William
He shot up out of his chair, startled. Alyn stood in the middle of the shuttle, wires in his hand, staring at him. He fell a sleep he realized, and rubbed his hands against his eyes.
“The nightmares goes away, eventual,” Alyn said, dropping the wires, and reaching back into the open panel.
“What are you doing?” Will asked, stepping closer.
“We can’t wait out here any longer,” Alyn said throwing more parts out of the panel. “Anyone figures out who is in here, well lets just say that bigger mistakes then a shuttle being shot down have happened today.”
Will didn’t get it. He couldn’t be saying what he thought. “You think someone would shot us down?”
“In a heartbeat,” Alyn responded without thought. “We don’t know who was behind this. All we know is that the family was one of the targets. The massacres throughout Karthmere, a gruesome cover.”
“You think someone is killing hundreds of people to kill me?”
Alyn stopped, and looked at him. “Thousands are dead. This was a planned attack, and someone needs to tie up loose ends. Son of the most powerful lord of the planet fits the bill,” he told him, before pulling another component from the open panel.
Lights flared, and alarmed flashed inside the shuttle. “Comms,” the A.I. called out before it cracked to the voice who had come on earlier.
“We are getting reports of damage from your craft.”
“We lost life support,” Alyn said, his voice almost panicked. “We request docking right,” he said.
“Roger shuttle,” the voice came through after a pause. “Docking port nine, follow transmitted flight path.”
“Roger,” Alyn said, and sat. His hand went back to the console and killed the Comm. “Echo, take us in,” he called out and looked at Will. “Pocket,” he said and tapped the side pocket on his fresh overcoat.
Will patted, and felt a large bulge in his coat, and reached inside to pull out a Wallet. He flicked it on, and to his surprise saw himself, with a name he did not know.
“Your father always thought of everything,” he heard Alyn say as he stared at the screen of the Wallet.
“Not everything,” Will mumbled to himself.
“You are no longer Will,” Alyn said, and stood in front of him.
“Alex Stone,” Will said the name. “What’s the point of a fake name if it’s just my middle name?” Will asked Alyn.
“Best lies are half truths,” he respond.
Will took a seat in the chair, and watched as the shuttle fly closer to the large station. He knew that close to a million people call it home. Lord Sommers ruled from it, the second most powerful lord in the system behind Lord Karth who ruled as Systemlord and Highlord of Karthmere.
The cold floating still came up to them as the shuttle docked with the station. “Docking complete,” the A.I. called over. Alyn stood once again, and and Will followed him to the hatch they had come through.
Alyn tapped the panel beside them, forcing the door to open. The whine of the door opening to match pressure filled his ears. The door opened to another room, and the door closed behind them. Lights and beams filled the room, scanning over them.
It seemed to take ages before a green light came on in front of them, and the door to the station opened.
Will followed Alyn as they walked through the airlock, and into a small lobby filled with chairs for people to wait for their flights. A Bot greeted them.
“Greetings, please scan id,” it said to them. It wasn’t alone Will could see. Armoured and armed figured stood nearby, heads covered with tactical gear. The lobby itself was full of people, who stared.
“Greeting Mr Long,” the Bot said.
Will grabbed his Wallet, and presented it as one f the armed figures stepped forward. “Armed,” it said through a masked voice, not asking a question.
“Protection,” Alyn was all Alyn said.
“Uh huh,” the guard replied. “Tenses are high, leave the guns here, or remain onboard.”
Will stood silent beside Alyn a moment, before the giant reached for his sidearm, and pulled it free, setting it down on the table. “Can hardly wait in there,” Alyn said, and Will followed through. “Any idea how long it will take to get it fixed?”
The guard scoffed. “You will have to get a request in. Wouldn’t count on it anytime soon.”
Alyn nodded. “Where might I do that?”
Will listened as the guard gave Alyn directions to where they could go, and then allowed them to enter through the security gates. Alyn quickly thanked them, and Will followed as he walked into the busy crowd.
“It’s hot”,” Will said as they walked through the crowd of people. Many of them looked scared. Even the floors along the walls were full of people resting. Lobbies of other airlocks full as people sat and slept.
“Life support systems likely struggling with the influx of people,” Alyn said as he guided them to a lift.
Will stepped inside the lift with his uncle. It wasn’t the way the guard had told them. “This is the wrong way,” he said as the lift began to move.
“We don’t need the shuttle repaired,” Alyn said.
“There is no way we are going to passage on a ship, look at how crowded this place is,” Will replied.
“We will,” Alyn said before the lift doors opened.
Alyn didn’t say more as he walked out and continued through yet more corridors. Will followed beside him keeping pace. He could see people here and there with blood spattered clothes, and realized just how many people must have flocked to the starport.
They passed many other docking bays as they walked. Will matched Alyn’s pace. Finally he turned into one, only half as full as the others. Will looked to a nearby screen, and saw the display give the name and destination of the attached vessel.
Will stopped for a moment when he realized the ship wasn’t from the Commonwealth, but a trading vessel from the Kingdom of Fist in Furse Space. He understood why the lobby was half as crowded as the rest.
Alyn walked pass the Bot until a large hologram appeared in front of him and stopped.
“This vessel is currently as no more space,” it said. “We ask that you keep the path to the airlock clear in case of Emergency.”
“Herald Alyn Stout, I need to speak to the captain,” Will heard Alyn say as he caught up to him.
The holo frozen in place for a moment. Will looked at it wondering what it was doing. “So much for the ID’s” he said to Alyn.
The silence was broken not by Alyn but the airlock unlocking, and opening. People began to mutter and stare. The Holo came back to life, and smiled at Alyn.
“Please Herald, step inside,” it said before moving pass him to address the gathering crowd, the loud noise of turrets raising from the floor and ceiling of the airlock. “Please do not try to board. Force will be used to stop any attempt,” it said as Alyn walked forward.
Will shallowed before stepping forward. He hoped it didn’t mean them. The door locked behind them, and Will heard the noise as it locked them away from the world of the station.
“I don’t like this,” Will whispered. “This is a Furse Ship, you know what they do.”
He looked over to Alyn looking at him. “I am Furse,” he said, and then looked forward. “You are Furse,” he continued. “Hell the Commonwealth was formed by Furse nations which settled Drala.”
Will remained quiet. It was true he knew. His ancestors had invaded Karthmere over five hundred years ago, but the Furse were said to have fled to Drala from Furse Space thousands of years ago, fleeing the Skoll. They founded new worlds, and sold their services to the locals of the Dragon Head Nebula before turning on them and forging their own kingdoms, which in turn nearly fell to later Furse invasion.
He was quiet for a moment as they waited for the door in front of them to open. “What’s a Herald?” Will asked finally.
“It’s a sort of holy man,” Alyn replied.
“You are a holy man?” Will asked, shocked. “Like a priest?”
Alyn snorted. “I said sort of,” was all he said before the door opened up.
