by James McEwan
Fiona was pissed, not that this bounty hunter was holding a gun on her. It was because she let him get the drop on him, “I would have preferred you be a freak I think, but it is all the same to you I will go easy, not because you have a gun on me, but because I like this dress and I’m in no mood to damage it.”
He flipped a switch on the pistol he was holding, “Good because you are worth more alive.” He pulled the trigger. A bright blue light lit up the small changing room, the stun beam hit Fiona straight on. She shook for a second before collapsing to the floor unconscious.
The sound of the stunner was somewhat muffled by the walls, and the door of the changing room, but it was loud enough to get Freya’s attention. “Fiona, you okay in there?”
There was no answer, but the door flung open and another bright blue flash lashed out at Freya. She also fell to the floor stunned. Riffrost turned the gun on Eve and fired again. Eve seeing what was going on chose to play along for now. The stun beam hit her in the chest and it kind of tickled, but had no effect, so she faked being stunned and landed on the floor next to Freya.
Riffrost loaded Freya and Fiona into a cart but when he lifted Eve she was much heavier than she looked, “Damn girl what the Hell have you been eating? You weigh a ton.” After much grunting, he loaded her into the cart with the others and made his escape via the back door down the alley behind the shop.
Thad was looking at a class three pleasure Yacht, “She is a beauty, fast, small and nothing can compare with the amenities inside,” Story said. “Would you like to look inside?”
Something did not feel right to him, he was not sure what, but something was bothering him. “Sure let’s see what she’s got,” Thad said, following him through the hatch.
Story led him around the ship. It was top of the line, and no doubt, he wanted a top of the line price too. After the tour, they walked down the ramp only to be greeted by a mess of police with guns drawn. Thad said out loud, “That’s not good.”
Story said over his shoulder, “Sorry son, as much as I would like to make a sale today, the reward on you is double what this is worth.”
Thad said, “No worries, you are doing what you think is right, but you should have taken the sale.”
Story’s eyes got a little bigger, “Why is that?”
“Because the people who want me will never pay you. In fact, you will probably be dead before I leave this planet,” Thad said as he walked past him, toward the police.
Story stood there, his jaw open, unable to speak.
A large police officer yelled at him, “Come here, with your hands were I can see them, or I will not hesitate to fill you full of holes!” Thad looked at the situation and chose to go quietly.
The twins awoke to find themselves lying on bunk beds in a small room, and from the look of it, they were on a spaceship of some kind. Freya on the bottom bed sat up first holding her head, “I feel like my head is about to explode. What the Hell happened?”
Eve was sitting on the floor with her back to the wall, “Welcome back to the land of the living. While you were out, I took the time to get to know the ship’s AI, a bit of an ass if you ask me. I mean who uses male AI’s anyway! They tend to be so arrogant.”
Fiona still lying on the top bunk rolled over and said, “And that differs from real men, how?” They all laughed.
“Oh, don’t make me laugh it hurts,” Freya said, holding her head.
Eve continued, “As I was saying, I got to know the ship’s AI, his name is Spike. Ghastly name if you ask me, anyway the man who stunned you all and has brought you on to this ship is a bounty hunter named Rankin Riffrost. He is fairly well-known bounty hunter and it looks if he is trying to cash in on the bounty on our heads.”
“Okay, so when he comes back in here we jump him and take him out,” Freya suggested.
“I have a better idea, leave it all to me,” Eve said with an evil smile.
Thad was booked into the Sky’s End City jail. The hours passed slowly for Thad, his thoughts drifted to the twins. I wonder what they are up to right now. Finally, a guard walked past Thad’s cell, “Hey don’t I get a phone call or something!”
The guard stopped, turned back towards Thad, “Not on this planet.”
“Well, a fat lot of good you are then,” Thad said, with frustration. The guard shrugged his shoulders and walked on.
As time passed, Thad thought my comm implant dummy. He tried to contact, Eve but as small as this city was they were smart enough to jam all comm signals coming from inside the jail. He gave up, for now, figuring that they girls would find him sooner or later. So he did the only thing he could, he laid down to try to get some sleep. He had just closed his eyes when the sounds of combat came from the inner office area.
Blue light flashed down the hallway, and crackling of electricity told Thad, someone, out there was using a stun weapon. He was not sure if it was the cops or someone else. The battle lasted for less than a minute. The cell block door opened and a tall, well-built black man, dressed in black and purple, carrying a stun rifle, walked up to his cell. He slid a key card through the lock, it buzzed, and the cell door popped open. “Now you come along quickly and quietly, I’m not sure I got them all.”
Thad was looking at the business end of a stunner rifle and had no intention of seeing it in action first hand, “Okay, but I’m not leaving without my gear.”
The man with the gun dropped a bag at Thad’s feet, “I thought you might want this stuff so I grabbed it for you. Now come on!”
Thad had no idea who this man was or why he was helping him, but right now he didn’t care. He scooped up the bag, “Lead the way,” Thad said, hoping to get him to walk in front of him.
“I didn’t get this far in life by being that stupid. You walk in front of me,” he replied as he pushed Thad with the barrel of the gun.
“Can’t fault a guy for trying,” Thad said.
“For your safety and the safety of your women, I suggest you don’t try anything else. Now move!” He pushed him again with a gun.
“So you are a bounty hunter?” Thad asked in an attempt to find out more about this man.
“Yep, the name is Riffrost, Rankin Riffrost and you are Thaddeus Hammer,” he said, as they walked down the hall. “You are worth a lot of money to me, so letting the cops take you in,” he paused to look around the hallway corner, “was just not in the cards.” The bounty hunter used the barrel of his rifle to direct Thad toward a folding ladder hanging from a hatch in the jail roof.
“Well, that explains the jailbreak then,” Thad said, as he climbed through the hatch.
On top of the jail was a waiting speeder, a nice open cockpit model. It was dirty but looked well maintained mechanically. The bounty hunter and Thad jumped in, and seconds later, they whooshed away. The ride was short mainly because Riffrost had his foot mashed down on the accelerator pedal. Arriving at the spaceport, Riffrost’s ship automatically opened its docking bay doors. Riffrost landed the speeder inside the ship, with the ease of a highly practiced maneuver.
“Get out,” he said. Thad complied and exited the speeder, then looked at his captor for the next instruction.
“Spike, I’m on board. Take off and head for Nova Texas,” He turned to Thad, “That way!” he pointed. The bay doors closed and the deck plates shook a little as the ship lifted skyward. Thad was directed to a door, “Spike, open up our guest quarters please.” The lock on the door changed from red to green, then slid open. Inside the door were the twins and Eve. As soon as he stepped through, the twins threw their arms around him, nearly knocking him off his feet.
“I’m glad you folks are having a happy reunion and all, but we are on our way to Nova Texas so you all behave and we will have no problems. Understood?” Riffrost did not wait for a response. He closed the door, and the lock once again showed red.
“So what’s the plan now?” Fiona asked.
Thad looked around, “Well, this little development saves me having to buy a ship.
This means I’m going to have to get Mr. Riffrost on our side.”
Freya asked, “What happens if you can’t get him to our side?”
“I would hate to have to take Mr. Riffrost out, but I’m not about to let him hand us over and that is for sure,” Thad said.
Eve spoke, “I have a plan.”
Thad smiled, “A plan?”
Eve stood up, “Yes, I have a plan. Don’t worry, it will work.” She patted Thad's shoulder. “Spike, would you be a dear and have Mr. Riffrost come back here please.”
They heard a male voice over the speakers, “Sure thing Eve.”
Thad laughed, “What, did you do charm the ship’s AI?”
“Kind of, I spent a lot of time talking to him. He is not very smart for an AI. I cracked his security codes and took control of him. He doesn’t know it, but as soon as I’m done with him, he is getting erased.” Eve said, with an evil smile on her face again.
“Then I guess I will, sit back and let the lady work,” Thad said, as he sat down on the lower bed next to Freya.
It took a few minutes before the door opened and Riffrost stepped through still holding his stunner, “What now?”
Eve started towards him, “I understand these three have bounties on their head, but I do not so I would like to know why I’m being held with the rest of them?”
“Stop right there missy, not another step, or I will have to stun you again.” Riffrost was not falling for her simple advance. “You are part of their group so I just can’t let you go. If the people who pay the bounty don’t want you then they can let you go. Now if there is nothing more? I have things to do.”
“I’m sorry Mr. Riffrost that is not acceptable. I demand you let me go this second.” Eve placed her hands on her hips in an effort to appear upset.
“Look, lady, if you keep this up I will let you go, out the airlock! Now sit down and shut up.” He pointed the stunner straight at Eve.
“Mr. Riffrost, I will not be treated in this manner.” Crack, the stunner fired and in that split second Eve covered the distance between them. She grabbed the gun in one hand and Riffrost’s throat in the other. She crushed the gun as if it were no more than an eggsHell. The bounty hunter’s eyes bulged as she lifted Riffrost off his feet. His feet flailed the air. He grabbed her hand trying desperately not to pass out as her steel grip stopped his breath.
Riffrost was somehow able to say, “But how?”
Thad stood up, “You made a couple of mistakes. First, you took the job. That was not smart. Second, you came alone and third you failed to body scan the women. If you had, you would have known our lovely Eve is not human, but a very intelligent and wise AI, in an upgraded armored combat bot body. Stunners don’t work on her.”
“I knew she was too heavy,” Riffrost mumbled.
Thad could see the worry in Riffrost eyes, “Don’t worry Riffrost. She will not kill you. She still has safety protocols which prevent her from killing.”
Eve squeezed a little harder and he passed out, “But you didn’t tell him that I could hurt him.”
Thad laughed, “My bad.”
Freya put her hand on Thad’s shoulder, “When did you upgrade Eve’s frame?”
He smiled, “Just before we left Nome. I thought it might come in handy.”
Eve took Mr. Riffrost to the airlock, tossed him in, and closed the door behind him. He landed with a thud that woke him up. Still groggy, it took him a few seconds to realize where he was. He jumped to his feet and ran to the inner airlock door where he saw Eve standing on the other side. He started pounding on the door with his fists, “Open this door, damn it! You can’t do this to me on my own ship!” Eve stood there smiling at him through the window in the door. “He said you couldn’t kill me! So let me out!”
“That is right, but you see I removed the safety protocols from Spike so he can kill you for me,” Eve said over the intercom.
“Spike would never do that to me! You lie! Open the fucking door, damn it!” His voice was growing more desperate.
“Spike, would you be a dear and open the outer door to airlock one please?” Eve asked over the intercom so that Riffrost could hear her.
“Sure thing Eve, I would do anything for you!” Spike replied.
Riffrost was going ballistic with fear and rage, “Spike you piece of shit computer how you can let a woman computer do this to me!”
“Sorry Rif, she is nicer to me and she promised to stay with me after you’re gone, so I will never be alone again,” Spike said, as the door timer started to count down from thirty.
Thad spoke, “You know Mr. Riffrost I think if you chose to work with us, instead of against us, maybe we can find a way to stop the countdown.”
“Anything, just don’t kill me!” He was begging now.
Eve looked at the man on the other side of the window, “I’m not going to kill you, Spike is. I guess you should have been nicer to him.” Eve smiled at him, then turned and walked to way.
“Damn you! You bitch!” He screamed
“Not the right answer,” Thad said, with less than five seconds left.
Riffrost was holding on to the airlock door as tight as he could, “I’m sorry, just don’t kill me,” he pleaded for his life.
The countdown stopped and the air was purged from the airlock. “No,” was all he could get out before the air was gone and he passed out.
On the bridge, Freya and Fiona were sitting in the pilots’ seats checking out their new ship when Eve and Thad walked in. Fiona asked, over her shoulder, without looking up, “Where is Mr. Riffrost?”
Eve said nonchalantly, “He decided to take a walk.”
She whipped around in the chair, “What?”
“Let’s just say, that I gave him the cold shoulder,” Eve said.
“Eve what did you do with him?” Freya asked
“You are no fun. I just told you twice,” she said as Fiona gave her a stern look. “I put him in the airlock, that’s all.”
“So he is still in the airlock?” Freya asked.
“Well no, Thad wouldn’t let me tell Spike to space him, so he is in the infirmary resting. He should be awake soon, and with one Hell of a headache.”
“We may need him, so no killing him for now,” Thad said. Turning his attention to the ship he said, “Well, she might not look like much, but she is perfect for our needs. Not flashy, she will not draw any attention, and I’m sure being a bounty hunter’s ship, she has a few surprises up her sleeves.”
Eve spoke, “Everyone, I would like to introduce the ship’s new AI.”
Thad looked at her sideways, “New AI?”
“Yes, I didn’t care for Spike, so I eased him out and programmed a new one. Say Hello Pearl.”
A warm, but gruff voice said, “Hello.”
They all looked at Eve. It was bad enough she turned a male AI into a female one, but she made it sound like it was a male turned female, “What in heaven was that?” Thad asked.
“It was the best I could do with his software and sound gear,” she said.
“Great, nothing like a transgendered computer to make my day easier,” Thad laughed.
Mr. Riffrost awoke to find that he was not dead, but in fact very much alive. He was strapped to a bed in his own ship’s infirmary. He called out, “Spike where you are?”
A warm but gruff voice came over the loudspeakers, “I’m sorry, Spike has been reprogrammed and is no more.”
“Reprogrammed into to what?” He asked.
“That would be into me. Hello, I am Pearl, your ship’s new AI,” she said.
Before he could say anything else Thad walked in, “There have been a few changes while you were out,” he said.
“What are you talking about, and why am I not dead?” Riffrost asked.
“You are not dead because I had the computer programmed to vent the air, but not open the outer door. The reason I did this is was because I wanted you near death. I wanted your full attention for what I am going to say next and I�
�m only going to say it once,” Thad said, with a deadpan look on his face.
Riffrost said, “I’m listening.”
“First and foremost, I did you a favor by taking over your ship. If you had tried to cash in on the bounty the people who offered the bounty would have killed you long before paying you,” Thad said.
His eyes got very wide, “Kill me for a bounty, no way, I don’t believe it.”
Thad gaze was cold as ice, “Believe it Riffrost, I used to be one of them, and that is what I did for a living.” Thad did not wait for it to process, “I have business on Nova Texas, and I can’t have you running to the cops or anyone else for that matter. So here is what is going to happen, we are going to fly to Nova Texas. You will stay confined to your quarters for the rest of the trip. When we are done, after we leave your ship, you may have it back and you will be paid more than what the bounty offered.”
“Okay, so I play along for now, what is to stop me from calling you in the second you are off my ship?” He asked.
Thad tilted his head towards the bounty hunter’s chest, “See the scar?” He waited as Riffrost’s eyes went wide looking at a long scar running down his chest. “That is what we are going to call insurance. If we don’t check in every hour on the hour,” Thad paused for effect. “Well, you go boom.”
Shocked, he recoiled back as if Thad was a snake, “You put a fucking bomb in me?”
“It is not a fucking bomb, but a very ordinary bomb, which will suffice to vaporize most of your upper body. If you are really good you will find the instructions on how to safely remove it, when you get paid.” Thad smiled grimly as he left the room.
Back on the bridge, Eve asked Thad, “So did Riffrost buy it?”
“Hook, line, and sinker,” Thad said.
Fiona who was not in on this part of the plan asked, “What are you two talking about?”
Eve answered, “Thad told him that we implanted a bomb in his chest and if he didn’t play nice it was bye, bye time.”
