The Wreck - Part 3 (Short Story)

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Source

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Minutes turned to hours, and then a chance to walk the crumbled halls came. As Quarline stepped through the half-open doors a whole new batch of chaos fell upon her eyes. The bodies of the dead, coupled with the totalled interior of the ship.

An echo of the past was etched in her mind, and visions of a time long gone remained as a whisper speaking in a foreign tongue. She felt herself once more but felt as though a piece of her was left behind when she closed her eyes to the impact.

"You look like you've had a hit of the latest Brain Blaster 5000," she heard a tired voice say. "Me, I prefer a casual splint. I have no need to melt my mind."

Laboured movements, and a newfound limp, the speaker stepped away from his lean and started to survey the ship. Soon, he presented it to her with an extended hand.

Rot. But, his birthname was Vaz Xious.

The shards of past memories filled her mind, and as his words bounced around her head it all came back to her. He was under her command; not that she could really refer to him as a subordinate.

"Why are you taking a job with them?" He had asked her after she signed up. Creased brow, and a shake of his head. "Come on, I'm sure there's a better bunch to work for."

"What's wrong with them?" She had asked.

"You know," feigning a happy expression and looking around the bar. "Traipsing through the galaxy looking under rocks." He proceeded to pick up his glass and leaned down to see under it. "Hello! Is anybody there? Oh, look, mould, isn't this exciting." He said as he gently rested it back on the table and straightened up. "You can do better than guarding those weirdos."

"Do you want the job or not?" She asked, holding back laughter at his over-exaggerated reaction. "You don't need to tag along."

His expression changed then, and he rested a hand on the table. "No, it's okay. Wherever you go, I'll go." He picked up his drink and raised it to his lips, stalling for a moment when the rim of the glass reached them. "I suppose I'll carry on watching your back, you'd just better make sure the pay is worth my time."

Staring at him, in his broken up state, he was no different than his usual self. His hand was open to the destruction around them.

"Well, here we go. What new trouble have you gotten us into?" He asked as he let his arm drop. "Tell me, where did the wonderful bug hopper crash-land, and is there any chance of fixing it?"

Quarline would be lying if she said she wasn't relieved to see him.