We See Things They'll Never See
03 Feb 2018Jellicoe
Jacques Station, ColoniaThe bar was largely empty by this time, only a handful of people remained, the ancient planet bound custom of night and day still being observed even here in the farthest flung settlement humanity had ever established. Not that 'night' had any real meaning in Colonia, the brilliance of the starfield so close to the galactic core supplying a perpetual near daylight. That was a sure way to spot a newcomer, in time of course you got used to it, but however hard they tried not to new arrivals found their eyes drawn to the windows and the stunning starscape beyond. The old man leaning against the bar relied a lot on this method, his cyborg employer might never forget a face but with the rather more human limitations of his own memory he needed every tool he could get, especially as his job was to make strangers welcome and, if possible, identify any troublemakers. The old man cast his practised eye over the remaining patrons, three miners drawn here by the lure of wealth in the many pristine rings who had come in to celebrate finding a particularly rich seam and were now slumped, dead drunk over their table. He knew them well, they were rough and ready men who worked and played hard but honest as the day is long. In a secluded corner booth sat a young couple alternately kissing and gazing at each other in apparent rapturous disbelief, he an Imperial Patrons son and she and indentured slave, they had arrived here the previous week in a stolen and badly beaten up Clipper wanting nothing but the freedom to be together. The old man didn't know if they'd make it, but there was still enough romance in his jaded soul to hope so, certainly they had more chance here in Colonia than anywhere else. It was the bars other remaining customer though who interested the old man tonight, a tall blonde man in a tatty blue jacket sat in a darkened corner, he was not an old man but had the empty yet haunted eyes of one who had seen too much. He didn't recognise the man and his body language gave little away as he sat alone nursing a bottle of brandy. While the old man surreptitiously watched the strangers eyes darted to the window and lingered on the view before snapping back to his drink, the old man smiled, time to see if he was right again.
"Guessin' you're new round here?" The old man asked the stranger.
"Is it as obvious as that?" The old man replied with a half smile.
"You learn to spot it when you've been here a while," The old man said returning the smile, "Name's Nock, Godwin Knock." He continued extending his hand.
"Stannis Jellicoe." The stranger replied shaking the offered hand.
"Pleased to make your acquaintance Mr Jellicoe. So what brings you out here?"
"Does there need to be a reason?"
"Hell of a way to come on a whim son. Folks got a lot of reasons for coming to Colonia, chasing riches or adventure, freedom even, last stop before heading out into the unknown, some," Here he fixed Jellicoe with his gaze, "to escape."
"I'm not here to look for trouble." Jellicoe replied holding his gaze.
"Mighty glad to here it Mr Jellicoe, out here we don't much care what you done before just do right by us and we'll do right by you. Now you don't look like as man who lacks for money, you're too damn old to be chasing thrills and it's not freedom you're wantin' so explorer or fugitive?"
"Don't worry nobody'll be coming after me."
"Son someone'd have to want you dead real bad to come out here, and like I say you do right by us and we'll do right by you. Course," he looked closely into Jellicoe's haunted eyes as he continued, "What some folk are running from there aint no distance can escape it."
"Meaning?"
"You can't outrun demons Mr Jellicoe, only way to be free of them is to slay them."
"And how might I do that?" Jellicoe asked torn between irritation and curiosity.
"Demons leech out your soul, way you fight them is to fill it again."
"And what fills a soul?" Jellicoe asked, part of him wanting only to be rid of this old fool while the other half clung to him like a drowning man to a life raft.
"Aint no one got the same soul son, or the same demons neither. You thought of going on to the Big A?"
"Where?"
"The core, the centre, the middle of everything, bright stars and black void balanced in all its vastness, makes a man think just how small he is, and how small his demons are. We're pilots you and me, well I was, we can see things most people will never see or even dream about and there's so much of it, so much wonder, awe and beauty, go and see it, look into the galaxy's heart and ask then if it matters whose flag flies over which system or if you can make a few creds hauling crap from here to there."
"Are you Jacques bloody shrink or something?"
"No sir," The old man replied smiling, "I'm just a barman."