"Oh great," puffed Birch. "Just what I needed, more exercise."
"Are you sure you want to come?" asked Harriet. "Alice and I can handle this."
"What, miss out on my first Peace Force case for twenty years?" Birch grinned at her. "Just try and stop me." Even so, he looked apprehensive as they walked into the deep shadows under the ship.
Harriet waited for him to climb the ladder, then followed. They emerged in a small airlock filled with lockers and storage cupboards, and they followed Alice up a set of stairs to the cockpit, where she took the pilot's chair while Harriet and Birch settled in the two passenger seats at the rear.
"Is she all right flying this thing?" murmured Birch, as he did up his harness.
Harriet shrugged. "She's been flying all over the city recently, and Rover's smart enough not to hit anything."
"Oh, so that's the noise that's been keeping me awake at nights. I thought it was thunder."
"If she could afford the fuel she'd be buzzing cities on other planets."
"In that case, I'll organise a whip-around. It'd be worth if for a good night's sleep."
"I can hear you both, you know," Alice called from the pilot's seat. "Now strap in, we're ready to go. And Harriet, if you don't start calling this ship Arnie, you're not coming aboard ever again."
Alice flicked the starters and the engines burst into life with a shattering roar. Harriet eyed Birch's harness. "I'd pull that a bit tighter if I were you."
"Really?"
"Oh yes. Really."
He was still complying when the ship launched itself into the air, leaving the Peace Force building - and their stomachs - far below.
"Take it easy Alice!" called Harriet.
"I'm not flying. It's Arnie."
"I thought my name was Rover?" said the ship's computer, in an even male tone.
"Yeah, not any more," said Alice. "Arnie is way cooler."
"User dictionary updated."
"Can you take us to the Dismolle spaceport? We need fuel."
"So do I," said the ship, and Harriet clung to her seat as they turned sharply and tore across the city. The engines bellowed like a pair of angry dragons, and she cringed as she imagined the noise complaints Bernie would be fielding.
"Can't we fly any higher?" she shouted.
"Negative," said Arnie calmly. "Climbing wastes fuel, and there is none to spare."
"Do we have enough to get there?"
"Checking now."
"What do you mean, checking now? Why didn't you check before?"
"I didn't know our destination prior to lift-off."
Harriet closed her eyes. Some mission this would turn out to be, if they ended up sitting in a field waiting for a fuel truck. Then, before she could say anything, Alice spoke into a mic.
"This is your captain speaking," she said, her voice loud through the cabin speakers. "After our fuel stop at the Dismolle spaceport we'll be heading directly for Chirless. Estimated time of arrival is …" Alice checked a display. "… about ten minutes."
"That can't be right," said Harriet. "Last time I took a sub-orbital flight to Chirless it was forty minutes, at least."
"Who said anything about sub-orbital?" Alice grinned over her shoulder. "We're going to skim the ground at full power."
Harriet just hoped they avoided any settlements between Dismolle and Chirless, because full power in this particular ship was enough to tear the surface off the landscape and leave giant furrows in its wake. Some company was apparently planning to build an underground transport loop between the two cities. Well, if they waited a bit, they could just follow in Arnie's brand new tracks, adding a roof. They'd have their tunnel finished in no time.
Moments later they swept across the spaceport landing field, where the ship set down on a vacant pad. The engine noise tailed off, and Harriet watched through the canopy as a pair of robots dragged a fuel hose towards them. There was a series of loud thumps as it was connected.
"They're asking for payment," said Arnie.
"Tell them to bill the Dismolle Peace Force." Harriet glanced at Alice. "Don't even think about trying that without authorisation."
"Who, me?" said Alice, looking innocent.
"I mean it," growled Harriet. "Bernie would pull your arms off."
There was another thud as the hose was disconnected, and once the robots were clear Alice gave the order to lift off. The ship rocketed into the sky before turning towards the sun.
Chapter 3
Once they were clear of the spaceport, Arnie flew closer and closer to the ground. They raced over huge, rectangular fields, and Harriet could see automated equipment everywhere she looked, tending the crops.
Now and then the fighter jinked left or right, narrowly avoiding trees, comms towers and small buildings. Each time Arnie swerved, Harriet found herself looking up at branches, or antennae, or even overhanging rooftops, which flashed by at terrific speed.
"Once we're clear of the city I'll open the engines up," said Alice, her voice loud over the speakers.
Harriet swallowed nervously, then turned to Birch. Maybe talking would shut out the blurred landscape and the fear of imminent death. "What's Chirless like?" she asked, raising her voice over the noise of the engines. "I've never been to the city, only to the spaceport itself."
Birth shrugged. "There's not much to say. Chirless is like Dismolle, but on a smaller scale. A bit more provincial, a bit more laid back perhaps, but the people are pretty much the same." As he spoke, Birch's expression softened, and it was clear he was fond of the place.
"Why did you move to Dismolle? Why not set up a shop in Chirless?"
"Too many memories," said Birch. "That, plus every retired copper decided to open a shop at the same time. You couldn't turn around without knocking into one of them. Rents went through the roof, and I decided Dismolle was the cheaper option."
"They closed the Chirless Peace
