Home > Pets in Space 6 (Pets in Space #6)(3)

Pets in Space 6 (Pets in Space #6)(3)
Author: S.E. Smith

Shaking her head, she placed the drink on the table, reached into her pack, removed the now empty cup of milk, and dropped in the few remaining pieces of uneaten fruit for later. Sliding on her jacket, she gathered her belongings and exited the bar, keeping a wary eye out for anyone who might be following her.

 

 

“Do you really think she can break him out without getting them both killed?” Marus asked, watching from the shadows as Raia exited the bar.

“Yes, I do,” Mieka replied with a slight smile.

“I would love to know how she plans on doing it,” Taylah murmured.

“So would I,” Marus replied, wishing he felt as confident as Mieka.

 

 

Chapter Two

 

 

Spardonian Prison Complex

Marastin Dow Home World

 

 

“This is not my best idea,” Raia muttered under her breath.

“Triavarian Trader 519, you are cleared for landing in Bay 8,” the landing tech stated.

“Triavarian Trader 519 acknowledges clearance for Bay 8,” Raia replied.

She steered the dilapidated trading shuttle to the designated landing bay, engaged the landing gear, and gently nestled the shuttle within the hexagon-shaped landing cube. One advantage of being on a planet where everyone wanted to kill each other was that they were extremely paranoid. Even the traders were wary of being a target.

The few traders who would do business with the Marastin Dow insisted on security for their ships, even if the Marastin Dow couldn’t guarantee the traders’ personal safety once they left it. Each landing bay was hexagon shaped, a small part of a large honeycomb. Each trader was given a specific bay. Once they arrived, they controlled the security code for entry and exit.

“Triavarian Trader 519, prepare for security clearance and cargo check,” the landing bay tech instructed.

“MDSC 1, Triavarian Trader 519 requesting permission for Hazards Team. I have a load of Tirrella power crystals setting off alarms. I would like to get the damn containers off my ship before they are opened,” Raia replied.

For good measure, she activated the radiation alarm. The computer’s automated voice warning about a spike in temperature, radiation threat, and possible imminent explosion echoed through the bridge. She broadly grinned when she heard the tech muttering a curse.

“Or, if you’d like to bypass the paperwork, I could pull the load off and reseal the crystals myself before delivery. I have the equipment. I just need to unload the containers so I can isolate the malfunctioning one,” she suggested.

A brief silence greeted her request. She sat back and examined her fingernails as she waited. She knew what was happening—the tech was talking to his immediate supervisor. A glance at the time told her that the shift change would be occurring in less than half an hour.

If the current staff didn’t agree with her request, it would mean a very long night for them. The next shift wouldn’t want to deal with the paperwork and headaches involved with the Hazmat Team. They certainly would have no desire to deal with a load of unstable Tirrella power crystals.

“Can you stabilize the delivery?” the tech asked.

Raia grinned. “Yeah, I just need to move the items around to re-stabilize the load,” she replied.

“Stabilize the load and deliver per your schedule to E5,” the tech ordered.

“Acknowledged: stabilize and deliver to E5,” she repeated.

She ended the link and shut off the alarm. Reaching up, she adjusted the digital voice box pressed against her larynx and double-checked the disguise she was wearing.

Thanks to Hanine and Evetta, she wasn’t the only one in disguise. The EA II looked like a derelict shuttle transport instead of a mint-condition freighter. The hologram disks mounted to the outer hull allowed her to change the appearance of her ship.

She used the ability to disguise her ship to slip in and out of different air spaces undetected. Her favorite was the ability to make the ship virtually invisible. Hanine was still working on a way to cover the ion trail left by the engines. So far, the only thing the two sisters came up with was discharging decoy rocket canisters.

“Pi, you’re up,” she called.

Pi rolled down the corridor toward her and unfurled. Raia bent down and affectionately scratched her furry friend behind the ear. She always worried when the little Marica Peekaboo went out on her own. She reminded herself that Pi was the most likely one out of the three of them to escape practically any situation.

“Remember, you need to find this room,” she said, kneeling and showing Pi the location on the map.

Pi tilted her head and studied the map before she pointed to a star in the corner. Raia nodded. Pi grinned at her, wiggled her nose in acknowledgement, and vanished.

“Okay, Chummy. It’s show time,” she said.

She opened the bag draped across her body. Chummy scrambled in and peeked out of the top. She handed him a piece of fruit, scratched the top of his head, and lowered the flap.

Striding down the corridor, she headed for the storage bay. She tapped the remote on her wrist and the bay platform opened. She had loaded a cargo skid earlier with a cunningly designed container marked with a Tirrella power crystal warning. The top opened to reveal a layer of crystals, but underneath that layer it was a different matter.

“Here we go,” she mumbled.

She guided the cargo skid down the ramp and closed the platform. She purposely stopped the skid under the surveillance camera. From this view, the tech could see the flashing warning light she had rigged on the container.

She opened the top, revealing the layer of power crystals, then knelt beside the container and removed the control panel. Several minutes passed as she maintained the illusion of working on the defective container before she switched off the alarms, rose, and resealed the container. She looked up at the camera.

“Secure your bay and proceed to E5,” the tech instructed.

She raised her hand in acknowledgement. Guiding the cargo skid over to the bay door, she placed a portable control module over the existing one. Thin connectors integrated with the existing locking device, overriding it.

Not that she didn’t trust the Marastin Dow’s promise of independent security for each bay, but—she didn’t. There was no way in hell she was going to trust her ship anywhere near them—or half the other inhabitants in the galaxy. She followed the map Evetta had reluctantly given her.

“The map is old. It may not be relevant any longer. I don’t want to ask why you need a map for such a place!”

Relevant or not, it would have to do.

“Which way?” she muttered.

Pi say go this way, Chummy silently instructed.

Raia glanced down and saw Chummy sticking one paw out of the bag, pointing to the left. The connection between Pi and Chummy had grown as they matured. They were almost always connected no matter how far apart they were, while her connection with both creatures still relied on being close, if not touching.

Raia turned to the left, and a group of seven or eight Marastin Dow warriors walked by her. Her heart thumped heavily in her chest. They sneered at her as they passed.

Well, I definitely picked the right disguise, she thought.

The Dregulon holographic image surrounding her made her look two feet taller than she was, two hundred pounds heavier, and ugly enough to keep even the amorous Triloug she dealt with at the bar a few days ago from approaching her. She also chose the male version, which required the use of a voice adaptor.

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