Snakes’ Nest – By Spencer Cook. A short fan story based on the space trading game of Oolite. This occurred as an idea for a short story while writing ‘Collusion’. Liam Rafferty (Mobius) is to be thanked YET AGAIN, for such a stirling job on creating the cover..
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Snakes’ Nest
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Flying through the void without notice. Alice sits at the console of her small but dependable Sidewinder, her eye’s not only observe her scanners, but out into the vast emptiness, looking for telltale thruster illumination or the glint of sun on hull. Three months for this one mission, I’m bored stupid but at least he’s paying well, and it will soon be over.
‘Alice, is there really any need for this round about trip, and these precautions?’
Relaxing a tight lipped grimace that appeared on her face, she turns to face her passenger. ‘Yes there is, if you wish to live. You’re the one with the high profile. You’re the one who sought me to transport you on this journey. You’re the one who specified the destinations and dates, leaving the rest to me.’
‘Your Highness.’
‘You don’t need to address me so, Alice is fine, or Captain.’
‘No, you address me as such.’
‘Remember the rules?’ Alice pointedly ignores the correct forms of address.
‘Which ones?’
‘Specifically? about not disturbing me at the console while in deep space?’
‘Ahh yes, but why?’
‘Because it’s how I keep you alive. My ship, My rules, I don’t care who you are.... your Highness.’
A screech pierced the cabin and “Shadow” bucked with a laser strike. Alice spun back to the controls and started evasive maneuvers while locating the source of the attack on her scanners. A thud came from behind with a gurgled sigh. Ignoring the sound she presses the attack. With ruthless determination and a cool hand, Alice guides her ship between three attackers. She cuts the engines and spins in a jarring flat spin, striking the cockpit of a Kestrel. Not a clean kill, but disabled. She fires up her thrusters to then pursue the two remaining attackers, another Kestrel and an Asp. Damn the Feds want this man bad, The attacks are getting more frequent, and here in his families system space, they must be desperate. The two craft split to play a tag team on attacks. Alice Turns her ship and follows the Asp, and scores three shots on the rear shields before noticing her scanners showing the Kestrel making an attack run. Counting mentally for an undetermined amount of time, Alice hits full reverse thrusters. The Kestrel fires, missing, and overshoots. Alice takes a pot shot as the Kestrel pilot flies through her laserfire sustaining minor damage. Alice keeps her cool and chases after the Asp. The Asp pilot has turned to come in head on and tries to use size and laser power as a battering ram. Alice has other ideas, and starts a slow roll for evasion, before stabbing at the laser trigger in rapid succession, Scoring as many hits as she misses. The glow of the fore shields now depleted and hull plates start to fracture and break away. The Asp gets one lucky shot in taking out the single small shield generator the Sidewinder has onboard, but it served its purpose as one final shot renders the Asp dead in space, with one jettisoned escape capsule. Alice turns to locate the Kestrel, only to find it it fleeing with the escape capsule.
Setting the automatic pilot for Edle orbital station, Alice runs the risk of another attack and leaves the console to drag the inert body of Prince Shuegar to his quarters. Having hauled his body onto his bunk, she starts to tend his injuries.
Two hours later, with the planet looming ahead, a grunt and shuffle alert Alice to her passengers presence.
‘Captain, May I enter the presence of the cabin?’
‘Yes your highness, It should be safe enough this close to the planet.’
‘I’m sorry for the disaster before, I hadn’t realised it was so dangerous out here.’
‘Yes, well now you know exactly how it is, out away from the protection of your parents and position.’
‘I’d been told, but.’
‘But never had any experience.’
‘Yeah, something like that.’
‘Books don’t give any experience, AND,’ Cutting off the princes next attempt to speak, ‘neither does the hunting and fighting in your private reserve.’
‘You might be right. Would you care to take on an apprentice?’
‘No, I won’t and you couldn’t. Just stick with your power plays for the ruling factors, and I’ll keep to the stuff that actually affects the universe.’
‘Oh well, Can I at least repay you by having your ship repaired?’
‘No thank you.’
‘But.’
‘But no! This is part of my fee for the service, and I don’t want people knowing the shipyards and services I use, or what this ship contains.’
‘That sounds illegal.’
‘In some systems some things are, but not in all. Now you’ll want to go and get packed. Our three months is over in a couple of hours, and as soon as the payment is cleared I’m leaving.’
The prince turns away.
‘Oh and don’t go giving me any bonus. I earn my pay, and I don’t take any extra’s.’ She calls after him
Turning back he frowns, ‘You’ve got strange morals. You’ll shoot anyone on sight. You take legal and illegal contracts without issue. You have a reputation for completing your jobs at any cost, yet you’ve been extremely civilised, and you can act the part of a royal’s escort without flaw. Now you won’t take a bonus.’
‘It’s nothing to do with morality. It’s my reputation. I won’t be seen to take bribes, and I certainly don’t want people to find me, hence no payment for repair work carried out.’
Docking and handing Prince Shuegar over to his security detail went without hitch and payment was cleared while in the docking hangar. The prince returned to Alice and shook hands. ‘Thank you for the journey, I may request your services again.’
‘No problem your highness,’ She replied bowing, ‘The usual contact method.’ and with that she turned away and headed back to her ship for launch.’ and heads back to Diso for ship repairs at her usual ship yard. Before taking off on another job.
Two weeks later at Xenor, Alice is completing a deal. ‘You need this package taking to Maises?’
‘Sat is affirmative.’
‘The anarchy system?’
‘Sat is affirmative.’
‘And you expect me to take it?’
‘Sat is affirmative, you are se best.’
‘For that pathetic sum?’
‘Sat is the price offered.’
‘Goodbye.’ and with that Alice turns her back and heads to a bar for a drink.
At the bar, having had several drinks an admirer tries his luck. ‘You taken, you laydee?’
Alice drains her glass and faces the man addressing her. ‘You’ve got ten seconds to clear off.’ Turning back to the bar, ‘Another please barkeep.’
‘A young laydee like yerself needs a bit o’ company I thinks, particularly after a few o’ them drinks, I kin escort y
a home.’ and with that he stands up and takes hold of her arm. With a quick twist, and a yank the man is on his back on the floor. One hand painfully gripped by Alice as she looks down at him, still holding her drink in her other hand.
‘Next time I give you ten seconds, take them.’ She releases her grip and has a drink before heading to a quiet corner, where she is approached a few moments later. ‘You again.’ This isn’t a question.
‘Sat is affirmative.’
‘You wish to set a new price.’ Again not a question.
‘I was unreasonable before, I need sis transporting, you are se best. You will be hunted, so lets triple se figure.’
‘You waste my time.’
‘Ok, I had to try, I was given se sum of sefenty sousand for se correct courier.’
‘Done. Have the package at my ship in ten hours.’.
‘Affirmative.’
‘And don’t think about trying to short change me upon completion. You won’t get away with it.’
‘M’dame? You sink I...’
‘I’ve just witnessed your greed.’
The following morning with the package on board, Alice is approached as she turns to enter “Shadow”. A tall well dressed man