by Charles Nall
“I know. We aren't powerless though, we can find out who did this. We will figure this out together.” Sharon nodded and started to cry.
They both stared at each other through teary eyes. The hug became tighter and tighter. They kept staring, wondering where the next few moments would lead, and wondering if they should let their guard down and just let the inevitable happen.
They kissed. They collapsed onto the cold, metal floor and began rolling about, turning all of their emotional frustration and pain into love.
Sharon paused and looked toward the ladder as Arnold kissed her neck. “I told you to never do anything you regret. I–I can't do–” She closed her eyes in pleasure as Arnold continued kissing her. She was lost in the moment. For a little while, at least the pain had stopped.
February 14, 0270 AC - 12:20
Rapture in dock
Silver Cove, Neutral Space
The crew of Rapture was eating at the table in the lounge of the ship. Sharon tried to avoid looking at Jacob, and would occasionally glance at Arnold with uneasy eyes. Arnold was in good spirits, but Sharon was not. Arnold was confused every time he caught Sharon's eyes, as she did not seem to be in a good mood.
“Ugh, these noodles are awful,” Trevor complained. He grimaced after tasting another fork-full of noodles.
Elijah stirred his meal with a plastic fork. “I'm sorry, it is all we could afford. You can prepare our meal next time, if you'd like to try your hand at it.”
Trevor stuffed more noodles into his mouth. “No, no! They are awful-ly delicious!”
Jacob laughed. “You are ridiculous. So, Arnold, you said Gunner took a contract right out from under you?”
“Yeah!” Arnold said, “I was just about to accept it. It was perfect!”
“Maybe we can make a deal with him. After we eat, I'm going to talk to him, anyone else is welcome to come,” Jacob said.
Trevor twirled noodles onto his fork. “I think it's a bad idea, but if Gunner actually lets us have this contract we could eat something else besides this.”
“I don't know, I hate the guy,” Arnold said.
Elijah drank the last bit of water out of a small paper cup. He crumpled the cup and tossed it away. “Yes, but it still might be worth trying,” he said.
Arnold called out to Sharon, “Hey, Sharon, what do you think?”
Sharon was slowly picking at her meal and not paying attention to the conversation.
“Sharon?”
“Oh, sorry, I have a lot on my mind. I'm going to excuse myself.”
Sharon stood up and walked away. Arnold looked at her and smiled. Sharon quickly looked away and called to Elijah, “Hey, Elijah, when you are done eating, I want to talk more. I'll be in my quarters, just knock.”
Elijah nodded. “Of course, my dear.”
Trevor pointed to her bowl of noodles still on the table, “I call dibs on that.”
Elijah looked over to Trevor. “I thought you hated the noodles?”
“If I stuff enough of this terrible stuff down my throat, maybe this hunger will go away!”
“Is she okay?” Jacob asked as Sharon left the longue.
“I'm sure she'll be fine,” Arnold said.
“I just care about her a lot, I just wish I could help.”
“I know, Jake,” Arnold said. “For now, just keep your distance. I'm working on her, eventually she'll be her old self again. It's been rough.”
Jacob pushed his bowl of noodles away. “I know. We were just really close before. I don't want to lose her.”
Arnold looked down at his bowl of noodles to avoid looking at Jacob. “Don't worry about it.”
Jacob stood up. “Alright, I'll be in my quarters. When everyone is finished eating I'll take a trip over to Knave Gunner. We'll get that contract. Any of you guys can accompany me if you want.”
“Sharon wants to speak to me, so I will do that. Good luck with the contract,” Elijah said.
Arnold nodded. “If it isn't too much trouble, I think I will hang out here. I don't want to see Gunner.”
Trevor raised his bowl to his mouth and started drinking the juice the noodles were formerly in.
“Trevor?” Jacob said.
Trevor continued drinking.
“Trevor!”
Trevor lowered the bowl, leaving a noodle dangling across his face. “What?”
“You are coming with me to talk to Knave Gunner,” Jacob insisted.
Trevor gulped. “Uh, yes sir!”
February 14, 0270 AC - 12:50
Rapture in dock
Silver Cove, Neutral Space
“Are you sure you want to stay here with us?” Sharon asked.
“I have nowhere else to go,” Elijah replied. “I do like it here, honestly. And it must be so.”
“You have family you could visit,” Sharon said.
Elijah sat down on the bunk next to Sharon. “Everyone I cared for is long gone. Any new generations of my family don't even know who I am.”
“How are you handling all of this?”
“A day at a time. I appreciate everyone keeping my identity a secret. If it got out that I was from another time I would have a host of more problems. I'm sure there are some mad scientists out there just waiting to hook me up to some sort of machine.”
“Sometimes I wish I was hooked up to a machine, preferably one that could erase my memories or something,” Sharon said.
“Memories are what make you the person you are. You can't run from the past. Learn from your past mistakes but do not hold onto them. Remember the fallen but do not cling to them, let them go. I know it's not easy. Everything happens for a reason. Everything and everyone is connected,” Elijah said.
Sharon lowered her head. “Everything does happen for a reason. The reason? Our universe is broken. Everything is screwed up. All of these tragedies are happening because there is something dark rising.”
Elijah's voice seemed to echo in Sharon's tiny quarters. “Yes. Something dark is rising that will blot out the stars. Do not be afraid, though. Everything will happen as it was foretold and there must be night before the dawn. Darkness is rising. But we will persevere. The darkness must envelop all before it is destroyed.”
“What?”
“I don't know, I just felt like saying it. There's something wrong with me. It just spills out, as if these words are in my head and just wanting to get out when they have an opportunity.”
“Well, if something dark is brewing, we have to stop it. I believe all of the tragedies are connected. For some reason they are pinning the blame on the Confederation. I was researching Silver Cove history last night and came across a story about a suicide bomber on the Cove. He had connections to the Confederation. Perhaps it has something to do with this rising darkness. Do you think we should look into it? Maybe ask Captain Hawk about it?”
“I think you may be on the right track. Let's see if Captain Hawk wants to talk to us.”
February 14, 0270 AC - 13:23
Docking Area 2 C3-11
Silver Cove, Neutral Space
Jacob Carpenter and Trevor Reynolds walked down one of the catwalks of Silver Cove. The catwalks linked different ship landing platforms together. A wide variety of platforms lined this particular corridor of the space station. Long runways ran along the right side of the corridor, while large vertical take-off and landing platforms lined the left side. Jacob and Trevor walked by workers tending to ships that were docked on the occasional platform. Jacob was taking in the sights of many different types of ships: corvettes, small frigates, and fighters.
The long corridor that Jacob and Trevor walked through was one of three that ran straight through the center of Silver Cove. The station from the outside looked like a large metallic cylinder with many antennas and solar panels protruding out of it, like some sort of spark plug floating in space. The landing corridors ran through the cylinder.
Jacob and Trevor walked down a catwalk to another platform. “C3-11” was painted in
white along the gray wall to the left.
A black California II-class was resting on the platform. “Eclipse” was painted on the side of the corvette. Five people were standing near Eclipse. They all wore black cut-off jackets with denim pants.
The only female of the group, who had her auburn hair tied into a pony tail, yelled out toward Jacob and Trevor, “Hey, boss! The new guys are back!”
Captain Knave Gunner turned to the approaching men and walked towards them. “Oh, Aria, what do we have here? Don't they know this a big boys game? They should run back home to their mommas.”
“I'm an orphan,” Jacob said with a sigh.
Knave Gunner laughed. “Of course you are. You think you should get special treatment? You think I should be easy on you just because your life was a little difficult? You don't know my life. I crawled out of a pit on Tyson VI. I clawed my way to this place. You? You just show up and say you know Teresa and expect me to just let you be? You are gonna get yourself killed out here, I'm doing you a favor. Get out of this life, kid.”
Trevor sighed. “More of the same.”
Knave Gunner smirked. “And you’re always the same. You think you’re funny? Witty? You’re no better than this kid. You dig in the dirt looking for some special meaning to your life. Get out of the dirt and find a real calling. Aliens? Do you really believe that? Give me a break. Both of you guys should get off this platform, before we make you get off of it.”
Jacob kept his composure. “Listen, Captain Gunner, I know we don't really belong here, but we're trying to make it. We're trying. We ran away from something horrible.”
Knave's crew started laughing.
Aria Briel mocked Jacob as she pantomimed crying, “Poor baby. Have to run away 'cuz the mean people want to lock you away. Poor thing.”
Jacob shook his head. “Listen. I'm here just for business. You accepted a contract last night to escort foodstuffs to Galactic Union space. We’d like to have it. You don't need a contract like that, it's beneath you. You will help us scrape our way to the top if you actually let us have this contract.”
Knave scratched his stubble on his chin. “Well, let me think... No. We saw it first, fair and square. You’re right, you have to scrape your way up. You want the contract? You need to take it from us. Pry it out of our hands. Come on, it will be fun. I'll beat some sense into you.”
“I'm not here to fight, I'm sure we can come to some other agreement,” Jacob said.
“No fighting?” Knave Gunner said. “Well that's no fun! How about this? You throw in your hot little girlfriend and I'll let you have the contract.”
Jacob growled and ran up to Knave and grabbed him by his jacket's collar. Jacob drew his fist back and stared at Gunner in rage. He took control of himself and lowered his fist and let Gunner go. “No, I won't drop down to your level. Please, we're asking nicely.”
Knave nodded. “Okay, alright. We can do it like this, I have another idea–”
He punched Jacob in the face, knocking him onto the steel catwalk. Jacob struggled to his feet. Gunner then punched Jacob in the stomach, causing Jacob to collapse again. Trevor pushed Knave away and crouched down next to Jacob. Gunner shook his head and chuckled.
Sharon and Elijah were also walking down these catwalks at the same time. They were on their way to an entry hatch into the space station proper to meet Captain Sid Hawk to discuss the bombing. They were about to walk near the catwalk to Gunner's corvette.
Knave snarled, “I'm doing you guys a favor. I have to beat the sense into you. Get off this station.”
Jacob coughed up blood onto the steel. “No. I want that contract.”
“Well, you aren't getting it,” Knave said.
Jacob struggled to his feet.
Knave cracked his knuckles. “Ready for more, are you? Get away, alien boy. Let me show your captain how the mercenary life works.”
“Oh, Knave, picking on the new blood, are you? Just like when I kicked you around when you first made it here,” called out a voice from behind Trevor and Jacob.
Teresa Day walked up to Jacob. “You alright?”
“Just a little blood,” said Jacob as blood dripped from his nose.
Knave smirked. “Ah, the queen bitch is here.”
Teresa looked over Jacob's injuries. “Yeah, you'll live. Knave, watch your mouth. I can end you. Don’t treat Jacob like this, everyone needs a start.”
“End me? You need to get out of here, too. I respect you, I really do, but this little dispute is between two men. He wants a contract we earned fair and square.”
“We do not harm our own, Knave. You know that. Jacob is one of us now, back off. You can keep your stupid contract, there's always more work to be had. Jacob will make it.”
“Whatever you say. We're getting out of here,” Knave said with a smirk as he and his crew started moving back to their ship.
Teresa hugged Jacob. “It's good to see you. I heard about Exodus. I'm glad you took my advice. You can make it here, it just takes time. I'll try to help you guys out.”
Sharon and Elijah were walking into the entry hallway of the space station. A large hatch was open. Sharon looked out toward the corridor, and saw Jacob and Teresa hugging on the landing platform.
“Oh, it's Jake and Trevor. Who are they with?” Elijah asked.
Sharon groaned. “Teresa Day. Friend of my dad's– she's trouble. She's why we are here. Let's just go inside, Captain Hawk is waiting for us.”
“Do you not get along with Teresa?” Elijah asked.
“Oh, I don't know. I haven't really met her. Jerry sung her praises, but I've done research. I don't trust mercs. I think she's manipulating Jacob. I don't know why.”
Jacob and Teresa stopped hugging and Jacob grinned and started chatting with her.
“It's probably nothing. I think you are just jealous,” Elijah said.
Sharon motioned toward the doorway. “Come on, let's see Hawk. I don't want to talk about this right now.
“Do you think she's trying to steal him away from you?”
Sharon screeched at Elijah, “You shut your mouth! Let's just go to Hawk! I'm...” Sharon turned away and sniffed. “I'm sorry, let's keep going. Let's not talk about that.”
Teresa smiled. “How is the rest of your crew doing?”
Trevor shrugged. “They're fine. Sharon is stressed out lately, but I can't imagine how she is feeling. She'll make it through this.”
“From what Jerry told me, she's a strong, sweet girl. I'm sure it will be alright. Listen, guys, I have to go, but I will help you score some contracts. You guys will make it!”
“I appreciate the help, Teresa. I'm glad to be here,” Jacob said as Teresa began to walk away.
“Your bloody nose says otherwise.” Teresa laughed. “Stay out of trouble.”
February 14, 0270 AC - 13:30
The Wormhole, Silver Cove
Neutral Space
Elijah Shepherd and Sharon Rose Turner saw Captain Sid Hawk sitting alone sipping on a drink at a back table. Everyone in the establishment seemed to be in good spirits, maybe something to do with the spirits they were consuming. The two sat down at Hawk's table.
“Captain Hawk, thanks for talking to us,” Sharon said.
“Of course, anything for the new guys. We're dedicated to get you guys up to speed, would you care for something to drink?”
Sharon shook her head. “Oh, no thanks.”
“How about you, sir?”
“No, thank you.”
“Alright, you should try a Coreward Quasar sometime. Although maybe I shouldn't suggest that. The last time someone came by to investigate the bombing I also offered that drink, then something bad happened,” Hawk said.
“What happened?” Elijah asked.
“He died.”
“Oh, I'm sorry.”
“As I said before, this is dangerous. Investigating the bombing may claim your life. It's happened before. You must be careful. At first I just declined your request because I
don't want anything to happen to my newest recruits, but I understand you really want to figure this out. Perhaps what happened over Artemis is connected to our bombing. Please watch yourself.”
Sharon restlessly shifted in her seat. “Okay, thank you, we'll be careful.”
“So I am washing my hands of this. You are investigating this information on your own volition. I am giving you some help, but it is because you asked. If something happened to you, I am not responsible,” Hawk said.
“Do you really think something will happen?” Elijah asked.
“I don't have the answer to that. I felt partly responsible for the last death on my station. I really don’t want more on my conscience, but if I warn you ahead of time, perhaps I won't feel nearly as bad. I don't know, I'm in a tough position. Do you still want to investigate the bombing of Jun Souran?”
Sharon nodded. “Yes, Captain Hawk. Maybe it’s nothing, but I think all of these tragedies are connected. If I discover who was behind the bombing, perhaps I can find out who caused the destruction of Exodus.”
Captain Hawk sighed. “Your fate is in your hands. Be careful.” Hawk pushed over some files to Elijah. “That goes over all the weirdness of the case. I will send the security camera data to your ship. There's nothing of importance in that footage, though. I will also give you access to the brig to talk to Rattlesnake.”
“Rattlesnake?” Elijah asked as he began looking through the files.
