Make it So!

by Christian Kallias

  “Didn’t your mommy teach you not to try and play a tough guy with pirates?” asked the lead humanoid.

  Pirates? Hmmm…I thought these people could be Kregans.

  “No, she didn’t,” answered Kevin defiantly and then smiled. “Neither did yours last night, but in her defense, she couldn’t exactly speak, you know, with her mouth being otherwise occupied and all that.”

  The pirate leader growled. “Sissi, again!”

  The henchman hit Kevin in the gut. And even though Kevin was prepared for that blow, it still hurt like hell.

  Kevin took a few deep breaths and then laughed out loud.

  “What’s so funny?” asked the pirate leader.

  “I’m being bludgeoned by a guy called Sissi? That’s precious.”

  “If you like it so much, I can ask him to stay with you and do this all night.”

  Kevin looked at Sissi and grimaced. “That won’t be necessary, but thanks for the offer. No offense, Sissi, but I prefer my company to have at least half the IQ of an oyster.”

  Kevin could tell from Sissi’s facial expression that he had no idea how to interpret what Kevin had just said.

  I rest my case.

  The pirate leader moved Sissi to the side, came a few centimeters away from Kevin’s face, and stared deeply into Kevin’s eyes. Kevin knew he should be afraid but after all he went through, he only wondered how and why Kalliopy would do this to him. It didn’t make any sense. None at all.

  “On my world,” said Kevin, “it’s customary to buy someone dinner before exposing them to foul personal hygiene and BO. No offense. Also, introducing oneself before hitting a stranger is considered polite, though I get the feeling politeness isn’t a pirate’s forte.”

  “I don’t know if you’re incredibly brave for a boy your age or just plain stupid.”

  “The jury’s still out on that one…mister. . .?”

  “Captain Altanor. Your worst nightmare.”

  Kevin knew that antagonizing the pirate was probably not the safest course of action, but he couldn’t help it. His instincts told him he’d better appear strong rather than scared. Maybe it would give him leverage going forward.

  “I have had some pretty nasty nightmares, aside from the smell of your breath, which you could fix by, oh, I don’t know, brushing. . .you don’t seem that scary to me.”

  Altanor opened his mouth and blew more putrid breath toward Kevin’s face.

  Kevin coughed. “Very classy. I would also recommend a visit to your local dentist. Just saying.”

  “I don’t see what the fuss is all about. If Xonax wanted to interrogate you himself, I guess there must be something I’m not seeing.”

  “It’s part of my charm. Who the fuck is Xonax, and can’t people in this galaxy pick names that don’t sound like detergents?”

  Altanor chuckled. “It’s a pretty silly name, isn’t it?”

  “Altanor or Xonax? It’s a close call if you ask me.”

  Kevin could see in his captor’s eyes that he didn’t enjoy being insulted.

  “Sissi,” he said, moving to the side.

  Kevin laughed. “Yeah, Sissi, hit the little boy. Show everyone how strong and dumb you are.”

  This last remark did not have the effect Kevin hoped for, which was to distract muscles and make him stop and think. That, Kevin decided, was not something he must have been accustomed to all that much.

  A sharper pain accompanied the third punch as Sissi’s fist broke, or at the very least, fractured something inside Kevin’s chest, most likely a rib.

  “Why don’t you tell me what the hell you want? Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy Sissi’s enthusiasm, but I fail to see what good it will do you if I die from internal bleeding.”

  Altanor narrowed his eyes.

  “Are your species that frail?”

  “I’m seventeen you dipshit, and Sissi is three times my size, so you do the math!”

  Sissi was about to hit Kevin again, but Altanor grabbed his fist. “No, as annoying and antagonizing as he is, he’s right. We need him breathing.”

  So they do need me for something. Good, that might give me an opportunity to get out of Dodge later.

  “Yeah, Sissi, why don’t you return to Austria and sit your pretty butt on the throne.”

  Sissi looked at Altanor and shrugged. Altanor pointed at the door with his head and the henchman left.

  “Interesting specimen you have there,” said Kevin. “Not the brightest though.”

  “On that we can agree.”

  “Ok, so we’ve established you need me for something, so what about we get down to it? I can’t say I appreciate the accommodations all that much. A little dark and damp for my taste.”

  Altanor took a step back and sized Kevin up a couple of times.

  “I still can’t believe how a frail boy like you could have defeated an entire armada of Kregan ships.”

  “That’s because you should never judge a book by its cover. It’s what’s inside that counts.”

  “Yes, your brain. That’s what we need.”

  “Sorry, I don’t have a spare one, and I’m quite fond of mine. So what else can I do for you?”

  “Ha ha ha, if nothing else, I enjoy your sense of humor.”

  Let’s revisit the question when I find a blaster rifle and lodge it up so far up your ass you’ll be firing from your mouth.

  “Glad to hear it. But, like I said, I like my brain inside my head just fine.”

  “Oh, I wouldn’t worry, it will stay there. That doesn’t mean it won’t be mine to do with as I please, though.”

  Why don’t I like the sound of that?

  “I thought we agreed that damaging me physically wouldn’t get you what you’re after. It’s a package deal, you see, so if I die, so does my brain.”

  “I have no intention of killing you.”

  “Glad we’re on the same page then. But what makes you think I’ll agree to help the people who just beat the crap out of me?”

  Altanor smiled, revealing just how gross and putrid his mouth was. “You don’t seem to grasp that there are ways to obtain your cooperation without your consent. But you’ll see that soon enough.”

  Yep, whatever this guy is cooking up could mean bad news for me. Where in the hell is Ziron? I would have expected him to try and mount some sort of a rescue. If Boomer didn’t turn him into a meatball sub, that is.

  That thought was risking Kevin’s sanity, so he decided to push it to a deep, dark corner of his mind. He needed to stay positive and try to find a way to get himself out of his current predicament. Counting on others might not be an option.

  “Oh, I can’t wait,” said Kevin as defiantly as he could muster.

  “Well, we’ll be out of hyperspace within the hour, so you won’t have to.”

  Kevin’s stomach made a rather long and noisy growl.

  “Are you hungry, boy?”

  “Somehow I doubt my stomach will agree with what you have to offer.”

  “Suit yourself. I’ll be back.”

  Whatever you say, Arnie.

  Altanor left the cell and as the door slid shut, the cell was once again plunged into darkness.

  Kevin sighed. He dropped the tough guy attitude and let his sight drop to the floor. Little by little, his eyes adjusted to the dark.

  It could have gone better…I think I’m in serious poodoo. Where’s Jack Bauer when you need him?

  “What do you mean we can’t go after Kevin?” barked Boomer.

  “We have to secure the princess’ sister first,” said Ziron, taking a couple of steps back.

  “Screw that bitch and her family. We’ve risked our lives and as a thank you, she fed my master—my friend, to the wolves. I’m not helping her do anything besides walking her to an airlock and flushing her to space.”

  Ziron’s eyes doubled in size. “Heresy! She’s the leader of our people.”

  “Your people, a people that could have been wiped out if it wasn’t for Kevin, a fact she s
eems to have conveniently forgotten.”

  Ziron lowered his head. “She hasn’t forgotten, and neither have I. But it’s a complicated situation. Please try to understand.”

  “All I understand is that I hate her with all my guts.”

  “I can’t blame you. Unfortunately, we don’t have much choice. At least not until we save Athala.”

  “It’s not my fight, and it wasn’t Kevin’s either. But he had the decency to help when asked, and look what that got him.”

  “We would have a better chance of success with your help.”

  “I don’t see how, you said both smart armors are toast.”

  “They are.”

  “So how can I help, I’m just a dog.”

  “Your implant still has Kevin’s tactical knowledge.”

  “I thought that required a link with Kevin’s mind.”

  “It’s a subspace link. It will keep working as long as he’s in range.”

  “Are you telling me we could piggyback to find his location?”

  “Technically, yes. But we’re heading back to Arcadia at the moment. Eventually, we’ll travel out of range.”

  “At which point I’ll be useless to you. However, that’s beside the point, screw what Kalliopy asked you to do.”

  “I have my orders, I’m sorry.”

  “You and I both know these orders aren’t fair!”

  “On that, we agree. But that doesn’t matter, I must obey.”

  “I have half a mind to eat you, like now.”

  Ziron hissed.

  Boomer growled, and Ziron ran behind a console.

  “Yeah,” said Boomer, “empty threats, just as I thought. Just like your empty promises. You disgust me. Leave me the fuck alone, or I’ll make sure you suffer before I put you out of your misery.”

  Ziron’s voice echoed behind his cover. “Please, Boomer. I need your help.”

  “I don’t care. Send me back to Earth, now!”

  Ziron walked out from behind the console, and Boomer resumed his growling. Ziron froze and looked into Boomer’s eyes.

  “There’s nothing you can do to help Kevin where he is.”

  “Apparently, there’s nothing I can do to help him from here either.”

  “Yes, there is, but you need to trust me.”

  “Trust you? That’s rich.”

  “I understand how you feel, I really do.”

  “You don’t understand shit!”

  Ziron’s eyes watered. “He’s my friend too!”

  Boomer did not expect to see tears or hear the sincerity in Ziron’s voice.

  “Then why won’t you help me save him?”

  “I will, I promise. I have to find a way to do that without disobeying my orders. I think I have an idea how to do just that.”

  “I’m listening.”

  “If I cannibalize secondary systems from the Osiris, I think I can make you a new armor. It won’t be as advanced as the last one, but it will give you an edge.”

  “So that I can help Athala?”

  “Unless you have a better idea?”

  “As a matter of fact, I do.”

  “What is it?”

  “Not so fast. You owe me, just like you owe Kevin. Get cranking on my armor. You’re going to have to work at regaining my trust. That’s non-negotiable.”

  “Alright, but I need your help uploading Kevin’s current tactical knowledge into Mira’s main computer. At least with that knowledge, she should be able to defend this ship from attack.”

  Boomer thought about it. While he didn’t like the idea of helping the Arcadians with anything right now, he was thinking of the bigger picture. Once he had a working smart armor, he could secure a ship of his own and go help Kevin.

  “What do you need me to do?”

  3

  Lacuna walked out of the shower.

  “What do you mean the seven-hundredth floor is gone?” she exclaimed.

  Darmak covered his eyes. “New bothhh, bothhh.”

  Lacuna had feared something like this would happen. Because Kevin had destroyed most of her automated defenses, whoever had executed a hostile takeover of her property had an easy time doing it. That’s how she had made her own move. She had waited for the previous owner to repel multiple assaults, and she attacked when he was at his weakest.

  Now she had no stronghold on Omicronia and no fleet of ships. Every move that she had made in the last few days was the wrong ones. She had lost everything. Everything but her life.

  She hated how vulnerable that made her feel, and part of her wondered if it wouldn’t have been better if Kevin had killed her. But there was something special about that boy. She didn’t understand why she felt this way or why she was even attracted to him. She usually went for strong men with no moral barometer, men that took what they wanted, when they wanted.

  Kevin was the antithesis of the men she usually fell for. Somehow he had still managed to make an impression on her, and one she couldn’t easily shake. For reasons that baffled her, she longed to see him again.

  Perhaps, right now, he was the only one who could help her. Not that he’d be inclined to do so. Lacuna had no doubts that he would most certainly be opposed to helping her in any way, and if she was being truthful, she knew that she didn’t deserve it after all she had done. But she’d work out the details later. First, she needed to find him.

  “Bothhh?” asked Darmak with a rather blank expression on his face.

  Lacuna had been lost in thought and completely forgot she was in the middle of a conversation with her henchman.

  “That’s unfortunate, Darmak. But it is what it is.”

  “You not angry with Darmak?”

  Maybe he was a simpleton, and maybe it had been a bad move leaving him in charge, but his heart was in the right place, and he had found her. Now that she didn’t smell of her own urine, and even if she felt like she was right back where she started when she landed on Omicron all those years ago, at least she was alive.

  “I’m not happy about losing it all if that’s what you’re asking, but it’s gone, so why lament on it. Sooner or later someone more ambitious would have tried to cut my head off to replace me. Maybe it was destined to happen, and perhaps it was better I wasn’t there when it occurred.”

  She could tell from Darmak’s face that he was confused, and rightfully so. Lacuna was well aware of how temperamental she was in situations that displeased her. But that was the funny thing about this particular situation, the days spent alone tied up on the small ship provided plenty of time for her to think.

  At first, she wanted nothing more than to kill him, of course. But, little by little, her outlook changed. It was only when she was freed, and felt both alive and clean, under a nice hot shower, that it all started to make more sense.

  Was it inconvenient to have lost it all? Hell yeah. Was it the end of the world or her life for that matter? Definitely not.

  “No, I’m not angry. Thank you for finding me. I don’t really have anything left to pay you with, so maybe you should be on your way, you don’t owe me your services anymore.”

  Darmak’s eyes oscillated from side to side as he tried to assimilate Lacuna’s words.

  “You no boss of mine no more? Darmak sad…”

  Lacuna smiled.

  “You’re welcome to stay with me. I can’t guarantee I can pay you or that we’re not going to put ourselves in danger.”

  “Oooookay. Wut do we do nest?”

  “We have to find someone.”

  “A mark?”

  “Not exactly. But something tells me it’s important I see him again. And soon.”

  Kevin didn’t feel Leg’olas as she crawled next to him. She startled him.

  “Are you alright?” she asked.

  Kevin shivered and nodded.

  “Kind of. That brute hit harder than I thought he would.”

  “Are you in pain? I can help.”

  “Well, no offense, but licking a wound better is one thing, but my i
njuries are internal, and I’m not letting you inside my body. Not that I think you could get in there anyway. Truth be told, I’m still adjusting to physical contact.”

  “But you’re my friend, I want to help.”

  “That’s sweet, but I don’t see how.”

  “Tell me where it hurts, and I’ll make it better.”

  Kevin thought about it for a bit but knew that Leg’olas was impulsive and he was worried the spider would do something creepy without warning. So he shook his head.

  Leg’olas dropped her head and all her eyes looked downward, making her appear sad. “You don’t trust me…”

  Trust.

  How could Kevin not be distrustful right now? Especially after risking his life for someone that just threw him to the wolves the first chance she had. To think he wanted nothing more than to kiss her. Part of him wanted to believe she had no choice, but his pride was still hurt, and right now, most of his abdomen area hurt too, even though it was a different kind of pain.

  “Don’t take it personally, okay? I don’t trust anyone at the moment. Maybe with the exception of Boomer.”

  “What’s a Boomer?”

  “He’s a friend, like you, just bigger with less legs, more fur.”

  Kevin could tell from Leg’olas’ expression that his definition of his best friend was hard to visualize.

  “Never mind,” added Kevin.

  A sharp stab in his stomach made him wince in pain.

  Leg’olas didn’t say a word as she traveled down to the area.

  “What are you doing?” asked Kevin.

  “Shhh—”

  “Did you just shush me?”

  Leg’olas didn’t answer, and soon her yellow body started to glow.

  What the hell?

  Warmth radiated through Kevin’s stomach and the pain slowly turned from stabbing to soothing. In mere moments, he could feel that whatever internal damage he had suffered was being fixed.

  This is unbelievable.

  When all the pain was gone, Leg’olas stopped glowing and returned by Kevin’s shoulder.

  “Better?” she asked.

  “Much, thank you. How did you do that?”

  “I’m not sure…you were in pain, and I wanted you to not be in pain anymore.”