The metal rattled as the cargo ship cut through the void. Speeding along at lightspeed as Emma’s eyes fluttered open and then closed again. The smell of marijuana hung in the air in thick clouds, as tendrils of smoke danced around and up Emma’s nose. Tickling her senses triggering rapid fire sneezes. Emma rolled over and pulled the blankets over her head, hoping to block out the day, but fate wouldn’t have it. Felix knocked at the door “Emma, we have run into some trouble I need your attention in the control room.”

From the direction of the bed a tall black lace up boot flew. Taking on the speed of a bullet and crashing into the door with the sound of explosives detonating. “Felix, I told you I am not getting out of bed today. You will have to deal with it!” Emma shouted as she grunted and pulled a pillow over her head. Drowning out Felix’s continued knocking and nagging.

Felix knew better than to try and get Emma involved even in such a dire emergency as this. Its this same for about a week ever year. Emma disappears and whatever the hell lives behind that door appears. Felix refused to give up she had her week; time was up he thought has he increased the effort expended on the door. “The gods damn you Emma open the door; The empress of the sky is attacking.”

“Turn on hyper boost and jump to the nearest system” Emma mumbled from behind the door.

“Get out here!” Felix shouted as the first shots from the Sky Empress landed knocking the ship off course. The hit sent Felix plummeting to the floor. “Now they are attacking Emma!!! It is time to snap out of it and come take control your ship!” Felix came to a stand but the lack of cooperation from Emma had lit a fuse. “I’m taking over this ship starting now and there is a new rule! We will no longer be running from the Sky Empress today we stand our ground today we fight!” he screamed mad with the surge of electricity running through his circuits.

Felix straightened his posture and strode to the cockpit. His white metal frame glowed a regal purple. All part of his programming to display mood and ambiance, important feature for a home droid. A useless feature in battle or helping you know how to fly. Not a average cargo ship either. A worn down cargo ship. Retrofitted with black market, high tech guns and technology. That did not stop Felix from pulling the ship out of auto pilot. Then he pulling the ship around to fight off the pirate invasion head on.

Felix learned bits and pieces on the subject of flight. Scavenged from the adventure he and Emma found themselves in. Felix helped Emma get her life together after a life of slavery. In return Emma provided Felix with work and experience on the cargo ship.

The small seed of confidence planted by memories and a need to survive grew . Felix flipped up the cover over the laser gun trigger. He began taking aim and blasting one hit after another at the Sky Empress. So caught up in his ego that it took Felix a second to realize that his laser gun was futile again the ship. Leaving not so much as a mark.

“What the hell?” A bright light flashed. Bright orange think pinks and purples. Felix closed his eyes but the light was their in the shadows of his eyelids too. A kaleidoscope of the sunset flashing in his eyes on repeat. The ship shook and groaned. Rattling like it was going to break apart piece by piece until they were floating in the oblivion.

All went quiet and still. Felix peaked over the console he had taken cover behind. He peered out the windshield in wonder and terror. The landscape had changed . The ship was flying on a planet with trees below. The leaves of neon colors—glowing bioluminescence. Off in the distance a desert land with wide open spaces. Displaying bright yellow sand. Adding to the striking colors of the rest of the landscape.

The land lacked an array of tall building except for a spot to the north that appeared to be a city of some kind. Felix marveled at the lack of life that appeared to inhabit this place, fearing the worst. The shuffling of feet came up behind him. “What did I miss?”

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“Day late and a dollar short Cinderella.” Felix turned from the window and walked towards the controls. He pulled up the navigation system. A blinking red dot appeared on the screen with nothing surround it.

“Why is it not showing us on the map, Felix? Where are we?” Emma looked at the navigation hologram wiping the sleep from her eyes. Was she still asleep?

“What you are looking at they call being completely fucking lost, Emma; and do you know why that is?” Emma looked at Felix his face serious, but it was hard to tell with him or any droid. They're not known for their expressive expressions.

“It’s because you would not get up, Emma ! You would not get up and get us away from the Sky Empress. So, I did the only thing I could I fought her, and I lost.”

“You What?!!? Emma’s eyes shot open, and posture straighten becoming rigid as a board. She locked her eyes on Felix and her gaze narrowed as the tint of her eyes went from a light gray to a pitch black. “How many time must I tell you! You are Never NEVER to Fight Ie’ella! She is too powerful for you.” Emma paced with furious short steps. Stomping up and down the deck of the control room.

“Then you should have woken up. And we wouldn’t be here.” Felix Shouted back his lights flashed red. His temperature warming flashed an overheating light. He clenched his fists and held them down to his side. He had never hit a human, or anything for that matter, but he’d seen it enough times. He was confident he could do it if he had to, but what did have to mean.

“I never wanted to be here Felix. I told you this would happen. I’m useless the week of Angeline’s death and you know this, so why did you schedule a run this week of all weeks.” Emma calmed down, her body sagged under the exhaustion of the fight and the weight of her grief.

“I wanted to help you. Get you out of the house and give you something else to think about besides your grief. Show you life goes on outside the house. Every year you do this. You get depressed the week of Angeline’s death, but it last a little long every year. I am afraid one year you will not come back to me.” Felix had calmed and moved closer to his dear friend. Placing his long white metallic fingers on her shoulder, “ I love you Em.”

“I know Felix and I love you too buddy. Alright now that we got that figured out what’s up with this damn thing.” Emma threw her hands up pointing in the direction of the navigation screen.

“That’s the part I hadn’t gotten to yet.” Felix pursed his silicone lips and shifted his eyes all around. He wished he could escape the rest of the conversation. Knowing that Emma was about to blow like a massive solar flare. Taking out all intelligent life in her path, when she found out the rest of the story.

“I Went to shoot them down the way you taught me. The guns they had no effect and she passed close to the ship and sucking us into a portal. She opened it right in front of the ship when they passed.” Felix let his hands fall to his side and hung his head in defeat, today wasn’t the day he’s prove himself. Emma looked at him and gave a small smile, while slugging him in the shoulder.

“Damn it Felix events like this are the exact reasons why I what I say. Now help me figure out how the hell we are going to fix this so we can deliver this load and get the hell home.” Felix took his usual long and precise strides over to the navigation stand. He began to analyze the data. Emma made efforts to make connection with the intergalactic space station. The hum of progress was in the air when a large thud knocked them to their knees.

“What was that?” Emma grabbed hold of the edge of the control central and heaved herself to standing. Holding tight to the console with one hand and extending the other out to Felix. Who took it out of curtesy more than necessity. “360 scan” Emma said a holograph pulled up next to navigation. It revealing the source of the disturbance.

Vines from the ground shot upwards grabbing hold of the ship trying to pluck it from the sky. Their presence felt and unwanted. Felix hit the force field activator. The red bar started to power up glowing brighter, but then vanished. The roof began to cave inward like a pop can under a board kid’s foot. “Why is the force field not working” Emma cried across the control room as she made her way to the gunner’s seat. Felix took the wheel trying to hold the ship straight.

“The pressure from the vine is too great for our small force field.” Felix Hollard back struggling to keep the flight stick in his hands.

“That lying sack of Zorgen shit!” Emma screamed as she mashing on the fire button of the automatic laser gun. Blasting the vine off the ship, sending the ship spiraling for the ground. “Pull up Felix for god’s sake dude!”

“I’m Trying its not going. We have lost control!” Felix Jumped to the back letting Emma take back control.

“Hold on buddy we are going to crash.” The once beautiful leaves now whorled passed the window in a terrifying display. Smacking into the window. Chipping away at all that remained between them and the hostile world outside. The world spun and then it all when black.