror flicks to politics and art. With a start Elena realized they had become friends. She smiled to herself as she took the exit off of the highway.

“Something amusing?” Andre asked.

“I was just thinking how nice it was to talk to someone I don’t have to hide guild business from,” she told him. He nodded.

“Yeah,” he said. “Even when you are just talking normally you have to always watch that something doesn’t spill out that you can’t rationally explain.”

“True but sometimes that can be fun as well,” she told him, thinking of the housewarming she had attended. “Kind of conversational tight rope walking.”

“Yeah but when you slip you really end up going splat.” The exit led them to a split in the road and Elena turned left.

“I don’t know some of those last second saves are quite interesting. Sometimes you don’t know how fast you can think until you have to avoid a free fall.” The road led them towards the water. Not many ships were docked here and the area seemed to be more warehouses and empty berths.

“Looks like this dock has seen better days,” Andre commented as he shifted his gaze out of the window. A few of the buildings had fallen into disrepair. To Elena it seemed like a place where the bulk of the shipping industry had gone elsewhere but the warehouse district was too far from the city center to become a popular haven for those seeking trendy lofts and clubs.

“Well it certainly looks like a place that would be used for smuggling.” Towards the end of the docks she spotted three ships unloading goods into two waiting trucks. “Guess this is the place.” She parked near the trucks and they got out of the car. She took the leather satchel from the back seat. All of the papers regarding the Storm Chaser were inside as well as the maps from under the floorboards. She would be stashing them on the ship, leaving nothing behind in her apartment to be found in the event of a search. Elena was careful to stay out of the way of the workers. Her grandfather stood off to the side watching the men work. Peter stood next to him. As she and Andre made their way to the two captains Elena took a good look around.

Although many of the buildings looked to be in a state of slight disrepair, brand new surveillance cameras had been installed so that no part of the docks were hidden from sight. Elena was certain many other security measures she couldn’t see had been taken care of as well. She could also tell that the docks were not fully abandoned. Several warehouses were still in use by those other than the guild and the end of the wall of warehouse buildings let off into a surprisingly pretty marina where little white boats, toys for the rich were nestled in the water. Surprisingly the channel riders did not look too out of place, riding that middle line between commercial and pleasure craft.

“Well, you made it in good time I see,” Alexandro said as Elena reached him. He pulled her into a hug. She breathed him in and smiled. “It is good to see you,” he said as he released her.

“Its good to see you too,” she told him. “How was the trip?”

“Fine, fine. We got a very good deal on the merchandise and should have enough for the opening. With that and our first run of the year, we should be off to a very good start. Providing you can pull this off.” Her grandfather beamed down at her and she could feel the waves of pride as a nearly physical thing. He had no doubt she could pull this crazy stunt off. It was nice to have someone believe in her.

“Construction is nearly complete. They should be finished in a few days. Andre has pulled some wonderful designs together and we will go over and finalize our choices when we meet tomorrow. The printers are standing by and I believe Mr. Baranov has managed to secure a re-packaging facility where alien goods will be turned into respectable merchandise.” Elena turned towards Peter.

“I stopped by yesterday and met with Nicholas. Everything seems to be in order.”

“So I am told,” Peter said with a smile. “Have there been any more issues with Smith?” To her left she could feel her grandfather stiffen. He had not been pleased by Smith’s accusations.

“No things have been fairly quiet. In our last meeting they were still trying to get around the 50 lbs of gear rule but I think that is merely for form sake at this point. I have a feeling they are going to wait until the trip is done to ask more questions.” Elena thought for a second. “And I think they believe I am lying about the low tech aspects. I think they really want a magic box that zings them into the channels rather than an actual pilot doing the work.”

“Speaking of pilots,” Peter said as a woman stepped from Gregori’s Dream. They watched her descend the gangplank. She walked with the rolling gait of someone more familiar with shipboard than dry land. Her long ash blonde hair was pulled into a long braid that reached nearly to her waist. Elena was reminded that her own hair would soon be more of an annoyance on shipboard than she was accustomed to it being. He own long braid had been chopped to shin length, too short to tie back but long enough to get in the way. Elena wondered if it would be better to cut her hair shorter or let it grow out again.

“I would like you to meet Anna Savinkov, my pilot,” Peter concluded. Anna reached the end of the gangplank and held out her hand to Elena and smiled.

“The infamous Elena Calabrese, I’m told,” She said, the whisper of St. Petersburg dancing in her words. “It is a pleasure to meet the pilot shattered Narou’s record.” Elena laughed.

“That was quite a while ago,” Elena said.

“And she was grounded for quite a long time afterwards,” her grandfather rumbled behind him. She tossed him a grin over her shoulder before turning back to Anna.

“I have to admit Ms. Savinkov, it was well worth the punishment to see her face when we rounded Luras,” she told Anna. Anna laughed.

“Please, you must call me Anna.”

“Of course.”

“Well if it isn’t the missing link,” a pleasant voice said. Elena turned towards the voice to see a woman with a dark brown braid and the same rolling walk step towards her.

“Maria,” Elena said, pulling the woman into a hug. “I didn’t realize you were piloting the Wind Dancer.”

“I am, and have been since you left. Dad finally retired and I didn’t want to bother with my own ship so I signed on here.”

“It is so good t see you,” Elena said. Maria, who was about 8 years older, had always looked out for Elena when their paths crossed or Therese made life difficult. They were family in a complicated way. Maria’s father was some sort of third cousin to her grandmother’s brother in law. It meant there was no blood between them but the world of the guild was not a large one and family was family.

“And speaking of owning your own ship,” Peter said, drawing Elena’s attention back towards him. “I believe they are finished unloading yours. We had enough goods that we needed the extra space to bring them.”

“I see,” she said. Her eyes drifted towards the Storm Chaser and she felt a shiver of anticipation run through her.

“The last person has left the Storm Chaser Captain,” a strange man with blond hair said to her. He gave her a half bow. “The Council wishes you fresh winds and a safe harbor.” He stepped to the side, nodded to Peter and walked away. By custom only the pilot who tested the Storm Chaser would have been on it before it was delivered.

“Captain,” she repeated. Elena let out a heavy breath. “That is going to take some getting used to. I suppose I’ll need to get a cat.” Her grandfather chuckled.

“Boots had kittens a little while back. They were old enough to leave their mother so I brought one with me if you would care to have her.” Elena smiled. Boots was the Wind Dancer’s cat and had spent many nights curled up on Elena’s bunk.

“I would like that,” she told him. “Very much.” Alexandro signaled to the Wind Dancer and Anthony, one of the sailors trotted down the gangplank cupping a small grey ball of fur in his hands. He passed the ball to Elena with a wink. In her hands the ball of downy soft fur stretched and yawned, it’s little pink tongue darting out between sharp white teeth. She stretched her paw and little claws extended. No channel rider ever left port without a cat.

“She hasn’t been named yet,” Alexandro told her. Both pilots and the men moved away from her as she turned towards the Storm Chaser. Custom dictated that only she and the cat be on board for the first walk through. Elena walked up the gangplank and stepped onto her ship for the first time. In her hands the kitten sat up and looked around, almost as if she realized what a momentous moment this was.

Elena walked the deck; the feel of the boards beneath her feet welcomed her like an old friend. She found her steps naturally shifting to meet the sway of the ship. The Storm Chaser still gleamed with newness reminding her of a toy on Christmas morning. The galley gleamed brightly and smelled only of wood and resin instead of lingering meals. The table was smooth and unscarred. The crew’s berths were completely empty. There were no items tucked into corners or decorations tacked to the walls. The standard bedding was folded neatly at the end of the bed. Elena found it a little eerie. The crew berths on the Wind Dancer had always looked lived in and more like home than any of the ports the crew visited.

Elena crossed the corridor and found herself standing in the pilot’s room. The pilot was always given a separate room from the rest of the crew. It was small but private. It had been explained as a privilege for the pilot but Elena had always figured it was more for practical reasons. After all, the pilot was always female and usually the daughter, sister, wife or niece of the captain. The crew was usually male. It didn’t take a genius to do the math. With a start Elena realized this wasn’t her space. She left the pilot’s room and went to the captain’s quarters. The door swung open silently. The kitten mewed and Elena set her on the floor. The gray cat stalked silently into the room as if she knew where she belonged. Elena followed her, somewhat less sure of herself.

The space was larger than that set apart for the pilot but it was not cavernous. The bed was larger and a chest of drawers was built into the wall. A small bookcase with a rail was also built into the wall. It already held several volumes a captain would find useful. All of their spines were crisp and uncracked.

“Factory fresh,” Elena said. Her bed contained only a mattress and she made a mental note to buy sheets, pillows and a comforter. The closet, when she slid open the pocket door was also empty. She would need to bring all of her own gear. Off to the side of the room was a table. The surface was inclined and place in the center was a logbook. Elena ran her fingers over the cover. She opened it and paged through the empty sheets.

“I wonder where we will go,” she said closing the book and thinking of the dreams where she opened new channels. The dreams had become clearer since she had been paying attention and the headaches had completely faded. A few weeks before her dreams had shown her opening the new channels and Elena was almost sure she understood how she did it.

“In theory, of course,” she said closing the logbook. She hadn’t had a chance to test that theory and had promised Mateo she would not do so until he had completed his safety devices. He was making progress though. The excitement in his voice when she spoke with him fairly bubbled through the phone line. Mechanics had always been his gift and he felt about it the same way she felt about piloting.

To the side of the table was a stand of rolled up maps place in a gridded box to keep them organized. Elena pulled one out and stretched it across the table. It was a weatherproofed nautical map. There were no markings on it; no dots, lines or notes, just an untouched map. Elena re rolled the map and tucked it back in its little square. She swung her leather satchel on to the table. Next to the newness, her bag scuffed and salt stained satchel looked quite disreputable. Elena smiled. It made her feel somehow better about the space. She glanced over to the kitten. She had her head inside the padded alcove always installed in the captain’s quarters for the ships cat. Boots had never slept in hers and Elena wondered if the kitten would be any different.

“Does it suit you?” she asked. The kitten backed out of the alcove and looked at Elena. Somehow Elena got the impression that the kitten considered the quarters inferior but would tolerate them if she had to.

“There is nothing as regal as a channel rider’s cat,” she quoted an oft-heard guild saying. The kitten mewed. “I suppose you’ll need a name,” she told the kitten. Elena walked towards the door to continue her tour of the ship. The kitten followed. Elena turned kitten names over in her head as she walked. She would need to announce the kitten’s name when they stepped off the Storm Chaser for the first time. Elena finished her tour, noting the top of the line equipment in the pilothouse. She ran her fingers over it like a greedy child. The Wind Dancer’s systems had been complied over time and placed wherever there was room. Here everything was installed at the same time.

“That will change eventually,” she told the kitten thinking of the steady advancement of technology. “Actually it might change pretty soon,” she corrected herself thinking of Mateo’s current projects. “Might as well enjoy this as long as I can.” Elena finished her tour and picked up the kitten before starting down the gangplank. She walked towards the group clustered on the dock.

“I’d like you to meet Spin,” she said, announcing the kitten’s name. Peter seemed amused by the name. Her grandfather merely reached out and gave Spin’s head a rub.
“Pleased to meet you Spin of the Storm Chaser.”