The Sun's Radiance

Chapter One

I'm jerked out of the half cryosleep I had been in by the alarms going off. Something's wrong. We're falling uncontrollably into a planet. The heat is immense.

I force the door of the pod open, sending it crashing into the hopefully empty pod across from me. Just before the side of the ship is ripped off. I quickly gather some of the energy stored within me and create a small black hole to keep myself grounded to the ship.

Glancing around as the lights and ship shudder, there's a pod that has tape all over it. A convict? On a back road? On a cheap flight, with only sublight engines to speak of. Either the merc doesn't have the money, their own ship, the person they're taking in isn't that dangerous, or a combination of the three.

The ship finally settles, I release the revelation, and work on helping the other passengers out of their cryo pods.

~~

It takes a while to get everyone situated but I eventually walk down one of the remaining halls to see supposedly the captain, a blonde woman in a blue uniform, and another man talking.

"He just escaped from a maximum prison." the man says, not noticing me.

He's in police gear but he's with the convict. Not a cop. The police wouldn't endanger civilians just to bring in a criminal.

For a merc, especially one playing at being a cop, he isn't very perceptive. Those who do their jobs right don't bother with shipping lanes, anyways.

"So do we just keep him locked up forever?"

"Well now, that'd be my choice."

The blonde whispers, "is he really that dangerous?"

"Only around humans."

I scuff my boot on the floor as I walk to the doorway, "sounds like my kind of person." Glancing inside, the convict has a bit in their mouth, is blindfolded, with arms cuffed behind a beam. "Couldn't you have found a better way to bind him? That's a little... inhumane of you."

They stare at me. He looks me up and down. "And who might you be?"

"Someone who's interested in that convict you have. I've no interest in you. And if you have a problem with that, you'd best remember that I can, and will, liquidize your insides." The sphere of power pulses next to me.

The woman interrupts before he has a chance to respond. "I'm Fry. This is Johns."

I bow my head in acknowledgement, "you can call me Auri."

One of the other passengers, Paris something, walks through the ruined hull. "We're going to look for supplies in another part of the ship if any of you want to come along." He walks off quickly. Anxious. He brought something of value?

Fry follows Paris out. Johns raises his eyebrows at me. "Are you coming along?"

"No, I think I'll stay."

"Have it your way. Don't do anything stupid. If, by any chance, you are thinking about letting that man go, do. Not."

"Your displeasure at the idea is clear as day. I shall attempt not to. It won't be my fault if he does though." I look through the door.

He sighs and grabs my chin, making me look him in the eye. "He's bound and gagged. I'll say it again. Behave ." He releases me and walks off with one last look over his shoulder.

My tattoos burn. Never a good sign.