Chasing Stars

Chapter 23

Induction took place in Conference Room Four, on C Deck. As well as Peg and me, there were two other new recruits, the two women sharing my berthing area: Nikki and Becca. They were both teachers.

‘This place has a school?’ I said, surprised.

‘There are two thousand residents on board the Inter-Planetary Spaceport,’ said Milo. ‘Including two hundred and fifty children. We have a suite of twelve classrooms to accommodate their education.’

I couldn’t imagine how awful it must be for those children to grow up on board a spaceport. To live their young lives in an artificial atmosphere. To never swim in the ocean, or run through the trees.

‘You’ll see the schoolrooms during the tour,’ said Milo. ‘But first we need to run through the Health and Safety policy.’

We were shown a short film and given a lecture on what we were and were not allowed to do on board the spaceport.

‘And now for perhaps the most important part of your induction,’ said Milo. ‘Emergency evacuation.’

Peg caught my eye, a fleeting glance.

‘In the event that the spaceport needs to be evacuated,’ Milo continued, ‘emergency lighting will illuminate. If you follow the green arrows they will direct you to the emergency shuttle bay.’

Milo led us from the conference room and along the passageway to the shuttle bay, the same one we’d followed the night before.

‘How do you get inside?’ asked Peg when we arrived.

‘Only those with high level security clearance can get inside,’ said Milo, waving his ID. ‘Except in an emergency. When the spaceport is on a Code Red, the hatch opens automatically.’

‘I don’t suppose there’s any chance we can take a look inside?’ asked Peg.

‘Not today. There isn’t time.’

‘If I saw a fire, how would I operate the alarm?’ I asked.

‘Good question,’ said Milo. ‘There are alarms all over the spaceport. You simply break the glass to sound the alarm and then head to your nearest muster station.’

From the emergency shuttle bay, we were shown the sick bay, the mess rooms, the kitchens and the stores. Milo took our photographs and issued basic ID cards. And then we moved on to the other things we would need to know. I tried to hide my impatience; if everything went to plan we wouldn’t need to know how to log an accident or where to go to get a burn treated.

‘Before we head up to A Deck, let’s go over to the laundry room and pick up some uniforms for you,’ said Milo.

Peg was talking to Milo about what sort of clearance we would need to access each area. I wanted to listen in, but didn’t want to seem too obvious, so I fell into step with Nikki and Becca.

‘Why do you want to work up here?’ I asked Becca.

She looked at me like I was stupid. ‘For the pay of course. My salary here is four times what they pay back on Earth. My boyfriend and I are saving for a house.’

‘Is he here too?’

She shook her head. ‘He was hoping to get a job in the kitchens but apparently all the posts were filled.’

I smiled at her. ‘I bet a position will open up again soon.’

We reached the laundry room. ‘Every Friday you must bring your clothes to be washed and pick up new uniforms for the week,’ Milo told us.

We were each given five tunics and loose trousers, a pair of shoes and a sash. Mine and Peg’s were green for the kitchens. Nikki and Becca had purple.

‘We will complete your induction in the Landing Bay,’ said Milo, glancing at his wristwatch. ‘We’ll need to make this quick; there’s a scheduled arrival at eleven o’clock.’

When we had first arrived, Peg and I had to go through the rigorous security procedure for visitors. Now that we were residents with identification cards, we were able to take the much faster route through residents’ security.

‘You won’t spend much time in the Landing Bay,’ said Milo as we walked out on to the docks. ‘But every time you have shore leave, you will embark and disembark the spaceport here. And it’s imperative that you understand how dangerous the landing bay really is.’

I looked around. The landing bay was a busy area, with dockers unloading cargo ships and cleaners working on the shuttles. It smelt like a poisonous mix of hot metal and welding fumes.

‘The cargo docks are at the far end,’ said Milo, pointing to the other end of the landing bay. ‘Shuttle craft dock as close to security as possible.’ He checked his watch. ‘Any moment now, you will hear an alarm. It consists of five long blasts. That’s the ten-minute warning.’

‘Warning for what?’ asked Becca.

‘Warning that the hatch to the landing bay is about to be opened. If you find yourself in the landing bay when that hatch opens, you’ll get sucked into space. You’d be surprised: it does happen. You either need to get out of here within ten minutes or stay inside one of the ships. The ships are all clamped down. Don’t leave until you hear the all clear. That is three short blasts of the alarm. Don’t take any chances out here.’

The alarm sounded. Five long blasts, so loud that any conversation was impossible.

‘That’s the alarm,’ said Milo. He escorted us back through security. ‘Work starts tomorrow,’ he said. ‘Kitchens at seven. Schoolroom at eight. Make sure you show up on time and in uniform.’

We were dismissed. I checked my watch: eleven on the dot.

‘How long do you think it will take for them to transport Ryan from the ship to the holding cell?’ I whispered to Peg.

He shrugged. ‘It took us thirty minutes to clear security.’

My arms were aching with the weight of five uniforms. We followed Nikki and Becca back down to B Deck to hang up our uniforms and work out our next move.

‘Nikki and I are going to freshen up and go to the Space Bar,’ said Becca. ‘Do you want to join us?’

‘Maybe later. My friend Peg and I are going to go and check out the library.’

Nikki pulled a face that evidently summed up her opinion of the library, and the two of them went into the bathroom.

I pulled the plastic wrap off one of the kitchen tunics and put it on. It was made of a soft green cotton and hung to just above my knees. The sash that went with it was a darker green. Quickly I tied it around my waist. The final part of the kitchen uniform was a hat designed to cover your hair. I bundled my hair into a ponytail and coiled it on top of my head, pulling the hat over it to hold it in place.

I was just about ready. All I needed to do was put on my necklace – the one with my mum’s wedding ring attached – for good luck. Rummaging through my backpack for it, I noticed the penny I’d found, seconds before leaving 2012. I tucked it into my tunic pocket; I’d need all the luck I could get.

Peg was waiting for me out in the passageway. He smirked. ‘You look lovely in a utilitarian sort of way.’

I looked up and down the passageway. There was no one around. ‘I have an idea,’ I said in a low voice. ‘I’m going to head down to the kitchens and say that I’ve been sent to get lunch for the prisoner. I’ll take it up to the holding cell.’

‘That might get you in,’ said Peg. ‘Then what?’

‘You’ll be waiting outside. Last time I passed, there was only one guard. As soon as she unlocks the cell to let me deliver the food, you come in. I’m going to try and get something hot – soup maybe – to throw in her face. Between us we can overpower her and free Ryan. Then we dress him in one of your uniforms, hit the alarm and head for the evacuation shuttles.’

‘It could work,’ said Peg, unravelling the map. ‘There’s a restroom close to the holding cell. I could wait in there with a spare uniform for Ryan. Why don’t I head up to the bar to meet Lyra and find out if Ryan’s in the cell yet?’

‘Good idea. I’ll meet you in the restroom in twenty minutes,’ I said. ‘Wish me luck.’

The kitchens were down on C Deck. I smelt them long before I reached them. Steam and grease, the lingering fishiness of seaweed. Then came the clanging of pans and the clattering of dishes, voices calling. Lunchtime. Everyone would be busy. Perfect.

‘Are you the new girl?’ a red-faced woman barked at me. ‘You’re late.’

I was about to tell her that I wasn’t scheduled to begin until tomorrow, but she thrust a platter of steamed rice into my hands and ordered me to deliver it to the canteen. I carried it swiftly to the serving table, feeling more and more like a worker and not an imposter. The canteen was already busy with workers in for the early sitting. I squeezed the platter of rice on to the end of the table, next to a tureen of steaming hot soup.

At one end of the table was a pile of plates and bowls. The workers each picked up a plate and shuffled along the line, buffet style, helping themselves to what they wanted. I grabbed a plate and spooned some rice onto it.

‘Hey, you!’ said one of the kitchen staff, a young boy with a face full of spots. ‘What do you think you’re doing?’

‘The captain asked me to bring a plate of food to him,’ I said.

‘The captain doesn’t eat down here. You get the captain’s food up on A Deck.’

‘He specifically asked me to come down here and fetch him a bowl of the soup. It’s his favourite.’

The spotty boy accepted my explanation. I filled a bowl with soup, placed it on the tray next to the rice and put a cover on top. Then, to make it look realistic, I added a bottle of water. I walked carefully, wishing I hadn’t filled the soup bowl so high, out of the canteen and down the passage to the lifts. Thankfully the lift was empty. I plastered a bland, bored look on my face and pressed the button for A Deck.

The lift opened with a ping on B Deck and Nikki and Becca came in. Nikki had changed into a dress and was using her hands to explain to Becca all the different ranks on board the spaceport. My heart began to race. They knew I wasn’t due to begin until tomorrow. I ducked my head and turned away, staring down at the tray.

‘There are ten men for every woman on the spaceport,’ Nikki was saying. ‘The officers all eat and drink up on A Deck.’

‘OK,’ said Becca. ‘I’ll come with you just this once. But I’m here to save money, not to spend it.’

The lift slowed and stopped and the door slid open. Keeping my head bowed, I let them leave first. I pressed the button to hold the door until I heard their voices fading as they made their way towards the bar, and then took the other direction, towards the restrooms and cells. Just before I reached the holding cell, a door opened a crack and a voice hissed at me. ‘Hey! Eden!’

I stopped. It was Peg. ‘I’m in here. OK?’

I nodded and used my hip to open the door fully.

‘Did you see Lyra?’ I asked.

‘No. She’s not there yet.’

‘We must be too early. I should wait. What time is it?’

‘Half eleven.’

‘I’ll give it ten minutes,’ I said. The tray was heavy; I put it on the floor and stretched my arms.

‘There’s always the possibility that she won’t be able to get to the bar,’ said Peg. ‘Milo said it was an expedited transfer. They’re only here for three hours. They still have to have security clearance and clear quarantine. That doesn’t leave a lot of time for anything else.’

‘She’ll do everything she can to help us, though?’ I said.

‘Of course she will.’

Hanging around in the restroom, just waiting, wasn’t helping my nerves. ‘I’m going to go now,’ I said.

Peg picked up the tray and put it in my arms. ‘Good luck.’

I edged out of the restroom and continued on my way, fear trickling through me as I approached the holding cell. The door was open just as it had been the day before. The same security guard was sitting behind the desk, reading something on her port-com. Using my elbow to push the door open wide, I took a deep breath and stepped inside.

I scanned the room quickly. There were four barred doors, each leading to a cell. Now that I was closer to the guard, I realised she was solid-looking, all muscle. She probably had a weapon on her somewhere, but for now she was sat behind the desk.

‘Yes?’ she asked, without looking up from her port-com.

‘I have lunch for the prisoner Orion Westland,’ I said. My voice was too thin, too feeble.

‘He’s not here.’

I cleared my throat. ‘Then I’ll wait. The captain ordered me to hand his meal directly to him.’

The guard finally tore her eyes away from her port-com. ‘Wait as long as you like. I have no prisoners scheduled to arrive today.’

‘But the captain told me that he would be arriving this morning. He insisted I hand deliver his lunch.’

The woman shrugged indifferently. ‘You want me to page the captain?’

‘No! He’ll kill me for messing this up.’

The woman squinted at me. ‘Who are you? I don’t recognise your face?’

‘I’m new,’ I said, backing out of the room. ‘I made a mistake. Sorry.’

I hurried out of the prison office and down the corridor to the restroom where Peg was hiding.

‘What happened?’ asked Peg.

‘He’s not there. The guard said she has no scheduled prisoners today.’

Peg sighed. ‘Why can’t something go our way just once?’

I put the tray on the floor. ‘What are we going to do?’

‘Just leave the tray here. Change out of your uniform and we’ll go to the bar. Perhaps Lyra will be there by now.’

The Space Bar was shaped like a wedge of pizza, with the entrance at its narrow pointed end, and windows on the curved wider edge. The bar itself bisected the room. Although it was daytime, the sky outside was as black as night, the stars steady and unblinking. Two men were sitting alone at the bar. There were a couple of pilots sitting at a table by the window. At the end of the bar closest to the pilots, Becca and Nikki were each nursing a glass of wine and talking too loudly. But there was no sign of Lyra.

‘Maybe his ship was delayed,’ I said.

‘Let’s see if we can find a com-screen. If the ship’s been delayed, it will be on the news.’ He began walking towards the exit.

‘Unless,’ I began, grabbing Peg’s arm. ‘What if they bypassed the spaceport and went directly to the moon?’

Peg stopped. ‘That doesn’t seem likely. It’s a long haul to the moon. There are rules about flying hours and scheduled breaks, not to mention security clearance.’

‘What time is it?’

‘Twelve fifteen.’

Nikki shrieked with laughter, a high-pitched, attention-seeking laugh. I turned to look at her. And that was when I saw him. From behind I hadn’t recognised him, probably because I wasn’t expecting to see him here. But he had turned towards Nikki as well. His expression was one of pure irritation.

I grabbed Peg’s elbow.

‘What is it?’

‘Clarence.’

We both stared. He had his back to us again and was tucking into a plate of food.

‘If he’s here,’ I whispered, ‘that must mean the ship has docked and the passengers have cleared security.’

‘Let’s go,’ said Peg quietly. ‘If he sees us, he’ll know we’re up to something.’

It was too late. Nikki laughed again and Clarence turned his head. Peg and I were just in his line of sight. He stared.

‘Crap,’ I muttered under my breath. ‘We just lost the elem­ent of surprise.’

‘Eden?’ Clarence had hopped off his bar stool and was walking over to us. ‘What the hell are you doing here? With him?’

‘Good to see you too,’ said Peg.

‘I got Pegasus a job here on the spaceport,’ I said, my brain rushing ahead of my mouth, pulling ideas from everywhere.

‘She knows Benjamin Hansen, the captain,’ said Peg.

‘Peg’s helped me out a lot. I’m just pleased I could do something for him,’ I said.

‘But why are you here?’

‘Ben invited me to come along for the ride. Say hello and introduce the two of them.’

‘Right.’ He narrowed his eyes. ‘Because the captain of the Inter-Planetary Spaceport has so much free time on his hands. I’m not buying it.’

‘And I don’t give a damn,’ said Peg.

Clarence ignored Peg and stared at me. ‘Is there something I should know about the two of you? I’m not going to be jerked around.’

I stepped between the two of them and lowered my voice. ‘Peg has a thing for Lyra Thornhill. Is she here? I know he’s hoping to see her.’

‘Good luck with that. She got a nasty bout of space sickness on the way here. She’s in the ladies’ room cleaning herself up.’

‘Which ladies’ room?’

Clarence pointed behind him.

‘I’d better check on her. Try not to fall out with Peg.’

Lyra was standing by the basins, splashing water on her face. Her skin had a yellowish tinge to it. I quickly checked the stalls to make sure they were empty.

‘Clarence said you were sick,’ I said.

‘I’ll live.’

‘Where is he?’

She met my eye in the mirror above the sink. ‘They’re not letting him off the ship.’

‘Why not?’

‘I don’t know. They brought the quarantine doctor on board to clear everybody. I think Wolfe wants to get this done as quickly as possible. Just a crew change and we’re on our way.’

‘We’ll never get him through security,’ I said. ‘We need him in the holding cells for our plan to work.’

‘That’s not going to happen, Eden. Wolfe has about twenty reporters on board the ship with him. They’re docu­menting the whole thing. Wolfe’s been answering questions all morning. Posing for photos. It makes me sick.’

‘How’s Ryan?’

‘He’s scared. But he’s also being incredibly stubborn. Refusing to answer all questions except mine.’

I allowed myself a smile. ‘Good for him. Who else is on board apart from the media?’

‘Just Orion, Wolfe and a security guard.’

‘We have to get those reporters off the ship,’ I said.

‘You’ll never be able to do that,’ she said. ‘Orion’s story is huge. No one is going to walk away from that.’

‘What if there was another story?’ I said. ‘A bigger one. A story about the son of a Guardian who crashed his car because he was drunk, let someone else take the blame for him and stole fuel from his father’s depot? Do you think they might want to hear that?’

‘What about Peg?’

‘He’s another witness. He’ll back up your story.’

‘That’s not what I mean. Remember what I said to you about him getting into trouble for covering up the truth.’

‘No one knows Peg helped Ryan but us. And we’re not telling. Come on. He’d want you to do this.’