Thanks for all the nice comments.here is the next bit
++++++++++++++++
Two days later I exited slipstream. It had been the fourth time that day. My eyes hurt and my neck was cramping. I was used to doing all the driving.
Trance squealed happily from her perch behind me. "There it is, there it is!
I couldn't help but roll my eyes. "So remind me again, why are we going here?"
"To give the ship away."
"You see that's the part I'm having trouble with. This is my ship I'm not giving it away."
"Well, it's not really your ship. Besides, you won't need it anymore."
"But, I'll need money! What am I suppose to eat air! And, I suppose people on this planet just give dataports away for free!"
"Well they might." She started to fidget. "Are you sure you want one?"
"Of course. I am a super genius now but I could be a god!"
"You shouldn't tell people you're so smart."
I growled at her. That didn't even dignify an answer. I ignored her and did a quick scan of the planet. I found the local spaceport pretty quickly. I made sure we stayed pretty far away from the central hub of that. I didn't want to get caught with a sto...er. acquired ship.
Trance was the first on out the air lock. "I'll find you!" She shouted over her shoulder and like a purple puff of smoke she was gone.
I didn't really care. Well, at least I told myself that. She probably wouldn't come back and frankly I was way too sick of saying good-bye. She was annoying anyway. Yeah! Who needs her!
I took a few things off the ship, careful not to take things with any royal seal's on them or that screamed stolen. Some tools, some music disks, Pillows, blankets. etc.
I headed towards the town square people watching as I went. Well at least I assumed it was the town square. I hadn't really looked at the map that well. On earth I had always knew my way around. I never traveled really at all. My parents lived outside of Boston in a small non-Nietzschean for many years. After the my cousins and my aunt were killed by Magog they decided that it might be relatively more safe in one of the Uber run refuge camps in the city. I'm glad I was a kid then. I had been devastated from losing my cousins and I wouldn't have wanted to be part of that decision. Man! What a choice! Magog or Neitzcheans.
I shook the thoughts from my mind. I don't know why I had been thinking so much of earth the last few days.
After a few hours I had managed to sell most of my stuff. I was hot and tired and decided to head back to the ship.
The crowd was thick but I pushed my way through. Then something caught my eye. I stood on the end of my toes trying to get a better view. Sure enough there it was again.
"Beka?!" I shouted
I ran shoving people out of my way while my heart beat crazily. Maybe, she came looking for me. Maybe, she got delayed and had to meat me! "Beka, wait!"
A few curious marketers turned their heads my way but the blonde head bobbing in the crowd got further away. I wasn't going to be left behind again.
I hunched over like a small bull and charged my way through not caring who I shoved in the process. Finally, I grabbed her arm.
It wasn't Beka. Just some Than in a wig. Her antenna waved angrily in the air.
"Sorry." I muttered under my breath. I felt like my heart was just ripped from my chest. A drink. I really needed a drink. Who knows maybe I'll find a buyer for the ship.
I wandered back in to the crowd looking for a bar. It didn't take me long. I had three draughts of what ever came out of their taps when I got nerve to ask the bartender if he knew anybody who might want to buy a ship. He looked at me kind of funny.
"A guy comes in here about noon. Ganderhaust. he'll look at it."
I grunted my acknowledgment trying not to look to eager.
The bartender looked at me again if he was trying to figure something out. But when I caught the stare he quickly looked away and started serving the other clientele.
I gazed condemningly in to my drink. I wonder what Trance was doing right now. She had been a strange enigma that one but I missed her now that she was gone. What they Heck was my problem! Mourning people I had only know a week!! I was getting pathetic in my old age.
Two big burly guys with giant gauss rifles strolled in to the bar. The guys were huge! The bartender met them at the corner of the bar. I nearly choked on my drink when all three heads turned my way. Damn, I was busted.
I stood up quickly tipping over the table and made a break for the back door.
The big but there were slow.
I ran down the alley behind the bar. Leaping over trash bins and things I would rather not know about.
Then it occurred to me. Those guns were pretty big maybe they didn't need to be fast.
I heard a weapon charging
After that I didn't hear anything for quite a while
+++++++++++++++++++ Cold.I was cold. I wanted to pull the blankets over my head until Beka woke me for breakfast. Maybe I would tell her I wasn't getting up today. By the feel of it I would have to fix the environmental controls..
I wasn't on the Maru.
I had been running.
I groaned loudly and heard the noise echo. I open my eyes. I was in a cell, a nice one to actually. You know you've been in places like this too much when you judge the quality of the space.
I started to groan again as I rolled over but it turned in to a stifled scream. My shoulder flared with pain.
I very slowly sat up. I pulled the neck of my t-shirt down to see one hell of a bruise. Those two brutes from the bar must have shot me with some sort of high-powered tazer gun.
There was a metal clink as some one entered the hallway and walked towards the cell. I glanced up careful not to move my shoulder. The man stopped in front of my cell. He was dressed just like the two from the bar only he didn't have a rifle. A very large club hung from his belt though.
I blinked at him but said nothing while he studied a flexi he held.
"Seamus Harper?"
I was going to shrug but I stopped my self. I sighed there was no point of even think of a lie. "Yeah."
"You are being charged with Grand theft space craft and interstellar flight to avoid prosecution. If you are found guilty you will be retrofitted and sentenced to five years hard time at a local security establishment. You're interspecies public defender will be in to talk to you this afternoon. The trail is in two days. Do you understand everything that you were just told?"
"Yeah, I got it." I answered dryly.
The man gave a curt nod he was bout to leave but then turned back with a strange smile. "Your picture is all over this have of the galaxy did you really think you would get away?"
That's why the bartender had looked at me and ratted me out. "Was there a reward?"
"50,000 credits."
"Not bad."
The guard snorted with laughter and sauntered off the same way he came.
I lay down on the bunk that was provided. I was alone and in big, big trouble. I didn't think the news would have traveled this far and that fast.
I wonder what retrofitted means? It didn't sound good.
++++++++++++++++++
Well I met my lawyer, a greasy little Persied. We went over our defense as best we could but I have to admit I wasn't very confident.
The trial date came and went. It all went very smoothly .for the other guys. I was found guilty.
I waited in my cell drumming my fingers nervously as I paced. The guy would be coming to take me away for my retro fitting soon.
The small clink of the lock warned me of the three guard's arrival. My throat went dry and I started to breath too fast. Too many memories of Nietzschean torture flashed through my mind. My palms were damp with sweet as they arrived at my cell.
I backed in to the corner.
"Aww, come on guys. I can pay the prince back some how. Please, this is insane. It was just a small little ship. "
Two of the guards reached in and grabbed an arm each. I spun so all the weight of my arms went against their thumbs breaking their grip. I ran for the door but the third guard was ready and grabbed the top of my head as I tried to slip buy. The pain in my scalp was unbelievable.
"I'll give you points for guts but this is our job. It's got to be done." Grunted the guard holding me by my hair.
They hauled me out of the holding area towards a medical lab. I was starting to panic a little I had to admit but these guys were all business.
Inside the small room was a medical chair, a very evil dentist's chair.
I was pushed down in to it and strapped in. I couldn't even wiggle. Hell, even my head was held down .all I could do was blink.
The doctor came in and I tried a final plea. "I'm really, really smart. I can make things all sort of things. bombs weapons. whatever you want."
One of the guards turned brick then. "Do you think that our integrity is low that we would stoop to bribes?!" His nose was inches from mine.
"You could make a lot of money." I whispered.
The blow was fast and hard and I couldn't even duck.
The doctor intervened. "Lieutenant, don't damage the face."
But it was to late I could feel my face swelling and there was also a light trickle that felt like an itch. I was pretty sure it was blood though.
The doctor poked and prodded my face and I winched when he touched the new bruised skin.
"Tsk, Tsk It's swollen all the way down to the neck. We'll have to put it in on the other side...could cause a problem.hmmm " The doctor looked coolly at the guards. "You can go now.he won't be moving for at least a couple of hours."
As the guards left a medical aid entered the small room wheeling in a cart. There was something big and shiny on it but I couldn't quite see it.
"Tsk, Tsk" The doctor muttered again. "First the anesthesia."
He held a med injector up to my neck. There was a small hiss and began to felt lighted immediately.
What the purple girl had said to me earlier kept running through my mind.
"But, I'll need money! What am I suppose to eat air! And, I suppose people on this planet just give dataports away for free!"
"Well they might." She started to fidget. "Are you sure you want one?"
"Of course. I am a super genius now but I could be a god!"
"You shouldn't tell people you're so smart."
This was all her fault she knew what was going to happen and she still wanted to come here. I cursed her name as I sunk in to the void
TBC
++++++++++++++++
Two days later I exited slipstream. It had been the fourth time that day. My eyes hurt and my neck was cramping. I was used to doing all the driving.
Trance squealed happily from her perch behind me. "There it is, there it is!
I couldn't help but roll my eyes. "So remind me again, why are we going here?"
"To give the ship away."
"You see that's the part I'm having trouble with. This is my ship I'm not giving it away."
"Well, it's not really your ship. Besides, you won't need it anymore."
"But, I'll need money! What am I suppose to eat air! And, I suppose people on this planet just give dataports away for free!"
"Well they might." She started to fidget. "Are you sure you want one?"
"Of course. I am a super genius now but I could be a god!"
"You shouldn't tell people you're so smart."
I growled at her. That didn't even dignify an answer. I ignored her and did a quick scan of the planet. I found the local spaceport pretty quickly. I made sure we stayed pretty far away from the central hub of that. I didn't want to get caught with a sto...er. acquired ship.
Trance was the first on out the air lock. "I'll find you!" She shouted over her shoulder and like a purple puff of smoke she was gone.
I didn't really care. Well, at least I told myself that. She probably wouldn't come back and frankly I was way too sick of saying good-bye. She was annoying anyway. Yeah! Who needs her!
I took a few things off the ship, careful not to take things with any royal seal's on them or that screamed stolen. Some tools, some music disks, Pillows, blankets. etc.
I headed towards the town square people watching as I went. Well at least I assumed it was the town square. I hadn't really looked at the map that well. On earth I had always knew my way around. I never traveled really at all. My parents lived outside of Boston in a small non-Nietzschean for many years. After the my cousins and my aunt were killed by Magog they decided that it might be relatively more safe in one of the Uber run refuge camps in the city. I'm glad I was a kid then. I had been devastated from losing my cousins and I wouldn't have wanted to be part of that decision. Man! What a choice! Magog or Neitzcheans.
I shook the thoughts from my mind. I don't know why I had been thinking so much of earth the last few days.
After a few hours I had managed to sell most of my stuff. I was hot and tired and decided to head back to the ship.
The crowd was thick but I pushed my way through. Then something caught my eye. I stood on the end of my toes trying to get a better view. Sure enough there it was again.
"Beka?!" I shouted
I ran shoving people out of my way while my heart beat crazily. Maybe, she came looking for me. Maybe, she got delayed and had to meat me! "Beka, wait!"
A few curious marketers turned their heads my way but the blonde head bobbing in the crowd got further away. I wasn't going to be left behind again.
I hunched over like a small bull and charged my way through not caring who I shoved in the process. Finally, I grabbed her arm.
It wasn't Beka. Just some Than in a wig. Her antenna waved angrily in the air.
"Sorry." I muttered under my breath. I felt like my heart was just ripped from my chest. A drink. I really needed a drink. Who knows maybe I'll find a buyer for the ship.
I wandered back in to the crowd looking for a bar. It didn't take me long. I had three draughts of what ever came out of their taps when I got nerve to ask the bartender if he knew anybody who might want to buy a ship. He looked at me kind of funny.
"A guy comes in here about noon. Ganderhaust. he'll look at it."
I grunted my acknowledgment trying not to look to eager.
The bartender looked at me again if he was trying to figure something out. But when I caught the stare he quickly looked away and started serving the other clientele.
I gazed condemningly in to my drink. I wonder what Trance was doing right now. She had been a strange enigma that one but I missed her now that she was gone. What they Heck was my problem! Mourning people I had only know a week!! I was getting pathetic in my old age.
Two big burly guys with giant gauss rifles strolled in to the bar. The guys were huge! The bartender met them at the corner of the bar. I nearly choked on my drink when all three heads turned my way. Damn, I was busted.
I stood up quickly tipping over the table and made a break for the back door.
The big but there were slow.
I ran down the alley behind the bar. Leaping over trash bins and things I would rather not know about.
Then it occurred to me. Those guns were pretty big maybe they didn't need to be fast.
I heard a weapon charging
After that I didn't hear anything for quite a while
+++++++++++++++++++ Cold.I was cold. I wanted to pull the blankets over my head until Beka woke me for breakfast. Maybe I would tell her I wasn't getting up today. By the feel of it I would have to fix the environmental controls..
I wasn't on the Maru.
I had been running.
I groaned loudly and heard the noise echo. I open my eyes. I was in a cell, a nice one to actually. You know you've been in places like this too much when you judge the quality of the space.
I started to groan again as I rolled over but it turned in to a stifled scream. My shoulder flared with pain.
I very slowly sat up. I pulled the neck of my t-shirt down to see one hell of a bruise. Those two brutes from the bar must have shot me with some sort of high-powered tazer gun.
There was a metal clink as some one entered the hallway and walked towards the cell. I glanced up careful not to move my shoulder. The man stopped in front of my cell. He was dressed just like the two from the bar only he didn't have a rifle. A very large club hung from his belt though.
I blinked at him but said nothing while he studied a flexi he held.
"Seamus Harper?"
I was going to shrug but I stopped my self. I sighed there was no point of even think of a lie. "Yeah."
"You are being charged with Grand theft space craft and interstellar flight to avoid prosecution. If you are found guilty you will be retrofitted and sentenced to five years hard time at a local security establishment. You're interspecies public defender will be in to talk to you this afternoon. The trail is in two days. Do you understand everything that you were just told?"
"Yeah, I got it." I answered dryly.
The man gave a curt nod he was bout to leave but then turned back with a strange smile. "Your picture is all over this have of the galaxy did you really think you would get away?"
That's why the bartender had looked at me and ratted me out. "Was there a reward?"
"50,000 credits."
"Not bad."
The guard snorted with laughter and sauntered off the same way he came.
I lay down on the bunk that was provided. I was alone and in big, big trouble. I didn't think the news would have traveled this far and that fast.
I wonder what retrofitted means? It didn't sound good.
++++++++++++++++++
Well I met my lawyer, a greasy little Persied. We went over our defense as best we could but I have to admit I wasn't very confident.
The trial date came and went. It all went very smoothly .for the other guys. I was found guilty.
I waited in my cell drumming my fingers nervously as I paced. The guy would be coming to take me away for my retro fitting soon.
The small clink of the lock warned me of the three guard's arrival. My throat went dry and I started to breath too fast. Too many memories of Nietzschean torture flashed through my mind. My palms were damp with sweet as they arrived at my cell.
I backed in to the corner.
"Aww, come on guys. I can pay the prince back some how. Please, this is insane. It was just a small little ship. "
Two of the guards reached in and grabbed an arm each. I spun so all the weight of my arms went against their thumbs breaking their grip. I ran for the door but the third guard was ready and grabbed the top of my head as I tried to slip buy. The pain in my scalp was unbelievable.
"I'll give you points for guts but this is our job. It's got to be done." Grunted the guard holding me by my hair.
They hauled me out of the holding area towards a medical lab. I was starting to panic a little I had to admit but these guys were all business.
Inside the small room was a medical chair, a very evil dentist's chair.
I was pushed down in to it and strapped in. I couldn't even wiggle. Hell, even my head was held down .all I could do was blink.
The doctor came in and I tried a final plea. "I'm really, really smart. I can make things all sort of things. bombs weapons. whatever you want."
One of the guards turned brick then. "Do you think that our integrity is low that we would stoop to bribes?!" His nose was inches from mine.
"You could make a lot of money." I whispered.
The blow was fast and hard and I couldn't even duck.
The doctor intervened. "Lieutenant, don't damage the face."
But it was to late I could feel my face swelling and there was also a light trickle that felt like an itch. I was pretty sure it was blood though.
The doctor poked and prodded my face and I winched when he touched the new bruised skin.
"Tsk, Tsk It's swollen all the way down to the neck. We'll have to put it in on the other side...could cause a problem.hmmm " The doctor looked coolly at the guards. "You can go now.he won't be moving for at least a couple of hours."
As the guards left a medical aid entered the small room wheeling in a cart. There was something big and shiny on it but I couldn't quite see it.
"Tsk, Tsk" The doctor muttered again. "First the anesthesia."
He held a med injector up to my neck. There was a small hiss and began to felt lighted immediately.
What the purple girl had said to me earlier kept running through my mind.
"But, I'll need money! What am I suppose to eat air! And, I suppose people on this planet just give dataports away for free!"
"Well they might." She started to fidget. "Are you sure you want one?"
"Of course. I am a super genius now but I could be a god!"
"You shouldn't tell people you're so smart."
This was all her fault she knew what was going to happen and she still wanted to come here. I cursed her name as I sunk in to the void
TBC