New Elysium: Breakout

Worst Time For A Good Idea*

"Make me bleed or make me stop Make me believe in God What is wrong and what is right

Show me the way I listen to them I have the feeling that I drown again I put my anger and my fears aside Nothing will last longer than my rage inside Where is the way I have to take? If I lose my way the said my dreams will break Now I'm standing here If I won't walk my end is near" "Show Me The Way" - Voicians

"The boys have to go into the stasis pods," Red said as his own stomach growled loudly in response. T shook his head vehemently and Alt only shrank down into his seat.

"Stasis pod?" Alt stammered. T put a hand on his shoulder.

"It's ok, I've been in one before."

"You have?"

"Yeah," T nodded and smiled at his friend. "It's like waking up."

The situation wasn't good. Red raked a hand through his hair as he considered their options. They'd gotten off world with a ship but no food. Even the gruel back in the prison sounded good compared to simply nothing. And nothing was all they had.

"We've gotten this far, Red. I can't see the powers that be just letting us die now," Dag gave him an encouraging smile, crossing his arms. Even cold reality didn't dampen his sense of hope. Plus his belief in a god who was watching over him had kept him going this far. Red didn't bother to tell him exactly what he thought about his god right now, he respected Dag even if he didn't share his beliefs. Dag had kept him going.

"Yeah, well, I didn't really think this far ahead," Red laughed even as his stomach let out a series of small growls in response.

He chanced a glance at Ember who stood off to the side. Her cheeks were slightly pink as she listened to them. She would survive no matter what. He felt a bit of resentment towards her for that but it wasn't her fault. None of this was.

"I'm ok with the boys going into stasis," Dag said. "But how long till we can get to New Elysium?"

"I don't know," Ember stated flatly, no emotion in her voice. It was just the facts, as much as she hated saying it. "I can keep us going on a high burner..."

Red knew she could simply pull a jump from here but anyone could follow in their wake if they were here when she made the first leap. Every ship left a trail, that lasted seconds before the atoms spread away from their point of departure. A wormhole would be handy, he sighed inwardly. The problem was they neither knew where they were going and only had a set of coordinates to guide them. He had no idea what was at that location.

He scrubbed a hand through his hair, a habit of his whenever he was trying to solve a problem. "What's in this sector? Any place we can stop?" Any place where they wouldn't ask questions? The unspoken thought hung in the air between them. It had been years since Red had any contact with the outside world. He had no idea if anyone he used to know was still out there. He thought of Jack but Jack was more than likely on New Elysium, the place existed after all. Seven years ago, it had been barely an idea.

That was the whole reason he'd gotten into Helion 7 in the first place. The memory swam up into his mind before he could stop it. Dag pinning him to the ground as Jack drove Dag's wife and son in a desperate attempt to get away. They'd had almost everything they needed but they'd been discovered. Red had intended to die that day so that Dag, his family and Jack could make a new start.

Dag had held him down in surrender so the Scandroids wouldn't slaughter him, there had been many, more than even he could have handled.

"It's not your time, Red!" Dag's voice echoed in his mind again.