Adventures of Joe Trader

A figure in dark tight fitting clothing was making it’s way in his direction. It was small and agile, didn’t appear to be carrying any weapons.

He contemplated his actions. When he first got the ship the primary thing he did was to make the control computers voice activated to his voice only. So if anyone attempted to hijack his ship they would meet opposition. In the service they had a particular gas that would knock out anyone breathing it that had not been inoculated for it. He had installed a number of canisters of the gas about the ship, with the command computer programmed to release the gas in the control room first if it heard anyone threatening him or coercing him to release control of the ship. So whoever it was, would not be able to wrest the ship from him..

He watched the progress and checked again to see if there was more than one. It appeared to be only one.

Joe went to the weapons locker and picked out a stun pistol, attuned to only work for him. And waited. He wondered just what this guy wanted, his ship? Passage ? or was he fleeing the law. Anyway, the ship did have a brig. He was glad he had made those precautions. The guy was now in the passageway and coming to the control room. Joe waited.

Finally he heard the inner door open, there was hardly any sound, He could hear light breathing. "This guy is really quiet," he thought.

Joe rose, his adrenaline operating, he stepped around the file cabinet and could see the top of the intruder’s head, it was covered with a tight skull cap, the guy was sneaking and looking intently, Joe waited until he passed his position and quietly poked his hand weapon in the intruder’s back, "Stop!" he commanded. The intruder froze and gasped.

" now, please don’t move, at least until you’ve explained why you are on my ship."

He was surprised to hear a feminine voice, " I needed to get away from the situation back there on Altoid," it said,

"Can I turn around, now?"

Joe, was trying to regain his composure. "Sure," he said, "Take a seat over there, and don’t touch anything." He motioned to the communicators chair.

She looked at him and spoke," You are the first vessel to come to this desolate rock of Altoid in weeks, It cost me a bundle to bribe the cargo handler to put me on here," Joe asked," What kind of situation, we have a week or more, so take your time, how about some coffee?"

His eyes were taking in a very slim and well built figure in the skintight leather garment she wore, as she relaxed, she pulled off the tight cap, a cascade of long, thick red hair spilled over her shoulders, "Cream or sugar?" he asked as two cups appeared in the replicator. She decided on both and sniffed the aroma, Joe liked the best in coffee and the odor proved it.

"OK, what’s your story," he questioned. Damn! This was a beautiful female, he figured her to be in early twenties.

She began," Men control that planet, women are chattel, My father left me a fortune in land and gold, My uncle is a greedy old man and wanted to claim all my inheritance, The laws on that lousy planet support him, Before he could take it I had the banker sell all of it and had the money transferred to a safe place off planet, I have enough to pay you for passage, if you will overlook the way I used you.