Rocketship Patrol Read Online Free PDF Page A

internal? Like what?” Hackenthrush’s face went gaunt with dread and he pulled away from the hatch. “You don’t think… VD ?”
    Loy scrunched her eyebrows together. “I was more thinking internal injuries, or an infection…”
    “Oh, right. But still… Can you check the kit for condoms? I think I’m out.”
    “Sir!” Loy protested.
    “Right, right. That’s hardly important right now.” Hackenthrush tried to pat the wrinkles from his jacket lapels. “How do I look?”
    “She could have been in that pod for days... weeks… months, maybe. There’s no telling what trauma she’s been through—”
    “So you’re saying she’ll be in a conveniently vulnerable state?”
    “No, I’m saying I doubt she’ll be in any condition to notice what you’re wearing—”
    “Oh, I think she’ll notice,” Rikki said.
    Loy and Hackenthrush turned as Rikki loped up the curving corridor, wearing this bright neon blue tuxedo, complete with frilly pink cummerbund. He held a bouquet of colorful Drantini roses in his paw.
    “Damn it, man!” Hackenthrush threw his hands up in exasperation. “Where’d you get flowers? –8724, do I have time to go change and start a garden?”
    “Oh, sorry, no… de-contamination is complete,” 8724 said. “–Is anybody concerned at all that our guest is armed?”
    “I’m not,” Hackenthrush said. He looked at Rikki. “Are you?”
    Rikki pushed his way between Loy and Hackenthrush to stand expectantly in front of the hatch. “Not in the least.”
    “Armed?” Loy asked. “How armed?”
    “Small sidearm,” 8724 said. “Scans as a Pocknip Model Nine-B .01 caliber needle repeater.”
    “A needler?” Loy was shocked. “Those things are at the top of the banned weapon list. –8724, can you ask her to place her weapon in the holding bin? For her own safety .”
    “Sure,” 8724 said.
    Hackenthrush cleared his throat. “Belay that.”
    “Sir?” Loy asked. “We can’t let an armed civilian aboard – especially not with an illegal sidearm.”
    “Why not? We’ve got guns–” Hackenthrush pointed at Loy’s waist-holstered service raygun and then pulled open his jacket to reveal his under-the-arm holster. His empty under-the-arm holster. He gave the empty holster an embarrassed shrug. “Okay, I left mine in the laundry… or was it the bathroom? Doesn’t matter, my point is made. We have guns, why shouldn’t she?”
    “I like a girl with a gun,” Rikki said. “It’s sexy.”
    “Exactly,” Hackenthrush said. “Why deprive ourselves of that? Anyway, we don’t want to be rude. –8724, just open the hatch already.”
    “Airlock opening,” the Ship’s Brain announced.
    The yellow bulb above the airlock hatch snapped off and the green bulb next to it snapped on. The airlock wheel began spinning, automated hydro-servos unlocking and opening the hatch.
    Rikki licked his paw and ran it over his furry head to flatten down his cow-lick. Hackenthrush adjusted his toupee.
    Loy squared her shoulders. “Sir, I have to protest.”
    “You don’t have to,” Hackenthrush said as he took a step back to let the airlock hatch swing open,  “you just want to…”
    His voice trailed off as remnants of decontamination steam rolled out of the airlock, framing the bleach-blonde Charlene Cortez like a Venus rising from the waves.
    Hackenthrush and Rikki stared in at her, dumbfounded.
    “What, no one’s gonna faint?” Cortez said, casually pulling the zipper of her jumpsuit down to show off another inch of cleavage. “I usually get at least one faint with an entrance like this.”
    Hackenthrush’s eyes followed the zipper, beads of sweat running down his forehead from under his toupee. “Humunah humunah humunah…”
    Rikki’s mouth went slack and he dropped his flowers.
    “That’s a little better,” Cortez said, adjusting the gunmetal blue cylinder slung under her arm and smiling at Rikki. Rikki’s pink nose flushed red and he demurely turned his face away,