Lodestar - ON HOLD

Krissa Price felt her smile slipping. Soon it would be more snarl than smile and a dusty, scared, snarling woman would do little to appease the settlers of Pelwall. She sighed, tried to focus, and nodded at some remark she’d missed completely. Honestly, she’d rather face a full-force duster than simper for these fools. The settlement leaders needed her, so they put on a show of polite gestures and soft, sweaty handshakes, but they wished to be away as much as she did. There was judgment in their eyes. They saw an outsider, a necessary evil, someone to tolerate but never accept. Nonetheless, here she was, head aching and hoping she looked pleasant enough to satisfy just a little longer. Because as much as she hated to admit it, she needed them too.

Like most folks, Krissa had heard the stories growing up, stories of roads that connected every settlement and city from Litchport to New Reidson. Even saw an old yellowed map of the dizzying paths once. A time when anyone could travel whenever they pleased without fear. That was before the world was nothing but rust and sand. Now the cities were crumbling metal labyrinths of valuable scrap and vicious raiders and the settlements harbors of civilization with food, water, ruthless enforcement squads, and a thriving underground slave trade.

Settlements needed scrap to survive and landships like Krissa’s Lodestar were the only way to get it. They were the only ones capable of traveling the Surround; the miles of barren plains separating the little pockets of civilization. Good operators with sturdy landships could make a living running between cities and settlements…if they could stomach the people in either.

“All ready, Operator!” Karzen yelled as he unloaded the last crate from Lodestar’s hold. His booming voice echoed through the hub, causing people to pause their tasks and the small crowd around her to finally scatter. Krissa saw more than a few wide-eyed workers watching Karzen stroll around the dock. He was twice the size of anyone there, both broad and tall. Karzen took little notice of anyone and busied himself with cleaning the treads of the ship. She smiled to herself. He was better protection than any the settlement could provide, even if he refused to strike a man or hold a weapon.

Her mood soured again when her Speaker materialized, no doubt summoned by the declaration that the actual work was done.

“Kris!” Trephor Spence stepped carefully from the cabin of Lodestar. “It’s a beautiful day to make some riches, yes?” The thin man beamed at her behind his dark, close-cut beard.

“Don’t call me that,” Krissa ran a hand through her short red hair, already slick with sweat. She’d made it to middle age in this waste and still Trephor was, without a doubt, the most vexing person she had ever met.

“Ah, of course, Operator.” He smirked. The man was an arrogant, lazy, cutthroat fool, but he was another unfortunate necessity in her world. Speakers were the only way to the best hauls. Hell, half the settlements wouldn’t even let a ship in without one on board. The fact she had to pay the ungrateful rat to be a part of her crew just salted the wound.

“Where we going with the goods?” She tried to keep her tone neutral, but some irritation apparently lingered because the Speaker’s grin deepened. He loved to get under her skin and, knowing she could do little about it, did so regularly.

“Warehouse just off the main road, Operator. They’ll be waiting.” Trephor adjusted his black linen shirt before walking off. No one who did an honest day’s work in this dust-soaked world would wear black. But everyone knew Speakers didn’t have to do honest work.

Krissa turned back to Karzen before following. A man who would have been impressive if he were standing with anyone else had joined him. Arlox Kold was just as broad across the shoulders and even more heavily muscled than Karzen, but his head only came to Karzen’s chest. A long brown beard obscured most of his broad face, giving him a slightly comical look. The large variety of weapons strung at his waist distracted from the humor somewhat. As her hired gunman, he was also a necessity of the business, but he earned his keep and followed orders at least.

“Arlox, I’m going to deliver these goods and collect. See to the ship, yeah?”

“You sure I shouldn’t walk along?” Arlox gave the speaker, who had stopped to chat up some hub workers, a glare. “I don’t mind,” he ran his hand over the pistol on his hip as he spoke.

Krissa grunted. Arlox hated the Speaker just as much as she did. Another point in his favor.

“No, there’s a lot of GAC out today and I don’t want trouble. Just watch the ship.” She turned up the dirt path that led into the settlement. “Just keep an eye out for paying passengers. And don’t scare any away this time.”

**********

Arolx shook his head, watching the Operator join her Speaker. How she could wander around with that rat and only one rifle he would never know. But as long as he got his rations and scrap, he’d let her live with her bad choices. The hub bustled around them; workers loading and unloading goods, open-air food stalls, a few ladies come down to look at the big ships and walking between them all, men and women in light blue leather armor. Krissa hadn’t been wrong. The GAC was thick here.

Every settlement with wealth and the desire to last more than a week contracted with the Guardian Alliance Conglomerate. Still, it was unusual to see so many in a settlement as far into the Surround as Pelwall. Even more unusual to see them out in force. Because of its relative safety, abundant water supply, and good crops, Pelwall was one of the hardest to get residency in. Uppity towns usually liked to keep their muscle hidden better to promote that “good life” feel. Arlox preferred the dirt and metal of the cities himself. They had a lot more beer and just the raiders to deal with, and he was allowed to shoot those.

“Operator said not to scare away the passengers,” Arlox turned to give Karzen a questioning look. It was odd the way the big man could be so forgettable.

“What am I doin’?” Arlox asked him.

“The way you’re staring at those soldiers, you’re going to get us shot,” Karzen spoke softly as he pried rocks from the treads of Lodestar’s big tires. “You look mean.”

“Bah!” The gunman waved a beefy hand. “They don’t care how I look at em’.” He gave the big man a side glance and lowered his voice. “If they do come over here, I’ll toss you one of my pistols, and we’ll shoot our way out.” Arlox gestured with his hands while making quiet ‘pow’ sounds. Karzen’s mouth thinned, but he didn’t look up from his work. Arlox knew very well the giant would let one of those GACs shoot him in the face before picking up a weapon. He just thought it was stupid, so he liked to pick.

He opened his mouth to continue his pestering, but was distracted by a figure walking down the row of parked landships. Pelwall attracted the largest ships because of its isolation. Only the biggest could be trusted to cross so much of the Surround, so there were many impressive vehicles to admire. The woman didn’t seem to be looking at the sparkling white ships, though, just the people around them. He could tell she was a woman despite her bulky clothes and hood and large goggles, unusual attire for anyone but scrappers and dock muscle. And those would be at work, not wandering alone. He watched her briskly walk past the large piecemeal ships, weaving in and out of the light foot traffic, only slowing her pace occasionally to watch the workers. He heard a few hands from smaller passenger vehicles call out to her, but she never gave them more than a glance. If she was looking for passage, she had already passed up the largest people carriers parked on the other side of the dock. Most landships were either fitted for passengers or cargo. Lodestar was a rather rare exception. She hauled a modified train car for cargo, but her body was made of conjoined truck trailers, which allowed for a few passenger cabins. It wasn’t a luxury liner, but it was safe sailing and cheap.

When the woman drew near, she slowed her eyes on Karzan, who had moved from the strip of tank treads under the train car to the cabin area’s massive round tires. To Arlox’s surprise, she stopped walking to watch the big man work. She hadn’t looked his way yet, despite him being much closer than Karzan. ’No accounting for taste, I guess,’ he thought grumpily.

“You lookin’ for something?” His words were gruff and loud. He didn’t like being overlooked so easily.

“Yes.” Her voice was harder than he expected. Her hood and goggles obscured almost all of her face. Even her hands were covered. When it became apparent she would give no more answers or move on, Arlox approached. She took a step back and finally looked at him. Even under dusty lenses, he could see she had striking eyes.

“Well, can I help you some way, girl?” He huffed a little but tried to moderate his tone, remembering the operator’s earlier warning.

“No.” She was looking at him squarely now.

“Why not?”

“Because you’re a hired man,” she gestured to Karzan. “He’s the crew.”

“Hey, I’m just as much crew as him,” he jabbed his thumb in Karzan’s direction. “I do plenty of work around here too.” Her comment irritated him more than it should have. He was a hired man, sure, but that was no reason to be rude about it. “How’d you know I’m a hired gun, anyway?” He gestured toward the big man behind him. “He could be too.”

“Because he’s working and you’re leering.” She nodded to his waist. “And the guns.” There was a muffled chuckle from Karzan behind him.

“I do just as much work on Lodestar as anyone else hired gun or not.” Any thought of not frightening the passengers was gone. But she didn’t seem to be intimidated by his outburst. She just continued to study him with her unsetting eyes. “If you don’t want nothing, you should be going. I don’t need you distracting…”

“I’m looking for passage.” She said it as if their previous conversation had never happened. “What’s your rate?”

“Well…” Arlox had decided he didn’t like this woman and wasn’t excited to have her on board, but if he ran off another passenger Krissa would have his head. Maybe he’d get lucky and she couldn’t pay. It happened a lot. He ran his hand over his beard; he wished he’d thought to braid it this morning. “Our next stop is Dead River. Three pounds foodstuff or equivalent scrap will get you there. Good foodstuff, mind, none of that half-rotted stuff or old cans, and we only take decent scrap…”

“I can pay.” She ignored his irritated huff. “Where’s your operator?”

“In town.” Fine, if she was going to be insolent, he could be too.

“I would like to speak with him first.”

“I expect the Operator back before lunch.”

“I’ll wait.” With that, she walked past him and sat cross-legged in the shade of the tank treads, pulling a book from her pack and otherwise ignoring them both.

Arlox shook his head in disbelief and approached Karzan, who’d stopped his cleaning, the thick metal bar he’d been using hanging at his side. He was staring at the newcomer.

“Did you see the way she talked to me?” Arlox craned his neck to look up at the taller man.

Karzan just smiled down at him and laughed. “Yeah. I like her.”