The SecPols acted like they didn’t notice us, but they did notice the lubricant. I don’t think they were checking any mechanics, because if they had to talk to them they had to smell them.
Once past I began to panic. What if we were caught? What if there weren’t room for us on the ship? How could we communicate with the Free Spacer? Did he speak our language?
Hank must have noticed my hesitation. He grabbed my hand and gave it a little squeeze. That was all I needed. I buried my fears.
We followed a group of mechs into the ship. It was as dingy on the inside as the outside. Many of the lights didn’t work. As we walked along a corridor I noticed some of the interior panels were missing. The most surprising thing was the smell. We were near the galley because the smell of food was overwhelming. I caught whiffs of spices and oils that I could almost identify.
We had planned to hide in the cargo hold. What we found was better. The pantry was large and packed with food, stored in rows. You could open its door and not have a clear view of the back. No one should come here until after the ship launched.
We waited there, reading bookdiscs, until I couldn’t hold my bladder any longer. Night had fallen and it had been kilosecs since I last heard any mechanics working on the ship. I motioned my desperate need to Hank and he nodded in agreement.
The head was easy to find, not far from the galley. Hank let me use it first, then I stood guard while he was inside. It’s one thing to pair with someone and quite another to stand around and watch them pee. I paced back and forth. I was about three meters from the head when I heard something.