Authors: Scott McElhaney
Declan loaded a bolt into his crossbow while Oscar took his shot. They both watched his bolt sink nicely into the red target. Oscar knelt down to load another bolt.
“
In all your times over there,” Oscar said, referring to the crew’s portion of the ship, “Have you ever seen anyone? I mean besides Captain Ross or Ensign Rowe?”
Declan took his shot, his bolt sinking into the corner of the square target.
“
Just one other guy – the one who made these amulets,” Declan replied.
“
Don’t you find that a bit odd? I can count the non-indentures on one hand and so can you. We’ve been there during the day and you’ve been there at night,” he said, “I think there’s a lot that Rowe isn’t telling you.”
Declan knelt down next to Oscar and placed his bow on the floor.
“
I agree. You know what really bothers me? She said that they know where we are at all times, yet here we are
sneaking
through a hole in my wall into a restricted portion of the ship. If she knows where to find us, then so does the captain and that security team who keeps killing our people. They know where we’ve been and no one seems to care,” he said.
Oscar drew his amulet from his shirt and examined the little scroll. He lifted the chain over his head and held it out to Declan.
“
What if this is protecting us from being seen by the captain or the rest of the crew. Maybe only Rowe can see us,” he said.
“
A good theory, but there’s one problem. I went through the hole and wandered all over that portion of the ship without this on that first night,” Declan added, “If she can somehow find me at all times, then so can that whole crew. I wonder why they don’t care.”
“
I’m willing to sacrifice my amulet to see what’s inside this piece of tin,” Oscar said, spinning the thing before him.
“
I have two more in my pocket,” Declan said, patting the side of his pants, “If they really are a necessity, I could give you another.”
Oscar grinned, then got up and took one of the practice swords from the crate. He placed the amulet on top of one of the other crates and raised the sword above his head.
“
What if it’s an explosive?” Declan asked.
Oscar paused a moment, “We have that explosive shocker in our bodies already, so an external explosive would be useless.”
He brought the sword down onto the amulet, caving the cylinder in completely. Declan picked it up and examined it, then set it back onto the crate, this time rotating it ninety degrees so the dented in portion faced the wall.
“
Try again. You crushed whatever electronics it had inside anyway, but I want to see inside,” Declan said.
Oscar chopped it again, this time defying its integrity and sending a portion sailing to the floor several feet away. Declan grabbed the chain from the crate, expecting to see something fall from the amulet. Nothing did, however.
“
Explosives inside?” Oscar asked, watching Declan lift the amulet.
“
No, it’s a hollow tube,” he replied, his eyebrows furrowed in confusion, “What about the other piece? Where did it land?”
Oscar located it a few feet away. He picked it up discovering that it too was empty.
“
So, what does this mean?” Oscar asked, carelessly tossing the trinket over his shoulder.
“
I think it means we’ve been played like a couple of stupid puppets,” Declan replied, spinning the chain on his finger, “And I think it’s time to get to the bottom of this.”
. . .
If Charlie and Delta had any reservations about Oscar and Foxtrot rushing through their bedroom and into the bathroom together, they never vocalized them. Even as Declan flung the spare rolls of toilet paper from beneath the sink, they heard no commotion coming from the bedroom.
“
What happens if your roommates see this?” Oscar asked.
“
I don’t really think it matters anymore,” Declan replied, removing the back panel.
They both shimmied through the hole. No one showed up to hinder their progress through the storage room. The passageway outside the storage room remained as silent and untraveled as it had previously in the day.
“
Do you have any idea where we’re going?” Oscar asked, keeping pace with Declan.
“
I’m betting all the important places are upstairs,” he replied, “She brought me up two flights of stairs the last time, but unfortunately, I didn’t leave a trail of breadcrumbs in this crazy maze.”
They raced through the corridors, searching for stairwells. After traversing nearly a half-dozen passageways, they discovered a stairwell that appeared to ascend several levels. Declan paused, raising his hand in a gesture requesting silence. Oscar halted his progress, listening at the base of the stairwell.
“
I thought I heard something,” Declan whispered, then turned quickly to Oscar, “What’s your real name?”
Still staring up the flight of stairs, Oscar grinned, “Brodie Walters. Why are you asking?”
“
I’m Declan Stringfellow,” he said, reaching out to shake his hand, “If things get bad, I’d rather know the real person. It’s nice to meet you, Brodie.”
They shook hands, “Nice to meet you too, Declan. Now, let’s find out what’s going on here before they kill us.”
Declan replied with a nod before sprinting up the stairs. They raced up six flights of stairs before a door sounded in the distance. They stopped suddenly. The echo of footsteps on stairs followed.
“
Is it above or below?” Oscar whispered.
Declan was about to reply when the familiar voice came from above them, “Guys, I said we’d meet
tonight
.”
The ensign picked up her pace, the echoes drawing closer from above. Declan shrugged to answer Oscar’s questioning glance.
“
Security is on its way and I don’t have authority over them. I can’t protect you,” she hollered, turning at the landing above them.
They faced each other, separated by a flight of stairs.
“
Security?” Declan asked, “Will they kill us like the others?”
“
I don’t know,” she replied, descending the remaining stairs, “But I can’t help you just the same as I couldn’t help the others.”
“
Where’s the captain? We want to talk to him,” Oscar said.
Her eyebrows jumped, seemingly shocked at his statement.
“
Are you kidding? You’re asking to be killed!” she said.
“
But they can’t kill us,” Declan said, drawing the amulet out from beneath his shirt, “We’re protected thanks to your buddy Stephen. Right?”
She stared at the silver object dangling from his thumb, then nodded.
“
True, but we don’t-”
“
But what’s going on,
Tami
?” Declan cut her response off, suddenly dangling the broken amulet from his other hand.
She stared at the broken amulet much longer than Declan expected. Declan grinned at her, but she remain stoic.
“
Let’s just skip ahead to the point where you tell us what’s going on, and then you kill us,” Oscar growled, “I’m sure that’s how this all ends. That’s probably how it ended fifty time before.”
“
Stephen is playing us,” she whispered, taking the broken amulet from Declan’s hand, “How long has he been playing me?”
“
You don’t know about this?” Declan asked, maintaining the smirk that invaded his face moments ago, “You didn’t know that we were running around unprotected?”
“
Are you kidding?” she replied, lifting her hands defensively, “I’m working to save
myself
here along with everyone else. Who do you think is living again in Sierra’s body downstairs? If I knew this…”
“
Then let us see the captain. We’re going upstairs with or without you,” Oscar insisted.
“
Unprotected? Are you joking?” she argued, dangling the broken amulet before him.
Oscar leapt forth, wrapping her torso in the cup of his left arm, then taking a hold of her head in his right. It took a moment for Declan to realize he had the sharp bolt of a crossbow jabbed dangerously close to her jugular.
“
Shock me now and I’ll tense up,” he stated, “I don’t think you want that.”
Declan was taken aback, trying to a visual a safe outcome to the sudden redirection.
“
Get your hand off me,” she snarled, clutching his wrist.
“
What are you doing, Brodie?” Declan asked.
“
Ensign Rowe has just volunteered to take us to see the captain,” he replied.
“
This is insane,” she sputtered, “We’ll
all
die.”
Oscar locked eyes with Declan and tipped his chin up the stairs. Declan nodded in agreement and started up the stairs.
“
Where are you going?” she choked, keeping a firm grasp on Oscar’s wrist as they all started up the stairs together, “The captain isn’t up there.”
“
Unless you tell us which direction to go, we’re just heading toward the upper levels where you came from,” Oscar replied.
“
We should be looking for Stephen instead,” she choked out, “He’s the one who seems to be playing us all for fools.”
“
What is today, Ensign?” Declan said.
“
W-what do you mean?”
“
What is the date? The exact date!” he shouted.
“
I don’t know! It’s Thursday…” she paused, trying to keep the bolt from jamming into her neck as they slowly proceeded up the stairs, “January 16
th
, 2338.”
“
January 16
th
? Yesterday was my birthday and you didn’t even get me a cake?” Declan asked.
“
W-what is this?” she sputtered, “Is this all a game to you?”
“
Why didn’t you at least get me a cake? You knew it was my birthday because you reminded me that we shared the same birthday,” Declan stated, leading the way up the final flight of stairs, “Did you get any presents yesterday because I sure didn’t.”
“
Are you losing your mind? I’m living in Ensign Rowe’s body,” she said, “No one knew about my birthday yesterday and frankly I don’t plan on celebrating anymore until we get out of here. Would you mind getting your friend to release me?”
Declan turned to them, waiting for them to catch up with him on the final landing.
“
I’d probably ask him to, but there’s just one huge problem here,” Declan said, his face inches from hers, “My birthday is March 10
th
, same as Tami Guzman’s. As you can see, we have quite a predicament here,
Ensign Rowe
.”
They continued in silence through the abandoned passageways of the upper level. Declan pressed the blue buttons by every door that they passed, hoping to find something or someone of interest beyond the doors.
“
Where is everyone, Ensign?” Declan asked, “A ship this size should have people
somewhere
.”
She remained silent until Oscar stopped and jabbed the bolt harder, pushing dangerously at the soft flesh of her neck.
“
Answer!” Oscar demanded, “Where’s the crew? Where’s this security force that’s coming for us?”
“
Okay already!” she cried, “They’re up ahead. Through the double silver door.”
“
The crew?” Declan asked, watching the pained expression on her face.
The door to the stairwell several meters back suddenly opened. Declan and Oscar turned, keeping a firm hold on the ensign. Sierra and Juliet appeared, looking mildly embarrassed suddenly at being caught.
“
We… we wondered what was going on,” Sierra explained.
Before the door had a chance to close, Charlie and Delta also slithered past.