Skulls & Crossbones

by Andi Marquette

  This time, the woman sprawled in the captain's chair burst out laughing.

  The Passenger

  Megan Magill

  "Cargo's all on, Skipper."

  Seri grabbed the tablet from the wall and glanced through the inventory. Nothing unusual. Good. The cargo bay looked about three-quarters full. Better than it could be. "Thanks, Panda." She turned and headed for command.

  After the cargo hold, the rest of the ship always seemed cramped. Efficient was the word she used to the crew. From nose to tail was four minutes' walk and that was with the doors on manual. Sure, a little more luxury would be nice but Solero had plenty of sky leagues left in her. Plus, she'd been in the family for years. Trading her in was not an option.

  Command was as familiar to Seri as her childhood bedroom. Funny, given how they'd often been one and the same. These days, though, it was Jed who sat at the nav panel. His screen cycled through the flight charts as he logged their imminent journey. "Any problems?"

  "Nothing major," he answered without looking up. "There's the possibility of barricades near Ravira. Fuel workers striking again."

  "Again? Well, we have no choice this time. About half the cargo's destined for Ravira."

  "I'll keep monitoring."

  "Thanks." Seri lifted her wrist to her face and spoke into the talker.

  "Kerfith."

  "Here."

  "How are you getting on? We're nearly done on this end."

  "Getting there. I'm just sorting some papers. We have a passenger as far as Andreas."

  Seri saw her own frown reflected in the windscreen. "Okay. Brief me later."

  "Sounds like we need to break open the good rations," Jed said, his fingers still moving on the input screen.

  "Yeah." Seri sighed. "I suppose we usually get away with it. Once in a blue moon isn't so bad."

  "We could always start transporting the hazardous stuff , then we could get out of it."

  "You wouldn't be saying that if you'd been around to see the Hulkerian Flu outbreak. The nav guy we had then had forty-seven pustules, if I remember rightly."

  Jed grimaced. "Point taken."

  Seri left him with that thought as she headed for the sleeping quarters.

  "Panda." She addressed the talker as she walked.

  "Yes."

  "We've got company so you're bunking with me. Move your stuff over pronto."

  "Aye, Skipper."

  Seri held her palm up to the reader outside her door. The green light flashed and the door slid open. She tapped the lock open switch then walked into her haven with mixed emotions. "Heads up, guys," she addressed the guinea pigs, "we're getting company." The top bunk housed books, clothes, and a half-empty bottle of toffee liqueur. She tidied it all and made up the bed with fresh linen. "At least it's only Panda." The guinea pigs didn't comment. "What do you mean by only Panda?"

  Seri turned and smiled at her. "I was just reassuring the boys. You know they don't like change."

  "It's hardly a change for me to be in here. Although, I suppose it has been a while."

  It was true. "Well, this time we have a passenger."

  Panda's dark eyes showed interest. "Anyone famous?"

  "On here?" Seri laughed. "Mind you, now that you mention it, I think it might be the latest Elvis clone."

  "Good." Panda heaved her bag onto the top bunk. "Maybe some of that creativity will rub off on me. Or, better yet, those hip gyrations." She shuffled across the floor in a strange flow of undulations.

  Seri shook her head. "Don't give up the day job."

  "Are you okay with me staying?" Panda looked suddenly serious.

  "Of course. Anyway, there're only four rooms. Or do you think Jed and Kerfith could share without maiming each other?" She pressed to open the drawer under her bunk and busied herself putting away clothes. "So, who is it?"

  "I don't know." She checked her watch. "Have you finished your pre-flight duties?"

  "Yep."

  "All right. Liaise with Kerfith. The passenger should be joining us any time now, and your curiosity has nominated you as official tour guide." Panda pulled a face. "Thanks."

  "Any time. I'll be in command." They stepped into the corridor. "When you see Kerfith, tell him to report in."

  "Sure." Panda started walking but then paused and turned. "Oh, and Skipper?"

  "Mmm?"

  "Cocoa at twenty-three hundred hours."

  Seri walked into the lounge and put the portable control unit on the counter. The automatic pilot could take care of most things, but the PCU gave her complete control from anywhere in the ship. "Should we wait?" Jed asked.

  "No, let's eat. I'm starving." Kerfith grabbed a bread roll.

  "She's not coming, anyway," Panda said. "She's got a headache so she's turned in early."

  "The passenger?" Seri asked. "What's she like?"

  "Sexy," Kerfith said.

  "After two months on board, you'd say that about anything," Panda said.

  "She seems okay. Says she's flown a lot, and seems to know her way around a ship."

  "Any idea why she wants to fly with us?"

  "No. She says she has friends to visit in Andreas but that's all I know."

  "So, I guess we have to keep this one legit, eh, Skipper?" Kerfith asked.

  Seri thought for a moment. "We'll see. I want to meet her before we decide. The cargo bay's about three-quarters full but it's grunt work. Nothing of value. It'll pay our way but I was expecting we'd supplement our income en route."

  "She could be an inspector," Jed said.

  "I don't think so," Panda said. "She doesn't have that public service vibe." Seri turned her attention to her bowl of stew. "We'll find out soon enough."

  Later that night, Seri awoke to the alarm of the PCU. She crossed to her desk and checked in.

  "Ungh?" The noise came from the top bunk.

  "Just an electrical storm. Go back to sleep." She reviewed the recommended course change and saw that it would take them a little too close to some old hunting ground. Let's not. She folded up the PCU, left her quarters, and headed for command.

  Using the navigational database only took her about ten minutes to find and set an alternate route. There were some territorial gangs in this area, and she really didn't want trouble. Those were the sorts of details she could miss when tapping away on the PCU in her room. The adjustment would only add a small delay to their journey, so they would still be able to complete their first cargo drop in the morning. She checked her watch. It was too close to morning to go back to bed. She'd only feel worse when the alarm went off . Instead, she headed to the lounge in search of coffee.

  When she got there, she found the pot was hot. Odd. She was always the first up, even without the head start. There were no other signs of life in the lounge. She poured herself a coffee, added creamer and extra sugar, then headed off to investigate. She didn't even bother looking for Jed—he was only ever in his room, command, or the lounge. Kerfith or Panda both had duties that covered the rest of the ship. Seri headed to the engine room first. If there was something going on there, she needed to know.

  She took a pair of ear defenders from the rail outside, then headed in. The noise was intense, even with the protection. There was no way to call out so she just did a quick visual check. Everything looked fine and there was nobody around. Good. She returned the ear defenders to the rail and walked to the cargo bay. As always, she breathed a little easier in the big room. Even three-quarters full, it was more spacious than anywhere else. The high ceiling and clear floor space made her want to dance. She squashed the desire. "Hello, Seri."

  Seri turned, recognising the voice before her eyes found the speaker. "Liz."

  "The one and only." Liz stepped closer. She looked much as she had the last time they'd met. "You don't look pleased to see me."

  "I should have guessed that you're the mystery passenger."

  "I know. I should have told you straight away, but I didn't want to distract you."

 
Or risk being returned to port. Seri took a swig of her coffee. What was she supposed to say? "I helped myself to coffee. I hope you don't mind."

  "Of course not. You're a passenger aboard this ship, which means your comfort is important to us."

  Liz snorted. "I should think so, at that price. How do you get away with charging it? It's extortionate."

  Seri shrugged. "It encourages potential passengers to look elsewhere. We're not a particularly sociable bunch."

  "I suppose you don't take anyone unless you have to?"

  "No. We need to keep the passenger ship status for the routes and ports it opens up. I'd have thought you knew that better than anyone."

  "Yes." She looked at the cargo and frowned. "You're using a lot of space." Seri shrugged again and immediately wished she hadn't. It was her ship and her decision. "We had paying customers."

  "Of course. It's a good cover, too." Liz leant toward her. "You will be pirating between here and Andreas?" Her eyes had an almost manic glint. "It depends on the situation. Now that I know we don't have to try and hide it from a passenger, it's more likely."

  "You must. You can't just do this." Liz swept her arm in the direction of the cargo. "You can do better than haulage."

  Seri sipped her coffee again and fought the urge to shrug.

  "In position."

  "And ready to go."

  Seri knelt on one knee and wriggled to get comfortable. She activated the magnets on her right boot and left knee and felt the force grip her against the deck. A test bounce confirmed the dock was sound. Even after a lifetime of pirating, she still had nightmares about falling into the stratosphere. "Okay. Move in, Jed." Her voice sounded distorted through the oxygen mask. She reached for the wrist straps anchored on the hull and hung on as the surge of momentum propelled them forward.

  After about a minute, she saw the vapour trail of the other ship. Not long now. A sudden lurch, and Solero tilted. Seri could see the tips of mountains through the gaps in the clouds. She shut her eyes. The sudden tilt the other way proved their quarry was trying to evade them. Solero was fast, though. Externally, she was nondescript, but the contents of the engine room was cutting edge. She could outrun any ship straight off the line, thanks to the latest kit and some creative customisations.

  Seri opened her eyes once they had steadied. They were drawing level with the other ship, and she could see the faces looking out the windows. Time to go. She released the laser gun from its deck bindings and readied it. The shape of the hull prevented her from seeing the others but she knew Panda and Kerfith would be doing the same. The faces disappeared from the windows opposite and the other ship accelerated. Seri grabbed the wrist strap with one hand and gripped the gun with the other. Too many guns were lost when the quarry faked compliance.

  To her left, Seri heard the high-pitched pulse of Panda's gun. Hopefully, that was the warning shot. Any pilot should realise that the pirate guns had enough power to breach a hull. If he had any sense, he wouldn't test them. Again, they drew level with the other ship and this time, they maintained speed. The creak of metal told her Jed was extending the landing bridge. She watched it cross the sky between them, then heard it lock in place against their hull.

  Seri tested the line anchor on the belt of her suit. It was solid. She deactivated the magnet on her knee and set both her boot magnets to walk. Her thigh muscles strained as she headed to the bridge. Kerfith was there before her. She never had understood the thrill he found in this. She'd have been glad if she'd never had to do it again. From the bridge, she looked back and saw Panda in position, holding her gun so the other pilot could see it. Seri had heard of other ships where they'd ripped apart mid-bridge. The damage to both hulls had doomed them all, and she'd always wondered if these were accidents or the actions of a crew with such a hatred of pirates that they sacrificed their ship.

  Kerfith opened the door then turned to hook his anchor line to await the journey back. Only a few steps behind, Seri did the same. When they were both in the air lock, they closed the outer door and readied for the fight, deactivating their boot magnets. Seri exchanged her gun for her laser sword, and Kerfith shook his head. She ignored him and opened the inner door, then stepped back in anticipation of the charge. Kerfirth ran past with his gun primed.

  Inside, two security guards met them. Seri went for the farthest one, using the momentum of her run to power the swing of her sword. He wasn't the first to freeze at the sight of it. She'd customised it herself and, to her knowledge, there wasn't anything else like it. Her swing knocked the gun from his hands and he looked at her with wide eyes. "Hands above your head."

  Kerfith's guard was on the ground. No shots had been fired so she guessed Kerfith had opted for hand-to-hand.

  "Tie him." She waited while Kerfith obeyed.

  "Right. Take us to the passengers." She gestured to her prisoner to lead. Kerfith followed. They walked though a short corridor, then into a large room. About twenty people were clustered in the corner. They looked terrified.

  "There's no need for alarm," Seri said. "We're just here to relieve you of some excess weight. If you comply without fuss, there will be no need for anyone to be harmed." She gave Kerfith the "cover me" look, then stepped forward.

  Seri started at the left-hand side of the group and moved right. She held open the bag as her eyes searched each of them for valuables. "That's a lovely watch, sir. In the bag, please. Yes, your handheld, too, and your coins. Beautiful necklace, madam. May I?"

  "This is outrageous." The man in front of her stopped the woman from handing over her necklace. "Where are our guards? You have no right. We're civilians under the protection of Terran law."

  "All good points. However, we are the ones with weapons, so please don't argue."

  "You're just a bully." He tried to grab the bag. When she pulled it out of

  the way, he drew his fist back to punch. Before he could throw, he yelped and grabbed at his midriff .

  Seri lowered her sword. She'd barely nicked him. "I don't like hurting people but I will if I have to. Your choice."

  He stepped back. The woman dropped the necklace into the bag. Others farther down the line prepared their donations. As she collected more coins, Seri saw a young woman near the end tuck a ring into her waistband. She carried on normally until she reached her.

  "Something tells me that you have a treasure you don't want to part with."

  The woman looked defiant. "I don't think any of us want to part with our belongings."

  Seri felt the twist of a smile on her face. "Quite. Perhaps from you, I'll take a different kind of treasure."

  The woman inhaled audibly. Seri leant forward and kissed her cheek. She stepped back out of reach before the woman had a chance to react. "Thank you."

  It seemed the woman couldn't decide whether to smile or slap her. Seri didn't wait to find out. "Thank you, all. We hope you have a pleasant onward journey."

  Kerfith held his gun ready whilst they returned to the bridge and crossed back to their own ship. Seri wondered whether he was disappointed that there had been no chance to shoot. She was glad, though. When they were safe aboard Solero Jed started an evasive path that would return them to their route. Now, they were back to playing plain hauliers.

  "Let's see what we've got." All five aboard the Solero were clustered around the table in the lounge. Seri upended her bag. The loot spilled over the surface with the distinctive chink of metal on metal. They spread it out with flat hands, then inspected.

  "This is nice." Panda held a ring up to the light. "Good-sized emerald." Kerfith grabbed one of the watches and strapped it to his wrist. "Whatcha think?"

  "I think it'd sell well," Jed said. He rummaged for cash, then started to count it.

  Seri looked at the pile. It all seemed rather numbing. Perhaps she'd been doing it so long she'd become accustomed to the thrill of spoils. "There're a few handheld computers. Do you think you'll be able to deactivate the homing beacons?"

  Jed paused his co
unting to look. "I'd say so. We'll have to dump any that won't."

  "Is that it?" Liz prodded the heap with her finger. "What about cargo or luggage? Did you empty the safe? They must have hidden it all when they were trying to get away."

  "This is enough," Seri said.

  "Enough? What does enough have to do with it?"

  The others looked uncomfortable. "Enough to live on," Seri said. "Enough to tide us over when shipping's poor. Enough to treat our loved ones to some luxury. Enough to keep the ship at her peak. Enough."

  "But you're pirates. It has nothing to do with enough. You're free. You take what you want."

  "Not on this ship, we don't," Kerfith muttered.

  Panda glared at him. Seri searched for a way to explain.

  Liz pre-empted her. "I see." She turned and left the room.

  Jed and Kerfith moved to the seating, one with his watch and the other with the cash. Panda looked at Seri. "Why do you let her speak to you like that? You're the skipper."

  Seri gathered up the loot and stuffed it back in the bag. "She has a point. With the sky riding and the guns, it's not like there aren't risks."

  "You run this ship, and we follow willingly. I don't know who she is and I don't care. Perhaps I should tell her that."

  "Don't, Panda. You don't know what she's like."

  "I see you do," Panda said before she strode away.

  Seri looked across at Kerfith. "Ready?" He nodded.

  She grabbed the circular handle of the inner door and turned it, hand over hand. When she heard it release, she pushed hard. Immediate laser fire filled the gap. Seri flattened into the cover of the door frame. The shots glowed orange. The defenders had opted for the maximum force they could use without damaging the ship. This was going to be harder than last time. Kerfith leant forward and sent sporadic shots back. Seri smelled the burn of at least one connection. The defender fire slowed and Kerfith took more time to aim. After another couple of rounds, they stopped firing. "Good job."