Through the Looking Glass

Chapter 17: Method of Payment

"Get in, get what you need, and get out. That's all there is."
-Ignatius Valentine, CY 10077


"It's a Nightsider."

"Who just might be our only help off this drift, if he can cut our costs for a job trade off I'm fine with it. I don't like the look of him any more than you do-" Beka ignored the disgusted look that spread over Telemachus's face as she continued, "-but if you have nothing to contribute let me do my job. My ship, my cargo, my choice. Any suggestions?"

Telemachus crossed his arms and glared slightly.

Brushing past him, Beka made her way through the ship to where Trance had led their 'guest'.

"Exhaust pipes leaking steam everywhere, rusted welding, dim lights, not to mention the thousands of credits worth of damage. Resters?"

"Nietzscheans," said Beka stepping into the room.

"Tragic. It was Resters that got my last ship. Bumbling idiots, they actually asked for compensation."

"What did Trance tell you about the Maru?" asked Beka getting straight to the point.

Gerentex gave her a gnarled smile. "Mandau?" he asked indicating the damage.

"Drago-Kazov."

His ears perked. "Really?" Looking around again and then to his repair list for the Maru. "Dragans you say? Those arrogant, inbred, trigger-happy psychopaths that destroy their targets on sight and don't leave a trace?"

"The very same, now back to Trance..."

"Were they destroyed or do I have to worry about them destroying my cargo?"

"No Nietzscheans. We're alive, your cargo will be perfectly safe once everything is repaired. I've yet to disappoint a client."

"That's all very well and good Captain...?"

"Valentine. Beka Valentine. And you would be?"

"Gerentex. Your purple friend's former employer, I see you've added her to your crew. She said you were good, but from the looks of your ship..."

"Look, I've out-flown and out-done more Resters, Nietzschean Prides, asteroid fields, ion storms, you name it, I've run it. And my track record for safe delivery is a lot higher than any of the big industries. This ship might not look like much but she'll get your cargo where it needs to go."

"Once I take care of the repairs, you mean."

Beka shrugged. "Up to you."

"There's less damage here than on my previous cargo ship. What's the least amount I can do to get us someplace more...savory?"

"I want to head to Olivares Trust, if you want to take another cargo ship from there it's your choice. Talikov isn't nearly as friendly."

"And neither is its sister drift Takilov, ever been?"

Beka ignored him and went straight to the parts. "An engine or two and the rims, repairs on some fissures, and the hole in the cargo bay needs to be patched."

She decided to leave out asking for a new A/P valve. That alone would be enough to send all clients willing pay a deposit on a job packing. She hoped that Harper could still keep it together for the journey. All they needed was to make the jump to Olivares and they'd be home free. She had never wanted to see Vasily so badly before in her life.

"And how long will the rest of the repairs take once we're there?"

"Depends on what's in and what has to be brought in. But as I said you can look for another ship to take you the rest of the way if you want. Just the repairs alone would be enough of payment to Olivares."

"And then some. Those engines won't come cheap and the trip to Olivares Trust isn't that far. If I switch to another ship you'll be getting paid extra. A lot extra."

Beka sighed. It wasn't exactly a fair exchange she knew; the repairs would be overpayment for a trip to the drift but without his help they would either be stuck or she'd have to take on a mountain of new debt, if the mechanics here would even take her on credit. If they gouged for gilders and thrones, there was no way she would be able to fix everything. Even with some of the debt paid off the Valentine credit rating, the loan officers weren't giving them anything and she wasn't about to send a transmission to Infinity Atoll asking for help. She chose this life and she would be independent. Her father had done too much for her already.

She didn't want to be indebted to a Nightsider but her Valentine pride wasn't going to let her take from her father and step-mother's flourishing business. Beka also didn't want to get into how the damage happened either. For it would lead to Bobby, the weapons, the Dragans, and Telemachus; which was something she knew Ignatius Valentine wasn't ready to hear about. She didn't want to lie to him about the damages, so keeping out of contact and managing this on her own like the grown woman she was would be what she was going to do.

It was her ship, her crew, and her choice.

"I suppose you could always...owe me one," said Gerentex waving a hand distractedly.

Same wave length. Great. Beka felt like mentally rolling her eyes.

"I...suppose...we would."

"A free future job in exchange for fixing your ship to get me and my cargo to a more friendly drift. One in which I could much more easily find transport to Rogeera-16. If I ever need anything, I just find you and you do what I need. Free of charge."

"As much as the difference for repair parts balance out. Once I work that off we're done."

"We have an agreement then? We seem to be each others only viable option."

"We have an agreement. Though we need to work out a contract."

"But of course."

Gerentex extended his hand and Beka grasped it to shake on their tentative verbal arrangement soon to be set in writing. What did Trance just bring her into?

>>>

"Hold on, hold on, wait a minute what? We have to deal with ratface until we get to Olivares Trust? I don't trust that guy. Nightsider's in general just scream 'we can't be trusted, why bother, just shoot us now'," ranted Harper looking at Beka with disgust for their new employer written clearly on his face.

"Would you rather be stranded here? Because I don't want to add more debt to an already high debt and have to explain it to the person paying it off."

"Huh, yeah, I'd like to see you explain him to your dad." Harper nodded his head towards Telemachus who just raised an eyebrow.

"Any other ideas?"

"Hard as this is, I agree with Tiny."

"Hey! I knew--wait, what?"

Ignoring the once again stupefied and staring midget, Telemachus continued. "It's a Nightsider."

"You're a Nietzschean."

"You've also got a Magog on your crew roster; when the hell were you picking up that thing and are there any species that you don't collaborate with?"

"Rev Bem is a Wayist monk and a dedicated member of this crew. He's on a spiritual retreat not due back for another month. Get used to it. And I don't deal with Pyrians." Beka crossed her arms.

"Like they'd want your help anyway. Or anyone else's for that matter."

"If you're not going to help-"

"Stand here with my mouth shut?"

"Nice to see you finally catching on."

Telemachus grunted and shook his head.

"Well one good thing came out of all this," said Trance piping up, "We're finally getting off this drift and moving to another drift so the Maru can get the repairs it needs from nice people."

"Nicer than here anyway."

Emily was watching Trance's tail swing back and forth behind them.

"Why can't I have a tail?"

Telemachus rolled his eyes at his offspring's query. "You have boneblades, be happy."

Emily lifted her arm up, inspecting them, and shrugged one shoulder. "I guess they're cool."

"You're Nietzschean not..." he looked at Trance. "What are you anyway?"

"I'm Trance."

Telemachus had to fight against slamming his head against the wall. What was with that girl? She was too...sugary. And sweet. He supposed that as long as he didn't bite her he wouldn't get any cavities. At least he hoped not. Her bubbly disposition did nothing for his nerves either.

"Look," said Beka, "I don't like the idea of owing a Nightsider anything either, who knows what he'll need next. If it's just a cargo haul it'll be fine. And we only have to work off the engines and half the fissure seals. I'm also not hearing any valid arguments but seeing as I already made the deal there's no room for discussing other options anyway. I'm just informing you all, as my crew, what will be going on. So that's all and Harper stay behind I need to talk to you about repairs."

"I'm not letting all those thieves do all the work."

"Would I ever ask you to?"

He smiled lightly. "Guess not."

Trance exited the small mess with Emily behind her holding onto her tail gently. Telemachus was about to move towards Beka and the engineer when he felt a tug on his shirt and Emily indicating that he was to follow her and the purple thing...girl...whatever. Holding back a grimace as 'Trance' started a conversation with his daughter he really started to wonder what he had gotten himself into.

Two kludges, an unknown creature, and a Magog. It had to be the oddest ragtag team of species thrown together by whatever forces he had ever been witness to. No one was going to believe him. They'd probably think he got lost and left behind on a mission, wandered through some poisonous sumac, and invented the whole thing.

His life couldn't get any weirder.

>>>

"Are you sure boss?"

"You said you could do it Harper."

"I know what I said and I can," he added hurriedly, "A jump or two is all we need anyway..."

"Harper..."

"I can do it Beka, I said I can and I will. I knew he wouldn't go for ordering us a new A/P valve anyway."

"I didn't list it. It would have been cheaper for him to fix his other ship than wait for a new part here. And I'm not even getting into what they might charge for one here."

"I hear you. Just getting what you sent me out for before cost us almost all we had. And everyone likes to screw the little guy. But I handled it! I did, you can send me out like that more often if you need to."

"I trust you to bring me back what I ask Harper."

"Yeah well, it's just now with Mr. Big and Scary here, you could have probably bartered them down a whole lot more."

"I know it's a dishonest world out there, but I try to be honest where I can. Expensive parts are usually where it loses out on but I don't want Emily resorting to things like that when she's older. And especially because she's part Nietzschean. Boneblades to a throat talk a lot."

"I gotcha. If daddy does it..."

"Yeah."

"But you have thought about it."

"This place brings out the worst in me."

"Odd. It seems to bring out the best in ratface."

"You can't call him that Harper."

"I can behind his back."

"Nightsiders have really good hearing."

"I'll whisper it in the engine room then. It'll make me feel better."

"You haven't even met yet."

"I know, but something just tells me that I'm not going to like the guy one bit."