by JN Chaney
He gave me a look that told me my statement wasn’t enough. I’d have to embellish something.
With a dramatic sigh, I crossed my arms. “If you must know, pal, I have a bladder problem and pissed the bed last night. It’s a serious medical problem and I’m not proud of it.”
“You…did what?” the guy asked, looking down at my crotch.
“Oh yeah, like you didn’t hear me. Look, I was just on Praxus III and I slept with the wrong girl. Is that what you wanna hear? Damn bladder’s out of control.”
He took a step back. “Oh, that’s disgusting.”
“Yeah, thanks for making me relive it.” I got to my feet. “I can’t wait to get my ass home. No more vacations for me.”
“Sorry to bother you,” said the officer. He went back to the counter to join his friend, a disturbed look in his eyes.
Asshole, I thought.
The two men took a card from the clerk before turning to leave. “Let’s start with room 201 and go from there,” said the white-haired man.
They passed me and began heading through the hall to my left. There were only two directions and I had no idea which one had Abigail’s room.
I tapped my ear again. “Abigail? You read me?”
The line clicked. “One moment, sir,” said Siggy. “Connecting you.”
“Hello?” said the nun.
“What room are you in?” I asked her, quickly.
“212,” she said. “Why?”
I glanced at the sign on the wall near the elevator. Odd numbers to the left, even numbers to the right.
I leaned to the side and glanced at the two Union officers. “Wait for my signal,” I told Abigail. “Just a second.”
“Right,” she answered. “Everyone, stay close and be ready.”
I watched the two men touch the door with the card the clerk had given them. A moment later, it opened, and they began talking to the person inside. I couldn’t hear the conversation, but they seemed to have little trouble getting the resident to let them in.
As they disappeared into the room, I got to my feet. “Now, come out and move!”
I heard a door open on the other side of the hall. A crowd of familiar faces unloaded from the room, carrying luggage and hurrying toward me. Abigail, Lex, Freddie, Hitchens, and Octavia were all here and ready to go.
I hit the elevator button, not realizing that it would take a few seconds for the lift to reach us. Why hadn’t I thought of bringing it up sooner?
Abigail came up to my side in a mad hurry. “What’s the problem?”
“Elevator. Just hang on.”
“Mr. Hughes? What are you doing here?” asked Lex.
“He’s here to help,” said Freddie. “Right, Captain?”
The elevator arrived and the doors opened. “Get inside,” I told them.
I heard the sound of another door opening, the one the two officers had gone into. They entered the hall, glancing at me and the rest of the group.
The older man seemed to notice my fellow passengers. Specifically, the little albino girl with white hair standing beside me. “Hey! You, there!”
As the doors closed in front of me, I waved at the two men. Bye-bye, I mouthed.
We descended from the upper deck and toward the bottom promenade. No doubt, the two idiot officers would inform their superiors within seconds. It wouldn’t be long before I had a swarm of soldiers coming after me.
That was only if I couldn’t reach my ship, of course. The Renegade Star was docked pretty close, but we’d have to move quickly.
“Let’s go!” I snapped as soon as the doors opened.
“Were those men with the Union?” asked Freddie as we began to move.
“What do you think?” I asked, rather bluntly. I went straight into the sea of civilians on the promenade, pushing them aside to make space for the others as they struggled to keep up.
We entered the main section of the shopping plaza, sluggishly wading through the mob. Hitchens was the slowest, stumbling to keep up, and scared shitless. He didn’t belong here, dodging Union officers and running for his freedom. None of these people did.
Behind us, an alarm sounded, and then it was everywhere at once. Two dozen red lights swirling on the walls. Holo-displays emitted warning signs, letting people know to take cover.
That was when I heard the gunshot. It was so loud that I couldn’t tell the direction.
A woman screamed, not far from where we were. The mob panicked, stumbling over each other, tripping and screaming as the frenzy and fear set in throughout the station.
The already thin crowd in the promenade dispersed, running into the nearby shops, which were closing their shutters in anticipation of what was about to unfold.
Another shot, and then I heard a man yell, “Stop them!”
I looked and saw three security personnel standing beside two Union soldiers. Only the soldiers had weapons, and they drew them in a hurry.
In a swift and fluid motion, I turned and unholstered my pistol, aiming with my body as I brought the men into my sights.
I pulled the trigger, the first shot striking the soldier directly in the side of his belly, pushing him back against the wall.
The second officer took aim at me, but before he could shoot, I sent a second round his way, striking his leg. He screamed, violently, and blindly fired the rifle in our direction.
Bullets soared through the promenade, hitting the walls behind me. One of the displays to my right shattered, scattering glass onto the floor.
“Move!” I yelled, grabbing Hitchens by the shoulder and shoving him. “Get your asses to The Star!”
Freddie was on his knees, clutching his arm, blood dripping between his fingers. I went to him and hoisted his arm over my shoulder. “Freddie! Get your ass up!”
“S-Sorry,” he muttered, a confused look in his eyes. “I’m sorry, Jace.”
Abigail came running, taking Freddie from me. “I’ve got him! We need you to cover us!”
I let him go and turned my attention back to the guards. The remaining security officers were making their way through the promenade, ready to put us on the floor. I raised my gun and fired above them, shattering one of the overhead lights. It sent sparks raining down on them, making them panic. “Back off or I’ll lay you out right here!” I shouted as I aimed the pistol at them.
They froze, raising their hands. They didn’t get paid enough to press this, unlike the Union soldiers who were currently writhing in pain behind them.
Abigail and Freddie continued on ahead of me, followed by Hitchens and Octavia. I waited for them to reach the docking bay at the end of the promenade, close to where my ship was waiting. We were almost there. I just had to hold this line for a little while longer.
The same elevators we’d used before suddenly dinged, and the doors slid open. The two men from the hotel appeared inside, making eye contact with me immediately. The one with the white hair dropped his mouth and pointed to me, while the other went for his gun.
Good thing I was faster.
I fired at them, hitting one in the shoulder. The two men ducked back inside, and unloading my entire magazine, buckling the elevator doors as they closed.
Without a second beat, I reloaded, darting my eyes between the elevator and the other set of guards across the promenade.
A loud cry jarred me, pulling my attention. It sounded like a small child. I scanned my eyes across the warzone, trying to find the one responsible.
“Make it stop!” screamed Lex. I turned to see her crouching several meters behind me, ducked beneath a large bench. How did she end up here alone? Why wasn’t she with the others?
I ran over to her, taking her by the wrist. “Get your ass to the ship, kid!”
Then there was a gunshot, and a bullet buzzed by me, hitting the wall behind us. The injured soldier that I’d downed was on his ass, struggling with his rifle. Before he could pull the trigger, I reacted without thinking, twisting where I stood and firing a single shot at
him. The bullet struck his throat, shattering half his neck like a pimple, and he grasped desperately at his missing flesh. I was about to do the same to the other men beside him when I felt Lex tugging at my arm. “Mr. Hughes!”
I blinked, stopping myself. I had to get this kid to the ship. I had to get off this station. If I didn’t get her out of here now, she might end up dead.
I took the girl in my arms. “Hold onto me!”
She put her arms around my neck, squeezing me with more strength than I thought she had in her, and I darted towards the dock where my ship was waiting.
One of the two men from the elevator screamed in the distance, calling for more men, but we were already gone, running down the corridor.
Abigail and Octavia were waiting at the airlock for us, panic on their faces. “Oh gods!” shouted Abby, letting out her arms to take the girl.
I handed off the kid, then motioned for everyone to get inside the airlock. “Next time, keep a better eye on your shit, lady!”
I slammed my first on the release button, closing the doors. “Everyone alive?” I asked, holstering my gun. “Okay, good. Siggy, get us the hell out of here. Everyone else, strap yourselves in!”
EIGHTEEN
“I’m afraid Taurus Station isn’t allowing us to separate,” said Sigmond.
“Attention vessel attempting to flee,” said a voice over the com. “Set down your weapons and prepare to be boarded.”
“As I was saying,” remarked the AI.
“Can you override the controls?” I asked.
“Station Security has initiated lockdown procedures, making it impossible.”
I looked at my passengers. “Anyone know how to hack a security system?”
None of them answered.
“That’s what I was afraid of,” I said, looking back to the airlock.
“Captain, I could attempt to pull us free, although the damage to the station would be significant,” said Sigmond.
“How bad?”
“The force of our pull would break the docking clamp from the wall and it would leave a sizeable hole behind.”
“Would anyone be injured?”
“Not if they follow procedure,” theorized Sigmond. “The station walls should compensate by raising a shield to conceal the damage and protect station personnel from exposure.”
“What about damage to the ship?”
“Our hull would take some moderate strain, though it would remain intact. Atmosphere would be unaffected.”
“Captain, are you actually considering forcing our way free from the station?” asked Hitchens.
“The alternative is worse, trust me,” I said.
He dabbed his forehead with his red handkerchief. “Oh, goodness.”
“Let’s do it, Siggy. Yank us free, and as soon as we’re away from the station, I want you to open a tunnel.”
“What coordinates, sir?”
“Doesn’t matter,” I said. “The opposite of Union space. I don’t give a shit.”
“That would be further into the Deadlands, towards Sarkonian occupied space,” said Siggy.
The thought of taking my ship anywhere near Sarkonian territory made me sick, but it was better than risking the Union finding us. “That’ll work, just cloak us when we get there. We’re laying low for a while.”
“Right away, sir. All passengers, please fasten your safety harness and remain calm.”
Abigail looked at me as she clutched Lex in her arms. “Are you sure about this?”
I gave her a nod. “Trust me.”
I felt a vibration beneath my feet, a humming sound all through the ship, and it lingered for a moment as we all looked at each other. The thrusters were powering on, already beginning to burn.
Things were about to get bumpy.
I looked at the others. “Everyone hold onto some—”
The entire ship jerked, sending me to my knees as I gripped the railing along the wall. I held on tight with both my hands. Grinding sounds were coming from outside the ship, near the airlock.
I glanced at my passengers. Abigail and Lex had strapped themselves in, along with Freddie, who was still bleeding from his fresh wound. Octavia had her arms around Hitchens, who had also fallen to the floor. I heard a loud blast from beyond the airlock, followed by a series of rapid clicks.
Then, a sudden jerk forward.
The shaking stopped immediately, and I was able to get back on my feet. “Everyone okay?” I asked, looking first at Lex.
“We’re okay,” said Abigail.
“Us, too,” said Hitchens.
I went to the window to see the damage. The docking platform was torn to pieces, with chunks of debris floating outside the gaping, monstrous hole in the station’s wall.
A layer of metal slid down over it, shielding the deck from within, protecting the station from exposure.
As we made our escape, I noticed something trailing behind us—a large chunk of the wall, stuck to our airlock.
I’d have to deal with that later.
“Siggy, let’s go!” I barked.
“Opening a Tunnel,” said the AI.
“Where are we going?” asked Lex.
I started moving to the front of the ship. “As far as we can get,” I said as I left the lounge.
Inside the cockpit, the interface was already live and waiting for my authorization. The second I was seated, I tapped the activation button, launching a beam and opening a tunnel directly ahead.
As we entered it, I activated the ship’s rear camera, focusing on the station. There was no going back now. I was pretty certain this was the last time I’d ever get to lay my eyes on it, the closest thing I had to a home.
An image of Ollie swept through my mind, right as the tunnel closed behind us. I’m sorry, Ollie, I thought as I watched the station disappear. I’m so fucking sorry.
* * *
“So much for that,” said Octavia as I walked back into the lounge. She was sitting beside Freddie, tending to his wound with my first-aid kit. They didn’t seem to notice me yet.
Freddie let out a cough. “What are we going to do now? The Union is after us. The church is gone. We’re running out of options.”
“We’re staying the course,” said Abigail.
“Which is what, exactly?” I interrupted, walking further into the room.
She looked at me. “The rediscovery of Earth, obviously.”
“That again?” I asked.
“I know you don’t believe us, Captain, and that’s okay,” she said. “All I ask is that you take us somewhere safe for the time being. A neutral planet, if possible, far from Union-controlled space. Somewhere where we can charter another ship.”
“I’ll drop you at Keasler Station. It’s near a mining colony. Not much around it, but far enough that you won’t have to worry about being caught. They also have a decent spaceport there, so I’m sure you can find someone to take you where you wanna go.”
“We appreciate it,” said Abigail.
“Mr. Hughes isn’t coming?” asked Lex, looking up at her.
“I’ve got other things I have to do. Sorry kid.”
Namely, paying Fratley the money I owed, and I’d have to do it soon. The deadline was fast approaching and the last thing I needed was more of this to deal with.
I went to my bunk and collapsed into the mattress, but didn’t sleep. I couldn’t, not with Ollie’s face still in my head. The poor bastard’s death was all my fault.
What was I doing, shuttling these fugitives around the Deadlands? Was the money worth the price of my friend’s life?
What was I thinking?
* * *
I slept for ten hours.
When I finally woke up, the clock said it was the early morning. Had I gone to bed at a normal time, I’d probably still be asleep.
I found Freddie in the lounge, asleep with a patch on his shoulder. He seemed to be doing all right, breathing soundly and staying quiet. Beside him, Octavia was resting with a pad in
her hand, lightly snoring.
I left them there and continued into the cockpit. I sat down in my chair and stared out into the swirling green walls of the slip tunnel. It was both beautifully chaotic and frightening, all at the same time. I could’ve watched it for hours, just like I’d done so many times before. In all the universe, as far as I’d found, there was nothing as mysterious or divine as the glow of slipspace. If I’d been a religious man, like the passengers I was carrying on my boat, I might’ve found something holy in all of this. Something to inspire me.
To move me.
But those things had always been for others, I knew. Like Freddie and Abby, I thought. Better people than me.
I hated myself for being the skeptic, for being unable to see the magic, but wasn’t it worse to lie to yourself? To deny what you were and what you believed?
No matter how much I might have tried, I could never see what the rest of them did. Never see the gods in the stars.
I could only be me.
“Sir,” said Sigmond. The word brought me out of my head.
“What is it?” I asked.
“We are currently nearing the end of the ninth slip tunnel since we departed Taurus Station,” said the AI.
