Chapter 16

McCock leapt out of bed at the first crash on the door. He went automatically into fighting mode but quickly relaxed as he recognized the suite in the "The Green Man". Muttering reassurances he patted the shoulder of his companion.

"Hold!" as he pulled on his trews and moved to the door. He beheld Mine Host looking untidy and upset. Aggy reflexly grasped the com thrust into his naked stomach, not quite quickly enough.

"Oof", as he staggered back half a pace. Mine Host's brogue was almost unintelligible; his eyebrows raised at the sight of the tossled redhead peeping over the covers,

"Don't switch your bloody com off. Leave that on the frame as you go out" and a little more kindly, "I'll get her a shuttle home in the morning" nodded and thumped off toward his apartment.

"Yes?" holding the com looking at the view screen which quickly resolved into Slow's troubled features,

"Her?"

"Erin. What's the disaster?"

"You look after that girl, she's too good for you. We need you here yesterday, a runaway barge just crashed into the front gates, I declared salvage on it." all in one breath.

"Give me forty five, the flivver's at the ramp. Clear."

Turning quickly, he gathered up his discarded clothing, dressing as he moved across to the bed where he sat down to put on his footwear. He glanced at the now sitting girl with her pert breasts pointing at him. She nodded at his hands holding a high quarter boot,

"I see why you like that style." She was totally unfazed.

"Go back to sleep. Mine Host will look after you. Tell him to put the ride on my tab." As he bent into her held up arms to quickly brush her cheek,

"I'll be in contact." Going to the door, turning back to pick up the com with an embarassed look, retraced his path and went out the door.

Aggy replaced the com at the front desk; made sure the door was closed behind him and at a fast walk went to the ramp.

To himself, he muttered, as he moved through the night 'Foolish, I was off guard, tranquilised by the room and Erin. If that com had been a knife or a 'stick' ... I'll have to keep my guard. What did she mean about 'too good for me'?'

He approached the flivver with more caution than usual and pressed the key sequence. As he walked around to the hatch, he saw the amber pulse on the key,

'How did she get the time to fix the flivver?' Slow had fitted the flivver with a very hidden alert which showed the number of times the hatch had been opened since the last shut down. He looked directly at the flush mounted welding glass and the amber pulse changed to solid green. The hatch seal shimmered and irised open. If the retinal pattern had not been recognized it would have stuck shut. The red alarm on the key was a warning that the flivver's proximity alarm had been triggered and if entry was still attempted an audible weapon was activated that would disable everyone out to orbit – at least Aggy thought so when he heard it tested. He hadn't been able to work out how the hatch could iris without positive scan and a clear proximity. Slow had just smiled at him and he put it in the mental too hard basket.

The power had sequenced, the hatch sealed as Aggy placated the AI with a thumb print and his full name.

'This is taking things too far, still I can't be paranoid enough and Denny is getting practice.'

Aggy gently powered off the berth after getting clearance from Harbour Circuit and onward clearance to the GmBH yard. Settling himself into his seat he felt the restraints adjust and then powered up to the pad for suborbit.

The yard was on the inner end of the commercial yards in full view of the passing shuttle traffic to the yards and harbour beyond. On the other side of the channel was the Navy yard. The Flock had to restrain from nostalgic glances at it – feeling strange in the commercial environment despite the years of civilian clothing – and that was another thing – we all dress like off duty Navy – have to talk with Cowboy he's the one with the dress sense – what there is of it.