Stellar Objects

Chapter 18: Mission A Go Go

Grunge stepped out of the cell, relieved to be out of the cage.

As lieutenant Shelly opened up Judson's cell, and finally Shakes', Grunge's mind was caught between plotting escape and planning how to get the Ghandi moving again.

They walked into a long corridor, and Grunge noticed the lights flicker. The ship was in worse shape than he'd feared. He'd need to rewire the electrics, mount secondary and tertiary power supplies, and ideally acquire some new light bulbs. But all in good time.

By the time they stepped on the bridge, the Captain was waiting for them. On the big screen behind him, a star chart of the quadrant marked their position and a blinking red light moved slowly away from them.

"That's the smuggler?" asked Grunge.

The Captain nodded. "There's a tracker in the probe we sent the crate over in. But we're not weaponized. So we can't just catch up with him and demand our loot back."

Judson raised his hand, as if he were in a schoolroom from a story book. "Kraylx has a buyer, but he doesn't know who the buyer is."

Shakes smiled. "We could pretend to be the buyer."

"This is the real world," said the Captain. "Not the stage."

"All the world's a stage," Shakes replied. "And all the men and women merely players;
They have their exits and their—"

"Spare me the Shakespeare," said the Captain, but Grunge wanted to hear of Shakes' words.

"What I mean," said Shakes, "is that if we have no swords, then illusion is our most powerful weapon."

"He's right," said Judson. "If we contacted Kraylx on an encrypted channel--"

"But not you," said Andra to Judson. "He can't know you're involved."

"
I could play the part of the buyer," Shakes said. "I'd arrange for hand-off, and get back the meds.

"I'm game," said Shelly.

"This is not a game," warned the Captain.

Grunge put up his hand, copying Judson from earlier. "Don't buyers want money?"

"Slave's got a point," said Captain Nayar.

"His name's George," said Andra.

"I prefer Grunge," Grunge said. Andra shook her head, annoyed by his self-appointed nickname.

"I have money," said Rys.

The Captain laughed. "You've got nothing. You're property of the Galactic Navy and a slave."

"I am sole heir to the throne of Egyptia!" Rys shot back.

"Which doesn't exist anymore," said the Captain.

"My grandfather is very rich and fortunately isn't on Egyptia, but on one of its outer moons," said Rys. "And he's got gold."

Andra put her arm around Grunge. It felt good, secure. But Grunge was old enough to know that in what they were planning to do, Andra couldn't protect her. The Captain was right, everyone dies. But Grunge didn't think the children in that hospital deserved to be consumed by Ventitis if there was something they could all do about it.

"So, we get the gold from granddad," said Andra. "We buy the meds, we save the kids."

"And then feast!" added Tez.

The Captain shook his head. "It's too dangerous."

Tez recoiled. "You've never tasted Tez's cooking!"

"I thought you were dangerous," said Shelly to the Captain.

"Captain, sir," said Grunge. "Andra and I used to live on The Heap; and we had one rule that kept us alive: don't stay still. I can get us moving again and Andra can fly. If we sit here, sooner or later some scavenger's going to find us and..."

"Pick us apart," said Andra, finishing Grunge's point.

The Captain nodded. "All right, it's time to get dangerous."