The Heavy Date Part 7
18 Aug 2017Mhera Bathana
Broken Bow, Super Cruise, InaraThe Broken Bow sat in a high orbit around the main star of the Inara system. Mhera felt her skin prickle at Stryker’s cryptic answer. Thoughts ran through her head. She had gone from a prominent researcher in the field of xenobotany, to slave, then to prostitute, and finally to being forced into some deranged scheme involving mind controlling toxins. And, from what little she had gathered, Black Omega was going to make her the principal horticulturist. She made her opinion clear, she wasn’t going to do it. Cryptically the large man had pointed out that her choice led to another consequence, and from what she could tell, she was now at the beginning of it. She felt fear.
“What are you doing?” she asked.
“Waiting.” Stryker manned the control and was looking over a holographic display. From what she could tell, it listed out contacts that the large circular radar had found. His eyes kept going back and forth between that and the large glass canopy.
“For what?” She twisted her hands.
“A specific contact,” he said simply.
“And that would be?” she asked.
“I don’t know yet, but when I see it, you will know.”
Mhera bristled at the same cryptic response. She decided to change the subject. “Flower shop huh? Is that what you saw me doing after you saved me from Exotica?”
“It was better than cleaning out the bio extractors,” he said, continuing to scan the pane.
She felt cold. “So, what, I’d still be a slave?”
“Once a slave, always a slave.”
“Are you a slave?” she asked.
She saw his metallic claw twitch and flex.. “I sold myself out to Tomrumshäxa,” he whispered. “I will never be free.”
She felt a pang of empathy well up in her stomach and she wasn’t sure why. “Why don’t you just run?”
Stryker laughed, cold and hollow. “There is nowhere to run.” She felt the hair on the back of neck raise.
“There is a whole galaxy!” She found herself shaking.
Stryker shook his head. “Doing what? Living where? They will find you, and they will kill you. It may not be immediate, it may not be in a year, but it will happen.”
“How do you know?” she asked.
Stryker spun in his chair. “Because that is my job! I know how efficient the organization is.”
“Is that what we are doing here? Are we going to kill someone?” Mhera tried to stand, but was pulled back by the magnetic restriction.
Stryker’s voice was low and soft with a hint of twisted amusement. “That depends on you.”
“I’m not killing anyone,” she spat.
Stryker shrugged his broad shoulders. She saw the muscle ripple under the tight Remlock. “How much do you know about the operation of a spaceship?”
“I’m not killing anyone!” she spat again.
Stryker plowed on. “Did that Luke fellow teach you anything about space faring?”
“I’m not going to talk about him,” Mhera said, folding her arms.
“I’ll take that as a no,” Stryker replied, shrugging again.
Mhera huffed.
“There we go.” Stryker said in a low voice, his attention was fixed on the radar. Mhera felt the ship pick up speed, and her senses became somewhat confused as the ship rolled, yawed and pitched. A few moments later she was witnessing the comet like tail of another ship.
“Master,” Meat-Hack addressed Stryker. “I have detected mining equipment on that ship.”
Stryker’s face twisted into amusement. “Hold on to your butt.”
It was an odd sensation. She had been interdicted once before, on the Beagle, and it felt as if she was being pulled backwards. But now, she was on the other side, on the ship that was doing the interdiction. She felt the ship lurch and shudder, and it felt as if she was being pulled forward. She gripped the side of her chair and watched Stryker navigate the ship. He kept the nose of the Broken Bow upon his target.
Meat-Hack’s synthetic voice chirped. “Master, they are submitting.”
A moment later, the ship spun wildly out of control. Mhera felt her stomach turn, and she gave a painful dry heave, trying to hold back the sick.
Stryker fought the spin, and at the same time opened a communication. With a cool level voice he spoke. “This is Inara system security, transmitting authorization codes now. You are to submit to a security scan.” Stryker brought the nose around and towards the large blocky ship.
A male voice replied. “Acknowledged, Inara security. Systems are powered down. Awaiting instructions.”
“Master, scan is complete. I think you should be rather pleased. Two hundred tons.”
Stryker nodded, then opened the com. “Heavy, Lakon, Bravo Omega Bravo you are cleared to proceed.”
Mhera watched the blocky ship pull away from the Broken Bow, athen its afterburners flared flaired and boosted.
“Master, frame shift surge detected.”
Mhera was confused, what the hell is going on She felt as if she was being toyed with. “What are you doing?!”
“Shut up and pay attention.” Stryker kept cool. “Meat-Hack, reroute fire control to the copilot’s position.”
“You want to give the slave a gun?” Meat-Hack sounded amused. Just then, the ship popped out of existence.
Stryker nudged his ship towards the last known position. “Scan that wake.”
“High wake, Master, destination Cephei Sector AB-R B8-9.”
“Set course and pursue.”
“Frame-shift drive active, Master.”
Mhera’s voice was shrill. “What do you mean, give the slave a gun!” She felt as if she was being flushed down a drain. Suddenly the dullest, purple star appeared before them and the ship slipped around.
“It means, you’re going to do the shooting.” Stryker found his target, and pulled up behind.
“No I won’t!” Mhera protested, when she felt herself being thrown forward. The ship shook around her as the interdiction tether made connection with its target.
“Hack, once we drop out of cruise, target the power plant.”
“Ye Haw!” Meat-Hack decided to add its bit to the conversation.
Like before the ship was spun violently. Mhera gripped the sides of her chair as Stryker oriented the ship.
“Master, hardpoints Hardpoints deployed.”
In front of Mhera, a holographic environment of the space around the ship was created. She didn’t know what to do.
“Silly slave girl, use the control stick. You know, it’s that stiff thing in front of you. It wobbles about. If you were a guy, you would know all about it. Master plays with his often.”
“Not now, Hack!” Stryker called back.
Mhera wrapped her fingers about the control stick. She moved it to the left, and the environment moved with it. She saw the T7.
“Target in range, Master.”
“Take the shot!” Stryker called back.
Mhera felt the trigger beneath beneigh her finger. What the hell am I doing? Slowly she removed her hand. “No.”
Stryker’s voice was cold and deadly. “You made your choice.”
Mhera hesitated “I….I can’t”
“Take the shot now, or I’ll crush your skull in.”
She closed her eyes, and felt her heart race. This is the choice…
The comm buzzed in. “Please don’t! I have a wife and two…” Meat-Hack cut the communication.
“Master, I’ll bet the slave girl’s life, she won’t don’t it!”
Mhera felt a hot tear.
“I won’t ask again.”
Special thanks to Jemine Caesar for her edits and suggestions!