Earth Unaware (The First Formic War 1)

*

Lem had his senior officers dole out the cash to the crew. It was less than Lem had hoped to give them but more than enough for a two-day break. Because of the low price he had received for the cylinders, he had been forced to sell more than he had intended, but he didn't worry. He still had more than enough to make an impression with the Board.

The inside of the weigh station was more attractive than the exterior, though not by much. Wherever Lem and Chubs went, merchants clamored for their attention, selling all variety of mining tools and worthless trinkets. It surprised Lem to see how many people lived here: several hundred if he had to guess, including children, mothers with infants, even a few dogs, which Lem found especially amusin

g since these had learned to jump from wall to wall in zero gravity. Lem soaked it all in, feeling at home for the first time in a while. He didn't belong in space. He belonged in a city, where the energy was palpable and the sights and sounds and smells were always changing.

They found a woman in the marketplace selling men's work clothes, and Lem bought nearly everything she had. Podolski and the two security guards might be on the weigh station for a while, and Lem thought it would be better for them to blend in and dress like free miners. He didn't know if the clothes would fit perfectly, but since no one at the weigh station had any concern for fashion and all the clothes were baggy anyway, Lem didn't think it mattered.

He paid the woman a large tip to deliver the clothes to the ship, and when the woman, who had a young boy with her, saw the sum of money in her hand, she was so overwhelmed with gratitude that she teared up and kissed Lem's hand. Lem could see that she was poor and that the child was hungry, so he gave her another large bill before sending her on her way.

"You getting soft on me?" asked Chubs.

"It looked like she had sewn the clothes herself," said Lem, shrugging. "Work like that should be paid well."

Chubs smiled as if he knew better.

They found a shoemaker next. Lem guessed at Podolski's and the security guard's boot sizes and then argued with the man about the prices. When they left, after the purchases were made, Chubs laughed. "I think you were trying to overcompensate for being nice to that woman," he said. "You took that shoemaker for a ride."

"He was trying to cheat us," said Lem.

"We could probably go back and find that woman," said Chubs, teasing. "Your father would be thrilled for you to come home with a bride."

Lem laughed. "Yes, my father would love a peasant free miner as a daughter-in-law. Especially one with a child. Father would be tickled pink."

They entered the food court area, where a dozen aromas assaulted them at once: pastries, pastas, breads, stews, even a few cooked meats, though these were exorbitantly expensive. They ran into Benyawe, and the three of them took a standing countertop at a Thai restaurant. It wasn't big enough in Lem's opinion to call itself a restaurant--there was only room for six people at the most--but Lem preferred the privacy.

Late in the meal Chubs raised his bottle. "To our captain, Mr. Lem Jukes, who salvaged our mission and turned a profit in the process."

Benyawe raised her bottle and joined the toast, but she didn't seem particularly agreeable to it.

"You shouldn't toast me," said Lem. "Our real thanks goes to the lovely Dr. Benyawe here, who tirelessly prepped the laser and conducted our field tests with aplomb. Without her brilliance, perseverance, and patience with her hot-tempered captain, we'd still be shooting pebbles out of the sky."

"To Dr. Benyawe," said Chubs.

Benyawe smiled at Lem. "Toasting me doesn't make you any more tolerable," she said.

"Of course not," said Lem. "I barely tolerate myself."

"And we would be wise to remember that our mission isn't over until we return to Luna," said Benyawe. "We're months behind schedule, and there are many on the board who no doubt have written this mission off as a cataclysmic failure."

Chub's smile faded.

"I'm not trying to spoil our evening," said Benyawe. "I'm merely reminding us all that we're still a long way from home."

"She's right," said Lem. "Perhaps we're a little premature in our celebrations." He raised his glass again. "Still, I'll toast Benyawe again for being such a wise counselor and an expert party pooper."

"Hear, hear," said Chubs, raising his bottle.

Benyawe raised her own bottle and smiled.

"Lem Jukes." The words came from the doorway.

Lem and the others turned to the entrance and saw a mountain of a man standing at the threshold. He was flanked by three other men, all rugged and dirty and not the least bit friendly looking.

"So you are Lem Jukes," said the big man. "Mr. Lem Jukes himself. Son of the great Ukko Jukes, the richest man in the solar system. We're practically in the presence of royalty."

His three friends smiled.