Shadows In Still Water Read Free

quickly in their harsh language. Fat, bristly Sclarians scurried around unloading crates off huge anti-gravity carts, arguing with the human GEM Co. employees, identified by their green jumpsuits, who were trying to control the chaos. Ramans went to and fro, dark and quiet but laced with heavy oils and perfumes. Berellians, Matians, Awkanites, Gidellians and on and on, a galactic parade. The only notable absence was the Jidalians. Over a thousand of them worked on the station but not one was in evidence. Another reason why the humans looked over stressed.
    Millie clicked off the language translator hooked to her utility belt. At the moment, it was programmed to English-Sclarian but the Sclarians had just started another, louder, argument and she didn’t care to hear what they were saying.
    The two women threaded their way through beings, boxes and moving vehicles. As they worked their way around a group of Ritalinites taking a tour of the space station, Aurelia muttered, “Hurry up, Mil. Move faster.”
    “What’s wrong?”
    “They’re going to announce that quarantine any minute,” Aurelia whispered back. “They’d better,” she added.
    “Oh, frap,” Millie stepped up her pace. “Let me out of here.”
    They boarded another elevator, a regular one this time, along with a Sclarian and two Berellians. As the doors closed, the usual uncomfortable silence ensued. Millie, stuck between the two Berellians, could feel the heat rising from their furry bodies. Both stood at least three meters tall, making Millie feel like a leprechaun. At least they were clean, unlike the scruffy-looking Sclarian who kept wiping his snout then sucking on his paw.
    A buzzing sound came out of the computer grid on the wall, indicating an announcement was coming. Millie glanced over at Aurelia who was leaning against the back wall staring innocently at the doors.
    “Attention. Attention, all personnel aboard the space station. A 24 hour quarantine has been placed on this station by order of Dr. Aurelia. There is nothing to be alarmed about. Symptoms of raphrydia have been detected and these cases have been isolated. You are requested to cooperate with testing that will commence shortly. Again, do not be alarmed. This is a routine matter. We will keep you informed.” The message, delivered in a pleasant, monotone female voice repeated several times in various languages.
    Millie was glad she turned off her translator. The Sclarian went off in a tirade, hissing and barking at the computer grid. Millie knew only a few words in Sclarian but didn’t hear any of them. The two Berellians murmured quietly between themselves.
    Aurelia suddenly straightened, tapped the Sclarian on the back and barked something at him. Instant silence. The Berellians gave her a nod.
    Finally, the elevator doors opened. The Sclarian gave Aurelia a dirty look then scurried off. Millie and Aurelia stepped out, heading for the conference hall at the end of the corridor.
    “I didn’t think you knew Sclarian,” Millie said.
    “I can understand most of it. I don’t speak it very well but enough to shut somebody up.”
    “We’re going to get a lot of that,” Millie sighed.
    “Nice of Arnott to use my name. Hopefully most of them won’t know what raphrydia really is.”
    They each pulled open one of the heavy wooden doors to the hall. This was an older section of the station and in fact had been a loading bay. The engineers had just switched the doors and never bothered to reconnect the automatic opener. It was just a huge, empty room now with a white tiled floor. A small side door to the right led to a short, connecting walkway that curved back to the corridor they had just come from.
    “This will work fine,” Aurelia said, her voice bouncing up to the ceiling 100 meters above their heads and back. “We’ll have them come in the front door here and out the side door.”
    Millie nodded. “I’ll call the Pasteur and have the crew start bringing equipment over.