Page 9 of Cloverleaf Station

“What did I just say about questions? Come on.” Elenus walked off, finding his way far too easily.

He’s been studying the station, memorizing its architecture. He definitely came prepared. Kieron followed him, his mind in a state of upheaval, every carefully plotted step in his plan for the next five months scattered in the wake of Elenus Desfontaines’ arrival.

It’s all right. You just need to figure out what he wants and get it to him as quickly as possible. Nobody who looked like this man—so carefully groomed, so immaculately dressed, with his slick, strange ship—wanted to be in the middle of nowhere, on the edge of the galaxy, with only the most basic of amenities for months on end. Kieron just had to make sure he got whatever he needed and then …

And then what? Big Momma has moved on; we’re in full radiation now. He can’t leave; it would be suicide. It’s incredible that he made it here alive—and seemingly unharmed—at all. Fuck, fuck, fuck, Kieron was so fucked. An entire season of searching might be wasted, all because this godsdamn popinjay had decided to fly out here without any warning and ruin—

“—access it. Hello?” Kieron startled as he suddenly clocked a hand being waved too close to his face. Automatically, his arms swept the offending limb down and away, gripping the wrist and then the shoulder tight and levering its owner into a sharp bend at the waist before he remembered himself.

“Sorry,” Kieron said, letting his new boss out of the hold he’d unconsciously put him into.

Elenus straightened up and stared at him thoughtfully for a moment, rolling his wrist out before he finally shrugged again. “It doesn’t matter. I do expect you to pay attention when I’ve got a question for you, though. If we can’t communicate except through the vehicle of you manhandling me, we’re going to have a really rough time here together.”

It’s going to be rough regardless. Kieron cleared his throat and nodded. “Sorry,” he repeated. “What was your question?”

“I’m not registered as a control for the system here yet. Can you sign in and give me access to the control panel?”

“Of course. As soon as you show me some identification.”

Elenus’s small smile dropped off his face. “What?”

“Identification proving you are who you say you are, and that you have the authority to ask this of me.” Kieron knew he was pushing it, but regulations insisted that he go through this part. If he didn’t, he’d give this guy even more grounds to fire him if he really had that kind of authority.

“For the love of—how do you think I was able to read everything about this station?”

“You could have gotten that information from someone who’d been here recently.” Kieron folded his arms across his chest. “I need proof before I can let you have control access to Cloverleaf Station.”

Elenus scowled. “Are you fucking kidding me?”

“Nope.”

“Fine.” Elenus stalked back out into the hall and toward Bay Five. Kieron exhaled long and slow, then put his hand on the console. “Open communications,” he said, and his incoming mail folder sprang up in front of his eyes thanks to the implant at the top of his spine. “Find Elenus Desfontaines.”

“Two messages,” the AI responded. Kieron opened them one after the other, skimming them with a sinking feeling.

It was all right there—the transfer of authority, the indication of arrival, and a picture that matched the smug, smirking face of the guy he’d just sent back to his ship to get a physical ID. “List pertinent information on Elenus Desfontaines and Lifeship Enterprises.”

The list that popped up was as impressive as it was comprehensive. Desfontaines was in fact the CEO of a modern shipbuilding company, one that was experimenting with and integrating all sorts of new technologies into its hulls; specifically, alloys that were designed to self-heal from all sorts of damage, including radiation. Desfontaines himself was not only the CEO, he was the lead engineer; together with his business partner, Deysan Moritz, another Ganian, they had created enough interest and amassed enough capital to buy a place like Cloverleaf Station outright, never mind leasing control of it for a season.

So. Elenus Desfontaines had more money than most planets, was a business leader, had all kinds of political backing in the Central System, and was a tech genius.

Shit. What the hell was this guy doing here?

***

“Identification.” Elenus stalked back into the control room and practically threw a badge at Kieron, who managed to grab it without fumbling. “Verify it, and let’s get the hell on with this.”

Kieron inspected the badge. It was a modern one, with combination DNA markers and biometric signals tested. He pressed it to the AI’s badge reader to verify that it was a real Alliance-issued ID badge, then laid it flat on the surface of the control station where the computer could cross verify as Elenus was read. “Thumb,” he said.

Elenus pressed his thumb to the silvery area in the corner, and a second later, the control station lit up in positive response. “Identification confirmed,” the station AI said in her slightly flat, never-quite-welcoming voice. She sounded a lot like how Kieron felt right now. “Welcome to Cloverleaf Station, Director Desfontaines.”

Director. Shit. He had an official title and everything. Kieron was so fucked.

“Good.” Elenus sat down and began operating the control panel like he’d been doing it for months, immediately going to the log of most recent events.

“If you tell me what you’re looking for, I could help you find it,” Kieron offered reluctantly.

“If you’ve done your job and logged everything properly into the system, I shouldn’t need your help,” Elenus replied, not even looking at him.