The Juggernaut (Juggernaut #1)

Prologue part 1

Tila Vasquez ran through the gleaming corridors of the brand new colony ship Rising Star with the intense focus and careless abandon that only an eight-year-old girl can muster.

The one-eyed head of her stuffed bear, along for the ride, rocked back and forth with every footstep. Its threadbare mouth fixed in a perpetually bemused expression.

Tila danced between adult legs which were a forest of sharply pressed uniforms, crisp and spotless. A sparse canopy of clipboards and portable computers shielded her from the twin tracks of lighting recessed into the ceiling as she ran on toward the bridge.

Near an elevator, she waited for adults to press the call button, and pretended she was there for something else. When the car arrived, and busy, distracted officers shuffled in and out, she snuck in and rode the car to the bridge level.

Success!

This particular elevator did not open directly onto the bridge. When the doors parted and the crew disembarked, Tila stood alone in the middle of the square floor. She walked to the door and peeked left. All clear. She peeked right and came face to face with a uniform. She followed the buttons of the shirt up to the face of a Rising Star's security officer.

'Hi?' said Tila.

He folded his arms and waited.

She considered her options. They were few and she was small, but she had one powerful weapon which never failed. Tila smiled her biggest, warmest smile and gave him a little wave. Thinking this might help her case, she raised the toy bear and wiggled a stuffed arm so the bear waved too.

'Hello again, Tila,' he said.

It always worked on her father, anyway. Her mother seemed to be immune to it. Tila leaned sideways to look past him. Behind him were the bridge doors.

'I still can't let you in, you know that.'

'I want to see,' she pleaded. Maybe pity would work? She pouted and made a sad face.

'I'm sorry Tila, no. I can't let you through that door.'

"My mother is in there. You have to let me in."

"I know who your mother is, and that's exactly why I can't let you in."

The bear stopped waving.

'Everyone tells me no,' she grumbled.

'That's something you're going to have to get used to.'

'I'll be quick! I won't make a noise,' Tila promised.

'No, Tila. You are not getting on this bridge through that door.' He pointed at the elevator, backed her into it, and pressed a button.

He watched the doors close on a grumpy, determined little face, and held in a smile. He had been on the ship long enough to get to know this child and her family, but this was a critical time, and she was not getting past him today.

Tila glared at the guard as the doors closed to separate them. He had his duties to perform, but he clearly didn't understand she needed to be on the bridge . Grown ups never understood what was important.

"One day I'll be big enough to make you let me in," she grumbled to herself.

They were never careful with their words either. He had been clear she wasn't getting on the bridge through the door he guarded. He thought that was a statement of fact; Unassailable, immovable, concrete.

Tila heard the words differently. They were a challenge. Getting through that particular door wasn't the real goal. The real goal was to get on to the bridge, and there was more than one way in.