Free Island in a Sea of Stars by Kevin J. Anderson Page B

least she wasn’t returning empty handed—thanks to her intrepid investigations. She couldn’t wait to tell Lee Iswander what she had found.
    She didn’t want his pity for the tragic death of her son as well as, she supposed, her husband. But once he learned what else she had discovered, Iswander would surely promote her (after acknowledging the painful loss of her family). It was worth an incalculable fortune.
    When she arrived at Sheol, the binary planet looked like a glowing ember in space, cracked and bleeding with lava. The lack of space traffic surprised her. Her comm system carried none of the constant chatter of cargo ships hauling exotic metal-polymer materials or straightforward shipments of ingots. She surfed the channels, expecting to hear the usual drone of conversation from smelter barge crews and the control towers, even Alec Pannebaker showing off some stupid stunt.
    She transmitted her queries, trying to find someone who would answer, and finally received a reply—but the transmission did not come from the admin tower down on the fiery surface. Rather, the response emanated from a small satellite station in orbit that received bulk shipments and transferred supplies.
    â€œElisa, you came back!” It was Lee Iswander’s voice. She couldn’t believe he would be manning the comm himself. “Did you retrieve your son?”
    â€œNo,” she answered in a clipped voice. “He … he’s dead. Garrison took him into a hazardous situation. He was reckless. He … they were both lost in a massive explosion.”
    Iswander groaned and said something that didn’t seem directed toward her. “Aren’t fifteen hundred and forty-three deaths enough?”
    Elisa felt a sudden chill. “What happened? Where is everyone on Sheol?” By now, she had expected Lee Iswander to be the Speaker for the Roamer clans.
    â€œEverything happened. The facilities are gone. Hundreds dead—fifteen hundred and forty-three. The survivors are at Newstation, but I … I had to come back here, see if I could salvage anything. It seemed the best place.”
    Elisa’s head was ready to explode with questions, but she quelled them. “I’m docking soon. You can tell me everything then—face to face.”
    She guided her ship into the orbiting transfer station, which was mostly empty. Hers was one of only four ships in the bay; half of the lights had been dimmed.
    She carried a data-transfer file that held the images of the bloater cluster, the record of the explosions, and the rest of her discoveries. She had been so excited, bursting with her news, but when she presented herself in the control chamber, she was astonished to see Lee Iswander’s face. He looked exhausted. His skin tone was grayish, and he had shadows around his eyes.
    â€œI’m glad to have one supporter back,” he said. “You don’t know how much that means to me.”
    Pannebaker swept into the control center, and his usual smile looked more relieved than excited. “Elisa! Well, that’s one step closer to digging our way out of this hole.”
    â€œWe’re in space,” grumbled Iswander’s eleven-year-old son. “Everything’s a hole.”
    His mother wrapped her arm around the young man’s shoulders and pulled him close, though Arden resisted. “I told you it’ll be all right. Your father’s had ups and downs before. We’ll get through this—we just have to be strong.”
    Elisa looked Iswander straight in the eye, not even requiring full explanations before she made her decision. “I’m here to provide anything you might need for Iswander Industries. You have my full commitment … now that my son is gone.” Her voice cracked at the end. Now that I have no distractions. No family obligations. Nothing else to divert me.
    â€œWe’ll need it,” he said.
    Iswander explained the