“Whatever,” Valerie said. “Let’s go. Meta probably needs our help.”
They exited her quarters, and she turned toward the engine room. Riker caught her elbow. Valerie spun around, staring at him.
The sergeant seemed serene now. “You must eat first.”
“I don’t have time. We don’t have time.”
“No. You need your wits about you. Remember, Lieutenant, Meta is a cunning individual. There’s a reason she was on Loki Prime. We mustn’t forget that.”
Valerie rubbed her eyes. The sergeant had a point. Captain Maddox was unorthodox and selected unorthodox people. She Valerie knew how to follow orders and do things the Star Watch way. She suspected Sergeant Riker was the same way. People like them needed to stick together.
“Let’s get chow,” she said.
Afterward, they headed to the engine room.
Several hours later, Riker yawned. “I’m taking a break,” he said.
The lieutenant glanced at his bloodshot eye. The old man turned away, staggering as he departed. He was a tough old bird, but he didn’t have their youthful energy. Was he even the right individual for such a daunting mission as this?
Valerie moved nearer Meta, who had grease stains on her coveralls and a burn across her left cheek. She’d gotten that earlier. Normal lighting had returned, which made repairs easier. Meta stepped away from what she’d been doing and sank onto a stool. Valerie leaned against a control panel.
It had almost been four days since they’d left the Loki System. Just how close was the destroyer to reaching them?
“We’re mobile to a degree,” Meta said. It meant the fusion plant was working somewhat. “Since the scout has some power, I’d like to take a break to see Dana.”
Valerie almost said yes. Instead, she pondered the request. Meta was tough as well as handy with repairs. Something about the two G miner troubled Valerie, though. She hadn’t been able to pinpoint her qualms before this. Now it came to her. Meta felt a lot like one of the Detroit gang members she used to encounter.
“What was it like on the Rouen Colony?” Valerie asked.
The questioned seemed to catch Meta off-guard. Her features closed down, and her shoulders tensed. Then Meta laughed. It wasn’t a happy sound, but bitter. “Why do you want to know?”
The days of working together and her present exhaustion loosened Valerie’s tongue. She began telling Meta something about her childhood in Detroit. Once she started talking, the words poured out of her. Maybe it was the way Meta nodded in understanding. The woman sympathized, seemed to have gone through similar troubles. Valerie had never met someone who could experientially understand her.
After a time, Meta related a few details about the Rouen Colony: the harsh rules and that everyone had legally belonged to the Chabot family as property.
“You were slaves?” Valerie asked.
“Effectively,” Meta said.
“That’s awful!”
Meta cocked her head as if assessing Valerie’s words. After a few seconds, she smiled.
The smile shocked Valerie. She realized it was the first time the woman had truly smiled while aboard the Geronimo. Despite her growing sympathy for Meta, it reminded Valerie how dangerous the woman was. Those other smiles—Did she use those to lull us?
“Meta, I hope this doesn’t make you angry, but I’m going to call Captain Maddox. I want his permission for us to see Doctor Rich.”
“Does he control you, then?” Meta asked sarcastically.
“He’s the commanding officer. I belong to Star Watch. A little over a month ago, I captained an escort. When I gave an order, I expected my people to follow it. If I demand something from others, I should be willing to give it myself.”
“We’ve worked hard to save the scout,” Meta said. “That has created a bond of friendship between us. Friends help each other.”
“I agree. But this is a military vessel of the Star Watch. We have rules to govern our behavior.”
“Rules to limit you,” Meta said.
“No,” Valerie said. “The rules give us strength because we know we can trust each other. In that way, we can work together in order to accomplish a greater goal. The New Men have invaded, Meta. We have to stop them. Look what they did to your friend.”
“I don’t know what they did,” Meta said. “I haven’t seen Dana since the mine attack.”
Valerie took out a comm-unit, switching it on with her thumb. “Captain Maddox,” she said.
“Yes, Lieutenant,” he said. He was outside helping Keith weld.
“I would like permission to take Meta into medical so she can see Doctor Rich.”
There was a pause until Maddox asked, “Is there a reason for this?”
“Kindness for one thing,” Valerie said, “for another as a reward for a job well done. The engine will work, to an extent.”
“May I remind you, Lieutenant, that Meta is dangerous?”
“Ah, sir,” Valerie said, looking up at Meta. “She can hear you.”
“Do you have a reason for this request you’re not sharing with me?” Maddox asked.
“Yes, sir.”
“Very well, you may take her. But I want Sergeant Riker to join you.”
“Thank you, sir.”
“You’re welcome, lieutenant” he said. “And thank you, Meta, for helping repair the engine.”
Meta stared at the comm-unit, making Valerie wonder what the woman was really thinking.
Together with Meta, Valerie approached the robo-doctor. Sergeant Riker stood near the hatch, with a stunner in his regular hand.
This and the control room had been the two chambers sealed from Meta.
As Dana Rich lay prone, a metal dish sat over her skull. She’d received deep gashes there, as well as a broken arm, ribs and leg. In a parody of normalcy, as if she heard them, her brown features shifted into a grimace.
“She’s in pain,” Meta said. “You must give her more painkillers.”
“In time,” Riker said. “The robo-doctor is watching her now. It knows what to do.”
Meta looked back to sneer at him. “What does a machine know? She’s in pain. You must help her.”
“Have you thought that maybe the robo-doctor has analyzed that it will help her wake from the coma faster if she feels pain?” Riker asked.
“I can’t believe you’d say that,” Meta told him.
Valerie put a restraining hand on Meta’s right arm. The Rouen Colony woman looked up sharply. Valerie took her hand away.
“Sorry,” the lieutenant said.
“No…” Meta said, after a moment. “I’ve… I’ve been on Loki Prime four long years. They were nasty and brutal years. It’s… It’s hard to remember how normal people react.”
“You’ve been under pressure far longer than that,” Valerie said. “Your concern for Doctor Rich—it’s good she has a friend like you.”
Meta stared at Valerie, finally nodding. The two of them turned to study Doctor Rich. Finally, Meta’s shoulders sagged. It was the first sign she’d shown of being tired.
“I’m exhausted, Valerie. I’m sick of…” Meta trailed off, waving her hand. “All my life, I’ve lived under other people’s rules. I don’t remember the last time I did something for myself. Dana… she’s a hard woman. She’s ambitious and driven like your captain. She’s angry at the universe.”
Valerie wondered if she might also be angry at life. That would mean she had something in common with Doctor Rich.
“I’m tired of being trapped by situations,” Meta said. “There’s something else, too. I don’t know if I’ve ever shared this with anyone. Vengeance doesn’t relieve you of pain like you think it should. Instead, it twists your heart with bitterness. This past week, I’ve had a lot more time to think than I normally would. With these repairs… I do some of my best thinking while working…”