Her lungs and sides burned, suggesting she had been running for a very long time. However she hadn't moved. Her hands reached out in front of her and she felt a light wet substance touch her fingertips. Its surface was slippery, her eyes finally focused and discovered it was green and smooth looking with little veins running through its center. But the object fit into the palm of her hand.
She closed her hand around it and the flat object began to crinkle. Unable to pull it closer she focused on the wire coming out from the end of it. Somehow it was connected to a thick cord, producing several more of the same green objects. Blinking furiously the rest of the scene came into focus. The one cord she thought she saw, was thick and brown, it connected to more, and more and more. Each producing the same green objects.
She'd seen these things before when studying, Planet Life. They grew from the ground on their own and had no consistency, no programing.
Trees?
She focused again on the object in her hand, squeezing and flattening it, allowing it to slide between her fingers. She'd forgotten about her heavy breathing, until something grabbed her from behind, it threw her backward, and she sprawled out on the dirt -
Ari shot up, looking around wildly. Her eyes struggled to see through the black to the solid metal and plastic crates around her. She felt her duffel tucked beneath her head and with no light to support her, that is where her vision stopped. No trees. No dirt. Nothing that could relate to what she had just felt and dreamed.
Hovering her hand close to her face she rubbed her fingers together remembering the sensation. Though that's all it was, a remembrance which was quickly fading from her mind. Her fingers were dry, a bit chapped from the changing cabin pressure. Her heart, beat at its regular pace. All that could be heard was the jolting scrapes of the shuttle attaching to its destination port.
They'd arrived. She had made it to Midway.
Midway, was a tiny thing, floating in the middle of the sector. It served primarily as a transfer-station. Short-range shuttles connected to drop off passengers bound for further destinations, and long-range shuttles picked up those passengers. Most of the shuttles that launched from Meckam were sent by Midway and had now returned to their home.
Ari's fingers tapped the floor. Trevon had come to this port, and would have met up with a Military transport bound for Tirragen Station. Those transports had very specific schedules to keep, which meant there was little chance she would run into him.
Exactly as she planned.
The airlock door on the cargo bay gave a loud thunk as it connected to the port's cargo shaft. Ari didn't waste a minute. As she felt her way to the door she discovered that some of the cargo had shifted in flight blocking her previous route. With no security encryptions on the inside she easily unlatched the airlock. Strangely Ari had to push with all her might to make an opening large enough to poke her head out.
Peering down the extra large shaft, Ari suspected she only had a few minutes to make a clear getaway before workers came to unload the cargo.
Witnessing no signs of approaching workers, she squeezed through the small opening and turned to close the airlock behind her. She hadn't pushed the hatch more than an inch when a sudden pinch as her arm was twisted behind her back. A small yelp escaped her throat but the angle made it impossible to pull away or see her capture. All that was visible was the large blackened and calloused fingers holding her firmly in place.
"Security to cargo shaft B6," a gruff accented voice stated directly following the sound of a comm being activated. "We have a stowaway."
Gritting through the pain Ari demanded he let her go, stomping as hard as she could on the set of boots behind her. Her ankle kinked when her heel connected with his standard issued metal toed boots, and he laughed at her failed attempt to inflict harm. Though Ari didn't have experience with someone his size she did have practice with certain escape tactics.
As the man laughed the tension in his grip relaxed. Ari stepped backward, with her thin frame she ducked her head under his armpit and then pulled his arm down along with hers. The most fleshy part of his arm came into reach and she bit down as hard as she could.
She'd never bit another human being before, though she'd been in many fights, she had never felt the need stoop that low. The skin tasted mostly of grease and salt. As she fought against a heavy gag reflex, she would not let go until his iron hold turned into a frantic attempt to push her away.
Ari flew backward. She landed on her backside before she rolled to her feet. Now on shaky legs she ran full speed down the corridor. Midway's schematics were very basic which gave Ari the confidence to round the corner at full speed. Spot a ventilation shaft large enough for her slide into.
She slammed into the grate, but was already pulling her stolen driver from her pocket. She jimmied one side of the cover open, slipped inside, secured the object and slipped back into the dark shadow, moments before the sound of boots approached.
They rushed past with no notice and quickly disappeared down the shaft. Ari had to swallow hard before she could manage to breathe again. But once she did, Ari sifted through her list of options. Midway was not a very big facility. Though, it was always busy with shuttles docking and passengers moving from one shuttle to the next, security was not as efficient as one might think. Often times checkpoints barely glanced up from there scanners to look any human beings in the eyes... at least that's what she'd been told.
Ari calculated if she could get to the crowded transfer lobbies surely she could maneuver herself to the private docking bays where her trusted pilot, Uncle Clint, would be waiting.
Though he hadn't responded to her message, in all Ari's life he had never missed an opportunity to see her.
"He'll be there," she whispered.
Taking note that the shaft was quiet. Ari pushed the ventilation cover quietly and slipped back out into the open. She shuffled down the shaft and rounded each corner with caution until one corner produced a long side ladder leading to the next three levels. It was definitely a taxing feat but no one would expect her to do it.
Boots on the rails, Ari headed up.
Up.
Up.
Three levels until she came to the final door. It took all her strength and a surprising amount of balance to lift the latch. Metal scraped against metal as she pushed creating an opening just large enough to slide through.
The corridor was dark and empty. She leaned against the cold metal door until it latched closed behind her. Taking a moment she caught her breath and wiped the sweat from her forehead. It was that moment she realized she was empty handed. Other than the driver she had in her coat pocked, her meager belongings and personal had been left on the ground where the worker had grabbed her.
"Oh well." She sighed. She'd never been attached to any belongings but she would miss would be her personal. It was her source of communication, but it wasn't like she couldn't get her hands on any other device and make it do what she wanted.
Faint sounds of passengers began to echo down the corridor. Ari tightened her boot strings, then headed down the corridor to find as many people as she could, before searching the dock postings for directions.
The sounds of the crowd intensified, and by the time she reached the end of the corridor she concluded she had come at the best time. All shuttles had unloaded and chaos ensued. People were moving quickly from one side to the other. The room opened into one large circular area, with several hallways funneling people into it. Screens buzzed above, providing dock numbers and destinations.
C.E Planets in one direction, other space stations, and secondary midway stations for those long distance travelers, such as Tirragen. And there it was, the connection hub for the Main Station Military outpost. Ari's feet moved before she realized it. She knew she wouldn't see her brother but to see lucky cadets venturing to the Academy, that was exciting enough.
Ari pushed around more people, tripped over rolling luggage and was nearly run over by a father and his twelve children. But soon she spotted the line to the Military Scan Panel.
The officer behind the panel was dressed in an official uniform. Dark grey pants and jacket over a black shirt. The jackets high neck spilt open in front, it had sharp creases and no pockets but it had two patches cresting the shoulders the crest intensifying the man's rank as, Corporal.
The passengers that approached him held their digital papers under the red light. The officer didn't watch the scan as it received a quick stamp of approval, he watched the faces of passengers. Making uncomfortable eye contact with as many that dared look at him. Very few returned his gaze.
Ari's eyes shifted away from the check point to a thick blue line painted on the floor. Behind it stood throngs of families waving good bye to their young cadets. Parents with sad and concerned expressions hidden behind masks of excitement. Something in Ari's chest tightened as she imagined Trevon walking through that crowd alone. Much like the boy that stood there now, bag at his side, ticket in his hand, green eyes watching the never ending line of cadets...
"Trevon?" Ari questioned.
It was him, his hair was more messy than it had been a few hours ago when she had hugged him goodbye. But there he was.
A bit taken aback she squeezed between two large people only to be blocked by several more.
"Trevon," she shouted, however the noise in the room echoed so intensely her voice failed to carry the distance. "A little closer."
She took a few more steps when a familiar hand wrapped around her bicep and pulled her back so roughly her head snapped downward before she turned and came face to face with two large Midway security officers.
The second officer clicked his radio, "Found stowaway two," He grumped in the same heavy accent she'd heard him use down in the cargo bay. "Bringing her in."
"Don't lose her this time. All other units continue search for Stowaway One remember she is considered highly dangerous." Came the response through the radio. The officer rolled his eyes and motioned for the second officer to help him.
Ari dug her heals into the floor. The traction on her boots had been worn thin but it managed to catch enough friction to fight against his pull. Twisting her body she could see Trevon pacing. His fingers ran through his messy hair but he didn't look in her direction.
"Trevon!" She shouted pulling against the large security men. He would save her. He always did. "TREVON! OVER HERE! I'M HERE!"
The second officer decided to help. He grabbed Ari's other arm and together the two men lifted her from the ground. Ari kicked out sideways, both directions, catching each offered in the legs, their padded uniforms left them unaffected.
Trevon fell farther and farther away, swallowed by the crowd of people.
He hadn't heard her.
He hadn't seen her.
After all that, Ari would have to wait for Uncle Clint to come get her.
CHAPTER END