by Gavin Magson
“Alcurant will pay handsomely for you to help bring certain items to his agents within the city. You will not have any other part to play, merely the trafficking of what Alcurant supplies. This is a dangerous task, but once it is complete you will be able to ask anything of Elysium as your reward and call the planet your home. You will find a man called Harric on Troy, he is in the employ of Yadriel, but can be bought by anyone. If you wish to help us, please contact him and he will arrange with Alcurant for you to be fully briefed. I hope to see you again, captain.”
The image disappeared, and the cube snapped shut. The black surface began to glow orange, and soon white, the build-up of heat enough to force Deborah back from the counter. The old metal surface began to smoulder, the paint quickly catching alight and giving off an acrid dark smoke. Once the smoke subsided, she was surprised to find the cube still present, except considerably smaller. When she tapped her finger on it there was no hollow ring to it, the cube had reformed into a single solid piece.
Deborah ran over the message in her mind repeatedly, the entire time she struggled to suppress the heady memories that the face of her first officer brought to mind. She had accepted his death years ago, but now her whole body yearned for him, just as it did on Troy. She knew exactly what she would ask of Elysium once the task was complete.
The End.
The story will continue in The Outerlands, coming soon.