April 7
Captain Mills kicked the door open and marched in, a piece of paper in his left hand. His right had was at his side, touching the gun in its holster. But the weapon seemed unnecessary. Captain Mills was a powerful man with biceps that were visible across the room. The monitor didn't do him justice. Now that he was here, in the flesh, he resembled Captain Larsen, from Jack London's "Sea Wolf". John wondered if he could crush a raw potato in one hand. Even Beth seemed to stop and gaze at this awesome figure.
"I thought so." said Captain Mills, staring back at Beth. He turned towards Mark and Tamara. "Shut off the tv." he demanded. It was Mark's turn to hold the remote, so he pushed the off button.
"Now you must think we're stupid, not to figure this out." His voice echoed through the silence of the stateroom. "The computer has tracked your refuse over the past few days. It is consistent with a smuggle case. Bits of metal and sand, we've seen it before. You're not the first to sneak something to Mars, and you won't be the last. So I ask myself, what are you smuggling? Something we could both get executed for? Are we going to be featured on the torture channel next month? Well as you can imagine, I wanted to find out."
Beth started to cry and Maggie picked her up and whispered softly. Captain Mills continued in a stern voice. "I reviewed the images of your flying stunt two days ago. What was in the bag? What did you spill all over the floor when you hit bottom? I magnified the images, and you were carrying diapers. Borrowing them from someone else I suppose. Forgot to pack your own? Maybe it's not your baby, so you're out of practice. Doesn't really matter to me. I've got the manifest, and..." He unfurled the paper in his left hand. "Room 21, John, Maggie, Tamara, Mark, two minors, ages 11 and 9. No baby! So I knew what I'd find, and there she is. Sorry, but Mars takes a dim view of stowaways. It's not a capital crime, but I could lose my job, and I like this job. It pays well. I'm sure you understand. So - hand her over."
He took two quick steps towards Maggie, and she backed away, holding the baby out in front of her. The Captain grabbed Beth with one hand and held her suspended by one leg. There was no danger in this maneuver, given the low gravity, but Beth knew she was in the hands of a tyrant, and she cried all the more.
"What's going to happen to her?" Maggie asked, barely audible over Beth's cries.
"Well," Captain Mills began, "since she's not on the manifest, she was never here." He seemed to take delight in his next proclamation. "I don't even have to do any paperwork."
Mark and Tamara stared at the Captain, with Beth dangling from one hand. As he turned towards the door Tamara was poised, ready to attack. She was a mother defending her young, no matter the cost, no matter the odds. John could see it in her eyes, and he grabbed her arm. "It's ok Tamara."
"Wise move Mr. Farsee." Captain Mills saw everything, and noticed everything. "Between your little girl's fall and this baby, I've had quite enough of you people. Don't cause me any more trouble, and I won't be back."
He was about to open the door when his wristwatch beeped. He glanced at it, then tossed Beth and the manifest onto the nearest bed. His aim was perfect; he could adjust to any gravity between 0 and 1 in just a few minutes. "Futsack!" he grumbled, as he pushed talk on his watch. "I'm kinda busy right now - what do you want."
"I know sir," replied a meek voice, "but I just received a dispatch from Mars. It concerns the Farsee family, and well, I think you went to see them, didn't you?"
"Yes, I'm in their stateroom now. What about them - except that they're a pain in the liver."
"It's marked your eyes only, so I don't know. Shall I send it down to you?"
"Yes, transfer it; I'll read it hear."
The Captain read the words through the tiny display on his watch, like reading a book through a keyhole. It took several minutes to read the dispatch, and his grin gradually turned into a frown, and then a scowl. He pushed the talk button again. "I got it. Over and out."
He picked up the manifest, folded it into quarters, and stuffed it into his pocket. "Apparently Mars is eagerly awaiting your arrival. Your boss, Mr. Bruder, gave them the heads up."
Beth was still crying. "May I?" asked Maggie as she moved towards the bed. The Captain didn't respond, so she picked Beth up in her arms and the crying began to subside.
"Some kind of genius in the power industry. Funny, you don't look the part. Anyways, the Martian government says you are to be treated well, and I am to assure the safety of you and your family. Course that baby isn't part of your family, or you would have brought diapers along. I'm not stupid you know. So I could probably shove her out the airlock and still meet the letter of the directive, but I suppose that would foster ill will." He seemed to be thinking out loud. "And I like my job. Ok, you can keep your stupid baby, on one condition." It was of course nonnegotiable. He looked straight at John. "When you get to Mars you tell them I want new fusion reactors, and the best technicians to install them. These things are practically 100 years old, and I can hardly buy replacement parts any more."
"It's a deal." said John, realizing he might wind up as one of those expert technicians. He didn't want to work with Captain Mills ever again, but that was tomorrow's problem. For now, Beth was safe.
"Don't go back on your word," warned Captain Mills, "because I always remember, and I have friends in high places. For now, I've got paperwork to do, thanks to your subterfuge." He turned and stomped out of the room, slamming the door behind him.
Tamara clung to her mother and asked, "Will Beth be all right?"
"I think so." she replied. "Let's get her some lunch; she looks hungry."
The Farsees ate their packaged meals, and Tamara shared her mashed potatoes with Beth. They had bonded in just a few days, and it would be difficult to say goodbye when they reached Mars, and Beth was passed to her grandmother. Maggie thought Beth should have a younger sister, be it biological, foster, or adopted. While she was lost in thought, a sharp knock at the door startled her, and filled her heart with dread. Who was it this time? They stared at each other for a minute, until the visitor knocked again. John rose and opened the door, and Dr. Jarvis walked in. He looked around the room for a moment until he found the object of his search.
"There she is." he announced. "Bring her over to the bed and undress her." Maggie obeyed.
"Now I want to know," he continued, "where was she, and why didn't you bring her to me?"
John made up a story in a flash. "She was in the far bed over there, asleep, under blankets."
"That takes care of the first question." grumbled the doctor as he pulled out his magnifying glass.
Maggie fielded the second grounder. "Nobody wants to wake a sleeping baby. I thought maybe you could come back later."
"Course you didn't say anything about it." Dr. Jarvis turned Beth over. "No - this is just skat. She wasn't here - she wasn't even on the manifest. But she's there now. Somebody's playing a game, and the Captain is in on it, so I'm going to keep my mouth shut. Still, he's not going to blame me for this one. It's not my fault. She wasn't here! And he better not put a reprimand in my file or the skat is going to hit the fan." He felt for the central vein in Beth's arm. "No sir, not my problem. I'm not taking the fall for this one." Beth cried in response to the jab. "Her hair's a little out of spec you know, but it's so thin I don't think there's a problem." He gathered up his belongings and headed for the door.
"thanks." said Maggie. she felt she had to say something.
"Sure." replied the doctor as he left the room.
"Are we done with visitors for the day?" asked Tamara.
"I certainly hope so." replied Maggie. "Bring Beth over here and I'll try to settle her down. It hasn't been a pleasant day for her either."