by J. N. Chaney
I took a seat at his table and signaled the waitress. “Another two of these.”
Genji sat across from me, smacking both his knees. “Boy, it’s good to see you. I gotta say, half the crews I’ve worked with haven’t been as fun as ours.”
I nodded. “Tell me about it.”
The waitress brought us another round a few moment later, and we caught up on what we’d been up to in the six months since the last time we’d seen each other.
“Tell me about this girl you’re seeing,” he said.
“She’s nobody,” I muttered, taking another sip of beer. I wiped my mouth on my sleeve.
“Nobody?” he asked. “Ain’t you ready to settle down?”
“Me?” I scoffed. “No, thanks. Besides, Eliza isn’t interested in a relationship.”
“How’s that?” he asked.
I shrugged. “We just get together when I’m in town. It’s nothing serious.”
I wasn’t lying. Eliza had told me, back when we started our relationship, that it would never amount to more than a fling. She called it an “arrangement.” Something to keep us occupied and satisfied. I couldn’t say it bothered me, because it really didn’t. Even if she offered me a place in upper management, I’d never give up my dream of being a Renegade. Not for her or anyone else in this damn galaxy.
“Well, you’re a lucky S-O-B, Jace. Ain’t every day you find a woman willing to bed you and not ask for much else,” said Genji.
“Maybe if you were prettier, the ladies would pay more attention,” I said with a light shrug.
He frowned. “Damn, man, that’s cold. You know how to wound a fella.”
We ordered another round and shared a laugh. It was nice to talk with a friend. Being with Eliza was fine, the way I saw it, but she barely spoke a word, most nights. She had one thing on her mind, same as me, and once it was done, we had little else to discuss.
“So, I suppose we ought to get to why we’re here, eh?” asked Genji. “You wanna know about old Fratley.”
“You mentioned he could get me a ship,” I said.
Genji nodded. “He’s got a scrapyard full of them. Sells them at a discount. He even offers loans if you ain’t got the money.”
“Sounds perfect,” I said.
“Yeah, but you need a few thousand for the trip,” he said. “Think you can round that up?”
“A few thousand?” I asked, a little surprised. “He’s not on Bordo?”
“Nah, he and his Ravagers live out in the middle of nowhere. It’s five tunnels from here,” explained Genji.
Five slip tunnels meant at least two days’ travel, so the high cost made sense, but I hadn’t planned for this. “When you told me about this guy, I thought he was here. I’ve only got 7800 credits to my name, Genji.”
“That’s more than enough for the trip,” he said.
“But it’s not even close to what I’d need to buy a ship from him, is it?” I asked.
He paused, thinking about it. “Yeah,” he said, slowly nodding. “Yeah, you got a point. But hey, what if you use the rest as a down payment?”
“Would that work?” I asked.
He shrugged. “Sure, I’ve seen guys do it all the time.”
“I don’t know, Genji. Is taking a loan from this guy a smart idea?” I asked.
My current job revolved around getting other people to pay what they owed. I knew how this game was played. The last thing I needed was a broken arm because I couldn’t fork over my payments.
Genji waved a hand at me. “Don’t worry about that, Jace. Fratley’s an ex-Renegade. He can probably offer you a few jobs to get you started.”
“He used to be a Renegade?” I asked, intrigued.
Genji nodded. “One of the best, from what I hear. Now look at him. The man is swimming in creds. That could be you, Jace. Think about it.
My eyes dropped to the table while Genji took another drink. I’d spent most of my life looking for an opportunity like this. Every action had taken me a step closer to this moment. All I had to do was reach out and take what I wanted, but it would mean taking a huge risk and betting on a man I’d never met.
But wasn’t that the way the universe worked? You placed a bet on the odds, based on what you wanted, and hoped for the best. I was twenty-eight years old. If I stayed on Boson, I’d eventually save enough money to get my own ship, maybe become a Renegade when I was forty.
Fuck that.
I knew what I wanted. I knew what it took to get there. If Genji was right and this Fratley person could really help me, why shouldn’t I seize the opportunity?
“How long?” I finally asked, a serious look on my face. I leaned forward, staring my friend in the eye. “How long do I have before we can go?”
He set the glass down and smiled. “I’m only here until tomorrow. Then I’m gone.”
I hesitated. That really didn’t give me much time.
“Is that enough for you?” he asked. “I’ll be back this way in six months if you want to sit on it.”
I slowly shook my head. “No…No, I can’t wait that long.”
“What about your lady friend? Won’t she miss you if you take off to another star system?”
“Eliza doesn’t give two shits if I leave tomorrow or six months from now. She’ll find someone else in a week.” I turned away, looking at the door. “Besides, this is what matters.”
He smiled. “That’s the Jace I know! No one can ever hold you down.” He raised his glass. “Here’s to getting what you really want in life! Cheers!”
“Cheers,” I echoed, and together we dinked our glasses.
Sixteen
I opened my eyes in the cave, and the first thing I saw was Abigail’s hair against my chest. She was fast asleep, breathing steadily.
I wiped the grime from my eyes, then eased myself out from under Abigail. She shifted, but didn’t wake.
Lucia and Josef were lying together on the other side of the fire pit, wrapped beneath a blanket. I didn’t want to imagine what the two of them had gotten into while Abby and I had been asleep.
Without waking anyone, I got to my feet and put on my coat, then took one of the nearby blankets and wrapped it around myself. The tarp was lightly tossing as I rolled it up and stepped outside into the cold. The snow had finally stopped falling, but it was still freezing.
The blue and yellow sky was so bright that it made me squint, letting my eyes adjust to the new day. The sun was barely above the horizon, but I felt like I’d slept for days.
I tapped my ear, activating the comm. “Siggy, it’s me. Can you hear me?”
“Hello, Captain Hughes,” returned Sigmond.
I breathed a sigh of relief at the sound of his voice. “Finally. Listen, pal. I need a pick up. Think you can track my signal?”
“Of course, sir,” answered the AI. “May I ask how your visit has been treating you?”
“Not too great,” I said, unzipping my pants. “I’m in a cave in the middle of nowhere, pissing in the snow. I’m ready to get the hell out of here.”
“Very understandable, sir,” said Sigmond. “Location verified. Shall I bring the ship to your current location?”
“Yeah, but send a message to Freddie and Dressler. Tell them you’re giving us a lift back to town,” I said.
“Understood, sir,” said Sigmond. “Stand by for pick up.”
I relaxed at last, staring off into the long stretch of white before me.
“Nice day, eh?” asked a voice behind me.
I flinched, surprised, but still pissing in the snow. “What the—”
Josef chuckled. “Oh, I’m sorry,” he said, letting out a light chuckle. “I didn’t mean to interrupt.”
“What are you doing out here?” I asked, trying to hurry up.
“I was just checking on you,” he said. “But I see now that you’re okay.”
I zipped up my pants. “I’m fine, and ready to leave in just a few minutes. My ship’s coming to get us.”
“
That’s great news!” exclaimed Josef. “You’ll have to visit me again sometime soon, if it’s convenient. I spend most of my time alone out here, and let me tell you, it gets to be a little boring.”
“Why is that, exactly?” I asked. “You said that Tritium Core was important. Why don’t the others help you?”
He frowned. “They tried, bless them, but we lost a few too many people. I’m the only one who wanted to keep looking. It’s dangerous, but if we can locate a new core, it will change everything.”
“How? The village seemed fine to me. How much better can a new power source make it?” I asked.
“It sounds like you didn’t see everything. There are several systems that have stopped working over the last one hundred years. The younger generation thinks they can manage without them, but I remember how life used to be.” He shook his head. “We had a transport vessel that could take us anywhere within two hundred kilometers. Did they tell you about that?”
“Can’t say they did,” I said.
“It has a rechargeable battery,” he explained. “Once the core broke, we decided not to waste the energy on it. Not that it matters too much, since there’s nowhere to go on this planet, but it made scavenging easier. We were able to extend our reach and carry more supplies from the other facilities. Since then, we’ve dwindled and lost so much. It pains my heart to imagine the future. My grandchildren’s quality of life will have diminished so much compared to my father’s father. That isn’t progress.” He took a slow breath. “It’s a slow death.”
I was impressed by the old codger’s resourcefulness. It took a certain kind of person to survive on your own in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by a wasteland. For him to willingly do that in order to search for a core that may or may not exist was something else. Maybe the rest of his people didn’t believe in him—though, I was pretty sure Lucia did, despite her anger—but Abigail and I knew the truth. We knew he was right.
“You really think a core would help your people that much?” I asked, staring at him.
“I do,” he said, simply, and I knew from the look on his face that it was true.
“In that case, you should come back with us to the village. We could use your help with something,” I suggested.
“Help?” he asked.
“I need to talk to Karin about it, but I might have a solution for your problem. There might not be a reason for you to stay out here,” I said. “When we get back to the village, stay with your wife and don’t go anywhere.”
“What do you mean?” he asked. “What can you do?”
“Trust me,” I said. “If everything works out, you may not have to come back to this cave ever again.”
Josef said nothing as I turned toward the cave. He only followed me inside, no doubt thinking on what I had told him. No doubt, he was probably wondering what I’d meant by all of that. I didn’t take him for a fool, given how resourceful he’d been to live like this, but I couldn’t tell him about the core just yet. Not until I spoke with Karin and made sure these people knew how to handle something as powerful as a Tritium Core. All without blowing themselves to Hell and back.
I opened the tarp to see Abigail sitting beside Lucia, talking quietly. “Glad to see you’re awake,” I said.
She beamed a smile at me. “You’re not as quiet as smooth as you think, sneaking out of here.”
“Your wife was just telling me about her childhood home,” said Lucia.
I cringed at the term. “She’s not my wife.”
“Oh? Could’ve fooled me,” said the old woman.
I scoffed. “You’re one to talk, all snuggled up with Jo here.”
Josef walked past me. “Well, in our case, she actually is my wife,” he said, grinning.
“For now,” said Lucia, scowling at him.
He frowned. “I thought you forgave me last night.”
“I’ll forgive you when you stop living in this cave,” she said, flatly.
After successfully diverting the conversation, I motioned at Abigail, hoping to get a word in before the four of us left.
“Everything okay, Jace?” she asked when she was closer.
“I just wanted to make sure you still have our little prize,” I said.
“If you mean the core, it’s in my bag,” she whispered, opening up her pouch in front of me. I spotted the object immediately, nestled between two pieces of cloth. She covered it and tied the top of the bag. “Don’t worry.”
I nodded. “Good. Don’t let that thing out of your sight. Not until we talk to Karin and verify everything Jo told us.”
“What’s that about Karin?” asked Lucia.
I cursed myself for talking too loudly. “Nothing. We just need to meet with her when we get back. There’s a lot to talk about.”
“If you’re worried about the transmission, don’t be,” said Lucia. “If I know my daughter, she’s taken care of it by now.”
I decided it would probably be a good idea to change the subject. “Say, Jo, when was the last time you saw Karin? She’s your kid, right?”
Josef smiled. “Oh, yes, isn’t she wonderful? I haven’t seen her in a few weeks. How is she doing, Lucia?”
“She’d be better with her father around,” said the old woman.
Josef frowned again. “Oh, Lucia, please don’t be upset with me.”
“That was easy,” I muttered.
* * *
The four of us left the cave and headed west, trudging slowly through the snow. Josef knew the way to the field where Siggy could land the ship. He guided our path through a piece of land where the snow seemed thinner and the walk was easier.
Josef and I carried Lucia between us on a bed matt, while Abby kept watch with her weapon ready. According to the old man, animals often emerged from their hiding places the day after a harsh storm, which meant there was a good chance we might run into something that hadn’t eaten in days.
“Siggy, what’s your status?” I asked, once we’d reached the clearing.
“Apologies, Captain, but Dr. Dressler and Frederick insisted I wait for them.”
“I didn’t authorize that, Sigmond,” I snapped, not hiding my annoyance. “You’re supposed to be here already.”
“Sorry about that, Captain!” Freddie blurted out, a frantic tone in his voice.
“Godsdammit, Freddie. Just get over here! We’re stuck in the fucking snow!”
“S-Sorry, sir! On our way!”
Abigail was staring at me, listening in on her own comm. “I guess that means we’ll have to wait here for a few more minutes.”
I clenched my teeth. “It’s fine. It will take them five minutes to get here, worst case. I can stand the cold for that long. I just don’t like it very much.”
A loud cry rang out, echoing through the valley.
We all froze, Abigail and I looking at each other. “What was that?” she asked.
Another scream, louder than the last, coming from across the valley. Maybe closer. It was hard to tell.
“Oh, no,” muttered Josef, taking a step back. He raised a finger, pointing to the nearby ridge, overlooking the valley.
I looked, but couldn’t see it clearly. A ball of white, large, and standing on the mound of white snow. It raised its claws, slamming them down on the snow, and then roared again. I reached for my rifle, quickly, and checked my ammunition. “Fuck,” I blurted out. I was nearly empty, with only a handful of shots left in the magazine. “Abby, how’s your—”
“I’ve got half a mag,” she said before I could even finish the sentence.
I’d already examined my pistol, back in the cave. I knew I still had twelve bullets, ready and waiting, between the two handguns. “Josef, buddy, you got any tricks in your bag?” I asked, glancing sideways at the old man.
He retrieved the weapon he’d first pulled on us when we found him. “Only this, but it isn’t much,” he admitted.
The monster roared again and beat its fists. It leapt forward, gliding down the slope and into
the valley. “Fire!” I barked, and fired the last remaining bullets in my rifle.
The animal took it all. It kicked snow and flailed its massive arms, finally bolting toward us. I felt my chest tighten with anticipation, watching as death itself set me in its path.
Abigail’s shots collided with the Boneclaw, right as it was getting close. As all our firepower converged, the creature toppled over, losing its footing in the thick snow.
The monster fumbled a few meters, but kept kicking towards us, trying to push itself back up.
Jo grabbed his wife and dragged her out of the fray. Any longer and the animal would have found her there, ripe for the killing.
“I’m out!” screamed Abigail, just before the Boneclaw managed to get back to its feet. It had taken a bad spill, but wouldn’t be deterred for long. Several bullet holes marked its white body, little bits of blood oozing from its wounds. The creature took all of this in stride, determined to get its kills.
I tossed my rifle in the snow, the magazine finally empty, and retrieved my pistols.
I rapidly fired each gun, hitting the animal multiple times in the chest, but it barely slowed. It tilted its head, its blind face filled with a vacant expression. As I cocked the pistol, the creature’s ears twitched, and it replied with a sharp yelp, turning its head back, like it was calling for someone.
I fired three quick shots, hitting its shoulder and neck. The monster snapped toward me and roared, showing its many teeth.
“Aim for the eyes!” screamed Josef. His voice sounded far away, even though he was right there.
I pulled the pistol around so I was looking down the barrel.
I would only have one chance to land this shot.
As the Boneclaw charged toward me, I held my breath.
The bullet hit the target, piercing the beast’s skull and coming out the other side, pulling brains and blood with it.
The Boneclaw collapsed instantly.
I didn’t believe it at first. We’d filled this thing with so many shots by now that I couldn’t be certain of anything. I just stood there, staring at the body, breathing mist into the air, unable to speak. I kept thinking it was about to get back up at any moment.
