Jet didn’t think he was on the winning side of the deal, but he shook on it anyway.
‘
“I thought you were in for a crash landing?” the cargo manager said as he stepped into the Tanatalia’s hold.
Jet thought the landing had been fine, he looked at the man puzzled,
“I heard talk these were going to be scrapped before I left the military?”
Jet smiled, “This could be the last you’ll see of one?”
“Shame they were a good old task ship.”
“It’s not mine; that’s in for some repairs, but I was thinking the same thing on the way here. So where do you want this stuff?”
Rosie’s emotions were in conflict, she wanted to distrust Benedict: she knew she had more than enough reason, but throughout the meal he had been charming and complimentary. It was all a façade she knew that too, but it was getting harder and harder to justify the man sat opposite: with his witty repartee, was the same man who had tried to kill her and Jet any number of times. It made it harder that the other men had fallen for his act: James she could understand; he was after all an employee, but Indigo seemed to be treating him as an old and trusted friend. Was he; or was Indigo being sycophantic knowing the business that benedict could bring or take from the space station? She was more than a little disappointed; she thought Indigo had integrity; maybe he hadn’t after all. Still all the same she had to keep reminding herself that it was the same Benedict that had used and cast off her mother: though it did solve one thing; she had never understood; whatever had her mother seen in the man, now she had an inkling.
It was as they waited for coffee that Benedict made the proposition.
“You want to hire us?” Rosie had not intended her voice to sound shocked but it did.
“That’s what you do, isn’t it?”
“Well… Yes.”
“Then we can make so formal agreement?”
“I can’t,” she stuttered desperately trying to avoid any commitment. “We run a partnership: I would have to consult… the others.”
“Of course, I wouldn’t want Jet to think I was trying to gain an advantage in any way.”
She wanted to say he wasn’t going to, but she just smiled.
Even though Chub had appeared to be recovering well Jet still wanted to get back to the space station as quickly as he could; so he helped unload the cargo and less than two hours later he was in the pilots seat looking out of the blister at the cargo master. The engines were humming and Jet gave the man a thanks and good-bye wave. The cargo master replied with a thumb up as Jet engaged the drive; but to his utter disbelief instead of powering up the hum faded away.
Jet quickly did a visual of the instruments and re-started the engines. He gave an embarrassed wave to the bemused cargo master and engaged drive a second time. Again the engines died. The cargo master was talking into a microphone when Jet tried and failed to engage for the third time.
The cargo master drew his hand across his throat and pointed to the access hatch. A minute later he was besides Jet. “Try again,” he said watching the instruments for the fourth failure. He changed a few settings and a screen setting. “Again,” he said with less confidence than he had spoken the first time.
As the engine died the cargo master stood upright. “How long since you last used the ship?”
“I can’t answer, that but I suspect it could have been sitting unused for quite a long while?”
The cargo master shook his head. “These things thrive on work; it doesn’t do them any good to stay idle.”
“You know what’s wrong?’
“Oh yea; you’ve got a hardware problem in the mainframe.”
“It’s a hardware problem?”
“Hardware definitely.”
Jet looked at him “Your certain its hardware?”
“The same thing happened to me. If you pull out the mainframe you’ll find circuit thirty-nine P has burnt out. Let e’m sit, and they deteriorate; so when you get it started and it’ll work while its hot; but switch off and the residual heat burns it out.”
“It’s not a major problem?” Jet said hopefully
“Oh no; simple fix.”
Jet breathed a sigh of relief. “Okay so who do I see?”
“We’ll on this forsaken planet that would be me.”
“Great so what do we do?”
“Well actually nothing; we don’t have any spare circuits.”
Jet felt his elation slip away, “But you can get one?”
“Yea I can get one; problem is when; I’ll need a courier to bring one in and right now he’s dead on my apron.”
“Gold?” The word shocked Rosie.
“Enough for a kings ransom; as the saying used to go.”
“But we’re not a high security service?”
“No but you get the job done.”
“The last time we tried we didn’t.”
“The emperors hand was a no win situation; you did what you could.”
“But a cargo hold full of gold would make us a target for every criminal across the galaxy.”
“Not when you have Galactic militia as escort.”
“Then why cant the Galactic militia use one of their own cargo ships?”
“Politics my dear: the thin edge of the wedge; if they were to enter into what is in essence a commercial enterprise they would be required to do a multitude of other things that would not only take the edge of their primary purpose and put then in compromised positions; it would also severely hurt private enterprise; your selves included.”
“So just pick up the load and take it to central reserve?”
“Pick up several loads; I’m not sure precisely how many at this moment, but yes and then take it to the Federations central storage facility.”
“With an escort.”
“Every step of the way.”
“And it’s all legal?”
“One hundred percent perfectly legal. This is not a trick: it has Federation approval, Galactic Militia support; the backing of all relevant authorities; and all permissions and permits: what it hasn’t got is not worth thinking about. As people like to say every T is crossed and every I is dotted. One hundred percent approved.” His expression changed slightly and his voice took on a defensive tone. “I can even show you the gold if you still think there’s some sort of scam?”
The thing was Rosie did believe it was a scam; it had to be, Benedict: no matter how affable he seemed to be, couldn’t change that much, but where was the catch? She couldn’t see one.”
Indigo and James were looking at her expectantly. “I’ll put your proposition to my associates.”
Benedict nodded. “That is all I ask; so now what next; it’s still early; well it is somewhere in the galaxy.” He grinned infectiously and looked about the table. “What about the Rex vs. Regina?”
It was only to be expected that Indigo and Benedict would have passes for the King versus the Queen, it was the most exclusive nightspot on the station.
“Please say yes?” James was looking at her with a pleading expression. “I wont be able to dance a single step without think it was you opposite me.”
Rosie was slightly shocked, she was being chased; what if Jet found … what would jet say; he had certainly never asked to take her dancing. “Why not?” she said, not sure why she did.
Rosie’s ankles were aching, the new shoes were gorgeous, but they were far too high for more than the occasional slow waltz. She considered kicking them off but the RvR was not the kind of place that you could act that informally. Instead she had made James take her back to the table. He went off for more drinks: Benedict and Indigo were talking business and from what she could overhear other peoples business. She looked around the room at the other patrons, strangely she felt on the edge; these people led full social lives, and what did she have? She wondered if it was the alcohol that was making her morose, she tried to convince herself that she let a wild and intense life and
to reassure herself she pulled the tablet from her bag. To her joy there was a message from Jet. Eagerly she opened it. It was short, almost abrupt.
‘Stuck on planet. Problems with the ship. Will be delayed, Jet.’
‘Problems?’ she thought as disappointments overwhelmed her. “Blond or Brunette?”
“What’s that my sear?”
Rosie looked up; both Benedict and Indigo were staring at her strangely.
“Blond or Brunette what?”
Benedict was grinning at her, she decided she would wipe the silly smile off his face. “Okay It’s a deal,” she held her hand over the table. “When to we do it?”
Benedict took her delicate hand in his all encircling grip. “Whenever you are ready young lady.”
Chub was sitting in the day lounge when Rosie saw him; another man was there. She saw the edge of a tattoo below his jacket sleeve.
“Rosie.” Chub smiled. “Nice to see you.” He looked at the other man. “This is Franki: Franki Rosie my saviour, she got me here at breakneck speed.”
She smiled modestly as Franki stood and offered her his seat. “I’ll see you later then Chub?” he said.
“You don’t have to go.” Rosie protested, “I only came to check up on him.”
“No its okay I gotta go anyway; see ya chub.”
The men saluted each other, before Chub turned to her. “So what’s happening?”
“Not much. Jets stuck on some planet: apparently some kind of breakdown?” Chub didn’t smile as she expected, in fact he looked kindly at her. “And I’ve got a contract.”
Now chub smiled. “Great I’ll be out of here in no time.”
“No,” she said firmly. “You’re staying here. It was pretty