Bechimo
Dock A
“That,” said Joyita, “is not a standard stylus.”
“Which is what Win Ton thought,” Theo said, frowning at the image on the screen. “Could it be a specialized tool of some kind?”
“One would then question why she said it was her favorite stylus,” Win Ton murmured. He was sitting well back in his chair, Paizel on his knee. His face was drawn, cheekbones sharp, and mouth hard.
“You think you know what it is,” Theo said softly. “Tell the rest of us, so we can figure out if it’s likely, and if it is, what to do about it.”
He sighed, glanced down at Paizel as he made long strokes down the orange-and-white back—once…twice…
And looked up to meet her eyes.
“I think that it is a specialized tool,” he said. “I think it is either a piece of Old Tech, or a piece of new tech created to interact with Old Tech. I think Chief Marsi had placed it quite deliberately, and meant to leave it there.”
Kara stirred.
“If it was part of the sealing system, she might indeed have meant to leave it there.”
“Then surely she would have said so, and asked that I return it to its place.”
“Instead of praising your cleverness in having found her favorite stylus, and putting it away in her pocket. Yes, of course.” Kara sighed, and glanced down to scratch Grakow’s chin.
“But there’s nothing left for it to interact with!” said Theo, who was now looking at the cleared and cleaned lower core.
“Do we know that?” Win Ton asked. “She was examining the walls when I found her. Could there have been a system—a backup—in the walls?”
“Yes,” Bechimo said, and Theo’s screen suddenly displayed a close-up of a section of dark wall, faint silvery tracings like circuitry quite apparent.
“Is that system live?” Theo asked. “Is it a system?”
“Insufficient data,” Bechimo answered. “Perhaps Chief Marsi was hoping to resolve that through her device.”
“That’s a likely scenario,” Joyita said.
“But it still doesn’t answer the question of why she didn’t tell Win Ton that, and ask him to put the tool back,” Theo said.
“What we’re seeing is a guilty conscience at work,” Clarence said. “We don’t know what Chief Marsi was looking for that she didn’t want anybody else to know about. She might’ve done better by her own profit if she’d had the presence of mind to get snippy at our lad here and scold him for interfering with her arrangements. All that said, though—we don’t know she was doing something that would cause harm.”
“To the station, you mean,” Theo said.
Clarence nodded.
“Is there a market for—” Kara waved her hand at the circuitry still displayed on Theo’s screen.
Clarence moved his shoulders in a Liaden shrug. “There’s a black or grey market for almost anything you can name, and lots more that you can’t,” he said.
“The core’s sealed, is that right?” Theo said.
“Sealed by Chief Marsi’s team,” Win Ton said.
“Over-seal might be a good use o’prudence, Captain,” Clarence said.
Theo squinted at the screen, then nodded.
“Do it. Take Stost and Chernak with you. Include a tracker so Bechimo can keep an eye on it. If anybody tries to go back in, we’ll know. And we’ll know who.”
She turned to look at the former Scout.
“Will that do for you, Win Ton?”
His mouth had softened, and he looked easier in the face.
“That will do for me, Captain. Thank you.”
“You did right to bring it up,” she said. “I’ve got the feeling that there’s no such thing as overreacting on Tinsori Light.”
Clarence laughed and stood, nodding at Stost and Chernak.
“If you two are at liberty, let’s get those seals on.”
“Yes,” said Stost, rising in turn.
“When you get back, we’ll have a crew meeting,” Theo said. “The light keeper’s given us an assignment, to make a community room for station crew. The first wave brought some things that will need to be moved to the room, and we’re charged with making it comfortable, and welcoming.”
“Excellent!” Kara said. “We have some decorative plants that might be suited to the space.”
“Get a list together while Win Ton and I inventory the space,” Theo told her.
“Yes!”
Kara got out of her chair, tablet in hand. Theo sent another glance at Win Ton.
“Unless you’re on your off-shift.”
One side of his mouth curved up.
“Indeed, no, Captain. I am very eager to view a room that is, perhaps, normal in aspect, and plan how to make it welcoming.”
“That’s good, then.”
She stood up.
“Captain,” said Stost, “did the light keeper have an hour for Spiral Dance?”
Theo paused, remembering Jen Sin’s face—a dangerous man, pushed too hard, is what she’d seen. Too late, she recalled his concern about giving the old Tinsori Light an army, if he should leave the station.
“The light keeper will call when his schedule allows him time for pleasure,” she told Stost. “Absent an emergency, you’ll answer that call when it comes, and hold yourself at his orders.”
She reached into her pocket and handed him the key.
“Keep this with you so you’re not delayed, when the call comes.”
Stost saluted—full fist-to-shoulder.
“Yes, Captain.”