Page 24 of Alien Inventor's Mate

They reached the airlock of the ship just as it began to roll open, and relief hit her. She stumbled slightly as he pushed her ahead of him inside, and the door reversed course to shut behind them. Collapsing against the wall, she used it to hold her up as the airlock cycled to let them access the main part of the ship.

"So what does the station think our ship is?" she asked, trying not to pant. He wasn’t even breathing hard. It wasn’t fair. She definitely didn’t have the stamina of a Latharian warrior. Not anywhere close.

His expression was grim as the inner airlock door opened, and they rushed into the cockpit.

"They think it's a pig transporter," he admitted as he dropped into the pilot’s chair and began booting the engines.

Her eyes widened. "A pig transporter? But we're in a life or death situation, and they think we're hauling pigs?"

8

Vaarn didn’t answer. He couldn’t take his focus off the console in front of him. The holographic displays casting multicolored lights over his face showed the status of the B’kaar stealth tech, and he made a few adjustments to the signal jammers and electronic countermeasures, fine-tuning the algorithms to keep them looking like the pig transporter they were supposed to be.

The ship had two types of engines, regular ones for flying in-system, and a Rac’tiv drive for faster-than-light travel. But it was the proximity systems that were more important. He’d retro-fitted B’Kaar stealth tech and made additions of his own that made the ship effectively invisible to most sensors.

Every time the station or a passing ship pinged them with an automated identification request, the module responded with a data packet full of false information. The proximity sensors were programmed to pulse at the same time, creating an electronic ‘hull’ that matched the data packet, making them appear to be exactly what they claimed to be. It only worked thanks to a little addition he'd added to the ship's mainframe, breaking the usual loop and allowing him to modify the pulse modulation.

Still, it wasn't without its limits. It was an illusion, a digital one, and it was paper-thin. Success relied on traffic volume and the in-attentiveness of local operators. His jaw tightened. If anyone actually looked out of a window, then they would see that the sleek little vessel bore no resemblance to a bulky livestock transporter.

"Control has given us permission to depart," he said, keeping up a running commentary for her. The skin between his shoulder blades was tight with tension as he disengaged the docking clamps and nudged the engines to move them out of dock.

With each second that passed, he expected their ruse to be discovered, for someone to actually look out of the window and see them making a break for it. He hadn't missed the small horde of pirate vessels docked on the upper ring above them. Big, brutish vessels, they were all armor plating and guns, and they relied on their sensors. Which meant all they had to do was get out of visual range.

"Edge of the system coming up in ten… nine… eight…" he counted down, ready to boost the engines and get them the hell out of there. It was a fine balancing act. They couldn't race out of the system, it would attract attention, but at the same time every second they stayed was a risk.

The tension crept up in the small cockpit, so thick he could practically taste it. They couldn't afford for the pirates to come after them. LM15-V was a small, tough little ship, but she was all about speed. There was no way she could stand up to pirates in a down-and-out fight.

He hit the engines, pushing the ship past the edge of the system. The stars blurred into streaks of light as he engaged the drive, hurtling them into the safety of interstellar space. He breathed a sigh of relief, the tension slowly easing from his shoulders as he sat back. They were safe now.

Turning to Sadie, who was watching him with wide eyes, he saw the worry etched on her face. "Can they track us?" she asked, her voice tinged with concern. ”The pirates I mean?"

He smiled and shook his head.

"No, they can't," he reassured her. "I've made sure of it. Even if they could track us, I've already switched our disguise. They'll be looking for a pig transporter, not a water hauler."

Her expression relaxed. "Thank you, Vaarn," she said, her voice filled with relief.

He inclined his head in acknowledgment. "It's my duty to keep us safe," he replied, his gaze lingering on her for a moment longer than necessary. He turned back to the console, making minor adjustments to the ship's systems to ensure their continued safety.

He caught her eye. She still looked terrified. "We should be clear of any potential threats for now. You should get some rest. It's been a long day."

She looked at him, an odd look crossing over her face but then nodded and gave him a small smile.

"Thank you, I think I'll do that. Goodnight."

He watched her slide out of the seat, each movement delicate and graceful. All he wanted to do was reach out and grab her, pull her into his arms. She'd kissed him in the closet, and those moments with her pressed against him… he would never forget them. But, tensions had been high, and one kiss under pressure didn't mean that she wanted to be tied to him for the rest of her life.

"Why haven't you signed up for the Mate Program?" he asked suddenly, his words stopping her before she could slide between the seats.

She turned and looked down at him. Even with her standing and him sitting, they were nearly the same height.

That odd look washed over her expression again, the one he couldn't work out.

"I'd heard that it's not always needed," she said in a soft voice. "That sometimes a Latharian guy will claim a woman anyway, without needing to be matched by a machine. I was kind of hoping that one would."

She shrugged, and he recognized the sadness in her eyes this time. "But I guess I'm only good for hiding in closets with."

He blinked as she walked to the back of the cockpit, leaving him looking at the console in front of him blankly. Did she mean…

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