Chapter 4: There Are Evil People Abroad

The three girls met at the traveling port. Many ships of shapes and sizes were coming in and out of the colony. Maaike gasped, the other girls smiled, for they have visited this place many times.

"Are you guys ready to go!" asked Misha in an excited voice. "I can't wait to get out of this damn place!"

"Me too!" added Maaike. "Are we going to take a tourists ship or . . . what?"

Asha shrugged, "I don't know, Uncle said he will help us but he doesn't have a ship. The Forces won't let him, he's too loony!" Asha smiled.

Her uncle, Matz, was a mission-briefing associate in the Forces. Uncle Matz, who is not related to Asha in any way, gladly took Asha in because her parents (who were Outlaws) were good friends to him.

"Girls, I have an idea," said Uncle as he turned the corner. "Come."

"Whoa! What's this?" asked Maaike. She raised her head to reveal a large silver ship. She smiled as she saw no name on the side. "An unclaimed ship?"

"She's ours!" said Uncle in a cheerful tone. Uncle and Misha started to jump up and down as Asha and Maaike surveyed the ship.

"This is not yours, is it Uncle?" asked Asha slowly with a cautioned voice. "This is the Space Forces, right?"

"Space Forces will never fly it," spat Uncle bitterly. He raised the brief case he was holding in his hand and pointed at the ship. "This ship may have the technology of the Forces but the brains come from the pirates."

"Pirates!" said Misha in astonishment. "What lies! We would never do business with those . . . those . . . damned people!"

"Never?" asked Uncle. "Two ships were made, I don't know where the other one is. The lost one is the XGP. This baby," Uncle pointed to the ship in front of them. "Is the ZGM."

"ZGM," said Maaike. "Let's go inside before anybody notices us." The four kicked themselves off the ground, for there was no gravity, and soared towards the side door.

Uncle pulled out his briefcase and opened it; a computer was carefully placed into the small compartment. He pulled it out and turned it on, when completed, he started typing. The screen glowed with bright colors as he quickly typed away.

The door slid open with ease. "Piece of cake!" said Uncle in a cheerful voice. "Lets go."

In the cockpit, the girls sat in a place where the controls stood, Uncle told them to sit anywhere but the pilot seat; that was his. He once again tapped on the computer. He clicked enter and a screen overhead turned on.

"How do people know all those passwords?" Misha questioned.

Maaike leaned over and replied, "I don't know, all anime people must memorize a list or something."

"Oh my!" said an unknown voice. "Who may you be?"

"What was that!?" asked Asha in confusion.

"I am sorry to frighten you, I am Nonius, this ships computer."

"Look at this!" laughed Maaike in a shocked voice. She smiled evilly as she pocked an oval shaped piece of metal. Two eyes were connected to the object as it moved.

"Do not do that, please," said Nonius.

The machine moved on a little bar connected to the ceiling, it slid to any room on the bar.

"Nonius," said Uncle. "Prepare to launch."

"You are not the crew," said Nonius, small-beeping sounds came from the main computer. "Would you like me to search in my data files?"

"No!" Uncle yelled in a stern voice. "There is no need for that, we are the crew."

"Whatever you say, one moment please." A small Nonius came in front of one of the girls and took their picture. Misha's picture was taken first, she tried to hide but another machine sneaked behind her and flashed a photo as she turned to hide. Asha and Maaike laughed. Asha stopped as she noticed a machine was coming toward her. She screamed "I look horrible in pictures, don't do it!"

Now, the show was on her. Everyone laughed as Asha tried to run, she failed.

"Sir," said a man with headphones around his neck. "Something is moving from Number 56 dock. You told me to tell you is anything unusual happens around there."

A low raspy voice came onto the speakers. The voice was filled with excitement and irritation at the same time "Yes, what is it?"

"The dock is opening! Sir, a ship is coming out!" said the man.

"What?" yelled the man. "I don't believe this!"

"Believe it sir. What do you want me to do?"

"Sit back and enjoy the show. My men will take care of this matter," the man removed the phone from his ear and placed it on the receiver. He walked to the edge of his room and picked up another item. A walkie-talkie shined in his hands. He raised it to his mouth. "People, we have a code red! I repeat, a code red!" yelled the man into the walkie-talkie. "Prepare for battle stations. Do not damage the ship. Do you hear me? Do not damage the ship!"

Many voices came into the black speaker. "Yes sir," they said.

Half of a dozen ships moved out of heir port and followed the unpainted vessel as it moved quickly into space.