“Space Race: bursting through the heavens!”
The crowd became dead silent. Millions of people becoming so still sent shivers up the spine, and the air became thick with joyous anticipation. Chairwoman Stellkei stood by her wife’s side, raising a white handkerchief in the air, a symbol of the fluttering pure hearts gathered there and the heightened suspense they helped create. Engines were revved up and pilots nervously hovered over the accelerators. Sweat poured over skin. Palms became slick. Mouths turned dry. Pulses soared. Hands were held. Time itself seemed to freeze for but a moment.
All Hell seemed to break loose as Ivy dropped the handkerchief and the race began.
“Steady as she goes,” Kay murmured to herself. “Shields up at maximum and thrust is level. Plotting a course for our first checkpoint.”
“That’s at the next planet, so we’ve got a ways to go yet,” Tee answered. She sighed as the Dauntless stood poised with infinite blackness ahead of it, their goal little more than a pinprick on the monitor. “We registered too late; we were left in the rear at the starting gate. You and I will have to do some serious flying if we hope to catch up.”
“We’re being saturated with particle energy waves, most likely the wake of the other ships. Shields still holding. We’ll drop them once we leave Centania’s gravity field. Gravitational acceleration is expected to weaken in T-minus fifteen. Preparing boosters to break away.”
“At least that satellite’s not in our way,” Tee observed, referring to the orbiting space mine the ships had circled in their practice run. The Hagan system was one of the largest in the entire galaxy, boasting a staggering twenty planets, most of them very hospitable. That this area had been overlooked so long for the races was simply baffling: it suggested a long, tricky course that could defeat lesser pilots and even put veterans to hard work. The circuit basically revolved around weaving through most of the twenty planets and their respective moons, going around the sun, then coming back the other way, but even this cursory summary provided a daunting challenge.
The pilots were given use of Centania’s gravity to boost their run, but after that, they were on their own until they reached the halfway point. The course ran straight to Hagan 10, a prosperous world famed for its schools (thanks to the Stellkei group), then it filtered through a dust cloud that floated between the ninth and tenth planets. Hagan 9 was slightly harsher to live on, but rich with minerals that built up from the dust, and a docking station awaited the pilots who needed a quick pit stop. It would also be the first checkpoint; the second was Hagan 6, a temperate world with a small, easygoing population that largely focused on agriculture and trade. It was the perfect place to relax for a few hours, but so was its moon, Oika. Pilots were expected to squeeze between the two worlds in order to activate the checkpoint—certainly not a job for novices.
The third checkpoint was on Hagan 2, an unpopulated, uncultured world that was constantly blasted by volcanic fire and ash. Despite this hellishness, it was theoretically habitable, but the only people who ever landed there were researchers and miners. Pilots would
have to actually land for a moment in order to activate the marker; the next one orbited the sun itself, sailing on solar flares and powerful gravity blasts. The next three checkpoints became progressively more difficult to approach: one was smack in the middle of an asteroid field, another was actually in an ocean, and the next-to-last waited patiently on Hagan 20, after a long, arduous stretch of nothingness—the very edge of the Hagan system. Pilots were expected to make one final revolution before heading to the last checkpoint, a relatively simple marker erected amongst the wispy rings of Hagan 16. The final segment was one long stretch of space where pilots would ideally turn their engines to full throttle and make one last dash for the finish.
Registering for this grand event cost a pretty sum of 100,000 gold, but that was “all expenses paid”, including hotel rooms, fueling and maintenance, docking fees, and of course, ship and life insurance. A first-place winner could expect to win a million in gold, while second prize was 500,000, third was 250,000, and a consolation prize of 100,000 went to fourth, so naturally there were people who considered this race a good investment. Businesses promoted their latest models of ships while other companies advertised new defensive measures or more efficient fuel, and some went for the publicity stunt angle. In summary, even though it was generally considered a form of entertainment, many people took the Space Races very seriously.
Most of the women aboard the Dauntless could only put their faith in the skills of the Acheron sisters. Some, like Herut, Kyrie, and all the aspiring chefs onboard, were kept busy around the clock as they maintained both crew and ship, but nearly everyone else just sat back and watched. Because the “Hagan run” was so incredibly long, the race would go on for about five or six days, maybe a week at most. This meant that broadcasts and updates would be made every six hours or so, unless a “breaking development” occurred; this also meant that the ship would be on autopilot most of the time, or else handled in shifts.
The topic of conversation for the ones left without a job focused mainly on the competition. It seemed everybody onboard knew someone else in the race—even Dr. Miracle herself was familiar with an adversary. Shana told everyone about her encounter with the young Lord Demise, and the general consensus was that he seemed cute, precocious, energetic, but also quite bratty, and even a little perverted.
“I didn’t get the impression that he was a sex fiend,” Shana explained. “He was just…enthusiastic. Miss Miracle, what was the name of that super-womanizing man in those novels?”
“You mean Don Juan, or Casanova?”
“Casanova, that’s the one. Lord Demise Jr. reminded me of Casanova.”
“Casanova’s the author,” Amy muttered.
“It’s no surprise Lord Naiis entered this race,” Aseria murmured. “He’s a very capable pilot, and a good man. I’m more shocked they actually dragged the Einlanzer 3 all the way out here.”
“Why’s that?”
“Well, as I explained earlier, I have command of the Einlanzer 7, which is an excellent vessel in its own right. Only six ships in the entire Sindarin fleet are superior—the first is His Excellency’s flagship, and the second belongs to Supreme Commander Vianos. But the third is Admiral Qelbryn’s personal ship, and he’s not exactly a generous man. Very strange.”
“This is why we don’t discuss politics in the bedroom,” Lil groaned—“Or anywhere else,” she added under her breath.
“Well, Mink and I also saw several familiar faces, if anybody cares, the Opportune Rain lives up to its reputation and its name, it takes every opportunity it can find and leaves its
enemies in the dust, we only use it for matters of extreme urgency, I see the Vicegerent really wants to win this race, and he’s using old Hetz, now that’s a pilot, a very capable man, the Rain bends itself to his will and leaves no room for rivals, hmm, I’m starting to grow worrisome for our side now.”
“There’s also the Kemosabe,” Mink added quietly. “Do you remember that ship, Master? Miss Yeriman was very…nice.” Mink genuinely smiled for the first time since anyone could remember, and there was even a splash of red on her gray cheeks. Rebecca perked up and wedged her head between them, eyes wide with interest.
“Wow, so you two know Satine as well? What a coincidence! She and I are old friends! We did a job together on New Manhattan with my aunt Shandra! I’ll introduce her if we ever meet up at one of these checkpoints. We should really catch up on old times!”
“An old crush?” Yenae teased. Rebecca rolled her eyes.
“No, moron, we were just friends. I’m not her type, anyway. I bet she really poured over the charm on you, Mink.” The taciturn Yun didn’t answer, but her smile widened and her cheeks turned just a bit redder. Valti wriggled her arms in the air to wave away the mushiness before it got out of control.
“Anyway, it’s no surprise to see Rose’s gang here, or the Rennai slave ship. I still count my lucky stars I was never forced to fly one of those things. They say that if you make it in the top four during the race, you get your freedom, but so far, not a single slave ship has accomplished this. It’s not for lack of talent, though, I’ll say that much.”
“And how did you escape?” Kyrie wondered. “Hell, you never even told me! Why don’t you reveal your marvelous getaway right here and now?”
“Why don’t you go cool that cute little head off?” she countered smugly. Kate shoved them both aside before a fight (or a lover’s quarrel) could break out.
“Okay, ladies, that’ll be enough. Kay and Tee have enough to worry about without you rocking the boat.”
“Hey, that’s right!” Shana exclaimed loudly. “There’s a Heavyworld guy in this race! Do you know him, Katie?”
“I’ve never heard of him,” she answered. “Brigadoon is one of the nicer heavy-G worlds. What about you, Naja? You’re a seasoned traveler, and you got us into this.” Naja was quietly watching the broadcast, too fixated on the updates to even answer. She was really getting into it, too: she laughed and spat whenever the Dauntless passed somebody, and cursed when it fell behind. The snake-woman let out one particularly memorable wail as the announcers pointed out the Elshyrin ship’s progress: it had gotten an early lead and was close to the first checkpoint.
“Score one for my people!! YAHOO!! All right! Sock it to em’, girl! Let’s show these stinkin’ mammals what a cold-hearted bitch can do! YES!”
“I’m almost afraid to ask,” Yenae muttered. Naja forced herself away from the simulcast and cackled for glee.
“Heh, take a look at THAT, why don’t’cha? If we weren’t lagging behind that rotten bitch, I might even be in a better mood! I still don’t get why they chose Yrhol of all people to steer that bucket of bolts, but who cares? A bad Elshyrin is still better than a good shaved ape, eh Lily?!” She cackled louder than before and resumed watching. Lil smiled humbly and tried to act cool as all eyes fell on her.
“Uh, yeah, Naja and I sort of became close pals. Well, she really likes Aseria too, so maybe great minds do attract each other.”
“More like psycho nutcases!” Fuuka screamed.
“Yeah, that’s right!” Alala shouted. “And anyway, the magnificent Fai-Lynn will defeat them all! The Colonel Lingus may start out slow, but it builds up momentum until it releases itself in a frantic burst!”
Several people snickered; they couldn’t keep it in. Not even Yenae could be civil after hearing that remark.
“Honey, that…that’s a really interesting choice of words.”
“What? I’m just saying that the Colonel Lingus can pound its competition into submission! It keeps coming and coming until it blasts right through, and all you’re left with is a stunned sensation!”
The snickering became louder. Alala wiggled her ears in confusion.
“What?! What’s with you all? I’m totally serious here!”
“Maybe you’d better stop right now, sweetie,” Yenae chuckled. “I think they got the message.” While everyone was still laughing at Alala’s unintended innuendo, three women were deep in thought, their minds awhirl with speculation and concern as they thought about the rest of their opponents. Lyara had instantly recognized the name of her bitter rival when the visitors from Avatar were announced: she and Asara had fought each other fiercely for control of the Night Hammers—and nearly all of Avatar itself—and she greatly feared another confrontation. All that she could hope for was that they would not meet around any of the docks, hotels, or checkpoints, and that nobody would say her name out loud.
Eve Kasberry was no less concerned. She too had picked out a familiar name from the crowd, but it was neither enemy nor friend, merely a former client. Hearing Kaori Chuunaru’s name really took her back, and she wondered if the other woman would remember her—or the bounty the UCM put on her head. Eve had helped construct the prototype Damascus body armor that was customized for Kaori alone, and she hoped this single act of goodwill would save her from being dragged back into that prison. Knowing Kaori’s fanatical loyalty and adherence to justice, probably not.
Riene Latoli was actually throwing words around in her head. She immediately identified Der Fliegende Hollander, a homage to the infamous ghost ship “The Flying Dutchman”, but was more concerned for the name Nemo Nephele, who was sponsoring the Backdraft. Her extensive study in languages led her to understand that not everything was as it seemed, and several names that seemed ordinary at first really had different meanings. In all likeliness, it probably was just a silly coincidence, but it kept nagging her even as the conversation diverted and the Dauntless gradually crept towards the first checkpoint.
……
Long hours passed, or seemed to pass at any rate. The Dauntless had just left Hagan 10 and would be entering the dust cloud that shielded the ninth world and the first checkpoint. Aside from being tossed around by several glory hogs early on, the ship hadn’t met any other competitors during the race, and as far as anybody could tell, they were all alone in the universe,
floating in a vast ocean of stars that was neither cold nor crushing, but beautiful and strange, and so achingly familiar at times, like the womb of a mother. Sometimes music would come pouring through even when all radios were silenced and there was not another ship around for miles. It was not melodic or rhythmic like the sounds the crew was accustomed to: it was more like hearing a very faint wind chime tolling as a lazy breeze whispered to it. Amy Miracle stood up spontaneously as the eerie sounds drifted, and she removed her glasses and stood petrified, listening in fearful joy.
“They’re here too,” she murmured to herself. Fuuka chastised her for standing up without support and gave Amy her cane, but she wasn’t paying attention. Miracle now seemed to be on the same plane as the music itself, and only turned to Fuuka when she felt the good doctor tugging her sleeve.
“You’re bleeding through your bandages!” she exclaimed quietly. Amy gingerly drew back from her mysterious daze and offered a timid smile.
“Yes, you’re right. Fuji-san, did you see her as well? Did you hear what she had to say? Never mind—you don’t know what I’m talking about…and I can’t explain it. The words can’t fit into it.”
“What do you—“ Before anybody could say anything else, the PA system came on with a transmission from outside.
“Greetings, Dauntless! I’m glad I was able to catch up to you! There are lots of famous ships in this race, but not very many you could really call legendary.”
“I know that voice,” said Mink, blossoming into animation as if springtime had erupted all around her. Rebecca smiled tightly and picked up a transmitter.
“So do I. Hello there, Satine! It’s been awhile, hasn’t it?” There was a slight pause as the other pilot began recalling that familiar voice.
“Becky? Rebecca Hill?! What the heck are you doing on that ship?! Don’t tell me you’re part of the crew! Of all the… I…I can’t even speak, I’m too excited! I…I’m flabbergasted!”
“Calm down. I’m sorry to surprise you like that, but you deserved it for sneaking up on us.”
“Oh, wow!” Satine exclaimed. “I can’t believe it! I haven’t seen you since we did that job back on New Manhattan, and now you’re working with Dr. Miracle! Tell me, Becky, what’s he like?”
“Irritated,” Amy grunted. Yenae laughed warmly and rubbed her shoulders.
“Anonymity hasn’t been very kind to you, has it?” Rebecca struggled for awhile with the proper answer.
“Let’s just say that Dr. Miracle was…unexpected. So what’s happened to you all this time? We’ve got some catching up to do.” In response, the Kemosabe inched a little closer, trying to prove its abilities against the legendary vessel.
“Let’s save the socializing for later, huh? I want to see what the Dauntless is made of! Let’s have a contest—a friendly one, of course. What do you say? Last one to reach the checkpoint buys the loser dinner.” Rebecca took a moment to weight the decision, mostly because she was trying not to be so impulsive. That kind of attitude had made her unpopular when she first signed on. The “champion of justice” in her had wanted to capture all the bounties lounging around, but the rationalist told her to step closer a little, look at things carefully, and make judgments based on fact, not hearsay. She had changed since, and was more prudent about things, but as described earlier, it was only a moment’s thought.
“Floor it!!” The Dauntless immediately reacted to her decision and sped up drastically, nearly throwing everyone to their feet from the acceleration. It surged ahead of the Kemosabe and her impressed pilot for about a minute before Yeriman caught up.
“Whew!” she whistled. “That was quite a bold move there, Becks. You haven’t changed much since Manhattan: you’re still as impulsive as ever.”
“You know how New Year’s resolutions go,” she answered cheerily. The two ships flew neck and neck for another three minutes before the Kemosabe fell behind. Their rival was quicker and more maneuverable, but it suffered when it came to momentum. This wasn’t quite the root of Satine’s problem, though.
“Aw, phooey, we ran right into that dust field! The good news is that we’re close to the checkpoint, but the bad news is that I have to raise my shields so I don’t get pummeled. It really steams me that my speed is compensated so sharply, but I’m not ramming into something without protection!”
“That’s what he said,” Chandra chuckled.
“We never have to worry about that,” Kyrie squealed. “We’ve got an Orihalcum alloy! Dust and debris are no problem to us! Sorry, but it looks like you’ll be buying us dinner! Sucks to be you!”
“Don’t count me out yet,” Satine swore. “Hmm, Orihalcum, you say? Sheesh, Hill, what kind of elbows are you rubbing with?”
“Uh, just about every kind,” she murmured, taking a cursory look at the crew. The dusty cloud lasted for another minute or two before both ships were cleared. Satine lowered her shields and hit the accelerator, taking a brief lead once more.
“She’s certainly a worthy opponent,” Riene observed.
“Ah yes, but an even worthier employer, she did a real bang-up job for me, yes, put some real gold in my purse, I’d have to hire her again sometime soon, hmm, but not now, not yet, yes, and she’d probably want to talk to Mink for awhile, those two became good friends, I don’t suppose she eats very heavily, you know, because we’ll have to honor our wager if she keeps this speed up.”
“She won’t,” Herut stated as she stared at the observation monitors. “I know that model very well. She was only able to get ahead of us because her thrust is state-of-the-art, plus she has excellent handling and maneuverability. She’d win hands down if we were caught in an asteroid field. But this is a straight run until the checkpoint, so we have momentum on our side. You learn this sort of thing after working on a few vessels.” Sure as she said, Satine’s ship started to lag behind as the Dauntless continued its run. It was the difference between a marathon runner and a sprinter: one just wore itself out too quickly. Satine sighed over the radio, almost ready to admit defeat.
“Well, it looks like you’ve almost beaten me. I guess that dinner’s yours, Becky, unless something drastic happens. I, uh, hope your whole crew doesn’t take advantage of my charity!”
“No, just a quiet drink between friends is all I ask.” A few women let out a gushy sigh—“Awwww!”—but thank goodness for the Acheron sisters and their objective outlook.
“Sorry to interrupt this tender moment, but we’re approaching three other ships. We’ve identified them as the Opportune Rain, the Screaming Skull, and the Domination. It seems they’ve slowed down and might be in need of assistance.”
“Aw, fuck!!” Naja screeched. “I don’t know whether to pull over or to kick them when they’re down! Urrgh, who knew I’d ever have mixed feelings over anything? Do we squash or do we save? Squash, save, squash, save!”
“Maybe we should let the girl scout handle it,” Eve muttered. It didn’t seem to matter what anybody else wanted, because the Acheron sisters were slowing down to investigate. Ultimately, control of the ship was theirs. The Opportune Rain darted out before the Dauntless could decelerate much; the Skull and Domination jumped into action, sandwiching the other ship between them. They might have just been lagging behind by accident, but this could also have been a tactic of theirs, and there was little the Acherons could do since this kind of aggression was allowed (as a matter of fact, rescue vehicles often employed this very tactic during a race to secure handicapped vessels).
“What are they doing?” Kay whispered.
“They’re not letting us get ahead,” Tee murmured doubtfully. “If we decelerate…oh no.” The twins hissed in annoyance as the Opportune Rain released a ballast, covering the ship’s bow with a thick, dark substance—blinding all monitors and visual equipment.
“The little cheaters!!” Kyrie screamed. Yenae sighed and flipped through a race rulebook she had picked up (being the meticulous type).
“Actually, that measure isn’t against the rules,” she murmured. “Ships flying around dump all kinds of dust and debris by accident; nobody can help it. And of course, it’s impossible to prove they did that on purpose since I’m sure Miss Yeriman back there is enjoying a bit of cloud cover herself, courtesy of this very same ship.”
“It’s not filthy, you know,” Herut snapped. Yenae chuckled darkly and ruffled her hair.
“Space is a dirty place, kid.”
“So what should we do, doc?” Eve mumbled. Amy was staring off in a daze again, but this time it seemed she was at least partially aware of the situation.
“Activate the windshield wipers? We’ll be fine. I’m sure—“
“Dauntless, do you copy? I think you’d better brace yourselves for an attack! I’m picking up another vessel coming in from behind—not able to ID yet. They’re not responding to me and I don’t think they’ll listen to you, either! Maybe I can slow them down.” Amy suddenly sprang into action, literally leaping out of her funk, sans crutch, and gaining firm command of the situation.
“Miss Yeriman, what’s going on outside? We’re surrounded by two other ships, and another one is directly ahead of us. We’re also flying blind for the moment. Wait—we should still be able to use some equipment! Kay, Tee, are our sensors being jammed as well?”
“Copy!”
“It’s taking everything we have not to dash ourselves against those other two!” Amy nodded as a visual picture of their situation entered her mind.
“Which probably means they’ve slowed us down—but then that other ship will catch up. Our opponents are very tricky people. Miss Yeriman, are you still there?”
“Yeah, go ahead.”
“Contact the race officials and tell them we’re under attack. Have you been able to stop that other ship?”
“No, and I still can’t ID them. Sorry, guys: I failed. It flew right by me.”
“All right, stay with us and get in touch with the officials. These three ships aren’t doing anything particularly harmful, but if we’re attacked…”
“Yeah, I know. WATCH IT!!”
“Oh, dear—HANG ON!” Nobody was spared as the unknown ship rammed the Dauntless from behind. The whole world jolted fiercely, and whatever wasn’t fastened down tight was sent flying, people and effects and everything in between. Amy Miracle had a death-
grip on some railing and only got the wind knocked out of her as she was thrust right into it; Rachel sprang into action suddenly and saved a few people from seriously injuring themselves: invisible fingers pulled and pushed to soften the blow.
“Some race, huh?” she squealed. More than one infuriated finger stabbed in her direction; the general consensus was that the mystical entity “do something and help out”. But she just scratched her head and gave a lopsided frown. “But I did do something, didn’t I? Fuji-san won’t have to mend any broken bones thanks to me, right?”
“Not quite what we meant,” Aseria grumbled. She decided to take matters into her own hands and barked at the Kemosabe. “All right, miss girl scout, it’s up to you. Before we get smashed again, I think you should—“
“We’ve identified the aggressive ship!” Kay shouted from the bridge. “It’s marked as the Backdraft! Communication hasn’t been established yet, but I’m sure—“
“Look out!” Satine shouted. Amy groaned.
“Not again.” Fortunately, Rachel was in the very thick of things and deftly summoned an army of cushions to soften the numerous falls and bruises. It looked as if all she had to do was wave her hands, or wink, or clap, or perform some other silly act—but a careful observer would see that her lips were moving almost imperceptibly, and if everybody hadn’t been roaring and yelling, they might have heard the faintest whisper of chanting coming from her. Riene, who was nearest to the genie when the Dauntless settled down, plainly heard her say “we owe you” in Hebrew, but couldn’t make anything out of it.
Aseria snarled something sharp and melodic that only three other people understood—clearly a Sindar curse—then composed herself and resumed her train of thought. “As I was saying, girl scout, I’d advise you to fire a sonic disruptor blast on one of the two ships surrounding us. If you’re incapable of that, we’ll just have to force our friend here to act.” She glared icily at Rachel, who was too busy helping her master stand up. A sound came from Satine’s end of the line that indicated no such action would be required.
“Golly, why didn’t I think of that before? I’m actually in range right now. Are you sure you don’t want me to hit that other one?”
“No: these two could crush us if you strike the aggressor. Just free us and we’ll handle the rest.”
“All right, which should I strike? I don’t have much juice left, so I only have one blast.”
“The Screaming Skull!” Naja shrieked.
“The Domination!” Valti yelled. Rebecca smacked her face with her hand.
“Surprise us!!” Satine smirked doggedly as she locked her sights and fired: she never did like those pompous Elshyrin. The Domination quickly lost all power as the sonic disruptor briefly debilitated its energy, leaving it to helplessly float out of control until the effects wore off. Naja snarled and balled her fists in anger, and attacked anyone who tried assuring her that the arriving race officials would help out. Valti sighed in relief as the Dauntless stepped out of confinement and made a break for it. Vimmy shouted for the Opportune Rain to stand aside, while the rest of the crew settled for cheers and hugs. Rebecca smiled and picked up the radio transmitter one more time.
“Thanks, Sati. It looks like we owe you one now.”
“Let’s just call it even,” she chuckled. “But maybe we can both settle down and catch up on old times at the first checkpoint. I might take a bit longer, though. That shot really drained my reserves.” Rebecca smiled warmly, and wondered how she could ever repay her old partner.
They had never actually been very close, so this was almost like asking a stranger to stick her neck out for them.
“Really, Sati, if there’s anything we can do…”
“What’s that? I…n’t copy! I think… some static…ference! …breaking… Going out…range! I’ll meet…the check…and don’t…”
“Sati? Sati, are you there? Is something wrong? Hey, I—“
“She’s too far away now,” Aseria said in a steely voice. She was aware that the fight was only just beginning, that the Dauntless still had at least two more cutthroat opponents in this race even if the authorities did appear, and they couldn’t rest on their laurels or hand out congratulations just yet. They were given a reprieve as a race official chased the Backdraft away; the Rain and Skull hung back casually until they were gone, then fiercely made up for lost time and started harassing the women.
“I guess we’ve got no choice but to trust those freaks,” Lil cursed as she strapped herself in. Amy hit the emergency “fasten all safety belts” switch and the crew hunkered down as best they could. It was time for the Acheron sisters to show them what they were really made of.
“Well, two down and two to go,” Kay whispered. The grime had been wiped away, all jamming frequency had stopped, and the ship was no longer under direct attack, but their opponents weren’t about to be left behind, and struggled fiercely to beat the Dauntless to the checkpoint. Only one ship could legally go through at a time, and all racers were required to run through them in exact order, so it would be a tight finish. Herut, Kyrie, and Eve busied themselves with improving communication so they could get in touch with Satine again; the others were praying, waiting on edge for the excitement to reach its apex.
“The Opportune Rain is everything Vimmy said it was,” Tee observed, “but at least it’s not cheating. The Screaming Skull’s not doing too bad, either. I guess all those criminals are desperate to win. We’re setting the bar awfully high this time, sister. Let’s just hope we can jump over it.” Kay smiled confidently and pushed the vessel even further.
“Anything the Zephyr can do, we can do better!”
……
It had been an incredibly close finish: the Dauntless narrowly slipped through the checkpoint just seconds after the Opportune Rain, but the Norgrim envoy had spent most of its reserves accelerating at such a fast pace, while the Dauntless still had plenty of fight left. The Screaming Skull fell behind, and once it was cleared, it immediately began descending to Hagan 9 for repairs and refueling. The Rain followed it, victorious but exhausted, while the Dauntless casually settled into port. The crew had about thirty minutes to walk around and stretch their legs before the Kemosabe showed up.
Satine Yeriman turned out to be part human and part Inu, a race loosely related to sentient canines; the furry ears, sharply pointed nose, and tail were strong giveaways. In this respect, perhaps, she and Alala were quite similar, and when Satine first saw her, she ran up and greeted her quite warmly. Alala bristled at first—she remembered a particularly fiendish encounter with a Rodere, a mouse-person—but Satine was as gregarious and playful and loyal as any of her breed, and she was one of the many that liked cats (and Felinis). She was a good-natured and outgoing woman—not necessarily cheery, just warm and friendly—and she was
flirty, too, though she tended to focus on quieter people. This was probably why Mink waited so patiently to speak with her, and why she seemed a little more emotional when her chance finally came.
In the end, Satine (who usually went by “Sati”) really didn’t have that much to say to her old friend, and once their stories were told, she gradually shifted to the rest of the crew. She connected with Mink quite well, and to Rebecca’s envy, became very friendly with Riene during the time they spent at that rest stop. This was really the first time anybody consciously sought out Riene and flirted with her—even Chandra had an excuse for being indiscriminate. Rebecca felt stricken, but she was too embarrassed and too unsure of herself to say anything—and besides, she considered Sati a friend even if they really didn’t know each other that well.
“So where’s Dr. Miracle?” Sati asked once her conversation with Riene reached a standstill. She stuck her long, cute nose in the air and sniffed; Alala wiggled her ears and growled jealously. Amy was acting like her usual nondescript self to the very end; she didn’t even bat an eye when Sati came her way. Naja wanted to avenge her fallen Elshyrin, so she didn’t say anything, but luckily there was more than one blabbermouth onboard.
“This is the woman you’re looking for!” Amy’s face turned red as Chandra grabbed her from behind and squeezed her tummy. “Believe it or not,” she announced sensually, “this unfashionable bookworm with the limp is our little miracle-worker.”
“No way!” Sati screamed. “Are you telling me Dr. Miracle’s a brunette?!”
KER-PLOP!!
“Get up,” Athena sighed as she nudged Fuuka. “This isn’t one of your animes.”
“Heheh, sorry.”
Preview of next chapter:
Kate: Hey, what happened? Why am I being left out of all this? Everyone else gets to do something cool, and here I am stuck with “the others”.
Allegra: Face it, hon: the chopped liver club is a small, lonely group.
Lyara: You two are nothing more than a gimmick. Shards of my personal back-story are finally being brought forth. I am now officially a third-dimensional character!
Kate: I ran away from home. There, back-story finished! Now can we PLEASE get on with my character arc? I need to do something that will define me as a person, not some muscle-bound stereotype!
Lyara: Like enter into an unrequited love spiral as you fruitlessly pine for Allegra?
Allegra: WHAT!?
Kate: What?! No, I…I really don’t… W-we’re just friends! She…she trusts me, and I trust her, and… (But now that you mention it, I have been paying more attention to her recently!)
Allegra: Thank goodness this ain’t got nothin’ to do with the next chapter! I hear that polecat Derian’s up to no good again. This time, he might even be teaming up with somebody for his next attack!
Lyara: We already saw him do that.
Allegra: But this time, he’s doin’ it with people we know!
Kate: Gasp and alarm! Will old friends turn against us? Will new enemies spring forth from the rafters? And will my unrequited love spiral be anything but?
Allegra: Your “spiral” is makin’ me dizzy, hon! It’s all in the next chapter, “Space Race: where decisions are made”.
Lyara: Don’t lose your lunch, all right? I just cleaned up in here.
Kate: But somebody definitely gets laid in the next chapter! My god, it could be any one of us!
Allegra: Even Amy?!
Kate: Okay, it could be a “few” of us.
Lyara: This preview has now officially…CROSSED THE LINE!
Allegra and Kate: (clutching each other) Scary!!
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