Ranking. pt 3

“Need any help Trace?” Mike asked. He didn’t know much about medical stuff, just where hurts the most with the least amount of force. Not the healing part of it. Izzy opened the curtain, placed the synger on the table, put her vest on, and went to find TJ. She thought she had something very interesting to show him.

She made a pit stop in her room, changed her clothes, and pulled a large metal box out of her bag, and heaved it down toward the cargo room. TJ being a true Tech geek would love what she was about to give him. She had two, so there was no need for her to keep both of them. She had got two Aimees while trading on her last ship. They did a little galaxy jumping with their spare time. She heaved the giant box of metal over the separator, and looked around for TJ. He used his entire body weight to shove the crate back against the wall, and then realized Izzy was standing there.

“Hey.” He said walking over.

“You like gizmos, right?” She asked sitting on Aimee, so she looked like one of the boxes that Izzy might have pulled from the wall. TJ sat against the wall and started to catch his breath.

“Yea, why?” He asked in between breaths.

“Hypothetically, if I had an Aimee, and wanted to give it to you, what would your reaction be?” She asked.

“Well the probability of getting an Aimee would be near zero, then factor in that they were all supposed to be destroyed about the time earth was, I’d be impressed and go work on it.” He said shrugging. She stood up, and slid the hunk of metal from under her and picked it up with a lot of effort.

“Good, here.” She heaved him the machine and moved out of the door way.

“This is an Aimee?” He asked almost dropping it. He hadn’t seen one of these in ages.



“Yep, and I have one more, if you break this one.” She figured that would put her squarely on his good side. He scurried off to his lab at the end of the hall and got to work. He didn’t even wait for Alec to announce the forty eight hours. Back in Sickbay, everyone was in fairly good condition and just needed a little down time. Alec had piloted to their ship that floated around the moon of the planet, so all they had to do was board. Once on their ship, both crews rested easier. Mike wanted a few rounds with Izzy, she was a challenge. She was already in simulation and she was doing fine with her ‘one on one’ combat training. She didn’t know this system so it threw her for a loop some times, but she was doing fine. Mike entered and stood on the side watching her moves. She finished, and took her sweat shirt off, leaving her in skin tight black caprice, and a black tank top, equally tight.

“So, want to finish that round?” He asked, taking his vest off, and putting his side arms against the wall.

“Thought you’d never ask.” She jumped back and forth waiting for him to put his weapons down. She had issues keeping up with these simulations. “Did TJ play with these simulations? ‘Cause they’re not standard.” She watched her opponent shimmer out of view.

“He has a lot of free time on his hands.” Mike shrugged and they stood facing each other. “One, one.” He said shaking her hand. That was a courtesy wishing the other good luck.

“To the pin?” Izzy suggested. Mike looked at her in disbelief.

“That hardly seems fair, I weigh more then you.” He said comparing his 6' 5” medium build figure to her 5' 8” petite body. Just as they were about to begin, Alec came over the intercom.



“Mike we’re on forty eight hours, where to?” He asked from the control room. Mike grabbed Izzy’s hand as she swung at him, wrapped his arm over her shoulder, and grabbed her other wrist.

“Head to the Donietroit system, PX” He paused and tried to remember the numbers. “K91J.” He said and Izzy jumped on his foot. He flinched and held her hands tighter. They both heard Alec turn the intercom off, then Izzy continually stomped on Mike’s foot, and he smiled thinking it was funny. She stopped jumping on his foot, paused, took a deep breath and tried to pull her arms down, flipping Mike over her and onto his back. “Okay, that was a good move.” He sat up, keeping his shoulders off the ground. Mike jumped up as Izzy tried to push him to the ground with her feet. He pulled her foot from under her and landed on top of her quickly. She couldn’t get up, he had her shoulders pinned.

“All right, you win.” She admitted so he would get up. They both stood facing each other. “What else has TJ modified with this simulation?” She looked around the giant simulation room, and wondered what would appear with a touch of her finger. Mike walked over toward the red light panel near the door on the wall. With a few touches of the screen the cold metal simulation room faded into a hot, humid jungle over grown with vines and various plants, not like the last planet they were on, but with earth plants, like a tropical rain forest. Mike was unaffected by the system, and knew every hidden path in this simulation. Izzy was captivated by the accuracy of the plant detail, and even the amount of rings on a cut down tree. “He’s good.” She still took in every detail of the modified simulation.



“He’s got a first hand view of all of it.” Mike opened the cabinet next to the touch screen, and pulled two EMP pistols out. “Here.” He handed the gun in his left hand to her. Three red hearts appeared above both his and Izzy’s head. “Anything that moves is out to-” one of his hearts disappeared, and Izzy reloaded her gun. “Ouch,” Mike rubbed his arm. Izzy laughed and disappeared into the paths. “Hey that’s cheating!” He yelled chasing after her; they weren’t supposed to shoot each other.

“You said anything that moves. What are you doing right now?” She yelled and ran directly at a holographic tree. On a normal simulation system she would run right through it, but not on TJ’s system. She ran full force face first into the tree, and fell back. It took a moment for her head to feel like it was still. Mike caught up with her before she even realized what had happened. He couldn’t help but laugh, it was funny. That was priceless. “Hey!” She held her head. “You laughin' at me?” She asked shaking her head as she got up, and brushed herself off.

“Yep.” He chuckled. Another heart disappeared from above Mike, and Izzy was off again. “That is SO cheating!” He yelled after her. Mike turned around and sprinted over fallen trees, he knew a short cut to where she was. She came to a three way intersection, and looked around, all she could see was trees, vines, and roots sticking up along the path. Trees, she thought: ‘Hey I just ran into one of those!’ then turned to the large tree on the nearest corner, tapped it, and then started climbing. Mike sped into the intersection and came to a screeching halt. She aimed her gun at him, and waited, he was right in her sights, and with one more shot she could kick him out of the game. He looked down the three paths, which one had she chosen? She decided against shooting him, and jumped down onto him. He landed on his back, and she landed on top of him. She grabbed his gun, then got up then pointed hers at him. He clapped and stayed down.

“And you’re a combat expert?” Izzy asked shooting his foot to end the game.

“I can’t hit a girl.” He said jokingly. He stood up, took his gun out of her hand, walked toward the touch screen, and tossed his gun around carelessly.



“Right I like these things, did TJ design them?” she asked watching the gun fall into his hand.

“Yea, they ‘emit electric pulses’ and stuff. He got the idea from one of his comic books.” He quoted TJ. She spun around to catch her gun, which she had thrown for the first time, and Mike saw his opportunity, he ‘accidentally’ shot Izzy in the butt.

“Oww!” She jumped. “That’s not cool.” She pointed her gun at him. Mike ran to the touch panel to set the system up so she couldn’t shoot him again. The simulation flickered, then shut off, followed by the lights. Mike took off his goggles and looked around. “What’s going on?” she asked. They both looked around nervously. After a few moments of silence TJ clicked the intercom on and spoke up tiredly.

“Sorry about that, they’ll come back on in a moment.” He mumbled, slid his hand over the intercom and turned it off. Mike watched Izzy; she felt for the door and finally reached it after tripping over her sweat shirt. As she opened the door, light spilled in to the pitch black simulation room, and into Mike’s eyes. He covered his face and spun quickly, but it still stung the back of his eyes and made them water. She heard him say something under his breath, but couldn’t make out what it was.

“Sorry, Mike, I really didn’t mean to hurt you that time.” She said closing the door, and walking toward where she had seen him last.

“It’s okay. A little painful but okay.” He said putting his goggles back on as the lights started flickering.



“Can I see your eyes?” She asked, realizing that he had finally removed his goggles. The lights hit the front of his goggles at a glare. He weighed how much it would hurt against showing her. She took a few more steps toward him, making him about an arms length away. Izzy attempted to count the seconds it took to answer, but the seconds seemed to pass like years. Mike figured he would have to show her eventually, so now the only question was how could he make it hurt less? He glanced at the touch screen, and it was back on, he could dim the lights and that was about it. Izzy looked to the panel after he did, and figured he was working something out. He took a deep breath and headed for the touch panel, Izzy followed after a moment. The lights dimmed, and the once cold bright light was now a calm candle, lightly painting the walls warm.

“It’ll still hurt my eyes, but less.” Mike explained taking his goggles off. The emerald green clashed with black to form a metallic that constantly swirled. Izzy stepped closer to get a better look. Mikes eyes were burning and it really hurt. The light jumped into his eyes and started kicking his corneas. “Sorry, it hurts.” He said pulling his goggles on quickly. He cracked his neck, and felt really tired. They had forty eight hours, and the only time to sleep would be in slip stream, so he was ready for bed. Izzy still just stood there speechless. His eyes were flawless, perfect in every way; they were a glassy screen that swirled colors together and mesmerized people. He started picking up his weapons and looked back to Izzy who hadn’t moved at all since he took his goggles off. “Hey.” He paused as she suddenly realized he was no longer standing in front of her, and then looked over to him quickly. “I’m going to get some sleep, you probably should too.” He said opening the door to the Reck Room.



“Yea.” She said picking up her sweatshirt and blades. She followed him through the Reck Room and into the hall. She could see TJ at the far end of the hallway with Trace right next to him helping him work on Aimee. Izzy wondered what Alec was doing upstairs, but was too tired and didn’t want to do anything but get into bed. She and Mike both stopped at the same place, Mike turned right and Izzy turned left. They were both asleep within a matter of minutes.

Alec was upstairs doing systems checks, and making sure the ship was in top shape. The viewing window was uncovered and the streaming blue mist flew past the screen like kite tails on a wind filled day. They always seemed to help Alec concentrate. He was still very worried about Izzy, and wondered what Mike would have to say. If he said she couldn’t survive out here then what would he do? She would just get on another Star Jumper, she had told him so. He really couldn’t make the decision this time. Alec climbed the ladder to the left of Trace’s station, and into his room. Trace woke everyone up four hours later and they all got ready in their own ways, some more productive then others.                    

Izzy got in a hot shower and forgot to bring her clothes with her, so she made the short trip from the other side of Sickbay, down the ladder and in to her room, in a towel. She had only passed TJ, and though he was very interested, he tried not to pay too much attention. He had showered before he went to sleep, so all he was doing was gathering stuff for trade. He was in Company cargos, and a black stretchy tee shirt, which was standard uniform on days they didn’t have to explore. TJ walked into his lab and continued working on Aimee, which was a nice change from constantly working on Trace. Trace was functioning, and was actually allowed to leave the ship this time. She climbed down the ladder, and then knocked on Mike’s door. Mike was still snoring and half off the bed on his face. Trace knocked harder and Mike finally awoke.

“What?” He whined loudly into his pillow.

“Alec wants to talk to you.” She said through the door, she didn’t want to put light in his eyes accidentally.



“Uhhgn.” He grumbled, swinging his arm toward his side table for his goggles. “Be up in two.” He slid his goggles on and fumbled around. He finally emerged from his room, in basketball shorts, and socks. “I’m going, don’t worry.” He glanced over at Trace, and then shuffled for the ladder. He straightened his arms and clenched his fists from the heat difference between his nice warm room, and the cold hallway.

“What’s with the socks?” She asked looking at his navy blue socks hugging his ankle, and covering half of a dragon tattoo.

“The grates hurt my feet.” He paused at the bottom of the ladder to wiggle his toes, and cross his arms. He peered up the ladder and then back at Trace, as if to ask if he really had to go.

“Cold water.” She threatened, and pointed at him. With a heavy sigh he began to climb, the bars were cold, even through the socks. Alec was in his room above the Control Room. Mike sighed at the sight of the empty control room. He looked back and forth, figuring he could go back to his room, and then turned to go back down the ladder.

“Mike? Up here.” Alec called as Mike’s hand touched the ladder to go back to his room. Mike hung his head, and drearily stepped toward his ladder on the other side of the control panel. He climbed the first five bars, turned and rested his arms on Alec’s floor. He rested his head on his arms, closed his eyes, and waited for Alec to start talking. Alec couldn’t see his eyes, so he didn’t know that Mike was starting to doze off. “What do you think about Izzy?” He asked going through his bags. Mike sighed, he knew it.

“Izzy has a high pain tolerance. She’s good with weapons, she can adapt, and she can think on her feet. As far as I can see the only reason she wasn’t put on a ship is because she would put crew first, on anything.” He said into his arm. Alec could hear him, so why bother lifting his head?

“How did you get all this in a few hours?” Alec asked. This was not the answer he was looking for. He wanted to hear that she was unfit to be on a Star Jumper, so Alec could have Mike tell the Board that, so they wouldn’t allow her to get on another ship.



“Okay, she had a high pain tolerance: She had serious cuts up her side from sliding down the ledge, and she completely hid all signs of it. She is good with weapons: I have to really work to beat her. She can adapt and think on her feet: in simulation, she didn’t know that TJ had modified it so she couldn’t run through trees, and she ran full force into a tree face first.” Mike paused to laugh to himself for a moment. “Then she got up not two minutes later and was off again, she figured out that if you can’t run through them then you can climb them, and she thought of that before I could catch up with her, which was moments later. She figured out a way to win a game she had never played before, and she didn’t play by the rules but she did.” He paused. “It was weird.” He told Alec everything, if Izzy found out that he told him, and then she would find out that he was baby sitting and it wouldn’t matter anyway. Alec thought for a moment.

“She got hurt?” Alec asked in confusion. That was the only part of it he seemed to hear.

“Yea, on the ledge. Nasty ice burn, but she didn’t show any signs of it, even when we were pulling the sled, and the vest was putting pressure on her side, I was watching her. She can focus past it, which is a good thing.” Mike realized how valuable Izzy would be on an Armored Fighter or an Armored Flame Jumper. “She might actually be better off on an Armored Fighter, like me. They keep sending me transfer opts to get on one.” Mike tried to stress that she was almost perfect to be on that ship.

“She was.” He said angrily. “That’s the right thing to do: Remind me she had almost killed herself once more on a different Ship.” He continued yelling in his head.

“Why-” he paused, “How did she get a transfer?” Mike asked, pulling his head out of his arms in confusion.



“Her entire crew was killed, and her crew was all combat and weapons and safety majors. I asked for the list and that’s the paper they gave me in simulation.” Alec explained, he had never lied to his crew, and he wasn’t about to start because Izzy was there.  Mike stayed quiet, he wanted more information. “Those people on her old crew.” He pulled the paper out of his pocket, and read it. “Commander Evan Kowalski: three sets of wings, and a decade of school, five years field training.” He paused to see Mike reaction. Mike didn’t react. “Sergeant Nicolas McCall: two sets of wings, ten years in the field, with honors for saving almost eighty percent of everyone he was sent to rescue. He was the safety expert. The bot was fully equip with it’s own dome, and that was destroyed too. The last guy on the ship was like TJ only with weapons too. They wanted him to train but he wanted the field, he lived for fighting, and he had five sets of wings for it.” Alec read the list of high-ranking people on the other Jumper. Mike was paying close attention now.

“What did she do to get on that ship? Sleep with the Captain?” He asked without thinking. That list was probably fifty percent of the veterans of the Company, even though they were maybe, twenty-eight years old. Mike realized that was a stupid thing to say, because Izzy was Alec’s little sister.



“Your looking to get smacked ain’t ya?” He pointed at him. “She was the Captain.” He added, which made Mike smirk a little as he put his head back in his arms. “Go get ready, we land in ten.” Alec said, dismissing him. Mike climbed back down the ladder, and hurried into his warm room. The wall his bed was against was also the wall to the engine room; Trace was constantly in there helping TJ fix stuff, and he had asked her not to insulate that wall so his room was really warm. Trace was still down in TJ’s lab, seeing if she could do anything to help.

TJ was getting annoyed because he couldn’t get the wires just right on Aimee. He seemed stressed and looked very tired from Izzy’s view from her door way. She was in cargo shorts, and a really tight black tank top, that might show a little too much if she started to jump around. She put a small palm pilot in her pocket, grabbed the backpack near the edge of her door, and tossed it over her shoulders. Mike stepped out of his room, with Jeans and a sweatshirt on, holding a backpack filled with stuff in hand. Him and Izzy almost ran into each other.

“Sorry, tired.” He said half heartedly, and continued toward the Control Room. TJ walked up to the two with something in his hands.

“Here, they’re ear pieces for your radio, invisible to the human eye.” He said putting one in Mike’s ear, then one in Izzy’s. “Just keep your radio in your pocket and you should be fine.” he headed back to his lab. Mike shrugged and climbed into the Control Room. Izzy went to the Reck Room and sat at the table with her palm pilot tapping away. TJ entered shuffling cards, and leaned against the wall. “Quick game?” He asked as Alec entered and rummaged through the fridge. He sat at the table with a drink, and motioned for TJ to sit. Izzy snapped her palm pilot shut, and waited for TJ to deal.

“So, the game is five card draw. What do you want to play for?” He said cutting the deck, then dealing five cards to each.

“I dunno, Ummm....” Alec picked his cards up. “Wait till next round.” He joked. That meant he had nothing, and didn’t want to lose. TJ put two cards down, and picked two up with two fingers.

“So Izzy, how did you manage to get two Aimees?” He asked casually. Alec tossed three cards down and picked three up. He heard the word ‘Aimee’, but chose not to listen, instead of flip out about it.



“We did some trading on Hemmiten and Lupis 5. There was this giant guy on Lupis 5, he was like eight feet tall, and tons of illegal stuff there: The cool toys that the Company forbade before the revolt, like the blades with the diamond edges, and the jewels imbedded in the handle. He was very mean though, only ‘till one of my crew members almost killed him, then he wanted to trade.” She put a card down, and picked another up. “What about you guys? You must have some interesting trade stories.” She asked, and TJ and Alec exchanged glances.

“Off the top of my head.” Alec paused and TJ interjected with his favorite moment.

“My favorite moment on forty eight hours is when Mike went and traded with the one girl, and she was human so it was a change. She was ready to kill him, he wanted to buy a blade and she was really thinking he was there to steal from her. So he brought the blade up to the lady and she was really mean, she was all ‘You don’t have enough for that.’ And he handed her this perfect diamond edge blade, with a cover and case, and her eye’s lit up. Then she started throwing stuff at Mike telling him that he had to think she was the dumbest person in the universe to think that she would believe that it was really diamond edge. He ran out of there so fast, and he needed synging above his eye.” TJ was able to tell the story through his laughter.

Alec also laughed, that was one of the most stress free days they had ever had. He realized that they were both waiting for him to tell a story now. They sat swapping stories of stupidity, jokes they had played on each other and stories of luck until Mike came over the intercom, telling everyone they were landing. Everyone met in the Control Room, and took their seats impatiently.



         “All right, I’ll make it quick.” He paused and saw their eagerness to get off the ship. “This is a good trade planet, but it doesn’t have too many Company stars, so pair off, or stay together, just don’t go alone.” He finished and everyone stayed seated. This is where they were supposed to get up and leave. “Get out, I’m done.” He said motioning toward the doors jokingly. They all rushed to the exit from the Control Room, jumped down onto the dirt, and started the short hike to the town. Over a hill, and down a path to the main street. The team reached the clustered group of huts that served as shelter for traders and their merchandise. Izzy hadn’t been here before and paired off with TJ this time. Mike felt a little jealous because he wanted to go with Izzy, but he didn’t say anything. TJ and Izzy walked along a side road to the edges of the trading town, where the buildings were built a little better and spaced further apart. Trace went off on her own, and Mike and Alec walked down the most crowded streets to see what the best venders might have. TJ walked Izzy to a small bar, they had the best food, and the quietest people in the small city.

“The bartender here,” he paused to point to a human sitting behind the bar. “Very nice, used to work for the Company, now sits behind a bar and serves up the best drinks, best food, and least amount of bar fights.” TJ opened the door for Izzy and the quiet bar paid them no attention.

“So, Jason, how’s it been?” TJ asked extending his hand across the bar. The old man

shook his hand and looked to Izzy. “This is Izzy, she’s Alec’s little sister, and is replacing Jake,” TJ explained and the bartender nodded.

“So, the usual?” He asked as they both sat.

“Yea and-” He paused to wait for Izzy to say what she wanted.

“Maybe another time, just not in the mood for anything.” She said with a sigh. TJ looked between her and the bartender. He tossed some coin on the table and shook the bartender’s hand.

“I’ll see ya then, thanks for the courtesy.” TJ shook his hand and followed Izzy out.



“Anytime TJ.” He called after them. TJ and Izzy walked toward the center of town talking.

“So you really don’t want anything to eat?” He asked as they walked down a little street with trinket venders scattered across it.

“No, I was kind of hoping that I could get some trading in. I have a few weapons that I thought I would like, but I don’t,” She said walking into a random small shop.

“Oh, I don’t know those shops very well, but Mike does, want to ask him?” TJ asked picking up a power supply unit. The shop owner watched them carefully, he thought they were going to try to steal from him.

“Umm.” She paused. “Yea, I will.” She finished shoving her hand in her pocket and pulling out her radio. The shop owner got very nervous and his grip tightened on his blade, in the holster, on his back as he circled. Izzy was talking on her radio as TJ approached the little balding alien with tons of folds in his skin.

“You seem to be on edge.” He said and the alien just stared at him, he didn’t understand what he was saying. “Do you get what I am saying?” TJ asked as the aliens grip got tighter. Izzy leaned over TJ’s side, and started by sticking her hand out. The alien cautiously shook her hand, even though he didn’t want to. She started weird throaty noises, and high pitched clicks, and the high pitched alien quickly interjected with more clicks. Izzy took a small three inch blade that folds out of her backpack and hands it to the alien. More clicks and throat noises that TJ didn’t understand.

“He thought we were trying to steal from him,” Izzy explained as she tried to open the small metal box with almost twenty sides.



“What did you trade a diamond edge blade for?” TJ peeked into her hand, where the ball sat in her palm. The diamond edge blades that were left were the best trading tools ever, and if you had that, you were going to get what ever you wanted to trade for. She found the side with the key hole, and started to fiddle with it.

“You remember those little pets everyone used to have? The ones the Company got tired of having flying around the dome. They were all sent off to somewhere, and no one really had one any more?” She continued squinting and trying to open the box. A small thin bear shook the frost off of it’s head with it’s large see through, blue wings. TJ pulled her sideways so she wouldn’t walk into a few boxes that were in the path way.

“What? You traded a diamond edge blade for that fuzz ball with wings?” He asked in disbelief. To TJ that seemed to be the stupidest trade ever.

“Yea, I didn’t need the blade, and I wondered if these still existed.” She pet it’s arm with her finger. It’s arms fit around her finger snug, and it rubbed it’s face against her knuckle. TJ didn’t know what to say, that was a total waste of trade. They turned a few corners in silence and Izzy ran directly into Alec because she was busy playing with the creature in her hand. Alec brushed the dirt off Izzy as she stood up, and stretched to see what was in her hand over her shoulder. Mike had heard the small coo from her palm and assumed it was one of those pesky creatures.

“What the hell is that?” Alec asked turning her around so he could see into her hand.

“Hmm.... think of a name for her.” Izzy said tossing the creature around and rolling it in her hands.

“Are you trying to kill it?” Mike asked as she smushed it in her hand, and then tossed it around again.



“No, she thinks it’s fun.” She stopped throwing it around and showed Mike how it still jumped around trying to jump as high as she was throwing it.

“It can’t stay on the ship.” Alec poked her and she bit him.

“That was mean.” Izzy said blocking the creature from view. “Here,” She closed the box back around the creature, which froze the time in the box it self. “See, no more creature. You guys never saw these?” She asked turning the ball in her hand. The guy’s shook their heads no, and watched the box carefully. “Oh, well they were big at the Company, so I saw a lot of them, never had one though.” She put the box in her pocket and looked to the group. Mike, TJ and Alec started talking about something Izzy had no interest in, so she was looking around at all the people there.

She saw a large Mustard colored alien that looked rather mean standing a few meters away with chains in hand. People moved about, revealing what was on the chains. Blue and Purple dogs shared dragon features with one another. They sat perfectly still and looked ahead. Their long faces showed razor sharp teeth that hung over their lips, and long flowing ears that were a purple with blue shimmers. It’s tail had a sharp metal point on it, and it looked rather interesting.

She walked away from the conversation, and towards those creatures. They were beautiful, and carried themselves with more dignity then most people do. She kneeled and patted the creature, which enjoyed it, but still sat still. Izzy started talking with the alien that was holding them, but he seemed to be as friendly as the shop owner who had almost shot TJ a few moments ago. TJ turned to say something to Izzy but she wasn’t there.



“Where’s Izzy?” He asked and continued looking. He saw her at the same time as Mike and Alec. She had her face inches away from the glistening teeth of the pet. Alec remembered getting bitten by one of those creatures and rushed to pull her away. TJ and Mike were a little less concerned, but they kept up with Alec. They all slid to a halt before her. She finished patting the happy creature on the head and stood up; they were all thrown off. She seemed to have made friends with the pets. Izzy walked to the circle, leaving the unfriendly alien and his pets.

“Ready to go Mike?” She asked casually. Mike nodded toward another road and they were off towards the weapons shops. After a few moments of silence Mike started the conversation with her.

“So, got anything good to trade?” He asked looking over his shoulder for Alec and TJ.

“I have a few diamond edge blades, and some other acquired weapons.” She said handing him the draw string back pack. He thumbed through quickly, handed it back to her, then turned into a hut, and she followed. The shop owner recognized Mike and searched through her back room. Moments later she emerged with an arm full of guns, blades, and assorted weapons. “I take it she knows you.” Izzy said looking over the set of crates set up as counters. The weapons seemed to fall evenly apart on the crates as the woman dropped them. She was not afraid of scratching them, because they were all in their protective covers.

“Yea, this place is where I normally look first.” Mike picked a gun up and looked down the sights toward the wall. Izzy pulled the biggest blade off the table and swung it around a few times. She slid the blade back onto the table, and then picked up a smaller one, made of foreign metals. The blade changed from metallic orange, to blood red depending on how she moved it.  She put the blade on the counter away from the others, and pulled her bag off her shoulder. The woman glanced over the crates and into the bag, wondering what she could possibly have, that she would trade for that blade.

“I don’t think you have anything-” she trailed off as Izzy pulled a blade that was green and blue, with a studded diamond edge.



“This would work for a trade, wouldn’t it?” Izzy asked and Mike turned around to see what had made the woman speechless. She nodded and Izzy handed her the blade, then took the one off the counter and put it in her bag. Mike made a trade that was unfair to the woman, but she wanted his side arm for the gun he was looking at. His side arm was a type of weapon that she didn’t have, and wanted. Mike and Izzy both left the hut with something new, and continued walking around aimlessly. They walked around for the rest of the day talking about what ever came to mind. Then the suns of the planet started setting. They were magnificent to watch, one orange, two blue, and one red. Izzy could tell Mike was tired, he dragged his feet even though his pack was lighter then hers, and she would catch him spacing out now and then.

“Hey lets head back to the ship, I’m sure TJ is back in his lab already.” Mike stopped walking to talk to her.

“I want to check out one more store.” Izzy knew how tired he was, and felt a little bad. “I can check it out by myself, and be back to the ship a few minutes after you.” She suggested, and Mike thought for a moment.

“I would, but Alec said stay together.” Mike said rubbing his face with his hands.

“Yea, well tell him you’re not my baby sitter and I will be back a few minutes after you. If anything goes wrong I’ll radio you.” She suggested and Mike almost cringed as she said baby sitter. He had forgotten about what Alec had asked him to do, well until she reminded him. What if she knew? He figured he should play it dumb and not blow up his own spot if he could.



“You know,” He said, wondering whether or not she really knew. “You’re right.” He paused. “I’ll tell him we split up, and stayed in radio contact, he can baby sit if he wants to.” Mike joked and headed back towards the ship. Izzy saw something strange in his reaction, and followed him, five steps back and two to the left. He didn’t notice and pulled his radio out of his pocket. “Alec, me and Izzy split up, she made a baby sitting reference, and I think she knows that you asked me.” He said into the radio. He got an answer but Izzy couldn’t hear it. She was pissed.

Had Alec really asked him to baby sit her like a child? Did he have that much faith in her? Mike started talking again and she listened closely. “Listen, she would survive out here, that’s all you asked me to find out. This whole ‘baby sit for the forty eight hours’ is not going to fly,” Mike said and Izzy started thinking of ways to get even with Alec. She turned around and started walking. Wait a minute, she thought: what about Mike, he had said yes when Alec asked. She walked into a bar and found the scariest looking guy in there, and went to talk to him.

“Hey, you want to earn a diamond edge blade quickly?” She asked sitting at the bar next to him. He glanced over, slightly interested.

“I’m listening.” He took a sip out of his glass and stuck his elbows on the bar.

“Okay, I want to flip out the rest of my crew, because my brother the Captain asked another guy to baby sit, he said yes, then didn’t tell me.” She rambled quickly she had to radio them soon, or it would take longer for them to get back to the bar. The bartender walked over to her with a full shot glass in hand.

“From the guys over at table two.” He said tiredly, and disappeared again. Izzy looked over to the table, and held the shot glass up to them, then downed it quickly.

“Hey if I was your brother I’d do the same thing.” He said looking her over.

“So you agree with him?” She asked as the guys and two girls came over from table. The scary guy from the bar no longer talked to her, so she threw him a dirty look then got up. “Hey.” She said to the group of five from the other table.

“Cards?” The shortest girl asked. She was only part human, her hair was bright blue and her skin was a very pale purple.



“Sure.” Izzy said and followed them back over to the table. A few hours later, after all the suns had gone down, there was a pyramid of shot glassed on the table in front of the six people. The total count was Ninety one. They were all laughing and still trying to play the card game. Izzy heard Mike radio her, and jumped from the voice in her head. “Hey, remember that guy I was telling you about Triff? He just radioed me.” She paused to take the earpiece out, it took her a few moments, but she set it on the table.

“Let’ em worry.” The entire table said at the same time.

“Hey bartender!” One of the guys yelled. “We need a few more rounds, make the pyramid bigger!” He said, and the whole table shouted the word “Bigger!” in agreement.

“That entire table is cut off. Head somewhere else and start a new pyramid,” He suggested. He didn’t want them to pass out there.

“To the one across the street!” They all shouted together as they all attempted to get up and exit. Izzy grabbed at the earpiece on the table a few times before finally reaching it, and shoving it in her pocket. Mike entered as everyone was getting up.

“Hey Mike!” Izzy said loudly as everyone got up. Triff swung around and nearly fell over to see him.

“Him? That’s the jerk?” She scanned him head to toe. “I would forgive that in a heart beat.” She said as everyone continued out the door. Mike stared at the pyramid on the table Izzy stood up from.

“Great.” He said and Izzy started walking and almost fell. Mike grabbed her arm and pulled her up. “You okay?” Mike put his arm around her side and they walked out.

“Totally fine. You done being a jerk?” She asked leaning forward a little. He pulled his arm tight around her waist and stood her up straight.



“What did I do now?” He asked looking over his shoulder towards the group she was hanging out with. Mike wondered who they were, and what made Izzy hang out with them. How many of those shot glasses were hers? What was Alec going to say when he came back with his little sister drunk? Better yet, what was Izzy going to be like when she had to get up in a few hours?

“You and your ‘I’m not going to baby sit anymore.’ What? I didn’t think that I was that bad to hang out with.” She said pulling his arm off of her waist so she could prove she wasn’t as dependant or as drunk as she looked.

“It was the reporting to Alec part I didn’t like.” He watched her carefully, and tried to steer her away from a few crates. He didn’t want her to fall.

“And I’m supposed to say ‘Aww’ and assume you really do like me, and that it was all just an accident that I thought that the only reason you ever began to hang out with me is because you were asked to by what’s-his-face.” She slurred quickly and tripped. Mike caught her upper arm, and wrapped his arm around her waist again.

“Umm.... that made no sense, at all.” He said kind of smiling. This was funny, he was in so much trouble that there was nothing to do but laugh. When they reached the out skirts of town it got a little harder to support Izzy’s weight and climb the hill at the same time. Mike got to the top first, and grabbed Izzy’s hand and pulled her to the top of the hill. Izzy pushed him and he lost his balance and fell on his back, Izzy fell on top of him.

“So does this count as a pin?” She asked holding the fabric of his coat against the ground. Mike didn’t smell anything on her breath, but that didn’t mean anything. He poked her sides, she squeaked, jumped up, and fell over.          



“Little ticklish?” He said grabbing her hands and pulling her to her feet. So she was finally relaxing, was that a bad thing? She laughed, leaned against his chest, and closed her eyes. “Come on.” He wrapped his arm around her waist again and started down the hill toward the ship. They entered the ship, and to his surprise, no one was there, not event Trace. “All right, bed.” He said walking through the Reck Room towards her room. Izzy saw the deck of cards on the table, and pushed all her weight against Mike, detouring him.

“Game?” She asked picking the deck up and attempting to shuffle. She dropped a few cards, picked them up and continued shuffling. Mike shrugged and sat at the table. If they were both drunk he wouldn’t get yelled at as badly. “Okay, I’m going to look at a card stick it to my forehead, and then you guess the card. How many numbers you’re off is how many shots you have to take.” she pulled a bottle out of the fridge and a shot glass from on top of it. Mike couldn’t help but laugh and Izzy seemed a little upset. “What’s so funny?”  She asked licking a card and sticking it to her forehead.

“What if I guess the card?” He asked pulling the shot glass toward him with the bottle. Why not? No matter how Mike looked at it he was in trouble. She shrugged and looked so stupid with the card on her forehead. One of those cute stupid people that was lovable. “Are Aces high or low?” He asked another question while pouring a shot. He guaranteed that he was going to be at least one card off.

“Low.” She tried to see the side of the card against her head. He sighed and sat back in his chair. All he played over and over in his head was ‘Why not?’



“How many cards do I have to guess before it’s your turn?” He asked and she held three fingers up, still concentrating on the card on her forehead. “Umm. Two,” he guessed. She pulled the card off her fore head, and then tossed it on the table. It was a king. “Eleven,” he said, and she pointed and laughed. He sighed, and started drinking. Eleven shots later she had another card on her forehead. After his throat burned and he had managed to down all eleven shots, he leaned back in his chair, staring at the card on her forehead. He thought he would pick a safer number this time. “Seven.” He guessed and she flipped the card onto the table. It was a ten. She stuck another card to her forehead as he took his shots. “Last card.” He said and she frowned.

“What were we playing?” She asked.

“I thought you knew.” He said taking one more shot.

“Nope, not a clue.” She got up and still fell on her face. Mike helped her up, and then stood up straight. He kind of swayed, but managed to keep his balance. Izzy sat in the middle of the couch and Mike sat next to her. They both fell asleep. Trace was the first to make it back to the ship. She entered the Control Room entrance and went to her room, not seeing Mike and Izzy who were curled up on the couch together. TJ entered from the cargo doors and walked through the Reck Room. He saw Mike with his arm over Izzy and her asleep on his chest, and wondered what Alec might say, but he didn’t really care. He went to his lab, and then started working on Aimee. Mike woke up a few hours later and groggily peered down at Izzy asleep on his chest. He didn’t want to wake her up, and he didn’t want to get up, so he didn’t. They were already off again, in Slip Stream, Mike assumed TJ had driven for Alec. TJ hadn’t driven for Alec, but had found something to do right around the corner.



“Hey Mike.” He whispered into the radio. Trace kneeled next to him. He peered around the corner. Mike adjusted his head and TJ grinned. “Mike,” he took his time saying in a high pitched annoying tone. Mike woke up and almost sat up, but he didn’t want to knock Izzy onto the floor. He sat back and closed his eyes, listening closely. Trace looked at TJ in amusement. He giggled around the corner. “Mike” TJ said quickly and Mike almost jumped. He pulled his radio out of his pocket, and held it to his mouth tiredly.

“Asshole.” He said in the same slow annoying tone as TJ. He dropped the radio on to the floor, along with the ear piece. TJ laughed and Alec walked up behind Trace and TJ.

“What’s so funny?” He asked. Trace and TJ stood up and faced him.

“Umm... I’m not ratting anyone out.” TJ said and headed towards his lab.