Time Traveler Part I (Feeling Like The World Forgot Me)

Chapter 16

The ground swayed as Maxx dragged Ben along, his arm pulled over his shoulders. He tried to keep track of where they were going, but his eyes wouldn't focus on anything and the whole goddamn station looked pretty much the same if he was being honest. On the bright side, he'd been successful in throwing up on Maxx's shoes.

Maxx released him suddenly, letting him fall to the floor and stumbling forward a few steps.

"Fuck...no..."

"What?" Ben moaned, rolling onto his side. The cold floor was nice.

When Maxx didn't reply, he opened his eyes, squinting to see what was happening.

Maxx was standing stock still, staring at a small, torn-apart machine.

Ben frowned. "Is that yours," he deadpanned.

"My craft..."

Ben squeezed his eyes shut. "You left it here...unprotected..." He opened his eyes again, taking in the craft, looted of everything but its frame. They even took the windows. "You daft fucking robot."

Maxx sat, or rather fell, down and rubbed his head. "Shit..."

Ben looked around the room, a landing bay it seemed, spotting a short length of cable nearby. "They really picked the worst person they could find to be their delivery boy, didn't they?" he taunted, eyeing Maxx's back while he crawled towards the cable.

"Shut up." He sounded close to tears.

"All those augments and you're still a goddamn idiot," Ben continued, grabbing the cable and making his way back to Maxx, "I bet they don't even send you on important missions. They have you do the easy ones so you can feel good about yourself."

"No they don't," Maxx contradicted, a little childishly.

Ben didn't relent. If he was being honest, it was almost cathartic to get it all out there. "Your real purpose is stroking their egos with your mindless worship of them. Think about it, I'm over a revolution old. What could they possibly want with tech as outdated as mine?" Now that Ben thought about it, that was a good point. He filed it away for later, sitting up and clapping a hand on Maxx's shoulder. "Honestly, they'll probably be glad when you don't come back."

Before Maxx had a chance to whine like a spoiled brat deprived of a lollipop, Ben looped the cable and threw it over his head, yanking hard. Maxx grappled at his neck and kicked his feet, toppling onto his side. Ben maneuvered them so that he was on top, the exertion making him feel queasy again.

He noticed Maxx pawing hopelessly at his holster and let go of the cable, pinching the back of his hand hard and grabbing the gun when it drew away. He put it to the back of Maxx's head, but Maxx grabbed his wrist and he shot the floor instead, leaving a small scorch mark. Head spinning, he tried to recall what that meant about the weapon. Some kind of laser pistol, not so powerful that it would put a hole in the station and suck the oxygen out, but probably hot enough to burn an organic lifeform...

Maxx threw Ben off and wrestled him to the floor, trying to grab the gun but crying out when Ben poked his eyes with two fingers. Well, one eye and an eye socket. Ben aimed for the head again, fumbling and firing a few shots into the ceiling this time. He yanked Maxx's ear, pulling him off his center of balance so he could shove him away and roll in the other direction.

Shakily, he got to his feet and blacked out for a second. He shook his head as his eyes refocused. The landing bay spun sickeningly and Ben put a hand out to steady himself, nearly falling over when he found nothing stable nearby.

Eyes red, Maxx made to grab at Ben, but Ben side-stepped and he fell over. Ben stumbled behind him, pressing the gun down on his shoulder for an execution-style kill. Maxx elbowed him in the gut as he pulled the trigger and the beam went through his collarbone to the floor.

Clutching the wound, Maxx screamed.

Ben pushed himself to his feet and stumbled away, hurrying out of the landing bay and through doors to corridors they might have come down. His feet felt like they were simultaneously made of lead and helium, every confused step echoing in Ben's ears. He kept looking back, waiting to see Maxx following him and getting dizzier every time he did.

He crashed face-first into someone with purple hair, who easily twisted the gun out of his hand and grabbed his throat hard.

"Which one is this?" they demanded.

Looking harder, Ben realised that the stranger's hair wasn't hair at all, but colourful leaves. They were sort of pretty.

"Ben!" a familiar voice exclaimed.

The hand around his throat loosened.

"Ali." Relief was temporary. "We have to go, he's probably following me."