Inspired by Space Oddity – David Bowie.

Space Oddity

Gilbert crawled across the ceiling, upside down, with careful precision. He was wearing special gloves that allowed him to cling to the slick metal with just his fingertips and his shoes were made of the same material.

"Target on the move," crackled the little voice in his head. Gilbert adjusted his earpiece.

"Distance?"

"Approaching. Three minutes. Clear."

"Oh, good," Gilbert sighed, "then I have time to ask you out on a date."

The man on the other side the communicator spluttered.

"Beilschmidt, I hardly think this is the time."

"Williams, this is the perfect time. Would you like to get a drink after work?"

"We're on a spaceship," Matthew enunciated each word as if Gilbert were slow. Or slower. "Illegally, I might add."

Gilbert tried to shrug but it was difficult and Matthew could not see it anyway. His systems registered heat signatures and tracking devices; Gilbert was a simple blue dot on his computer.

"I'm sure there is a cantina somewhere on this piece of shit. Check." Matthew mumbled something. "What was that?"

"I said, there is. Next to Engineering. I already checked."

Gilbert grinned.

"I knew you liked me."

"Shut up."

Gilbert could almost feel the blush through the communicator.

"I knew it," he said again.

"Shut. Up. Target approaching, left corridor. One hundred feet and closing."

"Oh," Gilbert whispered, "that kind of 'shut up'."

"Yes, be quiet or you'll blow it. I refuse to spend a month in the stockade just because you never know when to shut your mouth."

"Bah," he whispered.

"I mean it, shut up. Target at sixty feet and closing."

"Say it."

"Say what?!" Matthew hissed. "What do you want? Target at fifty feet and closing."

"Say you'll go on a date with me after all of this is over."

"Seriously? Forty feet and closing."

"Seriously."

"Thirty five feet."

"Ooh, he's getting close," Gilbert sang under his breath, "you better make up your mind."

"Beilschmidt!"

"Williams."

"Argh! Fine, yes! I'll go out with you! Just focus on the mission! Target at twenty feet, nineteen feet, eighteen feet…"

Gilbert grinned as Matthew continued to count down and repositioned himself into a strange upside down crouch, strained and waiting.

"I knew you would see it my way."

"… fifteen feet, fourteen feet, thirteen feet, I hate you, eleven feet…"

"I love you too," he whispered, barely a sound, as the target walked beneath him without looking up.

"Target acquired. Good luck…" Matthew whispered back just as softly.

Gilbert jumped, or rather, fell two stories.

There was a brief struggle when he missed his chance at a stunning blow but he managed to cover their mouth and incapacitate the officer with small electric shock, courtesy of his gloves.

"Man, I love these gloves," Gilbert cackled as he bent over the crumpled form of the overweight officer. He tore the pass off of their jacket and dragged them into a closet. He broke the lock and climbed back up the wall to the ceiling with the pass in between his teeth. "Phase one complete."

Matthew sighed in relief.

"Excellent. Corridors open, clear. Alarm system offline. Surveillance cameras to video, clear. Come on home."

"Remember," he tucked the pass into his pocket, "you owe me a date."

"Yes, yes, after I hack into the mainframe using the passcode on that card. Otherwise we're sitting ducks."

"Fine, but there will be drinking, and maybe dancing."

Matthew scoffed.

"I didn't agree to 'dancing'."

"Look, do you want this pass or not?"

"… I do…"

"Then we're going dancing! Ta dah! Easy."

Matthew sighed again, this time in exasperation, and the sound crackled across the lines of communication. It settled in his earpiece, comforting. He knew that the blonde would still follow his progress whether or not Gilbert had manipulated him into a date.

"I hate you."

"I love you too."

"Just come home safe."

Gilbert smiled, softer than before.

"Yes, sir. Over and out."

Author's Notes:

Suddenly, space! I'm not sure if they're pirates or secret agents but it was fun to write in either case. I sort of woke up with this scene and song in my head. Weird dreams make for fun reading, at least.

I am back in action this week, so let's see if I can write a chapter for 'Inspired' each day. I mean, I was laid off. It's not like I'm particularly busy at the moment…

All of my love.