Repercussions Page 13

  "If you are sure," Florin said with a nod. "I know you can't tell me much, because you never actually met Dre, but is there any other information that springs to mind about him?"

  "He had a family...like myself," Phoenix whispered. "He had a family. One that he was trying to get back to, like me."

  "Anything else?"

  Phoenix didn't really hear the question; his thoughts drifted to the twins, back home. He knew he would make the same choice if he had to do it all over again, but the cost of that choice had been...

  "Yes," said Saoirse. "He messaged us through the prison's holocom systems. If you can somehow get a recording of that voice then you may be able to cross-reference it with the files that the prison kept on all its inmates."

  Florin stroked his chin, giving it some thought. "It's a long shot, but I will see what I can do. In the meantime, keep hidden until I have more information for you. If it is true that the first sightings of The Eye were on Rue, then Dre's origins could very well be somewhere in one of its cities. I will keep you posted," Florin said and the hologram vanished in front of them.

  One by one, the members of Phoenix's crew got up and left, none uttering a word as they walked past Phoenix. Kai patted him on the shoulder, and L kissed him on the cheek before she ran after Saoirse, skipping the whole way.

  Phoenix leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes. It's always something, isn't it, Phoenix?

  No matter what choice he made, the repercussions always got people killed. He had tried to keep his head down, but trouble always sniffed him out like a bloodhound on a fox's trail.

  You tried to keep your head down, did you?

  When?

  When you stabbed Holger in the hand? When you kept attacking his bases and ships? When you were warned, time and time again, that your actions would lead you here?

  What was he meant to do? Allow people to get away with murder and genocide, just because everyone else was too scared of the consequences?

  But in trying to help you have made things worse, whispered a voice, and with it came the image of the small body being carried past him in the hall.

  All I wanted to do was save the people I care about! Was that too much to ask for?

  "Fuck!" Phoenix said, slamming his right hand down on the table in front of him.

  "I doubt your ship's engineer will be happy to see the dent you have left in her desk," Sindee said, walking into the room.

  Phoenix exhaled heavily but didn't respond.

  "Do not let what you are feeling now define you. Do not let what you are feeling now dictate your next move. The choices we all make, whether they are big or small, have far-reaching consequences. It is just what happens," Sindee said with a shrug. "To go through life trying not to make choices that will affect other people is simply not living."

  "How much did you hear?"

  "Enough," Sindee said. "I was coming back to shout at you some more."

  "What if the choices you made had a role in ending the lives of others? Changing their lives in more ways than you can imagine?"

  Sindee let out a sigh and swept her hands through her hair. "We are in a unique position, me and you. Rightly or wrongly, we were gifted the power to change the paths of others around us. To create river-ways of opportunity where there were none before. But in our doing so, lives shall be affected.

  "Be it by our hand or others', it really doesn't matter. What matters is you keep whatever drives you in here," Sindee said, touching her head, "unchanged. Because once you lose sight of that picture, it is over."

  Phoenix silently watched her walk back out the way she had come. She cast one more glance over her shoulder as she walked through the doorway, and then she was gone.

  As Phoenix tapped his finger along the desk, one thought dominated all others.

  What drives me?

  36

  Days passed without word from Florin or Sindee. The ship had taken on a sombre tone after the meeting. Voices were not raised above a whisper on the rare occasions someone spoke. Everyone kept to themselves, busy with whatever task occupied them.

  The only person missing from the ship was Freyan. He had disappeared shortly after the meeting and had left the ship. Phoenix had refused to go after him as the days crawled by.

  Only after some goading from L did he finally leave the ship and begin his search.

  In his heart of hearts he knew where he would find the Bloodless One, but his pride had not allowed him to make that journey. Now, as he walked the streets of Rue, he allowed his feet to carry him where he needed to go.

  The chilly morning air stole his breath as his feet dodged the litter scattered over the ground. People bustled back and forth past him, heads down, shoulders hunched forward. Many wore ill-fitting clothes, too small or too large, but all their outfits were threadbare or had holes in them.

  Phoenix's dark skin stood out amongst the pale faces, but none stopped and openly stared. He had seen a few different races that obviously weren't native to Rue, dotted here and there, but unlike most of the planets he had been to, which were mixing pots of all races, Rue hadn't reached that stage yet.

  Most planets have something of value to trade. This one...

  Phoenix continued past food stalls selling fruit and vegetables that looked to be weeks old. Meat that smelled so bad Phoenix had to cover his nose as he walked past hung at other stalls. The food traders themselves looked like they hadn't eaten a decent meal in months.

  The saying "Never trust a skinny chef" sprung to mind as Phoenix passed them by.

  A tall white building sandwiched between two grey squat ones stood in front of Phoenix. The large building had a golden scalpel engraved into the white brickwork. Phoenix had seen that engraving before--on Freyan's body.

  He made his way through a set of huge double doors and found himself standing in a foyer with white marble floors.

  The scent of disinfectant hung in the air.

  He walked past rows of chairs lining the walls and made his way towards the front desk. A Rue female, dressed all in white, sat behind the desk. He noticed her fingernails were painted shocking blue as she typed in the air in front of her.

  "Excuse me," Phoenix said.

  "Oh," she said, hand going to her chest. "He told me that you would come. If you make your way all the way down the corridor, then take two lefts, you should be able to find him."

  Phoenix stared at her blankly, confusion crossing his face.

  "You are Phoenix, ain't you?" she asked. "Phoenix Jones?"

  "Yes."

  "Then follow the directions and you'll find him. All the way down the corridor, then take two lefts."

  Phoenix nodded his head and followed the directions he had been given. Doors with glass strips on either side gave him views of rooms filled with beds. He stopped before one and peered through, trying to get a glimpse of people hooked up to IV drips and other medical equipment.

  Nurses dressed all in white bustled from bed to bed checking on their patients.

  Phoenix heard footsteps ahead of him and smiled as a nurse walked his way. She giggled behind her hand before she continued on.

  Phoenix shook his head and followed the directions until he reached an unmarked door. He knocked on the metal surface and waited.

  "Oh, fuck this, I'm not waiting all day," he said, pushing the door open.

  His breath billowed before him as he took a hesitant step forward. Glass beakers filled with swirling liquid lined the tables. Metal devices beeped and pinged. Different display screens floated in the air, showing readings that meant nothing to Phoenix.

  He took another step forward and saw a white back that he recognised immediately.

  "I wondered how long it would take you."

  "The nurses here are cute, you gotta introduce me to a few. I have this back problem that doesn't seem to be going away," Phoenix said, stretching his back. "And I think the perfect cure would be if I could spend maybe thirty minutes to an hour with a few."

&nb
sp; "You leave the staff alone. They go above and beyond their duties without pandering to a cretin like you."

  "Hey! I was only going to ask them for a massage. Honestly, I don't know what you think of me, Doc."

  Freyan turned and gave Phoenix a look he knew all too well.

  "If things lead elsewhere," Phoenix said, raising his hands, "then who'm I to stop it? I am but a mere mortal. I am but dark chocolate that needs to be devoured."

  Freyan pointed a finger Phoenix's way and shook it slowly from side to side.

  "What is this place?" Phoenix said, rubbing his hands up and down his arms.

  "Pass me that green beaker, will you?"

  Phoenix picked it up and nearly dropped it on the floor; the glass beaker pulsed in his hand. It felt like a warm heartbeat. He handed it gently to Freyan, who took it in both hands and poured it into a metal box. He pressed a flashing white light on its side and stepped back.

  "Hopefully I should get the correct readings this time. How they allowed my institute to get in such a mess, I will never know."

  "Your institute?" Phoenix asked.

  "Yes and no."

  "L told me that you once owned a hospital, and for the life of me I wondered where you went when you left the ship. But where else would a doctor-scientist go but to where he feels most comfortable? A place of learning, a place of healing," Phoenix said. "A place to gather his thoughts."

  "Very good, Phoenix. It took you a while but I see you made the right choice."

  "Oh, I figured it out in the first hour or two," Phoenix said with a smirk.

  "Then why wait... Oh, you are infuriating sometimes," Freyan said with a shake of the head. "As you well know, my mind is a brilliant one--"

  Phoenix snorted but Freyan continued as if he hadn't heard.

  "It got to the point in my career that I had accomplished most of what I set out to do. But I was bored. Something didn't feel right; there was this incessant nagging that I couldn't stop. I couldn't figure out why, until I realised my life had become aimless."

  "What do you mean?" Phoenix asked.

  "There comes a point in one's life when all the awards, fame and accolades become worthless. Life becomes empty. So I left it all and considered what I should do. Then it hit me. I should end suffering and rid the galaxy of illness. That is why I set out on a mission to fund and build as many of these hospitals across the galaxy as I could.

  "The program took decades, but it is now a self-sufficient system. Missionaries go from planet to planet, showing worlds how to manage their sick and dying. In a way, it's like a virus of health, moving from one sick world to the next."

  "You're fucking joking, right?" Phoenix asked, with a creased burrow. "End all the illness and suffering in the galaxy? You're not a god."

  "We shall see who is proved right before my life ends."

  "Well, I guess it's better than bringing war to every civilisation you meet." Phoenix shook his head and stared at Freyan open-mouthed. With a chuckle, he passed his hand over his earring. "Are we okay?"

  A beeping from behind Freyan's back made the Bloodless One turn around. He concentrated on the readings scrolling across the surface of the metal box.

  "I think I may have found a cure for a disease that plagues this region. Interesting, very interesting."

  "Freyan!"

  With a heavy sigh, Freyan turned back around. "Phoenix, I owe you my life and freedom. And for that, I am truly thankful. But what you did--"

  "I would do it all over again in a heartbeat. For anyone in my crew. For anyone in my family. I will not apologise for it. I stand by my choice."

  "Then who am I to stand in the way of my captain?" Freyan said, turning back round.

  Phoenix closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. He walked towards Freyan and placed a hand on his shoulder. "When you're ready, your spot will be waiting for you on the ship. If you don't want it, I understand. I will respect your decision. There will be no hard feelings. Do what you feel is right for you."

  With that, Phoenix made his way back to the exit.

  37

  Phoenix, Kai and Plowstow moved through the back streets. Graffiti adorned the walls and the litter on the ground made walking hard going. The trio had to zigzag between tents that had been erected outside buildings and alleyways; families cooked on open fires in front of a few.

  "How come I had to 'accompany' you, as you put it, and Saoirse didn't have to come?" Plowstow said.

  "Because Saoirse had plans with L," Phoenix replied.

  "Plans my ass. She ain't here because if she had come, L would have followed. This is bullshit!"

  Phoenix ignored the Orcian; he needed all his senses to navigate the street.

  "Bro, I understand why you would want Plowstow, but did I have to come along? I had plans too," Kai whined from a few paces behind.

  "Getting high as fuck and pretending to pray to your god while you play video games isn't really pressing, now, is it? You can do that anytime. Not like, say, cleaning the toilets after Plowstow has had one too many," Phoenix said with a smile, turning to face Kai.

  "Bro, I had cleaning duty last week."

  "And if you don't want it for the next two weeks, you'd better shut up and move. That goes for you too, green boy," Phoenix said, pointing at Plowstow.

  Phoenix continued walking, ignoring the grumbling from behind him, and took one street corner after the next. He tried to make eye contact with people who passed him by, wanting to ask for directions. No one stopped, or they simply ran the other way when they saw him coming.

  "How much further do we have to go?" Plowstow asked.

  A small crowd stood in front of a nondescript grey building nestled amongst others of its kind. Phoenix nodded to the crowd, which drew another moan from Plowstow.

  "For once, can't anything be simple?" he said with a shake of his head.

  "Don't draw attention to yourself," Phoenix said, walking towards the crowd with his head down.

  "Ladies and gentleman! Are you not sick of the opposition? Are you not sick of having to bow down before the cowards that live in that palace?" a man shouted from the top of the stairs of the building. One of his eyes was encircled by a red star. He looked outward towards the crowd.

  "Because I know I am! I know I'm sick of eating scraps. Rotten meat. Gone-off fruit and veg. What have we done to deserve such treatment?"

  "It's not that bad," shouted a member of the crowd.

  "Friend, when was the last time you had something to eat?"

  "I--"

  "Have you ever seen a member of your family without their ribs showing?" said the speaker, pointing to the person in the crowd.

  "His mother has a nice set of ribs on her! I saw them last week," someone else shouted in the crowd, which drew laughter all round.

  "Very funny, my friend, but what I speak of is of no laughing matter. Something must be done, and something must be done soon," said the speaker.

  "By who?"

  "By the group that promises us salvation. The Eye! They will lead us into better times. They will show us the way to freedom. But we must show them our support. We must--"

  "What's going on here?" shouted voices from the back.

  Phoenix turned and saw people being pushed and shoved out of the way as a group of men dressed in uniforms made their way to the stairs. They had the smell of corrupt officers of the law that Phoenix knew all too well.

  "I said move!" yelled the leading officer.

  "This is who we fight against. This is who wants to keep us under their control, my friends," the speaker shouted as he began to make his escape through the crowd.

  The officers took out their batons and began to club anyone who didn't move out of their way fast enough. Through the screams and shouts, Phoenix manoeuvred Kai and Plowstow towards the entrance of the building.

  "Beating innocent bystanders always works in showing people that you're on their side," Phoenix said, shaking his head as they slipped through the fron
t door of the building.

  38

  The trio made their way up flights of stairs that reminded Phoenix of his little flat back home. It had the same smell of urine mixed with alcohol that burned the back of the throat.

  "What...a...shithole," Plowstow gasped between gulps of air.

  "I don't know, bro, it kind of grows on you after a while."

  "Yeah, like a fungus."

  They passed families sleeping on the stairs, along with snoring males, passed out on their backs, with stained trousers and a strong odour of booze wafting from their person.

  "All right. The place that Florin gave us directions to is up ahead. Keep your weapons at the ready, and Kai, stay behind me and Plowstow till it's all clear."

  "Are you sure this is the place? Why would Dre want to live here, of all places?" Plowstow said, his voice muffled by the hand that covered his mouth.

  "Keep your fucking wits about you. If this is the place, then we could be walking into a trap--"

  "Not the first time."

  "Just make sure you have my back covered. Kai, I want you to cover the rear."

  Kai held up his pistol with two fingers and looked at Phoenix with raised eyebrows.

  "Just point and shoot at anything that looks threatening," Phoenix said, moving slowly along the wall. "This is the last known address that we could find for Dre. It may amount to nothing, but it's the only lead that we have."

  Phoenix eyed a fading yellow door up ahead. The information Florin had given him didn't say whether anyone still lived at the address, but he didn't want to take any chances. He pulled his pistol from its holster.

  He looked back at Plowstow and Kai and gave both of them a nod before moving forward. The gap between the bottom of the door and the floor showed no shadow movement.

  Phoenix looked behind over his shoulder once more, before placing his right hand on the door handle.

  With a slight pull, Phoenix popped the handle from the door, and caught it as it swung open. Placing the handle on the floor, he moved into the apartment, his pistol at the ready.