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  Maya rolled her eyes at him before adding more ketchup to her fries and carrying on eating.

  Brock suddenly realized something. “Anyway, aren’t you meant to be calling me Tallus now?”

  Maya slapped her hand over her mouth. She said “shit” but it came out muffled between the mouthful of greasy fried potato and her hand smothering her face.

  Sean had been chowing down quietly. He looked up, as if watching a soap opera. Shaking his head gently he uttered a single word.

  “Amateurs.”

  Brock and Maya looked straight at him in annoyance and protest.

  Pieter shoved another fry into his mouth. “He has a point. If you can’t even remember for ten minutes when you’re at home, how are you going to do it 24/7 when you’re under pressure in a new environment?”

  “Because,” Maya explained, “we’ll be in a new environment.”

  Pieter shook his head, looking to Sean for back up. “My money is on one of you two needing your asses rescued first,” he said, waving his finger in Maya’s and then Brock’s direction. “Within the first week,” he added, confidently.

  Maya considered throwing a fry at him but then changed her mind choosing to instead play it cool. “Ok, betting-boy. What you want to wager?”

  Pieter suddenly looked caught off guard. “Well, er. I…”

  Maya waved her hand. “It’s ok. Doesn’t have to be money. We can just do something like… I dunno. Maybe you do my laundry for a month if you’re wrong.”

  Pieter looked up at the ceiling, analyzing his options. “Ok. And if I win, you have to be my general house slave for a day.”

  Maya didn’t hesitate. She stuck her hand across the table to Pieter to shake on the deal.

  Brock interjected energetically. “Woah woah woah, girl. You don’t wanna be doing that. You have no idea what nasty business he’ll have you doing. Have you seen the state of his sleeping quarters?”

  Maya chuckled. “It’ll be fine I’m sure. Geek-boy will probably just be having me organizing his hard drives or trying to get him free access to certain sites on Estaria…”

  Pieter looked shocked. And embarrassed. He said nothing, but shook her hand.

  Brock tilted his head, his eyes giving her the ‘don’t-blame-me-when-this-ends-in-tears’ kind of look one’s mother would traditionally give. “Well Marissa d’Senigle, you’re just going to have to not get captured on this mission,” he told her decisively.

  Just then, Jack walked in. “Ah great, grubs up!” she exclaimed, enthused.

  Maya pushed her box of food across to her. “They didn’t have onion rings so they gave you extra fries,” she explained.

  Jack’s face lit up. “Nom,” she commented, grabbing a fork from a drawer before sitting down. “Thanks Marissa,” she said as naturally as if it had been Maya’s actual name.

  “You’re welcome, Griselle,” Maya responded, a little less naturally.

  Sean had been watching, and shook his head at Maya’s renewed attempt at adopting the new names. He took another bite of his monster burger and chewed quietly.

  On board the Flutningsaðili, Uptarlung Space Port, Pike’s office

  Max Pike lounged in his console chair. His second in command, Pascal Randalf, ran through their list of operational items in preparation for the new crew showing up in a few days time.

  “Level four still off limits?” Randalf queried, a furrow playing across his forehead.

  Pike nodded. “Yeah why?”

  Randalf looked up from his holo. “Some of the new security detail were asking. Complaining they couldn’t get through the doors to check the place.”

  Pike rocked idly in his chair. “Yeah, that’s by design.”

  “So…” Randalf tried guessing, “you just don’t want anyone in there?”

  “That’s right,” Max replied looking off into the distance as if contemplating something entirely different.

  “Why not?” Pascal pressed.

  There was a pause in the conversation as Max came back to the room, and considered a response with mild annoyance.

  “Because,” he explained, “we are paid to keep secrets. And in that area there are secrets that I can’t control if every Tom, Dick and Ralph have access to the area.”

  Randalf nodded, but kept his nerve. “Ok. I understand that, but…”

  Max had stopped rocking and was now looking at the middle-aged Estarian administrator. “But?” he echoed.

  Randalf’s hand hovered over his holo as if waiting to check an item off. “Is there anything that I should be aware of in there? Like is it dangerous? Or something I need to tend to?”

  Pike took a deep breath, contemplating.

  “In case anything were to happen to you, I mean,” Pascal added, his face even more contorted in concern now.

  Max frowned, sitting up in his chair slightly. His eyes suddenly had a glint of suspicion in them. “Why are you asking all these questions all of a sudden?” he queried accusingly.

  Pascal looked down and shuffled his feet a little. “Erm, I heard reports that you had, erm… brought a girl on board.”

  Max looked ready to explode. “Who told you that?”

  Pascal put his hands out trying to calm his boss. “It’s ok. I handled it. The person who mentioned it has been, er… called away. I assumed it was confidential.” He paused for a moment. “I didn’t think we were into that kind of thing though.” His eyes darted around a little, unsure of where to rest his gaze on this awkward subject.

  Max stood up, a little calmer, and wandered over to the game ball on his shelf. He picked it up and toyed with it in his hands. “We’re not,” he reassured him firmly. “And it’s not what you think. I’m doing someone a favor. The girl has value to them for what she knows. It’s more a transfer of skills.”

  He twiseled the ball in his hands. “At least, that’s as much as I’ve been told.” He glanced back at his long time friend and colleague. “You know how these people are,” he explained, his tone softer. “So you just don’t ask questions.”

  He headed over to his desk and sat down, hugging the ball to his body under his clasped hands, his elbows tucked in. “Besides, it’s no different from the other two we’re going to be transporting.”

  Pascal pinched his eyes with his fingers, his head down, no longer looking at the holo. “Yeah. And that’s another thing we didn’t get into this for.”

  Max shrugged. “Secrets are secrets, and precious cargo… sometimes has a pulse.”

  Pascal wiped his hands over his face, looking up and leaning forward in the low chair, his arms resting on his knees. “Well… right,” he sighed in resignation. “I guess this is what we’re stuck with.”

  Max twiddled the ball in his hands. “You’re not happy?”

  Pascal stood up and glanced over at him. “You’re damn right I’m not happy.” He paused, controlling his tone. “But I’ll get the job done,” he added.

  He closed his holo and then got up and stalked out of the office, leaving Max with his thoughts.

  CHAPTER SIX

  Uptarlung District, Estaria

  Three pods hovered 800 feet in the air just on the outskirts of Uptarlung, before descending down to the surface near a tube station. The sky was grey and cold, and there was a dampness in the atmosphere that was uncharacteristic of the northern hemisphere of the planet.

  Molly pressed her face against the side window of the pod she shared with Paige. “Looks like we’re here,” she remarked.

  Paige didn’t answer. She had a heaviness in the pit of her stomach. “What if they get caught?” she mumbled anxiously, as Molly reached for the button to release the front of the pod.

  Molly stopped and sat back in her seat. “Then we’ll swoop in and rescue their asses,” she told her confidently. “Like we always do.” Her voice softened. “They’ll be fine,” she added.

  Paige smiled, unconvinced. But with nowhere else for the conversation to go, she allowed Molly to exit the pod.

 
; Molly stepped out, greeted by the cold and damp. The area where they had landed seemed to have become surrounded in moisture.

  I think this is what meteorologists call fog.

  I believe so.

  It’s… ugh.

  Molly shuddered and folded her arms against her, her atmosuit already gathering water droplets.

  I concur.

  Molly watched as her team stepped out of the other pods, noting their reactions as they were each met with the foggy realism of their destination.

  “What’s with this weather?” Maya asked, hugging her arms around her and shifting the weight of her pack on her back.

  Jack retrieved her luggage from the storage compartment of the pod and hauled it onto her back. “I know,” she commiserated. “Last time it was like this I think I was probably still in school.”

  Sean plonked his pack in front of him, and rubbed his hands together briskly. He grinned. “Perfect weather to start an operation!” he declared with a strange glee.

  Maya chuckled at his enthusiasm. She wondered how long it would last once he realized he was head auditor for the ship’s cargo.

  “Ok,” Molly said, gathering them around. “This is it. You’re each going to head into town from here, so there is no chance you are seen together. Take different trains and different carriages. Don’t be too keen to introduce yourself to each other, or the others. Remember, you want to give the appearance of just wanting to keep to yourself and get the job done.”

  Maya and Brock nodded. Sean had his arms folded and was listening to their instructions carefully. Jack likewise.

  Molly looked at each of them. “Stay in touch. Remember to do your quantum bead check ins. Just a click is all we need to know that you’re ok. Paige and Pieter are monitoring you 24/7, so if you need anything, let us know. Stay safe, and good hunting.”

  Each member of the team said their thanks and goodbyes before hugging both Paige and Molly, and then made their way over to the tube station. Each were careful to start behaving like individuals rather than a group.

  Molly watched them leave. She realized that she was holding her breath. Taking a deep breath she tried to release the tension she had been holding.

  Paige’s voice interrupted her thoughts. “Admit it,” she pressed, “you’re worried too.” Paige watched her team mates disappear into the foggy version of suburban civilization.

  Molly nodded. “I’m always worried about them. But they are the most capable and adaptable people I know… and I have faith in them.”

  Paige didn’t respond. She just watched until they had all been swallowed by the fog, and then followed Molly back into their pod.

  Brock had remained behind at the train station for another half an hour, so that they could stagger their arrivals. The mist was clinging to his skin, making him long for a nice hot shower: something that would soothe the travel tension he was already starting to feel.

  Space travel and terrestrial travel are two very different things, he mused. And honestly, when you take into account the standing about and the weather, space travel was the better option any day of the week.

  He paced up and down the platform trying to pass the time. If he kept moving, at least he was burning calories, so it wasn’t a complete waste, he reasoned.

  His mind flicked through to the last time he waited on a tube platform, on his way to and from school. It felt like a century ago. It was certainly another life ago. He sighed, remembering how his mother had come to meet him on his first few days of school. And then how as time went on she would barely remember she had a son. The alcohol tended to do that to a person.

  He felt a heaviness in his heart. He had loved his mom. And yet, there was so much to still be angry about.

  Good job I got out when I did, he consoled himself, rummaging in his pack for another layer to put on against the cold.

  ***

  Maya sat on the tube, watching the insides of the tunnel, punctuated by total blackness, whizz past the tube window. For the first time in a long while she felt lonely. Sure, there were days in the safe house when Paige had been at Carl’s recently, and she had barely spoken to anyone the whole day. But this was different. This was a feeling of dread deep in the pit of her stomach.

  Maybe Paige’s instincts had been right, she thought. Maybe this wasn’t something she was prepared for. And what if this was the mission she didn’t survive?

  There was a loud bang off at the end of the car. She snapped her attention round, ready to react.

  It was another passenger struggling with his luggage that had fallen forward from the rack. She sat back around, and tried to calm herself.

  No need to be so jumpy, she told herself. Remember, you’re meant to be a civilian. Start thinking and acting like one.

  She rested her head against the train wall, hoping to be able to relax. The vibration ran through her skull and as the carriage rocked the spot where she made contact kept moving. Uncomfortable and frustrated, she sat up again, resigning herself to the bolt upright position of the seats.

  I wonder how the others are doing, she wondered idly.

  Staðall University, Spire, Lecture Theater 21

  Paige adjusted the holocamera settings and then realigned the floating autocue. “Ok, we’re set. Wanna try again?”

  Abigail Von took a deep breath and looked into the camera and smiled. “Have you ever wondered what the world would be like if we had leaders who were adept in negotiation and conflict resolution? Can you imagine a world where we are on the brink of eliminating war? What about a future where every person is fed, and cared for, and able to contribute in a meaningful way? Sounds like a fairy tale, doesn’t it?”

  Von started to move along the path Paige had chalked out across the front of the lecture theater floor.

  Von continued to read off the script. “But what if it isn’t? I can’t tell you how many students who have attended my classes on interplanetary trade negotiations have asked me to teach them what would make the difference. Not just in trade. But in everything. And until now, it’s always been a skill and subset of study that never quite made it into an official course.”

  Abigail had moved forward again as they had choreographed. The autocue continued to roll.

  “My name is Abigail Von,” she continued, “and I’m a professor of Interplanetary Relations, as well as the lecturer for Staðall University’s new course on interplanetary negotiations.”

  The autocue ran out of words, and Abigail stopped talking, pausing so that they would have enough footage to clip the end of that segment.

  “Cut,” Paige called after a second. The camera automatically cut and then closed down ready for relocation.

  Von’s gaze shifted from the camera lens to Paige who was standing several feet behind it. “Are you getting what you need?” she asked anxiously.

  Paige nodded. “Yes, you’re doing extremely well!” she exclaimed brightly. “I’m ready to sign up for the course myself.”

  Molly had been sitting on the front bench behind the camera and out of Von’s line of sight. Abigail looked over at her to get her reaction.

  Molly nodded. “I think this is going to be really super.” She looked over at Paige. “When I came to visit Abigail the first time, I was floored by how popular she is with her students. She can’t kick them out of the lecture theater, even after her class is finished.”