Outrageous Charges

"Ahh, Oxygen. How I missed thee." Jamie mused as the oxygen density in the air grew back to a healthier level.

The water from the waste management system had been filtered and pumped into the reactor, refining it into Oxygen to keep everyone alive. The byproduct of this was more power for the ship.

"Pity that energy can't be used to propel the ship, with the engines burnt out." Cass remarked.

"Unless we use this extra oxygen as maneuvering thruster propellant. I'm telling you, ILIAD is the way to go..." Artemis said, and Cass shot him a look that would have melted his chassis if there was enough oxygen in the atmosphere for it to burn.

There was an alarm from the cockpit, a kind of warbling, piercing noise that made everyone get a little paranoid.

"Proximity sensor." Cass said, and walked over to the controls. "It's either Jay back with Bruno, or... That Serraco ship is back." She said, as the cargo ship drifted across view.

"Ah. It's requesting payment..." Artemis said, as his systems picked up the response.

"What does it want?" Jade asked, as Cass was watching the controls, and Jamie was tweaking the oxygen replenishment. Jaxx and Eve were still cuddling together off to the side.

"It wants... a Robot or Hard Light Hologram." Artemis read, with dread in his synthesised voice, glanding at H-343.

"Give them an ILIAD!" Jamie shouted from the other room, and Cass stifled a laugh.

"No, we're not giving up anyone." She said, after a moment of recovery. At that point, Jamie came back in and Joined Cass at one of the computers.

"We could just hack it, and remote control it to take us back... Then we can pick up Jay at the same time." Jamie suggested.

"Huh... I was just thinking the same thing." Cass answered.

"Jay might not have much time if he..." Jade said, arresting the thought. "if you're going to do it, hurry up."

Ahead of them, the cargo ship broadcast again, a demand for payment or services would be withdrawn. Small jets fired to stop its movement, and keep it at a safe distance from the Starbug.

"It's got some kind of shielding. It might take a while to break through it." Cass reported, her fingers flowing over her terminal, trying to make the connection.

"Of course it is." Artemis said. "It's got an electromagnetic shield to prevent remote access. All Serraco ships do."

"If we had a..." Cass said, and Jamie finished her sentence. "Direct connection, coming right up." His own fingers pressed a series of buttons on the ships panel, and a grapple shot out of the front of the Starbug, latching to the Serraco cargo vessel.

"hah. connection made." Cass exclaimed, beginning the hack. Jamie kept working on the ships computer, while Cass used her Terminal. After a few long seconds, she held the terminal up out of her way, and pressed a few buttons on the Starbug control panel, initiating some other commands. In that time, Jamie reached over and plucked the terminal from her hands, punching in a few commands of his own.

They switched back in a moment, pressed a few more buttons each, and the blinking lights on the cargo ship faltered, and went dead.

"Got it." Cass said, and the two of them stopped their frantic button pushing.

"Since when do you know how to use that Terminal?" Jade asked Jamie, who looked confused. "I saw you using it, Even if Cass was teaching you, you used it like it was yours."

Jamie glanced to Cass, who shrugged.

"I... have no idea, it just... happened..." Jamie replied, "I just knew what I needed to do, and did it."

"No time now." Jade continued. "Let's go pick up Jay."

<Ok, so we're on our way to pick up Jay. a Serraco cargo ship dragging a Starbug like a Tug and derelict ship.... though that wasn't supposed to be such an accurate description. Anyone want something to happen on the way, or are we just going to be back at the 'Dwarf and safe?>