The Golden Crunk of Cringle Read online

  "Phil," Quinn called. "Anyone been up this way?"

  The big man in the chair looked up from the box. He waited a long while, staring right at Quinn, who had stopped a couple of meters away. "No." He continued to stare at Quinn.

  "All right, Jax says not to let anyone off. She's in control until Murrs gets here."

  Erie continued to look at him, not seeming to like what he said. After a few seconds, Quinn walked away.

  A chill washed over Daneb. If Murrs was the person he'd heard the crew talking about, he didn't want to be around when she arrived. People on ships talked a lot of shit, and rumors were mostly untrue, but if Murrs was anything like people said, she was bad news. What was worse, if the dead boss was her partner, she was going to want blood.

  Terrified, Daneb looked backed at Pira again. He was too close to the grate to speak, so motioned for her to retreat.

  Daneb started to back away, but kept his eyes on the big man. Just before he couldn't see Erie, the man quickly stood and peered into the vent.

  "I smell you," he taunted and flexed his lips. "I can smell you rat."

  Daneb froze. His breath caught in his throat.

  Erie began tugging at his crotch. "I'm going to put you inside me."

  Daneb panicked and kicked back at Pira to get her to move, but made contact with her face. She let out a whimper and Erie slammed his fists against the wall.

  "I know you're in there." He pulled at the slats, tried to peer inside. Big breaths burst out of him in huffs.

  Heedless of the sound, Daneb pushed against Pira again and forced her to move. "Go, go," he whispered with urgency.

  Going backwards was slower than going forwards, and though Pira was smaller, she seemed to be going in slow motion. Daneb kept looking forward, expecting to see Erie's big flexing lips and dull eyes.

  When they got to a doublewide section where two vents forked, he moved alongside Pira. "He knows we're in here, said he can smell us."

  "It's this," she said, patting the box in her shirt.

  Daneb eyed it, let out an involuntary little grunt, and tried to shake his head right. "We should get rid of it," he said. "Before, you know." He wasn't sure what he meant.

  Pira started to move away from him, back towards Erie. "No. We can't. It's mine now."

  He didn't like that she said it was hers, and wasn't sure if she'd known she did it. "They already know its missing. We can't exactly return the thing. He's blocking the exit. We need to get out of here."

  "The bay?" She was still slinking away.

  "No. They will port the main hatch. There isn't much cargo in the hold, so I doubt they'll double port, even if the station is capable."

  "So what?"

  He took a few seconds to imagine them getting through the hall undetected, but Pira chirped, taking him out of his thought. Erie was banging and prying at the vent.

  "We have to go that way. Turn around and go forward." He backed up so Pira could turn her body.

  "What are you doing?" someone asked in a raised voice. It sounded like Quinn again.

  "Fucking rats. I can smell them."

  A bolt snapped free in a loud pop, and seconds later another tore loose. Before the third one broke free, Daneb and Pira were both around the corner. Erie let out an angry bray, and banged on the opening.

  "I'll get you rat," the man bellowed. He clamored into the vent and started banging his way after them.

  Daneb and Pira tried to minimize the noise they made, but scurried back to the hideout as quickly as possible.

  "We have to go down," Daneb said. "Maybe he won't follow that way. Try bracing yourself with your arms, and use your shoes in the corners. Don't make too much noise. We don't want them to know we're on the lower level."

  Pira nodded agreement. She positioned herself over the hole, and shimmied down. Before her head was below level, she looked up. Daneb was staring down at her. He could see down her shirt, past the small bumps of her breasts to the box nestled against her stomach. Pira grasped her shirt closed and gave him a worried look.

  "Just go," he moaned.

  She descended in rapid fashion and Daneb waited while the banging got closer. Daneb divided his time between the down shaft below and Erie. They were gambling that Erie wouldn't descend into the darkness and unknown depth. If he didn't, it would take him quite a while to get to an exit, and longer to realize there wasn't anywhere to hide in the vents. If they gained that time, they might be able to escape.

  Daneb waited as long as he dared. He couldn't see Pira, but he couldn't see the bottom either, so didn't know if she was still descending. He placed a hand on each side of the shoot and lowered himself into it. He got his feet in place in the corners, and then put his hands flat on the metal surface, but sweat caused them to slip. He wiped them off as best he could, put his back against one side and his hands and feet all on the opposite panel. It wasn't easy, but that allowed him to crawl down the chute. By the time Erie came pounding overhead, he was at the bottom. He knew the man couldn't see him, because he'd sat in that exact spot for countless hours, but he ducked away from the opening anyways.

  Pira motioned for him to look back. He turned, saw a light, and clipped his breath off. Then the light disappeared, and they both sighed in relief.

  *

  The lower level of the ship was abuzz with activity. Three people in the main bathroom were arguing about who should be in charge. Their voices had the elongated S's of whispers, but they were speaking at a normal volume.

  The siblings scooted past an area without an access vent where someone was banging something around. Daneb wasn't sure what it was, but imaged boxes overturning, and the pilfering of drawers. It was an angry, busy sound.

  "Hey!" someone yelled, and followed it up with what Daneb assumed was "be careful."

  The siblings clamored as quickly as they could to the disused bathroom on the far side of the ship, while maintaining a semblance of silence. Just before they got there, the ship jerked a little, which meant they docked.

  Pira stopped and peered through the slats of the second bathroom.

  "Hurry up. We don't have much time," a woman said.

  "Shush. I'm almost there," a man responded.

  Daneb watched Pira watching whatever was happening in the bathroom. He gave her a few seconds in case she was trying to discern something important then grabbed her ankle. He liked spying on people too, but they didn't have time for that.

  Pira shot him an annoyed look, then fingered X, and motioned for him to go back. He hesitated because he wasn't sure if he wanted to return in that direction. The other exit points were less desirable.

  A loud crack resonated from the bathroom.

  "Are you fucking kidding me?" someone yelled in a broken voice. "This is what you had to go do real quick?" The person changed their tone for the last two words.

  Pira scooted back into place and resumed spying.

  "Yeah maybe it was," the woman responded. "No don't stop. Let her sit there and watch if she wants. You see this? This is what it looks like when someone actually wants you. I said don't stop."

  "But," the man objected.

  "You think you matter to him? You don't. You're just another stupid cum dump."

  "I'm not like that," the man said. It sounded like Terry.

  "Shut up."

  "Yeah, shut up. Actually, get off me. She ruined the mood."

  "Don't bother."

  "What are you-"

  The distinctive static pulse of a laser gun emanated from the bathroom. Terry moaned, and then fell silent after a second pulse.

  "What the hell is wrong with you?"

  Pira clutched at the box in her shirt.

  "You were always such an idiot. I guess I was too for loving you. Stupid me. I won't do that again."

  Both women screamed as several laser pulses rang out. Only the sad, clenched-teeth scream of the one holding the pistol continued after the gun ceased.

  "Stupid bitch," the remaining woman said
in a sad tone. "Beautiful, stupid bitch."

  The bathroom door swung shut. Pira continued to peer through the slats while clutching the box. Again, Daneb waited. He didn't want to speak up in case someone could overhear them, but by the sounds of things, the only one that remained alive had already left. He grabbed Pira's ankle again, and shook it. She looked back at him confused, as if she wasn't quite sure where she was. He gave her a questioning look. Her eyes turned soft, and she transformed into his sometimes-sad sister as she nodded.

  Pira scooted past the opening, and Daneb made quick work of the screws. He held the grate out with one hand and slipped through the opening as he'd done on countless other occasions. Pira exited right after, and got out of the way while he returned the cover and fastened two of the bolts. He doubted they'd be going back that way, but he shoved the other two bolts in his pocket just in case.

  From the middle of the room, Pira stared at Terry. He had a hole in his crotch and the hole in his chest. Then she shifted to look at Jax who was laying half in a stall. Her pants were up in the front, but her butt checks remained out, mooning the universe. Pira had one hand on the box and the other on her chest. She came out of her trance when someone started yelling in the distance.

  "What do you think?" he asked. "We could try to hide somewhere they already searched, wait them out."

  "No," she replied, staring at Jax. Then she turned to him, her usual smartass grin was back, and there was a sparkle in her eyes. "I've got a better idea."

  Daneb didn't have a clue what to do, and his sister occasionally had brilliant ideas, so he followed her out of the bathroom, hoping it wasn't one of her crazy ones.

  She led the way to the cargo bay, and they hid while someone stormed in the direction of the disused bathroom. Pira opened one of the standard issue trunks and peered inside. Then she looked in another and a third. She paused with her hand on the forth and eyed him. "Are you going to help?"

  "What are we looking for?"

  "Space suits."

  "Why?" He huffed when he realized the answer.

  "Perfect." She pulled out a small red slip suit.

  "No way," he objected.

  Slip suits were closed systems like normal space suits, but without life support. The name came from their main use, which was to slip in and out of atmosphere without the encumbrance of a real space suit. The helmets contained rebreathers and small oxygen tubes on either side, so were good for ten to fifteen minutes. The clothing however wasn't likely to keep them alive much past eight to ten.

  Pira removed her shoes and shimmied the slip suit up while Daneb stood there shaking his head. He continued to watch her wiggle the suit up until she got it over her hips. He then grabbed a regular sized suit for himself.

  When Pira finished, she inspected the control panel. Daneb grabbed a helmet for himself and one for her, but while he was walking it over to her, Erie entered the bay.

  "Big fucking rats." His lips twitched and flexed.

  "Pira," Daneb called, though she was already looking over her shoulder. "Get it open, quick."

  "I'm going to," the big man said, the upper left of his lip twitching more than the rest, "put you in me." He tugged at his crotch.

  Daneb wasn't sure what that meant, but didn't want to find out. He backed the few meters to Pira and handed her a helmet without turning around.

  "Ok I got it."

  For a second Daneb thought she was talking about the helmet, but then the interior cargo doors slammed shut, and a beeping sound started. Erie jerked his head toward the door, mumbled and lumbered in their direction. Daneb clasped his helmet on, and twisted it into place while the hunk of angry weirdo bore down on them. Daneb pulled out his laser pick and put his back to Pira. It wasn't much of a weapon, but it was all he had.

  As the outside cargo door rose, the atmosphere rushed in. Erie stopped a couple meters shy of them and ruffled through a crate. Daneb turned to Pira, who was having a hard time getting her helmet on. He forced her around and lined the back up, and she locked it into place as the door continued to rise. Erie put a helmet on, and headed back towards the inner door. By the time the exterior door was three quarters up, Erie reached the inside control panel. He punched something in, and the door began descending.

  "Go," Daneb cried at Pira. He didn't know what was outside, and understood it might very well kill them both, but there was no way he was waiting around see what Erie had in mind for them.

  Ben-2 loomed large. The reflection off the exterior was near blinding. Daneb put his hand in front of his face, slipped under the door, and dove after his sister who was already sailing through open space.

  This distance between the ship and the station wasn't great, so his powerful leap covered the expanse without issue. He grabbed an exterior station handle just after Pira made contact. While he scanned feverishly for an entry point, Pira kicked his hand. He tried to signal to her, but she moved away.

  Handholds for maintenance workers ran in a line along the outside of the space station. Pira moved with ease from one handle to the next, while he fumbled to keep up. He glanced at the ship and saw the cargo bay door fully open. A tall red-brown figure in a pair of reflective green pants was watching them. He couldn't tell if it was male or female since Sintarac possessed no exterior indicators. Thick black hairs covered the top part of the person's body. They had one large slate-colored eye with a tiny yellow iris. He was too far away to see the iris, but imagined it there.

  Daneb almost missed the next rung, which brought him back to the task in front of him. Pira was moving away at a rapid pace, clamoring up the hull of the station. He got a good grip on a handle, and returned his attention to the ship. Murrs was walking away, and the cargo door was descending. As far as he knew, Sintarac needed space suits too, but the way she'd just stood there, he wasn't sure. Sintarac were a powerful yet secretive race.

  Daneb's helmet emitted a soft beep, indicating he was at 50% oxygen. He squatted on the rail and shoved hard with his legs, sailing past the next two handles and only using the third to redirect. Pira was almost at an exterior maintenance hatch. He squatted again, and thrust as hard as he could. She reached the hatch and was inside by the time he got there. He punched 9111 into the keypad and the door blinked at him. For a moment, he thought she had somehow changed the default safety access code. He mashed the buttons again, and again it blinked at him. On his third try, the code worked. It was just waiting for Pira to exit the pressure tube before allowing him to enter.

  When the exit to the pressure tube opened, Pira flung her arms around him. Her eyes were wet. They embraced for a few seconds, but then Daneb felt the box between them. A pulse from the Golden Crunk of Cringle transferred through the box and all their combined layers of clothing. The crotch of his suit tightened in an instant, so he stretched him arms out, pushing Pira away but still holding onto her. He gave her a weak smile, and took off his helmet.

  "What's wrong?" she asked, her brief moment of sadness passing to confusion and then to a knowing grin. She looked down at his pants. "Ohhh." She pushed up on her chest and turned away.

  They were in a small aft chamber where several hooks hung bare and an old bench held etched names and swear words.

  "I'm glad you're ok," he said while stripping off the slip suit.

  "Me too."

  "That was a crazy plan. We could have died."

  "We're here," she said with a triumphant raise of her eyebrows and a wide smile.

  "Now we need to find a buyer for that thing."

  Pira agreed, but only after a noticeable pause.

  Ben-2

  Like many stations, Ben-2 was a cluster of spheres attached to one larger central sphere. A large shaft gear ran through the center of the main sphere and rotated the entire station to simulate gravity.

  There were plenty of humans walking around, and most were dressed casually, so Daneb and Pira didn't stand out. The upper floor looked like any station, metal, colored lights, people sitting around doing not
hing, others rushing past on important business. Unlike a regular station though, rivets were missing, panels were pulled loose, and lights were out. Some old storefronts had their windows painted black, signs removed, and there was trash on the floor. It wasn't a lot, but even a little was out of place on a regular station. Many of the people they passed were in bad shape.

  "Hey," a man in a brown coat called. He was lying outside a store labeled Soc Me.

  Daneb ignored him.

  "Hey," the man called to them again.

  "Fuck off geezer," Pira taunted.

  Daneb started to turn to her, but didn't. It must have been the right response because the man left them alone.

  When they came across an open hall, he grabbed Pira by the wrist and pulled her into it.

  "What was that about?"

  "We got to be tough. You always say we need to blend in." She rubbed her stomach as if pregnant.

  He looked at the box hidden in her shirt. "Stop rubbing it. That makes it obvious you have something."

  They made their way up two more floors and found the area the sphere joined with its neighbor. There were two Bramel guards though. Bramel were small, half the size of a full-grown man, but they had four arms and were exceptionally strong. Their dark brown fur made them look even more intimidating. Daneb walked by without slowing, hoping the sphere joined to another at an unsecured location. Stations often contained several spheres joined together like a cluster of grapes. Large spheres towards the center often connected to two or three others.

  "Gabe. Where are you going? It's this way?" Pira called from behind him.

  Gabe was the fake name she liked to use, because she knew he hated it.

  "No, I don't think so," he responded, and held his ground.

  "Isn't it this way?" she asked the one guard and tried to bat her eyes at him. She mounted a few steps and leaned forward, tilting her head up as she went.

  "Ugmre," the one guard snapped at her.

  "I'm looking for some nut wax. It's this way, right?" She climbed two more steps.