The tailor bot was, as many fine inventions, created to make uniforms for the Serco military. Until it had been “liberated” and sold off at the Sedina V Hold station and converted to civilian purposes. It was merely a question of changing the input from drab brown and red cloth, to whatever colour you wanted and in whatever quality you desired. The patterns were selected from a wide variety of choices from the terminal in front of it and after scanning the targeted person it would disgorge the required clothing in under a minute. Azumi grabbed the blue and white package that arrived and grinned mischievously to Retractile.
"What are you up to Az?"
"A treat baby. Just you wait and see."
Retractile grinned back and nodded. He was in no doubt that the clothes, or rather the wearing of them, would be the cause of many accidents in Daltas Hold tonight. She turned and walked over to a styling pod, closing the door behind her. Nothing to do but wait until the chrysalis was ready to show the butterfly that was being prepared within. V Hold was the prime port for piracy in Sedina but looked to be fairly quiet tonight. Normally he would have spotted one or two SYN members but they had been keeping low for a while. Only absolute lowlife and one or two wannabe pirates were milling about, the term "like headless chicken" popped into Ret's head unwillingly. He laughed out aloud and one of them, a hulking slab of meat complete with synth-leather vest, synth-leather pants and studs in his forehead looked over in his direction. It was fairly obvious that he had at some time found a large stash of steroids and Serco muscle implants and had not shared with anyone else.
"The fuck you laughin at smurf?"
The smile disappeared from Retractile's face and turned into a hostile mask of loathing. He hated being called smurf just because his parents had been Itani. He was not and would never be Itani. Unless punks started calling him names wrongly. That is when his Itani heredity surfaced and he stopped being nice.
"Until a second ago, not you."
"You looking for trouble smurf?"
The brute walked over in front of Retractile, towering more than a head above him and flexing his hands almost uncontrollably. Retractile cursed the long vibro dagger that lay in his cockpit and decided on playing it cool instead. He was not sure he could come out of a fight with this one without getting hurt somehow. The brute had activated a ring on his left hand and the vibrations from the knuckle field were loud enough to be heard like the buzzing of a giant wasp. He was going to get hurt big time if he got hit with that one for sure.
"Cause I'll gimme a trouble smurf. Not so smart anymore are you? S M U R.."
Retractile was pretty sure that the brute was going to say F as the next word but never found out. Something crackled with electricity and the brute collapsed into an undignified heap on the metal grid floor. Azumi stood behind him, a taser in hand and an even more mischievous grin on her face than before. The small white shorts with blue stars, the light blue shirt that was tied together in front and the vest that had blue sleeves and white chest, also adorned with three stars on each side, fit her perfectly. She had flash-dyed her hair and had now a mane of straw-coloured gold underneath a blue and white cowboy hat. She swirled and showed the back complete with the "Daltas Cowboys" in swung letters on the back of the vest before stopping and pointing at Ret with twin imaginary six-shooters.
"Do you like it?"
"Mah, Ah, eh I think, ah."
"Good. Who was your racist friend here?"
Retractile looked down in confusion and saw the convulsing form of the brute on the floor. The taser had been dropped with the activation switch locked and was pumping 50k volts into the brute every second.
"A nobody. Damn you look fine Az. Daltas Cowboys?"
"Yeah, they have a team for the Death Fights. They lose a lot but it is fun to watch."
"I'd have to see it one day. You ready?"
She presented a jacket to him also in blue and white and made him hold it while she put it on. He couldn't help asking about what he thought he had seen on her lower back.
"Az, is that a tattoo on your lower back?"
"Yeah, I had it made some time back. Says Flare Bait and points twin arrows down."
Ret started laughing and didn't stop until they had walked all the way to the docks.
###
Riddik felt better than he had for ages. And for once the feeling of satisfaction did not originate in drinking massive amounts of high-ethanol liquids but rather was a thoroughly genuine experience. The girl next to him was part of the explanation. Cat was fun and all, and with her auburn hair and creche bred physique even reminded him of Keria but she was no substitute for his own personal temple of worship. Still, Cat was good company. The torn and shredded uniform was part of it for sure. The fabric had tried to contain Riddik but failed miserably sometime during the fight and ruptured in several places, turning the too small TGFT flight suit into a prop for a Hulk movie. It no longer hurt in nasty places. But the thing that probably tipped the scales was the wounds from the hold-out pistol and from the dagger. None of them were dangerous or even serious; Riddik had his internal organs re-organised and hardened a long time ago during infantry training and his brainpal pumped enough endorphins into his system to mask the damage. That was the icing on the cake, the dope that made him feel great. He grinned when he realised that and snorted a half choked laugh.
"What's so funny about that? I mean it. I really like the gyrock, it is so easy to use and absolutely kills anyone dead."
"Not that Cat. I get your point though. It was something else I laughed at."
"Oh?"
"I just realised what makes me happy."
"And what might that be?"
Cat brought the bottle of Dark Lady to her lips and tipped it slightly letting the golden liquid please her taste-buds while eying Riddik with half closed eyes over the bottom.
"I just need someone to stab and shoot me gently for the rest of my life while saving damsels in distress."
Cat almost choked on the beer, brought it down quickly and covered her face while beer slowly dripped out of her nose. Riddik started laughing loudly as he scrummaged around for something to let her wipe her face. Not finding anything he ripped a sleeve off from the torn uniform and handed it over. Cat wiped the beer from her face and mock-punched him on the shoulder while grinning.
"So, this is how you spend your days off duty? Hanging around in bars, semi-naked and with strange Serco women?"
Riddik turned quickly at the sound of Keria's voice and rose from the stool extending his arms for a massive hug. The sneer on Keria's face was not what he wanted to see.
"You can forget that you oaf. Jeez, I can't leave you alone for ten seconds before you are all over the place!"
Keria started to turn on her heel and leave.
"You must be Mrs Willenium. I am sorry to say that your husband is a great liar."
Keria stopped halfway and turned to the not quite mirror image of herself, ready to tear her head off.
"He said that you were pretty. He understated that by a mile ma'am. Now you are here, he may start talking about something else besides how much he misses you. You are a very lucky lady, ma'am."
Cat rose and extended her hand.
"Catherine Plissensky, Cat for short ma'am."
Keria shook the hand Serco style, hands grabbing wrists and squinted at Cat trying to place her.
"Haven't I've seen you before? What sequence were you in?"
"Rhamus creche Delta 283-3A ma'am. Pilot line."
"I flew with one from Delta 283, named Liz Eddard. Good pilot."
"Yeah, we look pretty identical being of the same material ma'am."
Keria ignored Riddik and seated herself on his chair.
"So, what are you doing with my hubby?"
"He saved me from the local thugs. Again I might add."
"Oh?"
Cat smiled and emptied her bottle. She slid off her stool and placed the bottle on the bar.
"I better let Riddik explain that ma'am. Besides, the way he was talking about you kinda guarantees that I am not wanted company right now. Have a good day ma'am."
Cat nodded to Keria, winked to Riddik and left the bar. Keria waited until she had left completely before turning to Riddik who was standing with his arms still extended and looking completely lost and miserable.
"C'mere big boy."
The smile that had hidden inside Riddik and thought it would die a miserable death exploded onto his face and he grabbed and kissed Keria before hugging her close to his chest.
"So, tell me how you found that cat baby."
