Chương 16

Marie, Collin, and I found another shuttle. This time demanding a more reasonable ride from the driver, a woman chewing some sort of… Stick? It made me think it was some sort of drug or something, but Collin didn't make any motion to choose another shuttle, and then we were off. We didn't end up going far, just across the gap from the Star Port and right up to a large tower that I could have seen from the Landing Dock.

"This is the best shopping center in the area. Caters to off-worlders." The driver said, as we pulled up. Then to my surprise she hesitated in holding out her Tab to get payment from Marie.

"They also have a tendency to raise prices. So be cautious." Marie nodded and to my eyes flicked a few extra Creds into the woman's account, as all three of us stepped away from the shuttle.

"Good advice, but something I would have told you as well." Collin rumbled out in a deadpan.

"Sure, but she did offer us the information." Marie said and I nodded.

"She could have just kept quiet. The warning is worth a bit of a reward. I think." I added and turned towards the large glass doors that led from the shuttle drop off into the building. Interestingly, it had a sort of air lock. As we approached the outer doors opened. Instantly we were attacked by air conditioning. It wasn't until the inner doors opened that I realized it was a pressure room. To keep the air from outside out. I suppose even the people that lived on the planet didn't like the smell.

Not that I could be entirely sure since my forcefield kept me safe. The inside of the building was a giant mall of sorts. It had a very industrial feel. Many of the sections were shadowed from old lights failing, and massive fans spun slowly along the wall for some reason. Even with the song in my ear I wasn't sure why they needed to be so huge. But it caused the light that came in through the glass walls to flicker and turn.

But while I was looking over the technology of the building and trying to figure out why things had been built that way Marie had noticed the people.

"What is she wearing?" Marie asked quickly in a whisper, but the voice was shocked. I looked over and blinked and felt like I needed to cover my eyes.

"Don't know." Collin offered, but as I looked over I realized he wasn't tearing his eyes away.

"Collin!"

"Shush girl. For once I'm not on station. I'm not related to anyone here. Don't blame me for looking." He grumbled and I flushed a bit at the tone and interest in his voice.

"She's naked!"

"Almost." He agreed and Marie looked a little grossed out. I looked back at the woman that had so shocked Marie, and tried to figure out if that was some sort of forcefield, or just… Oh, no it was some body paint… Yikes. Not brave enough to walk around literally wearing nothing.

"C'mon." I pulled Marie forward looking away from the woman that had been sitting on the side of a building, and… I'm pretty sure she was a lady of the night to be honest. I suppose that sort of thing was accepted here? Or maybe it was just because this was a shopping area for offworlders. Offworlders were usually rich, or men that worked hauling between worlds or systems. Which would still make them rich, because you don't hire someone desperate for Cred to control a Starship no matter how humble.

We moved on, but it wasn't the only shocking outfit that had Marie grabbing my arm to point them out in scandalous outrage. I just did my best not to look, instead keeping an eye on the shops and looking for things I actually needed. There had to be a place where I could buy a cold storage unit for the Phantom. And maybe some better fixtures for my Captains Room? A larger Tab Screen could be cool, like a big screen TV? Or a Captains Chair?

Our exploration was stopped by Marie before I could start looking as she gasped and hurried away forcing Collin and I to follow. Even if Collin cursed under his breath at Marie's sudden rush. The thumping bass was what told me where we were going. The shop had a dark entrance, but light was flashing inside, and as we chased Marie inside, the place had some light machines spinning around and making the whole place sort of ethereal.

It was a music shop, and Marie was already looking through what I thought at first was some sort of hard copy. Like a CD or something. I hadn't really seen anything like that in this life, everyone just used their Tab for shows or music, but then I realized they weren't hard copies, just plastic shells with images displaying the music, and from the looks of it, little speakers to test the music, with links to download locations.

"I've been trying to get this album forever!" Marie said when we joined her as she spun and flashed… Yeah I wasn't listening to that.

"What?" She demanded at my look,"Nothing."

"Eon Fleet is the best band in the entire Galaxy!" She snapped at me, and I just very pointedly looked away from the five young men that were on the cover of the download chip, and very pointedly kept my opinion on boy bands off my face.

"Get it if you want or don't. But hurry it up." Collin demanded, and Marie looked like she wanted to argue, but instead turned and started searching. Collin and I shared a look and just shrugged. —-- I was stuck people watching. We stopped at a clothes store oddly enough, for Collin. Apparently, he was looking for some gloves as his work gloves were going bad, and he hated the standard ones that we had stocked up on the station. I used them though, and didn't know why he hated them.

I looked down at the mostly white gloves I still wore. They were actually super stain resistant, so the color didn't get smudged up too much until the gloves ended up really worn, but they were safety equipment, and you shouldn't wear them out that long anyways. But I looked up to watch more of the people walk by. Most of them were locals despite the shopping area being meant for the Star Port. And almost everyone had a mask of some kind over their face.

Either a sort of cloth mask that reminded me of cheap cloth masks, or actual respirators. Most of them had taken them off inside, and looked relieved to breath in fresh air, but it told me a lot about just how toxic the air on Elinai was. I don't think I'd risk taking a breath myself even inside, I still remember how bad it smelled. Luckily the Phantom Star had an oxygen refresher I had found in an old wreck, and those things were designed to be fixable with spit and a stick, so it was functioning perfectly.

I'd do a double refresh just in case though.

"Got it." Collin called out, looking pleased as he walked out with a new pair of gloves in his hands…

"They're blue." I commented and Marie looked down at them confused too.

"Yep." He said happily. I looked from my gloves to the ones he had. The exact same.

"It's the same gloves." I pointed out, and he scoffed.

"No, these ones are blue. Damn loggies ordered an entire shipment of white gear. Used to be blue when I was a kid, I like them." He said and I just looked to Marie who was pouting.

"If logistics needed to change the color it was for a reason!" She snapped, but Collin wasn't having it.

"Girl I know exactly why they changed it up, and it's as stupid as you'd think. Shut up." He snapped back, and Marie flinched and looked away.

"Okay okay, calm down." I demanded, looking at the two supposed adults. No, I wasn't dealing with this. This time I purposefully set off. While waiting I had the bright idea of checking for a map, and my Tab had easily found a digital copy of the shopping center. Traveling through the crowds I found one of the brightest shops in the entire place as my destination. Marie, and Collin followed after me as I charged towards my own goal.

"Slow down Little Kat, you and your long legs!" Marie grumbled as she nearly had to jog to keep up.

"Fine, we're here anyways." I called back, barely looking at her as we entered… Well a pretty normal appliance store. With slick shiny tiles, things were brightly lit, and painted white.

"Oh this is nice." Marie offered and I nodded, before nearly instantly we were attacked!

"Welcome to Calvin's Appliance and Materials! How can I help you today?" A man asked, and for the first time there was no mask in sight, instead he was well dressed in an odd, sort of suit that was three colors, with a strange pattern to it.

"Umm, I'm looking for some mess supplies for my ship." I said, and I could see the man's eyes widen, even as his smile never shifted from its bright grin.

"Well I am Tilly, and I'll be your assistant today in your journey of perfection! Let me walk you through our Shipboard Food Preparation section! I promise you will find the grandest appliances this side of the Duchy!"

"Great." I said looking at Marie and begging with my eyes for help, but she instantly shook her head and stood with Collin near the entrance. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. Something something treason then. I sighed and realized that if I was the Captain I had to figure this part out myself.

"Alright, let's see what you got."

"Excellent! May I ask what your budget for this trip is? I want to make sure you get the best we can offer with the grav of your Cred." I had to parse that for a second.

"Right, yeah I'm looking for quality." I added, he might try and oversell me, but I was able to tell with tech anyways, and more importantly, this was going on my ship! The Phantom Star wasn't a tramp hauler! She would get the best! As I followed the flamboyant man deeper into the aisles of steel chrome paneling, I wondered how the boys were doing? —-- Carter Ferrous They should not have come down this deep. They couldn't even see the sun anymore.

But Carter had a mission, even if Marshall was really trying his patience. The loud sudden honk of a land vehicle had Carter yelp and jump out of the way as the strange wheeled contraption weaved past him, the driver throwing up a rude gesture as he passed.

"Marshall!"

"Fuck off Carter! Go back to the ship already!" The other boy yelled back, still stomping away. Carter knew this was what was going to happen. Marshall was trying to jump ship. It happened sometimes, family members that had issues deciding to try their luck somewhere else… It also usually led to a message arriving months later that they were dead. The Duchy wasn't a gentle place, and UNK-L was. So the lifers didn't always have the skills to survive off station.

Carter pointedly didn't think about the fact that Dad had once mentioned that was on purpose. Which is why he was chasing his stupid cousin, to try and save his dumb life, through the dark understreets of a world he had never stepped foot on before today. The bastard was trying to escape from him, despite the press of bodies, and worse. The eyes watching them. Carter squirmed to grab his weapon, if just to make sure it was still there.

He didn't doubt his pockets had already been picked clean in this press of bodies. Finally Marshall stopped and turned, letting Carter catch up just as he headed down into a set of steps. Carter stopped at the top of them, and winced. Up above the steps was an old holo sign. BAR. Really Marshall? First day on the planet and you find the worst most run down bar you can get? Carter followed. And then down the steps and past the already open door.

Instantly Carter was glad his forcefield filtered out oxygen, because the air was hazy with a purple cloudy mist. Unfortunately that same haze meant he couldn't see Marshall anymore, and winced at the look inside. A dive bar, full of rough and tumble types, not a single normal friendly face inside, just toughs, and women glaring with sharp eyes. The fucking things he did for his family. Carter headed deeper inside. —--"Here is your total!"

The man chirped with a grin that bordered on mania and I flinched from the way his grip seemed to wrap around my shoulder, only the fact I was a good bit taller than him kept him from dragging me around. I looked to the only source of solace I could find.

"It's pricey." Marie offered after a moment looking down the list displayed on the Tab.

"But… He wasn't lying. It's good quality gear. Better than we go for on the station even." Marie said, sending me a look. Yeah okay so maybe I didn't need the deluxe protein resequencer, with its ability to alter protein into four things at once… But I wanted it! It had a really gentle soothing song, and it was kinda pretty too! The fact it had a similar blue and chrome color scheme of the Crabbit certainly didn't help either!

"We do also offer, for an additional fee, Grade A Manipulated Protein canisters. I assure you of their quality, we w-" I held up a hand to stop him, and looked to Marie.

"Grade A is what we use on UNK-L. You don't want to go below Grade B." She explained and I nodded.

"Let's check the price on that Manipulated Protein then?"

"Excellent! Valued customer I assure you, you will not be disappointed in the quality!" He practically chirped as he flipped the Tab and started adding more to the list.

"Heh." Collin offered a quiet chuckle, but when I looked at him he refused to actually meet my eyes.

"And there you go! Including transport to the docking pad!" He offered and I looked at the number… It… It didn't feel like a lot? I mean, my sense of how much things cost was pretty broken. I had barely ever even owned a Cred to my name until the Pirates had attacked… I once more slowly felt my eyes drift to Marie.

"Oh for all the heavens! Kat! If you are going to be a captain you need to work on your finances!" She hissed at me.

"I will! I just… I've been busy! Pirates Marie! And I wasn't even intending on leaving yet!" I pleaded, trying to get some sympathy, and that worked because the look on her face, that had promised refusal shifted and she sighed.

"Alright. I'll get involved. That Protein is overcharged and you know it. That's the cost of Grade A along with transport fees, and we aren't taking that on. Dump that." She demanded and Tilly's smile never shifted.

"I believe I can have a discount applied, but only if the amount purchased exceeds, say… Ten canisters?" Marie rolled her eyes and looked at me.

"Is that a lot?" I asked her and she shrugged.

"It's not a huge amount for UNK-L, but for a single ship?"

"They basically last forever though right?"

"Correct! The canisters have a shelf life of nearly a century! Without a dip in quality!"

"Then if it's a good deal?" I asked Marie and she looked like she wanted to throw something at me.

"It's an okay deal. But finding a good deal isn't easy." She admitted and that finished that.

"It was a true pleasure to assist you today, please do come to our store again, we have stores across the entire Duchy and beyond!" He exclaimed with an over the top wink.

"Sure, I'll think about it."

"Excellent, is there anything else I can assist you with?" He offered and I felt my chance.

"There is one thing. I'm looking for something in particular and if you can help me find it I would appreciate it.." —-- Carter Ferrous"This is your fault!" Carter screamed as he ducked to try and avoid the man chasing him.

"How is this my fault!?" Marshall yelled back, as he continued fending off the guy that was trying to grab him with a bar stool.

"How isn't it your fault!? Ever since you fucked around, you've been a pain in the ass!"

"Fuck you Carter!" Marshall screamed, then screamed like a girl as he ducked a chair that whistled past his head. He rolled to the side and threw the stool he had been holding, it landed perfectly to trip up the man that was trying to brain him.

"C'mon!" Carter yelled as he finally cleared a path to the entrance, and Marshall took one look at the trouble he was in, and did what he always did. Bailed. The two boys ran up the steps with a few of the bar men behind them still pissed and angry and then without any plan they turned a direction and started running.

"I'm not a pain in the ass!" Marshall yelled as they hurried away and it took a moment for Carter to realize he was still on the previous point.

"Of course you are!"

"Fuck you! Just because I'm not the heir! Maybe I just wanted to escape because my life sucks!"

"You have a great life! Fuck you!" Carter snapped back. Marshall often had delusions about his own situation and Carter wasn't having it this time.

"You had everyone help you pass your test! Despite how much you slacked off. You get paid more than most people on this planet could ever dream of! You have your own space, you breathe clean air, and you can have whatever you want!" Marshall looked like he was going to still argue but Carter was done with him. He reached out mid stride and grabbed Marshall to throw him against a grimy wall.

"You aren't a mistreated hero Marshall off to claim some great destiny! You're the overfed, overstuffed noble brat that complains about his perfect life! If you don't want to live on station anymore. Then fucking stay here! Right here! In this fucking black hole pit of a world!" Carter was pushed away suddenly as Marshall struck out and Carter realized he had been punched.

"I don't want to hear that from you! Anything you want you get! You actually have hopes and a chance for more, while I'm stuck working at the lower dock with Old Collin! I'm the-" Carter wasn't going to hear it, all Marshall wanted to do was make excuses! He swung a punch into the moron's jaw. Everything got a bit tangled after that as they fought. —-- It was beautiful. Perfection. Nirvana!

"Kat. It's a chair."

"My butt feels like it's being cradled by a solar flare spreading out across the galaxy of fluff and wonder." I whispered out in delight and Marie just blinked at what I said before looking to Collin.

"Don't look at me. The kid's a weird little shit."

"Rude." I whispered out without any heat, I was too happy to have found a chair.

"I assume this one then?"

"Maybe." I admitted only after a few more moments of lounging.

"What are the hookups? Does it have any power feeds for integrated force fields, and the data wiring, what's the bandwidth?" I streamed out questions and instantly the seller looked a little lost, but the woman kept her smile as she pulled up the Tab on her wrist.

"Let me get you those specs."

"Sure, but I want to look at it as well." I offered and with regret got up and kneeled down.

"Umm miss, this is a display model!"

"Yeah, but it's still functional." I muttered as I started checking the base of the chair and quickly finding the access panel, pried it open despite the clerks' attempts to get me to stop.

"Crabbit give me a scan, what are we working with?"

"Hmmm!" My backpack Crabbit since they weren't on my shoulder perked up, and the clerk screamed in fright as it clambered off me, and between the two of us we started checking the internals. Just because they said the bandwidth was that high didn't mean it actually was! It was important to check this sort of thing! —-- Carter Ferrous"I can't believe you got us into this." Carter hissed and Marshall looked up from the cell across from him with a look of shock on his face before it went angry.

"My fault!? This is your fault!" Marshall snapped up but didn't rise from the bench, his black eye had been hurting him.

"You started swinging first!" Carter growled.

"You hit me first! Lying asshole. Fuck off!" The two were about to start bickering again but the sound of metal on metal shut them up.

"Quiet!" The man that stomped into the room dwarfed both boys. Definitely a soldier mod and he looked mean.

"Now you two shit heads aren't from around here obviously. I want your fucking Data, and then we can talk bail."

"I don't have the creds for bail!" Marshall nearly shrieked and Carter really wanted to kick him, because the large officer slowly shifted his attention to the boy.

"You don't, do you? You know where you go then? Fucking purgatory. Orbital prison." The man said with a sinister leer and Carter wanted to roll his eyes at the exaggeration, but of course Marshall fell for it. Carter quickly shifted his face into fear too when the officer looked at him.

"We have the Cred! We came in on a ship, we're offworlders like you suspect, they'll cover the bail!" Carter offered and Marshall looked hopeful towards Carter. God dammit Marshall. The only time you think you need us is when you fuck up!

"Well then, I guess you little shitstains need a Comm to your crew."

"That's right."

"One Comm." The officer grunted and Carter relaxed as he grabbed his Tab and started making a call. C'mon. Pick up. These sorts of underbelly stations were all about bribes to get free, and Carter wasn't interested in finding out what would happen if they couldn't get the Creds! —--"It's only been a few hours!" I snapped at the two boys as they were pushed out by a truly massive police officer. Or Securitate apparently? Weird word.

"It's Carter's fault!" Marshall hissed and Carter looked like he was about to throw a punch but then Collin was there, lifting both boys by the scruff of their jumpsuits.

"Both of you are going to the ship." He grumbled and the boys slumped. We pulled them into the shuttle we had used to head over to the police station and then we were off. The driver seemed pretty used to dealing with the police station as he moved through the security boundary without a hitch.

"What were you two thinking?" Marie asked, and then to my lack of surprise. Marshall opened his mouth.

"It's his fault!"

"How is it my fault!"

"Are you kidding? You moron!" Marshall yelled at him, but this time Collin didn't interfere.

"I went to a bar I had heard about, a spacer bar. Was gonna see if I could find a crew to travel with! And then Carter comes in, sits at the bar and five minutes later he's flirting with the wife of a guy!"

"That's! That's not what happened! I just asked her a question!" Carter defended himself, but… Wait.

"Then we got into a bar fight, we escaped and Carter hit me!"

"You hit me first!"

"Only after you threw me against a wall!" Carter opened his mouth to argue and then stopped, and actually reddened a bit.

"He was being a shit whining about stuff, so yeah I pushed him."

"Then we got stunned." Marshall shuddered. He still had a nasty red spot on his arm that he rubbed at.

"That… Yeah that hurt."

"Good." Collin said to the boys.

"Most idiots go out, and don't end up needing a bail out on their first chance at freedom on a world. So hopefully it'll teach you a lesson." We landed without much else going on, both boys nursing their wounds and as we came out onto the docking pad Marshall didn't just turn around and take off, but just slumped towards the Phantom Star and climbed up the ramp.

"I thought he was going to leave?" I asked looking at the older boys back. I almost hoped he would leave.

"Eh. He probably would have if it all worked out, but real life has a tendency to remind even fools about the good things they have." Collin said with a bit of wisdom in his voice.

"Also the boy's a dumbass. He probably forgot."

"Right." I muttered and turned away, looking towards the stack of goods we had been loading up when we got the call from the boys. Time to install all my new stuff!