airlock. Another ship was out of control, spinning on its own axis and on course for an observation deck that jutted out from the main hull.
No sunflowers. No one intent on destruction. Just panicked pilots. Idiots. This was going to be tricky.
“Where are you?” he asked.
“In our favorite storage room behind the arcade,” Rani said, typically calm. Not much flustered that woman. Except Geraldo. “I’m with some people who need a ride.”
“Yeah? How many?” You take people on your ship, you’re responsible for them. Not a complication he wanted even in uninteresting times.
“They saved my life, Jake.”
“Shiba-dang-dib!” A transport flew over the Junque close enough to cause damage if it had any appendages. Jake killed the data link to the V and moved further out on the station’s perimeter.
“That wasn’t aimed at you,” he said into the com. “Things are happening here too. So. People who save our lives get rides, no problem. Can you get down to the auxiliary bay?”
“Precisely what I had in mind, boss. See you there.”
Jake smiled. He hadn’t flown, really flown, the Junque since they installed the data links. Programmed flight was less likely to kill you, but it was also far less fun. He considered it an impressive sign of self-discipline that he refrained from pulling a loop.
He swung the Junque down to the obscure hull door that Tyler had christened the auxiliary bay. It was really a garbage outlet. They’d used it a few years ago to transfer fifty cases of Lagavulin whisky onto the V and sidestep half a year’s worth of red tape. One of Mike’s favors.
“I’ve overridden the lock,” Rani said in his ear. “Let me know when you’ve sealed the tunnel. It’s noisy in here.”
He eased the ship sideways and shot the boarding tunnel out onto the V’s hull. The maneuver only worked because the outlet door was small enough to fit within the tunnel’s diameter. Once the vacuum seal took hold, he compressed the tunnel so only a few feet separated the Junque and the station. He opened the Junque’s door to fill the space with air.
“Okay, Rani. You can pop it.”
He unbuckled and launched himself from his seat then ran through the passenger cabin. In the cargo bay he dug a stunner out of the storage locker. If Rani’s life needed saving, things must be pretty serious.
At the tunnel the hull door opened with the grinding screech of metal on metal. Shouts came from the other side. “Wait! You stand back!” A young girl, by the sound of it. “The matriarch goes first.”
Jake yanked the door wider and a frail-looking older lady peeked around at him. She stopped when she saw his stunner.
“There’s no time to think about it, ma’am, but I’m the good guy.” He held out his free hand to help her through the tunnel.
Immediately behind the old lady, a not-so-spry child tumbled out of the door with two more on her heels. “One at a time!” the yeller inside cried, and an orderly line of little girls flowed past Jake into the Junque’s cargo bay.
“Rani?” Jake said into his com, just as her comparatively gigantic self stepped through the hull door.
Bringing up the rear was a child half Rani’s size with striking blood-red hair and silver blazes at the temples. She nudged Rani’s hip like one of Magda’s sheepdogs, then ran to join the matriarch.
Jake looked at Rani. “You want to explain to me how your life was saved by a pack of children?”
Before she could answer, a grotesquely fat man leaned against the door and peered into the tunnel. When he saw Rani, his eyes lit up and he started to come through. “You ain’t going nowhere, you shibbin’ mutant!” He raised a weapon.
Jake fired the stunner. The guy screamed and fell back as prickles of electricity swarmed up his arm and over his shoulder.
“Sure thing, boss.” Rani kicked the mutant hater’s foot through the opening and slammed the door shut with one hand.
No sunflowers. No one intent on destruction. Just panicked pilots. Idiots. This was going to be tricky.
“Where are you?” he asked.
“In our favorite storage room behind the arcade,” Rani said, typically calm. Not much flustered that woman. Except Geraldo. “I’m with some people who need a ride.”
“Yeah? How many?” You take people on your ship, you’re responsible for them. Not a complication he wanted even in uninteresting times.
“They saved my life, Jake.”
“Shiba-dang-dib!” A transport flew over the Junque close enough to cause damage if it had any appendages. Jake killed the data link to the V and moved further out on the station’s perimeter.
“That wasn’t aimed at you,” he said into the com. “Things are happening here too. So. People who save our lives get rides, no problem. Can you get down to the auxiliary bay?”
“Precisely what I had in mind, boss. See you there.”
Jake smiled. He hadn’t flown, really flown, the Junque since they installed the data links. Programmed flight was less likely to kill you, but it was also far less fun. He considered it an impressive sign of self-discipline that he refrained from pulling a loop.
He swung the Junque down to the obscure hull door that Tyler had christened the auxiliary bay. It was really a garbage outlet. They’d used it a few years ago to transfer fifty cases of Lagavulin whisky onto the V and sidestep half a year’s worth of red tape. One of Mike’s favors.
“I’ve overridden the lock,” Rani said in his ear. “Let me know when you’ve sealed the tunnel. It’s noisy in here.”
He eased the ship sideways and shot the boarding tunnel out onto the V’s hull. The maneuver only worked because the outlet door was small enough to fit within the tunnel’s diameter. Once the vacuum seal took hold, he compressed the tunnel so only a few feet separated the Junque and the station. He opened the Junque’s door to fill the space with air.
“Okay, Rani. You can pop it.”
He unbuckled and launched himself from his seat then ran through the passenger cabin. In the cargo bay he dug a stunner out of the storage locker. If Rani’s life needed saving, things must be pretty serious.
At the tunnel the hull door opened with the grinding screech of metal on metal. Shouts came from the other side. “Wait! You stand back!” A young girl, by the sound of it. “The matriarch goes first.”
Jake yanked the door wider and a frail-looking older lady peeked around at him. She stopped when she saw his stunner.
“There’s no time to think about it, ma’am, but I’m the good guy.” He held out his free hand to help her through the tunnel.
Immediately behind the old lady, a not-so-spry child tumbled out of the door with two more on her heels. “One at a time!” the yeller inside cried, and an orderly line of little girls flowed past Jake into the Junque’s cargo bay.
“Rani?” Jake said into his com, just as her comparatively gigantic self stepped through the hull door.
Bringing up the rear was a child half Rani’s size with striking blood-red hair and silver blazes at the temples. She nudged Rani’s hip like one of Magda’s sheepdogs, then ran to join the matriarch.
Jake looked at Rani. “You want to explain to me how your life was saved by a pack of children?”
Before she could answer, a grotesquely fat man leaned against the door and peered into the tunnel. When he saw Rani, his eyes lit up and he started to come through. “You ain’t going nowhere, you shibbin’ mutant!” He raised a weapon.
Jake fired the stunner. The guy screamed and fell back as prickles of electricity swarmed up his arm and over his shoulder.
“Sure thing, boss.” Rani kicked the mutant hater’s foot through the opening and slammed the door shut with one hand.
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