Pixie Hazard, Archibald Bradford [100 best novels of all time .TXT] 📗

announced that their ship wasn’t going to blow up any time soon.

Being fed-up with the infirmary, and with people fussing over her without following through with giving her hearty orgasms, Bunny prepared dinner for them in lieu of the disaster that Maria and Eva inflicted on them the previous night.

A massive roasted fish with a rich cream and lemon sauce was far preferable to baked beans and nutrition-cubes and they were all packing it in as they discussed their options for the ship.

“So, she’s space-worthy?” Billy asked, her eyes on Kyle.

“Mmm, so good baby.” He said to Bunny around a mouthful before answering the medic’s question; “Yeah, I’ll test-fire the fusion drive after dinner to be safe. And we’ll need to use the Pixie to wrestle some of that crap off of her back, then check to make sure the thrusters are clear and undamaged, but she should break atmo without issue.”

Though happy that the ship could fly, Eniella frowned.

“Even with the faulty conduit you just installed?”

Torn between stuffing his face and answering the crew’s questions, Kyle nodded around another bite of fish.

“Yeah, she’s a much newer model than the Pixie so she won’t strain it as much.”

“What about fuel?” Donnie asked.

“Just shy of forty light-years worth Captain. More than enough to get her to port somewhere.”

“And then she’ll make a helluva payday for us!”

Unlike her usual dour disposition, Eva was all smiles as she mentally counted the deks they didn’t have yet.

Kyle shrugged.

“Maybe. There’s likely a bunch more this ship can do for the Pixie. I don’t know why it’s here but it’s only a few production runs behind the latest models.” He took a long drink from his cup before leaning back and finishing his thought; “What I’d really like to do is get into dry-dock, strip both of these girls down to their keels and swipe every moving part that the Pixie could use. Then sell the rest.”

Eva’s mood promptly soured.

“This doesn’t sound like much of a payday anymore.”

Eniella and Kyle both laughed out loud, until the redhead’s glare convinced her sister’s girlfriend to explain their amusement.

“Eva, buttercup. That ship is easily worth twice what the Pixie is, not counting the weapon systems of course, so even if me and Kyle manage to find and update every last bolt our girl needs, it will still be the best score we’ve had since he and Bunny first signed on!”

Eva’s glower remained undiminished, so Donnie broke in, opting to end the tension before it could become a thing.

“Hooker’s right. You all know the deal: the Pixie’s my boat and my responsibility. Everyone will get their percentage based on the value of the whole salvage, not whatever scraps are left when you two nerds are finished.” She gestured at Eniella and Kyle with a piece of garlic bread; “So starting with the conduit thing, keep a list of every part that you swipe for the old girl. Then maybe we’ll take a week off someplace sunny. Recharge, get drunk, get laid. The usual.”

The matter settled, and Eva mollified, they continued eating for a bit until Maria broke through the clinking of cutlery with hopeful words.

“Didn’t I also hear something about a safe that needed cracking on the transport?”

Donnie, more cautious in her optimism, nodded.

“Yeah, in the captain’s quarters. The cargo-hold, the galley, the whole thing was empty but for that one safe. We gave it a pass in our sweep so we’ll treat it like it’s rigged. May end up cutting it out of the wall to be safe. But the most important question right now is for Bunny. Where the hell did you get this enormous fish? No way could we afford this!”

The girl’s ears swivelled at the mention of her name and she licked at her claws before looking to Donnie; unlike the others she ate with her fingers, deftly picking the bones out as she methodically devoured her meal.

She was a cat after all.

“I didn’t pay for it! It was a gift from this nice man at the market on Mung Station! He told me that he really liked my butt so I let him stick his tongue in-”

“Gah, stop! Please! We’re eating Bunny!” Maria protested with a whining groan while the others laughed.

Bunny rolled her eyes with a helpless giggle.

“Humans are so strange. On Macka it would be weird not to talk about sex at dinner!”

“Yeah, we’re the odd ones.” The blonde groused.

Within a few more minutes they finished the last of the fish then gave it a half hour or so to settle before returning to their work.

In the ready room off of the primary airlock and aft of the drop-pod, Billy was helping Kyle and Eniella back into their suits.

With Kyle’s orange jumper patched up, and given the relative safety of the other ship, he was back in a suit he could actually manoeuvre in.

The raven-haired woman gestured with her eyes at her armour, mounted on its charging station against the wall.

“I hope you realize that you are going to be cleaning out of my suit when you’re done with the other ship. You’ve been wearing it more than me lately.”

“Uh, sure, Billy.”

She gave him a stern look.

“I’m serious! If I put that thing on and find myself sitting in a puddle of your ball-sweat I’ll take your teeth out. One kick at a time.”

Eniella’s laughter was cut off by the hissing sound of her helmet sealing.

Kyle shrugged as best he could in the orange survival suit.

“Fair enough. So what are you going to do with your-”

“Nope.” The doctor interrupted him while fetching his helmet.

“What?”

“Not ours yet. Don’t forget that. There is an Old Earth expression: don’t count your chickens before they’ve hatched.”

He puzzled over it for a