Black Visor
29 Jan 2016Ryan Murdoc
"We know what we are, but know not what we may be." William Shakespeare"No time to waste, let's get off this Station and away. Assuming whatever they did to my brain isn't working as a freaking homing beacon in the first place..."
I breathed heavily as I finally approached my ship, the Umbra Vorago. Dark Abyss in Latin as to instill fear in my opponents; assuming the morons would've a high enough education to actually understand it's meaning. Oh well, it didn't matter.
Coming across the delivery of my Pilot suit, I hastily picked it up and proceeded to enter, which required the usual safety measures of Iris scan, left hand scan, blood sample and voice recognition. The guy at the Shipyard who sold me the Federal Corvette probably labelled me overly paranoid that I wanted this much, but considering my current situation it felt rather inadequate. Maybe I should install a heartbeat sensor too, just in case someone tried to enter with only spare parts of me left.
First things first though, and that meant to get back into my snug Pilot suit and a few dozen lightyears away from Jennifer and whomever else that wanted to safeguard my brain's contents by killing innocent people. I changed my outfit quickly, moved into the cockpit and contacted Station Control for the usual Launching procedure. Green lights indicated all was good to go, and after the familiar sound of the engines filled my ears, my heartrate went down considerably and I started to ease up a bit. Maneuvering myself carefully through the mail slot and asking myself why Standard Docking computers only worked one way, the moment I was out I completely ignored the angry voices that came over the Comms as I kicked in the boost, did a 180° degree turn and let Carpini Terminal slowly disappear behind me.
Taking a deep breath, I focused on the Galaxy Map and where to go. Checking through my Transmissions, I realized that there was still the amount of 2.5 Million credits left to collect from the Dahan System. Thinking this be as good of a time as any other, I charted the course there and set off, being quite glad I had invested in a few extra Fuel Tanks and a Class 6 Fuel Scoop. At least this way making it across the Galaxy in a ship with barely 11 LY jump range was less stressful on the nerves.
Nothing happened on my way to Dahan, not even one Interdiction. But to be honest I didn't expect any to begin with. The people who wanted me alive wouldn't try attacking me in the first place, yet I had hoped to have some of them following me, because then I probably could get a read on their ship and find out more about them. But no such luck.
I entered Dahan Gateway and collected my payment the moment the landing gear connected to the pad. Then I went out again, all the while trying to contemplate possible reasons why I was chosen for what they did to me, and who they were and what the hell was so important that other people's lives were so damned worthless in comparison. Which made me suddenly realize that the moment they wanted to have their information back, I'd be just another of those unlucky corpses. It's so much fun when you don't know from where the punches come and don't even have the slightest clue why they hit you...well, at least I didn't lose my black humor so far, a good sign I still have most of my marbles.
Next on the list was an Adder I left in the Bhare System at Pacheco Orbital. Not wanting to leave any traces, I sighed as I plotted the course there. Something around or above 20 Jumps, but I didn't pay much attention anymore, my head still going back and forth, up and down all the time with thoughts. By the time I arrived in Bhare, sold the Adder for close to 1 Million and then started jumping back home to Phiagre, I was unsuccessfully trying to clue up on how they made me obey their commands. I had no implanted chip or such, Professor Reber would've mentioned that. So how...
I jumped into the CD-58 7880 System and was greeted by a sight that made me forget my worries for a short while. Reducing the speed down to zero, I stood up and simply enjoyed the view.
"Wonderful sight they are..." a female voice suddenly came from behind me. I reeled around in disbelief and shock, but before I could get out so much as a single letter, I was staring down the wrong end of a gun. She was about my height, wearing a Pilot suit too, yet her visor was tinted black so I couldn't make out any facial features.
And then, all of a sudden, I started laughing.
"What is so funny?" the woman asked, her voice indicating she was a bit surprised, but otherwise completely professional.
"N..Nothing...I was just thinking that I never had the nerve to ask a woman on a date with me, and in the last two days I've met so many women who are either close combat killers or....eh, what the hell am I blubbering about...so, I guess it's useless to ask how you got past all my security measures, hm?"
"Indeed Commander, quite useless. Besides, you can't really call those things Security. It didn't take me more then a few moments to get into your ship unnoticed. And no, I didn't use the front door, but enough with this..."
"Yes, you're right, I've had enough. So, would you do me a favor and reveal to me what the evil scheme or plot be that I am involved in before you shoot me for to save humanity? Or do you simply want my head and collect payment, literally speaking ?"
"I am here to tell you to meet up with someone, Commander Coragon..."
"Oh, wonderful, ever thought about sending a Personal Message instead of making me look at your well proportioned...gun?"
"Not only my gun is well proportioned, but if I'd show you more I'd have to kill you..." her voice came over in a playful manner.
"I am sure you would love to do so, but I am not ment to die. For now..." I responded, trying to put some sort of importance into those words, but obviously failed miserably.
"Commander, let's stay professional, shall we ? I am here because the person that wants to meet you realizes that communicating by regular means is impossible, due to the fact that you're constantly monitored by a third Party. Lucky for you, my contractor was involved in whatever was done to you, I received no detailed information regarding that, though. It's in your own interest to do as I say, so both of us can part ways and never see each other again. Do we have a deal, Commander?"
"I guess we do, but as you said, I am constantly monitored, so how you think we'll reach the person that wants to meet me without those crooks showing up at our destination too?"
"I was so kind to locate the device they installed into your ship ever since you bought it. It's undetectable by regular scans, but my contractor gave me the means to bring you to him safe and sound. Which included to get rid of his own invention. Before we jump out of this System, please open your Cargo hatch and jettison it into the nearest sun."
"So, there was something on my ship ? And i thought it was in...Never mind..." I said with noticeable disappointment in my voice. It was just some type of technology that made them track me down. Probably brilliant technology, but nothing more mysterious then that.
"Alright Commander, please set your course to Phiagre, and in there, towards the Asteroid belt around Phiagre 4...." she said, making herself comfortable in the left seat while I sat down in the middle one once more.
I blinked in disbelief but simply didn't have the nerve to ask why someone wanted to meet me right there. So I just did as she said, jettisoned whatever they had installed and started the engines again, off towards Phiagre. I've tried to restart a conversation with the nameless woman after a few jumps but received nothing but static, so eventually just gave it up.
At the provided coordinates we found a lone T-9, hovering close to some asteroids. I was about to leave my seat, but a quick glance over at Ms. Black Visor told me to stay seated. "Don't touch your controls now, all will be fine..." she said, and mere moments later the Umbra Vorago started to move on it's own accord, smoothly maneuvered by another person who had hacked into the controls. The movements stopped as both ships were almost rubbing their rears against each other, the entrance doors of both being the same level, or at least as good as that could be managed out here in the void of space.
"We can go over in about a minute from now, they're extending some sort of docking tube or tunnel, I don't really know the correct description of it, but it enables us to get over there without needing to use the big space suits you normally would need"
"Quite the inventive fellow, hm ?" I received a nod and then was faced with the gun again, gently suggesting to go ahead and out the door.
"Whatever happened to "Ladies first"?"
"Another time. Besides....the view from back here is...nice...". I could almost see that smirk appearing on her lips.
Is this how women feel when men talk about them as mere objects for pleasure ? After what Jennifer did to me, and now this woman...yeah, I guess I didn't like to be treated that way.
We left the Corvette and hovered through some sort of big tunnel that had established itself between the two ships. Arriving at the opposite door, it was opened from the inside and we passed through. Feeling the weight of our bodies again, I was almost happy. If it weren't for two more guns pointing at me from the front, held by two guys with strange looking uniforms.
"It's a pleasure to see you Commander Coragon, please accompany us to..." one of the two figures before us started his speech, but that was all he could get out before my ears almost went deaf.
"GET DOWN!" the woman screamed and opened fire...
To be continued...