Sci-Fi-Rag (Shoot the Moon


	CHAPTER 4 -------------------------------------------------------------------- The tugShip completed it's unmanned circuit back to the staging area. The flagship vessel came into view towering over the accumulated cargo vessels. The flagship's sleek silver walls reflected the blazing sun as it refracted through the foggy atmosphere of this gas planet. The oddly shaped cargo vessels were gathered like gifts at the foot of the regal flagship. Mandro knew the tugShip was moving the freight container into it's final position. A series of hydraulic bursts told him the coils were being disengaged. They felt the vibration of the engines as the coils released their catch and whirred back into the tugShip. The cargo vessel that had brought their voyage to freedom slowly shrank from their view. They watched silently as the tugShip slowly headed back toward the enormous flagship, ultimately to get swallowed into some indistinguishable docking hatch. As they drew close enough to distinguish individual features, Mandro shook his head in amazement, he thought the exterior looked like a city wrapped around the skin of an enormous craft. Countless lights and windows dotted the metallic expanse. Looking up, he watched as they approached a large bay door that began to slide open to receive their craft. The massive bay doors opened to reveal a cavernous docking area. The tugShip drifted forward for an eternity, slowly entering the docking bay. The scene resembled a small germ floating into a large gaping mouth. "Welcome to your new home." Mandro said, his eyes moving along the lines of the docking area. "This place has got opportunity written all over it." Keetrix responded. Mandro felt a sense of apprehension pass over him. "Let's hope so." He whispered. The light dimmed as the small craft passed into the massive docking chamber. The tugShip slowed briefly before crossing the atmospheric barrier. The ship shuddered briefly as it crossed the barrier field between the vaccuum of space and the pressurized atmosphere inside the barrier. Other than some slight movement several decks below, there was no sign of life. As the craft continued to move forward, long metal piers began to emerge into view. Individual ships were docked along the piers. Turning and floating into a long chamber, they could see rows of similar craft docked against both sides of a massive aisle. Finally their vessel came to a stop, firmly latched. Just above, a cold metal walkway stretched out of sight. Keetrix deftly pulled himself onto the walkway, then reached to help Mandro pull himself up. Aware of the eternal echo of the metallic canyon, they stepped quietly toward the distant door at the end. Opening the door, they entered the long hallway and strode forward. Silently they walked, side by side down the hallway. Nervous, expectant, their pace quickened. They soon came upon a junction crossing a second hall. Plaques at the corners described locations available by each corridor. Reflexively they turned and began walking the new hall, each choosing a different direction. They stopped, wheeled around to face each other. "It's this way!" Keetrix explained, pointing over his shoulder. "What is?" Mandro asked. "Control center, and the upper decks." He explained. "Yeah, exactly why we want to head this way." Mandro said. "We need to stay down here with maintenance and cargo." "What are you talking about?" Keetrix demanded. What is your fascination with trying to take the most difficult task possible? This is where everything is, where life is... you know... food, clothes, civilization. Why on earth would you want to go down to those metal dungeons? There's probably not even atmosphere down there." "Exactly! May I remind you that we are recently escaped slave miners? May I remind you that the more people we interact with, the bigger chance we have of being found out and sent back." "Oh Come on!" Keetrix countered, "There's got to be a million people on this vessel. Do you really think we can't melt in. I bet we can't even get anyone to take an interest in us." "Well, I thought that since we were escaped slaves we might... you know... hide. I mean... isn't that what 'stow-away' means?" Mandro asked, his voice strained. "Mandro, this is what I do. I can do this. I can make things happen for us. You have to trust me." Keetrix put his hand on Mandro's shoulder. Mandro stared at him, his eyes fixed. Finally he responded. "Why do I feel like the fly talking to the spider?" He asked. "It's my undeniable charm and good looks." Keetrix responded with a smile. Slowly Mandro turned and walked cautiously toward his companion. Keetrix turned to pat him on the back as he strode alongside him. Sometime later Mandro was hunched over a dataport at desk in an unoccupied cubicle. Keetrix stood near the doorway watching the hallway. "This system is a little different." Mandro said, his brows furrowed. "Gonna take awhile." Keetrix looked at Mandro briefly, then looked back toward the corridor. The two had ducked into an abandoned administrative area in search of a system console. "What's a while?" Keetrix asked. "Can't rush genius." Mandro responded. Small groups of people walked by in the corridor. Several times Mandro felt his pulse quicken, but none even saw the two men, let alone ventured toward them. They began to feel confident their stolen jumpsuits would fit in well in this area. "OK," Mandro said. "I think I'm onto something." "What's that?" "Well, I've found this flagship's data files. Look's like this flagship is going to lead a convoy of cargo vessels on a little jaunt back toward the inner planetary rings." Mandro explained looking over the files. "Perfect!" Keetrix quipped. "I can't wait to get out of this forsaken hole." Keetrix walked toward Mandro. "I suppose we ought to think of trying to find a place to sleep." "I have an idea for getting us into a room." He said, putting his hand to his chin. "It's a bit thin, but it's always worked for me in the past." "I'm way ahead of you." Mandro said, wiping his eyes. "Judging by the manifest, I'd say that there's a fair amount of passengers on board. It looks I can get access to the room database. I've found a number of rooms that are blocked out but seem to be unoccupied." "Perfect," Keetrix clapped. "Now can you get a copy of the room service menu?" "Let's just see if we can get in the room, first." Mandro said. "I'm going to mark several of these as occupied. But we'll still have to find someone to let us into a room." "Well, that's the easy part." Keetrix said. "If there's passengers, there's got to be staff. I've never met a staff yet I couldn't bluff." "Yeah, just don't forget, Mr. 'undeniable charm and good looks' that you look like you've been run over by a mining truck, and you smell like the inside of my boot." Mandro chuckled, crossing his arms. Within the hour, the two were sitting in a passenger cabin several decks up. "I don't believe she fell for it." Mandro said. "The most believable stories are just wild enough to be beyond fabrication." Keetrix said. "You're beyond fabrication." Mandro shook his head. The room was small, but clean. There was a sparsely decorated front area with a long low couch. Two rooms adjoined the front area. One contained two beds and the other a bathroom. "I think I'm going to take a two-week shower." Keetrix said, leaning back on the bed, his arms folded behind his head. "That might be enough for your outer layer of grime." Mandro said, taking off his boots. "He began to feel the tension ebb as he sat down on the end of the bed. He still didn't dare to believe it could be true, that he could be away from the slave mines. So many times he'd imagined it, and finally it had come to pass. He shuddered as he remembered how the nightmare had started. He recalled as he had many times before, his vessel being boarded. The skeleton crew being escorted into a shuttle. He recalled believing the explanation he was to be returned to the nearest docking station. Finally, he remembered his horror when he realized he'd been brought to a slave mining colony. He'd given up hope so many times. But finally, today, he could feel hope rising up within him. "I don't suppose you've put any thought into how to get some food." Mandro said, looking over toward Keetrix. He stopped as he saw his companion, now fast asleep. CHAPTER 5 -------------------------------------------------------------------- Sometime later Mandro awoke with a start. The memories of the last week and his new freedom rushed into his head and he fell back on the bed, content. His thoughts soon turned to Keetrix. He got up and looked through the small chamber for him. A cold finger of fear began to creep in his heart as he realized Keetrix was not in the room. He felt an urge to go find him and stop him from whatever ridiculous scheme he was initiating. Mandro began to examine their new quarters. He'd not had an opportunity to examine it in any detail the previous evening. Although sparse, it would suit them well. He sat for several moments sprawled across the couch. It amused him to consider these objects that now surrounded him for his comfort. A cushion, a fan, a piece of art. How many times he'd ignored or discarded these small comforts. Now he was keenly aware of each of them. His reverie was broken by the door being thrown open. His heart sunk as Keetrix strode in. His freshly shaved face burst out from the hood of an extravagent gown. Mandro gasped and stared mutely at him, with his mouth agape. "Welcome, my friend, back to life!" Keetrix boomed with a sweeping motion of his hand. "Come taste, and remember the plentiful bounty of life." "What are you doing?!!" Mandro cried. "You call that melting in? You look like a cross between a terrellian monk and a laser-stage singer." "My friend, you may be asking yourself: 'how can one man be so lucky?' but really it's you who are lucky!". Keetrix spun quickly throwing his robe out in a flourish. "A typical escapee from a slave colony might subsist on bread crumbs and shoe leather, but not us my friend. I have just arranged for our first real meal outside of the confines of our slave galley." Keetrix tilted his head and suppressed a grin. "And this will be no ordinary meal. I have secured seats for you and I at the Captain's Feast, featuring tables full of delicacies from across the galaxy carefully obtained and prepared for our culinary pleasure." Keetrix paused, running his hand over his furrowed brow. "Although I don't think they'll let you in in those coveralls. We have GOT to get you some new threads. But never fear my friend. Your old pal Keetrix wouldn't forget about his pal Mandro. So I've got you some dinner threads right here!" Keetrix reached inside his robe and pulled out a small bundle. He laid it across his arm, letting the colorful fabric fall open. Mandro's jaw fell open extending his stunned face. "Captain's Feast?!! Are you joking??!! Do you even know the definition of 'low profile'?" Reflexively he stood up, his hand over his mouth. "I'm not coming! You're insane!" Mandro stared at Keetrix. "You know what?" He continued. "Do me a favor. When they come to arrest you, and they ask about me...Tell them I was killed in the escape. Because you WILL get caught, you know. Why don't you just walk in naked? I doubt it will create any more of a sensation than that ludicrous outfit!" "Mandro. Listen to me." Keetrix stepped toward Mandro. "This is what I do. I know people. This is not a problem. You've got to remember, the average person is too worried about how YOU percieve THEM to think about you. The secret to being above suspicion is to be confident, to be bold." "I'm not going." Mandro folded his arms. "Suit yourself. There's some soap in the shower. That should hold you over until breakfast." "I'm not going." Mandro repeated. Two hours later, the two men entered the hallway. Mandro stared down at his clothes. The word 'costume' came to his mind. "I can't believe I'm doing this." Mandro whispered. "You look fabulous." "I look like a Ketarian Dancer." Mandro hissed. "Trust me, you don't have the legs for that!" "Shouldn't we have some sort of false names or something?" Mandro asked. "Oh yeah. I almost forgot. Here's your name badge" Keetrix reached in his pocket and handed the small metal shape to Mandro. "Bucky Stargazer?!! Bucky Stargazer?!!!! What? Is that supposed to be my name? Nobody's going to buy that. I can't believe this." "It's all I could come up with on short notice." Keetrix explained. "What?! I thought you were supposed to be good at this. I thought this was your thing. Bucky Stargazer? Jeez, I'm not a person, I'm some sort of a space action hero! This is NOT going to work!" Mandro's face sank into his hands. "Don't be so negative." Keetrix gestured. "We're dead." "Speak for yourself" Keetrix said, turning toward a large set of double doors. "Before they drag me back to the slave mines, I WILL kill you." Mandro said, following. "Mandro, no one's going back to the slave mines. No one will even look at your name badge, stop worrying so much." Keetrix put his hand on the door handle. Moments later the two men entered an enormous room. Elegant tables formed a square around the edges of the room. People stood in small groups in the center area, talking and taking sparkling glasses from the uniformed men walking through the room. The guests were elegantly dressed. As they looked over the crowd they noticed a number of military and government uniforms. Closer scrutiny showed a number of creatures from many races and from a wide array of planets. Mandro scanned the room nervously, overcoming his impulse to bolt back to the safety of their room. "Just remember" Keetrix leaned toward him. "They are just as worried about how they are percieved as you are." "How can you know that?" Mandro spun toward him. "Simple," Keetrix shrugged. "This is obviously a party of has-beens and wanna-bes. Never have I seen such a collection of kiss-ups!" "I think you might need to revise your assessment." Mandro said, re-adjusting his robe. "Over there is General Vartismo, probably the greatest General in the fleet. I wouldn't exactly call him a wanna-be." Keetrix stopped in mid-stride, the cavalier grin fading from his face. "Oh and look, that's Basteur de Katarra, head of Bio-Com, one of the largest technology corporations in the Galaxy. And I believe that's Minister Dakra and his entourage." Mandro's sarcastic tone slowly sunk to shock and ultimately fear. "Hmmm... maybe we should get out of here." Keetrix stated. "I'm already leaving." Mandro said. Before the two could complete their turn, a thin lithe figure strode between them and hooked her wiry arms through their elbows. "Finally, someone to spice up this boring evening! You two are coming directly to my table and I won't take no for an answer!" CHAPTER 6 -------------------------------------------------------------------- The two men turned in surprise to face their new captor. She was strikingly beautiful. Long auburn hair flowed around her tall neck. Her smile was friendly and danced on her bright face. She wore a deep cobalt blue gown that was perfectly cut for her slender graceful body. They walked on in stunned silence. "Oh don't tell me you two are the refined, quiet type. I'm not falling for that. Anyone who would wear an outfit like that must be either blind or ...how shall we say...a little 'livlier' than most." She offered a wry smile and began to pull the two men toward the tables on the far edge of the hall. "Certainly, my lady." Keetrix recovered. "You will have to pardon us, we were momentarily stunned by your breath-taking beauty. My friend and I like to consider ourselves somewhat 'lively' creatures. And we would be glad to accompany you to your table, for the chance to spend an evening in your lovely presence." Keetrix finished his speech with a flourish and a bow. Mandro stared horrified. The woman chuckled, her eyebrows raised in an expression of disbelief. "And what are you lively creatures' names? and where are you from?" She asked, now looking at Keetrix. "I am called Tuliano! and this is my associate Bucky Stargazer." Keetrix said with conviction. Mandro felt the blood leave his head and the room began to spin. "and what pray tell is your name, my lovely creature?" Keetrix continued. "You can call me Shianna." She said. "And what is it you are doing aboard this convoy?" "Mr Stargazer and I are adventurers. And we are currently... how shall I say... unattached!" Keetrix said. "Oh how exciting!" Shianna said. "You'll have to tell us all about your adventures." The trio had now arrived, to the mild amusement of Keetrix, and the horror of Mandro, at the head table. Sitting at the center of the far wall, The table was long and sleek. The surface was made of a hard stone, polished to a mirrored finish. The places were set with incredibly opulent settings and dishes. The table was decorated to perfection, every dish a work of art. The guests surrounding the table gave an air of sophistication born from a life of plenty. These men and women were no stranger to the finer things. Mandro recalled that it had been three years since he had even eaten off a plate. His mind spun and he felt he was watching himself from afar as he sat in the chair that the uniformed man held out for him. He slowly sat, as if in a trance. All other sounds sounded distant. He could barely hear Keetrix' voice and the laughter of the table. "You'll have to pardon my associate, he's not feeling well. He's been a bit under the weather since we were attacked by that Guantro Worm Lizard." Keetrix said, taking a sip from the crystal goblet in front of him. "Were you just in Guantro?" asked a distinguished looking man with a long furrowed brow. "I thought the Guantro Worm Lizards were extinct?" "Uhh...Well, you just gotta know where to look." Keetrix said, anxious to change the subject. "So, can anyone tell me where the next port of call is?" "Well, we should let the Captain Nilsaur answer that." came the response. All gazes fixed on the large man sitting at the center of the table. Feeling their gaze, he set down his glass and spoke in a low resonant voice. "Well, we hope to be in the Kitarian System by next week. Normally we'd be there sooner, but we' re taking some slower, safer routes." Keetrix regarded the captain as he spoke, taking in the immaculately tailored uniform. His sleeves bore five stripes, indicating the rank of Captain. "So, Tuliano, tell us about your adventures, or misadventures as Mr. Stargazer may call them." Shianna said playfully. Mandro's breath came in short gasps. His heart pounded in his ears. The voices began to fade out. He stared dejectedly into the goblet before him. Sometime later he was jerked back to reality by a raucaus laugh from around the table. Then Keetrix' voice: "...and to this day I don't think the Duke knows what happened to his ship!" Keetrix quipped, throwing a nut into his mouth. Once more laughter filled the table. "Oh here you are!" Shianna piped up. "We didn't know when you were going to make it." She looked toward a man striding confidently toward the table. "Sorry dear," the man kissed her lightly on the cheek. "There's been a disturbance on one of our mining outposts." "You'll have to excuse my husband." Shianna continued "As the head of a large mining concern, he finds it difficult to extricate himself from his duties." "And which mining corporation is that?" Keetrix queried, scooping more nuts. "Silvanus Mineral Works" was the reply. "Not the Silvanus that operates those wretched slave colonies?!" Keetrix said, his lips drawn into a tight line. Mandro felt his throat begin to constrict. An uncomfortable silence fell over the table. "That's just a nasty rumor. All of our mining outposts have been totally certified by the appropriate government agencies." The man, now sitting, returned Keetrix' cold stare. The tension became palpable. "Allow me to introduce you two. My dear, this is Tuliano, and his fellow adventurer Bucky Stargazer. He was just delighting us with some stories of their recent adventures. Tuliano, this is my husband Brockworth Silvanus." The tension ebbed away as Shianna's friendly smile appeared. Mandro slumped in his chair, resigned only to await his fate. "Thank you dear." Brockworth Silvanus patted her slim hand. "I'm afraid we're going to have to make room for one more, however, my Chief of Security will be joining us as well. I'm afraid he and I need to discuss an unfortunate situation that has developed at one of our outposts." Mandro was afraid to look as he heard the footsteps of another person approaching their table. Finally, convinced things couldn't possibly get worse he looked up, and knew at once that his life was cursed. He recognized the unmistakable chiseled square jaw and deep cut eyes of the Security Chief or 'Overlord' of Silvanus Mineral Works. Many times he had seen the man on his visits to the slave mines. His visits were marked by heightened work loads and new heights of cruelty from the guards. Many times he'd stared at those evil eyes from afar and wondered about the legend that surrounded the man. Mandro closed his eyes and calmly waited for the laser burst to pierce his chest. It never came. "Well, Brockworth, what's the nature of the situation?" asked a stocky man in the uniform of a government official. "Well, Senator, you see, we use specially bred creatures to work in our mines. The mining fumes are too unhealthy for people, so we use a number of creatures for mining. They are unintelligent and difficult to train, but can live 4-5 times longer than a normal person in that environment. Well, it seems two of the brutes escaped last week. We've been having a very difficult time finding them." Silvanus placed his napkin in his lap as a plate was placed in front of him. "Maybe they died in that stench pot you call a mine." Keetrix snarled. The Security Chief's head snapped up. Recognition flashed in his eyes, narrowing down to slits. For a moment, it seemed the Security Chief was going to say something to Silvanus, but instead he leaned forward, a smile curling his lips. "The dumb creatures can never hide for long, they are not intelligent enough to hide their trail." The Security Chief intoned. Just them an alarm blared through the hall. The room became engulfed in chaos. There was a rush of running feet, soldiers moving briskly. Captain Nilsaur was listening intently to his comLink, his face alert but calm. He nodded grimly and said "Patch me through for a general announcement". Rising to his feet the captain addressed the room. Speaking through his comLink, his voice filled the hall and was simultaneously transmitted into every room and hallway on the ship. "Ladies and Gentlemen. This is Captain Nilsaur speaking. I'm afraid that moments ago our convoy was attacked by a small band of space pirates. You don't need to fear, our escort force should be able to dispatch them momentarily, but I'm afraid I must ask all ship's personnel to report to their stations, and all others to be confined to their cabins. We do not expect this to last long, and we apologize for any inconveniences." The captain clicked off his comLink, and strode quickly toward the door, followed by a growing group of uniformed personnel. The excited buzzing of the crowd quickly rose to a roar. Mandro felt a strong grip pulling sharply on his arm. Already deciding he wouldn't put up a struggle he calmly rose to face his fate. He was startled to find Keetrix pulling him toward the exit. "Come on, we've got to get out of here!" Keetrix tugged. Mandro looked toward Silvanus and the Security Chief. They were nowhere in sight. A wave of relief washed over him. "I'm never letting you out of the room again." Mandro said through clenched teeth. "I'm tying you to the bed until we reach port. I'm not joking." "Well, I might have overplayed our hand just a bit back there, but all's well that ends well, right?" Keetrix said as the two ducked through the door and into the hall. "Look, your life is going to end quite soon, and not well if you open your mouth one more time." Mandro said gripping his fists. "You know he recognized us!" Keetrix was already down the hall and out of earshot. Turning the corner they came to the hallway containing their room. The hall was still full of guests nervously headed toward their rooms. Keetrix reached into his pocket and slid his room card over the key pad. The door opened with a hiss. "Mandro, my friend, one thing you will have to learn is that I have an instinct for these situations. I always land on my feet. Stick with me and you'll be home free." The shock of what they saw slammed them like a body blow. The door of the room clicked shut behind them, and someone switched the lights on to reveal 6 shock troopers in their room, guns drawn. Out of the bathroom came the security cheif, holding the two stolen interGal ID badges. "It seems my friends, that you will be home, but definitely not free. I take your escape as a personal mark on my record. I intend to make an example of you to all our slave colonies." He paced in front of the two men, hands clasped behind his back. "I'll have to put some thought into how it's to be done. If I do it right your story will spread like legend throughout all the mining outposts." He strode up to Keetrix, staring into his face. "Sergeant! Take these two men to a holding cell. When this lockdown is over, send them on a one-way trip back to the slave mines." The two men were lead out of the room and down the hall. The numbing shock begain to set in as they walked. Each step they took was a step closer to the mines. Mandro fought for control over his fears. He stared at the laser pistol in the holster of the man in front of him. The pistol butt rocked back and forth as the man walked. Mandro knew he could never go back. He could not be taken alive. He could feel the fear rising up in him, filling him. "Don't even think about it!" came a voice from behind him. He felt the tip of a gun jabbed brusquely into his ribs. The two prisoners walked on until they came to a large double door that lead into a series of offices and rooms. Down a flight of stairs to a storage area. The dimly lit area was empty except for a number of large crates in one corner. The group proceeded along one wall until they came to a room with a metal door. The door had a small crate at the top. The sergeant pressed a sequence of buttons on his wristLink and held his wrist over the keypad beside the door. There was a dull click of a lock opening. The door was pulled open, and the two men shoved in. The door slammed behind them and the lock clicked into place, echoing in the small room. "Don't say it." Keetrix whispered.

CHAPTER 4 --------------------------------------------------------------------

The tugShip completed it's unmanned circuit back to the staging area. The flagship vessel came into view towering over the accumulated cargo vessels. The flagship's sleek silver walls reflected the blazing sun as it refracted through the foggy atmosphere of this gas planet. The oddly shaped cargo vessels were gathered like gifts at the foot of the regal flagship. Mandro knew the tugShip was moving the freight container into it's final position. A series of hydraulic bursts told him the coils were being disengaged. They felt the vibration of the engines as the coils released their catch and whirred back into the tugShip. The cargo vessel that had brought their voyage to freedom slowly shrank from their view. They watched silently as the tugShip slowly headed back toward the enormous flagship, ultimately to get swallowed into some indistinguishable docking hatch.

As they drew close enough to distinguish individual features, Mandro shook his head in amazement, he thought the exterior looked like a city wrapped around the skin of an enormous craft. Countless lights and windows dotted the metallic expanse. Looking up, he watched as they approached a large bay door that began to slide open to receive their craft. The massive bay doors opened to reveal a cavernous docking area. The tugShip drifted forward for an eternity, slowly entering the docking bay. The scene resembled a small germ floating into a large gaping mouth.

"Welcome to your new home." Mandro said, his eyes moving along the lines of the docking area.

"This place has got opportunity written all over it." Keetrix responded.

Mandro felt a sense of apprehension pass over him. "Let's hope so." He whispered.

The light dimmed as the small craft passed into the massive docking chamber. The tugShip slowed briefly before crossing the atmospheric barrier. The ship shuddered briefly as it crossed the barrier field between the vaccuum of space and the pressurized atmosphere inside the barrier. Other than some slight movement several decks below, there was no sign of life. As the craft continued to move forward, long metal piers began to emerge into view. Individual ships were docked along the piers. Turning and floating into a long chamber, they could see rows of similar craft docked against both sides of a massive aisle. Finally their vessel came to a stop, firmly latched. Just above, a cold metal walkway stretched out of sight. Keetrix deftly pulled himself onto the walkway, then reached to help Mandro pull himself up. Aware of the eternal echo of the metallic canyon, they stepped quietly toward the distant door at the end. Opening the door, they entered the long hallway and strode forward. Silently they walked, side by side down the hallway. Nervous, expectant, their pace quickened.

They soon came upon a junction crossing a second hall. Plaques at the corners described locations available by each corridor. Reflexively they turned and began walking the new hall, each choosing a different direction. They stopped, wheeled around to face each other.

"It's this way!" Keetrix explained, pointing over his shoulder.

"What is?" Mandro asked.

"Control center, and the upper decks." He explained.

"Yeah, exactly why we want to head this way." Mandro said. "We need to stay down here with maintenance and cargo."

"What are you talking about?" Keetrix demanded. What is your fascination with trying to take the most difficult task possible? This is where everything is, where life is... you know... food, clothes, civilization. Why on earth would you want to go down to those metal dungeons? There's probably not even atmosphere down there."

"Exactly! May I remind you that we are recently escaped slave miners? May I remind you that the more people we interact with, the bigger chance we have of being found out and sent back."

"Oh Come on!" Keetrix countered, "There's got to be a million people on this vessel. Do you really think we can't melt in. I bet we can't even get anyone to take an interest in us."

"Well, I thought that since we were escaped slaves we might... you know... hide. I mean... isn't that what 'stow-away' means?" Mandro asked, his voice strained.

"Mandro, this is what I do. I can do this. I can make things happen for us. You have to trust me." Keetrix put his hand on Mandro's shoulder.

Mandro stared at him, his eyes fixed. Finally he responded.

"Why do I feel like the fly talking to the spider?" He asked.

"It's my undeniable charm and good looks." Keetrix responded with a smile. Slowly Mandro turned and walked cautiously toward his companion. Keetrix turned to pat him on the back as he strode alongside him.

Sometime later Mandro was hunched over a dataport at desk in an unoccupied cubicle. Keetrix stood near the doorway watching the hallway.

"This system is a little different." Mandro said, his brows furrowed. "Gonna take awhile."

Keetrix looked at Mandro briefly, then looked back toward the corridor. The two had ducked into an abandoned administrative area in search of a system console.

"What's a while?" Keetrix asked.

"Can't rush genius." Mandro responded.

Small groups of people walked by in the corridor. Several times Mandro felt his pulse quicken, but none even saw the two men, let alone ventured toward them. They began to feel confident their stolen jumpsuits would fit in well in this area.

"OK," Mandro said. "I think I'm onto something."

"What's that?"

"Well, I've found this flagship's data files. Look's like this flagship is going to lead a convoy of cargo vessels on a little jaunt back toward the inner planetary rings." Mandro explained looking over the files.

"Perfect!" Keetrix quipped. "I can't wait to get out of this forsaken hole."

Keetrix walked toward Mandro. "I suppose we ought to think of trying to find a place to sleep."

"I have an idea for getting us into a room." He said, putting his hand to his chin. "It's a bit thin, but it's always worked for me in the past."

"I'm way ahead of you." Mandro said, wiping his eyes. "Judging by the manifest, I'd say that there's a fair amount of passengers on board. It looks I can get access to the room database. I've found a number of rooms that are blocked out but seem to be unoccupied."

"Perfect," Keetrix clapped. "Now can you get a copy of the room service menu?"

"Let's just see if we can get in the room, first." Mandro said. "I'm going to mark several of these as occupied. But we'll still have to find someone to let us into a room."

"Well, that's the easy part." Keetrix said. "If there's passengers, there's got to be staff. I've never met a staff yet I couldn't bluff."

"Yeah, just don't forget, Mr. 'undeniable charm and good looks' that you look like you've been run over by a mining truck, and you smell like the inside of my boot." Mandro chuckled, crossing his arms.

Within the hour, the two were sitting in a passenger cabin several decks up.

"I don't believe she fell for it." Mandro said.

"The most believable stories are just wild enough to be beyond fabrication." Keetrix said.

"You're beyond fabrication." Mandro shook his head.

The room was small, but clean. There was a sparsely decorated front area with a long low couch. Two rooms adjoined the front area. One contained two beds and the other a bathroom.

"I think I'm going to take a two-week shower." Keetrix said, leaning back on the bed, his arms folded behind his head.

"That might be enough for your outer layer of grime." Mandro said, taking off his boots. "He began to feel the tension ebb as he sat down on the end of the bed. He still didn't dare to believe it could be true, that he could be away from the slave mines. So many times he'd imagined it, and finally it had come to pass. He shuddered as he remembered how the nightmare had started. He recalled as he had many times before, his vessel being boarded. The skeleton crew being escorted into a shuttle. He recalled believing the explanation he was to be returned to the nearest docking station. Finally, he remembered his horror when he realized he'd been brought to a slave mining colony. He'd given up hope so many times. But finally, today, he could feel hope rising up within him.

"I don't suppose you've put any thought into how to get some food." Mandro said, looking over toward Keetrix. He stopped as he saw his companion, now fast asleep.

CHAPTER 5 --------------------------------------------------------------------

Sometime later Mandro awoke with a start. The memories of the last week and his new freedom rushed into his head and he fell back on the bed, content. His thoughts soon turned to Keetrix. He got up and looked through the small chamber for him. A cold finger of fear began to creep in his heart as he realized Keetrix was not in the room. He felt an urge to go find him and stop him from whatever ridiculous scheme he was initiating.

Mandro began to examine their new quarters. He'd not had an opportunity to examine it in any detail the previous evening. Although sparse, it would suit them well. He sat for several moments sprawled across the couch. It amused him to consider these objects that now surrounded him for his comfort. A cushion, a fan, a piece of art. How many times he'd ignored or discarded these small comforts. Now he was keenly aware of each of them. His reverie was broken by the door being thrown open.

His heart sunk as Keetrix strode in. His freshly shaved face burst out from the hood of an extravagent gown. Mandro gasped and stared mutely at him, with his mouth agape.

"Welcome, my friend, back to life!" Keetrix boomed with a sweeping motion of his hand. "Come taste, and remember the plentiful bounty of life."

"What are you doing?!!" Mandro cried. "You call that melting in? You look like a cross between a terrellian monk and a laser-stage singer."

"My friend, you may be asking yourself: 'how can one man be so lucky?' but really it's you who are lucky!". Keetrix spun quickly throwing his robe out in a flourish.

"A typical escapee from a slave colony might subsist on bread crumbs and shoe leather, but not us my friend. I have just arranged for our first real meal outside of the confines of our slave galley." Keetrix tilted his head and suppressed a grin. "And this will be no ordinary meal. I have secured seats for you and I at the Captain's Feast, featuring tables full of delicacies from across the galaxy carefully obtained and prepared for our culinary pleasure." Keetrix paused, running his hand over his furrowed brow. "Although I don't think they'll let you in in those coveralls. We have GOT to get you some new threads. But never fear my friend. Your old pal Keetrix wouldn't forget about his pal Mandro. So I've got you some dinner threads right here!" Keetrix reached inside his robe and pulled out a small bundle. He laid it across his arm, letting the colorful fabric fall open.

Mandro's jaw fell open extending his stunned face. "Captain's Feast?!! Are you joking??!! Do you even know the definition of 'low profile'?" Reflexively he stood up, his hand over his mouth. "I'm not coming! You're insane!" Mandro stared at Keetrix. "You know what?" He continued. "Do me a favor. When they come to arrest you, and they ask about me...Tell them I was killed in the escape. Because you WILL get caught, you know. Why don't you just walk in naked? I doubt it will create any more of a sensation than that ludicrous outfit!"

"Mandro. Listen to me." Keetrix stepped toward Mandro. "This is what I do. I know people. This is not a problem. You've got to remember, the average person is too worried about how YOU percieve THEM to think about you. The secret to being above suspicion is to be confident, to be bold."

"I'm not going." Mandro folded his arms.

"Suit yourself. There's some soap in the shower. That should hold you over until breakfast."

"I'm not going." Mandro repeated.

Two hours later, the two men entered the hallway. Mandro stared down at his clothes. The word 'costume' came to his mind.

"I can't believe I'm doing this." Mandro whispered.

"You look fabulous."

"I look like a Ketarian Dancer." Mandro hissed.

"Trust me, you don't have the legs for that!"

"Shouldn't we have some sort of false names or something?" Mandro asked.

"Oh yeah. I almost forgot. Here's your name badge" Keetrix reached in his pocket and handed the small metal shape to Mandro.

"Bucky Stargazer?!! Bucky Stargazer?!!!! What? Is that supposed to be my name? Nobody's going to buy that. I can't believe this."

"It's all I could come up with on short notice." Keetrix explained.

"What?! I thought you were supposed to be good at this. I thought this was your thing. Bucky Stargazer? Jeez, I'm not a person, I'm some sort of a space action hero! This is NOT going to work!" Mandro's face sank into his hands.

"Don't be so negative." Keetrix gestured.

"We're dead."

"Speak for yourself" Keetrix said, turning toward a large set of double doors.

"Before they drag me back to the slave mines, I WILL kill you." Mandro said, following.

"Mandro, no one's going back to the slave mines. No one will even look at your name badge, stop worrying so much." Keetrix put his hand on the door handle.

Moments later the two men entered an enormous room. Elegant tables formed a square around the edges of the room. People stood in small groups in the center area, talking and taking sparkling glasses from the uniformed men walking through the room. The guests were elegantly dressed. As they looked over the crowd they noticed a number of military and government uniforms. Closer scrutiny showed a number of creatures from many races and from a wide array of planets.

Mandro scanned the room nervously, overcoming his impulse to bolt back to the safety of their room.

"Just remember" Keetrix leaned toward him. "They are just as worried about how they are percieved as you are."

"How can you know that?" Mandro spun toward him.

"Simple," Keetrix shrugged. "This is obviously a party of has-beens and wanna-bes. Never have I seen such a collection of kiss-ups!"

"I think you might need to revise your assessment." Mandro said, re-adjusting his robe. "Over there is General Vartismo, probably the greatest General in the fleet. I wouldn't exactly call him a wanna-be."

Keetrix stopped in mid-stride, the cavalier grin fading from his face.

"Oh and look, that's Basteur de Katarra, head of Bio-Com, one of the largest technology corporations in the Galaxy. And I believe that's Minister Dakra and his entourage." Mandro's sarcastic tone slowly sunk to shock and ultimately fear.

"Hmmm... maybe we should get out of here." Keetrix stated.

"I'm already leaving." Mandro said.

Before the two could complete their turn, a thin lithe figure strode between them and hooked her wiry arms through their elbows.

"Finally, someone to spice up this boring evening! You two are coming directly to my table and I won't take no for an answer!"

CHAPTER 6 --------------------------------------------------------------------

The two men turned in surprise to face their new captor. She was strikingly beautiful. Long auburn hair flowed around her tall neck. Her smile was friendly and danced on her bright face. She wore a deep cobalt blue gown that was perfectly cut for her slender graceful body.

They walked on in stunned silence.

"Oh don't tell me you two are the refined, quiet type. I'm not falling for that. Anyone who would wear an outfit like that must be either blind or ...how shall we say...a little 'livlier' than most." She offered a wry smile and began to pull the two men toward the tables on the far edge of the hall.

"Certainly, my lady." Keetrix recovered. "You will have to pardon us, we were momentarily stunned by your breath-taking beauty. My friend and I like to consider ourselves somewhat 'lively' creatures. And we would be glad to accompany you to your table, for the chance to spend an evening in your lovely presence." Keetrix finished his speech with a flourish and a bow. Mandro stared horrified. The woman chuckled, her eyebrows raised in an expression of disbelief.

"And what are you lively creatures' names? and where are you from?" She asked, now looking at Keetrix.

"I am called Tuliano! and this is my associate Bucky Stargazer." Keetrix said with conviction. Mandro felt the blood leave his head and the room began to spin. "and what pray tell is your name, my lovely creature?" Keetrix continued.

"You can call me Shianna." She said. "And what is it you are doing aboard this convoy?"

"Mr Stargazer and I are adventurers. And we are currently... how shall I say... unattached!" Keetrix said.

"Oh how exciting!" Shianna said. "You'll have to tell us all about your adventures." The trio had now arrived, to the mild amusement of Keetrix, and the horror of Mandro, at the head table. Sitting at the center of the far wall, The table was long and sleek. The surface was made of a hard stone, polished to a mirrored finish. The places were set with incredibly opulent settings and dishes. The table was decorated to perfection, every dish a work of art. The guests surrounding the table gave an air of sophistication born from a life of plenty. These men and women were no stranger to the finer things.

Mandro recalled that it had been three years since he had even eaten off a plate. His mind spun and he felt he was watching himself from afar as he sat in the chair that the uniformed man held out for him. He slowly sat, as if in a trance. All other sounds sounded distant. He could barely hear Keetrix' voice and the laughter of the table.

"You'll have to pardon my associate, he's not feeling well. He's been a bit under the weather since we were attacked by that Guantro Worm Lizard." Keetrix said, taking a sip from the crystal goblet in front of him.

"Were you just in Guantro?" asked a distinguished looking man with a long furrowed brow. "I thought the Guantro Worm Lizards were extinct?"

"Uhh...Well, you just gotta know where to look." Keetrix said, anxious to change the subject. "So, can anyone tell me where the next port of call is?"

"Well, we should let the Captain Nilsaur answer that." came the response. All gazes fixed on the large man sitting at the center of the table. Feeling their gaze, he set down his glass and spoke in a low resonant voice.

"Well, we hope to be in the Kitarian System by next week. Normally we'd be there sooner, but we' re taking some slower, safer routes." Keetrix regarded the captain as he spoke, taking in the immaculately tailored uniform. His sleeves bore five stripes, indicating the rank of Captain.

"So, Tuliano, tell us about your adventures, or misadventures as Mr. Stargazer may call them." Shianna said playfully.

Mandro's breath came in short gasps. His heart pounded in his ears. The voices began to fade out. He stared dejectedly into the goblet before him.

Sometime later he was jerked back to reality by a raucaus laugh from around the table. Then Keetrix' voice: "...and to this day I don't think the Duke knows what happened to his ship!" Keetrix quipped, throwing a nut into his mouth. Once more laughter filled the table.

"Oh here you are!" Shianna piped up. "We didn't know when you were going to make it." She looked toward a man striding confidently toward the table.

"Sorry dear," the man kissed her lightly on the cheek. "There's been a disturbance on one of our mining outposts."

"You'll have to excuse my husband." Shianna continued "As the head of a large mining concern, he finds it difficult to extricate himself from his duties."

"And which mining corporation is that?" Keetrix queried, scooping more nuts.

"Silvanus Mineral Works" was the reply.

"Not the Silvanus that operates those wretched slave colonies?!" Keetrix said, his lips drawn into a tight line. Mandro felt his throat begin to constrict. An uncomfortable silence fell over the table.

"That's just a nasty rumor. All of our mining outposts have been totally certified by the appropriate government agencies." The man, now sitting, returned Keetrix' cold stare. The tension became palpable.

"Allow me to introduce you two. My dear, this is Tuliano, and his fellow adventurer Bucky Stargazer. He was just delighting us with some stories of their recent adventures. Tuliano, this is my husband Brockworth Silvanus." The tension ebbed away as Shianna's friendly smile appeared. Mandro slumped in his chair, resigned only to await his fate.

"Thank you dear." Brockworth Silvanus patted her slim hand. "I'm afraid we're going to have to make room for one more, however, my Chief of Security will be joining us as well. I'm afraid he and I need to discuss an unfortunate situation that has developed at one of our outposts." Mandro was afraid to look as he heard the footsteps of another person approaching their table. Finally, convinced things couldn't possibly get worse he looked up, and knew at once that his life was cursed. He recognized the unmistakable chiseled square jaw and deep cut eyes of the Security Chief or 'Overlord' of Silvanus Mineral Works. Many times he had seen the man on his visits to the slave mines. His visits were marked by heightened work loads and new heights of cruelty from the guards. Many times he'd stared at those evil eyes from afar and wondered about the legend that surrounded the man. Mandro closed his eyes and calmly waited for the laser burst to pierce his chest. It never came.

"Well, Brockworth, what's the nature of the situation?" asked a stocky man in the uniform of a government official.

"Well, Senator, you see, we use specially bred creatures to work in our mines. The mining fumes are too unhealthy for people, so we use a number of creatures for mining. They are unintelligent and difficult to train, but can live 4-5 times longer than a normal person in that environment. Well, it seems two of the brutes escaped last week. We've been having a very difficult time finding them." Silvanus placed his napkin in his lap as a plate was placed in front of him.

"Maybe they died in that stench pot you call a mine." Keetrix snarled. The Security Chief's head snapped up. Recognition flashed in his eyes, narrowing down to slits. For a moment, it seemed the Security Chief was going to say something to Silvanus, but instead he leaned forward, a smile curling his lips.

"The dumb creatures can never hide for long, they are not intelligent enough to hide their trail." The Security Chief intoned.

Just them an alarm blared through the hall. The room became engulfed in chaos. There was a rush of running feet, soldiers moving briskly. Captain Nilsaur was listening intently to his comLink, his face alert but calm. He nodded grimly and said "Patch me through for a general announcement".

Rising to his feet the captain addressed the room. Speaking through his comLink, his voice filled the hall and was simultaneously transmitted into every room and hallway on the ship. "Ladies and Gentlemen. This is Captain Nilsaur speaking. I'm afraid that moments ago our convoy was attacked by a small band of space pirates. You don't need to fear, our escort force should be able to dispatch them momentarily, but I'm afraid I must ask all ship's personnel to report to their stations, and all others to be confined to their cabins. We do not expect this to last long, and we apologize for any inconveniences." The captain clicked off his comLink, and strode quickly toward the door, followed by a growing group of uniformed personnel.

The excited buzzing of the crowd quickly rose to a roar. Mandro felt a strong grip pulling sharply on his arm. Already deciding he wouldn't put up a struggle he calmly rose to face his fate. He was startled to find Keetrix pulling him toward the exit.

"Come on, we've got to get out of here!" Keetrix tugged. Mandro looked toward Silvanus and the Security Chief. They were nowhere in sight. A wave of relief washed over him.

"I'm never letting you out of the room again." Mandro said through clenched teeth. "I'm tying you to the bed until we reach port. I'm not joking."

"Well, I might have overplayed our hand just a bit back there, but all's well that ends well, right?" Keetrix said as the two ducked through the door and into the hall.

"Look, your life is going to end quite soon, and not well if you open your mouth one more time." Mandro said gripping his fists. "You know he recognized us!" Keetrix was already down the hall and out of earshot.

Turning the corner they came to the hallway containing their room. The hall was still full of guests nervously headed toward their rooms. Keetrix reached into his pocket and slid his room card over the key pad. The door opened with a hiss.

"Mandro, my friend, one thing you will have to learn is that I have an instinct for these situations. I always land on my feet. Stick with me and you'll be home free."

The shock of what they saw slammed them like a body blow. The door of the room clicked shut behind them, and someone switched the lights on to reveal 6 shock troopers in their room, guns drawn. Out of the bathroom came the security cheif, holding the two stolen interGal ID badges.

"It seems my friends, that you will be home, but definitely not free. I take your escape as a personal mark on my record. I intend to make an example of you to all our slave colonies." He paced in front of the two men, hands clasped behind his back. "I'll have to put some thought into how it's to be done. If I do it right your story will spread like legend throughout all the mining outposts."

He strode up to Keetrix, staring into his face. "Sergeant! Take these two men to a holding cell. When this lockdown is over, send them on a one-way trip back to the slave mines." The two men were lead out of the room and down the hall. The numbing shock begain to set in as they walked. Each step they took was a step closer to the mines. Mandro fought for control over his fears. He stared at the laser pistol in the holster of the man in front of him. The pistol butt rocked back and forth as the man walked. Mandro knew he could never go back. He could not be taken alive. He could feel the fear rising up in him, filling him.

"Don't even think about it!" came a voice from behind him. He felt the tip of a gun jabbed brusquely into his ribs.

The two prisoners walked on until they came to a large double door that lead into a series of offices and rooms. Down a flight of stairs to a storage area. The dimly lit area was empty except for a number of large crates in one corner. The group proceeded along one wall until they came to a room with a metal door. The door had a small crate at the top. The sergeant pressed a sequence of buttons on his wristLink and held his wrist over the keypad beside the door. There was a dull click of a lock opening. The door was pulled open, and the two men shoved in. The door slammed behind them and the lock clicked into place, echoing in the small room.

"Don't say it." Keetrix whispered.