Sometime later, Patrick opened his eyes and blinked a few times to adjust to the extremely dim lighting of the small room in which he slept. He yawned loudly and absent-mindedly scratched his head at the same time. He was a little bit groggy but he felt a lot more relaxed now than he did before his nap. He swung his feet off the bed and his boots hit the hard, metal floor with a soft thud, making Patrick realise that he had slept in his clothes. In an attempt to wake up properly, the human smoothed out the creases in his thick, red shirt with one hand and ran his other hand through his wild, brown locks of hair which mostly refused to be tamed. After one more yawn and some light stretching, Patrick stood up and felt a lot more awake as he suddenly remembered where he was.
Oh yeah, that’s right, I’m aboard Saleek’s ship and travelling through super-space, aren’t I? He thought. If only this was a dream and I was about to wake up lying on some sunny beach on a holiday planet, being served ice cold drinks by lovely ladies in bikinis...
Patrick closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
He opened them several seconds later and, upon realising that his beach dream was destined to remain a fantasy, he sighed disappointedly and said, ‘Zeeree, can you hear me?’
Zeeree’s digital voice cut through the air and replied, ‘Of course, I am constantly monitoring the entirety of the ship with my internal sensors.’
‘That’s great...um, how long have I been asleep?’
‘You were asleep for eight hours and fourteen minutes.’
‘That’s very...specific. Thank you, Zeeree. Where is Saleek?’
‘Saleek is currently is the mess chamber, would you like me to open a com channel so you can talk to him?’
‘No, no, that’s not necessary. Just tell me how to get to the mess chamber and I’ll talk to him face to face.’
‘Very well. Exit your room, turn right, then left, then left again,’ instructed Zeeree. Then, she made what appeared to be a sighing sound and added, ‘If you get lost, just call for help.’
Once more, Patrick was unsure whether to be creeped out or soothed by Zeeree’s voice tone; she sounded as if she was addressing a particularly unintelligent distant relative that she was being forced to look after. Patrick touched a wall contact and the door to his room instantly opened, bathing him in the harsh, yellow artificial light of the ship’s corridors. The human initially shielded his eyes as he walked and followed Zeeree’s instructions, then his eyes adjusted to the harsh lighting as he walked into the mess chamber to see Saleek sat at a large, rectangular table, shovelling food into his mouth at a colossal speed. The spiky alien looked up and managed half a smile, which was impressive considering that his cheeks were almost full to the point of bursting.
The guy looks like a giant, spiky hamster, thought Patrick with a small chuckle as he sat down at the table, directly opposite Saleek and his mountain of food that was quickly being demolished.
‘Hey, Patrick,’ mumbled Saleek as he chewed.
‘Hey,’ replied Patrick as he fiddled with his thumbs in awkwardness.
They both sat in silence for a moment, both wondering exactly how to begin. Patrick was about to say something but was cut off by Saleek speaking first.
He said, ‘Listen, I just wanted to say sorry.’
Patrick was taken aback by that.
‘What do you mean?’
‘I’m sorry for gettin’ you involved in all this. I usually try an’ avoid gettin’ innocent people mixed up in what I do...’
‘So what happened this time?’
‘Truthfully, you were just in the wrong place at the wrong time, buddy. I had planned to go see Mr Vallan with this guy that I’d been gettin’ to know at a bar in the local spaceport. I didn’t trust him but he was clearly experienced at doing illegal things, so I figured he would be a good patsy; you know, someone I could count on to get me in to do the deal, then cut loose and leave behind when I needed to. I didn’t need him to escape – I knew how to do that already. I just needed somebody to get me into the dig site, ‘cause I’d already told Vallan that I knew someone who wanted to buy artefacts from him. Anyway, this guy cancelled on me and I needed to do something fast ‘cause I’d already told my contact that I’d be bringin’ the artefact to him in a couple days. Fortunately for me, I saw you looking extremely lost and out of place at the spaceport and I figured I’d try and get you to help me.’
‘By the way,’ interjected Patrick, ‘That reminds me, how on New Earth were you planning to get Mr Vallan to part with his precious artefact anyway? Were you planning to blow up the dig site all along with your explosive charges?’
Saleek replied, ‘Actually, the remote detonator was just a little insurance, like I said. I had it all worked out – I was gonna pay Mr Vallan with an account full of fake credits. As soon as you said that you’d buy it, I was gonna step in as your subordinate and handle the payment and everything else. By the time they verified the credits and realised that they were no good, you and I’d be long gone with the artefact. Trouble was, I only had forty thousand fake credits in the account. I had no idea he was gonna hike up the price at the last minute.’ Then he added with a look of disgust, ‘Bastard.’
‘Well, I suppose the rest, as they say, is history,’ said Patrick, half-smiling.
His life had been turned upside down by the events of the last day or so and he was partly still in shock; he didn’t know whether to enjoy the adventure or have a nervous breakdown because of the stress involved.
‘Yup,’ said Saleek as he inserted another chunk of food into his seemingly endless mouth. ‘Thing is, I was desperate. I took a big risk using you – I barely knew you! Still, you came through for me and I appreciate that.’
‘Um...you’re welcome?’ replied Patrick, uncertain what to say. ‘So...this is your new career choice then? Stealing things and then selling them to the highest bidder?’
‘Not exactly,’ said Saleek. ‘I slightly exaggerated when I said that I had a job working for a cargo shipping company a while back...’
‘Okay. Go on.’
‘I’ve not had the easiest life, Patrick. I’m not lookin’ for sympathy and I ain’t tryin’ to justify some of the things I’ve done but I always did what I had to do in order to survive.’
Patrick did not like where this conversation was going. Who was Saleek and what else was he not telling him?
‘And...what exactly have you been forced to do in order to survive?’
Saleek’s eyes met Patrick’s and his gaze burned into the human with the intensity of a nuclear explosion.
‘Just things. I haven’t killed anyone, if that’s what you’re wondering. You can relax, I ain’t gonna harm you. It was mostly stealing and some hustling as well. When I was really young I survived by begging and taking people’s handouts.’
Patrick’s eyes softened as he couldn’t help but feel sorry for Saleek. In comparison, Patrick had had an upbringing that was virtually worthy of a prince, he never wanted for anything back on his home planet. It seemed that all the hype and blurb surrounding Nexus One was very misleading – the information brochures told of a bustling planet with a thriving economy, the best schools in the galaxy and a vibrant cornucopia of different species and cultures living there. They certainly never mentioned anything about underground criminal organizations and poverty-stricken people living on the streets.
‘That sounds terrible,’ Patrick said.
‘Well, it sure as hell wasn’t a picnic. Did I say that right? You humans have got some really strange words in your languages...’
‘Surprisingly, you said it perfectly,’ said Patrick with a grin.
Saleek smiled back at him.
‘So anyway, to cut a long story short – me and my sister were both orphans at a young age and we were forced to survive on our wits on the busy streets of Nexus One. I’ve never really had a proper home. This ship is the closest thing I’ve had to a home; I won it in a high-stakes gambling game at an underground casino where all the criminals go to wager their
ill-gotten gains. That was years ago and a lot has happened since then, but I’m still here and so is Zeeree. We just keep on goin’, that’s all we can do.’ Then, after a pause, Saleek added, ‘Hey, now you’ve had a rest, why don’t you grab something to eat? You must be starving.’
Patrick suddenly became aware of his stomach agreeing with a low growl.
He chuckled and said, ‘That sounds like a good idea. Where do you keep your food?’
‘The main food store is in Cargo Hold One, although there’s nothing there but crumbs at the moment. All the food I have left is inside the automated food dispenser on the wall over there.’
He pointed to the far wall with his right hand.
‘You can just press the contact and tell it what you want, then it will automatically prepare it for you and serve it on a plate. Alternatively, you can talk to Zeeree and get her to do it for you.’
‘Oh sure, like I haven’t got enough to do already,’ came Zeeree’s voice out of nowhere.
‘Just checkin’ you’re still alert,’ said Saleek, smiling. ‘What’s our ETA to the Antorii system?’
‘Engines are currently running at twelve percent power to conserve fuel. We will reach the outskirts of the Antorii system in approximately twenty minutes.’
‘Thanks, Zeeree.’
Patrick wandered over to the food dispenser and hesitated, wondering what to order.
‘I don’t suppose you have any human food? Or any human recipes programmed into the dispenser?’
‘That would be a “no”,’ replied Saleek, munching on a particularly crunchy piece of food. ‘I don’t normally invite guests onboard my ship, so most of it is to suit my own tastes.’
‘Figures,’ muttered Patrick. He considered his options for a few seconds before saying aloud, ‘Computer – one serving of trefarli.’
Saleek grinned as Patrick said this. The food dispenser grated ‘Please wait. Working’ in a heavily digitised voice and began to make various noises as the meal was prepared.
‘Didn’t know you had such good taste,’ said Saleek, still grinning.
‘What can I say? You’ve converted me into a trefarli fan.’
The food dispenser finished making noises and a steaming hot plate of trefarli appeared through a small slit in the wall. As Patrick took the plate and went to sit back down, the food dispenser grated ‘Notification. Current ingredients are now down to fourteen percent of maximum capacity. Restock required.’
‘What’s that all about?’ inquired Patrick as he placed the plate down on the rectangular table and took his seat.
‘Don’t worry ‘bout it.’
‘Are you running low on the ingredients to make trefarli or something?’
Saleek did not meet Patrick’s gaze as he answered, ‘Not just trefarli. I’m running low on food, period.’
The spiky alien tore off a chunk of something that resembled orange coloured bread and popped the morsel into his mouth.
‘Oh...’ said Patrick.
It suddenly occurred to him that Saleek must have been very hard up to take a risk like trying to con him and use him to pull off a heist a day later. Things began to make a bit more sense as the human continued to think – the ship’s engines only running at low power in order to conserve fuel, the lack of food in his “home” and risking stealing from a crime lord who employed mercenaries with heavy weaponry...These were the actions of a desperate person who barely had enough resources to feed himself and keep his ship running.
Damn...I don’t know anything about the worlds outside the outer colonies. If stuff like this goes on in the allegedly successful capital planet of the core systems, what other things happen that I don’t know about across the galaxy? Is Saleek’s hardship typical of lots of other people who live on Nexus One, and if so, how am I going to make a new start there? I barely know my way around modern tech and I doubt many employers will have much use for a lone human. Plus, my supply of credits from my account won’t last forever. Still, it could be worse, I suppose. I at least have enough credits to buy transport back to the outer colonies if I can’t make it here, which is more than Saleek has...
Slowly, Patrick gently pushed his plate to one side.
After a while, Saleek grunted, ‘Aren’t you gonna eat that?’
Patrick remained silent for a moment, before saying, ‘No, I’d feel bad if I took your food since you don’t have much left. You need it more than me. You have it.’
Saleek stopped chewing and looked up, his eyes narrowing in confusion.
‘It’s no big deal. Go on, go ahead,’ said Patrick.
‘Are you seriously saying you’d rather go hungry than eat my food?’
‘I...guess that’s what I’m saying, yeah.’
Saleek laughed a little and pushed the plate of trefarli back towards Patrick.
‘Don’t be a fool, Patrick. Eat it. C’mon, I can hear your stomach complaining from here! I don’t wanna have to listen to that.’
Patrick felt a sharp pang of hunger in his belly and reluctantly decided to eat his meal.
‘Don’t get me wrong, I appreciate the thought,’ said Saleek. ‘But that kinda charity will just let people take of advantage of ya.’
Which is exactly how I wound up here, thought Patrick. I’m so naive...
‘You should try an’ work on that. If you and me are gonna be partners, I’m gonna need to know you won’t get fooled again so easily.’
Patrick half-swallowed and nearly choked on his food. Spluttering, he said, ‘What do you mean, ‘partners’?’
Saleek’s lips widened into a broad grin once more.
‘I’ve been thinkin’ about what ya said, y’know about how this is your first time in the core systems and all that. And I kinda regret the way we met – with me takin’ advantage of ya like that. If I was to give you a few credits and leave you stranded somewhere in the core systems, it ain’t exactly what a decent guy would do. You still want a new start here in the core systems?’
‘Well yeah, of course I do. But I had something else in mind...like a proper job for instance! And a place of my own!’ Patrick protested.
‘Dude, trust me. Proper jobs are overrated,’ said Saleek with a wink.
‘But...’
‘All right, let’s lay it all out there. The way I see it, you got no sought-after skills, you can’t navigate or fly craft and you can barely use computers. I dunno where you’re gonna find a job in a place that’s as competitive as Nexus One for starters.’
Patrick’s heart sank as Saleek said this, the lyan’s words stinging as they hit uncomfortably close to the truth.
Maybe I didn’t think this whole “new start” thing through. I wish I’d considered this before I got on that deep space transport and headed here, he thought sadly.
‘While I can’t exactly offer a good salary and your own apartment, I can offer you your own personal quarters and the run of the whole ship. Plus, if you help me with any deals, you’ll get a cut of the profits. And I promise you, life with me would never be boring!’
Saleek’s words carried the confidence of a slick, used-ship salesman who had convinced people to do something a thousand times before. Patrick remained unconvinced.
‘I’m not sure about this,’ he stated honestly.
‘Well, you don’t have to decide right now,’ said Saleek as he finished off the last of his food. ‘We’ll arrive in the Antorii system, go to Antorii Two, meet my contact, give him the artefact and then pick up the reward. We should be safe enough to hang around on Antorii Two for a few days before we head back to the Nexus system. You can use that time to think about it.’
‘What would you get out of it?’ asked Patrick, eyeing Saleek carefully to try and discern if he was hiding something else from him. ‘The way I see it,’ the human said, deliberately using the same expression that Saleek had used, ‘if I stay on this ship then there are two mouths to feed instead of just one. You’d be making it doubly harder to survive with what little yo
u’ve got. So what’s in it for you?’
‘Well, believe it or not, stealing and hustling are much easier when you have someone to back you up, instead of having to do everything yourself. If you and me worked together, we’d be able to make way more than I can at the moment,’ explained Saleek as he pushed his empty plates to one side and stood up.
A modified, largely spherical robot suddenly emerged from a small crevice in the far wall of the room. It scanned the room whilst hovering, made a few beeping sounds and then flew over to the empty plates on the table. A thin, metal arm ending in a claw extended from the robot’s belly and picked up the nearest plate before the bot hurried back to the wall and disappeared into the crevice. It then reappeared (without that plate) and proceeded to remove the other empty plates from the room one by one, beeping a happy little tune as it did so.
As the spiky alien walked away from the table, he turned back to look at Patrick and added, ‘Oh, and there’s another simple reason it’d be cool if you stayed. I could really do with a friend,’ before leaving the mess chamber through a nearby doorway.
Patrick blinked dumbly in shock and stared at the open doorway for a while. He then returned to his food and continued to eat as he watched the little robot clear the table, marvelling at how different Saleek’s utility bot was to the ones he was used to seeing on his home planet. He wasn’t expecting Saleek to say that at all.
The guy seems so cocky and acts like he knows it all. Is it possible he’s actually lonely and he’s telling the truth?
Patrick’s thoughts were interrupted by Zeeree.
‘I realise you do not know Saleek very well,’ she said, her disembodied voice floating down from the ceiling of the mess chamber, ‘but he isn’t all bad. Not really.’ Then she quipped, ‘Don’t tell him I said that, will you?’
If Patrick could have seen Zeeree’s face, he would have seen her smiling as she said that.
‘I don’t know, Zeeree. To be honest, I have absolutely no idea what to do. I never thought anything like this would happen to me when I came to Nexus One. Saleek has obviously had a totally different life to me so far, we’re very different people. I don’t know whether I can trust him or not. I don’t know if I’ll be able to even survive in the core systems, I feel like I don’t know anything. Life was much simpler back on New Earth. Here it seems like anything can happen at any time.’
‘I think that’s part of the fun,’ said Zeeree.
‘”Fun”?’ repeated Patrick, finding it difficult to believe that an AI would have an appreciation of the concept.
‘Yes, fun. I realise it must be scary for you, but another way to look at it is how exciting it can be, not knowing what is going to happen. When you’ve been around for as long as I have, when you’ve seen so much, you realise that where other people see confusion and chaos, there are actually patterns and order.’
‘Maybe that’s because you’re – forgive me – essentially an advanced computer, so you naturally analyse information and think that way.’
‘I don’t think so. I think it is simply down to inexorability. There are trillions upon trillions upon trillions of people in the core star systems alone, each going about their lives and making decisions every single day. Inevitably, complex patterns form and connections arise, often without people becoming aware of them. I think you and Saleek were meant to meet; I think you were meant to become friends. He has been alone for so long and you are naive but young and willing to learn. I think you can be good for each other. I believe the commonly used word to describe you two meeting is “fate”.’
Patrick was astonished by the eloquence of Zeeree’s argument. He was finding it more and more difficult to think of her as merely an advanced computer, or even an AI. It was as if she was a living, sentient person with great wisdom and knowledge.
‘You’ve made some interesting points, Zeeree,’ admitted Patrick as he shovelled the last of his meal down his throat with gusto. ‘Even though I could technically buy a return trip back to the outer colonies, there’s nothing waiting for me there but a life on the run anyway. By the way, please don’t mention that to Saleek.’
‘My lips are sealed, so to speak.’
‘At least if I’m here, I’m open to new opportunities and experiences. Plus, living life on the edge has to be more fun if there’s someone there to do it with you.’
‘So you have decided to stay?’ asked Zeeree.
Taking a leaf out of Saleek’s book, Patrick replied, ‘I’ll let you know,’ and winked at the ceiling (where he assumed Zeeree was monitoring him from) before walking out of the mess chamber.
‘Great, now there are two of them that like to mess with me,’ said Zeeree to herself.