Her hand touched something soft with jagged pieces sticking out when she tried to cradle his head in it, and it came away covered in blood. He was bleeding profusely everywhere. Aspen’s mind raced as she tried to find a way to save him. There were emergency kits aboard, but there was nothing that could help him there, and she knew for a fact that there were no automatic medical treatment systems aboard. If they were ever present, they were ripped out to make room for luxury cabins.
He reached up and caressed her face. “It’s okay,” he breathed, pain creasing his forehead. “We were together. I can’t believe you got us out. I did okay? I didn’t slow you down?”
“You were perfect,” Aspen said, kissing his forehead and brushing his hair from his face. “Rest, just rest. There must be an emergency kit here, maybe something to slow this down.” She started to get out from under him but he gripped her tunic. She let herself be dragged down to kiss him, and tasted blood on his lips.
He looked to the cockpit window and saw space. “I’m free,” he said. “I’m free with you,” he struggled with another breath.
“You’re free,” Aspen said. “I love you so much, Larken.”
“Love you too, always loved you,” he said. “Find someone who-“ he struggled.
“Shh,” she said, brushing her lips against his. She didn’t want to be told to move on.
“-makes you laugh,” he finished. “I always loved watching you laugh. And don’t let her get you.” He breathed. “I…” His chest quaked, his hand gripped hers hard, and he breathed rapidly, blood gurgling in his chest and sputtering through his lips. There was panic in his eyes.
“Larken, I love you, I’m so sorry I did this. I love you.”
His eyes finally lost focus, he stopped breathing and he fell limp. Aspen stared at his face. This would be how she would remember him, she knew from experience. When the artificial intelligences took over and killed most of the people in the Countess’s household she saw people she grew up with die, and no matter how wonderful those people were, she could only ever remember their faces as they were in the throes of panic or fear.
Larken would forever look like he was in pain and afraid. She wouldn’t remember holding his hand in the garden when they were children, without recalling how he clutched hers as his body failed him. Memories of staring contests, and nose-to-nose closeness where they would look into each other’s eyes would conjure up a memory of his dead gaze.
The navigational computer beeped, indicating that the emergency jump coordinates were calculated and the ship was in position. There were alerts on the combat scanner’s screen – ships were coming to get them. Aspen slowly got to her feet, crossed to the console and confirmed that she wanted to make the jump and the ship began hyper-accelerating into a wormhole of its own creation.
Aspen checked all the security systems to make sure there was no one else aboard, cut power to the transponder and curled up in the back corner of the cockpit. “I got out,” she whispered to herself. “But I left half of me behind.” Not for the first time, Aspen wished her tear ducts would allow her to cry. Her sobs came anyway, so hard that her stomach and ribs hurt by the time she felt numb.
07
Spin slowly realized that she had to make sure she had full control of the ship, then get rid of the pilot. Half numb to the world around her, she went through the motions of adding herself into the system then crashing the security software, taking the seconds it took for it to restart to add herself as the new captain. If the main console weren’t already unlocked, she wouldn’t have been able to do it, but the pilot was busy getting the ship ready for take-off when she killed him.
“You’re going to spin in space forever, asshole,” she said to him as she turned the seat towards the door and pushed him face first onto the deck. “I’ll have to write something on your forehead just in case someone finds you out there.”
Looking past his corpse she saw Larken and a pang of sadness struck her. It was followed by something that burned just as deeply – anger. “I’m going to make every one of them suffer.”
The console behind her beeped twice quickly, indicating that they were close to coming out of faster than light travel mode. Aspen set it to start calculating the next jump, a longer stretch that took the Fleet Feather to a charted world it had never been to before so she could lessen the chances of pursuers guessing her destination. Kort would be the first to come for her. He was legendary for cheating death, and she was sure the damage she did – though significant – wasn’t enough to put him down.
Using her new Captain’s access, she deactivated the transponder and entered her personal communication codes, so the ship wouldn’t contact anyone using its own identity. Running with smugglers for a year had taught her many tricks.
Sadly, it didn’t make getting rid of one body and figuring out what to do with another one that was much more treasured any easier. Aspen opened the armoured cockpit door and heard voices coming up from below. After closing and locking it quietly, she checked the internal security monitor and discovered that there were four lower members of the Countess’s court from the Rinnel company sitting together. She recognized two of them right away – Tilly and Dexter Rinnel. They were children in a growing empire and professional lobbyists who were partially responsible for having laws against slavery repealed on dozens of civilized worlds, and that was before the Basic Era started. Aspen could only imagine how easy it must have been after artificial intelligences went mad and began to fight each other for them to do business as slavers. There were numerous worlds where the military destroyed all the complex technology with electromagnetic pulse bombs, leaving millions of people stranded.
As Aspen stared at them on the screen she wondered how many dolls their company owned, and how many they sold. It took her seconds to find the pilot’s sidearm and check it for ammunition. He’d expended fourteen shots, there were twenty-one left. She found two more clips in the drawer in his console along with a few snack bars, a bag of dill rice puffs, a pair of women’s underwear which she discarded without touching, and control chips for devices across the ship. “Thank God you were a stupid pervert. You may as well have left the whole ship unlocked.”
She searched him rapidly, finding the data chip containing the ownership documents for the ship in his boot and another snack bar. The ship emerged from faster than light mode and Aspen checked the scans of the area. There was an unmanned communication station, and a slow transit shuttle at long range.
With a few button presses she set the computer to jump as soon as anything with a weapon arrived in the area. She had some cleaning to do before moving on.
Gun in hand, Aspen opened the hatch and walked down the stairs into the main passenger area.
“Oh my God, what happened, Aspen?” asked Tilly, her slender hand covering her mouth.
Spin almost forgot that she was covered in Larken’s blood. “Stand up and get against that bulkhead,” she said, raising the weapon and pointing it at Dexter Rinnel. “All of you.”
“She’s gone insane, I’ve heard of this happening to dolls,” Tilly said, clutching his arm.
With nary a thought, Aspen fired at the seat next to one of the servants. The round burst apart in the air, sending spinning fragments forward in a shot seven centimetres wide. Her soft target exploded in a puff of white padding. “Do it! Now!” she shouted.
They rushed to the bulkhead, hands raised, shrinking away from her. “Where were you when the ship took off?”
“We were already settling into our quarters,” Dexter explained. “We were the last to move our things in and were almost on our way off.”
“You were going to make the journey to Geist aboard the Fleet Feather? Don’t lie, I can check the manifest.”
“Yes, we’re out of favour with the Countess, so we don’t get to travel with her.”
That sounded right to Aspen. “Is there anyone else on the ship?”
“No, just personal luggage and a dog,” Tilly replied,
curling up against her brother’s side.
“All right, “Aspen said. “There is a corpse up there; a fat man. I want your servants to drag it to the starboard airlock right there. Do you understand?”
“I understand.” Dexter said, his arm around his sister. “We’ll do anything you ask us to if you’ll let us live.”
“Order them to move the body, “Aspen said, carefully aiming the handgun at Tilly, who whimpered and covered her eyes.
Dexter nodded at his servants and the pair of them rushed up the stairs. “Is that Larken?” one of them asked, shocked.
“Leave him alone!” Aspen said, not taking her eyes off the the Rinnels leaning against the bulkhead across the cabin. “Just the fat one. Drag him.”
They followed her orders and dragged him to the airlock face down. “Good, now put him in the airlock and get in there with him. Don’t worry, it’s safe, the airlock won’t open while we’re under way.” Aspen said, using her best reassuring tone.
“Listen, I don’t know what happened, and I’m sorry if Larken is hurt up there. Maybe we can help,” Dexter offered.
“Do you have anything that can restore a human brain? Can you get it here in the next hour?”
Dexter was silent. Everyone there knew the answer already. Aspen glanced at the servants and nodded towards the airlock. “Get in, don’t worry.” She returned her focus to Dexter and his sister. “Order them to do it.”
“I won’t,” one of the servants said, bursting into tears. “Not with him,” she pointed at the corpse and wailed incoherently.
“Just push him into it and sit down beside the airlock, then,” Aspen said. The wailing servant, lovely in her own right but near panic, reminded her not to spread her revenge too widely. They weren’t responsible for anything, there was no need to space them with the pilot’s corpse, especially since they pushed him into the airlock quickly, closing the inner doors behind him. They also didn’t look like any generation of doll Aspen had ever seen, so they probably weren’t brainwashed into serving their masters like many she’d known. The servants sat down as soon as they were finished, their backs against the bulkhead beside the airlock. “Thank you,” Aspen said.
Spin looked back to Dexter then, all emotions but anger draining from her. She touched her wrist, starting a recording. “Now Dex, we’ve met before. You remember?”
“I do,” he said. “A long time ago. We got along.”
“No, I led you to think we were getting along. Sure, you were kind, but I could tell you were only trying to assess my value before making an offer to the Countess. That’s what you and your sister do, you barter, you trade, and you grow your little empire for your family.”
“You were too precious to her,” Dexter said. “You should be proud.”
“You came to the palace yesterday to see Larken and me, didn’t you?”
“No, we heard there would be a big announcement, that our business would benefit, so we attended. I didn’t regret it until now.”
“I wonder, were you more interested in the new dolls from the New Skin Facility, or in buying my babies?” Aspen waited for a response, but Dexter was too smart to offer one and Tilly was terrified. “I want you to repeat after me: Transfer seventy-seven million UCA credits…”
“Transfer seventy-seven million UCA credits…” Dexter repeated.
“To the account number provided…”
Dexter’s expression darkened as he repeated; “To the account number provided…”
“And the location of your children will be transmitted to you.”
“I’m not doing this,” Dexter said. “There’s no way I’m going to get ransomed.”
“All right,” Aspen said, “then I’ll record my own message.” She cleared her throat. “If you do not transmit seventy-seven million UCA credits for each one of these captives to the account provided, you will never know the location of your children’s bodies.”
Tilly screeched and hid her face against her brother. For a grown woman, she did a good impression of a frightened little girl. “All right!” Dexter said. “You will receive the location of your children when the money is received!” he shouted. “Good enough?”
“Good, get in the hyper-pod, now.”
Dexter opened the round, red and white hatch and helped his sister into the escape pod. “You’re going to pay for this, there is no doubt, and we won’t take money as reparation.” He growled.
“Get in the pod!” Aspen shrieked, taking several steps forward with the gun levelled at his head. Startled, he fell inside, tangling with his sister and her frilly yellow dress.
Spin slammed the inner hatch shut, followed by the outer hatch and locked it. She edited and transmitted the ransom demand without launching the pod. It wasn’t the place, the area was too busy, it was too close to the Countess’ estate. With the message sent, she used a small access console and her new Captain’s code to initiate the Fleet Feather’s next faster than light jump.
“What about us?” asked the braver of the two servants. She had nice, big brown eyes and long strawberry blonde hair.
“You’re both slaves?” Aspen asked.
“We were both taken from Starfall City, that’s how we met,” she replied.
“Do you want to be free?”
The weeping one raised her head and nodded.
“Of course, I don’t know where to go, and we don’t have any money, but yes.”
“Then you’re free,” Aspen said. “And I’ll give you each one million credits when their family pays me.”
The weeping servant stroked brown hair out of her eyes, wiped her tears away and got to her feet. “Don’t shoot, I have something I’ve wanted to do for a while.”
Spin shrugged and kept the gun at her side as she watched the servant stride to the small porthole looking into the escape pod and spat with vigour then made several rude gestures. It almost looked like a dance, a fairly well practiced one. She turned away from her former masters with a satisfied smile. “Thank you, that felt really good.”
“Listen,” the other one said, standing slowly. “I know you don’t trust us, you shouldn’t, but it looks like you’ve had a really rough time. I’d like to help.”
“I don’t know how you could,” Aspen said, lowering her head.
“I’m Mirra, and she’s Della,” the strawberry blonde one said. Set whatever security is on this ship to watch us, keep us from transmitting out or whatever, and we’ll get you cleaned up. I know I can find some clothes in one of the guest quarters, so we’ll get you changed. Let us take care of you. Maybe earn that fresh start you’re setting us up with. I know you’ve run before, everyone does, so I believe you’ll help us get away.”
Della smiled at her and touched her arm gently. “Let us help you, okay?”
Spin didn’t turn the gun’s safety on because she trusted them. It was weariness that led her to accept their offer. “Okay, just give me a minute.” There was a list of things to do building in her head, all the things she needed to do before she attempted to rescue Sun and the rest of her people. The first thing on it was to make the ship safe.
Mirra and Della followed her up to the cockpit, where Della immediately stopped and whispered; “I’m going to get a sheet, okay?”
Spin set the ship security system to track her and Mirra’s movements then nodded. Before she was finished scanning the rest of the ship for more passengers, Della returned with a sheet and gently laid it on Larken’s body. “I always liked him, such a nice man. He had a little smile for me every time he caught me staring at him. Asked me how I was once, and I think he listened when I answered.”
Spin swallowed her grief and shook her head as the scan completed. There was one small life form aboard in a stasis cube, it was checked in as a Pomeranian. “Someone brought a dog.” She said.
“Oh, that’s Lady Friss’ pup,” Della said.
“You could probably ransom that too,” Mirra added. “I’m sure she’d pay five million, maybe a lot mor
e, that dog is like her only child.”
“I’ll give it a try, it’ll keep for months in its stasis cube,” Aspen said, her mouth was running on autopilot. They arrived at their new destination, emerging from faster than light travel. “Time to send coordinates out and your masters into space.” That, she said with great pleasure, pointing at a switch with a safety cover on the right hand side of the large cockpit. “Who wants the honours?”
“I’ll open the cover, you flick the switch,” Mirra said, smiling at Della.
Della hopped and giggled giddily. “Do it!”
Spin started setting up their next jump, a much longer course that took them past several systems before arriving at a quiet backwater the Cool Angel used to take on supplies often. Mirra flipped the cover up, and Della flicked the switch with an exaggerated gesture.
A thud echoed from below, and the scanners confirmed that the pod was away with two live passengers. Aspen turned the ship so their servants could see it disappear into the distance through the transparent metal canopy. With a few button presses the course was recorded so it could be sent to their family if they paid the ransom.
“Wave bye-bye,” Della said. “Thank you so much for this, Aspen. I can’t believe we’ll never have to look after those rich assholes again.”
The navigational system chirped, indicating that it was finished plotting. Aspen checked the course and set it to make the next jump. The three of them were silent as the ship turned and slipped into another wormhole. “Let’s get you cleaned up.” Mirra said in a gentle tone.
They led her to the nicest guest shower, a stall Aspen had seen before, but was never allowed to use, and undressed her tenderly. “I’m going to go find some clothes,” Della said. “What do you want?”
“If you find an under suit, that’d be the best thing.”
“Like a spacer’s containment suit?” Della asked, holding her hands wide around her hips and torso, miming a large exploration suit.
“She means the ones that conform so you can wear clothes over them, there should be one near crew quarters by the engine room,” Mirra said.
Trapped: Chaos Core Book 1 Page 7