Trampship Wars 2

by L. D. Roberts

  The elevator hatch opened onto Tramptown and Mark got off taking the few steps to the shop as Kay followed him. But the sensor ball was not there. Not where he remembered leaving it. Not even the parts of the modern sensors that were built around it. Parts that had taken him hours to disassemble to find the little ball. Looking around he realized that the workbench looked all too damn clean with all the tools put back in their little tool holders on the bulkheads and drawers. "Who the hell cleaned up my mess!"

  "Who the hell is making such a racket?" Came a female voice from the back clubhouse lounge of the cargo box as a head peeped around the edge of the open door preceded by the laser pistol Mark had made her the night before. "You and your bimbo get out of here before I burn a hole put this through your heart, thief!"

  Mark raised his hands surrendering. "I give up don't shoot Jolleen. You have me dead to rights."

  Narrowing her eyes, she dropped the laser pistol to her side as a smile crossed her face. "Well I'll be a monkey's ant. What the hell are you wearing Mark?" Coming on into the shop. "Sorry about that." As she came up to Mark and gave him a hug.

  Looking around the bench as s he hug ged him . “Aaa. Thanks for cleaning the place up but what did you do with the stuff I had torn apart on the bench? All the shinny shiny chrome pieces but mainly the little black ball?"

  "Oh that little thing? I dumped it with all the other crap into a box days ago and put it in the other cargo box with all the other junk you guys liberated from the junk deck when you put the containers up here. High Kay." She let go of Mark, waved at Kay and headed down the passageway between the shop and clubhouse and pushed open the door across from the head that head, which had been added between the two boxes. Be my guests. It is in one of them but I don't have a clue witch one."

  Mark pushed past her into the box. With the light switch at the front of the box next to the main set of hatches , the box was pitch black except for the little light shining through the doorway. But with Mickey's help Mark did not need a light as he stepped well into the container and started looking around at the boxes for the little ball.

  Jolleen looked back into the workshop at Kay then said into the dark box after Mark. “You taking the day off with Kay?”

  “Oh no. She just happened to get on the same elevator down on the Quarter deck. (Not realizing that she had been waiting for him after hearing that everyone was back from the English base.) I am headed for the other side of the planet to rescue a bunch of people in a tower and do something about another crazy AI.” Mark said from the dark container.

  She turned back to the shop. “Make yourself at home Kay. Mark is always rude when he gets a rocket up his butt. He forgets everyone around him. Chances are he won’t even find what he is looking for. It could be a Tellering Rattle Snake with the big rattles as big as your fist you can hear for a mile away he could be looking for and it would have to bite him on the ass before he would find it.”

  Shaking her head she turned back into the pitch black box. "You know it would be a lot easier if you turned on the damn light. The switch is at the front. Besides I can't even see you in that dark suit once you got out of the direct light. Spooky to say the least Mark." She peered into the gloom as she heard something being moved.

  "Mickey; if this suit can project images it can light up right. Make it glow red." Turning with a smile to watch Jolleen's expression as the suit started glowing bright red, lighting up the back end of the box. "Is this what you had in mind Jolleen?"

  "Ass hole. Where did you get a suit like that anyway?"

  "A requirement for ridding in one of the new English shuttles." Mark smiled, remembering her fascination with medieval movies and books about castles and maidens and dragons. "We are headed for the other side of the planet to slay the dragon for the Queen my lady ." Mark bowed with a flourish .

  "Dickhead! No really. What are you doing?"

  "At the moment I am looking for that sensor ball I took from that bomb in the hold last week or was it just the other day. Hell, I just found out how to work it and it may come in handy finding out where the hostages are in the sub-basement of a mile high habitat building on the other side of the planet." Jolleen's smile told him that she still did not believe him. "Captain's orders and all that." Dumping out a box across the deck between a welder and a lath only to pick up a two inch silver mettle bearing from one of the cargo holds hatches that had been buried at the bottom. "Damn! This isn't it."

  Jolleen shook her head and reached out and picked up a black ball from the top of a box sitting next to the door into the clubhouse that would have bitten him if it had been a snake . Holding it up for Mark to see as she shook her head with a smile. "Is this what you are talking about oh blind one."

  Mark starred at it for a few seconds. "Damn, it absorbs all radiation. No wonder your probes could not find it Mickey." Then lunged for it only for her to jerk it away before he could touch it. "Now tell me what is going on."

  Mark stood a couple feet away in front of next to her. "I told you. I am.." Taking a deep breath. "You do know I am an officer now right? And that I was made Commander of the ship’s Fighter bomber Squadron? Well this is just part of that Jolleen. Please give me the little ball. I don't have time to explain everything right now but what I said is the truth."

  "Fine don’t tell me shithead." She tossed the ball up into the air for him to catch. "I think I have the boxes sold for a tidy sum and found a couple of new ones cheap . I am going to try replacing the junk ones sitting broken on the junk pile in the pit. That is if you will sign the papers. That is if you have a few seconds to sign oh mighty one."

  “Ok? Well , make it fast . I have the Captain and 4 transports waiting on my butt.” Mark followed Jolleen into the back as he took off his gloves and slapping them on a clip made for them on his belt .

  “Mark, we do not have time for this. The Captain is waiting for you. The Shuttles need to start boosting for suborbital insertion.”

  Jolleen she grabbed a screen , and tapped on it for a couple of seconds and then shoved it at him.

  Ignoring Mickey, Mark s S ign ed ing the sheet then Mark shook his head suddenly. Worried about winding up with some piece of junk rusted out crap containers someplace worse than they were now. But he didn’t have time to worry about it right then. Mark found himself walking toward the half repaired Sim m that had been destroyed and the big screen on the back bulk head, wondering if he was going to regret signing while he tried to figure out what was needed to repair them .

  “Mark we have to go.” Mickey said. “The Shuttles are leaving without us.”

  “Oh Shit. Got to go.” Mark turn ed from the pile of wrecked sim s.

  Jolleen smiled at Mark as she followed and took the sheet from him. “Don’t worry about it. I think you will like what I have worked out. It is a little deviouse devious but Pop is helping as is Kay and it really should piss off her brother and father.” Jolleen smiled from ear to ear as her eyes sparkled.

  "Ya sure as long as you find someplace to put all our junk I guess. OK?" Pushing past her toward the passageway into the workshop. Noticing how small her breasts were compared to Kay’s standing in the passageway and just about every other woman on the ship. "I promise to fill you in on everything as soon as I get back and get the time. OK? Bye."

  Mark stopped next to Kay . A a s he had started to push past her , as she deliberately got in his way. “Listen, I will talk to you later but please.” Mark tried to think of a way to say what he knew he needed to say without hurting her feelings or her hating him. While he kept trying not to stare at her naked breasts with big red nipples under her thin see through blouse without a bra as she smiled at him. Her bra now tucked into her purse since she saw Mark headed back for the ship . “I really like you but we just met and I need time and I will always be there for you anytime you need me for anything. But only as a friend. OK?”

  Kay grabbed his hands as she lip locked him again . P p ressing his bare hands into her naked breasts afte
r letting the front of her blouse open again into him though he could not feel them through his armored suit and squeezing them with her hands over his .

  Mark suddenly wishing that he could do more than just feel her breasts, feel them against his chest as he resist ing ed the earge urge to take of f his suit his gloves to take a hand full as his w ill rapidly weakened.

  “Mark!” Mickey yelled in his ears. “We have to go. Now.” and then…

  And then. “Aaa. I have to go, bye Lo...” Mark said as he broke free gently pushing her away with his hands firmly on her breasts until he slid them out from under Kay’s hands and headed toward the hatch not believing he almost said the word again of all the stupid things to say at that moment. Trying not to think of the wonderful soft flesh with the hard protruding lumps in his palms, he had held in his hands. Part of him wanting to cry at the lost opportunity.

  “Bye love.” Kay said to him with a smile.

  Mickey spoke up on Marks way out of the box. "Pick up the safety line gun Mark." She highlighted the gun hanging on the cabinet next to the hatch. "The shuttles are leaving and we are going to have to drop down off of the cargo hatch ramp if you don't want to get left behind."

  His mind still fuddled about both Kay and Jolleen and the sudden reality that they were actually selling the damn boxes he had been court martialed for putting up. Mark grabbed the line gun and headed for the elevator. "No! Turn right and run for the hatch. We only have a few seconds to get down there. The shuttles are already leaving.”

  Mark started running down the grating. Kay’s kiss fresh on his lips making him kick himself for not taking some time to take advantage of her even though a part of him knowing he never could but wishing he would anyway. His libido trying to suppress and over rule his subconscious common sense that knew it was not a good idea. The suit again helping him take long strides as well as missing the pedestrians clomping down the boulevard. "What the heck. I can hear everyone else clomping but me. Why aren’t I making even more noise Mickey?"

  "The suit is extending the soles of your feet and with sensors in your heels, adjusting them to gently touch the deck grating before they smoothly absorb the impact, then extending again to launch you on into your next stride. All part of being stealthy. You are going to have to jump over the rail at the end of the boulevard. Any additional effort will be magnified into a longer higher jump. The deck below is clear between the containers. Just be careful to remain up right as you jump so you will land on your feet. The suit will absorb the impact of your landing. You saw the marines doing that in the shuttle when you ordered them to clear the onlookers out of the way. Though they did not know they could use it to run fast until you showed them."

  "But this is 4 stories up. I will break my legs if I it don't get killed Mickey."

  "I told you I added a lot of extras didn't I? Don't worry, the suit will take care of you. Now put the sensor ball in your hip pouch and be careful when you jump. The Isle between the container stacks is not very wide."

  Mark stuffed the ball into the blended in pouch that seemed to grow large enough to hold the ball. The area ahead and below Tramp Town showed in ghostly detail as Mark took the last half dozen long strides before hopping more than jumping, jumping over the rail at the end of the boulevard . Mark to sail ed out into open air toward a clear spot between containers he had picked out before jumping. Almost touching the overhead with his head as he seemed to look to his side at the cargo transfer forklift rails. Seemingly in slow motion, he sailed down as he flailed his arms trying to remain upright. Won d ering for a second why the suits gravcoil stabilization system was not maintain ing his attitude. But got the hang of it after a second and had other things to think about.

  "Mark, you are going to have to start running , extend one of your feet out in front of you as you come down. A a s soon as your front foot hits the deck , you need to start running to keep from falling. Just let your momentum carry you through the first step and remember to follow through with the next step and keep going. Your suit will do most of the work. You just have to help by trying and not resisting."

  Hitting the deck at a run Mark smiled as his heart threatened to beat out of his chest. “Hey that was fun Mickey. We will have to do it again sometime.”

  “Yes. Very soon Mark. Now hook the pistol’s butt line lanyard to the rescue ring on your back between your shoulder blades.”

  Mark took the lanyard from the butt of the gun and reached around (with Mickey guiding him) behind his head as he ran, hooking the safety line to the D ring on his back and not to the front center chest loop where they normally hooked it when using it in Zero Gee space.

  “Good. Now follow my directions carefully Mark. Head for the outer left corner of the hatches platform and jump as hard as you can as soon as you clear the you reach the edge of the hatch /platform . You will have to shoot the line onto the rail before you and then jump as hard as you can over the rail and away from the platform. The 4th shuttle is directly below this side of the ship. We can land next to it before it leaves.”

  “Neat. Just like jumping off during Zero Gee training Mickey. Only we are on the planet. I did not know they made Gravity coils small enough to fit into a suit without having to put on a back pack Mickey. This is going to be fun.” Suddenly wondering why they needed to anchor a line up here if the suit had a gravity coil pack?

  Mark shot the line at the marked point on the rail while he was a good twenty feet away after taking careful aim. The line ’ s projectile opened as soon as it left the gun sending several lines with small weights on the ends out in several directions at 90degree angles from it’s its direction of travel as it slowly spun. The lines hit wrapping themselves around the rail where it joined one of the support posts and wrapped themselves around the rail , locking themselves together. Mark jumped using all his strength with satisfaction after hitting his target exactly where he was aiming.

  Sailing out from the platform , Mark looked down at the toy shuttle sitting some 70 stories below with several ants walking around it. Shuttle number 1 was just coming around the side of the ship over the burm berm , climbing for altitude. And then Mark remembered the question he had not the time to ask a few seconds before. “Mickey? Why did you have me hook the safety line onto the rail if the suit has gravity coils built into it allowing us to drop slowly down to the pit?”

  “Sorry Mark. Where did you get the idea that the suit has gravity coils built into it?”

  It suddenly dawned on Mark that he had screwed up big time as his eyes grew several sizes and his heart really started beating. “You said you p ut everything I would need in the suit.” Mark wanted to scream.

  “Now that is silly. Why else would I have had “That is why I had you attach put the safety recovery line on to the rail? . It will To slow our fall enough for the suit to handle the landing before we hit the ground.”

  “What the hell!” Mark had flown hundreds of times in the ships air supply tunnel that ran from the air purification compartment on the farm decks up the side of the ship between hulls to the upper crew living decks forming a a wind tunnel before during a vacation some years before . The air rising at a hundred miles an hour was perfect for flaying with your arms and legs spread eagle and was a popular past time for the younger crew. The wind blowing up at such a rate through a grate that it lifted people up suspending them free falling in the air. He had gotten quit good at it. Now old forgotten reflexes took over allowing him to keep from tumbling as he fell using his hands and legs as control surfaces. “What the hell Mickey! This monofilament line is only for use in Zero Gee transfers and not free falling in a fricking planets gravity well. It will never support me and this suit.” Mark reached for the brake slider on the gun with his thumb hopping it would work anyway as he started to panic.

  “No Mark! Not yet. I will tell you when. If you activate the brake too soon; you will pull us into one of the lower cargo hatch ramps while we are going much too fast for the suit to absorb the impact. I will
tell you when and how much brake to apply to slow us down to land on the ground safely.”

  The number 3 4 shuttle that was directly under the dozen Cargo bay loading ramps though only half of them were open, lifted off and started moving around the ship following the shuttle a hundred yards ahead of it as Mark reached terminal velocity . “Please do not forget to eject the cartridge before you hit the brake or the line will jerk the gun out of your hand when it tightens up to the rescue ring on your back. Without the pistol you cannot control the brake. And it will automatically lock up and possible break the line from trying to stop us and the weight of the suit too fast.”

  Mark took his finger off the brake and swallowed as his mind raced and the cargo platforms outside the holds started zipping past as the ground rushed at them getting closer and closer. "Mickey I am going to kill you when we get down." Reaching around with his other hand carefully trying to ke ep from tumbling, Mark finger he pushed the cartridge release lever popping the line cartridge out to flop around behind him in line with the D ring on his back and the line anchored to the rail far above. He held the pistol in his hand as tightly as he could as he spread used his arms back out hands to keep himself level. He watched the ground get closer as they reached terminal velocity a s number 4 nd the shuttle came sliding around the bottom of the ship and started to slow. D d rift ing down to land e d directly under him. “Mickey I am starting to hate you, you little bitch. How could you do this to me?”

  “Just remember Mark that I love you and would never do anything to harm you. We can do this safely love. Just keep your head and get ready to start applying the brake when I tell you in 10 ... 9 .. … ”

  “Didn’t you say you put everything in this sui t you could to protect me? Why didn’t you put the damn gravity coils in as well? I saw them listed in the damn book.”