Captain Emrah Jackson Ch. 12

This ongoing sci-fi series will contain non-consensual elements.

We were all riding a high as we celebrated in the dinning room. One of the crew had gotten into Orton's wine store, and we were all having a drink to celebrate.

"So we attached the bomb, and all hell broke loose," Dex said, retelling the story again for the crew.

Everybody was in good spirits and were telling jokes. This time I was being included, and was happy to tell my side of the events for all those who asked. It felt like I was part of the crew now.

Delphine came by and told us all that we were on course for a planet called Alpha Giraad. There we would restock, and do other essential things. She also took me aside and told me that we could go and speak to a doctor to ask about my memory loss. I wasn't looking forward to it but it had to be done.

Juno was awake, but she was resting, confined to her quarters. Delphine said, that she was keen to thank everyone, but she needed her rest. It felt like Delphine was worried about any after effects of the collar.

We continued to drink and have fun once she left. I felt happy that Juno was onboard. I was keen to apologize for my behaviour from before. As I thought about her, it hit me. She wasn't the only person we had picked up. There had been the servant Procter.

I hadn't seen him when myself and Dex ran aboard. If anyone knew about my past it would be him.

Across the room I could see Tyrus, he was holding court with his men. He would know.

There were laughing loudly and sharing stories. As I approached them they quietened down and Tyrus gave me a quick look up and down.

"Are you coming to say thanks?" he asked, a little smugly.

I shook my head, and asked about Procter.

"We had to lock him in a laundry room. He kept trying to get back onto the dock."

"Can I speak with him?" I asked.

Tyrus huffed, and said maybe later.

"I'd like to speak to him now," I said, a bit more sternly.

He relented and told me to follow him.

"You don't get to order me about," Tyrus said, as we walked through the corridors. "There is a pecking order, and you have to learn your place."

"And where is my place?"

"Below me," he snickered.

I didn't want to engage him, but he had a way of getting under my skin. Everyone else in the crew were friendly and respectful. Tyrus just like to tease and needle me at every opportunity. The wine that I had drank made me a little bolder, and my mouth a little looser.

"That's never going to happen."

"Oh, it will," he said. "You think your'e the first girl in this crew to say no to me?"

As we reached our destination, he turned to me. "Won't be long before you're in my bed."

All I could do was to shake my head in frustration. Anything I said to him, he just ignored and turned it around on me. It was pointless trying to get through.

There was a little window on the door. I looked in and could see Procter sitting on a pile of laundry.

"You need me to come in?" Tyrus asked, condescendingly, as he unlocked the door.

"I think I'll be okay."

As I went to open the door he reached out and stopped my arm. "One more thing," he said. "I have to search you."

"What?" I asked, not really understanding what he meant.

"New rule. Delphine's orders. Last time we had one who killed himself. We can't have that again."

He was right, I remembered the chef who grabbed the gun and shot himself. I wasn't wearing my gun though. All I had on was my trouser suit with the zip up top. I made a show of patting down the skin tight material.

"I don't have anything."

He shrugged. "Orders."

He was enjoying it. I had no doubt Delphine had given the order, but he could see I had no weapons.

"Arms out," he said, with a grin.

With a sigh I did as I was told. He checked my pockets first, and after finding nothing he ran his hands across both of my arms. Then he took great pleasure in sliding them down my sides.

"Don't tell me your'e not enjoying it," he said, as hands started to creep towards my breasts. I quickly stepped back before he could cup them.

"Fine," he said. "Turn around and we'll finish this."

His hands patted down my back, then he slid his hands over the sides of my ass. He took his time on my legs. His hands sliding over every curve.

I doubted he would be this thorough with a male crew member. Every time we met he seemed to find an excuse to get his hands on me. With a quick check of the collar of my top, he was finally satisfied.

"I'll wait outside the door just in case," he said, and gestured for me to go in. I didn't give him a response. It was best not to give him the rise he wanted.

Procter looked up as I entered, and the door closed behind me, and I took a seat on the pile on sheets next to him.

He had a black eye, and looked a bit worried. There was a friendly smile though.

"Are you okay?" I asked.

He nodded, and moved his hand to his face. "Those men did this."

"I know, but we were trying to free Juno."

There was a look of shock on his face. "That girl?"

As I filled him in of the events of the previous days the situation that he was in started to sink in. He was shocked, and a little saddened to find out about Orton's death. I didn't go into much detail about it. Especially the horrible way it happened.

"What will happen to me now?" he asked, and I told him that there might be an opportunity to start a new life.

"Do you know what they do to escaped slaves?"

I had to tell him that I didn't know.

"They go to special auctions, the death auctions." His face was more animated now, I could see the fear in his eyes. "They get sent to work in radiation mines, or experimented on, and even sold to people who like to play games with them."

"What do you mean, games?" I asked.

He told me that he had heard of a planet were they send the escaped slaves. "They let them free on the surface. Then every so often a rich tourist comes along to hunt them. Sometimes they let the population build up, so they can test military weapons."

I couldn't listen to him anymore, it was sickening.

"Could you talk them into letting go back, maybe?" he pleaded. "I could say I had been kidnapped."

I explained to him that that was going to be unlikely.

"Things are going to be okay," I told him.

He nodded, and I assured him that I had the same feelings when I was freed.

Then I got round to the real reason I was here.

"One of the crew think I had a memory wipe? Do you know anything about that?"

He shrugged, "I don't know about your memory, I do know that you went away for some surgery at one point. A great improvement if you ask me," he said.

"Because of the accident?"

He looked confused. "I don't think you were in an accident. Orton told me that you were going to get some alterations to your appearance."

My blood ran cold as he said it. What had happened to me.

"But I was the same person as I am now."

Again he shrugged. "I haven't ever really spoken to you. Orton never liked the servants talking to his girls."

"I do remember though," he said, scratching his head. "You used to have to wear a uniform for him."

"What uniform?"

"It was a UEN uniform, well not a real one. More like a costume, Orton wore one too. He liked to roleplay with his girls sometimes."

That struck a chord. I remembered finding that strange outfit in my wardrobe. My physical change must have been the reason that it didn't fit anymore.

"Did I dress up often?" I asked.

"Not that I saw, he did make Lilly, the girl before you, dress as a famous dancer for a while."

I started to wonder what else he knew.

"Do you know what happened to Lilly?"

He nodded, but looked down as he did. There was something troubling him.

"Go on."

"Orton sold her to a breeding farm." He went on to tell me that it wasn't a nice place, and he filled me in on the location. "You two were very close before she left."

She would know, I thought. If I could just get to her.

"If you remember anything else," I said, as I got up to leave.

"Emrah."

"What?"

"That's your real name. They changed it to Cara when you got back. I think Orton preferred Cara."

With that revelation I let myself out.

Tyrus said something to me, but I ignored him. I needed time to think.

This morning I was a girl named Cara, and now I was called Emrah. The reflection I saw as I showered wasn't even me. That's all I could think about as I made my way back to my quarters.

**********

My sleep was disturbed and fitful. I couldn't relax. Maybe it was the adrenaline still coursing through my veins, but I doubted it. Who was this Emrah, and was she even me anymore. I wasn't entirely sure I wanted to find out. What if I wasn't happy with what I would find.

There were my unexplainable skills. My ease at which I took to shooting, and my quickness with my hands. There was something in my background that I wasn't aware of.

Orton had lied to me about Lilly's fate. Was my memory loss another terrible thing he had done without my knowledge. If he was still alive he could tell me, but he wasn't, the only real person left was Lilly. We were apparently friends. She would know, I hope.

In the morning I would speak more with Delphine. She seemed to be my only confidant at the moment, but with her daughter back, how much time would she have for me.

I thought more about Tyrus, and the way he pursued me in his arrogant way. It wasn't nice, but part of me was flattered. It would be easy just to give him what he wanted, and I knew I would feel more secure with him to look after me. Is that why I was attracted to Delphine, was I just looking for a protector.

The man I had killed probably wouldn't say that I needed one. Still , I felt very lonely in my bed.

Suddenly my door went. It was Delphine. As I wiped my eyes, I could see she was holding a lazer pistol.

"Get dressed, and come to the bridge. Bring your gun," she said, and then she was gone.

There were no alarms, and she didn't seem to rushed. I did as she said, and dressed into my trousers, and zip up top. When I got somewhere with a market, I thought, I should buy more of these outfits.

I put on my belt with the holster, and stuck my gun into it.

The ship was still asleep, as I made my way to the bridge. It must have been important, I thought. As I passed the dinning room, I saw the mess everyone had left from the impromptu party. There was no one there now.

The bridge was empty too, apart from Delphine and Juno. It was the first time I had seen Juno since we rescued her.

"Glad you could join us, Cara," Delphine said. I wasn't going to mention that I now thought that my name was something else.

"What's happening?"

I tried to read Juno's expression, but she had a stony look on her face. Something was wrong, more than old grudges.

"It's about Juno's capture," Dephine said. "We think someone betrayed us, someone in our crew."

She went on to tell me that when Juno was captured they thought that they were getting Delphine. That was their true goal. It had only been a last minute change to send Juno on the mission.

"They wanted the location of the safe haven." Delphine continued. "I'm the only one who knows it."

"What about the people who fly the ships there?" I asked.

"I set the coordinates myself on the ship, and then lock it off. It's a one way trip for them. It always has been."

"It's the only way we can be sure no one ever finds it," Juno said. "If my mother dies, the new leader sets a new one up."

"Why do they want to know so badly?" I asked.

"There's a lot of bounty money to be made there," Delphine said, sadly.

Juno explained that the people who had captured her had been laying in wait, and that there was no way it had been a random chance. I had to believe her, but thinking that there was a traitor in the crew was hard to imagine.

"That's why it's only us three here. You weren't with us then," Delphine said, and then told me that the rest of the crew had been locked in their quarters. "I'll go and visit them individually and explain things."

"You can't trust anyone?"

She shrugged. "I'd like to think so, but if I treat them all the same then there are no hard feelings. Who ever did this almost had my daughter killed."

"How can you find out who did it?"

"When we get to Alpha Giraad, we can find out then. I don't want to say much more at this moment." I had to accept her answer. Even though she said she could trust me, I was still new.

"We'll be there in five days," Juno said. "We will have to take shifts. Delivering meals, keeping an eye on the ship. Can you handle that?"

I nodded.

Then she pointed to my pistol. "What about that?"

Delphine answered for me. "Cara, can shoot. I've seen her."

As Delphine went over the finer details of what our orders would be, I could sense unease from Juno. The way she looked at didn't inspire me with any notion that we were going to become friends.

After she finished telling us what we would be doing, she said that we could both rest now, and we'd be contacted for our shifts.

I wanted to mention Lilly to her, and what Procter had told me, but now didn't seem like the right time at all.

Juno came with me as we left the bridge. Our quarters were near each other and we walked through the ship together. I was glad we had some time alone to talk.

"Listen, I'm sorry about what happened before. Orton asked me to do it."

She shook her head. "My mother say I am supposed to trust you, and I will, but that doesn't mean I will ever forgive you for what you did."

I wasn't expecting that response.

"I had no choice," I said.

Suddenly she wheeled around on me, and pushed me against a bulkhead.

"You had every choice. People like you are the reason the galaxy is the way it is." I could see pure rage behind her eyes. All I could do, was to stay silent and let her get it out.

"Don't think I owe you one for coming back, I don't. They would have saved me eventually, with or without your help."

Her words weren't fair at all, but I knew where she was coming from.

She leaned in close to whisper. "You need to go on the next ship to the safe haven."

With that last statement, she walked off down the corridor to her quarters. Even though I could understand her emotions, I couldn't shake the feelings of guilt and sadness. Could I ever even make her trust me.

I managed to catch a few hours sleep before Delphine contacted me on the intercom. It was my shift. It was going to be a long week.

***********

It was strange being on the bridge by myself. I sat alone in the command chair, watching the stars sail past the windows.

Before Delphine had left she gave me a quick lesson on the communication equipment. If anything went wrong with the yacht, or it veered off it's auto pilot, a warning would sound. It would then just be a case of contacting her or Juno.

This wasn't my only job, in an hour or so, I was to deliver food to each of the crew. There were some emergency ration packs, that I would hand out. It was also, so I could check that everyone was where they were supposed to be.

Some of the crew had grumbled about being locked up, but most of them new it was the correct thing to do. Keeping the safe-haven secure was the most important thing. All their work would be ruined if it's location was discovered.

I had asked Delphine if there was anyone on the crew that she suspected, but she didn't give me an answer. She did warn me to be alert though. If there was a traitor on board they might attempt an escape.

There was something peaceful about sitting in the command chair. I could imagine myself in Delphine's position, giving out orders. It was something to aspire to, I thought.

How would she deal with a man like Tyrus, I wondered. Probably with humor.

I thought about Juno. She didn't respect me at all. That was understandable. Hopefully in time I would over come it.

As my shift ended, Juno appeared in the doorway. I told her that everything seemed fine. She gave me a cursory nod.

Before I returned to my quarters, I took the ration packs to the crew. They had all been collected and put on one of the tables in the dinning room. As I picked a pile of them up, I checked that my pistol was still safely in its holster.

It would take me a while to go round them all. All the doors had digital locks on them, that I could unlock from the outside. This place wasn't designed to be a prison ship though, I had to make sure I manually locked each one after I left.

They all looked bored and miserable. It was nice seeing Dex and Faith though.

Tyrus was being his usual arrogant self. He offered me a private tour of his room. I just laughed it off the best that I could.

There wasn't much else to do other than sleep after that. They might have been bored sat on their own, but it was just the same for me. I wouldn't even see Delphine and Juno.

My next shift was in the early hours of the morning. It took a few buzzes from my intercom to wake me.

"Sorry I overslept," I said to Delphine as I entered the bridge.

She gave me a disappointed look, and told me that this wasn't a game.

I'd let her down. She was under a lot of pressure at the moment. As I took my place in the command chair, I thought it best to set an alarm for myself in the future.

Because my shift was early in the morning, I wouldn't have to deliver any food, as they were all still asleep.

As the hours dragged on, I had to get up and pace about, as I felt my self drifting off to sleep. The last thing I wanted was to let Delphine down again.

Then suddenly there was a light on the command chair. It was from an intercom in one of he rooms.

It was Tyrus. He was complaining that he had no food. I told him that there would be some later on, and ended the call. Seconds later it lit up again.

"Just bring me a ration pack, you can be quick," he said.

I sighed, and told him to wait, and I would be on my way.

At least it would break up the monotony of my shift. There was still a few hours to go.

I grabbed one of the ration packs from the kitchen and took it to his room.

As his door opened I expected him to be waiting eagerly for it, but I couldn't see him. He must be in the bathroom, I thought.

I entered and went to the table to put it down, as I did he came out of the side room. He had been in the shower. There was just a towel around his waist, and his chest was still wet from the water.

"I'm an early riser," he said. "What flavor is it?"

As I looked at the back of the packet, he moved to the door to the corridor and shut it.

"What are you doing?" I asked, turning to him.

He was stood in front of it, blocking it. There was a big grin on his face.

"Keep me company for a bit," he said.

"I can't. Please move," I said, standing defiantly in front of him. He towered over me, but he was still part of the crew. He was an arrogant prick, but he wasn't trying to harm me.

"Make me."

As I tried to squeeze past him, he moved his body blocking me. He chuckled at my efforts. I had my gun, but what was I going to do, shoot him?

It was frustrating, and I felt my heart beating faster. This time I made a concerted effort to shift him by pushing his to one side. It was useless he was too big and strong. This time he put his hand onto my stomach and easily pushed me back in to the room. All the time there was that big grin on his lips.

He was really getting under my skin, and I felt my hands shaking. It was the disrespect that was the worst part. I'd had enough, and moved furiously towards him.

This time, he scooped me up and span me around pinning me to the door.

"Let me go," I yelled, and slapped his broad chest. He seized my wrists and held them against the door above my head.

"Easy, girl," he said, softly. I did my best to free myself, but he was too strong and held me firm. I felt helpless and the fluttering returned to my stomach. It was foolish to think I wouldn't end up in this situation again.