Chapter 7 - Reminiscence
20 Apr 2021Rsimpson500
I started to wake up, my thoughts drifting in and out of consciousness. I could hear a familiar voice nearby:“Rufus, can you hear me? Rufus? He’s still out of it. Maybe some of this…”
I felt a syringe in my arm and a feeling of warmth started seeping upwards. My thoughts started to cohere a bit more.
“It looks like you’re coming around. I’ve fixed your leg and stabilised your condition but we need to move. I’m going to get us out of here in case there’s anything else out there. I’ve had an AI pilot your SRV and it’s got the data you needed. I’ll keep you safe, just stay calm and I’ll be back when I can”.
There were footsteps, then silence. As I lay there, slowly regaining consciousness, I realised with shock that I knew who the voice belonged to.
Alicia.
6 months previously I’d been doing Robigo-Sothis runs for cash and materials - nice, easy money for those with the patience to do it. I’d just got back to Robigo, looking for more passengers, and a well-dressed elderly man approached me in the passenger lounge. He smiled slightly and said in a gentile, quiet voice,
“Good morning to you. I was hoping you might be a pilot? An explorer, by the look of those badges on your shoulders, eh?”
“Well”, I said, “I’ve done some exploring so far - made it to Colonia and back - and I’m hoping to go further. Is there anything I can help you with”?
“As a matter of fact there is. I’m looking for an adventure.”
“An adventure?” I said, startled.
“Why yes! I’ve hardly been anywhere in all my long years. Never left the Empire before this week, devoted myself to my work and family. But now that my time is nearly up, I realised I had to grasp my chance”. He spoke slowly and quietly, but with an edge of determination.
“Did you have anywhere particular in mind?”
“Ah, that’s the thing - I think I’d like to just see where fate takes me. You said you were hoping to go beyond Colonia - did you have a destination in mind?
“Er, well, I was planning to visit the Bubble Nebula then visit the Formidine Rift, see those abandoned settlements, then come back via the Heart and Soul nebula and NGC 7822. It was just supposed to be a little adventure for myself, but..”
“That sounds marvellous! I’d be most obliged if you could take me along. I thought you looked like the adventurous type, and I’d feel comfortable travelling with a fellow Imperial. I could pay you handsomely - say, 50million credits? What do you say?”
I was quite taken aback. I could make that sort of money much faster if I just stayed on the Robigo-Sothis route, but if he was going to subsidise my little adventure, that was tempting. He seemed like a pleasant, kindly sort of old man and I wouldn’t say no to some company on the voyage. Why not?
“I can offer you a Business-class cabin for that price. Are you OK to set off tomorrow?”
The old man beamed happily, “Splendid! Tomorrow it is - shall we say 9am? My name is Charles, Charles Verrus. I’ll meet you right here.”
The next day I greeted Charles on board the Marcus Aurelius, which I’d hurriedly added a cabin to. We were about to set off when I received a message - his daughter was hurrying to meet us and asked that we delay our departure. Charles sighed resignedly but agreed to wait.
A few minutes later I was greeting a tall, purple-haired woman in high-status Imperial clothes onto my ship. She greeted me politely but she seemed tense, anxious even. “I was worried he would try something like this.”.
“Try what?” I said evenly.
“Try and give me the slip! I’ve been looking after him ever since my mother passed away last year. He’s been increasingly restless and keeps saying he wants an adventure. I agreed on the condition that I go with him, but I think he rather wanted to go alone, thought it would be more exciting that way”.
At this point Charles emerged in the cockpit from the cabin below. “Alicia! How lovely to see you here”
“Hello father”, she said rather icily.
“Um, I er, may have forgotten to tell you about my little trip”.
“How far exactly were you planning on going?”
“Oh, you know, not far” he said, by this point looking slightly desperate.
“Only to the Formidine Rift”, I said casually, “it’ll just be a few days there and back”.
To my surprise, Alicia looked relieved at this. “I assumed you would be going all in - Beagle Point or something - but that doesn’t sound too bad. But please, father, let me come along too. That would be alright, wouldn’t it”, she asked me.
“Fine”, I said. “As long as Charles agrees?” He nodded, contritely, and smiled sweetly at his daughter.
And so, we set off.
Charles and I got along very well - he had lots of interesting stories to tell, despite his earlier assertions that he’d lived a boring life. And Alicia was good company too. She was much closer to me in age, and seemed to have a similar background - born on Achenar, high-status Imperial, enjoyed classical music, art and history. I found myself talking to her late into the night. She was a professional pianist but had taken a sabbatical to look after her father whilst he recovered from the shock of losing his wife.
As we orbited a pink S-class star, enjoying the eerie glow, Alicia asked me about my own backstory. I felt inclined to trust her - so I told her and Charles about my parents, my hope of finding my father one day and my Guardian research. They were sympathetic and interested, with Alicia offering to help me.
“I have some friends in high places back on Achenar, they might be able to help with your research”.
I agreed, but asked her to be discreet.
After our journey was over, they waved farewell and I never heard from Alicia again. Charles sent me messages now and again, suggesting new adventures but we never got further than discussing ideas. Just before I set off on this trip he contacted and asked if I was free for another trip, to Eta Carina. I told him I’d just returned from there and was headed out again shortly, but promised to contact him once I was back from my latest trip.
As I thought back on all this, I felt stronger and more awake. Opening my eyes, I saw I was in the med-bay. There were several tubes and a metallic exoskeleton around my legs, and an integrated dermal ray was scanning up and down the right leg repairing the skin. It seemed I’d be able to walk with the exoskeleton’s help.
I stood up carefully, testing the weight - seemed ok. Just then I felt the familiar lurch of a hyper-space entry and the ship shook slightly. It seemed Alicia was piloting the Marcus Aurelius and we were on our way. I had to get to the bridge to talk to her, so I set off as fast as I could. I had to know what was going on. I reached the bridge and approached the pilot’s chair - “Alicia, is that you?”
....to be continued