“I misunderstood, I guess,” I said.
He snorted and then read from his screen, “Have you acquired or are you carrying any fruits, vegetables, live plants, unsterilized soil samples, unpackaged meat or animal products, leather, horn, bone or other processed animal products, recreational pharmaceuticals, inflammable materials, live animals or insects, non-UNSC-rated power supplies or energy cells, radiation sources, firearms, blades over eight centimeters, electronic, neural or chemical disabling devices, unapproved/unlicensed entertainment or educational or other media, bullion or more than ten thousand marks in cashable cards?”
I caught most of it and filled in the rest from context. He clearly didn’t care. I didn’t see any point to the question as they’d already scanned the luggage. Incriminating question? Intimidating question?
“No,” I replied.
“Step through, please.” He turned to Silver and started his routine.
I walked through the gate, and then two others snapped at me like cops. “Stand up, spread your legs on the marks, hold your arms up. Stay still.”
It was easy enough to hold my arms up in .4 G. Three different scanners ran around in spirals, searching me for something, and apparently found nothing. I exhaled in relief, afraid it would recognize my facial bones from long past. They let me out and Silver got the same treatment.
After that, we were handed necklaces.
“These identify you as visitors and coordinate with Safety Personnel. Please wear them at all times when not in lodging. If you don’t, the security systems will alert an officer to identify you. This can delay your activities.”
We politely agreed, looped them over our necks and left.
I was glad they were necklaces. They’d used rings for a few weeks, until one had trouble coming off for a mugger. He’d hacked the finger off to get it. Silly, because they killed it at once and it screamed for pickup. They arrested him, did something or other and released him in a couple of months, and the victim had to get regenerative surgery.
They actually hadn’t asked about our purpose, so all the creative evasions I’d come up with were wasted. Really, I don’t know why they bother with this stuff. It’s not cheap to travel between stars, and almost no one does so with criminal intent. Those of us who do aren’t deterred by their procedures.
We’d agreed before debarking to go straight to lodging. He might be here. He might have hopped cross-system. He might be groundside. We didn’t want to jump until we knew.
To our advantage, maybe, were the cameras everywhere. If Silver could find a way into them, we’d have shots from the entire station, all angles. We had the pictures from NovRos and could work a recognition algorithm. It might work, but we should move fast.
The Starlight Habitat at Earth’s Jump Point Four was an inflated planetoid with centrifugal G. It was one of the oldest, of course, and roomy, well-worn and well-occupied. It was quite a city, and had most of what travelers, ships, merchants and businesses would need, at reasonable rates. Stuff came in on every ship.
Priorus Hotels had a franchise here, and even though this habitat was theoretically held to higher standards than the Freehold jump point rocks, I prefer nicer places for safety and security. The staff are honest, and far more willing to ignore nonviolent activity than cheap places.
We signed in, arms around each other, a kiss and bubbly comments about the Smithsonian and Hermitage. I’m told they’re both wonderful. I’ll never be able to see them.
We made it to the room, opened the luggage and got to work. I never use hotel drawers, but I did appreciate the two office chairs.
Silver started swearing.
“Those fuckers,” she said. She didn’t curse often.
“Yes?”
“They took some of my circuit cards. Nothing we could get arrested for, I hope, and I’d deny them now, but good pieces.”
“Petty theft thinking they were valuable?”
“Possibly. I need a comm store.”
“Can you get what you need discreetly? And will it work?”
“I’m eighty percent sure. We trained on Earth systems.”
“Go,” I said.
She left. I kept occupied by scanning the news. That was unremarkable enough. I looked for events, people, potential target for Randall.
I wrote down several possibles, and some were quite high profile. I didn’t think that was a bar anymore. He needed cash, he’d broken from the ungrateful goz and could charge more, and liked a challenge. Sooner or later, this was going to end in a mess. My job now was to make sure it was sooner.
Silver came back, knock-coded, opened the door, and smiled.
“Luck?” I asked.
“Yes, quite a bit of stuff is available. They deal with travelers from outsystem. All I had to do was sign a screen saying I wouldn’t use it for espionage.”