Chapter 3 - Out of the Frying Pan
The third planet in the Antares system was in midst of being terraformed by the Federation. It had a small population of colonists, who gathered in small settlements such as the Space-Port of Port Redland.
It also had a transient population of traders, workers and criminals that you would normally find at a backwater space port.
This was where Ben and Streek found themselves after unwittingly turning themselves into female clones and launching in an escape pod to avoid being gang-raped by their other selves.
The main street of Port Redland was quite unremarkable. The giant atmospheric generator rose up from the centre of town, casting a long shadow over half the street. Everything was casting a long shadow now the sun was sinking toward the horizon.
All the buildings in the street looked much the same, simple structures with smooth, off-white plasti-steel walls, each closed off and air conditioned.
Each of the shops had similar simple signs, like someone had gone through and labelled them in order to tell them apart.
The place was usually dead during the blistering heat of the day, but now it was approaching dusk and there were a few people walking here and there and the odd hovercar driving down the road.
Ben and Streek emerged from one of the buildings labelled "Clothing and Equipment Store". Streek wanted to make it her first priority to buy some pants, which she had been without since landing on the planet. She was wearing her new pair of new Karkee spacer pants with many pockets that fit her new body well.
The new pants weren't the only thing they ended up buying. "It's strange, I think I enjoy shopping more than I used to." said Ben.
"Don't you think that outfit is a little skimpy Ben?"
Bens' new outfit consisted of a pair of tight grey shorts with a brown belt and a small sleeveless, sky-blue top that didn't quite cover her belly. "Hey, it gets hot here, I was sick of sweating it out in those track pants."
"But were not going to be staying here much longer."
Ben looked at the small stack of credit slips in her hand, "Looks like we just spent a large chunk of our money in the store. How are we gunna buy passage off this rock? And where are we gunna go?"
"Jeez, I don't know. You're the Captain aren't you? You're usually the one with the plan."
"I need to think about this. let's go get a coffee. I think I saw a cafe down the street."
The girls walked down the street, Streek was glad to have her new boots, her old shoes were too loose. She had bought a new knife too which she had holstered and concealed inside the waste band of her pants. she felt better carrying a weapon for her protection.
"I'm gunna have to get used to the bra, but I'm glad for the support" she said to Ben.
"Yeah I know what you mean, at least we're not wobbling about the place any more."
Streek was getting used to the feel of her new cotton panties as well, it was strange wearing womens' underwear, it made her feel more like a real woman.
A scruffy looking, middle-aged man walked by them, he was quite obviously checking them both out, particularly their big boobs.
"Hey look there!" said Ben pointing across the street. "What? the Bank?" "Yeah the Bank, it's still open." "What? Do you want to rob it?"
"No, I was thinking that I might be able to access my account, withdraw all my money."
"You don't have your ID chip, and if you did it would be a mans' ID chip."
"Perhaps I lost my ID chip, I would need a retinal scan and my password to prove who I am. As far as I know my eyes are still the same."
Streek considered this for a moment. "They would notice that the account is for a Benjamin Anders."
"Yeah, I'm a woman named Benjamin, what of it?" "It could be worth a try." "Yeah, I'm gunna do it, wait for me at the cafe, it shouldn't take long."
Ben crossed the street to the bank, Streek watched her enter the building and then continued down the street.
She knew the sun was setting now, though she couldn't see it behind the atmospheric generator. The giant machine let out a consistent thrum like the one out in the desert, the locals were probably all oblivious to it.
She reached the building labelled "Cafeteria". At least this one had larger windows around the front and sides to set it apart from the other boring plain buildings. She could see several tables and chairs set up inside, there were a few customers in there drinking their beverages. A lot of the tables were empty as well. Streek pushed the door open and entered.
Streek ordered her double expresso from the fat, middle-aged woman behind the counter and then sat at a table facing the door. She had been travelling on camelback in the heat all day, she was surprised she didn't feel all that sore and tired.
She casually observed the other patrons of the cafe as they casually observed her. There were a couple of middle-aged women, wearing plain garb chatting away to each other at another table by the counter, a young couple were drinking milkshakes at a booth on the wall and another creepy looking little man with big ears and beady eyes staring at her from the booth in the corner as he drank what looked like a Cola drink.
Ten minutes later the last remnants of daylight faded from outside and lights began to come on down the street.
Ben came through the door, she nodded to Streek with a stern look on her face that told her that it didn't go well. Then she went and ordered a large cappuccino with five sugars from the fat waitress.
She sat down at Streeks' table. "It didn't work?" Streek asked.
"Would have, but my accounts have been frozen by the Federation"
"Really, why?"
"If I had to guess, I'd say it's because we were arrested in New Heidi."
"We were? ...our male selves, ...the Feds have them already?"
"Yeah probably, and there's something else." Ben said frowning
"What?"
"The Feds probably noticed someone trying to access the account from here, you know how serious they are about this Alien Technology stuff."
"Oh shit! They're gunna be coming after us!"
Ben nodded solemnly. "We need to get off planet quickly, and stay out of sight of the Feds."
Streek sat back and took another swallow of her coffee. She really didn't want to be a Federation prisoner.
"There may be a crisotunity here." said Ben "...If we were arrested in New Heidi, it's likely the Clubber Lang was put in the impound yard there. We could travel there and find a way to recover her."
"You mean steal the ship."
"You can't steal what's already yours."
"I'm sure the Feds wouldn't see it that way."
"I could change the responder codes, make her a different ship and we can trade in the outer rim, keeping a low profile."
"That's your plan?"
"You asked me for one!"
"And what's your plan for getting to New Heidi, without being taken by the Feds?"
Ben stayed quiet as she sipped her Cappuccino.
"Excuse me, I'm sorry to interrupt you lovely ladies." The man from the corner booth who was looking at Streek had approached their table. He was a short, ugly man with wispy light brown hair, beady eyes, very large ears and a stubbly little chin.
Streek thought he looked a bit like a rat, and guessed his age to be around forty. She didn't like the look of him one bit.
"What do you want?" she said.
"I couldn't help overhearing, were you looking for passage to New Heidi? I can help you, I can."
"Overhearing eh?" said Streek "...You were listening in, spying on us!"
"Oh no, I didn't mean to, but as you can see, I tend to hear a lot of things." he said pointing to his ears.
"Those are freakishly large ears." said Ben.
"Yes, lucky for you I know a man who's good at slipping by unnoticed, Captain Eubene."
"Captain Eubene?"
"Yes, he's in the business of exotic imports."
"You mean he's a smuggler?" said Ben.
"Do I? Anyway his ship, the 'Black Jester', is docked here, and New Heidi is on his rounds, I'm sure the two of you could arrange something with him if you wanted to." He gave them both a sly smile.
Streek frowned, It sounded like just what they needed, but she didn't trust this man, he looked like he would sell out his mother for a fist full of slips. Streeks' eyes met Bens', she looked like she didn't trust him either. They were stupid to talk so openly.
"I think you might have misheard us." said Ben "...Excuse me, I need to go pee." Ben stood up. "...Don't you need to pee too?"
"Oh yeah." said Streek, she got up and followed Ben into the womens' toilets.
"Little rat, I bet he's off selling us out to the Feds right now." said Streek when they got in.
Ben got into a small cubicle and dropped her pants, she really did need to pee. "Probably not, he would have done that instead of talking to us if he was inclined. I bet the Feds have a warrant out for him as well."
"I still doubt we can trust him."
"Me too, but I'm afraid our options are really limited. We need to get away from here soon, and a smuggler would be good at avoiding Federation attention." There was a tinkling sound as Ben started pissing in the toilet.
"But what would the smuggler want in return? we have no money. I am not going to offer up my pussy."
"Yeah I know. Maybe if we just met this Captain Eubene we can work something out. If we get a bad feeling about him, we walk away and figure out another way. Maybe steal a ship or stow away, it's all quite risky."
"Yeah okay then. Just be on guard, men are fuckin' predators!"
