Hunted

Chapter 8: Worlds Unlimited

Haley finished his food quickly and went to sit on his bed. He left the third sliding door open, not wanting to further arouse McKee's distrust by cordoning himself off, but was pleased that the captain stayed on the bridge.

His shoulder tended and his stomach full, Haley finally found himself able to focus his faculties on his problem. He considered what he wanted, and after a time realized that a few days off of Earth was truly all he really sought. Any time longer would be unfair to his family—if a few days wasn't already—and he realized being away would keep him from hearing news of the murder investigation. Worlds Unlimited seemed a better proposition to him now, a chance to take a short solo trip, make a few credits, and then head home. The only thing that ate at him was the way the assassins had appeared out of nowhere. If things didn't change and he was arrested back on Earth, being in custody might make him an easy target.

Different scenarios played themselves out in Haley's mind, and the time passed swiftly for him. It seemed much less than six hours when the ship dropped out of hyperspace. The change stirred him from his ruminations, and he crept into the hallway to take a peek ahead.

The planet Nivay was centered on the Eva Marie's viewscreen. It was a small world, no bigger than Earth's moon, and for the most part resembled it in terms of its lifeless, rocky, dull brown appearance. But a tiny section had been terraformed and encircled with atmosphere-generation equipment. The area was but a dab of color, a section of blue surrounded by brown, yellow, and green.

"Told you it was small," McKee said as he entered the hallway. "Only reason they did the terraforming was because it was in the right location to refuel ships and provide food and a chance to stretch legs for the crews heading to the frontier."

"A stellar rest stop."

"You could say that," McKee said plainly, apparently missing the attempt at humor. "Well, let's get you strapped in and we'll land." He guided Haley with one strong hand back to the bed.

                                              *             *             *

The Eva Marie set down on a flat plain just outside the area surrounded by the hulking green boxes that housed the atmosphere generation units. Once the ship was shut down, a small land rover pulled up next to it. A member of the ground crew, wearing full space gear, connected a short tube section from the rover to the Eva Marie, allowing Haley and McKee to enter the rover's breathable environment.

The vehicle had no driver and needed no instructions. It simply took its passengers into the habitable section of Nivay, no bigger than ten city blocks in total, opened its doors, and once they had departed, returned to the landing area.

There wasn't a lot to see on Nivay, and McKee obviously had no interest in giving Haley a tour. He moved as fast as his bad leg would allow, glancing back only once to make sure Haley was following him. Beyond the commercialized section of the place, Haley could see a park with a lake, a neatly manicured lawn, and a sparse grove of trees. The park was lined on the far side by several small homes. During the short walk to their destination, they passed a handful of supply stores, two small hotels, and a half-dozen eateries. Haley thought about spending the next few days in a hotel, but he realized he had no credits—his wallet was probably still in his clothes back in Father Tim's rectory. He didn't consider asking McKee for a loan for more than an instant.

"Here it is," McKee announced.

The building was smaller than any of the others they had passed, and Haley had thought even the largest of those was dwarfed by the structures on Earth. Worlds Unlimited might have a grand mission, but its office was no more than a single five-meter-square room with a desk and a couple of filing cabinets. Haley was unimpressed.