Jack and the Beanstalk [SF YA]

CHAPTER SEVEN - And Broke his Crown - Part I

So who is Valerie Jacobs? And why does she know my real name? Whatever the answers were, I needed to find them and discover what danger she posed. I decided she had nowhere to run and finished breakfast, eating everything I'd ordered. After using the 'fresher and dressing, I headed for stateroom #409. As I slipped down the halls, appreciating the lessening gravity, the feeling returned that someone, or at least something, watched every step I took.

I continued along, discounting it as paranoia, but the feeling persisted. When I reached the outer deck I decided to determine for certain whether or not someone tailed me. I pulled myself into an access tube and waited.

Within moments a shape appeared and passed by my poorly lit hiding space. I slipped quietly out of the tube to watch his gaze travel from tube to tube.

"Damn it," he muttered, his voice filled with annoyance. He spun and saw me. A gamut of emotional responses from shock and anger to embarrassment and disgust crossed his face.

Feeling combative from my morning with Valerie I confronted him. "Who the hell are you and why are you following me?"

He looked for a moment like he might answer then decided against it and punched me in the stomach. He didn't actually hit me that hard, at least at didn't seem like it at the time, but he'd been holding on to a ladder rung so it knocked me back. I looked at him in surprise as I fell backward to the deck. As I tried to regain my footing he shoved me right into the access tube. Floating down the tube, I watched helplessly as he pulled himself along the railing, back the way we'd come. I tucked my legs into my body and then kicked out. My spin increased. The end of the tube flashed by every few seconds, a black hole somewhere past the central corridor of the ship that appeared as a soft-lit glow. As I neared the light, I examined myself, my stomach felt a bit queasy, but not really hurt. The central corridor flew past and I soared up the opposite tube.

Tucking my legs in again I kicked out. My left leg struck something and pushed me back. I slammed my head into the bulkhead, my vision exploding with light that faded to twinkling stars and then nothing.

#

I awoke to find myself in the middle of the ship floating against the bulkhead next to the access tube. My head throbbed. Gingerly I reached up and touched my scalp where the beating of my heart seemed to center. My fingers found hair crusted together with what must be blood. Gently probing the protuberance, I found no wetness, so the bleeding had stopped. I reached out slowly and grasped the rungs leading back into the access tube.

How long had I been out? Long enough for blood to clot, at least. I pulled my way outward. As the gravity simulated by the spin increased so did the pains in my head and leg. On reaching the deck where my mishap began I stepped off the ladder and onto the decking. Favoring my throbbing leg, I hobbled down the causeway, the soles of my feet clicking rhythmically. Pausing only momentarily at Valerie's door, I thumbed the open pad on the her door. Locked. I pushed the com-button with the heel of my hand.

"Valerie? It's me."

"Tony, I don't want to see you."

"I'm not Tony, damnit, and you know it. Now somebody is following me and I want to know who the Hell it is."

Valerie said nothing, but the open pad glowed green. I thumbed it again, and this time the door slid open. Her glare caught me as I stepped into the room. As the door slid shut behind me I met her gaze head on. With a low sigh, halfway to a growl, she looked away.

"You want something to drink?"

"No. I want some answers."

"Aren't you cliché." The corner of her mouth twitched as if it wanted to smile before she crossed to pour herself a drink.

"How far is it from fable to cliché. After all I'm Jack, and I've just climbed the Beanstalk."

"And I'm Mary, Mary, quite contrary."

I laughed harshly and the pain in my head reasserted itself. "You have some painkiller?"

"Headache?" Her voice registered slight concern.

"You could say that." While she got the pills I explained what had happened. Then, of course, I had to endure the pain of her probing my injuries. "Who was he?"

"What did this fellow look like?"

"I'd know him if I saw him. How many people are on the Orion?"

"I don't know, but you're not going to go chasing after him."

"Why not?"

"Because you might get yourself killed. You're right. I'm one of Mother Goose's gang. I follow orders, and so will you."

The concern had disappeared from her voice.

"So I'm just part of some directive?"

"Yes."

She'd hesitated, but why? Because she actually did care, or because she wanted me to think she cared?

"He may even be one of us."

"How do I know that you're one of us? Hell, I hardly know who us is."

"I can't prove I'm on your side. You'll just have to trust me."

"What?!" My mind raced. All I could get out was, "Trust you? How the hell do I trust you?"

She ignored my outburst. "He didn't hurt you, right?"

Yeah. I'd hurt myself. "What were your orders?"

"I'm to ensure that you arrive on the moon in one piece."

"And do whatever it takes to get me there?"

She nodded her eyes burning into mine, warning me.

"That includes sleeping with me?"

The slap came hard and fast. "My orders did not exclude that."

"Then it meant nothing?" I asked letting my cheek burn.

"Does sex ever mean nothing?" she asked crossing back to the bar and refilling her drink. "Believe what you will. Do you have any more questions?"

I shook my head.

"Then I think it best that you leave. I'm sure we'll see each other at the moon shuttle." She set down her glass and entered the fresher.

I spun out of her suite and strode down the causeway. If only I'd run into my tail again.