Jake's Fortune Ch. 08

"Jake Evans isn't just a wild cannon, he represents the next step in humanity's evolution. He must be studied."

- William R. Hughes,
Director of Research and Development,
United Earth Armed Forces,
Internal Memo,
June 2178

*****

Jake woke up groggy and unfocused, but his head cleared up as the AI administered stimulants, and he realised that he was really hungry.

He dressed quickly and went to the mess hall to grab some food, where he found most of the crew up and eating already. Like him, they were all starved. Their voices quieted down as he arrived.

He grabbed a chicken tube and started sucking on it while he tried to listen-in on their hushed conversations. He couldn't make sense of most of them, but from their looks he knew they were talking about him.

He finished his tube and went to the bridge, where he found his uncle and Hannah looking at the sensor holograms.

Gliese 667 was a trinary star system, and it was a sight to behold. The three stars orbited each other with breathtaking grace. It was a captivating sight. The main colony planet, GJ-667-Cc, or Tansa as the colonists called it, was a couple of light minutes away.

"It looks clear." Hannah said.

"For now." his uncle responded.

"Let's head into the inner star system and see what awaits us." she suggested.

"Hey." Jake said.

They both noticed him.

"Finally awake? Good. We arrived at Gliese 667. We were just evaluating the sensor data." his uncle said.

"Anything interesting?" he asked.

"Nothing alarming if that's what you're asking. We'll know in a few hours if anyone followed us here."

"Not likely, they don't even know where we went." Hannah observed.

"Anyone can guess."

"So, what happens now?" Jake asked.

"Nothing, life goes back to normal." his uncle said.

"Right." Jake snorted.

They set a course for Tansa.

***

"WELCOME TO TANSA. PLEASE APPROACH THE ASSIGNED DOCKING PORT." the automated greeter welcomed them.

At 4.39 earth gravities, the massive planet had its effect on its people. They were short and stubby, but they possessed incredible strength. The earlier colonists had to be genetically altered to withstand the crushing g-force. There was no chance that a normal human could naturally survive on the surface. Not that Jake's body could withstand normal gravity to begin with, the space-born had no chance of a normal life on most planets.

All trading was done via the hulking space station orbiting the planet in geostationary orbit. It towered over the equator with its giant space lift, which was used to transfer cargo and personnel to-and-fro the surface.

They docked with the massive station. Its umbilicals snaked their way through the vacuum and attached themselves to the airlocks of the Metanoia.

Jake wore his magnetic greaves as he stepped into the station with his uncle in tow. His uncle set out immediately to establish contacts and secure some supplies.

The station buzzed with activity around him as people went walking and flying everywhere. He waited for Hannah to join him but she never did, so he went to the modest cafeteria and decided to sample some local foods. The mochow was delicious. He was in deep thought as he enjoyed his meal.

"Thank you, Siren." he thought.

"For what?"

"For what you did with Hannah."

"It was nothing." she whispered.

"I still don't know why she's avoiding me."

"Just give her time."

He was at a loss for what to do next. He loved the girl. He knew it, and he was afraid to admit it; but after their experience he just couldn't deny it any longer.

He was also afraid of involving her any further. He didn't want to put her in harm's way, and after their clash with the military and what lieutenant Richard tried to do, he was sure she was in over her head. They were all in over their heads.

"Long trip?" asked a stubby woman as she approached him.

"Yes, we just came from Earth."

"I could tell from that relic you're carrying." she pointed at his data-pad and smiled.

He liked her immediately.

"So, what's your name?" she asked.

"Jake. Jake Evans." he replied with a smile.

"The Jake Evans?" her eyes widened.

"Have we met?" he asked in puzzlement.

"Oh my god! It is you!" she shouted accusingly with recognition on her face.

***

"They must have broadcast it over the FTL comms." his uncle said, seething with anger.

"It has been a long time already, twenty-two earth years have passed for them. Could they still be chasing us after all this time?" Jake asked as his eyes wandered around the bridge.

"Well, you are most likely still on their most-wanted list. They knew you'd show up somewhere." Hannah pointed out.

"Shouldn't we be hiding now?" Hussein asked.

"Tansa is independent, the UEF can't do jack shit here." his uncle said.

"Yeah, but Tansa might try to trade him in for god-knows-what." Hannah countered as she looked at Jake.

"We'll see what happens. We're safe in harbour for now, and that's all that counts." his uncle said.

"Okay uncle, you see to the ship. I'll talk to you later." he said as he left the bridge.

***

Hannah followed him to his workshop. He pulled out the powered armour and was about to test the systems one more time when she entered.

"Hey, Jake." she said.

"Hey yourself. Did you miss me already?" he said sarcastically.

She smiled and leaned against the bulkhead. "You could say that. I wanted to talk."

"A week ago you were avoiding me. So, what's changed?"

"Jake, you have to understand. After our last... conversation. I had all of those feelings and I didn't know what to do about them. I needed some time to think."

"It felt like I knew you better than I know myself, and it ate at me. Jake, I wanted to hold you, I wanted to be with you, and it hurt so much I couldn't stand it. When I'm not around you I feel... incomplete." she said with sincerity.

He put his hands on her shoulders and gave her a longing look.

"I know. But we can't." he said with pain in his voice.

"Why?"

"I'm too dangerous, Hannah. I feel like I destroy everything I touch. I don't want to see you hurt." he regretted saying the words, but they were true.

"Is that it? Jake? I don't care. I want to be with you." she said as she leaned in and kissed him on the lips.

He tried to speak but she pushed her tongue into his mouth as soon as it opened. They kissed slowly, favouring every moment as their minds melded and fire surged through them.

Jake had never felt anything like it. It was never this wonderful, it was never this sensual, and it was never this intense. His simulations were nothing compared to this, and his lips were ablaze. Siren bridged their minds further, and he felt his breath on her cheek, and she felt the touch of her hands at the back of his neck.

Their emotions ran free, and without words, they expressed their passion and their longing. She whispered her love into his mind and he embraced her affection and returned it in kind.

They were so engrossed in the kiss that they didn't notice Hussein when he entered the workshop.

"Ahem..." they broke the kiss and looked at him.

"Inappropriate timing, I know. But you have a visitor at the airlock and he wouldn't tell me who he is." he said to Jake with a tiny smile.

"Thanks, Hussein. I'll be right out."

"Wait till everybody hears about this." he said with a grin as he left.

***

When he headed to the airlock he found a burly old man waiting for him. He was clearly not a local and his shaved head was glistening. His body was fit and he had sharp features, which made him looked serious and intimidating.

"Hello, Jake." the man said in a gruff voice.

"Hello, you asked for me?" Jake asked.

"Yes."

"Well, how can I help you?"

"You can't. In fact, I'm the one who is here to help you." the man said.

"And you are?"

"Names do not matter. You can call me... Mike."

"But that's not your real name, is it?"

"Like I said, it doesn't matter. Do you have a secure place where we can talk?"

Jake escorted him to his workshop. The first thing Mike noticed was his armour.

"Is that yours?"

"Yes."

"I recognise the model, but I don't know any of those modules."

"I built them myself. They help me with my... unique skill set."

"Fascinating." he said as he studied it.

"So, what do you want from me?" Jake asked him.

"First, let's start by updating you on your current status." Mike said absent-mindedly.

"When you fled Sol, the UEF government put you on their most wanted list, which was broadcast instantly to the colonies."

"But that raised the question, as to why you were put on the list to begin with, and how you managed to defeat and disgrace the task force that was sent to capture you near Liberty station." Mike said as he turned and looked at him.

"Eventually, the Senate convened to discuss your situation, and the secretary of defence was so hell bent on catching you and defending herself that she released some footage of what you did to the pirates to the Senate. She then accused you of murdering an innocent woman and committing acts of terrorism, thanks to the incident with the Lunar dome."

"Somehow, those records and accusations found their way out of the Senate and into the arms of the media."

"The records made the public go crazy. Many claimed it was faked with special effects and many experts refuted that. The controversy escalated, but one fact remained: the police had evidence from the pirate attack, and under the mounting public pressure they had to release it all."

"Some hated you, and some loved you. In the end, you became a legend."

"So, the people awaited your return. You were theorised to exit from your relativistic journey at some point in the next thirty years, and to surface at one of the colonies."

Jake was still processing all of this when Mike continued "Now, on to the next topic at hand."

"You are in grave danger, and word of your arrival is travelling as we speak."

"Mercenaries are probably on their way to collect the price on your head right now, and the local militia might have an interest in your person as well."

"Why are you telling me all of this?" Jake asked.

"Let's just say that we share mutual interests and a similar predicament." Mike said as he put a hand on his shoulder.

"You're Michael Cromwell."

The man's eyes widened. "What the hell? How did you know that?"

"A little bird told me."

Siren snickered.

The man pulled out a small pulse pistol and trained it on him in a flash. "How the fuck did you know?"

Jake focused a small electromagnetic field on the pistol and it snapped from Michael's hand and landed in his.

"Relax. Let's just say that I had some training on the way here."

Michael looked at him for a long time. Jake offered him his pistol back.

"They are right to fear you. You're more dangerous than I thought." Michael said with a smile, "But you can't tell anyone who I really am." he warned.

"Don't worry, your secret is safe with me." Jake assured him.

***

"Jake! Hussein told me..." his uncle started with glee.

"Uncle, meet my new friend, Mike. Mike, this is my uncle, Mark." Jake interrupted as he introduced them.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Mike." his uncle said.

"The pleasure is all mine." replied Michael.

"We were wondering if you had a place on the ship for another crew member. Mike is an excellent mechanic."

His uncle eyed them suspiciously, but said nothing.

"Come on, uncle, you know we need all the help we can get."

"Fine, but I'll need to check on him first."

"Sure thing, take your time." Michael said.

"And be warned that we could go into relativistic travel at any moment. So say your goodbyes now." his uncle said.

"I have no problems with that either." said Michael with a sad look in his eyes.

As they left the bridge and returned to his new compartment, Michael was enjoying the scenery. Everything on the ship seemed to grab his attention. Old and sturdy, he had said. They greeted the crew members and Jake made introductions using his fake identity. They welcomed him aboard all the same. He noticed some odd looks and snickers as well.

The newly allocated space for the newest crew member was small and cramped but he didn't complain. He left him there and headed to his workshop. The snickers continued as he moved along.

Then he met Hussein.

"I see that you've already worked your magic, am I correct to assume that the whole ship knows by now?" Jake asked him with a smile.

"You have no idea, brother. Everyone is freaking out."

"Thanks for that, by the way." he said as he entered the workshop.

***

It had been four days since their arrival, and the crowd gathering outside the airlock was only getting bigger.

News agencies, supporters, protesters, and curious bystanders greeted them as they exited the airlock. The crowd was out of control, and they all wanted was to meet the legendary Jake Evans.

The police were gathered outside. In an independent colony, he wasn't technically a criminal. Their purpose was to preserve the peace, and keep the supporters and protesters from tearing each other apart.

Cheers and cries of protests erupted when he left the airlock. The crowd flocked to him like a swarm of hornets. They bumped each other as they moved in their magnetic greaves and tried to reach out to him.

Things had almost turned into a full riot when the police surged into action. They tried to form a wall to prevent the crowd from overwhelming him. But crowd control in zero gravity was a joke at best.

"Uncle, we need to get inside, now!" he shouted over the crowd.

"What are we going to do?" he heard his uncle shout.

"We've got to get out of here!" he shouted back.

A loud bang sounded and he reeled.