HAWK

CHAPTER THREE: HAWKED (6/6)

Kas wasted no time in returning to the infraport.

She couldn't even be bothered to join the short queue for the core-link - a free but slow service which shuttled visitors to and from the surface. Her blood was up from the auction and she wanted to get back to her ship as soon as possible.

She jumped in the nearest taxi and instructed it to get her to the infraport five minutes ago. The driver software had minimal AI and didn't understand humour, so it instead plotted the quickest possible course and pulled away from the curb at the same speed it always did.

Kas arrived at port number TS643 half an hour later. The taxi thanked her and deducted 280 credits from her account before taking off no faster than it had arrived.

It was good to see the Calista free from the booter again. Any concern Kas had had over the girl mechanic's skills dissolved when she stepped closer and saw it gleaming.

Overhaul might be more expensive than most, but they know good service...

She looked around, hoping to see the girl so she could tip her, but the kid was long gone. She boarded the Calista and found it exactly as she'd left it - minus the captives, of course. She was relieved to see Hik was still standing in his spot in the centre of the cargo hold.

Once in the cockpit, she took her seat and tapped the relay switch.

'Port Chantos, this is Calista, port number TS643. You receiving?'

There was a short pause before a man's voice responded over the tannoy.

'Hello, Calista, Chantos receives you, what can we do for you?'

Kas smiled and injected some charm into her voice. 'Just looking to get back to the Black. I've had enough of this rain to last me till alignment.'

The guy chuckled. 'I hear that Calista. We're currently processing forty-six ships for departure - shall I make you forty-seven?'

'Ah, nuts. How long's that gonna take?'

'Well, I'd say if there are no delays, which there usually aren't, we'll have you up and out in about two hours.'

'Two hours?' Kas groaned, letting her soft vocal chords shine through. 'Oh man, I was really hoping to get out of here sooner.'

'I'm sorry, Calista, I don't want to be the voice of disappointment, but there's not much I can do without--' He cut himself short.

'Without what?'

'Oh... well, no, I was just going to say the only way to bypass the order is if there was something desperate about your needing to leave, y'know?'

Kas smiled and shook her head.

Too easy...

She took a breath and was about to break into a brilliant, awe-inspired bull story that she knew would bump her up the queue by quite some way when she realised she already had a perfectly valid excuse. Seeing as simple truth always trumped a great lie, she paused and let the girliness out of her voice.

'Actually, I do have a reason.'

'Really?' the guy responded, the smile coming through loud and clear. 'Cause I hate to disappoint a lady in--'

'I've got an X1,' she cut in, not caring to drag this out. The controller's voice stuttered, not ready for the swift change in direction.

'Uh... d-did you say you've got an X1?'

'Yup. Been holding onto it while I've had my ship repaired. You can check that on your logs. But now my ship's fixed, I've got to return it to Selva without delay. Federal duty. Any obstruction by you would, in turn, be direct obstruction of UGF business, and I doubt they'd take too kindly to that.'

The guy on the other end cleared his throat and slipped back into his business-as-usual voice. 'Uh, OK... give me a sec, Calista, and I'll... see what I can do.'

Kas didn't have to wait long. Barely thirty seconds later, the guy was back, his voice cool and composed. 'Calista, is your ship ready for launch?'

She'd already begun start-up procedure. 'Sure is.'

'Then you're approved for departure. Please observe all federal procedure as you exit and have a safe journey.' With that, the controller clicked off and left Kas to leave port in her own time. Kas felt a pang of guilt but quickly quashed it as she pulled the Calista away from the ground and steered it towards the exit tunnel.