Seraph's Bind by Wayne Basta

Author:Wayne Basta
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: SciFi, Space Ships, Firefly, Space Opera, Adventure, Robots, Aliens
Publisher: Many Worlds Fiction
Published: 2022-08-01T00:00:00+00:00

31- Ariana

“Attention transport vessel Seraph, you are not cleared to depart. Return to your berth at once.”

Ariana glanced at the altimeter reading. She had to hand it to the Rokma, they were vigilant. She knew they would never make it away unnoticed, but she had hoped to at least break out of the atmosphere before being ordered to return.

“Control, this is Seraph. We heard about the prison breakout. I’m not keeping my crew on the ground while a bunch of drone prisoners are running loose.” Ariana said, letting some of her fear out.

“There is no need for concern. The situation is being dealt with. Return to port at once.”

“Sorry, control. I’ve been through one AI War. I’m not sitting around for another one.”

She cut the communication link with the ground control station. With luck, the Rokma would be too concerned with events there to worry about one skittish transport ship. And she hadn’t even had to lie. She didn’t want Seraph on the ground while a bunch of drones roamed free, even if they had been the ones to set the drones free.

The sound of the hatch opening caught her attention, and she turned from her station to see Vlasa standing at the door. He still wore a prison jumpsuit and looked very tired. She gave him a welcoming smile which he acknowledged in his customary blank way.

“Good to have you back, Vlasa. I trust Mesu is seeing to Serene?”

Vlasa nodded, “He is. Though he has made it very clear his ability to adequately tend to her wounds has been compromised by my failure to repair all of his appendages.”

“He’ll manage.”

“Captain, we may have a more serious issue,” Vlasa started and then glanced back. He stopped and closed the hatch before continuing. “Our impression of Gremoosh may have been incomplete. It turns out he was the one who turned his sister over to the Zolan.”

“He turned her in? Why?”

“Apparently, she had become rather kill happy. That combined with his desire to see the rest of the prisoners free suggests he’s not the psychotic murderer we envisioned.”

Ariana chuckled, “That would be a first. Maybe we don’t have to worry about him murdering us on the way back to Nalhu.”

“I can’t say how he’d react about learning she’s dead, though. He specifically turned her over to the Zolan in order to make sure she wasn’t executed.”

“I wasn’t planning on telling him before. That hasn’t changed.”

Vlasa fidgeted for a moment, “Which leads me to the other problem. He doesn’t want to go back to his clan. He was on Lolia trying to escape from them.”

Ariana banged her head against the back of her chair, “Why does everyone looking to escape their old life somehow find their way onto my ship?”

“Isn’t that why you bought Seraph in the first place? Karma perhaps?” Vlasa asked.

“Very funny. But it really doesn’t matter. We were hired to break him out of prison. Which we did. Our next stop is Nalhu. He’s getting off there, but I don’t care what he does with himself after that.

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