Remember the Cant
By Rob Schorry
"The Expanse" books and TV Series are owned by their respective writers and creators. This work of fanfiction is only for my own enjoyment and that of fans of the show. No ownership on my part is stated or implied.
Before the Roci there was the Canterbury...
All Ben McDowell wanted was a drink. Real booze on a different deck and away from the smell of his ship. He looked around the bar. Belters were everywhere. Well they were the customers but God almighty they could be irritating. And that singsong patois they spoke? He'd been out here for fifteen years, and it still gave him the willies. Despite himself he sneered as another tattooed and smelly Belter brushed against him. Unfortunately, the man saw his sour expression.
A slender but strong arm snagged his sleeve and pulled him away from his drink "You got problem, Earther?" the man snarled into his face with a sour stink breath.
McDowell tried to push away. "Sorry friend. No offense," he said softly.
The man shook his head then said, "Inyalowda penya gut wit Beltalowda." Then the guy's claw like hand reached out and snatched up his glass cat.
McDowell liked that cat. He even had given it some of his whiskey; rubbed some on the figurine's nose. "Hey look, fella, that's my…" he protested.
The Belter examined it carefully, then with a derive laugh, smashed the cat against the bar, and glass splinters flew everywhere.
The background noise in the bar passed for a few seconds, heads turned to stare at him and then went back to the normal hub bub of polyglot words, laughs and howls while the synth music blared from the overhead speakers.
McDowell stared at the smashed remnants of Little Blue. Damn. "Hey, you're welcome for all that clean water we're bringing to the station!" he said to the man's back as the Belter stomped away.
The bartender came over to McDowell with a rag and carefully swept up the broken bits, then shoved the electronic chit to him. "Pay up, Earther."
McDowell knew better than to argue. "Fine. Sure." He tapped his hand terminal against the bar's tablet and the payment was made. He frowned when he saw the price; far higher than he expected it to be. "Damn." He added a tip anyway. Prices had gone up since the last time he was in dock.
The bartender took back the tablet, her long many-ringed fingers clicking against the device. "You lucky," she told him over the din, so softly, he could barely hear her.
"Oh?" McDowell suddenly wanted the hell out of here, this bar, the station and back to his ship.
She tipped her head towards the Belter who'd smashed his cat. "That one trouble. All time."
McDowell gave her a small nod, while admiring her ample breasts, barely restrained in a skimpy net top. Low-G did nice things to boobs. "What did he say to me? Did you hear it?"
"You should be careful with Belters," she replied with a fake smile. "That's what he tell you."
McDowell stood up, swaying slightly from the three whiskeys and the Coriolis acceleration of the spin of Ceres. They needed a larger spin radius he mused. "Sorry for…" He waved his hand over the bar, where a few blue splinters gleamed.
The bartender laughed. "Nuthin worry, Eart man. We don't like you, but…" she chuckled, "we like your money better." She winked at him. "Be careful…"
"Right," he said. McDowell knew when it was time to go. Get the hell out of this rotten bar, this shit hole station, and to his ship and away. Out where he was a captain of his ship and not just 'an Earther.'
As he headed towards the exit, he caught a voice. Speaking English is a very North American accent. McDowell stopped to listen.
"So I dropped my arms to apologize, you know," a dark-haired white man was saying to a bunch of Belters seated around a low table. The man made the gesture.
McDowell noticed how all the Belter smiled with growing glee.
"Turns out he thought I was making a sexual proposition!"
Belters hooted and howled, pounded the table, laughing their heads off.
The North American went on, "But after he threatened to gut me, of course I apologized; bought him a drink. That was that."
The Belters laughed some more.
McDowell sidled over there and caught the speaker's eye. "Are you an Earther? Hey, you're really good with these people."
Half the Belters froze at his words. McDowell saw he'd offended them. "Sorry," he said to the group, then turned to leave, but stopped and went back. He stared at the Earther. "I have a line on a job."
The man shook his head. "No thanks."
McDowell added, "You interested in free room and board, a union salary and little to no responsibility?"
The Earther shrugged. "Suppose I could give it a shot." Drained his drink. He muttered something in Belter, with a grin, which made the guys at the table laugh. Then he stood and faced McDowell.
McDowell looked the man up and down. "Got a name?"
"Yeah. Jim Holden."
"Experience?" McDowell grunted. Clearly the guy did, the way he got along with those ratty Belters. Holden was medium height, not fat, dark hair, and piercing eyes, wearing a worn and faded coverall. Darker areas of his clothing gave witness to absent ship patches.
"Some."
"Such as? I mean you know how to deal with people, especially Belters. You didn't just pick that up on Ceres docks."
Holden shrugged. "Part of my job; the old one."
McDowell moved towards the exit and Holden followed him out of the noisy bar to the grimy corridor outside. "And that was?" McDowell asked.
Holden sighed, then spoke into McDowell's ear. "UNN. Patrol frigate. Pirate patrols mostly."
McDowell looked him up and down. :What in hell are you doing out here?" He lowered his voice. "This Ceres rathole?"
The man cleared his throat. "I guess, well, after a while they didn't like me, and I didn't like them."
"Meaning?"
"They wouldn't let me quit before the court-martial."
McDowell gave him a long look. Well. "I see. I will check your records or least the front office will."
"Front office?"
"Pur & Kleen. Ice trawler Canterbury. That's my ship. I'm Benjamin McDowell – Captain. Company offices up on med-level 4. Beta section."
"Okay," Holden replied. "It was like this. I took a swing at my commanding officer."
McDowell gave out one big laugh and then stopped. "Assaulting..."
"Yeah, the captain. But if the truth be told he wasn't so superior because I don't think that sexually abusing one of the female sailors and also harassing the other junior officers was a great idea. Or vaporizing a pirate ship after they had heaved to and powered down. Ugly all around."
McDowell looked around the corridor. In a lowered voice he said, "I wouldn't say that too loudly. Some Belters..."
"I know. Are, were, or will be pirates."
McDowell thought long and hard for a solid minute. Then he said, "So Holden, you are an honest man."
"Try to be."
McDowell stared at the man for a few more seconds. "Did you deck him or her?"
"Him. Tried to. But the Master of Arms sorta got in the way."
"Dishonorable discharge on your record, then."
Holden shook his head. "They covered it all up. Faked the logs. So, when the dust settled I decided to get as far away from the UN Navy and Earth as I could." He looked around the cluttered and filthy walls and floor. "I guess I got my wish," Holden said grimly.
"Rank? Ship? Formerly that is."
"Lieutenant. UNN Peru. Fast attack frigate."
McDowell took out his hand terminal. "Give me your particulars."
"Here you go," Holden replied. What did he have to lose? He tapped his own hand terminal to McDowell's.
McDowell stared at the man. "I need a Second Officer. Just to keep an eye on things when I or the XO are busy. Only 50 crew, so pretty much a cakewalk. Mostly Belters but a few Earthers." He stopped and cleared his throat. "One Martian but he's a damn good pilot."
"Duties? Uhm, what would I…" Holden waved a hand.
"Nothing much. Just keep an eye on things. Nav assist and voyage planning. Safety checks. Stand watches. Interface with engineering crew. The Canterbury is an old ship, so plenty of maintenance gripes; always something breaks, but I have good techs and a crackerjack fusion drive expert. The ship is an ice trawler. We mine Saturn's rings."
Holden rubbed his face. A lot like his UN job, but civilian and none of that Navy crap. "I see."
McDowell nodded at Holden. "We'll let you know."
"Fine."
"Where are you working now?"
"Stationmasters office. Paperwork. Ship docking and undock schedules." Holden froze. It was a safe job. No worries. No rules or not too many. So why would he want to change now? He relaxed. "Pretty damn boring," he admitted.
McDowell laughed. "The Cant is all about boring!" Captain McDowell turned around and walked away.
Note: The beginning is from "The Expanse" Series 6 – "Remember the Cant" X-ray short scene extra video.