Deliverance
Posted: Sun Feb 05, 2023 9:07 pm
Here is a short story following Lagertha from my previous story, Wind and Fire. This is merely a short story, so I intend it to be a bit more fast-paced and not packed with too many details. Probably three or four chapters. Taking place about two years after the events of Wind and Fire. Constructive criticism is welcome. Enjoy!
Disclaimer: Outsider and any and all related content is the intellectual property of Jim Francis a.k.a. Arioch. Please support Arioch on Patreon.com
Second Disclaimer: the contents of this story feature child abduction, brief scenes hinting at sex as well as non-consensual intercourse and rape, but are not meant to be pornagraphic. This is not erotic fiction. Real life abduction, rape and non-consensual intercourse is criminal and immoral. This story was written with the rules of the forum in mind. If the managers or moderators of the forum consider the material of this fanfiction to violate those rules, the writer shall be sure to correct the story to the managers’/moderators' approval. But so far no such order has been given.
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Endurance series timeline:
(+) Wind and Fire
(+) Deliverance
(+) Dawn
(+) A Chorus of Stars
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Deliverance
✴
Bohdana trodded through the wet streets of Kuanz Sector. Aldea’s climate was one of near-constant rain and stormy winds. Bohdana hated it. She was born from the fourth generation of colonists that came to Aldea decades before, yet hated the rain. Aldean rain was all she ever knew. All around her rain-jacket clad people were walking to and fro, some on their way to work. Some heading home from work. Some going out to party or drink alone. Or meet up for a club meeting or a show.
What she would give for that kind of freedom again.
She came to the Blue Dragon Pub. Inside she saw a few men and women playing on billiard tables. A gang of Yinghuo sports fans were cheering as they watched a Beamer match pitting the Fireflies of Kuanz against the Sunnies from Voda Sector.
Bohdana pushed her way through the mob of guests. One of the Yinghuo spectators stopped her in her tracks, his hands gliding down her waist.
“Maili de nuhai,” he commented with a suggestive grin. His Yinghuo accent thick. His buzzcut hairstyle suggested that he was probably with military. Or maybe just a security guard. “Hello, Miss Beautiful. How about joining us for a drink?”
Bohdana froze under his touch, but politely declined.
“Deng dai!” the man pressured, making his grip more firm as Bohdana tried to pull away. “There’s a good game tonight. Don’t you want to watch?”
“I’m not in good company tonight.” Bohdana’s heart started throbbing. She did not like this guy feeling her up.
“Hao!” Another Yinghuo called out. He gave his friend a serious look. “That’s not what a gentlemen does.”
The Yinghuo man, Hao apparently, released Bohdana with a shrug. “Just offering a friendly invitation.”
Bohdana brushed past the Yinghuo gang. She walked up to a bartender working at the far end of the bar.
“Hey, Ig,” Bohdana greeted.
Ig just glanced up, drying a glass with a towel. “Can I help you, miss?”
“Ig, come on. You know who I am.”
Ig placed the dry glass down behind the bar. “What do you want?”
“I need some Plasmid.”
“Issh!” he hissed. “Not so loud. I don’t have it with me.”
“Look, Ig, I’ve had a rough week at the refinery. I just need one vial.”
“Told you I don’t have it,” Ig said. “Not here! You still owe me five hundred debits for the last batch. Go home!”
“Ig, come on!”
“Otvali!” Ig cursed. “Out before my boss sees me! Or I cut you off!”
Afraid of losing her line of Plasmid from a safe source, Bohdana groaned in defeat and left the pub. She hopped onto a tram to take her back to Voda Sector. Bohdana plopped her head against a window pane, watching the throngs of trams and people pass by outside through the micro rivers pouring down the glass. How was she supposed to get her Plasmid? The gangsters of the Red Zones were an option, but Bohdana had heard one too many horrible stories of what they did to unsuspecting victims to even consider it.
Arriving at her residential street in Voda Sector, Bohdana jumped off the tram. An affectionate couple walked passed her as she entered her apartment complex. She couldn’t help but stare at them admiringly as they left the complex. No doubt for a romantic evening of their own. Her admiration turned to bitter envy as she punched the button to take her to the seventh floor.
Passing through the corridors, she came to room 776 and tapped the door bell. Within half a minute, the door slid open, revealing a little old woman with graying hair.
“Oh, pryvit, Bohdana,” said Yeva. She waddled back into her apartment and returned with a toddler no more than sixteen months old.
“Dyakuyu, Yeva,” Bohdana thanked her, taking her tiny daughter into her arms. “I’m a little short of cash this month. But I promise I will pay you when I get paid.”
“No problem, Bohdana,” Yeva offered a gentle smile. “Little Vira has been a good little girl. Not cried a single moment today. You pay me when you get the chance, alright?”
“I owe you big time, Yeva.”
“Nadobranich, Bohdana. And look out for the rain, yes?”
Bohdana laughed. “It always rains.”
Bohdana walked down the mazing hall until she came to 703. Entering and locking the door behind her, she sat her little Vira down. Not feeling like cooking, Bohdana pulled out a box of instant holubstis from the freezer. Pouring them onto a plate and popping them into the microwave oven, she fetched Vira’s bottle. She prepared a mix of baby formula with some boiled water.
Vira began to cry.
“Almost ready,” Bohdana assured her child, shaking the formula and hot water around. She took a taste, spitting out the hot fluid as it burnt her tongue. She set it down to cool off.
The microwave pinged. Bohdana took out her dinner. The holubstis were warm, but still a little cool in their centers. Bohdana didn’t mind. Too hungry and too stressed to care. She didn’t even bother to sit as she watched her baby crawl on the floor. Vira kept crying as she stretched out a hand to her mother.
“I can’t feed you when it’s too hot,” Bohdana said. Vira kept crying. Bohdana dropped her dirty plate into the kitchen sink among a pile of more dirty plates. They could be washed later. Testing the baby formula again, she found it was at a safe temperature. Picking up little Vira, Bohdana held the nibble of the bottle to her child’s mouth. Vira sucked away greedily at the fluid, finally silent. Bohdana sat on her bed, sighing with relief. Her apartment was a single room save for the toiletry. The only one she could afford on Aldea. Working for two thousand debits a month at a Helium-3 refinery could only get you so far.
After finishing her formula, Vira started crying again. Bohdana groaned. Was she ever going to get a moment of peace? She fixed another bottle of formula and tried feeding Vira. But the little girl refused to suckle.
“Damn it! I made you more!” Bohdana cursed. “What do you want you bloody baby?!”
Vira cried louder. Dropping the bottle back on the kitchen counter, Bohdana rocked her child, trying to calm her. But Vira’s cries didn’t cease.
Knock! Knock! Knock!
Bohdana set Vira into her crib and opened the door to see Ig.
“Hey,” he said. “I got Plasmid.”
Bohdana sighed with relief. “Ig, you’re a lifesaver.”
“That’ll be six hundred debits.”
“Six hundred?! But you said I owe only five hundred!”
“Five hundred for debt,” Ig corrected. “And one hundred for four new vials.”
“Ig, I’m short of cash. Just add it to my debt and I promise I’ll pay on payday.”
“I came here as a favor!” Ig warned. “Either pay now or no deal.”
Feeling that she had no bargaining power, Bohdana fished out her wallet. “Look, I only have five-hundred thirty. I’m on my last debit.”
Ig considered the cash in Bohdana’s hand. “You give me all that cash. And I clear your debt and give one vial Plasmid.”
“One?! But each vial only costs twenty-five a piece!”
“The last five debits is extra charge. For coming here.”
“Please, Ig,” Bohdana pleaded. “I won’t have any money until three weeks.”
“Not my problem. Either pay now or no deal. And I add interest to your debt.”
Bohdana knew this was not smart, but she wanted that Plasmid. She needed it. Handing the cash over, Ig fished out on vial of blue fluid. Bohdana took it.
“We are clear then,” Ig said, stuffing the cash into his pocket, marching down the hall.
Bohdana tapped the wall button. The door slid shut and locked. Resting her back against the door, Bohdana sighed, both from relief and frustration. Relieved that she had her Plasmid. But frustrated that she was now without cash for three weeks. How was she going to explain this to CPS if they found out?
Vira continued to cry.
Bohdana’s frustration boiled over and shouted, “BLIN! Can you shut up, bloody child?!”
Vira cried louder.
Bohdana collapsed onto her bed, leaving Vira in her crib. She cried with her. From all the frustration, all the stress and all the hardship of raising a child on her own. Bohdana had wanted a baby for a long time. But the man who was supposed to help them had walked out on them after being transferred to another Terran colony. Now Bohdana was all alone in this effort. She felt stuck. Trapped. She just wanted the baby gone. And it made her feel guilty to feel that way. A true mother did not wish her baby gone, and yet Bohdana could not help but feel so.
She should pick up her baby to comfort her, but instead held up the Plasmid in her hand. She needed some release. Just for a moment to let go of the pain. Fetching a syringe from the kitchen drawer, Bohdana pressed the needle into the vial, extracting the blue fluid. Before being colonized, Aldea was home to primitive, alien lifeforms older than Earth’s biosphere. Plasmid, as it was dubbed, was a processed drug made from the native mollusks of Aldea. Its effects were soothing, sending its consumer into a rollercoaster ride of peace, joy and illusions. Better than any other drug ever made. The only problem was that it was expensive. And illegal.
With syringe in hand, Bohdana sat back down on the bed, rolling up her sleeve. Vira continued to wail, yearning for her mother’s attention. Taking a deep breath, Bohdana plunged the syringe into her arm’s vein. She’d practiced enough times to know how to administer the drug appropriately. With the last of the fluid in, Bohdana withdrew the syringe, letting it drop to the floor. She fell back onto her mattress, letting the effects of Plasmid overtake her senses.
The cries of Vira seemed to grow distant as a field of stars overwhelmed Bohdana's vision.
“Just a moment, Vira,” Bohdana whispered soothingly. “Mama just needs a break. Then I’ll be back and everything will be okay again.”
- I -
Bohdana’s room came back into focus. She was wide awake. Her mouth tasted something vile. Was it a side effect of the drug or because she didn’t brush her teeth? The room was glaringly bright from Tau Ceti’s bright rays piercing the window. It was sunny today. Amazing. Sunny days were not frequent on Aldea, which made them all the more special. Bohdana ought to go outside to bask in the warm rays before the next rain storm hit. But first she would have to fix Vira’s carriage.
Speaking of which, Vira was very silent this morning. Perhaps Bohdana could let her sleep just for the chance to rest a bit more herself. But she had taken a trip without properly putting her child to sleep. Groaning, Bohdana pushed herself off the bed and walked over to check that Vira was alright.
Bohdana froze as she looked down into the crib. It was empty.
She scanned around the apartment frantically for her baby. Did she forget to put her baby into the crib last night? No. Even before she took a dose of Plasmid, Bohdana knew that she put little Vira into her crib.
“Vira?” Bohdana called. Her frantic search slowly escalating into panic. Where was her baby? “Vira?!”
Seeing no trace of Vira in her apartment, Bohdana ran out into the hall back to 776, beating the door with her fist.
The door slid open to show Yeva. “Bohdana? What is wrong?”
“She’s gone!” Bohdana cried desperately.
“Who is gone?”
“Vira!” Bohdana cried. “I- I put her to sleep last night. I…” She couldn’t reveal that she was tripping on Plasmid. “… I fell asleep too. Then I woke up and she wasn’t there. She’s gone! GONE!”
“Calm down!” Yeva gently patted Bohdana’s shoulders. “I’ll call the police.”
“She’s gone!” Bohdana slurred out through tears. “Vira is gone!”
The police as well as two agents from CPS arrived later that morning. They probed Bohdana with questions:
“When do you think your child disappeared?”
“What is the last thing you remember from last night?”
“What were you doing before you were unconscious?”
“Do you have any idea who might have taken your child?”
“Have you been making your obligatory visits to Child Registry Control?”
“Did you take any drugs or narcotic substances?”
Bohdana was as honest as she possibly could be with the police. Even to her embarrassment and shame, she admitted to taking Plasmids. She would tell the police and CPS agents anything. So long as it brought her child back. All the while, Bohdana wept. Wept for having been such a selfish idiot. If she hadn’t taken that last dose of Plasmid, maybe she might have seen who intruded into her apartment and taken her child. Bohdana just cried.
“I’m sorry,” she sobbed into her hands. “Vira, I’m so sorry. Please bring my baby back.”
- I -
Stephen rested his forehead against his elbow, staring out through the rain streaking across the window. The driver, Pak, bobbed his head to some rasta-rock, babbling away about god knows what.
“Stephen,” Pak said. “Are you even listening to me?”
“Hm? Wha?”
“Dude, I’m trying to have a conversation. Pay attention.”
“I don’t feel like having a conversation unless it’s urgent.”
“Shit, man, what’s up your ass?”
“Wah!”
Stephen opened the sliding door to the load space of their van. There sat another one of Stephen’s teammates. “Everything good?”
Dania was preparing a bottle for their new passenger. “She’s annoying.” She held the bottle to the toddler strapped into a basket.
“Just keep her quiet.” Stephen slid the door shut again.
“Man, what are you worried about? It’s not like anyone can hear us from in the van.”
“We still got to be careful.”
“Relax, Stephen. This job is way easier than that goddamn ore mine. Once we make a few more runs, we’ll be fuckin’ rich. And I’m gonna’ be up to neck in spelves.”
“You’re gross, Pak,” Dania muttered from the load space.
“You’re just jealous.” Pak swerved the van slightly, narrowly missing another vehicle.
“Watch the road,” Stephen warned. “You want us to get caught?”
“Chill, man. We’re almost there.”
Within minutes, they arrived at the New Ningbo Port. After passing several aisles of warehouses, they stopped in front of one in particular. Stephen pulled out a radio and spoke, “This is Ragnar. Here with a delivery.” They never used their real names while out at work.
The massive doors to the warehouse slid open, admitting the van. The doors slammed shut behind them as Pak parked inside. Stephen hopped out, opening the side door for Dania and their latest catch.
“How did it go?”
Stephen turned to see Lagertha walk up to them. “No problems. Got the package.” He gestured over to the toddler carried by Dania.
“This shit is getting too easy,” Pak laughed.
“Get her ready for transport,” Lagertha ordered.
“Yeah, your welcome, your highness,” Pak scoffed.
Lagertha kneed Pak in the groin. “Watch your mouth, Pak!”
Pak folded over, holding his delicate parts. “Got it.”
A few of the men and women in Lagertha’s team snickered.
Stephen and Dania moved to a container. Opening the steel door, they were greeted by dozens of young, tear-streaked faces. Most of these children were orphans. Or taken from irresponsible parents. Like the Plasmid addict whom they had taken the toddler from. It made the kidnappings easier and drew less attention.
Don’t look at them, Stephen told himself. He turned to Dania. “You know the drill.”
“I do,” said Dania. Unstrapping the toddler, she fastened the little one into a makeshift seat meant for their cargo.
"I want to go home," a five-year old girl cried.
"Please let us go," a seven-year old boy sobbed.
“Lagertha!” One of the men by the door called out. “We got company!”
“What kind of company?” Lagertha called out.
“The Federal kind.”
“Fan också,” Lagertha cursed. “Dania, Stephen! Get that container closed!”
“Well, time to lock you in, girl,” Stephen said.
Dania shrugged. “I’m used to it by now.” Someone had to stay with the children for the upcoming journey.
Stephen shut the container doors shut, nulling out the whimpers and wails of the children within. He gave the all-clear to Lagertha. With a signal from Lagertha, the massive doors to the warehouse opened once more. Three black Armortrucks pulled into the warehouse. Fifteen men clad in armor filed out with automatic rifles held securely to their chests. Lagertha’s people shifted uncomfortably, but she assured them that everything was alright.
From the middle Armortruck, a tall, lanky man stepped out. Long face, flat nose and slightly dark skin. Lagertha could have guessed that he was of Alphan origin. He was dressed in a black suit with the naval cravat tied around his neck. An abbreviation of “IOI” was embellished on his shoulders. Lagertha recognized that mark.
Interstellar Operations and Intelligence.
The Alphan stopped in front of Lagertha. He was tall, as was typical of Alphans that grew up in a low gravity environment. No aggression was offered from his part. No intimidating gestures. Just a neutral, blank stare.
“Well?” he asked.
“Well, what?” Lagertha shot back.
“Have you taken what you need?”
Lagertha nodded.
“Then what do you have for me?”
Lagertha instructed her gangers to resume stand down and carry on with their work before pulling out a Pad, showing the Alphan schematics for a massive, circular turret. “The components are waiting in orbit. With these blueprints, you’ll be able to reverse engineer a new particle beam cannon.”
The Alphan just stared at the Pad.
“There a problem?” Lagertha asked.
“This is not what I asked for.”
Lagertha groaned. “Look, this is all I could bring back. Would you have preferred I came back empty-handed?”
“I thought I made it clear last time we spoke what I wanted.”
“Herregud!” Lagertha cursed. “I got you blueprints for the Loroi’s missiles and blister torpedos. I even brought back a whole stash of blaster rifles and handguns that can punch a hole in a tank.”
“A rifle is not a cannon,” the Alphan informed her. “A rifle cannot stop a cruiser.”
“What do you want from me?”
“The wave-loom device.”
“Look! I’ve tried to get it. The Union militants protect the plans too well.”
The Alphan’s gaze wandered over to the cargo container containing their latest catch. He marched over toward it.
“What are you doing?” Lagertah followed close behind.
The Alphan stood just an arm’s length from the container’s steel doors. “Is this your latest shipment?”
Lagertha confirmed it.
The Alphan said to her privately, “Miss Lagertha. Allow me to remind you of our arrangement. When you came to me, wishing to strike a deal, I agreed to turn a blind eye to your activities. Officially I have no idea what you are shipping off world. But… if I were to suddenly choose to peak inside this container, and if I were to expose whatever illegal contents lie within, I would have no choice but to prosecute you and your entire crew. For you see, I cannot be aware of your cargo’s details. For a Terran official to be aware of criminal activity and refusing to act upon it is in itself a criminal offense.” He took a step toward Lagertha, looming over her. “Now… the terms of our arrangement is as follows: return with schematics or functional components of loroi weaponry. In exchange for your expungement. But I need the wave-loom device. That is the price for your clean slate. As far as I am concerned, you are a former mercenary, forced into a life of smuggling due to difficult circumstances. And you are assisting the TCA to acquire superior weaponry to counter the threat of Loroi invasion. And it requires this cargo in your possession. So…” The Alphan was centimeters from Lagertha’s face. “… get me the wave-loom device. Or there will be no expungement. And the only thing you can look forward to is spending the remainder of your natural life in a dark hole. Is that clear?”
Lagertha refrained from showing aggression. “Yes, Director Esteban.”
Esteban extended his hand. “I’ll be taking those schematics since it’s all you have to offer.”
Lagertha handed over the Pad.
Esteban turned heel and departed for his Armortruck. “Your crew and cargo will be granted clearance to leave Tau Ceti.”
- I -
With their cargo secure and clearance granted by Terran Shipping Control, Lagertha and her raiders made it back to orbit. The freighter bearing them stopped at the edge of the Tau Ceti system, where they transferred to Deliverance. Officially decommissioned, Deliverance was a former Loroi courier corvette that Eternal Endurance’s gangers got their hands on. Repurposed for smuggling and fitted with additional fuel tanks for extended travel, Deliverance’s capacity to accelerate to 35 Gs while shielding her crew with inertial dampeners made it ideal for outrunning most Union vessels if need be. Fortunately Lagertha and her raiders had not been found out for quite a while now. Save for Esteban who was covering their tracks in Terran space. Now Lagertha was relaxing in her cabin while the pilots guided their course back to Union territory.
There came a chime from the bulkhead door. Lagertha granted entry. Stephen entered.
“What doors those Loroi build,” he commented. The bulkhead sealed behind him. “Loroi have a thing for big spaces, huh?”
“How’s the cargo?” Lagertha asked.
“You mean the children we just abducted?”
“Yeah, that one.”
Stephen sighed. “Dania is keeping on an eye on the little ones. Make sure they don’t do anything stupid. Spence is also spending time with them.”
“You sure that’s a good idea?”
“Spence is young, but he’s smart. He knows not to get attached. Besides, he knows how to treat other kids. How to keep them calm. To play with them. He’s good with that stuff.” Although Spence was still just a child, he accompanied the raiders on their treks in-between Union and Terran territories.
“That’s fine then.” Lagertha fished out a bottle of vodka she bought down on Aldea. “Care for a drink?”
“Actually, I could use one.” Stephen sat down across from Lagertha at a small table. Pouring up the shots, Stephen and Lagertha clanged glasses before inhaling the vodka. Stephen coughed out a laugh. “Damn, that shit’s strong.”
“Jävla!” Lagertha commented.
Stephen chuckled. “God, Lagertha. Sure feels good to try some real Terran liquor.” Lagertha poured up another round. Stephen took a tentative sip from his glass this time. “Heh! Hey, you ever try banana beer?”
“Banana beer? You mean beer made to taste like bananas?”
“No, I mean beer fermented from actual bananas.”
“Yuck. Sounds awful.”
“It’s delicious. Do not disrespect banana beer.”
The two sat in silence a moment.
Stephen twirled his shot glass between his fingers. “Lagertha, how much longer are we going to do this?”
“Do what?” She poured herself another shot.
“I mean ‘this’. The abductions. The smuggling. Working for two sides.”
“As long as we have to.” She inhaled her vodka. “Until we have enough wealth to leave it all behind. And until I finally get Ben back.”
“Lagertha, we’re stealing other people’s kids.”
“Stephen,” Lagertha warned. “Don’t get sentimental on me. Not after everything we’ve done. It's nothing personal. It's just business. Besides, there are cartels and mafia that do shit far worse than what we’ve done. The Loroi love human children. They’ll be given good lives… if that makes you feel any better.”
“You sure about that?”
Lagertha leaned forward. “This is not the time to be righteous, Stephen. We’re way past that. I never asked for this life. But here I am. Here we are.” Lagertha sat back in her chair, pouring herself another shot. “Have you ever been to Earth?"
Stephen shook his head. "I was born on one of Tau Ceti's mining colonies. Never even been to Earth."
"I remember Earth when I was just a little girl. I remember the cities. The pine forests. The fjords. The rocky shorelines. The holidays we celebrated. Then my father-” Lagertha snarled out. “My bastard of a father got in trouble with the authorities.”
“You’ve told me,” said Stephen. “For selling weapons.”
“You know, Sweden has always boasted being a neutral, peace-loving country. But it’s the largest exporter of weapons on Earth. Bloody hypocrites. My father was involved in weapons manufacturing and distribution. But he got greedy, selling to some clients that he shouldn’t have. His friends on the colony worlds offered him asylum. As well as a business opportunity. So we left Earth. Escaping prosecution. He brought me to Alpha Centauri, where he worked with the local governor. Then transferred to Tau Ceti, working with Naval Officers and Yinghuo Contractors. My dad taught me everything about weapons. Even gave me combat lessons. I even wanted to join the Terran Scout Corps. But he wanted me to work for his company as a mercenary. Better pay. Better benefits. When we went to war with the bugs, I was sent out with thousands of other hired guns to shred any bugs that came our way. When the war was over, I was still working for my father. He sent me to sabotage his competitors in the unexplored regions. And I would have told him to go fuck himself if I’d known that he was planning to sell me out.”
“Sold us out,” Stephen suggested. “I’ve been with you ever since we met on Aldea, Lagertha.”
"I know." Lagertha rubbed her mouth. “Do you have any idea what that’s like, Stephen? Being betrayed by your own father?”
“It hurts when family turns its back on us.”
“But I still have a family, Stephen. You. Pence. Our raiders. Our team. This is the only real family I’ve got left.”
“Even Pak?” Stephen pointed out. “Who you kicked in the groin?”
“Even family needs to get their asses kicked to keep them in line. Pak’s a stubborn shit stool. But yes. Even him. And Ben. The whole reason why I’ve done all of this is just for the chance to see Ben again. To hold him. When I sent him off with the Delrias, I should have told him I’d be back for him. But I couldn’t. Because I knew there was a chance I wouldn’t make it back. But I did. We did. My own father threw me to the dogs. Abandoned me. I won't abandon Ben. Eternal Endurance is my only hope of getting him back. If I have to abduct a thousand other children just to for the chance to see him again, that’s the price I’m willing to pay.”
Stephen shook his head. “Lagertha. I don’t want to take away your hope. But Eternal Endurance is just using us. She is an exploiter.”
“An exploiter that pays us well in gold. And guns.”
“Yet I don’t feel any richer. Lagertha, I don’t want to live like this for the rest of my life. But I just can’t see any hope for a peaceful life. Endurance owns us.”
“Nobody owns us.”
“But she does, Lagertha. Even if we could somehow walk from this life, she won’t let us go.”
Lagertha eyed Stephen. “Let her think that if that soothes her ego. So long as she keeps paying us. Provides us asylum."
"Asylum that you demanded also from Esteban?" Stephen pointed out. "You're playing a dangerous game, Lagertha, by double dealing."
"Double dealing? Endurance gave us those weapon schematics because she knows it's our only ticket into Terran space. She doesn't care what we do so long as it doesn't hurt her or her operations. War might break out at any moment, Stephen. Endurance shelters us in the Union. Esteban covers our tracks in TCA space. I got to keep our options open."
"But you're putting all of us at risk. If Esteban finds out-"
"We've been at risk since Grind. We're in too deep to have second thoughts. We may not have been dealt a good hand, but it's the only one we've got. At this point it's all or nothing. If you want to walk away, Stephen, that’s fine then. But you do so at your own peril. And I will kill you if you betray us.”
Stephen shrugged. “Fair enough.” He rose from his seat. “I’m going to hit the sack.” Without another word, Stephen left. The bulkhead doors sealing shut behind him.
Lagertha put away her remaining vodka and opened a compartment. Fishing out a datapad, she tapped open old recordings of her time on Grind. She watched the time she spent with Ben. When they played together. When she fed him. Bathed him. These recordings were all she had left of him. She paused one video, freezing Ben’s face on the screen. She gave her little boy a gentle kiss.
“I’m coming for you, Ben,” she vowed. “I swear I’m coming to get you. I’m sorry I lied about going to Earth. But your heart was so set on it. But I promise I’m going to get you back. Then we can be a family again.”
Disclaimer: Outsider and any and all related content is the intellectual property of Jim Francis a.k.a. Arioch. Please support Arioch on Patreon.com
Second Disclaimer: the contents of this story feature child abduction, brief scenes hinting at sex as well as non-consensual intercourse and rape, but are not meant to be pornagraphic. This is not erotic fiction. Real life abduction, rape and non-consensual intercourse is criminal and immoral. This story was written with the rules of the forum in mind. If the managers or moderators of the forum consider the material of this fanfiction to violate those rules, the writer shall be sure to correct the story to the managers’/moderators' approval. But so far no such order has been given.
-
Endurance series timeline:
(+) Wind and Fire
(+) Deliverance
(+) Dawn
(+) A Chorus of Stars
-
Deliverance
✴
Bohdana trodded through the wet streets of Kuanz Sector. Aldea’s climate was one of near-constant rain and stormy winds. Bohdana hated it. She was born from the fourth generation of colonists that came to Aldea decades before, yet hated the rain. Aldean rain was all she ever knew. All around her rain-jacket clad people were walking to and fro, some on their way to work. Some heading home from work. Some going out to party or drink alone. Or meet up for a club meeting or a show.
What she would give for that kind of freedom again.
She came to the Blue Dragon Pub. Inside she saw a few men and women playing on billiard tables. A gang of Yinghuo sports fans were cheering as they watched a Beamer match pitting the Fireflies of Kuanz against the Sunnies from Voda Sector.
Bohdana pushed her way through the mob of guests. One of the Yinghuo spectators stopped her in her tracks, his hands gliding down her waist.
“Maili de nuhai,” he commented with a suggestive grin. His Yinghuo accent thick. His buzzcut hairstyle suggested that he was probably with military. Or maybe just a security guard. “Hello, Miss Beautiful. How about joining us for a drink?”
Bohdana froze under his touch, but politely declined.
“Deng dai!” the man pressured, making his grip more firm as Bohdana tried to pull away. “There’s a good game tonight. Don’t you want to watch?”
“I’m not in good company tonight.” Bohdana’s heart started throbbing. She did not like this guy feeling her up.
“Hao!” Another Yinghuo called out. He gave his friend a serious look. “That’s not what a gentlemen does.”
The Yinghuo man, Hao apparently, released Bohdana with a shrug. “Just offering a friendly invitation.”
Bohdana brushed past the Yinghuo gang. She walked up to a bartender working at the far end of the bar.
“Hey, Ig,” Bohdana greeted.
Ig just glanced up, drying a glass with a towel. “Can I help you, miss?”
“Ig, come on. You know who I am.”
Ig placed the dry glass down behind the bar. “What do you want?”
“I need some Plasmid.”
“Issh!” he hissed. “Not so loud. I don’t have it with me.”
“Look, Ig, I’ve had a rough week at the refinery. I just need one vial.”
“Told you I don’t have it,” Ig said. “Not here! You still owe me five hundred debits for the last batch. Go home!”
“Ig, come on!”
“Otvali!” Ig cursed. “Out before my boss sees me! Or I cut you off!”
Afraid of losing her line of Plasmid from a safe source, Bohdana groaned in defeat and left the pub. She hopped onto a tram to take her back to Voda Sector. Bohdana plopped her head against a window pane, watching the throngs of trams and people pass by outside through the micro rivers pouring down the glass. How was she supposed to get her Plasmid? The gangsters of the Red Zones were an option, but Bohdana had heard one too many horrible stories of what they did to unsuspecting victims to even consider it.
Arriving at her residential street in Voda Sector, Bohdana jumped off the tram. An affectionate couple walked passed her as she entered her apartment complex. She couldn’t help but stare at them admiringly as they left the complex. No doubt for a romantic evening of their own. Her admiration turned to bitter envy as she punched the button to take her to the seventh floor.
Passing through the corridors, she came to room 776 and tapped the door bell. Within half a minute, the door slid open, revealing a little old woman with graying hair.
“Oh, pryvit, Bohdana,” said Yeva. She waddled back into her apartment and returned with a toddler no more than sixteen months old.
“Dyakuyu, Yeva,” Bohdana thanked her, taking her tiny daughter into her arms. “I’m a little short of cash this month. But I promise I will pay you when I get paid.”
“No problem, Bohdana,” Yeva offered a gentle smile. “Little Vira has been a good little girl. Not cried a single moment today. You pay me when you get the chance, alright?”
“I owe you big time, Yeva.”
“Nadobranich, Bohdana. And look out for the rain, yes?”
Bohdana laughed. “It always rains.”
Bohdana walked down the mazing hall until she came to 703. Entering and locking the door behind her, she sat her little Vira down. Not feeling like cooking, Bohdana pulled out a box of instant holubstis from the freezer. Pouring them onto a plate and popping them into the microwave oven, she fetched Vira’s bottle. She prepared a mix of baby formula with some boiled water.
Vira began to cry.
“Almost ready,” Bohdana assured her child, shaking the formula and hot water around. She took a taste, spitting out the hot fluid as it burnt her tongue. She set it down to cool off.
The microwave pinged. Bohdana took out her dinner. The holubstis were warm, but still a little cool in their centers. Bohdana didn’t mind. Too hungry and too stressed to care. She didn’t even bother to sit as she watched her baby crawl on the floor. Vira kept crying as she stretched out a hand to her mother.
“I can’t feed you when it’s too hot,” Bohdana said. Vira kept crying. Bohdana dropped her dirty plate into the kitchen sink among a pile of more dirty plates. They could be washed later. Testing the baby formula again, she found it was at a safe temperature. Picking up little Vira, Bohdana held the nibble of the bottle to her child’s mouth. Vira sucked away greedily at the fluid, finally silent. Bohdana sat on her bed, sighing with relief. Her apartment was a single room save for the toiletry. The only one she could afford on Aldea. Working for two thousand debits a month at a Helium-3 refinery could only get you so far.
After finishing her formula, Vira started crying again. Bohdana groaned. Was she ever going to get a moment of peace? She fixed another bottle of formula and tried feeding Vira. But the little girl refused to suckle.
“Damn it! I made you more!” Bohdana cursed. “What do you want you bloody baby?!”
Vira cried louder. Dropping the bottle back on the kitchen counter, Bohdana rocked her child, trying to calm her. But Vira’s cries didn’t cease.
Knock! Knock! Knock!
Bohdana set Vira into her crib and opened the door to see Ig.
“Hey,” he said. “I got Plasmid.”
Bohdana sighed with relief. “Ig, you’re a lifesaver.”
“That’ll be six hundred debits.”
“Six hundred?! But you said I owe only five hundred!”
“Five hundred for debt,” Ig corrected. “And one hundred for four new vials.”
“Ig, I’m short of cash. Just add it to my debt and I promise I’ll pay on payday.”
“I came here as a favor!” Ig warned. “Either pay now or no deal.”
Feeling that she had no bargaining power, Bohdana fished out her wallet. “Look, I only have five-hundred thirty. I’m on my last debit.”
Ig considered the cash in Bohdana’s hand. “You give me all that cash. And I clear your debt and give one vial Plasmid.”
“One?! But each vial only costs twenty-five a piece!”
“The last five debits is extra charge. For coming here.”
“Please, Ig,” Bohdana pleaded. “I won’t have any money until three weeks.”
“Not my problem. Either pay now or no deal. And I add interest to your debt.”
Bohdana knew this was not smart, but she wanted that Plasmid. She needed it. Handing the cash over, Ig fished out on vial of blue fluid. Bohdana took it.
“We are clear then,” Ig said, stuffing the cash into his pocket, marching down the hall.
Bohdana tapped the wall button. The door slid shut and locked. Resting her back against the door, Bohdana sighed, both from relief and frustration. Relieved that she had her Plasmid. But frustrated that she was now without cash for three weeks. How was she going to explain this to CPS if they found out?
Vira continued to cry.
Bohdana’s frustration boiled over and shouted, “BLIN! Can you shut up, bloody child?!”
Vira cried louder.
Bohdana collapsed onto her bed, leaving Vira in her crib. She cried with her. From all the frustration, all the stress and all the hardship of raising a child on her own. Bohdana had wanted a baby for a long time. But the man who was supposed to help them had walked out on them after being transferred to another Terran colony. Now Bohdana was all alone in this effort. She felt stuck. Trapped. She just wanted the baby gone. And it made her feel guilty to feel that way. A true mother did not wish her baby gone, and yet Bohdana could not help but feel so.
She should pick up her baby to comfort her, but instead held up the Plasmid in her hand. She needed some release. Just for a moment to let go of the pain. Fetching a syringe from the kitchen drawer, Bohdana pressed the needle into the vial, extracting the blue fluid. Before being colonized, Aldea was home to primitive, alien lifeforms older than Earth’s biosphere. Plasmid, as it was dubbed, was a processed drug made from the native mollusks of Aldea. Its effects were soothing, sending its consumer into a rollercoaster ride of peace, joy and illusions. Better than any other drug ever made. The only problem was that it was expensive. And illegal.
With syringe in hand, Bohdana sat back down on the bed, rolling up her sleeve. Vira continued to wail, yearning for her mother’s attention. Taking a deep breath, Bohdana plunged the syringe into her arm’s vein. She’d practiced enough times to know how to administer the drug appropriately. With the last of the fluid in, Bohdana withdrew the syringe, letting it drop to the floor. She fell back onto her mattress, letting the effects of Plasmid overtake her senses.
The cries of Vira seemed to grow distant as a field of stars overwhelmed Bohdana's vision.
“Just a moment, Vira,” Bohdana whispered soothingly. “Mama just needs a break. Then I’ll be back and everything will be okay again.”
- I -
Bohdana’s room came back into focus. She was wide awake. Her mouth tasted something vile. Was it a side effect of the drug or because she didn’t brush her teeth? The room was glaringly bright from Tau Ceti’s bright rays piercing the window. It was sunny today. Amazing. Sunny days were not frequent on Aldea, which made them all the more special. Bohdana ought to go outside to bask in the warm rays before the next rain storm hit. But first she would have to fix Vira’s carriage.
Speaking of which, Vira was very silent this morning. Perhaps Bohdana could let her sleep just for the chance to rest a bit more herself. But she had taken a trip without properly putting her child to sleep. Groaning, Bohdana pushed herself off the bed and walked over to check that Vira was alright.
Bohdana froze as she looked down into the crib. It was empty.
She scanned around the apartment frantically for her baby. Did she forget to put her baby into the crib last night? No. Even before she took a dose of Plasmid, Bohdana knew that she put little Vira into her crib.
“Vira?” Bohdana called. Her frantic search slowly escalating into panic. Where was her baby? “Vira?!”
Seeing no trace of Vira in her apartment, Bohdana ran out into the hall back to 776, beating the door with her fist.
The door slid open to show Yeva. “Bohdana? What is wrong?”
“She’s gone!” Bohdana cried desperately.
“Who is gone?”
“Vira!” Bohdana cried. “I- I put her to sleep last night. I…” She couldn’t reveal that she was tripping on Plasmid. “… I fell asleep too. Then I woke up and she wasn’t there. She’s gone! GONE!”
“Calm down!” Yeva gently patted Bohdana’s shoulders. “I’ll call the police.”
“She’s gone!” Bohdana slurred out through tears. “Vira is gone!”
The police as well as two agents from CPS arrived later that morning. They probed Bohdana with questions:
“When do you think your child disappeared?”
“What is the last thing you remember from last night?”
“What were you doing before you were unconscious?”
“Do you have any idea who might have taken your child?”
“Have you been making your obligatory visits to Child Registry Control?”
“Did you take any drugs or narcotic substances?”
Bohdana was as honest as she possibly could be with the police. Even to her embarrassment and shame, she admitted to taking Plasmids. She would tell the police and CPS agents anything. So long as it brought her child back. All the while, Bohdana wept. Wept for having been such a selfish idiot. If she hadn’t taken that last dose of Plasmid, maybe she might have seen who intruded into her apartment and taken her child. Bohdana just cried.
“I’m sorry,” she sobbed into her hands. “Vira, I’m so sorry. Please bring my baby back.”
- I -
Stephen rested his forehead against his elbow, staring out through the rain streaking across the window. The driver, Pak, bobbed his head to some rasta-rock, babbling away about god knows what.
“Stephen,” Pak said. “Are you even listening to me?”
“Hm? Wha?”
“Dude, I’m trying to have a conversation. Pay attention.”
“I don’t feel like having a conversation unless it’s urgent.”
“Shit, man, what’s up your ass?”
“Wah!”
Stephen opened the sliding door to the load space of their van. There sat another one of Stephen’s teammates. “Everything good?”
Dania was preparing a bottle for their new passenger. “She’s annoying.” She held the bottle to the toddler strapped into a basket.
“Just keep her quiet.” Stephen slid the door shut again.
“Man, what are you worried about? It’s not like anyone can hear us from in the van.”
“We still got to be careful.”
“Relax, Stephen. This job is way easier than that goddamn ore mine. Once we make a few more runs, we’ll be fuckin’ rich. And I’m gonna’ be up to neck in spelves.”
“You’re gross, Pak,” Dania muttered from the load space.
“You’re just jealous.” Pak swerved the van slightly, narrowly missing another vehicle.
“Watch the road,” Stephen warned. “You want us to get caught?”
“Chill, man. We’re almost there.”
Within minutes, they arrived at the New Ningbo Port. After passing several aisles of warehouses, they stopped in front of one in particular. Stephen pulled out a radio and spoke, “This is Ragnar. Here with a delivery.” They never used their real names while out at work.
The massive doors to the warehouse slid open, admitting the van. The doors slammed shut behind them as Pak parked inside. Stephen hopped out, opening the side door for Dania and their latest catch.
“How did it go?”
Stephen turned to see Lagertha walk up to them. “No problems. Got the package.” He gestured over to the toddler carried by Dania.
“This shit is getting too easy,” Pak laughed.
“Get her ready for transport,” Lagertha ordered.
“Yeah, your welcome, your highness,” Pak scoffed.
Lagertha kneed Pak in the groin. “Watch your mouth, Pak!”
Pak folded over, holding his delicate parts. “Got it.”
A few of the men and women in Lagertha’s team snickered.
Stephen and Dania moved to a container. Opening the steel door, they were greeted by dozens of young, tear-streaked faces. Most of these children were orphans. Or taken from irresponsible parents. Like the Plasmid addict whom they had taken the toddler from. It made the kidnappings easier and drew less attention.
Don’t look at them, Stephen told himself. He turned to Dania. “You know the drill.”
“I do,” said Dania. Unstrapping the toddler, she fastened the little one into a makeshift seat meant for their cargo.
"I want to go home," a five-year old girl cried.
"Please let us go," a seven-year old boy sobbed.
“Lagertha!” One of the men by the door called out. “We got company!”
“What kind of company?” Lagertha called out.
“The Federal kind.”
“Fan också,” Lagertha cursed. “Dania, Stephen! Get that container closed!”
“Well, time to lock you in, girl,” Stephen said.
Dania shrugged. “I’m used to it by now.” Someone had to stay with the children for the upcoming journey.
Stephen shut the container doors shut, nulling out the whimpers and wails of the children within. He gave the all-clear to Lagertha. With a signal from Lagertha, the massive doors to the warehouse opened once more. Three black Armortrucks pulled into the warehouse. Fifteen men clad in armor filed out with automatic rifles held securely to their chests. Lagertha’s people shifted uncomfortably, but she assured them that everything was alright.
From the middle Armortruck, a tall, lanky man stepped out. Long face, flat nose and slightly dark skin. Lagertha could have guessed that he was of Alphan origin. He was dressed in a black suit with the naval cravat tied around his neck. An abbreviation of “IOI” was embellished on his shoulders. Lagertha recognized that mark.
Interstellar Operations and Intelligence.
The Alphan stopped in front of Lagertha. He was tall, as was typical of Alphans that grew up in a low gravity environment. No aggression was offered from his part. No intimidating gestures. Just a neutral, blank stare.
“Well?” he asked.
“Well, what?” Lagertha shot back.
“Have you taken what you need?”
Lagertha nodded.
“Then what do you have for me?”
Lagertha instructed her gangers to resume stand down and carry on with their work before pulling out a Pad, showing the Alphan schematics for a massive, circular turret. “The components are waiting in orbit. With these blueprints, you’ll be able to reverse engineer a new particle beam cannon.”
The Alphan just stared at the Pad.
“There a problem?” Lagertha asked.
“This is not what I asked for.”
Lagertha groaned. “Look, this is all I could bring back. Would you have preferred I came back empty-handed?”
“I thought I made it clear last time we spoke what I wanted.”
“Herregud!” Lagertha cursed. “I got you blueprints for the Loroi’s missiles and blister torpedos. I even brought back a whole stash of blaster rifles and handguns that can punch a hole in a tank.”
“A rifle is not a cannon,” the Alphan informed her. “A rifle cannot stop a cruiser.”
“What do you want from me?”
“The wave-loom device.”
“Look! I’ve tried to get it. The Union militants protect the plans too well.”
The Alphan’s gaze wandered over to the cargo container containing their latest catch. He marched over toward it.
“What are you doing?” Lagertah followed close behind.
The Alphan stood just an arm’s length from the container’s steel doors. “Is this your latest shipment?”
Lagertha confirmed it.
The Alphan said to her privately, “Miss Lagertha. Allow me to remind you of our arrangement. When you came to me, wishing to strike a deal, I agreed to turn a blind eye to your activities. Officially I have no idea what you are shipping off world. But… if I were to suddenly choose to peak inside this container, and if I were to expose whatever illegal contents lie within, I would have no choice but to prosecute you and your entire crew. For you see, I cannot be aware of your cargo’s details. For a Terran official to be aware of criminal activity and refusing to act upon it is in itself a criminal offense.” He took a step toward Lagertha, looming over her. “Now… the terms of our arrangement is as follows: return with schematics or functional components of loroi weaponry. In exchange for your expungement. But I need the wave-loom device. That is the price for your clean slate. As far as I am concerned, you are a former mercenary, forced into a life of smuggling due to difficult circumstances. And you are assisting the TCA to acquire superior weaponry to counter the threat of Loroi invasion. And it requires this cargo in your possession. So…” The Alphan was centimeters from Lagertha’s face. “… get me the wave-loom device. Or there will be no expungement. And the only thing you can look forward to is spending the remainder of your natural life in a dark hole. Is that clear?”
Lagertha refrained from showing aggression. “Yes, Director Esteban.”
Esteban extended his hand. “I’ll be taking those schematics since it’s all you have to offer.”
Lagertha handed over the Pad.
Esteban turned heel and departed for his Armortruck. “Your crew and cargo will be granted clearance to leave Tau Ceti.”
- I -
With their cargo secure and clearance granted by Terran Shipping Control, Lagertha and her raiders made it back to orbit. The freighter bearing them stopped at the edge of the Tau Ceti system, where they transferred to Deliverance. Officially decommissioned, Deliverance was a former Loroi courier corvette that Eternal Endurance’s gangers got their hands on. Repurposed for smuggling and fitted with additional fuel tanks for extended travel, Deliverance’s capacity to accelerate to 35 Gs while shielding her crew with inertial dampeners made it ideal for outrunning most Union vessels if need be. Fortunately Lagertha and her raiders had not been found out for quite a while now. Save for Esteban who was covering their tracks in Terran space. Now Lagertha was relaxing in her cabin while the pilots guided their course back to Union territory.
There came a chime from the bulkhead door. Lagertha granted entry. Stephen entered.
“What doors those Loroi build,” he commented. The bulkhead sealed behind him. “Loroi have a thing for big spaces, huh?”
“How’s the cargo?” Lagertha asked.
“You mean the children we just abducted?”
“Yeah, that one.”
Stephen sighed. “Dania is keeping on an eye on the little ones. Make sure they don’t do anything stupid. Spence is also spending time with them.”
“You sure that’s a good idea?”
“Spence is young, but he’s smart. He knows not to get attached. Besides, he knows how to treat other kids. How to keep them calm. To play with them. He’s good with that stuff.” Although Spence was still just a child, he accompanied the raiders on their treks in-between Union and Terran territories.
“That’s fine then.” Lagertha fished out a bottle of vodka she bought down on Aldea. “Care for a drink?”
“Actually, I could use one.” Stephen sat down across from Lagertha at a small table. Pouring up the shots, Stephen and Lagertha clanged glasses before inhaling the vodka. Stephen coughed out a laugh. “Damn, that shit’s strong.”
“Jävla!” Lagertha commented.
Stephen chuckled. “God, Lagertha. Sure feels good to try some real Terran liquor.” Lagertha poured up another round. Stephen took a tentative sip from his glass this time. “Heh! Hey, you ever try banana beer?”
“Banana beer? You mean beer made to taste like bananas?”
“No, I mean beer fermented from actual bananas.”
“Yuck. Sounds awful.”
“It’s delicious. Do not disrespect banana beer.”
The two sat in silence a moment.
Stephen twirled his shot glass between his fingers. “Lagertha, how much longer are we going to do this?”
“Do what?” She poured herself another shot.
“I mean ‘this’. The abductions. The smuggling. Working for two sides.”
“As long as we have to.” She inhaled her vodka. “Until we have enough wealth to leave it all behind. And until I finally get Ben back.”
“Lagertha, we’re stealing other people’s kids.”
“Stephen,” Lagertha warned. “Don’t get sentimental on me. Not after everything we’ve done. It's nothing personal. It's just business. Besides, there are cartels and mafia that do shit far worse than what we’ve done. The Loroi love human children. They’ll be given good lives… if that makes you feel any better.”
“You sure about that?”
Lagertha leaned forward. “This is not the time to be righteous, Stephen. We’re way past that. I never asked for this life. But here I am. Here we are.” Lagertha sat back in her chair, pouring herself another shot. “Have you ever been to Earth?"
Stephen shook his head. "I was born on one of Tau Ceti's mining colonies. Never even been to Earth."
"I remember Earth when I was just a little girl. I remember the cities. The pine forests. The fjords. The rocky shorelines. The holidays we celebrated. Then my father-” Lagertha snarled out. “My bastard of a father got in trouble with the authorities.”
“You’ve told me,” said Stephen. “For selling weapons.”
“You know, Sweden has always boasted being a neutral, peace-loving country. But it’s the largest exporter of weapons on Earth. Bloody hypocrites. My father was involved in weapons manufacturing and distribution. But he got greedy, selling to some clients that he shouldn’t have. His friends on the colony worlds offered him asylum. As well as a business opportunity. So we left Earth. Escaping prosecution. He brought me to Alpha Centauri, where he worked with the local governor. Then transferred to Tau Ceti, working with Naval Officers and Yinghuo Contractors. My dad taught me everything about weapons. Even gave me combat lessons. I even wanted to join the Terran Scout Corps. But he wanted me to work for his company as a mercenary. Better pay. Better benefits. When we went to war with the bugs, I was sent out with thousands of other hired guns to shred any bugs that came our way. When the war was over, I was still working for my father. He sent me to sabotage his competitors in the unexplored regions. And I would have told him to go fuck himself if I’d known that he was planning to sell me out.”
“Sold us out,” Stephen suggested. “I’ve been with you ever since we met on Aldea, Lagertha.”
"I know." Lagertha rubbed her mouth. “Do you have any idea what that’s like, Stephen? Being betrayed by your own father?”
“It hurts when family turns its back on us.”
“But I still have a family, Stephen. You. Pence. Our raiders. Our team. This is the only real family I’ve got left.”
“Even Pak?” Stephen pointed out. “Who you kicked in the groin?”
“Even family needs to get their asses kicked to keep them in line. Pak’s a stubborn shit stool. But yes. Even him. And Ben. The whole reason why I’ve done all of this is just for the chance to see Ben again. To hold him. When I sent him off with the Delrias, I should have told him I’d be back for him. But I couldn’t. Because I knew there was a chance I wouldn’t make it back. But I did. We did. My own father threw me to the dogs. Abandoned me. I won't abandon Ben. Eternal Endurance is my only hope of getting him back. If I have to abduct a thousand other children just to for the chance to see him again, that’s the price I’m willing to pay.”
Stephen shook his head. “Lagertha. I don’t want to take away your hope. But Eternal Endurance is just using us. She is an exploiter.”
“An exploiter that pays us well in gold. And guns.”
“Yet I don’t feel any richer. Lagertha, I don’t want to live like this for the rest of my life. But I just can’t see any hope for a peaceful life. Endurance owns us.”
“Nobody owns us.”
“But she does, Lagertha. Even if we could somehow walk from this life, she won’t let us go.”
Lagertha eyed Stephen. “Let her think that if that soothes her ego. So long as she keeps paying us. Provides us asylum."
"Asylum that you demanded also from Esteban?" Stephen pointed out. "You're playing a dangerous game, Lagertha, by double dealing."
"Double dealing? Endurance gave us those weapon schematics because she knows it's our only ticket into Terran space. She doesn't care what we do so long as it doesn't hurt her or her operations. War might break out at any moment, Stephen. Endurance shelters us in the Union. Esteban covers our tracks in TCA space. I got to keep our options open."
"But you're putting all of us at risk. If Esteban finds out-"
"We've been at risk since Grind. We're in too deep to have second thoughts. We may not have been dealt a good hand, but it's the only one we've got. At this point it's all or nothing. If you want to walk away, Stephen, that’s fine then. But you do so at your own peril. And I will kill you if you betray us.”
Stephen shrugged. “Fair enough.” He rose from his seat. “I’m going to hit the sack.” Without another word, Stephen left. The bulkhead doors sealing shut behind him.
Lagertha put away her remaining vodka and opened a compartment. Fishing out a datapad, she tapped open old recordings of her time on Grind. She watched the time she spent with Ben. When they played together. When she fed him. Bathed him. These recordings were all she had left of him. She paused one video, freezing Ben’s face on the screen. She gave her little boy a gentle kiss.
“I’m coming for you, Ben,” she vowed. “I swear I’m coming to get you. I’m sorry I lied about going to Earth. But your heart was so set on it. But I promise I’m going to get you back. Then we can be a family again.”