1.5

“How ya’ been girl?” He sounded pleased to hear from her.

“Rix, I need a favor.”

“You OK? What’s wrong?” He could hear the nervous tone in her voice.

“I’m stuck on Prom. Some scavengers hit my ship.”

“Shit, I don’t even wanna know what you’re doin’ out there. You need a ride out?”

“Yeah, if you could, I don’t know anyone else round here.”

“Sure, how big’s your ship?”

“It’s a class-F. Hetzer-Jerik mark 8. It’s in the North port. Hangar A16.” Saeera heard Rix yelling in Quetel to someone in his office. There was a pause, and then he yelled again, more urgent this time. After another exchange, Rix got back on the phone.

“Only ship can hold yours won’t be back for a couple hours. It’ll take a couple more to get out there. You got time to kill?” he asked. Saeera checked the time on the PDC. Thirty three hours. She didn’t have time to kill.

“Yeah, I’ll figure something out.”

“North port, A16?” he asked.

“Yeah,” she replied. “Thanks, Rix.”

“See you soon.” Saeera hung up the phone. She walked over to the bar, sat down at a stool and ordered a Ten Cancha.

The fat woman looked up from her book again as Saeera walked through the lobby and out of Puccai House. Saeera squinted as the rush of wind blew sand against her face. The preacher now lay unconscious in front of the hotel. His face was bruised and blood dripped from his nose. Someone had stolen his crate. Saeera considered taking another look at the damage on her ship, but decided against it. Rix’s crew would only need a few hours on it and it would be fixed up. What she really did need was sleep. She’d been popping energy pills lately to stay awake, and as a result had only slept a few hours over the last four days. Even three hours would do her good.

She turned around and walked back into the bar. The bartender stood with his back to the door, leaning against the counter and watching the vidscreen. None of the other patrons noticed her. She found a corner where the bench seat butted up against a wall, and sat down. To keep her PDC safe, she moved it to her jacket’s inside pocket, and zippered it up. She put her hands in her pockets, her right around her gun, laid her head back, and within a few minutes, she was asleep.

End of Chapter 1