For a moment, Deimos almost couldn't believe it. Surely it was impossible, especially this far out in the middle of space. But as he examined her face, he realized that his suspicions had been correct. The round ears, the name, her skin, there was no doubt about it. He'd found another one of his own kind.
"A human! You're human!" Deimos exclaimed, overwhelmed with excitement. "This is astounding! I didn't know there were other humans beyond Iscarmilas! How did you get here? What planet did you come from and-"
Emiko's brown eyes were wide with shock as she leaned back and kicked her legs. "H-hang on, you freak!" She snapped,"Why the hell are you so excited about this?!"
"Eh? Oh, right!" Deimos felt embarrassed as he realized he hadn't taken off his helmet yet. He quickly reached up and lifted the protective armor off, revealing his messy black hair, red eyes, and still-excited grin.
Instantly, the girl's jaw dropped and she let out a gasp of her own. She scanned his face up and down, taking in every detail for nearly a minute before she managed to find her voice once again. "Y-you're human too…"
The pirate on the left of Emiko looked between both of them, and then tilted their head to the side. "I don't understand what is happening…" He looked towards the girl. "Emiko, I thought you said that the human planet was one of those no-contact planets?"
"It is!" Emiko turned her fierce gaze to her companion. "But I ended up out here, didn't I? It's possible that other humans were abducted as well."
She whipped around to face the red eyed human. "That's what happened to you, right?"
Deimos couldn't stop the shudder that ran through him. Floating, falling, pain… Those were all the memories he had of his time as a test subject in the lab that had abducted him, but it was enough to make him feel sick.
"Y-yes, I was. I was abducted and used as a test subject, but I don't remember much beyond that." He knitted his eyebrows together and lowered his head. "They took my memories…"
He saw both Emiko and her companion wince, it was likely that both of them were well aware of what happened to those who were lucky enough to escape their abductors. Considering how much effort the Galactic Officers put into fighting them, the knowledge of these horrific labs and their victims was well known.
"Shit…" Emiko muttered after a lapse of silence. "Well, I guess I got lucky there. I didn't get my memories taken, but I was only a kid when I was taken. I don't remember Earth much, but I guess that's better than nothing."
Deimos couldn't help his curiosity. "Then if you didn't get your memories wiped, were you saved by the Galactic Officers?" He knew Franklin was only saved from a similar fate to him thanks to a ship malfunction and a rescue by the officers, maybe she was the same way.
His theory was proven incorrect as the girl suddenly grew angry, and turned her nose upwards in disgust. "Those useless pencil-pushers didn't do anything to help me! They stopped the ship that took me for a scan, they knew I was there! But the abductors lied and said I was their kid! They didn't even check, they just left! So no, those assholes didn't help me!"
Her companion puffed their chest out. "Yeah! The pirates helped us! They attacked the ship and they rescued us both! That's why we work with them! They're better than those Galactic Losers!"
Deimos felt a tug at his heart, and felt pity for the two. It must have been awful to watch your hope for escape leave you behind. It was lucky that the pirates showed up when they did, or else they might have ended up like Deimos, a lab rat.
"Well, I'm glad they saved you, but they're still pirates." Hifuld said over the loudspeaker in the room, which made the duo tied to the poles jump.
The one on the left snorted. "What do you guys know? You think you're better than us just because you live on that fancy planet and get to live how you want? It's not fair for you to judge us! We have to fight to survive out here! "
Deimos raised an eyebrow. "Oh? And you think we don't? You seemed to be assuming a lot."
"What's that supposed to mean?!" Emiko bristled.
The red eyed human leaned back and crossed his arms. "Exactly what I said! You are basing your opinion on tiny shreds of facts, without bothering to put them together to see the whole picture. Iscarmilas certainly is not a paradise. I have spent most of my time there fighting against the officers who treat me like a second class citizen. Hifuld is treated similarly, and could only afford to build their business in the slums of the city. Unless you are an Iscarmilian, you are treated like dirt."
Emiko and her companion were silent, so he decided to keep going.
"And here we are, struggling to make a living when a couple of pirate kids try to steal our stock. If you had, Hifuld could have been put out of business, and I would have lost my job. We'd have lost everything, and been at the mercy of the same people who put us in this position in the first place. All because you didn't think about the consequences of your actions…"
His glowing red eyes landed right on the two frozen teens, and he frowned. "Tell me, does that seem fair to you?"
Neither teen seemed to have a response. They both turned their heads away from him in an attempt to look anywhere other than his piercing gaze. Emiko's flushed face and her companion's taught shoulders were enough to show him that his harsh words had gotten to them.
Emiko was the first to break the tense silence. "I… I didn't want to hurt anyone who didn't deserve it…"
Hifuld snorted over the speaker. "What a silly thing for a pirate to say."
The girl bristled again and jerked her head up. "I mean it! I didn't want to hurt people like you guys! I just wanted to get back at the officers who let me get taken! I-I thought if I attacked shipments and gave it to the pirates, I could get back at them."
Deimos couldn't help but chuckle. "Oh, if you did that all you would be doing was helping those who hate us get rid of us. I'm sure officers like Desler would love to say something about how the refugees are bringing more violence to the space around the planet."
"They would say that?" The one on the left croaked. "B-but it wasn't your fault! We attacked you!"
Hifuld made a resigned noise. "Doesn't matter, kid. Some people will take any chance they can to twist things to suit their own needs."
Emiko looked even more heartbroken at this, her wide brown eyes gazing at the damaged navy blue ship, and then her face twisted in anger again. "I hate them. I hate the Galactic Officers! They would do something like that! They hurt you guys just because they can, they're bad, all of them!"
"W-well… Not all of them." Deimos quickly interjected. "I know a few good officers. Pezel, he rescued me, and he's always been kind to me and the other refugees. He does his best to make sure we aren't hurt too badly."
The one on the left wasn't convinced. "If he really cares about you guys, why doesn't he do more to help you?"
"Because he can't." Hifuld declared, now leaning in the doorway, having been lulled into the conversation. "He's doing his best, but he's fighting against a system that was made to benefit the people like Desler, and the officers who were too lazy to look for you guys. It's a system where the officers dominate, and we're supposed to be quiet and submit to whatever they want."
Emiko looked disgusted. "That's a horrible system."
"Finally, something we can agree on." Hifuld replied with a smirk.
The human girl's companion slumped, and then looked over at the green alien. "H-how can you deal with that? It's unfair, it's cruel… How can you live with that?"
Hifuld shrugged their shoulders. "You get used to it. But…" They motioned their thumb to Deimos. "This little shit seems to think he can make a change. I used to think he was crazy, but… I guess he's rubbing off on me."
"M-make a change?" Emiko questioned. "You think you can change the officers?"
Deimos frowned, and then shook his head. "Some people will never change no matter how hard you try. But the system can be reformed with enough effort. All it takes is people with the guts to stand up and do it! It certainly won't be easy, but when has life ever been?"
He smiled and held up his fists in determination. "I think that, if you really want things to change, it starts with you. You have to be the change you want to see, right? So no matter how those assholes try to knock me down, I'll keep fighting until the galaxy is a better place for everyone!"
Emiko glanced at him, a thoughtful look on her face. Then, she slowly gave a small smile. "I think… I think that I would like to be part of that change as well." She looked towards her companion. "If it means helping people, like we wanted to, then why don't we try?"
Her companion lifted their head, and nodded. "Yes! Yes I want to try! I want to help people in a good way! Like those officers should have helped us!"
Deimos grinned, clapping his hands together. "That's the spirit! I know you both will be amazing!"
Emiko's eyes sparkled and she leaned forward. "Y-you really think so?"
"I know so!" Deimos stubbornly replied, his grin still present.
The one on the left leaned forward as well. "So…. If that's the case, does that mean you guys will let us go?"
"Nope." Hifuld quickly interjected.
"Eh." The teen shrugged their shoulders in resignation. "It was worth a shot."
They arrived at their destination a few days later. It was a warm planet called Furnhold, mostly covered in desert with the occasional mountains or oasis. Most cities were built around these areas, with the large deserts used as landing spots for traveling ships.
The freighter landed gently on one of the open landing areas, squished between a few other ships in the middle of unloading. Nobody paid them any mind, the constant come and go of ships wasn't unusual in a loading bay as busy as Furnhold's.
As soon as the ship had been powered down, Hifuld was already moving. They crossed to the now open door, and motioned to their tied up attackers. "I'll get some officers and take these punks to the station. Can you start unloading the crates?"
"You got it!" Deimos chirped, his red eyes glowing excitedly.
Once Hifuld had left the ship, he glanced towards the trio of pirates and nodded. "Don't worry. Hifuld won't tell them about you guys being pirates." He winked and smirked. "We'll say it was a botched robbery, you'll get less jail time for that."
Emiko snorted. "Thanks, I guess. Although I'd prefer if you just let us go."
Deimos made a sad noise and shrugged his shoulders. "Not my decision, I'm afraid. Hifuld is the boss of this ship, and they are pretty stubborn. But when you are released, don't be afraid to reach out!"
"You'd help us, even after everything we did?" The one on the left asked,"We tried to kill you!"
"Meh." Deimos uncaringly waved his hand. "You're not the first one, you won't be the last! But it'd be rather hypocritical of me to not offer help to you after all I said in the ship, don't you think?"
The one on the left made a noncommitical noise. "I guess that makes sense…"
The red eyed human stood up and stretched out his sore arms. "You don't have to if you don't want to, just know the options there."
Unlike her companion, Emiko seemed a little more certain. Maybe it was because he was another human, or maybe she had actually taken his words to heart. She gave a small nod, and smiled. "Thank you, Deimos. Maybe we'll meet again some day."
With a small smile of his own, he honestly said,"I hope we do as well."
When Hifuld returned with the officers, Deimos said his farewells to their unlikely traveling buddies and hurried to do the job he was assigned. Using his powers made it easier, but the three beatings suns on Furhold definitely made the work exhausting.
By the time he managed to unload the last of them, the red glow was flickering and the crate was wobbling in the air. It crashed to the ground, sending a plume of sand upwards before it settled.
With a sigh of exhaustion, Deimos slumped against the entrance of the ship, greatful for the shade that it provided him. He had unzipped his flight suit halfway and tied it around his waist, leaving him in a black tank top as he tried to beat the heat.
He ran a hand through his shaggy bangs and leaned his head back with a groan. "Ah… Why doesn't this damn ship have air conditioning?"
In front of him, he suddenly heard the sound of a deep voice chuckling. "I'm guessing this is your first time on Furhold?"
"Heh, is it that obvious?" Deimos asked as he lifted his head to look at the source of the voice. As soon as his eyes landed on them, he felt his heart skip a beat.
There was an alien in front of him who had scaly red skin, a lithe build, and sharp teeth. But what caught his eye the most was the shaggy blonde hair and soft look in their eyes. For a moment, all he could do was stare.
The alien chuckled, showing off a blinding grin. "It was pretty obvious, most first timers can't handle the heat." He held out a canister in his hands. "Here, it's Quiver Sap Juice. It's a good drink to keep you going and cool you off."
"O-oh t-thank you…" Deimos muttered, his heart pounding against his chest and blood rushing in his ears. He could feel a blush rising up his cheeks, no matter how hard he tried to stop it. What is happening right now?!
He forced himself to focus on the drink, taking a huge gulp of the bitter juice. Instantly he felt a chill run up his spine, his core cooled down by the liquid in the canister. It didn't completely calm down his heart, but it helped.
"Whoa… That's good." He whispered.
The red alien smiled. "It's a Furnhold specialty!" He declared as he moved to sit next to the human, who quickly tensed up. They didn't seem to notice, as they focused on his face and smiled. "My name is Teii Furnborn, what about you?"
"D-Deimos Earthborn." He quickly replied, trying to avoid making eye contact. His stomach felt like there were butterflies inside of it, he didn't understand, why was he reacting this way?
"Well, it's nice to meet you! One of my favorite parts about working here is I get to meet people from tons of different planets!" Teii cheerfully said next to him.
"O-Oh cool…" Deimos squeaked. "That- That is pretty cool…"
There was a sudden silence, which made Deimos more confused. He turned to face the Furholdian again, only to let out a yelp of shock and fall backwards as he realized that the man was inches away from his face.
"Oh! I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you!" He heard Teii exclaim, before strong hands helped him back up. "I've just never met an Earthborn before. That's a no-contact planet, right? I think it is! How did you get here? Where have you been staying?"
Deimos felt his cheeks heat up again as he stared at the blonde alien and he quickly pulled his legs up to his chest. "W-well, it's kind of a long story…"
"I don't mind, those stories are usually the best!" Teii glanced towards the crates, and then back at the human. "How about I help you empty out the crates, and you can tell me while we work?"
The human quickly took another chug of the bitter drink, relishing the feeling of it cooling him down. Once his heart had settled, and the red on his cheeks was merely from heat, he gave the blonde a shy smile and nodded. "Sounds good to me!"
The duo worked well together, and Deimos found that his awkward feeling settled the longer they spent time together. As they emptied the crates and stacked the items where they needed to go, he regaled the Furnholdian with all he was comfortable with sharing.
He told them about his abduction, the lab, his memory loss, and his time on Iscarmilas. He didn't tell everything, but he told them about Lala, Lozo and the others, as well as meeting Hifuld. Then he transitioned into the story of learning to pilot, the pirates, and how they managed to survive the fight.
"...Aaand then we come back here, where I'm telling this story to a Furnhold native named Teii who is a surprisingly good listener!" Deimos finished with a playful flare, setting down the last bit of scrap and then brushing his hands off on his pants.
Teii grinned at him excitedly. "Oh it was hard not to listen, it was a good story. I wish mine was as cool!"
"Well, what about you?" Deimos asked curiously as he sat down in the shade once more.
The Furnholdian quickly joined him, and finished off the last of his Sap Juice. "Eh, it's not much to tell. I was born here, raised here, I've never been off-world. I think that's why I decided to work at this cargo place. It's the best way to see what is past Furnhold without leaving..."
Deimos raised his eyebrows curiously. "Have you ever thought about leaving? Getting a ship and seeing what's out there?"
Teii chuckled, his blonde hair falling in his face. "I have, but… I can't leave my family behind. My siblings still need help paying for school, and my moms don't even have a communicator, they'd be worried sick if I left. Maybe one day, but not for a while yet."
The human nodded to his words, and tried to ignore the twinge of jealousy he felt at hearing about Teii's family. He wondered what it was like to have family, to know someone is waiting for you to come home. Did he have a loving family on Earth like Teii did on Furnhold? He wasn't sure, but he liked to imagine that he did.
"What about you?" Teii suddenly asked, his gentle brown eyes staring at the human.
Deimos's eyes widened and he felt his cheeks heat up again. "W-well, I would love to. Iscarmilas is okay, but if I could I would get a ship and travel all over the universe… I'd love to learn as much as I can about all the planets out there…" He smiled softly, sighed, and shook his head. "But I won't be able to afford a ship for a long time, so who knows if I'll be able to…"
Teii suddenly slung an arm around him. "Aww, don't talk like that! With enough determination, I bet you can!" He gave the human a grin. "Exploring like that seems perfect for you, so I hope you get to do it as soon as you can!"
The red eyed human gave a small grin. "W-well, I hope the same for you too, Teii. Maybe one day we can both explore the galaxy, and see all the wonders it has hidden."
The two stared at each other for a long moment, and then suddenly they were leaning forward. Deimos closed as his lips connected to Teii's surprisingly soft ones, both of them remaining connected for several long seconds.
But the longer the kiss lasted, the more Deimos felt a sudden pit in his stomach. Why does this feel wrong? It feels like he isn't the right person, like I should be doing this with… His thought was suddenly cut off, and an image of a blonde that he couldn't reach appeared in his mind for a split second before vanishing. Who? Who are you?! I don't know, I can't remember-
He placed his hands on Teii's chest and gently pushed him away, separating them as carefully as he could, and turning his head to the side. "I- I can't do this…"
Though he wasn't facing the alien anymore, he could hear the pain in their voice. "W-what?" Teii asked, confused,"I-I don't understand, did I do something wrong? I-I didn't mean to be so forward-"
"No! No it's not that." Deimos quickly interjected, turning his red eyes on the man once more. "We may have just met, but I can tell that you're a wonderful person. It's just…"
He trailed off as he tried to decide what he could say. You're not the right person, you're not what I'm thinking of, you're not him… He frowned, and quickly shoved all those away.
Deimos took a deep breath, and chose his words honestly. "I just don't think I'm ready for anything like that… There's still so much missing about my life, about who I am, who I was. My life on Earth and all those memories, they're a part of me I may never get back, and I'm still trying to handle that. I don't know if I can be with you when I don't even understand myself."
Teii stared at him for a moment, his brown eyes shining with hurt. But then, he let out a soft sigh and nodded. "I understand, don't worry." He gently took the human's hand, and gave him a small smile. "I'd love it if you wanted to, but I get why you don't. You need to take care of yourself, that should always come first."
Deimos slumped his shoulders in relief. "Thank you, Teii."
The red alien inclined his head forward. "Of course. I hope you can find what you're looking for." He moved forward, pressing one last soft kiss to the human's messy hair. "And just know that when you do, I'll be here for you if you still want me."
With those final words, the red alien got up and wandered away, leaving Deimos sitting on the edge of the ship by himself. The human watched the departing figure until he was out of view, and then got up and went back inside the ship.
He moved as far away from the door as he could, and let himself slide to the ground. He pressed his shaking hands against his face, and let out quiet sobs that echoed through the metal chamber. He didn't know why it started, but now he couldn't make it stop.
The image of that strange figure appeared again. He wanted to scream in frustration as he still couldn't make out more than a fuzzy silhouette. Who are you?! Why can't I remember you? Why are you hurting me like this?! Please, please just let me remember!
But the silhouette didn't answer his desperate pleas, and the image disappeared seconds later, leaving him to cry all alone.
Several days passed as they finished up business on Furnhold as Hifuld and Deimos finished up their business. Hifuld had many customers who they had to wait for or bargain with, it seemed that most of the hours between the buyers and sellers was bargaining.
During that time, Hifuld had done their best to teach Deimos about the best ways to haggle and bargain, and what prices were scams on what planets. He did his best to listen, but ever since his encounter with Teii, he felt rather despondent.
It wasn't as if the blonde alien had abandoned him. They still saw each other and exchanged friendly waves or pleasantries, but it left Deimos feeling awful each time. Teii was wonderful, he didn't deserve to deal with the human's strange insecurities.
Every time he saw Teii, he was reminded of that strange silhouette that called for hum and yet at the same time refused to face him. It was a reminder of the memories he lost, and how nothing he tried to do seemed to bring them back.
He tried to hide his sadness around his boss, but the green alien was always rather perceptive. They never said anything outright, but Deimos could tell by the way that they were staring at him that they had caught on.
Near their final days on Furnhold, the green alien had sat Deimos down with them. He was expecting to finally be interrogated, or to be told to suck it up and quickly his slacking off. Instead, his boss simply grabbed his money card, and connected it to their own.
After pressing a few buttons, the screens on their chips lit up as a chunk of money was transferred between the cards. They handed the human back their card, and Deimos found his eyes bugging out at the amount.
"That's a lot of Nova!" He exclaimed before he could stop himself.
Hifuld chuckled at his reaction. "Yeah. Turns out the kids didn't have much of a bounty, but the third one with the head injury was one of the big bosses. We got a pretty good reward for that, and since you took him down I figured you should get a cut. I did save some to use for your pilots license, but I figured you'd understand."
Deimos looked towards his boss and smiled. "Of course, thank you." He glanced down at his card, and hummed thoughtfully. "I wonder what I should do with all this."
"Actually, about that…'' Hifuld threaded their fingers together. "While I probably should advise you in the art of creating savings, I found something at the market that I think you'd like to see." Without waiting for a reply, Hifuld grabbed the human by his arm and dragged him out of the ship.
They went past the cargo bay, and towards the town that was nearby. In the town square and pouring out the walls outside of the city were dozens of stalls, with aliens of all types browsing excitedly.
Hifuld didn't take him into the city, and instead moved towards the edge of the stalls, where there were several bigger items being touted by many boisterous sellers. There were computers, large screens, plants, and-
Deimos's red eyes landed on one item in particular, and he realized what his boss might have been wanting to show him. Sitting in the orange sand was a huge spaceship.
It was a dark gray color, with a V-shaped hull that had a silver tip. Though they were below it, Deimos could see that it had a hanger, a bridge near the top, and wings. It was a ship obviously meant for traveling long distances and though it was damaged, it looked like it was in pretty good shape.
Hifuld chuckled at the sight of his expression, and turned their gaze towards the ship. "Yeah it's a little old and broken, but nothing a bit of fixing can't change. I know you want to travel one day, so I figured it'd be rude to not let you know this ship was for sale."
The human tilted his head. "I-Is it a good ship? Like, does it have a warp drive? Can it re-enter atmospheres easily, what was it used for before, how much-"
His boss quickly held their hands up. "Whoa, whoa! I'm not the one selling it. If you want those answers, talk to the person selling it!"
"Right… Right!" Deimos exclaimed, his sadness momentarily forgotten. "I-I'll do that right now!"
He hurried over to the shaded spot where the seller was sitting. A Furnholdian woman with long black hair with scattered braids, and long claws. She sent him a curious glance, and motioned her head to her ship. "You interested in buying?"
"I might be." Deimos quelled his excitement, and forced himself to remember what Hifuld had taught him. "What kind of ship is it? Is there a gravity generator, warp drive?"
The woman didn't seem bothered by his questions. "It's an old mining ship, it was retired after the warp drive was too damaged to be fixed. So, that answers your first and third questions, as for the gravity generation there is only gravity on the inner hull."
Deimos nodded. "How about the damage?"
"It's part of the reason it was retired. The wings are a bit damaged, and the tech inside is a few generations too old. Oxygen vents might need to be replaced too but do all of that and she'll be ready to fly wherever you want. Hell, you could live in her once she's all fixed up!"
Deimos wondered for a moment if he was making the right choice. He had just gotten a stack of Novas, was he willing to risk most of it for an old ship? But then again, will I ever get another chance like this? Not on Iscarmilas, that's for sure. And who knows when I'll be off planet again, this could have sold by then.
In a split second decision he pulled out his card, careful to not show his balance, and asked,"How much?"
Her yellow eyes gleamed. She held out her own card, showing him a rather large number. "This is my asking price."
The second he saw those several zeroes, he quickly shook his head. "No warp drive, damaged wings, and old tech? That's a lot of work I have to do for such a high price. What's say we lower the price by twenty thousand Nova?"
She frowned. "No way am I going that low. I'll drop the price by five thousand."
"Fifteen thousand."
"Ten thousand, final offer."
Satisfied, Deimos slid the card to her. "Deal."
The woman quickly exchanged the money and then handed his card back. "Pleasure doing business with you."
He stared down at the card in his hand, and then back towards the ship. "Oh stars…" He turned around and hurried back towards his boss. "Hifuld! Hifuld! Thank you so much! I have a ship now!"
The green alien gave him a gentle smile. "I know, kid. I hoped it would cheer you up, I'm glad it worked. Even if it costs you quite a bit, that old thing will take care of you for a long time."
The human gave a nervous chuckle. "You won't be upset when I decide to leave?"
"Maybe a little, but if you aren't happy, you shouldn't stay on Iscarmilas longer than you have to." They motioned to the ship. "If you have the chance, you should do what you want to with your life."
Deimos nodded, a thoughtful noise escaping him. "I know I want to travel, that's for sure. And maybe while I'm out there, I might be able to understand myself better than I do now."
He turned to the green alien and smiled again. "Thank you, Hifuld, for bringing me to this ship. It means a lot to me."
Hifuld's cheeks turned light green with blush, and they frantically waved their hands. "Bah, I didn't do anything. I just saw a ship, and my annoying employee wanted one, so I figured it would make them shut up."
"Admit it, you care about me~!" The human teasingly exclaimed.
"Tch, brat." The alien insulted while at the same time playfully shoving the human. "Keep that up and I'll leave you and your hunk of junk ship here."
Deimos snickered as he trailed after his boss. He knew they'd soon have to pack up and go back to Iscarmilas, a planet that seemed to hate them. He knew eventually his excitement would be overshadowed by the sadness of his lost memories and the strange silhouette who continued to torment him.
But as he glanced back at the ship, his ship, he found that his heart felt a little lighter, and the future seemed a little brighter.
