Sarah’s head throbbed when she regained consciousness. Evidently, she was back on the ship, in her bed. The light had been dimmed, but Sarah could still see everything clearly. Rolling back the blanket, she noticed she wasn't wearing her gloves, spiking her anger right through the roof. Ulquonar had subjected her to that treatment, that invasion. She jumped out of bed, getting caught up in the blanket and crashing into the floor. She groaned, picking herself up and muttering muted curses. Then she stormed out of her quarters in search of Ulquonar, who she promptly found munching away at a very ordinary sandwich. Sarah breathed in deeply. 614Please respect copyright.PENANAt2M86NLkuL
“So would you mind telling me what the fuck that was back there?” 614Please respect copyright.PENANAYUVcjxOvXf
“Calm down. I saved you, right? I’m sorry you were sucked into that. That was an accident. I meant to confirm my theory here, and I have. I was right.”614Please respect copyright.PENANAbs7Fc2DXJY
“‘Sorry,’ he says, like I care! And how did you prove anything?” 614Please respect copyright.PENANAujhsySABSI
“I performed a scan after I followed you. I had a scanner with me.”614Please respect copyright.PENANAavt3Xq4Z7T
“Oh so you doodled around for a bit first while that vile presence had its way with me. Fantastic. Makes me trust you so much more.”614Please respect copyright.PENANAMVnm8P6gYj
“I think you would do well do sit down and take a bite. I’ve made one for you, too,” he said, pointing at another sandwich on a white plate on the opposite side of the table. Sarah looked at it, then stormed out of the room, only to return a second later. 614Please respect copyright.PENANA5f5MwPFkaC
“No, you don't get me to shut up so easily. I want answers.”614Please respect copyright.PENANANh7Erq7yS1
“Then ask questions.”614Please respect copyright.PENANAAtohuTYRpJ
“What happened in there with me?”614Please respect copyright.PENANAQ4i0oYMItz
“I'm not sure. There are many different kinds of forces at play in that dimension. I suppose you were examined by a less aggressive and more curious one. I’ve checked you out and I'm reasonably sure you will be fine.”614Please respect copyright.PENANAfwPezI9FiO
“What do you mean, fine? Physically?” 614Please respect copyright.PENANAl9EG03wSzd
Ulquonar nodded. “And mentally.”614Please respect copyright.PENANAcMqYZcIE0c
“Yeah I feel spiffing mentally. Splendid. Want another word?” 614Please respect copyright.PENANA02wfOz0sna
“No, that suffices. See, I did not mean for that to happen and I apologize. Now I hope that---”614Please respect copyright.PENANAvYOFaBLIgW
A frantic beeping sounded from the ship’s intercom and Sarah gasped. “Proximity alert!” she said and dashed to the cockpit, Ulquonar behind her. Sarah threw herself into the pilot’s seat and turned the ship around, increasing power to the engines. 614Please respect copyright.PENANAAMOrYM5dkI
“Don't worry, I’ve got this,”said Ulquonar, taking control of the ship from the Co-pilot’s seat. “Who’s visiting us?” he asked. 614Please respect copyright.PENANAgFTUdp6I8n
Sarah pulled up the data on the screen in front of her and read from it. 614Please respect copyright.PENANAcV97on87Qy
“A Tletan patrol craft. Thank god it's not Imperial. How would I ever explain that to my mother?” 614Please respect copyright.PENANAWBHOF5HHi0
“Have they detected us?” 614Please respect copyright.PENANAZTnCedRO0P
“It doesn't seem….yeah they have. They’re hailing us.”614Please respect copyright.PENANACZUuM5afck
“Don't answer.”614Please respect copyright.PENANAts2scOdvCb
“Of course not. I’m not suicidal.”614Please respect copyright.PENANA0HSnC0qMIR
Sarah put on a headset to listen to the Tletan hail. 614Please respect copyright.PENANAXfiYThmxAJ
“Unidentified vessel, this is Tletan Kingdom Patrol Craft OX-7. You have entered a restricted zone. Shut down your engines and await to be boarded. You will be interrogated and escorted to a nearby Tletan Kingdom outpost. Failure to comply might result in your destruction.”614Please respect copyright.PENANAAQH6U3WOXJ
Sarah rolled her eyes. If they got caught, they would find out they had landed on the planet and that would mean prison for life. Her status as governor wouldn't help her one bit. She glanced at Ulquonar numerous times as he steered the ship away from the planet. Sarah breathed in and out calmly, but she couldn't help but shift around in her seat. ‘Get us out of here already,’ she thought just as Ulquonar activated the FTL-Drive and they disappeared from the Tletan’s sensors - for a while. The Tletans would call for reinforcements and would pursue them, notifying the empire and turning back only when Ulquonar and Sarah crossed the Imperial border.614Please respect copyright.PENANAnN516w3Gez
“We have to lose them before we cross the border,” Sarah said.614Please respect copyright.PENANA2JywbqRgGo
“Why?” Ulquonar asked. 614Please respect copyright.PENANAprlMjPveaj
“If they’re still pursuing us when we cross into Imperial space, they will abort their pursuit but inform Border Patrol, who then will do anything in their power to locate us.”614Please respect copyright.PENANA4VejYLntdX
“Alright. Find me a nearby star system with a few planets and preferably lots of asteroids, too.”614Please respect copyright.PENANAsi2EWHyuKn
Sarah nodded and called up a list of nearby star systems, sorting them by the required criteria. Near the bottom of the list was the star system GC 138 which had everything they needed but was farther away than GC 142, which lacked an asteroid belt. Looking at the information himself, Ulquonar chose GC 138. If they could get there, the asteroid belt would save them. If they could not, they were in big trouble. Sarah stared at the FTL vortex for a long time before she buried her face in her hands and noticed she hadn’t worn her gloves this whole time. She twitched when she realized it but didn’t say a word. Instead, she left her seat and went to get the gloves. When Ulquonar asked where she was going, she replied she was just going to get something. Sitting on the edge of her bed, she cried in silence for a while. The thought of someone having intruded into her mind, possibly seeing her most deeply held secrets, horrified her and made her feel used. She had always been a very secluded and private person despite her outgoing personality. Outgoing, yes. Careless with private information, no. The journey to GC 138 would take more than two hours. More than enough time to rest and be alone. Sarah was not angry with Ulquonar, not really, but she didn’t know why. She could blame him. It was his fault. But for some reason, it did not feel right.614Please respect copyright.PENANAxEvlOjajH1
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Rise
Author:
Pascal Waitek
ISSUE #11
Wounded
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Rise
Sci-Fiction
Fantasy
Last updated: Oct 7, 2018
Total word count: 34,492
Total reading time: 160 Minutes
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