Forgotten Past: Chapter Nine-Found
Riddick was good at construction work, but he wasn’t all that fond of it.
The physical labor was good, kept him from getting soft, but the
overwhelming smells and sounds, not to mention bright sunlight, made
things uncomfortable on his senses. It caused them to be dulled and
clouded, and made it hard for him to keep an eye out for trouble, should
it arise.
Stalking away from George Stapp’s trailer, Riddick thought about what
sort of “heavy lifting” George had been talking about. He wasn’t
surprised at his new job description though. Riddick often found
himself pigeon holed, and labeled as all brawn and no brains. The
technical stuff was left to the guys who couldn’t haul a stack of
newspapers, and the pick-it-up-and-move-it jobs went to guys like
Riddick.
Excepting his place in this world wasn’t something Riddick enjoyed.
Exercising his body was one thing, but he often found himself feeling
dull. The mental clarity he’d hand on the run and in Slam was hard to
find when his first objective was to bring home enough credits to buy
food, clothes, and pay the rent.
He had enough to worry about with Jack and everything else, and he
was starting to worry about Jack. She acted more like him that he’d like
anyone to. She’d gotten fired for throwing a fellow employee onto a hot
burner in the back of the restaurant she worked in. The kid had ended
up in the hospital with severe burns and a nasty cut on his throat where
it had a personal meeting with Jack’s blade.
When Riddick had gone to pay Jack’s bail, she’d grabbed the officer
that had taken her blade by the collar and demanded to have it back.
The guy looked ready to wet himself and handed her the claim check to
get it back from evidence, even though it was supposed to stay at the
station.
When questioned, Jack told Riddick the kid had called her a whore
because she wouldn’t go home with him that night. So, obviously, the
kid needed a lesson, and he was just lucky she’d decided to let him live.
The recent troubles with Jack were getting more and more frequent,
too. Riddick remembered his life back in New York, how he had to fight
for every inch. He had to be the biggest, meanest, most dangerous bad
ass out there to survive. His life had turned to shit, and that’s not what
he wanted for Jack. She was the only tie he had to Carolyn anymore,
and despite her recent bad streak, he did care about the kid.
Riddick shook his head wearily as he left he construction yard. Maybe
it was time for a change of scenery. Maybe Jack was right, and they’d
been there to long. But maybe Riddick’s luck was about to change.
~~~
“Have you found her yet?”
The man looked up. “I think so. We know she’s on Earth, but where on
Earth could be a little harder to figure out.”
The first man shook his head. “Without Xander, we haven’t a chance.
All our pilots have shit for brains. She’s the only pilot not working with
The Company that can out maneuver anyone. In the three years she’s
been pirating, no one has been able to catch her.”
“I know, sir. And we’re doing our best. But Earth’s estimated
population is over twelve billion now, and that makes things a bit tough
when you’re looking for someone. At least we know she’s *on* Earth,
and not cruising the outer rim.”
The first man nodded, agreeing. “Yeah. I know you guys are doing your
best. But I know Creed, and it’s not like her to be on Earth. Especially
alone. Something must be wrong.”
~~~
“Creed.”
“Reed?”
“Yeah. What’s the next job?”
“Company freighter headed this way. Intercept and take the cargo.
That’s the plan.”
“You could always come with me, you know. The resistance could use a
pilot like you. You’ve got balls.”
“Not last time you checked.”
Reed laughed. “No, not last time I checked. But you know what I
mean.”
Creed nodded. “Yeah, I know. But I can’t. Something is holding me
back. I’m looking for someone, I just don’t know who.”
“Another guy?”
A shrug from Creed. “I don’t know. Maybe. But whoever they are,
they’re out there, and I have to find them.”
Creed woke up. A memory. Someone named Reed, joining the
resistance, Company freighter... Who was she looking for? It tied in
with the other dreams and nightmares.
Memories came to her in fragments, mostly in dreams, sometimes when
she was on the job. Yesterday she’d almost dropped a beam on her
loader, and he’d screamed just in time, yanking her back to the present.
Many apologies and a lunch later, the man named Austin had finally
forgiven her. “I’m really sorry, Austin. It’s just... I thought I
remembered something, ya know?”
Austin and Creed always worked together and they’d gotten pretty
close over the past few weeks. Sly didn’t have a lot of time to stop by
and talk to Creed at the shelter, because he was always doing... well,
whatever it was he did.
But Austin and Creed often had lunch together and he knew her story,
at least what there was for her to tell.
Austin reached across the table and laid a large callused hand over hers.
“Hey, it’s okay, I guess. You didn’t kill me, so we’re still good.” He
grinned at her and she cracked a small smile.
“I don’t know, things are just so complicated. Things come and they
go... I don’t even know anyone that knows anything about me, really.
There’s rumors...” she trailed off quietly. Lot’s rumors, most not so
nice, some better than others.
Some people said they’d heard Creed Xander was part of the resistance
against the ever elusive Company. Others said she was a murdering
savage that would steal from whoever got in her way. Creed never knew
what to believe.
And before three years ago, there was nothing. No records of a Creed
Xander existed. It was like she’d just appeared out of thin air. No past,
no future.
Creed flopped back down on her bed. Another long day at the site, she
thought, pushing the dream and the memories out of her mind. She’d
contemplate and analyze those later. Right now she had to get ready for
work.
Another day at the crane. The building was raising up above the ground
easily, and except for almost killing Austin the day before, she hadn’t
had any accidents, and there had only been minor injuries at the
construction site. One guy had busted a few fingers, and Creed was sure
that was the most serious injury she’d heard about.
The sun was rising high over New Orleans around noon, and it beat
down on the metal cab of Creed’s crane, making the interior like a
sweat box. She gritted her teeth and dared a peak upwards, then cursed
loudly when the sun burnt into her retinas like the goggles weren’t even
there.
Her eyes itched from the sweat collecting behind the lenses and she
swiped at them ineffectively. The lunch whistle blew its screaming cry
and Creed quickly unloaded the last beam and shoved open the door,
jumping down from the cab with a thud in the dirt. Her day off was
tomorrow and she couldn’t wait, but right now, lunch.
Austin caught her arm when she practically bolted by and brought her
to an abrupt stop. An indignant, “Hey!” exploded from her mouth
before she saw who it was.
“Sorry,” Austin apologized, letting her arm go. “Eat with me?” He shot
her a lopsided grin.
Creed rubbed her arm, acting like he hurt her. “I don’t know, mister.
That was a dirty trick. I’m starving, and we only get an hour. You
slowed me down.”
“I said I was sorry!”
“Okay, since you *did* twist my arm...”
“Very funny.”
“Know of anywhere dark?” she asked. Her eyes were pleading with her
to remove the hot, dark goggles.
“Sure. I know just the place. Let’s go.”
They headed off the site together. The crane was towards the middle of
the site at that day, so it was a ways to the road, and the air was muggy.
Creed experienced the feeling of drowning from the water content in
the air and took a few gulping breaths.
They rounded the corner of one of the finished outer buildings, Creed
on the inside. Creed almost fell over backwards when she slammed into
what felt like a rock wall.
Austin reached out a steadying arm and caught Creed’s elbow. “You
okay?” he questioned.
“Uh, yeah.” Creed looked up to find a massive man staring down at her.
His head was shaved and he wore welding goggles akin to hers. His
mouth was parted in what looked like shock. Creed felt her knees go
weak before she fell to the ground, eyes wide behind her goggles, mouth
agape. She knew this man. She didn’t know from where, but he was a
part of her past. An important part.
“Who-” she managed to choke out.
The man was staring at her and Austin was quickly forgotten. He
opened his mouth and uttered one word. “Carolyn.”
***