Here's Ch 142-Pt 2-K&K
Nat left her two ensigns changing in the cabin the three were sharing with Saavie, Faye and Keisie. Flay had removed her flight suit and was standing in a mcck turtleneck sweater and underbriefs. Now she was trying to decide which snowsuit to wear for the trip.
"Oro do ya thin, Caggie? Red or green?" she asked, holding two winter jumpsuits against her chest.
"Either one, Flay. This ain't no fashion show and that goes on 'over' your flightsuit, stupid! Hurry up now or we'll have Lt. Nat mad at us again!" replied Cagalli, zipping her parka and yanking on gloves. "Don't forget your helmet, dummy!" she added and picked up her own on the way out the door.
Flay quickly resumed her flight togs, pulled on her red jumpsuit, yanked on parka and gloves, shoved a Mark III (Nat's) into her pocket and pulled on her helmet. Then she raced to catch up with the others. Nat was waiting impatiently at the sled with Jamie and Goat when Cagalli trotted over and took her seat beside Nat. Jamie and Goat were in the rear sets behind them. Flay finally ran over, apologized and took a seat between the guys while Nat closed the roof of the sled.
"We'd better be quick 'cause that storm's headed this way and fast. You guys all strapped in? Let's go." she said, firing the engines and lifting clear of the bays and into the ever darkening skies. She rocketed East at subwarp two and five minutes later she put down at 'Land 'n Shop' which was the Mars' version of a Terran 'Walmart' store. Nat cut the engines, opened the roof and climbed out followed by Cag and the two guys. Nat tossed helmet, gloves and parka on the seat and fished out her PDO vidpad which held their shopping list. The two guys and Cagalli also ditched their heavy outer gear. Then Flay unstrapped and pulled off her helmet. She started to climb out of the sled but Cag shoved her back into the vessel.
"You gotta wait out here in the sled, Flaysie. We know about you and shopping malls! You'll get in there and we won't be able to get you outta there until you've bought out half the planet!" said Cagalli.
"You can't order me around, Athna!" yelled Flay defiantly.
"Well, I sure as Hell can, Ensign Allster! You 'will' stay outside with this sled and that's an order, young lady! Understood?" barked her lieutenant. Flay nodded her head.
"Yes'm." she mumbled sulkily.
"Aw! Don't cry, little Flaysie! If you're a good little girl we'll bring you back a nice dolly, OK?" teased Jamie.
"Come on, man! I just saw a hot space chick and she was giving me the eye, Jamie boy!" said Goat.
"And you two behave yourselves! Let's go, Caggie." said Nat.
The quartet left a pouting Flaysie and rode up the mobile walkway to the huge supermarket/department store/everything shops.
Back at the yard Cy and Robin had discovered that Miles was also a baseball fanatic like them albeit his 'Blue Sox' team was one they'd never even heard of before! While the trio of new tomos was yakking about baseball stats, games, players, etc. Dewey yelled over to Miles asking him if they still had that ALD411 core that Miles was supposed to have finished rebuilding last week.
"Yeah, Boss man. It's up in the loft next to the--" began Miles.
"Just get me the damned thing, kid! Better order that flow valve thrust unit from Reggie for that job we got with the 'Doom Patrol' shuttle service!" bellowed Dewey who was asking Spike how the 'Swordfish II', the 'Hammerhead' and the 'Redtail' (Spike's, Jett's and Faye's shuttles respectively) were holding up and wasn't the 'Redtail' overdue for a tune-up?
Cy and Robin followed Miles up to the loft and were soon 'oohing' and 'ahhing' at the profusion of engine and core parts strewn around them.
"Miles! Bring me a 127-DX nacelle fuel regulator too and that other spare hyperdrive array unit too." yelled Dewey. Miles grimaced but cheerfully complied.
An hour later with all the new parts installed and the 'Prince' tested and pronounced 'should last you another month or so' by Dewey Doohan, the old mechanic was proudly showing off his latest acquisition- the newly rebuilt and just refurbished 'Atlantis', the ancient 'NASA' space shuttle which had been rusting in an old silo on old Terra since it had been scrapped in AD 2107!
"Boy! I remember reading all about that thing on my history vids but I sure as Hell never thought that I'd ever actually see that old piece of space junk!" said Keisie incredulously.
"Watch your mouth, girlie! If it hadn't of been for one of those 'old pieces of junk' there our Spike here would be long gone to meet his maker! Ain't that a fact, Steigel?" growled Dewey.
"Yup. The 'Enterprise' sure as shooting saved my bacon that time and no mistake, man!" agreed Spike who was cleaning and loading his automatic. (See 'Wild Horse' episode of 'Cowboy Bebop' for details on this one).
Jett glanced at his wristchromo and frowned. Then he glanced at the almost pitch black sky above.
"They've been gone almost two whole hours! You don't suppose that anything's happened to 'em, do you?" asked a worried Jett.
"If I know Flay she's probably buying out the mall." said Saavie, looking up from her perusal of a ship's schematic vid which Dewey had given to them.
"Tht's just the reason why I told Nat to make damned sure that Flay stayed with the sled!" said Faye, popping open another 'Licorian Lana' beer for herself.
"Go easy on that crap, babe! You're navigating, girl!" warned Jimbo.
"Call 'em, Jett if you're that concerned." advised Keisie.
"Jett calling Lt. Nat. You there, ma'am? Over." trilled the big cowboy.
"Yes Mr. Black? Lt. Nat here. Over." trilled Nat who was just stuffing their last box of goodies into the sled's boot.
"Just wondering if you guys were OK what with this storm heading towards us and all? Over." trilled Jett.
"We're fine and just as soon as we find Flay we'll be on our way home. Over." trilled Nat.
"Her parka, gloves, snowsuit and helmet are on the backseat, Nat. So's her backpack but her fanny pouch isn't here." said Goat Smith.
"She's probably gone shopping, Nat. I'll have her paged in the mall." said Cagalli.
"You just do that, Ensign. When I get my hands on that little pain--" yelled Nat. Then-
"Oh, er, sorry, Jett. You were saying?" trilled the weapons crew chief.
"Did I hear you say that Miss Allster is er missing, Lt. Nat?" trilled Jett.
"Yeah but I just sent Athna to find her ass. She most likely just went shopping. When we return to the 'Angel', she's confined to quarters for a week and she's on KP for two! Oro? Jett! Caggie says all she can find in the mall were Flaysie's clothes in one of the changing rooms! What!! This is really weird, man! Cag says her fanny pouch is in there and the three outfits she was trying on and her flight suit! Wherever the Hell she is, she's in skivvies and boots and nothing else! Dammit all! I'm calling the cops! This looks like a kidnapping. Oro's that, Jett? Ok, OK, I won't call in the 'ISSP' guys just yet. Yeah, OK. We'll meet you back at Dewey's place. Bye." trilled Nat.
"Look Nat, I know she's flighty but she sure as Hell wouldn't be running around the streets in her unmentionaables now- would she?" sobbed Cagalli who was worried sick over her compadre in arms.
"Now let's all try and stay calm. We'll go back to the 'Prince' and regroup first. Then we'll go out and look for her." soothed Nat.
"Why the Fxxx haven't you called in the cops yet, Lt.? She's been kidnapped for Kami's sake! Shit, are you really that much of an asshole, Nat?" screamed an enraged Cagalli.
"Ensign! While I do realize that you're upset please remember that I am still your superior officer so watch your language, young lady! (Nat lowered her voice) We can't involve the 'ISSP' nor can we call the local police, Cag. We aren't even supposed to still be on this planet- remember?" said Nat.
"Sorry about that, ma'am. I apologize. You're right of course. Let's just get back to the ship." said Caggie. Suddenly Jamie and Goat came racing over to them.
"Find anything, guys?" inquired the lieutenant.
Instead of answering her Jamie solemnly handed her a hologram message cylinder.
"Delivery guy said he saw a kid matching our Flaysie's description leave here with a big dude on a skycycle! He says the guy just shoved her inside it and took off!" yelled Goatie.
"Oro makes him so shimatta sure it's our Flay, Goatie?" asked Cagalli.
Cont in Ch 142-Part 3