The Remoras

Quee Lee is a beautiful and rich woman, and she's immortal, and she happens to be married to a young fellow with a mysterious, intriguing past. That past comes alive in the form of a Remora named Orleans. Like any Remora, Orleans normally lives on the exposed hull of the starship, but he has come below looking for Quee Lee's husband. To settle an old debt, apparently. Which launches an adventure, and what will this grand old lady do when faced with the remarkable truth?

"She would have to dismiss this Orleans fellow herself, spooking him with a sharp stare. Rising, she let an emerald sarong clothe her, and she walked the length of her apartment, never hurrying, commanding the front door to open at the last moment but leaving the security screen intact. Yes, she was expecting someone odd. Even someone sordid, knowing Perri. But she didn’t anticipate a bright lifesuit more than two meters tall and nearly half as wide, and she could never have imagined such a face gazing down at her with mismatched eyes. It took a moment to realize this was a Remora. An authentic Remora was standing in the public walkway, his fantastic round face watching her. The flesh was orange with diffuse black blotches that might or might not be cancers, and a lipless, toothless mouth seemed to flow into a grin. What would bring a Remora down here? They never, ever came below the hull."

Robert Reed is the owner and sole proprietor of the Great Ship stories. "The Remoras" was the first story written in that very popular series.