Running from Space - Chap 1

I poked my head through the Ignited Laughter's airlock, checking for any people from my tainted past. Waystation Kelusyion was usually the place you meet people whom you wish you never did. In my case, those people had business to settle with me... Mean business. Not my fault, I just had to do my job and they just had to get involved.

Ducking out of airlock, I gave one more check before I left the safety of the Ignited Laughter. Assured of being free of people I didn't want to meet, I adjusted my single piece shipsuit and ordered the airlocks sealed. I then hurried off to the nearest space dive as unseen as possible

The Solaris Horizon. Not the best of dives, but it had to do. I couldn't risk another minute exposed. Ducking through the low doors, I quickly got to the bar. Entering a dive and stopping to gawk at the customers practically klaxon-ed everyone of your presence, which I didn't plan on doing.

Sipping on my spice wine, I analysed the incoming and outgoing traffic, humanoids and all. Kelusyion was mostly populated by humans, but there was always the occasional group of wilder looking aliens. Mostly human spacers and Teladi traders here, with a few Split ice miners coming from the nearby asteroid belts.

Then, I saw her.

Melissa. Her green hair shimmered like the purest seas of Charybdis, her lips as resplendent and rosy-pink as I last remembered and eyes so bright they rivaled even a supernova. She sashayed in, giving a fleeting look at the crowd with playful eyes. As expected, all eyes and visual appendages turned onto her, mostly with questionable intentions. Moving with the grace of a Isix cat, she settled down with a man whom I didn't know. Decked in the perfect combination of stylish and utilitarian spacewear, he looked like a powerful man, if a little shady.

'Well, will you look at what he reeled in this time! Quite the looker eh?” The bartender commented.

“Who's that guy?” I asked.

“You ain't heard of him? By the name of Marrick? Big boss here?”

“Nope, thanks anyway.”

I left a generous tip and left. The uninterested bartender just took the credits and went back to eying Melissa. After all, guys like me just came by in the hordes, nothing worth remembering.

Two hours later, I laid in wait from a place near Melissa's current residence. Waiting for Melissa to appear, I thought to myself, “Melissa isn't that kind of girl to jump onto any rich guy. Especially syndicate leaders... So why is she with that Marrick?” Some digging around earlier revealed that Marick ran the whole place here, even the local Garnda enforcers listen to him.

She appeared. Dressed in a white sleeveless one-piece dress, she seemed to be going to Marrick's. Going up to her, I tried to converse with her, hoping she remember me. She only looked at me suspiciously, probably fearful I do something to her. Apologising, I went off in the opposite direction.

She didn't even recognise me. Something must have happened. A quick glance behind saw a thug suddenly move towards me. It seems Marrick didn't like people talking to his girl. The thug looked unskilled at his job, probably just local dumb muscle. He didn't even bother to hide his weapons, a Rapid Vibration Piercer and a LasPistol. “Easily taken care of, “ I muttered to myself. Turning into the nearest dark alleyway, I pulled out my weapon...

Following her via a more circuitous route, I saw her turn into an alleyway, a short cut. Now was my chance. In the Doppleganger camo gear I just picked up during my detour, I silently approached her. Even still, she noticed me, since my suit wasn't in full illusion mode, but I was near enough. A foolish part of me hoped that at the last moment, she would remember me. Not a chance. As she spun around, all I saw was uncertainty and fear in her eyes, not a shimmer of remembrance. As she took in a breath of air to scream, I pulled the trigger.

Tripp... The supposedly-illegal chemical round from my pistol impacted upon her skin, dissolving upon contact with her skin. No superficial damage at all.

Her body collapsed onto the ground. Still and silent. I prodded her, no response.

This was turning into more trouble than I expected.


My extremely weird story. But I like it. Gonna make more chapters about it.