As I mentioned in my last post, it has been about a month since I shared any kind of fiction post - bar world-building notes - while I consider world-building posts fiction, they're not short stories.
I got to a point where short stories were essentially the main type of post I was doing, I was just hit with this insane fervor to write that sort of stuff; it was like every single day there was something new popping into my head. Then, without warning, I stopped. Not because I couldn't write anymore, or create, it just slowly happened that the sort of content I was creating was different.
In saying all that, it feels good to be back writing these tales once more.
Here is the next installment of a story that I didn't think would need more than one post at the time of writing it. I don't currently know how many posts it'll take to get this one completed but at the moment, I'm thinking three or four.
The room was small, dim, and had just enough space to pack away his belongings. He didn't know how long the trip would take, so he decided not to make himself too comfortable.
Laying back on the bed, he could smell that the sheets hadn't been changed. Upon inspection, it was clear they weren't soiled, but the idea of laying where someone else had been, didn't appeal to him. The bed, however, was comfy, and soon the long day took its toll on his old body. His eyes grew heavier until the thought of standing up drifted away.
Waking in a dark room was initially disorientating. The hum of the ship in transit was soothing, and out the window behind the headboard was black; the cold darkness of space, devoid of stars. It's different traveling through it than it is when observing it from the ground of a world.
Space travel was never something that appealed to Merrick. Back during the war, he was stationed on Zun-Kulla, and he could remember it as though it were yesterday. The Confederation ship named Solace came to their cluster, and after what happened to Trisk and Grikoria they all knew the intent. It was a massive capital ship, one that dwarfed any in the Zun-Kullen fleet. Worse than its massive size was the weaponry it flaunted. The Rotchi had worked with The Confederation to develop a weapon capable of destroying entire planets. They called it a Disperser Canon, and it was able to use intense frequencies to interrupt anything it came into contact with, on a molecular level. The atoms would drift apart, and by all accounts, it was a gruesome way to go. Rotchi were always good when it came to producing the most inhumane weaponry; they seemed to revel in suffering and utter destruction. Bugs.
Walking the corridors if the ship filled him with anxiety. Being in the heart of a Confederation ship invoked many dormant feelings. The war may be long gone, but oftentimes, his mind didn't quite register that fact. The echoes of what happened back then were everywhere. The Dead Zone on Jex was a monument to that war. The sprawling mass of tangled steel, infused together with concrete, iron, and even the flesh of those poor bastards caught off guard.
Jex was the capital of Free Space then; it had stood as a beacon of light to the Galaxy; the heart of civilized space. It took hundreds of years to become what it was, and in an instant, it was reduced to rubble. For the most part, the mega-city was back but was just a shadow of its former self, flanked on all sides by miles of twisted, and shattered terrain. Whispers of what it once was. Perhaps the Jex government was taunted by The Dead Zone to keep re-building.
The cantine of the ship was small, and there were a few people sitting at tables, some eating, some talking. At a table sitting alone was Captain Zebulon, focused on a datapad, too busy to notice Merrick, which was a relief.
After collecting a plate of whatever the cook laid out, he returned to the seating area, taking up residence at an empty table. Talking while eating always irritated Merrick; there were few times in a day when one could comfortably sit in silence, and meals were one of them. A few mouthfuls of food was enough to settle his mind, it wasn't overly good, or flavourful food. Bland paste-like substances filled the plate. One was meat-like, one was veg-like, and the other was supposed to be some kind of desert, but it was far too sweet to be enjoyable. The food was the main reason he preferred not to Star Jump, the cooks always opted for long-life meals; what they lacked in taste, they certainly made up for in shelf-life.
"Merrick, glad to see you settling in," he heard the familiar voice of the captain.
He turned to see the Zun-Kullen standing over his left shoulder. Zebulon was in better attire; dressed sharp and plain wearing boots, black baggy trousers, a red undershirt, and with black longcoat with the collar flicked up. As well as the new clothing, he was also cleaner, the patches of grime that coated his face in patches were now completely gone.
With a nod Merrick turned back to his plate, to finish the last of his unappetising meal. Then, out of the corner of his eye, he saw a dark figure pass by and then heard a chair being pulled out. Now at eye level, the captain sat with a warm smile as he rested an arm over the back of his chair and leaned back.
"Don't you have a ship to fly? Or, do you usually check in on all of your passengers?" Merrick asked through slightly gritted teeth. Clearly, the annoyance in his tone was lost on Zebulon, who let out a light laugh. Soon, he waved a hand, brushing off the questions.
"No, I'm not needed up there at the moment. I usually get the co-pilots to bring the ship out manually before engaging the jump drive. Don't worry, we're in capable hands. Actually, you know, speaking of it, we should do a jump now, I'm sure we've gained enough distance from Jex." Zebulon stated as he straightened himself up a bit and stood up.
He started to leave the cantine but then stopped to turn back to Merrick.
"Hey, feel free to come up to the cockpit, you can watch us enter the jump lane,"
"I'd rather watch worm-crawlers burrow through my legs," Merrick replied brashly, as he dropped his spoon on his plate, which clattered slightly as it landed.
"That's a dark thought, I wouldn't want to see that happen to my worst enemy. The offer is open nonetheless." Zebulon replied, oblivious to Merrick's growing impatience as he then turned to continue on his way out of the cantine.