Chapter 3 – Connie Smith
As Ronnie left the Earth based supply depot with The Empress fully restocked, he decided to move to a low Earth orbit and put all of his purchases into their proper places, and update the computers database with the correct quantities and descriptions. Keeping the database updated with the correct quantities of each item was a major task and required that Ronnie carefully count each item as the loading crew at the depot put it aboard his vessel. Ronnie had also learned that by spending a little time in Earth’s orbit, he would sometimes have customer’s stop in and make purchases from him.
The Federation did not approve of some of the sales, but out here in space, no one normally bothered him or interfered with free enterprise. Ronnie had a supplier that would teleport Wacky weed directly to his vessel without going through the Export Customs Office’s scrutiny, and Ronnie could often sell every bit of it even before he left Earth’s orbit. It was a little risky, but often the people who made the purchases were the very ones who would have arrested him on the planet’s surface. Up here, aboard Ronnie’s vessel, they had no jurisdiction and really could do nothing to stop the sales, other than make Ronnie’s life a little difficult the next time he tried to purchase goods from the markets.
As Ronnie completed his inventory control work, he realized another vessel was hailing him and had settled into an orbit alongside. When Ronnie answered the hail on his Super 11 radio, he found out that two Intergalactic Federation law enforcement officers wished to board his vessel. They requested to teleport aboard The Empress for supplies, and Ronnie radioed his approval. The two officer’s teleported directly into the secure room of The Empress were Ronnie would fill their supply requests.
The secure room was structurally adequate to stop any intruder from gaining access to the ships interior. The viewing wall contained heavy shielding against stun guns, blasters, and conventional weapons fire. This kept Ronnie away from anyone intent on doing him or his vessel harm. The computers would dispose of any intruders by opening the floor panels and expelling the bodies out into space. When the computer opened the doors to vent the room to the atmosphere, you could be positively certain the exploding bloody mess was dead from the effects of the extreme vacuum of open space. The computer would then close the outer doors, wash the room with water and disinfecting foam, and then secure the airlock mechanism to form a vacuum seal. Ronnie was certain he was secure while inside The Empress.
As the two Intergalactic Federation law enforcement officers materialized inside The Empress’s secure room, Ronnie realized they might not be there to make purchases as they had stated. They had a file folder with them and they began talking without any pleasantries or introductions. Finally, the lead cop got to the point and explained they were planning to arrest Ronnie for raping a woman on his last visit to Earth’s surface. Ronnie explained they had the wrong man, but the cops were not going to listen. Ronnie continued to explain that he had in fact seduced the woman, but she was the one on top doing the actual seducing part. Apparently, her boyfriend found out and was screaming rape. Ronnie decided he was not going anywhere with these two and told them they should leave now before they got into trouble. One of the cops started to draw his pistol. As his gun cleared his holster, he found himself shooting bullets into the vacuum of open space. Ronnie laughed aloud as the computer slid the floor panels back into place and began the cleansing process to remove the mess in his secure room.
Ronnie guessed that business was not going to be very profitable today in Earth’s orbit, so he set in a course for his next stop and pressed the return key on the computer console. As The Empress slowly began moving, Ronnie could see the cop’s vehicle floating in space where they had boarded his vessel. Ronnie engaged the tractor beam. The vehicle moved up behind The Empress, and then slowly moved inside the cargo bay door. As the tractor beam sat the vehicle down on the steel floor of the cargo bay, Ronnie decided he would check and see if there was anything usable inside before he jettisoned the hull into deep space.
When the cargo bay was again fully pressurized, Ronnie walked to the vehicle, looked inside and then realized that the woman whom he had supposedly raped was inside the vehicle’s rear seating area. She was alive and doing well but obviously pissed with all that had transpired in the last few minutes. When the woman saw that Ronnie was looking in the windows at her, she began beating on the glass and yelling. Ronnie opened the front compartments side door and she began yelling for him to let her out because she was freezing.
Ronnie stepped to the back door and pressed the button to allow the door to slide open. When she had crawled out of the back seat, she stood with her hands on her hips and tapped her toe on the floor of the cargo bay floor; obviously, she was in a distraught state of mind. When Ronnie spoke her name, Connie smiled and said, “At least you remembered my fucking name.” Ronnie asked her what in the hell she was doing running around with two cops like that. She smiled and said her boyfriend had decided Ronnie must have raped her, and had filed charges against him. Connie explained that she had told the cops no rape had occurred, but the cops wanted to check out the story anyways. Ronnie smiled and told Connie that if any rape had occurred it was her raping him. Connie laughed and said that she had really enjoyed the experienced and began walking closer to Ronnie.
Ronnie stepped back away from her and spoke aloud to the computer, “Computer, perform a security check of this visitor and this vehicle sitting in my cargo bay.” Connie stepped back with a very displeased look on her face and said, “No fucking computerized robot is going to search me,” and began removing her boots, and then her clothing. In less than a minute, the girl was standing in the cold cargo bay, buck naked, and shivering. Ronnie walked in a circle around her and then told the computer that Connie seemed to have no obvious weapons, but he would do a more thorough search when they arrived at his ready room. Connie rolled her eyes, picked up her boots and threw one of them at Ronnie; then picked up the pile of clothing and headed for the door that had just slid open.
As they walked down the hallway to the ready room, Ronnie realized that Connie did have a very nice looking body. Her small bare butt jiggled gently as she walked in front of him. Ronnie decided he might let her take advantage of him again if things worked out. Ronnie found a warm blanket in the cabinet beside the bathroom and gently wrapped Connie in it. She smiled at him as she stepped into the bathroom and locked the door. Ronnie leaned back against the wall beside the bathroom door and listened to Connie pee. It was then that he realized it was nice to have another human aboard The Empress, especially since this human was female.
When Connie stepped out of the bathroom, she stepped up close to Ronnie and kissed him on the lips. Ronnie asked her what the kiss was for, and she told him the kiss was his reward for the warm blanket. Ronnie just smiled as she walked to the center of the ready room, dropped the blanket to the floor and started putting her clothes back on. Ronnie slapped her bare butt as he walked past her and said he did not get a chance to finish searching her for hidden weapons. She bent over in front of him and asked if anything looked dangerous to him. Ronnie’s face quickly turned red as he assured Connie that everything seemed to be in perfect order.
Ronnie had a schedule to keep, but now had a visitor that needed attending to. He could not safely enter Earth’s orbit long enough to teleport Connie back down to the surface to her home. He needed to sit Connie down and discuss what she wanted him to do with her, maybe he could find a transport vehicle on one of the planets he was to visit, and return her home that way. Maybe she wanted to stay with him for a while and then make a decision where she wanted to live out her days.
Ronnie suspected that if she returned to Earth, the Federation might arrest her as an accomplice in the death of the two cops. The ones who seemed to have had a tragic teleportation accident while visiting The Empress. Ronnie made up his mind that he would ask Connie to stay aboard The Empress and work with him for a while to see if she might like the
lifestyle. He knew he had plenty of work to keep her busy and could pay her well for her services. Maybe with a few Galax tucked away, her life might become a little easier in the future. Ronnie felt strange around Connie, it was not a male - female thing, it was just the fact that he liked her; she interacted with him in a way that did not piss him off or give him reason to mistrust her. It was just like Connie to strip off her clothes to show she had no hidden weapons when he had questioned her and asked the computer to search her. She was just that way, everything about her was right up front; she hid nothing from a friend. The one thing that Ronnie had discovered about her was that she was very private with her body and her sex, usually that is, until she stripped naked in the cargo bay so the robot would not search her with its probes and paddles. She never had sex in the dark, never, ever. If there was no light, there was no sex. Just the opposite of most females Ronnie had befriended. Ronnie sure would like to know what that was all about and made a mental note to ask her sometime when the conversation turned in that direction.
Ronnie needed to get the Federation vehicle out of his cargo bay and make it disappear very soon. He set a course for the Andromeda Galaxy, where he could jettison the vehicle towards a large black hole where it would eventually become cosmic dust. Ronnie pressurized the cargo bay and walked out to the vehicle. He opened the front sliding doors and searched the vehicle for weapons, ammunition, or anything else he could sell or use on The Empress. When he opened the back sliding door where the cops had secured Connie, he discovered a small forth-five caliber snub-nosed pistol tucked in the crease of the seat cushion. He slid the five round ammunition clip out of the handle, and realized it was fully loaded. He opened the chamber and sure enough, the pistol had a live round in the chamber and was ready to fire. Ronnie figured Connie had hidden the pistol in the seat to keep it from discovery, but there was a chance the weapon did not belong to her. He put the pistol into his pocket and the bullets in another; Connie could explain it to him when he went back inside.
He then remembered that Connie was inside The Empress and could get herself into trouble if left alone. Ronnie spoke to the computer again, “Computer, monitor my visitor and insure she remains in my ready room.” Ronnie listened for the three chirps that the computer used to signify that the order was accepted and it had implemented his command. Now Ronnie needed to finish the job he had came out here to the cargo bay to execute. He moved the vehicle into the ejection room and closed the sliding door. Ronnie could easily eject an object inside the room to the vacuum of space, simply by opening the pressured door. The rapid outflow of air would send the object hurling out into the vacuum of outer space.
With the vehicle safely stored inside the chute, Ronnie returned to the ready room. As he stepped inside, he heard water running and realized that Connie was in the shower. He smiled to himself and set a course for the Andromeda galaxy so he could rid himself of the incriminating evidence he had in his cargo bay. He pressed the execute button on the control console and The Empress instantly responded to the command.
As The Empress slowed and stopped where Ronnie had commanded, Ronnie maneuvered the vessel so the ejection chute faced the black hole of the galaxy. He pressed the button and felt the vessel shutter slightly as the door opened and closed, sending the IFTT vehicle towards its final resting place. Connie stepped into the ready room and asked what the commotion was that she had just felt. Ronnie explained what he had done with the vehicle and she smiled. Ronnie stood looking at her and also smiled, she was standing there in his ready room, very naked, rubbing her wet hair with a towel trying to dry it. Her boobs were bouncing up and down as she dried her hair, and Ronnie’s eyes seemed to wander over the beautiful body that stood in front of him.
Ronnie finally turned towards the console so as not to stare. He heard Connie giggle and she explained that her clothes were in the laundry and the computer was cleaning them. Ronnie did not turn around, but said there was a white bathrobe in the closet across the hallway from the bathroom that she could have while she was aboard. She spoke to Ronnie, and this time he did turn to look at her. She had said, “Does my body offend you?” Ronnie looked her in the eyes and said he liked looking at her body, but it did make him feel rather uncomfortable. “You do have a sister that you grew up with, do you not,” she asked. Ronnie said he did, but she never ran around naked. Connie turned around, went to the closet and put on the white robe. She looked at him and asked, “Better now?” Ronnie just smiled at her.
She continued to look at him and finally Ronnie asked, “What are you looking at Connie?” Her answer surprised him, “Looks like you either found my gun, or my naked body really did make an impression on you.” Ronnie removed the pistol from his pants pocket and laid it on the table. As Connie finished drying her hair, Ronnie began talking to her. He asked Connie if she had any plans for the future, or if he could offer her a job, now that returning to Earth would be difficult.
Connie got a real big smile on her face and said she did not want to return to Earth, even if she could. Her old boyfriend had shown his true colors when he got so possessive and tried to control everything about her life. She walked up really close to Ronnie, looked him in the eyes and asked him one simple question, “Can you and I work together without our sex interfering?” Ronnie considered the question for a moment, sat down in the captain’s chair beside the control console and then answered her question. “Connie I hope to have sex with you again, I will say that right up front, but our being male and female will not be any problem with the work that needs doing here on The Empress. This vessel will keep both of us very busy. I will pay you a very fair wage, which you can hide away for your future. The Galax you earn while working with me will be safe here on this vessel, controlled by the computer and your password. You can walk away from this vessel anytime you need to. I will not attempt to control your life in any way; however, I will in fact control the quality of your work here on The Empress to insure our safety, and the prosperity of the business venture.”
Connie considered his answer a moment, and then asked him another question, “Do you think we can get along without arguing and fighting continuously. We are both very set in our ways, and I know that you can get very upset when things don’t go your way.” Ronnie laughed at the question, but considered the question legitimate, and began to answer. “Connie, I cannot guarantee anything, but when I am around you I seem to mellow and my judgmental attitude seems to fade away. I can tolerate anything you do or say. When I do get pissed off at you, it seems easy enough to just explain myself to you and get over it.” Connie reached down with her hand and shook Ronnie’s hand. “Thanks boss for the job; can I fix us some supper before we begin work?” Connie asked. Ronnie snickered and said that meal preparation should be a shared duty.
He stood up, and as he did, Connie pressed her lips to his, stepped back, then looked down to her feet and said, “Thanks for rescuing me from the mess I seemed to have gotten us into.” Ronnie kissed her lips and said, “Welcome aboard my friend, I hope this works out well. I get very lonesome here in this vessel, but I could never allow anyone else to enter until you came into my life.” Ronnie looked into Connie’s eyes and said, “I just may have found a partner in this business venture if we can work things out in the next few weeks.” Connie’s reply made Ronnie feel good about his instincts as she said, “If we can work that out, I would be most grateful, and I will try to do my very best to help build this business under your guidance.”