Shackleton's Folly (The Lost Wonder Book 1) (8 page)

“Let’s see the star chart,” Dancer demanded.

“I can show you when I get down from here,” Dolk whined.

Dancer’s four appendages sliced through the air with a whoosh. He caught and righted Dolk on the floor next to their table while cutting away his bonds. Dolk patted his body; he took a quick inventory of his appendages and pockets. A piece of highly polished metallic material came out from his long coat. The long, rectangular artifact was covered with small lettering and glyphs — two distinct forms of writing. He handed it to Alec, who had to draw his attention away from the night’s entertainment to examine it closely.

“I saw such a star chart when we were in the markets of Dios,” Dancer commented.

Dolk sneered, “Not so, not so — this came from a Frontier prospector ship.”

Dancer took the artifact from Alec and scanned it with his instruments.

*

Alec put on his best negotiation face and leaned back in his chair. “I’m afraid Dancer is right. There’s no proof this is anything more than what it appears to be: An out-of-date star chart or tourist brochure.” Alec’s attention was easily drawn away from the discussion. He nodded to the stunning woman heading their way. “Who is she?”

Dolk turned at what had Alec’s attention and then said indignantly, “She is a slave. Come, come — the star chart. Are you interested in the star chart?”

Dancer ignored Dolk and acknowledged Alec’s diversion. “I’m not sure, but from here she looks human.”

“She has been becoming a pain in my side for weeks now. It would teach her a thing or two if she got a new master,” snorted Dolk to himself. “I should be rid of her. That’s what I will do. Get rid of her.”

Alec turned his head quickly to Dancer. “What are you talking about? There aren’t any women within 30 light years of here.”

“And you would be wrong,” replied Dancer.

Koty Union battleships
Illia
and
Saleen
appeared from hyperspace outside the orbital traffic above Ferrar. The repairs to
Saleen
’s hull were temporary, only enough to get them to the shipyard in Union territory.

Captain K’Dhoplon shot a glance at Wolfgang Gray. “You do know him, human. He ran from us and came straight here.”

Gray stood looking out the front ports silently.

Captain K’Dhoplon turned to communications. “Inform the
Saleen
they are to remain here and continue repairs.” He proceeded to the bulkhead; the doors sensed his presence and opened. The rather large office he entered had a trophy wall displaying a collection of metal souvenirs from craft he’d conquered in battle. Two new pieces were prepared on his desk — one from the marauders and the other from the blockading fleet.

“Captain, sir,” a voice from the wall panel said.

“Yes.”

“We have a transmission from home world.”

“Put it through.”

The screen came to life with the face of Prime Minister Ental. “Captain.”

“Prime Minister. What do I owe the gods for this glorious conversation?”

“Nothing at all. The Exalted One wants a report of your progress. This venture will support the Koty Union’s expansion into other regions of the galaxy; it’s important that we obtain technology and other resources along the way.”

Captain K’Dhoplon knew the truth that so many other races failed to see. It was the Koty Union’s manifest destiny to expand as far as the galaxy’s edge. Then it would be only small jumps to the dwarf and cloud galaxies nearby. Who knows after that? The virtues of the Koty people were the pinnacle for intelligent life and had to be shared with the rest of the galaxy. They had to be shown the error of their ways. It was the Koty Union’s mission to remake the galaxy in their image to bring control and discipline subservient races. Therefore, the Koty Union felt an irresistible destiny to accomplish this essential duty.

“We are tracking a human with possible information of a First Ones’ world,” replied Captain K’Dhoplon.

“You have not captured the creature and extracted this?”

Captain K’Dhoplon reminded the Prime Minister, “The Exalted One sent her pet human to assist us. We will follow her wishes.”

“We live for the One. I understand, Captain. If the creature gets in your way, kill it.” The communication terminated.

Captain K’Dhoplon took his new prizes to the wall and found room to mount them. He took a metal plate off the wall and put it on the table while he organized the collection. The metal plate read “United Earth Survey Ship
Mayflower
.”

The lunatic, the lover, and the poet, are of imagination all compact.

William Shakespeare

Dancer returned the artifact to Dolk; the rest of the patrons, still mesmerized by Electra, paid them no attention.

Dolk gestured at the artifact. “Then you explain this,” he said as he tossed it high into the air. The Bouncer spun around and filled the air with the crackle of an energy weapon. The star chart smacked with such force that it buried itself into the wall. The Bouncer grunted and returned to his duty. Dolk climbed up the furniture with a knife in hand and dug it out of the wall.

Dolk got down, using a towel from the waitresses’ station to clean up the star chart, and said, “See, not a mark and no sign of any damage. No heat residual.” He handed it back to Dancer, who ran his test again.

Alec shook his head. “Worthless to me except maybe as a material sample. It might be valuable enough to analyze.” Alec returned his attention to gaze upon the night’s entertainment. He was captivated at once by Electra, who twisted and turned through the tables using the headscarf as part of her dance. One moment it would be wrapped around her shoulders and the next in front of her as a barrier between her and the universe. She paused, head bowed with long, cascading hair, glistening with the perspiration cooling her supple body. She raised her head up, her hair framing her face from above, the face veil below revealing her intensely hazel eyes. Her eyes met Alec’s and held true. In that instant, Alec felt something he had not experienced. Alec’s body warmed quickly to the pounding of his heart. His eyes took her all in. “Beautiful” — the word left Alec’s mouth before he could close it.

*

Electra stopped strategically to get a sense of the room and its patrons; her tactical training had gotten her this far. Success! Electra had wandered through star systems for nearly three cycles, finding nothing. The indignities she had suffered remaining a slave to hide in plain sight had finally paid off. Now here was her quarry, a Rover. She was ready to infiltrate and, if possible, recover the property that the Rovers stole so long ago. Electra sized him up quickly. Handsome yes, but, if he was a Rover, his ancestors had sentenced her people to death. He was with Dolk. She had to find a way to have herself sold to the Rover and leave with him.

Electra continued her dance with a new vigor; there were only a few more tables until she reached an open space. She leapt high into the air to clear the last of the patrons and land on the open floor. A Mirr got up from its table and grabbed her by the waist. The tentacle stock within his mouth slid out and brushed back the hair flutes from his ear trumpets. Electra’s martial art response was so quick and furious the Mirr’s lumbering body crashed back onto the table; she continued her dance.

*

Dancer snickered as the hulking body of the Mirr flailed on the floor. Alec forced himself to look away from the scene and turned back to Dolk across the table.

“What do you want for it?”

“200,000 credits.”

A wave of applause swept through the room as Electra finished. She walked demurely to stand behind Dolk, seated at their table, in an obedience stance, not raising her eyes to them. Electra had to play this just right in giving Dolk a reason to sell her to this Rover.

Alec could not help but notice Electra’s perfume. Warm vanilla spice drifted from her heaving body as she cooled down an arm’s length from him. His breathing deepened as he tried to clear his thoughts. The Mirr picked itself up from the broken furniture and followed her path.

“Is she your slave?” Alec nodded toward Electra. He had made hundreds of deals before, and none seemed to be as important as this. It was impossible that he could be so mesmerized by… a very beautiful woman.
I must make a deal with a clear head,
he thought
.

“Yes, she is. What about our deal?”

The Mirr stood close behind Electra and licked the salt from her hair with its stock. The lick caused her face veil to fall from her face, revealing her features, from her intense hazel eyes to her full lips. Alec’s gaze was met with extreme distress by hers. Alec got up from his chair and forced himself in between Electra and the Mirr. Electra moved to a secondary position on the other side of Dolk.

The Mirr looked past Alec, who stood between him and the slave girl, to Dolk. “I will have this slave for a mate.” He tried to push his way past, but Alec stood his ground, ducking the swinging limbs of the Mirr.

Alec kept a straight face and said over his shoulder to Dolk, “Thanks, but no thanks. It’s just a metal sample to me. Any word about inscription pieces?”

Dolk looked down at the star chart and turned to the Mirr. “I’ll sell the slave, so I’ll meet you outside. Cash only — so go get your credits. I need to recoup some credits tonight.” They got up from the table. The Mirr slogged back to its table to retrieve a duffle bag from the floor. The duffle bag was opened, the contents strewn across the floor. The Mirr tried to bend over to retrieve its property but found it difficult and time-consuming.

*

Electra was devastated. She was to be sold to the Mirr. She wavered for a moment. She put on the face veil again and used the shawl to cover her head and wrapped it around her shoulders. Escape was the only option. She would have to do some research, but this Mirr creature would be long dead before he got a hold of her. Electra focused on the man and how she was going to find him again.

*

Alec waited for the girl and indicated that she should go ahead of him. Electra, surprised, hesitated. Alec leaned over to her said softly, “It will be alright — trust me,” and winked at her. Electra felt a flush in her cheeks and then hurried to catch up to Dolk.

Alec, Dancer, Dolk, and Electra wove their way through tables and patrons across the room to the stairs and up. Alec hesitated, stopping for a moment, and looked down at the crowd being entertained by a sentient centipede’s juggling act. The door banged open at the top of the stairs and brought Alec back to the present. They left the crowd behind. Dancer used his night vision to look for trouble as they reached the street. There was no skimmer traffic, and the spaceport transport gate was closed.

“Your obsession with artifacts of the Wonders is well known,” Dolk said. “You have the favor of the gods with this star chart.”

“At best, it’s a metal sample I can license and make some credits off of. At worst… it’s an oddity.” The night’s soft breeze cooled his excitement and allowed him to keep his negotiation persona from cracking. Alec looked past Dolk to Electra. “Where did you pick up the slave girl?”

Dancer shook his head and glared at Alec. “This is — what? The third creature this year that resembled a human female? Remember what happened the last time? She turned out to be a carnivorous plant.”

Alec subtly nodded in approval. He had to put a sense of defeat in Dolk before he made his counter offer.

“I won her from a crewmember of a prospecting ship. Not worth much — entertaining sometimes, annoying the rest,” said Dolk, with a little remorse.

“What’s her name?” Alec hoped Dolk’s lack of understanding of human physiology would prevail.

“Call her what you want. I do.”

Alec’s glare quieted Dancer. “She’s tangible goods,” Alec said to Dancer. Then he said to Dolk, “It may have data I can use. Tell you what: I’ll take the star chart for the 50,000 credits I have burning a hole in my pocket.”

“Not 50 — maybe 150.”

Alec shrugged, “We have done a lot of business together, and you owe us for that last one. Dancer and I haven’t shared our last experience with you to the trading community. I’m not sure what that would do for your business.” He let that sink in. “No telling how long you will have to wait for another buyer for this star chart or possibly any other future business deal once we get started telling our story.” Alec began to walk away with Dancer.

Dolk fidgeted. “125,000.”

“100,000 and my final offer, and only if” — Alec looked into Electra’s face — “she comes as part of the package.” Electra’s eyes flashed as she caught his gaze.

Dolk considered it and turned to Electra. “I will be glad to rid myself of you.”

Dolk handed Dancer the star chart, took out a datapad, punched some buttons, and handed it to Alec. Alec reviewed it and touched his thumb to a panel. Electra moved to the obedience stance behind Alec.

“What am I going to tell the Mirr?” asked Dolk.

“The truth?” replied Alec.

The Mirr exited the coffeehouse with the duffle bag slung over his shoulder. Dolk pulled a weapon from his long coat, pointed it at the Mirr, and blasted a hole in its braincase before he could draw a weapon.

“My slave has been sold.” Dolk holstered the gun. “Never liked them much. You know the Mirr have won the Galactic Database Most Hideous and Vile to Other Races Award… 3,000 years straight.”

“Really? I was going to say he reminded me of you, Dolk. Let’s go.”

*

Dolk walked away quickly, before the stupid human changed his mind. What a night! He sold that worthless chart and got rid of the girl for 100,000 credits. It was time to celebrate. Dolk jumped and clicked his heels together. He walked with a swagger; then, he stopped in his tracks. Could it be for real? He turned slowly, searching for the three silhouettes. What if it was as real as the drunkard said it was? Had he just sold the most valuable piece of information in the galaxy and key to untold riches for a meager 100,000 credits? He rubbed his chin. No, the gods would not play such tricks on him. Dolk shook his head and brushed off the thoughts. Shackleton has been lucky in his dealings with Dolk, and this made them just about even, as far as he was concerned. He was heading back to get a real drink this time, and it was on Shackleton.