Lost Flyght – Chapter 22

Once I’m back in Jinzo’s apartment on the Lee home ship, and he’s again on the Amagi to help with repairs, I sit at the table and wonder what to do with myself. I have this whole day before I board the shuttle to Ossun, and Gus has gone to be with his family ahead of me. Ken isn’t here. Asteria is off flying. And everyone on my ship has tasks to do that don’t involve me.

There’s nothing to do. I should have just stayed on Laguna!

Well, there is something I can do. I slip into my walking shoes and head out of the apartment.

It’s time I get to know this place a little better. Jinzo is due to be my number one, so I’m sure that, in the future, our children will come here to spend time with his side of the family. I may even inherit a portion of the Lee family empire, depending on how close Hera Lee and I become. When she passes on from this universe, she’ll want to leave the business in good hands. Family, as I have learned the hard way, is not always the best choice.

I take a deep breath as I leave the family corridor of the ship and merge into everyday foot traffic. I smile at people, and they smile back. This was the right choice.

I need this time to myself today. I’ve been surrounded by my consorts and friends for a week now, and as enjoyable as they all are, sometimes I need the alone time. Alone in a crowd, that is. The Lee home ship is filled with people.

Walk, walk, walk. I’ve been so anxious. I conquered meeting Jinzo’s mom, and now I have the Correa wedding in front of me. Another task on my list that’s plaguing my thoughts and dreams at every moment. I need to de-stress before the big wedding, or I’ll never make it through the gauntlet of Gus’s family and a possible run-in with India Dellis. I’m hoping a few hours of downtime for my brain will bring some much-needed clarity. Tonight, Marcelo will take me to Ossun.

I amble but stay to the side as I make my way through the merchants’ corridor. I’ve been here before, and the sights and smells soothe the rough parts of my soul. Off the merchants’ corridor is a string of booths run by artisans who cooperatively use the space to sell their wares and crafts. Today, I’m met with an array of paintings, wood carvings, and hand-dyed fabrics.

I sigh as I make my way through everything on display. I’ve never been creative. I really wanted to learn an instrument, but I didn’t get far with the violin. I wish I had.

“Looking for anything in particular?” a woman asks as I pass her booth.

“Not really. I’m just out on a walk, stretching my legs.” I smile at her, and she seems happy to have a conversation.

“This ship is good for walking. You can never run out of space. Kind of a marvel, isn’t it?”

“It is. I’ve never been on a ship so big.”

“And you never will be on anything bigger. Even the military doesn’t have ships this big.” She winks at me. I doubt that statement, but it’s cute the way she talks of Jinzo’s home. “Ms. Lee keeps this monster in tip-top shape, too. Even runs it around the shipyards once a year. She’s been called upon to help out in crises too.”

“Really? Like when?” I cross my arms and lean against a nearby pillar.

“Remember that massive hurricane that ravaged Rio about eight years ago?”

“How could I forget?” It was only about two years before I left to go to school on Rio, and we believed the hurricane might actually keep me home. It lasted four months and did severe damage to the southern hemisphere of Rio and the two floating cities located there.

The woman nods sagely. “This ship jumped in and helped evacuate people. Then they delivered supplies to rebuild. Ms. Lee was considered a hero. Everyone thought so,” she says, leaning in to deliver a conspiratorial whisper.

“They jumped in? Does this ship have FTL drives?”

“Oh yes, miz. This ship is far too big to fit through a gate. It can jump just about anywhere.”

I had no idea. I’ve never traveled on something so big, and I’ve never been on a military ship that has its own FTL drives either. The sheer authority of owning something this big and powerful is awesome to behold. I step away from the pillar and look up and down the row of artisans. It’s hard to tell we’re even on a ship.

“Well, that’s pretty great. I didn’t know that.”

“You’ll know soon enough.”

When I cock my head to the side, she smiles.

“I’m sorry. I’ve seen your face on the news a few times.” She demurs, looking at the floor. “You’re to be contracted with Mr. Jinzo, is that correct?”

“Yes.” I sigh but then catch it at the last moment. “I’m Vivian.” I hold out my hand to her.

“Cheri Clarke. My family has made this ship our home for three generations. Welcome to the family.” She returns behind her stall and swaps out one painting for another. “If you ever need art for your home or anything else — anything,” she stresses, “my family does a little of everything. Please come see me. We’ll be happy to help.”

“Thank you, Cheri.” I bow to show respect, and she seems tickled by the gesture. “So, where should I go on my walk next?” I look left and right, not knowing which way to turn. “I’ve got a lot of thinking to do. What would you recommend?”

She points to my left. “Take this to the end, and then the stairway down two levels. That will take you to the cargo bay corridors. Don’t worry about being in the way down there. Usually, it’s pretty quiet, and you’ll have a long stretch of straight space to walk.”

“Thank you.” I bow again.

“Anytime.” She waves as I break off and follow her directions. Down two floors, I pause as I hear a door slam above me. These stairways seemed quiet, but maybe they get more foot traffic than I thought.

I pull the door open into the cargo bay corridors and nod, pleased with Cheri’s suggestion. The gray corridor stretches out farther than I can see, and only a few people come and go from open cargo bay doors. Most of the doors within sight, though, are closed. The hum of machinery is steady here and much more peaceful than the constant merchant chatter above. Yes, this will do nicely.

I step away from the door and jump as it opens behind me.

Eamon comes rushing out, his hands up, one coming to my mouth and the other to my arm. I squeak and jump backwards, aiming up to knock his hands aside. My right hand collides with his, and my left foot connects with his stomach. He doubles over and hits the deck.

“Stop!” he wheezes, holding out a hand. He curls into a ball and coughs a few times. I glance over my shoulder to see if anyone witnessed the altercation, but the corridor is silent.

I’m breathing so fast, I can’t see straight. Should I run for it? I don’t really know this guy, and I thought he was in jail.

He coughs a few times and gets to his knees. “Jesus. Did you have to kick me?”

“I didn’t know what you were doing!”

“Lower your voice, or I’ll be caught.”

I take a step back, ready to run. Eamon gets to his feet and leans against the nearest wall, groaning and shutting his eyes.

“Look, I’m sorry I rushed at you so quickly. I thought you were going to walk away from the door a lot faster.”

“Are you following me?” Now I’m ready to call for help. I flick my wristlet and aim to call ship security.

“No. Yes. A little. I didn’t follow you here. But I guessed you would be on the ship eventually, based on our conversations. I saw you walking around and followed you down here.” He sighs as he straightens himself up and shakes out his fingers. “Did you have to hit my hand? These are what earn me an income!”

“I’m not sorry. That’s what you get for rushing at me.” I sigh and cross my arms over my chest. “What do you want, Eamon? We went to your shop, and it was completely cleaned out. What happened?”

He shrugs. “Got caught. Again. I thought this time, they wouldn’t find me, but I was too conspicuous.”

“Why are you making androids?” I demand. I want answers. “Athens has the patents on sexbots and everything like them.”

“And that’s a crime,” he insists, stepping forward. I step back. “Not me, making my own. They shouldn’t be allowed to hold the patent, to be the only one making them. We could save our whole population with androids. There’s no need to hold back this technology.”

Oh, for fuck’s sake. What did I get myself into with this guy?

I point at him. “I will not delve into the merits of cybernetics with you. There are good reasons we had to give up on androids and robots. I won’t sit here and give you a history lesson.” I glance down the corridor and see someone leave a cargo bay about five hundred meters down. They walk in the opposite direction. “What do you want?”

“Credits. I need credits to get away. They took my whole team. I only barely evaded the authority.”

“Fuck you. I’m not giving you anything.”

“Come on,” he says, bringing his hands to prayer position. “I know you have cash. You make the Happiest of Hot Sauces, right? That shit is popular across the Duo Systems.”

I sigh. “I’m about as broke as you are. Get out of here before I call security.”

I twist my wrist to show him I’m serious.

“You’re as broke as I am, yet you were going to buy an expensive AI from me?” His expression becomes menacing as he inches closer to me. “You have money. You just don’t want to help me.”

The nerve of this guy. No way am I falling for his shit. I lunge for him and grab his ear, twist and pull. He shrieks, and the shrill sound echoes off of the surrounding walls.

“Don’t you ever, ever, threaten me again. My money is mine, and I use it for myself and my crew. Your mistakes are yours.” I slam my heel down on his instep and let go of his ear. He falls to the ground, mewling and crying.

I squat down next to him. “I’m going to give you five seconds to get up and run. There’s probably a reward for your arrest.” His eyes widen as he rolls over to help himself up. “I could use the extra credits.”

His feet slip underneath him as he scrambles past me and runs for the door we both came from. I count to five and listen to his footfalls as he makes his way up the stairs.

Instead of calling security, I call Jinzo.

“Hey, Vivi,” he says, his eyebrows drawing together. “I thought you were out for a walk.”

“I was, but Eamon, the guy who was going to sell us the AI, just cornered me.”

“Are you okay?” He stands up, and I get a look at his surroundings. He’s in the Amagi.

“I’m okay. He spooked me, but I’m not hurt or anything. Can you deal with station security? I don’t even know where I am, but I feel like I should report him. I just want to go lie down and wait for the shuttle to Ossun.”

“Sure. Sure.” He looks around the engine room. “I’ll deal with it, then come back here.” He lets out a deep sigh. “Everything here is falling apart. I’ll have to take care of security and return to the Amagi. I’m sorry I won’t be able to spend time with you before you leave.”

“It’s okay,” I reassure him. “I just need some rest, anyway.”

“Look above a nearby doorway and tell me the first part of the alphanumeric code you see there.”

“Uh…” I concentrate on the door to the stairwell. “CBC6A.”

He smiles. “I know exactly where you are. Did he go up the stairs?”

“Yeah.”

“Okay. I’ll take care of it. Head in the opposite direction about three hundred meters. Take the lift there to B deck. You’ll be able to find your way to the apartments from there.”

I nod and hold back some tears.

“Are you really okay, Vivi?”

I’m comforted by the care and attention Jinzo provides, but it’s not enough to negate the terror of having someone come at me that quick. “Yes. It was just not what I needed today.”

“I know. Go get some rest.”

I sign off and lean my back against the wall for a moment before moving on.

So much for de-stressing before Gus’s sister’s wedding.