Chapter 5
Cyra paced in her quarters.Doc’s plan required too much waiting and too little certainty, but she didn’t have a better one. Finally, the Cassan station master cleared the ship to dock. Cassan was a huge manmade station—a city without a planet. The docks were cavernous, multi-tiered structures with the ability to store spaceships stacked and packed like protein bars in a box. Hangers opened and encapsulated the spacecrafts, creating airtight seals around each one. Decontamination units automatically deployed. The ships and crews were cleared of radiation and foreign bodies before access was granted to the rest of the station. The Treasure’s hazardous, live cargo caused the approval to take longer than usual.
As soon as they entered the hangar—freed from the protective bubble—Doc arrived at Cyra’s quarters and escorted her to the lower-level loading dock.
Varik, dressed in a pristine flight suit, practically vibrated as stared at the dock’s door as if he could open it by will alone..
Cyra hung back, partially hidden by Doc. A beep sounded twice, and the loading bay ramp lock clicked, releasing the wide metal panel to lower—the inside of their sealed hangar slowly revealed through the gap. Gray metal panels as big as a quarter of the ship, welded together, formed the giant cell of the bay. Beings in white hazmat suits waited to guide them to the decon units.
Varik took the first steps down the ramp before it had settled on the floor. He spoke over his shoulder to the gathered crew members. “I expect you to be here in two hours when I return, at which time we will complete the new contracts.”
None of the crew members made eye contact or even nodded in acknowledgement to her or Doc on their way down the ramp. Their avoidance didn’t bode well.
Doc called out to Varik. “I believe you will need me to record the death and its cause as the captain’s physician.”
“What?” Varik whipped around midway down the ramp.
“You’ll need me to sign off on the cause of death and certify there was no external influence.” Doc slowly descended toward Varik.
Varik grunted. “Come with me.”
“Cyra, you should come with us as well.” Doc held out his hand toward her.
“Why would you think she needs to be there?” Varik asked. His narrowed burned into her.
“They may want another witness. Cyra was closest to him, spent time with him prior to his passing.” Doc’s voice was level and a bit condescending.
“Whatever. I don’t have time to argue. Those spiders have to get delivered on time or I’ll lose a fortune.”
“I’ve asked Veda to stay on board. Keep an eye on all the cargo.” Doc held Cyra by the elbow, guiding her down the rough ramp.
“The station has assigned us additional security,” Varik said over his shoulder.
“They’re required to remain outside the ship.”
Varik huffed and entered a decontamination tube. Doc and Cyra followed. Finally cleared, they shuffled into the chaos that was the station Every visit, the massive number of beings and businesses within Cassan overwhelmed and awed Cyra. There were med centers that specialized in particular species as well as general medical facilities. Every product in the galaxy was available for purchase. Restaurants and bars and live shows. Sex workers and playgrounds. Cinemas and sports competitions. Cassan accommodated everyone and everything.
There could be anywhere from one to five million sentient beings inhabiting or traveling through the station at any one time. She hated it. She loved that she could buy the things she wanted, but the sheer number of bodies made her want to curl up in a ball and rock back and forth until the nightmare ended. That was her inner child. Her grown-up self trailed Doc and kept her eyes focused down and just in front of her to block out all the flashing lights, moving bodies, and interior transport vehicles. Although she’d never had a reason to visit the official galaxy offices and wasn’t sure how far they had to go, she could do this. Doc wanted her there for some reason that he had not disclosed to her. It had something to do with The Treasure. She would face her fear of crowds for him and for Captain Auvi.
Cyra shifted on the bench in the records office, waiting for their number to be called. Her ass was numb, and she was bored out of her mind in the bland, once white, turned gray, room. The only distraction was a station feed into a video display mounted at ceiling level, delivering a non-stop stream of advertising. The ads for species specific restaurants, clothing for unique body shapes, and questionable entertainment had already begun to repeat.
Finally, they were called. She stood up just get her blood moving through her legs again. Varik was already at the video screen addressing the records clerk who was somewhere deeper in the locked off part of the offices.
“I need to report a death.” Varik told the bored-looking Nelite. The species were often hired to work in customer service locations. Their egg-shaped bodies and lack of emotion worked to their advantage.
“Credentials? Certificate?”
Doc stepped forward forcing Varik to step back. “I was the attending physician, Doctor Alfred Maretine.” he said holding his arm to the scanner to present his galaxy identification.
“Name of the deceased?”
“Auvi Thenal.”
“Do you have his recovered galaxy ID?”
“Here.” Doc slid a clear bag containing the chip that had been embedded in Captain Auvi’s primary right tentacle through a slot below the screen.
“Cause of death?”
“Unspecified natural causes.”
“Date of death?”
The questions went on from there in a rote manner. The more clinical questions the records representative asked, the more twisted Cyra’s guts became. Was this all there was when so great a being passed? There should be rending of clothes and stoppage of work. The heavens should weep and the stars should go dark. How could his life matter so little now? She was disheartened and humbled because her passing would be met with even less concern.
“I have an updated property transfer record.” The display shifted from the representative to a full-screen view of the doc. It was clear enough that Cyra could read it over Doc’s shoulder. Her legs weakened, and she braced against the counter.
“Is there any other document of record to be recorded?” the clerk asked.
“No.” Doc answered firmly.
“The death record is finalized. The titles of any and all solely owned property is now in the name of Cyra Meajzur, galaxy ID number 380943.8905468.78900001.AQUDelta998. Is there anything else that you require?”
“No.” Doc turned to Cyra. “Where’s Varik?”
“Huh?” Cyra asked, startled out of her disbelief. She turned to where Varik had been last, but he was gone. “He was just here.”
“Let’s go. The credit union. Now.” Doc grabbed her hand and started dragging her through the crowds at a much faster pace than they had used to get to the Records Office. “The credit accounts?—”
Doc’s comm rang with a shrill tone. He stopped, Cyra jerking to a halt to keep from plowing into him. “Veda. What’s wrong?”
Veda’s voice carried through the speakers, her distress clear. “Don’t come back. The spiders are loose. I’ve sealed the cargo bay.”
Cyra’s heart skipped. The deadly spiders were loose on The Treasure? What about the male that had been brought on board? If he was locked in with them?—
“I’ll get Dez out —”
“Get off that ship. I’ll alert the station.”
Doc ended the transmission and punched more buttons on his comm.
“We have to get back to her.” Cyra grabbed Doc’s sleeve tugging him in the direction of the dock.
“If I know Varik, he’s already on the way to empty the accounts. If we don’t stop him, you’ll have nothing.”
“You can’t know that’s where he went. And this is Veda.” Her dearest and only friend.
“She’s capable of getting to safety.”
Cyra shook her head. The spiders could be anywhere on that huge ship. One bite and her friend would be dead. But if Doc was right and Varik was taking all the funds to run The Treasure, she’d have no way to keep her ship. Wouldn’t even be able to pay the docking fees to leave Cassan. Besides Doc was being a pessimist. Varik wouldn’t be able to do anything without a death certificate, and Auvi’s instructions left everything to her.
“It’s your call, Captain.”
Cyra snapped her gaze to Doc. “What?”
“As of a few moments ago, you’re the captain of The Treasure. You’re in command.” A passerby bumped into Cyra’s shoulder and she wobbled. She grabbed Doc’s arm. Credits or Veda.
“We’re going back to the ship. Now.” The bodies filling the thoroughfares of the station parted like the sea for her. She wasn’t thick or broad, but she was very tall and she could move. The fear for her friend and her own future warred within her. If she was wrong, and Varik got the accounts—she’d deal with that possibility later—her friend’s safety came first.