Cyberlink Cove

Chapter 23

CYBERLINK COVE (REEF'S HEAD)-2078

Mina Wistmore shoved down the wave of grief threatening to topple her over. Swallowing down her sorrow, she turned around and faced the advancing swarm of government agents and military personnel. There was a faint crackle of static in her ear, and an urgent voice was repeatedly calling her name. But all Mina could think about was Es.

Es. Esmeralda Popov, younger sister to Valeriya Popov. Mina could remember a time before the pirates had officially been formed, a time when life was so much simpler than the constant fighting and fear and occasionally the joy that Mina had slowly grown accustomed to.

Mina gulped and pushed the memories down. No time for that right now, she told herself firmly. Mourning Es could come later. Right now, what Mina needed to focus on was getting as far away from Li Chang, the Iron Maiden, and the incoming horde of government soldiers. 

The world exploded in front of her as Aki burst into the scene, planting a few explosives in the middle of the crowd. The loud boom left a ringing in Mina's ears, but it snapped her out of her momentary daze. Flying into action, Mina started to run towards the railing, trying to get away, away, away from the ship. She weaved in and out between the small force of pirates and government soldiers alike, bullets ricocheting off the various surfaces surrounding her. Mina occasionally turned around and squeezed off a few gunshots, but otherwise she kept a constantly increasing speed towards the side of the boat. 

After what seemed like an eternity of sprinting and jumping and leaping across the deck of the warship, Mina was finally able to jump down into the looming depths of the calm ocean below. She felt herself submerge beneath the surface of the water, bullets continuing to rain down from above. 

Meanwhile, on deck, the remaining pirates were beginning to disperse. They dropped down to the water below, swimming towards the motorboats that had pulled up alongside the ship, just out of range from the gunfire. 

Finally, when Mina managed to swim to the motorboat Glenn was in, she coughed up water and slumped into one of the makeshift seats. "I think everyone's out," she said, gasping like a fish out of water.

"Where's Es?" Glenn asked in alarm, preparing to make their escape.

"Dead," Mina answered bleakly. Glenn paled, but swallowed hard and nodded slowly, then sped full throttle away from the Iron Maiden. 

Inside President Ross's office, General Thomas deflated. "Well, that was a bit of a bust," he said to no one in particular.

"No," the president answered calmly. "We did achieve something, after all. I am sure we killed at least a few of the rats in the fire fight," he smirked. Outside, the sky was covered in shadows and the moon glittered as brightly as ever. President Ross stared up at the stars, contemplating what the future could possibly hold.

 *ONE MONTH LATER*

CYBERLINK COVE (SKYHOOK ISLE)-2078

Chrissy sat casually on a bar stool, her long legs crossed loosely. She held a drink in her hand-a bottle of cheap beer-though she hadn't touched it in a while. Instead, she observed the people inside Smugglers Tavern, pretending to take a sip of her drink every once in a while. There was a...different air to them, something Chrissy couldn't quite put her finger on. She didn't know what had changed, but something had. 

There seemed to be a more lively, more spirited aura surrounding the usual group. Chrissy knew the regulars like the back of her hand: there was Rory, thin as a rake with stringy hair and spectacles to match, vivacious Jessica with her bouncing blond curls and wide smile of gleaming teeth, bronze-skinned Noah and his brooding eyes, and the list went on......

But lately, more and more people had been flooding the bar every night. There was a certain gathering of people, who whispered in hushed voices and glanced anxiously towards the kitchen and at the servers....yes, something was wrong. So here Chrissy was, sitting at the edge of the group, eavesdropping on their conversation-not an easy task, considering the noise level in the room.

"I've heard the rumors....a warship that got attacked....raiding the hospital...." Bits and pieces of speech floated towards Chrissy, and she took it all in while feigning a gulp from the bottle of beer. Tonight, the group was noticeably larger, which Chrissy noted with a raise of an eyebrow. 

"You know what they say....Plat Fest...protesting....attacks and robberies....." Chrissy was beginning to grow impatient, as she could barely discern half of the conversation. Sighing, she stood up and moved even closer to the fringes of the group. The people didn't seem to notice her, instead continuing their quiet mutterings and animated whispers. 

It was pretty obvious to Chrissy that they were talking about the pirates, but did they think positively of them? Or were the people discussing how the pirates were harming Cyberlink Cove? The questions burned at the back of Chrissy's mind, but she paid them no heed and instead focused on getting all the information she could. Brushing a wisp of her blond hair out of her face, Chrissy re-adjusted her posture again and tried to lean in as inconspicuosly as possible. Ah, finally. Now, Chrissy was within earshot of the conversation.

"I've heard the rumors from colleagues at work that the president tortures them if he can get his hands on any of them," a middle-aged woman said in a low voice. "I even think there was one at the hospital a year or so ago....I remember the pirates attacked us but apparently did not steal anything, which is unusual because the lot of them have been pilfering our supplies for years now. But in the days leading up to that night, Dr. Morgan was jumpy, and Dr. Morgan is never jumpy. I think she knew that we were housing a pirate."

"I don't know if they can be trusted or not," someone else piped in nervously, the owner of the voice shifting his eyes from face to face. "What have they done to help us? It seems kind of selfish, in my opinion, for the pirates to be stealing from the government and raiding their ships. After all, some of the stuff that they steal is eventually redistributed to us, the working class. We go to work every week, eight hours a day. What do the pirates do? Drink the day away, then rob things that rightfully belong to us during the dark hours? It just doesn't seem right," the man finished apprehensively. 

"Is this government doing us any good?!" A younger and more robust man demanded. "No! We're stuck with the poorest schools, the highest rent, and the lowest jobs. Because we don't make enough money to properly educate our children, they are also assigned to the lowest schools, which means they also get the worst jobs, and that in turn leads to renting from the government on Skyhook. This system is corrupt, and the only people it's benefitting are the wealthy and powerful-the ones who make the rules!" The red-haired man's eyes were filled with fire, filled with hatred and anger and conviction. Chrissy didn't know what to make of it.

"Well, the government certainly isn't right, but are the pirates the correct choice?" An older woman reasoned in a calm tone, quelling the sparks beginning to fly as the debate grew more heated. "The pirates do seem to have a penchant for anything illegal, and as much as I know you guys will hate me for saying this, some of the laws President Ross has established make sense. For example, stealing. No one is permitted to steal; that is a basic rule, one that all should be required to abide by."

"So you're against the pirates?" the fiery young man shot back.

The woman gave him a serene yet unsettling smile. "I never said that," she responded coolly. "I just do not think a total destruction of the government is necessary. The main problem with our situation is the president taking advantage of the poor and letting the wealthy influence his decisions and policies. I believe if we put someone else in power with a way to check the new leader's power, that would be a sufficient solution. If the pirates completely overthrow this system, we will have total anarchy which may as well lead to another corrupt leader. Although I do not completely support the pirates and what they represent, I think that for now we should stand behind them and see how it goes. It's certainly a better alternative to just sitting around and letting the president take more and more control."

"Well stated, Miriam," a man who looked to be in his thirties said, smiling at her. She gave a laugh and let the others talk.

Chrissy got out of her seat and headed towards the back of the bar, ready to convey the news to her fellow pirates. It looked like they may have had some unexpected support with the entire predicament.