[Erick Sanders]

I looked across at the most difficult opponents I had ever faced, my eye twitched as I stared them down.

“Three, two, one…three” I said, and I sprang into action. At the moment I spoke and moved, the girl directly in front of me moved as my mirror image. We pulled our fingers from the rim of the glass, leaving just three fingers still resting on it.

Then I stopped, dead faced, using everything I had, every memory of Havars training and his disapproval of my emotions, finding the pit in my mind that blocked pain, fear and happiness. I retreated into it easily, ignoring as teeth became exposed around me, as a firm hand pounded repeatedly on my shoulder. Bearly even hearing the cheering the tried to drill itself into my head and break me. The cheering of my friends and brother, as they tried their best to make me lose at Fingers.

Finally Keg spoke across the table, “Fuck sake! That’s ten seconds. That’s three rounds in a row, don’t you ever smile?” he said throwing his hands into the air.

“Don’t worry, I’ve got this picture of him smiling. Last Christmas, all cuddled up on the couch with our parent's dog,” Jack said, laughing into his fifth beer. “I’ll show you in the morning,”

I scowled at Jack. These people knew me as a cold blooded killer, it felt wrong to tarnish that with a picture of me and Scotty, even if he was the best boy in the world.

Mia laughed and handed me a refilled whiskey mac. Poured from bottles she had smuggled from Earth, apparently having looted a liquor store after their battle while the company cleaned up straggling soldiers.

“I’m sure it’s very cute,” She smiled as she handed me the glass.

“Very,” Sam said, not smiling.

After me, Sam was the second to get out of every round. Her straight face was impenetrable. I had originally thought of Sam and Mia as being completely identical, though the difference was now plain in their faces, the small lines around Mia’s mouth from smiling and joking were far less prominent on Sam. While Mia lacked the small lines from frowning that Samantha had. They were opposite sides of a coin.

I took the glass and leaned back in the plush couch of the bar room. Now free from the competition. Around us, many of the Grey Scarred Company were still enjoying the end of the war, though the music and dancing had been replaced with joy filled conversation.

“Okay, Jack your turn.” Keg said, returning his finger to the glass. The others copying him.

“Three, two, one…four,” Jack said. and I smirked as none of them moved their fingers. “Fuck,” Jack swore, “how do you get it right every time?” Jack asked me, before downing another shot of liquor from the table. I hadn’t actually had to drink a shot yet, but Jack and Mia had both described it as tasting like tequila.

“Luck,” I said with a fake shrug. In reality, I was just cheating. By slowing my perception of time a touch, and with the close proximity that we were all sitting, I could feel the electromagnetic pulses in their bodies, specifically in their arms and hands. No one ever decides at the moment that they will move their finger, they always think about it in advance, and I can sense the slight tensing of muscles as they ready themselves to yank their fingers away, Before I even speak I can tell how many fingers will still be on the cup and adjust my number accordingly.

“Who the fuck thought this game up, I mean who names a drinking game Fingers?” Miasaid, bemoaning her sting of losses.

“You use your fingers, it’s self-explanatory,” Keg said.

“Erick hasn’t even done a shot yet, not much of a drinking game,” Mia said, pulling one of the small glasses from the table and handing it to me.

“Are you trying to get me drunk?” I asked. It was an honest question, Mia had been making sure I had a drink in my hand all night. I had my answer in the spark of her eye as she grinned.

I poured the liquid down my throat and ignored the burning sensation. It was strong, but despite that, it didn’t taste half bad. The after taste of sweet fruit lingered on my tongue.

Keg pulled himself from the seat and with a drunken stumble headed over to the bar for another round of beers. As we watched him patting his pockets, as if looking for a wallet, before remembering to pay with his scanner, a voice from behind me back startled Jack and me.

“Sanders brother right?” The voice was light with a vibration that bounced inside my ear canal. I could feel the speaker, a thin man, his metallic hands itching at my EM sense.

“You two did good in the trials, Welcome to the Grey Scarred,” The man said as Jack and I shifted in our seats, he rested his scaled elbow against the back of the couch.

“Thanks, we’re you one of the judges?” Jack asked the alien man.

“Creators no. Too much responsibility, do I look like a section leader to you? Though I did vote for you as my preferred.” He said, nodding in my direction and catching my eye.

“Um thanks,” I said, giving the man my full attention, My vision giving a slight shake as I shifted my head. “But if you’re not a judge, how did you vote?”

The man burped, then took another drink from a metal cup before speaking, “ We can all vote. They stream the trials, not everyone watches them mind you, and fewer people vote. But it helps the judges make the decisions.” The man took another drink, then when he went to place his glass back on the table, it splashed red wine against the dark wood. “Names Petra, I’m glad my vote helped.” He flashed a drunken grin.

“So am I,” I said. as keg returned and handed Jack a large glass.

Jack took the drink and thanked him, “Chur Gee,” He said, taking a sip.

“What’s Chur Gee?” Petra asked, “That your name? I thought it was Kegan” He looked at Keg. I chuckled, Jack always seemed to fall into a heavier accent whenever he drank. The idea of explaining ‘Chur’ to an alien forced the laugh from me.

“Yeah, I’ve heard you say that before, but it never translates,” Mia said, leaning forward.

Petra nodded, “Yes, it didn’t translate”

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I tilted my head in curiosity, before turning to Jack.

“Umm. It’s like…Thanks. But also, hello or yes. I’m not sure how to explain it.”

Mia nodded, “Makes sense.” She said, and Petra nodded along, though I wasn’t sure if he understood or was just acting the part.

“Well, that’s nice. You lot did great, congratulations.” He said, smiling before turning around and picking up his drink again, spilling it once more in the process.

So The Dream couldn’t translate some slang words? I thought. What was more interesting was that the Petra also referred to it as a translation. Though no one ever wore any device used to translate languages. I had always assumed that it was part of whatever system controlled The Dream. I took another drink instead of scratching my head, then downed the shot Mia offered me.

Three rounds of fingers later and my vision spun slightly as I stood. I was having trouble reading my EM sense and had to pull it back into myself before It made me feel sick. “I’m going to hit the hay guys,” I said, they all nodded in understanding without speaking. Stepping carefully past the other’s legs and walking slowly from the room.

Just as I reached my door and it slid open, Mia came sprinting around the corner at the end of the hallway, she slammed into the wall, and shook it off without stopping.

“I’ve been plying you with drinks all night and you didn’t even say goodnight.” She said as she reached me. I turned in the doorway to look at her. She had a fire in her eyes and was smirking at me rather than the annoyance I thought I would find. I hadn’t thought about saying goodbye once the desire for my bed had entered my mind. Though that had been shoved aside as soon as I saw her running down the hallway to catch up to me.

“Sorry, I didn’t want to distract you from the fun,” I said with a small smile.

“Well this could be more fun,” She said, and for the second time, she reached up and kissed me. She tasted of sweet fruits and ginger.

“It could be,” I smirked as she pulled away.

Mia was a strong woman, and she didn’t need any second hints. She pushed me in the chest and the power in her arm send me skidding across the floor to land on my bed. She walked into the room, already undoing her top as the door slid closed behind her.

In the morning I awoke with a deep headache and a weight across my body. Rubbing my temple I shifted my head to find Mia pressed against me and one of her legs draped over my own. I smiled at the memory of the night before, and brushed her dark hair from where it lay across her face. Very slowly I slid from the bed, letting her leg drop softly onto the sheets. She groaned softly as I walked into the bathroom and started the shower, and drank from the tap, knowing the water would make me feel better. A long shower had always been my go to after a night of heavy drinking.

The shower helped, as did Mia once she had pulled herself from the bed to join me and after a lot of hot water was used we dried ourselves. Mia ran a hand over one of the many scars that ran over my chest. “I didn’t realise last night how many there were.” She said. I looked down at her naked body, over the tightly corded muscles there were also scars, though far fewer. Three round scars sat over her heart where she would have been shot. And a narrow short line just under her left breast. There were others that were faded and aged. I suspected they were not from The Dream.

“Have you ever thought of getting them removed?” she said, before quickly clarifying, “Not that you need to.”

“You don’t think they make me look ugly? Even these?” I asked, pointing at my face.

“No, I think they make you look strong. You’re still handsome, but they make you look a little…dangerous,” She said with a slight grin, grabbing my face and kissing me again. I was always so worried about what other people thought of me because of the scars, its why I had worn the mask for so long. But here was a beautiful girl who clearly didn’t think less of me for them. The thought mollified me a little and I smiled at her.

I felt her scanner vibrate against my arm as mine went off simultaneously. We both looked down and opened them. “Orders for the trip? I should probably go pack.” Mia said.

“That’s right, You and Sam are coming to Nerion too.” I had forgotten about the discussion from last night around over the drinking.

Mia smiled, “I’ll see you at the shuttle,” She kissed me again, then began pulling her uniform on.

After she left I moved around the sparse room, inside the closet was a small canvas bag, into which I tucked my grey uniform sets as well as my old armour, looking at the collar which housed the helmet for a moment. Next, I tucked in the rifle and lastly lay the holographic world over the top before shutting the bag. That was all I had. I assumed the Grey Scarred would provide anything I needed, though I also had enough credits that I wouldn’t have to worry. I slung the straps that held Havars swords over my back and left the room that had been mine for such a short time.

Passing by the mess hall, where the door to the bar was now closed, I grabbed a bread roll and stuffed it with meat before strolling through the ship to the loading bay. Several people nodded in my direction, and a few even said small goodbyes in passing. Did the whole ship know everything? I wondered as I rounded the hall and exited into the wide loading bay. Jack and Keg were already leaning on their packs. And looked up at me with a smirk.

“Bro, did she follow you back to your room then?” He asked.

“You and I have never talked about relationships before, let's not start now,” I reminded him before dropping the bag to the floor and sitting next to it.

“That’s a yes,” Keg said with a laugh, “She practically sprinted after you, was it good,”

I flashed him a dark look before turning away to ignore him. I had never been one to talk about that kind of stuff with friends. What I did in the privacy of my own bedroom, or ships quarters was not their business.

It wasn’t long before Sam and Mia joined us. Mia dropped her bag beside me and Keg grinned at us both. “She did, didn’t she,” he said.

“Did what?” Mia asked.

“Follow him,”

Mia looked at me and the corner of her mouth twitched.

Before she could say anything, or I could tell Keg to shut it, Sam spoke, “Well she wasn’t in her room when I went to wake her this morning,” Kegs grin split even wider.

“Okay, children,” Mia said, unable to stop herself from smiling slightly. “That’s enough.”

“I was only asking if it was goo…”

“Keg. Drop it,” I said, cutting him off with a dark tone. He must have been reminded of my previous violent tendencies because the rest of his sentence was lost in his throat. He smiled again and turned to scan the row of smaller ships.

“We still waiting for our transport?” I asked Keg in a more friendly tone.

He looked down at his scanner, “We’re waiting for…S.C.G two seven seven, it says it’s a Cruser type, whatever that means.” He said.

“You’ll see it soon enough,” came Doctor Mendelas voice from behind Mia and I. He was walking towards us looking down at his scanner. “ It’s just coming around from the refuelling dock, and here’s the crew now.” He pointed to a small group of three men and two women. The man from last night, Petra, walking at their side, carrying a grey duffle bag. He looked up and saw us waiting, smiling and nodding before walking past us.

We all pulled ourselves to our feet, Jack and Keg nodding in goodbye to the doctor before moving to follow the crew to the empty docking space.

“Erick, may I have a word.” Doctor Mendera said in a sombre tone.

Praying that I wasn’t going to be removed from the Company for ‘fraternising’, I picked up my bag and stepped in front of him.

“That Question you asked me during your interview,” I racked my brain for a moment before remembering that I had asked him how long he had been dreaming for. At the time he had said that he had no idea what I was talking about. I watched his face in interest as he spoke again.

“I suspect that things are about to become more clear for you shortly, with the war on your planet over, and since you’re the first person to bring up the topic with me in twenty years, I thought I owed you an honest answer. I’ve been Dreaming for my entire life, It’s been the greatest gift I could have asked for. Please try to keep that information between us. Ah, there’s your transport now. Enjoy your trip.” He said. Before I could asked anything more he spun on his heels and began walking away from me. I watched him walking away, my head now full of questions that I wouldn’t get answers to. Did he mean dreaming like a person normally dreams? Or was it that he had been in The Dream for his entire life? Was he human, or…

I scratched my head as I turned to see a dark grey ship slide into the docking space where Jack and the others were waiting. The floor shook as it set down, and the doors hissed. It was similar to the Dutchess that we had stolen on Scaratous, though it had far larger engines and I could see ports along its hull and mounted weapons at the nose.

I hurried after the others and jogged up the ramp and into the waiting ship.