Space Cop Zanthippe and the Slave Market

The planet, Citan Narraddon Six, was not her destination. It was classified as an Extreme Danger Zone and off limits to all who valued their lives thanks to the dangerous flora and fauna that lived on the inhospitable planet.

It was to the space station that orbited the planet that the young Space Cop was headed. Station CN-6 was the largest station in this sector, a busy hub for interstellar commerce and refueling. Zanthippe put Alpha-7 in a holding pattern just outside of Station CN-6’s long-range sensors, dialing up her police vessel’s cloaking devices to ensure she remained hidden till she wanted to reveal herself.

She got up from the pilot’s station and kicked off, floating gracefully through the gravity-free ship. She allowed herself to spin, enjoying the joys of zero gravity. Zanthippe COULD have the artificial gravity on, but she preferred to leave it off till just before she started her mission. She enjoyed the sensation of floating, enjoyed the freedom it brought along with the need to concentrate and plan out her paths forward through her vessel.

Her mission hadn’t begun, this was still her time and she wanted to make the most of it. For now she was just Zanthippe, a beautiful young woman floating in her ship in her underwear. She luxuriated in the freedom of floating through the air in just a sports bra and a pair of panties. There were no responsibilities, no lives depending on her other than her own and that was mostly taken care of by her trusty ship.

She ran her hands down her thin, athletic body. Young, firm, and fit, the best Human body the Space Cop academy could help create. She hadn’t been a Space Cop for many standard years, just enough to know how dangerous a job she had and to enjoy the moments of peace she had between missions.

But there was always another mission. Another interstellar crime for the Space Cops to investigate. Another evil to vanquish, another space gangster to take down, another monster to kill.

Zanthippe sighed, allowing herself to float toward a wall with a computer console built into it. She pulled herself down to float above the console’s chair then activated Alpha-7’s artificial gravity. A moment later she fell into the chair. “Time to begin the mission,” she sighed.

For a moment she stared at the faint reflection on the blank screen in front of her. She smiled at herself, admiring her pretty, pale features and wild, short, dark hair. Then, with the moment of vanity passed, she turned the monitor on.

The voice of Alpha-7’s artificial intelligence, Evie, yawned as it was woken from its sleep. “Greetings, Space Cop Zanthippe,” it told her, its friendly female voice coming from all around her.

“Greetings, Evie,” Zanthippe responded, smiling at one of the many small eye-like cameras spread throughout the ship that the AI “saw” through. “We’ve arrived at Citan Narraddon Six as directed. I believe it’s time for my briefing?”

The screen flickered and a woman wearing a blue uniform trimmed with black and red appeared on the screen. “Greetings, Space Cop Zanthippe,” the woman said, saluting the screen.

Zanthippe saluted out of habit, even though she knew she was only watching a recording.

“By now you’ll have arrived at Citan Narraddon Six and will be approaching Station CN-6. Along with this briefing you’ll find a summary of what information we have on the planet, which isn’t much, along with a more detailed set of files on the station. Your mission will be taking you there.”

The woman’s expression grew stern. “You know as well as any Space Cop that the galaxy is not as civilized and peaceful as many of its citizens think. There are far too few Space Cops such as yourself to keep civilized space as well policed as we’d like, and that’s not even mentioning wild space beyond where the civilized galaxy ends.

“You find yourself chasing rumors today, sadly rumors that seem to have evidence for their truth. Word has reached us that there might be an illegal sentient slave market on Station CN-6. It is your mission to follow up on these rumors and discover if they are true, and if they are to put an end to the illegal and immoral situation.

“As always, you have all the tools of a Space Cop at your disposal. Your years of training and experience, your skills, all the equipment stored on your vessel, and your authority as a Space Cop which all recognize, although too few respect the way they should. You have the freedom to go about your mission however you wish. Results are all we care about.”

The final line ran through Zanthippe’s head as she read through the files on Station CN-6 she’d been given. “Results are all we care about.” It was the unofficial motto of the Space Cops. They did what they needed to do however they needed to do it. The galaxy was too big for it to work any other way.

“I get to do this mission however I want,” Zanthippe told herself as she finished reading the information on Station CN-6. “So… how do I WANT to do this?”