The day after
10 Apr 2020Spectralfx
(I would highly recommend any potential reader to read my other Log titled "Day by day" in order to have a better context on this one. additionally, sincere Thank you to those who already let me know of their interests for these short stories so far.)The day after
09 April 3306, System : [Redacted].
An orbis station Peacefully orbits around one of the moon of a gas giant in the middle of the void. Aboard, a young lady with long, straight black hairs is walking up a street in the direction of her assigned hab block. She is visibly tired and in a hurry to get home, she only went out to get her hands on some basic medicines at the local drug store to help herself find sleep. She feels insecure, due to the fact that her hab block is situated in an area near of the slums, not far of the shipyard where she works. It is nearly the end of the artificial day on board the station and she is getting caught up in a reflection about the events of the one before. As she paces back home, suddenly, her train of thoughts is put to an halt by the slowly rotating red and blue lights of a local system authority mover. There was no perimeter around the scene, that fact indicating that it was probably nothing serious. It appeared to be some commotion at the local bar. A young agent appeared to be keeping an eye on a bunch of lowlifes visibly responsible for most of the noise, each of them yelling at each other for only god knows what reasons, it sounded unintelligible to her at that time. The young lady, being nicely dressed, elected to keep her distance for now, as her hab block was within the vicinity and she had a bad feeling creeping up her spine.
Suddenly, something grabbed her attention and she quickly rushed her back against a nearby wall in a motion to hide herself from the crowd ahead, her right hand on top of her mouth, as to hold in a scream of surprise that would have certainly betrayed her presence.
What she saw in the glimpse of an instant, was a young man coming outside from the bar with yet another, visibly older officer. The young man she noticed was dressed in a similar fashion to the rest of the earlier bunch. He was wearing some arctic shaded camouflage cargo pants and an old looking, black leather jacket... but even if she couldn’t have seen it from that angle, she knew that the back of the said jacket would have a print of a medieval knight in white and purple, with the line “Cavaliers Le Chardon” written under it. She also knew that the jacket would also have the badge of the Shields of justice on its right shoulder. She knew the man very well. The young man in question had a vertical scar over his right eye… his eyes, she knew to be of a silvery blue. The young lady with long, straight black hairs had shared a good part of her childhood with him.
she wouldn’t dare to look at the scene, completely caught up in the fact that he wasn’t supposed to be there, not at all. For too many reasons at that… but more importantly... not dressed like this… in his civilian clothing...
Her moment of reflection was suddenly disturbed by further commotion. To her right, the small bunch of lowlifes suddenly scattered all over the place, visibly determined to scamper. The younger officer started desperately chasing after some of them while yelling various orders with a clear voice. He was shortly recalled by another gravelly voice, the one of his older partner:
- Let those go, we’ll catch’ em later! They can’t go far anyways. We have this one here to deal with … this guy can’t afford to wait.
-But Sarge-
The younger officer protested.
-No buts! You know his kind... filthy rich imperials who thinks that credits can buy them the right to do anything they want, heck, even … owning people and doing whatever with them!
The young lady couldn’t help but feel grossed out by the audible sound of spit hitting the station’s alley. then a familiar, deep voice firmly replies to the sergeant:
-Imperial slavery is strictly regulated by our government and that is not how it works at all, you should know about that officer. Besides, I’ll have you know that no one is above the law, period.
The last word on that sentence was accentuated. There was a sort of spiteful feeling added to it.
-Eh!? Not even that Emperor of yours? With a title like that, that’s not how it sounds to me kiddo! You’re full of shit I say.
The older officer retorts. After a brief silence, the familiar voice continues:
-I am sorry to hear that from a fellow defender of the law, but do know that while you might be responsible for this station at best, our emperor is instead, responsible for the whole gal-
-Bullshit! I’ve heard enough from ye, you’re coming with us pal, it’s about time some rich cat piece of trash like you finally gets the justice that he deserves!
The gravelly voice interrupts.
Suddenly, a young feminine voice interjects:
-You’re wrong! that’s not who he is at all! you’re after the wrong guy!!
She had done it now, on an impulse she had jumped out her hiding and yelled that, it was her who just did that… she was dumbstruck as the trio of men turned their heads around to face her.
-Oh yeah? and who are you!?
The sergeant replied, while scanning the young lady from head to toes with a smirk on his face. In response, she shimmers in disgust trying to hide herself within her arms. The old gal continues:
-If you ask me you look far too good for him... ah! and to hell with it! you’re coming with us too! we’ll have some nice company for a change… eh eh eh.
The lady steps back in panic as the officer approaches her with the grin of a devil. When suddenly, the sound of an electrical discharge is heard and the sergeant falls on the ground, clearly struck by something causing him to shake uncontrollably, but only for a while. He then appears to fall unconscious. During that time, she also witness the young officer drawing his sidearm pointing it in the direction of the source of the attack… Who clearly was the man she tried to defend. The black leather jacket wearing man was now dual wielding concealable firearms of unusual designs. His expression being as cold as ever. He then instructed the remaining officer of his deep voice:
-Stop now James, don’t make me do this!
The young officer visibly shook, says to himself with a barely audible voice:
-But how does he know my name?
-Listen James, Think about Louise and the kids, the first one I used here is all out now…
Proclaimed the black leather jacket wearing man, all the while dumping a fuming mag from the electric plasma weapon that just fired. He followed on the most sinister of tones:
-So hear me out when I tell you that my other is loaded with lethal and you guys are really making me run out of options here.
-I… I…
The young officer mumbled, his weapon shaking in his hands clearly only pointing at the feet of his intended target. The one making the threats continued:
-If you guys are so selfish as to not do your goddamn jobs, have at least the decency of getting out the way of those who will! I am sick and tired of having to shoot down guys like you... you hear me?! I am sick of it for fuck’s sake!!!!
His voice crackled in anger in a way that the young lady never heard before… even considering they went through so much together in the past.
The face of the jacket wearing man was now as red as the surface of the sun. However, something else left her completely speechless. It was the fact that he now had tears running down his cheek… and yet his aim … his aim remained as steady as it was at the start of it all. The standoff lasted for what seemed like an eternity to all involved. Suddenly, a voice in the background of the neighborhood could be heard:
-Yo! here’s our chance guys! Let’s get those damn cops!
The call was followed by the cheering of a few dozen people. The young officer realizing his odds were truly melting by the seconds, snapped out of it and holstered his firearm. He then rushed at his sergeant’s side in order to drag him at their mover, momentarily putting aside his fears of the man with the jacket. Meanwhile, the other young man was loudly and slowly breathing, in an apparent act to calm himself. The mover then scampered in a loud electrical-motor noise, spinning its tires in the process. The black jacket wearing man then dumped the mag of his remaining weapon, revealing it to be empty as well. Completely shocked, the young lady was about to say something when she was cut short by an order:
-Get to the Mamba, Now!
-but-
She protested
-Now! Don’t mind that dress of yours and go straight for the locker, there’s an extra suit there. Get it on, we have to leave!
She hesitated for a second, but then took a panicked breath and complied. She trusted him more than anyone else in the galaxy, but all of this was new, she never witnessed him doing anything like this before. As she was making her way to the locker in question, she couldn’t help but think about what she just saw and all it could possibly mean. She tried not to get distracted too much when putting on the spare Remlok suit, abandoning her favorite casual dress at the locker in the process. Regarding the suit, she knew how those operated, in theory at least. She was a bit perplexed at times, as she was a chief engineer, not a pilot. She couldn’t help but feel ridiculous for it, as she spent years improving and repairing ships under the Sirius corporation, but all the while, never actually bothered with gaining any practical experience flying them herself…
After all, she had him for that… he would have flown a metal barrel with a rocket strapped onto it, if that was her project of the day. He really was an ideal test pilot, yet in turn, such a poor candidate for other things...
She was cut short in her effort, there was something wrong with the suit. She panicked for a bit before electing to head for the cockpit of the Black Mamba regardless, time was running out she thought. She arrived there first, with no other soul to be seen. Then, she couldn’t help but hyperventilate has she had no clue what to do from there. Seconds past, feeling like they were minutes, then eventually, the sliding door of the cockpit opened behind her, she couldn’t help but scream in surprise. It was him, wearing the same clothing as before, but with an opaque, black tinted Remlok helmet on. He had a flight suit under his clothing all along, she wondered if all of this was planned from the start. It probably was, except for her being there of course. Something important had to be said to him regardless. she took a step forward while pressing on her neck repeatedly, also looking completely panicked and then declared:
-There’s a problem Emmanuel, the helmet! it won’t come on, look!
He was about to pass her, initially heading for his pilot seat in an efficient military-like walking motion, when he stopped dead in his track. He took a second to look in the distance outside of the canopy of the ship before turning his head to observe the issue he was reported by her. he was quick to reply, with his deep voice muffled by his helmet:
-I know what it is Anna, turn around, take a deep breath and think of something nice… but more importantly, trust me.
He sounded calm as well. She wasn’t:
-whaaa?
She barely had the time to turn around perplexed, that she could hear the sound of a switch knife clicking, her eyes widened and she said with a weak voice:
-Emmanuel, I’m scared…
-Don’t be, it won’t hurt, I promise… I’ll get us out of this one. Just like old times… you forced me to change my plans now, haven’t you?
The deep voice replied. Still on a relaxed tone.
She felt grabbed by her hairs and could hear the sound of a decisive slash going through something. The lights on the station dimmed down, as it was already the end of the day.