The Morgan

Chapter 7

"You sure you want us to destroy the ship when we find it? What about the salvage reward?"

The hologram of a man dressed in an expensive suit, with dark hair, looks down as he puts his finger up to his earpiece. He listens for several moments, then says, "Okay, ma'am." He looks at Jesse, "yes, we want you to destroy it."

Jesse waits a few seconds for the answer to her salvage question, but the man does not answer it.

"What about our right to salvage? The money we would make?"

He nods to her, then says, "She wants to know about the salvage reward." He waits. He nods, smiles, and then says, "thank you ma'am." He looks at Jesse, "you will get double for destroying it."

"What!?" Her brows raise, and her eyes widen. She takes a breath, then says, "Thank you. I mean that would set us all up for life. You don't-" She fights back a huge grin.

The man remains silent and emotionless.

She gains control, "Not to sound ungrateful, but what I don't get is... you could learn so much from the ship. About bits of the past we don't know."

"It's not your concern captain."

"But-

"Do you wish to continue in your current role as captain? So that you can go find the ship. Earn your fortune. Or would you like to join the working class here on earth? And have someone else reap the rewards?"

"I will do as you wish, commandant."

"Good," he pauses for a moment to listen to the voice in his ear. He closes his eyes, lowers his head, and takes in a deep breath, then opens his eyes, and releases it, "Yes ma'am. If that's the way it needs to be."

Jesse stares at him confused.

He looks at her. His eyes say it all. She can tell its bad news.

"What does the APM (Alpha Prime minister) want me to do?"

"You are to get rid of all evidence of that ship."

"You mean..."

"Yes... all evidence."

"Not my crew."

"All evidence, captain."

"I will not hurt my sis-

He raises his finger to shush her.

I'm going to bite that damn finger off one of these days.

"Of course not. We couldn't ask you to do that, captain. But you must make sure she keeps her mouth shut."

"She will."

"Good."

"Yeah, it is." She sighs, then says, "We believe we can find the ship by using the life pod's navigational system."

"And you're confident you can find it?"

"We'll find it."

"Well, all right." He smiles, then says in a lighter voice, more relaxed tone, "Get to it captain. And remember, no evidence."

"I'll remember."

The hologram vanishes.

Jesse stands there for a moment emotionless, then the realisation of what she has just agreed to hits her like a powerful punch to the gut, and she almost collapses as she sits down on her chair. Her eyes moisten as she puts her head in her hands, "Shit... shit-shit-shit... shit. What am I thinking?"

An alarm screams into the room.

Jesse wipes her eyes, and then shoots up and runs to the door.

The alarm screams again as she exits the room.

She runs down a barely lit corridor towards the next scream. Its louder now and Jesse swears under her breath as she turns down another dim lit corridor.

She burst into the bay and heads to the alarm button and pulls it, cutting off another one mid scream.

"What the hell is going on Ava?"

Ava is still standing at the pod next to Carl.

The rest of the crew filter through the bay doors.

George is first in, "what's going on cap?"

She turns to the crew, "Ava was just about to tell me that," she turns back to Ava, "weren't you?"

Ava turns and looks at each of them, her eyes full of fear.

Jesse frowns and walks up to the pod, "what the shitten hell?"

Garrett steps in front of the others, "cap?"

She ignores the others, and glares at Ava, "how did this happen?"

Ava frowns at her, "why are you asking me? I didn't do it?"

Garrett says as he steps up to the pod, "do what cap?" he looks into it, "shit. She's gone."

The others turn to one another and begin to mutter.

Jesse deep sighs, "okay guys, shut the hell up and look at me."

It takes a moment, but they do as she asks.

"Not to state the obvious, but we must find her and put her back in the pod."

"That's not going to happen," Paige says from the bay doors.

They all turn and look to her.

She leans against the frame and uses a moment to catch her breath.

Jesse steps to the front of her crew, "why is that Paige?"

"It doesn't want to be in there, and if you go after it... its defences will kick in, and you don't want that."

Ava steps forwards, "what the hell does that mean? She a robot or somethin?"

"No. She is something else."

Jesse pulls Ava back, as she says, "listen lady, you better start talkin-

"I will tell you everything, but not here."

Kennedy taps Jesse on the shoulder, Jesse turns, "what is it?"

"Can we get out of this bay... I don't think we're alone."

Texas, "course not sis, we're all here."

She spins around and hits Dallas upside the head, "I know that idiot. It's not what I mean."

Texas hits her back.

Maddy grabs hold of Kennedy, before she can move in. Garrett takes hold of Dallas. They struggle to hold them both back.

Kennedy glares at her, "I'm going to scratch your fxxking eyes out."

"Yeah! Give it ya best shot bitch."

Jesse walks up to Kennedy and slaps her and says, "get it the hell together!" she turns and slaps Dallas. "You too. I'll not have this shit on my ship!"

They both stare at her, both shocked by the whole thing and stop struggling.

The men release them.

"Sorry cap," Kennedy says.

"Me too."

George steps forwards, "cap?"

She turns to him, "what?"

He points to the door, Paige is gone.

"Shit." She turns to her crew, "Find her!"