Galactic Fugitive (Space Scout Book 5) by Will Macmillan Jones

Author:Will Macmillan Jones [Macmillan Jones, Will]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2019-06-16T22:00:00+00:00

Chapter four

The Speedbird dropped out of hyperspace close to the approach beacon of my intended destination. Co-ordinates spooled quickly down the screen of the navcom, confirming our arrival and updating the nav system with the latest approach vectors. Ahead of us in the forward vidscreen hung a large torus shaped space station arranged around a narrow central core spine and with four tubes running from the core to the rim to stabilise the structure. All around the torus, various small craft swirled. I opened a comms channel and the air filled with familiar and routine pilots’ chattering and abuse.

“What’s going on?”

“You cut me up on approach!”

“Loser.”

“That was my docking station!”

“Still a loser.”

“Do that again and I’ll shoot you down!”

“Suck some vacuum.”

“On approach, radial 19, axis Y.”

“Docking now.”

“Keep a safe separation, you moron!”

“Where did you get your pilot’s licence? The pub?”

“At least I didn’t have to bribe the Flight Examiners to get my ticket!”

I smiled fondly. The exchanges reminded me of being in The Free Union’s Space Fleet. Truth was, I did miss the camaraderie of being part of a group of pilots. Colonel Starker’s offer of employment would have been very tempting if I didn’t think that he would simply have reneged on it the moment I was in his power. And of course, I could not have handed Richeldis over to his torturers, or to be sent off to the mines. I could not have lived with myself for doing that, even assuming Starker’s offer had been sufficiently genuine to give me the chance to live to regret it.

“Where are we?” asked Richeldis.

“I needed a drink, after that. So I thought we’d go to a pub.”

“This? This is a pub? But it’s enormous!”

“So? It’s a big pub. Haven’t you been to an interstellar bar before?”

“Actually, no. I own – did own – a few bars back home on Rhapsody.”

I noted her hesitant use of the past tense. Perhaps the erstwhile gang boss was starting to appreciate the precarious nature of her position. Despite the occasional big talk about ‘her people’, I had noticed without comment that she never tasked me to fly to any of them for shelter or to take up the reins of a government in exile.

“Well this is basically the same, only a lot bigger,” I explained. “The core has the life support functions and, of course, keeps the cash safe. The torus holds the kitchens, store rooms, the food outlets and the bars. And common rooms with some sleeping areas for those too drunk to get back to their ships, and also areas for the onboard security.”

“Security?”

“Their bouncers. And when the bouncers hit someone, believe me, they don’t bounce when they land even in low g. So there is a first aid post, too.”

“So it’s rough.”

“Bother you?” I asked.

“No. Just want to be prepared. I take it that I don’t need to dress up, then.”

“Never go into a space bar in clothes that won’t clean is my experience.”

Richeldis nodded, and watched the vidscreens as I carefully flew through the cloud of orbiting ships.

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