awake. I’d been dreaming again, this one involved Tayvis. I put my gun back and promised myself that I would go the Patrol base on Shamustel, if they had one, and find a way to send him a message.
Clark was in his seat, pushing buttons. He looked as awake as ever.
“Don’t you ever sleep?” I ran a hand through the mess of hair on my head.
“It’s sticking straight up now.”
“I like it that way,” I said.
Jasyn joined us, in her bright purple pajamas and bare feet. She didn’t say anything, but slid into her chair with a yawn.
The ship hiccuped on reentry to normal space. I frowned and checked a few dials.
“Something wrong?” Jasyn asked, through another yawn.
Nothing showed up on the indicators. “Probably just a bubble, but I’ll check it when we land.”
We got a course in to the planet. Shamustel was a busy port. We were shuttled in behind a wallowing freighter and two luxury yachts. A Patrol cruiser slid past us, circling the planet. The landing went smoothly enough. We got a berth on the very far side, miles from the main gates and port offices.
I opened the hatch and stood breathing in the smell of the planet. It was night, very late night. The city beyond the field was mostly dark. Only the bars and businesses next to the port were still open. The air was cool, almost chilly, and smelled of oil and burnt plascrete.
“Who gets what?” Jasyn asked, standing behind me and shivering in her pajamas.
“I get port authority, unless you want it this time,” I said.
“I’ll do it,” she answered. “You find us something that we can make money hauling.”
“I’ll go with you,” Clark offered, looking at me.
“We’ll wait until daylight,” I decided.
“Port authority won’t wait,” Jasyn said. “I’d better find something to wear.”
I stood in the hatch a while longer. Another ship landed not far away, its mag drive barely whispering. I couldn’t see stars overhead, too much light from the ships and the field security lamps. I heard Clark behind me, getting something in the galley.
I breathed in the scent of the port and almost felt happy. This was what I wanted. My own ship, the freedom to go wherever I wanted, the smell of oil on the wind. If I didn’t have people chasing me, I could have been happy. Especially if Tayvis were somewhere I could reach. Later, I promised myself. I shut the hatch and went to eat breakfast with Clark.
Jasyn left as the sky was turning a pearly gray. She looked at the offices, tiny in the distance and sighed.
“Want to call a transport?” Clark asked.
“I’ll walk. It’s good for me.” She started off across the port.
“How about I wash up, again, and then we go hunt for cargo?” Clark asked me.
“What happened to calling me captain?”
“I’m doing the dishes. What more do you want from me?”
“As long as you don’t forget who owns this ship,” I said, watching him work.
“Don’t get any ideas from my books.” He tossed a grin over his shoulder.
“As if I would try any of that,” I muttered.
“I heard that.” He turned back around. “All done. Ready to go?”
I stood and checked that I still had my ID plates. “Let’s go find something to trade.” I felt the excitement rising, one reason I’d decided to go merchant. It wasn’t just the freedom, it was the fun of finding things and trading them for more than I paid.
The excitement lasted only halfway across the field. The sun rose, a huge golden ball that sent bright light streaming across the field. I squinted, trying to see where I was going. We were walking straight into the sunrise.
A transport rumbled up and slowed next to us. “Need a lift?” the driver called.
The bed of his transport was empty except for half a dozen spacers in various colored outfits. We climbed on. The transport rumbled off.
“Just in?” one of the other spacers asked. “What ship?”
“Phoenix Rising,” Clark answered. They were talking to him, not me.
“That old
Clark was in his seat, pushing buttons. He looked as awake as ever.
“Don’t you ever sleep?” I ran a hand through the mess of hair on my head.
“It’s sticking straight up now.”
“I like it that way,” I said.
Jasyn joined us, in her bright purple pajamas and bare feet. She didn’t say anything, but slid into her chair with a yawn.
The ship hiccuped on reentry to normal space. I frowned and checked a few dials.
“Something wrong?” Jasyn asked, through another yawn.
Nothing showed up on the indicators. “Probably just a bubble, but I’ll check it when we land.”
We got a course in to the planet. Shamustel was a busy port. We were shuttled in behind a wallowing freighter and two luxury yachts. A Patrol cruiser slid past us, circling the planet. The landing went smoothly enough. We got a berth on the very far side, miles from the main gates and port offices.
I opened the hatch and stood breathing in the smell of the planet. It was night, very late night. The city beyond the field was mostly dark. Only the bars and businesses next to the port were still open. The air was cool, almost chilly, and smelled of oil and burnt plascrete.
“Who gets what?” Jasyn asked, standing behind me and shivering in her pajamas.
“I get port authority, unless you want it this time,” I said.
“I’ll do it,” she answered. “You find us something that we can make money hauling.”
“I’ll go with you,” Clark offered, looking at me.
“We’ll wait until daylight,” I decided.
“Port authority won’t wait,” Jasyn said. “I’d better find something to wear.”
I stood in the hatch a while longer. Another ship landed not far away, its mag drive barely whispering. I couldn’t see stars overhead, too much light from the ships and the field security lamps. I heard Clark behind me, getting something in the galley.
I breathed in the scent of the port and almost felt happy. This was what I wanted. My own ship, the freedom to go wherever I wanted, the smell of oil on the wind. If I didn’t have people chasing me, I could have been happy. Especially if Tayvis were somewhere I could reach. Later, I promised myself. I shut the hatch and went to eat breakfast with Clark.
Jasyn left as the sky was turning a pearly gray. She looked at the offices, tiny in the distance and sighed.
“Want to call a transport?” Clark asked.
“I’ll walk. It’s good for me.” She started off across the port.
“How about I wash up, again, and then we go hunt for cargo?” Clark asked me.
“What happened to calling me captain?”
“I’m doing the dishes. What more do you want from me?”
“As long as you don’t forget who owns this ship,” I said, watching him work.
“Don’t get any ideas from my books.” He tossed a grin over his shoulder.
“As if I would try any of that,” I muttered.
“I heard that.” He turned back around. “All done. Ready to go?”
I stood and checked that I still had my ID plates. “Let’s go find something to trade.” I felt the excitement rising, one reason I’d decided to go merchant. It wasn’t just the freedom, it was the fun of finding things and trading them for more than I paid.
The excitement lasted only halfway across the field. The sun rose, a huge golden ball that sent bright light streaming across the field. I squinted, trying to see where I was going. We were walking straight into the sunrise.
A transport rumbled up and slowed next to us. “Need a lift?” the driver called.
The bed of his transport was empty except for half a dozen spacers in various colored outfits. We climbed on. The transport rumbled off.
“Just in?” one of the other spacers asked. “What ship?”
“Phoenix Rising,” Clark answered. They were talking to him, not me.
“That old
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