Chastity Jones, Space Ranger Ch. 02

Chastity Jones - Space Ranger

in

Pirates of the Stellar Main

By

S. Sloane

Chapter Two

Buried deep within the Meerkat is a garden. The chamber started out as a crew lounge, with bare white video walls, a ceiling mounted holoprojector and VR capable flow chairs. Chastity liked having something living and green - as well as purple, blue, red and, in the case of the Centauri Creeper that clung to the walls, a color humanity had yet to name - around her. Being a Ranger was a mix of boredom and routine, punctuated by bursts of danger and violence. Having this floral haven to recharge was critical for her well-being. After her first month, she replaced the walls with solar radiators, swapped the projector for a water mister and started to collect plants. Every world she visited would add to her collection.

She kept a flow chair, however, using it for both business and pleasure. It was in the center of the room, behind a partition of plants Chastity found on the jungle world Puutarha. They looked like bamboo, but shimmered gold and red and hummed softly in the currents of recycled air.

Chastity reclined in the chair, reviewing the information on Baihu and her crew. A neural induction pad was attached to her forehead, the data transmission cable running into a port on the chair. Her eyes twitched behind closed lids.

The first part of the briefing was wrapping up. It was raw data on Baihu, her crew, known associates, safe planets - anything that could help Chastity find and apprehend her quarry. The experience was unpleasant. Unlike the managed sensory stimulation of her VR web, which unfolded in something similar to how she experienced the real world, a data transfer was disorienting. Detailed knowledge suddenly appeared in her consciousness, a blast of words, sounds and images. It was an uncomfortable way to learn, even when it was necessary.

She relaxed as the transfer ended. The virtual reality system's interface setting - a plain, but comfortable office desk and chair - formed, with Chastity's avatar appearing in the latter. She took a moment to let the sensations of the data transfer fade and then said, "Please start the first simulation."

The interface faded. Her virtual self now stood on the bridge of a starship, the Bellatrix Ecliptic. It was a massive bulk cargo carrier, 10 kilometers of dull white transportation modules and crew quarters, with the gaping nozzles of the fusion torch drive at the rear. The ship was the latest victim of Baihu's pirate operations. Chastity had chosen this recording because she wanted to examine the pirate in action.

Baihu was standing in the middle of the bridge. She was wearing boarding armor, the slabs of ballistic composite painted white and blue. In one hand she wielded a cutlass, the black blade only a molecule thick. In the other, she had an old fashioned plasma pistol, the tip of the barrel glowing from the energy discharge.

"Casualties?"

A data panel unfolded in the simulation. It read '3 crew injuries, none serious.'

So, just for show. That tracks. She's a thief, not a killer.

Chastity examined the woman more closely. Looking past the weapons and armor, Baihu was attractive and not particularly fierce looking. Her lips were curled in a frozen smirk. Her hair was tied in a tight, black pony tail that trailed down the back of her suit. A small tattoo of a white tiger with sky blue eyes peaked out from behind her left ear.

"Resume playback."

The scene snapped into motion. Baihu's people efficiently herded the Ecliptic's crew out of the bridge compartment. Other pirates took their places at the flight consoles. Baihu sheared her sword and settled into the captain's chair.

When she spoke, her voice was soft, but commanding. "Secure from alert. Tassi, get this slab heading for the Belt. Anya, double-check the comm logs. Make sure we jammed before they got a distress to the Reamers."

A data screen popped. "Reamers...derogatory frontier slang for Republic law enforcement."

"Thanks. I know that one."

The simulated starship vibrated as the fusion drive flared to life.

Anya said, "Jamming was good. Nothing but void. She has running security field, though."

Baihu smirk broadened into a devilish smile. "I think the Reamers have gotten enough of a show, don't you?"

The image froze as the recording ended.

"End playback. Please start up the next one."

For a split second, Chastity had the sensation of being weightless. Her vision went white as one virtual world was replaced by another. This was from a nightclub's security field. It was only a month old and had been taken on Caliban, a world outside the Republic.

Chastity's ears were assaulted by the music, a blast of drums and screeching vocals. She recognized the music as Tauran Scream-Pop and it was not to her taste. Her body shifted uncomfortably on the flow chair. It shifted with her movements, trying to keep her comfortable.

In the virtual club, Chastity's avatar winced. "Cut the music track."

The music stopped. On the dance floor, dozens of people thrashed around in silence. Chastity laughed.

"Okay, that's too weird. Music, 10% volume."

The nails-on-blackboard screeching and throbbing beat returned, just loud enough so the dancers didn't look like they were having silent muscle spasms. Chastity slipped among the dancers, heading to the center of the crowd. That's where Baihu was.

She didn't look like the armor clad pirate of the last recording. Her hair was loosing, a long black fan behind her gyrating body. She was dressed in a tight red silk halter top and shimmering red mini-skirt. Her nipples were erect, pushing out the silk. She was with a group of women, all members of her crew. Information screens popped up next to most of them, detailing their crimes against the Republic.

"Pause playback." Chastity examined Baihu closely. The woman was a little shorter than her - 1.6 meters to Chastity's 1.8. Her body was lean, with toned limbs, a tight mid-section and small breasts. Chastity looked into the simulation's eyes. The brown irises were flecked with gold. The smile, the glow of happiness, the relaxed attitude - all were offset by a deep wariness Chastity saw there.

"Resume playback, quarter speed. Project subject's sight-lines."

The dancers swayed to the groaning music, lit by bursts of multicolored strobes. They were like placid, colorful creatures in the depths of an ocean of sound and light. Chastity, however, was only paying attention to Baihu. Solid red lines projected out of the woman's eyes. Chastity followed them and saw they never left the exits for more than a second.

Even in a nightclub, surrounded by her crew, she's on the alert. I'll have to get close to her to make an arrest. She glanced down at Baihu's chest, the perky breasts rising and falling lazily. Not that getting close might not have its benefits.

"What do you think?"

Chastity looked away from Baihu. Hippolyte's avatar was standing a few meters away.

"She's attractive," Chastity replied.

"She's also dangerous."

"All the best people are." Chastity grinned. "You know, she and her crew rarely injure people. And they are not slavers."

Hippolyte rolled her eyes. "Oh, so they're the nice pirates." She gestured with her hands at Baihu's image. "I'm sorry - I meant the hot pirates."

Chastity sighed, "I'll do my job. Baihu and her people are going to go down."

Hippolyte pursed her lips. "I'll bet they are."

"Congratulations, you've mastered the doubled entendre. Shouldn't you be working?"

"I am here to find out what you want me to do. How do you plan on infiltrating this attractive pirate's operation?"

That's a good question.

Chastity filtered through the intelligence that had been downloaded into her brain. She noted that Baihu's group often used the Caliban system as a base of operations. Lying outside of the Republic but near numerous shipping lanes, it made an ideal location for pirate ships. A plan was beginning to take shape.

Chastity decided that the best option was to infiltrate the Baihu's crew as a prospective member. All Rangers had a number of aliases ready for use, in case circumstances warranted it. She would have to pick a suitable one; something sketchy enough to pass muster, but not too hard-core criminal. That might be suspicious as it didn't fit the profile of Baihu and her people.

This will take some finesse. Assuming they're in the system, making contact with one of her crew shouldn't be a problem. Convincing her to take me on will be trickier. But it looks like she has fairly high turnover. I should be able to leverage my skills into a position.

"Ranger Jones, do you have any order for me?"

"Set a course for Caliban. And reconfigure the ship. Something unassuming."

"Of course. Perhaps a freelance refuse collector?"

Chastity was about to respond to Hippolyte's sarcasm with a snide comment of her own, but decided against it. She knew that it would only play into Hippolyte's apparently limitless need to verbally poke at Chastity.

"If it makes you happy to be the AI of a garbage ship, feel free."

"Hmmm -- something else, I guess."

Chastity grinned. "Good idea. I'm going to go through my aliases and see which one works best for an infiltration op."

Hippolyte's avatar disappeared.

"Terminate playback and place me in the Interface."

Chastity was back behind the desk. She opened up a data screen and began reviewing aliases.

While Chasity was looking for a suitable cover identity, Hippolyte got to work reconfiguring the Meerkat. The malleable hull began to change, squirming and shifting, like oil on rippling water. The color changed from stealthy black to high visibility silver. Weapon node sank into hull, making the ship appear far less threatening. The smooth, stealthy, organic shape - a hallmark of warships -- flattened out, becoming a sharp, hard wedge. Within the ship, none of these changes were evident. There was only the a soft hum as some of the mechanical systems shifted position.

In the VR interface, Chastity wasn't even aware of that. She was skimming dozens of identity files. Finally, she found one that she had not used before, but that seemed a good fit.

This is promising. Delia Greene. Engineer. Two tours in the Republic Navy. Kicked out for insubordination. A criminal record with Republic law enforcement, but nothing major.

"The perfect mix of useful skills and a lack of respect for authority."

"What was that?" Hipployte asked, appearing in front of the desk.

"I think I found my alias."

Hippolyte reviewed the Delia identity. She agreed that it was the right one for the job. That didn't prevent her from saying, "Are you sure you don't to go with Gwen Mercado, the hooker with the heart of gold? Given your virtual proclivities, that cover might be easier to maintain."

"Very funny," Chastity deadpanned, "have you decided to actually do your job and get the ship ready?"

"Well underway, Ranger Jones. Not being bound by your fleshy limitations, I am quite capable of multi-tasking."

"Are you sure? Do you need me to get out and push some hull panels around?"

"No thank you. I suggest you use the time we have left to assimilate your new identity. It would be very embarrassing for you to forgot who you are. I realize how limited the human intellect can be."

"Nice. Since I'm so limited, would you mind leaving while I download?"

Hippolyte shrugged. "Of course, I'll just go run everything else while you sit here."

Hippolyte's avatar vanished. Chastity shook her head. She loved the AI, but sometimes she got to be a bit too much. She queued up the fake identity in the neural induction system and settled back.

Something to worry about another time. Right now, I have to get to know Delia Greene.