“Oh, it’s in the contract. Now.” Sawyer shook her head. “They modified every copy of it we could find. Why would Interstel care to put effort into changing all the digital records, if Bryce just dropped dead? How would they have had the time to get ahead of it, if it were all a surprising tragedy?”

  “They wanted…” Dinah groaned and slid into her seat, giving up on finding her balance. Her stomach roiled, and bile burned in the back of her throat. “They wanted a loyal company man to take over the ship.”

  “We don’t think it’s the whole company – your dad definitely thought you were safe enough there. But…yeah. Someone at Interstel had a little too much interest in what we’re doing.” Sawyer shrugged, but Dinah knew the pain behind the gesture – it surged through her own nerves.

  “Why?” The word burst out of her, the only clear thought she had.

  “Someone wants the colonies to fail?” Viphaaxi offered, then clicked as though she realized it was both too big and too small a reason at once.

  “There’s profit to be made. They don’t want it to be ours.” Sys’Thysin dropped the words with finality. “That is always the case, Human or Thrynn, or whomever. If we get more, they by definition have less, and that will not stand.”

  “So…” Kayfive stood and walked around the table, then crouched in front of Dinah. “If it’s true, they’re definitely watching us, like a marbled hawak from Kessel.”

  “We’ve moved much less product since…ah, since you got here. We can get better at hiding from Interstel but we didn’t…” Ehnuli waved her vines, then stretched them toward Dinah in mute appeal.

  “You didn’t know how much I knew. Or where my loyalties were.” Protests crowded in her throat, and she swallowed them back. She couldn’t just tell them she loved her father more than her job. They had to know it was true. And if they didn’t…they would, soon enough.

  Ehnuli spread her arms in a gesture that didn’t need translation, and Dinah laughed, the sound high and breathless.

  “I’ll tell you this. They can watch all they want. They’ll never see us coming.”

  Hindsight

  By RJ Ladon

  You can do anything. That was Sarat’s father’s mantra. All you need is money and surround yourself with people who have the knowledge you lack. Sarat’s father, Akash, built a financial empire following that rule. But what he failed to mention that those people with the knowledge have opinions, attitudes, and baggage. Why did he ever think leaving Arth was a good idea? Sarat had squandered his inheritance on an Intrepid-Class Scout. Which seemed like a good idea at the time. After hiring crew members, Sarat named his ship Hindsight, as it was the only thing that appeared to be twenty-twenty.

  Sarat raised his hands to stave off any more questions from his only passenger. “Look, I can’t give you crew quarters. You’re a passenger.”

  Ed Nolan squinted. “Sarat.” The older man smiled then grasped his shoulder. “I’m not just a passenger. I hired you. I’m your boss.” With the last three words, Ed poked Sarat’s chest, emphasizing each word. He folded his arms. “Talk to the crew. Make it happen. Do this for me, and I will have another job for you.”

  Sarat shook his head. “You haven’t even told me where we are going or what we are looking for on this job.”

  “All in due time. Just go to the coordinates I gave you.” Ed patted Sarat on the arm in a grandfatherly gesture.

  “Make my life miserable, and I will drop you on an asteroid.” Sarat didn’t like this man. He had to be the most arrogant jackass I had ever worked with. Truth be told, he reminded Sarat of his father.

  “Good.” Ed cracked a smile and dropped his folded arms. “You’ve got some backbone that will help.” The old man turned and walked into the crew commons.

  “Why the smile?”

  Sarat turned to look at Phila Lisney. Her dark, tightly curled hair was pulled into an elegant bun. Her deep brown eyes matched her clothing.

  “Was I smiling? I didn’t mean to. Ed wants to sleep in crew quarters.” Sarat shrugged. “His request is ridiculous.”

  Phila dropped into a parade stance, hands clasped behind her back. “We’re not military. The Hindsight is your ship that makes you the captain. Tell Tonopex and Poxoti to share quarters. They are a mated pair.” She tilted her head to the side. “That change wouldn’t break regulations. The only regulations we have are what you impose, captain.” She nodded, then walked into crew commons.

  “It's not that easy,” he said to her, retreating back. “Have you ever tried to convince a Velox of anything?” Besides, did he really want to set that kind of precedence? Then other passengers would expect the same sort of treatment. A month ago, Captain Sarat Rout's title sounded wonderful, but now it feels like it should be changed to Captain Doormat. We’ve barely left Arth, and I feel like I’m over my head. Sarat pushed his hands through his short dark hair. Sighing, he stepped into crew commons.

  The room was large with a bar and fixed pool, poker, zaxottix, and cylir tables. Zaxottix was a fast and exciting game, played with two to four players. It was notorious for its gambling associations. The pyramid-shaped game required the players to have four or more arms to maneuver the tiles between the transparent levels fast enough to bet upon. Bets were placed depending on the time needed to win. An excellent player could bet six minutes to turn the tiles. Observers could take odds for or against the claimed bet of any player. Humans, even working in tandem, could barely turn the tiles in fifteen minutes, and watching the two-arms play was tedious and boring.

  Cylir, on the other hand, was strategy based similar to the old Arth game Go. The glass tokens were floral shaped and brightly colored, not the black and white of Go. Low-Gahhn and Sahnthhis were engaged in a friendly match. Their leaves twitched and fluttered as they spoke to each other in their native Elowan.

  Low was communications for the Hindsight. She was small and delicate, almost reaching four feet tall. All Elowan carry both male and female organs, but Low was often called she or her due to her size and gentle nature. Low was not offended and even changed her communicator to have a higher tone, making her sound female. She had three arms and three legs. The extra appendages were on her left side, which indicated her tendencies to favor that side.

  Sahnthhis, on the other hand, was tall and more robust than Low. He was hired on as the Hindsight’s medical officer. Sahnthhis or San, for short, loved old Arth clocks and gearing. During his free time, San expressed his creative side with paint and music. His love for crafting new and exciting items allowed him to grow five arms to help him tinker and create.

  Sarat Rout stood near their game table. He waited for a lull in conversion to speak, not that it was apparent when an Elowan stopped talking. They both turned to look at the captain, their pod-like heads tilted to the side. “Low, I need help communicating with Tonopex and Poxoti.” Sarat sighed then continued. “Ed would like a room in the crew cabins, and since they are a mated pair, they could share a room. I am uncertain how to approach either of them on that subject.”

  The smaller of the two Elowan shook her yellow-green foliage, moving her willowy arms and bobbing her head.

  Sarat held up his hand. “Wait a minute, Low. Your communicator is turned off, and my Elowan is horrible.”

  Low turned to San, her three arms twisting and vibrating. Her head tilted then she looked down. Sahnthhis spoke, his communicator set to a low resonance. “Low left her communicator in her room. Nevertheless, she and I believe it unnecessary for Tonopex and Poxoti to share a cabin. Low, and I can share. We enjoy each other’s company.” Low shook an arm at San and made more gestures, then turned to look at Sarat. San continued, “Low wishes me to tell you that you are the captain. If you want Tonopex and Poxoti to share a cabin, all you have to do is command it.”

  Sarat nodded. He knew that, but if he threw around commands, wouldn’t that cause future problems? Would Tonopex or Poxoti dislike him or have a grudge to settle later? The size of their mandibles alone was intimidating. Working for his father and being told what to do was so much easier than being a leader. Sarat didn’t expect these types of challenges. He cleared his throat. “Thank you, San and Low.” He nodded to each of them. “Please combine your quarters and let me know which cabin is available.”

  Sarat turned and saw Phila standing nearby. “You are looking for an easy way out.” She moved as if going to the bar, then stopped and looked over her shoulder. “You need to grow a set.”

  The captain studied Phila’s back as she leaned on the bar. He wanted to deny her comments, but she was right. He turned on his heel, leaving crew commons. The Hindsight corridors were barren of homey touches, no pictures, no paint, no carpet on the floor, only crisscross scoring for gripping boots or claws. The smell, too, left something to be desired, body odor and pheromones. No one told him that Velox produced pheromones and that, in enclosed spaces, was sticky-sweet. Velox looked a lot like Arth ants. It seemed logical that they, too, would have a sweet tooth. Sarat’s stomach turned. I’ll never look at a piece of candy the same.

  Sarat stepped into main engineering. This was Poxoti’s domain. Clicking filled the room. She must be working on something. He would show Phila. He was quite capable of giving orders. The Velox could share quarters just like the Elowan. What on Arth is that? Captain Rout inhaled sharply. The sticky-sweet smell of candy was thicker here. Stomping, scratching, and clicking noises became louder. Next to the engine were eight no, nine limbs. Velox only have six. Oh man, what the hell? Sarat clasped his hand over his mouth, leaning back against the cool wall, feeling like he might vomit at any moment. This was not what he expected. He turned tail and left the two Velox to their relations. The scratching and clicking now made perfect sense. He could die tomorrow, and that smell would follow him past his grave and into hell.

  Everyone was gathered on the bridge. They had arrived at the coordinates Ed gave and were waiting for more information. Sarat glanced at Tonopex as the Velox was at the helm. Ed leaned over the insect-like hominid. His fingers poked at the paper in his hand and then to the display. “That's the system, D5623-578K.” Ed pulled something out of his pocket. Cellophane crinkled, and a hard candy went into his mouth. Sarat covered his face, realizing he would have to get over Velox pheromones sooner rather than later.

  “There is nothing in that system. The sun is a red giant, and all of the planets are too far away to be habitable.” Tonopex stated as if the idea of setting a destination to the system was a waste of time. The Velox’s mandibles clasped and grated near Ed's neck and face as he spoke. Sarat felt uncomfortable, even though it was not he who was so close to the eviscerating mouthparts.

  Ed nodded then spoke around his candy to Tonopex. “That’s why the system retained the original survey designation. No one thought it was worthy of a name.”

  Sarat cleared his throat. “Tonopex is right. Why are we going to that particular system?”

  Ed looked around, folding the paper and putting it into his pocket. “Does it matter? I’m paying the whole lot of you to take me there.”

  “We are going to find out as soon as we get there, are we not?” Phila asked. “Are you gaining anything keeping this secret from us?” She folded her arms then drummed her right fingers on her left arm. “If I were you, I’d want all the crew to know what was going on to prepare them properly.” She glared at Ed. “But that’s just me.”

  Ed looked around the bridge a smug grin showed how pleased he was with himself. “That’s why I hired your ship. You’re not military.” His eyes hovered over each crew member.

  Phila wiped her nose. “Some of us are ex-military.” Her intense stare held Ed in position.

  Ed fidgeted in response. “It’s not like that. It’s not illegal or anything.” He wrung one hand against another.

  “Explain,” Sarat interjected. “Or I will instruct Tonopex to find the nearest asteroid.”

  Phila dropped into a parade stance, seemingly relieved by Sarat’s interruption.

  “It’s nothing. It’s nothing.” Ed spread his hands wide. “When I was on the frigate Morning Star, I ran navigation. While surveying new regions for an M class planet. I found other things.” Ed shrugged. “But the captain didn’t want to hear of other things. He told me to shut my mouth.” He shrugged again. “So, I did.”

  Sarat waited for a moment for Ed to continue, but he didn’t. “And?” he prompted.

  “And, well, some of the other things were not planets.” Ed looked away.

  Phila stepped to Ed’s side and leaned into him. “If you don’t finish your story, I’ll throw you out the airlock without the benefit of an asteroid.”

  “Fine, fine.” Ed waved Phila off. “I found a huge ship. But the captain didn’t want to hear of it. Especially since it was derelict.”

  “We’re going after a derelict ship?” Sarat asked.

  Ed turned to face Sarat. “Not just derelict, it’s at least a century old. When I asked the science officer on the Morning Star, the design wasn't in her database. Completely alien. I believe it to be from outside the Alpha Sector. The salvage of materials will be well worth the effort of towing it home.” Ed raised a finger. “But the real money will be in the technology that is found. A ship that old, that big, and that far from home must have technology that we’ve never seen before.” Ed rubbed his hands together; excitement covered his face.

  Phila fought back a smile. She was Hindsight's science officer and understood the potential of such a find. “Your captain.” Phila shot Sarat a glance. “At the time, your captain didn't want to hear about your discovery?”

  Ed shook his head. “He only had eyes and ears for M class planets, nothing more. In his words, I don’t want to hear about the minutia of the entire system.” Ed sang-song the quoted words from his previous captain, making it clear how far his admiration went.

  “You realize this changes everything,” Sarat said. “There are laws to salvage. If there are survivors, we are not allowed to just take the ship from them.”

  The old man laughed. “Didn’t you hear? The ship’s over a century old. No one’s on it. There wasn’t a power signature. Nothing. The ship and everything on it is dead.”

  “How long until we see the system, Tonopex?” Sarat asked.

  The grating, raspy insect voice said, “Fifteen hours.”

  System D5623-578K rolled across the main display on the bridge. The massive red giant glowed softly. Eight planets were so far from their sun that they were barely discernible from the background stars. The closest planet to the sun was a gas giant and well outside the goldilocks zone.

  Ed instructed Tonopex to move closer to the sun. “There, do you see it?” Ed’s voice rose an octave as his excitement mounted.

  Tonopex commented in Velox, clicking his mandibles appreciatively. “Sarat, you need to see this.” The Velox put his display onto the main screen for everyone to see. The red giant glowed, taking up the entire image, but there as if floating on the surface of the sun, was a long black shape.

  Ed watched, standing to the side, nodding like a proud father. “There we are. Isn’t she a ‘beaut?” The old man turned to Tonopex. “How far is she from the sun?”

  “1.25 AU. It only looks closer because of this view.” Tonopex manipulated the feed to show the image from a slight angle. “Our trajectory has changed. This is current.” The enormous ship orbited the sun at a strange angle, allowing what appeared to be the top to face the sun.

  “It was in the habitable zone when I first saw it too.” Ed frowned. “Can a derelict do that?” Ed turned away from the screen and looked from Sarat to Phila.

  “I’m not sure I follow.” Sarat shook his head.

  “Are you suggesting a ship failed and went into orbit around this sun on its own?” Phila pursed her lips. “A stable orbit? No, I think the odds are against it. Someone piloted the ship into its current flight path.” She raised a finger. “Even so, unless there is some technology we are unaware of, a stable orbit for hundreds of years seems unlikely.”

  “Could it be a Sanguine Ambush?” Ed looked like he might become sick. “Maybe I should have hired a military commander.” He looked back at Sarat and waved his hand dismissively. “No offense, Captain.”

  “None taken Ed. You simply wanted someone you could bully. You should have thought about the skill set an experienced crew could provide.” Sarat smirked. “Low, have you detected any communications going in or out of the derelict ship?”

  “No, Captain. The whole system is quiet.” Low fumbled with her communicator then set it on the table before her. Her willowy appendages manipulated the knobs and switches on the console. Every so often, her head would turn as if she were listening to something no one else could hear.

  “Phila, are you detecting anything? A power source? Emissions? Exhaust?” Sarat shrugged.

  “What did you say?” Phila lifted one sculpted eyebrow.

  Sarat raised a hand as if to stave off a physical blow. “I don't even know what you would look for. I’m not trying to tell you how to do your job.”

  “Actually,” Phila admitted. “That’s an excellent idea.” Phila shrugged. “It’s just that you surprised me.” Her delicate hands danced over the interface as she selected sensors. Phila paused, and her eyes widened. “Well, that’s interesting.” She looked up to the captain. “Sir, I think I found something.”

  “Yes?” Sarat and Ed said together.

  Phila gave Ed a nasty stare, then turned her attention to Sarat. “There appears to be a trail of jetsam coming from one section of the craft. All of it is of similar material and size.”

  “What does that tell you?” Sarat asked.

  “If we could get a sample, I could tell you more.”

  Ed put his hands on his hips and stared at Phila. “Well, hell, if we’re going to get that close, we might as well board the ship and investigate. Enough of this science at a distance. Let’s go and get dirty.”