The Aftermath

hiss of interference. “We are damaged and need assistance. Three people aboard. Propulsion system down. We are adrift and need assistance urgently.”

“Syracuse?” Dorn gasped.

“You know the ship?” asked Elverda.

It was several moments before he replied, “Dorik Harbin tried to destroy it.”

ORE SHIP SYRACUSE: FAMILY QUARTERS

“He was using the alternate frequency on his suit radio to call for help,” Kirk said, his face set in an angry grimace.

Theo stood between Kirk and Nicco like a prisoner under guard. Valker lounged, completely at ease, in the big armchair that had been his father’s. Pauline was on the sofa, sitting tensely, her fists on her knees, her eyes on her son.

“I do that whenever I’m in the suit,” Theo improvised. “It’s my normal routine.”

“Is it now?” Valker asked, one eyebrow cocked dubiously. “We didn’t hear any distress call from you when we found you,” Nicco said.

“I was just about to send out a call when I heard your message,” Theo said.

“Why call for help when we’re already here?” Kirk demanded.

Valker answered before Theo could reply. “Because he’s scared of us, that’s why. Isn’t it, son? You see a gang of roughneck scavengers and you’re worried about your mother and sister. Right?”

Theo hesitated, then admitted, “That’s part of it, I suppose.”

“Can’t say I blame you,” said Valker. “Mighty courageous of you, really, trying to protect your mother and sister.”

Nicco piped up, “Whatsamatter, kid, don’t you trust us?”

Getting to his feet, Valker said, “I wouldn’t trust us, Nicco. Not if I was a young lad facing a shipload of desperados like us.”

He placed a strong hand on Theo’s shoulder. “But you see, son, there’s a matter of salvage rights here. We found you, and it would complicate the situation if somebody else showed up.”

“We’re not salvage,” Theo snapped. “We’re not abandoned or adrift. This ship is occupied by its rightful owners and we’re on a course that’ll take us back to Ceres in a few months.”

“Are you now?”

“Yes,” said Pauline. “We are.”

“We’d only be salvage,” Theo said, “if the ship was abandoned.”

“That can be arranged,” Kirk said, with a smirk.

“None of that, now,” said Valker. “The boy’s right. This isn’t a salvage operation. We’re here to help these people.”

Kirk started to reply, but caught the look in Valker’s eye and snapped his mouth shut.

To Theo, Valker said, “You don’t have to be afraid of us, son.”

“I’m not your son.”

“Now listen,” Valker said, a little more iron in his voice, “I’m not your enemy. We can help you, but you’ve got to trust us, at least a little. We’re fixing your antenna problem, aren’t we? We’re going to transfer some of our fuel to you. What more do you want?”

Theo had no answer for him. He simply glowered at Valker, sullenly.

Pauline got to her feet. “Theo, you’re tired. Why don’t you go to the galley, make yourself some dinner, and then go to sleep.”

He looked into his mother’s eyes and saw that her suggestion was really a command.

Nodding, Theo said, “Okay, Mom.”

“And take these gentlemen with you,” Pauline said, gesturing to Kirk and Nicco. “They must be hungry, too.”

Tight-lipped, Theo repeated, “Okay, Mom.”

He left the family room, Nicco and Kirk marching behind him like a pair of guards.

Valker turned back to Pauline. “Alone at last,” he said, grinning.

“I don’t want them to hurt my son,” Pauline said.

“Now why would they do that?”

“You know perfectly well. If you kill the three of us you can bring this ship back to Ceres and sell it as salvage.”

Valker nodded. “True enough. Or we could put you into the command pod and send you off. No blood spilled that way.”

“But you’d be murdering us just the same.”

“That’s what they want to do.” Valker jerked a thumb toward the hatch that Kirk and Nicco had just gone through.

Pauline’s chin rose a notch. “And what do you want to do?”

“Me?” Valker’s grin faded a little. “I’m not a killer. I’m more of a lover.”

Pauline said to herself, So there it is. Out in the open. He’s offering me our lives. But for how long?

“Can you keep your crew under control?” she asked.

He nodded wordlessly.

“I don’t want any of them touching my daughter.”

Valker puffed out a breath. “That will be a pretty tough assignment.”

“Or hurting my son.”

“Hell, we can let him join our crew. The boy’s got nerve; I like him.”

“But my daughter’s got to be safe. From all of them, including you.”

Spreading his arms in a gesture of complete agreement, Valker replied, “If you’re willing to let me share your bed, why would I be interested in your daughter?”

She looked into his eyes: greenish blue, hazel eyes, the kind that changes color, the kind that can’t be trusted. But what else can I do? Pauline asked herself. What else can I do to keep Angela and Theo safe?

* * *

Aboard Hunter, Dorn stared at the communications screen as if he could make it light up by sheer willpower.

“The message isn’t being repeated,” Elverda said.

“No,” said Dorn. “And it was very weak, almost as if it was made from a space suit radio rather than a ship’s comm system.

“No visual.”

“I have a fix on it, through,” Dorn said, tapping on the comm keyboard with his mechanical hand.

“You attacked their ship?”

“Dorik Harbin did.”

“When? How long ago?”

“Just after Chrysalis,” Dorn said, his voice barely audible. “Nearly four years ago.”

“We must go to their assistance.”

He nodded slowly as he opened a comm channel and said, “Attention Syracuse, this is Hunter. We’ve heard your message and are coming to your assistance.” Glancing at the navigation display, Dorn added, “Estimated time of arrival at your position, thirty hours. Please confirm.”

No response. Nothing but the hiss from the Sun and stars.