Shielder — A new Science Fiction Romance (Book 1, Shielder Series) by Catherine Spangler Page B

"Quiet. We'll talk when we're planetside."
    Nessa waited impatiently, going over the
newest alternative in her mind. It seemed an eternity before Chase
landed the ship.
    He eased back in his seat. "Well, what is
it?"
    "Is there a transport station on Calt? If
there is, I can catch a transport now."
    He shook his head. "I don't think you
understand what Calt is, Nessa. It's the bowels of the quadrant, a
haven for criminals of the worst sort. Here they obtain new
identities, ships and supplies, anything gold can purchase."
    Surely the Controllers would be aware of
such a place, Nessa thought. "Then why don't the Anteks patrol Calt
and arrest all the criminals?"
    Chase smiled bitterly. "The Anteks are just
as susceptible to gold as other weak-minded beings. They can be
persuaded to look the other way. Calt has no transport station. No
decent being would want to visit this hellhole. Those that do,
arrive secretly, under the cover of darkness."
    Her brief hope fled, and she pushed back the
nagging fear. She still had over two weeks, she reminded herself.
She undid her safety harness and watched Chase prepare to leave the
ship. Once again, he strapped on an array of weapons, including a
carbine rifle that went into a special holder slung over his
shoulder.
    Ready to disembark, he turned to her. As he
had done at Saron, he had withdrawn behind an invisible barrier,
detaching himself with a frightening intensity. This was not Chase
she faced, but a fierce, remote warrior, beyond reach.
    A shadower, with no mercy.
    A violent shiver passed through her, but he
didn't seem to notice. "Don't respond to any hails or open the
hatch for any reason," he instructed tersely. "Be ready to strap in
for takeoff the minute I return. Understand?"
    "Yes."
    He stopped at the hatch and pulled the
portal cover open to scan the area. Nessa got a glimpse of the sun
rising over an arid expanse of sand littered with spaceships,
before he closed the portal. "Remember my orders." Opening the
hatch, he slipped away like a wraith into the semidarkness.
    She waited a few minutes to be certain he
had left, then returned to the computer. She accessed root command
and located her hidden program. It hadn’t succeeded in decoding the
PWL file. Battling abject frustration, she studied the system's
response to her program. That gave her enough information to alter
her commands and try a new path. She reworded the program and
exited.
    She didn't doubt for a moment she might need
the information in the file. If Chase proved to be untrustworthy
and refused to take her to Star Base Intrepid, then she'd have to
resort to more drastic options. Unfortunately, decoding the PWL
file could take days. Even if she managed to confiscate some of
Chase's weapons and overtake him, without the security codes, she
couldn't operate his ship. Sabin added a new threat, as he might
reveal her Shielder identity at any time.
    In view of Sabin's presence and the
uncertainty of what Chase might do next, she needed to find
transport now. She thought of the bag of coins in her pocket. Gold
could buy anything, so Chase had said. Surely it could buy her
transport, even on Calt.
    She went to her cabin and slipped Turi into
his pack. She stuffed her hoarded cheese and bread into her bag of
supplies. Returning to the hatch, she opened it and stepped outside
before she could change her mind.
    A blast of sweltering air slammed into her.
The blazing sun peeking over the horizon blinded her momentarily,
forcing her to squint until her eyes became used to the glare.
Amazed, she stared at the varied array of ships that stretched as
far as the eye could see. Obviously the outcasts of the universe
found Calt a popular spot. Surely the owner of one of these ships
could be persuaded to provide a ride to Santerra.
    Turning slowly, Nessa saw the outline of
buildings in the distance. Slinging her pack onto her back, she
began the trek to the settlement. The oppressive heat surrounded
her, and rivulets of sweat