No Man For Himself [Story]

[Wake]

"First off before I start this story I would like to say a few things.... Anyone looking for a heart warming happy ending has come to the wrong place... ok. I come being the bearer of bad news. The only hope right now, is that we are free. And you are free to decide for your selves whether this story is on the side of good, evil, or has been lost somewhere inbetween. Lost somewhere, where only the shadows on their best days can reach us."

"With that said; this story does start out, with hope and a clear line of right and wrong. And again you have to decide whether we have strayed for that path or not; ok?!"

No Man For Him Self

I peeked around the corner, using my new Pock as a mirror to see what, if anything was going on down the hall that intersected with mine. I had made it this far without getting caught, I was going to make it the rest of the way too.

Damn, four guards, and only one way to the end of the ship I needed to be at. I couldn’t run up and tsar them all at ounce. I had grabbed it from the first guard I jumped and the nice kill switch had been working to my advantage up till now, but none of the guards seemed to be caring a gun or pulse saber for a ranged attack. I hate that I got on this ship with no plan; I hate that the one person I tried keeping out of my mess I have to rescue and I absolutely hate without a doubt the damn guard who made me use my favorite gun as a bomb to blow the guy up because it ran out of energy to shoot him with it. Luckily I was able to get on the ship (A) before it took off ( with nobody noticing me, and ©… I was going to say with a weapon but now… damn, and now EVERYONE is looking for me.

I sat back against the wall to think. It was only a matter of time before they found and killed me. I needed the food I had come to get in the first place, and Ash, how though was now the matter. I couldn’t get to her, let alone get her free, I knew the map of the ship from a download terminal I hacked 7 hallways ago, but now there was no more air vents to craw through that I’d fit in from here to her and if the people on this ship figured out what I was after they’d kill her to get to me. If only I knew the password to use the Pock it would make this almost easy, but without… I hit the thing on the wall in frustration. Darn it, I broke it. Error messages were on the screen. Well that took that option away… a reset message popped up. Yay, I taped the screen, ‘do you wish to access… “yes I do,” a very proud me was going to tell everyone that I hacked it, not that I couldn’t hack an un-hackable device, but instead hit it against a wall and reset the darn thing. “Now let’s see,” looking through the options and knowing what needed to be done now and how I’d gotten to this point, how could I use everything to my advantage.

Some people might only think that the past is set in stone, but to me all things are absolute, not a question, not a hesitation; to me though the past, the present, and future, are all the same. As long as I’ve decide to do something, it will be made real. After dad died I promised myself to protect Ash and what had been his new wife, but with food scarce on our planet; we lived on what were called 'food shuttles' like the one I was on now; they looked so big and promising at first when it came down to our planet to give aid; but they always gave so little and everyone knew there was more they could give. But why help a dying race? It’s funny how humans from two different galaxies could be the same yet so different. Why help the weak, well, I wouldn’t be nice to those who killed my farther over just wanting more food for his family. And now taking my sister to probably have her end up the same way; diplomacy my ass. Screw the court founded between our two people’ they wanted our abilities on how we learned how to use 'tech' so fast, and how we have "our" 'tech' only work with us and not them.

They had food, we had evolved minds, they wanted what we have and so they said they would be happy to help. Just one thing, even a low life like me could tell when something’s a sham. Just keeping our world working long enough for our people to tell all our secrets then they could destroy us. Or just leave us to dye a slow death as our planet has been, for a very long time. I don’t blame our diplomats, what else could they do. That’s also the reason the food keeps coming though, even though each one gets attack or there is an attempt. They do it on purpose, they say after an attack “well maybe we shouldn’t help you anymore,” but we need the food so we offer to give more information and they keep sending food and only give us enough to die a slow death, so we attack the food carriers before they leave, because they know we know they don’t give us all the food on the ship. They say they only have so many cargos and it takes so long between galaxies, well, it’s a lie. And the cycle continues; well… for now.

“Ok, I’ve been sitting here long enough, now for a plan,” I lightly slapped myself on the checks while softly giving myself another pep talk. Well who else was going to give me one?

"Let’s see, going to the ‘mess’ would be the best place to start, then the engine room to remove a few important pieces they might need. Then going to get Ash had to be the last thing. I only had enough power for three Jumps with this Pock form the looks of it, so this has to work, it just has to," I whispered to myself as I pressed my index finger down on the screen of the Pock and Jumped.

There was a knock on the cabin door. “Not now,” yelled the captain. Another knock. “I said not now you fool,” Another knock. “What the hell!” the captain got up and opened his cabin door. “What the hell, you’re the man who has been killing my crew! “

“Yep, they sure don’t train’em like they used to.”

The captain pulled out his gun at pointed it at me.

“I really wouldn’t do that if I were you.”

“And why not?”

“Because you and I both know I’m the only one who can fix the little mess you’re in with a good chunk of your engine missing. I can return it, but I have a few conditions to make first.”

The captain didn’t lower the gun, but did pull his finger away from the trigger. “What do you want? Money? Food? A Ship?”

“No, not now, and yes, and I would also like to see the prisoner named Ash Yashi and have her brought here to make sure she is alright and then I will help you.”

“That it?” Captain Cally looked perplex. “All you want is the girl we picked up and threw in the brig for trying to steal some food, and an escape ship; that’s why you’ve been killing my men?”

“Yah, that’s it.”

“Who is she to you? A Friend, a lover?!”

“Something like that. Now if you’d please.” I waved my hand to the intercom by the inside of the door. Captain Cally walked over and put his finger on the fingerprint scanner so it would direct the call.

“Brig please,” The captain said into the speaker.

“Yes sir,” Said a nice sounding lady that I presumed was the transmissions board operator for the ship.

“Sounds pretty, she single?” the captain glared at me. “What? Can’t blame a guy for try’n”

A gruff sounding man came on the speaker now, “Yes Captain?”

“Please release the prisoner, and escort her to my corters immediately.”

“Yes Captain. Captain?”

“I found a way to get the ship working.” He let his finger drop from the pad to disconnect, and walked over and dropped into his easy chair. “So as soon as you see the girl you’re going to fix the ship."

“Well that sounded like an order, and not a question, but yes, trust me I want nothing more than to leave here with Ash before the Drages notice were in their 'Space' and come here to greet us.” The captain looked tired and lost in thought.

He hadn’t asked and I wasn’t going to give an answer if he had asked the question to what he was thinking. ‘Does he really think he’s getting off this ship ounce he’s fixed it?’

A few moments later there was a knock at the door and I got up from the couch I was sitting on as did the captain from his chair and he walked over to the door to answer it.

“Captain here is the prisoner,” The officer at the door said while holding a young small girl that was not frail looking, though had not seen a two course meal in a while either, but even so her beauty was not covered by the scrapes on her or the fact she had old torn dirty clothes. She looked like a doll. Her blue eye’s never showed anything but a deep fighting spirit in them, which always brought a smile to my face.

“Bring her in please, and uncuff her.” The officer did; and did.

She looked at me for a second with hope, but did not move toward me or smile or even looked at me longer then a second at all. She had always been a wonderful student, though I wish now I had shown her how to be a bit sneakier.

“Please leave now,” the captain said to the officer.

“You too,” I spoke up looking at the captain. “I want to have a word with her, then you may show me to your engine room and I will fix what I did to it.

“How do I know you aren’t planning something?”

“And what would I plan with captain, there’s nothing in here you don’t know about and as you can see I don’t have a weapon. I’m only asking for five minutes.”

“You get one, and remember you can’t lock the door without the right fingerprints so don’t try.” The Captain and the officer stepped out and the door closed.

“Brother!” Ash ran into my arms so fast that I almost fell over. “I thought I would be taken away and never see you and mom again.” She tightened her grip around me and I gave her a small squeeze back then put one hand on her shoulder letting her know to let go.

“So, do you have a plan?”

“Never go out and try to do something like this on your own again, got it.”

“Yes,” if I hadn’t known her I would have said she sounded sorry. “So do you have a plan?”

“I always do.” I sat down on the floor and pulled out the Pock from my shoe.

“Lucky they didn’t search you to hard big bro. OOOhh, that’s what I think it is isn’t it?”

“Yep, and It’s lucky the first guard I ran into in here had a disregard to keep things he should even be able to get a hold of. So I took it from him when he didn’t have a use for it anymore.” I flipped my little hand held device open; only one jump left. So I typed in the number, solar system, planet, longitude and latitude. “Well, we should wave to the Captain, it would not be polite if we didn’t say goodbye.”

The door opened with the captain and now three officers looking on as we both waved and then vanishing into thin air, leaving the ship stranded in not so friendly Space.

THE END

Ok, I hope to make this into a bunch of short stories that all connect together to crate a larger picture and storyline. I guess the big question is what do you think, honestly please, I know I'm not that good and would like to get better and have never really written for the fun of it so this is very new to me. And if you haven't figured it out this is a Sci-Fi story that might have some fantasy; and maybe a little romance? Later on in it.

Note: so no one's confused, the top of the page before the title IS part of the story. and the end of the story is where it says "THE END"

Edited October 16, 2012 by Emotional Outlet

[† Talena Mae]

*thread moved*

It is a little hard to read mate, I think you need just a little more spacing.

Other then that, it was a good read, thank you for posting it ^.^

[Shade_13]

You got me rather confused indeed before i reached the end part (the note, i mean).

And Tal is right, a couple spaces between lines here and there would look nice.

The rest is good, i like the genre choice, brings back some memories here.

[SenSei]

Nice, keep up the good work ...