The screeching alarm jolts me from my sleep. I look across our quarters to the data panel on the wall next to the door; it reads
CCV Russian Unicorn
5:37 AM
Emergency!
The word “Emergency” is bright red, and flashing.
Even without the alarm, something feels wrong, but I cannot place what.
“Delanna,” I call out, “Status!”
“Zane!”Delanna's voice replies; she's scared, but collected, “The engines aren't responding, we've got pirates incoming, and I can't get Marshall on the comms.”
I realize now what's wrong. The ship is silent save for the alarm. There's usually this soft vibration through the structure when the engines are running, but right now it's as still as if we were docked.
“I'll go to engineering, and see what Marshall's doing.”
“Be quick so we can get the hell out of here. I am not letting them take the Unicorn from us.”
She means it too, and that scares me. This isn't the first time we've had run-ins with the pirates; every spacer has to hightail it away from them every so often, but this is the first time we may have to actually face them.
I throw on some coveralls, and run from the crew quarters, through the cargo hold, and down to engineering. I don't find Marshall, but I do find signs that he was here.
The access panel to the Unicorn's main engine control system is sitting open, and there are wires dangling from it like a spilled pot of rainbow coloured instant noodles. It looks like he just reached in, and yanked out a handful. I hope that quot burned himself!
“Delanna, we've been sabotaged.”
“What?”
“Marshall, he frassed up the engine control system.”
“Can you fix it?”
“I can try. How long do I have?”
“I don't know. The pirates aren't firing on us though. There are six fighters and a tick. I think they plan to board us. Maybe five minutes.”
“I'll see what I can do. Keep me updated.”
“Got it.”
“And Delanna?”
“Yes?”
“I love you.”
“I love you too, hon, now get that engine fixed so we can get out of here.”
“You know what I am going to do to Marshall when I find him, right?”
“We'll discuss that later.”
I frantically start sorting out wires, reconnecting them; hoping that I can get enough of this colorful garbage back into shape to bring our propulsion systems back to life. If only I had spent more time down here instead of just hiring that greedy little screwball to maintain them for us.
“Zane, they're closing us. Their tick is preparing-” I hear a new alarm start sounding, “They're on us. They're trying to penetrate the hull now.”
“Frass!” I curse, “I think I've almost got it.”
“Never mind that! We're not going anywhere with their ship stuck to the side of us.”
“Okay, I'm on my way, don't do anything stupid.”
“Stupid nothing,” Delanna says, “They take this ship over my dead body!”
“No!” I yell, “They probably just want us for ransom, don't fight them!”
Delanna doesn't reply, but she leaves the comm system on, broadcasting throughout the ship so that as I run back through the cargo hold I can hear it all. The sound of the pirates penetrating the bridge. Shouted curses back and forth, punctuated by the sizzling sound of blaster fire.
I hear the grunts of some of the pirates getting shot, and the thud of their bodies hitting the floor. I hear yelled words between Delanna and the pirates, their demanding her to surrender, her telling them to throw themselves into the vacuum. She must be using the control stations for cover or the pirates are really lousy shots. Either way it's fine with me.
My heart is pounding, and my breath is coming fast and hard as I leave the cargo hold, and enter the residential area of the ship. I pass one of the vacant crew quarters, this ship is designed to have more than three crew members, and look through the open door. Inside I can smell burnt metal, and can see a hole in the wall leading into a the pirate's tick boarding vessel; an armoured transport used for penetrating other ships.
The door to the bridge is open, and I can see the feet of a pirate blocking it from sliding closed again. I run into the room, into the middle of the remaining seven pirates in time to see Delanna catch a blaster burst to her chest. The energy blackens and burns through her coveralls and flesh, and she goes down with a surprised squawk.
“No!” I scream, and the pirates turn to face me. Three of them come at me, try to restrain me, but I push my way through, and run to Delanna.
I drop to the floor and lift her up, but it's too late. Her eyes have gone glassy, the breath has left her lungs, and my wife has left this life behind.
“No, no, no, no!” I cry, cradling Delanna in my arms.
The pirates watch this, seeming unsure what to do about me. I faintly hear them talking, but the words may as well be in another language, as I don't comprehend any of it.
After what seems like an eternity, one of the black clad men steps forward, and swings the butt of his blaster at my face.
Everything goes dark, and my last thought is that I don't care what happens to me now.