The Void

Boom.

The explosion rocked the entire ship, and it knocked me off of my cot and over my shit hole. I quickly got up, my eyes racing to see my two new friends across from me, staring at me again in the dark. It must’ve been only an hour since we last talked.

“Wonderful. Our new partner is certainly prepared for everything,” Fox remarked, his sarcasm inhibitors apparently fried. “How long do you suppose we’ll last against the HKs with this dolt, Master?”

The stranger didn’t say a word.

“Your friends are here already?” I gasped for breath, my lungs filling with rank air, and stood up. “I was hoping for breakfast before they come.”

“You may get your wish,” Fox replied and turned to the stranger. “My sensors detect boarding vessels approaching from the south vector.”

There was another rumble, but I stood my ground, as did my unusual acquaintances. The lights suddenly turned on, blinding me for a moment. Two guards rushed down the corridor; one a scruffy human, and the other a boisterous Shardian with a large, crooked helm-head and broken claws.

I reached out, almost slicing myself on the sharp cell bars. “Hey, hey! You wanna let us out?” Another rumble accentuated my plea. All I got in return was a slithering lob of Shardian spit on my trousers.

“Now you can slip right through the Nemis blockade.” Fox said, looking at my trousers.

I frowned. “You’re funny, you know that?” I looked at the stranger. “Is your friend programmed to be useful or is it just hanging around for kicks?”

“Fox, restrain yourself for the moment.”

“I’m not sure what you mean by restrain. It appears our pirate friends have already done that.” Fox looked down the corridor after the guards as another rumble rocked the ship. “Our situation is more than dire at the moment.”

I couldn’t control my chuckling. “You know why you’re going to live, Fox?”

“Why?” Fox cocked his head in curiosity.

“You’re too much like me.”