During Cruising speed, the renegade hardly made any noise. Bob had thought this was strange, but then again he did not know the physics behind it. The silence in the ship was even more disconcerting now, every other part of the ship was disabled due to the ion array and there was no noise in the ship to be heard besides the whimpers and hard breathing of its frightened crew. None had moved an inch since the sudden cruise except for Rafel who had slumped to the ground.

Bob was still hanging loosely form the hatchway form the bridge and he looked curiously at Jerall. “So what now?” he frowned down at her. She buried her face in her hands and Bob felt his anger spike. “So what now? It’s all over? We’re not dead yet, can’t we just drop out of cruising speed? What’s the problem?” Nobody answered. “OI! Answer me!”

“No! We can’t!” Jalldrid exploded, “The ION array destroyed all of our equipment! The ship is dead! Everything is dead! We can’t do anything, this is how we die, Bob!”

Bob’s face hardened and he spoke decisively, “Forgive me if I don’t just accept the inevitability of my death here. I want a proper explanation, why can’t we just exit cruising speed? We haven’t been killed yet.”

“Fine, Bob!” Jalldrid screamed, “You want an explanation? How’s this, with our controls out, we won’t exit cruising speed until a massive gravity mass pulls us our forcefully like before. That gravity mass will be a star or planet that will immediately crush this ship!”

“There must be more to this than that.” Bob persisted indignantly.

“Why don’t you turn on your magical headpiece and find an answer then, Bob!” Jalldrid said heatedly. “Citizens are all knowing, aren’t they? Find us an answer!” He turned to his sister viscously, “This is all your fault! You’ve killed us all because you couldn’t stick to the rules!”

Jerall lashed back, “Don’t ‘rules’ me, Brother! You can’t survive by always playing by the rules! How was I supposed to know the Hulian Navy was going to be there?”

Jalldrid welled up in rage, “YOU COULD HAVE KNOWN BECAUSE THE COMMUNICATOR WOULD HAVE TOLD US SO, BECAUSE THE PASSENGER WOULDN’T HAVE DESTROYED IT, BECAUSE YOU WOULD’VE GOTTEN THE PASSENGER FROM DRIAS! NOT FROM THE BLACK MARKET!”

“Our Captain did what?” Fallin asked sharply, “Black market deals?”

“Yeah,” Jalldrid hollered cruelly, “Guess what crew? Our cargo this time that our captain so graciously set up for us was black market goods! We were performing an illegal shipment, gentlemen. And now we are paying for it with our lives.” He pointing his finger down at his sister, “and it’s all her fault!”

“None of that matters anymore!”

“Nothing matters anymore!” Fallin shouted, “We’re all going to die!”

Jerall lashed out angrily at her brother, “If you and Rafel had done a better job at making the ship work instead of repairing half-heartedly, this would have happened either. Where are the safety nets to stop a ship from entering cruising speed, Huh? Your shoddy repairs are just as faulty as I was!”

The whole level exploded in violent words at the last accusation, Roota and Foota lost their cool and came forward yelling as if to strangle both Jerall and Jalldrid with their words. Jalldrid stood and hurled accusations against his sister and Jerall shouted defenses against her actions. Fallin remained seated but shouted his own objections from his seat at the roto control. Only Rafel remained quiet on the lower deck. From Bob’s view he looked to be praying.

Disgusted, Bob shook his head angrily and left. He closed the hatchway as he exited and then it was dark, if only a little quieter. No lights on the ship were working outside of the engine room and the only sources of lights were the ephemeral flickering of the pseudo-stars that passed in the view screen. Bob sat down in the captain’s chair and stared out at the eerie sight.

Jalldrid burst up through the hatchway looking lost to Bob. “I feel like strangling my Sister.” He said blandly.

“What are they doing down there?” Bob asked pointedly, “I notice they aren’t shouting anymore.”

Jalldrid shook his head, “Mostly nothing. They are trying to see if they can jump start some of the equipment using energy from the drive.”

“You’re not trying to help?”

“It won’t work.” Jalldrid said lifelessly.

“You’re an idiot.” Bob said snarled, “There is no point in giving up yet. It’s not like we have any control over it, might as well have some hope then. A miracle could happen.” Jalldrid didn’t say anything and Bob got up out of the chair, “We’ve forgotten the passenger, by the way. I’m going to go get her; she shouldn’t be alone at a time like this.”

Again, Jalldrid didn’t bother to answer; he just stumbled across the room slightly shaking his head.

It was absolutely dark in the hallway that led down to the crew quarters and Bob had to go forward feeling his hands against the cold wall. Cold feelings started to get at him as he walked steadily down the path and his hands started shaking slightly. “Yeah, yeah, I understand,” He said to himself, “You’re scared and you’re going to die in this crummy old space junk. I got it, I got it, just quit shaking on me.” He hands didn’t stop and he pounded his fist against the wall and leaned heavily against it.

He reached her door after a long walk. It was the third on the left and he was half expecting to hear her clamoring loudly from inside it in outrage, but it was silent. Feeling around the hatch, he knocked on it politely and waited for a response. There was none, so he unlocked the hatch and opened it cautiously. He stared at the opening uselessly and then spoke nervously, “I’ve got your blaster out, so don’t try any funny moves, okay?”

A disembodied voice replied to him steely. “Where is my Headpiece?” It demanded.

Bob jumped slightly at the voice. “I have it here. You can have it back; we’ve been hit by an ion array so it’s in a self-repair cycle. You won’t be able to use anytime soon.”

There was a pause, “If we’ve been hit with an Ion array, then the blaster won’t be working either.”

Bob chuckled lifelessly, “I didn’t want you to immediately attack me.” He stopped talking; he didn’t know what else to say.

“Why haven’t we’ve been boarded yet by the Hulians? Or have you come to give me up as a bargaining chip to try to spare your filthy lives? I’d sooner kill myself than let the Hulians have me.”

Bob shivered at her voice. “Well, you don’t have to worry about that particular horror. Apparently we’ve slipped into Cruising speed without controls and now we are just waiting for a planet to squish us. Better that than freezing to death at least. The ion array took out everything but our Drive.” Bob wasn’t sure how to continue, “I thought you should know.”

There was no response and Bob sighed. “I’m going back the bridge, there is a little light there at least. You can come if you want, I’ve decided to forgive your trying to kill me. You can’t hurt anything more at this point.”

Bob turned and left as the passenger’s voice carried out, “I want my headpiece back!”

“Come to the bridge and it is yours!” Bob called back.

Bob made it back the bridge, welcoming the little light afforded by the view screen. Jalldrid was still there alone, leaning back on a portion of the burnt wall and staring out the view screen. Bob came in and sat down on a lifeless counsel. Jalldrid stirred a little at his presence.

“It’s strange that our fortune can be reversed so suddenly,” Jalldrid said, “Just a couple hours ago it was smooth rising, then everything went supernova.” He snapped his long fingers, “This was supposed to be a simple trip. It would have been better to let ourselves get captured by the Hulian’s now. I couldn’t make the choice though…”

“I’m pretty sure you jinxed this shipment with all your talk.” Bob snorted. “The passenger should be making her way here any moment. I didn’t see a need to keep her locked up anymore, there is no light back there.” Jalldrid nodded apathetically. “How much longer do you think we have?”

“Any moment really,” Jalldrid replied, “There would be no warning, not at this speed.” He paused a moment and then continued, “No, that’s probably not true, it will be a while before anything happens. In fact, there is a great chance will die from starvation or something else before we get pulled out. Space is vast my friend.”

There was a loud clunk and they both turned to see the passenger enter in clumsily, struggling at the hatchway to let herself in. Jalldrid and Bob watched her silently as she fell with a slight crash and cry. She got up quickly though and stuck out her hand to Bob expectantly. Without a word, Bob handed over her headpiece and she took it back quickly and took a seat against the wall.

“It was like this when Dad died too, actually.” Jalldrid spoke again, “One moment everything was running smoothly, the next moment gravity was reversed. I was a year away from graduating from university when he died. With the degree, I was going to join an engineering firm a get away from the Space station for good. But here I am, still tangled up in the mess.”

“You couldn’t have stayed at the university?” Bob inquired.

Jalldrid snorted, “With what money? Most of the tuition was being paid by a compensation package our father earned. With him gone, that went away as well. He couldn’t have waited one more year…”

The bridge fell silent again. “How did your Father die?” Bob asked.

“A Trifula attack that got him in the end.” Jalldrid replied dryly. “Brought on early by exhaustion. My Grandfather died from the same illness. I always thought I would go the same way eventually, but maybe being squashed by a star will be more exciting.” Jalldrid turned suddenly stared at Bob curiously. “I haven’t asked because it is none of my business,” He started, almost accusingly, “And excuse my frankness, but what in the Galaxy are you? How are you a Citizen?”

The passenger wrapped her arms around herself and sat quietly. “I wasn’t born one,” Bob answered, “it was a title given to me. More like it was thrust upon me without my consent. Strange isn’t it? As you say, fortunes can change quickly and outside our control. I would have preferred to stay the way I was though.”

Jalldrid grunted. “How stupid,” he replied dryly. “I would have given anything to be a citizen, and you treat it like Space waste.”

Bob chuckled slightly, “I don’t think space waste is the appropriate term, but I understand what you mean.” Bob looked around, “You know, I really don’t feel like I am about to die. Its more like a silent camping trip. I feel alive right now. I can’t help but feel we are going to make it out of this.”

“I’m sorry,” Jalldrid said emotionally, suddenly bowing his head, “I’m sorry it came to this, I’m so sorry.”

“I guess my optimism isn’t contagious.” Bob answered dryl. He let the moment hang. “Is Rafel the only one with a family?”

“He’s the only one married, but both Roota and Fallin have kids.” Jalldird answered sadly.

“You don’t have a family?”

Jalldrid laughed lightly, “My only family is here with me already. What about you?”

Before Bob could answer, the ship shuddered and stopped.

It was so sudden, and noiseless the Bob didn’t simply blinked in confusion. Cautiously, he stood up and walked up to the edge of the view screen, craning his neck to see the outside. Gone were the pseudo lights from that appeared during the cruising speed; they were replaced by real stars. He stated the obvious fact, “We aren’t dead.” He looked over a Jalldrid who started star stuck ahead. He lashed out in annoyance, “Are you kidding me, Jalldrid? After all your talk about death and destruction, we are just fine? You can really pissing me off, you know!”

Jalldrid flew out of his chair, wretched open the hatchway and bellowed down it, “Sister! We’ve exited cruising speed!”

There was a loud clamoring from the lower level as it seemed that Fallin and Jerall fought to enter the Bridge first.

Fallin and his many arms won, “We’re alive?!” he exclaimed, looking out the view port.

“What did you do?” Bob asked curiously.

“Nothing!” Fallin answered, “We didn’t do this, nothing was working down there.”

“Wait you fools!” Jerall spoke, pushing herself up now, “before we all get too excited; remember this doesn’t change anything, if anything it’s now worse.”

“How can you say that?” Fallin replied angrily.

“We still don’t have any of our systems, you idiot!” Jerall said, “Now we sit here and freeze to death in space, or asphyxiate, whichever comes first!”

“Somebody could find us though!” Fallin protested.

“We have our citizens,” spoke Jalldrid excitedly looking at Bob, “They could call for help with their head piece, right?”

Bob help up his headpiece gingerly, “How much time do we have before we die out here? These were hit by the ion array too and they are in a repair cycle now. It will be 48 hours before I can use it again.”

Jerall and Jalldrid looked at each other. “The Drive is still functioning,” Jalldrid spoke, “We can modify it to give off enough heat to survive that long. The problem is oxygen. With the scrubs offline…” he didn’t finish the sentence.

“How much Oxygen do we have left?” Fallin asked loudly.

“With the eight of us breathing,” Jalldrid answered, “A little less than 24 hours.”

There was silence for a moment and then Fallin said, “So we need to kill off half of us, so that the other half can survive?”

Jerall snarled, “Now’s not the time for joking around, Fallin.”

Fallin laughed, “No, I just wanted to lighten the mood. But aren’t you all forgetting something? We’ve been pulled out of cruising speed by an artificial source. That means that somebody is out there right now!”

Everybody looked back at the view screen as one. “I don’t see anything out there.” Bob said.

“It could be too far away to see without any enhancements.” Jalldrd said nervously.

“Or it is simply at an angle we can’t see from the view screen.” Bob spoke, “There is no way to tell with the scanners down. If there is somebody out there would they even be able to detect us? We wouldn’t show much energy reading on a standard scan as we are, right?”

“Exiting cruising speed creates a huge distortion in space,” Jalldrd replied. Bob stepped forward and got as close to the screen as he could, pressing his face against it and craning his neck in order to see the most possible. “They would have to be blind not to see us out here. There is another view port in the galley,” he said, turned around, “I’m going to go check it out!”

“Wait, I see it.” Bob said quietly. The room became silent as well. “I can’t see much from this angle and it is steadily turning the wrong way from us, but it is definitely a ship.” He paused, “Or station.”

“Let me see,” Jerall said aggressively, pulling Bob away and plastering her face against the screen.

“It’ll come into view again soon,” Bob said, turning back to the bridge members, “It’s quite large and quite near.”

“They haven’t made any moves to come save us yet, though.” Jerall said still straining to see in vain, “It could be Hulian.”

“It could be the Imperial police ready to lock us up for all I care.” Jalldrid said loudly.

“Better them than pirates.” Fallin responded.

Jerall finally turned away from the screen, “pirates wouldn’t have the ability to pull us out like this, it takes advanced hardware to do so. If I had to hazard a guess, mind you considering we should have been pulled out by a star and flattened, I’d say we stumbled upon some military training grounds. That’s the only thing I could think of that would explain that type of equipment.”

“That’s hardly good for us.” Fallin commented, “We’ll get incarcerated for trespassing.”

“We have two Citizens with us,” Jerall said, suddenly cheerful. “We should be able to work out something.”

There was a pause and Bob spoke up, “This is all so sudden and I am having a hard time following. What is our current situation?”

Jerall tuned to Bob brightly, “We’ve got less than 24 hours to get rescued before we all die from lack of oxygen. However, we are going to get rescued soon because we have undoubtedly entered some restricted zone and we are right next to some large ship. Jalldrid,” Jerall said, turning to her brother, “Please interrupt Rafel’s death ceremony and modify the Drive to generate heat if you can. No need to take our chances.”

Jalldrid nodded and left down the hatchway towards the engine room. “I’ll see what kind of damage I can do to the scrubs as well. Maybe I can jury rig them somehow,” he mumbled, “give us some more time.”

“Fallin,” Jerall continued, “Go to the galley and have Roota and Foota stop eating all our food. I know they went there to stuff themselves before they died, but we might need it now.”

Fallin laughed and left, leaving Jerall and the two citizens on the bridge. Jerall turned and spoke to the passenger darkly, “How are you doing Miss Citizen? You’ve really screwed everything up, you know? I hope your happy at how this all turned out.”

“What can I do?” Bob asked, trying to distract Jerall from her wrath.

“Get your blasted Headpiece to work soon!” Jerall responded harshly, sitting down in her captain’s chair. “And let us know when you see a ship approaching, I’m going to try to do some recoding.”

“Right,” Bob replied, looking out the view screen again. There was nothing to be seen but the stars.

“Blast.” Jerall said suddenly, pounding her control panel. She let out a long sigh. She looked over at Bob with a small smile. “The panel’s not working of course.” She leaned against her hand. “I still don’t know if it was the right choice to flee or not, from the Hulians.”

“It looked like a no win situation.” Bob commented.

Jerall rolled her eyes, “Its looks like a no win situation from the very start actually. Either go bankrupt as a company or turn to criminal activity. In fact, my whole life is a no win situation, either try to start something yourself and fail, or work a dull and meaningless job until you die. You end up with the same thing, which is nothing.” She sighed again and turned to Bob with a small smile. “A pretty crazy day for you though, huh? This wasn’t exactly the trip you signed up for.”

Bob scowled, “Aren’t you taking this a little too carelessly?

“Not at all,” Jerall replied without hesitation, “any less carelessness would be a mistake. I am carrying the exact amount of carelessness appropriate for this situation.”

“That’s fantastic,” Bob replied in displeasure. “Your brother agonizes over this company and you joke around.”

“It’s Jalldrid’s job to be serious.” Jerall responded back quickly.

“Whatever,” Bob said, “I’m heading back to try to get a view of the ship from the aft window in the galley.”

Jerall waived him off and he left without a word, up to the second level. From the Captain’s chair, Jerall sat unmoving. After a moment, she said aloud, “I guess it really is over, even if we get back.” A slight noise from the corner caught her attention. “If you’re cold, go down to the engine room” she spoke loudly, “The first mate is making the Drive give off heat.”

“Nobody asked how I feel about this.” The passenger said quietly, her voice chattering with coldness.

“Yeah,” Jerall answered airily, “No kidding. I haven’t forgotten how you tried to kill us before, you know. Unless you can tell me that your headpiece is going to get repaired within the next 10 hours, you can continue to remain silent for the rest of your time here.”

Still shivering, the passenger got up slowly and went below deck to get warm. Before she left she turned and spoke back, “You all pretend to be civilized, but I know what will happen when no help comes.”

“And what’s that?” Jerall asked haughtily.

“You will all kill me first to preserve oxygen.”

Jerall stared back at her, letting her words sink in. “Probably, considering you’re the fault of all this here. Don’t worry though; I’d be next right after you. I’m just as sinful as you are here.”

Without another word, the passenger retreated down the hatchway to get warm. Sitting in her seat still, Jerall started to shiver too. “I guess it really is getting cold in here.”