Part 17 (2/2)
”The bigger the better. Also, the clients liked double planets, and getting in close to cool stars, so that the star fills the entire sky. We'd transit the thing upside down. That created the illusion that it was overhead. That the entire sky was on fire. They loved loved that. And black holes. Black holes were always good. There's one at Werewolf.” that. And black holes. Black holes were always good. There's one at Werewolf.”
”Where?”
”Werewolf.” He grinned. ”You won't find it in the catalog.”
”I didn't think so.”
”We had our own names for everything.”
”Do you know where it is? Could you find it now?”
”As I say, Chase, it's been a long time. I don't-” He closed his eyes, shook his head. ”No. I've no idea. I'd have to go back to the records.”
”The records don't exist anymore.”
”Oh. Yeah. That's right. They delete them after, what, ten years or so? That's dumb, because some of that stuff they could still use.”
”So why do you think they deleted them?”
”Because the people running the company are morons. They think sites can be exhausted. Like fuel.” He checked the time. ”Listen, Chase, I'd love to continue this, but my daughter will be home soon, and we have some work to do.”
”One more minute?”
”Okay.”
”Tell me about Bannister.”
”Who?”
”Rachel Bannister. You must have known her. She was a pilot for World's End at the same time you were.”
”Oh, yes. Rachel.” The color was draining from his cheeks. ”Wow. That's a long time ago.”
I waited.
”I don't know. She was a competent pilot. Looked pretty good. That's mostly all I can remember. As best I can tell, she got the job done okay.”
”She quit about the same time you did.”
”Did she? I don't remember.” He shrugged. Got up. ”Have to go.”
”Was anything going on at the time? Any reason the two of you would have left?”
”No. Not that I know of.”
”The flights she made, they'd have been to places you you scouted, wouldn't they?” scouted, wouldn't they?”
”Yes,” he said. ”Probably. Chase, do you mind if I ask what this is about?”
”I'm just trying to get it clear in my head how the system worked.”
”But how does that have anything to do with Rachel Bannister?”
”Probably nothing, Hal. Was anyone else running scouting missions at that time?”
”Lord, Chase, I really don't remember. I don't think so.” He sat back in his chair. ”You know, this is beginning to sound like a grilling. Is something going on here that I should know about?”
”Well, okay. Let me level with you.”
”Please do.” He swallowed.
”We're trying to track down the origin of what might be an artifact. A tablet with a strange inscription.”
He shrugged. ”Don't know anything about it.”
”All right. One last question, Hal. Do you know where Rachel Bannister went on her last flight?”
He looked at me and somehow couldn't break away. There was fear in his eyes. ”h.e.l.l, I have no idea.” His voice shook. ”I barely remember her her, Chase. Let alone a last flight.”
”He's hiding something,” I told Alex when I got home.
”What do you think it is?”
”I don't know. But he knew Rachel better than he was willing to admit.”
”I wouldn't be surprised.” We were riding home from the train station. ”While you were gone,” he continued, ”I was able to track down some of the families who went on the tours. During Rachel's time.”
”And-?”
”Hugo Brockmaier was a corporate lawyer. In 1399, he and his wife Mira went out with World's End to celebrate their sixtieth anniversary. Rachel Bannister wasn't the captain. But they took time on the flight to record the highlights. It provides an interesting picture of what they actually did on some of these flights.”
”And you've got the record?”
”Yes.”
”You've seen it?”
”I haven't had a chance to look at it yet. Just at the description they sent with it. I think we should watch it tomorrow.”
At home that evening, I received a call from Yolanda Till. Yolanda had been a close friend since we were little kids growing up in Neuberg. We'd been in the Explorers together, had both been on the swim team, had shared boyfriends, and roomed together in college. We'd kept in touch. Yolanda had become an engineer and eventually gone to work for New Dallas Historical, which specialized in archeological excavations. She was currently involved in a recovery project on Mars in the home system. ”But that's not why I called you,” ”But that's not why I called you,” she said. she said.
”Where are you now now?” I asked.
”On approach to Skydeck. Just pa.s.sing through. Won't get time to stop. I'm here to check some details on a cargo flight. Going back out with them in a few hours.” She pushed her dark hair back. She pushed her dark hair back. ”You look good, Chase.” ”You look good, Chase.”
I loved Yolanda. I couldn't imagine those early years without her. ”I suspect,” I said, ”we could still clear the tables at Wally's.” The bar we used to hit when we were seniors.
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