A Friend in Need
13 Mar 2018Kodeyne
Kodeyne sat, nervously swinging a leg, in the busy passenger lounge on Mars High. The walls were a medium grey, contrasting with the glowing information boards and innumerable adverts. All around, people sat and fretted, ate, napped, chatted; the same old ritual of departure and arrival areas since time immemorial. She checked her watch and the arrivals board again. The shuttle had arrived five minutes ago, but no sign.....
She wore a terracotta dress and jacket, flattering but not flashy. She had foregone her glasses; an affectation anyway. Hair down - she'd surprised herself earlier, so used to having it tied back for piloting, wasn't used to seeing it flowing over her shoulders.
She was only half-aware of the figure that had emerged from the constant stream of people and luggage going past. It wasn't until it spoke that her head jerked up.
"Ophelia?" A soft voice, familiar Celtic lilt.
Kodeyne came to her feet and stared.
"Ali?"
When they parted ways, Ali had been a lovely woman, round smooth face and long dark curling tresses. Now she was bone-thin, cheekbones standing out starkly below pain-filed eyes. Hair chopped short. Kodeyne might not have recognised her but for the voice. Black leather trousers and jacket, grey blouse, grey half-boots. A large leather handbag over one shoulder.
Ali stared back at her old friend, taking in the tattoos, skin gone pale from lack of sunshine, seeing something she couldn't define in the pretty face.
The moment passed and they were clinging to each other, cheeks wet with tears, whispering each other's name. They slowly parted and gazed at each other.
"Girl, you look like you need coffee!" Kodeyne grinned.
"Oh yes. Haven't slept much, lately...."
"Come on. I scouted out a nice quiet place after I landed."
Hot Americanos. The softly lit cafe had light chocolate brown walls, with ornaments and small tryptiches adorning the walls.
There had been so many times they'd met like this...and now that felt like two different people, two different lives.
Ali insisted on hearing tales of Kodeyne's travels, things she'd seen, places she'd been. Only when they were on the second mug of coffee did Kodeyne fall silent and looked over at her.
"Your turn, girl. What's been happening? Frankly, you look fucking terrible!"
Ali smiled wanly. "All work and no play makes Alison a dull girl. Seriously though, just long hours, late nights, not enough sleep..."
"You're like a stick. You aren't eating right are you?"
"Mother hen!"
"Cluck off!" They both burst out laughing.
"But it's better. Finished my probationary period - pay rise. Got out and been a few nice places. Oh, you should take a flight down the Mariner Valley, it's amazing! And the view from Olympus Mons...."
Kodeyne swallowed. She didn't want to puncture her friend's words by saying she'd visited worlds with mountains that reached into orbit.
Ali chatted on, but the darkness was still in her eyes. When it felt polite, Kodeyne reached over and gently took her friend's hand.
"Ali....."
Their gazes met and Ali's face fell, lowering her eyes. She shivered. Kodeyne rose and moved round the table, sat down next to her and put an arm over her shoulders.
"Girl, talk to me. Please?"
Ali's gaze moved downwards and she placed a hand on her abdomen.
"Oh, girl...what the hell? What happened? One night stand? Left you in the lurch?"
Ali shook her head and the tears began to flow. "I wish."
Kodeyne closed her eyes and felt the pit of horror open up in her mind.
"Oh no..." she moaned, "no, no, no, no...."
Ali's face twisted and the tears increased. She sobbed.
Anger began to replace Kodeyne's horror. "Who? You know who, don't you! Who raped you? I'll cut the bastard open!"
"You won't. You'd never get anywhere near him. He....he's a superior at work. Much superior.
I was working late one night, he was there...I knew he had his eye on me, there'd been some flirting - nothing serious. Brought me a coffee. Well, why would I suspect anything?"
Kodeyne was wordless.
"He spiked it with some damn hypnotic....what happened next is hazy....I....I....." Kodeyne hugged her tighter, waiting until Ali regained some composure.
"Came round in a taxi that was going home. Couldn't remember but I could feel it. I knew."
"And you went to the police?"
The reply was a mute shake of the head.
"I didn't go in the next day. But I got a message....just said, 'our little secret, yes? If you want to keep your honest job.'"
Kodeyne looked around. There were only one or two others in the cafe; none of them paying the two women any attention. But the cosiness of the place suddenly felt oppressive.
"Let's get out of here. Get some open space."
They walked, arm in arm, along the docking ring boulevard. It was chilly and their footsteps echoed. Floodlights lit the metal walls, deep shadows, throwing the access ports into sharp relief.
Neither had spoken since the cafe, but Ali's tears had subsided and her shoulders lifted.
After a while, she stopped and looked at Kodeyne, a sad half-smile on her face.
"Hey....aren't you going to show me your ship?"
"I thought you'd never ask!"
If anything, the hanger was colder than the boulevard, but that did not seem to bother Ali as she stared up at Devil's Daydream, breath misting.
"What's with the spikes?"
Kodeyne chuckled. "A gesture of defiance. A rebellious thing - like getting your hair spiked or having tattoos."
Ali laughed and looked at her friend. "I meant to ask...please tell me those are skinprints you've got?"
"Yep. You think I've would have put up with the pain of old-style tattoos?"
"Hell no!"
They walked round the ship; Ali stopped next to one of the landing gear legs and placed a hand on it.
"Oh Ophelia....what am I going to do? I'm so scared."
Kodeyne put her hands on Ali's shoulders. "What are you going to do about..." She paused, choosing her words carefully, "...the foetus? Do you want to keep it?"
The tears began. "No, I do not. I can't bear the thought of it, a piece of him walking around. I feel contaminated just having it inside me."
"So...."
Ali turned. "Do you know how powerful he is? He has contacts everywhere here! He won't let me do that, because it gives him power over me!"
"Here? Mars? Sol? The Federation?"
"Yes!"
"There's places other than the Federation."
Ali looked at her mutely. Fear rose in her face. "If I go...I'll lose everything. Everything...."
"Sounds to me like you don't have much to lose right now. Ali...I can take you! Right now, if you want."
Between sobs, Ali nodded, "I...was....kind of hoping you would ask...."
"Got everything you need? I'm guessing that's the reason for the big bag?"
"Correct."
"Phone?"
"What?"
"Got your phone?"
Nod.
"Company phone?"
"Yes."
"Give."
Ali hesitated. "What?"
"Give me the phone. You want to run, that's just one more thing he can follow you with, no?"
Ali rummaged in her bag, brought out a silver oval and held it out. Kodeyne took it, walked to the front edge of the landing pad and sent the phone spinning out into the darkness of the ship storage area below. They both stood waiting until they heard the faint crack.
"Let's move, girl," ordered Kodeyne, tapping at her wrist terminal. There was a hum and a clunk as Devil's Daydream extended its boarding ramp. Kodeyne chivved the nervous Ali up into the ship.
The hatch hissed shut. Ali stood in the corridor as Kodeyne began to strip, removing and folding her clothes into a drawer.
"Ophelia..."
"Yes?"
"What happened to your arm?"
She glanced at the two thick red scars. "I cut myself. When I felt I had to be punished."
"Over what happened at that party?"
"Yes. And the same reason, I guess, you’ve hacked your hair off and look like starved shit." Ali nodded mutely.
Kodeyne took the Remlok off its hook and slid into it, feeling strength as it clicked and hummed its way shut.
"Ophelia...."
"Girl, one thing. While you're on this ship - while I'm wearing this suit - you call me Kodeyne, or Commander. Okay?"
She pulled on her flight jacket and the heavy boots. Ali nodded.
"I don't have a spare suit. So this is going to be risky, okay? I absolutely don't plan to crash or get into any fights, but..."
"Got it, girl. Um...passenger cabin?"
Kodeyne slipped her glasses on.
"Ha! No time, sweetheart. You get to ride up front, co-pilot's position." She pointed to the access hatch.
"Go belt up!" Ali stared helplessly. With the Remlok on, her old friend seemed a very different person.
Kodeyne saw the distress on her face, leant forward and kissed her on the cheek.
"Ali, I know this is all happening a bit fast but please, we have to move. Once people start looking for you...."
She took Ali's arm and led her to the lower cockpit, making sure she was properly strapped in. Then hurried to the pilot's seat. Requested launch permission. Perhaps it was just her nerves, but the acknowledgement seemed to take longer than normal.
The pad restraints released and the ship lifted up. Kodenye pointed the Asp at the mail slot and slowly moved the throttle forward, her heart pounding, waiting for flight control to suddenly come back online.....
They were out. She accelerated to just below the speed limit and watched the distance counter measure their progress away from Mars High. It seemed so very slow.
She remembered something then...thumbed the intercom on
"Ali, we're going to jump into witch-space soon. I don't imagine you've ever seen it before?"
"No...always snuggled up in a cabin with a nice sim!"
"Thought so. Visually, it's quite, hmm, weird. And when we come out the other end, we'll be very close to a star. So please please don't start screaming!"
Despite everything, she heard Ali laughing. "You mind if I whimper a bit?"
Their laughter merged. There was a momentary silence.
"Where are we going?"
"The Empire. I know somewhere where you should be safe."
"Should be?"
"Girl, nothing's certain in this damn galaxy. Trust me, huh?"
Ali heard something muffled over the intercom.
"What was that?"
"Flight control. We've left the station perimeter. Hang onto your hat, girl - we're out of here!"
Back in the frigid darkness of the ship storage facility on Mars High, very faintly, the sound of a phone ringing.