Author's Note: Hey this is an idea I've had for a couple days and decided to upload it, hope you guys like it!

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters from the movie Pitch Black, I do own the ones not seen in the movie.

Damn the water was freezing but you'd think after months of this I'd get use to it. Guess not. I got up everyday at the same time, well at least that was my goal. At five in the morning I was not a happy camper and the icy water didn't help any. Course I could have been under a steamy shower enjoying the experience but the thing of it was I couldn't afford it. Simple, plain and to the point. Couldn't afford a lot of things but then again I was happy I had a place to crash even if it was only two rooms. See I've been on the streets, been from one extreme to the other. So that made me experienced right? Of course. Well I thought so anyway.

Riana, sister planet of New Mecca, wasn't anything like its twin. Where'd New Mecca had been holy, religious, caring, Riana was vicious, cold, unstable. You really had to know what you where doing to survive on this planet it wasn't just wake up and go. No you need either street credit or some well known friends real real fast. I had neither but I did have a plan. Which was work till you can afford a ticket out of this shit hole. Came up with it myself, I impress myself sometimes.

Dressing was a key element to survive this out to get you planet. You couldn't skip around in a t shirt and jeans….oh no! You'd freeze you ass cheeks right the hell off. Funny to think about though. What you wanted was some type of wool, many layers and definitely a hat. Usually there was about two foot of snow on the ground so boots always came in handy, if you could get them.

Once you got over the cold , a place to stay would be next on the very long list. Hotels were everywhere but for you to rent a room for a month or two forget it. So I was one of the lucky ones and found and abounded apartment. Had windows doors, a shower and a couch that's it. Two rooms, one a living, sleeping, eating, and the other a bathroom. Classy or what? I was just happy to be out of the cold and have a place to sleep without worrying but then again anyone could come through the door.

Next was a job so you could keep whatever you managed to acquire and to get what ever else you wanted. There were many actually most people avoided this planet like the plague but like any planet there was always easy money. I got a job unloading the cargo off the many ships that took the unforgettably journey to Riana. Wonder how much they get paid, must be a lot. Their be big crates of shit packed to the brim with anything you could possibly want. Sometimes took weeks to unload , slow but efficient. Sure there were rich people on the planet, rich people everywhere, course they got all their shit half off. Then there were the working ones, me, one of the few women who weren't on their backs. That was one type of easy money. Not for me I liked to make things as difficult as possible, yeah I was a stubborn bitch.

The list goes on but making money always ended up number one on mine. Hell I didn't want to be here but I was so I had to do something about it. A one way ticket out of here was about 1500 credits and I was just under 500. And it took two years to get there. So I figured in another four years I'd have a ticket out of here, seemed like a joke. But what could I do? Sure I could of went without the vid, the food prep machine, the wool coat, and giving food and money to the kids but lets just say I had a soft spot for them. And I've managed to convince myself that I needed all the stuff I bought. Made things easier.

Every morning for the past two years I'd leave my little wannabe apartment at around 5:30 an hour before I had to be in work. I took the long way there thinking, hoping , sulking. Always the back streets, never the main road that's where the monsters were, where danger lurked. Not like it didn't play in the alleys or the streets I took but it'd have to face me. Ha! Walking onto Ledre Street I saw a face that's I've been looking for, for days.

"Joey Cater where have you been?" I approached him and a couple boys counting some money.

"Marie? Glad to see you, got some news…"

"Not until you answer my question."

"Found an old warehouse couple streets over, we were staying in that. Sorry that I forgot to tell you." He looked down with a frown.

"I was worried about you everyone okay?" I tilted his head back up so I could study his hazel eyes.

"Yeah fine, happy about the new place. Been below freezing the past couple nights."

"Been chilly. So what's this news you have to tell me?" He was like my eyes and ears on the street, nice boy, shame.

"A ship went down the other day on the west side, a cargo ship. I went to check it out see what I could bring home. Got a few things ya know? Even found some money but that's not all. I ran into a young boy doing the same thing I was. He wasn't dressed right and couldn't stop shaking, very skittish. I tried to talk to him but he pulled some kind of knife before running away. Something was off about him. Runaway for sure I think he might have been on the ship looked pretty banged up. He's a loner think he's living on Nautal Street saw him there under some steps hiding out."

"I'll check it out Joey thanks. Here." I gave him a hundred credits wanting to help him and his "family" as much as I could.

"Thanks Marie this helps a lot." He beamed running off to show the others.

"Take care of them Joey, see ya tomorrow." I called before leaving and heading to work now only a block away.

It was a sad story really Joey was a runaway couldn't measure up to what his parents wanted him to be. So he bought the only ticket he could get a one way to Riana, if only he'd known. I'd met him on the third day I got here, him being here a year before me. Sweet boy has a good head on his shoulders. At only 18, he's the oldest of the runaways that live, or survive around here. He's their leader more or less. There are some as young as five in his "family" and about 30 altogether. That soft spot in my heart always seems to leak whenever I see him trying to feed and protect them and I help out as much as I can. But he was still upbeat about the situation and took on the responsibility without hesitation. He was definitely one of a kind.

It wasn't until I reached the docks did I remember his news about the young boy. Well It sounded like the kid could put up a fight if he had a weapon and was ready to use it. But if he didn't find suitable clothes fast there wasn't going to be any fight. The cold would kill you in a matter of hours if you didn't find a way to keep warm. I smiled a little, maybe just maybe I could help this one…