Dreams among Stars (25 page)

I nearly rue this statement, when I finally able to take a shower and feel the tiredness in my body. With the help of Max I throw the remains of the suits and everything else, which remains from the battle, into the recyclers. Then I have a proper maintenance crew uniform made for me.

To that a backpack, a weapons belt and two guns, some energy shields and a selection of tools. Already back in the city I had made myself an energy blade as well as a solid knife, which hadn’t seen any action since.

In a final step I have a light litter with foldout legs manufactured, so Max and Steven could bring back Ernest to the city.

The search for something edible proofs more difficult. Giving up I have the fabber come up with some nutritional paste. While I chew tiredly and the two brothers hesitantly nibble on their share, I cannot help but notice the intent looks the two are surveying me with. At some point I utter an irritated: “What?” - and Steven chokes on his bite. “Er, Uh-uh… well…” Max stammers, then Steven says: “Its nothing, only” he takes in the room with a swiping motion “all of this, how you so easily muscle through. Awesome.” I point to Ernest “I wouldn’t exactly call it easy. Would have been nice if it had been, but only a few seconds longer and we both had been lying here. Would you two have tried to rescue us, you wouldn’t even have gotten near.” Max looks at me big eyed and opines: “Yes and now you want to just press on. Let us at least join you, this is all too much to be carried by one back!” I sigh and hesitantly agree, also because I could make sure Ernest would be well on the way to the city. The body count on my name was much too high, but it was much too soon to allow myself to mull about this.

What did you do, Bernhard? The answer was hiding in the report I hoped and I planned on reading it on the way back to the city. Carefully Max and Steven were moving forward with the litter and slowly I move along at their side. With every step the informations in the report fill in the pieces about the events a 230 years ago. It was such a simple design mistake, the whole catastrophe could have been easily prevented. By the time Bernhard Nwosu realized what was going on it was far too late, the damage had been already done some centuries ago. His search for a source of the problem was only triggered because he noticed the repercussions.

The wastewater system was mounted with slightly undersized exhaust air filters, so too many contaminants escaped and the residents of the close-by settlement suffered through the persistent exposure very subtle brain damages. In and of itself not especially drastic damages, yet it resulted in them being more aggressive and a bit slow-witted as the other ships inhabitants. Soon working at the sewage plants was regarded as idiot employment, so the people in the settlement had to suffer under great disdain. A complex system of competitions was meant to regulate the all too human aggressive nature. Now the villagers from the water treatment area did not stand any chances at the intellectual matches, which they compensated with excessive aggression at the physical competitions. After the first deaths at the contests the events were closed down.

Now the hatred grew so much stronger and faster though, so it did not take too long for the first Benefactor to surface, albeit not with that title though. He aggressively demanded additional workforces from surrounding villages in exchange for peace.

The disliked work at the treatment plants was shifted to the shoulders of coerced workers and here a social determinant came into play. Properly all settlements were supposed to handle their criminals on their own, but in short order it became common practice to have the criminals banned to work in the village near the treatment plant. Soon after arena fighting with battles to the death were introduced for public entertainment. This was the time Bernhard Nwosu awoke in. The then time Benefactor managed to sweet talk Bernhard for a while, before finally Bernhard saw through him. When the first Open Eyes freed Bernhard, he managed to get into the maintenance center at the ships drives. It was the active crews luck that the sabotage campaign of the new empire already had cut the connection between all maintenance centers. The Cleansweep-Protocol would have had all airlocks opened up to destroy all the life aboard, to then have a fresh crew woken from the cold slumber. It was meant as a final resort, at least that had been the rumor, to deal with a ship wide epidemic, complete social breakdown or other unexpected large scale catastrophic events. It never was Bernhard Nwosu’s intention to safe or warn the next technician at the waking area, but his last desperate try to activate the Cleansweep-Protocol all aboard the ship. I wasn’t even able to take offense against his decision, seeing what was going on around him with the people, he believed it to be the best course of action. A dire sadness had its grip on me on reaching the city.

Before heading on I met Irene and Richard and explained to them that the city would need to be disbanded.

Back at the maintenance center I had given Max and Steven a full security services equipment set and now quickly explained to them how it worked, before hurrying off towards the passages to the middle decks. A furious rage had risen in me and the brothers were barely able to keep up with me. At the passage the Benefactors troops were still entrenched, but I just turned on my shield and mowed down any resistance I met with fast fire from my two pistols.

The brothers had their hands full with restraining the soldiers I had missed, but the soldiers that flew my wrath had rushed into the tunnels.

This was the first time ever for my guns to become hot by use, as I whooped the soldiers on while constantly dropping the ones in the back. Unexpectedly their throng turned around and tried to move towards me again. In the meantime Max and Steven had managed to catch up and so the detonation of our three stun grenades left an eerily silence. But only momentarily and we had fighters rush towards us with raised spears, those weren’t Iron Warriors. “Haaaalt!” a loud voice which I knew resounded in the tunnel and to my surprise I saw Gurd hurry towards me. “Helen! By golly its really you!” And turbulently he hugs me. I smile at him, but he instantly sees the bitterness in my gaze. “You are chasing the Benefactor, or so its being said?” “Indeed so” I answer only abrupt to maintain my composure. “We have interrogated the soldiers we caught. Rolf is following a lead together with Hask. Wait I’ll send one of our tunnel scouts with you, they really know their way around here by now.” “Alright. We’ll catch up later, promise!” Is my reply and I give him kiss on the cheek and leave.

The brothers only look at each other dumbstruck and then hustle to follow along, as I drive the scout that Gurd had introduced as Simon to hurry up.

Bewildered I notice that something different than rage is driving me forward now, as a haggard thought of Rolf floats through my mind.

Hours pass and we surely traveled a few kilometers through the tunnels, as we reach a nexus tower offering a way towards the middle decks ground. As we move along the ceiling towards the tower I see explosions blossom across the middle decks floor, a foreign anxiety fills me up.

I don’t want to fail, not lose this ship, not witness the death of the people living in it. And yes I want to see Rolf one more time.

The others try to keep up with me, but after I put a makeshift carriage together and speed down the towers wall without any safety system I wave them an apologetic goodbye.

My hastily designed braking system fails, to my luck though only after slowing me down enough and near the ground, so manage to survive the fall by a hairs breadth.

I rush towards the direction the explosions came from, both weapons ready in my hands.

Some distance away I suddenly see a hatch open up. Someone climbs up to then drag a prisoner up who is fiercely ranting while trying to wiggle free.

More shapes climb out, but my eyes are only on Rolf. His garments are badly damaged and he has grime and slashes all over his body. But in his dirty face I can see a grim smile as he drives the Benefactor onward.

That is the moment in which I realize that all immediate dangers have been deflected. Whatever the future kept in store, there was no need for haste anymore.

I give a loud call, throw my guns to the side and run even faster.

Rolf is looking startled into my direction and just barely manages to shove the Benefactor towards the fighter behind him, before I knock him down. And while we lie in each others arms an unbridled joyous laughing sweeps us away.

Copyright © 2015 Pirx Danford

Version: 20151121

Publisher: Clemens Scholz, Germany, 65582 Diez, Schaumburger Str. 33

Used typeface on the cover:

Xolonium by Severin Meyer

(http://openfontlibrary.org/de/font/xolonium)

Cover image by Eugene Kovryga.

Find more fantastic art by Eugene on

http://newmand.deviantart.com