by Chris Kennedy
She decided that there was no time like the present to try out her new weapons, even if they were only loaners.
She fired around the planter before moving to a new one, then fired again, driving the attackers behind cover. Wila fired pulse blasts at the enemies attacking from the other direction, slowing their advance. The two groups exchanged fire for several more minutes, slipping into a stalemate. Something that wouldn’t last forever, with her weapons burning through charge cylinders.
Gerti cringed.
Lexxi chuckled.
Gerti said.
A moment later, the crew of the Hitchhiker’s Pass swooped—literally—onto the concourse, and the odds suddenly changed.
* * * * *
WING TO A GUNFIGHT
STELLAR DATE: 04.25.8948 (Adjusted Years)
LOCATION: Beatrice Station
REGION: Outer Fringe of Trio System, Silstrand Alliance
Kia and Kasey had been together for years, both kept as caged pets by Zeke for longer than they cared to remember. They were an effective team, comfortable with watching one another’s backs in a firefight, or just about any time it came to surviving under the fist of the man they’d loathed.
But this fight was different from all the others. Different because Kia had chosen to do it.
Once, the only freedom she’d ever felt was when in battle. Now she felt freedom all the time, and battle had turned into pure joy—a joy that only came from beating the everlasting shit out of a douchebag pirate who extorted people who couldn’t fight back.
She and Kasey were soaring over the concourse, searching for Gerti, when the sounds of combat reached their ears.
“There!” Lexxi shouted from where she hung from Kasey’s talons. “Set me down behind those four at the rear.”
Kasey obliged, and Kai followed after, ready to fire on any pirates who realized reinforcements were coming from above.
She could make out six of the enemy directly across from where Gerti and some other woman were hiding in the shrubbery lining the walkway. Another five were further down the station’s sweep, and then twelve more spread out between the three women and their stranded crewmate.
A cakewalk, Kia thought with a laugh.
Three meters above the ground, Kasey dropped Lexxi, and then grabbed one of the pirates, carrying him three decks up before dropping the hapless man onto a group of his friends.
Kai wasn’t so kind. She slammed the leading edge of her wing into the back of a woman’s head before ramming her electric baton into a man’s side.
“Leave some for me!” Lexxi said as she fired on the last pirate in the group they’d landed on.
“Deal!” Kai said, and leapt into the air again, flying over the battlefield to attack the pirates on the far end.
She fired, swooped down, took cover, fired again, and leapt into the air once more. It was exhilarating. She dove at a cluster of the assholes firing on Gerti, sending them running every direction. They weren’t people anymore, not humans engaged in combat; they were just targets. Training cutouts to knock down.
All that mattered to Kia was the fight. Gerti was part of their crew, so her problems were Kia’s.
And Kia was going to solve them.
* * *
Kasey wasn’t big on weapons, though she was handy enough with them. Lucky for her, most people froze when they saw a blue-feathered humanoid with six-meter wings stretched wide below a head that was closer to that of an eagle’s.
Her talons were razor sharp. She swooped down and picked up a pirate, using momentum to carry him more than actual strength. She decreased her altitude and flew quickly toward the balcony. Then dropped him off of it.
She changed direction, angled her head down, and flew into a collection of pirates. They scattered like bowling pins.
With Lexxi and Gerti focused on the fight in front of them, Kasey kept her eyes on a female pirate about to best them with a sneak attack.
Not on my watch.
Kasey used her head like a battering ram and knocked the woman to the ground. Squatting on top of her, Kasey squawked and snapped her beak at the woman’s eyes.
The pirate screamed and threw up her arms to protect her face. Good thing for her Kasey was more a lover than a fighter. She wasn’t much for blood or gore. So she let the woman go.
Kasey tilted her head and watched the woman run off. “I hope you think better about your choice.” She giggled softly to herself, and then took off again.
She folded her wings and, for a moment, closed her eyes and reveled in the sensation of wind against her face. Her brief flight over, she joined Kia on the upper ledge of a shop.
Kia sat perched on her boots, one hand on the railing, and the other holding her electrical prod. It turned on as Kia regarded the fight below, a familiar glint of lust in her eye.
“Fly down and squawk like you do.”
“You think this is a good time?” Kasey asked softly.
Kia nodded with a devious smile. “Oh, honey. It’s always a good time to scare a bunch of…who are we fighting again?”
Kasey laughed. “Pirates. I don’t know why, but they want to hurt Gerti.”
Kia grunted angrily and shook her head. “Nobody hurts Gerti. How’d that sound? Do I sound like I care?”
“Oh, very much. I actually believed it this time!”
Kia’s face seemed to shine with joy, which rarely happened. “Then let’s get ready to rumble.”
Kasey hopped along the beam, cocking her head side to side.
Here went nothing.
* * * * *
DUCK
STELLAR DATE: 04.25.8948 (Adjusted Years)
LOCATION: Beatrice Station
REGION: Outer Fringe of Trio System, Silstrand Alliance
Under sustained attack from both above and below, the pirates finally broke.
Roberts was the first to go, and Gerti leapt from cover and gave chase as Wila fired on the other fleeing thugs.
“You’re not getting away!” Gerti shouted.
They ran past a row of shops selling party decorations, Roberts angling toward a corridor that led to a lift. He slowed to make the turn, and she made a grab for his wrist with her tentacles, but they missed.
Why can’t something be easy today?
She triggered another boost of adrenaline from her mods and closed the gap, whipping her head and sending her tentacles toward the fleeing man. She lassoed one around his wrist, and he stumbled enough for her to slow him down and grab his other.
She brought his wrists together behind his back, trying to get ahold of the man with her hands, but he was twisting and flailing too much.
“You green bitch!” he swore, trying to turn toward her, yanking her head to the side.
A shadow passed overhead, followed by an ear-splitting screech.
Roberts caught sight of a blue-feathered woman swooping toward them, claws outstretched, and he fell to the deck. Gerti dove down atop him, knees driving into his ribs.
She punched him in the face, and her tentacles grabbed his pistol, noting that the rifle he’d held had fallen out of arm’s reach.
“I’ve got you covered,” Lexxi’s voice came from behind.
“Thanks,” Gerti grunted before pushing her pistol under Roberts’ jaw. “Now, Roberts, we’re going to talk about the little loan shark operation you run here. Do you understand?”
Beside them, Kasey landed with a soft screech, her talons clacking on the deck plate. She buried her beak in her chest and began to preen her feathers with satisfaction.
Roberts watched her, eyes wide.
Gerti slapped his face. “It’s not polite to stare. Eyes on me.”
He shook his head and looked at her. “Uh, sure, yeah. Eyes on you.”
“So what do you have to say about ho
w you’ve been behaving?”
“It was wrong, and I shouldn’t have done it,” he muttered hastily. “Uh…can you keep that bird away from me?”
“She’s an eagle,” Kia corrected as she sauntered down the alley. “And she has a name.” She pushed her electric baton against the man’s face.
Gerti exclaimed privately.
The man turned his head away. “I’ll do whatever you say, whatever you say, if you keep your freakshow away from me.”
Gerti smiled. “That might be the nicest thing you’ve said to me all day, Roberts. I heard talk that you have a ship. How about we discuss what it’s going to take to get you and your crew off Beatrice? Time to find a new place to call home.”
“Because if you don’t,” Lexxi threatened as she knelt beside him, “I’m going to melt your face off.”
“She knows how,” Kia said with a sneer. “Does it all the time.”
“Sometimes before breakfast.”
“Sometimes for breakfast,” Kasey said with a giggle.
Roberts’s eyes widened. “You chicks are crazy. Absolutely crazy.”
“Certifiably,” Gerti said with a smile, and the fact was just fine by her.
“Let’s—”
Lexxi was interrupted by a cry from the end of the passage.
Gerti turned to see Savannah rushing toward her, and disentangled her tentacles from the pirate on the deck.
“Oh, Gerti! Thank you so much. Thank you!” Savannah all but threw herself at her, wrapping Gerti in a fierce embrace.
“Oh, Sav…it’s okay. I’d do it again in a heartbeat.”
“I know you would, because you’re crazy.”
“We were just saying that,” Kia said dryly.
“Totally nuts,” Kasey agreed.
Savannah studied each of their faces. “Well, your friends are unique as ever, Gert. Thanks to each of you. I wouldn’t have stayed in business much longer with Roberts’ usury, but how will we make sure he actually leaves?”
Gerti wondered about that. If they left the station right away, Roberts could just stay and take his anger out on Savannah and any others who still owed him money.
“Don’t worry about that.” Lexxi crossed her arms. “We’ll stick around for a few days, make sure he does what he says he’s going to. If he doesn’t...”
“I could shank him,” Kia said. “Trust me, I’ve been looking to shank someone all week.”
Savannah laughed nervously. “Yes...somehow, I believe it. Tonight, though, dinner’s on me. I have a beautiful loft far from here that overlooks a real manufactured garden with actual trees.”
Kasey whipped her head around toward Savannah. “Did you say...trees?”
“Uh oh. That did it.” Kia sighed. “Just let us know when it’s a good time for us to come over.”
“She said trees!” Kasey giggled. “Oh, I’ve always wanted to sit in a real tree!”
Lexxi slung her arm around the bird-woman’s shoulders. “Let’s get that bucket list of yours checked off. Tonight, we dine, and you, dear Kasey, get to sit in a tree.”
* * * * *
BACON AND POTATO CHIPS
STELLAR DATE: 04.30.8948 (Adjusted Years)
LOCATION: Beatrice Station
REGION: Outer Fringe of Trio System, Silstrand Alliance
“We’ve got onion and chives, sour cream and onion, and something called salt and vinegar.” Kia scrunched up her face as she walked up the ramp of the Hitchhiker’s Pass, pushing wheeled containers on board.
“Gerti must really like this Finn guy.” Lexxi joined Kia and they stepped into the cargo hold, though on this ship, it was more like a glorified closet.
Lexxi still wore her red latex pants, but had swapped one black T-shirt out for another, this one with rhinestones that spelled out, FUTURE MODDED CAT LADY.
“Guilt gift,” Kia said with a sniff and put her hands on her hips. “She’ll stay with us. I can tell.”
“Oh, can you?” Lexxi crossed her arms.
“Yup. Total sixth and seventh sense about these sorts of things.”
“What is the seventh sense?”
Kia shrugged. “Probably my bloodlust. Gerti has it too. I can, you know, tell.”
Lexx laughed. “Let’s go get that crate of bacon. I hear she’s going to gift us a few packs for ourselves.”
“And for Kasey?” Kia wore a look of concern.
“Honeycomb trail mix sticks.”
“Ha! I knew Gerti cared.”
“I think Gerti cares about everyone. Hopefully she won’t end up too much like us if she sticks around.”
“We care!” Kia pouted. “We’re just jaded. But look, we beat, terrified, and killed all those people yesterday because we care so much.”
“Everyone should care as much as we do,” Lexxi agreed.
* * *
“There you are, all done.” Gerti extended a hand to Wila, helping her sit up on the treatment table in the medbay. “How do you feel?”
Wila blinked her eyes rapidly. Her pupils contracted and expanded before settling back to normal. “No headache. My eyes feel completely normal. Not dry. Not scratchy.” Wila stretched her arms out and wiggled her feet. “All my fingers work, too! That’s a first!”
Gerti watched Wila practice her movements. She didn’t detect anything unusual—the woman’s actions were strong and fluid. Gerti savored the sense of satisfaction that came from helping someone in need. Fixing mods, fixing people; that was what life was about.
At least for now.
Since being kidnapped by Maverick and held against her will, Gerti felt different. She should’ve been dead, or worse, enslaved. Escaping that fate had reframed her worldview.
“Thank you so much!” Wila hugged her. “I’ll never forget meeting you, Gerti.”
“Next time I’m on Beatrice, I’ll look for you, if you plan on sticking around.”
“I do for the time being. Don’t be a stranger, if you can help it.” Wila combed her hand through Gerti’s tentacles and held one softly in the palm of her hand.
Gerti normally didn’t like it when people touched them, but she liked the soft touch Wila had. She’d kiss her if she thought there was any chance for them, but Gerti’s life wouldn’t take her back to Beatrice often enough. And Gerti was a one-woman sort of lover. She didn’t like random hookups.
“Be safe, Wila. When I think about you, I’ll try to imagine how good your life must be with Roberts gone.”
Wila hopped off the table. “Bye, Gerti. Be safe. Don’t start any fights if you don’t have backup.” She blew Gerti a kiss and then stepped out of the medbay.
Gerti was sad to see her go, but also content.
Really content.
* * *
“Next stop—Heaven!” Lexxi pushed her console away and reclined in the pilot’s chair. “There’s still time to change your mind, you know.”
Gerti sat beside her in the navigation seat and shook her head. “Regardless of whether I decide to stay with the Hitchhiker’s Pass or not, I gotta return to Heaven. I have things to settle there. Friends to see. Finn deserves to know I’m OK.”
“Hope so. You sure picked up a crap ton of potato chips. Some of those flavors I’ve never even seen. Whoever heard of a chicken and waffle potato chip?” Lexxi snorted with a shake of her head.
“Oh, they had those? Finn is going to be over the moon! Thanks, Lexxi.”
The captain smiled warmly. “I should be thanking you. We did good on Beatrice, got a checkmark in the right column. True, we killed a lot of pirates in the process, but it feels good to help people. I’ve spent too much of my life doing bad crap. Thinking of only myself. Getting vengeance.” She stared at the viewscreen. “Maybe I just want something else now.”
“And to think, if it wasn’t for both of us being enslaved by Maverick, we never would’ve met.”
Lexxi’s face went pasty pale.
“Yeah, let’s not thank him for this. Let’s…You know what, the bastard is dead. Sure, let’s thank him. Let’s dance on his grave, for all I care. We’re still here. He’s not. We win by living. And now I’m going to help people. I would just like it if you were with us.”
Gerti smiled. “We’ll see. There are people to help on Heaven. It’s filled with folks who are down on their luck and need something more. But I admit, I love this crew. I love this ship.”
“Then let’s see where the next adventure takes us. First stop, Heaven. Next up, who the hell knows?”
* * * * *
Chris J. Pike Bio
Starship captains. Space battles. Dramatic relationships with big payoffs.
Chris J. Pike is an up and coming SF author, focused on writing in the Aeon14 universe. When not writing Science Fiction, he’s watching the Expanse, the Killjoys, Firefly, and anything else that might go boom.
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Lifer by Chris Reher
“I don’t suppose you have that in pill form, no?”
The nurse, or whatever she was, barely cracks a smile, but sets her needle aside on a little tray with a towel on it. She turns to fiddle a little more with the tangle of wires leading to something I might have once seen in a comic book. But then, the theme of the day seems to be Mad Scientist anyway.
The wires are stuck to me with bits of glue; blue, green, red ones leading from my arms and calves and chest, and now she’s rubbing goop into my hair to attach more sensors there. It feels weirdly comfortable, having these people fuss over me, making sure I’m tucked into this recliner, asking me if anything’s pinching or pulling. Someone’s even heating up a blanket to tuck around me once this gets going.