13 Degrees of Separation

by Hechtl, Chris

  “Nice kid. Blue hair though...” Howie mocked, shaking his head and picturing himself or Shari with that look. He shivered.

  “And red eyes. I'm not sure if she's about to cry or go all psycho or something,” Shari said.

  “Superficial nonsense. Any feel for her?”

  Howie spread his hands apart, shaking his head. “Hey man, I don't do humans. No way, no how. I ain't coppin no feel. Shari here would break my hands if I did.”

  Shari smiled. “He's right I would. But I think in this instance Savo meant feel for her personality. Do you feel like she's holding back? A spy?”

  “Nah, I saw her and her what mom? Damn young to be her mom!” Howie said shaking his head. “I saw them leave that freighter with my own eyes. Their legit. I don't feel anything for her. She's a bit of a tight ass, but we'll see.”

  “Stiff. I don't think she's used to being around people.”

  “Well, long hours in a cockpit wrangle rocks would do that,” Shari observed. The others slowly nodded.

  “We'll see how good she really is when we have her move her tug,” Savo said and then yawned. “I'm going to get some chow and then hit the sack. What about you two?” he asked.

  “I'm all for that,” Howie readily agreed. “Been a long ass day. Coming?” he asked, holding a hand out to Shari. She snorted and took his hand and together they left.

  Chapter 3

  The next shift Mairi reported to the MM. She smiled politely to the crew as she was escorted to the cargo bay. The bitch was there, ready. She smirked as she typed in her access code, when the light turned green she climbed in and pulled her hard suit out of the lock. It only took a minute to shuck her coverall and climb into the faded orange suit.

  “So found a new home? I won't say I'll miss that thing, I will miss you though kid,” Knuyuk the Veraxin cargo master said, waving to her from the lock. She smiled and waved back and then touched her microphone.

  “I'll miss you too you old fart. Take care of this old girl,” she said. The Veraxin chittered a laugh and waved a true hand in response as he dogged the hatch.

  “Atmo decompressing in ten seconds. Good luck kid,” he said over the intercom.

  “Roger that,” Mairi replied, all business. She watched the count down with one eye as her practiced hands ran through the pre-flight sequence. The bitch responded readily, only needing a single bang to get the red light for the port RCS to turn yellow. She'd have to check that if she was going to be doing any long close runs.

  “Tin Plated Bitch to Prime flight control, maneuvering free of Mariah's Mischief.”

  “Did you bother to file a flight plan?” a bored voice said.

  “Flight plan?” Mairi asked, wrinkling her nose as she watched the light above the hatch turn from green to yellow, and then finally red.

  “Yeah, you are required to file a flight plan,” the control voice responded.

  “Flight plan filed,” Clio interjected. “For the record, no she didn't but I just did. Pilot Mairi Jersey, in the future do file the proper paperwork.”

  “Roger,” Mairi replied, nettled at the rebuke.

  “You didn't know. I believe flight plans weren't required in Senka space so you never experienced that level of bureaucracy,” Clio responded.

  “Roger,” Mairi repeated, eyes roving her display. She had half a tank, enough to get around the station easily and even to the planet. But not back. She glanced at the main display and snorted. A flight plan was there, running from the MM's dock to the Yard Dog berth. Warnings were marked about speed. Did they really have all these rules? Apparently they did. She'd have to look into that later.

  “Tin Plated Bitch to Prime flight control, maneuvering to our new home in Yard Dog Berth Alpha one.”

  “Roger,” the control responded. “You're flight plan is approved. Mind the speed limit in our space,” The controller replied. “Who the heck named that thing anyway?” the male voice asked, clearly not intending that to be broadcast.

  Mairi laughed softly. “Hot mike control. But to answer your question, not me. I just like the name,” she said with a smile as the hatch door started to open.

  With practiced ease she shot a puff to get the bitch up off the deck just as she felt the gravity shut down. A second puff from her starboard RCS and then a millisecond counter puff from her nose pointed her in the right direction. A slight tap of the controls and her aft RCS pod kicked, sending the little tug out into the outer dark.

  “Mariah's Mischief this is bitch, clear,” she said.

  “Good flying kid,” Warrick the bridge officer on duty replied a moment later. “Good luck,” he said signing off.

  “We make our own,” Mairi replied, maneuvering along the flight path.

  ...*...*...*...*...

  Clio watched the young human fly the seemingly ungainly tug. It was tiny like her, barely a tug, but a powerful one. She was all engine, obviously a custom job, she didn't register in any of her scans for type. She swore as another thought connected to that. She checked and swore again. Yup, someone on the station had taken notice and Mairi wasn't going to like the homecoming she was about to get.

  ...*...*...*...*...

  Mairi took her helmet off and shook her still short blue hair out. She tucked the helmet under her arm as she climbed out of the craft. She'd had a bit of tricky maneuvering, she'd flipped the old girl to use the starboard RCS over the port, but they'd arrived all right, and her landing skids hadn't even so much as scratched the station's paint when she landed. She was proud of herself.

  That pride lasted right up until she left the berth and met an unsmiling Veraxin holding a tablet. He tisked tisked and printed something out and handed it to her as he turned away. “What's this?” she asked.

  “You're fine,” the Veraxin replied, already leaving the compartment.

  “For what?” Mairi demanded, voice rising as she scanned the document. “A thousand credits! Are you serious??” she demanded.

  “That's what you get for flying an unregistered craft in Antiguan space,” the Department of Space Vehicles responded as he paused at the hatch. “Just count your blessings we won't impound the vessel. But before you fly her again you'll have to pay that fine and register the craft.”

  “Which means passing an inspection,” Clio said from the overhead speaker. Mairi looked up and the Veraxin made his escape. She scowled blackly. “Not my idea Miss Jersey, and we both missed it.”

  “I missed it? I didn't know! How could I know! I've never been here!”

  “Which isn't an acceptable excuse apparently, I've already tried it. We'll have to deal with it. But before we can get you back into space we've got to get your ship sorted out.”

  “Frack me!” Mairi cursed, wanting to throw something. She stopped herself before she could throw her helmet. Finally, anger unsatisfied but at least checked she sank against the wall. “What the hell did I just get myself into?” she demanded, rolling her head back and forth.

  “We'll deal with it one step at a time Miss Jersey,” Clio responded. “The important thing is that you are here now. Now we have to move on from here.”

  “Right,” Mairi sighed. “Only problem is I don't have the money. For the parts or the fee!”

  “Or the registration charge,” Clio responded. The girl cursed again. “Which I as a member of the board am covering. We can settle up later. You own the tug and are acting as a free agent so we are paying for part of the maintenance, and I suppose we should pay at least half of your fine since I missed that too,” Clio said.

  “Thanks but I'll pay my own freight. I don't want a free ride,” Mairi replied. Free rides came with strings she knew. Uncle Edgar's maxim something or other. Five or six, she thought with disgust.

  “As I said, we'll work it out. If you insist on paying for the parts we can work out a payment plan later. The important thing is to get the ball rolling.”

  “Right.”

  “However you aren't a licensed mechanic, so you can't do the work. Whic
h means we need to hire one... right after we get your pilot's license,” Clio said. After she said that she tuned out the girl who was giving every effort into turning the air around her as blue as her hair.

  “My my, such a temper. You'll fit right in with Savo and Howie I believe,” Clio responded.

  ...*...*...*...*...

  When Mairi settled down she dove into work, tearing at her ship. She couldn't do the repair but she could do the tear down, after all, she knew what worked and what didn't. Howie came by long enough to help her drag a tool chest closer to the Bitch so she could work more efficiently. He retreated when her sullen rage penetrated his annoyance at being called down there.

  “You're welcome,” he muttered as he left. He didn't see her hand come up and flip him the bird as he left. The hand held for a few seconds and then went back to work.

  ...*...*...*...*...

  “Are you kidding me?” Taylor asked, aghast. “Who thought that up?” he demanded after Clio sent them a report of the flight and fine.

  “Someone was quick on the trigger there,” Rahsa responded. She wasn't at all happy about the fine. The girl wasn't either it seemed. “But she wasn't fined for piloting?”

  “No. I argued that she was and is a pilot in Senka space and is not an employee of the station or one of the industrial corporations. All of them require a license, we don't,” Clio replied, smiling.

  “Cute,” Taylor replied with a snort. “I bet that didn't go over well,” he said.

  “Strangely no. Nor did my pointing out that a license was not a requirement to fly your own personal craft. I believe that will be added to the station agenda soon.”

  “Yes, and who ever brings it up will put themselves squarely in our cross hairs,” Rasha said darkly, eyes flashing. “Only someone behind this would try that, and only if they were stupid or arrogant...”

  Taylor looked at his enchantment wife in surprise. She shrugged off the anger with difficulty. He nodded as she regained control. “We know someone on the council is behind the harassment, but I'm not so sure it is Yan Fu. It could be, but I doubt it. Kennet on the other hand.”

  “Him yes,” Rahsa replied. “He's a vindictive prick. He'd do it just out of spite for the admiral,” she said.

  “True,” Clio responded.

  “Are you walking her through the permits now?”

  “Yes. Well, actually Savo greased the wheels in his own way. She's got an emergency filing and has a permit on file. She's on her way to pay the fine and get her license and registration sorted out now. Petunia is with her.”

  “Lovely.”

  ...*...*...*...*...

  Mairi fumed in the line, not at all amused by the number of people. Petunia stood patiently with her, occasionally cuffing in amusement over someone or something she saw. “This is so bull,” Mairi muttered for the umpteenth time.

  “Yeah well, take the good with the bad.”

  “I mean, papers? A test? I've been a pilot for nearly ten years!”

  “Maybe in Senka, but no one here knows that. Which is why you've got to have proof,” Petunia sighed. They hadn't set the girl up with access to a credit line so she was along to 'foot the bill' as her husband had pithily said. “We can't get the registration until the tug passes inspection but we can get the ball rolling now before some A hole tries to block us.”

  “Right. Which means...” Mairi sighed in relief as another window opened. The next in line shifted to that window, and the line she was in split as people moved forward into two lines. Suddenly she went from fourth to second. She grinned. “Now that's more like it,” she said.

  “I'm actually surprised there are so many people here. I didn't know so many people wanted to become a pilot.”

  “It's not the want it's the permit actually,” the guy behind them said. “Pilot licensing is over there. This is basic stuff.”

  “Great,” Mairi said, looking at another line further away. The gray room was appalling. Three people behind Plexiglas windows typing at computers while people stood around as if they had nothing better to do. This could all be done electronically but did they think of that? No! Of course not! That'd make sense!

  “What was that?” Petunia asked turning her gargantuan head to the girl.

  Mairi shrugged. “Nothin,” she sighed, sullen.

  “Cheer up kid, we're there,” the gorilla said, nodding as the guy in front of them took his ID and left.

  “Finally,” Mairi sighed as they stepped forward.

  The girl behind the counter smiled slightly as she asked for their ID and documents. Mairi pulled her ID from her breast pocket as the gorilla handed over a flash chip. The girl plugged it in and checked the documents over.

  “It seems a bit irregular but you did prove your competence. Do you have the money for the fine?” the girl asked, running a hand through her hair.

  “Right here,” Petunia said, mashing her right thumb against the credit screen on the counter.

  The girl looked at her display and then nodded as Petunia withdrew her hand. “Credit approved. Preliminary registration approved pending final inspection. You'll have to dot all your I's and cross all your T's though,” she warned, typing.

  “We'll get it covered,” Petunia replied.

  “Good. Pilot license approved since the pilot has a decade of previous experience. Did you really start when you were six?” she asked, looking up.

  Mairi shrugged. “Yeah. Six and a half actually.”

  “Ah,” the girl nodded. She smiled a little, flirting. When Mairi didn't respond the gorilla chuffed in annoyance. The girl glanced at her and then nodded.

  “Sorry, all clear. Here you go,” she said as a machine chattered. She smiled and took the new ID card from the machine and slipped it onto the counter. Mairi picked it up frowning.

  The girl leaned forward and then looked left and right. “And tell Savo were even. Got it?” she whispered and then winked.

  “Okay,” Mairi said, voice pitched low in response. The girl sat back and nodded. She pulled the flash stick and passed it back as well.

  “Glad that's settled. Call us in less than ten days for the inspection or you'll have to start the process all over again. Good luck, good flying,” she said by way of dismissal. The ladies nodded and turned away, walking.

  Mairi stared at the card, confused. When she flipped it over she swore at the picture. “My hair!” she said, reaching up to her sweaty blue mass. She was aghast at it and her expression. Obviously a hidden camera had taken the image. It glittered and moved with her.

  Petunia chuffed, looking over her shoulder at it. “That's normal. Everyone who goes to the DSV gets that treatment. It's tradition,” she said.

  “Argth!” Mairi grumbled, but not really feeling any angst. At least she had the damn thing, and a lot easier than she'd expected. “Any idea what that was about? And why I didn't have to take any test or pass a flight exam?”

  “Nope, I expect we won't know. I can guess though, but I'm not saying. I do owe my hubby though.”

  “Right,” Mairi said, feeling a warm spot for the chimp.

  ...*...*...*...*...

  Kennet noted the pilot had a license and dropped his proposal before he submitted it to the council. He was annoyed, someone in the dogs had moved quickly to get that hole covered. This was fun in a way, like a game of chess. He liked it, he liked the thrill it gave him, and stomping all over the dogs made his day. Their getting at least one past him wasn't amusing however. “Well, I guess I can't win them all,” he muttered, eyes narrowed. He didn't intend to let them win another match though. He wanted this over, game set match.

  ...*...*...*...*...

  Clio noted another oversight and shook her head. She quickly jotted out a memo to Savo and then another to the girl. She added hyperlinks to help the girl and then tossed it into her in-box and programmed her screen to alert her.

  ...*...*...*...*...

  Mairi came into her quarters and swore at the blinking message icon on the
wall screen and on the tablet on the small coffee table. She shook her head and stripped out of her coverall and padded to the shower. Whatever it was it could damn well wait she thought, getting in for a quick ultrasonic cleaning.

  When she was through she wrapped a towel around her small frame, got a drink and a can of artificial tuna, from the small fridge snagged a plastic fork from the silverware drawer, and then went to the couch. “Yum,” she said taking her first forkful of tuna into her mouth and savoring the taste. She loved the stuff. Her mother preferred it on bread. Since they'd gotten here her mother had started in about developing a proper pallet. Well, she could do that, she had time. Mairi however had her own ideas about what tasted good and would stick to them. She grinned as she ate another bite and then looked at the red message icon blaring at her from the wall screen.

  With a sigh she set the drink and food items down before she plopped down and picked up the tablet. “What now?” she demanded softly. She looked around. She hadn't noticed any sounds of her mother. She must be out and about. That could be good or bad she thought.

  After a long moment she shrugged and hit the icon. It was from Clio, which was a relief. Then she swore. Apparently according to the e-mail her account she had been using was set up through the Mariah's Mischief. She needed to set up a bank account here on the station. Swearing again she angrily tapped at the links handily provided and started filling in the blanks on the application form. She hated paperwork damn it! She was too tired for this! But it couldn't wait according to Clio's report.

  When she was finished she clicked send. After a moment the sent icon blinked and then was replaced by a smiling Clio. “See? Now that wasn't so hard was it?” she asked.

  “OH!” Mairi said, hand going to her loose towel.

  “Oh I don't go for that sort of organic stuff. I'm an AI,” Clio said dismissively.