Starship Armstrong - Season 1

Part 25 - Alas, Babylon (VIII)

A stylish yet practical dress concealing several powerful personal firearms, being on the run in enemy territory, it all reminded Mitzner very much of her 20s. She actually would have been about McAfree's age when she went through her gentlewoman pirate phase. Not a time of her life she'd relish returning to, but she did feel a twinge of nostalgia now and then for the good old days when things were simpler and violence was fun.

The old man was willing to give them clothes and point them in the right direction, but that's all the involvement he was willing to risk. While he didn't relish the thought of the two women falling in the hands of the Watch, neither did he want himself or his family endangered by them.

The old man had turned out to be a talented tailor and both Mitzner and McAfree, in Mitzner's estimation, looked great while being as mobile as practical in Babylonian fashion. Mitzner decided that if she survived and the dress didn't get all burned in a gunfight she was going to keep it.

Mitzner had probably been in as many gunfights in a dress as out, so she had no trouble sneaking around in one, but "mobility" design or not the more elaborate upper class outfit was giving McAfree problems. She was, of course, taking this with her usual heroic stoicism.

"Hold up Mitzner," said McAfree "I can't run in this I'm going to trip. "

"Can you handle maybe one thing on your own, McAfree?" asked Mitzner "You don't need to keep me personally abreast of your every minor inconvenience?"

This part was different from her pirate days. All of her companions then could handle themselves. Mitzner stopped so that McAfree could catch up.

Now that they were in the better part of town, the planned section of the colony, they could try to track down some place that was liable to have interstellar communications. An office for an interplanetary corporation, a military base, or some kind of government building would be a good bet. Mitzner figured a corporate office would be their best chance. Being a Hegemony planet it shouldn't be hard to find one.

While Mitzner was trying to work out where they should go next, a well-dressed man approached the two. He was sporting the long elaborate mustache so popular with Babylonian men.

"What are two beautiful young ladies doing out here in the streets all alone?" he asked.

McAfree opened her mouth to reply, but Mitzner gave her a spooky look and she closed it again.

"We're just out for an early morning walk, sir," said Mitzner "I don't believe we've met."

Her Babylonain accent was perfect. She had several custom genes for being a polyglot that made mastery of the accents of her mother tongue trivial. McAfree, however, felt it could stand to be more broad.

The well-dressed man's accent was certainly more broad. It was closer to McAfree's earlier caricature than Mitzner's more subdued "received Babylonian".

"How rude of me," said the man "Sar Hondo, at your eternal service."

He made to take Mitzner's hand and kiss it, but she was way too fast for him.

"Pleased to meet you Sar Hondo, my name is.. Vireh... Zakari," said Mitzner "And this is my cousin.. Pari, uh, Zakari. She's a mute."

"That is too fascinating," said the man in a dismissive tone "It pains me to drag the two of you into such nasty business, but I must inform you that there are actually wild outlaws from the illegal slums on the loose in this very district. It's not safe for two vulnerable unescorted women to walk the streets alone. I insist that you allow me to show you home."

McAfree gave Mitzner a look. Both women experienced a moment of perfect unspoken communication. The look said "shoot him". "Shoot this guy," McAfree was saying with her eyes "This isn't going to go anywhere productive for us. Just shoot him."

There was a time Mitzner would have done just that. This guy was pretty much an asshole, he was in her way and she had a gun. Things would only get worse if she didn't nip this in the bud so it was practically self defense. There were all kinds of ways she could have talked herself int it, but after the war she promised herself that she wasn't going to be that person anymore.

"But the night is still young," said Mitzner "Surely if you came with us we wouldn't be unescorted any longer."

"No," McAfree's eyes were saying "No not this, the other thing," but Mitzner wasn't looking.

"It would be my pleasure to accompany you," said Sar.

Both McAfree and her eyes were screaming on the inside.