Begins as an ordinary day in space, till the routine interrupted.

Another ship approaches, over viewer screens is the most unusual request. Hand over a certain passenger.

The captain responds no such passenger exists. Not least on their ship. The reply comes back the name appeared in the passenger list registry for their very craft.

The request comes again, their business was with them.

No reason is given by counter questioning as to why this passenger is so wanted. Despite a tense conversation between the sides, no violence occurs…the crew retire from communication to question the passenger, who in their outwardly harmless aura, fails to give a satisfactory answer, rather than straight out lie, evasive. In no uncertain terms the passenger is told they lied about not having them aboard because who would agree to such?

No threat was issued but the underlying current is that their visitor would stand for nothing below compliance.

The crew outside their passenger’s presence deliberate. It’s clear there is a passionate undertone in the other side – conversation ends with someone saying hand them over.

Flash forward, the choice is shown by the captain’s vessel manoeuvring to dock despite presence of a transporter – a teleportation system that does so with matter, this is explained away. The visitor was trusting. Their ship suddenly gains tremendous speed – they are pursued. No worries, with advanced tech launch a decoy, whilst taking another flight path. Crew with a plan.

For extra chance decide to not run far as possible, but duck several layers into a gas giant’s gaseous, roiling atmosphere. A gas giant is world like Jupiter. The decent is a sight to the eyeballs from the top of its clouds into the depths. It’s noted thinking back by some of the crew, the passenger’s ‘answer’ might as well be guilt, couldn’t shake the distrustful feeling.

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Pleased with themselves were they, this crew with a plan shook off that joker and got some eye candy to write home about as bonus.

Tech protecting the craft and thus occupants from cruel pressure and temperature of the outside. It’s all that separates from life and death. Or is it? Calculations of their pursuer’s speed would take them a given distance in a given time. Waiting is the game. Time goes the way it should, they were out of the fire. When they leave this gas bag the sucker will be so far…strong vibrations rock the craft – a crew member yelled at and after checking instruments reports their altitude rising.

Huh? They maintained a specific attitude. Jubilee was over. From orbit above the cloud tops, the pursuer had found them. They’ll pluck them out like a dermatologist would a pilar cyst. The crew is loath to give up and conceive after a period wracking grey matter, the manifest list comes up, a quick plan to teleport otherwise harmless cargo to a point near their unwanted visitor and collide them with their ship – the velocity was expected to create damage. Like satellites colliding thousands of miles per hour. Playing the game means playing with an extra deck.

In space cargo materializes and strike as intended, the energy released is comparable to an explosion. Several times this happens.

Somebody had to win and it’s the pursuer, who’d in the middle of all that ejected their quarry from within the atmosphere and into space. The rocking had ceased, but both sides are insight of the other.

The giant world clearly dominating surroundings by its majesty.

Someone felt like talking, a crew member inquired how they got lucky and found them. Answer comes back whether it was luck or not will never be known if they’re dead. This is all that separates from life and death.

The request comes again – hand the passenger to their custody. The offer is generous – the crew would actually be paid and not crumbs either. Inevitably it asked again why go through all this, all this dangerous adventure for one passenger?

The pursuer exudes passion again along with pain delving into the passenger slew their family. At last an answer. The captain’s face says more than words can – beside themselves.

The pursuer ends flashing back, liars like them said before this sickening chase began they would dock with their ship and a crew member would be welcomed aboard and discuss, instead took advantage to behave in treachery.

Communication is muted by the crew and deliberation begins again, some say run again, another says stall. The deciding argument is when those of the crew who’d had a distrust think aloud of it. Their passenger had the stench of guilt. Others heated, claim this was not what it means to lose their lives over a worthy cause.

Next the fate is for all to see with the craft in a docking formation. The pursuer’s desire would be transferred that way. A magnanimous act to give another chance, to trust proven deceivers.