Object Permanence
“The kid seems normal, strong, and healthy. How much do you think we’ll get for him?”
Captain Keeder nibbled on his fingernails under his thick mustache, waiting for my answer.
“It’s hard to say,” I said. “The slave market is strong in the Xhanyis-Lowstiv system. We’re only about two galactic days away if we leave now. But we might wanna wait and do some more research. See where the kid was going. Ransom might be the better move here.”
Our ship, the ITV Pelican, had just intercepted an escape pod. It was so small that we almost missed it. After running a diagnostic on the ship, we realized this pod had been flying under the radar for just over nineteen Galactic Common years. Apparently, this experimental one-person pod was jettisoned out of a space station under siege—the station Kholtro, which was completely obliterated during that attack.
Apparently, during the attack, a small, human-sized bullet shot out at light-speed towards Zhalliko, a planet just over twenty-two lightyears away from Kholtro. And now, after nineteen years of peace, we got the pod just a couple lightyears shy of its destination.
After a long silence, Captain Keeder said, “We’re much closer to the kid’s destination than Xhanyis. We could get to Zhalliko in what, a few hours at warp speed?”
I nodded. “That would theoretically be easier. The only problem is, this kid’s parents decided to play the long game. The kid’s been traveling for nineteen years. It’ll be difficult to find out who to contact, or if the right people supposed to get the kid are still alive, or at least still living in Zhalliko.”
Captain Keeder shrugged. “Then we sell the kid. There’s nobody important who’d even know to care, right?”
“Right. I’m gonna talk to the kid again. See what he knows. If he knows where he’s going, and if where he’s going has money, great. If not, it’s Xhanyis-Lowstiv.”
I walked down the hall to the “Receiving Room”, a comfortable room near the cargo bay that doubles as our holding cell. I opened the door to find the couches and chairs empty, but the kid running back and forth, literally bouncing off the walls. I smiled.
“Hey kid.” He paused, stumbled, and almost tripped over himself. “You know I’m not a kid, right? I’m nineteen. Or, is calling everyone ‘kid’ part of your planet’s dialect?”
I sized the “not-a-kid” up. He was nearly six feet tall and very lanky, with a surprising amount of muscle tone. His stretchy black and gray body suit seemed to fit perfectly.
I said, “So, let’s go over this one more time. You’ve been in that pod how long?”
“Almost my whole life, sir. Just over nineteen years.”
“How old are you?”
“Just over nineteen years.”
“Were you born in the pod?”
“No, no, silly. My parents put me here a couple weeks after my birth when the space station was being destroyed. This was the only pod they had. They probably could’ve afforded a bigger pod, but it wouldn’t been able to sustain light speed for very long, and we would’ve probably all run out of air and food and stuff.”
“How do you know all this?”
“They told me. They left me a long, detailed goodbye message.”
“I see. How are you able to walk? And talk?”
He shrugged. “I’m a normal boy, I guess. The pod was outfitted with advanced technology that assisted each stage of my development. Besides video of my parents, the ship was also full of audio and visual reference materials. I got to read, watch entertainment, play games. Also, my chair could be retracted into the wall, and the floor moved, so I could learn to stand and walk and stuff.”
“Interesting.”
“That’s why I was running around the room, just now. I knew of the concept of running, but whenever I did it in the pod, I never moved. It’s exhilarating to move forward when you walk, you know.”
I nodded. “It is, I suppose. What’s your name, Mr. I’m-not-a-kid?”
“Kenneth Clarkson, at your service.” He bowed.
I laughed.
“What? Does your culture not do that? It’s hard keeping planetary customs straight.”
“Speaking of planets, I wanted to ask if you knew your pod’s destination.”
“Didn’t you already query the onboard computer? I’m heading to Zhalliko.”
“Yes, yes, I knew that part. But why Zhalliko? Is someone waiting for you there?”
“I sure hope so. I’ve had no contact with my aunt and uncle, but they should be expecting me in a couple more years.”
“Why didn’t they come to find you?”
“The pod’s too small to track. Plus, it doesn’t do interspace communications.”
“What can you tell me about your aunt and uncle?”
He shrugged and sighed. “My mom and dad didn’t have many pictures of them. No video. I know they’re loving, friendly, and responsible. It’ll be great to stay with them after being in the pod for so long.”
“What is their financial status?”
Kenneth scowled. “What do you mean?”
“Are they wealthy?”
“I don’t know. Why would that matter?”
“Can you give me their names and whatever information you have?”
“Why? Are you going to get me there faster? They’ll be so excited!”
“I can’t make any promises, kid. Just give me their names.”
Kenneth gasped, his eyes gaping. “I…can’t give you the names, sir.”
“Why not?”
He whispered, “Jessica says this is a pirate ship. Is this a pirate ship?”
I froze. “Who’s Jessica?”
“My friend. She doesn’t think I can trust you.”
“You have friends? I thought you were in a one-person pod.”
“Yes, it’s a one person pod.”
“And there’s no interspace communications from the pod.”
He nodded vigorously.
“Are there any hidden compartments in the pod? Any place for a second person?”
“No, silly. There’s only air for one. That’s the design, remember.”
“Then who’s Jessica?”
“Just one of my friends.”
Friends. Plural. I shivered but tried to hide it.
“Are your friends on the ship, Kenneth?”
“No, no. They’re rarely actually on the ship. But they’re here with me.”
“Here? In this room?”
He nodded once more and giggled. “Sorry, sir. I forgot that most people can’t see them. I’ve been on my own for so long, you know.”
“Right,” I said. “Well then, you still don’t want to give me the names of your aunt and uncle?”
“I don’t think so.”
I left the room and locked the door and ran back to the bridge.
Captain Keeder, standing by the controls and looking out the large window, said, “What’s the hurry, Pilot?”
“This kid is creeping me out.”
“I’m disappointed. We’ve handled much more dangerous threats. He doesn’t even qualify as a threat.”
“I’m not so sure about that, Captain. He says he has friends. Friends that only he can see.”
Captain Keeder laughed. “The kid’s been in the pod his whole life. Why can’t he have imaginary friends? He’s bound to have some quirks.”
“His friends told him not to trust us. He refused to give me any more info on his aunt and uncle.”
“We’re still connected to that pod’s computer, right? It shouldn’t be that hard for you to find the info we need.”
“It’ll take me some time, but I think I’ll be able to ascertain his uncle and aunt’s identity and whereabouts. Still, I don’t trust that kid. He’s making me nervous.”
“The kid’s harmless, Pilot. Do your job and ignore the imaginary friends. That’s an order.”
I spent the next three and a half hours finding information the kid could’ve given me in seconds. I was no longer afraid—just annoyed. The captain and I talked over the information I found. Turns out, the kid’s family is wealthy, but not ransom-rich. Xhanyis-Lowstiv would be our best bet, financially.
I went to the bridge and started activating main engines, and I dialed in the coordinates for the Xhanyis-Lowstiv system. Just as the ship started to move, I looked up from the controls and saw Kenneth standing in the doorway. I jumped back and the Captain turned from his station facing the stars.
I yelled, “How did you get out? What are you doing here?”
The kid shrugged. “I’m hungry. I just wanted to ask if you guys had any food.”
“But how did you get out of the receiving room?”
Captain Keeder said, “Won’t you just get our guest some food? You obviously left the door unlocked.”
Kenneth said, “No, it was locked. Ricky let me out.”
Captain Keeder chuckled. “Really? Is Ricky one your little invisible friends the pilot warned me about?”
Kenneth said, “Yep! Actually, no. He’s not just one of my friends…Ricky’s my best friend! But he’s not little. He’s really tall and strong.”
“Really?” Captain Keeder said. “Well, Pilot, let’s get our guests some food, shall we?”
I sighed. “Kenneth, I suppose your friends need food as well?”
“No, no, they don’t each much. Just for me. I’m starving.”
“Fine,” I said. “Follow me.”
I led Kenneth down the hallway, and we entered the ship cafeteria a few minutes later.
“What would you like to eat?” I asked.
He shrugged. “I never really got to pick before. The pod fed me with nutrient tabs that mixed with the water. I get the concept of eating, but the closest I’ve ever gotten to eating real food is with the pod’s supply of nano-gum. But I’m not supposed to swallow that stuff.”
I chuckled. “In that case, kid, you’re in for a treat. What sim-flavors do you like from the nano-gum?”
After he rattled off a good dozen flavors, I started making him a pizza sandwich, a favorite in this sector of the galaxy. While I worked on the food, he started asking me questions about my life, and how life is on the Pelican. I even told him my real first name, and the story behind why everyone just calls me “Pilot.”
It was actually a refreshing conversation, as Kenneth was genuinely interested, and I hadn’t had any conversations like that in recent years. Eventually, after I told him much of my life story, I steered the conversation back to the kid, so I could gather more information.
“So, Kenneth, how is life on the pod? I couldn’t imagine living a life of nutrient tabs and nano-gum. Do you ever get bored or lonely?”
He nodded, paused, then shook his head. “Not really. I’m used it. It’s not that bad.”
“When did you meet Ricky and Jessica?”
“Actually, I have three friends, and Beauregard was the one I met first.”
“Okay…how many friends do you actually have, then?”
I poured fizzy drinks for both Kenneth and myself.
“Just three. I think I was four when I first met Beauregard. He’s the quietest of the bunch. One day, I saw him hanging on out the window outside of the pod, and we talked. He actually introduced me to God.”
I coughed for a moment, almost choking on my drink mid-sip. “So…four friends, including, er, God?”
“Oh yeah, I forgot to count God. I thought everyone knew him.”
How crazy is this kid? I thought. “No, not everyone. No one on board this ship, anyway.”
“Well, now’s the perfect chance to meet him!”
“I’m not interested, kid. I’ve got a ship to help pilot.”
“Oh, you’re like what, second-in-command?”
“Yeah. And primary pilot.”
“God can help you pilot.”
I slammed the food down on the table in front of Kenneth. “Dinner is served. And stop with the God-stuff. It’s weird. Very few planets take religion seriously this side of the galaxy.”
The kid shrugged. “You don’t have to take him seriously if you don’t want to. He also has a silly side. He’s really quite fun.”
“Can we talk about something else?”
“I thought you wanted to know.”
“I did, or thought I did. What about Ricky and Jessica? When did they get in the picture?”
“Well, for awhile I was having these weird dreams, and a voice said I’d be making new friends soon. I didn’t know it at the time, but it was God. Anyway, one day Beauregard appeared in the window. He said he was my protector. He’s soooo strong, you know.”
I nodded and refilled my drink.
“Then, a few months later, Ricky appeared in the pod with me. He said he would be my friend. He taught me about people and stuff. Another week after that, Jessica knocked on the side of the pod. She said she’d be my teacher. She’s taught me stuff about everything…space, technology, history, God, even girls. When I was younger, I didn’t care much about learning about girls, but now that I’m older, I think it’d be quite swell to meet one on Zhalliko, after meeting up with Aunt and Uncle, of course.”
“Fascinating,” I said. “Now, why don’t you take a break and get some real food in your system?”
He ate slowly at first, nervous. Then, confidently he savored each bite. Then, the last half of the meal he devoured in under five minutes.
“Thank you, thank you, thank you! That was divine!”
“You’re welcome. Now, have you ever done a toast?”
“I’ve seen it on videos.”
I lifted my glass. “Just clank your glass against mine, loud enough to make a noise, soft enough not to break it or spill anything.”
Clank!
I shouted, “To new friendships, real food, and the space to walk around.”
He laughed. “As much as I’ve loved life in the pod so far, this has been such a treat, Pilot. Such a treat. Now, how fast does your ship go again?”
“I, er, well, um—it’s pretty fast. Faster than your pod.”
“Ricky says he looked all around your ship, and you have a warp drive.”
“Yes, that is true, I—”
“Ricky says good friends are honest friends. Are you an honest friend?”
“Um…what do you mean?”
Kenneth said, louder, “How long will it take to get to Zhalliko? If you have a warp drive and we were only a couple lightyears away, we should be there soon, right?”
“The journey will actually be a couple days.”
“What’s that, Jessica?” Kenneth paused for a moment, and continued, “Jessica says you’re not being honest. She says your navigation computer is taking the ship away from Zhalliko. Is it true? Tell me she misunderstood something and it isn’t true.”
I could see tears start to well up in his eyes.
“I…I…” I sighed. “We’re not going to Zhalliko, Kenneth. I’m sorry, but it’s the captain’s orders. There’s nothing I can do.”
Kenneth put his head down and started weeping. “You’re the pilot, right? You could change course, couldn’t you?”
“It doesn’t work that way.” I tried to sound compassionate but not too compassionate, but my emotions were already wrapped up in his story. The kid was an enigma, and deep down I wanted to help him get to where he was headed. But that’s not how the captain runs the Pelican.
Kenneth sniffed and tried drying his tears. “All these years…all these light-speed years, and we’re going backwards. A waste.”
“I’m sorry, kid. I’ll do whatever I can to keep you comfortable here, but we are not turning around. We can’t stop until we reach the Xhanyis-Lowstiv system.”
After some more back-and-forth conversation, I led Kenneth to one of the guest rooms. Before retiring to my own quarters, I met up with the captain on the bridge.
“Captain Keeder, I still don’t know how safe the kid is.”
The captain shrugged. “He’ll be worth a lot of money. Easiest cash we’ve made in a long time. I don’t see the problem.”
“The kid is so…I don’t know. Innocent. And he sounds serious when he’s talking to his imaginary friends. He knows things from them that he shouldn’t.”
“Like what?” “He figured out that we’re not going to Zhalliko, for one. Plus, he got out of the receiving room.”
“He’s getting to your head, Pilot. Clever boy, I’ll admit. Maybe a little bit of a mentalist. But he’s harmless.”
“He’s also not happy about our destination.”
“He doesn’t need to be happy for us to get paid. Remember our motto?”
I nodded. “It’s all about the bottom line. I get that, Captain. I’m just nervous he’ll do something reckless to try and escape. Then we won’t get paid, you know?”
“I think you let the kid make you soft. He’s been in a pod his whole life. Let him enjoy a bed for once. I’ll even get some of the mercs to guard his door, if it makes you that nervous. Trust me. This is an easy score.”
“You haven’t talked to him that much, Captain. The way he talks to his friends is really creeping me out.”
“Pilot, I don’t care how he makes you feel. Find your backbone and get some rest. There’s no way I’m changing course or doing anything for the kid. Got that?”
“Yes sir.”
“All about the bottom line!”
I walked away and went to my quarters. The lights all around the ship dimmed for the night-cycle, in sync with the Galactic Commons night and day clock and calendar. As I got ready for bed, I counted how many mercenaries we had on board. Captain Keeder and I were the Pelican’s only constant, and the other ship staff was almost always changing with new mercenaries from planet to planet, sector to sector.
Sixteen mercs, one Captain, one Pilot. And one kid. We’ll be fine.
Something moved in my periphery, and I jumped, jerking my head toward my room’s far wall.
Nothing. Nothing, but the porthole window and the stars beyond, which zoomed by disorientingly quick in the warp-speed travel.
I’m just jumpy right now, I thought. Captain Keeder’s right. The kid’s getting to my head.
I approached the window. The view usually calmed me. I smiled at the moving stars, and my eyes began to grow heavy.
I thought, Keeder’s right. It’s just a job. What am I worried about? I don’t need to feel bad. It’s brutal and bad for the kid, sure, but it’s the way of the universe. The universe is a cold place, and pirates have their cold part in it.
I yawned, but mid-yawn I let out a yelp as a shadow appeared outside the porthole.
I stumbled back and tripped onto the bed. I frantically flung myself under the covers, and I dared look back at the window.
The shadow remained, now a human shape, its head piercing me with a lightless, eye-less glare. I threw the covers over my head and closed my eyes tight and trying to steady my breathing.
I’m seeing things…It’s not really there…
But then I remembered how Kenneth described how Beauregard, Ricky, and Jessica first appeared to him, and I wondered if these friends were imaginary at all.
After several minutes, the feeling of being watched passed, and I could hear no sound in my room. Finally, I forced myself to look out from my covers towards the window, but there was nothing there. After a while longer of tossing and turning, I finally went to sleep.
And I dreamt.
In the dream, I didn’t see much. But I felt trapped. I was on a chair, in an enclosed space, and a window in front of me showed me open space just beyond the glass. I was alone and scared for what seemed like forever, but from far away I could hear a voice…
Knock, knock, knock!
The sound broke me from my dream, and my eyes flicked open.
Knock, knock, knock!
I jumped out of bed and absently noticed I was still fully clothed from the day before, even with shoes on. I looked at the clock—5:54am, Galactic Common Time—and I strode to the door. I turned on the lights and pressed the button for the electronic door to slide open.
It did, and it revealed Kenneth, fist raised to knock again.
“Good morning, Pilot.”
“Good morning, Kenneth. What are you doing awake this early?” To myself, I thought, How did he get past the mercenary guarding his room?
“I just wanted to get an early start on the day. After all, the longer I wait, the further away from Zhalliko we get.”
I paused for a moment, considering his words. “Wait for what, Kenneth?”
“Pilot, I have a question for you. I need to know the answer now.”
“Okay…what’s the question?”
“Yesterday, when you taught me how to toast and we touched our glasses together. You called me your friend. Did you mean it?”
“At the time, I didn’t really mean it. I was being polite and wanted to make you feel comfortable.”
“I thought so,” he said. “Would you like to be my friend for real? It’s not too late, but I need an answer now.”
I thought about my life as a pirate. It wasn’t necessarily a bad life, but I had to admit how empty I felt. The only constant in my life was Captain Keeder, but he was only friendly to me when he wanted me to do him a favor. Though I had initially thought it was weird that the kid didn’t have any friends, he seemed to actually have more friends than I did. And in the short time he’d been on the ship, Kenneth was more a friend to me than anyone had been to me in years.
Kenneth said, “So…What’s your answer?”
I smiled. “Yes, Kenneth. I would love to be your friend.”
He sighed and chuckled. “That’s so grand! Now Beauregard won’t have to kill you.”
I said, “Yeah…wait, what?”
“Oh yes, now that you’re my friend, I get to let you in on the secret: We’re taking the ship!”
“When?”
“Right now, of course! Gotta get the Pelican to Zhalliko A-S-A-P. Stay by me, friend, and come. I promise, Ricky, Jessica, and Beauregard won’t lay a finger on you. They really are nice. Just efficient.”
What did I get myself into…
Kenneth grabbed my hand and led me down the hallway. “How many of those mercenary guys do you have on board?”
“Sixteen,” I said. I jerked my hand out of Kenneth’s. “Can’t we talk about this for a sec—”
“Good. Two are down already, so just fourteen and the captain.”
We turned the corner, and I saw the corpses of two of the mercenaries, lifeless in pools of blood, flanking the guest room door. I put my hand over my mouth and tried not to gag. “How did you…How…?”
“It wasn’t me, silly. Jessica said humans aren’t supposed to kill. That was Ricky’s doing. A little messy for Jessica’s tastes.” He turned his face away from me towards his room. “Beauregard, did you find it? Good. Oh, thank you Jessica.” A small, levitating rod flew through the door and gently landed on Kenneth’s hand. “Jessica found my laser-dagger. It belonged to my mom, you know. It’s good protection. Now, Beauregard found your different airlock doors, which might come in handy, but Ricky hasn’t found the armory yet. Care to share?”
Kenneth continued smiling like normal, and he squeezed the dagger handle to light up the one-foot laser blade.
I blinked a few times. I said, “Yeah, sure. Two doors down on the left. It’s password protected.”
“Are you okay, Pilot?”
I forced a nod. “The floating dagger threw me for a loop. Remember, I still can’t see your friends.”
He giggled. “Don’t worry, friend. You’ll get used to it.”
We arrived at the armory door, and I typed the passcode into the keypad.
The door slid open, and almost immediately different weapons started floating, as if a ghost were inspecting them.
“Are your friends going to kill everybody?” I asked.
“I don’t know,” Kenneth said. “I sure hope not, for their sakes. But if they get in the way and don’t surrender, there may not be much of a choice.”
I walked in and examined a couple of my favorite laser-based weapons, but then I felt Kenneth’s hand on my arm.
“Now now, Pilot. It’s okay. Ricky, Jessica, and Beauregard will do all the fighting. Maybe you should find something defensive.”
I nodded and swiped up a laser umbrella, which basically functioned like a deflector shield for laser-based weapons. “Okay Kenneth. What’s the plan?”
“That’s the easy part. I figured we’ll walk straight to the bridge, get to the navigation computer, and change coordinates.”
“Sounds simple,” I said. A scream echoed down the hall. Kenneth and I peeked out the armory door and found a couple mercenaries at the hallway’s far end, weapons armed. We jerked back inside just as the mercs shot their laser-pistols.
“I think they found their friends at your room, kid. This isn’t going to be easy. They’ll call for help, and all the mercs will be here in no time.” I could hear one of the mercenaries yelling into his communicator.
Kenneth said, “Do you have any more of those umbrellas? I have an idea.”
I snatched a new one off the shelf and handed it to Kenneth. We armed the umbrellas and entered the hallway, me facing one way with the umbrella’s laser shield and Kenneth facing the other way.
The mercenaries fired at us from both ends of the hall, the laser rounds bouncing off our shields. I said, “Do you remember the way to the bridge, or should I lead the way?”
“I remember. I’ll lead while you watch our back. Ricky, any time now.” A flame thrower rifle floated out of the armory and pointed down the hall in front of Kenneth. Just add the mercenaries charged at us, the flame thrower’s trigger was pressed, and and blanket of flame met them.
I turned back around and saw the mercs charging me, and I yelled, “A little help, here!”
Two laser-pistols flew from the armory and shot each merc just before they reached me.
Kenneth yelled, “Good job, Jessica! Keep an eye on our six, and me and Ricky will charge forward to the bridge.”
We kept winding through the hall all the way to the bridge, and the mercenaries kept falling. I lost count how many had been killed out of the original sixteen.
After only a few minutes, we burst into the bridge. Captain Keeder stood aloft up at the captain’s station, and he had a weapon in each hand. Two armed mercenaries flanked him.
Both Kenneth and I faced him, umbrellas still armed.
Captain Keeder, voice booming, said, “Pilot. What do you think you’re doing?”
I said, “Kenneth needs to go to Zhalliko. We should help him.”
“Have you lost your mind?”
“Captain, please. Kenneth is innocent, and his friends are…”—I looked to Kenneth for an adjective, but he just shrugged—“…very persuasive. Let’s just give him what he wants.”
Captain Keeder laughed and snarled. “This was supposed to be an easy payday. What happened to the bottom line? You’d betray the Pelican and all the reputation I’ve built for it for what? A stupid kid and his imaginary friends? You will regret this, Pilot.”
I said, “They’re not imaginary. Please, Captain. I’m telling you—”
Captain Keeder lifted his right hand and fired his hand-held laser cannon—sending a shockwave of heat laser directly at Kenneth and me. We jabbed our umbrellas forward, and most of the wave glanced off the umbrellas, but the force pushed us back a couple meters.
Jessica’s laser-pistols fired, and she hit one of the mercs, but the other kept his shield up and deflected most of her shots. Captain Keeder flicked his right hand, unfurling an electric whip, which he activated. He flung the whip towards Jessica’s pistols, and the shooting stopped for a moment as the guns surged back without losing aim. Ricky’s flame thrower activated and advanced towards Captain Keeder and the remaining mercenary. The merc’s laser umbrella blocked the fire as Captain Keeder backed away and aimed his laser cannon towards Jessica, who resumed firing her pistols. One laser round grazed Keeder’s side, but he barely flinched and held his weapons tight. The cannon blasted, and the two pistols clattered to the ground.
“Jessica!” Kenneth screamed, as a woman-shaped shadow appeared on the floor and writhed violently.
A guttural scream sounded from the direction of the flame thrower. The flames grew more intense, and the heat on the umbrella caused the mercenary to drop it, and Ricky advanced on the man and set him aflame. Captain Keeder flicked his electric whip, which flung around the flame-thrower’s handle. Keeder yanked, ripping the flame-thrower across the room. He cracked the electric whip back towards where Ricky had been standing, and it coiled around an invisible person.
Another yell, as Ricky’s shadowy form blinked in and out of visibility with the whip’s surging electricity. Keeder shot another laser wave at Jessica, and both she and Ricky were on the ground. Kenneth was shaking, and I put my free arm around him.
A realization struck me, and I grinned. “Captain, you forgot about Beauregard.”
An unseen force threw Captain Keeder onto the window, and he dropped both weapons. His head twisted to one side, and teeth and blood shot out of his mouth. Then, Keeder was yanked from the window and slammed to the floor. Something constricted his neck, which turned purple, and suddenly his head was yanked off his shoulders.
Kenneth ran to Ricky and then to Jessica, but I stood stunned. After a couple minutes, I forced myself to step up and look at Keeder’s body.
Kenneth looked at me and his smile faded. “Are you okay?”
Tears filled my eyes and I couldn’t speak.
“None of this was your fault, okay?” Kenneth said. “You’re the only one on this ship to make the wise choice.”
I nodded. “Captain Keeder wasn’t a good man. But he was my only friend.”
“You have new friends now. Ricky, Jessica, and Beauregard agree: the universe is better off with the Pelican under new management.”
“Still, this was my life for so long. I don’t know what’s next for me.”
After a few more minutes of rest, I showed Kennth how to work the ship’s navigation, and we set course for Zhalliko. Next, we gathered all the bodies and let them out through the airlock. Then, we ate dinner. After dinner, Kenneth took me to his pod in the cargo bay.
“Ricky says good friends are honest friends. I have to tell you something, Pilot, and you’re not gonna like it.”
“What’s that?”
“You can’t come with me to Zhalliko. The Pelican needs a clean slate. And God has different plans for you.”
I nodded. “I should’ve expected as much.”
“Remember: You have friends now. You’ll never be alone, okay?”
“But you’re leaving me in the pod, aren’t you? Leaving me…alone?”
Kenneth wrapped me up in a hug. “Trust me. This is for the best, okay? It doesn’t make sense now, but it will.”
I returned his embrace, and we just stood there awhile.
I said, barely above a whisper, “I don’t want to be alone.”
“You’ll be less alone in the pod than you were on the Pelican with Captain Keeder.”
“I don’t know if I believe that.”
“You don’t have to. Yet.”
I knew there would be no point in arguing. When we finished our goodbyes, I went into the pod, and Kenneth jettisoned me towards an uninhabited solar system one and half lightyears away.
And after only a few minutes, fear gripped me, even stronger than the fear in my dream did the night before.
I wondered how Kenneth had done it.
How did he last so long, all alone? But he wasn’t alone. At some point in the infinite sea of the void of space, he was found.
I still didn’t really believe in God, but even so, I prayed.
I prayed that whatever found Kenneth would also find me.
