by Paris Singer
“We go back a long way.”
I felt so nervous and angry that I paced up and down the ship. “Oh, great. You go way back with a dangerous wanted criminal. Excellent. Problem solved. I feel so much better. Might as well tell the Morex to pack up and go home now. We have a law-breaker on our side. Or maybe not. Maybe they’ll just decide to kill us instead.”
“Will you shut up a minute?” exclaimed Alana in a restrained voice. “And keep your voice down. It’s not like that.”
“No? So what’s it like?”
Alana sighed. “Sit down, Seven.”
I felt angry, but wanted answers, so I sat in the seat next to her.
“It’s complicated, okay?”
“‘Complicated’? What’s so—”
“I said shut up a minute and let me talk. Look, there was an incident, and we haven’t spoken in years. But we were still good friends. I think we’ll get the help we need.”
“So why are we sneaking up to the front door, then?”
“Because I’m not entirely sure we won’t be fired upon if we’re seen. Or worse.”
“Or worse?” I said through gritted teeth.
“I’m sure we’ll be okay. We’ll talk a little, make up, and everything will be fine.”
“Sounds like wishful thinking,” I mumbled.
“It’s the best shot we have to get One back. I’d love to hear if you’ve got any other plans, though.” She had a point. Despite my advanced understanding of strategy, I couldn’t think of a way for us to succeed against an entire army. “No? No ideas?”
“Fine,” I said, “but you’d better do everything you can to make up with your outlaw friend.”
Alana grinned. “Yes, captain.”
CHAPTER FIFTY THREE
As we approached the dark cluster, everything was still and quiet. It was eerie.
“This feels too easy, like we’re walking into a trap,” I said.
“You can bet we’re being tracked right now. The ship is probably being scanned. Depending on how advanced the equipment is, they may even see us, which might spell trouble.”
“What do you mean by that? Like detect our heat energies?”
“No, I mean see our physical bodies—precisely what we look like, Seven.”
“Whoa. Oh. So, if your friend is still mad at you…”
“Exactly. I have thrusters at the ready just in case we have to—”
“Wait. What do you mean ‘they’? I thought we’d come to meet your one friend. ‘They’ sounds like there’s more than just one person.”
“Well,” Alana started, looking up at me with a hint of guilt. “It’s difficult to be a successful marauder without the help of a crew.”
“A crew? Great. So not only is your friend a wanted pirate, but they’ve got a whole crew that may, or may not, want to kill us, depending on whether you two can make up and be buddies again?”
Alana winced, but before she could say anything, the ship shook. “Wait. Something’s happening. I’ve lost control of the ship.” Alana lifted her hands off the control system panel. “It’s moving by itself.”
“So I guess they know we’re here, then,” I said.
“Yes. I underestimated their range. They may have been aware of us way before I had realized.”
“What can we do?” I asked, trying to stay calm.
Alana slumped back in her seat. “We wait.”
“That’s it? We’re being pulled in by dangerous criminals, and all you can suggest for us to do is wait?”
“Nothing else we can do. We’re not trying to escape, Seven. This is where we were headed, remember? It’s their help we need.”
“Don’t remind me.”
“I guess it’s a good sign they’re pulling us in instead of shooting us down, right?”
“Yeah, right,” I replied in a sarcastic tone, “unless they want to do it face-to-face so they can see the fear in our eyes before they kill us.”
“Hm. I hadn’t thought of that.”
I furrowed my brow in disbelief and gazed at her.
“Oh, don’t worry. I don’t think that’s likely to happen. I told you: we’ll chat, and it’ll be okay. Trust me. I haven’t led you astray so far, have I?”
I tried to block the memory of Laurea academy from my mind. “Yeah, sure.” Despite every one of my reservations, I knew that, if I would ever rescue One from the Morex, this was likely my best shot.
Without warning, every light inside the ship went out, plunging us into relative darkness; they had turned off the engines. The only sources of light now came from the faint red light from the distant sun, and the small, purple lights outlined around the mouth of a gaping dark entrance in the center of the biggest of the three asteroids—an entrance we were approaching.
When we were near enough to it, two white lights—one on either side of the cavernous hangar—came on, revealing a section of the metallic structure within. As the ship crossed the threshold, a translucent film shimmered around us, which I assumed to be the protective field. We landed with a low thud.
“This is it,” said Alana. “Whatever happens, stay as calm as you can, okay?”
“We’ll be all right though, won’t we?” I asked, seeking reassurance.
“We will. I’m sure. But they may be hostile at first, and I don’t know to what degree. So we must remain alert. Our Sphere suits may come in handy if we need to fight. We’re both skilled enough to cause substantial damage and chaos if we need to flee.”
“Do you think it’ll come to that?”
Alana sighed. “I hope not, Seven. I’ll be calm and diplomatic, but there are no guarantees in life.”
From my periphery I spotted a shadow moving across the bow of the ship, but it vanished when I turned to face it. “They’re right outside,” I breathed.
CHAPTER FIFTY FOUR
“Much faster than I expected,” said Alana, craning her neck to glimpse what I’d seen. Quick as lightning, another shadow crossed another section of the dimly lit hangar. Then another one.
“They’re everywhere,” I breathed.
“Very perceptive.” Someone with a low, gritty voice was behind us, inside the ship. Just before we could turn, the intruder said, “Move, and we’ll run you through.”
‘We’. Could there be more of them on board? But how? There had been no sound, no movement to show anyone had made their way inside the ship. Frantic clicking and whistling came from behind us. “Interesting ship you have,” spoke the voice once again. “What’s two wealthies like you doing coming here with an interesting vehicle like this? Tired of life and looking for quick deaths?”
“The ship is stolen. I’ve brought it as a gift for your Commander.”
Chuckling and snickering ensued. “Have you now? Tell me, what’s to stop me from killing you both right now, and just taking it?”
“You have a code,” replied Alana.
More derisive laughter. “What code?” asked the voice.
“The one you are bound by upon the presentation of a gift and request of an audience with your Commander. That code.”
There was a brief silence, then the voice said, “It wasn’t just bad luck that brought you here. How did you find this place?”
“We will speak with your Commander only.”
I felt something sharp press against the back of my neck. I turned my head a little, just enough to see Alana. Someone pressed a long, sharp metal object against the back of her head. The object resembled a sword: an ancient weapon that had once been used in warfare on certain planets around cygnus.
“You will answer my question. Then I’ll decide if you’re worthy to see the Commander.”
“I’ll gladly tell you,” replied Alana, “but I get the impression it’s you who’s tired of life.” She whimpered. I turned my head in time to see that the sword was now against her throat, but before I could spot who the owner of the weapon was, another intruder behind me pulled my hair back violently.
“What do you mea
n by that?” growled the voice.
With clear distress, Alana said, “You should learn your own codes. If a formal request has been made by someone and they are not brought before the Commander, whoever failed to do so shall be permanently ousted under the by-laws. I wonder how long you would survive without the rest of the crew?”
Another silence followed.
In a low, threatening tone, the voice said, “When your audience with the Commander is over, I will be right there to dispose of you. And I’ll make it slow, and painful. Now get up.”
Someone grabbed me from behind and pulled me onto my feet with force. Finally, I could look around the ship. The being that had a hold of my shoulder was a little smaller than me, yet much stronger. Its head was bigger than its body, and was covered in a long, dirty, brown overcoat. It had two big sunken green eyes under a strong brow, and clumps of coarse black hair dotted its misshapen gray head. There were no ears I could see. Its mouth, which was below and between its eyes, was long and drooped down almost to its neck where it curved inward into an open hole. I realized that there were seven or eight more identical beings standing, crouching or hanging from the ship’s roof and walls, all watching us with raised weapons in hand.
Alana’s aggressor shoved her toward the back of the ship. “Move,” he said. Around my height, he almost looked Simian but for his pale blue skin. He had a strong jaw and a frown that seemed cemented on his brow. Unlike the other beings, he wore a short dark yellow jacket over a white vest, and black combat pants. On the jacket shoulder was an insignia that resembled a sword.
They escorted Alana and me off the ship with the man leading the way. The beings surrounded us on all sides, their gazes fixed on us as their every move mimicked that of the others with exact timing. They led us through the small hangar where a few other ships were docked in rows, and through a tunnel that seemed to have formed naturally, rather than having been drilled into the asteroid. The air was freezing. Plumes of frozen breath escaped my lips, adding to the thin white mist that sat stagnant inside the cramped tunnel. Rows of pipes ran the length of the roof, and footsteps resounded as we walked on segments of corrugated sheet metal underfoot.
A few moments later, after having navigated through a series of other winding, interconnecting tunnels, we came to a large room that opened to the left of the entrance. The cavernous room’s ceiling was almost the height of the hangar’s, but not as deep. Ahead, a series of consoles with blue circular screens flickered, all containing different writings and symbols on them. Some shallow steps on the left led down to the largest part of the rectangular room.
On the far side was a screen that almost covered the entire back wall. It showed the hangar and was focused on the ship we had arrived in. There was a square table in the center and further consoles along both walls. At one of these, a VAIA wearing a strange assortment of mismatched clothes was rapidly inputting commands. Between the table and the screen, a high-backed black chair with pointed sides faced away from us.
“They want to talk to you,” said the man, walking with determination toward the chair, while our other escorts led us down to the square table, stopping us in front of it.
“The female knew of the by-laws somehow. Let me just kill them now.”
“No,” replied the chair’s occupant. “Not yet, anyway. I want to hear what she has to say first.”
An expression of clear frustration filled the man’s face, as he said, “The Commander has granted you an audience. Remember what I told you.”
“After all this time, will you not even look at me?” said Alana.
“Watch your tongue when speaking to the Commander,” spat the man, making to grab something from behind his back.
Promptly, the chair’s occupant raised a hand as if to abate the man’s anger. The man turned to the Commander, and said, “They cannot be allowed to speak with such disrespect.”
Without a word, the Commander rose from the chair, and stepped around it to face us. My heart skipped a beat when I saw it was Iris.
CHAPTER FIFTY FIVE
I couldn’t believe my eyes. Though older than she had been when I’d last seen her, it was unmistakably her. Taller, with much shorter hair shaved on one side, her shimmering skin looked as smooth as before, save for a deep scar that ran from the side of her face, all the way down her neck. It seemed to go beyond the high-necked dark-blue suit that resembled those Alana and I were wearing, but for the many pockets it featured, and the thick white stripe that ran all along the left side. Iris also had a loose-fitting belt with a holster that held some kind of weapon.
The biggest difference for me were her eyes. The self-assured, confident, yet innocent look in the Iris I had known wasn’t there. Instead, an impassive icy glare shaped by experience regarded Alana. What could have happened to her that such a transformation had taken place, I wondered. In that moment I wanted nothing more than to walk toward her eating a Dagon fruit and suggest we play a game on the Equinox.
“Why are you here?”
“How are you, Iris?” Alana smiled with an air of sadness in her eyes.
“Cut the crap and get to the point. Why are you here?”
Alana sighed. “I need your help.”
Iris narrowed her eyelids. “Is that a joke?”
Alana shook her head. “No joke. You’re the only one who can help me.” Iris gazed at her.
Older as she was from the Iris I’d known, she still gave her anger away by clenching her jaw. I didn’t know what had happened between her and Alana, but I was certain of one thing: she was moments away from exploding in a fit of rage. And no doubt Alana knew it, too.
Iris frowned and closed her eyes. Through gritted teeth she said, “Leave. I never want to see you again.”
“Listen to what I have to say first.”
Iris’ rage-filled eyes opened wide. “You’re in no position to tell me what to do.”
“Please, just—”
Iris crossed the room like a fleeting shadow. Before Alana had a chance to react, she stood inches from her, holding something like a blade to her throat.
“I should kill you right now. How dare you show your face after what you did?”
Unflinching, but keeping the same air of sadness, Alana said, “I did it because I care about you—I was worried, and didn’t know what else to do. Can’t you understand that?”
“You stabbed me in the back.”
“I was trying to help.”
“You told my father.”
“You gave me no choice—you weren’t listening to me.”
A sudden low humming from weapons filled the room. The situation was escalating to dangerous heights. In a lower, more menacing tone, through her gritted teeth, Iris said, “Telling my father was the worst thing you could have done to me. He exiled me that night. He shamed in front of the whole tribe.”
“I didn’t know he would do that,” said Alana dropping her gaze. “I’m sorry.”
“Keep your apology—it means nothing. You were my best friend, and you betrayed me. You don’t exist anymore.” Iris lowered her head and took a step backward. “Leave.”
“I can’t change the past,” began Alana, “but maybe I can help here, now. Please, Iris, listen to what I have to say.”
Looking at the ground just ahead of her, Iris said, “No,” and raised her hand. The sound of the humming intensified in an instant, and I knew she held our lives in her hands. “Now, leave.”
“I’m sorry, Seven,” said Alana, “I tried. Let’s go.”
As volatile as the situation was, I couldn’t just walk away saying nothing, accepting what was happening. I didn’t know what the source of their feud was, but I knew their friendship was strong. Besides, if what Alana had said was true, and Iris was our only chance to infiltrate the Morex, they would have to resolve their issues. From all around us there re-appeared the crew that had earlier escorted us off the ship.
“You heard the Commander,” sneered the man walking toward us with a loo
k of sadistic glee on his face as if relishing the imminent fulfillment of his promise to us. “Move.” They nudged and prodded us back toward the entrance to the exit. I had to think of something to say, quickly.
“Pi told us where to find you,” I blurted.
“Stop,” said Iris. Her crew stopped us and swung us around to face her. “Did you say, ‘Pi’?”
I felt a surge of guilt mentioning him when he’d told us not to, but I couldn’t think of a single other thing to say to get Iris’ attention. She walked over to us and stopped in front of me. “Who are you?” Alana made to speak, but Iris raised her hand, adding, “I asked the boy a question. I want him to answer it. Who are you?” she reiterated.
I wanted to tell her everything that had happened; I wanted to blurt it all out in one breath. Iris would understand—my best friend would understand. Wouldn’t she? She’d tell me to stop being such a wimp; that if I didn’t get tougher, it would be her I’d have to deal with. But she wasn’t Iris—my Iris. This Iris had no idea who I was. This Iris watched me with the mild curiosity a predator has when its prey flails around before it devours it. In the brief moments I felt I had, I needed to make a difference. This was my only shot. I took a deep breath and tried to get my thoughts together. “It’s complicated.”
“Complicated,” repeated Iris, breaking her gaze from me to observe her surroundings, likely to make sure all weapons were correctly aimed at us. “By all means, tell me how,” she added, her gaze resting back on me.
I recounted the reasons of how I knew her and Pi, how Alana had freed both One and me from the Morex research ship, and about the subsequent events on Simia that had led us to find her.
“Why are you listening to this?” said the man. “Let’s just kill them right now.”
“I will decide when that will happen, Ira, not you. And I’ve told you before: take off that stupid helmet—I can barely understand a thing you’re saying.”
