Darkside
Vol 3
based on the characters created by
Aaron K. Carter
DarksideVol 3
Copyright © 2019 by Aaron K. Carter. All rights reserved.
No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any way by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording or otherwise without the prior permission of the author except as provided by USA copyright law.
This novel is a work of fiction. Names, descriptions, entities, and incidents included in the story are products of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, events, and entities is entirely coincidental.
Chapter 1
W hen I reach the door I’m mildly surprised to find I’m not the only one wanting it open. A little boy, probably eight years old or so, is knocking as well. he looks at me with big brown eyes.
“Sir, are you a pilot?” he asks.
“I’m training to be, what are you doing?” I ask.
“I’m looking for my friend,” he says. Right. They said Major Card had a daughter so this is her little friend.
“How long you been at it?” I ask.
“Seven minutes, sir, I’m sure she’s in there,” he says.
“Right,” I say, kneeling down. time for a new method.
“Put the wild waters in this roar allay them. The sky it seems---”
“Would pour down stinking pitch But that the sea---”
“Arg---mounting to the welkin’s cheek, Dashes the fire out—”
“I have suffered from those that I saw suffer: a brave vessel---shouldn’t we get the door?” Tess asks, grunting a little.
“No, I’m sure it’s someone important don’t you remember the next bit?” I ask, gritting my teeth to hide how my muscles ache.
“Who had no doubt some noble creature in her, your turn.”
“Dash’d all to pieces O the cry did knock against my very—”
“Heart poor souls they perished had I been any god of power I would—”
“Have sunk the sea within the earth or ere It should the good ship so have swallowed—”
“And the fraughting souls within her----next one,” she says, taking a deep breath.
“Be not afeard—” I begin, with a grin. She never gets tired of this. Just like me.
“Why do you make it easy on me---the isle is full of noises, Sounds and sweet airs that—”
“Give delight and hurt not sometimes thousands—”
“Twangling instruments will hum about mine ears and some time—”
“Voices that I then had waked after long sleep Will make me sleep again.”
“And then in dreaming The clouds methought would open and show riches Ready to drop upon me that—”
“When I waked—”
“I cried to dream again—”
Thankfully that’s just when the door opened and we got to finish that bit Tess likes that one.
“Good Afternoon, sir, Cadet Starr reports.”
“Tess! We’re going to be late to class!”
That would be my cadet and Tess’ little friend, Aiden. I dislike him in general. I didn’t like his father either. He’s the one I ransomed to the Isylgyns in exchange for my life.
“Report, Cadet,” I mutter.
“Sir, Commander Thorn requests your presence immediately.” I glance over to see if he’s still holding the salute. He is. I sigh. This is going to be a long six months.
Major Card and his daughter are both lying on the floor, doing planks. Their faces are red and tight, as though they’ve been at it for a while. The girl is little, with long dark hair, she’s swarthier than Major Card, and her eyes are a dark color, not blue.
“Are you having some sort of contest?” the little boy asks.
“Yes, I’m going to win,” Tess says.
“That conclusion has no credence,” Major Card says.
“Yes it does, you’ve got to go,” she says.
“I’m not going to,” he says.
“Sir, I have orders to have you report immediately,” I say, desperately.
“When we’re finished, she can’t last much longer,” he says.
“I’m fine,” Tess grunts.
“Tess, come on, just let him win,” the boy says.
“NEVER!!!”
“Sir, I’m assuming your reaction is going to be the same?” I sigh, finally dropping my salute.
“You would be right,” Major Card says. he looks tired.
“How long you been at it?” the boy asks.
“Thirteen minutes---”
“And twenty-seven seconds—”
“Not that we’ve been counting,” Major Card finishes.
“Nope, doing just fine,” Tess says.
“Can’t you resume later?” I ask.
“No, the first one to break has to buy the winner ice cream,” Tess says.
“This is of the utmost importance, Starr, I shall not yield,” Major Card says.
“But once one of you breaks, then you’ll come?” I ask. I had seriously hoped that Thorn had been joking about the handcuffs.
“After I walk her to class, yes,” Major Card says.
“Okay,” I say. I wonder how long they can keep it up. This doesn’t look like an unusual sort of dare for them. And I can do planks for twenty minutes, but surely the little girl will break? I can’t bet on that, though. Even if it goes five more minutes, that’s still making us later he will insist on walking her to class and I don’t feel right arguing with that.
“That was surprisingly quick, Starr, I didn’t take you to be so defeatist,” Major Card says.
“I’m not---I’m sorry sir,” I say, climbing on his back.
“Shit---Starr----I order you to get off,” he groans, his body shaking but not falling as I crawl upon him.
“Sir, as I said, I am sorry,” I say. I’m so getting court-martialed for this. But then Lt Col Ziegfeld said I had to treat him like he treated me. but I really hadn’t thought that sounded like a good idea.
“Oww---Aiden I’ll slaughter you,” the little girl grunts, as her little boyfriend follows my lead and crawls on her back.
“Sir, I have my orders,” I say, as Major Card tries to snap his head back and hit me in the face. I have my head far enough back, though. He’s very strong, he’d be stronger if he weren’t in space so much, but his body is still rock hard with muscles.
“You need to learn to ignore most of what Thorn says, that’ll be your lesson for the day, how to disobey Thorn and enjoy it---shit,” Major Card finally falls to his elbows, at almost the same time his daughter does the same, swearing profusely for such a small child. For the first time, I notice she looks like him. Her skin is a few shades darker, and her features delicate, her hair thicker, yet she has the same sharp manner of speaking and quick eyes.
“Come on, we’ll be late,” Aiden says, getting up.
“Damn,” Major Card sits up, painfully, as I roll away from him, a little afraid of retaliation.
“Sir, we should go,” I say, as boldly as possible when I’m certain he’s going to have me thrown out or court-martialed or reassigned.
“No, you both have to pay for that stunt,” Major Card says, climbing to his feet and helping the little girl up. “Cadet Starr, this is my daughter Tess---don’t sneak away, Aiden, you’re guilty as well for spoiling our athletic endeavors.”
“Sorry sir,” the little boy says, suitably frightened.
“You’re afraid of me, that is good,” he says, looking at the little boy, then he looks at me, “Not you, that may not serve you well.”
“Sir, I make it a habit of not being afraid of things,” I say.
“That may very well get you killed but
then I may kill you someday anyway—come along,” he says, picking up his blouse and beginning to button it on, “Get your bag, Tess, you should get to class.”
Now here’s what I am thinking. You see, all my life, I’ve done what I think I should do. Like, go to school. Get good grades. Take care of my mum and my sister. Join the Space Forces. Make more money. Be able to send home to my mum and sister, do well by myself. Have a good career, meet somebody nice, have a good career, good kids.
Now, those last few things didn’t happen. You see doing all the things I thought I should do, got me here. with my legs cut off. with my sister dead. no career. Living off of ‘sorry you’re maimed for life’ pay in a shitty flat that isn’t actually worth robbing. So I’m coming to the realization that doing what I think I should do, doesn’t get me anywhere.
Let’s take, for a random example, the girl trying to rob my flat for whatever reason. normally when people flirt with me I stare at them blankly and make terse comments until they go away. normally, I would throw her out, physically if necessary, so she can take her little grifter ass somewhere else. But it’s a nice ass.
And that’s what I’d typically do. Be sensible, reasonable, turn this random stranger out and sit here alone thinking about how I can’t fuck up twenty-some years of sobriety just because I’m bored, eventually eat then put lotion on my stumps and go to bed with a cup of tea reading the news on a tablet.
That’s what I would do.
But as I said, that line of reasoning is what got me in this position. Without legs. Living off meager government funds. Without legs. In a miserable flat. Without legs. No future, no job, no career. Did I mention without legs? Unable to run or move or do anything I’m used to doing like a normal man. So fine. I’ll be a normal man. Just a typical man. I stare down at the tea things I was getting. We’ve just finished eating the food she ordered up. She paid for it as well. she’s a very strange thief.
“I’ll go find a hotel if you’re so sure, you’ve got all your stuff here, I’ll just come back and sort it out in the morning,” she says, still looking at her tablet.
“We could do that,” I say, moving to stand over where she sits at a window seat, “But as you said, you’re the lady.”
“I’m all right,” she says.
“No, you could become distressed,” I say, putting a hand on her shoulder, “Jo.”
“I liked ma’am better,” she says, a smile on her face. softer now, not the charming one she had on earlier. I like this one better. So I kiss it.
“Do you think I’m ready for the flight simulators?” Jordan asks, eagerly, following me.
“No, but we’re supposed to look after Major Card, and he tends to gravitate towards flight-related things,” I say, leading him into the room, “He’ll probably find us here eventually. You’re all right with that, eh?”
“Yes, ma’am,” he says.
“Are you friends with Cadet Starr?” I ask. They exchanged a glance or two earlier, I think.
“Yes, ma’am we got on in training,” he says, nodding.
“Good, we’ll take care of him as well, then,” I say, powering up one of the simulators, “Come on, fancy a try?”
“I suppose ma’am---ma’am, not really. I don’t see why they picked me. I’m not very good at it,” he says, hanging his head a little, “Cadet Starr is far better---in fact I’m not good I’m completely useless. I’m sorry you’re far too good a pilot to be training me.”
“That’s ridiculous. If you were brilliant at it, you wouldn’t need training, would you?” I ask, smiling, “You’re here because you need to learn---and as to why they picked you, we need honest men. You can’t be all talent and no honesty, that doesn’t get us anywhere. We have a few like that, and they’re living hell to deal with. give me good solid men of character over five of the clever talented ones any day.”
“Really, ma’am?” he asks, raising his head a little.
“Yes, really, now, come on, we’ll just work on the console together,” I say.
“I’ll do my best, I promise,” he says.
“I know you will,” I say.
“Now, why you made my father---who is no fool mind you---walk us all the way to class when we both know the class was canceled today?” I ask, folding my arms and glaring at Aiden accusingly. I say it quietly just in case my dad is still in earshot, but that Cadet of his was pretty eager to go so they left rather quickly. I’m sure my dad will find out, however. that’s why I want to be prepared to lie and have a good reason to lie.
“Billy’s being transferred to the hospital today,” he says.
“He’s always in and out of the hospital for treatments,” I say, frowning.
“No, like, they’re moving him out. He’s terminal, Tess,” he says, his face going very sad just then, “I want to go and see him and I can’t get into the West dorms by myself.”
We each have a unique passcode to our own dorm buildings the powers that be decided to make each dorm on access to its own residence in an effort to stop children from wandering about and getting into too much mischief in other people’s dorms. It has not worked at all so far as I am aware.
“Let’s go,” I say, nodding.
“I demand you have that cadet court-martialed---no wait, dragged out and shot, without a blind fold-out, now, I don’t want to look at you,” I say, walking into Thorn’s office and slamming the door in Starr’s face.
“Like I said before we really need to discuss how you enter a room, Major Card, the door slamming, the lack of a salute------I’m not your mum you can’t just walk in here and start eating my food and talking to me,” Thorn says, as I take a cookie from his desk.
“That one you gave me---he’s too clever for his own good and ridiculously insubordinate,” I say, past the cookie.
“So, you like him?” he asks.
“Love him, if I weren’t sterilized I’d be convinced he’s mine,” I say.
“I’m really glad---now, as to why I’ve summoned you it isn’t to eat my food and it’s not so you can thank me---”
“I wasn’t going to.”
“I thought not, so thing is---I have a favor to ask,” he says, as I sit on the edge of his desk.
“What makes you think I’d do it?” I ask.
“Nothing but it’s worth the try. You see, I’m going on leave for the evening, and I have one request to make of you while I’m gone,” he says.
“What is it?” I ask, suspiciously. I wonder why he’s telling me? Typically I would try to follow him to see where he was going and to destroy an aspect of his life, but since he’s telling me it can’t be all that interesting he’s stupid but not profoundly stupid he wouldn’t tell me if it was anything more interesting than going to a strip club which I can frame him for doing even if I don’t follow him so I don’t have to, good Tess and I can have the evening to ourselves.
“I am going to be off the base and I would like it to be standing when I get back---”
“I---”
“Don’t don’t, Titus I’m asking you nicely---I would like it to be standing, not on fire, not flooded, not overrun with raptors, not evacuated; when I get back---”
“What makes you think I---”
“Titus we both know the last time we were on a base together for an extended period of time it wound up blowing up---”
“Only bits of it blew up most just burned down and that wasn’t to do with me—” it was completely to do with me if you’ll recall.
“—and the last time we were on a ship together it flew into an asteroid---”
“that was to do with you not to do with me—” that also was completely to do with me.
“---I’m not saying it was. I’m just asking you. very nicely. To ensure that this base is standing when I get back I’m not saying it’s your fault. I am begging you, please. I do not want to come back and have some weird explosion, fire, flooding, poison gas leakage attack thing to have happened that ostensibly has absolutely nothing to do with
you or me but none the less consumes millions of government rubles and hundreds of lost man-hours due to injuries,” he says.
“Supposing I had any control over it---” I have complete control over it BUT I don’t see why I should rearrange my plans for the week just because of the odd whim of a man I despise. “why should I?”
“If you do this for me, this one simple thing---then I’ll try to arrange it so you and Tom can train your cadets and do launches from the Ulysses before your year is out---”
“Really?” I ask, immediately. He wouldn’t. he’s toying with me.
“I will TRY I can’t guarantee anything but that I will try my utmost to get you to flight certified based off of your eight-month return to duty physicals,” he says, “I will try. IF you do this one simple thing for me.”
“How do you expect me to be in control over what happens to the entire base?” I ask, realizing that somebody else could have had similar plans to mine and how am I to control that? Thorne will certainly still blame me.
“You’d better think of something, hadn’t you?” he asks, “Titus, I know very well you’re clever enough to foil any plot if you put your mind to it. So do it for me.”
“Not for you, for flying,” I say.
“For flying, then. Do we have a deal?” he asks.
“Deal,” I say, standing up and taking his other cookie, “Where are you going?”
“To a strip club, to get horribly drunk you’ll probably want to follow me and take pictures to send them to all of my superiors,” he says, standing up and picking up his blouse, “Now, go and collect your cadet from where you’ve left him.”
“Just outside trying to listen through the door,” I say, putting the last of the cookie in my mouth, “I’ll see what I can do.”
“See? Titus, I demand you ensure it—”
“Some things may be out of my control—”
“Nothing is out of your control you and I both know that!”
“What are you guys doing here?” Billy asks, sitting up in his bed coughing. Tess and I pile onto it, slamming the door to his room behind us.
Darkside 3 Page 1
