"Then get us there."
"On it." He stopped after a few seconds and looked at me grinning. "God I love spending all this money!"
I had to laugh. He looked like a little kid. He went back to it. It was almost full dark before he started scooping things back into his bag.
"We've got tickets on the ten p.m. bullet, but I also booked on the midnight sonic just in case. It cost more, but..." I sighed. "Anyway, once we get there, we'll have to pay the pilot fees and gas tax."
"Gas tax?"
"Yeah. The tax on the sleeping gas."
I had forgotten that part of it. "I don't want sleeping gas."
Marlon laughed and started for the house.
"I mean it."
He stopped. "You have to have the gas." He was smiling, but the smile slowly faded. "Oh my g...You're serious."
"I can't use the gas. I'll be out for a good twelve hours after."
"You are insane."
"Marlon, if I'm knocked out..."
"No," he cut in. "I mean it. You're legitimately, clinically insane. The space air really has fried your brain!"
"I jumped without gas through the fah'ti."
"But..."
"And we ran out of the gas years and years ago on the Condor."
"But that's different. That rat trap didn't travel at these speeds."
He had a point. "If I land and can't walk or talk or think for myself..."
He swore and kicked a rock. "You're crazy! It won't work. I don't even know if it's possible. Safety protocol my make it impossible for us to launch without it."
I had to concede that point. "Fine. When we get there we'll see if it's possible. I have to at least try, Marlon."
"I can't help you kill yourself."
"She needs me, Marlon."
He looked at me for a minute before squeezing his eyes shut. He swore again, sighed, and shook his head. "Come on. We've got a long night ahead."
Chapter 15
"You are insane." He was an older man, which was good. It meant he was a seasoned pilot and knew for himself what was and was not possible.
"Fine. I'm insane. Now, is it possible?"
Marlon was chugging a coffee from the vendor at the space port. It was approaching two a.m. and we should have been spent. I was, at least emotionally. It was so hard to spend the evening with everyone at Alistair's knowing we had this big secret, especially after Lynette apologized.
"I was worried, Jake. You worried me. I get mad when someone makes me worry, especially when it's about something stupid. You're not just my job, you know." She held my hand. And then we watched the clock and waited. And waited. Everyone seemed unnaturally chatty that evening and the anxiety had built and built. It wasn't until nine thirty that Ralph said he was tired and heading to bed. He told Lynette to do the same. I think he wanted me to chat with Alistair some more. He commented earlier in the evening how much "better" I seemed. I think he gave Alistair's old wisdom the credit. I said goodnight. In my head, I said good bye.
After they went to bed, Alistair sat and stared into his fake fire. He let the painful seconds tick by. He looked up at me then. He knew. He stood and I stood and then he hugged me.
I understand. I think it's foolish. I think you're going to be sorry. And I am terrified for you and what you might find. But above all, I understand. Do you know how badly I wish this old body could join you?
Then he released me before I started to cry and shook Marlon's hand. "When you get out of prison, boy, find your way back here."
Marlon's eyes went wide. "How did..."
"Just do as I said." He winked at me and then said loudly, "This old back of mine needs a nap. Don't stay up too late looking at the stars, boys. And return the Jeep to the garage when you're done."
I smiled. He gave us everything we still needed, an excuse to be out, a valid reason we'd be gone all night, and permission to use his Jeep transport. I wished he could come, too.
Once at the station in Denver, it was easy enough to find my ship. We just went to the private Cosworth terminal and there it was. The old pilot was in the midst of monitoring the bots filling the catalyst drive when we approached.
"You just can't do it, son," he said again after hearing that I wanted to do the run without gas.
"Do you know who he is?" Marlon jumped in on my behalf.
"Don't matter who he is. It can't be done."
I looked to Marlon who gave me an I told you so look. I turned back to the pilot. "So no one has ever done it? How do the pilots fly if they're gassed?"
He gave a raspy chuckle. "The pilots are bots, kid. Haven't been people in the cockpit since X2. Too dangerous."
Aha! A way in. "But X1 and X2 had pilots. They weren't gassed."
"And they cracked up the ships, didn't they? Nope. Can't be done. Hey!" he shouted at the bot filling the catalyst drive. "No top offs! Just the max and leave it at that." He scoffed. "Bloody bots programmed to squeeze every credit out of us. You'd think a bot would be honest. Just goes to show it depends on who's doing the programming."
I didn't care about the bots overcharging me. "Look, Mr..."
"Collins."
"Mr. Collins. I..."
"Bert, to my friends."
"Fine. Bert."
"I didn't say you were a friend."
"He signs your payouts," Marlon said pointedly.
"That so?" Bert's eyes widened and he let out a long whistle. "Oh. Then you're Cosworth himself."
"Yes. And I really want to know why you can't make the trip without gas."
"It'll tear you up, Mr. Cosworth. Just tear you to pieces. We're not made to go that fast." It would not tear you to pieces, and I knew that full well. He was trying to do his job to protect me, whether it was because I was his boss or a kid didn't matter.
"I've jumped. I've made more jumps through wormholes and galactic funnels than you can imagine and I've done the majority of it without gas. It's not going to tear me up and I know that." He looked a little guilty. "Now, tell me what will really happen, because time is running short and this is very important." I was surprised at how authoritative I sounded. Even Marlon stood a little taller after my demands of Bert.
Bert looked almost panicked. "Look, Mr. Cosworth. I don't want to lose my job. Just sit in there and get the gas and have an easy trip."
Marlon sighed heavily. "This is taking forever. Let's cut to the chase. This man can fire you on the spot. Do you have a family?"
I almost jumped in to let Bert know I would not, in fact, fire him on the spot. But damn if it wasn't working.
"Yes, sir," he said almost miserably. "But I'll get fired if I help you. Fired, and maybe get Mr. Cosworth killed."
"I see," said Marlon. He pulled the slider machine out of his bag and grabbed Bert's employee pass key.
"Hey!"
Marlon swiped it and handed it back before Bert could say anything else. He began tapping on his holo.
"Now see here. I don't care who you are, there's things you don't do and..." He stopped talking. Marlon was holding his holo in front of Bert's face. I watched as Bert's eyes widened.
"With one push of a button, I will add a zero to that amount. And if you do not help us I will take them all away. Do we understand each other?"
"But...but...I don't want to get jailed."
"You will not be jailed," I said quickly. "You have my word."
"They'll trace that credit balance..."
"And see that it is from a contest you entered through a radio station last week. Come on, Bert. We both know I'm better than that." It was Marlon's shining moment and he was enjoying every minute. "Now, do we add a zero or do we start taking them away?" It was amazing.
Bert rubbed his mouth for just a second and looked around. No one was on the platform this late, just him and us, and the deaf drone bots preparing the X3. "Before I tell you anything else you have to know that this insane. It's absolutely unheard of. It's...it's..."
"Suicide, I know. But there's a way, isn't there?"
He sighed heavily. "If I kill the Jacob Cosworth..."