Well of Dreams (Zaran Journals, Book 1)

By Scott Seldon

Independent galactic trader Ven Zaran has had a troubled past, but he thought it was behind him. He has a family and a successful career, but when he helps out a former crew member against a crime syndicate, it draws him into a spiral of self-destruction. His family is kidnapped and he is forced to work for the gangsters who have them. Unable to free them himself, and unaware that everyone around him is working to do just that, he caves to the temptation of an old drug addiction. As he struggles to avoid lashing out, events conspire to bring a showdown with the gangsters. It’s no longer a matter of if someone will die, only who.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Scott Seldon
• Release date: Mar 11, 2012
• ISBN: 9781476499666

Scott Seldon

Scott Seldon lives in Colorado with his wife and family in a house brimming with old and new computers. He is a student of technology, history, anthropology, languages, and cosmology. Each separate direction of study has enriched his imagination, but he credits the creative output of George Lucas and Isaac Asimov for the direction it has taken. He turned his creativity to science fiction in his teens and has never looked back.In his writing, Scott strives to create rich worlds and characters. Although his stories take place in the future, he often looks to the past to give his stories a solid background. He’s is more likely to watch Captain Blood than Star Wars to find inspiration on the feel of a story. He reads the latest titles by Jack McDevitt followed by C. L. Moore’s stories of Northwest Smith written decades ago with Les Miserables and the Princess of Mars next on his reading list.

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Well of Dreams

Zaran Journals Book 1

Scott Seldon

Published by Arrano-Taldea Group

at Smashwords

2012

Discover other titles by Scott Seldon at

sites.google.com/site/scottrseldon

Arrano-Taldea Group is a collective association of independent authors of genre fiction. Each author accepts full responsibility for the content of their own publications. Please contact the author directly to report any problems with this ebook. [e-mail]

All characters appearing in this work are fictitious. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

WELL OF DREAMS

Copyright © 2012 by Scott Seldon

Cover Art by: Yotsuya

Visit him at: yotsuya-sama.deviantart.com

All rights reserved.

The copyright holder has licensed this ebook for use by a single reader. The reader may read this ebook using any compatible software or hardware and may copy this ebook to each such device they own and make reasonable backups. All other copying, hiring, lending, modification, reselling, or republishing, in whole or in part, is strictly prohibited in accordance with US and international copyright laws.

ebook Edition

First Edition: March 11, 2012

ISBN: 978-1-4764-9966-6

Revision 3

For my friends

Eric and Bryan

These characters live in no small part to you.

Table of Contents

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Index

About the Author

Well of Dreams

4607 GCE*

Chapter One

Captain Ven Zaran took a final look around the cabin that had been his home among the stars for the last decade. He’d moved all his things out and the last traces of his tenure had been wiped away by a fresh coat of paint. He was just the latest in a long line of captains over the four hundred year history of this ship. Star of Argent had been good to him, but it was time for her to be good to a new captain.

Ven could not begin to count the hours he had spent in this cabin which had doubled as both bunk and office. They had visited planet after planet and danced on the hyperspace streams for parsec after parsec as they crisscrossed the galaxy. It had been home, more so than the apartment he shared in name with his wife. But it had been her touches to this cabin that had really made it home. All that was gone now and the cabin felt more alien than it had when he had first stepped onboard all those years ago. It was time to move on.

Ven looked at his chron. It was almost time to meet his wife.

He was buying a new ship. This old girl had served him well, but she was old and the strenuous schedule was taking its toll on her. Ven wasn’t ready to take it easy. He had goals and his time as captain of Star of Argent had brought him to the point where he could afford to buy a new ship, one that could perform and make the runs he needed it to. Today was the day the new ship had its final inspection and he had gotten permission to give his wife a private tour.

Along with the new ship, he would need a new crew. Of the eleven crew members serving on Star of Argent, only his engineer, Berglund, was coming with him. Berglund had come aboard when Ven first bought the ship and was tired of keeping her running. The chance of working on a new ship was a dream come true for him. None of the rest were as interested in a change. It was just as well, the new ship only needed a crew of six and Ven would have had to pick and choose. Better that a smoothly functioning team stay together than split it and disrupt two ships.

His first mate, Nelmon, was ready for a ship of his own. In the past six years Ven had taught him everything he could and seen that he was certified to captain a freighter. He was leaving him with an old, but well serviced, ship, a trained crew, and a couple of cargo runs that this ship was suited for. He should do well.

As momentous and drastic as all these changes were, they fit with Ven’s long range goals. He needed to take some risks and the new ship was faster, lighter, and could lift more cargo. But not only did it outperform Star of Argent, it was part of large production run and would not stand out like the four hundred-year-old relic. As attached as he’d been to the ship and its crew, he had bigger goals and it was time to move on.

He closed the cabin hatch behind him, picked up the last box of odds, and ends and headed out. The crew had said their goodbyes at the farewell party the night before and they were all enjoying some well-deserved leave.

His footsteps echoed through the deserted corridors as he made his way to the main hatch on the lower level. The engines were silent, the crew gone. He left the ship as empty as he had found her.

As he exited the hatch, he could not help but pat the hull, a gentle thank you for the years of service and a wish that Nelmon would fare as well.

* * *

Kotula was excited to see her husband’s new ship. The shipyard’s virtual tour had been interesting, but it could never compare to the real thing. Ven had gotten word that the ship was getting its final inspection today. It was a chance to see what would be his new home.

She had chosen this life as the wife of a space trader. In many ways it suited her. The down side was that she didn’t see her husband very often, but they stayed close via hypercomm. The separation was a sacrifice she made so her two children could be raised planetside. The way her children were turning out, she had no regrets. Ven had tried to convince her that with the right ship, he could have his family along. But there was no substitute for natural planetary air and the company of other children. She could see the difference in her children to ones raised on ships or stations.

It was also an exciting time for Nelmon and his wife, Carrella. It was his first command and he had earned it. After six years with Ven, he was overdue for a command of his own. She was sure he would do a good job.

Ven messaged her that he was done with his final walkthrough and was on his way to pick her up. Star of Argent had been just the right ship at the time, but now it was time for something new.

* * *

Well, there she is, Ven said to Kotula when the door opened to reveal the Leywan Class 4b Light Freighter gleaming in the afternoon sun.

It’s a beautiful ship, but it’s a lot smaller than I expected.

That’s why I chose this model. She’s small and fast. Ven enjoyed watching Kotula’s reaction almost as much as he reveled in the proximity of his new ship. She brushed a lock of jet black hair out of her delicate almond eyes as a warm breeze gusted through the berth. She was a true trader’s wife and appreciated a good design as much as any trader he knew.

This model was packed with new features. While externally it was identical to several thousand other ships plying the hyperspace lanes, the internal system had been updated and Ven would be among a small number testing them out. Participating in the field testing had gotten him a sweet deal.

You know, my love, Ven said, "Star of Argent came to me with a name, but this girl hasn’t been named yet. I thought I’d let you have that honor."

Kotula barely gave it a few seconds thought before she said, "Nova Trango."

You are so wonderfully sentimental. That had been the name of the starport bar she had been working in when they met nearly fourteen years ago. Ven still had fond memories of the place and the people, but neither of them had been back for many years. I’ll have the name painted on the hull before her first flight.

Ven was only a little taller than average, but he never did notice how much shorter than average his wife was. He had fallen for her instantly with her long dark hair and brown eyes. She’d been near the end of her shift and exhausted, but had not given a hint of it in her service. She was strong and independent. She was raising their two children pretty much by herself.

Their son, Chup, at ten looked like he would be tall like Ven. He had Ven’s darker coloring, but otherwise looked more like his mother. At four, their daughter Ash was adorable. She might be petite like her mother, but it was hard to tell. As he thought of them, he decided he should bring them to see the ship. They’d enjoy running around the new, empty decks.

Even with the deal he’d gotten for being in the test group, this new ship had been very expensive. He’d saved up and was ready for it, but even so, he had still needed a loan for a sizable portion of the price and was going to have to make loan payments on it for several years. It helped that there weren’t any delivery charges on top of that.

Kotula had been born here on Leywan and had lived here most of her life. Ven had met her during the brief time she had been traveling fifteen years earlier. She had been on Xinar Lamgun working at Nova Trango. It had been one of Ven’s favorite haunts back when he’d worked for old Karnock who had a simple, short, but very profitable run in the inner systems. It took six days to run the circuit and Karnock, being a devout follower of an ancient religion, gave them the seventh day off on Xinar Lamgun.

Ven had worked for him for twelve years, scrimping and saving for his own ship. Even then he’d had to settle for a ship on the Customs auction block. Star of Argent had been a good ship, but keeping it running on the routes Ven wanted to work had been a constant challenge. Nova Trango, as he now had to remember to call her, was new and sleek. It had the latest innovations in gravitic and hyperdrive technology. It could hover with virtually no drift and had very precise maneuvering controls. He’d watched their test pilot do some incredible maneuvers in their test model.

Hey, Ven, came a voice from the distance. When Ven turned, he saw it was Kafkal, his sales contact here in the yard. Excuse me a minute, dear, he said to his wife and went to see what the man wanted.

The foreman just told me she’s ready for you. Kafkal informed him. Any last minute changes?

No.

Well, she’s cleared to fly to the port if you’re ready.

Don’t I need some other crew?

Not for a transfer flight from yard to port.

Are you sure?

Absolutely. You should be able to fly it solo right now. She’s a complex machine, but almost everything is automated.

Ven went back over to Kotula and asked, Would you like to ride over with me? They said I could fly her over to the port.

She smiled and said, I’d love that.

They walked up the boarding ramp and Ven keyed the hatch. The ship smelled new with a mixture of ozone, new plastic, clean metal, and fresh paint. Kotula looked down the empty corridors. Ven pointed aft. That’s the cargo hold and this, he said pointing at the wall, is the passenger suite. He led her to the cockpit and pointed out the infirmary and his cabin on the port side and the crew cabin on the starboard side.

It’s nice, she said as he motioned for her to take the pilot’s couch. She sat down and moved the couch close enough so she could reach the controls. Ven sat in the command couch in the center and powered up the controls. It’s really strange being in a brand-new ship, she commented.

"It’s quite a change from the old Star. It’s going to take a little getting used to."

You’ll have her broken-in before you know it.

Yup. She’ll never be truly new again after we do this.

Ven did his first full system check of Nova Trango with Kotula’s help. Being married to a trader for twelve years had taught her a few things. When Ven was satisfied, he got the port controller on the comm.

Port control. How may we assist you?

"Nova Trango requesting transfer from Leywan Ship Yards to the port outfitting berth."

"Roger, Nova Trango. Please hold. A couple of minutes passed before they came back. Nova Trango, turn to beacon AC1176 and proceed as it instructs."

Roger control. Ven lifted the ship to hover over the pad. The gravitic thrusters used gravity fields to push the ship off the ground. They were only useful near a gravitational body, but could put a ship in orbit quite easily. The best part was that the ship’s orientation didn’t matter. The gravitic thrusters were really the primary propulsion. The main engines housed in the stern were for speed, convenience, and safety, but most of the time just provided the main power for the other systems.

It was the first time Ven had been at the controls. He’d tried it out in the simulator, but that wasn’t the same. She was sensitive to the touch and Ven had to be extra gentle, a far cry from the old Star of Argent where you had to manhandle it to get it to do anything.

She’s really smooth, Kotula commented. I’m going to feel much better with you in a new ship. You don’t know how nervous I’ve been the last few years.

"Well, Carrella is still going to be nervous. I tried to talk Nelmon out of it, but he insisted on buying the old Star of Argent from me. I’m practically giving it to him."

You put a lot into it so I hope it will hold up for him.

It should. He’s planning on doing more long distance runs. The hyperdrive is still in good shape so he shouldn’t have any problems. The beacon finally indicated that Ven could proceed. He let the auto pilot lift the ship up and guide it along a course to the port. When the port came into view, the beacon turned them to the northern outskirts of the port. They could see Star of Argent sitting on a pad. The bulky old freighter was still in surprisingly good shape considering but Nelmon was insane to want it. Still, Ven could understand the feeling. He’d once been there and had settled for the old girl.

So who’s staying with the ship? Kotula asked.

Everyone except Berglund. He can’t stand those engines anymore. He’s been threatening to retire for years. This way he can have it easy and might just hang around a bit longer. I’m going to need to hire five more men to fill the crew. The ship was doing all the work and Ven just watched as it came in slightly off center to the landing pad.

That’s too bad. They’ve been really good.

Yeah, but it saves me from deciding which five to bring over. They work so good together that I’d rather I be the one to break in five new men. The ship hovered over the pad. And it’s one less thing Nelmon will have to worry about.

Any idea who you might bring on as your first-mate?

Well, Berglund is going to be first until I find someone else. He really doesn’t want it. He’s ready to retire. Ven continued his checks as the ship hovered. He moved it over to center it before he extended the landing gear and settled it to the ground. I think I’ll try to find someone who wants their own ship, but who won’t be ready to make that step for a while. I’m thinking about getting an AI for this ship. Then I won’t need a crew.

But then you’d be all alone.

No, then you and the kids could come with me.

Kotula smiled and hugged his arm, but didn’t comment on their longstanding disagreement. How soon will you be leaving? she asked.

"Well, it’ll take a couple of weeks to outfit the ship... excuse me, Nova Trango... and get the registration done. Then however long it takes to find a crew. I’m betting it will be three to four weeks before I go anywhere."

Good. I want you to myself for a while. I don’t get to spend enough time with you.

As they left, Ven set the security codes for the first time. Kotula came up with some that would be easy for him to remember but nearly impossible for anyone else to guess. They locked up the ship and exited. Ven arranged to pay for the port fees and he and Kotula went home.

* * *

Two days later, Ven met with Nelmon and his financier to sign the final papers to transfer Star of Argent. Are you sure you really want her? Ven asked.

Positive, Nelmon said. I know she’s old, but she’s what I can afford right now.

She’s treated me well. I hope you have good luck with her.

Now gentlemen, the financier said, if we could get down to business, I have a busy day ahead of me.

Both captains nodded. I don’t like paperwork, Ven said, so let’s get to it.

First, the financier began, I need the final sales price and documentation that the ship is worth that much.

I have that right here, Ven told him as he passed a data chit across the table.

The financier put it in his pad and loaded the information. Now you have here that the value has been established at twelve million GCC’s. Is that the selling price?

Ven smiled at Nelmon’s noticeable gulp at that price. No, I only want eight million for it. That was still more than Ven had paid for it ten years ago.

That’s good, because we only approved him for eight. If you would sign these, he said sliding a pad across the table, I can deliver your money.

Ven smiled and quickly signed the documents and handed the pad back. Are you ready to sign your life away, Nelmon?

I think so. It’s a big step.

Yes, the financier said, Before I can finalize things, I need one more signature from you.

Nelmon signed the document. As soon as the financier had it, he created a credit chit which he handed to Ven. Here is your payment, Captain Zaran. I believe this concludes our business. Captain Nelmon, your first payment is due in one month. You don’t have to make it in person. I’ll message you the pertinent details.

Thanks. Nelmon lingered as the financier left. Thanks for selling her to me, Ven. And thanks for the month of runs.

"No problem. It’s going to take at least that long for the new ship to be ready for business. And I found a name for it. Nova Trango."

"Nice name. I’m not going to change Star of Argent. It works."

How soon are you leaving?

Tomorrow. I managed to find a cargo.

I hope I told you enough of the tricks. Sometimes cargos aren’t easy to find.

I’ve watched you work for six years and I have my own connections. I’ll manage.

Well, I’ll see you around then.

Hopefully. Thanks for all the training.

Ven sighed as Nelmon left. Now the fun began. He would have to find a new first mate and a new crew. Nelmon had been good, but truth be told, he had never felt close to most of the crew. Some of them weren’t so fun to be around. In some ways finding a new crew was going to have benefits.

* * *

It took Ven two weeks to get the registration for Nova Trango cleared. During that time he transferred all his belongings and stocked her with everything he thought he’d need. That had left him plenty of time to be with his family. Berglund found his new cabin to be a bit big. Ven just shook his head and suggested that he turn part of it into his office. He did just that. Kotula decorated the captain’s cabin to her liking. Ven liked how it turned out. It made him feel closer to her when he was halfway across the galaxy. They both spent time preparing the large passenger cabin. Ven had his share of passengers as well as cargo and he wanted to make sure that everything was in order. He could create up to four sleeping compartment in there, if he needed, using the modular walls that the designers had seen fit to supply.

The ship had three independent gravity sections, each customizable to the need. He discovered the central crawl-way, supposedly for maintenance of the airlock and landing gear hydraulics, but a smugglers heaven. The service hatches were almost invisible. They would work for a while until the authorities caught on. Then that would be the first place they would check. He’d have to do something about it before long. Smuggling runs could be very lucrative and were one way he intended to get ahead.

The cargo bay was large. Even though this ship was smaller, it had the same size cargo bay as Star of Argent but had the lifting capacity to carry a full, heavy cargo load. The Star of Argent hadn’t been able to liftoff with a packed hold.

A soon as the registration cleared, Ven had the name painted on the hull. The ship had come with a sandy gray paint job on the hull and Ven didn’t see any need to change it just yet. He picked a bright blue for the name and registration markings that would stand out nicely.

He’d done some scouting for possible crew members, but hadn’t had much luck. There were two likely candidates, but that was it. Ven was beginning to think that he should go to a different port to recruit. He liked his crew to have the same home port, but maybe that just wasn’t meant to be right now.

He talked it over with Kotula and Berglund and they both agreed. The next day he contacted the two men he’d talked to and hired them. He gave them a day to settle in before he put them to work. His first cargo started arriving the next day. He was going to take a shipment of spare parts for the Leywan Ship Yards to one of the inner systems. It was some of the more sensitive parts that required more delicate handling. It was a gravy run basically. Nothing much to do and plenty of time to do it. Their destination, Nejak-Felhak, was a big distribution center for the inner systems. It would also be a great place to try to pick up some men to fill the other crew positions.

When the cargo was stowed, he scheduled the departure. Since they had all afternoon before he wanted to leave, he told his two new crew members, Xaison Ver’Kar and Roldan Yilka, to say their good-byes and report at 1900 for departure. Berglund was alone and lived on the ship, so Ven left him in charge of getting the departure permission and he went to see his wife and kids.

At ten, Chup was already dreaming of having his own ship one day. Just barely four, Ash really didn’t understand why her dad was always gone.

Is it that time already? Kotula asked him.

Yes, I’m afraid so. We have to leave tonight to get the cargo in on time.

Is it paying well?

Yeah. It’s a good run.

I always hate this part. You leaving.

I do too, dear. But it’s what I do.

I know.

Chup came up to them. Dad, when can I go with you?

Not for many years. If you are big and strong, maybe I’ll let you come sooner.

Will you bring me back something special?

Sure. I’ll see what I can find.

Daddy, little Ash said, I want to go too.

Sorry sweety. You have to stay with your mama. Can you take care of her?

Uh-huh.

Then you do that, okay.

‘Kay.

Ven hugged his kids and then hugged and kissed Kotula. He said his good-byes and made it to the ship by 1800. He had a lot of checks to run through before they could leave. He put Xaison and Roldan to work the moment they showed up. Roldan was a navigator with several years experience so Ven had him plot the course to Nejak-Felhak through hyperspace. Xaison was a well-qualified pilot. He didn’t have as many flight hours as Ven would like, but was fully checked out on this model. Ven had him helping with the system checks. Berglund had all the engineering systems checked and ready long before they were ready to leave. He came forward to lend a hand getting the rest of the system checks done. Since it was a new ship for all of them, it took a lot longer than the normal fifteen minutes.

At 1904 they were cleared to follow the beacon into orbit and Ven and his three crew members were off on Nova Trango’s maiden voyage. She flew like a dream. The engines purred. Berglund was in the engine compartment monitoring them, but it wasn’t necessary. The engines were new and didn’t need any adjustments yet. Berglund was watching them and trying to see if he could find any tweaks that would improve their efficiency. It might take him a few months to figure out the best way to coax more power from them.

Ven hardly touched the controls as she flew into space. If it wasn’t for the regulations, he wouldn’t need to hire any more crew members. The regulations said he had to have a pilot and navigator on duty at all times. Either that or install an AI certified for piloting and navigation. He intended to do that, but he would have to work for several years to be able to afford it because he wanted the best. You could get lower quality AI’s that didn’t have the sentient vocal interface and were basically a glorified autopilot, but Ven wanted the best.

Let’s see how well you did, Ven said to Roldan. He did a quick check and didn’t see any problems. Looks good. Shall we? Ven said just before he engaged the hyperspace engine.

The view from the cockpit while entering hyperspace was far different from what a stationary observer would see. Out the front ports, Ven watched as a hole seemed to rip open in front of them in the vast blackness of space. At first it shut out the stars behind it, but as the ship passed through, the blackness filled with bright colors that expanded to surround the ship. Ven had watched other ships jump. They accelerated, appeared to stretch, and then vanished.

With the proper sensors, the brief stretched shape of a ship was like an arrow pointing in the direction they were headed. A skilled tracker could usually determine the ship’s destination and follow. Since it wasn’t possible to change course once in hyperspace, the only variable was how far the ship was going in that direction. Ven estimated that a quarter of their runs required more than one jump. As long as the ship jumped before being seen, it was practically impossible to track past that first jump.

Ven did have to be concerned with those things because he didn’t always stay on the legal side of trading. That’s why the old Star of Argent had gotten so beaten and battered. He often had to strain the ship to her limits to avoid scrapes with the authorities or the conglomerates. He hoped this little ship had enough power to do a better job. He’d had too many close calls in the last couple years and hadn’t been willing to take some of the risks he needed to, to get ahead.

I’ll let you two handle things. I’ll be in the engine compartment if you need me.

Aye, sir, Xaison said.

And no need to be so formal. This isn’t a military ship. Just call me Captain or Ven.

Okay, Ven, Roldan said.

Ven walked down the central corridor which jogged around the guest cabin and past the main airlock. He had to navigate through the packed cargo bay to get to engine room hatch. Berglund was monitoring the hyperdrive. I don’t like the sounds it’s making, he said without looking as Ven came in.

Is it a problem?

No, I just don’t like it.

You’ll get used to it.

I know, but I kinda miss the old girl. She had character.

This girl will develop her own character. We just have to give her a chance.

It just remains to be seen if we’ll like her or not. What did you need, Captain?

I wanted to get a feel for her so I just came to hear and feel how she handles hyperspace.

Good so far. I just don’t like how she sounds.

Sort of like a soprano with a screechy voice, eh?

Something like that.

Berglund had always been a bit odd. He made a good engineer, but nothing was ever right and he was always tinkering with things. The good thing is that everything he touched always turned out better. He kept everything running in peak condition. He was just frustrating to be around. Ven had learned to deal with him and didn’t mind. The new crew members would need time to get used to him.

The two-day flight went by very fast. He had Xaison and Roldan run simulations to get used to the new ship while he monitored their two stage jump. With only four people, Ven had decided to overlap their shifts so that there were at least two in the cockpit. As they neared their destination, Ven took another tour his new ship to get a feel for how she felt in flight. He paused in the guest suite and enjoyed the view. The large windows and skylights allowed the glow from the streams to illuminate the room. They could be dimmed to be totally opaque. That was a bonus feature that Ven had opted for. As he walked back to the cockpit, he felt the slight jar that meant they had dropped out of hyperspace. When he got to the cockpit, he checked the readings and they were right on target.

As they cruised in the rest of the way on the gravitic thrusters, Ven sat in the pilot’s seat. The cockpit had three stations. The commander sat in the middle with the pilot on the left and the navigator on the right. In the pilot’s seat, Ven had access to more controls. As he checked the sensors, he saw a lot more traffic than was normal. There’s a pretty good chance we are going to be stopped by customs, he told Xaison and Roldan.

It wasn’t ten minutes before the comm beeped. "Captain Zaran of Nova Trango," Ven answered.

Ah, Ven. Nice to talk to you again, a familiar voice said.

I was afraid it would be you, Keffel.

I know. You know the drill. We’re looking for a powder runner who’s been operating out of here.

You know I don’t approve of that sort of thing so come on over, the lie flowed with the ease of practice.

Twenty minutes later, a military cutter came along side. It bore the blue and yellow insignia of the Confederation Customs Corps. Following standard practice, they used magnetic grapples to bring Nova Trango close enough for the docking tube. They wanted to make sure that if they got you this close that you didn’t get away if they found anything.

It always seemed to take forever to finish the docking process. But eventually the airlock chimed as it cycled open and Keffel came in with two Customs guards. Ven and Keffel clasped forearms in a warm greeting. Good to see you, trader.

You too, officer. They had known each other for years. They had met when Keffel had been a young customs official on one of old Karnock’s regular stops. Ven had gotten Keffel out of trouble when he’d slipped up on some of the regulations. They’d been friends ever since. Ven kept track of him and made sure that he never carried any illegal cargo anywhere that they might run into each other.

I see you have a new ship. I didn’t recognize you on the scanners. I like it.

Thanks. Have a look around. Ven handed him a pad. This is our manifest. Four people and a hold full of ship parts.

Keffel looked it over and handed it to one of the guards. Here, Stormy. Take a look at the hold and verify that this is correct. How about a tour of the rest of the ship?

Sure. Ven showed him the cabins, the infirmary, the cockpit, and engineering. He was very careful not to even glance at the floor hatches. Keffel was impressed with the compact yet spacious design.

One of the two customs guards found them a short while later. Ven couldn’t tell them apart. They were covered with armor and a full helmet so you couldn’t see their faces. You could tell what function they