Storm Chaser: Chapter 44

Chapter 44

Elena settled herself in her chair while the librarian made himself comfortable across from her.

“I’m afraid I don’t have anything but water to offer you,” Elena said. “I wasn’t planning to be at the docking facility long so I didn’t stock up.” The man waved off her concern.

“Not a problem my dear. I understand you weren’t expecting any visitors and personally I would like to keep this visit between us, if you wouldn’t mind.”

“Of course,” Elena answered. They sat in silence for a few seconds as the old man gathered his thoughts. Elena sat patiently. He seemed to shake himself and he smiled.

“I did not introduce myself did I?”

“No sir, you didn’t,” she said with a smile.

“My apologies one of the perils of age is that you begin believing you have met everyone already and don’t need to introduce yourself any more. I am Evan Greggs.”

“Mr. Greggs, how may I help you this evening?” The old man smiled and tapped the embroidered emblem on his shirt.

“As you may have deduced, I am with the Librarians.” Elena nodded politely. “We couldn’t help but notice the,” he paused as sucked on his teeth for a second as if trying to find the proper term. Finally he came up with something he liked. “theme shall we say, of your latest research. Quite a departure from your usual literary peruses.”

Elena was pretty sure they could have easily helped noticing what books she checked out and was not that comfortable with others making lists. Just how many tales of piracy had she checked out over the years? Elena also had the feeling that her personal preferences wouldn’t matter much and mentioning privacy would be pointless. Since discretion seemed the safer course, Elena kept her mouth shut. He paused as if waiting for a response. Not receiving one seemed to please him.

“As you are well aware,” he continued, “The library here at the Docking Facility is merely an electronic copy of Most of our materials. There are items we have not yet gotten around to digitizing.” Elena thought of the giant library ships, circling the galaxies like sharks, never stopping, always gathering information and guarded not only by archivists but by fighters that made her pirate tales seem tame. After all information was power and needed to be safeguarded. She really didn’t like to think about the ships that much. It was almost like wondering why rain was wet.

“I am aware of the library ships,” Elena said. Evan sighed and rubbed his temple.

“The fact is we have some things that will never be able to be digitized.” He paused and shook this thought away as if it were part of an old conversation. “A preliminary scan of the data you have accessed leads us to believe that you are researching more than merely a new trade route,” Elena thought about the treatise dealing with the laws regulating unoccupied planets currently taking up space on her reader. Inwardly she sighed knowing she would have to tread carefully. She once again mentally cursed the need for politics.

“As I am not ready to speak with the Council yet, I would prefer the librarians keep that knowledge quiet for the moment.” Elena said politely.

“Of course,” Evan replied with a slight nod. “After all, this conversation did not actually happen and while we notice certain trends in reader’s habits, we do so only so that we may better assist our patrons, not so that we can gossip with interested council members.” Elena lifted an eyebrow at the comment, silently wondering whether it was Peter of Riko who tried to access that information. Since he had used the plural form, Elena had the suspicion both of them had tried. She couldn’t say she was really surprised.

“I am glad to know that the librarians do not seek to feed the gossip mill.” It was as close to a statement of thanks as she could get. He acknowledged it with a slight incline of his head.

“We do our best.” He clicked his tongue against the back of his front teeth. “Can we work with the understanding that your as of yet undisclosed project deals in some way with an unoccupied planet?

“We can work with that understanding,” Elena said cautiously.

“Good,” he paused and gave Elena a stern look. “I take it you do not seek to feed the gossip mills either?”

“I do my best to avoid it,” she assured him. She was beginning to be somewhat intrigued. “But since this conversation never happened, I can’t see that I would have anything to gossip about, even were I so inclined.” He smiled.

“As you know other than Earth, humans have never managed to hold a planet. Finding an unoccupied one is quite rare in any case which is why few races ever hold more than their home planet. Of course many races are not handicapped in that they must hide their activities from the rest of their planets. For some time now we have been searching for a place to use as a home port. A permanent storage facility so that the accumulated knowledge we have gathered through the centuries could be kept safe while we continue our work.”

“I see,” Elena replied thoughtfully, the wheels in her head spinning. “You would want someplace secure and located in protective space.” The thought of the giant floating archives finally coming to rest was nearly unfathomable. She was not even sure if there was a channel large enough to admit their bulk.

“Yes, this is not something we speak of openly. I’m sure you understand why, but it has been an ambition of ours for quite some time.” Elena nodded her understanding. The librarians were the people you went to for help. They did not seek help. To do so would be to put them in another’s power and jeopardize the nearly complete autonomy under which they existed. She wondered if they had chosen to come to her because she was not a threat or because they thought she was the best chance they had of reaching their goal. She decided not to ask.

“Are there any other requirements you might have that I should be concerned with?” She asked instead. In response he slipped his hand into his pocket and pulled out a memory stick.

“Your reader?” he asked. She retrieved the reader and handed it to him. He transferred whatever file he carried into the reader. “Should you find anything suitable we would be happy to negotiate. Privately of course. My contact information is in the file as it has been decided I am the one you will deal with on this issue.” He stood up and tugged his shirt straight. Elena stood as well and escorted him to the door. He seemed eager to be on his way now that their meeting was concluded. After the door closed behind him Elena realized his proposal had the potential to solve a very difficult problem.

One of the things she knew was that the council always took its cut. Even if Elena started an alliance with Riko, the council would still demand a price. Elena ran a hand through her hair and toed off her shoes, leaving them by the door. She would have to pay the council for the use of the new channel and rights to the planet. With a little effort she might be able to translate her payment into providing harbor for the librarians instead of a percentage of the profits. This change might also keep Riko happy. She would get some prestige out of working with the Librarians and there would be less cut out of whatever profits were realized. Elena smiled.

“Lets just hope Mateo found something useful.”

Storm Chaser: Chapter 43

Chapter 43

Elena left the library with more than 30 volumes tucked into her reader. She had the feeling all of her spare time would be spent with the reader in front of her.

“Policy and procedures,” Elena said to herself as she left the archival quarter. “Fun stuff.”

“I think so,” Peter said. Elena looked over to find him standing near one of the stalls. She hadn’t seen him since he had resent the odd valentine’s gift and really hoped he didn’t bring it up. His smile was a pleasant one.

“You find policies and procedures fun?” she asked.

“After a fashion.”

“I knew you were warped,” she told him. Peter laughed. The laughter sounded surprised. He walked over.

“In more ways than one.” He tilted his head towards the library. “Doing research?”

“Yes,” Elena told him. “I’m thinking of giving up the store and becoming a pirate. I figure the eye patch may take some getting used to but at least I would have my own parrot. I was researching how long it takes to teach a parrot to curse in the Fegarsol tongue. I figured it would seem more menacing that way. Any thoughts?”

“Many,” he replied with a smile acknowledging the rebuff. “However if you could take a moment or two away from planning your new career I would like to get a few more details on the ship you encountered.” After meeting Thompson, Elena had sent a brief report to Peter about the incident, trusting him to take care of it. “Perhaps over dinner?”

“I haven’t been to my quarters yet. I would need a shower and a change of clothing before I’d be fit company for a meal.” She shifted her weight and adjusted her bag on her shoulder, drawing attention to the standard travel bag and the fact that she had not yet dropped it off.

“Of course. Shall we meet again in two hours at Danvers?”

“I’m not sure Danvers will let me in,” Elena commented, thinking of the ruckus she caused the last time she ventured into the place. Peter smiled.

“I’m sure they will if I guarantee your good behavior.” He paused. “Unless you are planning a replay of the last brawl.”

“It wasn’t a brawl,” Elena said. “Just a minor altercation.”

“Of course,” Peter replied with a humoring look. “The blood and broken bones were just a side effect of the argument.”

“It was one broken bone, Troy’s nose. And all of the blood came from the same nose.”

“Of course. I will try to give you no incentive to break my nose and then perhaps Danvers will be accepting of your presence. Two hours then?”

“That will be fine,” Elena said, bowing to the inevitable. Elena cut back through the merchants quarter at the same brisk pace she had entered it. Her speed kept people at bay.

‘Either that or my just of the ship smell,’ she thought. ‘I’m amazed both Riko and Peter would still talk to me.’ Apparently they were serious enough about their business to risk it. Elena let herself into her quarters and found someone had slipped something under the door. She dropped her travel bag on the chair and bent to retrieve the envelope from the floor. It had an emblazoned D on the flap. It was the symbol of Danvers.

“Apparently they are preemptively rejecting me,” she muttered as she broke the seal. She opened it as she walked towards the bathroom. She slid the card out and stopped as she read the words.

“That has to be a mistake,” she said. She read the card again. Apparently she was invited to attend one of the exclusive tasting events. These events were where the high and mighty sampled the luxury goods from around the galaxies while politically schmoosing.

“Maybe they think I’m Therese.” She said setting the opened card on the bathroom counter. She thought about the card while she showered. It had happened before. She and Therese shared a similar build and coloring. Their features were even somewhat similar. Of course Therese still wore the long hair of the typical pilot while Elena’s was now a great deal shorter.

“If that isn’t incentive enough to cut it I don’t know what is,” Elena decided rinsing out the conditioner from her shortened locks. A short while later Elena was clean, dressed in a nice shirt and a not very wrinkled pair of slacks and heading towards Danvers. She held the invitation in one hand tapping it against her leg as she moved. The door of Danvers was sleek black glass with a large gold filigree D placed in the center. The handle was discretely black as well so as not to distract from the gold letter. Elena thought of he last time she had entered Danvers and shrugged. Troy had deserved to have more than his nose broken. She tugged open the door and stepped inside.

Danvers had a hushed atmosphere that reminded Elena of a church sanctuary. It was quiet with low murmurs of conversation. There were tables stationed for those who wished to see and be seen as well as those more discretely placed. Therese had always favored the former.

‘Apparently her tastes haven’t changed,’ Elena thought as she spotted her cousin with a group at one of the central tables. Isa spotted Elena before Therese did and lost no time in informing her of Elena’s presence. Therese’s head swiveled sharply and her eyes narrowed to slits. She pushed her chair back and excused herself from the table. Elena braced herself. She knew Therese would not make to big a scene but the conversation was not likely to be pleasant.

“What are you doing here?” Therese hissed through clenched teeth. It was more of a demand than a question.

“Hello to you as well Therese, you are looking well this evening. Is that a new blouse? The color is quite becoming, it matches the red blotches in your cheeks very nicely.” Elena smile politely. She could practically hear her cousin’s jaw crack as she clenched it.

“You aren’t allowed here.” Therese said, her voice low. The manager was walking towards them and Therese’s lips curled up in a smirk. “Apparently I’m not the only one who thinks you should leave.”

“Good evening George,” Therese said sweetly when the manager was in hearing range. He nodded to her.

“Good evening Miss.” He replied. He turned his attention to Elena and smiled warmly. “Ms. Calabrese, welcome to Danvers. I had hoped we would be seeing you soon.” Elena blinked hard and was unsure if she or Therese looked more surprised by his words.

“Thank you,” Elena replied, recovering from the surprise. “I am meeting Peter Baranov for dinner and I don’t know if he has arrived yet.” To her right Elena could practically feel Therese’s eyes narrow, after all Peter was one of the people she and her group wanted to be seen by and with.

“Of course,” George answered. He has not yet arrived but his customary table is available.”

“That is good to hear George,” Peter said as he entered the door. If possible George’s smile grew warmer and more inviting.

“Mr. Baranov, how wonderful to see you again.” George spotted the card Elena still held in her hand and turned his smile back on her. She found it vaguely disturbing. “I see you got the invitation to our little gathering.

“Yes,” she replied. “Unfortunately I will be unable to attend. I will be shipping out in the morning.” She heard Therese’s sharp intake of breath. For one of Danvers little gatherings she knew her cousin would delay shipping out. Elena had no such compunction.

“Of course,” George replied, his smile drooping a little in regret. “Business before pleasure, the life of a pilot. If I may show you to your table?”

“Of course,” Elena replied. She turned to her cousin before leaving. “It was good to see you again Therese. Please give Aunt Elizabeth my regards.” She turned and followed George. Peter followed her lead and they left Therese standing alone. For all the attention Peter paid to her she could have been one of the support columns. Elena inwardly sighed. Therese was not likely to take any of the evenings events well. She settled into her seat while Peter sat across from her.

“Trouble?” Peter asked when George had departed.

“That obvious?” She answered.

“I like to think I pick up on the less than obvious,” Peter said with a smile. “Although your cousin’s face would qualify as obvious.” He laughed when Elena sighed. “Care to elaborate?”

“Therese and I have never exactly been friends. For Grandfather’s sake we tolerate each other.” Elena paused as their waiter brought sleek black and gold menus and listed the specials. Elena mentally decided on one of the specials, delighting in the open mixing of intergalactic ingredients. “The way we tolerate each other is through distance,” She continued.

“Makes sense. I have several relatives I feel the same way about.” Peter replied. He sipped from the glass of water the waiter had brought. Elena couldn’t imagine anyone actually sniping at Peter the way Therese seemed to delight in sniping at her.

“And by coming here I more or less violated that unspoken guideline.”

“Ah,” Peter said with a smile. “Danvers is her turf, so to speak.”

“Exactly,” Elena replied. She looked at Peter. “You are enjoying this aren’t you?”

“It shows?” He said. Elena could see the laughter in his eyes. She shook her head.

“Mateo finds is amusing as well. Actually he goes out of his way to get Therese all worked up.”

“And you don’t?”

“No I avoid her when possible and tolerate her when it isn’t. One of my goals in life is to have as little interaction with Therese as possible.” The waiter returned and their orders were given.

“Now about that ship,” Elena said, firmly changing the subject.

“About that ship,” Peter said smiling. “Your report was very brief, I would like some elaboration.”

“Understandable,” Elena replied. “Unfortunately I don’t have much to add.” She repeated the incident and Peter periodically interrupted with questions, pulling out little details, primarily about the ship. Elena found it easier to discuss the ship rather than Thompson. She felt a strange reluctance to bring him to Peter’s attention.

‘Perhaps it because he is the guy in the field trying to keep his people alive the same way a captain or a pilot would while Peter is like Smith, just playing the angles.’ She thought. The discussion took most of the meal.

“And of course the ship was entering the Marta channel not the Augustine,” Elena pointed out, sipping her after dinner coffee. Peter grinned and took a sip of his own.

“I had a feeling Andre would pass that information along.”

“Which is why you told him.”

“Which is why I told him,” Peter confirmed. “And for the record there have been sightings near the Augustine. We are reasonably sure there is a shipyard in the vicinity.”

“So they are building in more than one place then?”

“So it would seem,” Peter confirmed. Elena thought for a moment, rolling a thought around in her head before she spoke it. She looked at Peter and knew he had already had the same thought.

“I doubt Ian would have been able to give them much information about the Augustine. The Anderson pilots don’t generally use it.” Elena said thinking of the former guild member who had passed along secrets to the military.

“Indeed.” Peter replied, sipping his own coffee. Elena didn’t follow that line of conversation. She didn’t need to. If the military had information Ian didn’t possess then Ian wasn’t their only source. Elena tried not to sigh. She finished her coffee and set the cup down in it’s saucer. The leak was no her problem. It was a council problem and she wished them luck in dealing with it. With the meal concluded Elena and Peter left Danvers, each going their separate ways.

Therese and her friends still occupied a central table. Therese pointedly did not look in Elena’s direction as she left. Elena wondered what form Therese’s petty revenge would take this time. When her cousin felt slighted she resorted to childish tricks in order to get even. They would continue until Therese had vented her temper. Elena rubbed her eyes, feeling the tired sink in. She had the feeling tonight would take quite a while for her cousin to get over. Mentally she reviewed her list of errors, knowing how Therese would see them. Elena had gone to Danvers, she had been welcomed by name by the manager who escorted her to a table with a council member. She had been invited to an exclusive event and turned it down. Elena sighed and rubbed her eyes again.

“I could probably add the fact that Peter ignored her completely to the list,” Elena muttered. “At least I’m leaving in the morning.” It would be difficult for Therese to pull anything before she left especially since she was still at Danvers. When Elena and Therese had been much younger their Aunt Catherine had sympathized with her even as she admonished her and Mateo for banding together against Therese. Apparently Elizabeth, Catherine’s sister and Therese’s mother, had a similar disposition growing up.

“Still does actually,” Elena said to herself thinking of some of the interaction she had witnessed between her two aunts. “At least Therese comes by it honestly.” Elena turned down the corridor leading to her quarters and paused when she saw an elderly gentlemen standing in front of her door patiently waiting for her to arrive. Elena dug out her electronic key and dredged up what little politeness she had left. She smiled as she walked closer, inwardly hoping whatever he was here for could be dealt with quickly. As she came closer she noticed an emblem done in gold embroidery on his left breast. Elena blinked hard, recognizing the symbol of the House of Librarians. Elena pushed her tiredness away and really hoped this meeting didn’t hurt. The librarians were too powerful to upset.

“Good evening,” Elena said when she was in speaking range. “May I help you?” Privately Elena hoped he was either lost or mistaking her for someone else. Both hopes were dashed immediately.

“Good evening Ms. Calabrese. I was wondering if I might have a word with you.”

Storm Chaser: Chapter 42

Sorry for the delay, work went crazy and I haven't gotten a weekend since June 5th. You can blame my boss for the delay. ;) Should be back to normal next week. v.

Chapter 42

“Ah hell,” Elena muttered to herself as she skirted the Docking Facility. She had expected it to be busy this far into the season and she wasn’t disappointed. She had been hoping to avoid Riko for a little while longer though and in that she suspected she was doomed to fail. Docked next to her Aunt Catherine’s ship was Riko’s. There was a free docking space right next to Riko. Elena thought about circling to see what else was free but decided that would be childish.

“Maybe she won’t be near the ship,” Elena said wistfully but without much hope. She docked the Storm Chaser and she and Benjamin left the ship. Spin decided to stay in her cozy little nook rather than brave the crowds. Elena tried not to envy her as Riko came into view. She wondered how long the councilor had been waiting.

“Elena,” Riko said, holding out her hands in greeting. “It has been a while since we last spoke.” Elena gripped her hands in token greeting, letting go of the dry, papery soft skin as soon as politeness had been served.

“It has Councilor, are you well?”

“I am,” she said. Riko looked around Elena in a somewhat exaggerated motion. “I notice your cousin is absent, is he well?”

“He is,” Elena said with a guarded smile. “He had business to attend to earthside.”

“Really?” Riko said an eyebrow lifting in interest. “Profitable business?”

“One hopes all business is profitable,” Elena replied. Many people had slowed and were starting to pay attention to the conversation.

“Of course, of course. And you?”

“I am well and my business is profitable.” Elena answered. The smile was beginning to feel tight.

“Good,” Riko said nodding. “That pleases me. You have expanded your horizons then?”

“I am looking into additional avenues of commerce.”

“Diversification is always a good idea. I would like very much to speak with you about these additional avenues. After all I too seek to expand my commerce.”

“Of course councilor. I would be happy to speak with you once I have investigated those avenues. It does one no good to discuss something without a firm knowledge of the topic.” At her answer Riko’s smile tightened.

“Do you expect to have the answers you wish before the close of the season?”

“That is my expectation, yes,” Elena replied. “However I fear I will be cutting the season fine this year.”

“I see,” Riko replied, her expression easing somewhat. “I wish you fair winds then.”

“And a good journey to you,” Elena concluded the formal parting.

“Good journey,” Riko replied. She nodded slightly at Elena and moved off. Elena tried hard not to sigh with relief although she did jump when a hand was placed on her shoulder. She turned to find a familiar face grinning at her.

“Aunt Catherine, don’t do that,” Elena said as her aunt chuckled.

“Sorry,” she replied, no sign of contrition on her face.

“You know you could have shown up earlier so I could plead business.”

“And interrupt Riko? No thanks,” Catherine replied with a shudder. “Besides it wouldn’t have helped.”

“Maybe not,” Elena conceded. Catherine squeezed her shoulder in sympathy. “Why don’t we get the cargo transferred quickly then.”

“Works for me.” The cargo was transferred between the ships and Elena begged off family dinner with the need to conduct some business. Catherine let her go with a shake of her head and a smile.

“Too much like my father,” She said as Elena took off. Elena acknowledged her with a salute, then turned and made her way down the corridors. She moved quickly and hoped her pace indicated that she was not in the mood to stop and talk. She passed through the marketplace, ignoring the sounds of commerce. Her stomach was less inclined to ignore the smells of cooking food but she told it they would stop on the way back.

‘Besides,’ She thought to herself. ‘You can’t bring food where I am going.’ She shuttered to think of the reaction. She left the marketplace behind and worked her way through quieter corridors. She smiled as she drew nearer to the Docking Facilities library. She had always enjoyed coming here as a child. Admittedly it was for the books that told of the adventures of older pilots that she came. She may make a practice of outrunning raiders and understood that Peter and Riko’s dealings could often be called shady, but the earlier pilots were much more pirate like. In the archives she found stories fully the match for Blackbeard and Anne Bonny.

The archival area was much larger than the part she had access to. The corridor had many doors in it, none of those doors had handles on her side and she knew they were not for her to enter. She moved quickly down the path and found herself facing two large double doors. They were propped open, admitting entrance to all who wanted it. She had never seen them closed. Elena slowed her pace and smiled, as she always did at the sign above the door. It seemed an odd line for a library and it never failed to amuse her.

“A little knowledge is a dangerous thing. So is a lot. Albert Einstein” She stepped through the open doors. As always she looked straight up. There was a large dome over the top of the library that was composed of a clear substance allowing a perfect view of the outside and giving the impression that the library stretched upward for an infinite amount of space. It made the library seem much grander than it was, although the room was still impressive. It was large and it had shelves filled with data, but it lacked the paper and leather smell most libraries seemed to possess.

‘Probably because there is no paper or leather,’ she thought. This library was more or less a digital archive. The materials were stored on memory cards. To access the information you went to a central terminal and typed into the search engine. It brought up a list of relevant material as any library data base would. Then the library patron would move to the shelves as if the materials were traditional books. Each data chip was stored in its own little archival box and marked using the old fashioned Dewey decimal system. All a patron had to do was take the memory chip from the box, insert it into their own personal electronic reader and hit copy. The file would then be added to their personal library.

Elena took her new copy reader out of her bag. It was still shiny and smelled like new plastic with an electronic tang. For a long time the guild required all personal readers to be kept on the Docking Facility. Those regulations were beginning o loosen as regular technology began to catch up. The advent of items like i-pods and kindle readers made the standard readers more or less blend in. These new readers actually looked a bit like a kindle reader and she strongly suspected someone had made a deal with the company.

“It would save someone the effort of a manufacturing facility,” Elena muttered. She set her empty reader down next to the database console and began to scan. The Docking Facility’s library was quite impressive. The collection had been built up over centuries and ranged through nearly every culture the guild had come in contact with.

Over time it had grown too large to store in one place so electronic copies had been made for everyday use and left at the docking facility while the library ships contained copies of the originals and stayed on the move, searching for information to add to the guild’s data banks. After all knowledge was power. The Librarians were a family unto themselves under guild law and were the only entity Elena knew of to rival the power of the Council. After all it was the librarians who knew the history of each trade route and could, and often did, settle disputes.

It was this information that Elena was beginning to search. While she didn’t think opening new channels had a precedent, she knew she would have to establish that she had a right to the channel she was opening. To do that she had to make certain she wasn’t just opening up a back door into someone else’s holdings. Much of the information regarding the planet’s location was unknown. Some would be gleaned from the information Mateo was gathering, more would be learned once they went through the channel and on to the planet.

Elena would still have to make a formal presentation to the Council and bargain for the rights even if she had an alliance with Riko. Previously her grandfather had been the one to negotiate the rights, and in truth Elena had paid little attention beyond memorizing new star charts and route details. This time she would be on her own. If she expected to stand as an independent household head she could not rely on him to negotiate for her. Elena sighed and realized Benjamin was right, she may hate politics but that really didn’t seem to matter any more. Elena rubbed her forehead and wondered how long it was going to take before people began expecting her to take her mother’s place.

Storm Chaser: Chapter 41

Chapter 41

Elena woke with a puzzled frown across her face. After the probes had been sent, her dreams had become more vivid and she attributed that to being closer to actually going through the new channel. However on board the Storm Chaser the dreams had reverted to the ones she thought of as standard. The dreams that featured her shifting from the dancing queen to stretching a channel and ending with Kiera’s garden had completely disappeared.

“Except for last night,” she said. In the dreams that she had in her apartment bed, she had revisited that dream sequence. It too had increased in its vividness. She could almost name the song she and Andre danced to and see the jewel tones of Kiera’s flowers. Oddly enough they seemed more substantial than the diamonds of the necklace had been. She shook the thought away and reached for her dream journal.

Her hand hit the top of the night stand instead. She blinked hard a few times before remembering it had been left on the ship. Elena dug out a notebook from her night stand drawer and jotted down a few notes to add to the journal. She dressed, tucking the notes in the back pocket of her jeans and threw her now clean clothes back into her duffle bag. Her stomach growled, reminding her that she had only given it tuna still in the can for dinner.

“We’ll hit a drive through on our way out,” She told Spin as she picked her up and headed out. As Mateo had less food stashed in his apartment than Elena, he was more than willing to stop. His only annoyance was that he couldn’t trade his hash browns in for French fries. This time Benjamin was waiting for them.

The trip was completely un-remarkable for which Elena was grateful. They took a second set of readings, picked up cargo at the Docking Facility, picked up the probes and returned to Grant’s Inlet with nothing but routine work. Elena had tensed as they approached the channel for the return trip but there was no sign of the military. She wondered if they were working out some of the kinks. By the time they landed Mateo had chosen his top two from the files.

As soon as their cell phones were retrieved she called Bob with the information. The space Mateo really wanted was still occupied by a tenant but they were letting the lease run out. Since they wanted to take more readings, Mateo was content to wait. Three more trips were made before the space was pronounced usable and the lease was officially signed. Each landing made her more nervous when no military ships appeared.

“That gives me five separate trips to start processing data on,” Mateo told her. When he moved, he had the contents of his old workshop sent to a local storage unit. Once the lease was signed, his gear was sent from the storage unit to the space. Elena looked at the multitude of boxes and scarred work surfaces and figured Mateo would be spending a large chunk of the next two weeks just unpacking.

“Do you have what you need to start processing?” She asked.

“Yup,” he nodded scooping his hair out of his eyes. “You can handle the probes?” While Mateo began processing Elena and Benjamin were making another trip.

‘He needs a cut,’ she thought. Idly she ran hers through her own. She probably ought to make a trip to the salon as well.

“Between the two of us we should be able to work it out,” she told him. Mateo nodded and looked around. “After this trip I’ll need to spend more than one night earthside to see to a few things here though. Can you get some of the data together for me by the time I get back?”

“Should be able to. I’ll be picking things up from the bank in the morning. I’ll get started then.” He looked around him with a bit of a grin.

“Your own laboratory,” she said, knowing where his thoughts were going. “Even if it will be more mechanical than the kind with the bubbling test tubes.”

“Many a maniacal plot was furthered through the use of electronics,” Mateo told her with exaggerated dignity. “Besides,” he added with a shrug. “Once things get going we’ll have to add the people with the bubbling test tubes.”

“True but it may be a little while.”

“I suppose I could always get some for effect,” Mateo mused. He looked around. What they had rented was essentially one half of a floor in what Elena thought might have once been a factory. A section of it would remain more or less empty until they added the extra people with more biological skills.

She knew the local university rented some sections of the building for extra lab space. From one of the large multi-pane windows facing east she could see the edge of campus. From one of the same windows facing west, she could see her apartment building. Over all it was a pretty good location. Elena left Mateo to dance around his new space while she prepared for the next trip out.

Being alone with Benjamin on the ship was interesting. For the most part he stuck to the galley and she to the pilot house. Meals they ate together and once through the channel, where Elena didn’t have to monitor the wheel so constantly they would end up chatting on deck.

“Does Travcon have a lot of work these days?” She asked. Benjamin shook his head.

“Not this deep into the season. Most of the work tends to be at the start or close of the season. This time of year ships worry about cargo.”

“Not much excitement then,” she commented.

“Depends on how you look at it I suppose. Setting up the station at Grant’s Inlet isn’t exactly rocket science but each trip I can bring more and more of what the satellite office needs, which will help in the long run. I get to see the preliminaries for opening a new channel. That’s pretty cool.” They had dropped this round of probes off about an hour before.

“Not much to see yet though,” She said. He smiled.

“True, but there will be. And I’ll get to see it.” He paused and stared off into space. “Besides, it kind of reminds me of when I was a kid. I’d go on a lot of trips like this when my folks shipped out.” They were quiet for a while. He looked over. “I guess you did pretty much the same?”

“More or less,” she replied. “I took most of my classes at the Docking Facility and I spent most of the practical work on the Wind Dancer while Deanna Lang trained me. I don’t have many early memories of Earthside.”

“That was after your parents died?”

“Yeah after I went to live with grandfather. Before that I would ship out a lot with my folks the same way you did.” Old memories stirred and they were quiet for a time.

“I remember when they died,” Benjamin said softly. “It hit my parent’s pretty hard. It wasn’t until later that I realized why.” Elena smiled sadly. “Did you ever look into it?”

“Not really,” Elena replied. “When it happened I was just in shock I suppose. I couldn’t believe it was real. I was told it was an accident and well, I’m guild raised. I knew what the life was like even then. It wasn’t until I was much older that I realized it might not have been an accident. By then I wasn’t sure what to do about it.”

“Ah.”

“Of course it is beginning to matter now.”

“Because there are people who would put you in your mother’s place?” he asked. Elena quirked up an eyebrow and shook her head.

“No,” she answered. “Everyone knows how much I hate politics.” She paused, thinking for a moment. She looked over at Benjamin. The glow from the ship’s lamps cast them both in golden light while all around them the black of space, dotted with diamond drops, surrounded them. “Is this between us?”

“Of course,” he responded.

“I’ve been thinking about my parents lately,” she began slowly. “And about whether or not it was an accident. I used to think dead was dead. It isn’t like I could actually bring the people who might have killed them to justice.”

“You can’t send the law after the guild,” Benjamin quoted. “Of course that is supposed to be where the Council steps in.”

“True,” Elena said. “But when the council is involved?”

“Then you are pretty much screwed,” Benjamin said. “Kind of like a small town with a police force filled with bad cops.” They were quiet a bit longer.

“Riko and Peter were there when they told me my parents were dead.” Benjamin stayed silent. “They shouldn’t have been.”

“And now you are working with Peter and possibly working with Riko,” Benjamin said.

“Yup.”

“You thinking about looking into things?”

“Thinking,” she confirmed. “Just not sure where to go from there.”

“I might have some ideas on that.” He said. Elena stared at him for a few moments. He smiled and shrugged. “My skills are somewhat varied. Of course it would have to be a very quiet investigation, knowing the players.” Elena nodded. “Just something to think about.” He stood and stretched. “I think I’m off for bed.”

“Good night then,” she said.

“Good night. And Elena?” he said. She looked up at him. “You might hate politics, but in the end what you like might not matter very much.”

“I know,” she said. He turned and left, heading off to his bunk. Elena leaned against the railing watching the stars slide by and knowing sleep would be a long time coming.

Storm Chaser: Chapter 40

Chapter 40

“Remember we ship out with the morning tide. We’re only in port for the night,” Elena called as Benjamin walked away. He waved.

“I’ll see you in the morning,” he called. The final leg back to Grant’s Inlet had gone smoothly and Elena was hoping luck would hold. Mateo offered to drive them back to town and she let him so she could concentrate on returning phone calls. Spin curled up around her feet and went to sleep. Elena spent much of the two hour drive making sure supplies got where they needed to be, when they needed to be there. There were several unknown callers that left no messages. She ignored these figuring that sooner or later Jonathan and Smith would learn. The final message she listened to was from her friend Lisa. Well, from Lisa’s number anyway. The voice actually belonged to her husband Bob. She listened to the message and a smile lit her face.

“Oh you are going to like this,” she told her cousin.

“Really? Do tell.”

“Lisa’s husband is a real estate broker. Before we left I gave him the requirements you said you needed for a work area.”

“Did you?” Mateo sounded more eager than questioning.

“Yeah,” she said. “Peter offered to provide a space but I thought this was a better way.”

“I agree. If we put the lab anywhere near him I can guarantee he would find reasons to drop by and see how or what we are doing. And he would probably use a type of bug the wand he gave you couldn’t detect.”

“That was my thinking. Anyway, he has found several possibilities and we can stop by and pick up the information from his office at our earliest convenience,” she finished. Mateo glanced at the clock on the dashboard.

“What time do you think they close?”

“Why don’t I call and let them know we are on the way?” She said with a laugh. Mateo grinned.

“Is it near the First National Bank on Elm?” he asked as she pressed the buttons needed to return the call.

“Not too far away,” She answered. “Why?”

“I rented a safety deposit box to stash the information from the probes until I can get a workplace set up. That way we don’t have to worry if Smith and Jonathan actually get bright enough to search my apartment.”

“Good plan. Isn’t it going to bother you not to look?”

“We aren’t going to be in town for long enough that I can do much with it. And each trip through has a less than ideal effect on the memory chips which nixes the idea of keeping them on the ship. So I am labeling each by collection date and the specific probe the chip came from and stashing them until I can take a look. Once I get the workspace set up I can start compiling data and each trip you make without me you can gather additional rounds now that you know how to work the system. If Benjamin is with you that would help.” Elena nodded. More information was better, especially on a project like this.

“I’ll tell them we will be there after we hit the bank. That way we won’t miss closing time. Bob might hold the office open by a few minutes if he knows we are coming. I doubt the bank would.” Elena made her call and found that Bob would be delighted to see them when they made it over.

There was very little parking near the bank so Elena took the driver’s seat and circled the block while Mateo dropped off the memory chips in the deposit box. She came back around the corner as he stepped back out. She stopped at the curb and he took the passenger’s seat. Spin barely registered the change.

“All done,” he said nearly rubbing his hands together in glee. “Now lets go see Bob.” Elena laughed and rolled her eyes a little.

“Apparently the day has finally come for you to get your own secret laboratory.”

“Yup. I wonder if Bob found anything under ground or maybe a secret mountain top fortress.”

“Not sure you put that on your requirements list.” Elena reminded him.

“How about near an active volcano. That way I have a place to dump the projects gone bad without anyone being any wiser.”

“I thought your projects never failed?”

“Of course you think that, everyone thinks that. Hence the importance of the volcano.”

“Will you have an assistant named Igor too?” She asked as they pulled up in front of Bob’s office. Elena managed to snag a spot less then three yards from the office door.

“I was thinking more like Jellybean.” Mateo answered as they got out of the car.

“Jellybean the lab assistant?”

“Yes. Igor is so last century. Besides could you imagine yelling, ‘Jellybean throw the final switch!’ And then laughing maniacally. Too cool.”

“Maybe we ought to make sure that secret laboratory has padded walls.” Elena suggested.

“Where is the fun in that? You throw things and they just bounce instead of shattering dramatically and spraying the wall with brightly colored toxins.” Mateo said with a snort. He paused as Elena tugged the outer office door open. Bob’s office was located in a building housing several different offices. He was actually right across the hall from her chiropractor. “You know at some point I will need an assistant or cohort if you prefer. Analyzing this data is nothing but eventually we will need to get samples of plants and such, which will require a different set of skills.”

“I know,” Elena said thinking of the larger laboratories many of the families had. The Calabrese Family had never gone into them as most of their skills tended to be mechanical in nature. Mateo had the same black thumb she had been born with and kept an entirely different sort of lab. Unfortunately they would now need that kind of a lab and even if the Alliance with Riko went through she didn’t trust the councilor enough to rely on her laboratory.

“You thought of that before we left didn’t you?” Mateo asked, his half smile letting her know he already knew the answer.

“I looked into a few things at the Docking Facilities library.” She told him. They crossed the open foyer to the inner door to Bob’s office.

“Uh huh,” he laughed.

“How may I help you today?” A bright cheery voice asked. They turned to the receptionist, who was as bright and cheery as her voice, if not in the same conventional way. Her hair was dyed a platinum blonde and her eyes were large and blue. Elena always had the word fish bounce into her brain at the sight of them. The woman, Faith by name Bob’s assistant by profession, also had orange skin. Elena did mental math, was spring really that close? Every year Faith prepared for swimsuit season with an out of the bottle tan, each year with a different bottle. Some years this worked better than others. Mateo just stared.

“Um, yes,” Elena said, elbowing her cousin to jolt him. “We are here to see Bob, I mean Mr. Franklin. We called ahead.”

“Of course,” she said brightly, flashing a smile that nearly blinded. She had apparently over done the whitening gel as well. “Why don’t you have a seat while I let him know you are here?”

They took their seats and Elena tried not to look at either Faith or Mateo. She knew looking at the first would be construed as staring and if she did the latter she would burst into helpless giggles. Luckily the wait was not long.

“Elena good to see you again,” Bob said stepping out of his office. Elena noticed he carefully avoided looking at his assistant as well. He crossed the room and gave her a hug, which she returned.

“Good to see you too. I’d like you to meet my cousin Mateo.” The two men shook hands and then Bob led them back into his office. He shut the door behind them. Mateo started to shake with silent laughter for a moment. Bob looked resigned.

“Sorry,” Mateo apologized. “I couldn’t hold it in any longer.” He regained his composure.

“I understand completely. Lisa can’t even come down here until it passes.”

“How long…”

“Three days,” Bob answered. “And let me tell you, that first day was a doozie.”

“I can imagine,” Elena replied.

“But to business,” Bob said. “I looked over the list of parameters. Thank you very much for breaking it down into a five year plan. It really helps me to know how you plan to expand.”

“I try,” Elena said. Mateo shook his head at her. “What?” she asked him.

“Only you could break things like this into five year plans.”

“We can’t all be mad scientists,” she told him. “Please continue,” she said turning her attention back to Bob.

“Well I found several spaces for rent that might serve your purpose.” He indicated a stack of files. He picked up the top three. “Only these were in the area you preferred however.” Elena nodded.

“I thought it would be easier to have something close by rather than farther out in one of the industrial complexes,” Elena said.

“We wouldn’t need anything the size of an industrial complex,” Mateo responded with a nod. “I like closer.” A little while later they left Bob’s office with a stack of eight properties to go through. Bob’s assistant had already left for the day as they had kept Bob after normal business hours. Bob had presented twenty-five different sites. Many of them he felt he had to show but understood why they were easily eliminated. Two of the properties in the stack of eight were within walking distance of both of their apartments.

Elena drove past them on the way home so they could take a look from the car window. In the fading light they couldn’t see much. They debated the merits of each in an easygoing way, knowing that in depth conversations would take place later. The basic run through the channel took just under two weeks. By the time they docked, they would have an answer for Bob as to what property ranked the highest. Elena dropped Mateo off at his apartment and went home. Because Spin looked as tired as she felt, Elena carried the cat up the stairs in the crook of her arm. To Elena’s immense delight there was no one on the landing in front of her door. She let herself in, locked the door behind her and walked back towards the washer and dryer.

She emptied her dirty clothes into the washer, added detergent and let it go. When they were clean, she would transfer them to the dryer. When they were dry she would put them right back in the bag. While they washed she rummaged around in the kitchen until she found a can of tuna for her and some dry cat food for Spin.

In consolation, she drained the oil from the tuna on top of the dry cat food. She then stirred a little bit of mayonnaise into the can and ate it with a fork standing over the kitchen sink. When the washer dinged she transferred the clothes and set them to dry. Figuring she could dump them in the bag just as easily in the morning, Elena wandered into her bedroom, changed clothes and turned on the small bedroom television set. She crawled into bed and was asleep before she could think of the movie’s title.

Storm Chaser: Chapter 39

Chapter 39

A relatively short time later the three of them watched what looked like a gray raft with a motor attached make its way from the submarine to the ship. The sub had moved closer to the Storm Chaser, but not enough to crowd them. Elena hadn’t seen where the raft thing came from as it was launched on the far side of the sub. Benjamin lowered a ladder and three of the four men aboard climbed up. The fourth stayed with the raft. As the raft looked as though it could hold about 15-20 men it made him look a little lost. Elena left Mateo in the pilot house and went to greet their guests. Fatigue burned behind her eyes and she hoped it didn’t show.

All three of the men were obviously military. Even if it weren’t for the haircuts, the matching outfits, differing only in insignia she couldn’t recognize, would have given it away. The hats shaded their eyes and made them hard to read. Two of them looked to be in their twenties while the third looked closer to her age or maybe a little older. There was a wink of gold from the pins in his collar. Elena mentally shrugged, not knowing a lieutenant from a general.

“Good morning,” she said, addressing all three. “Welcome aboard.” Silently she wondered if they would try to take her ship.

“Good morning,” one of the men said. She was unsurprised that it was the older one who spoke while the others kept silent. He paused and then added, “Ma’am,” as if unsure what title she should have. Elena didn’t correct him.

“Your men are below in the crews bunks if you would like to go to them.”

“That would be appreciated.” Apparently he felt as little need for pleasantries as she did. Elena turned and the three men followed her. Technically only the first one followed her. The other two followed him. Benjamin joined their parade bringing up the rear. She felt absurdly grateful for his looming presence. One in the hallway all three men removed their hats. The walk to the crews’ quarters was a short one and the silence was broken only by the sound of their feet. At the closed door she could hear murmuring as the three men they had rescued talked among themselves. She opened the door and it abruptly stopped.

The space suits they had climbed out of were shoved under the lower bunks. There were six bunks in the crew quarters. Like the bunk in the pilot house they were essentially shelves on chains made to support sleeping people. They could also fold back into the wall for more space. The only real bed on the ship was in the captain’s quarters. The three lower bunks had been folded out while the three upper ones were still locked against the wall. The three men were sitting on the bunks and turned as she entered. Their eyes slid past her as the man behind her entered.

All three snapped up to rigid attention. Elena noticed the one in the center wobbled a bit as he stood. The fact that the three of them only wore boxers and t-shirts didn’t seem to phase anyone. Elena was just grateful they hadn’t been naked under the suits. She would have felt a little too much like Madeline Kahn’s roman empress character in History of the World Part 1. The thought of their reactions to that made her smile.

“Glad to see you are feeling better,” she said. They didn’t really look at her. She didn’t expect them to. She turned to the man who did command their attention. “I’ll leave you to help your men gather their gear.” She turned and left the room, Benjamin following her into the corridor. He closed the door behind them.

“I’m surprised you left them alone.”

“They won’t be down long. And since Mateo stashed his equipment in the engine room the door is actually both closed and locked.” Normally the door to the engine room was left open since anyone needing to get to the engine might be going to the room fast. “By design both the pilot’s cabin and the captain’s quarters are separated from the crews. All of the maps and such are either in my quarter’s or the pilot house. They would have to come on deck to get into the pilot house. But if they are down there too long, I might ask that you go check on them.” She smiled at Benjamin as they stepped out onto the deck.

“Of course,” he responded with a laugh. “I had forgotten about the cabin separation.”

“Well when the pilot is often a younger female relative of the captain she isn’t just thrown in with the crew.”

“This is true.” Behind them they heard footsteps and turned to see only the older man exiting the hall. He put his hat on as he stepped outside. Elena was surprised to see him alone and wondered if this was a delaying tactic.

“Is there a problem?” she asked. He shook his head.

“No ma’am. The men are gathering their gear and we will be leaving soon. I merely wished to speak with you before we left.”

“Why don’t I go lend them a hand?” Benjamin said. He left them to go back below. Elena wondered if he was suspicious or just giving the man the privacy he wanted.

“Thank you,” she told his retreating form. He waved and Elena turned her attention back to the man in front of her.

“First of all Ms. Calabrese, I would like to thank you for assisting my men,” he began. The corner of Elena’s mouth quirked up. She had never given him her name, merely identifying herself as the Captain of the Storm Chaser. She, however was unsurprised he knew it. She also didn’t think it was an accident that he used her name.

“Your thanks are welcome but not strictly necessary,” she said. “We make it a practice not to leave people to die unnecessarily.” He smiled.

“Duly noted and appreciated. However basic manners still require giving thanks.” Elena laughed.

“True, and you are welcome. I wasn’t aware the military worried over much about manners.”

“On occasion,” he told her. “If I may ask, do you know what happened?”

“Well I believe you set your submarine to track where we entered the channel, marked the coordinates, waited until the Storm Chaser was out of visual range and sent the,” Elena paused. “I’m sorry I didn’t see the name on your ship. What was she called?”

“Called.” He repeated. “Oh we didn’t name…her as it was a prototype.” Elena frowned.

“No wonder she sunk, no name and no cat, how unlucky can you get? Anyway you sent the ship through. The environmental controls blew during Channel entry more than likely and your one back up system lasted only long enough for your men to get into their suits.”

“I take it you do not approve?” he said noting her frown.

“Personally I think it was damn irresponsible to charge into a channel with little to no knowledge of what was going on and to do so with so few safety precautions…” Elena snapped her mouth shut realizing she was on the verge of lecturing. “That is however your prerogative.” She raised an eyebrow when she realized he was smiling.

“If it is any consolation I agree with you. In fact I even made some of the same arguments before I sent my team in. Apparently more attention was paid to the mechanics and not enough to safety precautions as you call them. My orders didn’t change.” The smile fell from his lips. The men had gathered their gear and were studiously ignoring the two of them as they made their way to the ladder and down to the raft. The two of them watched the line of men in silence for a second.

“What do they call you?” She asked him. He looked surprised. “Not your rank or title or whatever, just something other than the man who is slightly older than the others and seems to be in charge,” she added when he remained quiet.

“Thompson,” he said with a smile. Elena nodded. She thought about it for a second, but conscience beat protocol. Mateo was in the pilot house and Benjamin was by the railing.

“Thompson then,” she said in a soft voice that didn’t carry. “If I were you I would look into a coolant for your back up system at least.” He stared at her for a second and then nodded slightly, acknowledging her help silently. One of his men walked back towards him and stopped a discrete distance away. He took it for the signal it was.

“Apparently the gear is stowed. It was a pleasure meeting you and again thank you for your assistance.”

“You’re welcome,” she replied. He turned and followed his man back to the ladder. The two climbed down and into their raft. Elena stood with Benjamin for a second watching them head back towards their submarine. She left Benjamin by the rail and returned to the pilot house.

“Everything go well?” He asked. Elena nodded.

“Better than expected. Why don’t you go get something to eat,” she told him. He started to protest and she cut him off. “Go eat then come back and relieve me so I can get some sleep.” He laughed.

“All right,” he told her leaving the pilot house. “I’ll be right back.” She nodded knowing he would bring whatever he decided to eat back with him rather than eat in the galley, for which she was grateful. She could feel the tiredness seep down into her bones. Elena turned towards the water. The raft had reached the submarine and the men had boarded. The raft when back to wherever it had come from and she watched as the submarine began to move away, sinking below the surface as it did.

Idly she wondered if submerging was standard procedure or just so she wouldn’t see where they went. Elena reached over and snapped on the sonar. It wasn’t as fancy as the military had and in truth she rarely used it. However it was part of the standard equipment. The sub was indeed moving away from them at a rather fast clip. The machine’s green made her tired eyes swim. She turned it off. They were leaving, that was all she really wanted to know anyway.

Elena thought about Thompson and grudgingly admitted she liked him. He was still a large unknown but he seemed to actually care about the consequences to his men whereas Smith and Jonathan simply wanted the technology. Smith took the bullying and threatening role in trying to secure it while Jonathan tried charm but in the end it was still the same. She replayed her conversations and realized there had never been one about safety. While they seemed to function only in the theoretical, since it was never going to be their lives on the line, Thompson seemed to run the ground crew.

“Perhaps that’s why I don’t find him that obnoxious.” She told herself. Mateo was crossing the deck with a tray in his hands. He entered the cabin and she gladly handed him the wheel. She went to the small bunk instead of going down to her cabin. She climbed in and lay down.

“Expecting trouble?” He asked.

“Not really,” she told him. “Just too tired to make it to my bunk. She paused as her eyes closed. “Wake me in a few hours.” She was asleep before he could reply.