Shoshone Station: The Galactic Consortium season 2

Episode Four: Meteors #21

"You must be quite thrilled," Maka Jain told Jack. "Normalizing relations, allowing visitors to your station. Quite good."

They had met on one edge of the bottom court, out of the flow of traffic. Maka leaned against a pillar, casually looking down over the planet.

"Yes, I am thrilled," Jack replied, fighting to keep a vicious smile off his face. He was thrilled. But not for the reason Maka thought.

"And the Council of Objects and Orbits went well, I hear. That must be a relief."

"It is," Jack said. "Which brings us to why I wanted to talk to you."

"Privately," Maka added. He raised an eyebrow.

"Yes, privately," Jack said. "You see there is one piece of this whole puzzle that still eludes me, or did until this morning."

"Oh?"

"Where did these rumors get started? Funny they had started on Shin, of all places, and on the surface. Not many people from Shin have contact with Americans, not even in the press."

"No, I don't imagine they do," Maka said. Jack thought he could catch a hint of wariness in the man's voice.

"As part of my duties as a diplomat and a servant of this station, I asked information about references to meteors and asteroid, before the date the rumors began. Curious, only a handful of mentions. Mostly from one person."

Maka licked his lips. "And what do you intend to do about this one person?"

"That depends. The rumors were conveniently vague, with no actual threat in them. So I doubt it counts as a crime. But I am sure it would make that person very unpopular in certain circles if it were to become known. Currying favor with a diplomat would make that person even more unpopular, but I happen to care about the diplomat in question."

"Yes, and so?"

"So I will settle for this. I suggest that person find some pressing business elsewhere and vacate the station, never to return. But I suggest he take a moment first and let the diplomat in question down gently. She deserves better."

Maka let out a sigh and with a hint of sadness said, "Yes, I suppose she does." He gave Jack a sidelong look, as though asking if Jack thought he was better for Zeta. Seeing no implied reply, he nodded and slunk away.

Jack stared down at Earth, wondering much the same thing. He like Zeta, even cared for her. But he was not wired for that sort of vanilla relationship. He sighed, hoping she'd find someone who treated her well.