Orbits - Book 2 - Dangerous Debris
Chapter Eight

……………………………………………………………

Major entered the cafeteria standing in its arched doorway to where Carlos had retreated from his table. The two crewmates acknowledged each other with nods. Carlos did not have to point out the Commander’s presence to Major. The Commander’s devious familiarity instantly stood out to Major. It was hard not to notice that, unlike her previous incarnations, the Commander was dressed as a research scientist. But it was more than the garb of a lab bench grunt. Her garments more suggested the director of a laboratory. Be that as it may, her impressive womanly figure still was obvious and hypnotizing. It definitely had its effect on Major. Major and the Commander locked eyes each with their own purposes.

“What is she doing here?” Carlos asked Major. “I don’t know Carlos. Did you speak with her?” “No. Um, I didn’t know what to do.”

“Are the scrubbers installed?”

“Yeah.”

“Get back to the ship and make sure they are working. We may have to leave here quickly. Rosalind is in the lounge. Tell her about our little friend here. I’m going to have a little chat with her.”

“Be careful Captain,” and Carlos walked away.

Major caught the Commander’s eye again. He hesitated momentarily mentally preparing himself for the confrontation before he began walking toward the Commander’s table. His stride of power and authority was not unappreciated by the Commander.

He addressed the Commander with the appropriate amount of suspicion, “Commander Fox. What are you doing here?”

“Mr. Major. Pleased to see you. Oh, excuse me. Captain Major. It is Captain now right . . . of that garbage halter? Please sit down.”

Major noted the derision in the Commander’s voice. He nevertheless took a seat, pushed his chair back a bit from the table, crossed his legs, and angled his body away from the Commander to both put some distance between them and to show coolness. He knew it would be too dangerous to get too close to this viperish woman. “Well?” He asked her.

“Well?” Commander Fox repeated as if dumbfounded. “Oh, why am I here? I could ask you the same question.” She paused and then continued, “But I won’t. The fact is I am here a lot. I have a deep interest in scientific research. I take it this is your first visit to the lab? Would you like a tour? There are many interesting experiments going on here.”

“I’ll pass on the tour. I’m just passing through.”

“I never believe anyone when they say that. No one is ever just passing through.”

She caught him. It was true. He was now off balance. Best to go back on the offensive in their parry and thrust verbal exchange.

“And which experiment precisely are you and your people most interested in here at the lab?” Major knew his ‘your people’ reference would widen the scope of the conflict between them.

“Captain, do you believe man can exist in space long term?”

Major was confused why Commander Fox was getting philosophical. But he decided to play along. “Well, we seem to have succeeded so far.”

“But that has only been for a few decades. I’m talking about centuries, millennia; the building of civilization. The difficulties, the costs, the biology just doesn’t seem all that practical. Don’t you agree?”

“Man has built civilizations in harsh conditions before. As long as man remains a man, and a free one, it can be done.”

“Ah yes. As long as a man stays a man. But that damn biology. Gravity, oxygen, sunlight. They are scarce out here.” She paused to let Major think.

She continued, “My people think differently. The costs Major. The costs. They are just too great to

sustain the building of a new civilization. A newly created biology is what is needed to lower the costs for the rest of us.”

Major was not sure what the Commander was saying. A newly created biology? He knew he did not like the sound of that. And ‘the rest of us?’

Commander Fox took a deep drink from the tea set before her. She recalled their last encounter and she admitted to herself that although they were adversaries, she had a mysterious adoration for Major. There was that something in Major that every woman desired - a reserve covering a volcanic explosiveness deployable only when absolutely necessary. She wondered if he could sense her covetous heartbeats. Though she knew her superiors would not permit her to disclose any information, she could not help herself wanting to see Major’s reaction, “You know that they don’t belong to you. They’ll be wanting them back.”

“Excuse me?”

“They’re very valuable and they will come and get them.”

“Who are you talking about? Nobody belongs to me,” Major could not comprehend language suggesting that people were owned by others.

“Oh come Major. You haven’t met any interesting

… people lately?”

Major shifted uncomfortably in his chair. How did she know about his unusual passengers? What did she mean they were valuable? Who would come to get them? A sickening feeling began assaulting him. He pushed his chair even further away from the table.

Commander Fox continued her vile insinuations, “The Company paid a lot for them and they will get them back in their shackles so they can get back to work.”

Major jolted up from his chair which fell to the floor in a crash. The import of the Commander’s words walloped him back, staggering his stance.

A nauseous disgust quickly overcame him. He starred down on the Commander in a crazed fever. She and all her confederates were sick. He now knew fully who Orme and his fellow travelers were. They were slaves of the NEO-Mining Company!

He also knew instantly that he and he alone had to safeguard them from any further denigration.

In the most stern tone possible, he warned the Commander, “Know this Commander. Those people I have brought to this facility are under my protection. They have sought sanctuary on my ship. It has been granted. Any attempt to interfere with their safe passage will be met with savage force. I think you know that I am capable of it.”

“I would expect nothing less from you Major,” the Commander responded with adversarial respect. “And just where will you take them Major? They don’t exactly belong anywhere do they?”

Major could not respond to the Commander because he truly did not know the answer. He only knew he had to get out of there and quickly before the forces of corruption began their pursuit. So he did not dignify the question with a response. He backed away keeping an eye on the Commander. He needed to contact Rosalind and Carlos as soon as possible. He crossed the threshold of the cafeteria into the corridor and almost immediately bumped into Mark Matthews.

“Oh, Major I’ve been looking for you.” Major was still in a daze from his conversation with Commander Fox. “We’ve been treating your passengers. Rosalind is with them now. They are doing well. Their injuries were not that serious after all, and they have remarkable recuperative powers.”

“That’s good. Are they able to travel?”

“They should be o.k. But there is something you should know.”

“Yes?” Major looked back into the cafeteria wanting to keep an eye on the Commander.

“We ran standard blood and DNA tests on your passengers in order to best treat them. There were some anomalies.”

“Anomalies?” Matthews did not have Major’s full attention. He was still focused on Fox who was still casually sitting at her table. “What?”

“Well, they are human. Buti t looks like every one of your passengers’ EGLN1 gene has been modified.”

“Excuse me? What gene?”

“The EGLN1 gene basically controls enzyme production regulating the body’s adaption to changing oxygen levels.”

Major finally directed his full attention to Matthews. “They adapt to oxygen differently than a normal person?”

“Well, it’s a little more fundamental than that. It looks like they just don’t need as much oxygen as you and I do to carry out basic biological functions.”

“That would be an obvious advantage for people who live in space. Oxygen is expensive out here.”

“Yes,” Matthews acknowledged. “But there are problems for higher-level biological functions if there is not enough oxygen.”

“Like?”

“Well, less musculoskeletal development for one. This would mean that they would not be able to

tolerate the normal gravity of Earth. But the most important effect would be diminished cognitive capacity. The human brain requires a lot of oxygen for full development.”

Major turned again back to the Commander. A colleague had joined her and they were in huddled discussion.

“Major there’s more. This type of gene editing, changing the basic cellular requirements of a critical molecule throughout the whole organism is a technology that we don’t have. For this type of change to be implemented, it would have to be done before gestation. Whomever these people are, they were not changed after they were born or in utero. They would have, in essence, been created as they are. I believe they must have been engineered for some specific purpose. It’s like they were hatched as if they were some type of animal hybrid.”

Major’s head jerked back toward Matthews. The import of Matthews’s words was clear. The full picture was coming into view. Not only were Orme and his people slaves, but they were created as such. Created to mine asteroids at a cheaper

cost, subjugated to a life of toil. And if their lives were lost in the dangerous digging of ores on space rocks, who would know or care? Moreover, there was little doubt in Major’s mind who was involved in such a heinous experiment.

“That woman. That woman,” Major pointed to Commander Fox who was still huddled in conversation. “Why is she at this lab?”

“Dr. Fox? She’s a director of the Chinese research team here at the lab.”

“The Chinese operate in this lab?”

“Yeah. They have a research module at the end of the corridor. We don’t know much of what they do down there. They don’t collaborate with many of us here. They are pretty secretive.”

“I have a pretty good idea of what they’re doing in their lab.” Major looked down the long corridor putting a course of action in his mind. He witnessed just then a scientist exit the module being careful to securely lock the module’s door behind him with both a security code and a retinal scan. “Thank you Mark for taking care of my

passengers. I appreciate it. I’ve got to get back to my ship. We’ll be leaving soon. I’m glad Rosalind has such a good friend.”

“I’m glad she has you as a friend as well. I’ll check on your passengers to make sure they are ready to go. I know they will do fine in your care.”

The two men shook hands with strength and respect. As Matthews left, Major retrieved his communicator, “Rosalind, Carlos come in.

Rosalind, Carlos, come in.” “Here Major.”

“Here Captain.”

“Get back to the ship. And get our guests ready to go. I’ll be there shortly. Carlos get those scrubbers up and running.”

Carlos answered, “We’re leaving?” “Yes and rapidly.”