Just as I was drifting off, a man’s voice echoed through the cargo bay, distorted with static. “Attention all personnel, this is Captain Harlyle. We will pass through the gate in one minute. Remain inside your cabins, or in another void shielded area, like the bridge or the mess deck. I repeat, remain in a void shielded area until I give the all-clear signal.”

I briefly considered getting up, but my laziness won out in the end and I laid down between two containers. “I’m sure I’ll be fine,” I mumbled as my eyes drifted shut.

I felt it in my paws first; a sub-zero chill that quickly spread up my legs, as if I were slowly being submerged in liquid nitrogen. I tried to crawl back away from the freezing substance, but my arms went limp, and my head rattled off the floor. I opened my eyes to stare at the wall of darkness quickly enveloping me, and realized I wasn’t dreaming.

Suddenly it became hard to think. It was as if I was having every thought at once, and none at the same time. I no longer felt cold, but I didn’t feel warm either. I could count the ticks marching by, but when I tried to think about how many had passed the number felt abstract.

I tried with all my might to focus on something, anything. Where was I? How did I get here? What was my name? Even the questions lost all meaning.

As soon as it began it ended. My throat felt hoarse. Had I been screaming? My fur was standing on end, and my teeth were chattering. “I should have listened to the captain,” I whimpered.

A cold, synthesized voice called out from the opposite end of the hangar. “Who is hiding in the cargo bay? Come out and face divine judgment!”

I tentatively peeked over the edge of the crate. “No... no, I came so far!” I whimpered as the faceless mask of the paladin locked onto me. I tried to pull myself to my feet, only to collapse once again with a pitiful yelp.

The paladin hopped down from the balcony it was perched on, landing heavily on the deck below. It stumbled, but quickly regained its balance. “Come out and lay down your weapons! You are trespassing on sacred ground!” it commanded.

Leaning heavily on the box next to me, I managed to drag myself away from it. “Please, don’t hurt me,” I begged, unable to bring myself to look at the figure stomping towards me.

“Only the guilty fear the might of the righteous,” it responded, then reached forward and wrapped its metal fingers around my neck. It lifted me off the floor, then slammed me down in the open.

My vision blurred, and I lost what it said next in the ringing of my ears. I was dimly aware of its cold fingers against my throat, a grim reminder that I was only alive because it allowed me to be.

I made out another pair of hands through the mist, appearing to strike at the arm of my oppressor. The hands looked entirely human, yet the Paladin recoiled from their touch.

I greedily inhaled the ship’s sterile air before it could change its mind and finish me off. Slowly, my clouded senses returned to normal.

“What were you thinking?” an authoritative voice demanded. I guessed it belonged to the hands, and as soon as I was done enjoying my right to breathe I was going to figure it out for sure.

The paladin shuffled its heavy feet concerningly close to my arm. “Only the guilty fear–” it began, but the other was having none of it.

“Do not quote the Word to me, child!” As the other snapped back, I raised my head to behold a figure in black robes, her face weathered with age and her hair wrapped in a crimson scarf. Around her neck was a red ribbon, from which hung an icon of a void star.

As I stared, the priestess knelt and gently touched my cheek. Her hand was like ice. “You shouldn’t be here, my son,” she gently chastised.

My lip wobbled, and my eyes prickled with tears. Something about the tenderness with which she spoke was too much for me. “I’m sorry...” I whimpered. “I didn’t know what else to do.”

The priestess gave me a quick visual once-over, then tutted unhappily. “You’re a mess, child. Can you walk?”

I shook my head. The ringing in my ears flared up in response.

The paladin stepped forward. “I can make the mutant walk,” it offered helpfully.

“Hush, Apollyon. This boy’s not a mutant. You’re a bast aren’t you? Rare these days, with so many of your kind opting for perversions of the body.” She smiled gently. “No, this one is pure, a soul and a body that match perfectly. I can feel it.”

I smiled awkwardly. “Um... thank you ma’am?”

The priestess chuckled, then without looking, addressed the paladin. “The comms are still down. Be a dear and fetch Doctor Laurie.”

The metal man recoiled. “But my priestess, this is a criminal! As it is my duty to protect you–”

“I am quite capable of protecting myself from a mere child, thank you,” she insisted. “Now run along.”

They hesitated, then snapped to attention. “As the void beckons, my priestess,” they called before turning and sprinting off. The sound of their long, running strides made me tense, but as they faded I could relax.

A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

“They’re a good kid,” the priestess assured me candidly. “Very eager to prove themself. Ah, I’ve been rude. My name is Medina, but you may address me as Sister, or Priestess.”

I nodded uncomfortably. I would love to trust this woman, but the last few times I trusted adults... “You don’t want to hurt me?” I asked hesitantly.

She chuckled once more, a warm sound that eased my fear. “No dear child, I don’t want to hurt you. I want to help you! I see great potential in you.”

I pulled myself up against a barrel with my good arm so I wouldn’t have to keep looking up at her from the ground. Ow.

“You’re damaged,” Sister Medina observed.

“It’s been a day,” I admitted. “Or several, I don’t really know.”

“Sounds like you could use a prayer,” she said, having a seat beside me.

“I’m not really... I mean, I’ve never...” I shrugged noncommittally.

“Didn’t come from a family that read the Sunyata?” she asked dryly. “Well that’s alright, I know non-Crusader colonies don’t have a strong moral backbone. If you’ll permit me, I’d like to pray for you anyway.”

I shrugged. “Thank you, I guess.”

Medina bowed her head, clasped her hands, and began to speak. “May the soul of this creature be one with its body in life, and in death be free to ascend to the space below space. May its sufferings and attachments be few and constructive, and may its actions bring all souls closer to Eden.”

I shivered, and smoothed out the fur on my tail. “Thank you, Sister,” I said awkwardly. “I don’t really know what that means, but I appreciate it, I think.”

Medina smiled knowingly. “You’ll have plenty of time to learn about the truth of this universe.”

“Actually I was just hoping to get a ride to the next station,” I explained. “I’m sorry for any inconvenience my presence has caused. I’d like to be out of your fur... er, hair as soon as possible, Sister.”

She nodded thoughtfully along with me, and as the sound of paladin footfalls drew nearer we both turned to face the armored asshole. “Where is... oh, there you are doctor.”

As Medina spoke, a figure stepped out from behind her lesser. They were by far the most extensively modified human I’d ever seen, to the point where I couldn’t be sure what their subspecies was before chimera. Their hair, pulled tightly into a bun, consisted of long, thin, flexible cyan feathers, which matched in color the slender, thin-furred tail at the base of their spine. Their eyes had been replaced with black lenses with aperture covers that focused and adjusted the light, giving them an unblinkingly uncanny air. The sleeves of their labcoat were tailored to expose the entirety of their left arm and the lower half of their right, both of which had been replaced with expensive-looking mechanical replacements; neither of which appeared remotely organic. “Is this the dangerous criminal you needed me to inspect?” they asked boredly.

“Affirmative,” Apollyon replied, an extra bit of malice in their tone.

The doctor sighed. “You ought to teach that thing the meaning of sarcasm, Eshe.”

The priestess narrowed her eyes. “They’re new. Also, it’s impolite to use my given name in front of these people, Zim.”

“What’s it matter?” they held up their left hand to me, and my skin prickled as they swept it across my body, staring at a holographic readout from their right wrist. “Your paladin’s loyal to a fault, and Federation policy says stowaways go back the way they came.”

I blinked. “What was that last part?”

“Don’t worry about it,” Medina soothed. “You’re too precious to throw away like that. The captain will agree.”

Laurie’s eye apertures narrowed as they studied the readout. “You’re unaugmented?” they asked.

I nodded, tight-lipped. I glanced at the Paladin, who was staring at me, just begging for an excuse to slam me into the floor again.

“Right. Hm...” Laurie lowered both their arms to their sides. “Interesting.”

“What do you mean?” I asked anxiously.

“See?” Medina said triumphantly. “You want to keep him too, I can tell! Help me convince the captain!”

Laurie groaned. “This is my last tour! I can’t make trouble with Harlyle now.”

“You always complain about boredom, Zim,” Medina goaded.

The doctor sighed dramatically. “Oh alright, I’ll vouch for the kid.”

“Thank you,” I began, but before I could continue they shot me a withering look.

“I expect somebody to pay for my services,” they snapped.

“Oh please, like it costs you anything to do a field scan. Just tell us what we need to do to move him to the bridge,” Medina replied dismissively.

The doctor rolled their eyes, or at least the aperture moved in a circle around their lenses’ outer rims, then held out their right hand. A hologram appeared, showing a miniature model of my body. The ankles, wrist, ribs, head, and stomach were highlighted in red. “Keep off your paws until I can repair the damage to your tendons; avoid two dimensional screen-based media until your brain has recovered from its multiple concussions; move your wrist as little as possible until I can replace the damaged component. In the interest of getting paid for my work, I’ll save repairing you until after we convince the captain to keep you.”

I stared at the little me as it floated, rotating just above their hand. I looked small, and weak. I felt small and weak. All that running, fighting, and lying, and I still had to rely on the kindness of strangers just to avoid death?

“If he has to keep off his feet, do you have a stretcher or something?” Medina asked. “The sooner we do this, the better.”

“Can’t we just have your tin soldier carry him?” Laurie retorted.

Apollyon stepped forward eagerly. “I await your command, my priestess!”

Medina groaned. “Fine, you may help, but if you damage him further there will be consequences.”

I gulped. “I’m pretty sure I can just walk if you give me some painkillers,” I protested as the hulking figure closed in on me. “Please don’t let him hurt me!”

“Only the guilty fear the might-” Apollyon began, but they shut up at a glance from their handler. Their cold, unfeeling mitts were surprisingly gentle as they picked me up, supporting my back with one arm and my knees with the other. Suddenly it appeared more like in the media, a white knight carrying me to safety.

“Ready to make our case?” Medina asked.

“Yeah,” Laurie replied wearily. “This had better be fun, Eshe.”