far and away | quill

three

Musk.

She woke with a start, immediately taking notice of the room.

It wasn't the one she woke up in yesterday.

She was in a bunk, strapped down.

"She's up," she heard Drax say. He walked over to her, "Good morning cupcake."

"Why did you strap me down?" She hissed.

"Because you were thrashing in your sleep. It could've torn the stitches and we'd have a serious problem, wouldn't we?" He asked, while releasing the straps. When she was free, she looked at him and sat up.

He sat on the foot of the bunk, hunching to get in.

"Why was I thrashing?"

"Nightmare, we've all had them. You whisper in your sleep too, you know that?" She nodded. "Why?"

"Don't worry about it," she mumbled, trying to stand up on her own. She stumbled and he caught her.

He helped her walk to the table and she sat in the booth. He sat across from her.

"Come on, cupcake, tell me," he was pushing her with that nickname, pushing her with his curiosity.

"Why should I? Your crew wants to take me and lock me up for God knows how long," she projected her hands to add emphasis. He watched her closely, "And don't forget, cupcake, you shot me."

He stood, and walked away. She watched him disappear through a door.

She turned back around, and looked at her hands. They were white, gripping the lip of the table.

"Hey kid," the raccoon greeted, sitting next to her.

"Hey," she said, not looking up.

"What kind of stuff do you steal?" She looked at him.

"Anything valuable or helpful. Anything I can sell. Why?"

"I've been looking for something for a while, you might be able to help. But I need you to keep it off the record."

"Alright. What is it?" She asked, intrigued.

"The Ruby."

"The Ruby doesn't exist. It's a myth. I've friends that died looking for it," she says quickly, "So stop looking for it."

"It exists. And it's in our galaxy. I believe it's on Planet Eerie."

"You won't find it. Eerie is impossible to navigate," she stated.

"You know where it is," he accused. She watched him.

"You'll die looking for it," she repeated tightly.

He stood on the seat to get to her level. He watched her light eyes stare back at his dark ones, and like a suicide note he said:

"It'll be worth it."

• • •

It was time, the ship had landed.

She walked on her own, though with a limp. She wore her pride on her sleeve, keeping her chin up.

Superior was a desolate planet. It was very rocky, very dark and drab. It had a red hue, the color of blood. Everyone had a place to go, a place to be.

They walked her inside the building. Corpsmen came to assist her into handcuffs and to get her information.

They took her personal items, as mandatory. A fine collection of daggers, a body scarf, an earthly gun, a tracker, her cloak, clothes and boots. She also had her motorcycle keys though they'd be of no use to her now. They gave her a set of grey prison wear.

They took her to get her mugshots.

"Quinten Grey. Planet of origin Terra, planet of residence Huron. Her crimes include murder, theft, and assault and battery-"

"You forgot arson," she shifted her weight to her good leg.

"And arson. Her body count is exactly two hundred. Her calling card is leaving bodies in alleys," he cleared his throat, "Family includes a lone elder brother that resides on Terra."

"That all?" Another Corpsmen asked.

"Yeah," he looked at the girl as her mugshots were finished, "Come with us."

They took her to a confinement cell. She sat on the floor, her legs at awkward angles so that she wouldn't tear the stitches.

It was a peculiar cell.

It was small, and had no bars whatsoever.

But it was electrical. Like an electric fence for a pet in a yard. There was a black painted square for where she would be zapped.

And so she sat. Her cell was in the middle of a secured room, with two guards at the door. And two more on the other side.

There was a loud noise, as if there was an elephant stampede. She stood, thinking someone had come to save her.

But she only saw other prisoners passing through the hall, to lunch perhaps.

"Excuse me, guards?" She asked. She had an incredible ability to play with people's feelings.

She could get anyone to believe her, anyone to trust her. Maybe it was because she knew their current feelings, and therefore knew how to use them to her advantage. Or maybe, it was simply because she was human.

"When am I allowed outside? Or a phone call? Food?" She asked politely.

"You're not allowed outside, food comes to you two times a day. You don't get a phone call."

"That's not correct though," she smiled at the irony, "That's against galaxy rules, officer." Her voice was being strained as she talked to the Corpsmen guards.

"You killed two hundred people, stole three hundred thousand units worth of items, attacked three hundred people, and burned an entire city. You'll have to excuse us for not giving you a phone call."

"Fuck you," her kindness and humanity wore off with her growing irritability.

They smiled behind their masks.

She laid back on the cement and sighed loudly.

"I'll get out of here, just you watch."