Metal Boxes - At the Edge Read online

  The only person who called him boss was Dollish. Barb had always been conscientious about calling him sir or ensign, but he was not in the UEN, so neither was appropriate. “Tuttle!” Stone shouted. “What is going on? Did you all leave the marines?”

  Allie flipped up the collar of her blouse. Marine captain’s insignia shined back at him.

  Hammermill held up the front of his gaudy flowered shirt. A marine 1LT emblem was sewn into the hem. Dozens of the crew flashed badges in his direction. Inside Tuttle’s puffy sleeve were sergeant stripes. Despite being tall and remarkably fit, his crew looked less like a military outfit than they did a pickup ship’s crew dragged from the local drinkery.

  Stone started, “I don’t—”

  Numos interrupted. “Briefing to follow shortly, Signore Stone. Some of your crew has been read in, but I want you sitting down when you get the full data dump.”

  Allie said, “Captain Numos, the boss is all yours for now.” She gave Stone a quick squeeze and added, “I’ll introduce you to my team later. The captain needs to get you settled in and then you can meet the ship’s crew.”

  Before she could move, a warning klaxon sounded. Lights in the bay flashed from bright white to a dark red. The speaker blared, “Incoming vessel. Identity unknown.”

  Numos shouted, “General Quarters. Prepare to repel boarders.”

  Hammermill’s shoulder dug deep into Stone’s midsection as the big marine picked him up and raced toward a bulkhead. Stone tried to wiggle free, but without leverage, he was helpless.

  From his upside-down vantage point hanging over Hammermill’s shoulder, he could see the hangar deck was clear. His new crew was already disappearing. He spotted a few retreating backs rushing into hidden bulkhead doors and even spotted a couple of crewmen dropping below the deck through trapdoors.

  “Hammer, put me down,” he managed to wheeze out. He thought the marine was obeying, but the man tossed him unceremoniously into what looked like a closet. He hit the back of the tiny space and bounced off, only to thump to a dead stop against Hammermill’s back.

  Hammermill slammed a button on the wall and the liquid metal bulkhead flowed closed. Instead of closing into a substantial chunk of ceramic titanium the bulkhead formed a clear bubble wrapped around the four barrels of a tripod-mounted fifty-caliber slug thrower.

  Stone could barely see around Hammermill, so he dropped to his knees to peer through the bubble around his legs. He caught the tail end of Peebee as she and Jay slipped down a ramp. The ramp closed behind her as if the deck of the hangar bay was one solid piece.

  The whole bay was clear except for the Platinum Pebble’s two shuttles, both hovering in the top corners and for Major Numos…now Captain Numos, who stood alone in the center of the deck. He stood in a casual stance waiting for the intruder.

  Stone said, “What’s he doing out there, Hammer?”

  Hammermill grunted. “He said he’s the most expendable person to greet intruders.”

  “Bulls—”

  Hammermill interrupted, “I agree, Signore Stone, but this is his first ship. He said that the only way anyone gets aboard without his permission is over his dead body.”

  “That’s not right.” Glancing around he realized Numos was not alone. A dozen marine combat suits edged the hangar bay. Their camouflage settings on were active. They blended in perfectly with the surrounding bulkheads, but his enhanced vision highlighted their outlines, like the dark-edged drawings in a children’s coloring book.

  “Not to worry, Signore Stone. Old four-barrel Betty and I’ll sweep this deck clear before anyone can get to that man.” He tapped the top of his SAW. “Besides, if we wanted to keep everyone out, we’d just slam the hangar doors shut and not let them in. This close to departure, we want to see who—and why—someone is coming to call.”

  Chapter Sixteen

  A commercial launch slid easily through the open hangar doors. It hovered slightly as if it did not know what to do in the big shuttle hangar full of empty space and one lone man.

  Numos gestured for the shuttle to land near him.

  It settled with a sigh and a slight puff of wind that ruffled Numos’s shirttails. Stone could see the man frown and tuck in his shirt, straightening his gigline.

  Hammermill snorted. “That man doesn’t know how to do anything except be a marine. Look! He’s supposed to be relaxed and welcoming, but he’s standing at parade rest. You watch Numos, Signore Stone. If he raises a hand in greeting, it means finger on the trigger. If he drops his hand, then it’s weapons free.”

  Stone watched as the launch’s ramp slowly eased open. Before the ramp touched the deck, Stone saw a familiar looking man backing out of the boat. He held a large video recorder in his hand, focusing it on the hatch.

  “Gonzo!” he said. “Hold fire, Hammer. Let Numos know that the next person through that hatch will be my cousin, Beffie-pie.”

  Hammermill passed the message along to Numos with a little shudder. “Bethy Stone? Man! I caught one of her vidcasts. In my opinion, a pure waste of data bits, though a couple of the grunts in my squad watch her every chance they get. What’s she doing here?”

  Stone sighed. “Following me around, I expect.”

  Hammermill chuckled. “I heard something about you being engaged to Bethy and to Captain Vedrian at the same time. I do think Allie wants to talk to you about that.”

  The air in the small gun emplacement bubble filled with an overpowering fresh sawdust odor, something Stone had since learned indicated humor. Hammermill thought it was funny that Stone was stuck between Allie and his cousin Bethy. Stone did not think it was funny at all. He wanted to be with Allie and knew she wanted to be with him. He did not need to be able to smell emotions to tell Bethy was filled with ambition and little else.

  Bethy Stone stepped onto the ramp, looking like a cross between a curb-crawling, two-credit hooker and a puritanical princess. She waved to Numos as if she was gesturing to a peon seeking admittance to her court. The wave ended with a little flourish like a prostitute signaling a come on to a john seeking access to her privates. Stone was not sure how she could blend those two, but she pulled it off.

  Numos stood his ground, not moving.

  Stone tried and failed to push Hammermill out of the way. “Let me out there.”

  “No, Signore Stone. Let’s wait to see what Captain Numos does.”

  Stone thought to argue, but he really did not want to see Bethy again. “Maybe Numos can get her to go away.”

  Hammermill looked thoughtful, “I don’t know…maybe it would be…yeah, maybe.”

  Stone wondered about maybe, but Bethy flounced up to Numos and flung her arms around him like they were old friends. Stone would have bet even money that Numos would have tossed her to the deck and put a boot against her neck for touching him without an invitation, but Numos hugged her back—gently. The two were surrounded by a gaggle of assistants, herded by Gonzo, the producer and cameraman. Gonzo was gesturing wildly for this person to squeeze in tighter and that person to move back.

  Stone almost laughed as Numos grinned like a man that did not know what to do. Then the man flashed a hand signal that sent a dozen invisible marines in combat suits disappearing into hidden hatches all around the hangar bay. The Pebble’s two shuttles settled quietly into the corners, unseen by Bethy, Gonzo, or their assistants.

  Hammermill flicked on the safety to his SAW and leaned on the tripod apparently amused by the show. He whistled softly when one of the sycophantic assistants lost her top while gyrating nearby. Gonzo caught it neatly with his camera and the assistant covered up again, all without embarrassment.

  Stone wondered if the wardrobe malfunction was an accident. Having seen the massive logo of Barb Tuttle naked from the waist up, he was not impressed by the assistant’s toplessness. He wondered if Beffie-pie had a rule that no one on her staff was allowed to have bigger breasts than her.

  A few moments ago, he wanted to get out there to protect his cousin from bein
g shot. Now he was not sure if shooting Bethy would not be the best option. Numos could handle this mess, he did not need Stone’s help to send her away.

  He spotted a tri-colored, tri-cornered hat with a feather at the edge of Bethy’s hanger-ons. Stone shook his head, hoping he was wrong, but knowing he was not. The crowd cleared for a moment and sure enough, under the hat was Bethy’s stalker, Riley Lowther. Not only was he sporting the hat, but his face was sporting some rather colorful bruises. Standing with Riley, obviously not knowing what to do, were Redshirt and BeardBoy, the latter’s broken nose had been poorly reset.

  Hammermill tapped a small console on the bubble. “Let’s listen in, shall we, Signore Stone?” Sound was activated in time to hear Bethy whine, “Chills, Captain. I’m a Stone. You know that, for sure. Like, this is a family owned ship and I demand to see my cousin, Trey.”

  Stone shook his head. “Oh, crap.”

  Hammermill nodded, “Oh, crap, indeed, Signore Stone.” His tone barely contained a laugh as he poked Stone in the ribs with an elbow.

  Stone said, “Stop that, Hammer.” He decided to ignore Bethy’s demands for Numos to make him appear.

  “Stop what, Signore Stone, sir?”

  “You know what. You call me Stone, just like you’ve always done.”

  “I can’t, Signore Stone. You’re the owner of the Platinum Pebble and I’m just a lowly deckhand—well, shift supervisor, but even you know that civilians have protocols. Maybe I should take a page out of Tuttle’s book and start calling you boss.”

  “That’s better. You call me signore one more time and I will fire you.”

  “You can’t fire me, Boss. I don’t work for you.”

  “What? You just said—”

  “Confusing, isn’t it?”

  Bethy started stomping her feet, turning red in the face. Gonzo was smiling and recording it all, but Riley, Redshirt, and BeardBoy began to move forward. Riley’s fists were clenched as if he planned on beating Numos into making Stone appear.

  Hammermill laughed, pointing to the three would be thugs trying to elbow their way through the gyrating crowd of assistants. “This will make good vidcasting if those three goobers get close enough to take a swing at the major—I mean, the captain—no, Vedrian is a captain now. Um…ah hell, you better get out there, Boss, before those three get themselves hurt.” He hit the switch on the wall and it folded back on itself.

  Stone stepped through. Hearing the wall melt back into place, he turned back. The bubble may be clear from Hammermill’s side, but from the hangar side, it looked exactly like a paint storage locker.

  “Bethy. Bethy. Beffie-pie! I’m here. Take it easy. You’re going to blow a valve.”

  Bethy squealed and danced over to him, throwing her arms around him. “Thrills, love. I was afraid we were going to have to, like, you know, use force to get you free.”

  Stone actually laughed at the thought of someone trying to use force on Numos. Even without a couple of squads of marines at his back, the retired marine would not have worked up a sweat against this crowd.

  “Get free? Beffie-pie, I was on my way to get changed out of this ugly jumpsuit when I heard you’d arrived.”

  “But, Cousin Trey, it’s taken, like forever for you to get here.”

  “Beffie-pie, this is a big ship.”

  “Joy joy. Then you have room for me and my friends.” It was not a question.

  Stone shrugged. “I don’t know, Beffie-pie. Captain Numos is in charge.” He looked at Numos, trying to signal with his eyes for the man to say no.

  Numos smiled, “Why, of course, we have room for your family and her friends.” He leaned in close to Bethy and said loudly enough for Gonzo to catch on camera. “Please feel free to record and vidcast anything on the ship. We’re quite proud of her, you know. But, I do hope,” he looked pointedly at Gonzo, “that you can respect the privacy of any of my crew who don’t want to be recorded.”

  Gonzo nodded slightly.

  Bethy looked miffed but quickly turned it into a smile. “Thrills, Captain. We would never think of intruding where we weren’t wanted.”

  Numos spoke into his personal assistant. “Deckhand Tuttle, to the hangar bay on Lima Deck.”

  The crowd noise dropped to a whisper when Barb Tuttle came through the hatch. She had tied her shirt up just under her breasts leaving her abdomen uncovered. All the buttons were undone allowing her cleavage to breathe. Somehow, she had changed from slacks into cutoff shorts that barely covered more than her logo did on the side of the ship. She was taller than Bethy and her muscles were tauter than any of the dancers on the vidcast crew.

  She moved across the floor in a slinky slide that had Gonzo drooling on his camera lens. What stopped the chatter was Barb’s escort; she was flanked by Jay and Peebee. The massive drascos were not wearing their chrome armor or even their TTS dataports. Both were wonking and stomping around like barely trained animals.

  Stone whistled a little and clapped his hands. “Come here, girls. Come on.”

  Barb barely beat Jay and Peebee to his side. Rather than grab her, he wrapped an arm around the head of each drasco as if he was holding them back from attacking the crowd. From the fragrance of rancid grease coming from Riley, Redshirt, and BeardBoy, the drascos would have to actually contain themselves, not just pretend.

  Numos said, “Tuttle, please get some hands in here to help Signorina Bethy Stone and her people with their luggage. Let’s get that launch off our decks. Signore Trey Stone’s quarters are on Echo Deck, so let’s get all our guests settled into the spare quarters near our host.” He turned back to Bethy. “Signorina Stone, I hope you forgive us, but I need to borrow Signore Stone for a while. We have some tedious business to discuss. I suggest we hold your reunion in abeyance until our evening meal. Say, in about four hours?”

  Chapter Seventeen

  Once Stone, accompanied only by Jay and Peebee, was alone in the corridor with Numos, he asked, “Okay, Captain Numos. What’s going on?”

  Numos held up one finger, meaning to wait one. He tapped his P.A. and said, “Jammers on.”

  He gestured for Stone to climb into a two-seater cart. Once seated and flying along the corridor at breakneck speed, he continued, “I don’t trust that guy, Gonzo. I won’t until I get our communications officer to scan through his equipment. We need to watch our backs and keep jammers on until we know whether he has sound or video equipment that can record through solid walls.”

  Stone nodded. “Yes, sir. I hadn’t thought about that. But, why didn’t you just send them away?”

  Numos smiled, “You own the Platinum Pebble, sir. That puts you in charge. I’m just the ship’s captain. Got it?”

  “Got it, Captain.”

  Slowing, Numos steered around a trio of piglets each wearing a vest bristling with tools and odd bits of string, straps, and tape. The three piglets gave a half salute, half wave.

  One of the piglets said, “Welcome aboard, Boss.”

  “Frank?”

  The piglet snorted, “Where else would I be, Boss. Shorty would skin me alive if I didn’t have your back.”

  Numos looked unfazed at seeing the tiny aliens aboard the civilian spacecraft, like it was an everyday occurrence. It was common to see piglets on the Rusty Hinges, but this ship was far and away from being any kind of a military craft. The piglets disappeared down a tiny vent.

  Stone said, “Frank wasn’t using a TTS keypad. Who upgraded his translator to speech-to-speech?”

  Numos smiled, “Frank did it. He said that if he wasn’t in the UEN any more, then he didn’t have to worry about improving tech without approval. He’s still working on upgrading the drasco’s TTS dataports, but their communications are a bit more complicated.”

  Numos pressed a button on the cart’s dashboard. Elevators ahead of them opened in time for their entry. He slowed the vehicle, letting the door close behind them.

  “What about Jay and Peebee?” Stone was not worried about them, they were on his
ship, so they were safe, but they had been on his mind for days and thinking about them was a hard habit to break.

  “They discovered the drop chutes between floors. Engineering has them beefed up to handle their bulk. They’ve been playing on them since they came aboard. They’ll meet us at your quarters. Oh, and if you use the chutes, watch out, cranked up on high as they are, they’ll toss a human around like leaves in the wind unless you’re careful.”

  The elevator dumped them out on Echo Deck. The elevator doors opened up to a huge garden. It should not have surprised him, but it did. He had lived in a hydroponics bay on Rusty Hinges for months. This deck was twice the size of his last quarters. Jay and Peebee were already romping in a patch of neatly-trimmed lawn. The grass had a bit of a red twinge to it like many of the plants on Allie’s World.

  Numos drove the little cart along a wide path that looked like a boardwalk made from a hundred different types of wood cut in a hundred different widths. Stone doubted it was wood, but the illusion was perfect. They pulled into a small parking spot in front of a building surrounded by a thick stand of reddish-leafed trees. It was a single story building made from natural fieldstones and massive wooden beams.

  Numos gestured toward the palm lock. “These are your quarters. They are already coded for you. Voice, print, and bio-locks are all set.”

  They were barely inside the door and starting to close it when it was pushed open. Stone was swept up in Allie’s arms. She literally carried him into a living room area. Hammermill followed close behind. Numos dropped into a deep, overstuffed chair with a sigh. Allie dragged Stone down next to her on the couch. Hammermill headed straight for the wet bar. He pulled four beers from a refrigerator, passed them around, and then plopped in a very unmilitary manner into another overstuffed chair.

  Stone sipped politely, trying not to wince at the taste as his three friends guzzled their beers like it was their life’s blood. He looked around. The room had a high ceiling with thick wooden beams. A floor to ceiling fireplace took up one whole wall. Another wall was filled with window after window displaying the wide vista of a placid lake surrounded by numerous homes and cottages. He watched the activity at other buildings as his newly hired deckhands tried to sort out which of Bethy’s crew went where. A small cluster of piglets was nearby, fussing around a small orchard filled with fruit trees.