System

5. Pursuit through Eternity

The USS Grim Defender hung in deep space like a plastic model on strings. Its huge white hull gleamed in the starlight and three curvaceous engine pods throbbed with power. Windows flickered as the crew moved around onboard while several gun turrets swivelled.

Somewhere inside the ship, two men were beginning to regain consciousness.

They were both lying on a floor marked by glowing blue circles. The shorter of the two was wearing a simple blue outfit with shiny leather boots. He pushed himself from the floor and looked around warily, checked his watch, nodded and then crawled over to his companion.

'Wake up,' he hissed. 'I don't know where we are, but I don't think it will be safe for long.'

The second man was taller and had brown hair. He was wearing a similar outfit which was the same colour as his hair. He pushed himself upright and looked down at his hands.

'What happened to me?' he said in confusion as he turned his hands over and felt his face carefully.

'What?' grunted his companion as he stood up.

They were in a hexagonal room with a control desk on one side and a raised section of floor in the middle. There were glowing circles beneath them and more on the ceiling. The dark-haired man stepped from the platform and examined the control desk. There were a number of colourful buttons and sliders which obviously performed some mysterious purpose.

He nodded to himself again.

'My skin,' said the other man in bemusement as he levered himself upright. 'What happened to it.'

The shorter man looked back at him with a thoughtful look on his face.

'This is going to be difficult for you,' he said slowly. 'How much do you remember?'

The taller man stood slowly and looked around.

'I remember a storm,' he said after a pause. 'You dragged me across the road, and then...'

He trailed off and seemed lost.

'How much do you remember from before?' the shorter man insisted.

'I remember my home, the sea, the beach... my wife... Where are we?'

The other man made a face and shrugged.

'I really don't know,' he said in a resigned tone. 'Some kind of holding space, I guess, but it won't be secure. We'll need to move on quickly.'

He started examining the controls again.

'What I am worried about, is your memory. I had hoped it would all come back when you took the locket... Are you sure you don't remember anything more. Can you remember your name?'

The taller man seemed confused.

'I'm...' he began and then looked frightened. 'I'm not sure. It never seemed to matter before...'

The other man shook his head.

'That's not good,' he said. 'Not good at all.'

'You came to... rescue me?'

'That was the general idea, yes.'

'So you must know,' the taller man said hopefully. 'Who am I? Where did I come from?'

The dark haired man laughed a deep and genuine laugh.

'Now that would be a long story...' he said in amusement. 'But I'm really sorry, I don't know any more than you do. I've got facts in my head... and I somehow know what I'm supposed to do... but that's about it.'