CAIA

Three

I instantly expect Matron Verona to run inside, but rather, it's two people wearing prim blue overcoats, an insignia of an open palm displayed on the breast-pocket, like someone anticipating a high five.

But its stylized in black, and parts of it are trailing off, shattered, an abstract picture.

The Lexcest Corporation. But what are they doing here now?

Both people are men, and one carries a fancy synthetic gun, electric blue liquid swirling around inside, somehow acting as a light source. Some sort of plasma, maybe?

"Caia Larore," the first one says, his voice saturated with an odd puzzlement. "What a pleasure it is to find you here, like this."

The other blinks. "That's Caia?"

Gun-man lets out an exasperated sigh. "Who else would it be? Look at 'er eyes."

I want to ask the obvious: who they were, what did they want, how did that one know my name; but one holds up his hand, cutting off my bubbling questions.

"How old are you?"

Out of all the things to ask, that made me frown. "I don't know. Sixteen, I guess."

"Do you know anything of the Lexcest Corps?"

What was this, an interrogation? "They own much of Iro's solar system, along with security, weaponry, that sort of thing."

The man with the gun raises an eyebrow. "Is that it?"

"Was that not enough?" I counter.

They exchange a glance, expressions guarded. Gun-man inclines his head towards me. "Let's take her in for questioning."

"What? Questioning?" I barely spit that out before they both round on me, grabbing my arms, hoisting me across the shuttle, towards the hatch.

"Oh, just so you know, this isn't my shuttle," I say. Maybe they think I'm a thief? Lexcest has authority over those kinds of things, after all. Maybe if I just explained this out, everything was just a misunderstanding. "I just accidentally sent it into space. Not my fault. I mean, it kind of thinks I'm the owner, so technically I did nothing wrong. Right?"

"Stop talking, little lady," a voice says to my left. It is the blond man, the one without the gun.

The gun. I had forgotten. My breath catches.

"Wow, Earl, you just told Miss Larore here to stop talking. Doesn't that feel weird?" The other says, making light conversation.

I am dragged outside, where a glass tunnel connects my shuttle to theirs.

"I guess it does," Earl says. "Maybe once this is over, we could keep her. Like, for sport."

"Keep me?" I blurt out.

"I like that idea," Gun-man says, ignoring me. "For times when the Commander is annoying as hell. Or we could sell 'er."

Earl lets out a whistle. "I know a few places at the edges of the galaxy where a sale like that could be made. Quiet-like, just a basic exchange, no questions asked." He pauses, considering. "But that doesn't eliminate the problem of who brought her here. What if they just do it again?"

"Then we'll catch 'er again, Earl. Honestly, it's not that challenging, since she said she's from Iro. What's the serial for this shuttle?"

"Oh, the shuttle, I almost forgot."

The pressure of Earl's hand leaves my arm as he walks back towards the shuttle. We're nearly at the end of the glass tunnel. I had little time to soak in the fact that all around me, the void of space hangs like a curtain against the glass, due to my company.

And there is no way in the freaking universe will I ever get sold. So, replacing the fear of being blasted by Gun-man with the fear of being bargained off like property, I take a deep breath.

And then I yank my arm out of his grip, twist around, and knee him where the sun don't shine.

Gun-man goes down with a groan. I see Earl whip around, his blue overcoat flapping. "Hey!"

"Grab. . . 'er. . ." Gun-man wheezes.

Nope. Nope. Nope. I consider my options. I'm free, temporarily. I could run for my shuttle, try and evade Earl, and pray I could get it to work. It is mine, apparently. Or I could go for their shuttle, but they would probably have a technological advantage, since I had no idea how either shuttle worked.

It's Lexcest. They own every shuttle from here off until the end of the universe.

I turn and run for the end of the tunnel, towards Gun-man's shuttle.

I hear a high ringing sound, then something nearly collides into me from my left. Heat explodes, curling around my side. Adrenaline consumes me, fear, panic. That was the plasma gun, they're shooting at me!

"What in blazes, Mortie?" Earl shouts. "We were told to take her in alive! Don't shoot at her!"

"The little b. . . she deserved it."

"She's our --" Earl cuts off, sounding troubled. "Mortie, hold your fire."

"She's nothing and you know it. They'll probably kill 'er after this is over."

Their arguing fades as I enter the Lexcest spacecraft. I glance around, at everything, at anything. There has to has to be a button, a switch, something that closes the hatch. Finally, I spot a black switch at the side of the wall and wildly snap it down.

The hatch shuts with a quiet click, contrasting the chaos coating the area.

Okay, quickly, quickly, Gun-man - Mortie - could be chasing me down at this very instant. Earl could be contacting someone. I am now a fugitive of the law, in a sense. What the heck did I do to earn such attention?

"Ship?" My voice comes out more strained than I expected.

"Welcome Caia," another smooth, feminine voice immediately replies.

"Lock all exit doors, prepare for departure."

My hands are shaking. I weave my way to the pilot's room, absently.

"Destination?" The spacecraft asks serenely. Why are they always so calm?

"Uh, random."

A pounding erupts from the side of the ship. A cold sweat breaks across my upper back.

Then, "I'm sorry, but the controls are inaccessible," the voice says.

"W-what? Why?" This was a mistake, this was a mistake.

"I have been commanded to only take orders from Prv. Jefferson and Col. Crett."

"By whose command?"

"Yours."

Then a rough hand grabs me from behind.