RAFTOS

Harris expected to be taken to the moon of Petra where the LightStar base was, much to Harris's Raftos was in fact in Central Heaquarters, this very building. Harris doubted if there were many other people in the building who knew that.

Harris stood looking out the large office window, the room was exactly like the Admirals office, overlooking a wide sweep of the desert, or would have been if a large round tower buildings had not been in the way.

" Couldn't they have given you a room with a view. " ask Harris.

" They are being nice to me but they don't like me." replied Raftos.

Harris turned to face Raftos, the face was exactly the one on the photograph, the cloths untidy and baggy, regulation flying boots on his feet with none regulation trousers bunched up and tucked into there tops. This was not a man who cared much for his appearance. He wore a long grey green roughly knitted jacket, this went down to his knees concealing some kind of weapon on his side.

"So." said Raftos at length and sitting on the edge of a large table against the rear wall.

The two men were eyeing each other like boxers waiting to see who was going to make the first move. Knowing Raftos was a natural attacker Harris decided to get in the first move. He ask how Raftos had managed to get the LightStar to fly when the first two had failed. Raftos parried saying it was a good question but that Harris was not the first to ask that. Raftos then shot a question that shook Harris completely. He ask Harris what he had been thinking when he started to prise the latch open in the engine duct on the Eller Rose.

Harris was taken aback. Then rather crossly ask if Central had given Raftos his file. Raftos got off the desk and went over to an Automat machine on the side wall near the door, he selected two long measurers of Sluggit, a rather strong alcohol drink favoured by maintenance crews. He put one of the drinks down on the desk and then walked round to the big swivel chair behind it and sat down, he waved his hand indicating that Harris should take the drink and the chair opposite. Raftos swivelled from side to side in his chair saying you could not help wanting to do that when you sit in these swivel chairs. They both smiled and Harris relaxed.

Raftos told Harris that he had not been given his personal file, they did not in fact have to, for despite what he may have told, it was Raftos who had requested Harris to be Centrals representative. Raftos had been prepared to wait the five days for him to arrive here. Harris now understood why he had been given first class passage and a HiperStar Liner been delayed to wait for him.

Raftos said there were three reasons why he wanted Harris as Centrals representative on the voyage, all of them, he added, selfish.

Firstly Harris was the king of data with a reputation wider than he probably realised, he ran one of the archive planets, he knew about data systems, there was a vast pool of information out there if you knew how to find it. Harris knew how to find it and also had the keys.

The second reason was that he knew Harris was a neural character, he worked for the Central but he was not as they say a company man. Loyal but not the unquestioning loyalty of say Peters, who would put Centrals orders above everything else. Harris, Raftos continued, worked away quietly within the system, subverting it to his own ends when needed.

Harris was going to protest at this suggestion but Raftos put up his hand. Raftos smiled and told Harris he had in fact taken a keen interest in his career, Raftos saw in Harris's face there was puzzlement at this statement.

Raftos anticipated what Harris was thinking and put his thoughts into words.

"Why should an infamous bandit, cavalier of the solar system, be interested in a library clerk on an archive planet tucked away behind a third class sun. That dear chap." Raftos looked directly at Harris." Is the third reason I want you on this mission."

Raftos paused and took a long drink from his glass, Harris had finished his drink. Raftos ask if Harris if he wanted another. Harris certainly did, this interview was not what Harris had expected.

Raftos was enjoying talking and Harris was wondering what he was going to say next.

It seemed that a long time ago they had met, although only briefly, Raftos was apparently, like Harris from Darron Hafa. They both had gone to the same school, Raftos however was four years older than Harris and at that age Harris did not have much to do with the older students. Raftos had noticed Harris, a quiet shy boy who seemed to be bullied quite alot. It was an incident in the local town however that had brought them into contact.

A travelling show was in the town, this was a big event in a place like Piccard, everyone had come into town. Raftos was in town near the main store picking up supplies when he noticed some six or seven drunken miners picking on a youth, the youth was Harris.

Harris had tired to avoid the men and started to run away from them. Every one on Darron knew that miners can get very rough when they were drunk. Harris was cornered and shouted something at the miners who jeered and closed in on Harris. Harris threw something he was carrying at one of the miners, the miners rushed at him. Raftos saw the flash of a knife in the hand of one of the miners and without stopping to think, Raftos leapt across the street and laid into the miners. Raftos was out numbered but had the element of surprise and the miners in there drunken state were no match for a young man in his prime.

Although Raftos took a beating the miners took the worst of it and it was not long before they were scurrying away with black eyes broken fingers and bleeding noses. They dragged off two of there number who had been knocked out. Raftos was smiling broadly from ear to ear as he picked Harris up off the floor. Harris also had taken a beating but had given as much as he took. Harris wiping the blood from his mouth he thanked the stranger without whose intervention Harris would probably have been killed.

Harris forgot to ask the name of his saviour and never saw him again. Harris's farther however did make an effort to find out, he discovered the youth was from a farm at the far end of the valley. He also found that the family was about to be evicted from their farm, a bad harvest meant they could not afford seed for the next years crop. Harris's farther sent them the seed with a small thank you note. Raftos had never forgotten that generous gesture and had kept an eye on Harris's career ever since.

Harris sat back in his chair, forgotten memories flooded back, it was all a long time ago. Looking at Raftos across the desk, who was still smiling, he could still see the same smile of the young man picking him up off the ground in that dusty street many many years ago.

Harris was lost for words, all the could do was thank Raftos again for the intervention all those years ago, for he certainly would have been killed, Darron was a rough planet and the odd murder after a drunken brawl was not uncommon. Harris had not known about his farthers gift to the Raftos family.

Raftos did not exactly say he was paying Harris back for that generous gesture of his farther all those years ago, but he was giving Harris the opportunity to join the most exciting mission of the century. Not only to find the gateway to the fourth sector but to be in on the launch of the LightStar. One way or the other this was the cross roads of history and Raftos was offering him a part of it.

Harris did not have to go, Raftos was simply giving him the opportunity. Raftos would understand if he did not want to go, there were great risks still with the LightStar. Two had been lost and Harris had no reason to think the third might not go the same way. The fifth sector was a dangerous and unknown place. Even Central Command was not ordering him to go, this was a completely volunteer mission.

He did not have to go, the words rang round in his head. He did not have to go.

'Like hell'