Episode 109. Part 4
Jump to:
Christian and Nika leave. They arrive at the spaceport’s administrative offices and encounter an Assistant Director Kline. He doesn’t look like a big gambler. He looks like everyone’s string-bean white-haired uncle or grandfather, long of limb and nose, a little severe in expression. And apparently willing to be bribed, if the intel on the man is correct.
Kline: Your ship got bumped to the head of the Suspicious File. A colleague over at the Department said that we needed to check you out and sure enough, like most vehicles its got the requisite thing—I recommendation is to let us inspect, pay whatever fees you got… I see that you claim it was a stolen vehicle at one point. Yeah, unfortunately there’s not much we can do about that other than just let you…. (He pauses significantly) There’s not a lot we can do about it if somebody initiates a report like that, unless there was an error, of course.
Christian: Of course. Let me ask you something, if I may.
Kline: Sure.
Christian: What happens when a ship leaves cargo behind?
Kline: What happens when a ship leaves cargo behind?
Christian: Yes.
Kline: Ah…you mean intentionally? Or…?
Christian: No, I say for example, a ship leaves port and there’s cargo just left behind on the cargo dock and they are gone and...(gestures vaguely)
Kline: I think…the Port Authority takes possession of it and makes sure it’s not suspicious.
Christian: Does it, for example, go through your office?
Kline: Generally not directly, no.
Christian: No, in general….but is there a specific case in which it might?
Kline: I don’t think inspections are your main problem at this stage?
Christian: Um-hmm.
Kline: Well, your main problem is that report.
Nika: Certainly we could be in error about the fact that it…we have the correct papers at this juncture. So it’s not like it’s a problem.
Kline: Well, I gotta say, Paulson doesn’t usually make mistakes. He’s actually pretty good at his job, he says that…and this is what I have him down here as saying that you claim that “the vessel was stolen by the Potemkins and they may have murdered the owner—“
Christian: Actually, no. What I said was that we found the vessel was stolen, I can’t say for sure who stole it. We, however, did return it to its rightful owner, the heir to the original owner. It turned out the rightful owner had been dead for some time and I believe the Sheriff of the community was looking into it as a murder investigation.
Kline: Now, from a moral standpoint, I think you guys did a great job. From a legal standpoint, justice has to be served. It can’t simply be that things are put back the way they were.
Christian: Of course.
Nika: The Inspector was mistaken in what he heard from us.
Christian: It’s possible the Inspector was mistaken.
Kline: Now I think that now that I’ve heard it from you, I—
Christian: True!
Nika: I’d rephrase it to say that we were mistaken in what we told you.
Kline: Oh…
Christian: It’s quite possible. I also think it’s quite possible that not all of our cargo necessarily needs to leave the planet.
Kline: Hmm.
Christian: We could certainly arrange to have it transferred to someone else. If they so needed it.
Kline: What is your cargo?
Christian: Well, in this case it would be …
And Christian pauses. He’s been gauging the man the entire time they’d been talking and has determined this is not a man who makes a living doing illegal stuff, not as a professional. It’s more as if he fell into it by starting out with, ‘I’m going to try to skim stuff off to the side in a special account and I’ll pay it back,’ and now doesn’t know what to do to extricate himself. Certainly there’s no way Kline can pay back money he doesn’t have, because he’d lost it to gambling debts. A man like that will be receptive to a way to get out from under such a predicament.
Christian: I believe we have some items of gold and precious jewels that we just simply have no need for. And we have no buyer for at the other end.
Kline: Yes, I imagine things such as that occasionally get lost.
Christian: Small things like that surely slip through the cracks.
Kline: I suppose if someone were to lose something like that, it’s probably likely they could use a 200 credit piece of jewelry to say the wrong thing on a report.
Christian: Sure. Absolutely. Mistakes happen. All the time.
Kline: Yeah…
Christian: Especially in a high-trafficked port like this, people coming and going.
Kline: That’s true, that’s true…and it really isn’t the Inspector’s business to be worried about the registry, that’s not really our concern. We just want to make sure that your ship is a safe ship. That’s our primary concern, the safety of space traffic in the crowded Core worlds.
Nika: Then perhaps you should send your Inspector back by so he can go ahead and do his job.
Christian: Certainly.
Kline: If you feel comfortable with the inspection on the ship, then…
Christian: Sure.
Kline: Then we should at least do that to make sure the ship is—
Christian: Maybe you could come with him.
Kline: That’s probably a good idea, yeah. If there are any concerns…
Christian: Absolutely, and when we leave if you happen to find something, on the ground…
Kline: Right. It’s not our business to slow down transit and as you said, many important families have things that have to get off planet here. And we’re not here to obstruct commerce. Our position here is to make sure commerce runs smoothly.
He’s just talking himself into it at this point and Christian “of course”s him and “certainly”s him all the way to a “yes”.
Kline: So… yes, let’s check and see what a passenger of yours may have lost and I’ll see that it gets to its rightful owner.
Christian: I appreciate that. You’re obviously a man who takes great pride in his work.
Kline: Usually we close office at five o’clock. I could come around at four-thirty and…?
Christian: Sure. We’ll be absolutely ready for you.
Kline: Good. I’ll see you then.
Christian and Nika leave, business concluded, and Christian waits til they’re outside the building before hailing Rina on the comm.
Christian: Rina.
Rina: Yeah.
Christian: The Inspector’s going to be here at four-thirty.
Rina: Okay. What do you need from me?
Christian: Just make sure we can pass inspection.
Rina: All right. I think that’s already done, so I guess I’ll go and polish the levers.
Back on the ship, Rina manages to scrub out the car’s existence from our records, though someone knowing what to look for would likely find it…if they knew what to look for. Then again, a quick search of the ship itself would turn up the car, regardless of what the manifest says.
Christian chooses a three-hundred credit piece of jewelry from Miss Tolson’s stash, thanks her, and after checking to be sure it’s not engraved and therefore traceable, takes it with him to have ready for the Supervisor when he shows up. The young women and Donovan are separately advised to stay holed in their quarters to avoid detection by the Federal authorities during their inspection—and both parties willingly comply, both having strong reasons to remain under the Feds’ radar. Needless to say, Mike makes himself scarce as well.
Nika’s sitting on the bridge, trying not to think how her ship has turned into a halfway house for fugitives, yessiree.
Assistant Director Kline and Inspector Paulson approach our airlock at four-thirty and once they are let aboard, Kline sends Paulson to the bridge to check it out. Kline looks over at Christian, who’s standing to the side.
Kline: Is there something you wanted to show me?
Christian: Yes, yes there is. This way.
Christian takes him to the passenger lounge and holds up the jewelry he’d selected, an elegant necklace of gold and gems.
Christian: This would be the item and if you could return it to its proper owner, we would be very appreciative.
Kline: Yes. Okay. I think it can be arranged.
Christian: Thank you.
Kline makes the necklace disappear somewhere on his person and Christian offers him a very nice glass of wine.
Kline: No, no. Not while I’m on duty.
Christian: Of course.
Kline starts yelling for Paulson.
Kline: All right, all right. I think we’re done here.
Paulson: But I haven’t started the—
Kline: No, no, no. I checked it out. We’re all good.
Paulson: Sir, there’s a whole engine room I need to check—
Kline: No, no, I checked it. It’s good.
Paulson: How were you able to check from the—?
Kline: I just checked it, okay? Mark it all off. Everything passed. I’ve been in this business a lot longer than you.
Paulson: All right…If you say so, sir.
When Kline and Paulson are escorted off the Gift and the airlock door shut tight behind them, we all let out a cheer. Finally! We’re cleared to take off.
Which we do as soon as we can get Port Control on the horn. Rina lingers with Christian on the bridge as Nika gets her clearance from the Control tower.
Rina: At least we’ll be able to deliver the coffee and the car.
Christian: Oh no. The car is ours.
Rina: Really?
Nika looks over her shoulder and starts to laugh, seeing Rina’s face light up at the prospect.
Christian: That’s our payment.
Nika: (grabbing her headset mike to mute it) You may drive it one time before we sell that sucker.
Christian: No, I don’t think she wants to drive it. I think she wants to get to the engine and take it apart.
Oh, yeah, baby. You betcha! And on that high note, we burn atmo and head for Osiris. Goodbye, Parth, and fuckin’ good riddance.
Tuesday, 01 Nov 2518
Kuiper II Class, Summer’s Gift
Memphis, Osiris
White Sun (Bai Hu) System
During our eight-day journey to Osiris, Miss Manning (no longer Miss Tolson, thanks to the papers we ginned up for her) and her friend Miss Bannon make themselves acquainted with the passenger lounge and such areas as are open to them. Further investigation into their trunks reveal some of their clothing had been squeezed in amongst the more senior wardrobe and Christian helps Miss Manning choose what she needs to dress appropriately for her new identity. Not so rich or flashy, but certainly more suitable for her new life. Whatever it turns out to be. At the moment, they are just paying passengers on their way to Osiris. To attend a ball, maybe.
We tell Donovan in no uncertain terms he’s to behave himself. To his credit, Donovan does, and manages to pull off a little charm, in a teen movie-star sort of way. Rina watches him like a hawk, nonetheless, on account of Emma’s recent experience, and keeps herself ready to deflect unwanted attention. Donovan keeps his nose clean.
On approach to Osiris, we get a wave from Christian’s parents:
Wave: I’m so glad you can come in and see your Great Aunt when she’s so so sick. She told us that the one thing she wants before she dies is to see her favorite Great Nephew.
Attached to the ’wave is a Family Emergency Landing Clearance.
Christian relays the pertinent information to Nika on the bridge. Christian notices that in the greater body of the ’wave his Great Aunt shares the same name with one of his childhood cats.
Christian: (grinning broadly) I love my parents.
Nika: Ah, yes. The crazy cat-lady Aunt.
Christian: Both my parents were only children. But as my Great Aunt, she could be my Grandmother’s sister and…(off Nika’s look) I’ll just transfer the information to the helm.
Once we’re locked onto the landing beacon, we are granted limited landing privileges and warned away from restricted-access airspace. Osiris is the Headquarters of Blue Sun and on the way in through orbit and atmo, we notice a greater than usual presence of Alliance military vehicles, likely due to the Miranda Wave. We keep a respectful distance, sensible speed and approach vector, and land where the beacon guides us.
Which happens to be to a private yacht docking yard. So there we are, sitting like a scruffy tug amongst rich folks’ sleek and shiny yachts and pleasure boats. Christian had called ahead and arranged for a buyer to pick up the hundred tons of coffee we’ve hauled out of Parth. We’re also going to have to find a buyer for the car… but that’s business for later. For now, we pay our docking fees—twice the usual going rate, for twice the usual going posh—and make plans to meet Christian’s parents.
It takes some doing. Since Beaumonde, the number of people on our ship has doubled. Instead of four, we have eight, all with different levels of legality and trustworthiness attached. Maybe Nika wasn’t overreacting after all.
We take Miss Manning and Miss Bannon with us. This may be their last sight of Core-side life, and as a group we’ve decided that since they want to live out on the Rim, we can either send them to Boros to live with Nika’s sister or send them to Summer on Angel. Either way, it’ll be Rim living and this stop on Osiris is about as far from the Rim as we’re gonna get.
Donovan comes along as well, so we can keep an eye on him, and all that’s left is to hide our valuables from sight, roll up all the windows and lock the car doors. Not that it’s likely anyone’s going to want to raid our decidedly lowbrow craft to look for anything to steal, not when two steps in either direction lie richer pickings.
Christian’s parents have arranged for us to arrive in style, sending a horse-drawn carriage to our docking platform. And mindful of our hosts and our surroundings, we dress to the sevens—minimum—so as not to stand out unfavorably in Osiran society. We pack a few belongings to go with, including a suitable wardrobe for Mike from both Arden’s and Christian’s closets and the young women’s trunks, and after traveling down some beautiful tree-lined streets we arrive at Christian’s parents’ estate.
It is quite beautiful, exquisite in an understatedly elegant way. Landscaped gardens flow naturally over the grounds, both emphasizing and concealing the house that sits on the site as if it grew there. The carriage rolls up the drive and stops at a garden gate, we alight and the carriage takes off.
The weather is warm and pleasant, the garden blooming and fragrant, with butterflies and birds winging through it. Picture postcard perfect. We walk through it to a glassed-in conservatory at one end of the house, there to be greeted by Christian’s parents, Manuel and Delilah Edge. They are a stunningly handsome and beautiful older couple. There is no guessing their age past an apparent 40 or so.
Christian immediately goes to them and greets them in what everyone else must assume is the standard Companion manner—warmly, affectionately…lingering on the kiss.
Um. Yeah.
The three of them turn, a united front, and Rina sees the resemblance clearly: Father’s height and mother’s eyes, the masculine blended with the feminine. Christian had been blessed with good genes from both sides, and it’s easy to see as they approach where he got his grace from—both his parents move like dancers, effortlessly with not a foot out of step, heads up and eyes forward, smiling. The combination of assurance, sex appeal and grace is all a bit dazzling and Rina stands rooted to the garden path, unable to move.
Christian: My father, Manuel, and my mother, Delilah.
Manuel and Delilah greet each of us in turn as Christian makes the introductions, astutely tailoring their greeting to suit the individual recipient. A kiss on both cheeks with a shoulder hug, a handshake, a hand hold, a nod. Rina’s left staring at her hand—she can feel the firm handshake lingering in her palm, but has no memory of how it happened, so deftly was it done. And far from making her uncomfortable, it perversely puts her at her ease and she relaxes a bit. The visit feels less like a minefield, now, and more like what it should be: pleasant.
A food and drink are ordered, more chairs are brought out to the garden and we all take our afternoon tea al fresco.
Delilah: This is your new family?
Christian: This is my new family. Most of them.
Christian gestures to each crew member and passenger in turn.
Christian: Rina is our engineer, very talented with machines. Very, very interesting grasp of Russian. Nika is our pilot. And Arden is our doctor. This is Rina’s friend, Michael. And Sean, our passenger. And Miss Manning and Miss Bannon.
Christian knows his parents instantly see through the young women’s aliases, but are politely refraining from comment. For the rest of the meal, conversation is convivial and light, touching nowhere on heavy topics. The sun slides west toward the horizon and the shadows grow long before Delilah Edge motions her servants forward.
Delilah: Well, I’m sure you have traveled far and as much as I’m sure you enjoy ship travel, we’ll try to make you feel as comfortable here as best we can.
We rise as our hostess rises and Christian shows us to our rooms. Servants take our bags as Christian leads the way. The elder Edges remain standing until their guests have gone inside before sitting down again.
The Edge residence is not sprawling and huge, but neither is it small. Walking through it, one is struck by one thing: everything is beautiful and useful, with nothing extraneous or wasted. Space is cunningly arranged to make the most of it, with public and private areas clearly defined yet flowing from one to the other seamlessly. The décor is eclectic, reflective of the Edges travels and careers, with some surprising juxtapositions, but nevertheless everything is tastefully done, with nothing running to vulgarity or excess. The trip to the bedroom wing is accomplished without fuss and everyone is assigned a room commensurate to their needs.
Rina follows her bags into the room she and Mike have been given and stops short at the sight of the large single bed. The minefield is back. The Edges had caught the vibe thrumming between her and Mike, but she wonders if they’d read the full height and breadth of it. She and Mike would be sleeping that bed, true, but neither would be sharing it as they’d like. There’s no asking for a different room or a cot, however, as Rina is undesirous of a scene. She simply thanks the servant and assures Christian that everything is fine.
Others of our party are led to their rooms and Rina takes a moment to note where Donovan is in relation to the two young girls. He’s behaved himself so far, but Rina’s keeping half an eye on things even so. They’ve been placed at opposite ends of the corridor. Satisfied things are well in hand, she sets to unpacking.
Dinner is announced a little time later and as it had been at tea, the Edges prove themselves most excellent hosts. Light topics rule the conversation during and after dinner and after some time has passed, the Edges rise, smile and bow.
Manuel: We’re sure you must be tired.
Taking that as our cue, we rise and turn for our rooms.
Delilah: Christian, you’ll stay and talk with us a bit, won’t you?
Christian: Of course.
In the bedroom wing, Nika sees Rina balk at her door and leans over and murmurs.
Nika: If you’re concerned, you can bunk in with me.
Rina: No. It’s just that I…(sighs).
Nika: It’s gotta be somewhat awkward.
Rina: Mm-hm.
Rina nods good night to Nika and goes inside before Mike can notice her hesitation.
Downstairs Christian mixes some after-dinner drinks for his parents, serves them and takes a chair before them with a sigh.
Christian: I want to start with the young ladies.
Manuel: Yes.
Christian: The one you’d already pinned as belonging to an upper-class Core family is Miss Tolson. Very long story short, since you’ve already figured it out: she’s in love with her maid, who is from Londinium and was kept in virtual slavery, and they ran away and we couldn’t in good conscience send the maid back. And they wouldn’t leave without each other, and so now they are here and theoretically are on their way to some place where they can live blissfully happily ever after with each other. No, we haven’t figured out all the particulars.
Manuel: You can’t guarantee their happiness.
Christian: Of course, not.
Manuel: But you can help them on their way, I’m sure.
Delilah: They’re very sweet.
Christian: We have a few friends out on the Rim where we considered sending them to. We know a Buddhist monk on a very backwards far away world, that I don’t think people will be looking for them there. We may take them there to spend some time together until they figure out what they would like to do with their lives.
Manuel: Well, sometimes a little time on their own can do wonders for their character.
Christian: I’m sure it could. (A beat) Beyond that, Sean is just a passenger who may or may not be having problems with the authorities for something or another. And honestly, the sooner he leaves, the better. But he paid for extensive repairs to our vessel. And Michael was… a guest of the authorities and… You saw the Miranda broadcast?
Delilah: Yes, we did catch that.
Christian: They used a derivative of the drug mentioned and now he has trouble not answering direct questions. Or for that matter, refusing a request. And he is a very old and dear friend of Rina’s and…
Delilah: I can see the hurt in her eyes.
Christian: It has been very difficult. We’ll be stopped here because Arden has a friend who is a neurosurgeon, or a neurochemist or…something of the like and we’re hoping that she can help in this situation. Otherwise, as much as I love you, we probably wouldn’t have come into the Core right now.
Manuel: Have you taken up politics?
That’s a loaded question. It could be taken at face value, a query as to Christian’s plans for a future career. It could be a veiled rebuke, reminding him to hold nothing back from his parents. It could be an oblique query if Christian had joined the Resistance. It could simply be a parent’s acknowledgement of a son’s dancing around certain thorny issues during a debriefing. Christian considers the options and picks the likeliest to answer.
Christian: I have been thinking a lot about that and honestly, no. There have been chances to be involved in things and I think we’ve moved away from it. Honestly, right now all we want to do is survive and make enough money to live off of. Our ship could use….everything, really. We’re still fairly new in the business.
The Edges consider what their son has said…and not said.
Manuel: Hm. Well, as you said, from what I’ve seen, they seem to be good people.
Christian: They are very good people. They are people who are very loyal to their friends.
Delilah: You know from the Training you received that there is always room to do good, whether or not there’s money involved.
Christian: Of course.
Delilah: So you shouldn’t feel ashamed about that.
Christian: I don’t.
Delilah: Good.
Manuel: Political things are…getting interesting here and it’s a good time to be out of the Guild. To be quite honest, there’s going to be some kind of shake-up in Parliament. It looks like someone has to take the fall for Miranda. Trying to pin it on Browncoats at this stage, I think, is not going to carry much weight. But…
Christian: A few rogue Senators…
Manuel: I know people who were part of the war. Everyone has lost their love for that term. Much of the population has, at this stage. So, they’ll no doubt be pinned on this. I don’t really know how I feel. I’ve not been to the Rim as much as you have, but from what I’ve seen, it doesn’t look much like it’s any more the Utopia than the Core was planned to be.
Christian: No, I can’t say that either side was completely right or completely wrong. I’ve seen…ugliness on both sides…that I’d prefer to avoid.
Delilah: It is the personal touch, the moments of human kindness, that is where true good can happen. On a political level, it’s too difficult for power to find that.
Christian: Of course. People are kind. Organizations are not people.
Silence as the truth of that sinks in.
Delilah: The business of getting to your own circumstances….The young knights and dames have always run away from home…
Christian: Yes.
Delilah: Most of the time they go back, but it is a pretty old story. It is quite possible your ship will be marked if you do so.
Christian: I think it can’t be any more marked than it already is by my presence, at least, here in the Core.
Manuel: I know. (grinning now) We’ve heard about your clean bill of health, for your carefully inspected ship.
Christian: (chuckling) Yes, it was a very carefully inspected and very clean 300-credit necklace.
Delilah: Well, you can stay as long as you need to. We don’t have much in the way of a public life anymore. It isn’t something we’re interested in. So it’s unlikely that anyone would come calling to find us. (A beat) Your, ah…Sean, I believe, is not going to feel comfortable here.
Christian: No. He won’t. But we couldn’t leave him on the ship alone.
Manuel: I might be able to introduce him to activities he finds more pleasurable.
Christian: Whatever you want to do, Father. (stifling a laugh) He is a grown man. Theoretically, he can do whatever he likes. I can tell you right now that his idea of pleasure involves a great deal of alcohol.
Manuel: Yes, I could tell that. There may be other pursuits that would remove him from this location. I don’t know if it will move him permanently from your association, but at least it will keep him out of your hair for the moment.
Christian: That will be very appreciated.
Manuel: And possibly protect whatever virtue is left in the two young ladies that you’ve brought over here.
Christian: I’m certain that they have been protecting each other’s virtues for some time now. (Sighs) I don’t know how long our stay is. It all depends on Arden getting in touch with his companion and what she can do.
The undercurrent between the parents and their son subtly shifts and their conversation turns elsewhere. The mood is affectionate but it isn’t long before they break up for the evening. The men rise and bow the lady of the house their good nights, and when she leaves Manuel pulls his son to the side for a more serious talk.
Manuel: Is there any money you need? We can probably move some things around if you—.
Christian: No. No, I appreciate that. I honestly do. I think that this is something I need to do for myself.
Christian looks around as he says this, and notices that contrary to his initial impression, things haven’t merely been shifted around but are actually missing from his parents’ collection. Art objects, paintings, things of value. Nothing large or noticeable, but there are gaps in the arrangement from his childhood memories of the place and now that he’s become aware of it, his perception of home alters to include their loss…and it worries him. Though the Edges are not poor by any means, perhaps his parents aren’t doing as financially well as he’d hoped.
Christian: (continuing) This is just one of those things that we need to work on ourselves. And, actually, the truth is that toil is as important as the end result, for us and our cohesiveness as a unit.
Manuel: Very well.
Christian: Now, on the other hand, if you wanted to give me the painting that used to be hanging over there….(points)
Manuel: It’s being cleaned.
Christian: Of course.
Christian has broached the subject about the missing artwork, but his father isn’t going along, and Christian doesn’t press him on it. He takes his leave of his father and retires for the night. The matter of the missing art disturbs him and unease dogs his footsteps all the way to his room.
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