Repercussions

by Dominique Mondesir

  Phoenix inched forward, bit by bit, as light flickered through gone-off white curtains catching the dust that floated in the air. The apartment opened up into a small living room, which housed one sofa and a round table. Off to the right, Phoenix could see a bed.

  He strained his hearing to see if he could pick up the sounds of anyone in the room, but it appeared that the three of them were alone.

  Phoenix ran a finger along the tabletop, leaving a line in the dust.

  "There ain't anyone here," Plowstow said from behind him.

  The few books in the living room were stacked up neatly to one side. A plant stood in one corner of the room, its petals fallen to the floor like withered limbs.

  "It sure is musty in here," Kai said.

  Pictures hanging on the wall drew Phoenix's attention. Each one depicted a husband and wife with two small children. One girl, one boy.

  As Phoenix moved closer, he recognised the smiling face of the man as Dre--before the tattoos, purple hair, and red eye. He was a perfectly normal-looking Rue male, with his arms wrapped around his wife. The smile he wore stretched across his face, nearly devouring it.

  Phoenix moved from one happy picture to the next, stopping in his tracks when he saw a frame without a picture. It stood out like a red buoy on the waves of the blue ocean.

  "Hmm," Phoenix said, tapping his finger against his lips.

  "Hey! What in the world is going on here?" said a voice from behind them.

  Phoenix spun around, hand on pistol, but relaxed when he saw a weathered face looking his way. The female had greying hair and a slight hunch as she shuffled forward into the apartment. Her walking stick echoed against the walls.

  "I thought I told you to keep watch," Phoenix hissed, grabbing Kai by the arm and yanking him close.

  "Bro, I--"

  "Ass," Phoenix said, pushing him away. "Hello, miss. We are working with the government, and we wondered if we could ask you a few questions."

  "First off, son, the last time I was a miss, your daddy was still swimming around in your grandfather's nut sack," the old woman said, looking at each member of the crew closely.

  "Well, I--"

  "Second, if you are really from the so-called government--the same government that has caused me nothing but grief and stress for the last ninety years--then I have a room full of brothers, sons, grandsons and great-grandsons that would like a word."

  Phoenix crossed his arms over his chest and raised his eyebrow. "What makes you think you'll have time to utter any warning once we kick that walking stick out from under you?"

  The elderly woman threw back her head and raspy laughter, something between a cough and a wheeze, escaped her lips. "I would like to see you try. I haven't had a good roll around with a man your age and size in quite a while," she said, licking her lips.

  Phoenix could feel the blood draining from his face as he took a quick step back. He felt the coldness of the wall against his back, cutting off any route of escape.

  She held Phoenix's gaze as she took another step forward.

  "Okay, okay," Phoenix said, raising his hands in front of him to act as some sort of shield. "The reason we are here is to stop the group known as The Eye. Any and all information that you could give us would be a great help."

  She shook her head and scratched her chin; it sounded like sandpaper against unpolished wood. "Terrible business, that. I ain't a fan of them up at that big castle, lording it over all of us like they were born different, but what happened to them just doesn't sit right with me. Not when kiddies are involved. Terrible business."

  "Do you think you could help?" Phoenix asked.

  "Don't know how I can. Plus, all the menfolk in my family would be up in arms, if I did say anything. They believe that group can solve all our problems."

  "Does that mean you won't help?"

  "The menfolk in the family ain't the brightest. As thick as a lump of rock and twice as strong. Thinking that violence can solve any problem, especially one as big as this, is foolish. The problem with this planet is root deep. It'll take generations before things are right."

  "What can you tell us about this man?" Phoenix said, walking over to a picture on the wall.

  "Terrible business, that. Just awful. Never got the poor fella's name. Was a quiet soul, kept to himself. But he, as you can see, had the prettiest wife this side of town. And like I always say, if you have pretty things, people tend to take notice. After they take notice, they start wanting too."

  "So what happened?"

  "Same thing that always happens. As I heard it, one day he and the family were out for a walk, and a royal member of the palace saw his wife and took a fancy to what he saw. The wife rightly shooed off any advances, but that didn't stop the royal's desire. See, once those folks up at the palace have a notion of wanting something, they normally get it.

  "It went on for weeks, till one day government guards kicked down their door and hauled him away. Some nonsense about stealing or fighting," she said with an eye roll.

  "Was he innocent?" Phoenix asked.

  "What do you think?" she said with a raised eyebrow. "Anyway, that was the last we saw of the poor fella. And also the last time we saw the wife and kids. Shortly after, an escort came and collected them."

  The elderly woman shook her head as she turned and began to make her way out.

  "Whatever happened to the wife?" Phoenix asked, stepping forward.

  "Terrible business," she said without turning round. "The royal wasn't too fond of the kids, would often beat them. Till one day the wife had enough and stepped in, to defend her own. Stupidest thing she could have done. He killed all three and fed their bodies to the beasts."

  39

  Phoenix walked into a room that was housed in an old abandoned groundsman's cottage. The cottage was within the palace grounds, lost amongst the gardens, trees and a hundred other similar buildings that clamoured for space around the palace.

  The cottage was nicknamed "the war room", and it was where the group held all meetings, shared any plans and strategised about their next move.

  Saoirse wanted to keep all discussions on the PH1, whereas Sindee wanted them to take place on her ship. After arguing back and forth, common ground was agreed upon. The war room.

  Phoenix stepped into the room and immediately slammed his back against the wall to avoid a pair of guards that rushed out the door. Saoirse and Sindee stood in front of a table laden with papers, maps and spreadsheets. A blue holocom ball floated above the table, showing nothing but static.

  L, Kai and Plowstow sat in a corner, playing cards.

  "I want you to trace his location as soon as the broadcast goes live. Do you hear me?" Sindee shouted at a quivering guard.

  Phoenix moved out of the guard's way as he tripped over his own feet in an attempt to get away from Sindee's wrath.

  "What's going on?" Phoenix asked

  "Sindee, are all the men on your ships alert?" Saoirse said.

  "My fleet is a lot smaller than the one I greeted you with at Lavera, but I believe I have more than enough ships to do the job. Once he plays his hand, my men will attack en masse."

  "You believe?" Saoirse asked with a raised eyebrow.

  "That's all we have, at the present time. But if you think you could do better--"

  "It is not a matter of being better than you--that I already know. What I worry about is if this is a trap. This just feels way too... easy."

  "Hey! Will someone tell me what the fuck is going on? I know I have a lot of amazing qualities, but reading minds is not one of them," Phoenix said, slamming his fist on the table.

  Sindee and Saoirse shared a look before rolling their eyes.

  "Dre is about to use the holocom to send a message to Rue and the neighbouring planets in the solar system. Whatever his message is, it can only spell trouble," Sindee said.

  "What? When did this--"

  "We are picking up a message from the holocom," said a guard, cutting Phoenix off.
/>
  "Project it," Sindee and Saoirse.

  The blue ball floating above the table flickered into life and projected an image of the planet Rue floating in space. Then the camera angle changed and showed a figure sitting in a chair on a bridge of a ship.

  He was alone.

  His head was bowed and he held something in his hand. His lips moved but the microphone failed to pick up what he was saying. He brought the object to his lips and kissed it before placing it in his top pocket.

  The camera moved closer, but still the figure failed to raise his head. His fingers drummed a beat on the arm of his seat.

  His facial features lurked in shadow; the only thing visible was a red light.

  He lifted his head, and with it, the red light stared unblinkingly into the camera.

  He held its gaze, refusing to lower it. Refusing to cower.

  "People of Rue, I tried to do things the easy way. I tried to liberate you from the clutches of the Council. I tried to liberate you from the clutches of the Rue-High, but all my efforts have failed, and for that I'm sorry," Dre said.

  "How are we getting on with pinpointing his location?" Sindee asked.

  "Working on it!" a guard yelled.

  "You see, I thought I could end the suffering of my people without much bloodshed. But as any true revolutionary knows, such things are not always possible. Sometimes one needs to use greater measures to achieve one's goal."

  "Work faster. We don't know how long he will keep talking," Sindee said, pointing at the holocom.

  "My demands were never unreasonable. I never asked our king to step down from the throne. I never asked to be placed in a position of power. The only things I ever asked for were for the benefit of my people.

  "My demands were simple. Treat the common people better by giving them aid, in the form of food, shelter and education. And do not join the Council. That was it," Dre said, hands lifting to the camera in a plea.

  "There seems to be some sort of interference," said one of Sindee's men. "It's blocking us."

  "Is asking for the betterment of my people too much?" Dre asked.

  Phoenix could see the strain on Sindee's lips as she kept herself from exploding at her men. As each man pounded keys furiously, Saoirse clenched and unclenched her hands at her sides.

  "Because my demands have largely been ignored, I shall tell you what I am going do. If the king doesn't remove his application to the Council, I shall be forced to wipe the main city of Rue off the map. How will I do that, you ask?

  "This ship I am standing on has such capabilities. You have three hours to make your decision," Dre said, cutting off the holocom feed.

  The silence in the room felt like a weight around a swimmer's neck. No one spoke.

  "He's lying. He won't just destroy the city," Sindee whispered.

  "What do you mean?" Phoenix asked.

  "The ship he's in... It's a starship. It'll destroy the whole planet."

  40

  "What!" Phoenix said.

  "What the fuck do you mean, starship?" Plowstow said, leaping up from where he sat. "If that's true, Phoenix, we need to get the fuck off this planet. And I mean now!"

  "Plowstow, we can't just leave," L said.

  "Like fuck we can't!"

  "There are billions of people on this planet," L said, her hair going fiery red. "You expect us to just leave them to their fate? Do you want that on your conscience?"

  "At least I'll have a conscience if we leave."

  Phoenix slammed his bionic hand down on the edge of the table, taking a chunk of wood clean off. The sound silenced the room, and all eyes turned on him. "How long have you known?"

  Sindee's lips worked back and forth and she coughed into her hand. "Certain things that will be done, or have been done, need to be kept secret in the interest--"

  "Everyone that is not part of my crew or Sindee needs to leave now."

  No one moved.

  "Motherfuckers!" Phoenix screamed. Pulling out both pistols, he fired them into the air rapidly until feet tripped over furniture and hands pushed bodies out of doors.

  As the dust from the ceiling rained down on the table and settled, Phoenix placed both pistols back into their holsters with the patience of a butcher sharpening his knife.

  "Now, I'll ask again. How long have you known that he was in possession of that ship?"

  Sindee let out a small sigh and ran her hand through her hair. "We got word that a shipyard had been attacked and raided. On further inspection, it came to light that they were building a starship. Who the yard belonged to, or why the ship was being built, is a complete mystery."

  "That still doesn't answer my question."

  "It was never clear that Dre and The Eye stole the ship. It was just a hunch that Florin had, after he was made aware of the information from the Council. Look, this--"

  "Get Florin on the holocom."

  "Florin doesn't answer to your demands," Sindee said, crossing her arms.

  "If you don't get his ass on that line now," Phoenix said, walking towards her, "then me and my crew leave now! And you and your bunch of merry men can sort this shit out by yourselves."

  Sindee bit her bottom lip and turned her back on Phoenix, punching some numbers into her wrist. The blue holocom ball flickered back to life and an image of Florin appeared.

  "I just heard the news. This is--"

  "Listen to me, you pointy-eared bastard!" Phoenix said, cutting Florin off. "The next time you decide to keep something like this from me will be the last time you and I work together."

  "How dare you talk to the head of a family that way? He's on the council!" Sindee hissed, outraged.

  Phoenix sent a cold look her way before he stepped closer to the holocom. "It's my crew, which means it's my responsibility. If the enemy has a ship with the capabilities of destroying a planet, I should know about it as soon as you do. I didn't agree to this partnership because I needed your help. You came to me!" Phoenix said, stabbing a finger at his chest. "You came to me for help. It wasn't the other way around. So, in the future, as soon as you know, I know."

  Florin looked at Phoenix long and hard. No one in the room spoke.

  "Florin, if you send more men to my aid, we do not need to rely on these mercenaries," Sindee spat. "If we deal with this in house, our standing on the Council only increases."

  Florin's lips pressed in a fine line as he turned his attention to Sindee. They shared a look that made her throw her hands in the air in frustration

  "I apologise, Phoenix. I thought it would only confuse matters more if you knew. I can see that I was wrong," Florin said with a nod.

  Phoenix nodded back. "Apology accepted."

  "What do we know?" Florin asked.

  "As much as you do, cousin, if I'm honest," Sindee said.

  Phoenix paced back and forth, his hands folded behind his back. "The image he sent of Rue would indicate that he is close by."

  "Which confuses me, because it would seem that he doesn't care about being caught," Florin said.

  "Because he doesn't," Saoirse said, approaching the table. "He has already resigned himself to his fate--death. He doesn't have the look of a man who believes he will see tomorrow. This is all a ruse. Whatever happens, after those three hours, if his demands are met or not, he will still blow up this planet.

  "His followers don't know the danger they are in. They will praise him for his efforts, because they believe he has given them time to flee the city. But wherever they go, it will be the end for them. Unless we stop him."

  "How soon can the Council's forces get here?" Phoenix said.

  Florin let out a sigh and shook his head. "We have no ships close to Rue. Even if we did, the Council are unwilling to help. Rue isn't officially a member; it has no legal right to do anything. The Council is a slow-moving bureaucratic beast. I'm afraid you're on your own in this."

  Phoenix slammed his fist on table and pointed a finger Plowstow's way. "Don't say a word. Right. Sindee, gather your men
and as many ships as you can find. I'll speak to the king and see if I can...I don't know, buy us some more time. Saoirse, you and the rest of the crew make your way back to the PH1. I'll meet you there after I'm done."

  "What do you have in mind?" Florin asked.

  "Nothing smart. But if that bastard wants a fight, then we'll give him one."

  41

  Phoenix's footsteps echoed on the polished marble as he walked past guard after guard. None stopped him, or met his gaze, as he walked purposefully with his head held high, both hands tucked into the waistline of his combat trousers. His pistols swayed with the gait of his hips.

  Every so often a family hurried past him, half-packed bags trailing clothes and family heirlooms behind them. Phoenix stepped out of the way as a father sent a frenzied look his way. He had seen that look before; it was the look of a dying man who knew he didn't have long left.

  Phoenix nodded his head at the family, but he doubted they even saw him in their haste to escape.

  Square, lighter patches littered the walls where paintings had been ripped from their hangings. Some frames had simply been snapped in half so the contents could be looted.

  A dark wooden door to Phoenix's right creaked open, and the king's third daughter stepped out into the hallway. Her big doe eyes widened in surprise at Phoenix's approach. A frown settled on her face and she quickly looked down at what she was wearing. Shaking her head, she tried to straighten out the big woolly jumper as best she could. She gave it one final tug and looked up at Phoenix with a smile.

  "I never got a chance to thank you for saving me," said the princess.

  "Don't mention it," Phoenix said, scratching the back of his head. "I just wish I could have done more... I'm sorry for your loss."

  "Don't be. I loved my sisters, but they were my father's daughters, through and through."

  "Is that such a bad thing? I thought all daughters were meant to be daddy's girls."

  "Sometimes it is better to stand apart from family, even if it means disagreeing with the ones that you love. My sisters were always the gems of my father's eye. They could do no wrong," the princess said, hugging herself. "While I..."