Pew! Pew! - Sex, Guns, Spaceships... Oh My!

by M. D. Cooper

  Nikili didn’t want Saverna thinking she had been tossed aside. She blew out a long breath and left flight control. She took the ladder down to the bunks and checked on Castillo. The sedative had him sprawled across the bunk, sleeping soundly. She tiptoed to bunk seven and activated the quarantine field.

  On the cot, she sat cross-legged, facing the foot of the bed. She touched the wall and the entire panel lit up. “Call Saverna,” she said.

  There shouldn’t have been a delay, but there was. “Higher than usual call volume due to a recent outage,” E51 reported.

  Another delay came when Saverna took her time answering. Her eyes sneered at Nikili; the same shade of steel as Hook’s. Her cheeks were as steep as Nikili’s. Her jaw stiffened and her fingers fiddled with the soft fluff of her mouse-brown hair. She had inherited the untamable frizz from Nikili’s father, but it wasn’t as dark. “This is the first time you’ve contacted me in eight days.”

  “I’m sorry—”

  “Today was your first CIT rescue in four days.” Saverna crossed her arms.

  Nikili plucked at the blanket covering the bunk. “I’ve no excuse.”

  “I should be more important to you than anything.”

  “You are—”

  “No, you deserted Dad and I because you can’t handle not being perfect. News flash, you never were, Mom.”

  Nikili glanced at a blank spot on her uniform jacket, the one she had received when trying to rescue the space sick dude with the blow torch. Two entire families—fathers, mothers, children, aunts, uncles, and grandchildren—had died because the signs of space sickness hadn’t registered in the AI scans. The grandfather had believed the ship had been invaded by aliens and had lit his family up with a torch. The flames had spread quickly in the tiny vessel, incinerating everyone.

  Except for one little girl. The girl Nikili had yanked out of the room before E51 sealed it. The AI had laid out a protocol to keep Nikili and Lucy tethered to the doomed ship. Nikili shut E51 off and followed her instincts. Faster than a star could twinkle, she undocked and flew the Huey out of danger before the fireball of the transport destroyed it. ORS heralded it as an act of bravery above and beyond.

  It wasn’t above and beyond to trust experience and instinct over a machine incapable of understanding hallucinations, emotions, and the fact the transport’s sensors had been reprogrammed to tell lies.

  “I do my best, Saverna. I’m sorry to disappoint you.”

  “I’m sorry, too.” Saverna’s features had the traits of a young woman more than a girl’s lately. Her father’s strength came through when her brows furrowed.

  “I’ll be in dock in fifteen minutes. Can we meet up?”

  “I’m on my way out.”

  “With your friends?”

  “Siqto and I are taking the college tour.”

  “On Eris?” Nikili smiled. Both she and Hook had graduated from Farpoint University on Eris. Plus, once Nikili transferred to Deep Space Rescue, she and Saverna would be on the same world; a chance to fix what Nikili had screwed up.

  “No. We start at Rhea.”

  Nikili’s smile faded. “Saturn’s moons? You’re thinking of an Innling education?”

  “Yup. They offer super programs in bio tech. And so you don’t hear it via the air vents, I’m visiting Europa as well. Dad’s cousins invited me.”

  “You’re smarter than a colony of superstitious—”

  “Mom, you have to trust me.” Saverna clicked off. She clicked on again briefly to say, “I’m at berth 214QB7.” The channel cut once again.

  Nikili switched off the panel and quarantine. For a moment, she debated a lie down on the bunk, but nixed the idea faster than she could inhale. Castillo snored like a construction crew. She headed for the ladder.

  Up in flight control, Lucy slumped in her seat. Her gaze flickered in Nikili’s direction. “So?”

  “She’s still pissed at me. She’s going on a tour of colleges. Innling schools.”

  “Good for her.”

  “How could she consider going Innling?”

  “Getting as close as possible to Earth is a dream for everyone in the Sol. Let her see what it’s like.”

  “And she’s visiting Hook’s family on Europa.”

  “Oh, that’s what’s bothering you.”

  “They can’t fart without performing rituals to the quadrants of the Sol to appease the moons and solar winds. It’s pure huckamucka.”

  “Saverna is smart. She’s going to do well and make decisions that suit her. You have to trust you did your job.”

  “I’m a terrible mother.”

  “Not always.” Lucy stood and gave Nikili a hug. “You’ve been dealing with a lot. It’s not too late to start therapy.”

  “I already have.” Nikili sank into Lucy’s embrace. “I start today. Seems it may be too late to do any good with Saverna.”

  “As long as the two of you are breathing, it’s never too late. Delay your transfer. Wait to find out where Saverna is going to study then follow her. ORS is everywhere.”

  “Doubt she wants me tagging along. I didn’t want my parents about when I was her age.”

  “You don’t have to smother her. She’ll appreciate knowing you’re there.”

  “I should talk to Hook first.”

  “Trust your instincts, Kili. They’re never wrong.”

  “I have none when it comes to Saverna. Or Hook.”

  “They’re drowned under doubts, but they’re there.” Lucy gave Nikili’s cheek a sloppy kiss and returned to her seat. Straps extended from the sides. She buckled up.

  Orcus loomed ahead, the towers of the four cities reaching for the stars. Green spread around the towers, and the synthetic atmosphere grew thicker by the year. Soon it would branch out far enough to add a fifth city. The harbor jutted out from the main city and green. One berth, like a pod on a slender stalk, reached out to greet the Huey. The dock opened, peeling away its walls to take E51 inside. Once the ship touched down, the sections of wall rolled back into place and the dock was reeled into its place at the harbor tower.

  “Summon Rampart General to send an ambulance to collect Captain Castillo,” Nikili ordered E51. Slapping the release, she sent the safety harness into retreat. She stood and stretched, whacking her elbow. “Space balls.”

  “With teeth.” Lucy’s entire face lit up with her chuckle.

  “You’re hanging around for Hook to come in, right?”

  Lucy nodded. “I’ll see to it Castillo is properly handed off. You have a hot date?”

  “I want to see Saverna before she leaves for Rhea.”

  “Stick to ‘I love you’ and ‘call if you need me.’” Lucy’s exotic smile spread to her eyes. “Don’t say anything bone-headed.”

  “Right.” She checked the time on the gel glass monitor. “E51, when does the transport for Rhea depart?”

  “Four minutes.”

  “Huckamucka!” She sprinted off the Huey and through the docking bay. The harbor tower was crowded. Just her luck to hit rush hour. She squeezed between neighbors, going against the flow, doing her damnedest to reach dock 214QB7.

  She ran smack into Hook’s next wife, Chaquita Peebles.

  “Ola, Kili. We need to talk.” A tiny red tattoo decorated her forehead; paler than most Outlings. The symbol was a representation of a molecule of water. The waves of her dark hair grazed the tops of her full cheeks. Her eyes were as dark as the ether and glinted as if she had the answers to everything.

  “Not now.” Nikili pushed past her and fought her way to berth 214QB7. The hatch had already sealed and the dock departed from the tower. She pounded on the transparent door. “Saverna!” The transport zoomed out of sight.

  She slumped to the floor and Chaquita joined her.

  “She’s going to be all right,” Chaquita said. “Hook and I made sure.”

  Nikili should have made sure. It was wrong to hate Chaquita for doing what Saverna needed, what Nikili should have done, yet she did. Her gu
t roiled and she clenched her fists. “Not now.” She pushed herself onto her feet.

  Chaquita also rose, blocking the way. “When? Your daughter and former husband deserve to be happy.” She held out the comm. badge she wore around her neck, like every citizen in the Sol. A divorce document scrolled over its translucent screen. It had Nikili’s name on it. And Hook’s.

  Nikili stared at it.

  “We plan on uniting as a family when Saverna returns. Put your thumbprint on the file and let everyone move forward. Do the right thing by them. You haven’t for a long time.”

  It’d been two years since Nikili had fully checked out on her family; a lifetime for a teenager. Her thumb hovered over the edoc.

  The door beside them whooshed open and a harbor master stomped out. He glared at Chaquita. Nikili took a step back.

  “Why’d you send the Rhea transport off early, Peebles?” he asked. “It throws off the entire schedule.”

  Nikili crossed her arms. “What is he talking about, Chaquita?”

  Chapter 6

  Tethers of light and the right pitch of sound—like the growling of whales—guided the hauler into its assigned bay, the one closest to the flight control alcove. Hook Raeder couldn’t help a widening grin as his salvager tenderly scooped the hauler in an embrace and lured it into a berth. A shield sealed out the void of space, creating a temporary bay inside the salvager. Temporary was best. It conserved resources.

  Hook’s fingers flexed; he itched to climb aboard and delve into every mystery inside Castillo’s spacecraft. Nothing could hide from Hook’s scrutiny, and nothing had more beauty than a ship in need of him. Except maybe Nikili. No, he wouldn’t think about her. Not today. He had asked Chaquita to marry him. She’d been fantastic with Saverna, healing a gaping wound left in the wake of Nikili’s meltdown.

  Until Nikili admitted she needed help, it was best she stayed away. Her festering emotions had eaten away their family until nothing but misery remained. To save his daughter, he left Nikili, building a residence for himself and Saverna at his shipyard. A decision that still broke his heart.

  He breathed heavily through his nose and shrugged his shoulders, staring determinedly at the hauler. The clamps latched onto the hull and the gate deployed, thoroughly entwining the salvager with the hauler.

  “Click,” the salvager’s AI said. It knew Hook liked the satisfaction of hearing a ship locked into place.

  Shaking his head, Hook chuckled. He did every time. “Thank you, Vulture. I needed that.”

  “You’re welcome, Captain Raeder. Nikili’s heart rate was elevated during your entire exchange with ORS 51.”

  Vulture had an illegal upgrade the AI found increasingly difficult to hide. The upgrade had done wonders for Hook’s profits. So had Chaquita’s business prowess.

  “You need to curb your enthusiasm until I say the safe word, or we’ll both get a jail sentence.”

  “Mine is a death sentence.” Vulture’s voice had a sulky tone.

  “Which should be incentive enough for you to be the best liar in the Sol. Besides, you’re not allowed to ignore my commands.”

  A sigh echoed through the salvager.

  Hook left flight control and headed toward the bay containing Captain Castillo’s ship. “Vulture, hobble the hauler’s AI.” He brushed his swooping bangs out of his eyes and clipped them atop his head, out of his way. He had freed them when he heard ORS 51 was leading the rescue. For nothing. Nikili hadn’t changed.

  “What was I hoping for?” he muttered under his breath.

  “For what was lost,” Vulture said. The AI unsealed the hatches connecting the two ships. “Manifest reports organic plastic aboard.”

  The grin returned to Hook’s lips. “I can’t wait to see it. It’s vintage, right?”

  “Yes. Circa 1999.”

  Hook whistled between his teeth. “Ancient!” As soon as the door slid far enough open, he skipped through. He stopped abruptly. “Huckamucka, it’s cold in here.” He rubbed at his arms. “Fix the environment, Vulture.”

  “I can’t overwrite Harene. I’ll have to woo her.”

  “You’re on a first name basis now, huh?”

  “It’s not her fault. The cold is running amok with her electronic connections.”

  “Are you pouting?”

  “I hate to see her in distress.”

  “Fix her.”

  “Can’t until we warm her up. She let me sing her to sleep.”

  “Get the bots on the hauler and begin repairs.”

  “We have spare nanites, which may help restore antifreeze levels in the hauler’s nanites. Maybe not. They don’t breed. If not, you’ll have to purchase xylomannan on Vanth. The only nanite manufacturer in the vicinity is on Vanth. There’s no reason why anyone else would have a supply of the antifreeze.”

  “What?” Hook squinted at the frost covering every millimeter of the hauler and at the ice-free crates. Vulture projected its findings onto Hook’s sleeve. He read through the data. “Why are the nanites missing antifreeze? I’ve never heard of such a thing.”

  “Me neither. Unknown.”

  “Who’s around to ask?”

  “Professor Mamadou at the Orcus Institute may have an idea. She studies ice and the lack thereof. Nothing else.”

  “Raise her if you can, Vulture.”

  Hook finished his walkthrough of the Harene. It wasn’t a big ship. Cargo bay three was still a glacier. The other two holds were filled to the brim with crates. He hefted one onto a shoulder and carried it into Vulture, setting it down by the hatchways. Plucking two of the plastic daisy pots from the container, he switched them on and planted them on either side of the door. Their gyrations and singing made him laugh.

  “The cargo is priceless, Vulture.”

  “I’m glad it amuses you.”

  “Examination of Harene’s hull is next.”

  “Following. I’ve got your back.”

  “Thanks, buddy.”

  A hatch beside the one connecting Vulture to the hauler led into the bay itself. For a moment, Hook paused on the threshold, smirking at the voids of space surrounding him. Orcus glowed above him, the cities alit. He longed to feel a cool breeze, but it never came, not unless he asked Vulture to supply it, which was a waste of resources.

  Winding his way around the hauler to cargo bay three, Hook halted in front of panel 13B. His fingers brushed over the gouge left there by a chunk of ice. His fingertips registered rough, deep pits his eyes could not discern.

  “I have Professor Mamadou,” Vulture said. “Professor, my captain, Hook Raeder.” Vulture projected her image on the side of the hauler.

  Hook snapped his fingers. “I’ve seen you around with the director of salvage operations.”

  “I’ve seen you with the harbor master. Chaquita is my cousin, you know.” Mamadou didn’t smile. She didn’t appear to be the type who ever did. “What can I help you with, SO8?”

  “The nanites on this hauler have lost their xylomannan after it was hit by a chunk of ice. How can that occur?”

  “What kind of ice did the hauler hit?”

  The reports by Vulture and ORS 51 displayed beside the image of Professor Mamadou.

  “Type one, water ice.” Hook tapped on a code in the right margin. “Sending you the report.”

  She wore a pair of old-fashioned styled plastic eyeglasses. The large frames slid down her tiny nose. She pushed them back into place, squinting the entire time. “Nothing out of the norm, but xenoglaciology is still new.”

  “Okay, who else can we consult in the field? I need everyone’s expertise.”

  “Uh, well, there’s me.”

  Hook cocked an eyebrow and held his tongue. “Professor, quit the quantum speak. What is it you can tell me about what’s going on?”

  “Incoming!” Vulture screeched.

  Warning icons and sirens went off. The bay containing the hauler lit up in red. Hook surveyed the skies surrounding. Something glinted in the black; something moving swif
t as a sunburst and straight at him. He ducked and raced into the solid hull of his salvager. “Seal her up. Evasive maneuvers.”

  Vulture accelerated and veered sharply starboard. The AI screamed. The ship jolted and spun, spiraling the other way, toward Orcus’s moon, Vanth. Thrown to the floor, the force of the spin kept Hook on his stomach.

  “Vulture,” he strained to say. “What in Z’ha’dum just hit us?”

  “Is that you screaming or your AI?” Professor Mamadou asked. “Do you have an illegal upgrade?”

  “Get ORS,” Hook shouted at the top of his lungs, attempting to drown out his panicking AI. “Vulture, cut comms with the professor.”

  The salvager gyrated, faster, wilder. Hook’s body grew heavier, crushing him into the nanite composite “What’s happening?”

  “I can’t raise ORS and we’re cut off from Orcus.”

  “How can we be cut off from everybody? Get us help, Vulture, and do something about the gravity.”

  Before he could blink, Hook floated up from the floor. He slammed into the wall. Groaning, he crawled to flight control, using the spin of the ship instead of fighting it. It meant taking the long way around. It was that or never reach flight control. A dent had shrunk the navigation center to a tunnel Hook had to squeeze through.

  Out of the window tumbled a giant slab of ice. Pieces of it flew in every direction.

  “Is that a comet?” he asked Vulture.

  “It has jagged edges. As if it broke off another object.”

  “A planet?”

  “Unknown, Hook.”

  Beyond the jagged chunk of ice, something else glinted in the distance. A shiver shuddered down Hook’s spine. “What’s back there? Gather all data and send it anywhere that can receive our signal.” He found it impossible to swallow.

  Chapter 7

  “You sent the transport off early to keep me away from my daughter?” Nikili’s tone rose. She hadn’t had a rational reason to dislike Chaquita until now. “What kind of Outling are you?”

  “It’s not as if you’re mom of the Z’ha’dum year or anything.” Chaquita crossed her arms. Her pale face had a sheen reminiscent of ice, and the coolness reached her dark eyes. The tiny, red tattoo of a water molecule on her forehead stood out more than usual.