Wanderer's Escape

by Simon Goodson

  Jess slept poorly that night. Seemingly endless dreams of Sal and Ali being kidnapped, hurt or killed when visiting stations and planets filled his mind. In some he was too far away to help, while in the others he was close but unable to help, often being kidnapped or killed himself. Waking with a start from a particularly gruesome nightmare he brought the rooms lights up with a thought and sat thinking.

  They couldn't stay locked up in the ship forever. Leaving the ship was inevitable, no matter how much they tried to minimise the need. Once off the ship they were vulnerable. If both Sal and Ali left the ship together one kidnapping would leave him completely alone again. Just one or the other leaving would equally be a terrible idea – they might as well tie a target on her back. Jess wanted to be able to leave the ship too. While it was comfortable, and through its sensors he could experience the wonders that space held, he still felt the strong need to get out and explore the places they would be visiting.

  Frustrated he turned to the ship and to the echoes of past captains. After some digging he came across several variations on an idea that had definite promise. He lay down again and dimmed the lights before slipping into a much more restful sleep.

  When he woke the next morning he quickly washed up and dressed, keen to pass on his ideas. As his bedroom door opened it let in a wonderful smell. He hurried down the stairs to find out what was for breakfast.

  Sal and Ali were already seated and tucking into their breakfast.

  “Smells great!” said Jess. “What is it?”

  “Sausage, bacon, fried eggs, fried tomatoes, beans and toast,” replied Ali.

  “It's wonderful!” said Sal, swallowing a mouthful. “No wonder the prisoners not born to it always complained about prison food.”

  Jess sat down and piled food onto his plate. Sal had been right, it was wonderful. Something else to add to his growing list of favourite foods.

  After a couple of minutes of eating in silence Jess looked at both women. While enjoying the food he could tell they were still worried. He hoped his ideas would help.

  “I was thinking last night,” he began. “Thinking about the problems we face when we leave the ship.”

  Ali pulled a face. Sal just sat still for a moment.

  “Go on,” said Sal.

  “I had a trawl through the ship's information and found something useful. The implant in my head can generate a low level force field. Nothing major but enough to protect me from a knife or the first few shots from a reasonably powerful gun. The best bit is it can be automatic. The implant will detect anything getting close and will generate the barrier. It's smart enough so I can still eat and drink with it activated, can still touch things and people. It will only activate if something is moving too fast towards me. It won't make me bulletproof, but it will give me a good chance to survive an attack and get away.”

  Sal studied him for a moment.

  “Sounds good,” she said. “At least you'll be safe then, and you are the most likely target for any snatch. Will it affect your breathing? Will it be noticeable?”

  “Well I've had it active since I came down this morning and neither of you has noticed, though nothing has caused it to turn the shields on obviously. Breathing would get tricky a minute or so after it went on – it's only designed for short term situations. ”

  Without warning Ali threw a piece of sausage at Jess's head. It almost reached his head then, with a very slight sparkle of light, it was deflected past him.

  “Hey!” protested Jess.

  “Yep, it's working,” said Ali grinning at him.

  Sal smiled at them both, then launched a spoonful of beans at Jess which were deflected around him by a series of flashes. Laughing heavily Sal and Ali started grabbing and throwing handfuls of food at Jess. He shouted indignantly for a few seconds then saw the funny side himself. Laughing he reached out to the ship and shaped a field in front of him to catch the food. Sal and Ali stopped throwing as they noticed.

  “No fair.” shouted Ali. “That's cheating.”

  Jess just grinned and shifted the field, splitting the captured food into two and moving the two new piles to hover over Sal and Ali's heads.

  “Oh no!” Ali tried to look stern but it was spoiled by a laugh. “You do not want to do that.”

  “Jess,” added Sal. “If you ever want to be able to sleep safely again don't even think about it.”

  Jess grinned for a moment then released the fields. The food dropped onto the two women who shrieked and tried to move, much too late. Both hunched up against the shower of food but it didn't reach them. Jess had placed another field just over their heads which caught the food. He laughed so hard at their outraged faces that he could hardly breathe, and didn't see what happened next. Suddenly the world lurched as Sal and Ali dragged him off the chair and onto the floor. Laying on his back he was pinned down by Ali on his chest and Sal who sat on his arms. Then they started to tickle him mercilessly as he tried to wriggle free, without success. They didn't let up until his muscles hurt from laughing too much. Finally Sal released his arms and stood up.

  “Clearly the shield doesn't keep you safe from being tickled! Anyway, I'm going for a shower. I know the food didn't hit us but it still feels like it did.”

  She quickly climbed the staircase towards their rooms. Jess was suddenly very aware of Ali laying on his chest, of her body pressed against his. She was staring into his eyes. His heart pounded as he stared back, almost panicking. He had no idea what to do or say but desperately wanted the moment to continue. Ali smiled at him, her face only centimetres from his.

  “So,” she said gently. “Now that I have you in my power what should I do with you?”

  Jess nearly swallowed his tongue. He didn't trust himself to speak, didn't think he'd manage more than a stammer if he could make any sound at all. Not getting an answer Ali lowered her face to his, gently kissing him. Self consciously Jess wrapped his arms around her back, responding to her kiss. The rest of the world faded away. All he was aware of was the warmth of her body, the scent of her skin, her lips against his.

  Finally she pulled away slightly, once again looking down at him. Her face was flushed and her breathing fast. Jess realised with a start that Matt had been right. Ali was as uncertain as he was. The thought of Matt sent a cold spike through his chest. Ali frowned.

  “What's wrong?” she asked. “I thought you wanted to... well...”

  “No. I mean yes. I did. I do.” Jess stammered out. “I really do. Something Matt said just popped into my head. Thinking about him hurts, reminds me of how he betrayed me. How he betrayed us.”

  She leant down and gave him a quick peck.

  “I know. I didn't really get to know him but I saw how close the three of you were. Or seemed to be anyway.” Then she smiled mischievously.

  “So what did he say that came into your mind right then?”

  Jess opened and closed his mouth several times trying to find the right thing to say, then decided to go with honesty.

  “He said you were probably just as scared of the situation as I was. That even though you looked so confident you weren't.”

  He found it hard to meet her eyes as she studied him intently. His insides churned, he was sure he'd said the wrong thing. That she'd take offence, probably slap him again. Strangely the thought of her being angry with him hurt more than the slap would.

  “Do you think he was right? That I'm confused and uncertain?” she finally asked in a cool voice.

  “If you are you're doing a great job of hiding it.” Jess blurted before he could stop himself.

  “Really? That's good to know.”

  To Jess's huge relief there was a twinkle in her eye. Before he could say anything more she was kissing him again. All thoughts of Matt's advice, and his betrayal, slipped from Jess's mind.

  Ali finally pulled back again.

  “Sal is going to be back soon. We'd better sort ourselves out,” she said with a sigh.

  Jess had other ideas. H
e shoved with his right arm and leg rolling the pair of them over so he lay on top of her. He smothered her protests with a kiss which she soon responded to. Once again time seemed to slip away.

  Some time later the sound of Sal's voice startled them from their own private world. Both looked up guiltily towards the stairs but there was no sign of Sal. Jess had missed the start of what Sal said but managed to fill in the gaps.

  “...in a few minutes. Can you get a hot chocolate ready for me?”

  Then she was gone again. Reluctantly, very reluctantly, Jess pushed himself up and helped Ali to stand. Hair tousled and clothes in need of straightening he thought she looked amazing. He stole a quick kiss, which lengthened until he managed to pull away.

  “We need to get straightened up, otherwise Sal will know what we were doing. Not that there's anything wrong with it... but... er...” he stumbled to a halt.

  Ali grinned at him. “She knows silly. Why do you think she called down? Still, we could sort ourselves out a bit.”

  “Are we... that is... I'd like to do that again,” he finished lamely, cursing himself inside. He couldn't seem to find the right words. She laughed gently.

  “So would I. Lots.”

  They stared at each other for a few seconds. Jess felt an almost magnetic pull. They'd been stood close together anyway, a short step from each of them and they were kissing again.

  “Looks like I'll have to get my own drink then.”

  At the sound of Sal's voice from almost beside them they both jumped. Jess felt himself turning bright red. He wished the floor would open and swallow him up. The ship queried the command, pointing out that there was only machinery and then the outer hull below him. He quickly cancelled it, once again made aware of how closely the ship monitored his thoughts and how literally it could take them.

  Sal had a knowing look and a big smile on her face, which only made Jess blush even more. Turning to Ali, who had moved a step away from him, he was surprised to see that she too looked embarrassed. Sal stepped forward and grabbed them both in a hug.

  “Your faces. It's fine you know. I'm glad for you. Just, well, just be careful. Be nice to each other.”

  With that she turned away from them, chuckling as she went. Tentatively Jess reached out for Ali's hand. She took it, smiling shyly, then they followed Sal, who'd finally got her drink and had sat on one of the sofas. Ali and he sat on the other, close to each other but not quite touching.

  “I was thinking about Washington,” Sal said. “Thinking about what we should do when we get there. We need to be really careful where we go. Ideally we need people to come to us. It will cost more but we have to be safe. Even you Jess – that shielding doesn't mean you can't get hurt. And Ali and I don't have the benefit of even that.”

  “You could,” Jess said softly.

  “What? How?”

  Both women were staring at him now.

  “I would have told you earlier, if you hadn't both assaulted me.”

  “I thought you quite enjoyed being assaulted,” Sal said with a grin.

  Jess felt himself blushing again and didn't dare look at Ali.

  “You could though,” he pressed on. “I kept having nightmares last night about you two being grabbed again. In the end I couldn't sleep so I started trawling through the ships data. That's where I came across the shielding idea for me, but more than that. I asked the ship and it confirmed it would be possible to give you both a limited shield and a locator so the ship can always pinpoint your location.”

  “Does that mean we'd get something implanted in us, in our brains? Like you have?” Sal looked worried by the thought.

  “Not really. It's much simpler than what happened to me, and it will be automatic. It would be installed between the skull and skin at the back of your head. No direct connections to your brain. The shield won't be as strong as mine, and it won't protect you against drugged food or drinks, but it will stop a few shots. The ship will be able to spot the locator beacon through anything too. It's passive so scans won't detect it.”

  “If we say yes then you'll be able to track us wherever we are?” asked Ali. “Know what we're doing and when?”

  “Not without you knowing. Each time it gets scanned you'll get a slight tingling, almost an itch, at the back of your head. It will repeat every couple of minutes till you acknowledge it by scratching that area. You'll always know.”

  Sal and Ali sat quietly for a couple of minutes, thinking. Finally Sal spoke softly.

  “I have nightmares almost every night you know. Dreams where I'm back as a prisoner, where I've been caught again or this has all just been a vivid dream. Or where I get grabbed on a station and held. Every dream feels the same. The panic at being trapped. The despair at realising that I'll never be free again. The feeling that the walls are closing in.

  I'd never had freedom before. I couldn't understand why those not born to captivity were so desperate to escape. Now I understand. I've been free and I never want to go back. Doing this will help ensure I stay free.”

  She took a deep breath, then pushed on.

  “We've asked you to trust us Jess. Asked you to believe we mean you no harm despite what happened with Matt. Well that cuts both ways. If you're certain this is safe then we need to trust you. I'll do it.”

  Ali sat deep in thought for a few moments, before looking up to meet Jess's gaze.

  “Will it hurt?” she asked.

  “No.” Jess smiled. “Not at all. A slight tingling at most. No more.”

  “OK.” She nodded. “Can we do it now? Get it over with?”

  “Sure. Let's go to the medical bay.” He turned to Sal. “If you're ready?”

  Sal nodded, stood up. The three of them headed to the medical bay. Jess could have plucked the devices out of the ship anywhere but he sensed it was better not to. The women were nervous enough as it was. Somehow the medical bay seemed the best place to go.

  He had each of them sit in a chair, facing each other, then went to the wall and retrieved two small, blue lumps that looked like thick jelly, each sitting within the palm of his hand.

  “Ready?” he asked.

  Both nodded, though they said nothing. Jess stepped to Sal and placed one lump against the back of her head, where it stuck in place. Then he did the same with Ali and finally sent the command telling the ship to start the process. The blue lumps quickly disappeared as they embedded themselves.

  It completed quickly. Within a minute both systems were up and running. Sal and Ali looked surprised when he told them it was complete. He had the ship ping both their locators. In unison they raised their hands to scratch the itch at the back of their head, laughing as they realised what had happened.

  “That was fine,” said Ali. “I didn't feel a thing until that tingle. Is that what happened to you?”

  “Not really. It had to make a much deeper connection, to create an entire web within my brain. I was stuck to the pilot's chair by my head for quite a while.”

  “Oh. There's no chance of this doing more than it should? Of it doing the same to me?”

  “No. You're safe. It's like creating robots – the ship has hard limits in place. Only ever one captain at a time.”

  “This really is an amazing ship. There hasn't been much time to think about it, but the things it can do... I've never heard of any ship like it. Do you know where it came from?”

  “Not really. I've tried asking it but it doesn't answer as such. I just get an impression of age, of it having been around for a long time. Nothing concrete. Maybe it's not human built.”

  “Alien?” Ali asked with a grin. “That's pretty unlikely. The Empire is spread across a huge area of space now and no intelligent aliens have ever been found. That's part of their propaganda – humans are the only intelligent creatures in the universe, and the Empire is run by the most intelligent humans. For the good of all of us of course.” The last point was said with heavy irony.

  Jess shrugged feeling embarrassed.

  �
��Maybe. There were always rumours though, rumours and stories, that the prisoners passed on. I think prisoners often get to see more of the universe than anyone else. If it's dirty, dangerous or just downright unpleasant we get sent in. If there are aliens we'd probably get to know.”

  “I'm not so sure,” said Sal. “If there were aliens and the Empire wanted to keep it quiet they'd just kill every prisoner that knew the truth. No one would be around to tell stories.”

  Jess had to agree with that. Prisoners were exceptionally expendable. When he'd first been sent to break into the Wanderer he'd already seen or heard of hundreds being killed trying to access other ships. There were always plenty more prisoners to replace them.

  “More importantly, we need to decide what to do at Washington,” said Sal. “When we get there we need to find someone offering robots for sale that's willing to trade direct to our ship. No going off into a station or a ship. Ideally we want the robots to be nearly useless. Pitch it as us needing spare parts for other robots.”

  “I want to be there at the exchange,” said Jess. “To make sure I can deal with any unexpected surprises quickly. I think you should be there too Sal. Your being older should stop them getting the idea that I'm innocent enough to be ripped off easily.”

  “Fine. I'll play the part of the old hag.”

  “What about me?” Ali asked. “Do I get to sit around doing nothing?”

  Jess winced inside at her tone. “No, not at all. You'll be in the ship monitoring the situation for anything strange. Anything that Sal and I miss. Even with doing the handover on our doorstep this is going to be a risky plan.”

  Ali wasn't particularly happy but accepted his argument. They talked the plan over for a while without finding the need for any significant changes.

  Jess and Ali spent most of the day together. Sometimes just holding each other close, other times talking about their lives. Ali's childhood was a revelation for Jess, a glimpse of a world he'd never known. It was far harder for Ali. Many of Jess's tales brought tears to her eyes.