Belters

Chapter 18:

Chapter 18:AD 2100 Inner Belt – Virgil

The added weight of one gravity affected Lea more than she thought it would. Without the advantages of meds, she woke up sore from the added stress of sleeping on the hard mattress. Perhaps it wasn’t the acceleration but the large quantity of alcohol she drank the previous night that made her feel like s**t. There was a high chance she hadn’t moved since she passed out. A worse thought crept into her mind. What if it was only her advancing years that made it harder to reach the velocity needed to escape her bed—perish the thought.

She waited at least until the headache subsided, then her impatience could wait no longer. Coffee and painkillers called her name. Lea set off from her quarters to find Doctor Abe. She needed to discover why she was on this ship of fools seeking out what would probably be some senseless snipe hunt in the dark of space.

With the majority of the family crew drugged, Lea was forced to fend for herself. At least with a head clearing from liquor, she traced her steps back to the mess. Never a religious person, she did say a silent prayer for there to be coffee waiting at the end of her quest. The painkillers would need to wait.

Only the second day out from Ceres, with no end in sight, she expected to see more people working in the galley. She was wrong. Only one person sat alone at one of the corner tables. The other hundred or so souls probably nursed hangovers greater than Lea’s. Her target had ventured away from the safety of the crew. Now was the time to strike. Lea didn’t hesitate, she grabbed a cup of black gold and made her way over to Doctor Abe.

Before Lea cleared her throat to draw the woman’s attention, Doctor Dragon Lady looked up from a tablet she’d been reading. Her eyes sparkled when she spoke. “I’m so glad to see you are up…” With a quick motion of her eyes to the seat across from her, she said, “Please take a seat. I wanted to touch base with you, but with everything going on yesterday… Well, to call it hectic would be an understatement.” The unfamiliar woman smiled warmly.

Lea bit her lip in shock. The friendly manner of the doctor… From her limited experience, this was nothing like she expected. Off-balance, Lea sat and murmured, “Thank you. Doctor Abe—”

The small woman cut her off with a nonchalant wave of her hand. “Please call me Vizminda, or if you prefer, Mindy is fine. No need to be so caught up with titles, now is there? We will need to work as one for this venture to succeed.”

Lea reached out her hand from habit. “In that case… Pleased to make your acquaintance, Mindy, please call me Lea.” This wasn’t going at all how Lea expected. By now, she assumed there would be bloodshed and bruises rather than afternoon coffee with the woman she thought was the b***h who stole her money. If she was involved with the theft, the doctor’s bluffing skills were at a professional level. A killer gambling career was in Mindy’s future.

The doctor took Lea’s hand and gave it a friendly, firm grip. “I must admit, I was surprised when Master Baal contacted me and asked if you could join the expedition.”

“I… I don’t understand. I thought you wanted me on board…” Lea took a sip of coffee. She was in desperate need of intel. This wasn’t what she thought… What the hell is going on?

Mindy continued, “Once I saw you’d worked for the corporation as a freelance problem solver, I was intrigued.”

“Is that why you offered me the berth?” Lea fought to control her breathing. She needed her wits now more than ever. Her fuzzy head wasn’t helping.

“Of course not… I’m not of the habit of trolling the docks… for team members. No… if Reo hadn’t insisted you join the team, I would have never looked up your record.” She released Lea’s hand. “He was adamant you join the team.

Lea’s clenched jaw nearly cracked her paid-for perfect teeth. Despite her anger, she forced herself to smile. Another sip of coffee was called for before she verbalized the next question. “So the only reason I was offered the job is because of Reo?”

“In a manner of speaking, yes. I normally don’t take much advice from freelancers…” Mindy reached out and patted Lea’s hand. “Sorry, but it is true, but Reo and I have… history. I… he was so convincing, I felt I needed to follow his advice, so I made the offer.”

“History?” What the hell did she stumble into this time?

“Yeah. Explosive—kind of like Mount Pinatubo…” For a moment, a wistful look spread over the younger woman’s face.

The reference was lost on Lea, but it must have been bad. She asked, “You said freelancer. Who does Reo work for if not FlyRight?”

“Sorry. That’s classified.” She beamed when she spoke. Lea could not gain any read on this woman. “But now that isn’t really important. You are here. Ceres and all that trouble is in the past… We can use the help…” Mindy paused for what seemed like forever.

It gave Lea a chance to reconsider her losses. If Doctor Mindy wasn’t the evil dragon lady b***h on wheels Lea assumed she was… If she didn’t steal all her life savings… If she didn’t order her attempted assassination in San Francisco, who the hell did? Why the f**k would Reo even suggest Lea come on this stupid ship, and why would Lea accept the offer?

Mindy spoke once more. The words pulled Lea back to the real world. She blinked in surprise at the sound. “I’m sorry, I drifted off there for a second.” Lea took a drink of the bitter liquid to help cover her loss of acuity.

Mindy nodded. “I understand. It happens to all of us… I simply wanted to know what scientific background you had that Reo thought might come in useful on this journey.”

Shit, Lea’s guts tightened at the question. “That is a wonderful question… Can we say my skill set is more esoteric than scientific?” Lea gave the woman across from her a huge smile. What was she supposed to say? I take care of those problems others would rather not deal with. Most people who hired Lea knew what they were getting. Someone cold enough to do whatever was needed to end a situation.

“Can you be more specific?”

Maybe something not so sinister sounding. “I fix things…” Lea hoped that would be enough. She really needed to find Reo and choke some answers from him. Lea was certain Mindy wasn’t in need of a fixer or the services Lea offered.

Mindy c****d her head like a dog that heard an unexpected sound. “So you’re an engineer… You don’t strike me as the type,” Mindy tapped on her tablet and made a few notes. “I’m sure the crew of the Virgil would love to have your help.”

Lea didn’t listen, rather her mind focused on finding Reo—now. “If you’ll excuse me… I think this acceleration is causing me… discomfort.” She quickly slipped from her chair and headed to the exit.

Doctor Mindy called to her back. “I understand. This trip has affected me greatly, as well.” Her voice went even louder. “Do you need a laxative?”

Mortified, Lea was happy there wasn’t a soul in the mess to overhear the final comment. Her bowels were no one’s concern. “No, thank you…”

Now that the brief, stressful, and most unhelpful chat was over, she learned nothing helpful. The talk had compounded her problems.

Walking down the vacant halls, she noticed someone had taken to labeling the unmarked hatches with a roll of tape and marker. The temporary fix was a little late in coming but better than nothing. She needed the guidance last night. It might have helped her find her quarters a hell of a lot quicker.

She whispered to herself, “Where might Reo be hiding?”

The talk had one desired effect, she was now completely sober, but she needed a moment to regain her composure. Better to return to her quarters for the time being. She needed a safe place to plan out her next steps.

What the hell was Lea supposed to offer this crazy train heading into the oblivion between planets? If she was called upon to fix… Lea growled softly to herself.

Reaching her door, she made an odd discovery. For whatever reason, no one had labeled her hatch. A wave of her hand and the door slid to the side.

The room was dark. Funny, she didn’t remember turning out the lights. The quarters might have some motion sensor to save power. Then why had they not come on when she entered?

Lea froze. A stranger, with back facing her, lay in her rack. The gray ship’s blanket was pulled over the shape’s head.

Her first consideration was a drunk leftover from the previous night’s festivities had stumbled into the wrong quarters.

In fear, her heart skipped a beat. Maybe she was in the wrong quarters. She assumed they all looked the same, but how would my hand open the door?

She carried no weapons, and by design, there was nothing at hand to brain the stranger with. Lea knew the skills to defend herself.

Mumbled words reached her ears. “Once strangers meet…” she recognized Reo’s voice, haunting—he was not himself.

Anger overrode her concern for his well-being. “What the hell are you doing here?” In her small room, she reached him in a step. Rather than punch the man, she slapped him on the shoulder before cuffing the side of his head. “Lights,” she commanded, and a low glow filled the room. The level she’d set it at when she woke earlier.

The assault didn’t budge the body.

Grabbing his shoulder and rolling him on his back, Lea’s next words of anger stuck in her throat when she caught the sight of his eyes in the dim light.

For some reason, they were wide open, but only the whites showed. Foam poured from the man’s mouth. He tried to speak, but no words came, only a wet gurgle.

Lea stepped back. Out of reflex, she covered her face with her right hand. What is wrong with him? She wasn’t any sort of medical doctor, but she’d read enough to know of the multitude of sicknesses that ravaged the Earth. Whatever was wrong with the company man, Lea could only guess at how contagious he might be. His germs were filling her quarters with a soup of sickness.

Her door opened for a quick escape, she keyed in the intercom. “Someone, please help! I’ve got a medical emergency here!” The adrenaline filled her body, ready to run away.

“Can you be more specific?” a voice came back quicker than Lea thought possible.

What the hell was she supposed to say to the disembodied voice? “No… Please just hurry… Reo is having some sort of seizure… It looks bad.” She was fairly certain the man wasn’t possessed, but if she had to guess, that was what she would have thought.

“With limited crew available, we will send help shortly.” The voice cut off too quickly.

Lea shouted at the now lifeless intercom, “What the f**k does that mean?”

She received no reply.

Reo gurgled, “Once strangers meet…”

Her steps much smaller, Lea inched her way to the man’s side. In his grip, she spotted what looked like an EpiPen, but she had seen the silver liquid once before.

Some of the less sane people she worked with had wild ideas about the human condition and the cause of all Earth’s woes. In her experience, humans had a greater capacity for creating conspiracy theories than those in power had the ability to carry out the plots.

The net was filled with crazies. Flat-Earthers, Anti-vaxxers, Draconian believers, even people claiming a secret army of telepaths used mind-control drugs to brainwash the general population into willing sheeple. All manner of crazy ideas refused to die after repeatedly being disproven.

Lea knew better. Most people didn’t want to think for themselves, they wanted to be told what to do and what to think. No drugs were needed to control the populace. One of the videos she found produced a pen with a silver drug like the one clutched in Reo’s hand.

Rather than leave the unused evidence, she tore the pen from Reo’s clutched hand and placed it safely between her breasts. If there was a whiff of conspiracy, Lea needed leverage to learn more.

“What did you do to him?” Doctor Mindy was the first to reach her stateroom.

“What did…” Rather than finish her sentence, Lea dropped the attack. She had no reason to be defensive. “I returned here and found him like this. He couldn’t have been here long.” Better to shift the subject. “What is wrong with him… Can you fix him?”

Mindy shook her head. “I’m not that kind of doctor…”

Lea bit her tongue. The time for throwing accusations came later.

Mindy worked in vain to wake the unresponsive Reo.

Lea stepped out of her quarters and into the hall. A flurry of activity swirled around her as nameless company personnel came and carted Reo off in a Stokes basket. In the lead was a tall, gray-haired man with an impeccable British accent. White coat over orange coveralls marked him as a company doctor. He barked orders to those in attendance.

The only person Lea knew was Mindy. Tian never showed. With little choice, Lea followed at a discreet distance.

Despite Reo’s seemingly critical condition, Lea couldn’t help but think about how she needed to know where the medical spaces were and the chances she could get something for her headache once things calmed down with the bonkers company man.

For being what Lea assumed was unfamiliar territory, the gray-haired doctor seemed to know his s**t. Lea and the rest were forced to watch the treatments outside the space. The medical team dressed out in full infectious personnel protective equipment.

Lea was unsure what she witnessed, but it took nearly thirty minutes before the doctor working on Reo spoke to the crowd of heavy gravity watchers. “Who traveled with this man?”

Lea spoke up sheepishly, afraid she might be locked behind the glass with Reo. “I did…”

From behind several taller watchers, Tian sounded off as well. “Me too.”

“Did he show any indications of sickness?”

Lea glanced at Tian, their eyes meeting around the bodies that separated them. Tian nodded before Lea spoke. “As far as we know, only some space sickness.”

“This is no space sickness… Doctor Abe, I need to speak with you in private. Everyone else. You can go on about your business, there is nothing to see here.” Before Lea escaped, the man continued. “You two stay… I need more information.”

The crowd remained unfazed by the older man’s command.

Tian cleared zer throat. “There was that time he passed out… As we approached Ceres, he had a thing…”

Lea remembered and filled in some more. “We had been together for weeks. He didn’t eat, never mingled much. Complained of diarrhea and passed out. They took him to the med bay and sent him back shortly.”

“Did his eyes.” The doctor motioned with his hands toward Reo. “Flip back to the whites?”

“Hell, no.” Lea cringed at the memory of his face staring up from her rack.

“Not that I saw. I think I would have remembered something so dramatic,” Tian added.

“Look… he was in my room. If he is contagious… I want checked out.” Lea’s concern grew as the man who should have all the answers kept asking the wrong questions. “Please, Doctor…” Lea let the last word hang. “What should we call you?”

“I am Doctor Patel…” The man paused for several seconds in thought. His eyes drifted over the people who watched from the far side of the glass. “I don’t think that is needed… Come see me if your eyes roll into the back of your skull.” The doctor’s bedside manner sucked.

“But…” Lea looked at the others. If it was a virus or some other contagion, they were all screwed.

“Listen, he had no sickness I’ve seen before. The chances he is contagious… are remote.” Doctor Patel stepped away from the partition.

“Is he in a coma?” Mindy called out.

The old man shook his head. “Yes and no. He remains unresponsive, but his brain activity is off the chart, like he’s wide awake. The med computer can’t explain it. We need to observe him.”

Lea was surprised the man didn’t add “and see what happens.” Damned doctors.

AD 2100 Inner Belt – Frazier

“Do we have any way to know if the signal is strong enough… or if anyone has picked it up?” Ava drifted behind Jacob.

He fought the urge to scratch. Many of his blisters had healed, but his dry skin still sloughed off in places. He knew it wasn’t spiders crawling over his body, but his mind still cringed at the feeling.

The steady light of the transmit indicator glowed, letting anyone who chose to look know the recorded distress call was still sending. Ava had a habit of asking questions even if she already knew the answer.

He’d taken to sleeping at the com’s controls. Just in case anyone reached out to them. Despite the speakers blasting throughout the ship, filling the habitable area with static, Jacob wanted to be ready if a reply came.

“Sorry… no way of knowing.” Days had passed since the spider attack, without another sign of the creepy crawlies. The lack of sightings didn’t do Jacob’s fragile grip on sanity any good. As far as he was concerned, the creatures were out there, just out of sight, waiting to attack.

Weeks of surviving, trapped alone with the two women, began to wear on his normally levelheaded temperament. The women showed more signs of stress. Cabin fever might kill them before space did.

Ava pulled herself closer. Her breasts brushed against the back of his head. He forced himself to not think about it or complain as she invaded his limited personal space. She scanned the board too close for comfort right now. “I know you will let us know…”

Jacob changed the subject. “Any luck with the drives?”

Ava shook her head. Her short hair tickled his ear. “Na… they’re f****d. We’re f****d, the Frazier is—”

He cut her off. “f****d? You know I can’t believe that.”

“Think what you want. Won’t change the facts…” Ava pushed off.

His turn to shake his head. He wanted to give up, but it wasn’t in his DNA. Besides, if they gave up, what would they do, curl up and die? Wasn’t going to happen.

The background static changed for the briefest of moments. Jacob pulled himself up in the chair. A quick turn of a knob and the volume increased. Something had changed.

“Guys… you need to come in here.” He wanted to control the sound of his voice, to bury the excitement, but he knew his failure as soon as he spoke.

Before the signal changed again, Ava pulled herself up behind him.

Sweets arrived shortly after. “Yeah?”

“You hear that?” Jacob strained to hear a human’s voice filter through the static.

“Sorry, no.” From his right, Ava grumbled. “Now you’re hearing things.”

“I’m not making this up. I think I hear a voice.” The signal was too degraded, but there were words to the choppy change in static. He was certain. “Sweets?”

The security woman shook her head. “I’m sorry… but I can’t hear it. Maybe it’s the strain. You need some rest.”

Jacob gritted his teeth rather than lose his temper. It took three deep breaths to control his emotions. “Look… for a moment, let’s assume I’m not insane… If someone is out there, what can we do to help them find us?”

Sweets had moved to his left side, too close for comfort. “Simple, power up everything we can. Increase our heat signature.”

Jacob clapped his hands together. “Then let’s do it. What’s the worst that can happen?”

Ava groaned, “I wish you’d stop saying that.”

Sweets spoke in her normal matter-of-fact voice. “We could burn out the few systems we’ve repaired, but it would increase our heat signature. Might help someone looking for us find our location.”

“Then I say it’s worth the risk.” Jacob feigned excitement. He needed something to help keep his spirits high.

Ava shook her head. “I don’t.”

Sweets paused only for the briefest of moments. “I must agree with him… the idea isn’t all bad.”

“You’re not crew… Who said you get a vote?” Ava asked.

“She is crew now. She fixed most of the systems. I should think that qualifies her as crew…” Jacob waited for Ava to complain. When she didn’t, he pressed on. “If you have any better suggestions, I’m sure Margaret is willing to listen to them, as am I.”

Ava’s answer came swifter than he expected. “f**k it.” She pushed off his seat. “If we’re goin’ ta die, might as well be in a blaze of glory.”

Not the most inspiring words he ever heard, but he’d take them.