Page 9 of Ava Greasemonkey

Ava shrugged, feeling more steady, and resumed watching the Tuxa milling about on the floor, adjusting their phasers.I can leave if I need to. No point in being stressed until I see for myself.

The Tuxa waited a minute and then took out a scanner to probe the area for any anomalies and camera feeds. He clicked it on and a green laser rotated around the room.

Ava shifted over, pressing into the metal ductwork as it passed by. Even though Ava had all her original parts except her translator implant, this part always made her nervous. The translator implant ran off her own brain’s electricity instead of needing an extra power source, so it theoretically should not trip any alarms looking for electricity sources. She pulled the gauze covering across her face too for good measure. Her heartbeat pounded in her chest as she waited for the all clear.

Ava sighed in relief when he put the laser down without it going off.All done.Another victory in going undetected for her. That laser could detect most species’ electrical signatures, but Humans were still so novel that it was not updated to detect hercomposition. It probably thought she was part of the engine wall if it could penetrate the metal, which was just fine by her.

“Clear,” the Tuxa with the purple armband grunted. He pounded on the pinpad next to the door. Ava winced as she saw how unnecessarily hard he slammed the liquid screen. The connecting doors between the two vessels opened again, showing the gray interior of one of the Tuxa surface transport ships they used as a basic shuttle.

Ava resettled herself in the vent, scratching her nose absently. This, at least, was normal as she watched the Tuxa begin to open the hatches in the cargo bay for the items to be brought in.

She pulled her notepad and pencil back out and watched with rapt attention to begin taking notes. She was stretched out with her arms over her head and writing with her head still pressed against the grate to see as best she could.

The Tuxa were taking items from the large transport drum outside to bring them in and properly secure them in the hold. Some of the items stored needed to be in areas that remained temperature controlled and at a stable pressure. Those were placed in several rooms to one side of the hull that remained locked down the entire flight. That’s also usually where they put the good stuff, and where Ava could get into during the journey. The vents in the climate-controlled rooms were particularly large and low to the ground, allowing Ava to maneuver in and out with goods. It was so convenient Ava wondered sometimes if the Phor planned it that way when building the ships, rather than as an afterthought after she came on board and earned their trust. After the supplies were loaded, the entire cargo hold would be locked and encrypted. No one would be allowed in here until docking through the main doors. At least, that’s what was on the contracts that were signed. And it was true, in a sense. Ava wouldn’t be entering through the encrypted locked entrances.

Ava’s hand whisked across her notepad as she recorded where everything went in each hold and her best guesses for what everything was.

“Three large crates that look like they contain a chemical. It’s in gallon drums at least. Maybe biofuel? Three more that contain another liquid. This one looks like it has an upside down triangle on the side and is in more packaging.”She quickly drew a picture of the triangle symbol to show to Ebel when she got back and looked again at the first cargo for any symbols. She saw something on the side of the crate she couldn’t read. Her translator didn’t extend to the written word, but she copied the lettering as best she could, though it wrapped around the side of the metal crate. “Five more flat panel boxes like the previous shipment that had the holograms in it. And two more large boxes that have various gear parts and spools of some material.”

The Tuxa then started bringing on several trees. Ava’s hand hesitated when she saw them; it was unusual, as this outpost had no organic life of its own. The trees must have been here as a stopover themselves on the outpost, waiting for the Phor to come collect them from another colony. There were large water bags attached to them to sustain them through the long flight, and each had its own floating light that gave off extra sunshine. The lights followed the trees as they were carefully stored in one of the side hulls that did not get depressurized during flight.

Ava resolved to go in there and try one of the fruits hanging from a branch if she discovered they were edible. She drew a picture of the fruit to ask Ebel about when she got back.

After the trees were stored, that was it for the side panels Ava would be able to visit later during the journey.

The Tuxa started carrying in the rest of the endless crates of engine supplies that they made at this outpost location. They stacked them in a grid format, using the straps and bucklesattached to the bay’s floor to keep them secure. The cargo bay very quickly became full.

Complete junk.She didn’t bother writing those parts down; she wouldn’t be able to get to them anyway with the hull being depressurized and the only exit grates being up in the ceiling. Instead, she just watched them struggle to get everything they brought in strapped down properly. The engine supplies apparently sold well in the markets, but that was only if she could get to them.

All in all it was not a large shipment of things that would interest the Phor’s collective hive mind.

Ava let her interest wander as she sorted the notes she already took, cataloging what went into which side compartment so she could revisit them easier later.

The queen would be happy with more holograms at least.Ava could probably take two or three without even needing to compensate for the weight difference beyond a few handfuls of packing fluff. The holograms were paper thin, folded well, and were easily carried. She might even be able to keep one down in the engine room for Nuor to trade for some more books for her, if she could get Ebel to agree.

She watched idly as the Tuxa crew finished bringing cargo on and began rearranging things for it all to properly fit. Ava made one more inventory check of where the lucrative items were being put before putting her notebook back in her pack, securing it carefully.Not a bad haul for such a little outpost.

She glanced at her fingers as she tied the pack up. They were filthy from the dirt in the vents and crawling through a few stale pom dropping piles. She started picking at the grease and grime under her nails as she waited for them to be done, trying to distract herself. Coming next should be the prisoners they talked about.

There was a final clatter from the side storage rooms that reverberated around the metal hull; it was the sound the straps made from being clipped in and the doors finally sealing.

Now what’s going to happen?She pressed herself back against the grate after hearing the buckles engage on the side doors.

The Tuxa resumed their prior positions, stretching as they walked back. The one with the purple band on his sleeve waited until they all had gathered in the middle of the floor before addressing his crew. “Guard stays up at all times. These bastards need to get to Torga to pay, no mistakes!” Behind him, toward the hold door, he shouted, “Bring them in!”

For a moment, nothing happened.

Ava’s interest picked up, boredom left behind. This was the part she had been waiting for. Ava pressed herself harder against the grate to see around the corner, her curiosity piqued and her face aching from the metal biting into it.

Finally a party of eight Tuxa walked in, one on either side of a blue creature in a rough-made brown jumpsuit.

Ava’s eyes riveted to them, drinking in their appearance.

The four blue creatures stood much like she did, on two legs, but their legs looked hunched forward, ready to spring with muscles much bigger than hers. The Tuxa looked brawnier next to them, but Ava could tell that was deceptive due to the difference in height that made the Tuxa look stronger for their short stature. The Vorbax’s body lines were sleek, but with enough definition to show there was power there. They walked effortlessly across the threshold, a far cry from the subdued gait of defeated prisoners.

How did the Tuxa managed to capture them in the first place?The entire scenario looked off to Ava, her gut swirling as she watched.

One of the Vorbax looked around, his finlike protrusions flowing behind him on his head. She saw him scanning the room while the others steadily looked ahead.

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