Forgotten Past: Chapter Eleven-Leaving Riddick

Jack threw the bag over her shoulder and put her arms through the
straps. It was light, only filled with some easy provisions and a few
changes of clothes. Her wrap around sun glasses slid into place over her
eyes and she was set.

She looked at the door and took a deep breath. Her ride would be
taking off in an hour and Riddick wasn’t due back from work for
another four hours. She’d be long gone before he even knew that’s
she’d left. Another deep breath and Jack strode out the front door,
locking it behind her.

New Orleans was spread out before her like a puzzle, the different
pieces being so many different cultures and smells. The color and
texture of the city was boisterous and bold and invited Jack to stay, but
she couldn’t. Riddick had said he wanted her around, but she didn’t
want to stay anymore. She’d turned eighteen the month before and it
was time to leave, and find her own way, whatever that may be.

Her blade felt comforting at her thigh and the blaster was nestled away
in the back of her waistband. Jack was prepared for trouble of the
worst kind. With the extensive training Riddick had run her through,
Jack was sure she could take on any obstacle and win.

The walk to the air/spaceport was shortened by jumping on an ancient
antique trolley in the French Quarter, crowded with people that didn’t
pay any attention to the girl with the knife at her thigh and the bag on
her back. Jack’s long hair was tied back in a half-hazard bun, like so
many other women’s’ hair, and no one paid her any attention. That was
a major plus as far as Jack was concerned.

The air/spaceport was full of throngs of people bustling back and forth
between terminals and land transports. New Orleans had one of the
biggest trade routes on Earth since the 1700’s, and over the past
centuries that hadn’t changed.

Jack’s ride was a Company space freighter. It had been the only thing
she could get on such short notice, and she’d been promised a job on
board to make some cash for when they landed wherever it was they’d
be landing.

Unsure of what she’d do when she got where she was going, Jack felt
slightly nervous as she boarded the cargo freighter, surrounded by
tough looking men and a few Rangers to guard the precious cargo of -
Jack glanced at a box and froze. It was aluthium alloy. Jack didn’t
know a lot about the stuff, but knew that it was expensive and everyone
wanted some. What had she just gotten herself into?

~~~

“There’s a Company freighter carrying aluthium alloy, Bruce.”

Bruce Levake looked up from his charts and raised a questioning
eyebrow at Jarod Verheul, his best friend and advisor. “Aluthium?
You’re sure?”

Jarod sat on the edge of the desk and nodded. “Oh, yeah. One of our
guys found out. He’s on the freighter now, and he just sent his
transmission ten minutes ago. I just got word and knew you’d want to
know.”

Bruce smacked the palms of his hands down on the table. “Perfect. This
is the chance the resistance has been looking for. O’Dell and Reimers
will be glad to hear of it.”

“Reed O’Dell and Mark Reimers? So, we’re associating with the
Ahsatan group, now, are we?” Jarod queried. The likelihood of that
was a million to nothing, considering Bruce and Reed had been rivals
since basic training.

Bruce shrugged. “The revolution is coming to a head, and there’s no
time for childish rivalry in this game. We’re playing for keeps, now, and
the Company ain’t going to take any prisoners when things heat up.”
Bruce shoved away from the desk with a groan. “I’m getting to old for
this.”

“At sixty?” Jarod asked incredulously. “And that’s regular years.
You’re only, what? Thirty-four cryo-years, right? Quit bitchin’ and
help me figure out a plan. Do you want me to contact Ahsatan?”

A nod. “Yeah. That’s a beginning. Find out their position and if they
have any ships near Earth. We might be closer than them. If that’s the
case, we’ll find out if we can aid them with any of their ongoing Earth
projects. They’ve usually got someone based in every major city.

“By the way, where’s the freighter?”

“New Orleans, Louisiana.”

Bruce nodded. “Okay. Contact O’Dell and find out what he knows and
inform him about the aluthium. We’ll try and make contact with any
other groups later, but Reed’s got the best one we know of so far.”

“Got it. I’ll check back with you here in an hour.” Jarod jogged
through the hatch and headed down the hall. The com room was at the
other end of the space station and it was a long walk.

When he finally got there, Jarod walked through the hatch and greeted
Miranda Hardwick, the com director. She knew all the channels to go
through and could patch you into even the rim from anywhere in the
universe. “Hey, Randa. I need a patch to the Ahsatan complex on Mars.
Can you pull me through?”

Jarod dropped into the seat beside Miranda’s and watched her fingers
flash over the com board with lighting speed and precision, then she
handed him the comlink.

“This is O’Dell. What’s the transmission.” Reed’s voice carried over the
waves and Jarod shook his head. He hadn’t spoken to Reed for ten
cryo-years. Longer if you counted the time outside the tube.

“Hey, Reed, it’s Jarod Verheul. The Nylorac has come over some info
you might be interested in hearing about.”

“What do you want, Verheul?” Reed questioned, his voice sounding
tired and annoyed over the transmission.

Jarod shrugged it off. “Listen, Reed. We’ve got some info on a shipment
of aluthium alloy. Potentially large. Very large.” Jarod stressed the
“very” part. He could tell he had Reed’s attention. “The shipment is
headed into space in ten minutes and its on a Company freighter. Bruce
wanted me to check your location and see if you were interested in a
partnership.”

Reed sucked in a breath. This was a tough call. Creed or the aluthium?
Creed was the best pilot he could hope for, but aluthium would
definitely give them an edge against the Company in a battle. Nothing
could destroy the stuff, and if plated onto ships or into weapons and
armor, you could count on positive results every time.

“Where are you at, now, Jarod?” Reed wanted to know.

“At the Nylorac space station. We’re in orbit of Jupiter right now. Are
you at the Mars base? I know all transmissions are forwarded directly
to you, so I just got a patch to there.”

“Yeah, I’m at the base, but I was taking off for Earth tomorrow. I’m
after a pilot that might be able to help us out. The resistance in general,
that is. Where’s the aluthium?”

“On Earth, actually. New Orleans, Louisiana. You know the place?”

Reed was shocked into silence. Some sort of strange coincidence, or
fate? “Yeah. That’s where the pilot I’m lookin’ for is. Damn, don’t that
beat all? I don’t think I’m going to be able to track the aluthium
though, anyways. Talk to your contact and find out where the freighter
is headed and the amount of aluthium. I’ll see what I can do.”

“All right. But if you can’t, we have to know immediately so we can
send out a carrier to pick up the freighter. We need that alloy, Reed. It
could mean the win or loss of the revolution.” Jarod knew what the
answer would be and prepared to tell Bruce to ready a crew for
departure.

“You got it.” Reed got ready to sign off then thought better of it. “By
the way, tell Bruce hi and that the pilot is Creed. This is Ahsatan, over
and out.”

Jarod dropped the comlink to the panel with a stunned look on his face.
Did he mean THE Creed? As in Creed Xander, the notorious space
pirate? Great. Wouldn’t Bruce just love to hear that Reed was chasing
down his old flame.

~~~


“You remember me,” Riddick murmured.

Carolyn nodded. “Sorta. Pieces. What’s going on?” Carolyn looked
small and lost to Riddick and he ached to hold her, just to make sure
she was all right. That she was real and not some figment of his
imagination.

He reached out and touched her arm, but she didn’t flinch away, and
she didn’t melt. “I want you to meet someone,” he said quietly after a
moment.

“Who?” she asked, feeling unsure of herself and him.

“Her name is Jack, and you know her from when you knew me. C’mon,
Carolyn. Come with me.” He held out a hand to her and she sat where
she was for a long while, just staring at his outstretched hand for a long
time before taking it and allowing him to pull her to her feet.

The walk to Riddick’s house was a short one and he was surprised at
how close he’d been to her. “How long have you been here?” he
questioned. “In New Orleans?” he added when she shot him a
questioning look.

“About six weeks,” she estimated. “Maybe longer. It’s hard. Things
start to blend together.” She shook her head. “Six weeks sounds about
right.”

They got to Riddick’s house and he shoved his key in the lock and
pushed the door open. Something felt wrong immediately. Jack’s smell
was faint and he pulled Carolyn in behind him and closed the door.
They both removed their goggles and Riddick walked over to Jack’s
cot.

Jack’s bag and most her belongings were gone. So was her money and
Riddick’s blaster. “Shit!” he cursed, then he spotted a note on the table
between the chairs.

‘Time to live my own life,’ it said, and was simply signed, ‘Jack.’

Riddick cursed again, loudly and fluently, and Carolyn stood stalk still
where he’d left her by the door.

“What’s the matter?” she managed in the face of his anger.

Riddick slashed flashing silver eyes up to Carolyn’s. “Jack’s gone.”

~~~

Jack sat in her seat and strapped in. The only other person in her room
was a guy a few years older than her, and he looked just as nervous as
she felt. “Relax, pal,” she called to him.

The guy looked up at her and tried to grin, but merely twisted his
mouth in a parody of a smirk. “I’m Eddie Hoff,” he offered.

The bravery act fell at Jack’s feet pitifully. “Jack B. Badd,” she
answered.

Eddie raised dark brows over stunning blue eyes. “Jack B. Badd?” he
questioned. “Is that some sort of pseudonym?”

Jack shrugged. “What do you think?” She shrugged again. “It doesn’t
really matter who I am. Who were you contacting with that comlink
before we took off?”

Eddie looked guilty. Like a little boy who’d been caught with his hand
in the cookie jar. “Uh, just talkin’ to my mom,” he answered, but Jack
could tell he was lying.

“You’re mom’s name is Nylorac?” she queried, brows raised over dark
glasses.

“No that’s the name of a secret organization in the resistance trying to
wipe out the Company for good.” Eddie blurted, not thinking Jack
would believe him and would then ask, “No, really. Who were you
talking to?” But she didn’t.

Instead, she leaned forward as best as she could in the restraining seat.
“Really? Cool! I’ll bet your after the aluthium alloy in all those cargo
boxes, too.”

Eddie jumped. “You believed me?”

“Of course,” Jack answered nonchalantly. “Why else would a kid like
you be on board a ship like this?”

He looked mutinous. “Kid? I’m older than you, *Jack.* And what’s
your story?”

Jack leaned back. “I was stranded on a three sunned planet with no
night with a bunch of outer space rejects, three years ago. An eclipse
that only happens every twenty-two years cut out the sun, and suddenly
all these big nasty monsters came out from the ground and tired to kill
us. Me, a Muslim holy man, and a convicted murderer with built in
night vision were the only ones to escape from the planet with our
lives.”

Eddie didn’t believe Jack. “Right. Then why are you leaving? And who
you been livin’ with over the past three years?”

“The murderer. The holy man stayed on New Mecca. Me and my
psychopathic pal have been planet hopping for the past three years. I’m
sick of him bossin’ me around, so I cut out and got away while he was at
work.”

“What does he do?”

“Construction. Lots of muscles. He’s build for it.”

He still didn’t believe her. “Okay. Sure. If you don’t wanna tell me,
that’s fine.”

Jack shook her head. “Whatever. I believed you. So, you really work
for a resistance organization?”

Eddie nodded. “Yeah. As soon as we clear the atmosphere I have to
contact my group and tell them how much alloy I think there is and
where it’s going.”

“Sounds good. How much do you think there is?”

He estimated. “Well, in the main cargo hold I saw about sixty crates of
the stuff. There’s three hundred pounds worth crammed into a crate
that size so...” he counted mentally. “I’d say about eighteen-hundred
pounds of the stuff. That’s enough to cover three battle cruisers.”

“It’ll spread that thin?” Jack questioned.

“Yeah, the stuff is unbelievable. And you can’t break it, no matter
what.”

“Incredible.” Jack turned to look at the readout screen. “I think we’ve
cleared the atmosphere. Better make your call, Eddie.”

Eddie and Jack unhooked their straps and Eddie headed for his
personal comlink. The patch up took a few minutes and he had to wait
for each return message. “This is Hoff. We’ve got approximately
eighteen-hundred pounds of aluthium alloy.” A wait.

“Do you know where you’re headed?” was the reply.

“Yeah. The freighter is destined for the Company spaceport in Jupiter’s
fourth quadrant. You should be able to intercept us when we cross the
asteroid belt, or earlier.” Another wait.

“Good job, Hoff. See in a about a months, kid. And good luck.” Eddie
turned to Jack. “This is easy!”

Suddenly the door burst open and three Rangers stepped inside, holding
stun guns and shotguns. “It’s over, kiddies,” the largest one with a name
tag boasting K. Slater sneered.

Jack launched herself to her feet, drawing her blaster and her blade.
“No,” she gritted out, pressing the barrel to Slater’s forehead. “It’s just
beginning.”

***

Back to Menu