The Last Coffee Shop

Chapter 18: Casting Fate's Dice

They turned into a new corridor, and Mads found herself staring at a complicated lock that fused old and new technology. Graynard pressed a few buttons, produced a key card from his sleeve, and they were into a wide corridor. It was more like what Mads' had expected from an airship: a curved ceiling with thin metal plating that continued down the walls, and Plasteck floors with the ubiquitous blue runner lights along the edges.

"Just how big is this place?" asked Mads, glancing over her shoulder to see the corridor branching off again behind them.

"Ahh, I'm not sure of the exact dimensions, but it was the biggest surviving army-built airship that we know of. It has three floors, a rooftop pavilion, and a basement level."

Mads looked back at him, confused. "What army?"

Graynard wriggled his fingers. "Does it matter? It was a few centuries ago. The ship has been maintained and remodeled by the denizens of Helen's Point ever since. It's solar powered, for the most part, but held aloft by balloons. We're floating only thirty meters or so above the original Helen's Point Island. I believe the ship used to reach much greater elevations."

Mads considered this for a moment. "What's a balloon?"

"It's like a bubble, but giant, and filled with gases that are lighter than air."

Mads frowned. "What if they pop?"

"They're stronger than you realize, my dear. And we're also anchored to the ancient trees and structures that survived on the island. It was quite mountainous, back in this day. But at any rate, this ship still has all the lifepods. Not that you'd survive after being ejected into the torrential sludge below. Just pray we don't ever find out."

Mads glanced around, and realized she was looking for other people. "Where is everyone?"

Graynard's brows rose. "Everyone? There's just south of three hundred people permanently living on this ship, including all crew and technicians. It was built to hold three times that, so there's a lot of empty space. This is the living quarters and pleasure level. Estrella likes to keep her distance from the others, pride of craft and all that."

"Others? Other people?"

"Other pleasure houses. There are four, all told."

Mads frowned, calculating. "Four brothels, and only three hundred people on the ship?"

Graynard shrugged. "Give or take. Even though only a few hundred people live here full time, plenty more stop over. After all, it's the only half-way decent place to stop where they also won't ask too many questions. And galactic visitors do make it here. Not your type of people. The location is a valuable secret, whispered among bounty hunters, smugglers, and criminals." 

Graynard tugged her to a halt at a giant pair of doors. "If they have any coffee, it'll be higher up." He pushed a button, and the doors slid open.

"But why do they need four brothels?" persisted Mads, pausing on the threshold.

Graynard raised a brow. "I told you, pleasure palaces. They're the whole package. And the Suits take great pride in their establishments, so I wouldn't use that sort of language around them if I were you."

Graynard pulled Mads bodily into the tiny room beyond the door. It was a very small space, with a railing around the middle and a back wall made completely of glass.

"The suits?" asked Mads, as the doors softly whooshed closed behind them and a panel of numbered buttons lit up on the side wall.

Graynard pushed one of the buttons on the inside wall and a moment later, they began to rise. "The Suits, that's what the four 'houses,' or organizations, who run this place are called. We just left Hearts, that leaves the Clubs, Diamonds, and Spades. One suit for each gambling den on the second level, and the clubs on the top level.