Chapter 4 - Heavy Burden
18 Apr 2023GoblinCoffeeShop
**Dear Reader, you are in the possession of a manuscript that has not yet been made public. For the purposes of RP and squadron lore, this story is secret and will not be known by your commander character. This story contains some mature language and content. Thank you, and enjoy.**Shortcut to Chapter 3
Chapter 4
"Heavy Burden"
Bean Terminal, orbiting Anekaliti 2
July 11th, 3304
(11 days later)
Harsh light slashed through the darkness, slanting into Trevin’s bedroom from the hallway. Familiar words gripped him with dread.
“I think there’s someone in the settlement.”
He knew he would find his mother in the hallway wearing her pale nightgown. He knew the habitat door would open with an electric crack to reveal a dark flight suit, an ominous figure in the black doorway. He tried screaming for his mom to hide, to run, to do anything, but his screams were caught in his throat, like a hand was forced over his mouth.
“It’s fine honey..”
He knew the dark metal would be pointed at Mom…
..the scream won’t come out..
..and the purple fire would enter her stomach, once, twice, three times, the scream won’t come out..
“I’m sorry.. I’m sorry, babe..”
…her legs would collapse, dark circles in the nightgown with edges like embers, THE SCREAM WON'T COME OUT
“Gob!”
“AHH!” Goblin’s body spasmed as his muscles came to life.
“Dude, holy shit, are you okay?”
Jeffrey blurred into Goblin’s vision, stooping over the sofa with one hand on his shoulder. He felt his night clothes sticking to his skin. “I … fuck…”
“You alright? You were like, yelling.” Jeffrey’s usual smile was mired in worry.
“Yeah… fuckin…” Goblin took a shaky breath and rubbed his face. “This nightmare I’ve had…”
Jeffrey straightened up with a nod, but said nothing.
Goblin heart was pounding, but he tried to wave away the concern. “It’s just… old dream from being a kid.”
“Okay buddy, well. You were sleeping through breakfast… you want some eggs or something?”
Goblin sat up on the couch, his brain adjusting to the apartment. The smell of sausage was warm and inviting, but he stared vacantly at the dining table. Jeffrey just walked away, chuckling, and sat down to eat. “Well it’s here if you want it.”
Goblin sat hunched with the blanket over his legs, still staring through the table. “I had this nightmare a lot when I was a kid. Some commander came to the settlement and started shooting people for no reason.. It’s always the same. Just… haven’t had it in a while.”
“Bro. You’re on vacation at The Bean. Come eat some fuckin eggs. Just a dream, man.”
Goblin inhaled and rubbed his eyes. “Yeah. Yeah, just a dream.”
“You got work today?”
“Yeah. What about you, whatchu up to?”
Jeffrey chewed his words along with the food he was shoveling into his mouth. “What time? Might take that girl I’ve been talking to so you can meet her.”
“Oh. Cool.”
“Around lunchtime?”
“Probably. Depends when Steve sends me on break.”
“Okay, well… she’s hot dude.”
“I know, you showed me pictures like five times already.”
“Yeah but even her voice is like..” his sentence was cut off by a forkful of sausage and egg, shaking his head as he chewed.
“Where’s Max?”
“Dunno, he’s been pissy about the Apex thing, just won’t get it through his head that I don’t owe him shit.”
“Hmm.” Goblin looked down at his knees.
“You’re not really gonna pay him back are you?”
Goblin shrugged. “I get paid today so…”
“Dude. That motherfucker has all the money he needs, ever. Without doing anything to deserve it.”
Goblin got up with another shrug and walked to the bathroom. “I didn’t do anything to deserve it either.”
===
Conversation with Mom
M - Honey, are you almost done with the apprenticeship application?
M - The Commitment requires that all to be taken care of this month too, so please let me know when you get it done or if you need any help. I hope you’re having a good time on the senior trip and staying in the Light.
T - Yeah I will get the application done.
T - It has been good so far, Mom. Thanks.
M - How are Jeffrey and Max? I know you’ll be a good influence on those boys.
T - They’re good, Mom, it’s nice to actually
[Delete draft]
T - They’re good, we have been seeing a lot of important
[Delete draft]
T - Yeah Mom, they’re good, they say hello.
M - Okay, that’s good, try to get the application done this week so I can let Mr. Rob know and we’ll get the Commitment finalized. Love you.
[Mark as read]
===
Goblin stepped behind the counter at Life Support Cafe and slipped on a green apron. Steve was chatting with his customer as usual, white haired man smiling wide through a patchy beard. “And who is this young snapdragon!” the man said, raising his voice to be heard by Goblin.
“That’s the new nurse,” Steve replied, not quite looking at Goblin.
Light laughter bubbled up from the customer. “Sure, sure, good to teach them early, before they don’t know what they’re doing.” The man walked over to shake Goblin’s hand. “You have to understand, some of us are too old to take anything seriously. I’m Roger, been a friend of Steve’s for a long time.”
“Call me Goblin. Nice to meet you Roger.”
“We used to work in the O.R. together, didn’t we! This man had blood on his hands, I tell you! You better watch him, hahaha!”
Steve just nodded. “Enjoy the tea, Roger. I have to get Goblin up to speed before another rush comes.”
Roger’s posture clicked into a slight stoop, as if to tiptoe. “Oh yes, don’t let me hold you up, hah!” he said, in a hushed voice. “Nice to meet you Goblin,” and with a nod, Roger scooted off to find a seat.
Goblin pressed silent laughter into a smile.
“So, I have a few documents I need you to sign,” Steve said, poking and swiping at the computer screen.
Goblin’s brows lowered as he looked. “Okay..”
“This one is your system ID replacement form. My guy in admin already has it waiting for you, we just need a signature. That will formalize your name and give you the means to register taxes, hold an account… you basically get to adult now.”
As Goblin’s eyes made sense of the completed form, he honed in on the name. “Wait… this isn’t right, is it?” He pointed to the last name.
Steve gave it a glance, still drying mugs. “What’s wrong with it?”
“Last name: Coffeeshop?”
“They needed a full name,” Steve said, simply. “We had to fill in the blanks to send it through.”
Goblin looked at Steve’s half-turned back in disbelief. “Goblin Coffeeshop?”
Steve turned that unsmiling smile on him. “I could change it to something better, like Buttnugget, but that would take me another week. You aren’t staying here forever anyway, right?”
Goblin coughed a mirthless laugh. “I…”
“The next form is for taxes, and the last one authorizes your new account for payments. And clean the bakecase.”
Goblin stared at the signature field. It was ridiculous. He didn’t even know how Steve got someone to do this, and he knew it would make his life infinitely easier to have a fake ID. But…
Another customer walked through the doorway. “Hustle up, Goblin. Customer,” Steve muttered.
Goblin scribbled a line into the rectangle, touched submit, signed the next forms, and quietly opened the bakecase.
Time became lost to him, carried along by the workflow. He tuned in and out of conversations at the counter while he cleaned, organized, and brewed.
At midday he set out to clean tables. The nightmare still floated back into his mind, but he loved the cafe vibe. The aroma, the quiet ambience, the stars outside. It all soaked into his senses like a moist tiramisu, and he savored the taste of freedom.
Hot razors of light blinked outside the dark window. Goblin froze and stared. The searing edges twirled slowly as they strobed. What was this?
Then a shadow blinked across the window and it was gone, nothing but empty space and points of light. He often forgot the window was really just a large display. Did something happen to the feed? He turned back to the counter and saw Steve glaring past him.
Goblin finished cleaning the table and walked back to the counter. “What was that?”
“Acts of senseless violence, most likely.” There was an edge in his voice.
“You changed the screen?”
“People don’t need trauma in here. They come here to get away from it.” Steve watched Goblin turn back to the window. “It’s just on a loop for now. The remote’s under here. You can probably change it back in ten minutes or so.”
“...Pirates?”
“Probably not. Even pirates know better than to fight this close to the station.” Steve grumbled, untying his apron.
“So…?”
“It’s always the fucking corporations anymore.” He shook his head, eyes cold. “You good while I take lunch?”
Goblin nodded, “Sure, I’ll be fine.”
Steve grabbed a sandwich and found Roger’s table. The old man’s warm laughter drifted to Goblin’s where he stared at the terminal. Corporations. Getting away from trauma. He pondered the forms he had signed earlier. Goblin Coffeeshop? Jeffrey and Max were going to roast him completely, but besides that it didn’t really matter much. He could get his payment, forward some credits to Max, and in a couple more weeks… pain crept into his face as he thought about going home. A chill welled up from his guts and into his shoulders. The Commitment…
“Gobby!” the voice startled him. It was Max.
With a very familiar looking girl.
Max wore a smirk as he strolled up to the counter, “Hey man you okay? You look kinda…”
“Uh sorry, hey, just uh… trying to remember something. What’s up?”
“Just taking my lady for lunch while we wait for a tour. Gonna do some stellar sightseeing.” Max’s impish smile was mirrored by the girl squeezing his hand.
“Ah…” Goblin nodded, “cool. So… what’d you like?”
Goblin took Max’s order and payment. He saw his hands getting the food and drinks. He heard himself say something about paying Max back this weekend. But Goblin wasn’t really there. He was remembering the pictures Jeffrey had shown him. He was imagining how angry Jeffrey would be when word got back to the apartment.
“Have fun with the tour. Nice to meet you,” he waved two fingers to the girl Max never introduced. As they walked by Roger’s table, Steve turned to Max and said something that wiped the smirk right off Max’s face. Goblin puffed a silent snort.
The chill exhaled its cavernous breath inside of him.
“What the fuck.”
===
Conversation with Jeffrey
J - Yo she stood me up. You wanna grab a beer?
J - I’m gonna be at Bucky’s Belt swing by after work?
G - I’m off now, where’s that again, by Inter Astra?
G - Nevermind I just looked it up. Yeah, I’ll be there in a bit. Order me a drink, I’ll pay.
J - Hell yeah. What you want?
G - Idk something nasty
J - Ha you have a bad day too
G - I’m going to…
[Delete draft]
G - Eh.
G - Yes and no.
J - I know just what to get you.
===
Goblin pulled a barstool away from the bar and climbed up next to Jeffrey, grabbing the luminescent blue glass that was waiting for him. “Hey.”
“Cheers, to fuckin stupid bitches,” Jeffrey said, raising the glass.
Goblin sighed, clinked the rim, took a swig and squinted. “Ugh, what is this?”
“Optimum Yield. It’s something like.. I dunno, 5 liquors.”
“Perfect.” Goblin took another drink. “So. She no-showed?”
“Yeah we were gonna meet up and go to the cafe, but then when I hit her up today she never replied. Fuckin typical shit, I dunno why girls do this, man. They act all interested and then it’s like, stonewall at random. Like at least just say something. You’re not into me. You changed your mind. You’re… whatever, Idk you’re fucking another guy, anything, just be honest. It’s the games that really pisses me off.”
Goblin sighed again, staring at the ice cubes shining in the vibrant blue liquid. “Yeah…. Has Max said anything to you today?”
“Oh! Yeah that’s the best part, turns out he just landed a date for the first time since we got here. Same fuckin day.”
Goblin pursed his lips and nodded slowly.
Jeffrey looked at him. “Seems like you aren’t too happy yourself, someone shoot you down too?”
Images flashed through Goblin's mind: the smoldering nightgown, Max and his devilish smirk, the beautiful girl on his arm. “Max is…” He sighed and shook his head. “Jeffrey, it’s the same girl.”
Jeffrey froze for a moment. “The fuck?”
Goblin closed his eyes and nodded, inhaling, “He is taking your girl on a date. I’m sorry… but I saw them at the cafe.”
Wrath boiled up in Jeffery’s face. “That fucking asshole! What the hell!? Did he say why?”
Goblin just shrugged and shook his head.
“Fuck!” Jeffrey’s eyes darted aimlessly as he processed the realization. “It’s all because of the stupid fucking Apex isn’t it? That shitstain thinks he can hold shit over people who don’t have anything! Fucking. Goddammit Goblin, what a fucking…man and you’re paying him back? You’re just feeding his goddam powertrip!”
Goblin faced him, palm upturned, “Wait what? This is my fault now?”
“He’s just flexing on me because he knows I can’t afford fucking opera tickets and five star restaurants. He knows I don’t have the money to pay him back. And you are just playing the good guy spending half your vacation doing fucking work, so he can just turn and shit on me for not doing the same!”
“Bro, what the fuck dude. I’m just as upset as you are about this… he has no right to be doing what he did, but don’t come at me.” Goblin’s face was flushed, he could feel his heart pounding as he grappled with Jeffrey’s outburst.
Jeffrey just glared past the bar, a head shaking subtly. “He is such a fucking taint stripe, why the fuck is he like this!”
“I’m sorry dude. I really am.”
Jeffrey just threw a hand in the air and let it drop back onto the bar.
The bartender came over to Goblin, “Hey, welcome, you guys need any apps or… you good?”
“I’m just gonna pay for these,” Goblin said.
“No worries, I’ll be right back to take that from ya.” He glanced at Jeffrey, raised his eyebrows, and walked away.
“I’m going to beat the shit out of him,” Jeffrey growled.
“Jeffrey…”
“I don’t fucking care. Let him spend his fucking credits on medical bills.”
“Dude. No.”
Jeffrey just kept shaking his head while the bartender processed Goblin’s payment. “Thanks, you two… come back soon.”
Goblin turned to Jeffrey. “Look I’m still in my work clothes and I smell gross. I’m gonna head home and clean up. Just…” Goblin sighed. “I’m sorry man.”
Jeffrey nodded. “Thanks for the drink,” he muttered, trying to sound appreciative, still staring at the bar.
Goblin drank most of his glass, gave a thumbs up and spun out of his seat. He sidled past tables and servers, weaving his way through a tangle of thoughts. What the hell was Max thinking? Jeffrey and him got into stupid fights now and then, but nothing like this. This was just… They were supposed to be on vacation. This was fucking shitty.
He didn’t want to be at the apartment for whatever happened next. He’d get cleaned up and head somewhere else. Alone.
===
-----INBOX-----
Notification - Payment Received
CCFi New Account Registration
Welcome to Credit Courier Financial!
Commitment Paperwork
Application Form - Time Sensitive
Same Shift Different Drive: Summer Issue
Re: Pictures
Best Schools 3304 Top 10 Most Influe…
[16 more unread]
Goblin power walked to the hangars, nose in his datawatch, hastily setting up his account profile. He swiped through his texts for the transfer link Max had sent him. More unreads from his parents. He swiped past them without reading.
“There.” Logging back into the account, he confirmed the transfer and set his datawatch to silent. “Fucking done with this shit,” he muttered. With a sigh, he scanned the hallway to get his bearings. He spotted a restaurant that he recognized, the hangars would be a little further down on the left.
A figure walking ahead of him caught his eyes. A lone man with a distinct gait loped along with aged strength. Barcelona?
Should he… maybe he shouldn’t just go jogging up to him. But…
He was probably going to the hangars anyway, and it would be nice to talk. He was friendly enough…
Goblin hesitated before picking up his pace to catch up to the man. Soon the pilot reached the hangar door, and Goblin slowed, feeling awkward about half chasing this guy down the station hall. “Why am I stressing out about this, he’s just a dude…” he muttered.
The man reached to open the door and looked to his left, his eyes landing on Goblin. He cocked his head, still holding the door. Goblin’s mouth opened slightly, eyes darting off to the side before looking back at him. Sure enough, it was Barcelona, who smiled and closed the door, turning to wait for him. Goblin gave him an awkward smile and half wave.
“Still looking for work, young man?” He held out his hand to shake Goblin’s.
“No, I uh got the job at the cafe, sir.”
“Oh! I didn’t see you yet! Good for you!”
“Thanks.” Goblin’s words vanished for a moment. “Uh I mean, if you had something you needed help with, I have my papers sorted out,” he shrugged.
Barcelona eyed him for a moment. “What brings you down this way then?”
“Just uh, checking out the ships.”
The man blinked slowly and nodded, as if taking in Goblin’s energy. “Needed to get some headspace.”
Goblin put his hands in his pockets and sighed, disarmed by being read so easily. “Yeah. I guess… well, you said the ship is your happy place. I’m just trying to find my happy place. Y’know?” He forced a half-smile.
“Yeah. Yeah I do.” With a curl of his hand he beckoned Goblin through the hangar door.
===
“Is this one yours too?” Goblin asked as they approached the feet of a gargantuan cargo ship.
“Yeah. Heavy Burden is her name.”
Goblin nodded. The Lakon Type-9 was known for hauling more than just about any other ship available to freelance pilots. This one huddled in the hangar bay like a great angular beetle, dove grey with bold green accent lines.
“Heavy Burden. You’re not by yourself with this one, too, are you?” Goblin asked.
“Well… I was just going to give her a good once over to make sure she’s ready for business. I’m not as worried about this one. Bought her secondhand to do hauling for this new research project they’re mustering up…anyway. I’ll probably end up selling her after that’s done.”
“Research project?” Goblin followed as Barcelona hoisted himself up to inspect the front landing gear.
“Out in a system called Ebor, Cobra Wing is planning a new base. They want to try establishing peaceful contact with the Thargoids.” Barcelona peered around the other side of the huge metal ankle. “It’s an opportunity to earn credits and support a cause that isn’t so bleak.”
“How much more work you gotta do before she’s ready?”
“Oh..probably a few days I’ll have it all checked out.”
“Don’t people get suspicious?”
Barcelona hopped back down and leveled his eyes on Goblin. “Now why would you say that?”
“I mean. You just, no offense, but it almost seems like you’re acting like you have something to hide is all, not saying you do, really…it’s just a really big ship for one person to take care of.”
The reply was calm and quiet, like a dagger slid from its sheath. “This station has scanned me every time I go through that airlock for the past year and a half. I grew up in this place, flown here my whole life, but every. Single. Time.” He looked down at his hand, rubbing some grime between his fingers and thumb. “There’s no hiding here for me. You know they can see right into your hold?”
Barcelona nodded at Goblin’s silence. He closed the distance to the boy. “There’s an ancient saying. ‘He who does not trust enough will not be trusted.’ You see?”
Goblin shook his head, “I.. I’m sorry I brought it up.”
“Yeah well. It’s the way things are out here, Goblin. Certainly you know about the fighting around this system by now.”
Goblin remembered the hot razors blinking outside the cafe. “I saw some just today, outside the window. Well, outside the station. Steve said it was corporations.”
“It’s idiocy really, business has little to do with it.”
Goblin really wasn’t sure what to say.
Barcelona walked over to some crates and what looked like a pilot's chair sitting on the floor. “You want a soda or something?”
“Uh… sure. Cola is fine. Or whatever you got.”
“We do indeed have cola, young man.” Barcelona pulled two sweaty green cans from a cooler and motioned for Goblin to sit on the lid. “And not that caffeine-free Imperial shit, either. But don’t tell anyone I said that.” He winked and cracked one open.
“So you’re not Imperial?” Goblin asked, taking a seat on the cooler.
“Well, what does it mean to be Imperial?”
Goblin shrugged with his whole face. “I got no idea, honestly.”
The pilot inspected the chair as he spoke. “Well, does it mean having honor and paying back your friends, like you? Or does it mean paying back your enemies?” He raised a cynical eyebrow at Goblin, “There are true ideals in the Imperial way, but much of the good has been lost.” Goblin watched the commander pry damaged padding off the headrest. Once loose, he set it on the floor and looked more gently at Goblin. “That was a heavy sigh…”
Goblin hadn’t even noticed himself. “Yeah… just a long day.”
“You came here looking for some peace. Let’s drop the politics for a bit. What’s goin’ on with Goblin?”
“Oh…” He wasn’t sure where to begin. “My friends are not really getting along right now.”
Barcelona nodded attentively while he cleaned up the flight seat.
“It’s this girl they’re fighting over. Well, they weren’t fighting over her, it’s just… well you remember the guy I was paying back? Our other friend owed him, too, but they didn’t want to pay him. So the other guy was seeing this girl, and the guy I owed just like took her on a cruise or something today…”
The commander smiled and shook his head. “How little it takes to set brothers upon each other’s throats.”
Something about Barcelona made him so easy to talk to, and the words just kept pouring out. “Yeah so today I had to be the one to tell him that his girlfriend was stolen…it’s just shitty because we’re supposed to be on vacation and now everything is gonna go to shit at the apartment. And in a couple weeks I have to go back home and… that’s,” Goblin blew air through pursed lips, “that’s a whole other story.”
“Home can be a beautiful and terrible thing.”
The haunting image of the figure in the habitat airlock returned, the scream that he couldn’t get out, and there was Barcelona, calmly polishing the metal surface of an armrest. Old and harmless looking, but strong, yet caring.
“They told us Commanders were dangerous, back home, they don’t let them on the settlement unless they’re… unless they’re part of the organization.”
“There’s more ranks than just Dangerous, Goblin.”
“Do you think commanders are, you know… you seem like a good guy, but do you think a lot of them are bad people?”
“I think a lot of people are bad people.” For a moment Goblin thought he looked weary. “I used to believe there was good in everyone, Goblin, but now I just believe what I see in people. You’re a good person, Goblin. You can see it coming off of you, it’s in your energy. So what do you see?”
Goblin frowned. “I think you’re a good person, Barcelona, but why don’t people trust you then? Is it just because you’re a commander?”
“If it had anything to do with that, they ought to trust me more. Goblin, I don’t make a big deal of it, but my rank isn’t Dangerous. It’s Elite. If people gave a damn about those ranks here, they’d be buying me dinners. But like with your friends, all it takes is a little greed, and the things that really matter go right out the window.”
Goblin shook his head. “Elite?”
“Heh, yeah. Usually another word for ‘old.’”
“So what am I missing?”
“Well Goblin, since you don’t know much about the Empire, let me keep it brief. Bean Terminal has been run by a corporation called AEC for long enough that people forgot there was anything else before it. A lot of people here owe their home and wellbeing to the success of Senator Philip’s company.”
“The AEC?”
“Yeah, Anekaliti Empire Company, you’ve probably seen it around on signs and things. So when the technological plague was going around a few years back, you know…? You don’t know… Okay… it’s fine. So the economy was bad, inflation, the whole thing with the meta alloys... Long story short, a lot of people were struggling and losing faith in the Senator’s company.”
“So why don’t they just… get another Senator or something?”
“Because ol Amos’ place in the Empire is way, way above the local government here. AEC literally is our government. A good number of Bean citizens wanted to have more say, to prevent economic collapse, or before our station fell victim to the plague, so that’s why the Anekaliti Blue League was formed. It was basically a reformist group.”
“Like a rebellion or something?”
“No, not really. It was kind of a new political party at the time. They just wanted to have a say in who was in charge here. Most Blues wanted an elected committee put into place to govern the station through the crisis. The idea was that supporters of AEC would be welcome to vote as well, so it would be fair to everyone. Plus, more responsive to the local situation.”
“So a democracy.”
“Maybe. Some Blues were fine with a temporary committee. But the diehards at AEC viewed it as a threat to their hold on the system. Blue League started assembling protests, AEC pushed back, people started getting hurt. AEC said the Blues were Marlinists, Blue League accused the AEC of Neo-Feudalism. And you know… whether they’re right or wrong, it’s like, everyone expects you to take a side. Before long the station is divided, saying the others want to destroy the whole system. And mind you, the slaves were literally starving at this point. Instead of solving everyone’s problems, people just villainized each other.”
Goblin interjected, “So were they having problems with commanders too? Is that why people don’t trust you?”
“No. The reason they don’t trust me…” The pilot gazed across the hangar floor. “My father was one of the Deep Blues. One of the founders of the Blue League.”
Goblin considered the implications for a moment.
“The Deep Blues started to disappear, or were threatened outright. At the same time the AEC leaders labeled us – well, labeled my family – terrorists…someone was terrorizing us.”
“You mean they started killing people? What the fuck says they can do something like that?”
Barcelona just nodded with dark understanding. “No one. So the Blue League called for justice, it never came, they started to hit back. Open warfare broke out and then no one could get a lid on it. The station itself never rampaged, thankfully. The AEC has too strong of a hold here. But outside the airlock… combat, settlement raids, sabotage… it’s like a gang war now. The technological plague has been cured for over a year, but…” Barcelona tilted his soda in a half shrug. “You know it used to be about a corporation. But now it’s like…if you’re on one side or the other they look at you like an inferior race. And if you try to stay neutral, people think you don’t care about anyone but yourself.”
Goblin shook his head in disbelief, “That’s so fucking stupid.”
Barcelona nodded, eyebrows raised. “Yes sir! You know you remind me of Steve, he was always pissed about the whole thing. To me… it never made me real angry like that, it’s just… it’s just sad at the end of the day. But Steve was always pissed. He didn’t care what side people were on, he always said, ‘people are just people.’ And when they came for my father – the AEC or one of Amos’ henchmen, who knows – Steve was there to try and save him. He probably knew there was no chance. But he tried.”
“That’s horrible…”
“Yeah,” Barcelona sighed, “But here’s the lesson. You know who Steve’s father is? An AEC chairman. And he still tried to save my dad. No enemies, you understand, the man has no enemies. He was angry as hell itself, but he didn’t hate people. He hated the cruelty. I’m sure he probably ended up saving people who just went out and hurt someone else. It’s a mess. And for what? For some beliefs.” The commander took a seat in the pilot’s chair, tossing the rag to the floor. “So they know me here. And if they’re AEC, like most of them, they don’t trust me. With the ground crews, sometimes shit goes missing or breaks unexpectedly. It just depends on who’s on the crew that day. At this point I’d rather handle it myself.”
Goblin was quiet for a while. “But if you’re an Elite commander, why don’t you just leave? Why keep coming back here?”
Barcelona nodded at the question, rolling it on his tongue. “It’s my home. And a few years of bullshit hasn’t changed that. This place needs good people and there aren’t many left. And part of me… I’m just stubborn, Goblin. I don’t think I should leave my home just because half the population is siding with one bunch of radical wackjobs or another.”
“You don’t support the Blue League any more?”
“Hell no. Anyone who still supports these groups is just feeding a war machine. I support humanity. Real human beings, trying to do their best and make this station a better place. They’re still here. With AEC and Blue… it’s just a crusade now, everyone suffers.”
“So how do you stop something like that?”
Barcelona looked at his dirty hands. “You don’t, Goblin. You just have to wait for it to run its course. It’s like this all over the galaxy. Conflicts come and go. It all just comes and goes. In the meantime, I just try to do as much good as possible.”
There was a moment of silence as the men sat in their own thoughts.
“Makes my problems feel stupid to be honest,” Goblin said, staring at his knees.
Barcelona looked up with sudden concern. “Oh no, Goblin, it’s the same problem.”
Goblin just looked up with sad eyes.
“You see, your friends are fighting over an idea, and here my friends are fighting over an idea. It’s all the same. They make ideas more important than each other.” Goblin took in his words and nodded slowly.
“It’s what makes us suffer,” said Barcelona.
“Yeah… Yeah you’re right. It’s like, my idea of commanders isn’t really who commanders are. At least not all of them.” Goblin pictured his parents and the settlement, the commitment that waited for him there. The commitment of living his life in service to the people there and to the Light. The suffering that straying from the Light would promise, he saw it all around him in this station. At least at home… at least at home they made sure he was safe. “And the things I want, what I think I want, that’s ideas too. Maybe that’s not as important as my people back home.”
“Well, that may be, Goblin. I don’t know much about that. But maybe next time we talk you can tell me about it. Sounds like you have things to sort out with your friends first.”
“Ugh..” Goblin gave an anxious sigh, “I really don’t wanna deal with that tonight. But I guess I gotta. Thanks for… thanks for chatting with me. That’s crazy about your dad and Steve and… all that.”
Barcelona found that warm smile again, despite everything. “I’m happy to talk about it. It matters, you know. Caring matters. I’m gonna put some new pads on this seat and get it up to the cockpit. Say hi to the doc for me, alright?”
Goblin stood up and stretched out. “Will do, Barcelona. See ya.”
“Bye now.”
===
Goblin saw the great hall of the station with new eyes. Were all these people enemies in a pointless war? How many of the people at Life Support were just regular people like Barcelona, trying to stay neutral, to stay peaceful. Were any of them Faithful? He remembered Steve’s old coworker from earlier, the nurse. He seemed like good people…
He really should stop putting off the applications and paperwork for the Commitment. With a bit of hesitation, he checked his phone to find a bunch of unreads as usual. But Jeffrey had called him a few times too… even when he’s upset he doesn’t usually call. He opened Jeffrey’s messages.
Conversation with Jeffrey
J - Gob its Jordan something hapened to his cruise
J - I dont know if hes okay they just told my parents cuz their emergency contacts
J - Goblin pick up the fucking phone thsi isnt about Max
“Shit,” Goblin muttered and called Jeffrey back. His thoughts raced as he waited for Jeffrey to pick up. Wasn’t Jordan working for AEC? It was just a cruise, so maybe it wasn’t a company thing? Could have been an accident.
Jeffrey answered and his voice was terrible, like nothing Goblin had ever heard from him. “The cruise ship was attacked, they don’t know…” his words were cracking. “They’re looking… I dunno man… I dunno”
The chill of the nightmare swelled in Goblin’s stomach as Jeffrey’s terror washed over him. “It’s okay, I’m coming back. Just… it’ll be okay… I’ll be there in a few minutes.”
“Yeah…”
Goblin hung up the call and rushed through the great hall into the maw of awaiting bitterness.
Shortcut to Chapter 5