A Hacker with a Secret

A Fake Escape

My eyes peeled apart the code, decrypting the code swiftly, scribbling the message onto a notecard next to me. Once finished, I double-checked my work. I preferred to hack instead of decrypt, but I needed the credits. 

"Done already?" The man with tentacle limbs said in surprise as she took the card from my hand. "Seems about right. Thanks, Novalee." He clapped my shoulder before I picked up my small bag.

I smiled, "I'll do what you need me to until you're out of credits." His smile faded and I realized what was about to happen. "Time for my 'escape,' huh?"

"You always get away, and when you do, you'll see all three-hundred credits in your account." He winked, "I'll give you a twenty second head start. Ready, set, go!"

I heard him count as I sprinted down the ramp. I had handed Anga, an old friend of my dad, his orders from a higher up in the TA, also known as the Tranquility Association. They governed the many planets in their sector and Anga's ship had just gotten ordered to regain control of a planet under the control of the Imperium, a group who wanted dictatorial control of the galaxy. 

I ducked under a hovercraft as I heard the sound of Anga's ship's blasters start up. I watched under the safety of the vehicle as the guns swiveled, looking for me. After a minute or two, the plane gave up on trying to take my hostage and rose up before speeding out of the airlock, a small membrane that kept the air in the planet. They had to stage a fake search so that when his boss asked if he'd just let me go freely with the sensitive information, he could say 'no'.

I crawled out from under the hovercraft and sat in front of it, leaning on the bumper. I set my bag in my lap, opening the small violet knapsack slowly. Before I could reach for him, Bix crawled up my arm, onto my shoulder. Once he was comfortably nestled on me, I moved my brown hair to hide him. One tail tickled the back of my neck while the other twisted with my hair before tugging lightly, telling me he was hungry. 

I scowled at Bix, "I'm going! I'm going! If you don't quit it, you won't be getting any food at all." He squeaked and stopped pulling hiding in my grey shirt. He dusted some dirt off the sleeve to apologize. I petted the soft fur on his head before scratching behind his large ears. "I'll never understand why people don't like mudrats," I murmured to myself as I slung my bag over my unoccupied shoulder, "let's find a vendor."