Thoughtless by Pat Luther

Author:Pat Luther [Luther, Pat]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 0000000000000
Published: 2024-04-24T08:12:07+00:00

The antidote injector hissed against Amelia's neck as Del applied it. Like the needler projectiles, it had built in sensors to monitor the subject so it could deliver the exact amount needed to be effective.

When it had done so, Amelia blinked her eyes open then winced in pain. She tried to bring her hand up to shield her eyes only to discover they were still bound and trapped inside the bag. The space bag was commonly used to transport prisoners or rescue civilians who had to be moved through vacuum but weren't wearing functioning suits.

After bringing her into her apartment, Del had opened the end enough to let Amelia’s head poke out, but nothing else.

It was possible to live in the Belt without a vacsuit, using only commercial docks, and only visiting places, such as Ceres, that had their own contained atmosphere. But it was rare not to own at least one. If Amelia had one, though, she'd left it behind when she fled.

"Fuck you," she said as she tried to wriggle free from the restraints.

"As opening lines go, I've heard better," Del answered.

"'Where am I?' Is traditional," Bilan added.

Amelia's head turned to look at her. "I assume you're the scum that Harailt sent to get me."

"That would be us," Del said. "We're the scum."

"Pretty sure you're the one who skipped out on a lawful contract," Bilan added.

"Lawful, ha! That's rich!"

"You signed it."

"I was set up. He didn't want an engineer, he just wanted another girl for Aluna."

"I thought you were doing bookkeeping for him," Del said. "That's how you embezzled the money."

"What are you talking about? I didn't embezzle any money. If I'd stolen anything more than those grenades you took off me I'd've made it back to Venus by now."

"You get the idea that there's more going on than you were told?" Bilan asked.

"What were you doing in Aluna?" Del asked, afraid of the answer.

"What do you think?" She sneered.

"He had you doing sex work?" Bilan asked, a note of anger in her voice.

"I thought you Venusians didn't have a problem with sex work, unlike us repressed, prudish Martians," Del said.

"When it's voluntary, I don't. That's not what this is."

"No indentured work is voluntary,” Del said. “How is this any different?"

"It just is."

"I'm not going back," Amelia said.

"I'm sorry. You are," Del replied.

"I'll die before I go back there. Even if I have to take both of you with me."

"That'll make a fun forty hour trip."

"Del…" Bilan started.

"I know. Void. This is why I didn't want to talk to her. Damn Jie anyway."

"Who's Jie?" their prisoner asked.

"He's the asshole responsible for your freedom."

Amelia looked confused.

"Here," Del said and sent the code to release the cables binding her prisoner.

"Wait, you can't just let her go," Bilan protested.

"If I'm not sending her back, what else can I do?" Del said, then turned to Amelia. "If you attack me again, you'll wake up bound in a space bag halfway to Hygiea, understood?"

"Yeah, got it," She replied and crawled out of the bag.

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