The Holiday
Jonno leaned back on the polished bench, cradling his mug of strong tea as if it were the galaxy’s greatest treasure. Around him stretched the pristine gardens of Delphi Vista — an orbital resort that promised tranquillity, authentic tea leaves, and no paperwork for light-years. The sunlight simulator bathed the lawns and flowerbeds in a gentle glow. Somewhere nearby, hidden speakers played the soothing sounds of alien songbirds.
Part One
“This,” Jonno declared, “is the best decision I’ve made all year.”
Mara, seated beside him and dressed in a light, fitted jumpsuit more suited to leisure than engineering, sipped her tea and smiled. “I’ll remind you of that when the next job comes along.”
Before Jonno could reply, the peace shattered.
The calm was broken by a screeching alarm and a booming voice over the resort’s tannoy.
“Attention! This is now the property of the Black Nebula Brotherhood! All guests are to remain seated while we, er, secure the premises! No funny business!”
Jonno groaned. “Black Nebula Brotherhood? Didn’t they fold after that botched casino heist?”
Mara set down her tea with a sigh. “Apparently, someone forgot to tell these clowns.”
Through the glass doors of the garden dome, three pirates stumbled into view. They wore mismatched vacuum suits with parts missing, and their weapons looked like surplus miner’s tools with bits glued on. One of them tripped over a decorative rock and swore loudly.
“Right,” Jonno muttered, eyeing the resort’s concealed security cameras. “Time to earn this holiday.”
Part Two
While the pirates argued over who was in charge, Jonno slipped away under the cover of a large ornamental fern. He followed a maintenance path to a discreet access hatch and popped it open.
“Mara,” he whispered into his comm. “Keep the guests calm. I’m going to have a word with the security system.”
Mara’s voice came back, calm and steady. “Don’t take too long. One of them looks like he might shoot himself by accident.”
Jonno crawled through the narrow maintenance tunnel until he reached a small control alcove. He activated the panel, fingers flying over the keys. Thankfully, whoever designed Delphi Vista had anticipated pirate trouble — the resort’s security could be accessed locally if you knew how to bypass the commercial interface.
On the garden deck, Mara stood up and addressed the frightened holiday-makers. “Everyone stay seated and quiet. Let’s not give them an excuse to panic.”
One of the pirates — a lanky fellow whose helmet was missing its visor — swaggered up. “What’s this then? Boss said sit down!”
Mara smiled sweetly. “I’m just trying to help. You don’t want a panic, do you?”
He hesitated. “Well… no, I suppose not.”
Meanwhile, Jonno grinned as he found the resort’s internal comms override. He flicked it on, his voice echoing across the station in an authoritative drawl.
“Attention, intruders. This is the automated defence system. You are surrounded. Please surrender immediately for processing.”
The pirates froze. “Processing?” one of them yelped.
Jonno activated a light show in the corridor, making panels flash red and sirens blare. He sealed bulkhead doors with satisfying clunks and triggered a harmless mist that hissed dramatically from the walls.
“This station eats pirates for breakfast,” Jonno intoned over the comm.
That was enough for the so-called Black Nebula Brotherhood. They bolted, tripping over each other in their haste to flee towards their battered shuttle.
From her place in the garden, Mara watched them go with a shake of her head. “That might be the worst pirate crew I’ve ever seen,” she said into her comm.
“Don’t knock it,” Jonno replied, emerging from the access hatch, brushing dust from his jacket. “They left before I had to improvise any further.”
Part Three
With the pirates gone, Jonno and Mara helped the resort staff reset systems and reassure the guests. The station authorities arrived shortly after to take custody of the would-be raiders, who were found cowering in their shuttle, engines dead, trying to surrender to their own autopilot.
Later, Jonno and Mara reclaimed their spot on the bench. The tea was cold, but Jonno didn’t care.
“Well,” Mara said, stretching, “think we can finish our holiday now?”
Jonno smirked. “Next time, let’s pick somewhere without a comms beacon. Maybe a nice cave on a moon somewhere. No signal, no pirates.”
Mara laughed. “And no tea.”
Jonno considered. “All right. Cave near a tea shop.”
They clinked their mugs and settled back, the simulated sunlight warming their faces at last.
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