Last Voyage of Delilah, Episode 104: Home Fires Burning, Part 3
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Tian: Wow. That was cold.
Poco backs away from the entire business—not touching that one, nope. He lingers to the side, thinking back on his meeting with Eddie. Is it too hot for him to seek employment? He gets the impression that he's certainly on the radar of somebody. Then again, the Paquin-Persephone route is one of the most heavily traveled routes out there. Persephone is a gateway port from the Core to points beyond. Paquin is a gateway port for traffic headed toward the Core. Lots of traffic means lots of LEO involvement. Lots of law reports going back and forth. Maybe he's on one them? If so … It may not be safe to seek employment on Paquin right now but it may be even less safe to stay on the ship. What with the Triad involvement and all.
Valentine can see this thought process going on behind Poco's eyes. It's nothing new. Valentine has seen it a thousand times before as a casino manager, that inward look as someone starts tabbing up the bill and tries to decide if it's better to cut losses and run … or stay and look for an advantage.
Valentine: I'm offering payment.
Poco: Well, now … (perking up) …Wait a minute …
Valentine: We'll discuss it in the morning.
Poco: I'll stay the night.
The meeting breaks up and the crew seeks their rest. It's going to be a busy day come the morrow.
Saturday, 10 Feb 2525
Morning
Come morning, Valentine suggests maybe we should find cargo or passengers on top of the Triad job. Poco looks dubious.
Poco: Is that a wise idea?
Valentine: That's why the "maybe", but I'll tell you my funds are rapidly dipping and if I'm going to end up paying your salaries, it's going to go from a rapid dip to a straight-fall-off-the-cliff kind of dip.
Rachel wanders down the ramp and posts on the ship's docking board our estimated take-off time. Poco waves Fast Eddie that he doesn't need to find a buyer for the ship. Poco hopes Eddie is sober enough to take the message, but knows Eddie spends most of his time awake not-sober. He may not answer. He might not have gotten started with the looking for a buyer, either. It'll be a crap shoot. Poco waves the man anyway and wonder-of-wonders, Eddie answers. He looks rumpled, as if the call woke him.
Fast Eddie: (yawning) I got a guy who can do it. It wouldn't be a scrap. It would be a document modification but it's gonna cost a couple thou'.
Poco: (coughs) All right. To do the document modification alone?
Fast Eddie: Yeah. You just dump the ship wherever you want.
Poco: All right. I'll let the boss know.
Fast Eddie: All right, and you can tell him it'll cost him a couple more thousand.
When Poco returns and tells everyone the cost over breakfast, Rachel nearly spits her eggs. Valentine just raises a brow.
Valentine: If it were half that, I could afford it. Well, no. I couldn't even afford half. I wish … (shakes head) … No. I don't have the money for it.
Poco: Well … Maybe just one more job, right? And then you'll have the money.
Poco laughs. Valentine stares at him, quietly pissed. Vikki tries to lighten the mood.
Vikki: I move we rename the ship Scheherazade. Every time we think we've come to the end, ah! another plot twist and we have to wait until the next day to hear the rest of the story.
Rachel: Nah … She was named after his momma.
Poco: We'll never hear the end of that story.
Vikki: I rest my case.
Valentine: She'd prefer it otherwise.
Vikki: Oh. (contrite) I'm sorry, Val.
Valentine: Neither here nor there.
The crew breaks to pick up their various duties. Vikki and Poco set about fixing things all over. Tian and Rachel go on to clean up the passenger accommodations, sweeping up debris and swapping in clean sheets. The crew can't move the containers to the upper cargo deck to hide them. They're too big and despite Delilah's large size, she lacks enough empty useable space to stow them overhead.
Poco asks if Delilah has any, ahem, places we could stash the cargo without anyone seeing it, in case our passenger decides to take a midnight stroll?
Vikki: Why not put it in the forward section of the second deck hold? You know, where the lockers are and then pile a whole lot of junk in after it so it just looks like it's full of junk?
Poco: We could do that or we could probably take out one of these false panels that I'm sure are sittin' around … (drags, blows) … I mean, I'm just sayin'. If this girl works for the Triad …
Valentine: No. I understand. Yes. Anything you can do to hide it is appreciated.
Vikki: We'll just make it look like the rest of the junk.
We also have a secured storage area, just aft of that spot Vikki mentioned. One of the lockers is actually welded shut and we've no idea what's inside it. We decide to look into it later, after we stow the cargo. It take some doing, pulling out the supplies and stashing them here and there, then shoving the emptied containers to one side and covering them with the copious amounts of scrap and debris. When we're done, it's hard to tell anything's different. The everpresent junk is still there, albeit in different-shaped piles … but it still looks like junk.
A cabin is made up for our passenger, as nice as we can manage. Valentine takes extra care to be presentable when he greets our passenger aboard.
Valentine: Just so I don't piss her off the second she steps aboard our ship.
Viki: Well, who is she? The Queen of Londinium?
Valentine: I don't know. And it was at the point where asking questions was likely to end my relationship to other things.
Poco: Yeah, like your relationship with life.
Viki: I wasn't criticizing or anything. I just—
Valentine: I know. We'll find out soon enough. She's got some sort of relationship with this cargo, of the sort that when someone says Her wishes are regarding this cargo are to be honored, where usually passengers aren't that concerned with what they're carrying ….
He leaves it hanging, implying things could go badly if we pry.
Viki: Is it animate or inanimate?
Valentine: I don't know. I don't know anything.
And he would like to keep it that way, thank you. Although she's intensely curious, Vikki takes the hint and subsides.
Sunday, 11 Feb 2525
Late Afternoon
The truck arrives. Six storage units are unloaded from the back and brought aboard. They're about 8 feet long by 4 feet wide and cylindrical. They're made of white metal wth lots of new tech lights on them. They're powered and obviously doing something. Possibly cold containment.
With the exaggerated awkwardness of discomfort and distaste, a stunningly attractive older woman steps down from the truck cab. She's impeccably turned out, dressed to impress in a tailored suit, her silver hair expertly coiffed, her nails polished and manicured, her heels a rigorous four inches high. She exudes the air of money and high-maintenance. She takes one look at our ship, looks back at the truck, and you can see her trying to decide which vehicle is worse. The rest of the crew trade covert looks amongst themselves: is she going to be a difficult passenger? Valentine approaches her. When she speaks, it's with a Russian accent.
Woman: (archly) Are you the steward?
Valentine: I'm Captain Quick. A pleasure.
Woman: (sniffs) That doesn't surprise me. I am Katarina Selezneva.
Sell-ehz-nyay-vah, she says. She rakes Valentine with a critical eye, casts the same look over the ship and crew, and you can see that while we're not what she's expected, she's decided to make the best of it.
Selezneva: Now, my people tell me that your ship will do. We just needed to avoid some of the more … standard ways of getting the ship there.
Valentine: Yes, Ma'am.
Selezneva: I don't want anyone to disturb my … babies.
Valentine: Yes, Ma'am.
Selezneva: They just need to be kept basically left alone.
Valentine: That we can do.
Selezneva: The power sources, I don't want anyone touching them.
Valentine: Yes, Ma'am. I promise you they will be left alone in our cargo hold.
Selezneva: Hmm. Right. No one's curious on your ship?
Valentine: We might have one who's curious but I will keep her under wraps.
Selezneva: Fire her.
Valentine: I cannot fire her but I will keep her under wraps.
Selezneva: Very well. Now I am imagining, correct me if I'm wrong, but the accommodations are going to be … rustic.
Valentine: That is a good way to phrase it, yes. We've done our best.
Selezneva: (delicately) Is it at least clean…-ish?
Valentine: Yes.
Selezneva takes a long-suffering breath through her nose. She looks down at her tight skirt and high heels.
Selezneva: All right. I've endured worse. I can take this.
Valentine: I can show you to your quarters now if you like.
Selezneva: When do you plan on leaving?
Valentine: We are going to get fueled up for the trip and should leave tomorrow morning.
Selezneva: I am going to town to try to find something I do not mind getting … greasy.
Very well. Valentine nods and Selezneva leaves.
An hour later a young couple shows up at the ramp. They wear the denim and calico of farmer folk and sincere open expressions. They also seem more than a little awed at the idea of space travel. Valentine greets them aboard, trying to put them at ease.
Valentine: Hello. Sir, Ma'am. I'm Captain Quick, the owner of Delilah.
Wife: (softly) Hi. Okay, um … Yes, we're on our honeymoon and my grandfather has given us funds to travel to Beaumonde. We're very excited.
Valentine: That's wonderful.
Wife: I have even been practicing my French.
Valentine: Excellent.
Wife: Bonjour, Monsieur.
Valentine: (warmly) Very good.
Her accent is fairly good. She beams at him. Valentine beams back.
Husband: Pretty fancy ship you have there. (to wife) I don't know if we can afford this, honey.
The fee Valentine posted is quite modest but it's clearly intimidated the husband. He pulls out a cloth coin purse and opens it, gingerly counting out the fare. The wife hangs on his arm and gives him an affectionate nudge.
Husband: Oh, I don't know …
Wife: C'mon, hon. Grandpa said.
Husband: Well, I was thinkin' we didn't have to spend everything he gave us. We could use some of that money to get us started.
Wife: Oh, c'mon. Let's just do this. (to Valentine) Excuse us …
He's reluctant. She's determined. She steps off to the side and pulls her husband with her. They have the most polite argument that anyone's ever seen. It's adorable, really. Hubby gives in.
Husband: Well, okay, sweetie.
The couple approaches Valentine and the husband puts the money in Valentine's hand.
Husband: Okay. We can help if this isn't enough to cover the fees.
Valentine: I'm sure this will be fine.
Valentine accepts it without counting it. It is clearly a major expense for the couple and he doesn't want them to think it wasn't enough. He leads them aboard and escorts them to one of the freshly-cleaned passenger cabins on the passenger deck. The couple belatedly introduce themselves as Maggie and Dempsey Halverson, pleased to meet'cha. Valentine returns the sentiment, bows out with a smile and finds Rachel waiting outside, clearly needing to talk to him. He draws far enough away so they won't be overheard.
Rachel: I don't think we have enough food for all these people. Are we feeding these people?
Valentine: The plan is, yes, to feed them. How much are we going to need for food for the crew and Maggie and Dempsey and our Russian friend?
Rachel: Well, for Poppa Bear, it would just be liquor and cigarettes and not food.
Valentine: He can buy his own cigarettes. I need to know how much food and fuel we got to—.
Rachel: We got some canned stuff.
Valentine: I don't mean how much we have on us. I need to know how much we need to buy to get where we're going. I can get an advance, Rachel. I just need an amount.
Rachel: Okay, Val, I'm going to point something out to you. I fly. I am not the ship's purser.
Valentine: Who did before? Was that my dad?
Rachel: Uh-huh.
Valentine: (sighs) Okay.
Rachel: Welcome to bein' the Captain.
Valentine: How long is it going to take us to get there?
Rachel: Beaumonde? Eight days. Let's say thirteen, in case we run into somethin'.
Valentine: Let's not go crazy.
Valentine does the math. Five crew and three passengers make eight. Multiplied by three meals a day, multiplied by 8 days…
Valentine: You realize this advance is from the Triad, so to speak. The Triad via the Golden Dragon.
Rachel: Wait, I thought you wanted to be free of all that.
Tian interjects herself into the conversation.
Tian: I'll fill her in.
Valentine: She doesn't want to hear about it.
Rachel: I don't want to know.
Tian: You do want to know.
Rachel: Do I? If I get captured, the less I know the more chance I'll get out of it alive.
Tian: No, I won't give you that much.
Rachel: Just enough to be beat up gently? All right.
Tian pulls the pilot aside and explains. Valentine's boss needs to deliver something via the back channels and Valentine has to work off his extended absence by doing the man a "favor".
Tian: His boss decided that he needed to take a passenger for him.
Rachel: So that's Tall and Frosty.
Tian: Yeah.
Rachel: All right.
Tian: And since we're already going there, I guess he picked up the other two. I don't know where that came from.
Rachel: Oh, cuz he said to post it on the board.
Tian: So in any case we've got Tall and Frosty. We're not supposed to ask any questions. None of us want to know. But I'm not entirely convinced that they're not going to break his kneecaps, because it is—
Rachel: Break his kneecaps? Whatever for?
Tian: Here's the thing. He went to let them know that he was having trouble getting rid of his dad's ship, right? Why would they suddenly hire him with his dad's hunk'a junk?
Rachel: That I don't know, darlin'.
Tian: Yeah. So I'm a little concerned about that. Plus the fact that he lied to them.
Rachel: Now, you never lie to the Tong. They're gonna hurt ya if—
Tian: He told them that my cargo wasn't here.
Rachel: (narrowly) Your cargo shouldn't be here.
Meaning those guns. Remember those?
Tian: As far as I know, he only told them about the med supplies. He told them that cargo got lost when we hit Anson's World.
Rachel: So that's why he wants to make sure that it isn't seen.
Tian: Yeah.
Rachel: (sighs)Y'all're just beggin' for trouble.
Tian: No. Not y'all. Not y'all.
Tian stabs a finger at her own chest. She's the one in trouble for the guns. She's already in Dutch with the Alliance Navy. This is just the final nail in the coffin they need to drag her before a firing squad to be shot.
Rachel: Like I said. The less I know, the happier I am. An' stayin' up there and pilotin' 'Lilah, there's reason why that door is there.
Tian: Can I hide on the bridge?
Rachel: Nope. Mortimer'n I take up a lotta room.
Tian: I'm gonna throw yáng fèn at you.
Meanwhile, Valentine figures out how much it would cost to fill up the fuel tanks and get food enough for everyone. Things will be tight. The meals will be mostly protein.
Vikki: For passengers and crew, or just the crew?
Valentine: Everybody.
Vikki: Czarina is not going to like that.
Valentine: I cannot state how much I miss the Casino buffet.
Poco: You can always tell the upscale chicky-poo that this is the food available on the ship and if she wants something fancier she can shell out for it.
Valentine: Which is what I will do. But first, the Exchequer.
But before he leaves, Valentine has a little talk with Vikki.
Valentine: Hi.
Vikki: (puzzled) Hello.
Valentine: We have one standing order on this—no. I have two standing orders on this trip. The first one is a good one. I want you to put that creative imagination of yours to see how we can solve some of the non-engine problems that we have floating around the ship. I want to put you to work fixing everything that's not engine related.
Vikki: Okay.
Valentine: The second standing order is about the new cargo. You are not to touch it. You are not to approach it. You are not even to look at it wrong from a distance. In fact if it smells or makes noises, you're going to pretend it didn't exist. In fact, let's pretend it doesn't exist.
Vikki: But it— … (stops)
Valentine: Does that work for you? Because if it doesn't, well, it does.
She's already seen the cargo when it was loaded on. The damned things look like coffins and CO2 is sending little wisps of vapor wafting to the ceiling as they talk.
Vikki: Okay, just looking at them I can already tell they're cryotubes, so in other words, don't mess with the frozen cargo.
Valentine: Let's pretend you didn't even know that.
Vikki: No, Val, I get it.
Valentine: No, this is her one statement of fact and it is no one is to mess with that cargo.
Vikki: I know. I was standing there.
Valentine: I just want to make sure that everybody knows.
Vikki: Yes. It's okay. I won't.
Valentine: Thank you. I'm a little on edge. So I'm sorry. Okay?
Vikki: It's okay. I just—yeah. It's okay.
Valentine: I just wanted to make sure we had that out there so that no one could say that I didn't say.
Next up: The Exchequer. Going to a tight-fisted Exchequer for money isn't his definition of an easy task but Valentine manages. He stresses the expenses are partially due to following his boss's orders to keep his passenger happy. He comes away with less than he'd asked for but combined with the Halverson's fare, we will meet expenses.
Katarina Selezneva returns to our ship that evening. Valentine greets her on the ramp and hands her aboard, ever the proper gentleman. She melts enough to speak to him.
Selezneva: At least I had one decent meal before took this flight.
Valentine: That's what I was going to tell you. We're going to be eating mostly …no, completely protein, pretty much. If you want anything for your own personal food supply, now's the time to purchase it. We're happy to segregate it out and fixing you your own meals using your own food—
Selezneva: (arch) Darling, I barely eat.
Valentine: Fair enough. I just wanted to give you the option before we took off for tomorrow.
She's rail thin, almost painfully so. The outfit she's wearing looks as if a couturier had been commissioned to design a tailored greasemonkey's coveralls: sleek and kitted out with zippered pockets, Capri-length and roll-tab sleeves, designer boots. She's even wearing a little bandana in her hair. Valentine sweeps her a politely appreciative look just the once.
Valentine: You have wonderful taste, I must say. (briskly) We'll be taking off in the morning. The word has been given your cargo is not to be touched.
Selezneva: Yes, I will go visit it now.
Valentine: Do you need privacy for that? Will there be times during the trip where you need to visit your cargo without crew nearby? The crew will walk through the cargo hold on occasion because—
Selezneva: What do you think I am doing with the cargo?
Valentine: I don't know. That's why I asked.
Selezneva: Do I look like that sort of person?
Her voice is soft and low and even slightly amused, giving her questions a come-hither quality. Valentine lets it slide.
Valentine: No. You don't. I'm asking you if you want secrecy around your cargo.
Selezneva: No. Just don't mess with it.
Valentine: That is not a problem. We will not mess with it.
Valentine gives Selezneva and the Halversons the brief run down on the ship, just the highlights where it pertains to their safety. They follow him and take note of those things he points out: This is where the …. lounge is. You're going to want to watch your step across the way because of the huge hole ...We're doing some renovations right now, so watch your step… Mind the spray painted warnings in yellow … You know, that sort of thing. He makes sure that our passengers know who the crew is and gives them the light version of "Don't touch the cargo speech". Rachel in the meantime returns from a trip to the local farmer's market for a bag of apples. They should go over well with our snooty guest.
Afterward, Valentine sighs.
Valentine: I can't believe I'm doing this.
Vikki: It'll be fine.
Valentine: Oh, I know it'll be fi—no, I don't know that it'll be fine but I still can't believe that I'm doing this.
Vikki: Everything will be okay. I'm sure they're very nice people.
Tian: Out of curiosity, why are we waiting til tomorrow morning to depart?
Valentine: I suppose we could leave tonight—
Rachel shoots Tian a murderous look. No way she's going to take off without a good night's sleep. She needs her sleep, especially after she's spent the past couple of nights out dancing and drinking.
Tian: Never mind.
Poco: It's not like we're going to be late if we don't. (sarcastic) Nobody knows we're here.
Valentine: (serious) If somebody knew we're here, we'd already be late.
Vikki: So I'll just go check on the passengers. Make sure they're okay.
Tian: (at Vikki) Bear in mind that our cargo does not exist.
Poco: What cargo?
Vikki: Right. I'm just the mechanic's assistant.
Valentine: Thank you.
Tian: I’m just reminding you that according to everyone's knowledge, the IRP cargo is gone.
Valentine: Got sucked out the door on Anson's World.
Vikki: Cuz the servo motors on the cargo ramp are just really wonky and we couldn't be repaired in time.
Tian: Don't elaborate. Don't elaborate on the story. Don't add details. Don't give them anything.
Vikki: It's easier to stick to practically no story than to remember all the details.
Tian: Exactly.
Vikki: Yes, I get it. (sighs) Geez, Mom.
Valentine: Also the Triad's after you.
Vikki: What?
Valentine: I thought that was pretty clear. "Also, the Triad's after you."
Tian: I thought I made that very clear.
Vikki: Okay, all right. I'm just trying to remember. What are they after me for again?
The Captain and the Doctor answer at the same time.
Valentine: I'm assuming it's from killing that guy—
Tian: For killing their guy—
Vikki blinks and shuts up. Oh. Right. That.
Poco: Man, that's harsh.
Vikki: It was an accident. I didn't mean it.
Rachel: Wow, you killed somebody and you don't even remember?
Vikki: (through her teeth) No, I—I didn't know he was Triad. That makes it much … worse.
Tian: Much, yeah.
Valentine: I hate to tell you this, but they're not real concerned about your motives. They're very a results-oriented company. It's all about the bottom line and not killing the people producing the bottom line.
Vikki doesn't have anything to say to that, for or against, so she leaves to see to the passengers. Just saying hello and making sure they have what they need for the night. The crew vacated the nicer passenger cabins for their sake and Vikki wants to be sure everything is all right. While Vikki's occupied with that, Rachel offers Poco one of her apples.
Rachel: Poco, what have you been eatin' recently?
Poco: (shrugs) Hhnn-uhnn, I found some stuff lyin' around.
Rachel: That's at least eight months old. (tosses him an apple) Here. Eat somethin' that actually hasn't been dead for eight months.
Poco: (catches it) All right. Thank you, Mama Bear.
Rachel: Anybody else want some fresh fruit?
Tian: I'd like one, thank you.
Rachel gets a bowl and sets the apples out.
Vikki gets to the Halversons' door but before she can knock, she overhears something. Hushed whispers. She turns to go, thinking that maybe something intimate is going on behind that door but then she hears the hiss of a comm set. Intrigued, she carefully puts her ear to the door and listens.
Dempsey: I think that they're good people. We can trust them.
A fatherly voice says over the comm:
Voice: You do what you think is right.
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