Freedom

Rick awoke inside a small white cell, which he presumed to be a jail cell. He looked around the small white room with only a stainless steel toilet near a metal sink and a small window the guards saw through.

He was dressed in white. A black and white undershirt with a white jacket that had belts instead of zippers is what he now donned instead of his old torn clothes. Black jeans that were pitch black and a hook button.

He then pondered how he got there and recalled the events through the city's square. His arm had been bandaged with a gauze wrap that was tightly held by a pressure pin.

He looked at himself on the mirror near the door, and saw the gash on his face had been sewn closed and was held together as well by a butterfly pin. Pain still clung to his flesh like a sting, not like before. Still yet, it was bearable.

The room was brightly lit by two bar lights that buzzed high from the ceiling. The small bed where he laid had been recently installed as he could see various etchings of numbers and symbols.

"Lucky me" he thought. A knock sounded followed by the swooshing of the opening door. In stepped a police officer in his black ironed uniform. An exchange of quick glances sparked a curiosity in the officer.

"It's about time you woke up" he said in a pleased voice.

"What do you want?" replied Rick.

The officer then took off his riot helmet to reveal a black German Sheppard.

"You don't remember me!?" he said surprised. "I've never met you" answered Rick. Still Rick had something gnawing at the back of his mind. Yet he still wondered who the officer was.

"You don't remember your best friend?" he said smiling. "Even after all these years? I don't understand! Where have you been!?" he said laughing.

"I thought you were dead. At least that's what the official reports said" continued the Shepard.

"Official reports?" wondered Rick. His mind drifted off as he relieved a very short memory of his childhood with the now grown Shepard.

"Trent? Is that you man?!"

Rick stood up and practically pounced on to Trent who caught him with open arms as they embraced.

"15 years man!" he said. "Sorry I've been places.." replied Rick. "Yeah I noticed. Several people were killed yesterday and all evidence points to you, but I don't believe you could have done it. But tell me. What did happen?" he asked.

"I don't remember what happened. It was all a blur. I remember a woman. And.. its all gone. Like a dark void in my mind. Honestly I don't remember"

That moment was burned into his mind,

but questioned himself on how the sudden turn of events occurred. It was all a blur, like he was missing time.

"That doesn't matter now Rick. You are in major trouble, unless someone can testify your innocence. Is there anything you can remember that happened that night? Anything helps your case"

"Well, I'm screwed. There's no one that can." Rick then cut off when he remembered the vixen that helped him. "Unless...no there's no way I can find her" thought Rick.

"Lt Riles, please escort inmate Rick Daygger from his holding cell" ordered the radio on Trent's shoulder. "Daygger?" asked Rick. "Yeah that's your last name bud. What? You forgot that also?" joked Trent punching Rick playfully on the shoulder.

Rick then covered up the question. "No, it's just that is sounds strange to me". "Whatever man, let's go. Still, there is quite a bit of information that doesn't quite add up" he said to Rick.

"Why's that?" asked Rick as they exited the cell.

"On your service record it says you were killed in action, with a medal of honor. Yet here you are. Alive and breathing as real as our morning sun" Trent then ran his hand through his hair.

"It's strange. I don't know what to tell ya" offered Rick in his defense.

"Daygger, that's my last name?" he pondered to himself following Trent's new information on Rick's past.

"The hells wrong with you?" asked Trent. "Nothing" responded Rick. "Nothing in particular"

Trent led Rick through the jail via several corridors and elevators, the whole time he had cuffs on. He then walked into the office where he was separated by a thick glass from a young feline that sat behind a desk and was handed a blue paper.

"What's this" asked Rick holding up the paper to Trent. "It's your release papers" answered the clerk. "I'm being released?" asked Rick confused.

"A young woman came here and paid the fines and vouched for you, you're free. She cleared up all the confusion." said the clerk once more smiling.

"Guess it's your lucky day Rick" said Trent. "She waiting for you in the front" she said pointing out to the glass doors. Rick simply nodded at her. "She told me to tell you to meet her in the front" she responded getting back to work.

"Well Rick, it's been good to see you again my friend. Come back and visit sometime" said Trent leaving on a call he had received.

"I'll look into that deceased report and let ya know what's up with that" Trent reached into his jacket and pulled out a small card and tossed it to Rick. "Keep in touch bud!"

"Don't get yourself killed!" yelled Rick at Trent as he headed to the exit down the many halls of the jail complex.

"Before you go"

She then pulled out a small brown cardboard box. "Here, it's your gun. You have a concealed weapons carry license on file from your time in the service. Your status says KIA. We will have that looked into for ya" she happily said.

Rick took the gun and dropped the magazine, empty.

"We don't return ammunition"

Rick simply nodded, "thanks".

He then headed out the glass doors that showed the Militaria Defense emblem.

Rick was greeted by warm sun and chirping birds. He saw many people on their daily commutes and activities, the city seemed alive once again.

He looked around for the vixen, but was nowhere to be seen. He walked into the street but didn't see anything.

He decided to leave after minutes of looking. He walked down the crowded streets where he had walked the day before when he arrived in the planet; not afraid of what might come his way.

Rick walked down the market streets and smelled all of the many varieties of foods and other goods to eat. But he didn't have any money or any other way of paying for the food.

His stomach growled, all he could do was just stare at the people eat. He saw an empty bench near a trash can. He walked over to the bench and sat under the large shadow the tree cast over him.

The growling stomach struck once more. He hadn't eaten in three days. The first day he got to Martheus he used the last of his money paying the shuttle ride from Qritarious.

The second day he found a fight club. Third day, he was out of jail, hungry. The other people walked by without even giving him a single glance at.

"They have no idea what I've been through" thought Rick as he looked at people walk by.

"They don't know pain or the fact that they don't value their life" Rick thought, resting his head on his hands.

"You can talk to me if you'd like" answered a voice in his head. Rick then looked up from the ground, yet he couldn't see who responded to him.

"Turn around" said the voice.

"Whatever" he said to the voice. He looked up and continued to stare at the passing cars. He then felt someone tap on his shoulder. He stood up and looked back to see the young vixen Krystal standing behind him.