Respin

Consciousness creeps slowly back into Respin. The first thing he notices is the hard ground underneath his aching body. The second thing is the seething pain pulsing at the base of his head. A moment later he forces his eyes open and regrets doing so.

Cold, bright light cuts straight right into his head. Pain explodes like firework behind his eyes, forcing him to groan and wither in pain. Like a newly hatched Menkar he curls up and tries to shield his eyes and head from the light. Just a mere second later the light becomes the least concern. With a painful tug, Respin his yanked onto his knees by the collar of his turtleneck. Letting out a choking sound he feels like throwing up.

"Who the fuck do you think you are, mudswimmer?" snarls Captain Slicer right into Respin's face — his voice is calm but sharp like a knife.

Without expecting or even wanting to get an answer, Slicer tightens his grip around Respin's neck. Again he lets out a choking sound and splutters snot and saliva as the Captain of the Starblazer chokes him. Panicked he can feel the bones of his gills crack.

"Where have you taken my weapon?" asks Slicer in a menacing half-whisper.

Again not waiting for a coherent answer Silcer throws him to the ground. Pain jumps up from his knees right into his head, rattling his whole body. Gasping Respin flops on his side and looks up at Slicer with an expression of hatred. As cruel reply, Silcer hammers his foot into his face. Feeling his nose crack under the impact Respin lets out a pained noise and falls flat on the ground. He can feel his blood dripping down from his face.

"Damn you!", Slicer snarl. "Your cocky attitudes will worsen your punishment! Now tell me… Where's my weapon?"

"You should care more about the crew and the ship than your stupid weapon," Respin retorts in a hoarse whisper feeling Slicer's anger poison him — he can’t help but start to laugh.

This rattling laugh gets knocked out of him. With a well-aimed kick, Slicer rams his foot right into Respin's stomach. Retching the hornless Menkar curls up again. As he does so, he barely notices another set of Menkar-feet appearing in his field of vision.

"Sir?", Lappor says, sounding mortified and panicked. "The life-support, Sir!"

"What's wrong with the fucking life-support?", Slicer snaps at the much smaller Menkar. "Don't you see I've more important problems right now? Or do you want to join him?"

"We're under attack, Sir!", he explains with his voice changing into a hysteric shriek. "The enemy has severely damaged the life-support, Sir. If we don't evacuate, Sir… The whole ship will be lost."

Unexpected Lappor lets out a high-pitched scream. Lifting his head as much as he can manage Respin looks up. Slicer has grabbed Lappor by the throat and slams him up against a wall. The small Menkar's feet are dangling about a foot in the air.

"I don't care about any of this shit!", Slicer growls. "Once the mudswimmer here has given me my weapon, we can annihilate this stupid so-called enemy on the spot!"

Suddenly Respin hears someone else run towards them.

"Sir…", the newcomer huffs exhausted. "One of the life-ships… It has undocked a few moments ago."

Upon hearing the news, Respin cannot help but laugh. I've made it!, he thinks feeling lightheaded. They're saved! I've made it! Again all the air gets knocked out of him. With pure hatred, Slicer grabs him and throws him across the room, where he hits a wall. Feeling his rips crack, he feels his air pushed out of his lungs and slides down against the panels covering the wall.

"It's time I'll teach you some manners", Slicer growls and walks up to him.

"Manners? What manners are you talking about?", Respin replies hoarse and grinning while spitting blood. "You have fucked up, Slicer. Your weapon… it's gone now."

Before he can prepare himself, Slicer is on top of him. Fist fly into him in the ever-increasing beat of his heart. Bones break. The taste of blood becomes so intense that Respin feels like he’s going to drown in it.

But his sixth-sense tingles.

Something dangerous approaches.

Something ancient, lurking in different layers of existence, and so very angry.

Something out of the void.

Suddenly, the beating stops dead. Holding on to the small bit of consciousness left in him, Respin feels Slicer's weight leaves his body. But there is no time for relief. Looking up Respin sees how Slicer pulls his weapon out. An old pistol filled with standard bullets. He can’t help but smile again as he realises that those bullets are neither of the explosive, burning nor the poisonous type. Yet, they are not any less deadly.

This is it, isn't it?, Respin wonders, his mind strangely somber. This is the moment I'll die. No… get killed.

"I've enough with you!", Slicer shouts panting and aims to pistol on Respin's head.

"Serfin…", he mumbles and spits more grey blood on the floor. "I'm so sorry, Serfin…"

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As if time has slowed down, Respin watches how Slicer pulls the trigger.

Click.

Boom.

The shoot misses his head but nonetheless pain explodes in Respin's shoulder and causes him to black out.

—

Once Respin regains some of his senses, his brain is flooded by the blind panic taking hold amongst the crew. People run, scream and fall over each other. The panic turns into a frenzy. Those who stumble get trampled. People dying and screaming everywhere.

A blinding explosion of light makes Respin groan in pain. Black smoke-like tendrils move into the ship and grab for anything moving. People scream and cry out in pain. The ship tilts to one side. Respin notes matter-of-fact that the gravity-drive got damaged. Evident by the various things lifting off the ground while others crack under their multiplied weight. Isn't it funny?, he wonders in his haze of pain and sadness. Now that I'm about to die, I'm bothered by such minor details…

Respin barely feels how he slides down the floor as it tips and becomes the new wall — as if it would mean anything with the gravity-drive going haywire. As expected in his state, he has no power left to hold on to anything to stop his descent. He drops like a sack of potatoes. As he hits the new floor, he falls onto his injured shoulder. The pain exploding there is enough to make him black out again.

—

Respin awakes partly. He does not know where he is nor how much time has passed. Confused and in great pain he remains motionless on the heap of debris he rests on. There are also things besides him looking suspiciously like body parts, but he doesn’t want to think about it.

He doesn’t want to think about anything anymore.

The sound of a distant alarm reaches Respin's ringing ears. As if following the rhythm of the wailing sound some lights flicker on and off.

The flickering stops and someone or something steps into his field of view. Pale strange flat feet with five toes without webbing or claws stop before his face. A moment later a warm hand touches his bruised neck, gently looking for a pulse. This gesture appears almost too soothing to him, but he cannot fathom why.

Without warning, he gets pulled up into strange pink arms. Moaning in pain, he slumped against thin shoulders and soft white hair. The hair is cold and moist. The smell of blood and saltwater coming from it is triggering old buried memories.

For a while he stumbles along with his saviour then darkness catches him once more.

—

Serfin

"Respin…"

The name of his Bondmate creeps like an ominous omen out of Serfin’s mouth.

The Creature of the Void, a tentacle spewing monstrosity with too many eyes and tendrils protruding from its amorphous body, hits the Starblazer in grotesque elegance. Debris and bodies explode from the ship as if it was a mere toy, thrown around by a young morphling in a tantrum. But this Creature of the Void is not throwing a tantrum. It is grabbing, tearing and gnawing with intent.

"It seems like it's looking for something or someone." Topasa remarks — she has grown quite pale.

To Serfin it is all the same. Respin is in danger, and he can’t do anything to help him.

"Maybe he has boarded a life-ship," Topasa suggests as she looks at him.

The small Menkar stands right beside him, her expression worried and sympathetic.

"I don’t see any," Nethra replies without showing much interest.

With a growl, Serfin turns towards her. He bares his teeth like an animal, and for a moment he can feel her fear of him. Fear me, he thinks and growls deeper. Yes, fear me. With wide eyes, she backs away from him. But before he can push his field of hatred and fear tighter around her, Topasa pinches him in the side.

"Will you stop that?" she asks showing her teeth as well.

"What?" he snaps at her.

"The fear-mongering. Stop it, or I'll knock you out!"

"Respin is still on the stupid ship! Do you expect me to be all gigglin' and laughin'?"

"No, but I expect you to remain calm!"

"You're not my commander!"

"This isn't about who has the command or not! This is about us! Don't you think Respin wants us to jump at each other's throat?"

"No," he replies while his body grows limp and his long ears flop down. "But… Res… He needs to come back. He'd promised."

"I'm sure he'll do anything to get to us. To find us," Topasa replies softly and warps an arm around his shoulders. "He'll manage. Before you really miss him, he'll be back."

Serfin sighs and rubs his callused hands over his face. I need to stay calm, he tells himself. I need to stay strong. For Res.

That very second the Starblazer gets engulfed by an explosion so big it breaks the ship in half. Upon seeing this, Serfin's heart drops.

His breath gets caught in his throat.

Swallowing becomes a difficult task.

Too shocked to even scream, he slumps over and lands on his knees hugging himself.

Topasa is immediately by his side, speaking with him but no words come through.

Respin… You…

"This can't be true," he says choking and shaking his head. "No. No. No. No!"

Suddenly, the board computer comes to life. A synthetic voice lists monotonous its programmed assets. At the same time, the list gets projected onto the windows as they close.

Beginning with Analysis…

100% complete…

Bio-Scan shows four (4) Passengers on board…

Calculating Rations…

Rations will last one and a half (1.5) Solar-Circles…

Calculating Duration of Travel to Cetus…

Duration of Travel approximately four (4) Cetusian days…

Hyperdrive-fuel will last for fourteen (14) Cetusian days…

Do you wish to initialise an Emergency Signal?** -YES- -NO-**

Serfin watches the green on black words appear on-screen without processing their meaning. His mind is to jumbled to do so. But Topasa remains calm and presses the -NO- option. She says something about getting into trouble if someone of the fleet will pick up the signal. She also tells Serfin how sorry she is for his loss, which pulls him out of his stupor.

"Have you seen another life-ship coming from the Starblazer?" he asks hoarse.

Nervous Topasa looks over to Nethra who shrugs.

"Just one ship. Maybe it wasn't a life-ship…"

Again both females share an uncomfortable glance. The air starts to sizzle with static. A dull metallic taste spreads throughout the life-ship.

"Another. Ship," he growls like a vicious animal and pulls himself up.

Topasa, Nethra and even the Insectoid move away from him as he rises. His shadow cast by the projection moving over them like a Creature of the Void.

"HAVE YOU SEEN ANOTHER FUCKING SHIP?!"

"There, umm…" begins Topasa and walks reluctant towards him.

From the way she carries herself she seems to want to rest her hand on his shoulder. A few inches above it, she hesitates. She does not dare to actually touch him.

"Serfin, I'm so sorry…", she says pained. "There… There was no other ship…"

As if a switch has been turned, all energy vanishes out of the air. At the same time Serfin's legs give finally away underneath him, and he drops to the ground. On his way down he pulls Topasa along. She does not fight him. On the ground she warps her arms around his neck and head as he starts to cry.

For the first time since many Circles, Serfin cries himself to sleep. All the while Topasa soothes him with gentle words and rubs her hands over his back and through his hair.