SPACE PIRATE FERRETS (Part 3) by AngryWino
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>Mytus VI is one of those heavy industry hubs that sustains the commerce of the Corporate Sector Authority.
>That is to say, what little natural beauty the planet once possessed has been terraformed, clear-cut, and/or paved over to create a massive, planet-wide industrial park.
>Many life-forms from all around the Corporate Sector toil here making products for the Authority's many businesses and consumers.
>Those parts of the planet that aren't covered over with huge mega factories are covered with dormitories for the factory workers.
>Recreational facilities are few and far between, and those who have means generally prefer to take vacations off-world.
>In short, the whole planet is kind of a badly polluted dump.
>Because of the heavy traffic making planetfall or leaving the surface, no one on the planet takes any particular notice of another ship slipping into high geostationary orbit.
>Even a converted X'tixian Raider.
>It also means that no one takes any immediate notice when a small party from the same ship quietly hijacks one of the ubiquitous small courier vessels soon after it leaves the planet's surface.
>"What do you think, Anon?" Jo says proudly as you look over her handiwork.
>Working from photographs, she had carefully painted the courier vessel to resemble yours as closely as possible.
>One of Zoe's crew had also welded on some fake engine shrouds and long-range communications antennae, altering the lines of the vessel to more closely resemble yours.
"That's not going to fool anyone who gets closer than a hundred meters to it. Especially once the ramp goes down and they can look inside and see that it isn't armored."
>"That's just fine," Jenna says beside you. "The idea is to get in, get the key and codes, and get out."
>The missing parts of your uniform have been returned to you as well, to complete the look.
>Even so you frown.
"The main key to that is going to be the transponder codes and comms encryption from my ship."
>"Already downloaded into the computers of this one," Jenna says, turning to you with a proud smile of her own. "This isn't our first rodeo. Not by a long shot."
"I'd guessed."
>"Obviously we're relying on you to keep things from going wrong, so make sure you do your part, and Romy will do hers."
>Romy? Fuck.
>You knew they were sending down a small party with you to get the key and codes.
>You hadn't expected it to be Romy.
>You're pretty sure that Romy still doesn't like you, and this knowledge causes you to frown.
>"Don't fret Anon. Romy's good at this," Jo tries to reassure you.
>That's not why you're frowning of course, but you decide to make it work instead of bitching about it.
>After all, most of the crew are speaking to you in what you might call a friendly manner.
>Overly friendly, in some cases.
>The Captain had even let you take over one of the unoccupied cabins in Officer Country, though it had taken a couple of hours work on your part to make it comfortable.
>First Officer Jenna had even tracked down your personal items that were looted from your ship, so at least you had your music back again.
>You open the cargo hatch of the modified vessel to take a look inside, and the smell rocks you back on your heels.
"Faugh! What the hell was this thing hauling?"
>Jo smiles happily.
>"Fishmeal!"
>Terrific.
 
>======<
 
>Okay, so the plan isn't complicated.
>Gain access to the Vindada & D'raang Shipyard receiving office, get the key and the access code for the security container, and get the hell out as quickly as possible.
>Romy, along with three of her division, Charlie, Julie and Dot, will provide security for the mission, the success of which largely rests on your shoulders.
>"I'm watching you," Romy tells you.
>Like you needed reminding.
>Tolan City is a massive spaceport, which is why the Vindada & D'raang Shipyard is there.
>They build large interplanetary freight haulers that carry commerce for the Corporate Sector Authority.
>Those things are built for maximum capacity and efficiency, and they never make planetfall.
>So the planet-side shipyard builds the ship in modules, which are then lifted to the orbital construction docks.
>Tolan City's spaceport also handles a lot of other traffic besides, so it's pretty easy for you to slip the disguised courier vessel into the traffic pattern.
>Except for the smell, of course.
>"What the hell was that bump?" Romy yelps from the cargo area.
>And the personal acrimony.
"Atmospheric turbulence. Looks like the weather over Tolan City is going to be a bit sloppy."
>"Well be more careful, dammit!"
>You choose to ignore that, since it's not as if Romy's griping aids or detracts from the mission.
>You do, however, take a certain amount of personal satisfaction from deliberately flying through a smutty brownish grey cloud, causing further bumps and a string of curses from the cargo compartment.
>In due course, the vessel's radio crackles into life with a bored-sounding voice.
>"Courier Vessel alpha-7129, this is Tolan Spaceport Approach Control, state your carrier and destination."
"Spaceport Approach, this is Secure Transport Courier, landing at Vindada & D'raang Shipyard."
>In the pause that follows you hope that the approach controller is too bored or too busy to ask for additional information.
>"Roger, vector left five points to open heavy traffic and continue your descent."
"Roger."
>You follow the directions precisely, mostly because getting into a collision would be a real pain in the ass today.
>You break through the cloud cover, noting that the weather on the ground is a dirty, nasty rain, and the landing system soon picks up the shipyard's beacon.
>Just then a possible problem occurs to you.
"Dammit. Hey Romy..."
>"What do you want?"
"We'll be landing at the shipyard's secure receiving dock soon. That means it will be fitted with a discharge detection system, so don't shoot anyone if you can help it."
>"Why the hell not?"
"Because it will trigger an alarm, and then every Espo in the city will be crawling all over us within five minutes."
>"Are you shitting me?"
"No."
>"Fuck. Girls, hand-to-hand combat only. No blasters unless absolutely necessary."
>Romy pokes her head into the pilot's compartment with a scowl.
>"Any other surprises down there, or were you just going to let us find out about them the hard way?"
"None that I know of. Just be careful, and think before you act."
>"Sure. Easy for you to say."
"Quiet now, I need to contact the receiving dock."
>Romy disappears again.
>You key the secure radio, hoping they got the encryption load right.
"V&D Shipyard, this is Armored Courier 7129, requesting secure landing dock."
>With an electronic squawk, a prompt response is issued.
>"We are not expecting a secure delivery today."
>You key the radio again.
"I know, I got delayed by an attempted hijacking. It's been reported already, and if it's all the same to you, I'd like to finish this job and go home."
>A silence follows.
>They could be doing anything down there, from checking your story to wondering even if they are expecting such a delivery.
>There is no way that a delivery manifest could be generated for a MK4 container unless there were a valid key at the other end.
>However, given the way that so-called "milk run" went, they might not have even told the alleged receiving entity to expect you.
>Since they clearly didn't expect you to complete the delivery.
>An electronic squawk comes from the radio.
>"What's your clearance code?"
"7-2-4-6-5-1."
>You pronounce each numeral distinctly to ensure reception.
>You also start watching the traffic around more closely, looking for Security Police, or for an escape route if one becomes necessary.
>The radio squawks again.
>"Roger Armored Courier. We have you on landing monitor, the dock will open in five minutes."
>You let out the breath you didn't realize you were holding.
"Roger, five minutes. Thanks."
>"I'm almost impressed," Romy's voice comes from right behind you.
"Fuck! Do you not think I have enough to worry about right now without you sneaking up on me like that?!"
>"Just making sure you keep up your end of things," Romy tells you.
>You notice she is holstering her weapon as she returns to the cargo deck.
>This ferret clearly has trust issues.
>Drawing close to the shipyard's receiving docks now, you see the secure dock slowly yawning open, and you maneuver to line the ship up for landing.
"Ugh, this thing handles like a pig."
>Whoever they stole it from clearly regarded regular maintenance as more of an abstract concept than a physical reality.
>With a bit of extra finesse at the controls, you manage to wrestle the ship onto the landing cradle and cut the engines.
>The security doors immediately begin to close overhead.
>Welp, that was the easy part.
>Now comes the hard part.
"Stay out of sight until I signal you. Good luck."
>"Don't need luck when you're as good as I am," Romy replies.
>You almost hope something does go wrong if it would wipe that smug look off of her face.
>You haven't got time to enjoy such thoughts however as you head back through the cargo deck and exit the ship.
>A security guard is waiting to meet you, a largish, middle-aged man.
>"Must have been a hell of a trip you had. The computer says you're dead."
>You feign exasperation.
"Again? That's the second time this month. I have no idea what those clowns in dispatch are doing, but it clearly ain't their jobs."
>To your relief, the security guard breaks into an understanding chuckle.
>"I hear ya man. It's like all the bosses have their heads up their asses and they expect the rest of us to just make it up as we go."
>You follow the guard, discreetly signaling.
"Yeah, well this cargo has already been a giant pain in my ass. I'll be glad to be rid of it."
>"Yeah? Where you from?"
"Jaophus IV."
>"Oh? Is it nice there?"
>The guard produces a key and opens the door into the office, where he presses a control, opening the large inner cargo-handling door.
"Nicer than it is here."
>The guard spits on the floor.
>"A fucking dead moon is nicer than it is here. This world is polluted to hell. It's no place to raise a family."
>You almost feel sorry for what's about to happen to the guy.
"Listen, I brought some helpers with me on this run, mind if I buzz them in too?"
>The guard gives you a quizzical look.
>"Helpers?"
>The guard notices the muzzles of three blasters pointed at him.
>"Don't do anything stupid and you'll live to see another day," Romy tells him.
>"...Shit."
>Dot relieves him of his weapon and duct tapes him to a chair a safe distance from any alarms.
>Julie acts as a lookout while you, Romy and Charlie make your way quickly to the shipping office.
>Fortunately the shipping office has only three clerks in it, and though clearly nervous at having weapons pointed at them, they comply quickly when ordered to lie down facing the wall.
>You go to the computer terminal recently vacated by one of the clerks.
>She already had the material receiving application open, so you click on the manifest block and enter the serial number from the shipping manifest from your ship's computer.
>After a moment, the screen displays the details from your manifest, down to the same disturbing omissions.
>You scroll down, and in the special instructions block is a seven digit alphanumeric code, followed by the words "key 23".
>If they follow proper procedure, the keys should be stored in a locked cabinet.
>You pull one of the clerks to his feet.
"Where are the security keys?"
>The clerk nervously points to a cabinet on one wall.
>It's unlocked, with the key hanging in the lock.
>Sloppy.
"Thanks. Go lie down again."
>You copy the code and quickly cross to the key cabinet and open it, revealing heavy black keys hung on chains from numbered hooks.
>With a sense of triumph, you withdraw key 23 and hold it aloft.
"Got it! Easy day"
>Just then you hear a blaster bolt from the direction of the loading dock, and an alarm goes off.
>"Fuck!" Romy exclaims.
>This day just got a whole hell of a lot harder.
>Charlie yells at the clerks to keep their heads down as you and Romy run towards the loading area.
>You see Dot slip inside the receiving area just as a heavy blast door crashes closed, sealing you off from the dock.
>Dot is clutching her side and bleeding.
>"There was another guard on rounds," she calls to you both. "He shot at me."
>Romy looks for the door controls, but finds them in lockdown, cutting you off from the stolen courier vessel.
>You pull a first aid kit off the wall and see to Dot.
"Sorry, this is gonna sting."
>Dot grits her teeth and nods as you spray the wound, stopping the bleeding and applying an antiseptic.
>"Dammit! We can't get back to the ship!"
>Your mind races - what would the security designers not expect?
>Answer - they wouldn't expect you to be on this side of the blast door.
"Change of plan Romy, we're going out the front!"
>"Shit. Plan B then!"
>Romy pulls a small box out of her belt, twists a key, and presses a button.
>"Five minutes!"
>Dot is feeling a bit weak, having been shot, so you pick her up and sling her over your shoulder.
>As you run back through the receiving office, Romy calls out, "Charlie, Julie, assemble on me!"
>As you had hoped, the interior doors are not designed to resist an armed intruder.
>Though some of them locked during the alarm, they prove easy to force with close-range blaster fire.
>What the hell, the discharge detection system has already been tripped, no need to hold fire now.
>As you burst into the main office, Romy fires into the ceiling, taking out a camera.
>The people in the office don't need any more prompting than that to hit the deck, thankfully.
>It only gets sticky when you make it all the way to the front security reception desk, where another blast door has sealed off the main entrance.
>There's no guard, presumably the guard who shot Dot came from here.
>Charlie crosses to the security monitors at the front desk.
>"We've got trouble Romy! Squad of Espos out front, preparing to make entry!"
>"They'll have something else to worry about in a minute!"
"Can you take her for a minute?"
>Julie nods and you carefully pass Dot over to her.
>Thankfully, Tika are pretty light compared to you.
>You cross behind the security station and blast your way into a small closet.
>"The fuck are you doing Anon!" Romy yells with evident irritation.
"I used to work in Security, remember? Give me credit for knowing a few things!"
>Inside the closet, as you had hoped, are racks of equipment.
>The building's security and alarm systems.
>First off, blast the Digital Video Recorder.
>Good luck to anyone trying to figure out who you were now.
>Now where's the fire alarm?
>Fortunately that problem is solved for you as smoke from the burning DVR sets off the smoke detector in the room.
>The building's fire alarm joins the cacophony of noise.
>And a loud clunk comes from the blast door over the main entrance.
"CSA Building Code, Romy. Fire alarm overrides Security alarm, for emergency egress."
>The blast door makes another whirring sound and slowly begins to rise.
>"Nice!" Romy responds.
>Then she pulls a grenade from her belt, pulls the pin, and chucks it under the door.
>"COVER!!"
>You crouch together behind the Security desk as a loud WHOOMP sounds from just outside the still rising blast door, followed by cries of pain and alarm.
>"That'll teach 'em!"
>"Nice work Romy," Charlie responds, just before the entire building shakes, dust falling from the ceiling, and the lights go out.
>"Hah! Perfect timing!" Romy crows.
"What the hell was that?"
>"Plan B," Romy says with a grin. "Bomb in the stolen vessel. That should occupy the Espos attention for a while."
>Damn, that girl is scary.
>"Front's clear!" Charlie calls out.
>"Let's move!" Romy yells.
>Romy draws her sidearm and ducks under the blast door.
>"Dammit Romy, wait!" Charlie calls, also drawing her sidearm and heading for the doors.
>"Anon, a little help!"
>Dot may be light to you, but Julie is visibly struggling with her.
>Gunfire erupts outside.
"Alright, I've got her."
>You carefully pick up Dot, who wraps her arms around your neck.
>"My hero," Dot says weakly.
>"C'mon Anon!" Julie yells from the door, her sidearm also out.
>Checking to make sure the key is still secure in your pocket, you carry Dot out the front door.
>Outside it's still raining, but Romy is in her element.
>Shooting Espos.
>Nearby, slightly damaged by the blast, is an Espo patrol aircar.
"Julie, get the door!"
>Julie catches on immediately and opens the Espo car's rear door, then climbs in to help you load Dot into the seat.
>"Aw yeah!," Romy says, "I've always wanted to steal one of these! Let's go girls!"
>Romy jumps into the driver's seat, but to her evident annoyance is too short to reach, let alone operate the controls.
"Move over!"
>Romy scowls at you, but immediately recognizes the wisdom in leaving the driving to someone for whom the car was designed.
>Charlie jumps in the back with Dot and Julie and shuts the door while Romy clambers over the radio rack into the front passenger seat.
>You jump into the driver's seat, thankful that the overeager brown-shirt that had driven it here had left it running.
>"Head West!" Romy yells at you.
"I can hear you just fine!"
>You hope Romy isn't a backseat driver as you put the aircar into gear and gun the engine.
>The entrance to the building's parking area is gated, of course, but you hit the lift throttle and sail smoothly over it.
>"All units, air observer" the car's comm-panel squawks, "suspects have stolen a patrol car and left the premises. Kick two-four."
"Shit, I was hoping it would take them longer to spot us."
>"What's kick two-four?" Julie asks from the back seat.
"They know we have a radio, so they're changing frequencies so we can't listen to their chatter."
>"Is that so?" Romy growls.
>She grabs the mike and keys it.
>"FUCK YOU ALL IN THE ASS WITH A FLAMING RAKE YOU FUCKING SLIMY, JACK-BOOTED, BROWN-SHIRT, NO-GOOD, SHIT-EATING BASTARD SONS-OF-YOUR-SISTERS!"
>Romy drops the mike with a grin.
>"Just thought they should know how I felt before they left."
"Cute, but don't do that again. They can find us from the transmissions."
>You shut the comm-panel off, just for good measure.
>"Speaking of," Romy says, "Charlie, call for a pickup, west of the city."
>Charlie nods and plucks a commlink off of her belt.
>The car rocks violently as a bright burst appears to the left.
>"Armored airship on our ass!" Julie calls from the backseat.
"I'D GUESSED!"
>You cut the lift throttle, trading altitude for speed and discretion.
>The surface road is full of traffic, mostly large automatic robo-haulers moving goods or raw materials between production facilities.
>But you're in a Security Police patrol car.
>With a grin you hit the lights and warning devices.
>A large robo-hauler bleeps in distress and moves over a lane to let you pass.
>More of the huge automated trucks do the same, clearing a lane for you, so you shove the accelerator all the way to the firewall.
>Robots are too dumb to tell the difference between a legit emergency and a stolen patrol car.
>"The airship is staying high! They're losing us!" Julie reports.
"Yeah, they can't fly between the buildings, and they can't shoot at us with heavy weapons while we're down here."
>A gout of flame just ahead makes a liar out of you, as a particle beam strikes one of the robotic trucks.
>Goddamn trigger-happy morons!
>Other trucks ahead apply their brakes as the stricken truck jackknifes and collides with another truck, effectively blocking the road.
>You grit your teeth and hit the lift throttle again, sailing over the crash, but drawing further fire from the pursuing airship.