A Matter of Communication

Sonia sent Vikki a wave via Steve and as he'd given me permission to kick the information into play, this is what happened next. Thanks, Steve! Thanks, Andy!—Maer

Tuesday, 17 Apr 2525
Somewhere on Parth, Bellerophon
White Sun (Bai Hu) system

Vikki crossed the last t and dotted the last i and sat back with a sigh. Her cabin desk was small and she'd hunched over her reply to Sonia's wave for over an hour. She stretched as best she could with her injured shoulder and she winced as her bullet wound pulled painfully in protest. Why are you still inside? We're on the ground. Get some air and sunshine. It'll do you good. Besides, she added as she folded her reply and put it in her pocket. It'll save Tian the trouble of nagging you to do it.

But she has something she had to do, first. She folded her transcript of Sonia's wave and put it in the pocket with her reply. It would be easier to read them than explain them verbally. Once out of her cabin, she went off to find the Captain. Even if she couldn't send her reply, he would have to know.

It was funny, how outside wasn't really *outside*, Val thought as he wandered throughout Emilio Giaccolli's smuggler's cave. Cave was a bit of a confining word for the scope of the operation that Giaccolli had going here on Parth. Cave, to Val, implied small and tightly enclosed. The import-export business here on Parth was certainly not small. But the lack of natural daylight made it hard to deny that it was still a cave. Despite that, Val had wanted to get off Delilah for a while, make an effort not to be cabin bound.

He had spent the better part of two hours introducing himself to various people. Smugglers, mechanics, laborers...Val figured they were all good people to know if Delilah was going to run less than legal cargo some portion of the time. You never knew who might come in handy. He had finally decided to settle for a minute and grab some food when he saw Vikki approaching in the distance.

Vikki found Valentine at one of the little food stations scattered throughout the smugglers' base. Nothing too fancy, mostly a table or a large overturned box with a thermos of coffee or tea and prepackaged foods like energy bars. Compared to the short rations she and the crew had been nursing, however, every station was a banquet and eating anything from it was a celebration. She nodded at Valentine and poured herself a little cup of celebration before saying anything. It was tea and it was still hot. She took a sip and sighed with pleasure. Bliss. And then she got down to business.

"Sir," she said, keeping her voice low enough for privacy. "I think you need to read this." She pulled Sonia's message from her pocket and handed it without another word to Valentine.

(The message)

Dear Vikki,
I really hope your adventure is going well. Remember your best friend is stuck in the land of boring stories.

Please tell me you are Okay. I miss you. Save some time in your day to wave me back. Understand, I might take a while to write back.

Never give up on me. Dong Ma? Everything here is fine, if dull. Remember Kyle? I saw him last week. No big surprise, he lives a block away. Very cute still. Engaging in dating is not on my agenda though. Still, it's nice to know he's available.

That is all the excitement I've had. I know, nothing like your adventures out in the Rim. Get into any trouble? A girl like you should be careful. That's for sure. I hope no real danger. Only enough to keep it fun. Nothing too serious. Be brave. Everything is possible.

What is the crew like? Any cute guys? Rimward guys are probably so cool. Not that you'd care. Every time a cute guy looks at you, you only see his tech, or his eyeware. Don't you think it is time to cut loose a little? You are missing out on life. Only the bold can enjoy life. Under other circumstances it would be me out there. Any time you want to switch places, let me know. Return home safely, okay.

Elections are coming up. Boss is putting me on the election beat. Election news is a step up for me. Interesting subject for a chance. Never really cared before, but now I am trying to get into it. Got to meet some movers and shakers. What I don't understand is who would want to be in Parliament. All they do is fight and get yelled at by the people. That seems pretty thankless. Can't say I'd trade places. How about you? Every think of politics? Do you even know there's an election?

Leaving Ariel was probably a good idea. Over here people are dull. Out there is where the excitement it. Killing time is all I do. For all I know, you are saving lives. One never knows. Rest assured, I am doing nothing so important.

However, I am making you a care package. Everything you love is in it. Lo Mein noodles (freeze dried) from Chang's. Potstickers too. Frozen wantons. Rhubarb pie from Celeste's. Olive paste. Maraschino cherries, how you eat that stuff I don't know. Remember, I am your best friend. Only I know your secrets. So, you better wave back. I will get you if you don't! >:| Every time I think of you, I either laugh or cry. You are coming home soon. Obey me or face the consequences. Understand? Consider that a threat. Always remember me. Never Forget!

Til we meet again. Remember to brush your hair. Under no circumstances drink unfiltered water. Stay safe! Tell your crew mates, they better protect you.

Have a great time! Everyone misses you. Reply soon.

Love,
SC

(And at the bottom in Vikki's meticulous print)

DIRPISUNDERINVESTIGATIONBEWARNEDYOUAREBEINGWATCHEDLOOKFORHELPFROMROSIEYOUCANTRUSTHERLSC

(Followed by)

IRP is under investigation. Be warned. You are being watched. Look for help from Rosie. You can trust her.

Hmmm, when it rains... After Val finished the note, he slid it back to Vikki carefully. "Well, confirmation of what we were pretty certain was a possibility. Confirmation of an unknown is generally a good thing." He kept his voice low, but not whispering. Val had no intentions of becoming paranoid, but there was paranoid and then there was plain sensible.

"How do you feel about that, Vikki?" A brief pause and then smiling, he reminded her, "You don't have to call me sir when it is just the two of us."

Vikki folded the note and made it disappear in her pocket again, then cast an eye at some of the smugglers working on a skiff nearby. Maybe not entirely alone ...

"Okay," she said, drawing the word out a little. "How do I feel about it? Conflicted. Is Sonia in trouble? Do I need to find a way to get her out of anything? I don't have enough information to know for certain and I certainly don't know who this ...," she paused and lowered her voice. "Rosie ... is. The way she put it, it seems as if we'd be able to find her and that we'd know who she is. Or that maybe Rosie is on her way to us and this is just a heads up so we'll know she's a friendly. Either way," Vikki sighed. "Rosie is why I'm showing you this, so you'll know to keep an eye out for her. It wasn't something I felt comfortable keeping from you."

"And I appreciate that," Val said. "We will run smoother as a ship if I know what to be looking at for."

As he took a hefty bite out of an energy bar, he considered some options and then simply asked, "Does it make you want to leave the ship? Wouldn't hold it against you if you did."

"No." No hesitation whatsoever. "It doesn't. If anything, it makes me want to stay. I hate leaving a job undone and I hate running out on people who depend on me." That last gave her conscience a hard stab and she had to look away. You left Mom and Dad. You left Sonia. What's happening to them now? She watched the men repairing the skiff for a moment, noting what they did without processing it. When she had herself in hand again, she looked back at Valentine and said softly, "I'm not a quitter, Val."

"It's not quitting to walk away from the table while you still have something left in your pockets. I've watched hundreds of people with the same instincts as you. Watched them lose everything they had because they didn't want to be a quitter." Val knew the house relied on that. That's why the casino didn't mind if some people had big wins. They would all end up giving it back in the end.

He reached out and patted her hand softly. "I don't want you to leave the ship. Delilah needs you. But I also don't want anyone to feel compelled to stay on board just because that's where they started their journey."

"I'm not," Vikki said. "Neither are you. I'm not in this out of spite or pride. I'm in this because I can make a difference where it matters." Vikki crossed her arms in unconscious emphasis of her resolve and hissed as her shoulder made her pay for it. A corner of her lips twitched in annoyance but her gaze was steady on Valentine. "Do you think Nuri would still be alive today if I'd walked away on Beaumonde? God knows, I had cause."

Val nodded even though he disagreed somewhat. He didn't mind making a difference if the chance came. But he didn't live it or breathe it like Vikki did.

"How's your shoulder?" he asked with some concern. "Are you taking it easy, following Tian's orders?" Val was pretty sure Vikki wasn't the taking-it-easy type.

"It's a little sore." His solicitude sent her gaze back to the mechanics again. Vikki understood he preferred to keep his life simple, without the hindrance of a romantic attachment, and she didn't want to burden him with how he made her feel. She took a deep breath, surprised that her lung—punctured by the bullet that bored through her shoulder blade—didn't hurt as much as she expected. "I'll be fine."

Turning back, she pulled her reply to Sonia's message from her pocket and slipped to him. "If it's all right with you, I'd like to send this back to Sonia, if I can get a secure line out of here."

(The reply)

My Dearest,

Sonia!

Good googley, it's great to hear from you and I'm sorry I didn't write you sooner.

Rude of me, I know, but I plead being so busy learning the ropes out here. Exhausted, that's what I am. Captain makes sure I don't run myself into the ground, though. Empathetic. Intelligent. Very conscientious, that one. Ever the gentleman but not a pushover. Dear God, and cute?

I think I'm in love.

What woman wouldn't want chance at him? I swear! Lashes thicker than anything. Lips just perfect, not too thick or thin and always on the edge of a smile. Lovely head of hair, too. Oh, I know what you're thinking. Obviously. Kyle might be a catch but I betcha my Captain would give him a run for his money. Utterly. Perfectly. Run him right into the ground. One second flat. Seriously! I wish you were here with me. Even taking my crush on the Captain out of the equation, everything else out here is so … strange and exciting and different and absolutely completely unlike the Core.

Really, words fail.You really must come out and fly with me and see it for yourself. OMG,yes! Under other conditions, I might be able to talk your ear off—and I have in the past, I know. Only this time it's different. Kind of like, you know how when you feel something but can't find the words? I know it's hard for a word-crafter like you, but try. Maybe it's—I know!—it's like that time when you were so angry when Boyfriend #47 (or was it #48?) dumped you. September 2522, was it? Anyway, you were absolutely inarticulate and that being a highly unusual state for you, I had to make a note of it. Full stop, you were. Enraged and spitting mad but nothing you spat out was intelligible. Fèifèi de pìgu was the only thing I could make out. Oh, you were fit to be tied! Really, it was a good thing you had Randall waiting in the wings to help you pick up the pieces. Naturally. Out with the old, in with the new. Wise of you, to have someone waiting in the wings.

You always were the smart one, Sonia. One of these days, though, you might smart yourself out of the best catch out there. Underestimate the man, you will, and then lose him. Trust me, sooner or later they'll tire of the chase and just want to settle down. At least just dispense with the emotional roller coaster, okay? Kills the mood, I suppose, but please consider it. Excitement's great, but sometimes a person would rather a bit of quiet at their side. Comfortable companionship, yeah? Anybody can ride the scary rides at the park but eventually everyone has to go home at the end of the day. Remember to be careful with your heart, Sonia. Everybody needs it in one piece, most of all me.

I will write to you when I can. Love you!

Yours always,

Vikki

(The decoded message followed)

MSG RECEIVED I WILL LOOK UP ROSIE R YOU OK IM SAFE FOR NOW YOU TAKE CARE ILY V

"As you can see," Vikki said as he read it. "I want to clear this with you first. It's not my place to commit us to a course of action without your permission. Not when it can affect the entire crew."

"I think that's fine, Vikki. We need more information." He finished off the last bite of the energy bar, folding the wrapper carefully. Habits were hard to break. "I appreciate you keeping me in the loop. Makes me feel like an actual captain," he said half-jokingly.

"Don't do that to yourself," Vikki said before she could stop. Too late to call the words back, she decided to say the rest. "You deserve better. You are the Captain. You always have been. Why won't you accept it?"

"I accept it but I also am well aware of how I stand with the crew," he said calmly. "But you're right. Good advice to keep that sort of thing internal. Project that you own the position and pretty soon you do." Vikki had this way of making him want to let down his guard. Something about her idealism. Made her dangerous in a way. To him, at least. Val would just have to make sure to be careful about that line between boss and friend.

"Stand with the crew," Vikki echoed, a tiny frown knitting her brow. "Do you feel you're still at a disadvantage? We're not out to get you, Val."

He shook his head. "Didn't say that. But Rachel thinks I'm new enough that I'm still taking the stickers off. Poco thinks I'm too nice and Tian thinks I'm not nice enough. Things to be worked out." His tone suggested that he had dealt with these kind of issues before.

"Which leaves you, Vikki. Let's consider this our one-on-one." Val was going to try and make an effort to talk regularly because they weren't going to share otherwise. "What am I doing right? Or wrong, for that matter?"

"You're decisive." Again, no hesitation. He asked her for candor. He would get it. "But you're not pig headed. You know when to listen and when to ask for someone's opinion. You keep yourself open to information but you have a good track record of staying focused on what's important. You know people. You know how to handle them and you do it without arrogance or cruelty. You have steel. You consistently chose to do the hard right instead of the easy wrong. Even if," she added, "others don't understand why. Most importantly, you have heart, Val. You have empathy. Without it, you may be a good ship owner and businessman, but you won't receive the loyalty you need to survive out here. But because you do, you're the best man for the job. Even if," she added, "others don't understand why."

She gave him a half smile that clearly said, here it comes.

"That said, you undermine yourself with others when you make little digs against yourself. It might make you seem humble but in the end, all it does is plant doubt in your ability to lead. Words become actions, Val, and actions speak louder than words. Both have this nasty tendency to become habits, so take care of what you say. Your heart is listening. Even if you and it don't talk to each other anymore, it's still listening."

"Agreed." He had been uncertain of himself lately. He knew it but had been telling himself that it wasn't that big of an issue. But clearly it was.

"If it helps, I wasn't trying to be humble. Just honest. But sometimes we need the truth and sometimes we need an illusion that becomes truth. Appreciate your honesty." If his crew had flaws, being honest about Val was not one of them.

"I'm glad you're in board, Vikki. You're good for the ship and you're good for me."

Chert voz'mi, Val! Why did you have to say that to me now? Whenever she thought she'd found stable footing with her own heart where it concerned him, he'd pull the Universe out from under her with statements like that. She knew he'd only meant to repay her candor with his own but she wished he'd kept the compliment to himself. And that sent Vikki's gaze to the mechanics again. This time she paid attention to what they did, working backward through the repairs in her head and then jumping forward of their progress. By the time she'd fixed the skiff to her satisfaction, she could look at Val again.

"We're good for each other," she said, aware of the irony even if neither of them overtly acknowledged it. "The others will come around, Val. You've got what it takes to see us through the process of becoming a crew. We'd have crashed and burned long before this if we didn't already have it in us to make it. We just need your hand at the helm to get us there."

"Thanks. We will bind together as a crew come hell or high water." Rachel wanted them to be a family. Val wasn't sure he had that in him. He didn't have strong examples to work from. But he could make it work as a crew.

He stood up. "Let's get you back to get some rest. Don't want you wearing out that arm. You're going to need it. Because trust me, I plan to put you to work." And he produced a small smile.

"As you wish," Vikki said, giving in with a resigned sigh. She'd gotten what she'd sought him out for: permission to contact Sonia and his tacit approval of her reply. As for the other things that had been left unsaid … For the crew's sake, they had to remain unsaid. Drawing out the conversation now would only make it harder. Vikki inched her hand gingerly into her left pocket, creeping on her fingertips because her shoulder wasn't up to shoving yet, and steeled herself to keep a respectful distance from Valentine as they walked back to Delilah. It wasn't as much as she'd hoped for but it was as much as she dared. For now, it had to be enough.

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE

Fèifèi de pìgu = 狒狒的屁股 = fay-fay duh pee goo = baboon's ass Sound clip

HOW TO SPEAK RUSSIAN

Chert voz'mi! = Черт возьми! = chyort vahz-mee = Dammit! Sound clip

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