The Only Constant by Michael Kotcher

Author:Michael Kotcher [Kotcher, Michael]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2019-05-23T06:00:00+00:00

(((***O***)))

“We are ready to send ships down to the surface of Ortming’s moon to break ground on the moonbase facility, Mister Larkspur.”

The tall man turned toward Tamara and engaged his thousand-watt smile: utterly dazzling and utterly artificial. Tamara returned it with one of her own, though hers was far less powerful.

“Call me Salvatore, please,” he said, spreading his arms wide. “You and I are leaders in the business community in this star system. Surely, we can dispense with such formalities when we are in a private setting?”

They were standing on the observation deck of the Vulcan’s Forge vessel Dream Bringer looking down on the moon of the gas giant below. A fleet of transport vessels and cargo shuttles of all shapes and sizes were launching from Guardian Station on a course for the moon as directed by traffic control.

Tamara gave a small shrug. “Very well, Salvatore, but I have to warn you, I’m rarely in a private setting and certainly never alone, especially with men of power.” She gestured to Viktoriya and Kayla standing off to one side.

But Salvatore’s smile somehow found more wattage at her comment about him being a man of power. “Oh, that is nothing. I’m never alone myself.” He waved a hand at the three human males in business suits, with their hands crossed at the wrists. “My guards rarely let me shower alone, it feels like.” Tamara gave her best-interested face and said, “Mmm.” Salvatore chuckled. “I see you’re not particularly keen on my transport,” he said, gesturing to the ship around them.

Kayla couldn’t help shifting her weight and flicking her ears at that comment, showing her agreement. Silently, she received a vicious text-lashing from her serzhant and she straightened to attention.

Tamara gave her guard a glance but did not acknowledge her action. She looked over at Larkspur. “Not at all, Salvatore. Dream Bringer is certainly not the youngest belle at the ball, but she’ll still turn a few heads.” She reached out and patted a bulkhead, touching the patina of rust. “I have a fondness for older ships and this one has been well-restored. And the ship herself is perfectly adequate for our needs here. We’re dropping sensors, shelters, warehouses and power generators and we needed a delivery platform. Dream Bringer is perfect for that.”

The man smiled again. He stepped closer but not too much, just enough to make her feel invaded. “Well, she’s a bit aged, but I was attracted to her shape and her ample cargo spaces.” His eyes stayed on the forward display window, but he adjusted his weight just so slightly, moving a micrometer or two closer to Tamara. It took all her strength not to edge away.

A message window popped up on Tamara’s HUD, from her bodyguard Kayla. Suppressing a sigh, Tamara thought clicked on it and it opened to show a crudely drawn image of a wolf leaping on top of a stick figure man and biting through his torso. The man’s mouth opened in a silent scream and he flailed about.

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