It wasn’t a big spaceship, just a lander, which did exactly what it was designed for by landing between the lake and the boss’s villa.
This was not meant to happen, but it seemed everyone knew it would.
Except Kiru.
“What’s going on, Grawl?” she said.
There was no point in asking. Firstly, he couldn’t reply. Secondly, she already knew the answer.
It was a break-out.
“Come on, come on, come on!” yelled the boss, waving his metal stick. “All aboard the Monte Cristo! ”
He stood by the entrance to the lander. With him, encased in camouflaged body armour, was one of the ship’s crew.
Kiru watched the group of men and women vanish inside the small craft. These were the core of the boss’s regime, the ones who had been captured with him. Space pirates. About to escape, freed by an outlaw ship that had broken through the cosmic chain which kept Arazon in manacles.
“And you, Grawl!” said the boss.
Everyone else had boarded the lander.
Except Kiru.
And except Aqa, who had been away since yesterday.
Grawl gestured toward the ship. Kiru shook her head. He grabbed her wrist. It was the first time they had ever touched. She tried to hold back, but he was far too strong, and he pulled her toward the hatch.
She didn’t know whether to go with Grawl or stay with Aqa. Whatever she decided, it would be the wrong choice. That was the story of her life.
“Not her,” said the boss. “There’s no room.”
The crewman levelled his gun at Kiru. It looked real. It was real. The most powerful weapon on the whole planet.
Grawl released Kiru, then pretended he was counting down on his fingers, until only his right thumb remained. He peered all about, then shrugged a silent question.
“Yes,” said the boss, “one more, but where is he? Where’s Aqa?”
Which was what Kiru had wondered last night.
“One minute,” said the crewman, through his visor.
“Aqa!” shouted the old man, staring around.
There was no sign of movement.
“Aqa!!”
“Forty-five seconds.”
“Aqa!!!”
No one else was in sight.
Except Kiru.
Grawl jerked his thumb toward her.
“Want a ride?” asked the boss.
She looked at him, looked at Grawl, looked at the ship.
“Thirty seconds.”
“An empty berth when you happen to be around,” said the boss. “Someone up there likes you.”
It wasn’t someone up there. It was someone down here.
“Twenty seconds.”
The boss threw away his stick and stepped into the lander.
Grawl followed, then turned to look at Kiru. It was her decision.
“Ten seconds,” said the guard, as he also went on board.
Grawl winked at her. It was the first change of expression she’d seen him make. Like Kiru, he never smiled. The universe wasn’t funny. It was a serious place. Deadly serious.
He’d killed Aqa. Killed him so Kiru could take his place. He must have liked her, really liked her, to do that. Too bad about Aqa. He was okay, more than okay, but their relationship had only been physical. There were plenty more like him. Plenty more in the universe. But Grawl? Grawl was different. They had a real rapport. He was a true soulmate, and she felt they could see into each other’s hearts.
She boarded the ship and it blasted free of the prison planet, out into orbit.