by D T Dyllin
“Maybe … maybe we shouldn’t take this job,” I muttered.
“What?” Tamzea approached me with shock etched into the worry lines on her face. “Are you feeling okay? I mean, you were planning on bagging Ash anyways, but now the fee will be doubled. That money would not only pay for everything Masha has been pushing for, but it could keep us all very comfortable for some time. You would only have to take easy bounties for a while. No Class 4s—”
“How much money did we get from the guy who tried to rip us off? Did Masha tell you?”
“Not enough to get her everything, and definitely not enough to keep you and the rest of us happy. Especially with how quickly you blow through your funds on fashion.” She tilted her head at me, studying my outfit. “What’s with the goggles? Were you helping Masha with something?”
I reached up, adjusting the Steampunk goggles perched on my head. “Nooo, they go with the outfit. But you know, I may need them … for something.” My nostrils flared when Tamzea’s lips twitched up into a smile. “Not another word about my clothes, got it?”
Attempting to appear innocent, even as a grin spread across her face, Tamzea flicked her gaze away. “So, the job?”
I gnawed on my lower lip, considering. I had no sane reason not to accept the job from the UGFS, and technically I already had. Plus, Tamzea was right. I was going after Ash regardless, so none of the rest should matter. I just couldn’t shake the feeling of trepidation that had settled over me.
“Yeah, I’m going to do it.” Why do I feel like those words, and the decision to take the job, are going to change everything in my life? And not for the better.
“Anything yet?” I paced, while Zula fiddled around with some equipment, the sound of metal clanging against metal filling the air. We were in what she liked to call the science wing of The Pittsburgh. In reality, it was what would be more living quarters if we had a bigger crew. I was confident she’d find a way for me to safely contain a being such as Ash, who could turn into flame. That wasn’t the problem, nope. My issue was that it was taking too damn long for my tastes.
“If you give me more than five minutes, I’ll find the solution,” Zula stated coolly. She was used to my impatience, even though she was not a fan.
“So much for being from a genius race. Maybe you didn’t leave on your own accord, like you claim, maybe you were kicked off your planet for being the dumbest Galvraron ever.” I grimaced at my own words. I was irritated and anxious, and sure I liked to get under Zula’s skin in a good-natured way, but sometimes I came off cruel without meaning to.
The truth was, I didn’t know why any of my crew had decided that serving under me was what they wanted. When I’d saved up enough money to purchase The Pittsburgh, which admittedly was a piece of junk when I got it, I’d put out word that I needed a crew. Masha had been the first to show up, unable to resist the call of a Chimay grade engine or some such crap as that. Tamzea took one look at me, and her Mazatimz maternal instincts had kicked in. But Zula, well, she was an enigma. That was the thing, though—we all had pasts, I was sure of it, but none of us really cared. The present was all that mattered, and presently Zula was being too damn slow.
“Weeeell, anything yet?”
“You asking me over and over does not force me to produce the results you want,” Zula hissed. She slammed down the tools she’d been working with. “I need more materials … materials we don’t have.”
I peered over her shoulder, not having the faintest clue what I was looking at. “So, we’ll get them.”
“It’s not that easy.”
“It can’t be as difficult as you’re making it seem either.” I picked up a piece of sheet metal, studying the way it was bent and wavy in the middle. “What’s going on with this?”
“That,” Zula snatched the sheet from me, dropping it back onto her workbench, “is the problem. We need stronger metal. I wanted to make some kind of containment trap, one that you could suck Ash into while he was in flame form. I was testing out what could stand up to the heat … and we need something stronger.”
“So we’ll get it. We—”
“We need Gartian grade alloy.”
I blinked rapidly, the shock of what she’d just said taking time to penetrate my mind. “Gartian grade alloy,” I muttered, before turning away to swear under my breath.
“Now you see the problem.”
“And nothing else will work?”
“No.”
I pinched the bridge of my nose, swearing again. “I knew it. I had a bad feeling about this one. This could ruin my reputation. I—” I bit the inside of my cheek, gnawing until I tasted blood. As the tang of copper filled my mouth, determination washed over me. I wanted the money, and I needed to prove to myself that I could best Ash.
“We’re going to have to go into Gartian territory then.” I was met with silence. I turned my gaze to take in the blank expression on Zula’s blue face. She was shocked beyond words. This is a first. I snapped my fingers in front of her. “Ummm … Hello? Anyone in there? Or did I just short circuit that big brain of yours?”
“If you’re serious about this, we’re going to have to drop off the bounty we already have before going into Gartian territory—we already collected on him. With your reputation it was no problem getting the money upfront for our maintenance. They were planning to come to us, as usual, but our unscheduled trip will change everything on our timeline. We’ll also need to stop at another supply space station.”
Bounty? Oh yeah, Tall and Bald. I’d almost forgotten about him. Oops. I hoped someone had been checking on him, and feeding him. I really didn’t need a dead bounty to deal with. Plus, that would definitely be bad for business. Dealing with Ash was really putting me off my game. Good thing I had Zula to remind of such things. “Pffft … Yes, of course. Tall and Bald, I remember.” I flicked my gaze away from Zula, but I knew it was too late.
“Unbelievable. You completely forgot about him. Don’t try to deny it. It’s written all over your face.” Zula slammed her fists down on the workbench, causing me to jump. “No. We can’t do this. You’re too distracted. Too personally involved since you had sex with Ash. You do a lot of stupid things, but this one— No. I’m not going to let you get killed because of an injured sense of pride.”
“It’s not my job to remember about the bounties. I bag them, and you and everyone else does the rest. If he’s been left down there in his cell to rot that’s on your head, not mine.” I crossed my arms over my chest, staring Zula down. I didn’t see anyone else risking their life to make money for us. I was the talent, and my crew was the support I needed. Okay, so maybe I was rationalizing, but—
I’m the captain, damnit! I couldn’t do everything myself, which was why I had my crew to begin with.
Zula glared back. “Fine, I will take care of it. But then we’re going to talk about the rest. You need to seriously take into consideration the fact that you’re too close to the situation with Ash now that you’ve been intimate with him.”
I snorted. “I had sex with him. Big difference between sex and intimacy.”
Zula’s face scrunched up. “Please. As a Galvraron I may think first, and feel second, but even I know that you’re fooling yourself on this one. There’s more between you and Ash than just sex.”
Zula and Tamzea always thought they knew me better than I knew myself. Sometimes they made valid points, but Zula couldn’t be further from the mark on this one. “You’re worrying too much, as usual. Don’t. Things will work out just like they always do.” I turned away from Zula, heading for the door. “I’m going to go check on our guest, even though it’s not my job. Let me know the ETA for his ride off this boat.”
I peered through the small window on the door to the airlock. Two forms in space suits propelled towards us, their personal thrusters keeping them steady as they crossed the scant distance from their ship to ours. It was the way we received guests when not at port. It was also the exit/entry I preferred for myself at a
ll times. I hated leaving the cargo doors open so anyone could traipse right on The Pittsburgh when we weren’t in space. A security code was needed to get past the secondary door in the airlock, which was much safer in my opinion.
“Please, I’ll pay you double whatever she’s given you,” Tall and Bald sniveled from behind me. “I-I can’t go back. You don’t understand.”
“It’s a little late to bargain,” I said, not bothering to look back at him. Zula had him trussed up in laser bands, the best on the market. “We already accepted payment for you.”
“Please … ”
“Oh, come on. Stop being such a baby. If you don’t want to pay for the crime, then don’t … umm … ” That wasn’t how the saying went. Hmm … “Just don’t be a dumbass if you don’t want to end up being someone’s bitch.”
Our visitors moved into the airlock, pressing the button to close the outer door behind them. As soon as it was secure, a red light flashed on to signal that air was flooding the chamber. When it flashed to green, I entered the code to let them in. I shuffled back from the door, readying my weapons. It was the biggest reason I preferred non-UGFS bounties to collect on The Pittsburgh … home ship advantage.
The visitor closest to me unlocked the helmet on their space suit. A woman’s face was revealed. She looked like a feminine version of Tall and Bald, down to the bald part. She smiled at me. “Hello, my name is Zeatha. I have come to collect my brother.”
I swung my gaze back to Tall and Bald, who was leaking red-tinted tears. I scrunched my face up in disgust. “Are you sure you want him?”
Zeatha sucked on her teeth. “I don’t. His soon to be wife does.”
It all became clear. Tall and Bald wasn’t a criminal at all. He was just an asshat who was on the run from his future wife for some reason. “Alrighty then. He’s all yours.” Holstering my gun, I stepped aside as Zula shoved Tall and Bald forward.
“Please, Zeatha. Don’t make me go back. I don’t want—”
She grabbed Tall and Bald by his ear, twisting it sharply. “Then you should have thought of that before you defied our laws and impregnated one of the pure ones. You will marry her. You’ve done just about enough to disgrace our family for one millennium.”
I watched with morbid curiosity as Tall and Bald was unlocked, and fitted with a space suit by Zeatha and her unknown companion. When they were finished she turned to regard me. “Thank you. You have saved my family face.”
“Just doing my job.” Thank God Tall and Bald hadn’t wasted away in his prison cell. Apparently his species was pretty resilient. She nodded, and forced Tall and Bald back into the airlock chamber. I watched until they were back on their ship. “Well, that’s taken care of. Time to bring down Ash.”
Zula groaned. “I urge you again to reconsider.”
“Nope. Ash is mine.” I rubbed my hands together, smiling eagerly. I couldn’t wait to see the expression on his face when I had him trapped in the containment system Zula was building for me. Hopefully, we wouldn’t run into any more obstacles. The Universe still owed me some good karma so I was thinking it was time to collect.
Gartian territory was usually avoided by most species, even the fiercest. I didn’t know if the rumors were true, but I’d been told that Gartians were once peaceful humanoids with a special kind of knack for working with metals. They’d perfected their own grade of alloy that was surpassed by none.
That was before the sickness.
Their kind had been ravaged by a plague that had come to be known as the G-Pox. There was no known cure. It rotted limbs and pieces of flesh away. It was also unknown what caused G-Pox or why only certain parts would rot. G-Pox killed most Gartians who were infected, but the ones who survived … they did so by replacing their missing pieces with their alloy. Eventually the Gartians became cold and hard, like the alloy that held them together, their minds addled—they were said to be completely insane.
Personally, I’d never seen a Gartian, but the stories were enough to keep me away. An unstable species with nearly unbreakable ships … it was a terrifying combination. And I was currently on my way into the belly of the beast. Or rather The Pittsburgh was headed straight for the main planet that housed what was left of the Gartians. It had no name, and was only whispered about as if its existence alone was a cautionary tale. Of what it warned, I had no clue, and I hoped I wouldn’t find out.
Zula, Tamzea, and myself were all on the flight deck watching in morbid fascination as the Gartian planet slowly came into view. It was shiny, just like metal, and I wondered if maybe it actually was. Maybe they replaced things on it just like on their bodies. I shuddered at the thought. Or maybe it was actually a space station. Now that was actually plausible.
I shifted my mind to the task at hand. So far no one had responded to our hails. It was making me jittery. “So … um … what should we do?” My voice was an octave higher than normal, belying the nerves I was trying to hide.
“Turn around?” Tamzea’s voice wavered.
“They do still trade. Selling their alloy is what keeps them fed,” Zula offered in a blasé tone. Her white-ish knuckles on the console in front of her told me she wasn’t as calm internally.
“Okaay … ” I drawled. “So this shouldn’t be a big deal then.”
“They only trade with a few trusted people who then sell their goods on the open market. Unfortunately, the cost of Gartian Alloy is beyond our means at the price mark-up. Not to mention it sells out quicker than it can be supplied. There’s a waiting list years long,” Zula stated.
“Still, I’m sure just flying up to their planet shouldn’t be that much of a problem. I’m sure they won’t be worried about a teeny, tiny ship like The Pittsburgh when they have what they’ve got.” Who was I trying to convince? “Try to hail them again. Maybe you need to reconfigure the code or something.”
Zula punched the keys roughly. “My codes are always correct, but I will try to contact them again.”
I staggered back, too startled to react. As if it appeared out of thin air, a giant starship arose directly above us. It had to have—“Holy shit! They were under some kind of cloaking shield!” Fuuuuck! I thought those were rumors, too. “Is that a Gartian ship?”
“I’m guessing ye—” Zula’s attention was diverted to her earpiece. “We tried to contact you. We wish to speak with … We only wish to purchase … Yes. Yes, I understand.” She lifted her head, meeting my gaze. “They’re coming aboard.”
“What?” I squeaked. “Did they sound pissed?”
“No. They sounded in charge. Which they very much are of this situation.” Zula stood, ripping her earpiece out, and tossed it angrily on the console. “Why don’t you ever listen to me? If we make it out of this situation alive things are going to change around here.”
Excuse me? “I’m the captain, remember? Nothing changes unless I say so.” I crossed my arms over my chest, and met Zula’s dark eyes steadily. If she wanted a battle of wills, she’d find out no one was more stubborn than me. It was one of my best and worst personality traits.
Tamzea stepped in between us. “There’s no time for this now.”
“Right,” I said. “Let’s get ready to receive our visitors.” As if we have a choice.
The ship’s internal lights flashed to red in warning, and the buzzer that signaled a breech rang out through the air, piercing my eardrums. “And here I just went and assumed they’d wait for us to let them in.” Adrenaline surged through my system, my heart rate accelerating times fifty. I instinctively reached for my laser gun at my hip, running my palm over it. I wasn’t about to draw it in case the threat would get me killed, but I craved the reassurance the cold metal offered me.
Just as suddenly as our ship’s alert system had been triggered, it shut off, all systems back to normal. “What the hell?”
Zula was already at the computer. “On it.”
I glanced over at Tamzea, who was wringing her hands and gnawing on her lower lip. She didn’t have the temperame
nt for these kinds of situations. Bring in a bloody patient to heal and she was at her best. I gave her a reassuring smile. “Everything is going to be fine, Tamzea.” I really hope I’m not lying to her.
“I have no idea what’s going on,” Zula muttered, still hunched over the computer. “I—”
“Guys.” Masha appeared at the door, which was odd, since she usually hid out in the engine room during any kind of intense situation. “We have visitors.” She grinned at us before spinning around to dash off.
My eyes widened as I stared after her. “Again … What. The. Hell?”
“It’s a good sign that Masha seems pleased, right?” Tamzea clutched at my shoulder, her lavender eyes filled with uncertainty and fear.
“I’m thinking that’s a yes.” I placed my hand over hers. “If you want, you can stay here. I’ll go meet our visitors. I got us into this situation, and hopefully I can get us out of it.” And with some of that Gartian Alloy, too. Despite everything I still had my eyes on the prize.
“No. We’re a team?”
I chuckled. “You don’t sound so sure. Is that a statement or a question?”
“I—”
I stepped away from Tamzea, meeting Zula’s gaze. “You both stay here. That’s an order. Disobey your captain and … I’ll think of something you won’t like.” I hurried to the metal ladder leading down to the control room without a backwards glance.
Fingers crossed that there will be a later for me … or any of us. Masha wouldn’t be happy about our visitors if they meant us harm, right? Unless she thought they could help with the engine, then maybe. I swear she loves that damn engine more than anyone or anything. It’s just not normal, even if she is a Guaviva.