"Do you really think I need this?" I asked as I looked at the loaded shotgun the captain just handed me. "I still have my handgun..."
Rebecca nodded as she slung a loaded carbine over her shoulder. "Better safe than sorry Amanda. Take this too."
She handed me a box of HDLI shells, which I stuffed into one of my jacket pockets. Meanwhile she clipped a set of three pouches onto her belt, which obviously held spare magazines for her rifle.
She and I were down in the cargo hold, just inside the main airlock. Jenny was with us, and the pink fringe in her hair indicated her android was already in autonomous mode. Jace was there too, he'd just finished strapping his own weapon to his right thigh as the four of us prepared to head out.
I looked at the captain again and asked, "If you think there's a chance of shooting, maybe I should bring my medkit? I'd be more comfortable carrying that then this shotgun. At least I know what I'm doing with the medkit."
The boss shook her head, "Bring a first-aid kit if you like, but the medkit will draw too much attention."
I sighed then looked to our passenger, to see how he felt about this whole exchange. Unfortunately he seemed to think it was perfectly normal and acceptable for us all to be heavily armed while we walked into town and announced the arrival of emergency supplies and aid. Which didn't exactly make me feel better.
So I grabbed the first-aid kit that was next to the airlock and tucked it into my other pocket, and finally slung the shotgun over my shoulder.
Rebecca hit the controls and the doors finally started to slide open while the ramp came down.
"We're heading out now Sarah," she said as she thumbed the intercom button. "Seal up the ship behind us. We'll be in touch via comm if anything comes up, likewise let me know if anything happens here."
"You got it boss," our girlfriend replied.
Normally that exchange would have been handled with Jenny's main self, but she was keeping quiet so Jace wouldn't start asking why there were two of her.
As the four of us headed down the ramp Rebecca glanced at Jace and said, "You know where we're going, so lead the way Mr. Wheeler."
"The big two-story building on the north side of town," he replied as we all set off away from the ship. "That's our local version of town hall I guess? It's the mayor's home, but also doubles as a meeting place, and they even use it as a sort of local court-house on occasion."
Behind us the ship's ramp and airlock started sealing up as soon as we were clear, while I was mostly looking around at the community we were walking into.
Everything was coated in a layer of dust, apart from windows and doors. A few buildings had solar panels on top and those were relatively clear as well. There were no paved roads or walkways, and I could tell just from looking that the cracked dry crumbly ground hadn't seen rain in far too long.
"Is it normal that no-one has come to greet us?" Jenny asked. "Surely they noticed the arrival of an interstellar craft."
In fact we hadn't seen another soul yet, much less any sort of welcoming committee. If not for the dust-free windows and doors the place might have actually looked abandoned.
On the other hand I wasn't that surprised nobody came out to say hello. Having grown up in a place not too dissimilar, I could imagine the folks here were anxiously watching and waiting to see what we were going to do. A couple well-armed strangers showing up in the middle of nowhere with a starship - even an ugly old flying dung-beetle like the Demeter - would definitely be cause for concern.
The four of us emerged from between a couple buildings onto what passed as the 'main road' through the town. It looked like the handful of buildings that lined either side were meant to be shops, but half of them appeared to be sealed up, including the one with a faded restaurant sign on the front.
Our customer indicated which direction we were going as we continued walking north.
"Jace Wheeler!" someone shouted from off to our right, stopping the four of us while we were about halfway across the street. "Never thought you'd show your face round here again."
The best word I could think to describe the man approaching us from one of the buildings on the right was 'big'. He looked to be in his mid to late thirties and he must have stood at least six and a half feet tall, with broad shoulders and a barrel chest. His arms were thicker than my legs, and his legs reminded me of tree trunks.
He wasn't just big, he looked tough and rugged too. He was wearing some old worn-in work boots, faded denim pants and a loose vest over a tight t-shirt. A large knife hung from his belt, along with a few pouches that had to be full of ammunition for the large hunting rifle he was cradling in his arms.
He had short dark curled hair and a big bushy brown beard, his hands and face had that weathered look of someone who spent most of his working life outdoors. His eyes were sharp, and they were fixed on our customer while his expression was set in between scowl and frown.
"Hello Finn," Jace responded in a forced-friendly tone. "It's nice to see you again too."
The big man just glared, "You ain't welcome here no more boy. To us you're just another offworlder, like your pretty little friends."
I stayed quiet but couldn't help feeling tense. Rebecca didn't seem too worried though, and neither did Jace.
"I'd love to stay and catch up with you Finn but I've got business to attend to. I'm sure I'll see you around," Jace stated, then he turned and continued heading north towards the building he identified as the mayor's place.
Finn didn't follow, and he didn't say anything else. He just stood there watching the four of us as we moved between a couple buildings on our way to our destination.
"Sorry about that," our customer added quietly a few seconds later. "Finn's what passes for a lawman around here. Or at least he was when I left, I assume he's still got the job."
Rebecca nodded, "Understood."
I did too. It meant it was Finn's job to find out who'd landed a starship in town and what our business was here. He'd want to know if we were bringing trouble into the town. And from what I could tell, even if he didn't like Jace the big man probably didn't think our customer was here for any nefarious purposes.
Our destination was only a few dozen meters ahead, and when we reached it Jace pulled the door open and motioned us in. Even though he described it as the mayor's home it was clear there was both a 'public' side and a private entrance. We were coming in through the public doors, which led to a small dusty reception area.
There were a few mismatched chairs against the wall to our right, an open door on the left led to what looked like a good-sized meeting room. There were a few chairs on the far wall in there but it was otherwise empty. I figured it would fit thirty or forty people if they were standing. A small empty desk sat immediately before us, and past it was another open door that led to an office.
Jace didn't hesitate, he led us through that door and into the office.
It was larger than the reception area, and the room was dominated by a big wood desk. There was a round table surrounded by four chairs off to the right, and a large dusty bookcase on the left. Behind the big desk was a window showing the view north of the building.
A faded placard on the front of the desk bore the word 'Mayor'. And behind the desk sat an unhappy looking man. He'd been holding an old datapad when we came in, but he set that down when we entered and fixed his attention on all four of us. And where Finn hadn't even bothered to look at anyone but Jace, this guy took a moment to study all four of us. Which included taking a few seconds to stare at my ears and tail.
He was an older gentleman, in his late fifties or early sixties. His silver hair had a few darker streaks, while the bushy moustache he wore was darker still. Like Finn this guy's hands and face looked weathered. His clothes looked to be nicer though, but they'd seen better days. He was dressed in what was probably this world's idea of business attire, including the off-white button-down shirt under a grey jacket and a small black bolo tie.
The man's eyes narrowed as he stared at our customer, but he didn't say a word yet.
"Hi dad," Jace said, which caught me by surprise. "It's been a while. You're looking pretty good, all things considered."
Rebecca and Jenny and I all exchanged a quiet glance. Our passenger never once indicated he was the mayor's son, but after a moment I figured that didn't really change anything. At least not in terms of our involvement anyways.
It took another half minute for the mayor to respond, and when he did his words weren't exactly welcoming. "The hell are you doing back here boy?"
"I came to help dad," Jace replied. "I brought food, seed, I've got advanced irrigation equipment, pumps, water purification gear, even emergency rations. A whole ship-load, all for Ganvis Station. There ought to be enough food to keep everyone fed for another year, and with the seed and irrigation gear we could get crops growing long before then."
Rather than looking happy the mayor just scowled, "You flew a ship full of food and farming gear down here in broad daylight? Have you lost your damn fool mind?"
"Excuse me Mr. Mayor," Rebecca spoke up. "I don't mean to interrupt this touching family reunion, but I'm the captain of that freighter and right now my priority is unloading my ship. Mr. Wheeler hired me to deliver his cargo, and he suggested you were the best person to talk to about getting that done."
The old man scoffed as he looked the boss up and down, "Little young to be a ship's captain, ain'tcha missy? And I ain't the mayor, I just help out around here."
"Mayor or not, I want my ship unloaded. If you're not the man to talk to then who is?" the boss asked. Her voice was level and calm, but I got the feeling she was getting impatient.
Then my ears twitched as I heard uneven footsteps behind us. Jenny and I both turned at the same time, to see an older woman enter the room. And while I didn't mean to stare, it was hard not to at first.
She was at least a decade older than Jace's dad. She looked like a tall woman, probably the same height as Rebecca, although her back and shoulders were hunched over now with age. Her thin shoulder length hair was light-grey, her face weathered and wrinkled. She wore a dark heavy ankle-length skirt and a faded blue long-sleeve blouse. She was carrying a tray with what appeared to be an antique tea-service on it, including teapot, six cups and saucers, even a little bowl for sugar and a little pot for cream.
What really caught my attention though was her condition.
She walked with a significant limp, and I realized her left leg was a crude home-made prosthetic. Her long skirt did a good job of hiding things but I was almost positive she'd lost her leg above the knee. Her long-sleeve blouse covered her arms pretty well, but the left one had an odd angle to it that suggested she broke it at some point and it wasn't set right when it healed. Her left hand was in rough shape too, there were obvious scars across the back of the hand, though they'd faded with time. And finally she wore a dark eyepatch over her left eye.
"Heard y'all back in the kitchen," she stated in a grumpy voice as she set the tray down on the table to the right. "Figured I'd fix up some tea. C'mon then, sit yourselves down."
By that point Jace had turned to face the woman as well. He had a wide smile on his face like he was excited and having a hard time restraining himself.
"Mom," he stated. "You're not going to believe this!"
His dad spoiled the surprise, stating gruffly "The boy claims he's brought food, supplies, irrigation gear."
"That's not all," our customer stated with a wide grin. "Mom, these young ladies are from the ship I hired. This here's the captain, Rebecca Piper. And her ship's called the Demeter! Can you believe it?"
The old woman froze, part-way through pouring tea. Her hands shook slightly as she set the teapot down on the table, then she turned to fix her one eye on the boss.
That's when I realized Rebecca's face had gone completely pale, and her jaw was hanging open slightly while her eyes were wide.
"You're Gabe Piper's little girl?" the old woman asked in a soft, uneasy voice. "How's the old man doing? Finally retired, did he?"
She looked a little unsteady, and Jace quickly moved to his mom's side. He helped her into one of the chairs, but the woman never once took her eye off Rebecca. And our captain continued staring at Mrs. Wheeler as if she'd just seen a ghost. It was a few more seconds before the boss finally spoke.
"Ellery?" the boss half-whispered. "How? I saw you die. I saw the missile hit, saw the shuttle explode."
Hearing that name sent a shock through my system. Even Jenny appeared startled, but neither of us said a word. Jace and his dad were quiet too, as if we all knew something important was happening between our tall amazonian captain and the old lady sitting in front of her.
"I ain't heard that name in years," the woman murmured as she slowly shook her head. There was a little more strength in her voice as she asked, "And what do you mean you saw it? If some asshole videoed that mess I sure as hell didn't know about it."
An awkward silence settled on the room for the next few seconds, while Rebecca and the woman who might be Ellery Talwyn quietly stared at each other. The boss looked stunned, Jace's mom looked confused.
Rebecca gulped and in a quiet, emotional voice she asked, "May I speak with you in private ma'am? Please?"
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"Do you really think I need this?" I asked as I looked at the loaded shotgun the captain just handed me. "I still have my handgun..."
Rebecca nodded as she slung a loaded carbine over her shoulder. "Better safe than sorry Amanda. Take this too."
She handed me a box of HDLI shells, which I stuffed into one of my jacket pockets. Meanwhile she clipped a set of three pouches onto her belt, which obviously held spare magazines for her rifle.
She and I were down in the cargo hold, just inside the main airlock. Jenny was with us, and the pink fringe in her hair indicated her android was already in autonomous mode. Jace was there too, he'd just finished strapping his own weapon to his right thigh as the four of us prepared to head out.
I looked at the captain again and asked, "If you think there's a chance of shooting, maybe I should bring my medkit? I'd be more comfortable carrying that then this shotgun. At least I know what I'm doing with the medkit."
The boss shook her head, "Bring a first-aid kit if you like, but the medkit will draw too much attention."
I sighed then looked to our passenger, to see how he felt about this whole exchange. Unfortunately he seemed to think it was perfectly normal and acceptable for us all to be heavily armed while we walked into town and announced the arrival of emergency supplies and aid. Which didn't exactly make me feel better.
So I grabbed the first-aid kit that was next to the airlock and tucked it into my other pocket, and finally slung the shotgun over my shoulder.
Rebecca hit the controls and the doors finally started to slide open while the ramp came down.
"We're heading out now Sarah," she said as she thumbed the intercom button. "Seal up the ship behind us. We'll be in touch via comm if anything comes up, likewise let me know if anything happens here."
"You got it boss," our girlfriend replied.
Normally that exchange would have been handled with Jenny's main self, but she was keeping quiet so Jace wouldn't start asking why there were two of her.
As the four of us headed down the ramp Rebecca glanced at Jace and said, "You know where we're going, so lead the way Mr. Wheeler."
"The big two-story building on the north side of town," he replied as we all set off away from the ship. "That's our local version of town hall I guess? It's the mayor's home, but also doubles as a meeting place, and they even use it as a sort of local court-house on occasion."
Behind us the ship's ramp and airlock started sealing up as soon as we were clear, while I was mostly looking around at the community we were walking into.
Everything was coated in a layer of dust, apart from windows and doors. A few buildings had solar panels on top and those were relatively clear as well. There were no paved roads or walkways, and I could tell just from looking that the cracked dry crumbly ground hadn't seen rain in far too long.
"Is it normal that no-one has come to greet us?" Jenny asked. "Surely they noticed the arrival of an interstellar craft."
In fact we hadn't seen another soul yet, much less any sort of welcoming committee. If not for the dust-free windows and doors the place might have actually looked abandoned.
On the other hand I wasn't that surprised nobody came out to say hello. Having grown up in a place not too dissimilar, I could imagine the folks here were anxiously watching and waiting to see what we were going to do. A couple well-armed strangers showing up in the middle of nowhere with a starship - even an ugly old flying dung-beetle like the Demeter - would definitely be cause for concern.
The four of us emerged from between a couple buildings onto what passed as the 'main road' through the town. It looked like the handful of buildings that lined either side were meant to be shops, but half of them appeared to be sealed up, including the one with a faded restaurant sign on the front.
Our customer indicated which direction we were going as we continued walking north.
"Jace Wheeler!" someone shouted from off to our right, stopping the four of us while we were about halfway across the street. "Never thought you'd show your face round here again."
The best word I could think to describe the man approaching us from one of the buildings on the right was 'big'. He looked to be in his mid to late thirties and he must have stood at least six and a half feet tall, with broad shoulders and a barrel chest. His arms were thicker than my legs, and his legs reminded me of tree trunks.
He wasn't just big, he looked tough and rugged too. He was wearing some old worn-in work boots, faded denim pants and a loose vest over a tight t-shirt. A large knife hung from his belt, along with a few pouches that had to be full of ammunition for the large hunting rifle he was cradling in his arms.
He had short dark curled hair and a big bushy brown beard, his hands and face had that weathered look of someone who spent most of his working life outdoors. His eyes were sharp, and they were fixed on our customer while his expression was set in between scowl and frown.
"Hello Finn," Jace responded in a forced-friendly tone. "It's nice to see you again too."
The big man just glared, "You ain't welcome here no more boy. To us you're just another offworlder, like your pretty little friends."
I stayed quiet but couldn't help feeling tense. Rebecca didn't seem too worried though, and neither did Jace.
"I'd love to stay and catch up with you Finn but I've got business to attend to. I'm sure I'll see you around," Jace stated, then he turned and continued heading north towards the building he identified as the mayor's place.
Finn didn't follow, and he didn't say anything else. He just stood there watching the four of us as we moved between a couple buildings on our way to our destination.
"Sorry about that," our customer added quietly a few seconds later. "Finn's what passes for a lawman around here. Or at least he was when I left, I assume he's still got the job."
Rebecca nodded, "Understood."
I did too. It meant it was Finn's job to find out who'd landed a starship in town and what our business was here. He'd want to know if we were bringing trouble into the town. And from what I could tell, even if he didn't like Jace the big man probably didn't think our customer was here for any nefarious purposes.
Our destination was only a few dozen meters ahead, and when we reached it Jace pulled the door open and motioned us in. Even though he described it as the mayor's home it was clear there was both a 'public' side and a private entrance. We were coming in through the public doors, which led to a small dusty reception area.
There were a few mismatched chairs against the wall to our right, an open door on the left led to what looked like a good-sized meeting room. There were a few chairs on the far wall in there but it was otherwise empty. I figured it would fit thirty or forty people if they were standing. A small empty desk sat immediately before us, and past it was another open door that led to an office.
Jace didn't hesitate, he led us through that door and into the office.
It was larger than the reception area, and the room was dominated by a big wood desk. There was a round table surrounded by four chairs off to the right, and a large dusty bookcase on the left. Behind the big desk was a window showing the view north of the building.
A faded placard on the front of the desk bore the word 'Mayor'. And behind the desk sat an unhappy looking man. He'd been holding an old datapad when we came in, but he set that down when we entered and fixed his attention on all four of us. And where Finn hadn't even bothered to look at anyone but Jace, this guy took a moment to study all four of us. Which included taking a few seconds to stare at my ears and tail.
He was an older gentleman, in his late fifties or early sixties. His silver hair had a few darker streaks, while the bushy moustache he wore was darker still. Like Finn this guy's hands and face looked weathered. His clothes looked to be nicer though, but they'd seen better days. He was dressed in what was probably this world's idea of business attire, including the off-white button-down shirt under a grey jacket and a small black bolo tie.
The man's eyes narrowed as he stared at our customer, but he didn't say a word yet.
"Hi dad," Jace said, which caught me by surprise. "It's been a while. You're looking pretty good, all things considered."
Rebecca and Jenny and I all exchanged a quiet glance. Our passenger never once indicated he was the mayor's son, but after a moment I figured that didn't really change anything. At least not in terms of our involvement anyways.
It took another half minute for the mayor to respond, and when he did his words weren't exactly welcoming. "The hell are you doing back here boy?"
"I came to help dad," Jace replied. "I brought food, seed, I've got advanced irrigation equipment, pumps, water purification gear, even emergency rations. A whole ship-load, all for Ganvis Station. There ought to be enough food to keep everyone fed for another year, and with the seed and irrigation gear we could get crops growing long before then."
Rather than looking happy the mayor just scowled, "You flew a ship full of food and farming gear down here in broad daylight? Have you lost your damn fool mind?"
"Excuse me Mr. Mayor," Rebecca spoke up. "I don't mean to interrupt this touching family reunion, but I'm the captain of that freighter and right now my priority is unloading my ship. Mr. Wheeler hired me to deliver his cargo, and he suggested you were the best person to talk to about getting that done."
The old man scoffed as he looked the boss up and down, "Little young to be a ship's captain, ain'tcha missy? And I ain't the mayor, I just help out around here."
"Mayor or not, I want my ship unloaded. If you're not the man to talk to then who is?" the boss asked. Her voice was level and calm, but I got the feeling she was getting impatient.
Then my ears twitched as I heard uneven footsteps behind us. Jenny and I both turned at the same time, to see an older woman enter the room. And while I didn't mean to stare, it was hard not to at first.
She was at least a decade older than Jace's dad. She looked like a tall woman, probably the same height as Rebecca, although her back and shoulders were hunched over now with age. Her thin shoulder length hair was light-grey, her face weathered and wrinkled. She wore a dark heavy ankle-length skirt and a faded blue long-sleeve blouse. She was carrying a tray with what appeared to be an antique tea-service on it, including teapot, six cups and saucers, even a little bowl for sugar and a little pot for cream.
What really caught my attention though was her condition.
She walked with a significant limp, and I realized her left leg was a crude home-made prosthetic. Her long skirt did a good job of hiding things but I was almost positive she'd lost her leg above the knee. Her long-sleeve blouse covered her arms pretty well, but the left one had an odd angle to it that suggested she broke it at some point and it wasn't set right when it healed. Her left hand was in rough shape too, there were obvious scars across the back of the hand, though they'd faded with time. And finally she wore a dark eyepatch over her left eye.
"Heard y'all back in the kitchen," she stated in a grumpy voice as she set the tray down on the table to the right. "Figured I'd fix up some tea. C'mon then, sit yourselves down."
By that point Jace had turned to face the woman as well. He had a wide smile on his face like he was excited and having a hard time restraining himself.
"Mom," he stated. "You're not going to believe this!"
His dad spoiled the surprise, stating gruffly "The boy claims he's brought food, supplies, irrigation gear."
"That's not all," our customer stated with a wide grin. "Mom, these young ladies are from the ship I hired. This here's the captain, Rebecca Piper. And her ship's called the Demeter! Can you believe it?"
The old woman froze, part-way through pouring tea. Her hands shook slightly as she set the teapot down on the table, then she turned to fix her one eye on the boss.
That's when I realized Rebecca's face had gone completely pale, and her jaw was hanging open slightly while her eyes were wide.
"You're Gabe Piper's little girl?" the old woman asked in a soft, uneasy voice. "How's the old man doing? Finally retired, did he?"
She looked a little unsteady, and Jace quickly moved to his mom's side. He helped her into one of the chairs, but the woman never once took her eye off Rebecca. And our captain continued staring at Mrs. Wheeler as if she'd just seen a ghost. It was a few more seconds before the boss finally spoke.
"Ellery?" the boss half-whispered. "How? I saw you die. I saw the missile hit, saw the shuttle explode."
Hearing that name sent a shock through my system. Even Jenny appeared startled, but neither of us said a word. Jace and his dad were quiet too, as if we all knew something important was happening between our tall amazonian captain and the old lady sitting in front of her.
"I ain't heard that name in years," the woman murmured as she slowly shook her head. There was a little more strength in her voice as she asked, "And what do you mean you saw it? If some asshole videoed that mess I sure as hell didn't know about it."
An awkward silence settled on the room for the next few seconds, while Rebecca and the woman who might be Ellery Talwyn quietly stared at each other. The boss looked stunned, Jace's mom looked confused.
Rebecca gulped and in a quiet, emotional voice she asked, "May I speak with you in private ma'am? Please?"
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