Retrospection

by Joe Olsen

Eli Jenal raced out of the temporary barracks with everything he owned in the bag on his shoulder. He ran down the small lane and out onto the main guideway just inside the spaceport perimeter. Still a considerable distance from the shuttle docks, he hoped to catch a ride on a ground hauler heading that way, but the track was empty. He continued jogging along the side of the guideway, trying to figure the time it would take to get there on foot. The numbers didn't look good and he increased his pace. Deep in concentration, and frequently looking over his shoulder for a ride, he almost passed a dimly lit alley branching off to the right. A sudden noise attracted his attention.

He stopped and looked over the top of the utility vehicle blocking the a lley entrance. He saw two burly enforcers trying to capture a small, grimy girl. She defended herself fairly well, he thought, but it was only a matter of time before they'd get her. Torn between his need to keep moving, and memories of the abuse he received from men like these when he was first on his own, his instincts decided for him. He dropped his bag and jumped over the Ute into the midst of the fray. The assailants turned to defend against the intrusion and the girl took advantage of the distraction by attacking one of the men from behind. Jenal was surprised to see the enforcer fall to the ground unconscious. He launched himself at the one still standing. After a brief scuffle, the second man joined his partner. Jenal looked around quickly, and saw no other threat. The thought kept nagging at him that he'd never make it to the shuttle docks in time, especially after this delay, but maybe the utility vehicle could solve that problem.

The contract offer had arrived only minutes before, with the provision that he get himself into orbit on the next shuttle. Jenal worked as temporary crew aboard clan owned intersystem freighters, when he could get a contract. During his down time, he studied. He would need all of the skill he could find if he was ever to fulfill his one great dream. He worked hard and saved his credit, and was moving steadily toward his goal.

At slightly over two meters in height, the last ten of his 30 standard years had been spent as contract crew and had provided his slim, wiry frame, so common among working spacers, with tremendous strength. His dark, shaggy hair and open face, with wide spaced gray eyes and easy smile, conveyed a sense of naivet that belied the truth. His innocence had been stripped away long ago.

"Come on," he said, grabbing his bag as he jumped into the vehicle. "Let's get out of here before these two wake up." Jenal examined the vehicle's control panel while he searched his coverall pockets for the tools he needed. The girl stared at the unconscious enforcers at her feet. After a moment of indecision, she jumped in beside him. In another few seconds, the control pad, dangling by its data cable with jumper wires bypassing the lockout sequencer, was ready. The vehicle responded to Jenal's commands and moved slowly onto the guideway, carefully aligning with the fast track. As the vehicle's speed increased, Jenal sat back and took a closer look at his passenger. Despite the diminutive stature and long black hair, the features under the grime were not young, and definitely not female. He wondered what he had stumbled into.

"My name is Eli Jenal," he said. "What was that all about?"

"I am...Kenji," the stranger replied, obviously wary. "They try catch me." The man's appearance and difficulty with the language identified him as a closed-worlder; from a planet where some ethnic portion of humanity had set up a colony that excluded all others in the name of racial purity. Old Earth Asian, by the look of him. What was he doing here?

"I'm headed for the shuttle docks," Jenal said. "I just got called for a job on a clan ship headed for Nordeland. I'd guess you're trying to get off planet yourself. Do you have any credit?"

"Have only this," Kenji responded, pointing to his ill fitting coverall. "Must get away."

Jenal made another quick decision. "You can come with me, if you want. Can you cook? " Kenji nodded vigorously.

They had asked if he knew a mess steward looking for a contract. Maybe Kenji would do. Something would have to be done about his language skills, though. To survive in commercial space, he'd have to be able to communicate. In spite of himself, Jenal was curious to hear the man's story.

They arrived at the shuttle terminal with time to spare. Jenal slid the commandeered vehicle into a dark corner of the underground parking facility, effectively hiding it from view. After reassembling the control panel, he removed all traces of his presence from the vehicle, and sealed the doors. They rode the conveyor up to the main level and found a crew registration console. Jenal logged in and confirmed his assignment to Clan Atrom's Starlight Venture 9, a multi-purpose freighter currently loaded with durium ore, bound for Nordeland with stops at Khangai and Porto-Novo. Good, he thought. That meant at least two weeks work. He entered his acceptance code.

"Come on, let's get out of here," he said, as he headed for the shuttle dock. His new companion followed. The shuttle was loading when they arrived and they joined the queue. They were herded aboard after minimal processing, and strapped into acceleration couches by the shuttle's crew. Minutes later, they rocketed into near space, where the shuttle wove its way through the congested parking orbits delivering passengers and picking up others for the return trip. The shuttle eventually reached Venture, and Jenal led Kenji through the docking tube that extended to the freighter's airlock.

They were met by the ship's first mate, a large, dark complexioned man named Malor. Jenal signed the crew log and surrendered his certification and pay chips before Malor handed over a standard work order tablet. Jenal was assigned as conveyor operator and docking controller for the small orbital haulers that transferred cargo on and off the ship, a task he was quite familiar with.

"You're taking on crew a little late, aren't you?" Jenal asked.

"We had a sudden opening. We'll need you at Khangai and Porto-Novo. There's never any contract help available there," the first mate replied, shifting his attention to Jenal's companion. "Where are your chips?"

Kenji stepped back slightly and looked confused. Jenal quickly interceded.

"There was a little problem on the surface, ...and he was stripped clean ..." Kenji's appearance belied the words. Malor's stare intensified.

"What kind of trouble? Police?"

"Well, see, there was this lady..." The first mate held up his hand.

"He still can't sign on without chips, " Malor said, looking dubiously b ack at Jenal.

"You could list him as a subcontractor on mine, right? I can assure you he's a great cook."

"He'd better be, " Malor finally agreed, knowing he was running out of t ime and had no other applicants. "As a subcontractor, he'll have to share your quarters. Get him squared away before the Captain sees him. We run a clean ship." Malor headed forward without further comment and Jenal led Kenji aft.

The tablet's small flat screen displayed a map of the ship and Jenal had no trouble finding the assigned stateroom. He entered the access code from the tablet into the door's controller, and the panel slid aside, revealing small cramped quarters.

"Oh, great," Jenal moaned aloud. They entered, and he was instantly depressed. Not withstanding Kenji's small size, there was barely enough room for one of them, let alone both. Kenji also examined the room with a suspicious eye. The single bunk occupied most of the tiny compartment, with a small desk that folded into the opposite bulkhead above a set of drawers.

"This for both?" he asked, looking at Jenal.

"Yeah. We'll have to sleep on different shifts. You'll be spending most of your time in the crew lounge and the galley, cooking and keeping everything clean."

Kenji looked relieved and bowed slightly to Jenal, a small smile appearing on his face.

"Where to wash, please. Much dirt." Jenal agreed with a chuckle and led Kenji aft in search of the head, showing him the galley and lounge along the way.

"Come find me in the galley when you're done." The small man nodded.

Another of the contract crew was already there when Jenal entered. He introduced himself.

"Just hired on from Hope City," he added. The man looked him over, and w ent back to preparing his meal. Tall and wiry like Jenal, his facial features were hidden behind a thick black beard.

"Name's Reyno. You'll be taking Leary's slot. You know how to run the conveyors and the grips?"

"Been doing it for a while. What happened to Leary?"

"Got careless. Cost him his life. You traveling alone?"

"I've signed a subcontractor aboard."

"Good. She can keep the galley and head cleaned up. Does she cook?"

"It's a he, and I'll ask." Reyno gave Jenal a strange look, but said nothing.

"It's not like that," Jenal continued. "He had a little trouble in Hope City, and I thought it best to get him off planet. Signing him on as a companion was the best I could do." Kenji poked his head into the galley and Jenal waved him in. The difference in appearance was astonishing. Jenal made the introductions.

"Are there any language chips in the library?" Jenal asked. "He needs a little refresher in Trade Basic."

"Library's off limits to contract crew, thanks to Leary, but there's a reader in the crew lounge. It'll need some work before you can use it."

"Thanks." He led Kenji down the passageway and into the lounge.

The reader was an older model, and well used. The diagnostics discovered a faulty module, and Jenal substituted a spare from the reader's maintenance compartment. The screen came alive and the main menu listed a language course, which he called up. He had Kenji sit in front of the screen.

"You need to improve your Basic if you want to survive around here." Jenal said. "This machine will help you. Put on the headset." Kenji picked up the device and examined it carefully, seemingly unsure of its purpose. "The headset is your interface to the machine. Put it on." Kenji placed the device on his head and Jenal started the lesson. Kenji smiled as he heard the machine voice in the ear piece and was soon engrossed. Jenal left the lounge and headed aft to examine the loading equipment he would be operating. It never hurt to check out the gear before you had to use it.

The tablet display showed he was assigned to the lower starboard conveyor and presented a map, guiding him to its control console. Jenal ran a full diagnostic of the equipment and after fine-tuning the controls, felt satisfied that the system was fully operational. As he finished the checkout, he noticed an older man watching from the open hatch.

"Can I help you?" Jenal asked. He finally noticed the gold collar emblem on the man's standard coverall. No fancy uniforms here. This was a working ship and its captain was all business. "I was hoping to find you here," the man said, in a quiet but firm voice . "I'm John Atrom. Malor said that you made it aboard. We'll be leaving in a few minutes, and I wanted to get a look at you before we left. Seems you know your way around the console all right."

"This equipment has been well cared for, Captain. I don't see any problems."

"Good. See that it stays that way. Can you pilot a runabout?"

"I'm not certified yet, but I know how. Just never had a sponsor."

"Well, maybe we can do something about that. We'll see. There's a Space Authority facility at Porto-Novo, and I'll need another runabout pilot there." The Captain noticed Jenal's stunned expression. "Consider it a bonus for your willingness to report aboard on such short notice." He turned and left before Jenal could recover.

"Thank you, Captain!" Jenal finally managed to shout at the empty hatch. He loved to fly the small runabouts, when he got the chance, and pilot certification would mean more pay and better job opportunities. He was amazed at how well his luck seemed to be holding up. His dream was to own a ship, and getting certified, even as a lowly runabout pilot, was definitely a step in the right direction.

Starlight Venture 9 left orbit on schedule and accelerated toward the system's single gas giant. A powerful ship equipped with a skimmer drogue, it could easily collect the hydrogen needed to fuel the sub-light fusion drive, saving its captain the expense of having someone else do it for them. According to the work order, the ship was due to arrive at Khangai in two days, giving the Captain plenty of time to fill his tanks. Fortunately, Venture was equipped with a null-drive, allowing the Captain great flexibility in setting his schedule.

The theoretical postulation of the existence of null space as a shortcut between the stars, and the subsequent development of the field generation equipment needed to enter this extended spatial dimension, had been the catalyst for the human expansion. The field generators, generally referred to as null-drives, were available in various sizes and selection was based on the mass of the ship. They derived their power from a ship's fusion reactor.

Jenal met the other two contract crew in the lounge while looking for Kenji. Although not particularly antisocial, the man and woman seemed to cherish their privacy. They told him they had seen Kenji heading back to his stateroom. Jenal, figuring his new friend would be sleeping, decided to use the time to explore the ship. He worked his way forward and was looking around the docking bay when he met her for the first time.

"You must be Jenal," she said, looking him over in the same appraising manner he frequently used on the women he met. It was uncomfortable being on the receiving end. "What are you doing here?"

"I was looking for the runabout simulator for a little practice," he answered carefully. "If that's allowed." Extremely beautiful women made him nervous. "Can you tell me where it is?"

"Better than that, I'll show you," she said smiling. "My name is Cat. Follow me." She appeared to be about Jenal's age, and just as tall, with long black hair and dark sparkling eyes. She controlled her movements with the slinky grace of her namesake, as she led him across the bay. She must be the Captain's daughter, he thought, wondering what she was doing here during the sleep period. She led him to a small alcove at the rear of the bay.

"Here it is," she said, pointing to the integrated console and command couch. "Help yourself."

"Thanks. You sure its all right with your father?" She smiled again and started to walk away, then stopped and turned toward him.

"I'm sure my husband won't mind," she answered. He watched her continue across the bay, wishing it wasn't so.

Jenal remained in the simulator for the rest of the watch and finally emerged, tired but satisfied. He would need more practice, but so far he seemed to be doing all right. He wondered if the skimming operation was complete, and went back to his work console to check. He switched on the external view screen in time to see the gas giant recede from view. The ship moved well away from the planet's gravity well before the null-field was engaged. The screen went blank momentarily and then the image of Khangai appeared, the small, lush planet that was the ship's first destination.

In an effort to protect the planet's atmosphere, processing facilities for the ore had been built on the larger of its two moons. Jenal figured it would take at least ten hours to rendezvous, and he used the time to get some sleep, finally waking to the sound of the arrival klaxon.

According to the work order, half of the ore shipment required off-loading. He completed his part of the task in a little over eight hours, well ahead of the others. The ship was scheduled to take on processed durium stock the next day, and Jenal rearranged his cargo space to make room. He finally secured his console, looking forward to a warm meal. Venture was scheduled to arrive at Porto-Novo in two days, with a four day layover. That would give him plenty of time to practice his piloting skills on the simulator.

After showering, he looked for Kenji. Not finding him in the galley or lounge, Jenal prepared his dinner and headed for their compartment. If Kenji was still sleeping, he'd learn a thing or two about sharing. Jenal palmed open the entry portal and found Kenji sitting on the bunk examining a small sheet of off-white vellum. Jenal squeezed in and nodded a greeting.

"I wondered where you were," Kenji said, his pronunciation much improved. "Look what I found while cleaning." He handed the sheet to Jenal.

"Your Basic sure improved a lot," Jenal said, barely glancing at the sheet. "What's going on?"

"I learned the language long ago. I just wanted to know what kind of person you were after before I told you."

"Why?" Jenal asked.

"You helped me escape, and for that I am grateful. But you have asked for nothing in return, and that troubles me. The apparent inability to communicate created a natural barrier that allowed me to keep my distance until I discovered your motives."

"Maybe I'm just a nice guy," Jenal replied, sourly.

"Perhaps. If you would allow me to tell you a story, you might understand my caution." Jenal agreed and sat on a small, clear section of the deck. He listened while he ate.

"There is an important and powerful man that controls a closed commercial planet in a system at the edge of the inner trade zone. Just over two years ago, his oldest son, and hereditary heir, died accidentally, elevating the second son to the unwanted position of successor." Jenal looked up.

"What's that got to do with hired muscle trying to grab you in Hope City?"

"Have patience. I am getting to that. Three weeks ago, the new heir was abducted from his home system and taken to another planet, where he was held for ransom. Not knowing his location, or if anyone would be able to trace him, he decided to rely on his own abilities and managed to escape his captors. He went to the local authorities, but failed to convince them of his plight. With no credit, or any means of identification, he was classified as mentally disturbed and sent on his way. He knew that if he remained on the planet he would eventually be recaptured, and although he tried to disguise himself, his small size could not be hidden. As a last resort, he went to the spaceport, hoping to locate a ship from his home planet. His action was anticipated by the kidnappers. Except for the intervention of a passing spacer, he would have been recaptured. Now safe, he must find a way home. But not too quickly."

"Yeah, right," Jenal said, with a look of disbelief. "What an imagination. Get out of here so I can get some sleep."

"It's a true story," Kenji whined.

Jenal managed a faint smile before collapsing on the bunk. The vellum sheet remained on the deck next to his empty plate. * * *

The ship's chime signaling first watch brought Jenal back to awareness. He slowly looked around the small compartment, getting his bearings, and noticed the vellum sheet, still lying where he had dropped it the night before. He reached over and picked it up, examining it more carefully this time. The sheet was covered with a series of small, randomly spaced dots that resembled part of a star chart. None of the dots were identified and he didn't recognize the pattern. The only writing on the sheet appeared across the bottom: "Bearnak's in Erikstadt." He'd have to remember to ask Kenji where the sheet came from. He dropped it into a drawer and headed for the galley.

Jenal inhaled a quick breakfast and spent the first part of the day loading durium sheets and beams. When the transfer was complete, he headed for the docking bay to get in more simulator time. He was relieved at not seeing the Captain's wife, and spent the rest of the day practicing approach and docking maneuvers. He ended the session at the sound of the dinner chime, and headed aft to get something to eat.

Kenji was in the lounge, regaling the contract crew with outlandish stories and anecdotes while they ate from a buffet he had set up along one wall. The long table contained a variety of exotic dishes, all unfamiliar to Jenal.

"What did you do, rob the main storeroom?" he asked, sampling some of the food. He was pleasantly surprised at the taste.

"This is all from the food synthesizer," Kenji answered. "We make a similar model on my home planet. I have used one all my life. I can teach you, if you want." Jenal declined, but hung around to help with the cleanup. When they were done, he led Kenji to his work console to watch the jump to Porto-Novo.

"I never get tired of seeing one system fade out and the next one appear," Jenal said. "Have you ever seen this?"

"I have only been through null space once, and I did not get a chance to see it." They witnessed the jump, and Kenji seemed impressed.

Porto-Novo was home to a small Space Authority garrison and its industrial base produced a series of electronic components used in the manufacture of consumer products. A number of freighters were already lined up to transfer cargo, and it would be two days or more before Venture's turn would come. The time would be put to good use.

* * *

After ten hours in the simulator, Jenal was bleary-eyed, but decided to run the full navigation simulation once more. His concentration evaporated as soon as she appeared. He hadn't seen her since that first day, and almost wished he wasn't seeing her now. Her presence was cause for concern.

"Hi," Cat said. "You sure like to work. Don't you ever relax?" She radiated a dazzling smile as she leaned seductively on the side of the console.

"There's a lot to learn, and not much time."

"You'll do fine, don't worry. Malor has been reviewing your sessions and says your a natural. Your work with the conveyer system is better than most with twice the experience. Come on, take a break." The woman's stare was mesmerizing. He began to suspect what she had in mind, and he fought hard to resist. Intimacy with a Captain's wife could be very dangerous; some spacers hadn't survived the experience. He suddenly remembered Malor's comments when he first reported aboard, and wondered if Leary had been her friend.

"Someone is waiting for me to finish," Jenal said, hating the sound of the words as he said them.

"Yes. I heard that you brought a companion aboard. A male, at that. That's too bad." She seemed genuinely distressed at Jenal's admission. She walked away without another word and he relaxed, relieved that he had been lucky enough to divert her attention. Before he could restart the simulation, his comm link beeped.

"Jenal," he answered.

"Report to the bridge." It was Malor. He wondered if Cat's visit had stirred up any suspicion as he shut down the simulator and headed forward. He called up the map on his tablet, and after a long walk, found the entrance to the bridge. As he looked in, he could see that Captain Atrom and Malor were engaged in quiet conversation. Jenal cleared his throat.

"Ah, Jenal," the Captain said. "Come in. How are the simulator sessions going?"

"Pretty well, sir. I think I'm ready."

"My first mate says you are, so I've scheduled the test for tomorrow. How's that?"

"Fine, Captain," Jenal responded. He hoped he was ready.

"Good. Meet Malor in the docking bay at first watch. He'll take you over. And don't worry. You'll pass the test." He nodded at the first mate.

"Thank you, Captain," Jenal said, looking back as he was led off the bridge.

"Just get some sleep and meet me on time," Malor said in the passageway outside the bridge entrance. "These government types don't like to be kept waiting." Jenal went back to his quarters and found Kenji sitting on the bed, examining a large star chart. He also held the vellum sheet that Jenal had stuffed into a drawer and forgotten.

"What are you doing?" he asked, patiently. How was he going to get any sleep with Kenji taking up all the space?

"Watching the jump from Khangai made me think. Look at this. The dots on this sheet line up with some of the stars on a section of this sector survey map." Kenji held up the star chart for Jenal to examine.

"So what? Maybe somebody wanted to study that portion of space. You never did tell me where you found that sheet."

"When I cleaned the drawers."

"So, whoever drew the sheet was done with it and left it behind. Happens all the time. I've done it myself."

"You do not understand, Eli. The drawers were so full of junk, it was easier to remove them and dump the contents. I found this sheet taped to the underside of the bottom drawer. Whoever drew this did not want anyone else to find it."

"It might have been there for years. It doesn't mean anything." He could feel his frustration growing.

"I think not. I talked to Reyno and he said Leary was in this compartment for over a year. He had a long term contract. He always talked about making a big find one day and getting his own ship. And see this reference to Erikstadt at the bottom of the sheet. It is the main spaceport on Nordeland. This ship has never been there before. The Atrom Clan is expanding their trade routes, and this is the first trip. This sheet has to be recent. Leary hid it before he died. Also, I think he was involved with the Captain's wife. Reyno implied as much."

"Yeah, that's what I figured. I met the lady. A real beauty. I think she likes to play. Still, the sheet doesn't tell us much."

"On the contrary. Examine the chart." Jenal took a closer look but didn't see anything unusual. Kenji placed the vellum over part of the chart and the dots lined up perfectly with some of the stars in one of the clusters. Jenal removed the sheet and looked more closely at that area of the chart. He suddenly realized what he was looking at.

"That's Varnal's Cluster. You know about that?" Kenji nodded. "A popular story."

Over a hundred years before, an attempt had been made to hijack a courier ship carrying a large consignment of NovaStar gems. It was attacked as it came out of null-space at New Haifa. The ship, a modified corvette christened Elmo's Glory, beat off the attack, but was severely damaged in the process. When it tried to reenter null-space to escape, its field generator failed, blasting it toward Varnal's Cluster at a substantial portion of light speed. It was never seen again, and its crew presumed dead. Many adventurers spent life and fortune looking for Elmo's Glory. Centuries would pass before all the thousands of stars in the cluster could be searched.

"Nothing points to any particular star," Jenal said, examining the sheet carefully.

"I noticed. There must be more data somewhere."

"Did Leary draw this, or did he get it from someone else?"

"According to Reyno, Leary spent most of his down time in the library, accessing the ship's main computer. He may have acquired Glory's initial vector and tried to compute its trajectory."

"Interesting thought. Can we access his files?"

"We would have to find a screen somewhere. The library is off limits to us."

"Yeah, I know. The screen on my work console is blocked out, too. The only other access is from the bridge and probably the Captain's quarters." How did the Captain's wife fit into Leary's plan, he wondered. And why is she chasing me? He couldn't see the connection. "Forget the computer, Kenji. Even if Leary's files are still there, they'll be locked. Let's put all this away and keep it to ourselves. We'll be on Nordeland in a week or so, looking for another job. Maybe we can find this Bearnak." Kenji agreed and carefully folded the star chart. Jenal wondered where he got it, but thought it best not to ask. Kenji slid the chart and vellum sheet into a drawer and left the stateroom, dimming the lights on his way out. Jenal slept fitfully, dreaming about lost treasure.

* * *

Malor allowed Jenal to pilot the runabout to Porto-Novo's second moon, Saveh. Once on the surface, the first mate disappeared into the sub-surface entertainment center, leaving Jenal to take the test alone. He scored well on the government simulator, and then successfully navigated the runabout through the planet's cluttered parking orbits without mishap. Malor reappeared at the end of the test and Jenal flew them back to Venture. Surprisingly, the Captain met them in the docking bay.

"You've done well," he said, looking over Jenal's test results. "I'll add this to your certification chip as soon as I can, but in the meantime just wear this pin on your collar." He gave Jenal an insignia that symbolized a sun surrounded by planetary orbits. It signified the lowest level of tested proficiency, that of system pilot. The ultimate achievement for a pilot was the null-space certification, authorizing an insignia like the one the Captain wore.

"I hope to get one of those someday," Jenal said, pointing to the Captain's collar.

"I'm sure you will, son," the old man answered kindly. "In the meantime, though, I think you should earn your extra pay, don't you?"

"Yes, sir. What do you want me to do?" The Captain led Jenal to the rear of the large docking bay.

* * *

Jenal found it difficult to focus his mind on individual events from the last two days. It all seemed a blur. There had been no time for sleep. Totally exhausted, he slumped on a couch in the crew's lounge.

"Here, try this," Kenji said, handing Jenal a glass of pale green liquid. The container felt warm.

"What is it?" Jenal asked suspiciously. He didn't dare drink anything that might make him drowsy. Not yet, anyway.

"It's a mild elixir," Kenji answered. "It will revive you without a caffeine overload. Try it."

Jenal sipped the warm brew tentatively, liking the taste immediately. His mind drifted back over the last two days. He was certainly earning his extra pay. In the dark recesses of the docking bay, an old style runabout, long out of service, was carefully hidden away. Jenal had been tasked with restoring it to operation while keeping up with his normal conveyor duties. The job was almost done. Once the leak test finished, he'd finally get some sleep.

"I'll be gone most of tomorrow," Jenal said. "The Captain wants me to take that old junker around one of the outer planets. A real life test, he calls it. I'll be going alone. Now I know why he was so anxious to get me certified."

"Is there any risk?"

"That old tub could die out there, and it might take a while for someone to come get me, but I'll be in a suit all the way, and I've packed enough air for a week. I'll be all right." Jenal noticed that the glass was empty, and he did feel better.

* * *

"You'll swing past the fourth planet, Cotonou, picking up speed as you go, and make two complete revolutions of the fifth, Djougou. Then back here. That's the flight plan we registered with Porto-Novo control." They were alone in the docking bay and Jenal was getting his final instructions before departure. "One part of the trip is not on the flight plan. There's a small moon currently in Djougou's shadow. Look for this beacon on your second orbit." The Captain handed Jenal a small piece of paper containing the code. "There'll be another runabout, just like this one, on the moon's surface. Transfer over and fly it back here. There will be no communications except with this ship. We want this to look exactly like the flight test we filed. Understand?" The Captain looked at Jenal in a way that stifled any questions. "Do this right and there'll be a bonus in your pay chip, all right?"

"Sure, Captain," Jenal answered, hiding his surprise. It didn't take a genius to figure out what was happening. He knew a certain amount of smuggling was going on in the fringe, but this was the first time he would be directly involved. And it was a neat setup. If anything went wrong, he was just another contract spacer doing a little unauthorized business on the side. The Captain would be as outraged as the authorities if Jenal were caught.

The old runabout operated better than Jenal expected and he cleared Cotonou with a noticeable increase in velocity. The transit to Djougou would take a few hours and he used the time to fine tune his plan. For safety reasons, Porto-Novo control was tracking the flight, but he thought he knew a way to pull this off without arousing their suspicion.

* * *

"That was well done, Jenal," the Captain said. "We watched the whole thing. In fact, it took us a while to figure out how you did it. Good thinking." Twelve hours had passed, and Captain Atrom and his first mate were standing next to the remarkably similar looking runabout docked in the center of the bay. Jenal wondered what was in the sealed cartons that overflowed the runabout's small cargo area.

"Thanks," Jenal answered. "It took me a while to figure it out, myself. I didn't know if this runabout produced enough thrust for the extra mass. It is a lot heavier. I compensated a little on the way back to make it look right." The plan was simple enough. After reaching Djougou, Jenal slowed the original runabout to lengthen its orbital period, giving himself almost thirty five minutes in the planet's shadow, shielded from the Porto-Novo trackers. On the second orbit, he accelerated at maximum thrust to the small moon, locating his target without difficulty. After transferring to the second runabout, he raced back into planetary orbit, and reappeared on the tracking screens exactly when expected. The rest had been easy.

"Better get some sleep," Malor said. "We're due at Nordeland tomorrow and we'll need you on the conveyor. We'll take care of the runabout. It would be best if you forgot all about this."

Don't worry, Jenal thought. Who'd believe it?

* * *

The screen showed the last of the orbital haulers disappearing from view. With this final loading completed, Jenal had met all of his contractual requirements with Clan Atrom, and was legally out of a job. He gave the control system a final check and, satisfied with its condition, shut it down. Malor called and offered transport to Erikstadt, Nordeland's main spaceport.

Jenal hurried to his quarters to collect Kenji and pick up his gear. The others were still working, but had taken time to say goodbye. They were all more skilled in the operation of the food synthesizer, thanks to Kenji, and were grateful.

"Do you have everything?", Jenal asked.

"Of course," Kenji answered, patting the side of his new shoulder bag, a present from Reyno. Jenal picked up his own bag.

"Let's go then. We don't want to keep Malor waiting." They walked to the docking bay and Jenal was surprised to see the Captain waiting with Malor.

"Are you sure I can't convince you to stay?" the Captain asked.

"Thanks anyway, but we're headed in a different direction," Jenal answered. The Captain nodded at Malor, who gave Jenal his record chips and held open the crew's log. Jenal signed out, handing his tablet to the first mate, and looked back at the Captain.

"Here's a hard copy of your pay record, Jenal," Atrom said, handing him a small sheet of paper. Jenal looked it over briefly.

"That's very generous, Captain, considering all you've done for me." he said, fingering the new insignia on his collar.

"You earned it. I've made some additional entries in your certification chip. You'll be welcome on any of the Atrom ships if you ever need a job. Your friend, too. I understand the contract crew will miss his cooking. It wouldn't surprise me to run across you again in a few years, at the helm of your own ship. Good luck." The Captain nodded at Jenal and left the bay.

Malor piloted the runabout to Erikstadt spaceport, and dropped them off at the shuttle docks. Jenal found a registration console, and made himself available for another contract. He wondered if Kenji would continue to accompany him now that he was out of immediate danger.

"I think we should find Bearnak's," Kenji said. Jenal put the thought aside and agreed. He ran his pay chip through a slot on the console, and entered his personal code. The numbers that appeared on the screen matched those on the printout. At least with his crew, Captain Atrom was an honest man.

They rode the tube into Erikstadt and found a locator. Named after its owner, Bearnak's turned out to be a pleasure dome that attracted a strange assortment of spacers and locals. Jenal felt right at home. Kenji had never seen anything like it, and his attitude was less than enthusiastic. Jenal asked to see Bearnak but was informed that the owner was out, but would return soon.

"We'll have to wait, Kenji. Let's eat." The menu contained a selection of local delicacies and a few universal dishes, added for the spacer trade. Jenal ordered for both of them.

"Do you think Bearnak knows anything?" Kenji asked.

"Maybe. It won't hurt to ask."

They watched the crowd come and go as they ate, Kenji graciously nibbling at his protein block, clearly not enjoying it. A new arrival caught Jenal's attention.

"We may not need to talk to Bearnak after all," he said quietly. "Look." Kenji followed Jenal's stare toward a new arrival. She was even more dazzling in the subdued light.

"Who is that delightful giant," Kenji asked.

"That, my friend, is Cat Atrom, the Captain's wife." Kenji let out a low whistle.

"How were you able to resist," he asked, incredulously. "Is there something wrong with you?"

"I never get involved with a Captain's wife. It's too dangerous. I think Leary forgot that." They watched the woman walk along the far wall, eventually seating herself in a booth across from a nondescript older man wearing a ship's coverall.

"Who is that?" Kenji asked.

"Don't know. I've never seen him before. Can you get close enough to listen to what they're saying? She knows me."

"I think so." Kenji got up from the booth and casually wandered toward the couple, taking a seat at an adjacent table, totally unnoticed. Cat Atrom appeared to be arguing with the man, and from what Jenal could see, the stranger didn't like what he was hearing. After her outburst ended, the man spoke quietly. She turned away, obviously annoyed, looking in Jenal's general direction. He lowered his head, hoping there wasn't enough light for her to recognize him. When he looked up, they were arguing again. The man spoke a few final words that seemed to infuriate Cat, and she got up and left. Within seconds, the man left the booth and walked quickly past Kenji toward the rear exit.

"Well?" Jenal asked. Kenji had waited a few minutes before returning.

"The man is named Reese. He was once contract crew aboard the Atrom ship, and Leary's friend. Leary already had the escape vector data but needed access to a large computer to reconstruct Glory's final trajectory. He and Reese took contracts on the Venture hoping to use the ship's main computer. Leary spent a lot of time accessing the computer from the ship's library and eventually befriended the Captain's wife. She must have discovered what he was doing and decided to cut herself in."

"You got all that from a ten minute argument?" Jenal asked.

"There is more. If I understand what they were saying, she apparently provided a substantial amount of credit, and promised a small null-drive, if Reese would go find a suitable ship. Leary and Reese agreed, forming a three way partnership. Leary continued working on the computer solution, and when he finally succeeded, put the trajectory data into a chip. He must have erased all of his files from the ship's computer at the same time, because the lady could not find them.

"Were there any chips in those drawers you cleaned out?" Jenal asked.

"No. Let me finish. About six months ago, Reese left the Atrom ship with Leary's data chip and enough credit to buy a small freighter. Remember, Leary and Reese were friends, and probably did not trust the Captain's wife, so they wanted to keep the data out of her reach. Also, Reese implied that the data set was incomplete, but did not say why."

"Yeah, I bet Leary didn't trust his friend Reese completely, either." Jenal said.. "There was too much at stake. Trajectory data, by itself is useless. It has to have a point of reference along with either the escape or end vector to mean anything. I'll bet that data chip only has the end vector with no reference point. Reese probably looked, and couldn't figure it out."

"Only Leary knew which portion of the cluster the trajectory passed through and drew it on the vellum sheet."

"Sure," Jenal added. "A little insurance. If anything ever happened to him, Reese would still be able to use the data. All he had to do was find the sheet."

"But none of the stars were marked."

"That's all right. There's only about fifty or sixty stars on that sheet. If you compute reverse solutions from each of the star positions using the trajectory data and end vector, only one solution will lead back to the starting point at New Haifa."

"What about the other way?" Kenji asked. "Use the data with the start point."

"That's a little different. Without knowing the escape vector, the trajectory could take you to any one of a thousand stars over that distance. Now I wonder how good Leary's initial data was, and where he got it."

"Ah, yes. Reese also said he knew where Leary acquired the original data, and he was going there. He will, no doubt, try to duplicate Leary's work. He asked the lady if she wished to accompany him.

"What did she say?"

"She declined, most vehemently. She demanded that her original investment be returned, and when Reese refused, she left."

"Yeah, Reese left pretty fast, too. Out the back way. So Reese has the data and doesn't know about the sheet. We should catch up with him. Maybe we can deal."

* * *

Kenji was remarkably adept at retrieving data from the registry console. He was full of surprises. They had taken the tube back to the spaceport in an attempt to overtake Reese, and had just entered the shuttle concourse. Jenal watched in fascination as his friend scrolled through the list of ships currently on the ground and in orbit, looking for one that listed Reese as captain.

"Here it is," Kenji said, as he stopped the data. "It's called Cat's Tail."

"She'd love that. Does it say where it's parked?" Kenji touched the screen again and read the results.

"The ship is currently in orbit, preparing to be loaded into the government null-space hauler Medved...wait." Jenal watched as Kenji called up another screen. "He cut it close. Medved is scheduled to leave for Telluria in less than an hour. We cannot catch him."

"This was already set up," Jenal said, as if struck by a great revelation. "Reese planned for the three of them to get away quickly before Captain Atrom knew his wife was gone. Now he's using the arrangement to get away from her." Jenal still thought he was missing something and was trying to figure out what, when he felt a gentle tug at his elbow.

"Quickly," Kenji said. They ducked behind the console, Jenal carefully looking back around to see what had alarmed his friend. Cat Atrom and Malor were walking through the concourse toward one of the docking bays, her voice clearly audible.

"We had enough trouble with that cretin Leary, and now Reese. You find him, understand? I want that data chip, and whatever else he has that shows us how to get there. He has to be around here somewhere. Find him!" They walked into the docking bay and out of hearing range. Her comments put it all together. If Malor knows about this, Jenal thought, then the Captain must also...Ah.

"The lady does not sound happy," Kenji said. "It seems she had her own plans, which did not include Leary or Reese."

"Yeah. It was a double-cross all along. Reese finally figured it out when Leary didn't show up at Bearnak's. He'll be long gone before they can catch him."

"What about us, Eli. What do we do?"

"We find a ride to Telluria, of course." Jenal grinned and led Kenji toward the crew registration console.