Romany Galactica ~ Part 3 of 4

Romany Galactica ~ Part 3 of 4

By Len Morgan

 The airlock opened and in came Anju flanked by three security officers.  She gazed about, tap tap tapping a pair of synth-leather gloves against her left palm.   Short jet black hair framed her face, accentuating her flawless complexion.   Focusing his eyes on full red lips and narrow aquiline nose Sonny thought, God she’s beautiful.

“Snap out of it Sonny!   Don’t think with your dick, that’s what she’s counting on.”

“We have a warrant to search this vessel and its cargo.”

“Search away,” he said.

“I must caution you not to leave this planet without my authorization.   If you do so, your ship will be destroyed."

 “Be serious Anju, we’re in the middle of a refit or hadn’t you noticed we’re missing our primary drive?” he grinned at her.

“My name is Commander Drax, you can call me Commander,” her voice was cold and impersonal.

“Anju—”  She slapped him across the face with her gloves. 

“Throw them down and I’ll slap you back if it’s a duel you want,” he wasn’t smiling now. 

“Out of my way,” she commanded, heading for the comms pod as if he didn’t exist.

“If you find anything I’ll be in my cabin,” he said.

“I want to check the CM cubes you purchased, where are they?”

“Try the cargo hold,” he said opening the cabin door.

“Locker seven,”   an unemotional mechanical voice said.   It was the basic computer voice that came as standard with the ship, Sonny hadn’t heard it in an age; that wasn't a good sign.

Anju nodded towards her assistants, go get them, bring them here and check those synths while you're down there.”    She sat the life-sign indicator unit down beside the console.

Sonny closed the cabin door, settled on his single bunk and clicked his fingers twice to extinguish the lights.

.-...-.

The door burst open.   He shook his head and clicked his fingers, “Shit.”   The lights came on and he realized he didn’t have, a hangover, “Bloody Anju,” It took seeing her again, in her true light, to purge him of her once and for all.

“Outside!” said the deadpan officer.  "Commander wants to see you.”

“Remember, I’m the captain of this ship, and according to Inter-Galactic law, I’m in charge here.  This is piracy!”

“Out!”   He was dragged from his bunk and pushed roughly towards the door.

“Say please, and show some respect, you toad,” he turned to make eye contact and was slapped across the face.  “You’ll regret that,” he said.

“Outside!”

“You’re not from the 'gentle persuasion school' then?”  The man’s face remained impassive, he didn’t reply.

“This ship is ‘New Chicago’ territory and your intrusion is an act of war.”

“Shut up Bono.   It was you who let us in and as far as I’m concerned you are a smuggler.   I’m impounding this vessel.   When we find your contraband this ship will be dismantled and sold for scrap.   You will become a permanent guest in solitary confinement and I will take pleasure in breaking you very slowly.  You’ll be old and grey when you get out, no upgrades for you, Bono—“

 He clapped his hands, “Big speech, Drax.”

“Commander!”    She reminded him.

“And, it’s Captain Bono to you!” He said.  "Let me remind you, there are a few tales I could tell that would shake the foundations of your cosy little world.”

“Blackmail Bono?”

“Gentle reminder Drax,” he whispered.

She laughed.  It took all his willpower not to take her into his arms.   He could do it, but he would be the loser.

“I’m here Sonny, lean on me,” Sher's voice in his mind.

Support, he thought.

“Amigo’s,” she replied, “Watch, this should be good.”

He watched as Anju pressed the spot behind her left ear to answer a personal com-con call.   Her face paled, her lips tightened.  She shook her head in pique, becoming agitated and unable to contain her anger.  She turned away from him and for a while stood motionless.  Her underlings swapped questioning glances. She turned to face them.  

“It appears captain, that your cargo is in order and you will be taking on a diplomatic passenger for your onward journey.”

“Well thank you, Commander.  As soon as you have returned my cargo to the hold you’re free to leave.”

“Listen, you unctuous little shite!   If I hadn’t been warned off, by my superior officer I would kick your useless butt all over this ship.”  She grabbed the life-sign test monitor she’d been using on the CM crystals and turned to leave.  It beeped.   She looked in the direction the scope was pointing—‘Nav-con’.   “What’s this then?”

“That will be my Companion.   She’s here to maintain my sanity on long haul journeys...”

“Ah, she wasn’t very successful was she?”

“At least I was sane, to begin with, Drax.”

She laughed, “Who told you that?”   She removed the CM from its housing.   “Does--She--have a name?”

“She came with the ship, could say she's the spirit of this ship; her name is Cher.”

“Her life is pretty tenuous at this moment Bono,” Anju began to throw the cube into the air and catch it, higher, and higher until it hit the ceiling. 

“Careful!” He said.

 “Ah!   Look what you made me do,” she stepped back, allowing her eyes to follow its flight to the ground.

He dove full length to catch it but he was too late.   It bounced a foot into the air landing at her feet. 

“He tried to attack me, restrain him!” Anju yelled.   He was dragged to his feet, he struggled right up to the moment they put the cuffs on him.  “Take him to a holding cell I’ll follow in a while.   Oh, S o n n y...”   He looked back to see her foot poised above the CM cube.

“No!” he yelled.   His words were drowned by the crunch of the cube under her foot.  

She spread the pieces with the toe of her jack-boot.  “Oops,” she smiled at him.

“You evil venomous bitch!   She never did any harm to you, she was alive and you’ve murdered her.   I’ll see you pay for that if it’s the last thing I do!”

“Tears, for your widdle plastic toy, Sonny-boy?”  She smiled in triumph.   “Take him away.”

Copyright Len Morgan

To be continued/...