Blackjack approached the bundle and picked up the youth in his muscular arms. He studied the face of a young boy, maybe between ten and twelve, wondering what could have happened to make him take such a chance. Another hour and the container would have been too cold to sustain any life.

  The group hurried to the med unit. Blackjack laid him on the couch as Campo called Dimitri to hold off the transition. As the diagnostic ran, Blackjack noticed the clothing was worn and the youth was pretty dirty. He turned to look at his partner, Campo, “This is a bit awkward. It’s not like we can turn around and bring him home and I think the freighter crew would not be too helpful either.”

  “Yeah, Captain Understatement, well said.’

  Blackjack gave him a withering look as the med unit beeped. “He’s healthy but undernourished. Let’s bundle him up and get some broth into him.”

  Dimitri, who had just joined them, turned around and went to the kitchen to get some chicken broth. Campo gather up the ones there at the med unit and went off to brief the rest of the crew. Blackjack sighed, hated having to be put in this position.

Dimitri returned with a mug of broth and two teas. Handing the tea to Blackjack, he put the broth down to cool. “So boss, can we keep him?” he asked with a smile.

  “You’ll have to walk him and clean up after him.”

  “Good one!" After a pause, he added "I don't think he has anything back on Campalis. No one would try to escape in a cargo container unless they had no other choice."

  “I think he didn't realize it was going off-planet. I " Blackjack didn't get to continue as the boy started to stir. The boy opened his eyes and focused on the two men. "Where, where … am I?"

  “Bubba, you’re on the Green Lady and we’re bound out system,” answered Dimitri.

  “I’m Captain Blackjack Thorn and this is my ship. That’s my navigator over there, Dimitri Zamov.”

  “I’m not on Campalis anymore?”

  “Nope, far from it and you almost died because of your poor choice of containers,” Blackjack responded.

  The boy looked crestfallen. “I didn’t mean to leave. I guess you’re gonna space me now?”

  Dimitri laughed, “You watch too much tri v, bubba.”

  “Hmmm, he looks healthy enough, Dimitri. Do you think he might fetch a good price at the slave market on Gamma Obsidian?” Blackjack said to Dimitri, winking.

  The boy looked wide-eyed at them both and started to move away. "Whoa, hold on there son. We're just joshing you. You're not going anywhere but to a bath and bed after you eat a bit," responded Blackjack. "How about you tell us your name?"

  “I’m called Gnuto. And thank you for allowing me to stay Captain.”

  “You’re welcome Gnuto. We’ll take care of you until you decide what you want to do.”

  Gnuto responded, "I don't have anyone to take care of me. My uncle got killed and I ran away."

  Campo returned, “Looks like he’s rejoined the living.”

  “Campo, this is Gnuto. Gnuto, this is my partner and First Mate Campo Tupua.”

  “Good to meet you, sir."

  “You can call me Campo, been that way for years.”

  Gnuto studied the three of them through his bangs as he sipped the broth. All three had crew cuts and looked pretty muscular in their singlesuits.

  Blackjack was the oldest looking with totally white hair, which Gnuto thought was strange since he didn't have any wrinkles, except around his eyes when he laughed. He wasn't fat but looked hefty. His skin was almost an almond color. As Gnuto studied the face he saw high cheekbones and a bit broader nose. His gray eyes were topped with white eyebrows.

  Campo and Dimitri's ages were a bit harder to place. Campo had black hair that was thick even though it was cut short. Gnuto noticed some designs on his acorn-colored skin peaking over his collar. Campo had a thicker neck and very broad shoulders. His face was close to Blackjack's, having the same higher cheekbones, they weren't quite as thin though. Gnuto saw Campo had some massive arms and chest.

  Dimitri was slimmer and had brownish hair. He was a lot thinner and very light-skinned. He had a long thin face that held smiling eyes. His hands ended in long thin delicate fingers. Dimitri looked like some of the classical statues in the temple he saw when his uncle brought to the capital city of Campalis on his name day.

  They didn’t look like the spacemen that he saw on the tri v. They weren’t wearing any uniforms. They all had on the same singlesuit.

  “We better jump, Dimitri. We don’t want to give the locals too much chance to catch us.

  “Sure thing, Blackjack." Dimitri went over to the comp plate and pressed the intercom button. "Five minutes to jump folks. Find a place to squat or be squished." He winked and smiled at Gnuto as he exited the med unit.

  “You just stay there in the bed, son, and lay down. We'll sit here and watch you. The first time you experience a jump can be a little scary," Campo told him.

  “We need to tell you Gnuto that we’re not exactly a cargo ship. We, uh, liberate some stuff that other people need.”

  “Blackjack! You should just tell him the truth straight out. Gnuto, we’re pirates,” Campo explained.

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  “Wow! Pirates! But you’re not dressed funny like the ones in the vids.”

  Campo and Blackjack laughed hard at that. “Argh, ye matie! Ya want us to hoist the flag?” Campo acted out.

  “We do a bit when we make planetfall. You won’t be too disappointed, son,” replied Blackjack, smiling.

  Gnuto was finishing his broth when the klaxon sounded signaling the hyperspace jump. He saw a flash and noticed Blackjack go a bit fuzzy. The klaxon sounded again as Blackjack continued talking, “We’ll have to get you some decent clothes when we make planetfall but on the ship we normally wear a singlesuit. If you’re finished there, we’ll head to the bath so you can get cleaned up.”

  “Uh, I thought you said it was scary?”

  “You didn’t feel like you were being turned inside out?” asked Blackjack incredulously.

  “No, sir. It just went fuzzy a bit."

  “You must be a natural then,” responded Campo, his eyes twinkling in amusement.

  “He seems to be able to adapt to spacer life OK, bubba. He’ll do just fine with us I believe,” added Blackjack.

  They helped Gnuto up, “Do you think you can walk a few meters to the bath?” asked Campo.

  “If we start slow maybe."

  Gnuto got up with the help of them both and started to the door, each step getting firmer. They turned to the right walked into the next room. Gnuto looked around, taking in the round, barrel-shaped tub and the showers.

  “How about we get your measurements for the replicator to make you some new clothes? Go on and take off your shirt Gnuto so we can measure your chest and waist," directed Blackjack. Gnuto went a bit further and just stripped out of all the rags he wore, glad to be rid of them. The two noticed a medallion on a chain that he wore. Gnuto took it off and put it aside.

  Campo saw Gnuto’s ribs showing, “We need to get Gnuto fed better Blackjack.”

  Blackjack was concerned at the sight of him “Yeah, he’s definitely way to thin. We need to get him back to normal. A week’s good food should make a big dent I think.”

  Campo had been taking the measurements and entered them into the clothing replicator.

  “What’s your favorite color Gnuto?” asked Campo.

  “I get a choice?”

  “We’re doing orange this week but you can have any color that you want,” he answered.

  “Orange would be good. Can I pick out the color next week?” Gnuto asked.

  “How did he know the schedule, Campo?” asked Blackjack with a smile.

  “It’s my turn but I will gladly let you do that Gnuto,” replied Campo.

  The tub had filled with hot water by the time Campo had finished with the replicator. Blackjack helped Gnuto into the tub and handed him a sponge and soap.

  “You want us to help you, bud?” asked Blackjack.

  “Yes, please. Could you do my back and hair?”

  “Would you like it cut like ours? We can do that after we get it scrubbed up,” asked Campo.

  Gnuto thought for a bit as Blackjack washed his back. "Yes, I think that would be good. My hair's a mess isn't it?"

  Gnuto finished getting cleaned up. Campo gave him a crew cut when he got dried. Blackjack went to get the singlesuit. Gnuto replaced the medallion and dressed.

  “You feel up to some more food and meeting the rest of the crew?” asked Blackjack.

  “Sure, I’m not that tired yet,” replied Gnuto with a bit of a yawn.

  Two led him down the corridor to the galley.

  “Folks, this is Gnuto. He's our unexpected cargo addition. Gnuto, that's Finn over there cooking, and Odin watching him." They waved at him.

  “You want some scrambled eggs and pancakes, Gnuto?” asked Finn.

  Gnuto answered, "I don't know what pancakes are but yes please."

  Blackjack continued “That’s Donni and Josef at the table. Charlie and Marti on the sofa.”

  “The last guy over there is Barrington. Angelo is in the Engineering Bay and will be here shortly,” Blackjack finished the introductions.

  Barrington told him, “You gave us a bit of a fright there, Gnuto. You don’t expect to find a person in a cargo crate in space, you know.”

  “I wasn't expecting to be shipped off-planet either. I thought those things just stayed on the ground," he replied.

  “We’re glad you survived, Gnuto. You can talk to any of us, we all understand,” added Donni.

  Blackjack smiled at Donni as he said to Gnuto, “What she is saying is that most of us are orphans and have been through some rough times. We’re all the family we each have.”

  “I had my Uncle Mac but some guys came for him and he told me to run away. I heard some shots and got scared. He told me if anyone ever came for us to head for the spaceport and wait for him. He didn't show up for two days, so I watched how things got moved around and snuck into the container last night to get out of the rain. I woke up to it bouncing around and then it started to get cold. I was going to get out of it but the door wouldn't open."

  Finn handed him a plate and served the others. They each told him a little bit about themselves. Soon Gnuto was yawning and having trouble keeping his eyes open.

  “Off to bed for you, I think," said Blackjack. Campo joined them as they went back to their rooms. They dropped Gnuto off at the cabin next to theirs. Gnuto looked at the room and back at Blackjack and Campo. "I'm not used to sleeping by myself, may I sleep on the floor in your room?"

  “We have a pretty comfortable couch in the office. I’ll make a bed for you there,” said Campo grabbing the pillow and blankets.

  They moved next door and set up the sofa. Blackjack asked him, "You don't mind this? Is it OK?"

  Gnuto replied, “This is a lot better than a hard floor or a thin pad. Thanks so much.” He went over and gave Blackjack and Campo a hug.

  “Well son, we meant what we said. You can stay with us for as long as you want. We can try and find out about your family if you would like."

  “You would have more luck with Uncle Mac. I don’t know who my parents were or even my last name. The only thing I have left is the necklace,” said Gnuto, touching his chest.

  “We’ll try. It might take a while but we’ll keep at it,” replied Campo.

  Gnuto go on the sofa and the two went to bed. Gnuto tried going to sleep but he tossed and turned, images of the men coming after him and Mac were on his mind. He got up and went into the bedroom and knocked on the open door.

  A sleepy Blackjack asked, "What is it, son? Can't sleep?"

  “Yeah, I keep thinking of the raid and Mac.”

  “Wanna sleep with us?”

  Gnuto shyly replied, “If I could?”

  “Come on in buddy, We thought you might need that,” answered Blackjack.

  Gnuto climbed into the middle. He started to sob. Blackjack put an arm over him, hugging him, and was soon fell asleep, feeling safe and secure finally.