Opal 77: Skewed Space (Jerrie)

Part 26

"This is discrimination!" Leigh-Anne yelled through the intercom at the patrol officers waiting outside. There were three of them, each one exchanging awkward glances as they tried to figure out what to do. "You can't just search our ship without warrant— or a warrant." She added, pausing to take a breath. "Since your reason is a "random, routine check", I know you don't have probable cause."

"Actually, we got a tip—" One of them foolishly tried to speak, instantly shrinking back once the girls reply came through.

"A tip? Let me guess! Mysterious, anonymous caller says we are doing something illegal. But legally you cannot search this spacecraft without a warrant, which requires evidence..."

The three girls huddling behind her began to laugh, holding on to each other as they tried to stay quiet. But each time the goofballs made eye contact they were goners.

"And seeing as you don't have any, or someone who could share their testimony," She continued regardless of her friends antics. "You're really just wasting all of our time."

The patrol can only stutter out a response, none of those present able to combat this roadblock as they were new to this station. They weren't used to someone using the law to refute them.

"Thank you, gentlemen." Jade commands in a posh voice, holding in her giggles for the time being. "That will be all, have a good day."

"We need to leave, before they come back." Leigh-Anne said as soon as the patrol left.

"But Lauren isn't here yet! We can't leave without her." Jesy pointed out.

"I think," Perrie said, scratching the back of her neck nervously. "If she were coming with us, she wouldn't be late."

"Maybe something happened. Maybe she's in trouble." Leigh-Anne suggested. The pitch of her voice rose with each syllable.

"I don't want to sound like an ass or anything but..." Jade paused, afraid to speak her mind.

"We can't afford to stay." Perrie finished Jade's thought, putting it bluntly. "Who knows what could happen if we wait even a minute longer."

"She never even said she was coming with us." Jesy muttered, scuffling her boot on the ground as she folded her arms.

"You'd think she'd at least say goodbye then." Jade added dryly. This had the potential to be a life or death matter. It appeared to the girls as if Lauren had ditched them, unable to properly communicate why she wasn't there. They debated calling her, which Jesy ended up doing. It went straight to voicemail, so she left a few messages and then shrugged her shoulders.

They decided to go.

But the lack of their friend weighed on them in the silent moments, causing an underlying tension to fill the command center as they left the station. Jade kept busy by connecting her equipment to the main computers, rewiring the system so that she had more control. Jesy and Leigh-Anne eventually left to explore the ship. Even though Perrie had shown most of it when they had been waiting. Perrie herself was sat behind Jade, watching her code with interest.

"Are you sure this is okay?" She asked timidly. The worried lines on her face were even visible through the screens reflection. "You might accidentally shut off the oxygen, or gravity, or something else important."

"Relax, I know what I'm doing." The brunette replied. Perrie tried her hardest to ignore the kinda that Jade mumbled under her breath.

"And that is...?"

"Well, I'm trying to get my program and the ship algorithm to connect. That way I can monitor everything without having to be here."

"That seems simple enough... I guess." Perrie's tone wavered at the end. She wasn't convinced that this was necessary, saying so herself.