Tag: Sci-fi

Distant Love (Part 35)

Timothy found himself lying on his bed, staring at the ceiling once more. He is due back at work within the hour, but is having difficulty processing what has happened.

Maeve’s family was involved in drugs. How did she not know? It was a large ship, though.

Arguments continue back and forth in his mangled mind.

He thinks back to that time, many years ago, when he considered ending it all. He had been told the week before by a serious-looking consultant decked out in white attire that nanotechnology would not be able to make him walk again. It had been a shock to find out that he’s part of a rare breed whose body turns on the nanonites. The emotional toil took time to build, but then exploded.

Maeve had been there for him, apparently sensitive to his despair even if he never told her exactly why. Hour after hour of mindless chatter helped him through those dark times.

It’s my turn to help her.

An idea springs to mind. His adoptive Mum left him a ship. He could leave the lunar system with her. Looking up the current position of La Madame, the final pieces of a possible plan fall into place.

Distant Love (Part 34)

His wheels clank as he goes down a bump, his surroundings becoming less wheelchair friendly. Taking a left, then a right.

I’ll have to turn around if things get worse. A big step and I’m goosed.

He hears chatter coming around the next corner, where he is met by two armed, stern-faced men. A chill goes down Derek’s spine. They are decked out in the attire of the Drugs and Firearms Force. All red with the insignia of the sun on their helmet.

The taller one grimaces, “What are you doing here? This is a restricted area.”

Timothy replies, “I wish to speak to the crew of the crashed ship.”

“No chance, off with you.”

Deflated, Derek starts to wheel around, but stops on hearing a door open behind the men.

Maeve’s Mum is being led out. On seeing Derek, she tries to break free of the two further guards with her, “Save Maeve, Derek. She didn’t know anything, save my baby girl.”

For a brief moment, their eyes meet. Derek sees the fear as tears roll down her face. He shouts out, “I’ll save her.”

She is dragged away in the opposite direction.

Derek wheels away, unsure what to do next.

Distant Love (Part 33)

Derek opens the door and wheels in. The walls of the small room are a blue hue, and contain little except for Maeve, a nondescript table, and two chairs.

At the sight of him, Maeve’s face lights up. Her eyes are as red as her long hair. Rising from her chair, she flings her arms around him, holding him tightly. She sobs, “Oh, Derek, I’m in big trouble.”

“What’s wrong? Why have they not released you?”

She pulls back from him. “At first, they said something about maintenance and taxes not being paid, but then they started saying that we’ve been transporting drugs from Earth to lunar orbit all this time. I can’t believe it, they said drugs were found on board.”

Derek frowns. “Drugs? That’s an automatic life sentence!”

Maeve looks back to where she was sitting. “They are saying it was K-pop ninety-nine. What am I going to do??” Her eyes focus on his.

Holding up his hands. “I am going to get you out of this?”

“How?”

“I don’t know yet, but trust me, okay?”

She nods, “I do.”

“I have to go now, but I’ll be back.”

Derek wheels out of the room. His arms suddenly felt tiring from the exertion. There was no point in going back to where he came from. So, he turned in the other direction and pressed onwards.

Distant Love (Part 32)

As Derek wheels onwards, he feels a whish of cool air pass over his face. No reason to panic, but still unusual on a space station with environmental controls.

The corridor comes to a halt with a left and right turn.

Right time, lucky I hope.

He turns right and goes fifty meters.

A guard appears before him, a rifle resting on his shoulder. They both smile.

“Matt, is that you?”

” No way, Derek. You are last person I expected to meet down here. Been a few years since we did that course on managing space landings. You got a job out of it anyway, eh.”

Derek nodded. “I sure did. Doing that course was the best thing I ever did. And that is the truth. What are you doing down here?”

Matt smirks. “Nothing much to be honest. I’m guarding a woman. Maeve is her name. Her family is in some of trouble with the authorities. Not looking good for her at all. What brings you down this way?”

Despite feeling queasy Derek replies, “Maeve does. She’s sort of my girlfriend. I need to see her. Remember that favor you owe me?”

“Ya dirty dog you. And bringing that up after all those years!” Matt shakes his head and open the door. “Go on! Be quick.”

Distant Love (Part 31)

Derek sat up at the side of the side and pulled his wheelchair closer before transferring onto it in one sweeping, elegant movement.

“Guess, I’ll see you on the next shift?” Nathalia says with a smile.

Looking up, Derek replies, “Yes, and thanks, Nat, for checking up on me.”

“Anytime. You’re like all men. A bit silly at times. Need direction.”

Derek laughs, “Go on, I’ll see you again soon.”

She walks out of his room.

They must be holding Maeve on one of the lower levels. I hope she’s okay. She should have been my priority, not feeling sorry for myself.

On exiting his room, he notices that everyone he passes gives him a smile. The mother, with her child, the middle-aged man, and the man nearing retirement.

Nat wasn’t joking.

He reaches the translucent elevator and presses the button for the second lowest floor, for that is the floor where prisoners are rumored to be kept.

Only for Maeve, I wouldn’t go anywhere near this floor.

The elevator begins its descent. The lunar surface is soon invisible in the distance, replaced by darkness.

It stops, and Derek wheels out. It doesn’t resemble any of the other levels. There is a narrow metallic corridor. There are no people, and no sign of any doors. He turns left and determines to find out more.

Distant Love (Part 30)

Derek lies fully dressed in his bed, staring at the ceiling. Hours have passed, and nothing from Maeve.

Was I just fooling myself? Why would a girl like her want anything to do with me? She could get someone who actually walks. I was a fool.

He turns to lie on his side.

No, there was a real connection. I didn’t just imagine it all.

A tear drops onto his pillow.

There is a knock on his door. It can only be Natasha. Everybody else would send him a voice message, but she’s old school.

Derek says, “Open door”. The door opens, and Natasha walks in. “What are you doing in here? Everybody is out here calling you a hero and saying what a great guy you are. It’s making me a bit sick, to be honest. They don’t have you tormenting them in the morning.”

“Maeve hasn’t contacted me, Tash. No chatter since she saw the chair.”

Natasha frowns. “It’s nothing to do with the chair, ya twat. She’s under investigation for safety violations. And even if she had a problem with it, lots of other girls wouldn’t. No reason to go all depressive.”

Derek feels a weight lift off his chest. His heart beats faster. “I’d better go see if she’s okay.”

Narasha shakes her head. “Well, it’s better than moping around in here, I suppose.”

Distant Love (Part 29)

Maeve glances at the digital clock over the door. It’s been two hours since she met Derek.

What did he say, 40 minutes? Talk about being overly optimistic.

She is sitting in an interrogation room. The walls are a cold, blue color; there is a table and two chairs at the centre.

Talk about having a strange day.

She is walking around the room, waiting for the next person to come in and ask questions.

The door opens. A petite woman dressed in a formal black suit enters. Her straight, long black hair reaches her shoulders. “Miss Maeve Garcia, my name is Atlanta Echez from the Moon Core Security. Please take a seat.

Maeve can feel her muscles tense. “I have already spent over two hours answering questions. Can you not talk to your colleagues?”

Atlanta sat down and put her hands on the table, “I don’t think you understand the gravity of the situation you are in.

“You have been involved in an emergency crash landing that endangered not only the lives of the people on your vessel but also thousands of lives on the lunar surface.” She leans forward with her eyes wide open. “This is a very serious matter. And not only that, the ship had not been receiving the required maintenance, and there is the small issue of tax owed to the Earth authorities.”

Maeve sits down opposite her, her hand shaking. “Mom looks after that stuff.”

Distant Love (Part 28)

And then she gone. Derek could feel a buzz going through every fiber of his body. She was beautiful and had not recoiled in horror at his disability. No, she had embraced him warmly. He thought of her long red hair up touching against his ear.

I am on top of the world.

And yet the world around him continued on as if nothing had happened. People continued walking back and forth, the station continued to rotate. Nothing had changed, and yet everything was irrevocably different. His life now seemed full of hope and possibilities.

But what next? Where should they meet when she makes contact? Ah Hartans.

Hartans was almost certainly the best place to go. The best hotdogs on the moon. True, the competition was somewhat sparse but they were delicious. And it was one of the places to go on a date, or even just have a meet-up. Derek had grown up hearing how his friend Mikey had taken girls there. Now it was his turn.

Derek began to roll towards the elevator. At no point, did the large grin fade from his face. She’d be a while so no harm him having relaxation. And maybe some computer games in case she had the audacity to challenge him later.

Distant Love (Part 27)

Maeve takes off her helmet and hears the hustle of the space station. A crowd gathers around her and her companions. Women stare and whisper to each other about what happened with her ship and how it landed.

“Maeve!” A familiar voice comes from behind her. Elated, she turns to face Derek.

And there he is with hazel eyes and short-cropped, black hair, sitting in a wheelchair.

That is what the comment was about.

She walks forward and throws her arms around him. As their faces meet, there is a pleasant smell of deodorant. “Thank you, Derek. Without you, a safe landing would have been impossible. You saved me and my family.”

She stood back up. He was smiling now. “I have to go do some sort of debrief?”

Derek’s eyes flittered. “Standard procedure after an emergency landing. It’s nothing to be worried about; it should take forty minutes or so.”

Maeve pursed her lips. “How do I contact you later?”

“Oh, now you’re on the moon, that’s really simple. You will be given a communications device that you wear over your ear. Just instruct it to contact C2222. It will put you straight through to me.”

“Ok, chat again real soon.”

Distant Love (Part 26)

Derek goes down the lift to the ground level and makes his way to the entry area. He looks out to see them getting closer with every rotation. Their entry is now imminent. He is waiting for the hatch to turn.

He goes over to the left, not wanting his chair to be the first thing she sees.

His heart is pumping now, and he reminisces about their first virtual meeting. It was in the game Swords of War about three years ago. Her army had seemed to come from nowhere and had cut a swathe through his. Then, the taunting had begun. Not what he had expected from a young woman on so many levels. Of course, a rematch was inevitable, and they grew close. Well, close for people thousands of kilometres apart. Meeting virtually was perfect. He could put his best foot forward. Not show his frailties. This was something else entirely.

Six foot, broad-shouldered, with strong athletic legs. That is what his avatars looked like. Five feet seven, with a thin frame, is the reality. And the chair, of course.

The hatch turns, and a crowd spills out into the atrium. He spots her long, red hair, which she had told him about, draped down the back of a uniform.