by J. N. Chaney
I accepted the offered hand, and his grip felt like a vise around my own. The calluses on his palm were evidence of a lifetime of lifting weights and fighting with his hands.
“Say,” Mr. Herald said, looking at me with a tilted head. “Before that crazy beard of yours and the long hair, you wouldn’t have gone by a different name a few years back, would you? Maybe a title or a nickname?”
“I’m not sure what you’re talking about.” I squeezed his hand back just as hard, and a warning sign exploded in my head. I was already doing the math. There were five of them, probably all armed. This wasn’t a fight I could win.
“I like that about you, Dean,” Mr. Harold said, releasing my hand. He looked over at his group of men, specifically the one who’d been in the alley earlier that day. “You’re a good liar. See, one of my boys told me you KO’d two of my guys today. Now don’t worry. I’m not out for vengeance or retaliation. He told me he thinks you’re a prizefighter that fell off the radar a few years ago. A real gladiator in the ring, he said.”
Ricky’s eyes widened as Mr. Harold kept talking.
“I think your man might be mistaken,” I said, shaking my head. “I’m just a mechanic. Have been for a while now. Ask Ricky. He’s known me for years.”
“Is that so?” Mr. Harold grinned but didn’t bother looking at Ricky for verification. “Well, if you did happen to be a skilled fighter, I would have a use for someone like that. I could make them a generous offer that’d make that mechanic pay look like garbage.”
I held Mr. Harold’s gaze, showing no reaction to his words.
“And,” he continued with that stupid grin on his face, hugging Ricky a little too close, “I would overlook any debt that his acquaintances owed to me.”
“I-I have your money,” Ricky squeaked again. “I have it here in my pocket.”
“Oh, your money’s no good with me anymore, Rick,” Mr. Harold said. The grin on his face suddenly disappeared, along with any sign of friendliness, replaced by something far more dangerous.
“But that’s only Dean,” Ricky said. “He’s not a boxer or a fighter or anything. He’s just—well, he’s just Dean. He doesn’t have any friends outside of me. Sorry, no offense, brother.”
“None taken.” I waved the apology away.
“Well, I guess we’ll have to see about that,” Mr. Harold said, pursing his lips and eyeing me again. “You see, despite all your words to the contrary, I know a killer when I see one. I’ve been around long enough to have gained a sixth sense about these things, and I’m never wrong. Not to worry, Dean. I’m a generous man. I’ll tell you what. You take a day to reconsider my offer. If you decline, I take out my anger and frustration on Ricky here. Sound fair?”
“Do I get a vote in any of this?” Ricky asked.
“Naw, Ricky,” Mr. Harold finally released him and motioned for his men to go. “Think about it, Dean. For your friend’s sake.” He smiled at me. “See you tomorrow.”
I didn’t bother saying anything, since there really wasn’t much to say. I knew if he discovered who I was, things wouldn’t end well. My plan had always been to move on if I was recognized. Now because I had saved Stacy, I’d ruined everything.
“Sorry—sorry,” Ricky said, shaking his head. “I’ll figure this out. I’ll pay him back double. I don’t know what he’s thinking. Too many drugs have warped his imagination. I mean, come on. You, a famous fighter? Even the mid-listers get paid tons of credits and can have any woman they want. They live in penthouses, not work in the yard or become mechanics.”
I chose to stay silent on the matter as we walked the rest of the way home. Ricky might have been my closest friend—hell, he was probably my only friend—but there were things from my past that I wasn’t willing to share with anyone.
“I’ll get it all sorted,” Ricky reassured me as we stopped at the entrance to my apartment. “Don’t lose any sleep over it tonight. I’ll talk to Mr. Harold. He’s a reasonable man.”
“Yeah, he strikes me as the reasonable type,” I said sarcastically.
“Good, okay. I’ll see you tomorrow at work, Dean,” Ricky said, too preoccupied with his own thoughts to pay any attention to my remark.
“See you tomorrow,” I answered, unlocking the outside gate to my complex and looking up at the peeling paint and bars over the windows. I let out a long sigh as I stepped inside, then shut the gate behind me.
Making my way to the fourth floor, I passed kids playing in the hall, barking dogs, and open doors to other apartments where spouses argued about what to eat for dinner.
My apartment wasn’t much of anything. I didn’t really need it to be. It was a one-bedroom with a kitchen that opened on the far side to a bathroom. A regular old shithole if ever there was one.
For a guy that tried to keep his head down, I was failing at it rather miserably. In a single day, I had stuck my neck out twice for someone else, only for the day to end with a job offer from a crime lord.
My body ached from the exertion of the day, so I decided to turn in early. On my back in the dark room, my hand strayed to the medallion on my neck. I let it run through my fingers as memories washed over me again. Memories of my ex-wife. Memories of a better life.
And I fell asleep like that, with the necklace still between my fingers, praying to forget.
A familiar dream came to me, although it had been a while since the last time.
The stadium was designed to look like a coliseum. The packed stands were full of attendees who roared and clapped their approval at what was about to happen.
The media had come in droves, and cameras broadcasted the event live for the entire world to see.
The staff was all around me, preparing me for the fight as I strapped my hands in the locker room, slamming my fists together. My coach gave me last-minute instructions, while a team worked on keeping me loose.
I couldn’t hear what they were saying. There was no noise, just a faint white buzzing. I was lost in my own head, visualizing the moves, while at the same time preparing myself mentally for what was about to come next. The fight of my life, I kept thinking, even as the dream began to fade. The fight of my life and I’m going to win it. I’m going to take the whole damn thing.
6
I could already tell something was up when I saw the activity at the yard from a few blocks away. The local suits had to number in the hundreds. Not only were there the normal officers, but there were also suits in black armor with pulse rifles in nearly every hand.
A pair of intimidating vehicles that looked like tanks blocked the entrance to the yard. They divided a throng of people into two groups. The group on the left appeared to be ordinary men, women, and children. The much smaller line on the right were workers. I didn’t recognize all their faces, but I’d seen some before.
Stacy’s familiar dark eyes found mine. I shrugged deeper into my coat to fight off the morning cold. She waved me over.
“Do I even want to know?” I asked her, joining the line to get into the yard. “I probably don’t.”
“You might be right,” Stacy said with an arched eyebrow. “They’ve moved up the timetable on the launch. We’re hauling all our sections out of here today and they’re launching tomorrow. Boss says the ship is already in transit to a closer station near Earth’s orbit.”
“Excuse me?” I looked at her, not quite believing what she was saying. “Sorry, I must have had my ears damaged yesterday. It sounded like you said they’re launching tomorrow.”
“That’s right.” Stacy pointed past the gate to one of the local docks. Several people were loading into shuttles, all of them marked with the program’s insignia. “Word is the Eternals don’t want to risk another Disciple attack, not when we’re this close to finishing. They say they can have their automated drone system complete everything once the parts are off-world.”
My mind swam with the implications of her words as we moved forward in the line. Up ahead, Boss Creed was with a group of suits. He was visua
lly checking his mechanics before they were allowed into the yard.
“But the seed ship isn’t ready yet,” I said out loud. “Am I wrong? I know for a fact the hydroponics system is still in review.”
“Beats me,” Stacy said with a shrug. “I told you what I know. We’ll have to ask Boss Creed for the specifics.”
I nodded along, looking at the other, much longer line of families getting checked to board the ship. These poor people weren’t even given twenty-four hours’ notice that their trip of a lifetime had moved up. They were leaving everything they knew behind, all in hopes of a better life on some promised alien planet.
“Stop there,” a suit said, extending an open hand to Stacy and me.
Boss Creed looked up from a pad. “It’s okay; they’re part of my team.”
The suit waved us inside.
“Mr. Slade, a moment,” Boss Creed said, motioning for me to come closer.
I didn’t like the sound in his voice. Regardless, I stepped to the side with him.
“I’m sure you’ve heard that the Orion is departing tomorrow.” Boss Creed stopped to measure my expression.
“The Orion?” I asked, playing dumb.
“No need for the song and dance. Doctor Allbright said she let it slip right before you saved her. We had to keep certain information classified because of all the attacks. Even the name. The folks upstairs thought it would help, but—” He paused, scanning the yard for a moment before looking back at me. “Some good it did.”
I said nothing.
“Look, I’ll get straight to the point,” he went on. “We lost a lot of good mechanics yesterday in the attack. I need to fill a roster for the ship. I noticed you didn’t put your name in for consideration. Why is that?”
“Listen, I get that people want a fresh start, but it’s just not for me,” I said, scratching at the right side of my beard. “I’ve had enough excitement to last me a lifetime. I’m good here.”
“Your family would be able to join you,” Boss Creed continued. “It pays well, and you’d be given housing of your own once the colony is established on Kronos Five.”
“I don’t have a family,” I said, trying to figure out what was bothering me so much about the prospect. “I don’t want to go.”
“Sure.” Boss Creed made a few notes on his data pad. “If you change your mind, I’m adding you as approved on the ship’s manifest. Sometimes we need to do things in life for ourselves. Maybe that means a fresh start, and there’s no shame in that. Don’t be burdened by the events of your past, Mr. Slade.”
My heart rate spiked. I looked up at Boss Creed, searching his dark eyes to see if he was hinting at something. Did he know who I really was? If he did, he didn’t say anything. Instead, he just waved me in.
They assigned the rest of the mechanics and me to load the ship with essential supplies for the journey. Even though the trip to Kronos Five would only take six weeks, it required a massive supply due to the sheer number of people on board.
I was loading couch-sized wooden crates with holes poked into their sides and the word “fragile” stamped onto them. They were off to the side under a tarp, as if someone didn’t want to bring attention to them. Out of the corner of my eye, it looked as if one of the crates had moved.
“We’ll handle these,” a strong male voice said from behind my right shoulder. “Thank you for your help.”
“This could just be the fatigue talking, but I think I just saw one of those—” I stopped, spotting a tall, slender man standing behind me. He wore a deep hood and high boots. I had seen an Eternal before, but that was a lifetime ago. His pure white skin and shining blue eyes were jarring, even inside the hood, and it caught me by surprise. What was he doing in a place like this? Had he come to inspect the damage?
“I didn’t mean to frighten you,” he said, extending a gloved hand. “My name is Elon Drake. I’m one of the two Eternals that will be guiding the colony ship to Kronos Five.”
“Dean,” I said, recovering enough to shake his hand. “You didn’t frighten me. I just didn’t realize you’d be walking the yard today. Isn’t it kind of dangerous for you to be out here? I mean, the Disciples just tried to blow up your ship. They’d love to get a shot at one of you.”
“Our ship,” Elon corrected.
“What?” I said, cocking my brow.
“You said ‘the Disciples just tried to blow up your ship,’ but it’s our ship. Both Eternal and Transient.” Elon gave me a kind smile. “We’ll be fine. We can’t show fear in the face of terrorism. My sister is about to demonstrate that to everyone right now.”
Elon pointed to the platform on the other side of the factory where a crowd was gathering. It was right behind the spot where the truck had detonated, although most of the debris had already been cleared by this point.
“You should come and listen,” Elon said, waving me forward. “The message will be broadcast to those in line and everyone already onboard the ship. Even still, there’s nothing like seeing her talk in person. She was gifted with the silver tongue of the family.”
I decided to indulge him, if only to avoid pissing off someone with the power to make my life a living hell. Not that I expected him to, but you never knew anyone, and I’d rather take the five minutes than make an enemy.
While I was crossing the yard, Ricky caught up to me.
“Hey, maybe it’s all the drugs I’ve done over the years, but it looks like those boxes are actually moving,” my friend said, blinking a half dozen times and then looking over his shoulder at the boxes again. “I went to go check them out, and a suit told me to go about my business. What the hell are we taking to Kronos Five?”
“We?” I repeated. “Are you on the guestlist now?”
“Yep. That run-in with Mr. Harold and his Warlord gang was all the convincing I needed. You should come too, unless you wanna end up getting shot in the back of the head when you turn him down again.”
“When are you people going to stop asking me that?” I muttered.
“When you wise up to the reality of your situation,” he said.
Ricky and I reached the gathered crowd in front of the podium. It seemed like everyone understood a ceremony for the dead was about to take place, but they seemed more entranced by the sight of the Eternal than the message she was about to deliver.
The albino woman was slender like her brother but beautiful with sharp and attractive features. A tight ponytail of white hair fell behind her head, glistening in the morning light.
“I think I’m in love,” Ricky said as those around us cheered when they saw an Eternal at the podium.
The crowd’s excitement silenced a moment later when the woman opened her mouth to speak.
“My name is Arun Drake, and along with my brother Elon, I am honored to take this next step with you to our new world,” Arun said with so much determination and power in her voice, the crowd couldn’t help but applaud.
I managed to refrain from clapping, but Ricky couldn’t hold himself back.
“Yesterday, a terrorist group calling themselves the Disciples attacked this facility in an act of cowardice and murdered over two dozen of your fellow workers. While we mourn their sacrifice, we also honor them by pushing forward. By accelerating our program, we tell the Disciples that whether you are Eternal or Transient, we are one united people focused on creating opportunity, advancement, and new beginnings for everyone.” Arun swept the gathered crowd with her fiery blue eyes. “The name of our vessel is the Orion—a hunter in ancient history praised for his exploits of skill and raw determination. We must embody those traits and, together, begin a new phase in human history. One that does not yield to fear or anger. One that is above division and racism. We are one people, united by a common cause, united to the stars.”
I had to give it to her. Elon was right, that woman knew how to give a speech. The people who’d gathered around me clearly felt the same way as they clapped and cheered for her to continue. When the applause died, she
addressed the crowd one last time.
“There is a mountain of work that still needs to be done. We will all labor into the dark hours of the night to see our launch happen, but make no mistake, we will launch tomorrow,” Arun said, shouting the last words. “We will go as one, and we will not give in to acts of those who would seek to extinguish our light. Are you with me?”
The crowd reacted with even more fervor, giving everything they had, Ricky most of all.
“I love you!” Ricky screamed into the roar of the crowd. “I think I love you!”
The noise level was so loud, only those standing right beside him could hear his words. Some smiled in our direction, and Ricky grinned the widest smile I’d ever seen him give.
The day passed faster than I could have imagined, along with the night. They asked all the workers not embarking on the trip to stay on to help with the last-minute loading. Ricky and Stacy were each given orders to go to their homes and pack one backpack of belongings to take on the trip. Everything else would be provided.
I had to admit, I’d probably miss Ricky. Hell, if I was honest, I’d miss Stacy too, even though I’d only known her for a day. It was kind of nice to see a familiar face in the yard other than Ricky’s dopey smile.
When the evening came, I found myself exhausted. I kept thinking over Boss Creed’s words, despite trying to push them away. A voice in my head urged me to accept the offer. You’ve got nothing here, I thought. Absolutely nothing. The only thing that means anything to you is around your neck right now. What would you have to lose if you went?
Before I could debate with myself further, a boy no more than ten walked up to me, interrupting my thoughts. He looked at me uncertainly, then handed me a small handheld radio. Saying nothing, he ran off into the masses of people boarding the shuttles.
“Hey,” I started to say, but it was too late. He was gone.
