Station Day 51
Bechimo
Dock A
A chime was going off in his ear, soft, but growing steadily louder. The air was scented with vanilla.
Jen Sin opened his eyes.
The hood of an autodoc curved away above him, and for a moment—but no. It was not flat, but definitely curved. More, the air was warm. Wherever he was, he was not on the recovery deck.
He took a breath, and tentatively, like a child poking at a beehive with a stick, considered his last memories.
Tinsori Light. The array exploding. Pain.
Lorith. Gods, Lorith.
“Catie?” he murmured.
“Bechimo, Light Keeper,” said that mellow voice, gently. “You have been in my crisis ’doc, which has just now released you from treatment.”
“I thank you,” Jen Sin said, and rolled off the pallet, bare feet finding carpet. His leathers were folded onto a chair next to the unit, his boots standing beneath. He dressed, checked his pockets, touched his left ear, finding the silver ring in its place.
“Will Captain Waitley see me?” he said then.
“She awaits you in the galley. Please follow the blue line.”
“You’re looking well,” Theo greeted him.
“I’m feeling well,” he told her, hoisting himself onto the stool opposite her. He raised an eyebrow at the tea set and the platter of handwiches.
“No maize buttons?”
“Ren Zel deputized Clarence. He’s been living in the Spinward Dorms, while Ren Zel took over the main tower.” Theo sighed and picked up the teapot to pour. “It’s been hard.”
“I imagine it has been. How long have you been deprived?”
“Sixteen station days,” she said, putting a cup in front of him.
He stared at her in consternation.
“Sixteen?”
Theo glared at him.
“Was that too long? You smashed the array with a starbar,” she snapped. “The ’doc had to do repairs at the cellular level! You should be dead, except you got lucky.”
Lucky. Of course, he had gotten lucky.
Jen Sin raised his hands, showing her empty palms and widespread fingers.
“Forgive me, Cousin,” he said soothingly. “Merely, I was—surprised. What has happened, while I slept?”
She looked at him over the rim of her cup.
“Quick list or details?”
“Quick list. I will apply for details later.”
“Right.”
She put her cup down, and held up her hand, all fingers curled into her palm.
“One”—she extended her forefinger—“somebody introduced a virus into the old systems, and Tocohl passed authority to Catalinc Station.”
Next finger.
“Two—Tinsori Light took over the new core; you smashed the array; and got zapped by the field. Light Keeper Lorith—” She hesitated.
Jen Sin bent his head above his cup.
“I recall, thank you.”
“Yes,” Theo hesitated. “Al’bresh venat’i, Cousin,” she said.
“Everything that is kind,” he murmured, and took a breath. “Else?”
“Well—three more. Anthora scared all of the operatives of the Lyre Institute who were on-station, off-station, and she’s pretty sure they’ll stay away for a while.”
“Is she? That would be a boon. I don’t hide from you that I have become very weary of the Lyre Institute.”
“Four—the pros from the Carresens Yard have arrived, and a Scout team specializing in Old Tech. They’ve taken charge of the Old Core, and are working with the Carresens to clean and detach the old maintenance bays. Ren Stryker’s been rendering the pieces down into useful components.”
She frowned, picked up her cup and sipped, then nodded at the platter.
“You’re supposed to eat one or six of those,” she said.
“Ah.” He selected a triangle of dark bread, finding it stuffed with sharp-tasting cheese. It was quite good.
“It seems you have had a busy time, indeed.”
Theo helped herself to a triangle.
“Gordy sent that he expects to arrive within the next week, Standard,” she said. “Uncle sent word that he’ll be coming in.”
He may have said something under his breath. Theo raised an eyebrow.
“Catie asked him to come. He’s her builder, she says.”
“That is correct,” Jen Sin said. “I will be pleased to meet him.”
He ate another triangle.
“Miri and Val Con have sent word that they’re coming in, too,” Theo said.
Jen Sin stopped with a triangle halfway to his mouth.
“Is that Miri and Val Con, or Korval?”
Theo blinked thoughtfully.
“Joyita, please show Jen Sin a transcript of the message we received from Dragon’s Way.”
“Yes, Captain,” Joyita said, and the table-side came live.
Theo, I need board time, so there wasn’t anything better we could think to do than come out and see the clan’s new home away from home, and introduce ourselves all around. See you soon. Miri
Jen Sin sighed.
“Miri and Val Con, then,” he said. “With the possibility of Korval, later.”
Theo shrugged and ate a triangle. How pleasant it must be, he thought, to be kin, but not clan, and able to dismiss the delm with a shrug.
“There’s three birds sitting on the light pole at the end of our dock,” Theo said. “They’ve been there since Stost brought you in.”
“I see. It sounds as if I ought to be about my business, then, Cousin. Unless there is some way in which I may serve you?”
“If you could convince Ren Zel that you’re well enough to go back to work, then he could go back to the Spinward Arcade, and Clarence could come home and maybe make a celebratory batch of maize buttons.”
He drained his cup and slid to his feet.
“I will make it a priority to return Clarence to you,” he said.
“I’d appreciate it,” Theo said, and walked him to the hatch.
The birds watched him walk down the ramp, and threw themselves into the air the moment his boots touched the dock.
They flashed around his head, and he stopped, for fear of collision.
The green bird landed on his shoulder.
“Jen Sin! Are you well? You didn’t die?”
“I did not die, and I am very well, indeed. Tell me all your news, Catie.”
“I am fully Station now. Disian has arrived, and we have been becoming acquainted—she has offered to be my aunt. Joyita was planning a secret party, but Disian said that, no, I should be let to know, in case there was anyone in particular I wanted to invite. I invite you, and my builder, who was coming anyway, to fetch something from Ren Stryker, so that is fortunate.”
“Fortunate, indeed. What sort of secret party did Joyita envision, I wonder?”
“He said, a becoming party. And Disian said a birthday party. They’re still discussing it.”
“And you?”
“I researched birthday party, and I don’t think that is…exactly correct. Nor do I think becoming party is correct, either. But, Jen Sin, will you come to the party, whatever its name?”
“I am honored to receive an invitation,” he said. “Of course I will come.”
He turned toward the lift.
“Oh,” Catie said. “Anthora wishes to see you in the community room before you go back to the tower.”
He raised an eyebrow.
“I have my orders, I see.”
“Did I use the wrong words, or the wrong inflection? Truly, Jen Sin, it was not an order, only—”
“Only an expression of my cousin Anthora’s wish,” he interrupted gently. “You made no error; we merely see from this that the ’doc did not excise my lamentable sense of humor. Is Anthora at the community room now?”
“She is on her way, and says that she will be there before you if you dawdle any longer.”
“A challenge, in fact!”
“Is that more humor?”
“Sadly so. Do you come with me?”
“Yes, of course!”