by J. M. Hagan
"Open the door!" she cried again.
This time, Jo raised his hand at her. "No," he said.
Claudia felt her stomach knot. Her cheeks get pale. "I'll do it," she promised, with venom.
"Believe me, I don't doubt it," he said. "But, see, what you've got there is damaged goods."
"Jo, please," screamed Mae.
He looked passed Mae like she wasn't even there. "Rick...seize her. A pretty thing like that, one who can hold her own, she's gonna be worth a fortune."
Rick smirked as he leapt over the counter like a man half his size. Claudia backed away, with Mae kicking and trying to pull herself free. Claudia threw her against the counter and she bounced off it with a hard thud.
The hulking mass came at her. He tried to snatch at her, but Claudia swiped at him with the knife. Then he charged with his head down. Claudia spun. She withdrew her electro-baton and clobbered the back of his head as he passed.
An electro-static net surrounded him as he crashed down on his skull in the corner. A mass of swelling appeared on the back of his head immediately.
Jo came from behind her.
Scooped her up, squeezed the air out of her, then tossed her across the store. Claudia crashed down, dropping both of her weapons. She got up right away, and he was already coming at her.
He snatched her coat with both hands, and she brought her hands up in prayer between his, breaking his hold. A swift, angry jab took her mouth in response. She stumbled back, the saline taste of blood filled her mouth, and then he threw his knee into her gut.
Claudia dropped to the ground, coughing, trying desperately to seize a breath.
"Oh, you best be worth all this trouble," he said, looking around the room. Mae was a weeping mess on the floor. Rick's head was submerged in a blood pool.
Jo kicked her in the ribs. Then he wiped some sweat off his dome. He kicked her again, much harder, and Claudia rolled over in pain clutching her side as she coughed.
"100, 000 is much better split one way," he said, throwing a vile look at Mae. When she heard that she forgot her pain long enough to look disappointed. "What? You think you're getting any of this? Rick is probably dead, bitch, and it's your fault. Nobody is gonna wanna look at you anymore, not with that eye. You know what...I've already got one body to take care of..."
Jo went over and scooped Mae's knife off the floor. "Two is just as much trouble as one."
"Jo, please!" Mae cried, retreating on her hands to the corner as he advanced. "Please, Jo, please!"
Claudia scampered over and retrieved her electro-baton. She dashed at him, and he turned upon hearing her steps. He took a blow across the forehead that sent him right over the counter with an electric field zapping him all over.
There was no way he was getting up any time soon.
As Mae wept and cradled herself, Claudia wiped sweat off her brow and then held her side in pain. She lurched over to Rick and checked his pulse. Despite Jo's uneducated appraisal of the situation, he was very much alive, and destined to suffer headaches for the foreseeable future, if he woke up at all.
Right then, Claudia couldn't give a shit. They had got exactly what they deserved.
She walked over and pressed the button for the door-release and it opened, bringing back the sounds of barking peddlers from the corridor. On her way out, she heard a whimper.
"Please...wait..."
Claudia turned and viewed Mae with contempt. She looked innocent as a mouse, despite the horrific state of her eye.
"Please..." she sobbed.
"What?" Claudia asked sternly, putting away her baton.
"He was gonna kill me," she moped. "I did everything they wanted, everything, and he was gonna kill me!"
Claudia smirked, threw her head to the side as she almost considered taking pity on her. "Why would you expect your life to be any different, when you are so vile?" she asked, turning around to walk out.
Mae's pleas followed her into the corridor, but she was soon too far away to hear them. Now that it was over, she was shaking.
Claudia made it a few blocks before she stopped in an unoccupied room off the corridor. She slid against the wall and sat on the floor, holding her aching side and wept. As the adrenaline coursed through her body, she resisted the urge to call Jack and Mark to ask them to come get her.
She'd taken care of the three of them on her own. If she could do that, she could bear this pain, and make her way back alone.
Moments later, she noticed that people were giving her long looks and it seemed that she was being registered with recognition as they passed her. Before she could give it much thought, she looked up and saw herself on the viewscreens hanging above the corridor – fighting the Dok’ra.
Claudia’s PDP vibrated in her pocket. She took it out, and when she pulled her eyes from the screen above, saw that she had a video message from Cane…
18
Location: Maji-Onda Station, Starman HQ, Cafeteria
After his meeting with Chief Fischer, Jack followed his grumbling tummy to HQs cafeteria where the food was free for all Cadets. He didn’t have much money, just a small allowance of two hundred credits that Cane had spared from his own personal funds.
He filled a tray at the deli and then saw Malora eating her lunch at one of the tables. Jack walked by a table of what looked to be a group of jarheads. He guessed they were the tier-3 grunts. They looked tough as hell. He wouldn’t doubt their abilities to handle themselves.
HC training was expensive. He understood Venec’s inventions must have made him a mountain of cash because the HC on-board Europa was spectacular, and more high-tech than anything he was yet to see at HQ even.
“Look, it’s that guy from the news,” whispered one, as Jack passed. He couldn’t help stopping.
“Yeah. It’s me.” The closest one to him got to his feet. He towered above Jack at 6”3 and was well-stocked with muscle.
“Jack Murphy, isn’t it?” he asked, offering his hand.
Jack let go of his tray on one side and gave a quick shake before his hand returned to help hold the generous portions he’d allowed himself steady. There was no Europa here to monitor his diet.
“Yeah. That’s me. What’s your name?”
“Cadet Lam,” he said. “Tier-3.” Jack smiled. “So…you killed a Dok’ra?”
“More than one,” said Jack. I think it might’ve have been three. It was hard to keep track of that John Woo moment.
“Well, sir, if you don’t mind our say so that was fucking awesome.”
One of the Cadets pointed a fork at him. “Bastards killed both of my great grandpops. Killed a lot of people from my colony, too.”
“Mine too,” said Cadet Lam. “Sir, do you think they’ll come here? To Maji-Onda?”
The fact that this imposing guy is calling me sir, is starting to freak me out a little…
“Sir?” he prompted, when Jack fell into thought.
His eyes rose with a smile. “I really can’t say. But, hey, look at this place – they’d be crazy to come here.”
The righteous looking cadet at the table chewed fast on the food in his mouth. “Let them come, I say.” He stopped to swallow. “We’ll finish the fuckers off for good.”
The men shared cheers. Jack nodded at them, glancing to see if Malora was watching. She seemed more interested in her PDP, though he did catch her glancing when she noticed he was staring.
“Well, I’m starving. Great to meet you all. See you guys later,” he said, walking off.
“Good voyage, Murphy,” Lam said after him, Jack waved back over his head in reply, like his Dad used to do to him when he dropped him off at work in the mornings.
Damn cheap toilet paper. Why do you always buy it?
I’ve to buy something, don’t I? The fellow has employed my son. I owe him a penny here and there. Toilet paper is the only decent thing near the front of the shop, and I’m always in a hurry in the mornings.
But it’s not decent. It giving me red in my
stool.
Fuck’s sake, Jack. I’m eating here.
Oops. Sorry, Dad. Hey…can I have a slice?
…A small one.
What movie are we watching?
I’m watching Platoon.
Shite.
It’s a classic! You know what’s shite? Your taste.
Deadpool is starting soon. Wanna watch that instead?
Sure ya have it set to record.
So? It’s better than this.
A load of super-hero nonsense. That’s all they make these days. I got bored of them after Ironman.
But that’s a different series. Deadpool isn’t part of the Avengers. He’s part of the X-Men movies.
Oh? I like those...
Yeah. The guy you like is in it, too. Ya know, the guy who can turn into metal?
Aye. The big fellow?
Yeah. But he’s Russian in this one.
What? That doesn’t make any bloody sense.
So?
Aye. Well…stick it on sure. We’ll see if it’s any use…
So, you admit Platoon is boring old shite, then?
What?! No. Shut up! Just stick Bloodpool on.
Deadpool.
Aye. Probably a load of crap anyway. Is Wolverine in it?
In spirit. He makes fun of him.
Wolverine would knock his balls in.
…Okay. I’m putting it on. Quiet please.
Jack stood at her table with his tray in hand. Malora scrunched her eyes at him inquisitively. He looked back surprised.
“Oh, I’m sorry, didn’t I say anything?”
“No...?”
“Oh, weird. I was miles away there for a moment. Mind if I sit?”
Malora waved her hand and looked at him like he had been an idiot for asking.
“How did the meeting with, Fischer, go?” she asked, as he set down his tray and took a seat. She had coffee. He suddenly realised what he’d forgot to get.
“Good,” he said, giving a nod as he put his fork into some meat. Then popped it into his mouth. He chewed with his head down. “I’m guessing you know what it was about?”
Malora nodded, as Jack looked up. “I saw the news,” she told him, seeming impressed.
“Oh?”
“I can’t believe the Dok’ra are still out there, and so near to this station.”
“Not just the Dok’ra, but the Overseers, too.”
“You know that for a fact?”
Jack shook his head, then got to eating again. He wanted to believe that his future-self had succeeded in taking out the mothership. He had to have hope.
“I get the feeling you didn’t tell them the whole story,” she said lowly, her eyes checking around them to make sure nobody was in earshot.
She’d captured his eyes then. If he looked away sharply in agitation, she’d know. If he said nothing, she’d know. He had seconds to convince her she was wrong.
Jack gave a slight smirk. “You kidding? Of course we told them everything. They paid us a small fortune for that footage.”
Malora chuckled. “Well, Jack, if you’re that loaded, how come you haven’t bought me a drink yet?” she asked coyly, before drinking from her steaming mug.
Jack sniggered at her. “You’re serious? Nothing I’d rather do,” he said, getting up from his half eaten meal. “Well, you know your way about this station – take me somewhere. I’ll buy you all the booze you can handle.”
Up to 200 credits worth. Wait. I’m not even sure how much a drink costs…damn.
“I know a place.” Malora extended a finger. “One drink. We can’t afford a hangover.”
Jack smiled. Phew.
Location: Maji-Onda Station, Markets
She took him to a place called Ella’s. Outside, the music was thumping and the floor vibrated. They went to the bar saturated in neon light and ordered some drinks.
Despite the time of day, the place had still drawn a crowd. It was made up mostly of humans, although there were some Dikini present. The patrons sported some crazy haircuts and outfits. Jack spied a young woman on the dancefloor who was dressed with some belts that barely covered her private areas Her face was glowing with luminous pink paint.
As the music rumbled in their ears, Malora gave a disapproving shake at the noise and led him to a booth far away from the thumping sound system.
“Much better,” she said, when the sound lowered a few decibels. They sat across from each other, his back to the dancefloor.
“I’d advise you to always face the exits,” she said. “You don’t know who could be coming after you once you’re a specialist. Some marks hunt their hunters down, rather than flee. Right now, though, I wouldn’t be comfortable sitting right next to you. I mean, we did just meet yesterday.”
“Afraid you won’t be able to keep your hands off me?” he joked.
Malora’s eye rolled. “Maybe,” she said, with a delicate curve in her lips.
Jack turned his neck so he could swallow without it being plainly obvious that she’d just injected a frightening level of excitement in his blood with that comment. Then he faced her, finding a grin with the aid of his rising confidence.
“I was joking,” she said, after she viewed his reaction, and Jack’s face shrunk. She giggled at him. “You’re too easy going, Jack.”
“Funny. My mom used to say the same thing.”
“She was right.” Malora took a sip of her drink.
“Tell me about you,” he inquired, eager to learn more about her. “Where are you from?”
“I’m a spacer.”
Jack’s nose crinkled. “For me, seeing space for the first time was a shock to the system. Do spacers get that when they first go on land?”
“No. Not in my case, at least. We always touched down. First time I was on a world I was an infant. It’s how we lived – me and Pa – going from world to world, station to station, trading goods, selling salvage. He provided a good life for me. Even paid for my guild training and assessment fees.”
“He sounds like a good Dad. Where is he now?”
“Out there somewhere,” said Malora. “Working, always working.”
“Sounds like my Dad.” Jack smiled, hoping his straight white grin looked good in the odd purple neon glow. A moment of quiet admonished him to move on to another subject.
“What do you think of the guild?”
“The guild is funded by its members. Its council is made up of retired Starmen, tier-2 and above. That’s why people trust the guild – it doesn’t have any corporate or military affiliation, and its members live by a set of rules that forbid unruly conduct.”
“Surely the business’ and military are supposed to stick to the law as well?”
“Of course. They are supposed to. But everyone knows that they don’t. People turn a blind eye, though, so long as they’re kept safe and wealthy. Becoming a Starman is honourable.”
“Honourable?” Jack repeated, grinning as he admired the word. “I’ve never done something honourable before. The training was tough as hell. How did you keep yourself motivated?”
“It’s what I’ve always wanted to be,” she answered. “Helluva lot more exciting than following in my Dad’s footsteps. He thrives out there because it’s what he wants to be. Being a Starman is all I’ve ever wanted – I’ll make sure I thrive too. What about you, Jack? How did you keep yourself motivated?”
Jack swirled his drink. “I just told myself that all the pain, all the times when I forced myself to get out of bed and do it – it was all leading somewhere better. A place that’ll be worth reaching; even if the journey is a pain in the ass. Aside from moments like this, of course.” He raised his glass.
“To hard work,” she offered.
“To time off, I was thinking,” he joked.
19
Location: Maji-Onda Station, Starman HQ, Tier-1 Quarters
“So, Jeriko, what’s your world like?” asked Anderson, as the fernode dealt the cards.
They were both smoking ci
gars, and a creamy cloud hovered overhead. “Hot,” said Jeriko, with a gruff groan. “Too hot for most humans to handle. That’s why our skin isn’t as thick. We prefer the heat. But, due to the freezing winters we get every ten years, when one of our suns is blocked out for a season by our moon, our skin gets thicker to deal with the cold.”
“Evolution is a wonderful thing,” Anderson commented, picking up his cards with smoke streaming from the corners of his mouth.
“That it is.”
“If humans hadn’t started cooking their meat, we never would’ve become so intelligent. When our bodies no longer had to digest raw meat, it meant our brains could grow.”
“Hmph. Rovians say humans evolved somewhere else. Somewhere lost.”
Anderson plucked the half-smoked cigar from his mouth and then stubbed it out. His mouth tasted as vile as he could tolerate already. “Yeah. That’s what I meant,” he said.
“Well, if you’re from a distant lost colony, maybe you weren’t a lost colony. Maybe your planet is the human race’s home world?”
Anderson scrunched his eyes. My theory exactly. “What makes you say that?” he asked, trying to laugh it off.
“Well let me tell you what I think is going on. You say in your file that this girl, Siena, and some other guy, picked you up and brought you here. That your world isn’t capable of space travel yet?”
“We can travel through space. But we’re years from even having the ability to leave our own solar system. I already know from where I’ve travelled, that the nearest planet with alien life is, technologically, hundreds of years beyond our reach.”
“Your system sounds like the perfect place to hide out, for a dying, space faring race, with the ability to create life using genetic tissue. Why else would the Overseers be chasing you?”
“You’re really reaching here,” Anderson said uncomfortably. Damn. This guy is sharp.
Jeriko held up his hand. “This is just talk. You said they were chasing you. Maybe they don’t want you to reveal your home’s location to the Federation. They know the Federation will hunt them down and wipe them out.”
Jeriko flipped over his first pair. Sevens. Anderson flipped over his. Nines.
“Let’s assume you’re right, for talk’s sake. What would happen to my world after that?”
