BORN OF HEROES

— by Jeff Karamales

Chapter 61
 

“Why is the SPF banned from Brandt?” Olin asked as he looked out of the forward viewports of the bridge. Most of the landscape was concealed in darkness as it was well after midnight at the starport they were heading for.

  Elias snorted. “Brandt’s a haven for less than legal endeavors,” the fox replied over his shoulder, though his eyes never left the enhanced image that was provided by the micro-circuitry of the glassteel panes. “When the Siilv mines dried up, the already lax enforcement of various laws made it perfect for the planet to become a safe haven for smugglers and the like. Criminal activity is about the only thing that keeps the economy here going. As such, anything you can think of save open slavery is available here. Everything’s for sale on Brandt. Having the cops here would put a crimp in profits.”

  The wolf-Chow mix looked aghast. “You’re kidding, right?”

  “Hardly, lover,” Sonja said from her position next to the weapons console. “There’ve been a lot of times that we wished the PA would step in and clean up both Quet and Brandt but the Alignment charter protects each world’s sovereignty. There a lot that goes on that makes Brandt a dangerous place.”

  No sooner did Elias set the Ascendant Angel on the tarmac than some official in a rumpled and dirty facsimile of a uniform of unsavory green was at the cargo hatch demanding a landing fee. The dingo was obviously irritated at his nap being interrupted and having to do his job. The canid became even more irritated when Randy made him affix a signature and thumbprint to a DataPak to show that a landing fee was paid to the port accounts, effectively preventing the crew of the Ascendant Angel from being double charged, and cutting the official out of his potential profit.

  “I really don’t want to stay here longer than necessary,” Elias informed the entire crew as they stood around on the cargo deck. “This isn’t one of the safer ports. Baxter, you and Sabine make sure the atmosphere tanks are purged and topped then get us refueled as quickly as possible.

  “I also want the parasites doing continuous sweeps. Brandt’s a prime world for picking up strays and the last thing I want onboard are any stowaways.” The fox turned to look at Sonja and Olin. “Go ahead and run into town and get whatever supplies you need, but no side trips. Randy and I will deliver the packages, but I don’t want anyone else to leave the ship. Fortunately our delivery will fit on the back of the monocycles. I’d like to be ready and off this world by tomorrow.”

  “No shore leave?” Sabine asked a little disappointed.

  “This is one of the last worlds that you would like to play tourist,” Pala told the squirrel. “It isn’t uncommon for less…legitimate vessels to add to their crews by kidnapping personnel from berthed ships, especially engineers.  Anyone with mechanical knowledge is almost worth their weight in gold here.” She saw the look that Cerise gave her and shrugged. “Yes. I was known to do that a time or two, myself. That reminds me, I have a little business I’d like to handle. I have a...an associate that owes me a few favors and think that I’d like to get a few things for the ship. With your permission, of course.”

  Elias shook his head for the felinoid to be quiet, looking at Sabine. He stepped away with the Kastan and spoke in a low voice. “I don’t think I need to worry about you getting into trouble, just take a DC with you if you. How long will you need?”

  The Kastan shrugged. “Maybe a couple of hours. My…contribution to the ship should be here by sometime tomorrow morning if all goes well.”

  “I’m not really sure I want to know what you’re up to,” Elias said with a sideways look at the felinoid, “but you know that I trust you. Let’s get those crates on the cycles. We’ll get a little sleep and make the delivery as soon as the sun comes up. Lena, you’ll be in charge until we get back.”

  The rabbit put on a maniacal smile and began rubbing her hands together as she regarded the ship. “Acres and acres and it’s all mine!”

***

   Elias looked at the address on the building and checked it against the information in his DataCom. “This is the place,” he told the wolf after pulling off his helmet. The fox looked around at the neighborhood they found themselves in. There was something he always found a little sad about the residential neighborhoods that sprang up around industrial sectors. “Real charming,” the fox quipped sarcastically. “I bet the schools here are fantastic.”

  Randal took in the faded color of the houses in the burgeoning morning sunlight, all made of preformed permacrete with chipped and fading paint and the haggard appearance of the few individuals on the street, the obviously second and third hand clothes making him feel decidedly uncomfortable and overdressed. “I’ve never understood how places like this could exist within the Alignment,” the wolf replied with a sad expression. “Almost unlimited wealth, interstellar travel, and there are places where people still go hungry.”

  The fox had no response, feeling the same way. They both code-locked the monocycles as a precaution against theft and took a crate each before stepping up to the door of the building, making sure that their gun hands and weapons were clear in case trouble should arise. It took Elias a moment to locate the summons button and he pressed it with his thumb then looked at the grime that came away with it before wiping his furless pad on the fabric of his pants.

  When the door opened, a wizened human with a small bear cub trailing behind him, his paw firmly gripping the man’s trouser leg, greeted the two canids. “Yes? How may I help you?”

  Elias tried to give the other a friendly smile. “We were contracted to deliver some supplies here by Bre…um, B.J.?”

  The human looked at the two through a pair of wire rimmed glasses, his hazel eyes crinkling merrily as a smile stretched his thin lips. As Elias looked at the human he was reminded of the zany scientist in the old Earth movie about the misadventures of a time travelling teenager.

  “You don’t look like SPF personnel,” the man said with a chuckle. “Most of the couriers that Beej sends my way are so uptight I’d swear they’ve had their fur starched or a steel rod pushed up the wazoo!”

  “It’s probably because we aren’t SPF,” the fox said. “At least not anymore.”

  “You’ll have to tell me what you mean by that,” the man replied, still smiling. He reached down and picked up the cub in one arm, the youth sliding one hand around the man’s neck while the thumb of the other immediately went into his mouth as he regarded the two strangers with wide-eyed innocence. “Come on in. I think that I set up the coffee pot if I can interest you two in a cup for all your efforts, he told them distractedly as he adjusted his hold on the cub.”

  Randal and Elias followed, discovering to their surprise that the building, while looking dilapidated and weather-worn on the outside, was actually well maintained on the inside and semi-decently furnished. In a large room several small children of various species were listening to an older human woman reading them a story while in smaller side rooms and alcoves older children, fur and human alike were busy doing what seemed to be class work on ancient DataPads and computer tablets.

  “Um, Sir,” Elias began, a small frown of confusion, “what exactly is this place?”

  The old man led the two furs into a large kitchen where even older children and a few that were nearly adults all helped to prepare food for the others of the facility. “Breth felt that she could best help the Alignment by using her military training to aid the various member worlds and I felt that in order to truly make the PA a better place, I needed to stand up for those that have the potential to build a better future than our present. Put simply, I and my staff run this humble orphanage.” He pulled three different and battered mugs down from a cabinet. “My niece does what she can to help us out. That’s what your delivery is. Updated tablets and data sticks and electronically stored school texts.”

  “Breth Janes is your niece?” Randal asked with surprise.

  “That’s right!” the man exclaimed with a laugh as he lightly struck his forehead with the heel of his hand. “You’ll have to forgive me for being so rude! I’m Bartholomew Janes.” He offered his hand to the two furs with a warm smile.

  “Elias Tivnan,” the fox said accepting the greeting. “This is Randal Mercks.”

  “Elias Tivnan,” Bartholomew said with raised eyebrows. “Truly! Word of your exploits has even made it out here. It’s an honor!”

  “I don’t know if I’d go that far,” Elias said with a bit of embarrassment. “So how many littles do you have here?”

  “Oh, not that many. With last week’s adoptions I think we’re down to fifty three,” the man said as he filled the cups, gesturing to a selection of powdered creamer and sugar. “I hope you don’t mind the fake stuff. I try to allow a bit of a treat fund with the budget, but I insist that the needs of the children come first.”

  “Where did they all come from?” Elias said, foregoing the offer of cream and sugar to sip on the coffee black.

  “Everywhere. We have wee ones from all over the Alignment,” Bartholomew informed them. “Though, most of the children are taken from Quet before they’re sold off as property. Such a horrible practice.”

  Elias and Randy looked at each other for a moment as the human was distracted by another one of the children running up with a doll that had suffered grievous injury. As Bartholomew attempted to reattach the arm that had fallen off for the tiny vixen both furs nodded with growing smiles as the wolf stepped away as he fished his DataCom from a pocket.

  “So, tell me, Master Janes, do you take donations?” Elias asked with a quizzical look.

  “Please, just call me Barty,” the man said distractedly as he tried to fix the doll. “And yes, we accept donations.”

  “I’m very glad to hear that,” the fox said with an open grin.

***

 Three small cargo trucks pulled up in front of the orphanage a little before sundown and Elias and the rest of the crew began to unload numerous plastic shipping crates. They hardly had the first truck emptied when Bartholomew Janes came bustling out of the building, yet another toddler, a young red panda, clinging to his pants leg. “Good heavens! What is all this?” the man asked in a flabbergasted tone, his eyes wide.

  Elias stepped out of the back of the second truck and smiled as he brushed his hands off on his trousers. “Just a few supplies. One hundred DataPads, eight computer terminals, books, clothing, bedding and toys. Tomorrow a grocery delivery vehicle will be arriving with a full restock and you’ll be getting a delivery every seven days after that.”

  “I…I don’t know what to say, Master Tivnan,” the man stuttered, his eyes growing damp.

  “Just Elias, Barty. And think of it as a gift from those that believe in what you’re doing.” The fox turned to the wolf-Chow mix. “Olin, why don’t you and a couple of the others go ahead and head into the kitchen. I’m pretty sure that you’ll find someone in there to give you a hand finding everything to make dinner.”

  Olin nodded and gave a jaunty wave before heading into the building with Sonja and Odette. While that happened Baxter and Sabine strapped on their tool belts. “So, what needs fixing?” the panda asked cheerfully as he rubbed his hands together.

  Bartholomew opened and closed his mouth a couple of times and gestured to the inside of the orphanage. “Look for a young cougar named Cika. She’ll let you know about anything that needs tending to.” As soon as the two engineers vanished the way of the temporary kitchen staff the man turned to look at the white fox with appreciation and surprise. “I don’t know what to say, Elias. I…I can’t repay this kindness.”

  Elias shook his head. “There’s no reason to repay anything, Bartholomew. Like I said, there are those of us that agree with what you’re doing. Now then, I need you to enter your credit account information on this transfer of funds. It’s not much, but it might help out a little.”

  The human looked at the screen and the number indicated, the color draining from his face as his eyes bulged and his eyebrows tried to meet with his receding hairline. “One hundred thousand credits?!? I…I…”

  “Consider it an investment in that better future you mentioned.” The fox said with an impish grin. “Oh, and every month or so you’ll be getting visits from others with future deposits of funds every six months. If you need anything at all, just let them know and they’ll take care of it, or you can always contact me directly.”

— NEXT CHAPTER —

Unless otherwise noted, all material © Ted R. Blasingame. All rights reserved.