The other two crew, a man and a woman, hadn’t been introduced. They’d remained in the shuttle’s forward section, where the captain had headed as soon as Meja and her cargo were aboard.
Meja went back to the larger of the two cargo containers she’d brought and rested her palm on it. It hadn’t been disturbed during the flight—she’d been sitting with Barr and Sheri in the cargo hold to make certain of that. Still, she’d be happier once it was in her quarters and she could open it up.
Barnes came out of the small cockpit. Her curly bob had stopped floating the moment the shuttle had docked and the ship’s rotational gravity had taken over. Meja missed the more ethereal look. This version of Captain Barnes looked like the sort of person who’d throw someone out an airlock for double-crossing her. The captain tapped a sequence on her omnidevice and the light above the cargo door changed to green. “Barr, you and Sheri get the cargo organized. Sanderson and Hicks, head to the flight deck and check everything out. Make sure April hasn’t done anything too extreme with their free time.”
The skin prickled between Meja’s shoulders, and she curled her fingers over the edge of her container. “I can move my cargo myself, Captain.”
“Your cargo isn’t going anywhere until it’s been cleared.” Barnes spun and stalked toward her, stopping just out of reach. “The same goes for you.”
Barr’s cough of laughter wasn’t concealed as the huge man opened the shuttle’s door and hopped out into a more expansive ship’s bay. The tension in Meja’s ribs unwound slightly at the sight and she let out a slow breath. They’d gotten off Burbidge. GRCA didn’t have a team waiting for her outside the ship.
After that, as she kept reminding herself, everything else would be easy.
The rest of the crew left the shuttle and dispersed, leaving Meja and Barnes facing each other. The captain narrowed her eyes. “I’ll only say this once. This isn’t a pleasure cruise. We’re a working ship, and everybody works. That also means if I give an order, there’s no questioning it. We clear?”
Meja swallowed. “Aye, Captain.”
“Good,” Barnes snapped. A dark-haired man of slight build stepped through the door, and the captain addressed him without turning. “Layth? I’m discharging her into your care.”
Layth gave a dismissive sniff as he moved around the captain and entered the hold. “I’ll have a full report on your desk in an hour, ma’am.”
“Take your time.” Captain Barnes disembarked the shuttle, leaving them alone while Layth unpacked a portable scanner that looked a decade old.
“Is that the best tech you’ve got?” Granted, being with a multimillion-credit corporation had spoiled her some in terms of lab equipment, but surely it wasn’t that bad on the outside.
Layth glared at her with narrowed eyes. “Yes, well, the good captain has higher priorities most of the time.”
Meja watched as he connected his omnidevice to the scanner. “I hesitate to ask, but is that going to be able to scan through my clothes, or do I need to disrobe?”
The medic smirked. “Are you wearing armored clothing?”
“No?” Was that a common thing outside of holovids? “Should I be?”
“You’re fine.” He stepped closer and dialed in an adjustment on his omni. “Name?”
“Meja Aquarone,” she said without thinking about it. If Golden had a warrant issued…
He gave no notice of her name, other than to enter it on the keypad of his omni. “Blood type?”
“B positive.”
Another note. “You don’t have a Panbeset. Are you sexually active?”
Her cheeks heated. “Are you this intrusive with all your passengers?”
“I wouldn’t know. You’re the first. If you want a Panbeset, I have a few in the med bay. Just let me know, and I can implant it in your arm.”
The implant was long lasting and protected the bearer from both pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections. Golden Ratio Companion Animals even offered them at cost for employees. Had her romantic life been remotely active, she’d have considered it. “No point closing up an empty barn.”
Layth snorted. “I suppose that’s a direction. If you change your mind, let me know.” The scan completed, and he entered a few more details into his omni.
“Everything fine?”
“Your pulse and blood pressure are elevated, but I assume that’s stress. Your bone density is normal, and you get embarrassed when people ask about your sex life.” He provided a sympathetic smile. “It’s an old scanner, but it’s not unreliable.”
His eyes were hazel, she realized. There was actual concern in them, guarded behind a wall of cynicism. “Anything else I need to know about?”
“I’ll need a blood sample, but there’s no point in taking it here. You can come by medical after I’ve cleared you.” He changed over to an industrial scanner. “I’d like you to remain while I check your cargo, however. In case there are any questions.”
“For what?” Her voice broke slightly on the last word.
“Transmitters, trackers, the usual. Captain Barnes has…competitors who might pay handsomely for the ability to trace her movements.”
A lump formed in her throat. A big industrial scanner could be dangerous—high-power magnetic fields and radiometry didn’t mix well with living creatures. She moved between him and the crate. “I’m sorry, you can’t.”
Layth looked at her with a distinct lack of surprise. “Care to explain why I shouldn’t scan your cargo?”
“There are…unshielded electronics in there. The high-powered scan might damage them.” It wasn’t completely unheard of. She hoped she sounded more believable than she felt.
He nodded. “That would make sense, I suppose. But then why does it have a heartbeat?”
Layth tried not to sound smug, but it was just such an obvious ploy. Bringing people aboard in cargo containers was practically standard operating procedure on the ship. It was, after all, how Sheri Tyler had been brought aboard. And Mx. Aquarone—on the run, clearly scared of whoever was chasing her, was bringing more than herself along.
God, he hoped it wasn’t a kid.
Not that he had anything against kids. In theory, they were fine. But they had no place on board the Sentinel of Gems. Or anywhere that he had to see them. Or hear them. Or smell them, now that he thought about it. The last thing he wanted was to have someone imprint on him like some kind of role model. Or worse, Barr. He shuddered at the thought.
“Mx. Aquarone” he started.
“I don’t mind Ms.”
He nodded. “Noted. I’m going to have to ask you to open your container please.” He changed back over to the bio-scanner while he waited for her to comply. Whoever was inside would need the same suite of tests that he’d run on her.
“I can pay you. You’re all smugglers, right? A little more profit for you is surely a good thing?” Her eyes didn’t move from his as she pulled out her omnidevice. “No one else even needs to know.”
She’d chosen to highlight her pale complexion with slashes of scarlet and yellow around her eyes. It drew attention to her nearly white hair, the pale, almost translucent nature of her skin. Her bone density may have been good, but he’d have to check her vitamin D levels. The woman looked like she’d incinerate in actual sunlight.