"Good Goddess, cuz. This isn't Steele."
"What?"
"Next time take me with you when you're looking for clothes." Tilly put hands on her hips. She was dressed in violet slacks with a yellow blouse and black leather jacket over it.
"Shit. You're serious?"
"Yes." Tilly nodded and tossed Erica a black leather jacket.
"Okay fine." Erica shrugged. She slipped into her jacket, which was long enough to cover her butt.
Someone whistled from the doorway of their room.
"Wow! That's hot! How much are you going to be charging the men on Caroline?" It was Erica's younger sister Jessica Williams, who had just returned to Guinevere and the family after graduating with BS in Starship Engineering at MITT on the planet Yin.
"Pervert! I'll tell our moms!" Erica teased.
Jessica stuck out her tongue.
"Why aren't you dressed?" Tilly asked Jessica.
"I am!" Jessica threw up her hands as she spun around. She was attired in regular Guinevere coveralls with an old blue jean jacket and brown boots. All very standard and nothing fancy.
"We're going to a nice bar and grill to have fun," Tilly said. "Maybe dance with a cute girl or two."
"Oh, I did things like that at the university I'm tired of it. I just want to get to work on Guinevere and Daughter. I'm tired of partying."
"Good Goddess!" Tilly shook her head with her arms over her small breasts. "I thought your sister was the ex-nun."
"Oh she can dress however she wants," Lynna Williams said from behind Jessica.
"Come on. Let's get going!" Mindy Bettencourt shouted from the corridor. "I'm hungry! I want some of that Cajun gumbo Caroline City is famous for."
"Okay. Okay." Erica snickered. "Mindy wants her gumbo."
Keiko Williams was waiting quietly and leaning against the wall beside Mindy. Erica froze and took a double look. The usual tough as iron security officer was wearing an ankle length red dress that was split on the left side up to her hip. She had on six-inch spiked heels and the breasts between her v-neck were covered in glitter that changed colors.
Jessica whistled again. "How closely are we related, cousin Keiko?" Jessica raised and lowered her eyebrows suggestively.
"Close enough, pest." Keiko snickered. "Shall we go?"
The six women took a hovercar out of Daughter. They drove to the spaceport towards a middle class restaurant and the shopping district in Caroline City. Erica laughed at something Mindy had said. The hovercar was on autopilot. It took them to Anthony's Gumbo.
#
They were a given a nice table near the dance floor. Everyone ordered drinks and Erica ordered a cherry cola. A local couple—a man and woman—dancing alone, were doing the tango. The planet Caroline was settled by people from Earth a over thousand years ago, same as the ones who colonized the planet Yin. Except on Yin the colonizers decided to try an odd social/genetic experiment where everyone's offspring were genetically engineered to be women and considered women. Some Yin women like Jessica, Mindy, and Keiko had female genitals, while others like Erica and Tilly had male genitals. Still all of them had breasts with the ability to produce milk when needed for their babies, along with a womanly body of various body types.
Erica put the thought out of her mind and contemplated her menu. Oh that sounds good. So does that. Wow. What is that? Huh?
"How about a dance, beautiful?" said a familiar voice.
Erica turned her chair. "Martha?"
Erica was surprised to see Martha Clarke again, but her heart skipped a beat when she saw that Martha wore a black suit with a pink bow tie. Her beautiful blonde hair was pulled back in a French braid. On her feet were red cowgirl boots.
"Well, how about it?" Martha held out her hand.
"Wow! Who is she?" Jessica asked Erica.
"Trouble." Keiko replied instead.
Erica ignored them. She took Martha's hand. They went on the dance floor with the other couple. Martha led Erica into the tango. Erica was soon lost in the moment following the gorgeous woman, and forgot about wanting something to eat. Later the music slowed and the two women danced slow and close together. Erica gazed into Martha's eyes.
"I need your help, Erica."
"What?"
"I need your protection," Martha pleaded. "Four years ago I left an abusive marriage. I hoped that that would be the end of it. But she followed me and demanded I come back to her. I tried to hide, which is why I started taken strange jobs in bizarre places like when I worked for Beaumount in the Collard system."
"I remember."
"I'm sorry." Martha leaned her head on Erica's shoulder. "And I thought she would never find me again, but she has. Now she wants to kill me. She doesn't want anyone else to have me. Please help me. Please."
Erica stroked Martha's hair. Is this a trick? What if she is in trouble? She might be telling the truth. She smells so wonderful.
Suddenly a rifle shot burst through a nearby window and struck Martha in the arm.
"Aaaah!" Martha fell.
"Martha!" Erica covered Martha as a second shot was fired. This missed them, but a beer container, which was being brought inside was struck. It exploded and beer flew everywhere. Erica flinched. Some of it poured on her. Damn it! I hate beer. It stinks!
Screams and shouts came from everywhere in the bar and grill. Terrified men and woman rushed to the exits, while others hid. Erica dragged Martha into some cover behind a booth. Erica had no weapon on her. Martha pulled out a blaster with her left hand.
"Take it. They got my gun hand."
Erica scrutinized the warzone from their hiding spot. There was no more shooting. Keiko waved at her from behind the table they had been sitting. It was now turned on its side. Her sister and the rest of her cousins were with Keiko. Everyone looked okay from Erica's point of view.
The security for the bar and grill was now armed, scanning for trouble; one of them actually had a blaster rifle. Later an ambulance came for Martha. She was the only one hurt. Eventually a local police car arrived.
"I'm going with her in the ambulance," Erica told Tilly and the others.
"What?" Keiko complained. "No. We should be going back to the ship."
"Sorry, Keiko. I'm off duty."
"What? Oh damn."
CHAPTER SEVENTY-SEVEN
Healing and Hiding
It was a short trip to the hospital.
"I'm here with you, Martha." Erica patted her on the good arm. The paramedics had stopped the bleeding, but there was a bullet in her arm. A doctor can remove it at the hospital. It probably wasn't a big deal.
Martha smiled and nodded. "Thanks, honey."
"I'll call my mothers to see if they'll let you come aboard." Erica smiled. "I don't see why they wouldn't."
"Thanks again." Martha blinked an eye.
#
She had gone to the women's restroom to dry off her hair and shirt, which had been doused by beer. I need a shower. Now Erica sat in the waiting room by herself. She kicked-off her shoes and wished she had worn something more comfortable than those heels. Though she wasn't waiting long. Erica got up when she saw Martha walking into the waiting room wearing a sling.
"Are you okay?"
"False alarm. The bullet went through and didn't hit anything serious." Martha smiled. "Lucky me."
"Uh. Yes."
"Could you come with me to my hotel room?" Martha tossed her a wicked smile that made Erica’s throat tighten and her skin flush. "I'm too afraid to go anywhere by myself."
"Sure, Martha." Erica nodded. What am I thinking? She's so hot. Why would she want to sleep with a loser like me? "I'll go with you."
"Thanks, honey," Martha said. "I could a taxi, so hopefully they'll be waiting out there for us."
#
Martha opened the door of her room. "Feel free to take off those pretty heels if you want." She gestured for Erica to go in first.
"Thank you." Erica strolled inside. Not a big place: television, fridge, mic
rowave, desk-n-chair, couch, queen-sized bed, bathroom with toilet, sink, and shower. A couple of suitcases were in the closet. Erica jerked off her heels. The soft carpet felt good under her bare feet.
Martha went straight to the closet. She flipped open a suitcase and pulled out a box. She dropped the box on the desk and sat down.
"They are so fucking primitive here," Martha complained. "Did you notice that the security people at the bar and grill had a few blasters, but the cops didn't?"
"Yes. I think most folks on Caroline use gunpowder bullets and guns," Erica replied.
Martha yanked her bandages off her arm. It didn't look pretty. There was a nice hole in her biceps. Erica thought of what to say, but stopped herself.
"Right and the hospitals are about the same." Martha pulled a sonic-spray out of the box and a bottle of green liquid. She attached the little bottle to the sonic-spray. "Luckily I bring my own nano serum to heal my arm."
Erica heard a hiss as Martha pressed it to her arm.
Martha lay on the bed. She sighed and wriggled in a way that made Erica want to glance at her groin area to see if there was an obvious bulge in her mini-skirt.
"So that was medicine?"
"Mmmm. Yes, honey." Martha smiled with her eyes shut. "Nothing illegal. Just something to help me heal quickly. Expensive shit!" Martha laughed.
Erica liked watching her. She felt like she should say something else.
Martha's eyes opened. "You're not going to take advantage of little ole me. Are you?" Martha giggled. Erica reddened.
"Oh!" Martha jumped up suddenly. "I need to use the toilet. Excuse me, honey."
"Uh, sure," Erica said. "I'll call to see if they let you come aboard Daughter."
"Thanks." Martha shut the door.
#
"But, Mom."
"She's a trouble maker, Erica," Captain Alberta Williams said. "I don't want her on my ship."
"Why? She needs my help—our help."
"It's not our concern,” her mother said. "If she's in trouble, its probably her own fault. You shouldn't believe any tales that girl tells you."
"But—"
"You should come home," Alberta said. "Goodbye."
Her mother signed off. Erica turned off the phone call on her table. She swung the tablet around, but stopped herself from throwing it.
"Damn it!" Erica plopped her butt on the side of the bed. She laid back and sighed.
"What?" Martha peered out from the bathroom.
Erica quickly sat up and felt like getting away from the bed. "Nothing." Erica shrugged. "I mean my mom the captain doesn't want you to on Daughter.
"Oh."
"Sorry."
"Uh, I'm not through." Martha shut the door.
"Could you hurry up," Erica said. "I need to use the shower. I smell like I swam in a beer pool."
Martha giggled.
CHAPTER SEVENTY-EIGHT
Mama Kat
Katherine "Mama Kat" Long stirred her teacup, which had been brought to her hot by one of her dear Kitties, as she like to call them. The Kitties were a group of teenage girls she had trained to be assassins since they were five.
"Thank you, Green Kittie."
"Your welcome, Mama Kat,” replied the girl with a short bob of green colored hair. Her actual name was Dolly de Ligne and, like all the girls, she was an orphan.
A musical chime played. It came from the small comm device on her desk. Kat gestured for her kittie to answer it.
"It's a message sent by courier ship, Mama Kat," Green Kittie told her. "It's from Aunt Polly."
"Really?" Kat scratched the palm of her hand. "You may go, kittie. Tell the other girls I don't want to be disturbed."
"Yes, Mama Kat." Green Kittie smiled, waved, and left the room.
Kat sighed. She adjusted her short black hair. Then she scrutinized her shirt for lint. Calm down, Kat! She isn't even here. The bitch is all the way back in Yin Confederation space on Yin! Relax, girlfriend.
Kat reached to turn on the message. The hologram of Pollyanna "Aunt Polly" Finn's wrinkled old head appeared over the comm device. The two hundred year old leader of the society of assassins scowled at Kat. Never a good opening in a message being sent to you by your boss. Stay calm.
"Greetings, Kat,” the floating head said. "I hope you and your girls are well. I recently received your message about you failing to kill Martha Clarke. Do I need to send someone else to finish the job? I hadn't thought Ms. Clarke was good enough to evade you and your kitties. I'm going to give you a few extra days to finish the job, and then I am replacing you."
The floating head smiled. The smile was not at all friendly. Kat struck her desktop with the heel of her fist. Oh I'm sure you'll be real sad about having to send someone to kill Ms. Clarke. But first they'll take out me and my kitties. Bitch! Should I call Emma? Kat wondered. Thinking of her older sister Emma Long who was on their society's council of elders. No. I need to focus on getting this job done. Now what is Blonde Kittie up too? Kat checked her tablet to see where Hannah Ying or Blonde Kittie were at the moment. Each of Kat's kittie's had a hidden implant that she could track at anytime.
CHAPTER SEVENTY-NINE
Sneaking into the Daughter
Erica heard a toilet flush. Then water running. Martha returned to the bed and fell asleep without another word. Erica sat on the couch and watched the other woman sleep.
Stop ogling her body. You're being a pervert, though that's some hot buns.
Erica rubbed her nose and smelled the stale beer on her body. I need a shower. Erica took a quick shower, while Martha slept. After drying herself off Erica dressed and left the bathroom. Martha was still lying on the bed.
A loud noise came from outside. Erica opened the door to Martha's room to look out. A teenage girl with a short blonde bob was firing her blaster into a room down the hall by the elevators.
"Goddess!" Erica screamed.
Luckily Martha's room was farthest from the elevator by the stairs.
"What's going on?" Martha was yawning behind Erica.
Erica told her. "They've found me. Let's move."
Martha grabbed Erica's hand jerked her to the stairs. Martha yanked open the stair door just as a blaster shot exploded above them.
Erica realized as she followed Martha down the steps that she was barefoot. They were able to get down four floors of stairs before they were fired upon again. The shots were way too wild to hit anything. Obviously the shooter was just frustrated that she couldn't shoot at anything. After jumping over a few steps as they ran down the stairs, Martha shoved open the door that led outside to the parking lot.
"Now what do we do?" Erica looked around.
"Where's the gun I gave you?" Martha asked.
"I-I left it in the room with my heels."
"Shit!" Martha pulled on Erica's hand. She hopped on a motorcycle without a second word. She pulled a little device out of her pants pocket to wave over the key slot. The motorcycle started. "Get on!"
The door burst open. Erica jumped on without looking back. She grabbed Martha around the waist. As Martha took off, several shots were fired at them. Instead of going through the parking lot like they were supposed to, Martha zipped the bike straight forward past the bushes into the grass. Then she jumped over a ditch before making it back to the road. Martha peeled onto the highway.
"You still back there, honey?" Martha shouted.
"Yes, Martha," Erica shouted back. "You just stole this bike!"
"I know! Wasn't that fun!"
#
"Hopefully, we've lost the bitch!" Martha parked at a fuel station not far from the spaceport. Erica could now distinguish Daughter from the other rocketships at the spaceport. "You sure you can't sneak me onto your rocketship?" Martha pleaded.
"I might be able to get you inside," Erica said. "But security would find you. It's our job."
"And you know your job."
"Right."
"So you know ways to fool your security comrades, rig
ht?"
"Well. I guess so," Erica confessed. She felt Martha was about to talk her into doing something she would regret.
"Great." Martha laughed. "It's going to work, honey. And I'll be happy to thank you later in all the best ways."
Martha reached back as they sat on the bike. Before Erica knew what was happening Martha had pulled her face forward. Her lips pressed against Erica and kissed longer they had ever done before. Martha boldly drove her tongue between Erica's lips for a moment before retreating.
"Sounds good to you, honey?"
"Wha?" Erica wasn't sure what was going on for a second. "Oh. I think I can get you inside without security finding out."
Erica sighed and thought about how to do it.
#
"So your plan is just to walk into the ship?" Martha said with a smirk on her face.
"Yes," Erica replied. "Simple is best. If a plan is way too complex then there are lots of ways for it too screw up."
"Is that a Zen poem?"
"Hush." Erica waved Martha away from where she had parked the stolen bike. Martha followed her to the spaceport checkpoint. Erica drew her ID card out of her black leather jacket.
The guard in his little building scanned her card. He nodded and his gaze rose up and down Martha. She handed over her ID card. He scanned it. He frowned.
"You're not listed as crew or passenger on any of the ships, nor as a spaceport worker." The guard reached for a comm device. "I'll have to call it in."
"But she's with me," Erica pleaded. "Come on."
"Come on, buddy," Martha begged. "Her ship will launch tomorrow and I won't see my girl for long time." Martha placed some local dollars on the counter. Erica saw that they were a couple of hundreds.
The guard snatched them up. "Move it. Move it." He waved.
Erica and Martha hurried away from the checkpoint.
"See. It worked." Erica smiled.
"Thanks to my money," Martha complained.
The Star Traders: The Star Traders Series Volume One Page 13
