Bytesize 1.2

I know it's been over a week. Sorry. This is harder than it probably looks.

Bytesize 1.2

It didn't take long for Gaston to drag them along the lightspeed hop to the nearest inhabited system. Kheiros. It was a small dead end system. Only three planets in orbit around the Kheiros star and only two of those were inhabitable, one just barely. But Kheiros 2 was still a busy place and both Kheiros 2 and 3 had orbital docking stations, huge constructs that served as an extension of the planet. As they neared Kheiros 2 Gaston turned off the traction beam and Daizy fired up her ship's sublight engines. A transmission request light blinked on one of the displays and Daizy allowed it. A computerized voice spoke:
"Now approaching Orbital Docking Station K2-Beta. Please identify."
"Captain Daizy Byrne. Ship ID 7943261 alpha. Requesting docking permission for indeterminate stay pending repairs."
"Accepted. Please initiate docking procedure for docking bay H2."
Daizy hit a few buttons on the autopilot controls then watched it to make sure it was actually going to dock with the station and not attempt to fly straight through it. Thankfully it worked without a hitch, positioning her outside dock H2 so the station's traction beam could pull her into the docking bay. As the station slowly swallowed up Daizy's ship she couldn't help but notice Gaston's ship heading into a similar docking position nearby.

A few minutes later she managed to track down Jules. He was stuffing two oil-soaked towels into the laundry unit.
"I have to get round to fixing the shower units." he said. "I think I'll bump it up the 'to do' list once we have new engines. Oh that reminds me."
He looked pleadingly at Daizy and made a mock begging gesture.
"Puleeeeeaazze can I have fifty creds?"
Daizy didn't even need to ask what for. There was only one thing Jules enjoyed spending money on and that was the ever-thriving sex industry. Still, she couldn't blame him. He was Gromularian after all and it wasn't like he ever asked for money for anything else. They gripped left hands and Daizy transferred him fifty credits. Jules grinned.
"That's me taken care of." He handed her a piece of paper. "That's the engine model we need and the new scanning unit for Zeke. Say hi to Gaston for me." He made on obscene hand gesture and Daizy smiled.
"I'll pass that on. See you later."
She watched him scamper off eagerly and then looked down at the paper. At least both her ship and Zeke used fairly common parts. That would make things easy. Speaking of Zeke... She tried the comms a few times with no success and then went looking for him. He was 'asleep' in his sync pod. Zeke was a self powered model so didn't need to recharge but the sync pod allowed him to update his knowledge files from and also send information to the central database.
"Zeke."
"Yes Daizy."
"Come with me."
She waited while he disconnected and then led him off to the airlock. The station's docking bays were pressurized so she simply opened the door and stepped out. The ramp had already been extended by Jules as he made his mad dash for depravity and there, stood at the bottom of it with his entourage, was Gaston. Daizy marched down the ramp.
"If you're waiting for me to fling myself at you in gratitude you have a looooong wait." she said.
"I am merely being courteous." said Gaston, failing to conceal a smirk. "I fancied a leetle shopping myself, while I am here. My robot needs a polish."
He gestured to the black behemoth standing nearby. It was everything Zeke wasn't. Sleek, sexy, jet black, gleaming green lights for eyes. Its joints looked like they would be far more fluid than Zeke's. All in all, it looked like it knew how to kick ass.
"Yeah right." said Daizy. "I'm warning you Gaston. Stay the fuck away from my ship."
"Like I would be interested in 'La Poubelle des Étoiles'." He said dismissively. That was Gaston's favourite joke. Mocking her ship's name, 'Belle of the Stars'.
"Zeke, security protocol four." said Daizy and watched as Zeke took up his position in front of the airlock and detached his zap rifle from his back, gripping it in both hands.
"I know you Gaston." she continued. "You'd just love the chance to poke around Belle for clues about Talus."
"Dai-zee please. You are no closer to finding Talus than me. You have... no clues." he smirked. "And now no enzheene." he said, "Tomorrow I will continue zee search with my ship full of supplies once more."
Daizy knew what he was implying. After buying the engine she and Jules would be poor once more and that meant abandoning the search for Talus temporarily to make some cash. Daizy passed on Jules' obscene hand gesture and waltzed past Gaston and into the space station.