why me

32

"What do you mean all we had to do was ask?" I ask artis still holding the gun in my hand.
"I meant just that. I have a list of girls like yourself who want to go home. I was planning a mission to take them all back" artis says
"Bullshit" Amy spits "your going in the air now"
"What if he's telling the truth?" I ask looking over to Amy
"Don't listen megan he's just trying to get out of this. He'll report us to the authorities as soon as he gets back to the guards." Amy says
"Such mistrust" artis coos "why would I tell you about the safety lock if I felt this was a threat?"
"Air now!" I command
"Fine" He replies, his fingers flying on the keyboard once again. He reached over and flipped some switches, the com coming up.
"This is artis in craft 227 I'm preparing for lift off." He says over the com.
"Copy that" a voice comes from the other side.
The craft suddenly takes off into a straight vertical line, the sudden movement causing my knees to buckle under the pressure, I fall to the ground, Amy following after me.
"I'd say buckle up but you ladies are preoccupied." Artis says.
Humming insues, I look up to find the source of the sound and its one, her arm transformed into a gun, the end of it lit up blue, she points it right at artis. The craft went completly still, our surroundings all black. We're we already in space? My face felt bruised from the impact.
"You will not harm megan" One said. The gun at the end of her arm still loudly humming.
"Got it" He said "don't harm the princess."
Amy was already back up, the gun pointed at artis.
"Why shouldn't I fire right now for that trick?!" She yells.
"Because I'm taking you to earth" artis says and starts flipping more switches. "Now buckle up on the back wall. You can still threaten me all you want from there."
The back wall had a metal bench with seat belt straps hanging down from the wall. Me and Amy take our seats, quickly buckling the precarious yellow straps. This was real. It was really happening. I was going home.
"Your android needs to be destroyed megan it'll track us" Amy says
"It's protecting us" I say looking over to one who was still standing with the gun pointed at artis. The ship begins to take off again at a slower pace this time, the journey a smooth ride.
"How long will it take to get to earth?" Amy asks
"Four months" artis says "so you ladies had better have some food or we'll have to stop."
"You don't have food on this thing?" Amy asks
"Not four months worth." Artis complains
"I'm setting a course for planet glec. It has food and fuel."
"Do what you need to." Amy says and closer her eyes.
"You take the first watch megan." She says
"Ok" I answer
I watch the planets and stars fly past from the front window, the window taking up a third of the front of the ship. It was beautiful, all the lights flashing by. It felt like I was being consumed by the galaxy.
"So do you hold people hostage often?" Artis says
"Funny" I answer back
"Come on its a long trip. No reason we can't get along for it." He says
I lean my head back on the wall, my attention focused back on him.
"Ok then, no I don't usually hold people hostage. I've been more or less in the opposite situation. There happy?" I ask
"Yes" he says
"One is planet glec on the way to earth?" I ask
"Yes" She says "it is only slightly out of the way. It should take this vessel approximately three days to reach it."
"You don't even have three days worth of food?" I ask unbelieving
"Do you carry around three days worth of food for three people?" He retorts back
"Fair question." I reply
Rousing Amy from her slumber to take the next shift, I finally get some rest of my own. The cool metal didn't do much for my quest for sleep but it beat being thrown around in a spacecraft. Drifting in and out of consciousness I listen to the quite sounds of space moving past us, of the roaring engine and the monitors flaring.
I imagined what the look on my parents face would be like when their daughter finally came home. Of the warm welcome they'd throw me, filled with smiling faces and warm hugs.
"Megan wake up" Amy said, shaking my still frame. "It's your shift now."
I blirrily blink my eyes and adjust myself in my seat, the gun sprawled out on my lap. I quickly hoist it up and point it to the back of artis. One was missing, probably gone off to find me food or contact ailign.
"One" I call out, missing the security of her presence. I wasn't confident in my aim, even with such a large target in such a short distance.
"One!" I call again
She approaches from the side, silver bags of rationed food in her hands and bottles of water.
"I've brought you dinner" She says
"Thank you one" I say
"We have two more days until we stop now. You slept forever." Amy says
I blink my weary eyes some more, not feeling at all rested, but it was worth it. Home was worth it.