Higgs & Soap: Galaxy Delivery

Chapter 1

CHAPTER 1

The first and second attempts on our lives happened on the maglev train to the Spaceport. The first attempt was the buffet car sandwiches.

"This tastes like clothing."

"I told you to wait until we got to departures."

The second attempt was when they threw me off the top of the train.

I should explain. Soap is my pilot, chief engineer, business partner and in the two cycles we've worked together, I'd like to think we've become firm friends.

"It's your fault for wanting to go straight to the Records Department without lunch, you tont!"

She's also trans-species. Currently 6% feline with further DNA replacement treatments to come. So far she has had replacements to allow her to digest bone, allow muscle fibre changes, and grow fur. Ginger tabby, if you must know. Surgery has also given her articulated ears, retractable claws, new teeth, nose and slit irises.

I'd had a standard gene mod to reduce bodily energy consumption, meaning I only needed to intake 1000 calories per day. Ideal for those in the intergalactic delivery service. Soap hadn't. She stared wide-eyed at the second half of the sandwich as if being forced to eat her own tail.

Actually, she doesn't have a tail. At least, not yet.

Finally she stuffed the sandwich in her mouth and her ears dropped. She chewed it with the expression of a horrified toddler.

*ding* "Next stop, Beijing Quarter."

"We had to go straight there because the cheap return is only valid during off-peak hours. It was always going to be a quick turnaround. Plus we want to avoid any overstay fees on the short stay landing pad."

"Which only gives us four hours to do everything..."

"You know me, I'm always thinking money!"

Soap sighed, giving a little burp at the end. I looked past her and out the window over Captain Williams City, the largest city on any of the colonies. The first city settled by the wormhole explorers. The capital city of planet Clarissa. My home planet. My house was way over the other side of the city from here. But in any case, we were here on business, no time for family visits or sightseeing, sadly. The original landing crafts and prefab huts are part of a museum-cum-theme park. I went once with a school trip. It's not bad, but expensive at fifty credits just to get in. And that doesn't even include the musical Augmented Reality ride.

I pulled out the data card from my flight suit breast pocket and synced it to my implants. A blue folder icon appeared floating in the air in front of my eyes. Of course it didn't exist in the real world, but was an augmented reality projection courtesy of the implants in my visual cortex. My own personal heads-up-display. With a single thought: "open", it did, spilling out a jumble of documents, emails mostly, some scans of physical drawings and a single photo.

"Can't believe that this all we're here for. You could cough loudly and have more data reach the other side of the galaxy!"

"Hmm?"

For a moment I forgot that only you can see what your implants are displaying, unless you share your connection with someone else. I waggled the data card at her.

"Wanna Pinktongue?"

She shook her head, rubbing her stomach.

"Nah. Business stuff is your stuff. I've learned it's best not to know what you've got us carrying. And I really shouldn't have eaten that."