The Axian Dilemma

Chapter 1

“Nobody can hear a scream in the vacuum of space, or so they say.” Jayson jerked awake, having been dreaming about someone putting him out the airlock. He’d never seen it happen but he knew the science of what happened and it knew it would be a rough way to go.

Jayson shook the residual feeling of the dream and dozily looked about the room, his head on fire and a bit confused about how he had gotten there. What happened? And how long was I out? He wondered. He was in the crew quarters of his freighter now so whatever happened someone had to of dragged him from the cockpit. But where were those someones now? Jayson looked at his bunk on the other side of the room and then down at the cargo straps he was tied up in. With no way to walk or crawl he flopped over and began wriggling his way over like a worm. He was just about there when a figure walked by the door. Jayson stopped moving and lay prone, pretending he was still unconscious, but the person's footsteps continued on down the hall. Jayson peeked with one eye and watched the doorway for a moment before continuing to wriggle his way to his bunk for the pistol stashed underneath his bed.

“Hoping to get to this?” A woman’s voice sounded from the door.

Startled, Jayson turned his head toward the voice and saw a female figure in a charcoal and light blue colored suit with black armor pieces over parts of her arms, legs and torso and her face was hidden behind an opaque, full-cover mask. And she was holding up what used to be his stashed handgun.

“Damn,” was all Jayson could say.

“It’s about time you wake up. I’ve hit others with a neuraletic device before but never seen anyone knocked out for that long. You must not have much going on up here?” She tapped her helmet a couple of times.

“Or a lot more going on. Depends how you look at it.” Jayson smirked.

The woman made a slightly amused ‘Hm' sound and then asked, “How do I start this ship? There must be a component missing because the engines aren't receiving commands from the cockpit."

How the hell would she know that?

“And I already cracked your passcode by the way, so I can start everything else I need to take off; I only need the component. Now where is it?” She took a step forward and pointed the gun at him.

“Why do you need my ship?” Jayson asked, remaining semi-calm. “You had to have gotten here somehow.”

“Can’t get to it.” She said immediately. “Now, the component? I searched this ship and couldn’t find it, so it has to be on you or one of your two crewmates.”

“How do you even know these things? And who the hell are you, anyway?” Jayson asked, a little flabbergasted, propping himself up against his bunk.

“I’m telepathic. Now quit avoiding the question, unless you want to get hit.” She took a few more steps towards him, pointing the gun in a hurried and angry fashion.

Then Jayson remembered something he'd seen on the news vids; there was a story about a woman, not necessarily a human, in a full suit and helmet that the authorities were searching for. They didn't say why she was wanted, only that she was somewhere inside the city of Aassere and possibly looking for a way to escape. Jayson’s freighter was docked at the Aassere shipping ports so this made it highly likely that this would-be hijacker was... “Shit. You’re the woman the police are looking for!”

Not bothering to deny it, she said, “Yes, I am. And as you can imagine, with how large the search effort is for me, I won’t hesitate to shoot you,”

“My crewmates will be here soon, so you’d have to shoot them too. And I bet the port security outside would hear all the gunshots. So I don’t think you will actually shoot me.” Pushing your luck with the unknown gun wielder there, Jayson?

That seemed to make her mad as she quickly closed the short distance between them and cracked Jayson across the face with the gun. “I don’t have time for this. I’ll just have to torture you.”

He didn’t know anything about her so as far as he knew she might just do that. “What kind of torture?” Jayson asked. “The physical kind or emotional kind? Cause you talking about your feelings would be much more torturous than anything else.”

She cracked him across the face again.

Spots swam across Jayson’s vision as he tried to blink the pain away and maintain a haughty composure. “Physical torture it is then. Though I must warn you, I am quite the site to behold once you get my clothes off.” Because how can you torture anyone properly with their clothes still on?

She made to hit him again, but instead started tapping on an holographic pad on her wrist.

Jayson flinched at first and then relaxed when she'd pulled the strike. “Now what are you doing?” He asked.

She answered calmly, “I’m finding a way to mix both mental and physical torture together, if you must know.” Then she extended her hand.

“How would that worrrkkk?” Jayson's brain was wracked with the same excruciating pain he'd experienced previously just before he'd fallen into unconsciousness, but this time in a slightly diminished intensity.

When the pain had ceased and after a few moments of heavy breathing and eventually being able to think again, Jayson said, “Gotta give you credit for making my dream of combining those two tortures a reality. Though I would’ve preferred it happen to someone else.”

“So glad you approve. Now answer my question.”

“Which question was that again?” Poking the bear again. Smart Jayson.”

“You must love getting hurt.” She said. “Or just love to hear yourself talk. Most people in your situation would just tell me what I want to know and be done with the experience.”

“Well I’m not most people,” Jayson said. “And I swear I’m not usually so chatty, so it must just be the company.” He gave her his best charming smile.

“I’m sure.” She said, unconvinced, but seeming a little less hostile. “Now, you know what I’m going to ask, for the last time.”

Jayson sat there looking around for a few seconds before replying, “Sorry, I think the neural thingy messed with my memory. What were we talking about?”

“Then we better do it again to jog your memory back.” She told him.

Before Jayson could retort with another smart ass comment the same excruciating pain struck again, a little stronger this time. “Uggh! Okayyy,” He had to take a minute to compose himself once it stopped.

“How’s your memory now?” She asked, growing further impatient, if that was even possible.

“I think it’s coming back to me.” Jayson said. His head felt like it was pulsating flames.

“Good. So...?” She held the handgun up and folded an arm across her torso, waiting.

Jayson was about to tell the psycho hijacker, with more smart ass remarks of course, when he heard the familiar banter of his crewmates. Thank god. He had never been so happy about those two being late. Even if he did think his captor had an incredibly sexy voice. And a nice looking body too, even in a partially armored suit.

“They won’t be able to help you; I’m still going to torture you some more just for inconveniencing me, even if your crewmates do tell me what I want to know.”

Was she actually telepathic? Nah; couldn’t be. Jayson was about to say something about him making an impression and growing on her when the air started to distort in front of him, like a heat wave, and she disappeared.

“Uhh... okay then,” Dumbfounded, Jayson looked around the room, tilting his head in an attempt to hear better but he couldn’t hear or see anything.

The two other crewmates of the freighter, Samuel, a human, and Lobei, a Proteian, walked into view not fifteen seconds later, stopping in the doorway once they saw Jayson all tied up and sitting on the floor.

“What the hell happened to you? Or should I ask: Who happened to you?” Lobei said, with the gravelly rumble common to his species’ voices, and the two of them started chuckling.

“Here I thought it was only us two that had all the fun.” Samuel thumb pointed back and forth between himself and Lobei. “So who is she?”

Before Jayson could say anything the two came up with a potential suspect on their own, “Is it that girl from the diner you’re always going on about?!”

Jayson opened his mouth to tell them but was interrupted pre-speech yet again.

“Oh it is, isn’t it?! Man, now I wish I asked her out.” Samuel swung his arm from right to left and snapped his fingers mid-way in a show of disappointment. “She’s kinkier than she looks.”

Lobei continued on, “So where is this girl friend of yours? Were you two playing some weird kind of seek and find?” He craned his scaled, two fringed head around, looking about the room and briefly into the hallway before looking back at Jayson expectantly.

“Not the girl from the diner,” Jayson quickly said. “Some crazy woman in a full bodied suit and helmet trying to...”

“Full bodied suit?!” Samuel blurted in surprise. “Why is it that you always seem to find these women and I never do?”

“That's not what this is.” Jayson told them. He could argue that point as well but it was not the time for that.

Samuel and Lobei took a few steps into the crew quarters. “Why else would she be in a suit?” Samuel asked, mostly to himself.

“Maybe she's mutated or doesn't breathe our atmosphere?” Lobei suggested.

“Getting a little off topic here, guys.” Jayson tried interrupting but got nowhere.

“Well I guess that's possible. Like the axia? I heard they've been experimenting on different species in neighboring systems and even altered their own genes to grow an extra pair of arms. Did she have four arms?” Samuel asked Jayson.

“They don’t need suits though.” Lobei reminded them. “Maybe she was velaan? They breathe different gases than we do and usually wear suits around outsiders.”

Samuel nodded in agreement. “Oh yeah, could be one of them.”

Jayson impatiently blurted, “I’m still tied up here guys. And there’s still a crazy roaming around here somewhere.” Though he couldn’t see her, he was sure she was still close by, watching these two morons, in amusement probably.

“Alright, keep your bra on.” Samuel said. He stepped up to look into untying Jayson. “So tell us about your sexcapade with the velaan woman.”

“Sexcapade?” That sort of terminology could only come from Samuel, who was about as abstinent as a rabbit during mating season. Jayson shook his head, “It was never... just don't worry about what you think was going on and untie me.”

At that moment something struck the side of Lobei’s head, and as he tumbled into a sort of forced side-flip, parts of a leg, blotches of buttock, thigh, shin and foot, began distorting back into the visual spectrum until the entire leg was visible once again. A very tight, fine and muscular leg Jayson noted. The rest of her body was also becoming visible, though he hardly noticed at first.

“What the-” Samuel jumped at the sound of Lobei flipping into the nearby wall and turned to see a woman in what looked vaguely like a tactical suit, with the armor pieces, standing directly in front of him. “So there really is a...”

The woman front kicked Samuel in the chest and as he stumbled into the opposite wall 6 feet away, she dropped into a martial stance, feet placed wide one behind the other.

Jayson almost couldn’t believe it; even if he weren’t tied up he wasn’t sure he would think to help out, it was such a surprise to see.

Before Samuel could compose himself the woman stepped forward and swung her back leg around in a round-house kick, the bottom of her foot impacting perfectly with side of his face. He spun around a couple of times on his way down and landed on the cot next to Jayson. A softer landing at least.

Calmly, the woman turned to Jayson, “Close your mouth, you’re drooling.”

He instantly complied without thinking about it; also hadn’t realized his mouth was even open. Was I really drooling? He touched the corner of his mouth. Nothing, he wasn’t actually drooling. “That was...”

“Amazing? Unexpected? Quick?” The woman replied nonchalantly.

“...certainly something.” Jayson was at a slight loss for words.

“Now, you and I were discussing something of importance before we were interrupted?” The woman hinted, testing him.

“Uh, yeah, the control chip. About that...” Jayson tsked through his teeth. “I don’t have it.”

The woman turned her head toward the unconscious forms of Samuel and Lobei.

“They don’t have it either.” Jayson told her.

She practically jumped on him; ready to beat his face in with his pistol still in her hand.

“There’s a reason you couldn’t find it anywhere on the ship,” Jayson said quickly. He waited for the hit to come or for her to say something, but neither happened. The woman just held the straps around Jayson's chest, gun up to hit him if need be, and waited for him to continue.

Warily Jayson continued, “Because the dockmaster has it; for this very reason.”

The woman stood there for a moment, as if considering the plausibility of his answer. “Then I guess you’ll just have to go get it.” She released the straps and walked backwards a few steps.

“Ha! And why would I do that? I had the control chip installed for a reason. It would be counterproductive for me to help you steal my ship.”

She shrugged, knowing he was right, but that it didn’t matter, and pointed the gun at Lobei.

“We already established why you won’t do that.” Jayson said, taking her threat as idle.

“That was when it was just you and me on the ship. Now that they’re here...” She pointed to the prone forms of his crewmates.

Jayson wasn’t quite sure how that mattered.

“...and I do have this gun after all.” The woman continued. “A gun that you own I would venture to guess, meaning your prints would be all over it.” She was right on all counts. “And since I have gloves, and a cloaking device to get past all of that annoying security out there, who do you think the police will suspect?”

Jayson was pretty sure the police would come to find that he wasn’t guilty if she shot them, but that could take a long time. Too long, guaranteed. She would be long gone by then and these deaths would mean absolutely nothing, except that Jayson was a stubborn piece of garbage. Deathly so. On the other hand, if he did help her? Jayson felt that she didn’t have it in her to just kill them cold so maybe she'd drop them off somewhere and take their ship, or better yet, leave them with the ship and go on her merry way... Ha! Like that would happen. Or maybe they could take the ship back? She was only one person after all. One person that now had their weapons and fancy, cheating gadgets. Not to mention the martial skills to take them all out; if the demonstration earlier was anything to go by. Jayson dismissed that train of thought.

Either way, the decision to assist her left them with better options. Jayson stood up, “You sure are some kind of a, you know that?” And let the straps fall to the floor. From her body language she was surprised to see he wasn’t actually tied up anymore. “You forgot something,” He held up a small knife he’d had tucked into the waistband of his pants. “Must not have searched me very well.”

“It would appear so,” She agreed. “Guess I just thought it was part of your... your man parts.” And gestured vaguely at his crotch.

Low blow. But he replied, “Well now I know you didn’t search me that well. You would’ve found something much...”

“The control chip wasn’t there.” The woman interrupted. “It’s outside with the dockmaster, as you said, where you should be going before I...” She didn’t bother finishing and just pointed the gun at Lobei again.

“...before you shoot them and frame me, I got it." Jayson finished for her. "Way to ruin the captor/captive flirting.” He exaggerated fake disappointment.

The woman made sure to keep her distance as Jayson walked past her, “And if anyone but only you comes back...” She said behind him.

“Yeah, yeah, you’ll...” He made a gun with his hand and made the motion of shooting, not bothering to finish the threat they both knew.

On his way to the docking office Jayson tried thinking of a way to get out of the situation. Mostly he'd just come back to what he’d already thought about before he’d made the decision to get the chip for the mutate woman. Telling the police seemed like a smart thing to do, but for some reason he couldn’t. There was just something about her that intrigued him. She didn’t seem like the kind of criminal the police were making her out to be. Or maybe he was just reaching for something because he was bored with is life?

Jayson passed a second patrol. They noted his presence but didn’t do much beyond look at him. It seemed like such an illogical thought. Why would anyone help someone hijack their ship, especially after threatening and torturing them? It was beyond senseless. And yet... Maybe he was just grasping at reasons. Jayson had always longed for adventure and this could be what he had been hoping for; the exact sort of thing that happened to many of the characters in the fantasy books he always read. No, those are childish thoughts. Nothing like that ever happens and turns out wellin the real world.

Jayson opened the docking office doors and stopped, looking back at his ship. He couldn’t see her, but he knew the mystery woman was watching him.

“Jayson. What can I do for you?” Dockmaster Adams said. When Jayson didn’t move he continued, “Your crew showed up I saw?”

Jayson pulled his eyes away from his drab grey freighter that he'd gotten so familiar with over the past few years and walked up to the front desk, mind still running. “Yes, yes they did, eventually. We’re ready to take off now.”

“Everythin’ all right? No mistakes on the cargo order?” Dockmaster Adams asked.

“Um, no, everything’s all there. As usual.”

“Good to hear.” The dockmaster paused, unsure if it was his place, “You sure everythin’s alright?”

“Ya, no, everything’s fine, just... thinking about stuff.” Jayson said, making up his mind.

“Too much daydreamin’ll get’cha inta trouble.” The dockmaster placed the control chip on the counter.

Jayson grabbed it and smirked with a short exhale. “I think you’re probably right about that.” Then he turned and left, not second guessing himself, for once in his life.