The Celestial Way

Chapter 2 - Waylaid

CHAPTER 2 – WAYLAID

"I remember the old days of astral piracy, during the golden age of colonization. Back then, still young and adventurous, I had a short stint among a crew of suhn-scum. We didn't pick our targets; convoys, free traders, even military – we could handle anything, as long as we played smart and stayed focused.

There was only one thing we feared – dragons. If one ever showed up, we would always do two things: space out like the void, and pray the FTL would spool up before those terrors caught us."

– Shonjo Tsunami, "Memories from the Crusades", Datalinks

998 RE, a month later, on final approach to Terra Para, Ascendancy System

Airo gazed numbly at the glass in his hand.

Then he tossed its contents straight into his throat.

He sat in a small, plain room which was his personal quarters. There was little furniture, and even less decoration. Before him was an utilitarian desk equipped with a hologram-haptic interface screen. The entire projected surface of the screen was occupied by a single picture.

He stared at the picture for a long time. He lifted his glass again and realized it was empty. He reached for the tall angular bottle sitting on the desk. Empty, too. Airo frowned and twirled the glass, then put it top-down. He took the bottle and went to the nanofabricator in the corner of the room. He jammed the start icon on the HHI and the readied program brought the advanced device to life. He yanked the bottle without waiting it to fill completely, dark-green liquid spilling on the floor.

Then he took a deep draught.

His thoughts swam. He collapsed back in theadjustable hover chair. His emotions intensified, rather than subside. Anger flared in his chest, and tears threatened to further cloud his vision. He bit them back with asnarl, unwilling to show them to the world, refusing to admit them to himself.

Seven hundred and fifty-two years.

That was how long he had spent in cryostasis. The galaxy had moved on. Ages had come and gone, and though people had access to practical immortality today, as he understood it, they had very little regard for the past. His eyes once more turned upon the picture on the screen. He nearly wept again.

He had no desire to be here. It was only a moment of weakness, basic self-preservation which brought him here, and made him accept this meaningless task. Here he was, on a starship en route to a planet he had never heard of, alone and surrounded by technological marvels that were nothing like their crude forefathers seven centuries ago, one absurdly simple, straightforward mission away from freedom.

He didn't care.

The galaxy held nothing for him. He was empty, save for a deep, aimless anger, which slept inside him like a beast hibernating away the dark winter nights. Only in this case, the sun had gone out.

Forever.

The starship's intercom chimed softly. An artificial voice echoed amiably over the speakers.

"Yeoman Cloud reporting in, Commander. You are invited to the bridge in your official capacity as captain."

"What for?" Airo snapped.

"We are on final approach to the planet Terra Para. The starship captain's presence is required as part of standard protocol."

Airo closed his eyes and sighed. "All right, coming," he said.