Replay (2 page)

They
had been through a lot
together,
the memories were
there with perfect clarity. He'd rescued her from a slaver's barge a decade
before, freeing her from what would have been a brutal short existence. She had
pledged to work for him in return, despite his protestations. Over the
following months and years she'd become his loyal sidekick, partner in trade,
and eventual lover. They had no other ties, no other family. It was the two of
them against the universe. They needed nothing else.

He
tried to smile reassuringly at her, but part of him was still turning over the
last few days in his mind. Events seemed disjointed, as if he was remembering
them out of sequence. It was disturbing, unsettling.

 
I have a wonderful girl, a life, enough
credits to live on. Maybe I'm just worrying too much. Overstressed and
overworked. The medic is probably right.

 
'How long have we known each other?' he asked.

She
looked blankly at him for a moment and then paused, hesitating, as if trying to
work it out.

 
Now she's doing it – what's happening?

 
'I don't know, ten years?
Twelve?
Why?'

There
was a dull thump at the hotel room door. Both of them looked up.
Fion
rolled aside as the door suddenly snapped open.
 
A youngster stood in the
doorway,
he couldn't have been more than fifteen years of age.
Jax
had a brief impression of a stocky build and short, closely cropped hair. But
it was the blaster the boy was holding that really drew their attention.

The
door was locked!
How in...

'
Frak
!'
Fion
cried, lunging for her own weapon, oblivious to her nakedness. She had dropped
it on the floor carelessly amidst a pile of scanty clothing.
Jax
rolled in the other direction, his own weapon hanging
on a nearby cupboard.

Both
heard the hum of a charger. The gun was ready to fire.

'
Fion
Ridex
?'

'Who
wants to know?' she snapped back, stalling for time.

'You
killed my parents!' the boy yelled. The gun was trained on
Fion
,
'They'd surrendered!'

Jax
and
Fion
both had their own guns
poised ready.
Jax
could almost sense her thoughts
buzzing.

 
Shoot first!

He's
just a boy! A kid!

Kill
or be killed!

He's
got a gun!

 
Laser fire flickered across the room, blinding
him.
Jax
lowered his weapon as the boy collapsed.
Swiftly he moved to the fallen youth.

 
Stupid kid, trying to be brave...

'See
what happens when you pursue vendettas?' he snapped at
Fion
,
'You should have let that pirate go, who knows who else will be after us!'

Fion
didn't respond.

Jax
turned abruptly.
Fion
lay crumpled
on the floor, her own weapon dropped from her lifeless fingers.

 
No...

She
was still, unmoving. Her eyes wide open with shock and astonishment. The boy's
laser had drilled a
hole
straight through her heart.

Grief,
fury and anger enveloped him like a whirlwind. His fists clenched as he
embraced her still warm but immobile body. Pulling her close to him as if in a
desperate attempt to make contact with
all that
she
had been just moments before, his vibrant partner, friend and lover...

This
can't be happening...

'No!
Fion
! No! He was just a kid!
Fion
,
Oh God!
Fion
!...
'

The
terrifying loneliness of the universe began to overwhelm him. It was totally
indifferent to his insignificant existence. He'd lost the only companion he'd
ever had.

He
felt suddenly dizzy. The world around him seemed to vanish, fading to grey
through a series of chromatic phases. Consciousness drifted away, replaced by
an absence of thought, presence and dreams, as if the universe itself had
stopped existing...

 
No not again...!

The
irregular guttural clicking sound of communication would have been
incomprehensible to a human, and even closely related insectoid species would
have struggled. As yet, there was no protocol established for direct
communication with humankind, and political agendas had seen to it that such a
breakthrough was unlikely to be opportune any time soon.

The
Thargoid scientists were not inconvenienced at all. To them, their
communication was straightforward and
succinct.They
were
debating the results of their last experiment.

'Results
of mating instinct defensive test?'

'Strong
emotions are indicated!'

'Not
sufficiently exploitable.'

'We
had a number of continuity glitches, the simulation overloaded with procedural
generation of background information at several intervals.'

'Ensure
the simulation is programmed with a wider selection of possible scenarios in
advance so as not to invalidate test conditions.'

'Agreed.
 
File under phase 2,
sub category B?'

'Agreed.
Baseline and proceed with next simulation.'

They
both turned and regarded the subject of their tests. It was a small medical
device, constructed of transparent materials for the most part. Complex traceries,
wires and connecting mechanisms filled the interior, which was awash with a
slightly milky looking liquid. In the very centre was a lump of grey organic
matter, composed of two matching halves, its surface a maze of twisting
convoluted undulations. It was wired into the rest of the mechanism at multiple
points. Tiny iridescent lights travelled up and down the wires and connectors,
as if transferring information.

One
Thargoid manipulated the controller interface with his mandibles, 'Simulated extreme
physical distress?'

'Acceptable.'

'Parameters to include heat tolerance, pressure, nerve
interruption and peripheral organ failure?'

'Confirmed.
Reset memory engrams and commence with simulated heat
tolerance sequence F.'

The
Thargoid carrying out the instructions of his senior manipulated the controls
once more.

'Subject Human, test eighteen, extreme physical distress.
Commencing.'

Author's
Note

Another four hour story.
I was re-reading a piece of
rejected material from 'Mutabilis' and just had to explore it, you know how it
is! :)

Three and a half sides of A4 probably counts as 'short' I
would say, and it is fun having a 'ready built' sci-fi universe as provided by
Oolite.

Drew has written a series of
novels and short stories for the '
Oolite
'
Universe, along with other contemporary
ebooks
. You
can find them at his website below.

Connect with Drew:

Email:
[email protected]

Drew's Website:
http://www.drewwagar.com

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http://uk.linkedin.com/in/drewwagar