No Escape

by KarlOConnor

A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away a once thriving planet ceased to be.

For millenniums life grew strong and lived well as well could, though in which a problem lay, life was too strong and it lived too well, so well in fact that the world it lived upon came to a point where it could no longer sustain the life it long had carried on its back.

Lands turned to dust, rivers once plenty ran no more. A once peaceful and enlightened culture grew violent and savage, de-evolving into what had come long before though an odd case or two did occur where evolution took a step forward, or at least appeared to take a step forward.

The Humari home world had been dying for so long that its inhabitants knew an end was coming. Preparations to evacuate the planet had long been set in motion and lunar hubs became an obvious place to start moving inhabitants up onto.

Catastrophe struck when what may have appeared to be a non-natural cataclysmic event killed millions and brought the Humari home world to an end a lot sooner than anticipated. Being lucky, or as one may see it, unlucky enough to be deep underground at the time the cataclysmic event occurred, one Humari in particular survived.

On the Humari home world there are three sects, or rather were three sects and they are the Green, the Blue and the Red. By the time the Humari home world had indeed come to an end these three sects were very much at one another's throats. The Red heavily outnumbered the Blue. There were so few Green left in the end that the chances of their survival were slim to none.

With the world so close to an end a pact was made in an interest to save all Humari life or as much of it as possible, still there was enough distain and hate to go around for eons after the demise of a once powerful world. So many Humari had left the home world that survival of all three sects was guaranteed, for at least a certain amount of time.

Herman is an elder youngling who doesn't belong to either of the Red, the Blue or the Green sect and he is the Humari who so happened to be deep underground when the cataclysmic event occurred.

His mother was a Red and his father was a Green. It is rare for different sects to mingle let alone marry though that could be a big part in why Herman doesn't belong. Herman himself was born different, he is something different, he is an advancement in evolution or so he would like to think. He is not as large as the Red, he is not as strong as the Blue and he was not as fierce as the Green, he always was and is simply ... just Herman.

After the cataclysmic event which ended the world, Herman could only be able to assume and not know for sure the fate of his loved ones. Those whom where near at the time the event hit are gone. They could not have survived though Herman cannot accept that. Some must still live, some like him must have survived.

Herman along with a Flaxian female named Lonnie managed to vacate the dying, the all but dead Humari home world, taking refuse on a Lunar colony with the promise that the time will come when they both will be placed upon star ships, possibly not the same star ship, with the purpose being that these star ships will seek out a new home or homes for the surviving Humari race or separate sects to take up a new and permanent residence ...

The Flaxian system is not a viable option as somewhere to temporarily lay down any sort of residence. It may be the closest inhabitable system but out of the six worlds within it only one is inhabitable. It is a much smaller world than the Humari home world and it is over run with Flaxians, so much so that millions of locals have left it either due to some form of a calling or due to a want to discover the big bad universe or even quite simply to vacate their overcrowded home with an attempt to make a new life somewhere else.

Lonnie as stated is Flaxian and not Humari though at such a time she so happens to be in, she is lost and she is also found. She has no longing to return to the world she hails from. Her parents were scientists and this is what took them off world. They along with many others would fiercely try to save a world destined to die and their calling only brought death upon themselves. Now Lonnie has nowhere to be, she has other family but knows nothing of who they are or where they are. With having met Herman maybe Lonnie does have somewhere to be, in fact Lonnie in many ways is exactly where she is meant to be.

'We've been here for eons ...' says Herman having by such time searched as much of the lunar hub as he possibly could for signs that his family or anyone else he may know may be there or may having been there without having any luck.

'Relax you ...' says Lonnie, 'We haven't been here so long at all. Besides it'll take a few more rotations before I will be back to myself.'

'I know Lonnie and I'm sorry, just eager to get going you know? I just feel that I could be doing more. They are out there; I can feel it and I should be trying to find them.'

'You'd be feeling the wrath of one of my arrows right now if only they had allowed me to keep them.'

'I believe you; see ... my luck is already in. I have to trust my gut.'

'We will get on a ship, don't worry my little friend.'

'Little? What happened to me being your hero?'

'You're not gonna let me forget that if it weren't for you I wouldn't be here.'

'Darn right ... besides you heard what we have been told. If we do get to go onto a ship, it is possible we could be put on separate ships.'

'Herman, they won't separate us. I'll see to that.'

'Hey, I brought you something.'

'What is it?'

'I'm not sure actually, it's some kind of snack I've been told, thought you would like it.'

'Thanks Herman ... I think.'

'I'll be back in a bit ...'

'Hey where are you going now?'

Herman was long gone before Lonnie could fully ask her question. Still recovering from a leg injury acquired back on the Humari home world when a Tirellian-cat attacked, Lonnie is unable to get up quick enough never mind make an attempt to go after Herman. So instead of worrying about him or where he has got himself to she takes a look at that snack he had brought to her.

It is the strangest looking thing she has ever seen and it neither looks appealing nor unappealing. She tries it anyway, a very small piece at first. Unsure as to whether she likes it or not she has herself some more. Surprisingly enough she does like it, she likes it a lot, so much so that she finishes it off as if she can't get enough of it.

Once it is gone she definitely wishes that she had more of it though she does not get all so much time to dwell on wanting anything for at this moment Herman comes rushing back to her and he is in such a tether he finds it more than a little difficult to get any words out.

'It ... it's our ... c'mon ... we gotta go ... we're not gonna ... get ... another chance like this ...' he says trying to catch his breath.

'Calm down Herman ... talk to me, what's up?'

'I have gained us passage on a supply ship' he says being more than eager to get going.

'Supply ship? Passage to where?'

'It doesn't matter where it is going. This is the start that we need.'

'What we need Herman is to take it easy and get the most out of what we have here.'

'No, no that won't do. Please Lonnie. We gotta go.'

'Think about what you are saying. Where is this supply ship going? And why would it even take us aboard? It's probably just making runs back and forth from where it picks up its supplies. On top of that we would need to be registered to get on that ship.'

'All that is sorted, we need not worry.'

'Well I do worry.'

For the first time since he has returned Herman takes a moment to pause. 'Trust me. What's the worst that can happen? The ship refills on supplies and we come right back. You wouldn't to miss out on something like that, would you?'

Lonnie takes a moment and looks into Herman's large eyes then holds out a hand to suggest that she is in, wherever this vessel is going it will go there with both her and Herman on it. This is a decision she is almost already regretting.

'Yes' calls out Herman in celebration.

He takes her hand and aids her all the way to where that supply ship is. Oddly enough and despite her injury Lonnie feels strong, she feels a kind of surge of energy, an energy surge like she never felt before. Once at that supply ship its captain looks both Herman and Lonnie up and down and says nothing.

'We have a deal, right?' asks Herman.

'That we do ...' speaks the captain, '... that we do.'

The captain stands aside and allows the two before him board his ship. If Lonnie wasn't already regretting her decision to go aboard then she was now.

'Herman ... what deal did you make?'

'Don't worry, I got this.'

'I sure hope you know what you're doing.'

Once aboard and everything has settled, Herman and Lonnie are instructed to strap themselves into the nearest available seat as the ship is about to go into hyper drive. Wherever the ship is about to make its way to, there seems to be somewhat of a hurry. This captain fellow most definitely unnerves Lonnie. She knows not as to what race he is, what his agenda may be besides the obvious, nor does she know why he keeps looking her way.

Something is not right, to Lonnie this is very clear, to Herman well he seems more than happy to be just where he is. He has questions he hopes will be answered one way or another, little does he know.

The ship's crew, from what Lonnie can see of it so far, is made up of a number of different races, from a number of different worlds, of which only one Lonnie recognizes. A Solarian. From what she knows and from experience too, Solarians are in general loyal, and they are known to be quite sneaky too. This particular Solarian speaks quietly to the captain, who still throws a number of looks Lonnie's way.

Once everyone is locked in, the order is given to hit hyper-speed and the jump is sudden. Lonnie has travelled before but never like this. For Herman, besides his brief stint on the Humari lunar colony, this is the first time he has ever been off his home world, and of course with things being what they are, he will never get to go back there.

In the moment the ship comes out of hyper-speed Lonnie has a question to ask of Herman as she does this as quietly as she can.

'Herman, that snack you gave me earlier, where did you get it?'

'From one of the members of this crew, why?'

'You didn't have any of it yourself, did you?'

'Yeah I did. Tasty isn't it?'

'Oh boy ...' under her breath Lonnie has something to say but not loud enough for anyone to her. 'Herman ... what have you got us into.'

'Why, what's wrong?'

'Isn't it clear' Lonnie says still keeping her voice down. 'These guys are caffeine smugglers.'

'Yeah right ...'

'Herman, it's obvious. The amount of energy you had running about back on the lunar hub. It had to come from somewhere. With my injury I felt stronger, at least temporarily, after having eating what you brought me. And with how dodgy these guys look, it is obvious.'

'If anyone else was telling me then I wouldn't believe it but since it is you then I have to trust what you tell me.'

'I think we are in trouble here. The captain, there is something evil about him; he has only let us on board so he can use us in some way. I am sure of this.'

'Alright, so what can we do?'

'Not much, we can't even attempt to make an escape. There would be nowhere to go since we are in space and all. We are just going to have to wait it out and see what happens.'

'We are on course captain and will arrive right on time' speaks the pilot.

'Good. Message ahead and let them know.'

'Yes captain.'

The captain then turns to look once again towards Lonnie then slowly begins to move her way. All the way towards her the captain makes no effort to pay any sort of attention to Herman.

'Oh boy' Lonnie speaks to herself.

'I would like you to take a little trip with me' speaks the captain.

'With my injury I am not up for a walk of any kind.'

Injury or not Lonnie was not up for a walk with the captain at all. Her usual brash self would have responded a little differently though under current circumstances she thought it best to relax that side of her personality. Herman stands as if there is going to be a walk then he is going too.

'Where do you think you are going?' asks the captain.

'I am co... well I thought ...' Herman tries to get the words out while struggling even to think straight.

'You thought wrong. Stay in your seat, when I return we will have a chat of our own, and you my dear. You have crutches. I suggest you use them.'

Lonnie and Herman throw each other a brief look. Lonnie with a look of fear that suggests she has to do this and Herman with an equal look of fear but one that suggests that things would be better or simpler if he were to stay right where he is. The captain moves to exit the ship's bridge then turns and waits for Lonnie to join him. Reluctantly she does join him.

Herman takes Lonnie's hand. They hold each other ever so briefly then she lets go and moves slowly but surely to join the captain. Together they move off the bridge and their walk does begin down along a corridor.

'You plan to hurt us, don't you?' Lonnie asks.

'No. we have yet to even be properly introduced and already you misunderstand my intentions.'

'I misunderstand nothing. Judging any situation I may come to be in is what has kept alive this long.'

'You are only a child trying to sound like someone who has lived a long life.'

'I've survived this long and I intend to survive for some time to come.'

'If you play your hand right, you will live a long and comfortable life here on this vessel.'

'What? With you?' asks Lonnie interpreting the situation she has come to be in. 'I don't think so, I'll take my chances elsewhere.'

'There are no chances elsewhere my dear, you are either a guest or you are a prisoner.'

'You can't hold me here. This is illegal, just like the business you are running.'

'Watch your tongue young lady or you may not survive at all.'

Captain signals to two members of his crew and without verbally being asked anything they instantly know what is required of them. These two crew members become escorts of a kind for Lonnie.

'Get off me' she says. 'Where are you taking me?'

'Told you' speaks the captain, 'you are either a guest or a prisoner and you have made your choice.'

Lonnie is taken into a room where she is left locked inside along with three Humari, one from each of the three existing sects. She already did not want to be right where she is; now she feels as she really is in trouble. Back on the ship's bridge something else was about to happen.

Herman last saw his mother not all so long before the cataclysmic event that took out his home world. His father had been away on business though his mother was home. Of course Herman made his way to the near-by underground caverns. Being so deep, he was safe or as safe as one can be in those caverns.

The explosion shook those caverns and any logical thinking life form, be it Humari or otherwise, it would indeed be logical to believe that the blast took out anything above ground. Herman refused to believe that his mother did not survive; sure he managed to meet Lonnie after the blast though she had taken refuse in a bunker. There was that Tirellian-cat, an animal which attacked Lonnie and Herman before they managed to take refuge. How did it survive the blast?

'Captain, we have made contact' speaks one of the bride crew upon his return there.

'Alright let's hear it' he responds.

The ship has come to be by planet Nibaru. It's safe to believe this is where its next shipment awaits. Before any interaction can be made between the ship and those on the planet, Herman has his question to ask.

'Where is Lonnie?'

'She belongs to me now' is the response.

Before this conversation can continue voice begin to sound through the ship's com system.

'This is Pegasus' speaks a male voice.

'Is our order ready?' asks the captain.

'We need a runner to pick it up. Mix is ready, once the runner collects then we are good to go.'

At this moment a female voice screams then calls out 'what do you want you monster?'

Herman recognizes this voice; in fact he knows it very well. 'Mother?'

'Herman. Is that you? Where are you?'

'We will send a runner momentarily' says the captain before giving the order to cut the com system.

The captain turns to Herman. 'I have a job for you and if you know what's good for you you'll do it.'

'I will not.'

'Then your lady friend suffers first, and if that is you mother down on ground level she will be next.'

What can Herman do other than agree to whatever it is the captain is demanding of him?

'... Alright then, what do I have to do?'

The adventures of Herman and Lonnie continue on October 21st.