Tyche's First by Richard Parry

Author:Richard Parry [Parry, Richard]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Mondegreen
Published: 2018-02-04T22:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER FIVE

NATE DIDN’T REALLY relax until the ship’s skids touched the cool sand of the canyon she’d been stashed in. He managed to lower the ship in between shady rocky walls without scraping the hull this time. With a creak of settling metal, the ship crouched. Waiting.

“Beers?” said Nate.

“Prefer a whiskey,” said Harlow.

“I’d take a beer,” said Devon, from the ready room. He’d strapped himself into one of the couches there. “Only, knowing Harlow, there’s no beer on this ship.”

“Hey,” said Harlow.

“Sounds true,” agreed Nate. “I figure you two probably have some catching up to do. Why don’t I go drop some credits on supplies? I’ll take the car.”

“Then what?” said Harlow.

“Well, I figure on us getting off Edinu. Looked nice on the brochure but it’s got nothing but sand and assholes,” said Nate. He released his harness, sliding free of the acceleration couch. He moved to the ready room. “You two stay here.”

“You don’t want some company?” said Devon. He winced, rubbing at his ribs as he released his harness.

“No,” said Nate. “Look, no offense, but you both suck in a fight.”

“Suck?” said Harlow, joining them.

“You’re really bad. You get underfoot. You don’t shoot the bad guys. You can’t even throw a punch, Harlow.”

“Okay,” said Harlow, nodding.

“I mean, there’s bad, and then there’s bad,” said Nate.

“No, I get it,” said Harlow.

“Really bad,” said Nate.

“We’re reading you, loud and clear,” said Harlow. “Thing is, why you figure on needing to fight while getting supplies?”

“Aside from that being the way my day’s gone so far?” said Nate. “Well, there will be repercussions for that base. I can’t imagine everyone being conveniently at the impact point of the missile. There will be a few pirates that want blood. Vengeance. A reckoning. Eye for an eye, Harlow. They’ll have blasters, and a will to use them.”

“I figure we can stay with the ship,” said Harlow.

“Good idea,” said Nate. “Be back soon.”

• • •

The ground car grumbled its way back to the settlement, as if it didn’t like the way this day was going either. Probably just a low charge, but Nate didn’t have the time to top the fuel cell off, and there weren’t any warning lights on the holo. No warnings meant no problems, and there was beer to be getting to.

He pulled into Briar Glen, lights welcoming him in like a set of landing beacons. Nate’s boots crunched gravel as he walked from the car to a store with a holo promising REAL EARTH BEER. That would be a fabrication too outrageous to be anything but a lie, but beer was beer. Especially if you were thirsty after a day of people shooting at you. Nate walked inside, taking in a casual crowd. No one here looked like Apollo Alliance, and no one looked like a pirate playing at soldiering either. Good enough.

He snared a collection of beers and a bottle that said PLAIN WHISKEY, black letters on a white label. Looked local, no one paying extra for the packaging. Harlow would just have to make do.

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