Melissa Good - Xena Sci-Fi 1 Partners By Melissa Good

She’d thought Joshua was a friend. He sure acted like one. She followed Stephan’s silent form down the empty hall, memories chasing her footsteps. She remembered the easy companionship, the casual dinners, and games of cards in their quarters in the infrequent intervals they’d been in them.

She still wanted to throw up every time she thought about him. With a sigh, she shifted the strap of her duffel on her shoulder as they crossed the central corridor and turned into the series of blast shields that led to the transport entrance.

Doors slid shut after them as they went, each one putting her more on the outside until they got to the last one, and she could smell a transport off gassing nearby. Just before the door was a lock clearance, and first Stephan, and then Jess stepped into it, enduring the electric blue tickle of the genetiscan that was the final determination of identity.

Jess heard the soft chimes and burbles. “Ident complete. “ The calm voice of the system announced. “Final exit confirmed. Do not attempt reentry.”

Stephen keyed open the external entrance, and the smell of the transport got a lot stronger. He led the way outside onto the landing pad and waited for Jess to join him.

The door slid shut behind her, and Jess felt a sudden sense of deep loss that made her jaw clench. Even the sight of the transport, usually an interest of hers, didn’t dull it. She moved to one side and sat down on the bench to wait, as the big jet’s hatch was still sealed shut and the techs were still bringing out umbilicals and cooling to it.

Stephen sat down next to her, resting his elbows on his knees, watching the gasses from the jet lifts evaporate. “I’m sorry.” He said, after a long moment.

“For what?” Jess leaned back and rested her head against the rock wall. “None of this was your fault, Stephan.”

“I know.” He agreed. “I’m just sorry. I don’t’ want you to leave. I’ll miss you.”

Jess was so surprised she nearly fell off the bench. She turned her head and looked at Stephen, but he was staring ahead, his shoulders hunched. “Well.” She said. “I’ll miss you too.” She waited for him to look at her, and their eyes met. “I’ll miss this place. It’s the only home I’ve ever known.”

“Stupid mother fuckers.” Stephen said, clipping the words, and clamping his jaw shut. “If Elias was still here…”

“Well, she’s not.” Jess sighed. “But she would have kicked Bricker’s ass, that’s true, and put a shut on his damn crazy ideas.”

The transport door opened, and moved down to form a ramp, and after a brief pause, several people came out. Most were in Interforce uniform, and didn’t really give them a glance on passing. The last two were a man and a women, both blond and in civilian dress.

The woman had a bio alt collar, and as she cleared the ramp she looked over and her eyes met Jess’s.

It was an almost physical impact. Jess felt her nape hairs lift a little, bringing a chill to the back of her neck as her heart did a funny little thump in her chest. She watched the blond woman almost trip on the edge of the ramp, and then she looked away as the man next to her put a hand on her shoulder and urged her towards the entrance.

Jess saw the door close behind them and she jerked her attention back to the transport. Was that Bricker’s damn crazy project? “Bricker keeping that bio alt idea going?” She asked, clearing her throat a little as she heard the rasp in her voice.

Stephen had been obvious to the drama, apparently. “Yeah.” He stood up. “Told them he wanted to start early, matter of fact.” He looked at Jess. “Lets get you settled on board.”

It must have been the bio alt. Jess stood up, resisting the urge to look behind her, at the closed door. She’d never seen that set before, and she’d come in with what looked like a proctor.

Huh. She followed Stephen up the ramp, then exhaled, and dismissed the unlikely newcomer, since she was heading in the wrong direction to care. “That’s too bad.” She said. “I was hoping they’d at least kill that idea, and save that poor bastard pain and trouble.”

“Yeah, well, we don’t have any unpaired agents so I don’t know why he wanted them now.” Stephen stopped abruptly, almost making Jess crash into him. “Oh.” He took a step back. “Sir.”

Jess looked up quickly, and edged to one side. Standing at the top of the ramp was an older man, with silver white hair and a long, saturnine face. He had a hooked nose, and bushy eyebrows, and she felt her own eyes open wide as her brain identified him.

The Old Man. That’s what every one she’d ever known called him, but never to his face, and she was careful to school her tongue not to utter that description rather than his name. Alexander Bain, the man who ran Interforce, though she had no idea what his actual title was, or whether he really did own the vast organization or just operated it for some moneyed consortium.

“Commander Bock.” The man rumbled. “I don’t believe we’ve met.”

“No sir.” Stephen inclined his head a little. “It’s a great honor.”

“Hm.” The man mused. “And this is Agent Drake, I assume?”

“No.” Jess replied quietly. “Not anymore, sir.”

“Hm.” The old man studied her, making a little beak with his lips, and knitting his brows. “I see. Well, perhaps you could join me inside for a moment, so we can have a chat. I would hate to lose this opportunity to exchange a few words with someone who has tendered my organization such excellent service.”

Jess felt very off balance, and not only because she was standing on a ramp. “Yes, sure.” She managed to mutter.

“I didn’t know you were arriving sir.” Stephan said, meekly. “We would have made arrangements.”

“You didn’t know I was arriving because I took some pains to make sure you didn’t know I was arriving.” Bain informed him. “What’s the fun of being the Old Man if I can’t show up unannounced and scare the living daylights out of everyone?”

“Sir.” Stephen responded.

“Please go take a seat there, Commander.” Bain pointed at the bench. “Do not contact anyone, do not move until we come back. Understood?”

“Sir.”

Bain turned and went back into the transport, clearly expecting Jess to follow him. She did, shifting her duffel a little to allow it to clear the door frame as she went inside, moving off the metal ramp onto the solid steel of the airframe.

They went down the port passageway, past the general seating section with it’s rows of cramped bucket seats and belt ins. The lights were dim, and there were three bio alts there vacuuming the interior with the intent, single minded purpose of their kind.

Bain led the way through a second passageway, and then down into the aft of the transport, opening a door and passing through into a smaller, more comfortable section.

He took a seat on one of the large, plush chairs and indicated the other with a wave of his hand. “Please sit down.”

Jess unloaded her duffel and put it neatly against the wall. Then she sat down in the chair and put her hands on the arms, facing him and waiting.

He could be there for many reasons. She was not quite vain enough to think she was one of them. Jess knew she could be forgiven if she immediately started explaining her part and viewpoint in the whole situation but she was savvy enough to know sometimes it was just better to shut your mouth and wait.

So she did.

Bain studied her. “You have a reputation for many things. “ He said. “For stubbornness and arrogance, for courage and perseverance, for strategic brilliance and occasional criminal insubordination.”

Jess pondered that. “That’s pretty accurate.” She said. “I trust my own judgment, and have learned painfully not to trust pretty much anyone else's.”