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.