Just Keep Flying
The wind was blowing my hair in my face, or in other words, blinding me. And eyes are as vital as a beating heart in the situation I had just gotten myself into.
People always tell you not to be stupid. Why don't I listen? Doing something like hitching a ride on the outside of a cargo ship is stupid.
I think that's why I did it.
It's not going to leave the atmosphere. I just needed a ride across the Apollo province. This planet is too big. I swear the moment I hit 18 I'm getting the heck off Persephone. It's supposed to be for fancy rich people not slums like me.
That is if I'm still alive after this. "Looking on the bright side, Averi, ain't ya?" I whisper. I couldn't even hear my own words. The wind blew them from my mouth almost before I said them.
It was cold out. Or it was just the wind. It was also loud. Or that was also just the wind. It was windy out. That much I was sure of. It howled as the great cities passed below me. It was a long way by freighter but hitching a ride on the ship was way faster.
So fast that I couldn't make out what cities passed below me. I leaned over a bit to look at something I thought I recognized and screamed as one of my frozen hands slipped from the hatch's railings. I steadied myself and took a deep breath. For a second I caught myself wondering if they heard me scream and then I laughed. I hadn't heard me scream, of course they hadn't.
I held on tighter than before and had to keep myself from dozing off once or twice. When we got there I climbed down slowly and snuck around back.
The captain was talking to someone named Badger. They were probably doing something illegal.
I snuck up to the logbook to find out when the next cargo ship would be leaving back home. The next one wasn't for another two hours. Looks like I'll have some free time.
I also noticed that I was right. The cargo ship ain't in the log book. I check my watch. I've still got time.
I pull out my data tablet and plug it in to the mainstream. It takes no more than a minute to break the encryption code, once I'm in I go through the deleted data to fish out their arrival time. I came up empty handed. It was never there.
Not only are they dealing with a known crime boss but they aren't here. Everyone needs to keep an entry. It would be stupid not to. Even if you're conducting illegal activity. No, especially if it's illegal. You're a lot less suspicious if you do what everybody else is doing. Obviously.
For their stupidity, I grant them the price of being caught. In another two minutes the security alarms that they had turned off were blaring.
The captain was screaming at someone that I can only assume was the one responsible for turning them off in the first place.
While they were doing that, Badger and his men gathered up their merchandise, whatever it was, the money and started towards the door.
One of the crew from the cargo ship noticed this and she drew her gun. She shot round into the air to get her captain's attention. He glared at her and she gestured toward the fleeing men. The men that were fleeing with their money.
The entire crew of the ship open fired on Badger's crew. Now the Alliance cops had to deal with someone illegally parked, illegal arms, and a fire fight with civilians caught in the middle.
I smiled to myself. This has been a good day.
I slip behind one of the larger freighters and leave the compound with more than enough time to spare.
