Slip Runner by J.N. Chaney & M.F. Lerma
Author:J.N. Chaney & M.F. Lerma [Chaney, J.N.]
Language: eng
Format: azw3, epub
Publisher: Variant Publications
Published: 2022-10-30T00:00:00+00:00
16
âSeventy percent of all systems back online and functional,â informed the newly reinstated Poe. âFive minutes remain on Mr. Eckertâs time limit.â
I knew that the relief flooding my system was shared by my two companions. Now wasnât the time to celebrate, however.
âGood. Now get us out of here the second you have the ability,â I ordered. âPrepare advanced evasive maneuvers. Deacon, youâre on blaster duty.â
âOn it,â he said, fingers dancing over his control station to bring up the right programs.
The blasters were technically weapons because they could shoot. They were lower grade and not necessarily meant to be used in the traditional sense. Blaster was a bit of a misnomer because their main function was blasting through asteroids or breaking up Celestial scrap so I could haul it easier. Space bandits werenât as much of a problem as they used to be thanks to heavy patrolling of the slip tunnels closest to the Sol System. After the war ended, the Alliance, along with whoever they could recruit to help, had gone after the pirates without mercy and all but eradicated the issue. A few occasionally snuck through in hopes of trying to get their grubby hands on Celestial tech, but Iâd only run into trouble a few times since starting my stint as a Slip Runner.
Because of that, Iâd discovered the rock blasters worked pretty well on ships if the need arose.
âIt is my duty to remind you that unauthorized use of the blasters is prohibited and may result in a fine,â Poe announced.
I shrugged and continued to monitor the last few systems as they rebooted. âAdd it to the list. I know youâve got one.â
âAs usual, you misunderstand.â Poe, as usual, sounded haughty. âUnauthorized use is prohibited. Authorization may be obtained from a qualified Alliance official.â
His hint finally clicked. Poe was actually trying to help me. As understanding dawned, I swung around to look at Barrick. âI think he means you, LT.â
He looked startled but quickly regained his composure. âYou have my authorization to defend our lives by any means necessary. Does that work?â
âAffirmative,â replied Poe. âSystem restoration completed successfully. Initializing takeoff procedure. Two minutes remain on the timer. Might I suggest reaching out to Mr. Eckert and attempting to reconcile?â
I highly doubted Silas Eckert would be up for hugging things out, but if Poe could be helpful and proactive today, so could I.
He picked up immediately. âCutting it close there, Riker. I take it youâve decided to surrender everything you have?â
âYeah, actually.â I ignored the choking sound coming from Deacon and kept my eyes on the display. âUnfortunately, thereâs a snag in that plan.
Eckert narrowed his hooded eyes in suspicion, then sneered. âThis ought to be good. What kind of snag?â
âHereâs the thing. The ship is in my name. But technically speaking, she belongs to the Alliance. Câmon, man. You know how the parole system works. Especially when youâre a Slip Runner. If I screw up and donât fulfill my quota, ownership defaults to them. So, if you blow my ship up, youâre going to owe them.
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