OGENUS EARTH 🌎 🌊 {Dystopian Sci-Fi Adventure}

I Wont Back Down

Big Joe had taken his place in the cockpit, swiveling the bucket seat to give him an unobstructed view of their guests.

Meg's grey eyes swelled in shock at the sight of the haystack at the controls. Compared to Harrison's sinewy frame and guarded looks, he was a hulking mountain of a man with humor dancing in his crinkled eyes. He could probably crush the air out of her with a hug and have no idea.

It was all Midge could do to keep herself from taking a deep, satisfying gulp of the air in here. It smelled of adventures both old and new, along with the familiar tang of stale sweat...and was that, urine? It was glorious!

Arturo noted the size and sturdiness of the craft, an early Aegus model to be sure, but someone had modified this thing over the years. He suspected there were probably dozens of hidden features to help them out in the event of an emergency. Smugglers took immense pride in mechanically optimizing their ships to look like rusted fish buckets with hidden firepower or speed.

Yes, this will do nicely, he mused as he eased himself onto a low metal bench in the circular antechamber connecting the cockpit to the adjoining compartments.

Once everyone was on board, Harrison swaggered his way to the center of the vestibule relishing in their attention.

"We need you to take us to Arc City Two." Arturo began unprompted.

"That's it?" Harrison asked, his eyebrow twitching at the seemingly innocuous ask as his muscles braced themselves. Only Big Joe knew the burden of a trip to that particular city sphere would mean for Harrison and the reason for his friend's well-concealed hesitation. "Why couldn't we talk about this outside? Would've saved your old bones a trip in here to have me tell you no."

"Our mission must remain a secret." Arturo continued, unaffected.

"Sorry, we're headed out in the opposite direction." Harrison loved a good haggle, but they were asking too much.

"We're not asking you, we're telling you," Olivia responded in place of her mentor, infuriated that this man thought this was up for debate. 

"Is that so?" Harrison rose to her challenge playfully, watching the anger flare behind her cold azure eyes. 

Olivia refused to back down, ignoring the rush of electricity that tingled in her fingers when the rogue fixed his stare on her.

"Look, don't get your panties in a twist, all I said is we weren't planning on going that way." Harrison chuckled, knowing that would rile her up more. "What's this big secret worth to ya?"

"Are you blackmailing us?" She spat back, folding her arms defensibly across her pert chest. 

Harrison closed the short distance between them until he was uncomfortably close to Olivia's personal bubble.

"You'd have to have something I want bad enough, sweetheart." He replied. "Right now, we're trading."

This woman had probably never been checked a day in her life, and he was getting a perverse sense of pride at the rage that invoked. Harrison was wrong, this one wasn't just a handful, she was a headache. He wasn't in the habit of doling out favors, and certainly not to thankless princesses who couldn't keep their snotty comments to themselves.

"We can pay," Arturo repeated, his tranquil countenance (again) shaking Harrison's bravado. "Anything you want."

"Anything we want?" Big Joe asked, his eyes widening to the size of his belly.

"Anything within my power," Arturo repeated.

"Anything?" Olivia hissed, her eyes flashing to her mentor, wondering whether he'd truly begun to lose his mind.