CHAPTER 9

She found him, or to be precise his feet, protruding from under the C-8. She didn't see any light coming from under the vehicle and she wondered how he could see what he was doing.

"Can you see what you are doing?" she addressed the feet.

"In case you've forgotten, I'm a space mechanic and space is dark. Very, very dark," the disembodied voice answered from under the C-8.

"Your helmet and suit have lights. And I'm sure you have portable lights you use," she replied in her practical manner.

There was some rustling noise before Don slid clumsily out from under the ATV and looked up at her. "Ok. You got me. The light ran out of juice, so I was napping under there."

She gave him an exasperated look. "Really?"

"No," he replied as he sat up, then slowly rose, grimacing. "But my light did die a minute ago

"Is it fixed?"

"The light? Not until the sun comes up to recharge the solars."

"I meant the Chariot," she replied, clearly annoyed at his verbal shenanigans.

He shook his head. "Not totally. I need a few more hours and light to finish up. But there's no more portables with a charge other than the one in the tent. Figured you might want that for tonight."

She sighed, before turning and heading towards the tent. Don limped after her.

Once they were both within the perimeter of the force field, she switched it on, watching as the lighted poles blinked on one by one. Satisfied they were protected, they entered the tent and Don retired to his mat while she dug through their remaining MREs.

"Beef or chicken?" she asked holding up two kits.

"What if I'm a vegan?" he inquired as he tried to find a comfortable position on his bedroll.

Glancing down at their remaining food, she offered, "Applesauce and what I think might be a package of pickles and peanut butter crackers."

"I'll take the beef. I never really bought into the whole sustainable, cleaning eating concept. When you grow up having to eat whatever you can find you tend to be more fluid on cuisine."

Silently, she activated the heating element then handed the meal over to him. After starting her own, she went over to her bedroll and sat down.

"How did you make out with the radio?" Don asked as he leaned back against the crate he was using as a back rest.

"Fixed. Got in touch with the Jupiter. Explained to them what happened so they wouldn't be worried when we are not back on schedule."

"How's Debbie?"

"Debbie?" she echoed.

"Debbie, my chicken that your eldest is watching."

Making a derogatory noise, she said, "I didn't have time to ask about your chicken."

Giving her a hurt look, he stated, "But I'll bet you had time to ask about your family; how they were doing."

"There is a difference between my family and your chicken."

Reaching for his now-heated meal, Don lectured, "That is a narrow-minded view of the concept of family. Family doesn't mean blood-related. Family is people bonded together for some reason. A common goal. A situation. Family looks after each other. Has each other's back. Saves their life like Debbie saved mine. That is family."

Picking up her own meal, she sighed. She didn't feel like prolonging this conversation, so she simply said, "Next time I will ask about Debbie, alright."

Around a mouth full of food, Don grunted. After swallowing he added, "That's all I ask. Anything else new on the home front?"

"No," she said in a less than convincing voice.

"That no sounded more like a maybe, or even a yes."

"It's just that I only got to speak to Dr. Smith and…" She paused when she saw him flinch on the mention of the doctor's name. "What?"

Don dug a little harder into his meal then necessary, slopping the hot contents over the edge on to his hand. Cursing under his breath, he set the container down before pouring some water over the burn. Maureen grabbed a sterile pad and the burn cream from the medical kit near her and tossed it to the mechanic. Don applied the cream then covered it with the pad, before letting out a sigh of relief as the burning sensation diminished.

"Something wrong between you and the good doctor?" Maureen pried. She had a definite feeling he was holding something back.

"I don't know I'd used the word 'good' to describe a person who leaves another person out in the storm to die, especially one that claims to be a person she is not," he muttered darkly. He wasn't one to point out others deceptions, unless absolutely necessary. People had all sorts of reasons in life to pretend to be who they were not. He ought to know given his life. "Didn't Judy say anything, to you, about Smith?"

"No. Not really. There wasn't much time between when you guys returned with the fuel and we left on this trek."

"I see," Don replied neutrally as he picked up his meal again and began aimlessly stirring it. "Nothing about what was in the Jupiter that fell over the ledge that I risked my life to save?"

She gave him a querying stare. "Did I miss something?"

Exasperated, Don stirred his meal more vigorously. "Great. When I do something heroic everyone forgets. But one little mistake and I can never live it down. Sheesh." Internally, he was debating if he should tell her what he found on that Jupiter about the real Doctor Smith.

"Spit it out, West. If my family is in danger, I need to know!"

"You mean like you finding out we were going to turn into crispy critters, but neglected to tell any of the rest of us?" he accused her.

Now, it was her turn to scowl at her dinner. "Not true. I told everyone."

A slight smile showed up on Don's face. "Oh yeah? And how long was it between you finding out we were going to be roasted and telling the rest of us? A few hours? A few days? Did you consider not telling us at all?"

"Of course, I wouldn't keep something like that to myself," she cried out with indignation.

Taking a spork-full of his now cooled meal, he chewed while he contemplated his reply. After swallowing he drawled, "I dunno about that. If it assured you and your families safety or survival you might be tempted."

"You think that little of me?" she said in surprise.

Shrugging, he replied, "I really don't know you well enough to be sure. I'm forming my opinion, of you, and what you would do, based on a few days of knowledge, right?" He took another mouthful, chewed, then continued. "You are all about your family, mostly your kids, but John to some degree too. Dunno what happened there, but he is still earning his way back into the pack." He thought he saw her flinch at his commentary. "So, if it was about the survival of your family, yeah, you might screw over the rest. Man, I wish I were that tight with you. Would be nice if someone, say you, had some faith and believed in me...watched out for my back."

Maureen has the distinct feeling she had just been lectured, or bitch-slapped, by this man she hardly knew. And, a piece of her conscience nagged her, he wasn't totally wrong. She did value her family over everything else. Hence quitting her lucrative job and spending a huge part of her savings to make this trip to Alpha Centauri. And in the few days she'd known West, she had judged him...perhaps harshly her conscience added. But, she reminded herself, he had shown very self-surviving tendencies. Like you, towards your family her inner voice nagged. Finally, she spoke out loud.

"Look. I don't like or dislike you really. Like you said, we barely know each other. I respect that you probably are a very good mechanic..."

"I'm the best," he interjected.

"But, you have to admit, we didn't meet under the best of circumstances."

"Interpretation."

"You are an admitted smuggler..."

"Import export businessman..."

"You did ask for payment to show where the fuel was..."

"Sheesh, Judy told you about that but not about Dr. Smith..."

"And speaking of Dr. Smith," because they finally were back on topic, "what do you know about her?"

Crumbling up his meal pouch, he tossed it in the trash bag. Then he rearranged himself into a more comfortable position before he began his tale.

"At great personal risk to myself, I climbed back onboard the Jupiter which was precariously hanging over the edge of the cliff. We should pause here for a moment to admire the job I did landing that Jupiter."

"On the edge of a cliff," Maureen felt the need to remind him.

"Exactly. On the edge, but not over."

She shook her head sadly at him but didn't interrupt again.

"Inside, I went to the cabin labeled Dr. Smith. Only it wasn't a her, it was a him. Pictures, ID badge for Dr. Smith. A male Dr. Smith."

A shiver ran up Maureen spine. This woman was with her family. Had been alone with her children. "Who is she?"

Don shrugged. "No idea." And as if reading her mind he added, "But Judy knows she isn't whom she seems. Don't worry. She'll keep an eye on the good doctor, keep the family safe."

"I need to contact John. Right away. Let him know." She began to rise to her feet when a horrible screeching sound rent the night.

The noise had Don on his feet too. "What the hell is that?"

Together, they moved towards the tent opening and then outside. It was a dark night which made visibility extremely poor. The lantern they had grabbed on the way out did little to cut through the murk. The scream came again and they turned towards the sound of the noise, but all they could see was a vague shadowy object outside the perimeter of the force field. They impression they got of the shadowy object was large and scary. Whatever it was must have spotted them for suddenly it charged the barrier, hitting it causing an explosion of energy and another scream, which had the two humans flinching and jumping backwards. But the barrier held and they were safe. Whatever it was must have learned its lesson because it turned away to find easier prey.

After it left, they still stood there for a few minutes, shaken by what they heard but couldn't see.

"We need to go back to the Jupiter. Whatever that was, it's not safe. We need to warn the others."

Don turned and headed back into the tent. "The Jupiter has the perimeter around it."

"Ours yes, but only because we left the kids alone. Not all of the Jupiters deployed their systems and that thing sounds dangerous. Plus, the whole thing with Dr. Smith not being, well Dr. Smith is also unsettling."

"I'm sure Judy told John and are taking precautions," he replied as he dropped onto his bedroll. "She's a smart girl."

Maureen settled on her own blankets. "She is, but she's also still very young. Hasn't seen what the world can really be like, especially people. She is too trusting at times I think and she leaps before she looks, gets herself in trouble."

"But for the right reasons," he pointed out.

Maureen laid down. "Trusting people rarely works out as you think it will. People are...not was well intentioned as they seem."

Somehow, Don felt he, and a large portion of humanity, had just been dismissed. He didn't bother replying, feeling he would get nowhere, so he turned on his side, closed his eyes, and tried to fall asleep.

"Tomorrow, after you finish fixing the C-8, we're heading back to the Jupiter. I will make do without the parts from the Resolute," she declared.

Don grunted what could have been a yes, no, but most likely was a whatever. One thing he had learned by now was arguing with Maureen when she had her mind made up was a waste of breath.