Disclaimer: A helluva lot of secrets are revealed, lines are crossed and sides are drawn. It's every man-or woman- for themselves.
Chapter 14: Empty Lies
Alex's mind was reeling. People were dead because of her and although she and the crew didn't have the greatest track record it wasn't as though she concocted ways of picking them off. Needless to say the crew wasn't going to let her off easy, she had already pushed the limit with the Orion incident.
"Somethin' tells me that this hussy is just makin' all this up." No doubt Kein's voice interceded the stillness. "After all, whose ta say that a prostitute knows anythin'. Said herself she wasn't much for schoolin' and figurein'."
"Keep talkin' Kein and we'll see if ya make it home alive." She muttered under her breath, hacking at a tangle of vines crisscrossing their path.
"Half da crew didn't stand a chance all ready." She turned on him, machete at her side. "What mutt? Ya gonna threaten me like ya did Orion? It started ta make me wonder why ya hadn't been punished fer dat yet."
"Come ta think of it ya've been gettin' away wit things none of us could dream of gettin' away wit." Orion piped up, bandage slung over his eye. She hadn't realized it at the time of the incident but her slug to the side of his face had nearly shattered his brow bone, resulting in a lazy eye.
"You got away wit murder!"
"As did you. Half da crew be missin' cuz of ya. And trust me, the reason you're gettin' it easy is cuz ya knew ta Captain."
"She hardly knows the Captain." B.E.N. interceded on what he assumed as her behalf. "She knows Jimmy though. They were sneaking off together. I heard some weird noises but I didn't wanna go in and get in trouble like the last time- Oh mama."
"You stupid fuckin' robot. Fuck."
"Comes ta think of it I swears on me mother's grave I saw the two of 'em hidin' away in da cargo bay last night." The murmur amongst the men was growing to monumental proportions and it seemed as though each was holding back their blood lust by a mere unknowledgeable thread.
"How do we know this lil' trip we is on isn't just some joy ride for her?" A chorus of agreements spurned.
"Enough!" The Captains voice boomed, louder and stronger than any mans'. "The next man- or woman to speak out will receive lashes. We shall press on immediately." Alex had never seen the Captain, as stern as she was, raise her voice or issue out punishments. The way she hung her head nearly made the girl cry; the woman looked like a disappointed mother. But this would have to mean that Amelia found something about the girl to admire… Alex shook her head. It was a stupid naive thought.
~8~
Three hours into the search Jim had all but given up although the other could be said of his ex-lover. She was scouring every inch, overturning every rock and pulling up reeds in hope that something would turn up. It wasn't until dusk was approaching and efforts were diminishing that Sam flagged the other two groups down.
"What did you find?" Jim questioned kneeling beside the man. Samuel, with a lantern at his side held it against the blue tinted leaves which glittered in golden splendor as though words were painted in the precious metal. The surreal impression was the halo of light emanating from the bush.
"Even better." The cook pushed aside the main bulk of the plant revealing a rather large hole.
"Nicely done." Hawkins clapped the man on the shoulder. "I'll go first."
"No." Alex's hand captured the lanterns handle in the midst of Sam's passing it to the Commander. "I'll go." There wasn't much of an argument; after all no one knew what was lurking further in the cave and if anyone deserved to be eaten or what not- it was her. The first ten feet or so required crawling on ones belly, another five one could get by on their knees and yet another ten and the tunnel provided enough width and height to stand.
Things were going pretty smoothly- that is until the group came to a 'court' of sorts which branched off into three separate tunnels.
"Well? Which way?"
"Doc?"
"There's nothing else."
"What? That can't be right. There's gotta be more." She snatched the scroll from him, pouring over every symbol and trying to decipher any hidden meaning or underlying theme.
"Well?"
"He's right. There's nothin'."
"Stupid mutt!" The tentacle armed gent pushed his way through the crowd, arms shooting towards the girl and grappling her by the throat. "Admit it! Admit that ya made this shit up an' sent us on a wild goose chase in this God forsaken universe!" There was a cock of a piston to a gun. She couldn't tell who had brandished it now that she was beginning to black out.
"I- lied." Her hands, which had been clawing at his arms, were putting up less of a struggle. His vice grip loosened so that she could admit it louder.
"What was that?"
"I- I lied. There isn't a treasure."
"But- but the words. The clues…"
"I made 'em up. I just hoped that the stuff I made up would somehow- make sense. I just wanted to find it so bad, so I could prove somethin'. I'm sorry." The three people she felt she hurt the most: Amelia, Delpert, and Sam didn't dare look at her, either from disgust or fear of being singled out by the crew.
"Ya had this comin' to ya girly." Her captor threw her at one of the metallic sheet walls which ignited what felt like an earthquake. The whole of the wall shifted, revealing a chamber of unimaginable golden essence.