Ghost Station (The Wandering Engineer) (105 page)

“Right,”
Sid drawled, eyes slowly turning to lock onto Fu. “Your directives,” he said
looking at Fu. “This is all making more sense now,” he said.

“We
shall address the situation and make amends,” Fu murmured.

“You
just bet
you
will,” Sid snarled.

An
emergency public meeting was called for that evening. The council room was
mobbed early, forcing them to transfer the meeting to an auditorium. The
business owners sat in a block together. Their supporters sat behind them,
occasionally leaning forward to pat them on the shoulder. More than one person
had an improvised sign they occasionally waved. Several had colored t-shirts on
with slogans.

“Where
is Irons? I thought he'd be here,” Kennet asked, looking around the room. He
was of course using the cameras. The crowd was quite ugly from all appearances.
He was fairly certain if he appeared now he'd cause a riot. Fu had enjoined him
to watch for now and only appear with the council when they were in session.

“He's
on shift. Someone had to man things since most of the station is here,” Sid
replied. Which was true, Irons was on shift. His AI was near though.

“He
is where he belongs. This is station business,” Fu murmured. Sid looked at him
in disbelief. Did the man even think about what he just said? Irons was taking
care of the station while they... he shook himself. Fu pulled a hand from his
robes to wave to the others. “Shall we?”

Their
usual bit of theater as they opened the nightly meeting was quickly curtailed
when the undercurrent of resentment washed through them. Even the cybers were
not immune to the grumbling and growling. Fu didn't like the occasional
expressions of annoyance his fellow cybers were shooting his way. Kennet's
bumbling boondoggle was costing him dearly in political points with his
fellows. The man had his heart in the right place but his timing and execution
were atrocious.

“We
will call this meeting to order. For the sake of the current problem we will
table the scheduled agenda in favor of discussing this. Objections?” Fu asked.
None of his fellow cybers opposed it. He tapped his virtual gavel. “It's
decided then.”

“Decided?
What's decided! Nothing's been discussed!” a heckler called waving a hand.

“Are
they just making decisions without consulting us? Is that even legal?” A woman
demanded and then turned to the crowd.

“It
appears so,” A Tauren rumbled angrily. “I think we should leave.”

“Now
ladies and gentle beings, be at peace. We are merely opening things up to
discussion. Unfortunately heads are running rather heated tonight so please
bear with us,” Sid said. He was trying to salvage an untenable situation.

“I
think it's rather obvious things are heated. The cause is sitting right there,”
a heckler said pointing to Kennet. Kennet seemed to sink in his seat. He
glanced at Fu for support but found none. He looked down.

“I
was just trying to help,” he finally muttered.

“Wanna
say that again for the rest who didn't hear it?” Sid asked turning to him.
Kennet shook his head. Sid turned back to the audience. “Look folks the food
issue was
not
a council decision. Some of the council
over
extended
their authority. They had no right to do so. We will correct this,” he said,
turning a glare on first Kennet and then the Fu's.

Fu
made a brushing motion. “We apologize for the confusion and suffering this has
caused. We will make restitution.”

“You're
damn right you will!” a heckler said, standing and waving an arm. Savo glared
at him. The man sheepishly sat.

“I
think we need a bit more than that,” Bertoli said slowly getting up. He looked
at his fellow business owners. They nodded grimly. “We have discussed it
amongst ourselves and as of this afternoon the station's chamber of commerce
has been reformed. Clio helped us file the necessary papers.”

“Done
and done,” Clio said with a smirk in her voice. “Oops, sorry, gotta go,” she
said and disappeared as quickly as she appeared.

“The
council needs to be more open to us!” a woman in the back said.

“Which
it will be. Eventually,” Sid said.

“We're
talking now. We want a say in our future. You brought up elections. None of you
were elected to your posts,” a voice growled.

“Settle
down,” Savo growled looking over the crowd. Security and the sheriff force were
out in force today. He like his fellows hoped things didn't get ugly.

“I
think in all fairness we, that is the chamber deserves a presence on the council.
Also leaders of the council should be elected representatives. That should
prevent a reoccurrence of this,” a banker said.

“Unfortunately
we can't step down,” Fu murmured.

“Oh
yes you can! A few of the cybers have already!” a heckler called.

“That
is...”

“None
on the board are currently willing to step down,” Sid replied, looking at Fu
and then the audience at large. “Not even me. But I am fully willing to accept
any elected representatives as well as a representative of the chamber,” he
said. Gwen had been added to the chamber but wasn't here now, nor were some of
the other organic members. He looked around. Some were apparently watching from
the sidelines and some were off working with the admiral.

“We
still haven't accepted them!” Kennet said and then looked down as his fellow
cybers glared at him.

“I
think we need a vote. Do we accept the chamber?” Emily asked.

“We
need time to discuss this. Time to look over the relevant documents and
precedents,” an attorney demurred unhappily.  The audience immediately became
restless and annoyed at that suggestion. The grumbling started to grow.

“I
think you should have thought of that before sticking your hand in things. Now
we'll have to deal with the consequences,” Sid said tiredly. “Take a moment to
scan it. I think you'll find Clio just copied the old chamber's documents you
drafted and updated them.”

“I
did,” Clio's voice said.

“Ah,”
the attorney nodded. “I believe I had a hand in that.”

“Then
you should be aware of the contents and therefore shouldn't object,” Emily said
sweetly. “I call for a vote. Seconded?” she looked at her husband. He nodded.
So did the Stewards and a grim Averies.

“All
in favor?”

Only
Kennet abstained. The others all fell in line and voted for the chamber. “Very
well then, the station council ratifies the chamber of commerce. Mr. Bertoli
can you please take a seat here or do you have someone else in mind to man this
position?” Sid said, nodding politely to the pizza chef.

“We'll
rotate it,” a banker said looking at Bertoli. “If you are going to stay do you
mind taking the hot seat?”

“I'm
still not sure I will,” Bertoli said but he got up. The audience thundered in
applause as he made his way to the stage and then up to the seating. Sid and
the other supporters on the council clapped as well. He nodded politely as
Sid's avatar got out of the chair and offered it to him. Another appeared
nearby, this one virtual like Sid. Sid took his seat after Bertoli.

“Now
that that is settled, we need to address the food situation,” Sid said, turning
to the others. “I vote that only contraband that is harmful to the station in
the form of controlled or illicit materials be banned from the station. All
other foods are to be considered on a case by case basis. All in favor?” The
group reluctantly nodded. “Does anyone object to meat?”

Only
Kennet opposed that motion.

“We
can discuss and refine the order at a later time. Mr. Bertoli on behalf of the
council I apologize for the discomfort you have received. We will contact the
Kiev and your shipment will be turned over to you. In compensation we the
station will assume the debt for shipping and any penalties the Kiev applied to
the shipment,” Emily said.

Bertoli
blinked at her and then nodded, suddenly relieved. A great weight had seemed to
be lifted off his shoulders.

“So
that's settled?” Irons asked as the media report wound down. He'd listened to
all he could stand of the coverage before switching it off.

“You'd
think so. I think people have awoken to their power. I think the council didn't
like it either. They prefer the masses ignorant and sleeping,” Sprite replied.
“Going about their daily business and not really paying attention to the big
picture.”

“Woke
the sleeping giant?” Irons asked, clearly amused. “Serves them right.” He
tapped at the controls, logging a few reports.

“Yes
well, they also didn't like your part to play in this little farce. We'll catch
flack from it down the road,” Sprite warned.

“I'm
pretty sure we will,” Irons said, studying the board in front of him. He'd
manned ops to let Riff and Gwen attend the meeting. Everything was quiet which
was good. He'd been surprised and a little gratified to see Riff and Gwen had
kept to the audience, avoiding being on the forum and thus an unwilling party
to the drubbing the council had taken.

“Yeah,
I'm certain of it,' Sprite said with a tired air. “I don't see anything coming
up. The meeting is winding down. People were already drifting off so we should
be seeing things returning to normal soon.”

“Hopefully,”
Irons agreed.

Word
of the station made its way around the planet in unsavory circles of course.
Vagabonds, pick pockets, drunks, bums... homeless people and others flock to
the space port over time. Some buy tickets. A few try to smuggle themselves on
board shuttles but were caught. A few bribe themselves on board. Kiev,
Lieandra, and the long range shuttle are the only ways to the station. The long
range shuttle has a limited passenger load, only a hundred so it's easy to find
someone who doesn't belong.

Some
underclass families get together, scrounge money for a ticket or two with hopes
that when the person is on the station they will have enough soon to pay it
back and send more for more of the family to emigrate.

Some
mayors export their troublemakers to the station by deportation. Sometimes it's
through the courts, sometimes it's through voluntary deportation. Anyone can
get a ticket to go if it's a one way. It's a good way to get rid of the town
drunk or bum. Sprite showed Irons an editorial piece on the subject.

The
trouble makers and con artists were dismayed when they were processed like
everyone else, given Ident chips and fingerprinted and then immediately met at
the lock by the sheriff and his unsmiling deputies when they raise flags in the
computer net. They were given fair warning; they were on probation, to keep
their noses clean and to the grindstone. Anyone who acted up can be brigged, if
they act up badly they will get the pleasure of seeing the outside of the
station without a suit.

Kiev
made it's goodbyes six and a half months after arriving in the system, two
months after the station had finally come to rest in its permanent parking
spot. They were late leaving but they knew it was worth the time and effort.
They also knew that the station was in good hands and that they would make up
the time in transit with their newly restored systems.

“Let's
be off then,” Captain Chambers urged.

“Prepare
to cast off,” Warner called, turning in place, back straight, arms folded
behind him. “Cast off,” he ordered nodding to the bosun.

“Casting
off aye. We are adrift. Tugs are taking station now. Ten minutes until we are
clear of the station,” the bosun replied, looking up from his station console.

“Very
well,” Mr. Warner said.

“Fine
how do you do when you can't even move under your own power,” Chambers
grumbled. He'd put his foot down when the council had tried to insist on a
station pilot on his helm. Only
his
people were going to sit there.

“It's
a big ship sir,” Warner said with a smile. “And we're full.”

“That
we are,” Chambers said with a nod. The back and forth trips and all the
dealings had allowed their Telerite cargo master to stuff their holds with
goods. All of it was processed goods too, things like equipment, spares, and
food goods. They had little if any raw metals or materials. It was a first in a
long time for them.

“Antigua
Prime to Kiev 221. We thank you for your services and your aide. Please come
back soon. Safe harbor for you here always. Smooth sailing from here on out,” a
voice said over the net.

M'runi
glanced at his captain. Captain Chambers nodded and lifted a finger.

M'runi
tapped the mike control with his upper left pincer. “Spirit of space be with
you Antigua Prime. Kiev 221 clear,” he chittered.

“Tugs
undocking now sir,” the bosun reported a few minutes later.

“Very
well then. Miss Suarez set course for the Centennial jump line jump point. Mr.
Blackhawk initialize course change on her order. It's high time we got this
show on the road.”