Icarus (Interstellar Cargo Book 1) (19 page)

The S3 rose small in the viewport, raising Cole’s blood pressure. Freighters, each the size of a small city, were clustered around the station, carrying most of the System’s precious cargo. All of it would be sorted, loaded, and distributed throughout the Milky Way. The practical side of him envied the unsuspecting pilots, longed for their predictable lives and structured routes. He had fought long and hard to secure such a coveted position in the Business sector. SolEx had helped to patch up his soiled past.

But something had reawakened inside Cole during his time with the “radicals”—a dangerous family quality he had thought to have successfully buried: rebelliousness. His mother was a rebel, his brother most certainly was still, and his father had been murdered as a result of his rebellious nature. Military’s Starforce nurtured this family trait and shaped him into an intelligent weapon, only to inadvertently wield him to their detriment.

I was cleared of wrongdoing,
Cole reminded himself, though he knew his tumultuous past would hurt his chances at playing the innocent card. Cleared though he had been, the court of public opinion had sentenced him to a life of eternal scrutiny. The opinions of billions of people would matter little to him were he to retain his title as captain.

Is that really what I want?

A familiar twinge in his stomach rekindled an anxiety that could only be quelled by playing with fire—a fire his time on the ICV-71 had ignited inside him. Despite his attempts to foil the coup, he had to admit it had been exciting opposing Terracom. To continue down such a path would lead him too close to the flame. An all-too-familiar scenario. There was only one practical decision to be made, but how could he ever strike the necessary match if he was trapped in the vacuum that was SolEx?

He pushed such nonsensical thoughts aside, and prepared himself for the interrogation to come. The ICV-71 was out of commission, Lin and Emmerich were facing an eternity of misery, and AMBER was an indestructible entity. All he had was the hope of maintaining a life as a blue collar nobody. However, to retain his position was to assume that SolEx had not yet completely sold out to Terracom. If their business venture was anything beyond a simple contract, then he was on a fast track to rebuilding the DC-Alpha-6 terraformer all by himself.

~

“W
e managed to recover the system monitoring backlog from the ICV-71, as per your recommendation, Mr. Musgrave.”

Cole hated that particular title, but hated his interrogator even more. Partially because of her black hole of a personality but mostly because the woman had not the courtesy to even be in the room with him during the investigation. Her lifelike hologram was projected across the table from him, but she was elsewhere.
Detective Jen Takara, was it? She’s probably sitting on a beach, listening to the waves and drinking a mimosa.

Cole adjusted the elastic wrists of the latex polygraph gloves that were two sizes too small for his hands. “That’s good to hear. Did you get to watch all the parts where I was assaulted and blackmailed into assisting the crew?”

“We are still in the process of interpreting all avenues of the supplied footage. A definitive decision regarding your involvement is still pending.”

That isn’t comforting. I wonder what they saw that’s giving them pause.
He sat forward and rested his forearms on the empty table. “Look, I was under a great deal of stress while aboard that ship. Who knows what I was thinking when three elite members of our company—” he held up three fingers, “—forced me to comply under the threat of death.” He sat back, gesturing vaguely at nothing. “Solar System Express has complete access to my thirteen years of dedication on file, most of them including overtime. I can assure you that I had nothing to do with the conception of this conspiracy.”

Detective Takara sat, unflinching. Cole figured she was an AI program. “We have no reason to believe you assisted in the development of Dr. Dartmouth’s coup in any way prior to the prototype’s launch.”

But?

“Though we are concerned with some of your actions once Inspector Emmerich no longer held control of the ship.”

Cole’s hands began to sweat, and he knew the polygraph would detect his rising panic. “Whatever my actions, they were governed by the fear of incrimination were I to intervene—whether or not Emmerich was in charge.”

“We have yet to make any such conclusion,” Detective Takara said. “Regardless, a terroristic assault was allowed as a result of your fears. Warranted or not, many lives were lost, and damage estimates for the lost terraformer are well over a trillion and rising. Director Forester has disappeared without a trace, and two known felons were given sanctuary aboard a company vessel. One is deceased; the other missing and assumed to be dangerous.”

Well, when you put it that way...
“Lin...Dr. Dartmouth’s father’s sabotage is entirely to blame for the destruction of DC-Alpha-6. An investigation will eventually reveal that. I’m sure Terracom can foot the bill and collect the necessary debtors to continue their operation.

“As for the ‘two known felons,’ one—Kingston Dartmouth—was near death when we brought him aboard the ship, and the other forced his way into our company and helped us to escape with our lives.” Cole took a breath to calm down. “I don’t know what happened to him, but Director Forester abandoned Dr. Dartmouth’s cause shortly before you guys showed up.”

Detective Takara stared, seeming to process the information provided her. She touched her ear and nodded. “It has been brought to my attention that you may have discovered the truth behind the lack of evidence which would have incriminated you.”

What? How could they possibly know that? I didn’t confront Lin with my suspicions until I was at the nature center.
The only way anyone outside Olympus Mons could have access to such a conversation would be if CAIN had somehow managed to continue recording through his Ocunet lenses. The AI would have needed a direct neural connection, and such a breach was never allowed.
Yet Cain was able to anticipate my thoughts...
“I had suspicions, but I wasn’t really willing to throw away my life over a guess.”

“At the cost of many lives and company property?” She arched a penciled eyebrow, her first sign of emotion.

Cole was taken aback by the accusatory tone. “How could I have possibly known her rescue mission would result in genocide? Mind you her father was to blame for that act; Dr. Dartmouth never condoned his actions. She was only there to free him. Were the process reversible, we would’ve made every effort to reverse it. As it was we barely had enough time to escape with our own lives.”

His statement was the absolute truth, but saying it aloud made their intentions seem nothing short of reckless and selfish. Standing up for Lin would only worsen the suspicions cast on him. He doubted she and Emmerich would return the favor for him. It was time he started executing a little self-preservation.

“Of course,” was all the detective offered.

“Fine, think what you will,” Cole began, an edge to his voice. “As you well know, my background with Starforce in Military was not Nebula Star medal worthy, and my family name is synonymous with mud. It was the very reason I was sought out for this coup. I would be the perfect scapegoat onto which they could place all their blame.”

He sat up a little straighter. “But I’m no terrorist any more than Terracom is a shining example of good business. I’ve done all that I can to separate myself from the people I call my family. I handled the situation to the best of my ability. My methods may be unorthodox, but they are what paved my way to become the youngest XO among the entire Starforce fleet. I’m clever, driven, and quite capable of handling almost any situation thrown my way.”
I sound like I’m applying for a job.

“So don’t go making assumptions off what you think are questionable motives. I’ve spent the last thirteen years paying for the unjust sins of my past, and I wish to keep my title as captain of the ICV-71 and do SolEx proud.”
I think I hear Frederich Caliber clapping in another room.

The hologram stared back for a long time, unblinking. Cole started to wonder if the program had malfunctioned, but then the detective shifted in her “seat” and stood. “These are sensitive matters, Mr. Musgrave, and they must be addressed with the utmost care. For the time being, these proceedings are concluded. We will take into account all you have said in regards to your future with the company. However, there is much work to be done before that time arrives. You will be escorted back to your quarters until further notice.”

Take all the time you want, guys. I’ll be in my bunk, staring at the wall, wondering when I start my life sentence with the debt colony.
Cole nodded, a big smile on his face. “Thank you.”

~

L
in could not speak. It was not for lack of trying; she literally could not talk. SolEx had confiscated her Rook when they had captured her, Cole, and Emmerich. She could rely on her rusty sign language skills, though she had never perfected the art. Why would she when a device did all the heavy lifting for her? Now she was alone in a room, unable to properly communicate. Even her Ocunet lenses had been confiscated. Both of her tools were what made her more than a mute. Without them, she was nothing more than a brilliant scientific mind without the means to express herself.

SolEx knew this, and they put her in the interrogation room despite her obvious impairment.
They must have plans for me,
she thought, though she dreaded to think what use she could be now that her coup was finished. She would not be able to divulge any useful names in exchange for sympathy. Research had found her in secret, though neither her initial nameless contact nor Arthur T. Forester would be traced back to the sector. They were ghosts who had retreated to the shadows with their prize.

Or so they think.

The door opened, and in walked none other than Frederich Caliber, CEO of SolEx. He was alone, save for the object in his meaty hand. He adjusted his suit, slid out the chair opposite her, and sat down. He placed the object in the center of the table, and Lin could not wrest her eyes from the Rook.
Her
Rook.

“I suppose I should thank you for foiling former Inspector Emmerich’s attempt to assassinate me and the rest of the crew aboard the Terraport,” Caliber said, no hint of animosity in his bold voice. He indicated the translation cube. “I suggest you activate that if you wish to carry on a conversation with me.”

Lin swallowed hard and delicately reached out and collected the cube. She switched it on with several practiced taps and swipes. The cube came to life and ran through a diagnostic check before emitting its familiar melodic notes and soft spectrum of light. It hovered in front of her, just below her chin.

“Thank you.” Her “voice” was unaltered, and Lin felt slight relief. It was apparent, however, that any access to NuFi was restricted. The Rook would be nothing more than an electronic mouth. Would they know if she lied? And why would they trust her to wield it at all? She was sure the cube would have been thoroughly inspected before it was allowed back into her possession. It was a frightening thought.

“I will keep our meeting brief, Dr. Dartmouth,” Caliber said, resting his elbows on the table and interlocking his fingers. The smile recognized throughout the System appeared, though it was cold and devoid of emotion. “SolEx has every reason to hand you over to Terracom and let them do with you as they please.” He allowed the comment to sink in before continuing. “But I believe that would not be in our best interest.”

Our?
she thought. Was he speaking on SolEx’s behalf in response to her actions, or was she a part of an equation. The latter was more likely, though her inclusion in his plan was unnerving.

“You are a highly valued employee of this company, and we took a risk in bringing you aboard. A mistake, some might say.” He wagged his finger at her. “But I’m an optimist. You see, there’s a reason I’m CEO of the System’s largest logistics company. I have an eye for opportunity.” He tapped his wagging index finger just below his right eye, “And it’s this eye which noticed the opportunity between my company and Terracom.”

Lin blushed and looked down.

Caliber interlocked his fingers once more. “Yes, you did put quite the strain on our blossoming relationship.” He stared at her a good ten seconds before continuing. “But I’m willing to look past your transgression.”

She looked up at him, confounded.

“
If
you are willing to work with me.” He titled his head slightly, awaiting a response.

What, exactly, is he expecting me to say? Sign me up? For all I know, he might ask me to personally apologize to the Terracom council and offer myself as their personal concubine.
She shivered, but kept his eerie gaze. “I’m not sure I understand what this is about.”

He seemed slightly taken aback by her reply. “Oh, but I was quite certain you did.” He indicated her Rook with a nod of his head. “As you’ve likely guessed, we did a thorough examination of your ‘translator’.” The air quotes were obvious in his tone. “What we discovered was really quite interesting.” He shook his head in mock disappointment. “All those years spent secretly plotting in the hopes of freeing your father, double-crossing Inspector Emmerich, and eventually going to work in the private sector of Research. So much effort....”

He knows everything! How can I have been so stupid to have believed I could ever accomplish such an impossible task?
She shrank into her seat, wishing he would just commit her to the debt colony. She knew, however, that was not his game.

“From the myriad of emotions playing upon face, it’s obvious you realize the gravity of your situation. But you need not fear.” He pressed his fingertip onto the tabletop, and the smooth metallic surface illuminated, displaying a screen with a single digital document within the surface. He manipulated the document with his hand and “pulled” it out of the screen. The display went three dimensional, showcasing itself in a slow rotation.