10 Minute Tales

Mar 3

The seats shook, rattling their bones as the engines whined into life. The pressure of gravity pushed on them, gently at first but mounting as they approached escape velocity. Queenson wanted to glance at Alyssa, make sure she was coping well, but he didn't want to risk harming himself. The shuddering slowed to a stop as the flames in front of them died down, showing the vast expanse of stars beyond them. Queenson was impressed; though he had seen their infinite embrace before, never had he seen it in such clarity.
"It is now safe to unbuckle." The voice advised as a light switched off. Alyssa was the first to unbuckle, reaching for the sphere containing her drink. Avo was next, unbuckling the case and starting to assemble Error. Queenson lazily unbuckled himself, moving up to the cockpit.
"Jeez... they really are beautiful..."
"Huh?" Alyssa glanced over. "Yeah, I guess." She shrugged, sipping her drink again.
"Come on, you've got to admit, that's impressive." He gestured at the vast expanse. "You don't see a view like that at home, atmosphere gets in the way."
"And light pollution, as well as the glass itself." Avo offered, setting Error up, readying her for her duty.
"Attention." The shuttle's A.I. warned. "Incoming broadcast."
"Who's it from?" Queenson asked.
"The president and C.E.O. of Geoco. Business rating; urgent." Queenson glanced at Alyssa, who looked back.
"He knows, doesn't he?"
"Let's find out. Captain, accept the call."
"Confirmed. Patching through..." the voice grew quiet.
"Investigator Queenson, I presume?" A new voice echoed through the hull of the ship.
"Yup. What can I do for you, sir?"
"I hear that you have business on Sinis. I didn't believe investigators were typically part of the prison security detail?"
"I'm not going as staff, sir, I have a couple of questions to ask one of them."
"Here I thought that they had nothing worth knowing. After all, they seemed reluctant to follow our rules, did they not?"
"Not my place to decide, sir, I'm just following orders."
"What orders are those?" The president suddenly snapped. "I had informed your superior that you were to be denied access to Sinis."
"Why?" Alyssa blurted, unable to stop herself. "Worried we were going to find the truth?"
"Well, I suppose that that is the voice of miss Alyssa. A beautiful voice it is, but a shame its beauty is covered in thorns."
"Sir, if I may be so bold as to ask..." Queenson interrupted, speaking louder in an attempt to hide a poorly-timed beep from Error. "What do you want?"
"What I want?" The president sighed. "I want you to vanish. Sentinel, send their shuttle into space."
"Acknowledged. Overriding current shuttle A.I." The three of them protested, but in vain as the president hung up. The light grew dim as the vibration of the engines grew stronger again.
"Well... shit."