Editing Episode 403: Catalysts and Constraints - Part Three

Jump to:<br>
[[Episode 403: Catalysts and Contraints | '''Part 1''']]<br>
[[Episode 403: Catalysts and Constraints - Part Two | '''Part 2''']]<br>
[[Episode 403: Catalysts and Constraints - Part Four | '''Part 4''']]<br>
<br>

<p>Meanwhile downstairs, Kiera’s  settling down to a tall card game.  It’s  similar to poker, only with six suits, slightly different face cards made up of  mythical animals from Chinese folklore, and a separate set of fruit cards used  to set the wild card for the hand. The cards run from one to eight and the  animal cards.  There is no nine or ten  and the one card can be high or low like an ace. The tall card adheres to the  suit printed on it and affects the rank of the wild cards in the hand. After  the hand is dealt, the dealer selects the tall card at random and either  claimed by the players or the dealer when the cards are exchanged, and the  betting procedes until the players fold or the hand is called.  </p>
<p>It’s fast, easy to learn, and  at Kiera’s table, high stakes.  There is  a Shepherd, a twenty-something math geek, a big burly bruiser of a guy  affliated with the Song Jen, and a small weasely man trying to make as much  money as he can.  Kiera’s the only woman  at the table.</p>
<p>The first hand is dealt, the  tall card is chosen by the dealer: banana.   The dealer asks the player on his left, the bruiser, if he’d like to  claim it?  No? Bruiser takes three  cards.  The Shepherd declines the tall  card and exchanges a new card for his apple card.  Bad associations that one, Eve tempted by the  apple...  The math geek points out it’s  thanks to Eve that we have free will.  He  gets shushed by the weasely Sergei and the Shepherd protests, let the boy talk.  Sergei declines the tall card and exchanges for three cards. Geeky Wu takes the  tall card, sparing the dealer from claiming it, and keeps his hand intact.  Kiera exchanges for two, the dealer takes two  and the betting starts.</p>
<p>Kiera tries reading the  players around the table for tells and starts with the wild card taker, Wu the  math geek.  She gets the feeling that Wu  might have a three of a kind with the tall card working.  She reads the Song Jen bruiser and figures  he’s got a crappy hand.  </p>
<p>The Shepherd downs his drink  and calls it mighty fine and Wu warns the man not to let it go to his  head.  The Shepherd replies it’s exactly  where he wants it to go. The Shepherd says where he’s going there isn’t any  liquor so he might as well enjoy it now.   What, there’s no liquor in Heaven? Wu asks? That’s what he’s told, the  Shepherd replies. How can it be Heaven without liquor? Sergei wants to know.</p>
<p>The bets are made and the  hand is called.  Wu wins the first  round.  The new hands are dealt and the  game continues, a combination of cards and conversation, betting and watching  the others for tells. </p>
<p>Kiera doesn’t do too badly for  herself, despite a few losses, and it’s an amusing way to pass the time.  She eventually finds herself low on funds and  in a betting showdown with one of the other players.  It’s Wu and he’s getting infusions of chips  from his backer, one of the Song Jen bosses.   They aren’t mafia or mob, per se, just a gang of criminals made wildly  rich from their crimes.  </p>
<p>She loses. She puts in for  one more hand and the betting rounds advance beyond her last chip. It’s down to  her and Wu and it’s either meet or fold.  Byshek comes to Kiera’s rescue.  He stakes her to keep her in the game.  She sees the bet and raises two.   The bet is seen and raised five.  Hmm. Wu must have a really good hand.  She meets and raises it two and calls.  Wu has two pair, Dragons and Threes.  Kiera has nothing to beat it.</p>
<p>Crap.</p>
<p>The score: Kiera hasn’t won  hundreds of thousands of credits away from the Song Jen boss who would as lief  kill her to get them back, but now she’s in debt to Byshek to the tune of 1300  credits.  And luckily for her he’s  willing to make a deal rather than insist on repayment.  </p>
<p><strong>Byshek:</strong> But  surely you have means to get this money to me?<br />
  <strong>Kiera:</strong> Oh,  of course. I can give you half now.<br />
  <strong>Byshek:</strong>  Yes, and some security, of course. <br />
  <strong>Kiera:</strong> Sure.<br />
  <strong>Byshek:</strong> What  you have for security?<br />
  <strong>Kiera:</strong> I can  give you ownership of my container until I pay you back.<br />
  <strong>Byshek:</strong> Ownership of container … <br />
  <strong>Kiera:</strong> Mm-hm.<br />
  <strong>Byshek:</strong> And  this container is what?<br />
  <strong>Kiera:</strong> It’s  my medical container.<br />
  <strong>Byshek:</strong> You  are doctor?<br />
  <strong>Kiera:</strong> Mm-hm. Or … I can give you part interest in my business until I pay you back.<br />
  <strong>Byshek:</strong>  You licensed doctor? Medical doctor?<br />
  <strong>Kiera:</strong> Mm-hm.</p>
<p>She leans toward him  conspiratorially.</p>
<p><strong>Kiera:</strong>  I am willing to do small plastic surgeries.<br />
  <strong>Byshek:</strong> (chuckles) Not for <em>me</em>, of course, but ...<br />
  <strong>Kiera:</strong> Oh  no, but I understand sometimes people don’t want to look like what people want  to look like.<br />
  <strong>Byshek:</strong> (ah,  yes!) I don’t need what you’re offering.<br />
  <strong>Kiera:</strong> I’m  sure you’re not.<br />
  <strong>Byshek:</strong> But  I have … client.</p>
<p>Here we go.</p>
<p><strong>Kiera:</strong> Mm-hm.<br />
  <strong>Byshek:</strong> You  might be able to perform service for him.   So you give me half now …<br />
  <strong>Kiera:</strong> Mm-hm.<br />
  <strong>Byshek:</strong> And  then you get to Highgate, you go to pharmacy.<br />
  <strong>Kiera:</strong> Mm-hm.<br />
  <strong>Byshek:</strong> You  use medical license to obtain certain pharmaceuticals.<br />
  <strong>Kiera:</strong> Ah.<br />
  <strong>Byshek:</strong> And  deliver them to friend of mine.<br />
  <strong>Kiera:</strong> We  could do that.<br />
  <strong>Byshek:</strong> That  should do the trick. This is of course illegal.<br />
  <strong>Kiera:</strong> Is  it?<br />
  <strong>Byshek:</strong> Just  so you know.<br />
  <strong>Kiera:</strong> I  would be stunned by that. I would assume, being a doctor, I can get things like  that. <br />
  <strong>Byshek:</strong> You  can get them but to prescribe them to person who doesn’t need them is …  dangerous.  But is Blue Sun. Is there  even police in Blue Sun? Probably not. Last I heard they not even have Sheriff.<br />
  <strong>Kiera:</strong> Well,  now, when I examined him, he needed them. There are such things as spontaneous  miraculous … recoveries.<br />
  <strong>Byshek:</strong> I am  not doctor. All I know is doctor can procure pharmaceuticals.<br />
  <strong>Kiera:</strong> See?  You’re tryin’ to tell me that he may or may not need them before I even seen  him.<br />
  <strong>Byshek:</strong> I  give you the requisition, you obtain these. You will, um, need to spend money  for these on your own. So you give me half, you’ll have to come up with the  cash to obtain the others, transport them to my friend, and we’ll call it even.<br />
  <strong>Kiera:</strong> Okay.  So 600 up front.<br />
  <strong>Byshek:</strong> Yes.<br />
  <strong>Kiera:</strong> Okay.<br />
  <strong>Byshek:</strong> And  probably 300 for pharmaceuticals.<br />
  <strong>Kiera:</strong> Okay.<br />
  <strong>Byshek:</strong> You  may have to tell story of how you need 300 worth of these pharmaceuticals, but  ...<br />
  <strong>Kiera:</strong> That’s all right.  I’ll see what I can  get done.</p>
<p>Byshek gives her a card with  the information she needs on it.</p>
<p><strong>Byshek:</strong> Until this is repaid, you are mine to call, but we understand?<br />
  <strong>Kiera:</strong> We  understand.<br />
  <strong>Byshek:</strong> If I  not get word from my man on Meridian, then there will be consequences.</p>
<p>Of course. </p>
<p>Meanwhile, the rest of the  crew eats and takes their leave.  Exiting  the private dining room, Arden notices Kiera and Byshek deep in discussion over  their deal. Arden’s too far away to actually hear anything, of course, but he  does see them together.  Kiera is  normally very confident of herself but from his position on the floor, Arden  thinks that at the moment she seems a touch chagrined and when Byshek walks  away, the Russian seems rather satisfied with himself. </p>
<p>Hmm.  Wonder what that’s all about?</p>
<p>Kiera joins our party and we  leave the restaurant.  As we hit the  sidewalk, a standard Gibraltar police car pulls up with two people inside.  One is a uniformed cop and the other is like  one of the bodyguards we’ve seen on the restaurant floor. They are talking and  it quickly turns into an altercation inside the car. The cop is getting slapped  around in there.  Arden and Joshua hustle  us out of there for our ship.</p>
<p>Of course, Rina’s all about  sussing out the shiny car, despite the argument going on inside it.  At Kiera’s suggestion, Arden and Joshua take  her arms and hustle her along. Nika takes point, Kiera takes the rear, and the  crew has Rina neatly boxed and coming with.   Because sometimes the engineer pays a little too much attention to the  not-right sorts of things. </p>
<p>Walking, walking, just keep  on walking.  Nothing to see, move along.  We make it to our ship without incident.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><strong>Thursday, 30 May 2521</strong></p>
<p>We get the fuel and  food.  Fuel is at the normal prices.  The food is in good variety.  It looks like the food riots have been taken  care of and recovered from.  Kiera  approaches Joshua during our reprovisioning and makes him an offer.</p>
<p><strong>Joshua:</strong> Yes?<br />
  <strong>Kiera:</strong> I  don’t need the first class food.<br />
  <strong>Joshua:</strong> Okay.<br />
  <strong>Kiera:</strong> So,  can we negotiate a price drop? Cuz up until now I’ve been a passenger willin’  to throw in. But either my labor costs something or you can give me cheaper  food.<br />
  <strong>Joshua:</strong>  I’m happy not to be feeding you out of Botany  Bay.  That can go to our other first  class passenger.<br />
  <strong>Kiera:</strong> Does  he know how to gamble?</p>
<p>Joshua’s demeanor drops  several degrees.</p>
<p><strong>Joshua:</strong> (quietly) You’re not gambling with him.<br />
  <strong>Kiera:</strong> Yes,  I am—<br />
  <strong>Joshua:</strong> (adamant)  No, you’re not.<br />
  <strong>Kiera:</strong> Hell,  he’s gonna be bored.<br />
  <strong>Joshua:</strong> If  he comes to you and asks to gamble, that’s fine.  Don’t go harassing him. Okay?  Just like I wouldn’t have Arden going and  harassing the girls, passenger rights—<br />
  <strong>Kiera:</strong> Now,  see? Arden is crew and I’m still a passenger.<br />
  <strong>Joshua:</strong> I  don’t care. I don’t really care. In this case the distinction between crew and  passenger is no different to me. So. If he wants to gamble, he comes to you to  ask, then feel free. Otherwise, leave him be.<br />
  <strong>Kiera:</strong> So  I’m to pretend that he’s not here and I’m not—<br />
  <strong>Joshua:</strong> No,  I’m not asking you to—Good Lord, how <em>difficult</em> is this?  (angry now) I’m asking you not  to shark him!<br />
  <strong>Kiera:</strong> You  think that I would shark somebody?<br />
  <strong>Joshua:</strong> (sadly, yes) Yeah. I do.<br />
  <strong>Kiera:</strong> (miffed) You impugn my integrity.<br />
  <strong>Joshua:</strong> Blah-blah-blah-blah-blah. So.  Are you  going to not shark him?<br />
  <strong>Kiera:</strong> Not  where you can find out, no!<br />
  <strong>Joshua:</strong> Fair  enough!  But if I catch you we’ll put you  back on the first class rates. Don’t shark him. I’m not dealing with that.</p>
<p>They both take a breath.</p>
<p><strong>Kiera:</strong> So.  What discount are we talkin’,  now?<br />
  <strong>Joshua:</strong> If  you don’t want the first class food and you don’t want the first class service,  we’ll drop you down to second class rates.   That’ll be basically what you’re doing.<br />
  <strong>Kiera:</strong>  Well, yeah, because you’re treatin’ me like a  second-class person now.<br />
  <strong>Joshua:</strong> Yeah. Pretty much.  Are you trying to  make me feel bad? Cuz it’s not working.</p>
<p>Kiera looks at Joshua  narrowly and her accent drops away.</p>
<p><strong>Kiera:</strong> Joshua.  Let’s deal the deal. I don’t  have to pay for it anymore, you don’t have to kiss my ass, and we’re going to  be even. How does that hit you?<br />
  <strong>Joshua:</strong> Works fine with me.<br />
  <strong>Kiera:</strong> All  righty. Drop that price down.<br />
  <strong>Joshua:</strong> We’ll drop it down to whatever we can afford, which is at this point …  (consults his clipboard) … Let’s see here …<br />
  <strong>Kiera:</strong> You’re a little bit more interesting than I thought you were just a minute ago,  Joshua. You know that?<br />
  <strong>Joshua:</strong> (to  the clipboard) I have hidden talents.  It  sounds much nicer and politer that way.  (finds what he’s looking for)  We’ll drop you … 10 credits a week off,  that’ll drop you down to 40—<br />
  <strong>Kiera:</strong> 10! <br />
  <strong>Joshua:</strong> (to  Kiera) To be honest, up to this point? Food has been actually <em>free</em> for us to give to you because it’s  coming from the botany bay.<br />
  <strong>Kiera:</strong> So  you’ve undervalued your service to me, then.<br />
  <strong>Joshua:</strong> Not  exactly.  Point being is that regardless  whether you’re first class or second class, we have to feed you. Now unless you  don’t want to be fed, in that case we can drop the rate a little more.<br />
  <strong>Kiera:</strong> There  is the possibility of bringing my own food on.<br />
  <strong>Joshua:</strong> If  you want to bring your own food on, then feel free. Bring your own food on,  make your own food, feel free and we’ll charge you a little bit less. At ten  less a week, you’re actually paying160 instead of 200 for 4 weeks.  That’s not insubstantial. We’re not  ungrateful for the stuff you’ve done, but on the other hand <em>we gotta eat</em>. We gotta pay bills, fly  from place to place and I just can’t give you a freebie—.</p>
<p>Kiera slaps her money on the  table. It’s 160 credits. Joshua takes it up.</p>
<p><strong>Kiera:</strong> (chuckling)  You end up talkin’ too damn much, boy.<br />
  <strong>Joshua:</strong> Don’t get it wrong, I like you.  I’m just  not going to let you shark him. I like him.<br />
  <strong>Kiera:</strong> One  of these days your warm and fuzzy heart is gonna do you in, you know that?<br />
  <strong>Joshua:</strong> Oh I  know it. You can talk to the Captain about that but the thing about it is, I’ve  actually done all right for myself. I’ve gotten shot a lot less than they have.</p>
<p>Kiera laughs again, shakes  his hand with a smile and wanders off, her business concluded.  Meanwhile, Rina’s seeing to the delivery and  lading of the cargo.  The delivery man  takes her aside for a word.</p>
<p>Cargo Foreman: So, just so  you don’t get worried. We’re tweaking the sensors on these containers a little  bit so it’ll <em>look</em> like there’s a  potential leak. There won’t be. But this will discourage casual  inspections.  But they’re fine. We’re  just tweaking the sensors.<br />
  Rina: Explain to me how a  potential leak in flammable explosive cargo is going to deter people from  inspecting?</p>
<p>After all, they’ll take one  look at it and write us up for safety infractions and demand to go over the  cargo to secure the leak.  Right?<br />
  <br />
  <strong>Cargo Foreman:</strong> Well, would you go  lighting matches around the—<br />
  <strong>Rina:</strong> No,  but I would certainly impound the ship.<br />
  <strong>Cargo Foreman:</strong> On your own ship?<br />
  <strong>Rina:</strong> No-no-no, I—(thinks better of it)—Never mind. Tweak away.</p>
<p>Either the Border inspectors  will take one look at it and not wanting to deal with it will pass us through  or take a bribe to pass us through despite.   Either way, we’re expedited past the Border. Problem solved.  The sensors are tweaked, the cargo is  secured, and we’re good to go.</p>
<p>After Kiera leaves Joshua,  Arden buttonholes her and demands to know what that little tête-a- tête she’d  had with Byshek was all about. </p>
<p><strong>Arden:</strong> Is  that something we should be aware of?<br />
  <strong>Kiera:</strong> No.<br />
  <strong>Arden:</strong> Then  what was that all about?<br />
  <strong>Kiera:</strong> Do  you usually stick your nose in private conversations?<br />
  <strong>Arden:</strong> Yes.<br />
  <strong>Kiera:</strong> Ah.  All right. Under what circumstances would you consider it messin’ up your well being?<br />
  <strong>Arden:</strong> Committing us to do something, go someplace, find someone—<br />
  <strong>Kiera:</strong> Well,  if it’s <em>me</em> and not y’all, how does  this become your business?<br />
  <strong>Arden:</strong> Because it’s our ship.<br />
  <strong>Kiera:</strong> If  I’m not on the ship when I do it, again this is inconvenient to you?<br />
  <strong>Arden:</strong> If  you commit us or our ship or anything in our travels to something we didn’t  agree to of our own free will, that would be an inconvenience.<br />
  <strong>Kiera:</strong> All  right. If I commit you to fly to a place you’re already flying to and then to a  place that I’m willin’ to pay you for, none of which will happen on the ship,  then you aren’t committed.<br />
  <strong>Arden:</strong> Did  you?<br />
  <strong>Kiera:</strong> Pardon?<br />
  <strong>Arden:</strong> Did  you?<br />
  <strong>Kiera:</strong> Yes.<br />
  <strong>Arden:</strong> May I  ask what you committed us to?<br />
  <strong>Kiera:</strong> Oh  gosh, no.<br />
  <strong>Arden:</strong> Why  not?</p>
<p>Kiera says nothing. Nope. </p>
<p><strong>Arden:</strong> I’m  still waiting for my answer.<br />
  <strong>Kiera:</strong> Let’s  think about it this way, Doctor. I am still a passenger.  Therefore whatever I do does not reflect upon  this ship.<br />
  <strong>Arden:</strong> You  might come down with some hideous disease and you’d have to be left here.<br />
  <strong>Kiera:</strong> (easily) I know.  I might.<br />
  <strong>Arden:</strong> Yuh-huh.<br />
  <strong>Kiera:</strong> But I  think I might recognize what you’re doin’.<br />
  <strong>Arden:</strong> What  do you mean?  I just want to know what  the deal is.  That’s all.  What have you committed us to?<br />
  <strong>Kiera:</strong> I  haven’t committed you to anything.<br />
  <strong>Arden:</strong> What  did you tell him you would do?<br />
  <strong>Kiera:</strong> (exasperated) I somehow thought I’d left my Daddy twenty years ago.<br />
  <strong>Arden:</strong> You  may have. I don’t know. I don’t care, either.   But still—.<br />
  <strong>Kiera:</strong> Come  with me.</p>
<p>She goes. Arden comes. Kiera  finds Nika.</p>
<p><strong>Kiera:</strong> Captain.<br />
  <strong>Nika:</strong> What’cha need?<br />
  <strong>Kiera:</strong> I  would like to—<br />
  <strong>Arden:</strong> “I  would like to complain.”<br />
  <strong>Kiera:</strong> No. I  don’t want to complain at all. I just wanted to come clear, since it’s  important to Arden that I come clear or end  up with a virulent disease. <br />
  <strong>Nika:</strong> (say  what now?) Uh, excuse me?<br />
  <strong>Arden:</strong> I  don’t know what she’s talking about now.<br />
  <strong>Kiera:</strong> Well,  somehow I might get a virulent disease were I not to come truthful—which is  something my Mom tried on me when I was five, but whatever—</p>
<p>Nika’s expression is  eloquent: Oh, no.</p>
<p><strong>Arden:</strong> She’s  made some arrangement with our contact. I want to know what that arrangement  is.<br />
  <strong>Kiera:</strong> Okay,  the current thing I would like for us to do is fly to the same place that we’re  flyin’—<br />
  <strong>Nika:</strong> Highgate.<br />
  <strong>Kiera:</strong> (nodding) Where I will buy some pharmaceuticals.  And then I would like to take them and pay  you to take me to Meridian where I can deliver them.<br />
  <strong>Nika:</strong> Sure.</p>
<p>Nika’s thinking:  All that fuss? <em>For this?</em></p>
<p><strong>Kiera:</strong> (to  Arden) Wow. That was horrible, wasn’t it?<br />
  <strong>Arden:</strong> I  hadn’t heard her agree yet.<br />
  <strong>Kiera:</strong> Do I  get a common cold or are you going to give me the pox?<br />
  <strong>Arden:</strong> What <em>kind</em> of pharmaceuticals?<br />
  <strong>Nika:</strong> (to  Arden) Why is that our business?<br />
  <strong>Arden:</strong> <em>It’s our ship!</em><br />
  <strong>Nika:</strong> (Yes)  And she’s a passenger.<br />
  <strong>Arden:</strong> <em>Carrying illegal substances?</em></p>
<p>Some days it’s just not worth  it to chew through the restraints.  </p>
<p><strong>Nika:</strong> (to  Kiera) Are you picking up illegal drugs or are you picking up pharmaceutical  drugs?<br />
  <strong>Kiera:</strong> I’m  buying pharmaceuticals.<br />
  <strong>Arden:</strong> That’s not an answer.</p>
<p>Seriously. Not. Worth. It.</p>
<p><strong>Nika:</strong> <em>Arden.</em><br />
  <strong>Arden:</strong> Yes?</p>
<p>Nika’s expression =  Daggers.  Poisoned ones.<br />
  Arden’s = Uh oh…<br />
  Kiera’s = Sunny.</p>
<p><strong>Kiera:</strong> See  now I feel very comfortable that instead of virulent influenza and/or other  life threatening diseases, that he’ll just merely give me a common cold  now.  Are we okay?  </p>
<p>Kiera pats Arden’s hand.</p>
<p><strong>Arden:</strong> No.<br />
  <strong>Kiera:</strong> The  common cold okay?<br />
  <strong>Arden:</strong> No. I  wasn’t going to give you anything. <br />
  <strong>Kiera:</strong> See?  Empty threats.  You’d never make it in my  world.<br />
  <strong>Arden:</strong> I  want to know if you’re picking up illegal pharmaceuticals or not.<br />
  <strong>Kiera:</strong> I  will tell you what pharmaceuticals. I am picking up legal pharmaceuti—<br />
  <strong>Arden:</strong> Illegal?<br />
  <strong>Kiera:</strong> Legal.  And I have been asked to deliver  them.<br />
  <strong>Nika:</strong> That’s  fine. That’s not our business.<br />
  <strong>Arden:</strong> Okay.  As long as it’s not illegal.<br />
  <strong>Kiera:</strong> Mm-hm!<br />
  <strong>Arden:</strong> I  just wanted t—</p>
<p>Nika’s had enough of  this.  She turns on her heel to Arden.</p>
<p><strong>Nika:</strong> <em>You</em> come with me. (To Kiera) See you  later.</p>
<p>Kiera leaves chuckling for her  container. She’s had secret compartments built into it for the occasional  smuggling she does and now would be a good time to inspect them. Nika drags  Arden to the bridge and shuts the hatch.</p>
<p><strong>Nika:</strong> <em>What</em> is your problem?<br />
  <strong>Arden:</strong> She  was having a conversation with our contact. I wanted to know what it was about.  Whether or not it committed our ship or put us in danger.<br />
  <strong>Nika:</strong> And  you couldn’t come right out and ask her?<br />
  <strong>Arden:</strong> I  did!<br />
  <strong>Nika:</strong> You  d—? Arden, did you say to her, does whatever you were talking about to Byshek  in any way endanger our crew?<br />
  <strong>Arden:</strong> <em>Yes.</em><br />
  <strong>Nika:</strong> You  asked her that straight out.<br />
  <strong>Arden:</strong> <em>Yes.</em><br />
  <strong>Nika:</strong> And  what did she say?<br />
  <strong>Arden:</strong> None  of my business.<br />
  <strong>Nika:</strong> I  sincerely doubt that.<br />
  <strong>Arden:</strong> I’m <em>sorry</em> you sincerely doubt that.<br />
  <strong>Nika:</strong> I  think if you’d asked her that straight out she probably would have told you no,  which still might have put it in doubt, but I don’t think she would have said  to you it was none of your business if you asked her exactly that way.<br />
  <strong>Arden:</strong> I can  confidently say you’re wrong. Because that’s what she said.<br />
  <strong>Nika:</strong> All  right. Whatever arrangements she wants to make on her own time, between herself  and whatever contact we might meet—<br />
  <strong>Arden:</strong> Okay.<br />
  <strong>Nika:</strong> <em>Is her business.</em> <br />
  <strong>Arden:</strong> I know  that.<br />
  <strong>Nika:</strong> If  she’s going to pay us to take her to an extra spot after paying us to take her  to Highgate, which she really didn’t want to go to in the first place  potentially, <em>I don’t care</em>.  <br />
  <strong>Arden:</strong> Fine.<br />
  <strong>Nika:</strong> And as  far as illegal cargo goes, <em>how many  cargos have we pulled that are actually legal, recently?</em><br />
  <strong>Arden:</strong> That’s beside the point.<br />
  <strong>Nika:</strong> <em>Do you have any interest in eating in the  next month?</em></p>
<p>Ohhhh, Nika is fit to be  tied.</p>
<p><strong>Arden:</strong> The  only concern I had was not knowing the full facts of what was going on.<br />
  <strong>Nika:</strong> <em>Not</em> our business.<br />
  <strong>Arden:</strong> Even  if it affects our ship and us.<br />
  <strong>Nika:</strong> Seriously.  Do you have any interest in  eatin’ in the next month?  Cuz just about  now, she’s the only regular income we got.<br />
  <strong>Arden:</strong> Okay.  What’s your point?<br />
  <strong>Nika:</strong> Arden,  am I <em>seriously</em> having a conversation  that you are not comprehending?<br />
  <strong>Arden:</strong> I  understand everything you say.<br />
  <strong>Nika:</strong> Okay.  Where are we speaking at cross purposes?<br />
  <strong>Arden:</strong> We’re  not.<br />
  <strong>Nika:</strong> Somehow we are.<br />
  <strong>Arden:</strong> No.  You’re saying that you’re satisfied with not knowing the full details  surrounding our… whatever.<br />
  <strong>Nika:</strong> I’m  saying it wasn’t your place to ask.<br />
  <strong>Arden:</strong> It’s  our ship!<br />
  <strong>Nika:</strong> That  has nothing—! You know what? We run a service.   We are taking passengers as a service. We don’t have the luxury or the  right to ask a passenger what their personal business is. It is our job to take  them from Point A to Point B. Period. End of story.<br />
  <strong>Arden:</strong> Fine.  But if a passenger is taking a substance that shouldn’t be taken to Point B, I  want extra.</p>
<p>Nika glares at him for a  minute.</p>
<p><strong>Nika:</strong> <em>That</em> I can’t argue.<br />
  <strong>Arden:</strong> Okay.  That’s <em>all</em> I was after.<br />
  <strong>Nika:</strong> <em>However.</em>   You can’t confront a perfectly legitimate passenger who up to this point  as far as I am aware has done absolutely nothing illegal.<br />
  <strong>Arden:</strong> Exactly.<br />
  <strong>Nika:</strong> With  that kind of question without proof that we can do some kind of legal charge  extra for. You better have proof in your hand.<br />
  <strong>Arden:</strong> But I  wanted to know if she was and—.<br />
  <strong>Nika:</strong> <em>No.</em> That’s not the way people work  because if she’s doing something illegal she’s going to lie to your face  anyway.<br />
  <strong>Arden:</strong> Why?</p>
<p>Nika just stares at him.  Then:</p>
<p><strong>Nika:</strong> (steely) Because it’s a new rule.<br />
  <strong>Arden:</strong> To  lie? We have to lie?<br />
  <strong>Nika:</strong> No.  It’s a new rule for you that you’re not allowed to ask that unless you run it  by me first.<br />
  <strong>Arden:</strong> What’s  that?<br />
  <strong>Nika:</strong> You  know. Those kinds of questions? The ones you don’t have any proof in your hands  and you’re gonna confront someone about something? You gotta come run it past  me first.<br />
  <strong>Arden:</strong> I’ll  do my best.<br />
  <strong>Nika:</strong> Okay.  (A beat) Some days I love you and  some days I’m gonna rip your head off and shove it up your ass. <em>Go</em>.<br />
  <strong>Arden:</strong> And  what’s today?<br />
  <strong>Nika:</strong> I  haven’t decided yet.</p>
<p>Nika stalks off the bridge,  leaving Arden standing there on the deck.   She’s got that face on, the face that says: I’m gonna pummel something  really hard.  Joshua sees her coming his  way and thinks better of stopping her.   Nika sees him and stops.</p>
<p><strong>Nika:</strong> (brusque) What do you need? (a beat) I’m going to the gym. What do you need?  Come with me if you want to talk.<br />
  <strong>Joshua:</strong> I’ll  come. I’ll come with you.<br />
  <strong>Nika:</strong> <em>Good.</em></p>
<p>Nika goes down to the gym and  proceeds to kickbox the <em>go se</em> out of  the punching bag.  After a minute she  asks between kicks and punches her question to Joshua.</p>
<p><strong>Nika:</strong> What  is it that you want?</p>
<p>Wham! Slam! Wham!</p>
<p><strong>Joshua:</strong> I thought  I’d share a piece of information with you. I worked out the numbers. When we  get to Blue Sun after paying for fuel at Blue Sun and for maintenance and for  canned food, we will end up at 303 credits.   So we will have lost 18 credits.</p>
<p>Wham! Slam!</p>
<p><strong>Joshua:</strong> Plus  the transponder. That’s a positive profit. Otherwise we’re running this ship  like we’ve pretty much always run this ship.</p>
<p>Nika stops kicking the bag.</p>
<p><strong>Nika:</strong> So…  Okay, we can eat. We’re good.<br />
  <strong>Joshua:</strong> Yes.<br />
  <strong>Nika:</strong> Okay.  At this point, that’s the only thing I’m worried about: do we have enough air,  fuel and food to get us from Point A to Point B because—<em>Holy Mother of God, Joshua!</em></p>
<p>She drags the exclamation all  the way up from her toes.</p>
<p><strong>Joshua:</strong> I  know.  You might want to start at some  point thinking, and I don’t want to know about—wait, maybe I do want to know— what  pissed you off?<br />
  <strong>Nika:</strong> I’m  sorry?<br />
  <strong>Joshua:</strong> (quietly)  What pissed you off?<br />
  <strong>Nika:</strong> Arden.<br />
  <strong>Joshua:</strong> Oh.  Anything in particular or should I be concerned?<br />
  <strong>Nika:</strong> (sighing) Same old, same old, Joshua.<br />
  <strong>Joshua:</strong> Okay. I’ll leave it be. But I will say, before I leave you to kickbox that  thing into dust, that we may want to think at some point about expanding our  horizons beyond staying even and try to give ourselves more than a margin of  error to go on.</p>
<p>Nika’s words stop him on the  threshold.</p>
<p><strong>Nika:</strong> Every  gorram time we try to do that—<br />
  <strong>Joshua:</strong> (turning  around) I know.<br />
  <strong>Nika:</strong> Do you  know what happens?<br />
  <strong>Joshua:</strong> I  know.<br />
  <strong>Nika:</strong> It  lands in the toilet.<br />
  <strong>Joshua:</strong> I  know. I understand that.  That’s no  reason not to think ahead.<br />
  <strong>Nika:</strong> <em>I don’t like this job</em>, okay? I am  flunking miserably, I’m failing miserably and—<br />
  <strong>Joshua:</strong> The  hell you are.  The <em>hell</em> you are. You may think you are.  You’re good. The person at the core is  usually the person who knows the least well how they’re doing. You’re doing  fine. I wouldn’t want to be the captain—</p>
<p>Nika stalks over to the bench  and plants herself on it.  </p>
<p><strong>Nika:</strong> We  need shore leave. <em>I</em> need shore leave.  You find me a way on Highgate to get 12 hours off this ship.<br />
  <strong>Joshua:</strong> Yes,  ma’am. Will do. You ask and you shall receive.  </p>
<p>Joshua joins her on the  bench, giving her some room.</p>
<p><strong>Joshua:</strong> Captain. You’ll be okay. I’ll find you something. You’ll get off-ship and it  will be more than 12 hours.<br />
  <strong>Nika:</strong> You  get me 12 hours.<br />
  <strong>Joshua:</strong> (shakes  head) More than 12 hours.<br />
  <strong>Nika:</strong> <em>No.</em> You get me 12 hours.  That’s what I need. I just need 12 hours off  this ship.<br />
  <strong>Joshua:</strong> You  need a little more than that. We’ll find it. We’ll get you something. It’s  fine. It’s all shiny. Like you said, we’re eatin’. We’re breathin’. We’re  flying.  And it’s actually, surprisingly,  relatively calm. It’s all good. You gotta, like, … I know Arden does that  thing, cuz I just cut him off before it gets to that point with me.<br />
  <strong>Nika:</strong> Normally I do, too. Normally I cut him off before he gets there too.<br />
  <strong>Joshua:</strong> And  I had harsh words with the other passenger, with Kiera, so… sort of harsh words  …</p>
<p>He trails off.  Nika sighs and tells Joshua what happened with  Arden and Kiera and by the time she’s done, his expression is grim.  </p>
<p><strong>Joshua:</strong> (evenly) Really.  He said that?<br />
  <strong>Nika:</strong> Mm.<br />
  <strong>Joshua:</strong> He  did that?<br />
  <strong>Nika:</strong> Mm.<br />
  <strong>Joshua:</strong> Do  you want me to talk to Arden for you? Or are you good?<br />
  <strong>Nika:</strong> 12  hours.<br />
  <strong>Joshua:</strong> I  know what you want.  I’ll get you that.<br />
  <strong>Nika:</strong> 12  hours. That’s all I want. I just want 12 hours off the ship.<br />
  <strong>Joshua:</strong> That’s okay.<br />
  <strong>Nika:</strong> I  don’t have my usual outlets and they don’t work anymore. So, you know  what?  I need 12 hours away from you  people. <br />
  <strong>Joshua:</strong> And  I’m fair with that.<br />
  <strong>Nika:</strong> <em>All</em> of you.<br />
  <strong>Joshua:</strong> And  I understand that, too. (quietly) Can I do anything for you while you’re on the  ship?</p>
<p>Nika snorts an amused little  snort and slides a look at him.</p>
<p><strong>Nika:</strong> If you  were Christian, I’d say yes.<br />
  <strong>Joshua:</strong> Technically, I’m open but …<br />
  <strong>Nika:</strong> If you  give a good massage, then we’ll talk.<br />
  <strong>Joshua:</strong> Actually, I do.<br />
  <strong>Nika:</strong> Then  let’s talk.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
Jump to:<br>
[[Episode 403: Catalysts and Contraints | '''Part 1''']]<br>
[[Episode 403: Catalysts and Constraints - Part Two | '''Part 2''']]<br>
[[Episode 403: Catalysts and Constraints - Part Four | '''Part 4''']]<br>
<br>
Go back to: [[Episode 402: Shepherd's Hope | '''Shepherd's Hope''']] | Go forward to: '''''[[Episode 404: Crucible | Crucible]]'''''<br>
Back to [[Mutineers Season Four | Season Four: Trials and Errors ]]<br>
Back to [[EPISODES]] or [[Mutineers Timeline|TIMELINE]]<br>