"Port Authority Runanthor, Civilian Dockyard 12. To FIS-1245, permission granted. Initiate docking procedure."
"FIS-1245 Helios, initiating docking procedure. Please confirm the terminal location. This is Star Cruiser Category C, requiring appropriate clearance," Miledi calmly spoke to the traffic controller of Dock Number 12, her voice clear and concise.
"Understood, FIS-1245. Please proceed to Terminal Number 7. Refer to the uploaded guide markers. Repeat, proceed to Terminal Number 7."
She glanced at the guiding data she received for a very brief moment before turning her eyes to the front again. For a high-spec android super maid like herself, piloting a Category C ship through a narrow and heavily trafficked area like this was a cinch. She didn't even need any help.
The 245-meter class ship slowly navigated through numerous smaller-sized vessels around it. Lining up with Terminal No.7—one of the many protrusions extending from the central hub like a finger—she made sure the crane-like docking gears from the installation locked with the ship perfectly, securing it in place.
"FIS-1245, all system green, parameters checked. Procedure complete. Welcome to Runanthor."
Miledi wanted to retort that she had come from one of Runanthor's other docks on the other side of the asteroid, but she held it in. She had no intention of starting a skit with someone other than her beloved captain-slash-master, never mind an operator of a space traffic controller (who was likely a bot, or maybe even an android like herself).
She skillfully moved her fingers across the holographic display of navigation control in front of her, finishing the ship's miscellaneous tasks post-docking. She hesitated for a bit but then decided to uncheck the option of troubleshooting scan and refuel, considering their dire financial straits. They had already done those in the other dock earlier, so it was fine.
"Haaah," Miledi sighed with a completely monotonous expression. In the first place, as an android, she wouldn't be able to feel tired, but she liked to mimic human gestures and habits. It created a sort of personality for her, which she had developed ever since she gained her awareness.
It was at the expense of Milanor, although she wouldn't admit it.
She needed to check up on him, but she also held this groundless belief that he would have the situation under control already.
Through the communicator, she had heard a loud banging noise, then the crackling of electricity, then disturbing groans of grown men, and so on. She assumed Milanor had his hands full at that moment, and she need to pilot the ship anyway, so with a reluctant feeling, she cut off the communication. At least, that was what she thought the feeling was.
The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.
She believed her master could handle himself, after all. No doubt about it.
It was not like she abandoned him because she felt he fully deserved his current ordeal, not at all.
"Mm."
Miledi closed the navigation control and then stood up. She walked toward the communication station to try to contact Milanor again, but just she reached the seat—
"Miledi, Miledi! Why did we move the ship?! Nobody told me anything!" a boisterous voice came right after the bridge door slid open. It was a young girl wearing a pajama with a lot of star imagery. "And where's Milanor?! I totally, like, can't find him anywhere! Did we leave him behind?!"
The girl stomped her way toward Miledi in a very apparent foul mood. Her reddish hair was unkempt and she had a nasty bedhead. Her usually clear brown eyes were also a bit red. Her completely unflattering appearance was in no way presentable to anyone, even Milanor.
Especially Milanor, Miledi corrected.
"Lady Fia, did you just woke up?" Miledi had explained to Milanor that the third occupant of the ship, Fianna, was under the impression that he was having a rendezvous with a woman in a bar. Yet, the reality was that she didn't know anything at all, for she was dead asleep.
It was just in Miledi's problematic nature to tease her master, especially in regard to his relationship with this girl.
"I thought we were supposed to be, like, here for a day! I planned to come down the shore after I woke up, you know!?" she yelled while flailing her arms around. For a person who had just woken up, she was very energetic.
Miledi suspected she wouldn't be able to contact Milanor while Fianna was around, so she resorted to simply sending a message instead. It said: "Report the situation when available."
"Calm down, milady. We are still in Runanthor. You can see from the outside," she indicated toward the view from the bridge. "We just changed our parking lot."
"Ehhh..." Fianna squinted and rubbed her eyes. "You're right, ehehe... Don't startle me like that!" It seemed she was not as awake as she looked.
"Worry not, the master—" she contemplated on whether to tell Fianna what she told Milanor, but then quickly decided not to. It would just make her more hyper. "—met an old friend he knew of when he was freelancing long ago. They decided to go the other side of the colony, so I decided to move the ship to follow them."
"Isn't that such a waste of expense... Milanor's like, totally splurging right now, isn't he...?" Fianna commented with lethargy.
Certainly, the delivery job they took which led them into this far-flung Class C Colony in the first place netted them a considerable income, a rare event that hadn't happened in a while. Fianna even had already made a plan to go on a shopping spree after she rested up a bit. She invited Milanor to go together, like some kind of a date, but he said he would go on ahead and explore the city first.
And then he wasted all that credit on a gambling den.
It was insane. It was outrageous. Frankly, Miledi wanted to drive the ship straight through the asteroid and crashed it into the casino where Milanor was leaking money all over the floor.
"Ehehe... Can't wait to see the movie dives popular in this area... Wonder what genres they're selling and stuff, ufufu..."
How would Miledi explain that any shopping plans she have would need to be thrown into the depth of a black hole, she had no idea. Better to just let the perpetrator deal with his own fallout.
"Aaahh, forget it! Let's just leave Milanor alone! Come, Miledi, let's go to the city like, right now!"
"..."
Though, it seemed that the fallout couldn't be kept secret for long.