"Stealth suits!" Janet shouted. "The bad guys have stealth suits!"
"They’re invisible!" Keiko shouted as she aimed toward someone she couldn't see.
Erica froze. "Mom?
CHAPTER TEN
The Loss and the Search Begins.
After giving a report to the space station's authorities Erica followed everyone back to the Guinevere. There they would have to face her grandmother, Senior Captain Audrey Williams.
Erica entered a room set up for the legal hearing. She sat with Keiko Williams, Janet Williams, and Jo Grant Williams at a long table. Another long table was in the middle of the room. Grandmother Audrey sat there with Cleo Williams, the 1st shift lawyer. Jo Grant Williams was the 2nd shift lawyer. There were three official lawyers on Guinevere to protect the family from any kind of legal problems that could come up.
"To say this was a screw-up would be..." the senior captain spoke to Erica and the other seated beside her. Guinevere's family lawyer was present to. "But I can't blame any of you for it. Do you have any idea why they would have done this, or who is behind it?"
"No, ma'am." Janet Williams would be the acting captain of 2nd shift if everything went okay. Erica knew her aunt well enough to know there wouldn’t be a celebration party over the promotion. "I won't give up trying to find her."
"I know." Audrey gave grim smile. "The other starships lost crewmembers too. Mostly captains. This was done to hurt us. To stop us. But I think this may eventually unite all of us. This isn't over by a long shot, Acting Junior Captain Janet Williams."
Janet went white at the sound of Grandmother’s official approval of the promotion. It had been done in front of two lawyers of the family. None would doubt it.
Later Erica walked into her quarters. Tilly was waiting for her along with Lynna, Gwen, and Mindy.
"What happened? Are you okay?" Tilly said after a long silence of everyone standing around in a room full of things to sit on.
"Grandmother Audrey made sure were legally fine and no charges will hit us," Erica said. "Au-Aunt Janet is now Cap...Is now Acting Junior Captain."
"How is your mother, Piper?" Gwen asked.
"I don't…I haven't gone to see her."
"You should," Gwen said.
"Not now," Tilly said. "She needs to rest. To get some sleep. Everybody get out!"
Gwen started to protest, but Lynna pulled her out of the room. Mindy waved a goodbye to Erica before she left.
Erica went to her bed and lay down. Sleep? Can I sleep?
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Where Am I?
Erica Williams opened her eyes. Everything was blurry. Someone was patting her face with a wet cloth. Erica felt hot and clammy. And naked! No a thin blanket covered her naked body. Who?
"Hooo...rrrooor..." Erica tried to get the words and but her throat hurt. Her head hurt too.
"Shhh." Erica heard a familiar voice speak. Mother? "You’re safe for now, Erica. It's your mother, Alberta."
Erica blinked her eyes. Could it be true? Have I found my mother who had been kidnapped? How? Where were they? Why can't I remember?
"Take it easy, Erica." Alberta put a cup of water close to her mouth. To Erica the water tasted better than any drink she ever had in her life. She emptied the cup. Alberta left and brought back some more water.
"Food?" Erica said.
"A little bread," Alberta said. "Eat it slowly."
After what seemed like hours, Erica sat up and looked around at her new surroundings. They were inside a room three meters by four meters. It appeared to be made of concrete or hortel clay. The door looked to be made of some kind of primitive metal like iron or steel.
"I was able to escape from the aliens who kidnapped me," Alberta said. "They were so alien, I couldn't reason with them or understand what they wanted. I was able to escape when they arrived in this system, but the spacecraft crashed. It wasn't long before the locals found me and imprisoned me here. I don't know if they're working for the aliens or if...I don't know. So how did you wind up here?"
"I...don't remember. I don't remember anything since you were kidnapped and Aunt Janet was made acting 2nd shift captain." Erica rubbed her head. "What's wrong with me?"
"I don't know, you might have memory loss from head trauma. Hopefully we can get you to a doctor."
"I don't think I need leeches or magic spells from the doctors on this planet."
"True," Alberta said. "I'm more interested in escaping right now. I've got a plan. If you're feeling better."
“What?”
“Do you think you’re ready to fight?”
"I...Yes." Erica said. "I think I can fight."
"That's the spirit, girl." Alberta patted Erica's shoulder.
Alberta showed Erica what she had been working on. Before Alberta could explain more the guards showed up. They unlocked the door.
CHAPTER TWELVE
Sold.
Erica was yanked out of her cell and shackled to iron chains. One connect her wrists together and the second connected to her ankles. The same thing was done to her mother. The four male guards pushed and whipped them to move them out of the cell. Neither of them understood the local language. Some other prisoners were taken out of their cells too. There were men, women, and children all of ages and skin colors. None of them appeared to be from Yin Confederation like her and her mother. Of course, if the Yin were O-female it would be harder to tell. Since it was T-females like Erica and her mother, who had male genitals.
"Mother?" Erica said. "Do you know where they are taking us?"
One of the guards turned and whipped Erica hard. She covered her face. She felt the cuts to her hands and arms. The guard yelled at her. Erica decided not to talk until they had more privacy. Alberta gave her a sympathetic grin.
Erica was surprised at how blinding the sun was after being cooped up inside her cell. There had been only small openings in the high ceiling so they could see. After Erica got more used to the sun she realized it must have been about noon. Wait a minute? Is there another sun over there? This is a dual star system. No wonder it feels hot and blinding to my eyes.
They were marched through a crowd of people. Men in pants and shirts and women in thigh-length dresses. The clothes of both genders were bright colored with flower designs. Erica saw no children among them. She waited while others were pushed onto a stage. A woman with a stick pointed at the prisoners. The guards removed the prisoners’ clothes, even the children. The woman tapped the floor and shouted in the local language.
"Slave traders," Erica mumbled under her breath. Bastards!
Later Erica and her mother were forced onto the stage. Erica gritted her teeth as the guards pulled off her robe. Her hands clenched. I could take out that bastard when he turned. The chain hanging between my hands around his throat. But there's too many of them. I must control my breathing and I will control my emotions. I must be patient. We'll have a better chance to escape later.
Erica tried to follow what was going on, but wasn’t sure at first who’d bought them. Erica and her mother were dragged off the stage. They were taken to a woman with five large dogs surrounding her. She was dressed in a bright orange dress with green rose designs. The woman paid one of the guards. The guards left. The woman waved for Erica and her mother to follow. When the dogs growled at them, Erica and her mother obeyed.
They were led out of the city a little ways into the desert. The woman removed food from her backpack and tossed it to the dogs. She ate some of it. Finally she tossed some to Erica and Alberta. Erica tried to eat it with more dignity than the dogs showed. The food was very wet, and a little salty, but it satisfied her thirst. Good food to have in the desert. You wouldn't have to carry so much water. They continued to travel with the woman and her dogs. The dogs looked pretty big and mean. They were constantly watching her and Alberta.
After a few miles Erica saw some trees encircling a small pool. As they got nearer, Erica caught sight of something that shouldn't have been there. A
space craft of the reusable rocket ship type. Much smaller than the Guinevere's Daughter, which was used by Erica’s family. Probably had a crew of eight. Maybe half that.
The woman laughed. "I had you fooled, didn't I?" The woman spoke in a cockney Victorian English accent. "Me name is Linda Mason. This is me ship and me crew."
The pointed at the dogs and suddenly they transformed into a single humanoid robot.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
The Clitoris.
“Her name is the Clitoris." Captain Linda Mason gestured at her spacecraft. "I bought it off of some Bonobos. I'm probably lucky considering the other sexual things they name their ships, eh?"
"Yes, Captain Mason," Alberta said "I’m very familiar with that. I’m Alberta Williams, the 2nd shift Junior Captain of a Yin Confederation Free Trader starship Guinevere. This is my daughter Erica Williams, also a member of my crew.
Linda shook hands. "Honored to meet you. Climb aboard." Linda climbed a ladder to the door and went in. Alberta followed her. Erica followed her mother and glanced back at the robot. It wasn't an android with fake human skin, but just humanoid. Rough covering of various kinds of metals and plastics. Is one leg shorter than the other? Erica turned away. She went inside. The inside of the Clitoris looked worse than the outside. More like the robot. The robot shut the door.
"Yes, I know," Captain Mason said. "I need to get that robot to clean up this place. What a shit ‘ole. This is the main cargo bay level 2 up there is cockpit level 1. Below is level 3 cargo bay 2, mostly frozen stuff. Level 4 is medical and crew quarters. Level 5 is engineering."
"Okay," Erica said. "Nice and cozy."
"Oi, some of us ain't from wealthy giant trader ship families," Captain Mason snapped. "We make do with what li’le bi’ we have."
"Erica?" Alberta glared. "I apologize for my daughter's rudeness, Captain."
"I’ll let i’ go. Thank you, Captain Williams." Captain Mason pointed. “You might try on those coveralls over there. They might fit better than those rags.”
They look like rags too. Erica kept her mouth shut.
"You know my family would give you one hell of a finder’s fee for returning us to them." Alberta pulled on one of the coveralls and so did Erica.
"I bet they would." Captain Mason nodded then led them up to the cockpit.
Erica looked around. At least the cockpit is a little neater than the cargo bay. Erica knew better than to speak it out loud. The cockpit had seven seats in it with consoles connected to them. There probably were more launch seats in the crew quarters and engineering room. Erica didn't say anything as her mother negotiated further. Captain Mason took a seat in the middle of the room and gestured her mother to a seat. Mason firmly pointed Erica to a seat behind them. Erica didn't argue. She sat and looked at the screen in front of her. She turned it on.
"Turn that off!" Captain Mason shouted.
Erica turned it off. She smiled sheepishly. Captain Mason looked back at her controls. Erica got the look from her mother. I'm being treated like I'm ten years old again even though I’m in my thirties. Argh.
"Where's the robot?" Alberta said.
"It's runnin’ engineerin’ for me," Captain Mason said.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Launch!
Erica Williams rechecked her safety belts as Captain Mason launched her Clitoris. Erica gripped the sides of the console in front of her as the Clitoris shook like it was about to explode.
"What’s wrong?" Erica shouted. Her teeth keep hitting each other like a vicious gang fight.
"Nothin’!" Captain Mason yelled back. "I’ always shakes like this. Most do. You’re just used to the top of line. They barely shake."
The Clitoris rattles and shook for thirty or forty minutes. Then it seemed to go kaboom as if it hit something.
"What was that?"
"Nothin’!"
"Erica, be quiet," Alberta said.
Erica sighed.
"If you look at your screen now," Captain Mason said. "You will see the edge of space as we come out of orbit."
"Uh..." Erica said.
"You may turn i’ on now, Ms. Williams," Captain Mason added.
"Thank you, Captain Mason."
Erica saw the edge of space as they circled out of the planet's atmosphere. Soon they would be in a high enough orbit to leave the planet behind. This will make me a very happy lady. Erica sat at the controls and wondered if there was a way to turn the camera. I wonder if it has other cameras to see in other directions. At least it should. Well, with this piece of junk, they might be broken.
"Don't push that!" Captain Mason snapped.
"Erica!"
"Shit," Erica said under her breath. "Sorry, Captain Mason. I just wanted to see from a different angle."
"Don't!"
"Yes, Captain Mason."
Minutes later, they had climbed out of the planet's orbit. About time. Stupid junk ship! Erica looked at the screen closely. She thought she saw something.
"Uh...Captain Mason," Erica said. "I see something. It's at uh..."
"I see it, Erica," Alberta said. "It's at 004.703.001.990."
"What? Oh there i’ is," Captain Mason said. "I's getting closer. My sensors should let us see i’ in a few minutes. Alberta, could you hi’ the scanner switch over there?"
"Yes, Captain Mason," Alberta said.
"Thank you."
Erica could now see it closer on her screen, though the large screen up front showed it better. A huge starship. A very strange looking starship. It didn't look like anything Erica had ever seen.
"Oh shit!" Alberta said. "They've found us."
"The aliens?" Erica asked.
"Yes."
"Father of the Goddess!" Captain Mason said.
"How fast are they?" Erica said. "Can we get away from them?"
"Shut up! That's what I'm tryin’ to do!" Captain Mason pushed buttons and pulled on a stick. "Damn i’! Thrusters are on, but nothin’ is happenin’! Why?"
"I've seen this before, Captain Mason." Alberta sounded defeated. "They have locked their tractor beams on us and are pulling us in."
"Wha’?" Captain Mason said. "From this far away? That ain't possible."
Erica watched as Captain Mason and her Clitoris tried to escape the alien starship, but they were slowly being pulled towards it. The alien starship got bigger and bigger.
"That thing must be three times the size of the Guinevere." Erica said.
"Possibly. Maybe more," Alberta said.
"Damn i’! I have to shut down me thrusters before they blow."
"Good idea." Alberta gave Captain Mason a comrade’s pat on the shoulder.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
The Alien Captain.
Erica shoved and whipped forward along with her mother and Captain Mason. This is way too much like before. Are we going to be sold again? Erica looked over at Alberta.
"It'll be okay," Alberta said. "Probably."
"I wish I never agreed to come to this star system," Captain Mason said. "Ouch! Watch it, four legs!"
One of the four-legged alien guards opened its mouth and shook its head. Erica was able to see two intimidating four-inch tusks sticking out of its lower jaw. Unlike the other five aliens, this one had a red sphere on its head. Erica thought it might be a symbol of rank. Its triangle-shaped head was attached to a long neck that came out of its body. They reminded Erica of a lizard like the Komodo dragon, except they had a pair of delicate looking hands attached to flexible arms that reminded Erica of an elephant's trunk. The arms were connected to the neck. Their legs and arms were bare, but a shiny yellow cloth was wrapped around their tail and dull brown cloth covered their torso.
"Kneel before our Captain, crap-eaters!"
Erica knelt as did the others.
Seated before them on an odd-shaped chair was another alien, but this one had a black sphere protruding from its belly. It wore similar clothing, but different colors. Instead of dull brown and shiny yellow, they were bright gree
n and shiny orange. What is that horrible smell? The alien captain's head hung in the air and swayed back and forth like a snake about to strike. A hole appeared in the wall to his left. A brown sphere rolled out of the hole towards the alien captain who snatched it up with its mouth. It swallowed. Erica could see it slide down the alien captain's neck. Gross.
"I have you again,” the alien captain said. "You escaped, but failed."
"Yes, captain," Alberta replied.
The alien captain snarled showing its teeth like the guard leader had done. These tusks looked even bigger. "Take them back to their prison cell with the other humans!"
"Yes, Captain!" the guard leader said. "Come on! Obey!"
Erica and the others were kicked out of the captain's room to another part of the ship. I wonder if the other human prisoners will have an idea of what we should do. But before they had a chance to meet the other prisoners, Captain Mason stuck her hand down the front of her pants. They aliens didn't seem to notice and probably didn't know if it was normal human behavior or not. After twisting her arm a little bit, Captain Mason pulled something out. She aimed it at two of the aliens. A wide beam shot out of the object. Laser? Particle beam?
The guard went down. Erica spun and side-kicked a front knee and hopped on the back of another alien. Erica kicked it in the back of the head. It went down. Erica heard Captain Mason fire her weapon a couple more times.
"Let's get out of ‘ere!" Captain Mason said.
"Run!" Alberta said.
"Where?"
"This way!" Captain Mason said.
Erica followed Captain Mason and her mother back to the Clitoris.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
The Star Traders: The Star Traders Series Volume One Page 4