Survival, Dark Times

by D. R. Johnson

  As the people below came into view, Sora’s throat tightened. His hand muscles froze and a burning sensation ran up his esophagus. He found himself unable to move for a few seconds, but finally, he managed to shuffle his feet a few steps backward. He nearly collided with Talek.

  He thought he heard Talek say his name. He thought he heard Fi ask what was wrong. All of it sounded too faint to make out. Voices sounded like white noise.

  He briefly glanced to Viktor. His face had gone pale and he trembled as he looked at Sora. Sora could barely keep his gaze on him for a second before he faced the sight in front of him.

  The flames burned brightly again and Sora felt like they touched him this time. In fact, it seemed like flames smothered him.

  Felicia Malone stood in front of Sora and the rest of the crew. Armed guards stood around her. High-class leather adorned her body and her hair had grown slightly but it still had the same short, spiked appearance. She put her hands on her hips and gave that smug smirk Sora had spent the last five years staring at.

  He hallucinated this. That stood out as the only explanation.

  “Captain Sora Trok,” Felicia said, widening her smile. Her voice still had that gentle purr that veiled disdain.

  No, she spoke. No hallucination.

  Scout tugged on his arm. “You know her?”

  He pulled away but didn’t respond. He didn’t know how to explain this, although he could feel Viktor’s eyes burning into his back. “I watched you—”

  “Die? I think not, my dear,” Felicia said, laughing. Then, suddenly, her grin faded. She motioned to the Killer. “You only left me to die while you stole my ship…”

  “Captain—,” Viktor started, but Felicia held up a hand toward him.

  “…and, as usual, underestimated me. Although, I’ll give you credit where it is due: that pile of junk you left behind didn’t get me very far,” Felicia said, finishing her sentence with a snarl.

  Sora saw the flames again. He watched his father roll around in them, screaming for help. He heard 13-BZ say that Felicia Malone hired him. He felt Felicia’s dagger pierce his stomach.

  He clenched his fists and gritted his teeth. He tapped his rifle with one of his fists and took one step forward. “Then let me end you now.”

  Suddenly, another hand grabbed his shoulder and yanked him backward. He heard Felicia laugh again, which only brightened the flames. He looked back to see Trika pulling on him in the middle of a puzzled crew. Talek and Fi narrowed their eyes, stepping forward.

  “Sora, this is ridiculous. You’re going to get us killed,” Fi said. It sounded like more of a hiss than a statement.

  “Answer our question. Who is she?” Trika said, slapping his arm.

  Sora uncurled his fists and touched his rifle again. He had never told Trika. The shame and the shock of that day on Bolton kept him from talking about it. “The woman who killed our father!”

  Trika’s face paled for a few seconds before turning dark red. She grabbed her own rifle and started to charge Felicia, but Talek grabbed both of her arms and pulled her back.

  “Both of you need to calm down. Killer or not, this woman has a lot of muscle and you’d be wise to remember that,” Talek said. Trika tried to wiggle out of his grip but couldn’t.

  “I’ll kill her!” Trika said, jerking back and forth. “I’ll kill her right here and her muscle can watch!”

  Not as easy as it sounded.

  Scout stepped in between Sora and Trika, motioning at the Killer. “So, this is the crime lord you mentioned and that’s the revenge: you took her ship,” she said. She pursed her lip. “You thought she died.”

  “I’ll kill her!” Trika repeated, lunging forward. Talek pulled her back again.

  Felicia snapped her fingers and her men raised their own assault rifles. It looked like Felicia had found more run-of-the-mill thugs to serve as her lackeys. “I wouldn’t do that. Right now, you are in my graces… don’t do anything to change that,” she said, eyeing everyone in the group. “Remember, Sora, I didn’t kill Rafael. The robot did.”

  Talek released Trika and she backed away, holding her hands up. Sora looked at the men, clothed in orange jackets and red pants. The rifles looked modified and even slightly damaged. A rag-tag army.

  Felicia’s crew undoubtedly took a hit with the destruction of the spice mine, but the woman herself hadn’t. She refused to tolerate “insubordination.”

  “What’s your game, Felicia?” Sora said. He felt heat underneath his cheeks. “Why haven’t you just killed me yet?”

  Felicia stepped closer and narrowed her eyes. She now stood just inches away from him. “Because I’ve always been good to you, Sora and I’m curious. What are you doing here?”

  “I should ask you the same question,” Sora said. He kept his back straight and his feet firmly positioned. Felicia rattled him, but he refused to buckle to her. He still remembered they had more important concerns.

  “Well, let’s see,” Felicia said, looking around the wide landing pad. The sarcasm in her voice stood strong. “The Queen destroyed my spice trade, in case you’ve forgotten. Nonetheless, a leader always bounces back. Puntan was prime for the taking, so here I am. Your turn.”

  Of course, Felicia used the takeover to reassert her power in the nebula. Whatever power she still had, anyway. He wondered who, if anyone, knew she still lived. Puntan didn’t stand out as a huge gain. Sora scoffed. “None of your concern. Let us go before my grace runs out.”

  Sora heard Nait whistle, but he didn’t move. Felicia rubbed her temples. “You’re no fun anymore, Sora. Just give me my ship and we’ll call everything even. For old times’ sake.”

  Sora growled. “Not happening. Step aside.”

  Felicia shook her head, turning and walking toward her thugs. “In that case…”

  She gestured for her thugs to fire and Sora reached for his rifle again, but suddenly, Scout jumped in front of him. She held her hands up. “Stop!”

  Nait rushed forward, holding a pistol. Sora grabbed Scout’s shoulder, but she wouldn’t move. Felicia turned toward the crew again, motioning for the thugs to hold their fire. She raised an eyebrow, but smirked. “And just who is this?”

  “My name is Scout and we’re here to find Senator Natalia Valie,” Scout said, brushing Sora away. He returned his focus to Felicia.

  “Senator Valie?” Felicia said, scoffing. “Sadly, sweetheart, Parliament’s dead.”

  Sora leaned down, reaching for Scout’s ear. “Scout, don’t engage her—”

  Scout brushed him away again, tossing him a quick, stern glance. “She’s alive and she’s here. I know that you know who she is; she was a notable member of Parliament. We need to find her.”

  “Scout!” Nait said. He clung to his pistol.

  “I know what I’m doing,” she said, motioning for him to back off.

  Felicia chuckled, stepping toward Scout. She smugly smiled as she glanced at Sora. He knew that she enjoyed taunting him like this. “I like you, my dear,” she said, now standing inches away from Scout, just as she had from Sora. “Now, tell me, why exactly are you looking for Senator Valie?”

  Scout stared at Felicia. Her conviction didn’t waver. “We need her to stop the Queen.”

  Sora saw Felicia’s eyes brighten and her smile changed back into a grin as she looked at him again. He curled his fists and scowled. Scout allowed Felicia to weasel her way into their business and he knew that wasn’t good for them.

  He hated it. Every part of him hated the fact that she stood in front of him. Every part of him hated that they happened to come here of all planets in the nebula. The planet where Felicia reigned.

  Maybe he shouldn’t have felt remorse over leaving her to die. Now, that anger felt fresh once again. The flames burnt.

  “My, my, Sora, our lives have indeed changed since we last met. This is quite a gathering,” Felicia said, gesturing to the entire crew. Talek put a hand on his shoulder and gently squeezed. Sora ground his teeth together
as the flames grew. “All of you are fighting against the Queen? I may be able to help.”

  Sora curled his fists tighter. “We don’t want it,” he said, raising his voice. “I don’t have time for your games anymore!”

  Felicia extended her hand toward him. “Don’t be so quick, Sora. I am Felicia Malone. I may have a tip on where your Senator is hiding on Puntan.”

  Of course she did. He should have known that when they stepped off the exit ramp. He couldn’t do this again.

  Sora grabbed Scout’s arm again, turning her toward him. He shook his head. “She can’t be trusted, Scout. Please.”

  Scout slowly grabbed his hand and removed it from her arm, but she didn’t immediately let go. Her eyes locked with Sora’s. “She’s all we have,” Scout said. Her voice turned to a whisper and she gently squeezed his hand. “She’s using your anger against you. Don’t let her.”

  Sora gulped. He didn’t like her logic but he couldn’t argue with it. He pulled his hand back and looked at the rest of the crew as Scout turned to Felicia again. Kossk and Talek gave him reaffirming nods. Trika bit her lip, likely retaining all anger through that small motion.

  “You’ve piqued my interest, Miss Malone,” Scout said, clearing her throat. Sora saw a maturity in her he had not witnessed until now. “Where is she?”

  Felicia motioned to Sora and then pointed at Scout. “You see, Sora? All it takes is a little respect and my generosity soars. You are a smart girl,” she said, narrowing her eyes again. She pointed to the landing pad exit, which sat straight across from them. Four tall brick walls enclosed the area otherwise. “My men have told me that a fugitive politician and a boy live ten miles from here in a small cabin. It’s a short drive away, and I can give you the coordinates.”

  Sora noticed that Scout’s eyes brightened once Felicia mentioned Naos. “Please.”

  Felicia snapped her fingers and one of her thugs approached with an electronic pad. She had been holding onto this information for a situation like this. That didn’t surprise Sora.

  Now they could go. He stomped forward, breezing past his former employer while Scout grabbed the pad. “Come on,” Sora said, looking back to his hesitant crew. Talek and Fi began to follow. “Kossk, Trika, stay with the ship.”

  He heard a tongue click and he looked to see Felicia waving her finger. “Wait a moment, Sora. I did you a favor and now you return the gesture.”

  This also didn’t surprise Sora. He tried to push the flames out of his mind. They didn’t have the power to burn him and control him anymore. “You’re not getting my ship.”

  A small glare creeped into Felicia’s controlled expression. “Please, Sora, I know how to bargain. The girl stays with me.”

  Nait hopped to Scout’s side. “No way, not happening, lady.”

  Scout’s face hardened. “No. I need to go find Natalia and Naos.”

  Felicia shook her head. “Either you stay or no one leaves.”

  Fi growled, stepping toward Felicia. Sora noticed her left hand touching the sword on her back. “Challenge us again, Felicia Malone and see what it gets you. I know you and I know your kind. We will not be manipulated by this nonsense.”

  Sora reached for his rifle again, but Scout threw her hands up. She groaned. “Okay, okay, stop. We can’t blast our way out of everything. I’ll stay.”

  She made eye contact with Sora. Her glance again held conviction. “This is the only way, man. Nait can fill Senator Valie and Naos in on everything. I’ll be fine; I’ve faced worse.”

  “Scout…,” Nait said.

  “Go.”

  “Alright, alright. Kossk, Trika, make sure that Felicia doesn’t try anything,” Sora said, shooting the crime lord a warning gaze as he continued walking. Viktor took the pad from Scout and he, Talek, Fi and Nait followed. Sora hissed, trying to contain the anger.

  As well as the fear.

  “It will be alright, Sora. This woman is deceptive, but we know better than to fall for her tricks,” Talek said, patting Sora on the shoulder.

  As soon as Talek touched him, Sora saw the flames once again. He felt the heat on his shoulder. He heard his father’s cry. Sora barely held in his own scream from the agony.

  “Glad you are seeing sense…,” Felicia said as the crew reached the exit. Sora could hear the venom in her speech hitting the concrete below. “….Captain.”

  He didn’t acknowledge it, storming through the open door.

  The next forty-five minutes seemed like hours. Sora sat in the driver’s seat of a blue, roomy car. He felt the cold air hit his face as it blew over the glass viewport and into the open top. His foot pressed the petal below him, pushing the car to its top speed as they flew through the green, luscious plains around them.

  “Well, Captain, it at least seems Miss Malone didn’t plant anything inside the car,” Viktor said, sitting to Sora’s right. He fiddled with his wrist scanner.

  “If this lady was your friend and killed your dad, why wouldn’t she kill Scout?” Nait said, putting his elbows on the console between Sora and Viktor. “I think we were stupid to leave her back there. I don’t care what my sister says; you shouldn’t have let her stay.”

  Sora sighed. He feared that Nait had the right idea, but he didn’t want to admit that. “If Felicia wants anyone dead, it’s me, but she’s playing for something bigger.”

  “Probably the Killer. She seems pretty pissed that you took it, Sora,” Talek said. He sat directly behind Sora. “I’d guess that she wants it back something fierce.”

  Sora believed that, but that didn’t make sense. If Felicia just wanted the ship back, she could have easily taken it when they first arrived. Granted, he could survive against her thugs, but she could have at least tried.

  No, she wanted something more.

  “We won’t know until we get back,” Sora said, trying to push the subject away. Mostly for his own sake. “Right now, we just need to get to Valie and Naos.”

  “Of course, Captain,” Viktor said, pointing forward as he gazed at the pad in his lap. “We are less than four miles away from Miss Malone’s coordinates.”

  Sora nodded, speeding up as the car ascended a small, grassy hill. The speed only picked up as the car peaked and proceeded down the hill. The sunlight reflected off of the wide, open field before them as the car entered the last leg of its journey.

  “These people. Your friends,” Fi said, sitting behind Viktor. Sora glanced back to see her gazing out the right side of the car. She didn’t turn toward Nait. “Will they help us? We don’t have time to convince them like we had with your sister.”

  “They don’t have much of a choice. Bettina will be here soon whether they come or not,” Nait said. He sounded confident. “Besides, I think I can persuade them.”

  “Let’s hope,” Fi said, beginning to whistle quietly.

  The next few minutes felt slow. Sora kept his hands on the wheel and watched his knuckles whiten as he gripped it. His mind kept racing back to Felicia. Her survival. Her goal. Keeping Scout with her.

  He tried to focus his mind back on Fi and Nait’s brief discussion. They needed to be focused on this senator and Naos. Getting them back to the Killer functioned as Sora’s top priority right now and he wouldn’t let Felicia get in the way of that. He wouldn’t submit to her mind games this time. Not like he did on Bolton.

  “Captain, this is it,” Viktor said, gesturing to their left. Sora noticed a small, wooden cabin sitting off to the side of a field.

  It sat in the middle of the open, but the rural nature of Puntan made up for it. These people fled far from the Queen.

  Sora yanked the car to the left and it swerved. He carefully pressed his foot on the brake, slowing the vehicle before it gave his crew too much whiplash. The car came to a steady halt in front of the cabin and the others hopped out as Sora pressed a button that would initiate engine cool down.

  “You first, Nait,” Talek said, nudging him forward. “They’d let you in before us.”

  Nait st
opped, digging his boots into the ground. He bit his lip. “I-I don’t know,” he said. He looked at Sora, desperation growing on his face. “I don’t think it’ll work.”

  “What?” Fi said, hissing. She crossed her arms. “You were confident four minutes ago.”

  Sora jumped out of the car, watching Nait shrug. He scratched the back of his head. “Um, yeah, yeah. I’ll be fine. It’ll work. Don’t know what came over me.”

  Fi and Talek gave each other a confused look. Nait approached the door and inhaled a long, hefty breath of air. He glanced at the rest of the crew again, before knocking several times. Sora stepped back slightly and motioned for Talek, Fi and Viktor to do the same.

  Nothing. No answer. Nait looked back, grinding his teeth. He knocked again.

  Nothing.

  “Senator Valie, it’s me, Nait Gash. I’m not here with the Queen,” he said, raising his voice as he knocked again. “I have some, uh, new acquaintances. We’re here to help. Naos? You in there?”

  Still nothing. “Guys, come on.”

  Finally, Sora heard a creak as the old door cracked. A blonde boy, looking a little younger than Nait, popped his head out. His blue eyes zoomed toward everyone in the background. “Nait?!”

  Nait gave a sheepish smile, scratching the back of his head. “Yeah man. It’s me. I’m okay.”

  Naos pointed to the adults. “How did you find us? Who are they?”

  “It’s gonna sound really weird, but they’re a freighter crew that rescued me and Scout,” Nait said, shrugging. His smile grew more uncomfortable. “She’s okay, too, and she’ll be glad to see you. Listen, we don’t have much time: Bettina knows you guys are here. They interrogated me about Puntan. We have to go.”

  Naos blinked and stepped back, swinging the door open. Sora finally saw his full figure: thin but with some muscle tone on his arms. He wore a long-sleeved black shirt with navy blue pants. He also wore a belt that held a gun in its right holster. Sora supposed that he stayed ready for a fight.

  Behind him, a long, brown-haired woman stepped forward. She wore a simple, loose-fitting blue gown that dripped to the floor. She didn’t look stressed, but perplexed. She had a rifle in her hand and kept it lowered. “Nait, you’re alive,” she said, taking a breath. “I was sure that they’d gotten you by now.”