Outcasts of Gideon

Dewey Buck : Part 3

The ship had been under thrust for over quarter of an hour when Dewey saw movement in the passenger cabin. Bobby was straining against his harness, apparently shouting. Dewey triggered the audio and found it was more like screaming. Reaching for his own harness, he unlocked it. Before he could stand, he had to kill the main engine. With it went the inertial gravity.

Floating free from his seat, he launched himself toward the hatch. The cabin below was alive with the sound of Bobby shrieking. Going down the ladder head first, Dewey pushed off toward Bobby's seat. The other passengers watched as he passed over them.

Dewey overshot the back row. Grabbing the top of a seat, he yanked himself back. With his free hand, he grabbed Bobby's arm. From there he climbed up to the man's shoulders. Bobby's eyes were tightly closed, his voice full-throated.

Dewey shook the screaming man. "Dude, I can't have you disturbin' the passengers," he said through clenched teeth. He held firm to his friend's shoulders as the screaming subsided. Bobby cracked one eye, peering around. As the other eye opened, his mouth closed.

Dewey turned his head around, acknowledging the others. "Everythin's under control, folks. Sorry for the noise." Turning his glare back to Bobby, he eased away.

The thin man raised his hands in surrender. Looking around at the other passengers, Bobby shrugged. "Just a bad dream."

Dewey felt the blood hot in his cheeks again. "He's right. A bad dream. We all have them sometimes." He glared at Bobby. "We're good now, though, right?"

Bobby nodded.

Turning, Dewey launched himself back toward the pilot's cabin. He'd nearly cleared the hatch when he felt a tug on his foot. Looking down, he found Bobby hanging onto the ladder. "Let go of me!" he shouted.

Bobby released him and followed him up, pushing the messenger pouch into the pilot's cabin. "Don't let me fall asleep."

Lowering himself into his seat, Dewey glowered. "You can't stay in here. I have to pilot the shuttle if you want to make it back to Pyro. We're already behind schedule."

"If I fall asleep, the dream will come back."

"You'll start screamin' again?"

Bobby held the messenger pouch out. Fumbling with it, he removed the cloth containing his mysterious artifact. The messenger pouch floated as he uncovered the object, being certain not to touch it.

"What the hell is it?" asked Dewey.

Bobby held it up, turning it around the way a child might hold up a trophy. "I have no idea."

Dewey turned toward the control panel. "I need to get this bucket movin' again."

"Would you keep it up here, with you?"

"Why?"

Bobby snatched the floating messenger pouch. He stuffed the artifact back inside. "If you have it up here, maybe it won't make me dream."

"Make you dream?"

"When I fall asleep, it makes me have this dream. Maybe it won't if it's with you." Bobby set the messenger pouch free. "But don't touch it!"

"Why would I touch it?"

"Don't! It talks to you if you touch it." Looking down at Dewey, he shook his head from side to side. "Don't touch it."

Without waiting for a response, Bobby backed down the ladder. When he was finally clear of the hatch, Dewey closed it behind him.

Alone, Dewey considered the messenger pouch, feeling the urge to reach for it. The comm from the passenger cabin was still open. He heard the surveyor shout. "Can we get going now?"

Dewey switched the passenger cabin feed to telemetry. As Bobby settled into his seat, Dewey triggered the main engine.

Six minutes into the burn, the shuttle's engines shut down. To make up time, Dewey would have to push them a little harder on the other side of the bubble. He switched on the intercom. "We've completed our thrust burn. Please relax and enjoy the zero gravity." Switching the intercom off, he settled into his chair, closing his eyes to the silence.