McGriffin took them out of the Cutthroat by a hidden exit in his office. He unsurprisingly owned the place and had prepared an emergency exit for situations just like this. He told Alejandro that he would contact him when the commotion died down. They just had to lay low for a while. He put them in the back of a small truck, covered them with a rough tarp and sent them on their merry way to wherever it was, he was sending them to.

The ride was uncomfortable and very cold. Jimmy fell asleep against Cat. It annoyed her, but it was extra warmth and Cat was grateful for that little blessing. The others fell asleep as quickly. The noise and the smell of the ancient vehicle kept Cat from sleeping. She slipped her head out of the tarp and looked at Trantor's night sky as they crept along the uneven trail that would bring them to 'The Old Lady', whoever she was. Cat didn't care where she was going, who she was going to or what she would do when she got there. She just wanted to be left in peace. Even if that was just for a little while. And Ronin boot-camp didn't rime with the word 'peace and quiet'. Not in Cat's dictionary.

She peeked over the tarp to see who was driving the truck and noted the absence of a driver. The truck was probably on auto-drive. A.I.s seemed to be used for a lot of things nowadays. They were fairly cheap to make. Imprint a Quantum Neural Net on a crystal and voila! Instant A.I. They could be pre-programmed to do almost anything. They were far smarter and much faster than humans.

She laid down her head on a rolled-up piece of tarp to relax. When the truck jumped under the constant attack of the road's imperfection, it would cushion the impacts a little. The little three-wheeled truck was going slowly so its occupants wouldn't get hurt from the constant jarring. But fast enough not to draw attention to itself.

The truck turned left on another road. This one wasn't as rough as the others and soon Cat heard the sound of waves crashing. The sound of the sea. Just like the cliff on Aurora. That had been the first time she had ever heard what the sea sounded like. Now she was hearing it again on another planet. She heard birds, shouting their shrill cries to the wind. She could see them from the open bed of the small truck. Seagulls. Flying around in circles. No aim, no purpose. Just enjoying the moment. Finding the right air current and just gliding in it. The sun was coming up. Cat could see its golden rays bathing the scenery before her. Another day of glorious life.

Then, she heard the sound of an air horn. Not like the thunderous ones they used on approaching spaceships. But higher toned and somehow, more urgent in their calls. She peeked over the edge of the truck's bed and saw a stubby boat loaded with cages and nets of all sorts. They were approaching a small village. It looked stuck between a mountain slope and the sea. It had a big harbor for such a small village. Probably a fishing village. She saw people on bicycles coming from the village heading their way. She hid her head back under the tarp and noticed Jimmy looking at her.

"Hey." Jimmy said, rubbing her eyes.

"Hey, you awake?" Cat asked the girl, going back under the tarp.

"You moved and I woke up just now. What's going on? I hear people."

"Shht! We're close to a small village and people might hear you."

"Oh, okay." Jimmy said, snuggling closer to her.

"Do you have to be this close?"

"It is cold, you know." Jimmy said innocently.

Cat smiled and replied. "Sure, sure."

The vehicle finally stopped. The trip had taken a bit more than three hours and it was early morning. Cat and Jimmy peeked out of the tarp to see where they were. She could see the small road leading to the house. It disappeared into dense woods and she couldn't see the main road. At the end, a gray old synthwood house had been built in the middle of a vast tract of land. Pretty secluded. Cat could still smell the sea. She moved the cover aside, got out and walked to the edge of the backyard. It was even colder here. Humid, the cold went through her inadequate clothing. She saw another trail in the woods and followed it leaving the others behind. After a few minutes, it cleared to show a pebbly beach and the sea. She looked right to realize that the harbor was about half a kilometer away.

"Who the devil are you?" A rusty voice asked.

She turned around facing a man coming out of the trail she had just come out of moments ago. His face was lined and he was big, really big. He had a big coat and tough denim pants that were the color of the sea next to them.

"I'm Cat. Who are you sir?" Cat replied.

The man smiled and his face lit up by it. "Well, I'll be damned. McGriffin sent you?" He said in perfect Martian Dutch.

"Yes, he did. Are you the owner of the house down that trail sir?" She was glad to speak her native language again.

"House, you are far too generous young lady. If you call that sad excuse for a dwelling a house, then you must not be used to comfort. Eh?"

"I was a servant in the first part of my life, a soldier in the second and a prisoner in the latest. So, I guess you are right sir. I am not." Cat said without anger. The past was the past. She had gotten over it.

"Rough life." He made a wide gesture, encompassing the scenery around them. "Here too, life is hard. But it is satisfying and when you finish your day, you're proud of what you've accomplished."

"What is that?"

"You stayed alive to enjoy one more day." The man extended a big hand. "I'm Smithy, pleased to meet you."

Cat took the proffered hand. It was dry, warm and callused. "I'm Catherine Fairfax. Pleased to meet you also."

"Fairfax? I knew a nurse named Fairfax on the Terra Nova." Seeing the surprise in Cat's eyes, he added. "I got hurt a few times on the way here. She worked in the ship's infirmary. She would be close to my age now. But... you look uncannily like her."

"Was she nice?"

"She was. That's why I remember her. I must admit I had a little crush on her. Hell, half the ship did." He chuckled.

"How did you know I spoke Martian Dutch?"

"I was told that one of the people sent to us was a Martian. When I saw you, I was curious. Speaking Martian Dutch to you was the easiest way to confirm you were that Martian."

"Are you...?" Cat started.

"Martian? No, sorry. I fought in the first Colony wars. I had to learn it. I used to be a Barca clone."

"I kinda guessed that part. You guys are big. I had a few Barca friends. Well, I hope they were my friends. It's hard to know when you're a prisoner. But they were decent people."

"Thank you kindly. We try. Well, now I'm just a lowly fisherman. C'mon. Let's get some food into you." He took off his giant coat and put it on Cat's shoulders. It carried his lingering warmth and Cat sighed in bliss.

"Thank you mister Smithy, I can't seem to warm up."

"You're welcome. Now come young lady, we can't make the missus wait. She'll tear us a new one if we don't hurry. She's got breakfast on the burners and bacon can't wait for slackers." Smithy said, returning to Standard.

"What a strange expression." Cat replied in the same language.

"Yes, well, I've had a strange life."

They walked back to the house. Nobody was outside. The truck was gone and a heavenly smell of bacon came out of the small kitchen chimney.

"I can see you drooling from here. C'mon inside. Your friends should all be eating right now. Say, why did you go exploring in those skimpy clothes, half-starving?"

"It's a habit. I like to know where I am at all times. Recon before bivouac." She smiled at Smithy. "They drilled that little bit of wisdom into me pretty early on. It served me well."

"Then let me give you another bit of wisdom, don't mention or comment on the cats." Smithy said.

"Why?"

"Because there is a lot of them and the missus is touchy about her feline friends."

She followed the big man who went inside the small house. A wave of warm air hit her as she crossed the threshold of the door. Already, two cats were waiting for them in the anteroom. She put the big coat on a hook on the wall and went into the house proper. A big synthwood table was in the middle of the kitchen. Cats were everywhere. Her friends were eating what seemed to be eggs and bacon. Alejandro and Jimmy were stuffing their face with gusto, but the real surprise was to see Tom eating with as much enthusiasm. The food must be really good, thought Cat. That guy was used to the good stuff. He was a prince after all. She sat down next to Tom and an elderly lady put a plate of steaming food in front of her. The smell made her realize that she was really hungry and she dug in. The food was simple, hot and very good. She alternated between mouthfuls of toasts and coffee. She ate the egg's yolks with the buttered toasts. Clumsily forking some bacon and wolfing it with the same determination as the others. Jimmy suddenly burped, breaking the tension and everyone laughed.

Her hunger satiated, Cat noticed the old lady for the first time. She was old, but not old enough to hide her resemblance to the other Avery clones. Another clone here along with this Barca. Interesting, thought Cat. The lady smiled and said. "You guys had enough?"

They all acquiesced.

"Good, now, to work."

"What?" Said Alejandro.

"You didn't think the rent was free, did you? You'll have to shift for yourselves kids. If you want to stay here, you'll have to work."

Grunts and moans were heard around the table.

"And I promise you, the work here isn't easy lads. Fishing is hard and dangerous work. You want to stay and eat here? You'll earn your keep or you'll go out of this door and try your luck elsewhere. What will it be?" The lady asked them.

Cat smiled. "I'm in."

Jimmy stood up. "Yeah, me too."

"I'll do it for the food alone." Tom said laughing.

"You guys are idiots, but I can't leave you here. Who knows what trouble you'll end up. Alright old lady, we'll go along." Alejandro pointed at her. "But only for a while. We got stuff to do and places to be. We're busy people." He said.

The old lady smiled and said. "Of course you are. By the way, my name's not old lady. It's Mrs. Smithy, but for you, it's Captain or Ma'am."

"Captain?" Tom repeated.

"Yes, she's our fishing ship's Captain and you want to keep on her good side. You'll be under her orders when you'll go at sea on her boat. You see, when the sea's raging and the only thing between you and oblivion is her, you'll be glad you were nice to her. The sea is harsh and fishing Captains are harsher. But good Captains bring their crew back home safe." Smithy said, obviously proud of his wife.

"You mean, we gotta work!? Fuck! I hate working." Said Alejandro grumpy.