Shade – Year One {Complete}23:51 Dec 14 2014
Times Read: 459
Shade – Year One
Introduction:
WKD965 possessed an advanced propulsion system, had stasis pods and pulse canons for and aft. It even had mattrans capabilities, thanks to the acquisition of a prototype model, from a battlecruiser, found just inside the ring of small steroids that acted as a shield, to the larger ships that might want to enter the Outer Fringe.
It was a freighter like no other, using prototypes of several systems yet to be rolled out, such was the enterprise of the ships former captain, Jason Tolliver. The mattrans had been his protégé’s acquisition.
Since Tolliver’s death the ship had a new owner, but no name itself. It had lost that when its captain had died.
Already a good shot with a pulse rifle, through his days in the military, Shade had inherited an antique revolver, a .357 long barrel Magnum, with stopping power that could shatter the armour of a corporate marine at fifty paces, prior to taking out what was left with a cross-headed bullet. The times he’d seen the gun in used, Shade knew that the weapon met its reputation.
The gun, his long dust-coat, blue-jeans and boots had all belonged to ‘The Captain’ and now, they were his…
*
The Journey Continues…
Chapter One
The Ship with No-Name had pulled into dock at Taelos slowly. Already its pilot had gained a new name, Shade. Borne of conflict, this taciturn young man piloted the small starship that few either side of The Fringe could match; so being able to travel where few others could, Shade found freight to carry easily. It did help that the young man had a policy of ‘no questions asked’.
That policy helped a great deal, especially out on The Fringe and away from the Law of The Corporate Powers; those who considered themselves the Masters Of Space.
They knew little and, out on The Fringe, they knew less still.
But Shade was of both worlds, a former soldier in the later corporate wars, the young man had seen the brutality meted out to the colonists and had relished the new start offered to him by his late mentor, who saved him and, taught him much.
Taelos was a place where many cultures met, each bringing with them their own food franchise and customs, some of which brought them into conflict with the old world, Earth. But, as was said many times, ‘what happens on Taelos, stays on Taelos.”
And Shade rested.
He had finally lain back alone on his bed, physically replete and mentally alert.
She had been experienced, yet feigned innocence better than most bargirls he had encountered. Yet in his room, the diminutive brunette had become a feral beast, whose energy had kept Shade awake for many hours, as he had hoped might happen.
One of The Brood, the brunette with green skin and a distinct lack of height kept Shade interested for several hours, while he waited for the elusive customer who had contacted him days earlier.
Now, Shade felt like he’d run a marathon and, the brunette had left him with a mark of sorts, that would last weeks, ‘If not a month, or so’, Shade thought with wry amusement, as he ran his right hand over his chest.
Shade closed his eyes, the hint of a smile teasing at the corners of his mouth.
“Kaira… Kira… yes Kaira, that was her name…” he finally recalled, almost quarter of an hour after she had left his room: after sitting astride him and carefully shaving his face the young, green-skinned brunette had looked to him, smiled and then, begun to shave either side of his chest, grazing his nipples as she had, causing untold and quite unexpected arousal.
“When you wear your coat later, you’ll think of me…” she had told him, with a playful smile, after her shower and, prior to donning his shirt.
“I’ve got to go…” Kaira had pronounced, with a toss of her hair, “And, your client will be seeing you, soon…”
And, Shade recalls how she had smiled at his frown and then said to him, “My Father wanted to know you were alone…
Puzzled by her remark Shade lay back and closed his eyes, “Ah great, a daddy’s girl!”
‘If she was telling the truth,’ he mused, ‘I could say that I made contact in a fashion.”
He recalled watching Kaira stand as he had opened one eyes and watched her slip into his shirt.
Then the green-skinned brunette had made her way to the door, her pert buttocks swaying in an exaggerated manner.
As she had passed the rude pinewood bureau, on which his clothes sat, Kaira allowed her fingers to drift across the rough leather on the inside of his long leather dustcoat.
Her hand on the doorknob, Kaira had turned round and said to him with a smile, “You might choose to stay shaven, once you’ve gone shirtless awhile…”
Saying that, she had dropped her bombshell and left his room, allowing the door to close itself…
Abruptly the doors comm. alerted Shade to new his visitor with a buzz, then a voice came through: “Egress sought. Message to be delivered to… Mister… Shade…”
Opening both eyes, Shade sat up and then swung round, to place his feet on the floor.
“Room One Zero One !” He called.
“Yes?” A voice replied, a vaguely mechanical female voice.
“Room,” Shade called out, “Show me who’s at the door.”
“Affirmative Sir…” the voice responded and a three-dimensional image formed before him in miniature, of his caller: a humanoid ‘droid; an old model, ‘perhaps ex-military.’ Shade mused, studying his visitor intently.
He was sure he knew the model, back from his days with the force. Yet, that was hardly of interest. What was of interest was that he had a visitor, when he did not expect one...
Chapter Two
Shade stood, groaning a little, from muscles still aching from the hours previous. He dressed quickly; slipping his gun between his lower back and jeans, then pulled his coat on.
Shade slipped his left hand into the left rear pocket of blue jeans, drawing the side of his coat in and back of his wrist, thus providing him with access to his weapon’s butt.
“Room One Zero One… Open door,” he called out.
“Affirmative sir,” the room responded and the door to his room hissed open.
The ‘droid turned to face Shade and, as it did so a pulse beam whispered its presence and, found its target, which brought the mechanoid to its knees before Shade, who looked on as the beam continued upward, ripping the ‘droid in two.
“The Commander wants to see you…” he heard it tell him, before its vocal chors were shredded by the beam, that now cut into the wall near Shade’s head.
“Well, I’m a tad busy,” Shade muttered, falling to the floor, his gun pointed toward where the beam emanated from.
He pulled the trigger and a bullet flew straight and true, ripping into the wall next to the shooters face, causing shards to fly and, as one found an eye, viscous bloody fluid erupted from the wound, causing the assassin to fall to her knees, clutching her face.
“My eye…” she heard her yell, as she directed her own weapon toward him, then fired once more.
The hard dark grey plasteen flooring near Shade’s heard scorched then black, as the beam neared his face, and he wrinkled his nose at the smell.
“Your eye, your eye…” he said dolefully; “it’s all about you…”
Shade rolled, extended his arm, aimed and fired.
His adversary screamed loudly, as the cross-head bullet entered her body then, split into four, shredding organs and ripping into flesh.
Releasing the weapon she held, the beam shut off immediately.
Shade stood and walked down the corridor, to where his assailant lay; motionless, bar shallow irregular breaths and, knuckles turned white as a pallid shaky hand clutched at a gaping maw into her gut, to hold her guts in.
He stood over her and studied her face.
“I know you. I’ve seen your posters. You’re wanted on most non-aligned worlds. What is that they called you? Oh yes…” he rasped, “The Fox? That was it…”
The Fox lay at his feet and she knew the end was near. Shade had seen many die in battle and seen wounds like hers, too many times.
“You’ll die slow, pretty lady…” he told her quietly. But, though distant, she heard.
“Unless…”
‘Unless?’ She heard that as well and, The Fox opened teary eyes to ask, “Will you make it fast then? If I beg?”
“Don’t have to beg,” Shade explained, “Just tell me who sent you and…”
There was a silence, a long silence, during which the dying woman realised how little she could stand the pain she felt.
“And, you’ll make it quick?” She asked.
“I will,” Shade assured.
“Arlo Timmorson…” The Fox whispered, then closed her eyes; content that the click she heard would be the last thing she heard. It was.
Chapter Three
Shade knew of Timmorson. The little man was a hoarder, an entrepreneur and, as far from honest as it was possible for one man to be. If he was involved then Shade felt that he needed to up his game.
“And…” he decided, “that means a visit to The Commander…”
‘Now, there was a fellow with a reputation,’ he mused, making his way down the corridor to the main lift, leading up to the control room and, the ancillary services.
“Lift open,” Shade said, as he stood before the double doors, that opened at his command: “Tis our pleasure, to serve,” it told him with a vaguely feminine mechanoid voice and, he scowled.
Shade did so dislike overly servile autoservices. Yet, they existed for his benefit, so they kept reminding him, each time that he used them and, it irritated.
“The Commander,” he instructed the lift.
“Certainly sir,” the lift acknowledged. And, as the acceleration began, Shade ran through a mental checklist of items of annoyance. “Nope,” he muttered, “other than the corpies, damn servile lifts are the worst…”
‘Corpies’ were anyone who worked for them, The Mighty Corporations. And having seen what The Corporations had done to the Universe, Shade feared what they’d do once through the Outer Fringe and then, beyond into whatever came next.
He feared it; yet at the same time, Shade knew that whatever they did, They made his world an interesting place to survive.
And suddenly the lift ceased moving: “Sir, your destination,” the lift told him, in it’s usual jovial manner.
“Thanks,” Shade muttered, on automatic.
“No thanks necessary,” the lift added as the doors opened, “I live to serve…”
Shade wanted to tell the lift it did not live, to serve, or anything else. But he did not, ‘after all,’ he mused with a light grin playing on his lips, ‘why upset it?’
Chapter Four
As Shade exited the lift he found himself in a large room, that adjoined the central control room. The décor was moderately ostentatious, but pleased Shade’s eye, as he had grown up amongst the grey of a colony world.
From the other side of the large room a deep sonorous voice came, “Where’s the droid I sent Shade?”
The voice came from the other side of a white plastic, high-backed swivel-chair, that Shade turned, to reveal a green head in a dome. The voice itself came from through a series of devices connected to the bell jar…
“Ah… I note you’re surprised…” the head told him.
“I guess surprised is a good word to use, under the circumstances. Did you know Abe Timmorsun tried to have me killed?” Shade asked.
Now it was the expression on the head in the inverted bell-jar to show surprise.
“I don’t know how he knew I wanted to employ you. And, my daughter kept you occupied from when you arrived till…”
Again Shade frowned…
“About that…” he muttered.
“Isn’t she just adorable?” The head said to Shade, then added; “As you’re here, you know who I am Mister Shade?”
“Just Shade will do. An yes, I know your rep in this sector of space. You are… or were, a big man… with fingers in many pies and, some corporate… ”
“Well then… Shade… you do know me… But, what you don’t know is that someone wants a particular contract and, they’re willing to hold my body to ransom, unless they get it…” The Commander explained.
“I carry freight, not fight someone else’s battles…” the young man explained, making to leave this ‘big man’, who had little to say, of interest to Shade.
“Wait, I just need someone to carry my daughter to Barnes World, where she’ll meet someone who might just have acquired my body, for me!”
Shade stopped.
“And, I get paid my rate times two, to do this?” Shade enquired, without turning.
“Oh yes,” The Commander assured him, enthusiastically.
Shade turned and, looked toward the head in the jar, on the seat.
“You sit there, I’ll ready the ship…” he mumbled, aware that Kaira had entered the room, from a doorway unseen. She still wore his shirt and, nothing else.
The brunette made her way across the room, to stand near her Father, a warm smile on her face…
“Soon Daddy,” she cooed, “It’ll all be alright soon…”
Watching her caress the top of the jar, Shade shook his head: ‘it promised to be an eventful journey’, he mused.
Chapter Five
Shade looked to the rear viewscreen, as Taolos receded into the distance.
“Have you set the coordinates I gave you?” Kaira asked Shade, from his old seat.
She still wore the shirt and had stretched her legs out to rest her heels on the edge of the control console. They were crossed at the ankles… and, ‘quite distracting’ Shade found, as he realised just how dry his mouth was..
He looked to the controls before him and concentrated at the task before him.
“Yes, that’s done…” he told his companion, wishing she had chosen to wear more.
The WKD695 possessed an impulse drive and a stellar drive, capable of speeds that were unparalleled by any, other than some of the top range Cruisers and, since the last war ended, they were few in number.
Yet, even with the drive he had, Shade would have Kaira’s company for several hours still to come. He needed distraction; otherwise business would be forgotten for the sake of… a pair of legs and, several hours of unbridled sweaty coupling…
‘Several hours?’ he mused, with a smile.
Shade shook his head.
“Okay Kaira, a point of curiosity, no more. What happened to your Father?” He asked
Wiping at an arrant strand of hair, she explained, “He woke like that…”
Again, Shade shook his head.
“No, it’s true…” Kaira assured him: “He was given a sedative and, woke up like that. It was only later that the messages came through, with instructions on what to do…”
“And that was…?” Shade queried, staring out the frontscreen, at the rapidly moving starfield.
“Contracts of free passage, for Timmorson and his cronies…” Kaira replied dully.
“Business, it’s all ‘just business’, The Captain used to mock them…” Shade told her, his dry mouth now less so, but now he needed more; now he wanted information.
“The Captain? Who’s that?” The brunette asked, looking to her wriggling toes.
Depressing a button with his right fore-finger, with all the effort possible, Shade avoided answering her question, by asking one of his own.
“Okay, so that’s the history,” Shade clarified, “now, why the meeting in a deserted sector of space?”
Casting her hands to the air, Kaira answered: “One of his competitors wants a very particular route for their freighters, to distribute their ‘product’…”
Shade’s interest was definitely piqued and prompted the young woman, “And?…”
“And as a sweetener, they acquired my Father’s body from Timmorsun…” Kaira explained slowly, still staring at her wriggling toes, to the Shade’s annoyance.
“Kind of them,” he muttered.
“Hardly!” the young woman retorted; “It was just good business practice. They want to bring Muse to The Fringe and, they see our trade-routes as the perfect avenue for doing so…”
Silence hung in the air, as Shade deliberated on what he had just heard.
“Muse, as in Musechip?” Shade queried, each word dragged from his past, which is where he’d rather have left the knowledge. Yet, truth be told, he could hardly forget, not when the distribution of an illegal batch of musechips had led to his guardians death: ‘Oh yes,’ Shade thought, frowning at the words musechip: he remembered them, all too well…
Its inventor had been Richard Trainer, his body old in a world of the young, for the young. He could have opted for rejuvenation, as the majority had; instead he had taken an extension, to see an end to the projects he had started.
The chip that the owner wore beneath their skin, located behind the left ear, had quickly grown in popularity with the young, who took to the device rapidly.
This chip connected the wearer to the whole and, all other users, while providing music to the wearers taste. These chip-users considered the few who did not use them Deadheads, while these same individuals considered the museheads as deadheads, as they found it hard to socialise and communicate away from other museheads.
All of that had been back then…
Like many of the newer technologies of the twenty-first century the muse-chip had at it’s core, a mineral only found in China; and when the mineral was gone, so were the technologies that had depended on it. And then fifty years earlier, Rueben Shield acquired a mine on Mars, from Shade’s eventual guardian and mentor, Jason Tolliver.
So it was he had amassed a small fortune thanks to his find of a particular mineral, previously thought to be found in China. But, that had not been enough for Shield.
He wanted power, over muse-users: and to do as he had wanted, the man needed the muse-chip redesigned, to suit his needs. So, a shipment of them had been acquired by Brood Mercs, then sold onto the WildRiders, working for him.
It had been then that Shade’ mentor had become involved, as The Brood Mercs had killed him, as they had made delivery of the consignment.
At that point Simone Knight, Detective First Class had become involved and the two young people helped by the late Captain Jason Tolliver finally met; Simone had solved the case and eventually Shade flew into the starlit sky, in his former protégé’s starfreighter and clothing, using them and Lifeskills taught to him, by the old man.
The Captain had taught Shade much. And, through his death, the young man had learnt a little of how the corporations could misuse anything, to suit their own avaricious needs.
And now, Shade sighed: he had had travelled all these miles, just to find himself back where it all began way back when someone decided to utilise the musechip for their own devices and, his captain had died.
“Yes,” then green-skinned brunette had answered his question, “ I do mean Muse, as in the Musechip… why, do you know of them? I mean, they were more an Earther thing, weren’t they”
Looking at Kaira beneath the brim of the hat he had chosen to wear, Shade grinned.
“Well, this promises to be interesting,” he muttered wryly.
Chapter Six
“I’ll help you get your Father’s body…” Shade explained to Kaira over a stiff drink, as the ship flew on automatic, “But there it ends… I can’t and won’t be a party to Musechips… noway Josė…”
They had retired to his cabin, to discuss his doubts regarding the whole enterprise, sitting on his bed, the one place to sit, in the small cabin.
Shade was emphatic and Kaira could sense he was not to be moved, though initially she tried several tricks in her own personal armoury. None of them had worked…
Shade was resolute. Yet, she still needed the spacers assistance…
“Okay, so you want nothing from the trade, will you help me with the recovery?” Kaira asked of him and watched as Shade poured from a bottle he told her was bequeathed to him by his former captain, Captain Tolliver...
She had watched as he drank one shot after another of the amber liquid.
Finally there was less than a fingers depth to the bottle’s contents and it was apparent to the young woman that Shade was the worse for wear.
“Oh-boy,” she muttered, as Shade head dropped forward and, his chin met his collar-bone, the hat brim covering his face…
Kaira stood and made her way to the cockpit, to verify the eta: it was soon.
Scowling, she turned away from the controls and stormed back towards Shades cabin.
Opening the door Kaira looked to Shade and she began to undress him…
Shade looked through slitted-eyes a little and told her ‘yes’, to which Kaira snarled “No, definitely not. But it is showertime, for you, I need you… sharp, alright?”
Shade opened his eyes, fully. He was not drunk, but wished he that he were: “Let me go Miss, I’m… fine. It takes more than that to get me… drunk… my Captain taught me…”
Shade was ashamed to let a woman see him like this, in a moment of weakness and, he shrugged her off, then pulled his coat back on…
Attempting a moment of levity, as he helped Kaira up from the floor, Shade found himself acknowledging, “You had been right.”
“How so?” she responded, accepting his help, to stand.
“I do kinda like the way my coat feels, here…” he told her, running his left hand over his left breast, grazing his nipple.
It garnered Shade the distraction he sought, “See,” Kaira told him smiling, “I did tell you that you’d like it, didn’t I?”
“Enough, enough… anymore of this and you won’t be able to turn in the corridor,” Shade reminded Kaira, as they re-entered the cockpit once more…
Chapter Seven
Moments, mere moments, after the pair had sat before the console, a small blip on a nearby screen indicated something to Shade that caused him to frown…
“There’s an anomaly at the co-ordinates you gave me…” He noted, to Kaira.
“What’s an anomaly?” She responded.
“Well,” he began, “in this case, it’s smaller than a ship and, seems to be human in shape… hang on, I’ll zoom in some more…”
Shade played with some dials, aware his every movement was under scrutiny.
“Whoa!” He exclaimed suddenly, causing his companion to worry even more than she had been, seconds prior.
“What does ‘Whoa!’ mean?” She asked, in a panicky voice.
“It means that there’s a space-suit floating at the co-ordinates, one that seems all legs, arms and body, but no head f’t helmet…” he explained, then turned his seat, to face Kaira, placing his hands on her knees.
“It also meant that there’s two cruiser-class ships in the vicinity, each with guns upon the suit it seems. So… if we go in, it’s boom-time for this old ship of mine…” Shade finished peaking and squeezed a little.
He was teasing, yet Kaira was not to know and, she was distraught.
“Whoa! C’mon smile…” Shade encouraged, standing and moving to the back of the cabin slowly: “It will be alright, y’know?”
Shade had a plan, but it was risky, as were many of his plans: but they usually worked. ‘And, those odds were enough,’ Shade mused walking to a wall, and sliding a panel aside, to reveal a small compartment, big enough for two to stand, if they had needed to. They would need to, if his plan worked.
“Okay,” Shade began as he took his seat once more, “now here’s the idea… and, it starts with you drying your tears…” he instructed.
As Kaira sniffed away at her tears, he added; “The ship’ll move in real close and, I’ll kinda reach out as we do. And then, when I shout ‘now’, you hit that button there, the red one with the slide there and, we go into stellar-drive…”
Shade tried a grin, it didn’t work too well, but Kaira got the idea: “Alright…?”
“Yes, I suppose…” She told him, looking up with a light smile and twinkling eyes.
Kaira finally had something to hold onto and, she thanked him, for that.
“Well, you suppose that and, I’ll suppose this… Ship?” Shade pronounced.
“Yes,” the ship responded. It was a feature that Shade rarely used. The reason for not using the ships internal computer was simple, it used his Captain’s first wife as the model for it’s voice and, Shade had not had the heart to change that.
“Ship, take me in to the suit as close as you can slowly…” he ordered, looking out the front viewscreen,, as what he’d seen earlier came nearer
“Affirmative, that will be done…” he was told, simply.
“Well, this should be interesting…” Shade muttered, as he stood once again, to make his way to where he’d been working moments earlier.
Chapter Eight
“Okay Kaira,” Shade called, “report to me what you see, as the ships moves in, alright?”
Drawing her feet down from the console, she swivelled her chair round, placed her elbows down and rested her chin on her palms, to peer out: “Uh huh… that all?”
“Yes,” he replied, “just keep your eyes well peeled.”
“Why not use the controls?” She asked.
“Well do you understand them?” He responded, working on some very specific settings.
“No…” she answered dully.
“Well then… you see what I mean?” Shade pointed out, satisfied he was ready.
“But you could use the ships computers, to scan the perimeters… couldn’t you?” Kaira quizzed, quite reasonably, she thought.
There was silence…
Ahead two ships began to converge on the suit, and a red light began to flash on the console, as a proximity alert.
Kaira began to panic.
“Shade!” She swivelled her chair round, no longer relaxed, now alert and seeking some form of reassurance: “Shade!” She called out again.
Kaira turned back to the viewscreen, watching as the ships neared further still, filled with an awful fascination, as lighting at the sides of each craft suggested that their weapons were arming.
Suddenly she put her hands to her face, as both ships fired dual weapons, to converge on the point were the suit had been…
Once again, Kaira turned toward where Shade had been, until his momentary disappearance, tears streaming down her face.
“I thought you were going to help…” She had been going to say, until she saw Shade standing in the cabin doorway, a spacesuit and it’s contents in his arms.
Putting her right hand to her open mouth, Kaira stared wide-eyed, in shocked surprise.
Shade rarely smiled: yet, this occasion was special, to him.
“You called my name?” ‘Mattrans are useful,’ he mused, noting Kaira’s expression.
And, the normally taciturn spacer tilted the brim of his Stetson back a little, to show his haggard face and, a broad grin.
“You… You… You…” She spluttered, behind her hand.
Then, as she continued to stare, Kaira missed what Shade saw.
Where the four beams of destructive energy met they formed into a blue and white ball, that rapidly expanded outward.
“Turn around Kaira,” Shade suggested, setting his cargo at his feet.
She did as he recommended and again, her mouth opened wide, then shut and opened again. Before them, the ball blew apart and, a sheet of white split across the stars, tearing both ships in apart.
“Ah, recall the button I spoke of?” Shade asked, hurriedly.
There was a pause, a small one but enough to still Shade’s heart for all of a second: he thought, as in slow motion, he watched the scene before him unfold. And…
Before them white swept through black and stars were extinguished.
“Remember my instructions!?!” He called, as Kaira stared in fascination.
And then, as if she suddenly heard his words, Kaira acted: and she did all that he had spoken of --- she literally hit ‘the red button there,’ with the palm of her right hand, the one next to the slide and, the starfreighter’s stellar-drive was engaged…
Abruptly time and space were one; as one acted as an access point for the other and, quickly, very quickly, Shade’s ship was journeying safely once more, in clear space.
Epilogue:
Shade wanted to relax and told his companion such. So they left what was before them, to seek something else, instead.
“You do realize that there’s probably little left in that sector of the system now?” Kaira asked Shade, as she straddled his chest, razor in hand.
He looked up from his bunk and mused on that.
“I know,” he muttered, “but your Father’s head and body can now be re-united, no contracts were made, or broken and, what’s better? No muse.”
“You really dislike that stuff, don’t you,” Kaira enquired, drawing the blade downward, removing suds from his face and wiping them onto a towel.
The ship was on automatic. The bottle was now empty and Kaira no longer wore his shirt, as Shade had lain back on his bed, sans coat.
Finally she finished her shave, much to Shade’s dismay, he had liked watching her breasts sway, as the blade swept his face clear of stubble.
“The chips had potential and, it was abused and people got rich and, my Captain got dead… yes, I don’t like that stuff,” Shade muttered, with whiskey-breath and, a desire to kill, or maim, every corpie to exist.
Kaira stroked his now smooth face and smiled a gently, disarming, very distracting smile, “So shall I finish the shave off, like I did the other day?”
Shade looked down, ‘It looked like she had.’ And, mentally kicking himself, he grinned sheepishly, before replying, “Yes, please…”
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