PEOPLE HAD BEEN MAKING the journey out to the Frontier for centuries. Out here was freedom. The freedom to live your life the way you chose. In the early days, it wasn’t for the faint of heart. Space was filled with danger that weeded out the strong from the weak. Only the most determined survived. As time went on, technology helped make the journey easier and shorter, but never would the worlds of the Frontier take for granted the freedom they had earned over the centuries.

But freedom is seldom forever. With every year those who lived on the dying Earth moved to bring the colonies under tighter and tighter control. They had little choice, their planet was dying, nearly denuded of resources, Earth could no longer sustain herself. What little they had had left had gone into sending their colonists to more fertile worlds and it was generally felt it was time for those colonists to support their dying homeworld.

The problem was, many who had been born in the colonies, and had lived their entire lives there, no longer considered Earth to be their homeworld, and resented the planet exercising any sovereignty over them at all.

Nowhere was this more true than a colony deep into the Frontier—Colony STR1-FE or Strife, as the people there called it. Strife was as far out as anyone in their right mind would ever go. If you went any farther, you were in no-man’s-land, far away from help and anything resembling civilization.

Strife kept her skies safe from pirates and marauders with a small navy. These ships belonged to the Strife Merchant Marine Corp. The S.M.M.C was the closest thing to a military Strife had. It helped keep the cities up, trade lanes open, and the world running smoothly. It was for the people and run by the people and never would it threaten their freedom.

…

First Officer Sara Rin sat in the captain’s chair on the bridge of the S.M.M.C: Deviant Rising. Captain Pacius had been locked away in his office just off the bridge for some time. She hadn’t been keeping her eye on the clock but if she was going to estimate she would have guessed that he’d been in there at least an hour and a half… Maybe longer… She was by no means unaccustomed to his long, silent, deliberations he held with himself when he was not here, sitting in this chair, but again if she was guessing she didn’t think he was in there alone. She quickly checked the command display on the side of her chair, and saw that her guess was right., the Governor of Strife had been trying to raise the Deviant Rising, and Captain Pacius specifically, ever since the had left their world three weeks ago. Pacius had done his best to put off the Governor but now, as their destination grew closer, he had no choice but to finally sit down and talk to the man. It was anyone’s guess how the conversation was going but Lieutenant Rin knew beyond a shadow of a doubt what the context of that conversation was…

“First Officer’s log, Nineteenth of Augustum, standard year twenty six forty two. We are nearing Occasio Ultima, more commonly referred to as simply the gate. The ship’s crew has to this point performed ably, but tensions are running high. It is difficult to blame them, They know we’re heading to the gate, some believe our final destination might actually be Earth itself and I’ve heard more than one crewman speaking of what they’d like to do with Earth, when they thought I wasn’t listening.”

“I must confess some sympathies with their feeling, if not with its expression. I’m not immune from the belief that Earth has far overstepped all reasonable bounds with its attempts to force the Helix on Strife. Some have suggested that the Helix and its interface accessories, commonly just called earrings are a way to make sure Strife continues to supply Earth with the wheat, corn, rice and other crops that it depends on. This seems farfetched to me, no matter how strained things become between Strife and Earth I can’t see us ever allowing so many to starve. Though I can concede that many in the U.P.E. government on Earth would do exactly that if the roles were reversed. Perhaps that is it. Perhaps they are simply judging us by the standards they set for themselves…” Rin paused for a moment, tapping her fingers on the armrest of the Captain’s chair before continuing, “Intentions aside, I hope the Captain fills them in soon or we’re going to have a breakdown in discipline amongst the crew, one that could spell disaster for us all.”

Rin hit the control to stop recording and turned back out at the bridge. At this time in ships night there were only three other members of the bridge crew on duty Lewis Carry at navigation Charlotte Wessels at tactical and Daniel Stevenson at communications. All were good mates, but young. Rin privately doubted Carry had ever even been on a ship’s bridge before she had suggested him to the Captain for the job, and the others weren’t much better.

“Navigation, What is our ETA?” Rin asked the young man at the station.

“We’re going to reach Occasio Ultima in about seven hours.” Carry said, not turning his head from the station.

“Excuse me. Did I ask you about how long it was going to take? Mate, take a look at those controls again and give me a proper ETA.”

“Sorry Sir. At current speeds we’ll be arriving in approximately seven hours and twenty three minutes.”

“That’s better, Carry. You can leave the word about out of your vocabulary while you are on this bridge.” Rin said.

“Yes Sir.”

“Communications, is the Captain still on his call?” Rin asked, turning her attention to Stevens.

“The Captain terminated the connection abou…” he started before seeming to remember the speech she had just made to Carry, “Twelve minutes ago sir.” Stevens finished, and Rin couldn’t help but smile just a little bit. These new crewman were going to come along just fine.

“Very well. Navigations, the bridge is yours. Contact me if anything changes between now and when we drop back into normal space.” Rin said standing from her seat and walking the short distance to the Captain’s office. She touched a control outside the door, and a moment later she heard the deep slightly raspy voice of the captain tell her to enter.

The Captain’s office was small, with little room for more than a small desk three chairs, and a potted plant that had died some time ago, and that the captain had not yet gotten around to replacing. The only other decoration in the office was an old fashioned revolver set in a glass case behind the captain’s desk, and it looked almost as battered as he usually did. The firearm was illegal in U.P.E, space and worth the confiscation of the captain’s ship and revocation of his licence if it were more generally known that he possessed the antique. In fact it would mean imprisonment if the U.P.E found out it was in firing condition. Rin knew for a fact that it was in firing condition, she had seen him have to use it on several occasions during their time together. Lieutenant Rin prefered the firearms the S.M.M.C. offered, not only far more modern and reliable but thanks to their status in the S.M.M.C. completely legal anywhere outside of a planet in the Sol system. Only the U.P.E.’s own troops were allowed weapons there.

Captain Pacius sat behind his desk. He looked exhausted but still had the determination painted across his face that had carried him this far. Rin knew before she even asked that the conversation with the governor had not gone well, she could see it printed on the Captain’s face but still she found herself compelled to ask, “How did everything go with Governor Maher?”

“The Governor thinks we’re playing with fire.” Pacius said, sipping a glass of tea and never looking up from the computer on his desk.

“And you?” Rin asked.

“Obviously I think we’re doing what we have to.” Pacius answered, and paused for a moment, “We are playing with fire though.” He finally finished.

“We’re not the ones that are going to get burned though, sir.” Rin said.

“Oh we’ll get burned. I have no doubt of that. There is no way we walk away from this clean. There will be a price, I’m ready to pay that price when the time comes however.” Pacius said.

“Perhaps I should rephrase, We’re not the only ones that are going to get burned.” Rin said. Though she didn’t quite know why. She knew what the captain was up to, she had known for weeks, since before they set out on this mission but she was the only other person on the crew that knew the whole story and beyond knowing the whole story, knowing all of Pacius’ plan, she agreed with it. She believed as he did that what they were doing was for the best, but right now she needed a little reassurance; reassurance that the Captain understood everything that could com from their actions tomorrow, that he understood them and still believed it was right.

“I know. I’ve thought about it for a long time. I’ve thought about it every time they load us up with more Helix earrings, and send us home. Every time we haul enough grain to cover a city all the way to earth and are treated like we should be grateful that they are willing to take it from us. Sara, the people aren’t happy with the U.P.E. right now, they’re not happy with Earth. The governor thinks he can still smooth things over through official channels, through words and fake smiles and maybe he could have forty years ago, back before they stopped paying for the grain, back when we didn’t need their permission to fly our own ships but not today. Today words aren’t enough, today it’s gone too far for that, and tomorrow they’ll understand how serious we really are. Tomorrow the people’s voices are going to be heard. Sara, this is our last chance to keep the helix from being forced on us, our last chance to keep some shred of our independence from the U.P.E. and Earth and yes it’s going to have a price but there is always a price and maybe it’s one we’re going to have to pay.” Pacius said, a bit of his energy seeming to return.

Rin couldn’t help but feel a little inspired by his words and the passion he had when he spoke them. She had known Xander Pacius for years, both as a member of his crew and as a friend, and there were few people she believed in more, and no one she trusted more. If Captain Xander Pacius of The Deviant Rising believed he was on the right course, then Sara Rin would always be right behind him.

“My shift’s about to end, but you look like you need the sleep more. Why don’t I stay on the bridge for a few more hours, while you go get a little sack time.” Rin said, looking over the Captain. After his little mini speech, what little energy he seemed to have regained had left him again.

“No, if you think you can sleep go, I’m up and I doubt that’s going to change any time soon.” he said.

“You know most of the other S.M.M.C captains think you’re a madman?” Rin asked,

“So people keep telling me, I really have no idea why.”

...

Next Chapter: Chapter 3