Stellar Objects

Chapter 24: Heap O' Trouble

Shakes held the bag of gold with one hand, and his nose with the other.

The stench of the Heap was unbearable. It made the sulfur moon smell like perfume. He couldn't believe that Andra had once lived here, let alone chosen to return. The ground beneath his well-worn faux-leather high-tops was uneven and squishy. He stepped over crushed boxes and food waste, carefully avoiding pools of stagnant liquid. Something stirred near his feet and Andra stopped, stepped back.

"What was that?" asked Shakes.

"Rats," she said. "If they bite you, you'll die."

Smelly rubbish, killer rats, thought Shakes. This tour just kept getting better. "And you chose here to meet the buyer!?"

"It's familiar," Andra said. "I know the lay of the land and I—"

"Andra!" called a voice. Shakes couldn't tell if it was male or female, or even human. He just hoped it wasn't the rat.

Andra gave Shakes an urgent look. "Keep-it-covered," she said, glancing down at the bag of gold.

Shakes ruffled the bag, ensuring the coins weren't visible.

"It is you," called the voice. Its owner, a big kid with most of his face pierced with what looked like paperclips, hefted himself around a pile of trash. He was flanked by a gaggle of malnourished, but fierce looking children. They carried weapons fashioned out of trash. Shakes didn't think this was a homecoming party. "I tried to warn you but they—"

"Hi Simmo," said Andra. "Yeah, they got us."

"But you escaped?" asked the pack leader.

"Not exactly," said Andra.

Simmo suddenly looked nervous. He glanced the horizon, scouting for Naval recruiters.

"I'm alone," she said.

"Not exactly," repeated Simmo. "Who is this?"

Shakes gave Simmo the customary Namaste bow, less out of politeness than self-preservation.

"He's with me," said Andra.

"New gang then?" asked Simmo.

"Kinda," said Andra.

"He's cute," purred Simmo.

Shakes smiled. "Someone appreciates me!"

"Zip it Shakes," Andra said. "Simmo, I need a favour."

"You've got something to trade?" asked the Heap-dweller. "Or someone?"

Shakes shrugged his shoulders. "Technically I'm property of the Galactic Navy."

"Pity," said Simmo.

Andra reached for her wrist and Shakes caught sight of a shiny, metal bracelet. She wriggled it off and offered it to Simmo. "I know you fancy it."

Simmo reached out and slipped it onto his wrist. He grinned and showed it off to his followers. Shakes noticed Andra eyes fall. This was a trinket she didn't want to lose.

"So what do you want from us?" Simmo asked.

"Nothing you wouldn't do anyway," Andra said. "We're gonna have a visitor. But we don' wanna be followed outta here."

"That we can do," said Simmo.

*

Judson watched Andra and Shakes from high above.

Shelly had accessed the Navy's network of satellites and produced a grainy, but passable, image of the two teens parting way with what looked like a gang of scroungers.

Judson had remote control over the shuttle, and kept it hovering a few thousand metres away, high enough above to avoid the scavengers on the ground. Andra and Shakes, however, for some reason, appeared to have actively courted them.

"You're sure they're not making a break for it?" asked Judson to his two captors. "They've got a whole lotta gold."

The Captain and the lieutenant shared a nervous look. Judson could tell that beneath any big words about trust or teamwork, the Captain and the cop knew that this whole field trip could end badly.

And then, as if on cue, a familiar-looking attack ship roared past the moon and made for Earth.

Shelly put the image onto the main screen.

"That's Kraylx," Judson confirmed.

"Then it's all up to those kids now," said Captain Nayar. Judson couldn't tell if it was a statement of optimism or resignation. Either way, it was the fact of the matter.

Judson would've felt a whole lot better being down on the planet, arranging to buy back the meds, but he knew Kraylx would get suspicious. At worst he'd kill Judson and run. At best, he'd double the price.

Shelly switched back to satellite reconnaissance, and Judson watched the attack ship burn through the atmosphere and land on an open area of trash where Andra and Shakes stood waiting.

The Captain was right. It was all up to those kids now.