up and grabbed the door, his muscles bulging under his clothes. The woman swallowed hard, realising how strong he was and that he was definitely one of the soldiers the Company had. All three men were quite muscular, but not all Company soldiers were so – only those, who went on constant missions to capture, hunt down or retrieve people who ran from the Company.
As the door screeched quietly, Serena gasped, seeing the two stacks of golden bricks.
Her mind started calculating the potential profit they could get from selling such a find. With this they could easily replace their old ship and purchase all the needed devices to become a higher level scrapper crew.
She snapped herself out of shock, realising that even if she were to report this to the Captain – he would do nothing to help her, forcing her to load all this all on her own. And, after they deliver this to one of the sales representatives, she would get nothing from all this treasure.
«You said, he was looking for gold.» Cipher said. «Here it is.»
Hunter walked inside the vault and picked up one of the gold ingots, carrying it back to Serena.
«Lure your captain here. Show him this ingot.» Hunter said, meeting her suspicious gaze. «We’ll have a trap on the staircase, making him trip and fall to his death.»
«You’ll trust me with an ingot?» Serena asked, feeling her fingers trembling again.
The man nodded, handing her the golden ingot.
«Go. We’ll be waiting.» Cipher added.
Serena took a very careful step back, watching how the men would react at her leaving, but they didn’t even flinch. Slowly, she turned and walked off, wondering if their plan would even work. She ascended the steps and walked through the building to the exit, glancing at the ship the captain called «the Rust Bucket». Pressing the ingot to her chest, Serena walked up to her captain sitting on a foldable chair with a large bottle of moonshine in his hand.
«Find anything, you worthless whore?» the captain spit to the floor.
Serena offered him the ingot. The man’s eyes widened, then he squinted and rose, watching her attentively with a deep frown. She waited for him to say something, but he struck her, throwing down the ships ramp into a pile of garbage.
«Take me there, bitch.» he walked off, watching her struggle to get back up to her feet.
The woman headed back in, feeling her jaw aching and a thin line of blood running down on one side of her mouth. A minor injury – the Ol’ Fart could do so much worse.
Reaching the stairs, she continued her way, not even thinking if the three men were fast enough to set up the trap. Barely half-way down the staircase the captain grunted, throwing the empty bottle at her and making her trip and tumble down the stairs. She came to a stop at the bottom, baring her teeth, but not allowing herself to make a sound, feeling the intense pain the bottle caused, hitting her at the back of the head, and the fall, after which her arm burst in so much pain that it was obvious she had broken the bone.
«You whore!» the captain hissed from the top.
Serena tried her best to crawl aside – further from the man, who looked like he was about to run down and beat her to death. But the captain took a step, tripped, and tumbled down the stairs, each hit accompanied with cracks and grunts, until he slammed into the wall and remained still. The woman looked at him, cradling her broken arm, and realised that he wasn’t breathing.
Chapter 2. Captain
«I have recorded an accidental death of Captain John Summers.» the ships AI said as soon as Serena stepped into the ship. «As per protocol One Three One Five Seven D, you are now promoted to acting captain. Welcome aboard, Captain Serena.»
The young woman froze mid-step, a realisation crashing upon her. She was free from the Ol’ Fart. She was now rid of her torment as his toy that he could torture and use as he pleased. Her collar clicked and fell to the floor, clanking against the metal.
Serena felt her body trembling and suddenly growing cold.
«What are your orders, Captain?» the AI asked.
Captain… she really was the captain of this old scrapper ship. Could she really escape her pitiful life of a slave, caught somewhere long ago? Or will she need to return the ship and find her living elsewhere?
«I am detecting three human signatures approaching, captain.» the AI’s voice made Serena snap out of her shocked state.
The woman turned and saw the three men approaching. Swallowing a lump, formed in her throat, Serena spoke out:
«Lyssa, record that I have found three men that crash landed in the vicinity not long ago. No distress signal has been sent due to their communication systems failing. We’ll take them aboard and help them to whatever destination they need.»
«Noted, captain.» AI replied. «What about the cargo? Captain Summers input a find I am not detecting in the carts.»
«I’ll get the cargo a bit later. One of the men is injured and in need of medical attention.»
«Infirmary is switched on and ready to receive the patient, captain. Should I send a gurney?»
«No need…» Cipher grunted, helped up into the ship by his friend Pher.
«Please follow the blue lights to the infirmary. Welcome aboard.» the AI lit up the lights on the floor, showing the men the way.
Hunter approached Serena, carrying Captain Summer’s body on his shoulder.
«Where should I put him?» he asked.
Serena gestured to a couple of boxes standing in the corner of the bay and felt her mind wandering away again, too deep in all the things that happened.
«Captain?» AI asked.
«What is it?» Serena still felt shaken and barely understood what being captain entailed for her.
«I am detecting a fracture in your right arm. I highly advise you to visit the infirmary as well.»
Serena watched Hunter lay down the dead body and stayed silent. When the man straightened up and turned to look at her again, she noticed his soft gaze.
«She’s right.» Hunter said, nodding towards where Pher and Cipher went. «You should at least get it scanned and have some painkillers administered.»
Serena looked down at the arm she was cradling, and realised she would still have to load up all the gold ingots the men showed her. Gritting her teeth, she headed to the infirmary – without a cast she won’t be able to get any work done.
Hunter followed her silently, allowing her to process the changes that happened in her life during, essentially, only a few hours. He walked behind, watching her closely, and noting how she kept herself clenched up, as if still afraid of something.
When they walked into the infirmary, she glanced at Cipher, being treated on the table, and said nothing, stepping to a second station, which fired up, immediately scanning her body.
«Severe malnutrition detected. Please hold.» the system sounded.
Serena knew what usually came after – a short wait and an advice to eat healthy. However, this time was different. The medicine replicator buzzed and opened the latch, giving her a small bottle of pills.
«Please take one dose before proceeding.» the computer said.
Serena took the pill bottle and felt her fingers trembling again. The Captain was always stingy. But was he also that unfair when it came to her health?
She took the pill, almost spilling the rest to the floor.
«Ulna fractured, please place your injured arm into the medical station.» the computer buzzed.
Serena placed her injured arm into the automated medical station again, and felt a syringe administering