Inyanga's Star and Other Constellations

Bay's Star Episode II

Bay panted and tried to compose a productive version of the accusatory question. And failed. "And how long have you been failing to comply with flight zone regulations?"

Yue recovered her moxy just in time to fire back. "If you imagine for a second that I have ever paid a copper solida to that bloodsucking company for their millisecond auto-updating flight paths, I should fire you for general imbecility right now."

"Never? You've never paid for access to the flight path nav? So since its establishment in 1197 S.E., the Cloud has flown blind?"

"Exactly. And we have never had a single collision. We've never crashed. We park at the same time along the same path every night, lift off at the same time along the same path every morning, we're easily visible to individual flyers, and we appear on everyone else's radar."

"Because everyone else pays for the nav."

"If they're only coming after me now, after three hundred and nine years of infractions, it's proof that this is a concerted effort to take down my business. A conspiracy. This has the smell of Lepain's cheap deep fryer oil all over it."

A sadness drew all of her features down, and for a moment, Bay almost felt sorry for the paranoid, vindictive baker. Until she had seen her so pallid, with shocked wide eyes and puffy bottom lids that may have shown evidence of earlier crying, Bay had never imagined that Yue possessed emotions of any kind.

"If the Cloud doesn't reopen by the end of the week, it's over," said Yue.

"I know," said Bay.

"I'm behind on rent."

"I know," said Bay.

"Though offset by assets, my debt is in the millions."

How Yue imagined that anyone didn't know that already was miraculous — though Bay was tempted to ask, "Just how many millions are we talking?"

Then Yue did throw in a shocker.

"Even the eternal life mandate withholdings haven't covered the losses."

"The what now?" said Bay.

"I've been withholding eternal life mandate payments from all employees in my debt. And I'm withholding all mandate payments from the new hires until we're sure we can trust them."

Yue was so going to get the pants sued off her. "Have you?" was all Bay could bring herself to respond.

"Yes, it's helping to make back some of what I lost with Ocean and Jaya robbing me blind." And Amber, Bay added mentally — but Yue didn't know about that yet. And Bay and Impala, but that was why Bay had handed over Ocean. To cover for herself and Impala. So far they had not been caught in their continued untraceable Stellar till withdrawals. "Even that isn't enough. It's only a dent in what I owe."

"Right," Bay consciously exhaled and softened her voice, "but when you withhold their health mandate, which has been paid by our customers as a mandatory fraction — I believe 7% — of their bill, according to municipal bylaws, to pay for their immortality and general health fees, you are still legally required to pay it out. . . Eventually. . ."

"Not if they owe me. For example, if they have been committing thefts."

Interesting Yue logic, but okay. Bay was willing to bite. "And have they?"

"You're my surveillance girl. You tell me."

"I haven't seen any evidence of theft from the wait staff, or anyone else currently in your employ." Amber's name Bay would continue to withhold as her cover should her own cash till withdrawals ever come under scrutiny.