Spice Crimes Read online

The others turned out to all be in the mess hall. Mica, Yumi beside her, Abelardus, Alejandro, and Young-Hee sat at a table, while Beck worked at a portable grill on a stand at the far end of the table. He wore his apron, and chef’s hat. The air was filled with incredible smells.

  Still, she was surprised to find him grilling already. It was still two hours before lunchtime. “A little early for lunch, isn’t it, Tommy?” she asked him.

  “It’s never too early for a treat,” Beck replied. “And mid-morning snacks are a great source of energy.”

  He was grilling fish. Beck deftly turned them on the grill. Alisa’s mouth began watering.

  “Thanks again for the aquaponics install, Captain,” Beck said. “You up for a fish taco?”

  “I have to admit, they are tasty,” Mica said, and Yumi nodded in agreement. Alisa almost hated to disturb the gathering, even with good news.

  Gold passes to Cosmic Wonders Amusement Park? That is generous of your client, Abelardus said in her head.

  Don’t you dare spoil my surprise, Alisa replied silently.

  Of course not, he said, but why? He paused. Ah, because they feel guilty for a delay. Still, it’s very generous. It was, but for people willing to pay a lot for a two-stop cargo run, she wasn’t going to complain.

  Do they have games of chance there? Abelardus asked in her head.

  It’s not a casino, but I’m sure they have some sort of games of chance there.

  Hmm, color me interested, he replied.

  Beck put the fish into tortillas, added herbs and tomatoes, and squirted something from a squeeze bottle. “Special sauce for the tacos,” he explained.

  Leonidas stepped up close to her. “Wouldn’t it be easier to just talk, since you are in the same room?”

  “Another joke in the space of five minutes?” She grinned up at him.

  “Was that a joke?” His face was deadpan. He cracked a slight smile. He was getting better at telling jokes.

  Beck held a plate. “Like a fish taco, Captain?”

  She took the plate, bit into the taco. The flavor was incredible, the fish taste was subtle, mingled with seasonings, and a hint of spice that left a faint tingle on her tongue. She half-closed her eyes, swallowed. Before she knew it, she’d finished the taco.

  “That was delicious,” she said. She had to force herself to get to the point of why she’d dropped by the mess hall. “Now, I’ve got some news.”

  “That doesn’t sound good,” Mica said, frowning.

  “News can be good,” Alisa pointed out. Mica was always so suspicious. Of course, the news was partly bad, but the gold passes outweighed that.

  “There’s a delay in the second part of the shipment.”

  Mica frowned, fiddled with her fork. “You mean this crazy two-step delivery just got crazier?”

  “No, just delayed,” Alisa said.

  “By how long?”

  Leonidas and the others watched silently. Alisa knew they thought she and Mica argued too easily, but that wasn’t fair. Mica was just being pessimistic for no good reason.

  Alisa took a deep breath, tried to relax. She couldn’t let Mica’s impatience get to her. “Two days,” she said.

  Mica’s frown became a scowl. “Two days! We don’t have decent equipment here to make the repairs the Nomad needs.”

  Alisa shook her head. “You mean maintenance, not repairs. The last time I checked, the ship had no damage.”

  “All right, fine. But you never give me a chance to get some serious maintenance done.”

  “It’s just a milk run after this stop. A couple of days more, and then I promise you we’ll make an extended layover to get your major “repairs” done. We can even pick one of the inner system planets.”

  “We need those repairs now because,” Mica began, but a chorus of clucks interrupted the rest of her answer. A trio of chickens wandered into the mess hall.

  Alisa frowned at Yumi. “I thought you were going to keep those chickens down below.”

  Yumi smiled apologetically. “Sorry, Captain, I thought I had them properly penned, but those chickens have a genius for getting loose.”

  “Those chickens” had a great deal of genius. No matter how Yumi penned them, they always seemed to find a way out, and usually into the middle of things. Well, it didn’t matter. Not today. Not with gold passes waiting for them at Cosmic Wonders. Jelena had been so excited, Alisa didn’t want to waste any more time having to argue with Mica, or remind Yumi about something she was already well aware of.

  Yumi had gotten up from her seat and was heading toward the wandering chickens, but Alisa held out an arm to stop her.

  “I need to tell you all the good news.”

  The others gazed at her with a mixture of curiosity and interest, except Mica, who still looked annoyed. Well, she’d soon change her mood, Alisa decided.

  “As part of our compensation for the apparently unavoidable delay,” Alisa looked at Mica imploringly. “Nova Culinary Systems has given us gold passes for Cosmic Wonders.”

  She could have heard the proverbial pin drop in the ensuing silence.

  “What’s that?” Mica asked. “Some sort of sex shop?”

  “The tickets were for everyone, including Jelena,” Alisa said, feeling the heat rise to her face. Sometimes she wanted to deck Mica.

  “You’ve never heard of Cosmic Wonders?” Beck broke out laughing, so hard his chef’s hat toppled from his head and narrowly missed landing on his grill. “It’s only the amusement park and finest rec tech on Sherran Moon!” He leaned over and snatched his hat from the spice rack where it had landed. He put it back on, and grinned, once more his usual laidback self.

  Mica’s face colored, but Yumi laid a hand on her shoulder and whispered something to her, and she ended up just shaking her head. “I don’t have time for those sorts of amusements.” She suddenly smiled. “I don’t suppose they have toys to add to my collection.”

  “Sorry but it’s a family place,” Beck said. “VR rides, games, different ‘lands’ with androids dressed up in costume, playing parts. It even has decent food. It’s like the parks on old Earth—that’s where the builders got the idea. You’ll like it, trust me,” he told Mica.

  She made a face. “Like that hoppy swill you tried out on us the other week.”

  “It’s early days for my brewing,” he said. “I’m a chef, not a brewer—yet.”

  Alisa smiled to herself. Tommy Beck was always the optimist, and didn’t get riled easily. He was a good security second to Leonidas.

  Leonidas watched the exchange without comment. Alisa half-wished there was an adult area for the two of them to be together.

  But then you couldn’t be there, enjoying your daughter’s excitement, Abelardus said in her head.

  Normally she’d snap back at him for reading her thoughts, but he was right. You want to go, right? She asked silently.

  It depends on what Young-Hee would like, he replied.

  She decided not to follow up with a quip. The crew needed some R&R. True, this wasn’t what any of them—except perhaps her daughter—would have imagined, but it would be a break all the same. A quick R&R fix and then, after they finished this job, everyone could have an extended vacation. She’d love to have time to let Jelena be a girl for more than just two days, and for her and Leonidas to get some serious one-on-one time, but that was in the future; this was now.

  “The passes are waiting for us at the gate,” Alisa said. “Two day passes. Jelena is dying to go.” Time to play that card. “She wants to see all of you there.”

  Mica shook her head. “Now that’s just playing dirty,” she grumbled. Yumi tapped Mica on the shoulder, whispered something in her ear, and Mica’s expression lightened. “Yeah, you are right, I do need a break. If only for a few hours.”

  “Tommy was going to make us that special treat,” Young-Hee reminded Abelardus.

  Beck shrugged at Alisa’s questioning look. “I’m trying out some new ingredients.”

  “N
othing from the cargo, Tommy,” Alisa replied. Beck wasn’t a thief, never that, but he would be so very tempted to try out the Nova Culinary Systems equipment, since it was for a restaurant kitchen.

  Beck put his hand on his chest. “Definitely not, Captain.” He pointed at his grill. “Besides, I’m grill master, remember?”

  Time was wasting. “Leonidas, Jelena, Stanislav, Ostberg, and I are heading out now to Cosmic Wonders. Join us there in no more than two hours. That’s an order.”

  “Sure thing,” Beck said brightly. “That gives me plenty of time to whip up my surprise.” He gave Alisa a sidelong look. “You sure you and Leonidas don’t want to stick around? My latest creation is going to be something special.”

  “And leave Jelena alone with her grandfather, having all the fun without us?” She headed to the hatch. “Not a chance.”

  Beck called after her. “We’ll be there in two.”

  Leonidas’s face was uncertain. She stopped him, leaned in close, gave him a kiss. “What’s wrong?” she asked him.

  “This will be the first time I’ve had the chance to do a fun excursion with you and Jelena in quite some time. I’m still not sure I’ll know how to do it right.

  “You did fine riding horses with Jelena and me on Upsilon 7.” She smiled

  “I felt like that was a lucky exception.”

  She patted his arm. “Don’t worry, it will be like riding a horse. How to have fun with me and Jelena will come back to you. It will be a change from all the video games you’ve been playing.” She wanted to get lucky with him in a different way, but bonding with her daughter was important to both of them.

  He looked at his hands. “Have I been doing too much of that?” he asked. There was doubt in his voice, doubt that made her heart pang.

  She kissed him again. “Actually, I think it’s wonderful that you two spend the time you do trying to beat each other in Trajean Run. I wish you had more time. So, I’m grateful we’ll have today.”

  Jelena and Stanislav were waiting for them down below, at the hatch, accompanied by a sleepy-looking Ostberg. Jelena was practically hopping from foot to foot. “I thought you’d never get here!” she said, her face cross. She looked past Leonidas. “What about the others; aren’t they coming with us?”

  “They’ll catch up,” Alisa told her.

  “Tommy’s making something special?” Jelena asked.

  Alisa shot a glance at Stanislav. He tapped Jelena on the shoulder. “Remember what I said about not looking into minds without being invited, unless it is an emergency, and this is most certainly not one.”

  Jelena looked at the decking. “Yes, teacher.” She raised her head. “Sorry, mom.”

  Alisa ruffled her hair. “Apology accepted, honey. Now let’s go have some fun.”

  2

  Tommy Beck leaned against the cutting board in the Nomad's little kitchen. Now that Alisa was off the ship, he could really try out the equipment in the spice lab. "Sure, I used some spice from the Spice lab, but I'd like to try a few more courses, use a combo of fresh seasonings."

  Mica stood in the entryway, between the kitchen and the mess hall behind her, arms crossed. "You weren't supposed to get into the spice lab to begin with, remember?"

  "Hey, just trying out the systems."

  Her lips curled. "Really, is that what you call it?"

  Yumi sat cross-legged on the floor between them. "We should be going to join Alisa and the others at Cosmic Wonders," she pointed out.

  Tommy ran a hand through his hair. Of all the people on the ship, Mica and Yumi should be the most willing to give this a try. He just had to work a little harder to convince them was all.

  "I'm not going to Cosmic Wonders," Mica said before Tommy could open his mouth. "Like I told Alisa, the reactor and drive system both need maintenance.”

  Yumi looked up at her. "But you were going to do that after we arrived on Luxor."

  "Since we have a two-day delay, I figured why not get started now. I've begun the first part. The second kicks in a couple of hours from now with a drive flush. That's going to take at least twelve hours, assuming there aren't any hidden issues.

  Tommy shrugged. "Hey, if you don't want to go to Cosmic Wonders, that's between you and the Captain. Meanwhile, I'm sure you and Yumi can spare a half hour to try out my latest creations." He grinned. Mica looked even more stressed than usual. Maybe between the new spice dishes and some time with Yumi, Mica could relax.

  Mica frowned. "What about Alejandro? Is he going to be joining us?"

  Beck shrugged again. "I'm not mentioning this to the Doc. He'd take all the fun out of it. Besides, he's working in his sickbay. I don't think he's planning on going to Cosmic Wonders either."

  Mica brightened. "Fun?"

  He nodded. "I was able to get a look at the recipe database in the spice lab, and I think I can make a killer omelet with some interesting side effects. Seriously, the spices the lab makes do more than just add flavor."

  Mica grinned back at him. "Okay, you're on."

  Yumi stood, and ran a hand down Mica's arm. "I'm glad. You can't work all the time."

  Beck turned and started loading ingredients for his dishes onto the tray. "Can one of you carry my grill?"

  "How about you lug the grill and I carry the tray?" Mica replied.

  "Just so long as you don't spill anything."

  "It might help the flavor." Mica made a face.

  Beck stopped halfway to the grill. "I'm stunned you would say that."

  She laughed. "Too easy, Tommy, too easy."

  Yumi chuckled.

  He laughed. "Just so long as you’re joking."

  "I'll admit, you're a damn good grill master."

  He picked up the grill and carried it from the kitchen, leading the other two down the corridor to the stairs leading to the lower deck. The grill didn't feel heavy at all. It was nice to have your talent appreciated by shipmates, Beck thought.

  He stopped as he rounded the corner. He wasn't sure it was possible to sneak past the Doctor if the sick bay's hatch was open. He leaned forward. The hatch was closed. He sighed in relief. Alejandro was a buzzkill. Beck looked over his shoulder at Mica carrying the tray of ingredients and Yumi a tray with utensils and bowls. "Coast is clear," he said.

  They slipped past the closed hatch and down the stairs to the cargo hold.

  The chickens clucked from their coop.

  "Looks like the new door is keeping them in," Beck said over his shoulder to Yumi.

  "Mica's ingenuity made the difference," Yumi replied brightly. She smiled at Mica, who shrugged.

  "Just a little engineering."

  "A chicken coop door isn't a reactor," Beck said.

  "Still takes a tool."

  That was true. They passed the aquaponics tank. The ducks and geese were swimming in it. Beck reached the spice lab, tapped in the code on the input pad.

  "How do you know the security code?" Yumi asked.

  "I watched Alisa and the Nova Culinary guy input the code on the cargo bay cameras."

  Mica cocked her head. "You're sneakier than you look, Tommy."

  "I like to think of it as being resourceful," he said.

  The lab was inside a special cargo "box" that was about two and a half meters wide, and maybe three meters long. A windowless hatch kept the contents sealed. The input pad beeped, and the hatch opened, swinging past Beck. The interior was dark. He stepped inside, propping the hatch open with the grill. He tapped his fingers on the input pad on the interior wall, beside the open hatch. The lights came on, revealing the computer displays, and the row of cylinders mounted above the long counter. Beck smiled. This was a culinary goldmine of possibilities.

  Mica stepped inside, looked around. "Doesn't look like a kitchen to me."

  "Well, it's a lab, right?"

  "But a spice lab? I mean, does that even make sense?"

  "Sure, it does! It’s genius." Beck gestured at the nearest computer display, mounted between two cylinders. It came to
life, and he swiped through a series of screens. "See, look at this list of possible spices. Fiery cardamom, sweet and hot anise, something called star-drop." Each spice had what Beck guessed was a description below it. "Taste magnifier," in one case. "Mood adjuster in another."

  Yumi reached past his shoulder and pointed at the display. "Looks like the chemical makeup is listed beside the spices, see?" Her finger waggled over the squiggles beside each name. "Interesting."

  "Mood adjuster?" Mica asked, standing beside them. "That sounds like a drug to me."

  "But it's a spice," Yumi said. "The chemical composition is similar to mint, cinnamon, and basil, combined.”

  Mica made a face. "Who would want that?"

  "There's lots of possibilities," Beck said, gesturing at the ingredients tray. He took the tray from Mica and laid it on the counter.

  "So, what's with the black eye symbol on each of the cylinders?" She asked.

  Beck turned. He squinted at the cylinders. There was an oval eye-like symbol in black on each shiny metal cylinder, right above the nozzle. "Beats me. Prepare yourselves for some new culinary sensations." He chopped up vegetables, fish, and some mushrooms he'd been saving. "Let's try these spices first." He tapped out a sequence on the display, and the nearest cylinder hummed to life and began dispensing a liquid. He caught the liquid in a little dish, and rubbed it on the fish.

  Beck lifted the grill and extended its legs, turned it on and began laying out the fish. There was no time to waste.

  Footsteps sounded outside the open hatch.

  "I thought the Captain said this cargo was off-limits." Alejandro stood in the hatchway, face pinched like usual, looking down his nose at the others.

  “Oh, hi, Doc,” Beck said. Might as well see if they couldn’t brazen this one out.

  Alejandro stepped inside. "You're cooking in here?"

  "Wanted the spices at their freshest.” Beck nodded at Mica.

  She closed the hatch.

  Alejandro whirled around to confront her. "You want us to die of poisoning?"

  "These fish will be delicious," Beck said. Just like the Doctor to try and rain on the cooking parade. Well, not today. He stirred the spice dip for the mushrooms, and placed them on the grill. It didn't take long. Soon the air was filled with delicious aromas. Beck's mouth watered. He began building tacos.