Fantasy Vs Reality | The Tear

13: Space Pirates

I got myself up off the ground, as the spaceship settled back down. I headed for my door but the ship lurched once again. I stumbled and fell into the wall gasping. I launched for the door, quickly scanning my hand as it shot open. Everyone was scurrying about and yelling and shouting over the sound of the alarm blaring. This time it was Elva on the intercom.

"Attention everyone! Do not panic! Get to your stations immediately! This is not a drill!"

I dashed down the hallway, heart pounding out of my chest. I'd never ran before in this body, and it felt strangely easy. My long legs stretched out and I made huge distances across the metal hallways and corridors. Of skidded as I took a sharp turn and eventually made it to the gun room where I had talked to Fifi just hours before.

Fifi was charging up the guns. "Pirates!" She yelled turning to face me. "Quick! Get on this gun! It's charged, shoot as many of them as you can! We can't let them board the ship! I'll man the missile cannon while you man this laser cannon!"

I tried not to think about the fact I was going to be... killing anyone. This was a manner of life or death at this point and I had to just think of this like a video game... like the ones Sam always played and let me have a hand at...

Good thing I had some "practice" and the short lesson with Fifi.

I pulled a helmet onto my head and leaped into the seat, trying to remember what buttons did what in the gun. After a few moments I began to recognize what the different buttons were for. After the turret gave me the okay, I grabbed the handles of the turret and put my hands on the triggers on the backs of the handles, ready to fire from the two canons above my head. I pulled the handles on the turret to turn myself up and down, or right and left. I looked through the scopes on front of me and aimed as best as I could at the tiny ships circling around the ship. I pressed a button, firing a purple laser out of the gun. The laser tracked the small ship and I felt a shudder go down my spine as it veered closer and closer to the small craft.

The laser struck it and I heard Fifi cheer. "Nice shot!"

I leaned forward, squinting my eyes, realizing that it would be easier with a pair of goggles. Fifi must've realized that at the same time, because she called over to me while she was in another one of the guns. "The goggles are to your left! Quick!"

I looked to my left and quickly grabbed a pair of goggles that had yellow lenses. I jammed them on my head and looked through the scope once again. It was much easier now. The small spaceships stood out to me much easier against the darkness of space. 

Each time I shot, I had the auto aim to thank. Because once I locked onto a ship, I would shoot, slowly learning how to get more accurate with each hit. Each time I felt my anxiety growing more intense. I was killing people...

I was a murderer...

I felt tears started to sting at my eyes when I could hear a growing noise from around the ship.

"They're retreating!" I heard Fifi yell, and the echo of cheering echoed around the spaceship, a strange feeling came over me and I didn't feel like cheering at all. I had killed several people... I couldn't...

Elva came over the intercom.

"Hold you're ground! We can't be too..." Her voice trailed off as I covered my mouth. A huge ship, about four times the size of our ship shot into existence in front of us. 

The ship went deathly silent.

"Dear stars of Hava..." I heard Marcus say a ways away from the speaker. I could hear Elva's voice quiver as she asked quietly what to do.