by Tripp Ellis
8
They were somewhere in between Grace’s house and Sol Elans. The furious wind and snow made it difficult to identify landmarks. It all looked like an endless expanse of white haze. The nav display was the only thing keeping them on course.
Ava was bundled up in warm clothing. She looked like an oversized marshmallow, basking in the warm air flowing out of the heater vents. The ride was loud and bouncy. It was an old school snow craft with treads like a tank.
Ava broke the silence. “What are you hiding from?”
Grace’s brow furrowed. She tried to play it off. “What do you mean?”
Ava arched an eyebrow at her. “Saava Rejnick?”
Grace shrugged. “I like my anonymity.”
“Are you a criminal?”
Grace scoffed. “No.” She paused. “Well, I guess that depends on who’s point of view you take.” Her face grew solemn. “I fought with the resistance. It became necessary to change my identity. They execute enemy combatants on sight.”
“Did you really have your eyes swapped out?”
“No.” Grace chuckled. “Its just an implant that mimics retinal patterns.”
“Did that hurt?”
“It wasn’t pleasant.”
“Why aren’t you still fighting for the resistance?”
“You ask a lot of questions, don’t you?”
“Sorry.” Ava grew silent. She was like a curious child.
A thunderous clunk rattled, and the vehicle swerved. Grace brought the craft to a halt.
“What was that?” Ava asked with wide eyes.
“I think the tread snapped.” Grace pushed open the door and hopped out into the blistering cold.
Sure enough, the tread was mangled, lying in the snow.
“That’s just great.” Grace stepped closer to see how bad the damage was. But she could hear the ice cracking below her feet. The fissures spread, and the ground gave way. In a flash, a section of ice calved, falling away into a massive crevasse that was hidden by the snow and ice.
Grace lunged for solid ground.
The snow craft collapsed into the abyss. Metal creaked and groaned. The craft dropped several feet, then wedged precariously between the walls of the crevasse. Chunks of ice tumbled down, shattering at the base of the fissure.
Grace clung to the edge of the crevasse, dangling over the abyss. She struggled to maintain her grip.
In the cab, Ava was afraid to move. The slightest shift could send the craft crashing down. Her eyes were like saucers as she peered through the window at the bottom of the canyon below. She swallowed hard.
The wind whistled around the cab, rocking it slightly. Each gust sent a spike of fear through Ava’s body as metal twisted and creaked. It may have been freezing outside, but Ava's skin was covered with a slick coat of nervous sweat. It was sticking to the fabric of her thermal garments.
Grace pulled herself to safety over the ledge. She peered down at the snow craft. "Ava, are you okay?"
“Yeah.” Ava’s muffled voice filtered up from the canyon.
“There is a rope and a pair of ice axes behind my seat.”
The nose of the snow craft was angled down slightly. Gravity forced Ava against the dash. She gingerly climbed toward the back seat. The vehicle shifted and groaned. Ava froze in her tracks for a moment, then continued on.
She found the climbing gear and moved back to her original position. She tied one end of the rope around her waist. Then she reached for the door handle and cautiously swung it open. The cab shifted and groaned again. Ava’s heartbeat spiked, and adrenaline coursed through her veins.
Ava eased onto the edge of the door step. The depth of the chasm was staggering, but she tried not to look down. She flung the coiled end of the rope up to Grace, who tied it around her waist. She sat down and tried to dig in her heels and brace herself.
Ava climbed across the top of the cab toward the cliff face. The boxy snow vehicle creaked with every step. Suddenly, it shifted about 6 inches. Ava's heart was in her throat. She scurried toward the cliff face, leaping as the craft plunged below. It seemed to happen in slow motion… The snow craft tumbling into the abyss. Metal shrieking and squealing. Ava arcing through the air toward a wall of ice. She hammered an ax into the ice and hung on for dear life. She dangled from the handle as the snow craft crumpled into a twisted wreck at the bottom of the crevasse. A plume of icy mist rose in its wake.
Ava swung the other axe into the ice and pulled her way up the side of the chasm. She finally reached the ledge, and Grace helped pull her to safety.
Ava heaved for breath as she lay in the icy snow. “I'm never going to complain about being bored again.”
Grace smiled. “Missing temple life already?"
Ava nodded. “Sorry about your vehicle.”
Grace shrugged. “Ah, it was a hunk of junk anyway.”
“But a warm hunk of junk.”
Grace agreed. She stood up and helped Ava to her feet. “Come on. We need to keep moving.”
9
“Hey. I need a ride,” Grace said into her mobile device.
“What do I look like, your own personal taxi service?” a rugged looking man said, appearing on the view screen.
“How often do I ask for favors? Besides, you owe me.”
“Still holding that over my head?”
“Yep.”
The man grumbled for a moment, then relented. “Fine. But we’re even. No more favors.”
“Don’t act like you don’t miss me,” Grace said.
He chortled. “Like a toothache.”
Grace sneered at him.
“I’ll send a car. I expect it returned when you reach your destination.”
“I always knew you were a kind and generous person.”
“Don’t push it.”
Grace transmitted their location.
The data came through on his mobile. “Got it.”
The transmission ended.
Grace pulled a plasma pistol from her belt. She blasted several rounds into the ice, creating a divot. She kept firing until the depression was large enough to provide shelter from the wind. She and Ava scooped out the remaining debris and climbed inside for cover. Their heated thermal suits provided a great deal of warmth, but the added protection from the wind was a welcomed benefit.
“Who was that?” Ava asked.
“An old mistake.”
“The Great Mother says there are no mistakes. Only learning experiences.”
Grace grinned. “There are some things I just don’t need to learn.”
“But that mistake may be the reason we don’t freeze to death out here. So, perhaps he wasn’t a mistake after all.”
“We’re not out of this yet.”
Not quite an hour later, an automated hovercraft arrived at their coordinates. Grace and Ava climbed inside and set Sol Elans as a destination in the nav system. The craft raced along the edge of the crevasse until it narrowed to a point, then continued forward toward the city.
A hovercraft was a much safer way to travel. There was no risk of collapsing ice. But this was an expensive vehicle, and Grace was a woman of modest means.
Grace pulled out her mobile and dialed a number.
“Who are you calling?”
“Another mistake.”
“You have a lot of those?”
“Enough.” Grace chuckled.
THE AUTOMATED CAR dropped them off at 6th Avenue, then proceeded to return to its owner. The area was a hotspot of social activity. Bars, restaurants, shopping centers. Ava looked around, wide-eyed. She had never seen the city before.
“Stay close and don't wander off," Grace said. "And don't talk to strangers.”
“Why not?”
"Just take my word for it.”
Ava followed Grace as she marched along the sidewalk, her boots crunching against the dirty snow. The sidewalk was filled with people coming and going. They brushed past Ava, almost knocking her down at times. People seemed so ru
de and isolated. It was a far cry from the open and supportive environment of the temple.
Two Imperial Soturi loitered on the corner at the next intersection. There were troops scattered throughout the city, keeping an eye on the comings and goings of the citizens. They were looking for anything unusual or out of place. They were looking for Ava.
“Just act casual and don't make eye contact with the goon squad,” Grace whispered.
Ava nodded and kept her head down. She followed Grace as they strode past the Soturi. The two goons eyed them as they walked by, then focused their attention elsewhere.
Halfway down the next block, Grace ducked into a bar. Ava followed into the seedy dive. It was a place called Photons. A thick haze of smoke filled the air. Even at midday, the place was packed. People lined the bar, filled the booths, and huddled around cocktail tables. Electronic music wafted through the air. A red glow emanated from wall sconces and strip lighting underneath the bar. Despite the weather outside, half naked girls danced on stages, writhing and undulating in the most provocative of ways.
Grace peeled off her goggles and face wrap, and slid back her fluffy hood. Ava did the same, exposing her wide eyes and slack jaw. Grace spotted an empty booth and ushered Ava to it. They slid into the seats, and the waitress approached shortly thereafter.
“What can I get you?”
“I’ll have a Red Razor, and she'll have bottled water."
“Do you want to start a tab?"
“No. I'll pay cash." Grace handed her several credits.
“I’ll be right back." The scantily clad waitress sauntered away.
“What, exactly, are we doing here?" Ava asked.
“Meeting someone,” Grace said as she looked around. “Stay here, and don't move.” She scooted out of the booth, and strode to the bar.
Ava fidgeted nervously, not comfortable in her new surroundings.
Grace surveyed the cast of sundry scoundrels at the bar. It didn’t take her long to find who she was looking for. “Ray Dakota.”
Ray glanced over his shoulder. He was leaning against the bar alongside a small bot that hovered in the air. The robot was a white orb, a little larger than a basket ball, with articulating arms on either side. The lights on its black faceplate gave it a human quality. Glowing blue eyes, and a waveform for a mouth. It could display anything it wanted on its faceplate, but it used humanoid features to convey emotion.
“Buy me a drink and tell me about this job you speak of,” Ray said.
Grace cozied up to him at the bar. She motioned to the bartender to pour Ray another drink. She looked past Ray at the hovering orb. “Hi, ZV-0.”
“Hi, Grace. You look fantastic. I swear, you never age.”
“Knock it off,” Ray interrupted. “You’re not her type.”
“I don’t know. He’s kind of cute.” Grace was trying to make Ray jealous. It was working.
ZV-0's face lit up and his eyes turned into hearts.
Ray rolled his eyes. “This better be good. I’m in high demand right now.”
Grace could see right through his bullshit. She knew him too well. Her eyes caught sight of his bandaged hand. “What happened? Been putting your fingers where they don't belong?”
Ray sneered at her.
ZV-0 ordered a stim-stick from the bartender. He handed ZV-0 a small device, about the size of a thumb drive. ZV-0 plugged it into an IO port. Almost instantaneously, he felt a rush wash over his circuitry. He swayed from side to side a little.
Grace shook her head. “Some things never change.” She sighed. “Look, I'll cut to the chase. I need transport to Ultrava.”
Ray looked taken aback. "Why the hell do you want to go there?"
“It’s not for me. It’s for the girl.” She pointed to the booth where Ava was sitting. She was taking a sip of Grace's Red Razor.
“She’s cute. Who is she?”
“This job requires a lot of discretion,” Grace said, trying to imply the gravity of the situation.
“Discretion is my middle name."
Grace snorted.
“55,000 credits,” Ray said.
“What?” Grace’s eyes almost popped out of their sockets.
Ray shrugged. "That's the going rate.”
“That’s five times the going rate."
“Then find somebody else. It's not exactly a cakewalk out there. The Imperial Realm is muscling into every system. Random security checks at foreign ports. I don't need that kind of hassle.”
“She's just a girl who needs to get to see her… uncle. He's dying. She wants to say goodbye.”
Now Ray wasn’t the one who was smelling bullshit. “Really? The dying uncle bit? You can do better than that, can't you?"
“Her speech and facial patterns indicate a 99.274% chance of deception,” ZV-0 added.
“Stay out of this, tin can,” Grace said dryly.
“What’s your stake in this anyway?” Ray asked.
“I’m just trying to help the girl out.”
“I know you. You don’t help anybody out unless there’s something in it for you.”
Grace balked. “You’re one to talk.”
Ray grimaced. “I’m getting a bad vibe about this. Besides, we've got better offers.” He leaned aside to ZV-0 and added, “Don’t we?”
ZV-0 was silent.
“I can give you 10,000 credits," Grace said. “It’s everything I have.”
Ray frowned. The bartender slid another drink up to him.
“Please,” she begged.
“Why is it so important to you? Who is that girl?"
Grace leaned into his ear and whispered, “She's from the temple."
“An Oracle?” he said in full voice.
Grace shushed him. Her eyes darted about the bar to see if anyone had heard. “What did I say about discretion?”
Ray leaned in and whispered back to her. "That's the girl that all these Imperial thugs are looking for?”
“She has the shard.”
“Shard?”
“The sacred stone.”
“Oh, come on. You don't really believe in that nonsense, do you?"
Grace looked appalled. “As a matter of fact, I do.”
Ray lifted his brow, surprised. "When did you become a believer?"
“I don't know. It just kind of happened. I've had a lot of time to think about things.”
“You know, helping this girl is not going to absolve you of your sins.” His smug, condescending tone enraged Grace.
“Maybe not. All I know is that the Empress wants what she has. Maybe this is my chance to make a difference. Maybe this is our chance.”
“We both walked away from the resistance for a reason,” Ray said. “I’m done fighting the Realm.”
“Well, maybe I’m not.” She gulped down the drink she bought for Ray. “I don’t know what I was thinking. You’re the same old self-serving, egotistical jackass you always were. I’m gonna go find a pilot who's got balls.”
Grace stormed away.
“She’s cute when she’s angry,” Ray muttered.
“I LIKE THIS PLACE,” Ava said, finishing off the red liquid. The words slurred from her lips, and her eyes were bloodshot.
“How many of those have you had?” Grace asked.
“Two.” Ava smiled. “Maybe three.” She thought about it for a moment, counting on her fingers. “Possibly four.”
“Oh, boy,” Grace sighed. “You’ve never had alcohol before, have you?”
“Nope.”
“I think you’ve had enough for now.”
“Party pooper.”
Grace saw two Imperial Soturi enter the bar. “Alright. I think we’ve outstayed our welcome. Can you stand?”
“No problem.”
Grace tried to help Ava to her feet, but that wasn’t working out too well. Her legs were like wet noodles. She plopped back down on the seat.
The Imperial goons were milling through the crowd, asking questions. One of the patrons pointed in Grace’
s direction as the goons interrogated him.
“Come on, lets try again,” Grace said.
Ava staggered to her feet. Her knees wobbled, and she looked like she was about to face plant on the concrete floor.
Ray swooped in to grab her before she fell. He propped her up, slinging her arm over his shoulder. Ava now had one arm around Ray, and one arm around Grace.
“Okay. I'm in,” Ray said. “I'm probably going to regret this, but…”
Grace smiled.
“I think it's best if we go out through the service entrance." Ray ushered them to the back of the bar, into the storeroom. ZV-0 followed along. They moved past boxes of liquor to an exit that led into an alleyway behind the row of establishments. The biting wind outside was an abrupt change from the stuffy atmosphere of Photons.
“Meet me at Hathaway Spaceport in an hour,” Ray said. “Can you manage with her?”
Grace nodded.
Ray scurried down the alleyway with ZV-0 following close behind.
Ava clung to Grace, and the two listed down the alleyway. They took the first passage back to 6th Avenue.
“That was fun. We should hang out more often," Ava slurred.
10
The spaceport was run down and shabby. It was a place to park your vehicle, and that was about it. You were charged by the hour, and there was a maintenance facility on site—though replacement parts were charged at an exorbitant fee. There was no real security to speak of, and it was relatively easy to come and go.
At one point in time, the Valkyrie was a state-of-the-art vehicle. It was that sports car that you always wanted in high school, and finally bought when you were 40, and could afford it used. It had been surpassed in technology, but there was a thriving community of aficionados that modded the Valkyries to exceed expectations. They were simpler in design and construction than some of the newer, more sporty, spaceships. But one thing you couldn't argue about the Valkyries was their quality of construction. They just didn't make them like this anymore. It was engineered to perfection, and there were a host of aftermarket parts available. With enough money, and passion, you could turn a Valkyrie into something that would rival even the most expensive of super-ships.
ZV-0 made last-minute adjustments to the external shields. Ray interviewed two new deck hands that were applying for a position. They weren't human. Reptilian creatures from Cirus Major.