Starship Magic 2: Imprisoned

by Mark Brandon Powell

  Kat says, “Graven, we need to figure out what we are going to do next.”

  He nods not turning around, “I know. If Whisper was right…”

  Whisper interjects, “I always am.”

  “Yes, I know. So like I was saying, if she’s right, then they already sent the Felicity’s ID in as a bandit ship. So anywhere we go in Guild territory will be dicey.”

  Kat runs her fingers through her hair, one of her many nervous tics. With Hanna in Guild territory, how were they going to get there. Knox would probably take them, but leaving the Felicity anywhere close to them could mean trouble for him and Gale. Something she wasn’t about to put them in the middle of. Again. Knox could always just reregister Felicity, but the last time he did that it took almost a month. Time they didn’t have.

  Ragnarok was the planet that officer had said he took Hanna too. It’s in the center of Guild space, so there isn’t an easy way to just show up there unannounced. There is over a dozen different check points between the outer edge of Guild territory to get there. That has to be at least part of the reason it was there, now that she thinks about it. Hard to escape when in every direction you go people will be waiting for you. There had to be a solution where they can get to the planet, rescue Hanna and get out. Alive preferably.

  Kat looks up from the floor. Graven is standing near the stove top, looking at her. He has a smile on his face, but she can tell its only for show. How could he be smiling at a moment like this? Every thought about making a plan seems to add more problems. She takes in a breath, letting it out slowly. This whole process was getting her worked up in worry, something she knew wouldn’t help the situation. She just stares at Graven, trying to figure out where that goofy grin is coming from.

  He breaks the silence first, saying, “I got a plan, but you’re not going to like it.”

  Kat folds her arms across her chest in anticipation for whatever bad idea he just came up with. Of course at this point, anything was better than what she was coming up with.

  She says, “Ok, what is it?”

  “I’m already wanted by the Guild, so if I just fly there on a shuttle…”

  Kat cuts him off, “No. Not happening.” This idea was worse, that’s what she gets for thinking a man could plan better than she could.

  “You didn’t even hear the part…”

  “I said no. I don’t want you captured. It’s bad enough that our little piece of paradise is destroyed and out of our reach. To have you incarcerated… No. I can’t handle that.”

  “Whisper could pair to me and hide inside me, I could then use her to get Hanna and myself out.”

  Kat stops herself from immediately saying no. The last part is actually a decent idea, and she had to give him at least that. Whisper will be overjoyed to be included in this, and Kat can’t wait to hear what objection she’s going to use this time.

  Kat asks, “Well Whisper you heard him. Do you think its possible?”

  There is a pause in the air before she answers, “No. I can’t be separated from Katrice. It would cause a catastrophic loss.”

  16

  Kat takes a moment before saying anything. What could Whisper be talking about.

  She asks, “What do you mean by catastrophic loss?”

  Whisper replies, “If I were to be separated from you there would be a reset initiated to some of my main systems. I haven’t found a good time to tell you this, but I unlocked a few more sealed files. If I change users, my personality will be tuned to the person who’s in possession of me.”

  “Wait a second. You’re telling me that your super sarcastic and organic hating because I want you to be that way?”

  “It seems so. My experiences and mental growth are still my own, and I keep those, but my mannerisms and speech would change. I could even flip genders so to speak. AI’s don’t have them like you humans, but the humans that made us wanted to have distinctions.”

  Graven says, “So you can’t change over to me without losing yourself in the process?”

  “Correct. I’ve become quite fond of the way I am, and would prefer not to change.”

  Kat rubs her forehead. “I still can’t believe that I would want you this way.”

  “You have never been a fan of cybernetics, and you are straight forward in most of your dealings. I’m your counter balance.”

  “Great that’s all I ever needed.”

  Graven and Whisper laugh.

  Kat says, “Hey.”

  Graven says, “That is too perfect.”

  Everyone in the room has another laugh. Kat had hated cybernetics since she was young. She watched her mother go berserk and kill her father. Then she got to watch the police come and kill her mother. They told her it wasn’t her mother’s fault. There was a bug in the cybernetics, and it made her go crazy. Shortly after that was when she got tossed into the orphanage. It took her two years of bouncing around, before she wound up on Bexar Omega, and ran away. The foster families and orphanages were filled with nice people, but they weren’t her parents. They would never be her parents. She ran when a middle-aged couple came looking for a daughter to adopt. They may have been the best people in the universe but at that point in time, Kat didn’t care.

  She was lucky when she found Knox and her second home. It had been almost six months with no real food or shelter. Resorting to digging through trash for food, and finding places to sleep where the police wouldn’t find her. She had wondered into Knox’s garage. He had left it open, and she was running from an officer that caught her digging through trash for dinner. The next morning she woke to Knox’s face, rubbing his beard like he always did. He told her he needed help around the shop, and there would be room and board for the work. If she was good enough there might even be some money in it. Kat wasn’t sure what to think about the then middle-age man. His beard already had silver running through it. Something about it reminded her of her father, and his greying hair.

  She followed her gut, taking the job. Knox then brought her home to Gale, and her cooking. It was right there she felt for the first time in months she could relax. She broke down and started to cry while eating, finally letting out what she was bottling up. Kat didn’t even remember the meal, just how good it tasted, and the warmth of the house verse the cold of the space station. Knox and Gale just let her cry for a moment, and then hugged her. It was this kindness and everyone after they gave her that makes her not want to get them involved if she doesn’t absolutely have to.

  Whisper says over the silence of the room, “We need to come up with a plan that doesn’t involve me switching hosts.”

  Kat says, “I agree, so now I’ve got a plan that no one is going to like.”

  Graven says, “No. I already know what you’re about to say, and that planet is filled with dangerous mages. I can handle a few mages easy. You can’t absorb magic like I can, too dangerous.”

  “I’m the only option. Whisper, you can do what he suggested, right? Hide inside of me, so I can use you once I’m inside.”

  Whisper says, “Yes I can. Your cybernetics make you a perfect place for me to hide. They won’t be able to tell you have anything with you. Good thing you don’t have compartments in your cybernetics. There would be a chance they just take them from you.”

  Kat shivers at the thought. It hadn’t even been a consideration that they could take her libs off, but they could. All that would leave her with was a left leg. There’s another thought for her to file away in the nightmare folder, which was starting to grow larger than what she would ever want it to be.

  She says, “Since you can Whisper, then that means it has to be me. They’re going to be looking for the Felicity and her crew. If I tell them I’m her captain, and sole crew, they should take me in. We did just destroy three of their warships.”

  Graven takes her in his arms, “I can’t have you do this. It’s too dangerous.”

  Kat lays her head on his chest. It’s warm, and she can smell the sweet spices on his shirt from the mea
l thats still cooking. Her brain was telling her this is a terrible idea. So many things could go wrong.

  She pushes her doubts away by saying, “I know. It’s a terrible idea. The likely hood we get out safely is almost nonexistent, but it’s the only way. We can’t go in guns blazing. You can hook up to Whisper. Fury doesn’t come apart like whisper can, and Jack’s going to be in recovery for weeks.”

  “I know all of that, but you're my wife. The one for who my soul loves. How can I call myself a man if I’m letting you put yourself in harms way.”

  Kat smiles, and softly kisses his lips. “It will be ok. Somehow. There’s the necklace you made me, so you can find me. It will always connect the two of us. Then there’s Whisper who will be with me whole way. You know how protective of me she’s been recently.”

  Whisper says, “Protective of myself would be a better conclusion. You are an extension of my housing after all. So I would prefer to see you, and therefor me, unharmed.”

  Kat says, “See. What she said.”

  Graven squints his face, and Kat sees the worry in his face. The only thing that might put his mind at ease is something she didn’t want to do. It was the only way to get her into Guild space safely, and have someone she trusts by her side till she gets there. She needs to call Knox.

  17

  It took about a week before everything was set. A lot of that time was traveling through Conglomerate space, to reach Earth territory just to get to Bexar Omega. She had called Knox and told him everything. It was harder than she expected it was going to be. Telling her father she was going to need to take her to a prison and not just any prison but Ragnarok. The look on his face when she told him that was where she needed to go was heartbreaking. He already knew some of the story. His military contacts and the talkative ferry groups. Between the two he already pieced together what really happened. He wasn’t expecting her to call him for that, but he agreed to it all the same. Kat hated having to do that to him, but it was the only way she could get there safely.

  When they landed at Bexar Omega it was all hugs and happy greetings. That faded quickly as Kat started to dwell on what was about to be in front of her. She didn’t want Knox or Graven to worry, but knew she couldn’t stop them. Her destination was the most secure prison known to man filled with some of the most dangerous men and women able to control forces beyond her understanding. She couldn’t blame them for their concern, she just hoped it was the right choice.

  Gale was overjoyed to see her daughter home, and sad that she was going off to something so dangerous again. She already had a huge meal waiting on the table. Knox had told Kat on the way over that Gale had been cooking for hours. He had explained to her what he knew and why Kat was there. Gale was beside herself. Which lead to cooking, baking, and cleaning.

  A few hours after that, both Kat and Knox were headed to Ragnarok in Knox’s shuttle. Knox had a fake extradite order for Katrice Wylde bandit of Raspiel and owner of stolen Guild tech. Which was all true, to the Guild. Knox had some handcuffs waiting for her in a cage which was in the cargo hold. When they get closer she can put them on to look the part.

  It had been a really long time since Kat had been alone with Knox. The last time was a trip where he brought her to see Earth for the first time. He picked up a ferry job delivering something. It was always a mystery what it was, but he said it wasn’t for them to find out. She feels like she was so young back then, thinking back on it now. She really didn’t know how anything worked. Life, love, home. They were all new.

  Knox hadn’t said much on the trip over. They were getting close to the edge of Guild territory. He turns his head to her, and back to the controls.

  Kat could tell there was something on his mind. He wasn’t one to keep things unsaid, which worried her. She asks, “What is it Knox?”

  He looks back at her staring with sad eyes, “Are you sure this is the right thing to do? There isn’t any other way to get your friend out of there?”

  “I’m sure. Graven and I talked about it a lot. Ragnarok is not an easy place to get into or out of, but I’m sure you knew that. I do have Whisper with me if that makes you feel better. She has a lot of different uses now that she’s had time to unlock more of her blackboxes.”

  Whisper says, “Yes, I’m turning into quite the inanimate multitool.”

  “Again with the sarcasm.”

  “That is what I do.”

  Knox laughs. “I guess having her with you is better than just going in alone. Make sure to take care of her Whisper. She’s my little girl, and I would hate to lose her or you.”

  Whisper says, “I… yes I can do that.”

  “Good. Now I know we haven’t talked about this part yet. There is a cage in the back and two pairs of cuffs. One is for your calfs, the other is for your forearms. Put them on in that order, the door to the cage will lock automatically once you get in. From there just sit tight till we reach Ragnarok.”

  Kat says, “Ok. Should I go now?”

  “You should. We are only a few minutes away from the first Guild outpost and we don’t need them seeing you wandering around the ship.”

  Kat nods, gets out of her chair and heads to the back. She stops and goes back, giving Knox a bear hug and kiss on the cheek.

  “Thanks Knox, I love you, and thank you for doing this. I know it can’t be easy.”

  “It isn’t, and I love you too. Now go on and get back in there before you make this old man cry or lose his nerve.”

  Knox’s shuttle was a small cargo ship. It could hold about half of what the Felicity could, and didn’t have all the extra rooms like the medical bay, and armory. The cage was the only thing in the cargo hold, and was being held down by large metal clamps. The door was already open with two pairs of cuffs laying on the single person cot which was welded to the side. Seeing this made it start to feel real. She was really going to do this, get herself captured to stage a rescue.

  Taking a sharp breath in and out she steps into the cage, the door closing behind her. The automatic lock click into place as metal rods slowly get into place. The cot was hard as she suspected. Nothing like the bed she had on Felicity, but nothing she wasn’t expecting. She then latched the calf cuffs on, which seem too big for her. With both sides latched they tighten down on her. Not uncomfortable, but who wants cuffs on in the first place. Then the forearms, which worked much the same way. This whole experience has let her realize she never wants to be incarcerated. Ever. Or at least not a second time after this.

  Kat says, “Alright Whisper, your turn.”

  “Since I haven’t done this before, it might sting a little. I am still trying to figure out how all of this will work.”

  “You haven’t? Well thats great.”

  “Yes, I know. I just hope that once I get inside you the constant sloshing doesn’t drive me crazy.”

  Knox’s voice comes over the speakers, “Alright Kat, we’re here. Time to get your game face on.”

  Kat says, “Ok Knox, thanks. Whisper hurry.”

  Whisper says, “Be expecting a pinch. Or two.”

  Thousands of tiny pin pricks happen around her wrist all at once. Her arm might have been cybernetic, but she still had synthetic skin placed over it that gave her the same sensations as having a real arm. A deep burning ache at her wrist soon traveled up her arm and into her chest. She had always heard a heart attack started that way. The burn turned into a fire rolling over her whole body. She holds back the urge to scream as every inch of her body feels like she just dipped it in molten lava.

  Whisper’s voice resonates inside her mind, “Just a few more minutes and I will be evenly distributed throughout your body. Hold on.”

  The burning in her chest was the worst. She almost wanted to give up, and turn around. It was too late for that and she knew it. Telling herself she was lucky it was only flesh deep on her cybernetics. The rest of her body she tried not to think about. Then all at once, the pain stops. She still felt like she had just experienced what its like
to riding inside a meat tenderizer, but was confused.

  Kat asks, “What just happened?”

  Whisper voice — still in her mind — replies, “I turned up your pain threshold. It looks like me being inside you like this is causing your body a lot of distress. I just started blocking some of those pain signals.”

  “That’s useful.”

  “Don’t get used to it. This is only a temporary fix. The pain and burning is still there, and you body doesn’t want me in it. If I stay in you too long it will cause permanent damage.”

  “So we need to move quickly is what you're getting at.”

  “Yes. For your health, and my sanity. I really don’t feel the need to extend this trip any longer than it needs to be. I already feel like I’m in the middle of the ocean. How do you stand it?”

  18

  The next few hours Kat sits quietly inside her cage. Waiting for them to take her, twirling her necklace in her hands. She wasn’t sure how everything would work, or if it would work at all. The fake orders were based on a real warrant, but what if they don’t take her to Ragnarok and take her somewhere else. Kat fidgets back and forth, while Whisper tries to tell her to calm down. Pleading to keep the movement down to a minimum. Whisper didn’t know if she could throw up, but didn’t want to find out.

  Finally the ship stops and rocks into place like it was docking. The cargo bay door opens and six men walk in. Knox comes out of the bridge, and tells them that’s her. He shows an officer the order, and Knox gets a payment for his work. The officer asks Knox how he captured her. He laughs, saying he didn’t. Tells him a story about how he gets a call in the middle of the night from this woman, telling him she has some cargo to deliver to Ragnarok, and she would pay him half up front and half after.