space hippies

I turned from the observation window and the brown-grey land we approached to the crew, sitting, standing and scratching themselves in the Dog’s Head’s dining room.

‘OK. For those of you who don’t know, Tam’s made contact with the installation. We’re going to meet our first Ludenguard in a moment, probably an ambassador. Tell him nothing of worth. I know a few of you have yet to meet any of these beings but rest assured they are cruel, greedy and non-too nice to look at. Give them an inch and they’ll take a mile. Give them a parsec and they'll take twenty minutes. Watch your tongue, offer them nothing. This is business and they sure as hell know it and won't be playing fair.’

My crew looked completely despondent. I'd told the girls to dress up (or dress down) a bit by way of distraction. Melody complied grudgingly but Tam gave me the old one-two about being a male chauvinist. I hadn't even tried with Liz. Davvy, it had to be said, was looking rather dapper in black suit and striking blue shirt.

I had to divide my mind. Lem was Lem and he'd either win or fail - I couldn't worry about that until something kicked off, but with any luck nothing would. My concerns had to be for my tongue and my crew's tongues and bartering in such a way that the Ludenguard would give us our fuel and we could be on our way come lunchtime. Lem was to give a few arranged taps in the earpiece so I could hear he was safely back aboard the Dog’s Head and then we could shoot off in the direction of the mass relay and be home.

My biggest concern was Elizabeth and what she might do or tell the Ludenguard. I needed allies. I coughed, following Melody into the corridor as she collected her bag and holstered her gun.

I’ve known Melody many moons, since I left school in fact (and probably not the type of school you think I mean). Her folks had been new-age space hippies who chose love over weapons. When someone attacks me I shoot them, unfortunately Melody's family had no guns when they fell foul of pirates so Melody became just another orphan. It was on the streets of Araypter that we found each other and hatched some plans to get the money for a ship. Not everyone spends their days cruising round the cosmos in cool spacecraft - many can’t afford to or simply don’t fancy it. Instead they ride the stupid amount of motorbikes and quads you see on Arayptian roads. Anyway, me and Melody have been together a long time so I don’t want to lose her.

‘Melody?’

She looked up, brown bam-bam eyes probing.

‘I’m sorry I attacked you. We’re friends, aren’t we?’

She shrugged, delving into her bag.

‘Aren’t we? Melody?’

I touched her arm.

‘If you want to speak to me’, she rubbed an eye and ran it through bushy black hair, ‘take your mask off.’

I pulled off my mask. ‘Melody?’

‘Of course we’re bloody friends. Just get us through this morning, all right?’

‘I’ll do my best.’

Dog's Head Log #34560

MELODY
I spoke to Liz earlier. She’s still leaving.

SYRAW
I know. Believe me.

MELODY
Captain...it’s not my place to say but can’t you talk her out of it?

SYRAW
You’re right, it’s not your place to say. You heard me try.

MELODY
It takes time-

SYRAW
Which is exactly what we don’t have. We’ll be at the installation in a little over two hours.

DAVVY
There you are, Captain, I fixed the-

SYRAW
Not now. Please go away Davvy. I’m talking with Melody here. Private conversation.

DAVVY
Bye then.

MELODY
...so?

SYRAW
You still here? Conversation over. Go trade cosmetic advice with Tam.

MELODY
...

SYRAW
You’re right. That wasn’t fair. I’m sorry.

MELODY
You’re losing people thick and fast Captain. Think about it. When...if we get to Araypter, why it could be just you and the compu-

SYRAW
You have two choices. Get off at the shithole we’re gonna barter for fuel at in two hours time, or stick with us through this bad patch so in a week we can sit in a bar in Araypter and have a good laugh. Your choice.

MELODY
You’re right. My choice.

Losing

‘I’m getting off Syraw and that’s final.’

‘Elizabeth! Eliza-’

‘Next stop, Syraw.’

‘Even if it’s a Ludenguard Installation? Liz-’

‘Let her go Captain. She’s angry - needs time to cool off.’

I looked to Davvy. He'd succeeded in stopping me from following Liz into the garden but still managed to piss me off. Doctors and their cool, who’d have them? This had all been inevitable though, Liz hated me. I could feel it when she looked at me - though she’d avoided me for the best part of two weeks. Since I’d come back and...well, we’d travelled to that wind-blasted little rock that turned out to be a death trap. I wish I’d known her better before then, hell I wish we’d never gone there in the first place.

‘Syraw...Captain, are you OK?’

‘Yeah Davvy, fine.’ I waited for him to look away. This is why I liked wearing my mask - I’d never been too hot at hiding things without it. He went to sit by Melody who was busy leafing through a palm-top book I couldn’t see, her eyebrows rising very slightly as she nudged the doctor to show him something. If I was gonna lose more crew at the Ludenguard Installation, the least I could do was gain a powerful weapon in return.

I wondered how Lem was doing, I’d had to give him most of my rations as part of our deal so the others wouldn’t suspect. My stomach protested almost immediately. Without thinking I pushed open the doors into the ships humid garden, luckily Liz had moved on and was nowhere in sight. I stared down at the plants and followed their roots through the aqua-blue hydroponic minerals. The garden was about the only thing I hadn’t destroyed in recent history. Never mind – perhaps soon things would start to look up...

Dog's Head Log #34533 (Solitary)

LEM
Oo-oh lookie here. Good morrow I'm sure. It's so nice to see a friendly face. Have you ever heard of mutiny, Syraw? Liz was looking ticked off last I saw.

SYRAW
Have you ever heard of solitary, Lem?

LEM
I'm in here, aren't I?

SYRAW
For now. How do you feel about behaving?

LEM
Doesn't sound too palatable.

SYRAW
Well behaving in this case would involve picking up a weapon. We're a gun short since - well, you know.

LEM
Since you lead us into our last bit of danger and you got Billy-

SYRAW
Do you want out of here or not?

LEM
You want me to pick up a gun? where are we going?

SYRAW
A Ludenguard installation. Just over a day's travel from here.

LEM
And you predict there will be bullets fired?

SYRAW
Hopefully not. Precautionary measure. I need you to use your skills to go in unnoticed and fetch me a few things.

LEM
You want me to steal from the Ludenguard?

SYRAW
They over price things, it'd serve them right.

LEM
See this is what I love about you Syraw, your clear sense of right and wrong.

SYRAW
Are you in or not?

LEM
What do I get?

SYRAW
Your freedom. It looks awfully cramped...and dark, in here.

LEM
I expect a few decent meals and a couple of hundred creds, we'll call it three hundred for the mission and an extra... oh... hundred for insurance, just in case I need to use my weapon.

SYRAW
Fine. Deal?

LEM
Just show me what you need me to steal.

SYRAW
I'll get you the list to look over in a moment. As far as the others are concerned, you're still in solitary when we get there. It'll be easier that way.

LEM
Oh you are a dark horse. It'll cost you extra if I'm to be stealthy around here as well.

SYRAW
All right, how much...?