Space Cowboy Survival Guide

by Long, Heather

  The level of trust Shaw bestowed upon her left her lighter than air. Determined to not let either he or the horses down, she pursued the grooming with increased vigor.

  “I get you’re from old Earth, bud.” Kestral perched on the landing ramp, still shirtless. The bunching of his muscles in his arms and shoulders betrayed his tension. “These beasts of burden are a rarity on the colonial worlds. Most didn’t survive transplanting. Those that did require closed system facilities—they breed so rarely that every foal is prize and worth fortunes and then some. There are some worlds where they cannot survive at all.”

  “So I heard.” If the news impressed the captain at all, he didn’t show it. “Doesn’t change anything. Thunder and Lightning aren’t for sale.”

  He’d named them. They’d done that in the films and vids, but she’d never been so up close and personal with them. “Can you ride them?” Interrupting Kestral’s argument might be rude, but she had to know.

  “Not today,” Shaw disappointed her with the answer. “Maybe next time, it’s been a while since they had time to stretch their legs and just graze.”

  Next time? Tika wanted to bounce, but reconsidered the girlish hop. First, she was supposed to be a lady. Second, she didn’t need either her savior or her potential kidnapper seeing how moved she was. Third—well, she didn’t know how the pretty mare would respond to her actions. “You’ve had them in the containment units this whole time?”

  “Since I left Earth.” Shaw pulled out a thin, tapered cigar and to her shock, lit it before taking a long drag. He offered one to Kestral who accepted it, then a third to her. She shook her head and wrinkled her nose at the burnt scent mingling with the fresh air. Sliding away the lighter into one of his duster’s pockets, Shaw adjusted his Stetson and leaned against one of the struts supporting the downturned ramp. Despite his almost archaic clothes, and manner—or maybe because of them—he seemed very much at home on the planet.

  “Isn’t it dangerous to keep them in stasis for so long?” Not for the first time she wished her education had included more than simple politics, religion, needlework, and the art of conversation. Science would be useful here.

  “Safer for them than being trapped in the hold with no sunlight or room to run,” Shaw answered with an exhale of smoke. “They are unaware of the passage of time, their vitals are monitored, and their bodyweight preserved. If none of that convinces you, look at them.”

  The stallion Thunder continued to graze in a lazy circle, his tail flicking from time to time. Though Lightning, the mare lowered her head now and then, she mostly leaned into Tika’s ministrations. They both seemed very content. “I can’t imagine having to lock them inside and then waiting weeks between seeing them.”

  “Better than not seeing them at all.” A hollow note punctuated the sentence, and for the first time, Tika experienced a pang of guilt. It never occurred to her that Shaw might find being away from his home, the cradle of humanity, from whence all the colonies came, difficult. In truth, she gave very little thought to Earth Prime.

  “Do you miss it?”

  He didn’t answer immediately, his gaze distant as he enjoyed his smoke. “All the time.”

  “You planning on telling us why you’re out here then?” Kestral’s calm intrusion reminded her of his presence. “Or are you just strolling through space collecting strays.”

  Chuckling, Shaw nodded toward the woods. “I’m going for a walk. Let the horses roam, they’ll be fine.”

  “Did you want company?” It seemed the prudent thing to inquire, but she’d rather play with Lightning who’d already bumped her hands after Tika stopped combing her. The greedy thing loved the attention.

  “I’ll be fine. Take some time. Relax. Both of you.” Then he walked off, his gait a casual stroll.

  Kestral didn’t leave his spot on the ramp, though she’d half-expected him to head back into the ship or wander off of his own accord. Though he said nothing, he lingered for the better part of hour. Finally, Lightning eased away from her and dropped her head to graze on the thicker patches of grass away from the ship.

  After stowing the grooming gear, Tika walked over to the ramp and took a seat away from Kestral. She could almost feel his assessing gaze on her. A childish part of her took a little glee at his sharp focus, but he probably wanted to be ready to move if she got too close and the shock shackle zapped him.

  The faint breeze ruffled the trees in the distance, but the lack of noise offered a serenity she hadn’t realized she’d been missing aboard ship. No sounds of the rumbling engine, no subtle yet unmistakable vibration felt through the deck plating. No vid sounds, or conversation between Shaw and Zed or anyone else. She could just be

  “You don’t seem too worried about who he is.” Kestral had to ruin the quiet.

  “He’s the man who saved my life and offered me sanctuary.” She closed her eyes and rested her head against the lift support. “He’s someone who loves his horses enough to make sure they get time under a sun. He’s also someone who gives a criminal a second chance even after they trespassed on his ship. I know all I need to know.”

  “Said no savvy woman ever. Kid, you should learn right now, trusting men when you don’t know their whole story is a bad idea.”

  Considering the source of the wisdom, Tika glanced at Kestral over her shoulder. “I don’t trust you.”

  “Good.”

  After their afternoon sojourn, a détente seemed to exist between the three of them. Tika helped Shaw load the horses back into their containment modules, then watched as he secured them. Her heart squeezed in sympathy for the wonderful animals till he told her they were happier in their stasis state. Calm, free of fear and they didn’t have to suffer confinement. A part of her truly empathized with the equines, but she accepted Shaw’s deeper understanding was far greater than any she possessed.

  The détente lasted through several historical vids which Shaw joined Kestral and Tika in watching during their journey. When they arrived in EA-2187, Shaw warned them about local rumors regarding the planet. Having never been to EA-2187, Tika didn't have any reason to argue with them. Kestral seemed to know the place well enough, since all he had to say was, “It's a cesspool. I wouldn't stay here longer than absolutely necessary.”

  It might have been Tika’s imagination, but from the moment Kestral advised against staying, it seemed to make up Shaw's mind. He applied for docking, and they spent four hours in orbit waiting for clearance.

  While the port masters reviewed their ships registry and paperwork, Tika made a list of all the supplies they needed. She had gotten pretty good about understanding how much they went through during each jump. While Shaw handled the fuel, Tika had taken it upon herself to make sure their food store stayed full.

  They were running drastically low in several areas, but they'd been feeding three instead of only one. While she did not eat near as much as either Shaw or Kestral, it still put a strain on what they could serve.

  One thing Shaw had wanted to do when during their stop on the rural world was pickup beef. He had been successful, but that left them perilously low on chicken, fish, pork, and other meat products. Tika hoped the local markets might offer some resources for them, though Shaw advised against purchasing meat from the market.

  “I get that you don't trust every market we go to, but I think it's worth investigating what they have.” She enjoyed the responsibility, which surprised her somewhat. While shopping might seem a natural for someone who came from a wealthy merchant family, she'd never really been a fan.

  “Take a look,” Shaw said after a moment's contemplation. “Do some crosschecking. Don't buy from the first merchant you meet.”

  The very idea that she would go with the first product she found from the first merchant just offended her. “Do you really think I was born yesterday? You don't think I know how to comparison shop? That I can't find the best deals? What you take me for, a fool?”

  “No, I take you for someone who loaded your
own kidnapper on board with all the supplies when I told you to be very careful and scan everything before you brought it on the ship.” The fact that Shaw didn't look at her during the simple statement in no way removed the sting from it.

  Guilt and shame flushed through her and her cheeks warmed. With a glare at Kestral, she folded her arms and said, “Point taken. I will exercise greater caution on this shopping trip.”

  “Oh, I know you will,” Shaw said as an alert echoed from the comm station. “Kestral will be going everywhere you do. Keep that in mind.”

  That was news to her. “Why?”

  Shaw smiled. “Because he's a man of his word.”

  Suddenly uneasy, she frowned. “But he wanted to return me to my father. Do you really think I can trust him to just follow me around on a foreign base that I don't know anything about?”

  “Do you trust me?” Before she could answer the question, Zed notified Shaw they their clearance for landing. Tika had to take her place. Shaw sent a message to Kestral who was in his quarters. He still wasn't allowed in the cockpit, which said something for Shaw's level of trust where the bounty hunter was concerned.

  “Yes,” she said. “I do trust you. That doesn't mean I trust him.”

  “You don't have to trust him, just trust that he'll do what he said he’d do.”

  In other words, she could trust Kestral because she could trust Shaw. For some reason, the warnings Kestral gave her back on the planet echoed through the back of her mind. “Do you mind if I borrow a gun?”

  Shaw laughed. “Not at all as long as you know how to use one.”

  Docking took the better part of an hour. Apparently, there were more hoops to jump through on EA-2187 than she experienced on any previous world, except for perhaps the Port of York. However nothing she saw on the databook indicated that EA-2187 was a smuggler’s den. She also couldn't find a name for the planet. They disembarked and met the dock master then provided their papers for his inspection. Tika looked around, hoping there might be a sign that said something as simple as welcome to planet X… But she saw nothing of the sort.

  With the ship secure and their ID cards registered, Shaw separated from them to hair off on his private business. Business he didn’t seem interested in sharing. Kestral said nothing to her as they headed toward the market. Tika brought up map on the datalink which gave her a rough estimate of retail areas versus market versus restaurants and entertainment zones. Nothing about EA-2187 was particularly remarkable. It was a standard industrial metropolitan complex with residences stretching out into the distance.

  Everything around the docking port seemed geared toward facilitating ships bringing in and picking up supplies, refueling, or receiving repairs. Since they needed something more, Tika led the way deeper into the city. Public transport in the form of trolley cars traveled along the center of the streets. Land vehicles zoomed past at breakneck speeds, though they didn't seem to be coming up onto the walkways which made her feel better.

  “Petrol supplied cars,” Kestral commented. As Shaw mentioned, Kestral accompanied her, but he stayed just a few feet behind or ranged out to the side or once moved in front of her. The shock shackle kept him from walking right next to her or in any way approaching her. That alone seemed to add to her level of acceptance for his company.

  “We have some on New Athens.” They weren't popular, though many of the younger crowd like to take them out for racing. In the cities, they preferred the less intrusive electronic vehicles that made little noise and created no pollution.

  “I've seen them before.” Kestral definitely didn't sound all that impressed. “They’re pretty nasty, to be perfectly honest. Wouldn’t mind that one though.” He nodded toward a red open-top speeder zipping past them.

  “Makes sense that you’d want something with speed.”

  “Am I getting on your nerves, lady-o?”

  “Not at all,” she lied. “I see the edge of the marketing area there,” she said changing the subject and pointing ahead. “We've got a big list. Do you want to split up? You can look for half while I look for the other half, we compare prices and meet in the middle?”

  “No dice. I don't shop. I don't carry bags. And I don't haggle over prices.”

  “Well what do you do?”

  “I look pretty.” He smiled, and nothing friendly lived in that smile. “And I look mean.”

  Well, the latter part would definitely help with the haggling. Shaking her head, Tika led the way and began to hunt for the supplies they needed.

  Two hours later, her eyes were sore, her feet hurt, and she had a headache that wouldn't quit. It reminded her great deal of when Kestral had whacked her in the head, but it came more from dealing with merchants who refused to budge on their prices and the quality of supplies which was less than optimal. She'd already declined purchasing meat from a dozen different vendors, and only one had something passable—pork that she might consider, and only because it was salted heavily. Kestral said nothing as she handled her negotiations, but she could almost feel his approval each time she turned a merchant down flat when they refuse to haggle with her. The art of a good deal meant the willingness to bend. Always set your price high, and allow the customer to whittle you down. That way you still made a profit and you gain the customer.

  These guys didn't seem to care whether they ever came back. What she supposed made sense, since they weren’t really planning on returning. She decided to take a break and purchase a pocket sandwich from a kiosk vendor. Kestral headed to a different cart, selecting some juices. While she waited for her sandwiches, she spotted her.

  The young woman hugged the edge of the crowd, staying just out of sight around corners. Their gazes collided for a brief moment, and Tika froze then frowned. She didn't know this girl, but she understood the desperation she glimpsed in her eyes. It was desperation Tika had felt herself.

  Shooting a glance over her shoulder, she found Kestral flirting with the kiosk vendor. Mildly disgusted, Tika ordered another pocket sandwich from her vendor then paid after assuring him she would return in a moment. Another glance to check that Kestral hadn’t looked at her, then she cut across the crowd toward the fringe where the girl stood watching everyone pass by hungrily.

  As soon as the girl realized Tika was coming toward her, she shrank back further. Tika showed her an empty palm and held up the sandwich as she tried to narrow the distance between them. “I mean no harm,” she said, hoping the girl spoke basic English. Another throwback to old Earth Prime. Though a thousand cultures left the planet to colonize other worlds and a thousand languages traveled with them, English had fallen into the common usage for intercolonial travelers. Growing up in a merchant family, Tika had been required to learn it alongside Greek, Latin, and Farsi. She was fluent in all four, and spoke a smattering of other languages—just enough to get by and to make a deal.

  This close, she could tell the girl wasn't so much young as she was dramatically underweight, dirty, and very much afraid. While the poor thing didn't race off at her approach, Tika kept her distance and then offered the sandwich.

  “You look hungry.” Maybe she had a soft heart, but on her planet people didn't go hungry. It was the responsibility of all to make sure even the least their citizens had something to eat.

  With an almost inscrutable expression, the woman studied her and the outstretched food. “Why?” The huskiness in her voice sounded wrong, as though she hadn't had a drink in days. Maybe Tika should go get her some water while she was at it.

  “Because you look hungry.”

  Still, the woman didn't take the food. Tika spared a quick glance behind her, to find Kestral still flirting. He hadn’t noticed that she'd wandered off. It wouldn't take long though, because when he finally did notice, she knew without a doubt he come in search of her. Looking back at the woman she said, “I don't want anything for it, and I don't expect anything. Here, take this food before they notice I'm gone. Would you like something to drink, too?”

  Two m
ore heartbeats passed, then the woman snatched the pocket sandwich from her hand and quickly backed away. The need to maintain a safe space, Tika could understand.

  “The sandwich is enough.” Well, certainly it seemed like enough, but Tika thought she could probably use a drink.

  “I tell you what, I'll pay for one over at the sandwich vender. As soon as we've moved on, you can go over and get it. Does that sound fair?”

  The woman frowned at her, even as she took a huge bite of the sandwich. Then another. After three rapid bites, she had chewed through half of it. There was no way she could even taste the food as rapidly as she was eating it.

  “You don't have to do that.”

  “Of course I don't have to do it,” Tika said feeling enormously satisfied the woman was at least eating. “I don't have to do anything I don't want to do.” Wasn't that why she hadn't wanted to follow through with her father’s contracted marriage? The freedom to make her own choices in life.

  Feeding this woman was the right thing to do. Giving her nod, Tika left her to eat and returned to the vendor. She retrieved her sandwich then tendered payment for a bottle of water. Tika motioned in the direction of the wall, then told the vendor the other woman would come to fetch her bottle. He seemed less interested in who was getting the water, than he was in charging for the extra sale.

  Satisfied she’d done what she could, Tika turned to find Kestral watching her and shaking his head. He nodded to one of the fruit drinks he purchased left on the kiosk waiting for. He backed away one step every step she took toward him. Once she claimed the drink, they moved as a unit toward a set of stone staircases on the far side of the courtyard. A part of her was glad they didn't go to where the woman had been hiding, but the rest of her kind of wished they had. She kept watching for her to go and fetch the drink, but never saw her show up. Hopefully she did.

  “Shouldn't feed the rabble.”

  “The last thing I need is advice from you,” she told Kestral. “I get that you wouldn't do anything unless someone paid you to do it.”