{"data":{"id":13826,"title":"The First Run: Episode Two","rsi_url":"https:\/\/robertsspaceindustries.com\/comm-link\/serialized-fiction\/13826-The-First-Run-Episode-Two","api_url":"https:\/\/api.star-citizen.wiki\/api\/comm-links\/13826","api_public_url":"https:\/\/api.star-citizen.wiki\/comm-links\/13826","channel":"Undefined","category":"Undefined","series":"The First Run","images":[{"id":1571,"name":"SorriLyrax_test2.jpg","rsi_url":"https:\/\/robertsspaceindustries.com\/media\/khggyuby7bo7rr\/source\/SorriLyrax_test2.jpg","alt":"","size":1760627,"mime_type":"image\/jpeg","last_modified":"2014-04-17T20:30:23+00:00","api_url":"https:\/\/api.star-citizen.wiki\/api\/comm-link-images\/1571","similar_url":"https:\/\/api.star-citizen.wiki\/api\/comm-link-images\/1571\/similar"}],"images_count":1,"translations":{"en_EN":"The worst part about being stuck in a holding cell wasn\u2019t the interrogation, but the waiting until it got to that point.\n\nNot that I was a hardened criminal or anything, just a bit of a wild child that ran with the wrong crowd for a brief time a few years ago. Racing hovers through the bazaar, painting the hand railing at the casino with a mild contact hallucinogenic, releasing a pack of spitting llamas into an Advocacy convention, that sort of thing.\n\nMy history was probably one of the reasons my father had agreed to let me join the courier service. He said, I just had steam to burn, or maybe a little anger that mom had died.\nHe was wrong on both accounts. Simple boredom, that\u2019s all it was. That and a realization, born from a day when I was sitting in a holding cell just like this one, for one of our petty pranks, that sitting in jail and working in the family bar were just about the same thing.\n\nAt least in the bar, though, I could pass the time studying the patrons.\n\nThe holding cell was about as featureless as deep space, with a miserably hard chair as its only furniture. They wanted to soften me up, making me so bored I\u2019d be willing to spill my secrets to them willingly. The fact that this actually worked on some criminals boggled my mind. How could they be so dumb?\n\nBut I had nothing to worry about. I\u2019d done nothing wrong. I just wish someone would come in so I could tell them that.\n\nAfter about three hours, a woman entered the cell. She was older, mocha skin, and severe lines around her eyes and mouth. She\u2019d been beautiful once, but now those looks had been suppressed behind duty and a crisply-kept security uniform. Not even one dark hair of her military cut was out of place.\n\n\u201cSorri Lyrax?\u201d\n\nI gave a thin lipped nod.\n\n\u201cI\u2019m Captain Hennessy. I\u2019m in charge of this facility. I\u2019m sorry about the wait, but I was down the street, on planet,\u201d she said.\n\nThe sleepy annoyance was plain as a whistle on her face. They\u2019d disturbed her from her off-time.\n\n\u201cI\u2019m sorry you were bothered,\u201d I said, truly meaning it. \u201cBut can you tell me why I\u2019m being held? No one\u2019s said a thing, and while I still have plenty of time to make my courier delivery, I get a bonus for speed. When you need a message delivered, nothing\u2019s faster than FTL!\u201d\n\nI said the last part, the company motto, in a little sing-song voice, which cracked a tiny smile at the corner of Captain Hennessy\u2019s lips. It disappeared as quickly as it appeared.\n\n\u201cA courier, huh? Nobody told me that,\u201d she said, now scowling. She stood there for a moment, arms crossed, biting her lower lip, thinking.\n\n\u201cNothing like a bureaucracy to gum up the works,\u201d I offered.\n\nShe put her hands on her hips. \u201cThat\u2019s my bureaucracy you\u2019re talking about.\u201d\n\nI swallowed and pinched my leg. That was a dumb move.\n\n\u201cLook,\u201d she said, \u201cI want to get back down planet, but something on your MobiGlas triggered our new sensors. And we\u2019re also not fond of people recording our security areas. We found a camera button on your backpack.\u201d\n\nI let out a yip of surprise. \u201cOh, I\u2019d forgotten about that. It\u2019s my first trip for the company, and my first trip off planet. I thought I\u2019d record it all. You know, cause.\u201d\n\nI lifted one shoulder in a partial shrug. Captain Hennessy grumbled in the back of her throat.\n\n\u201cAs for the file, I assume that\u2019s my delivery,\u201d I said.\n\nThe Captain pulled out her MobiGlas and started reviewing some information. The whole time she was biting her lower lip and sighing. I could practically sense her looking back over her shoulder as if she could see whatever location she was vacationing.\n\nWhen the Captain frowned at me again, I knew I was in trouble. She might want to get back to her time off, but I could also see how crisp her uniform was, even on this short notice. She was a woman of duty and responsibility.\n\n\u201cThe total size of the files on your device far exceed what FTL has approved for your level of security clearance,\u201d she said, tapping her finger on the screen as she talked. \u201cAs a wet-nosed courier, you should only be able carry recipes for roast lamb and maybe a bicycle print. This kind of file size is normally only seen with major industrial projects, or complex systems. All that damn physics.\u201d\n\nWhen I opened my mouth, I planned on telling Captain Hennessy to contact FTL headquarters on Castra II. They would clear it up for me.\n\nBut I hesitated.\n\nFor two reasons.\n\nThe first was that it would take probably take days for the company to get back to Captain Hennessy. Not only would I have to spend the time in a holding cell like this one, I\u2019d miss my delivery due date.\n\nThe second was less sure, more speculation. Rumor even. During the few weeks of training and orientation we received, mostly on the intricacies of interstellar travel and a pitifully weak self-defense class, an anecdote got passed around about our upcoming first deliveries.\n\nIt was said that the company usually sent new couriers on a fake mission, or \u201clead sled\u201d in company lingo, for their first go. A way to confirm loyalty and ability. Some people even said they threw obstacles in the way, using actors and real-live officials, to see how the new courier would react.\n\nSo I closed my mouth and recalibrated my answer, first clearing my throat to give credence to my delay.\n\n\u201cI\u2019m sure it\u2019s a mistake of some kind,\u201d I said. \u201cMaybe they meant to give it to a different courier, or they didn\u2019t realize my security status.\u201d\n\nCaptain Hennessy clasped her hands in front. \u201cOr they thought they could slip these illegal files by my station. Or maybe you\u2019re working for someone else and only joined that service to utilize the security clearance it gave you. We only just installed this new detector, so no one would have known about it.\u201d\n\nDespite my innocence, I felt guilty. Mostly because I knew how it looked, and it didn\u2019t look good.\n\nI was about to go into \u2018little girl mode\u2019, a trick I\u2019d used to my advantage more than once back on Castra II. I was only forty-five kilos if I\u2019d eaten a big meal, and had petite, elfin ears. My father liked to claim that my mother, Abigail, was really a faerie queen that he\u2019d stolen away from the fey, and that she hadn\u2019t really died, just gone back home. It was a nice lie, and one I\u2019d told myself more than once.\n\nBut then I looked up at Captain Hennessy. Really looked at her. I\u2019d seen her type in the bar. Once, when she was younger, duty had given her a firm hold on a crumbling lifestyle. Maybe she\u2019d had an abusive father, or a bad marriage, but the security service had given her a way to control part of her life.\n\nI didn\u2019t know if it\u2019d work, but I had to take a chance. I let my shoulders slump and chin dip to my chest.\n\n\u201cIt doesn\u2019t matter,\u201d I said, letting the words dribble out of my lips. \u201cEven if it\u2019s a mistake, I\u2019m still going to miss my delivery and they\u2019ll fire me. It\u2019s just like my dad said, that I\u2019d screw it up somehow. Now I\u2019ll have to go back there.\u201d\n\nWhen I risked a quick glance up, I saw Captain Hennessy flinch, if only for a moment. It helped that most of what I said was true. I didn\u2019t want to go back. And my father had said I\u2019d screw it up.\n\nBut something from the Captain\u2019s past had been triggered by my admission. Her brow was as tight as a drum, almost an overhang of tensed muscles, leaving her eyes drowning in shadow. She was squeezing her lips so tight they were pale as a corpse.\n\nI rested my forehead on my palms, and waited. Captain Hennessy was forcefully tapping on her MobiGlas, and sighing between every fifth tap. She was mumbling something about a beach and never getting any time off under her breath.\n\n\u201cSorri,\u201d she said to me, more of a command than a question.\n\nI looked at her with upward tilted eyes. \u201cYes, ma\u2019am?\u201d\n\n\u201cThe amount of paperwork an attempted security breach like this generates is staggering,\u201d said the captain, finger on her MobiGlas.\n\nMy stomach did a back flip. I could already hear my father lecturing me about my foolishness when I had to return home.\n\n\u201cAnd the only one that can approve that sort of nonsense is me,\u201d she continued. \u201cBut what little I can find on you checks out \u2026\u201d she started shaking her head as if she couldn\u2019t believe she was saying it, \u201c\u2026 and I\u2019ve been waiting nearly a year for this time off. If I have to deal with this, I\u2019ll miss the whole damn thing.\u201d\n\nI held my breath, while she blinked and had a brief internal war with herself. I knew I wasn\u2019t out of danger, yet.\n\nFinally, she came to her conclusion, and I could tell it was the piece of the puzzle that tilted the decision my way.\n\n\u201cAnd I know a little something about a young girl not wanting to return home. So I\u2019m going to clear this breach from the system and let you head down planet.\u201d\n\n\u201cThank you, Captain Hennessy,\u201d I said as the relief flooded through my limbs.\n\n\u201cNow I need to go,\u201d she said, an unexpected smile on her lips. \u201cBut I don\u2019t want to see you again, right?\u201d\n\nI nodded enthusiastically.\n\nAfter the captain left, one of the security agents came in with my stuff. He was shaking his head the whole time as if he\u2019d just seen ghosts or a talking dog.\n\nThe shuttle ride down was brief and terrifying. A cloud layer had formed over New Alexandria, so there wasn\u2019t even a good view on the way down.\n\nWhen we arrived, I shouldered my backpack on, triggered the remote camera again, and headed for the exits at the starport, dodging around the crowds and keeping watch for signs. My legs were still jittery from the interrogation and the harrowing ride down. At least, Oya III shared a similar gravity with Castra II. I was strong for my size, and being a girl, but the layover in security had left me weak with hunger.\n\nThe first thing I planned to do was find a food stall in the bazaars built up around New Alexandria. When the starport had been built, the workers that\u2019d come for the work had stayed in the camps, and eventually those camps became a ring of new constructions and shanty towns. The real wealth of the city lived further south, but I\u2019d be going north to the WillsOp Corp installation.\n\nNew Alexandria was known for its spiced lamb kabobs, and I swore I could smell some. I was standing outside next to the hovertaxi lanes trying to get my bearings, using the map functions on the company-issued MobiGlas, almost tasting the hot spicy meat exploding onto my tongue, when I heard the quiet hum of an electrocycle pull aside.\n\nI glanced up and into the face of a towering behemoth, who dwarfed his vehicle, making him look like he was riding a child\u2019s bike. His hair was salty black, and his gristled chin matched the coloring of the hair. He had an overpowering body odor that made me wrinkle my nose.\n\nI thought he was about to ask for directions when I saw the hardness in his eyes. Then his powerful, meaty hand reached out and swiped the MobiGlas from my grip, and as he drove away he gave me a look that said: follow me and die.\n\nto be continued \u2026","de_DE":"Das Schlimmste daran, in einer Arrestzelle festsitzen zu m\u00fcssen, war nicht das Verh\u00f6r, sondern das Warten, bis es zu diesem Punkt kam.\n\nNicht, dass ich ein abgebr\u00fchter Krimineller oder so etwas w\u00e4re, nur ein bisschen ein wildes Kind, das vor ein paar Jahren f\u00fcr kurze Zeit in der falschen Menge war. Das Rennen schwebt durch den Basar, streicht das Gel\u00e4nder im Casino mit einem milden halluzinogenen Kontakt, l\u00e4sst eine Packung Lamas in eine Advocacy-Konvention spucken, diese Art von Sache.\n\nMeine Geschichte war wahrscheinlich einer der Gr\u00fcnde, warum mein Vater zugestimmt hatte, mich in den Kurierdienst aufzunehmen. Er sagte, ich hatte nur Dampf zum Verbrennen, oder vielleicht ein wenig Wut, dass Mama gestorben war.\nEr lag auf beiden Seiten falsch. Einfache Langeweile, das ist alles, was es war. Das und eine Erkenntnis, geboren an einem Tag, an dem ich in einer Arrestzelle sa\u00df, genau wie diese, f\u00fcr einen unserer kleinen Streiche, dass das Sitzen im Gef\u00e4ngnis und das Arbeiten in der Familienbar genau dasselbe waren.\n\nZumindest in der Bar konnte ich mir die Zeit vertreiben, um die G\u00e4ste zu studieren.\n\nDie Arrestzelle war etwa so charakterlos wie der Weltraum, mit einem kl\u00e4glich harten Stuhl als einzigem M\u00f6bel. Sie wollten mich weich machen, was mich so gelangweilt machte, dass ich bereit w\u00e4re, meine Geheimnisse freiwillig an sie weiterzugeben. Die Tatsache, dass dies bei einigen Kriminellen tats\u00e4chlich funktioniert hat, hat mich um den Verstand gebracht. Wie konnten sie nur so dumm sein?\n\nAber ich hatte keinen Grund zur Sorge. Ich hatte nichts Falsches getan. Ich w\u00fcnschte nur, jemand w\u00fcrde reinkommen, damit ich ihnen das sagen kann.\n\nNach etwa drei Stunden betrat eine Frau die Zelle. Sie war \u00e4lter, mokkafarben, und strenge Linien um ihre Augen und ihren Mund. Sie war einmal sch\u00f6n gewesen, aber jetzt waren diese Blicke hinter dem Dienst und einer frisch gepflegten Sicherheitsuniform unterdr\u00fcckt worden. Nicht einmal ein dunkles Haar ihres Milit\u00e4rschnittes war fehl am Platz.\n\n\"Sorri Lyrax?\"\n\nIch nickte mit d\u00fcnner Lippe.\n\n\"Ich bin Captain Hennessy. Ich bin f\u00fcr diese Einrichtung verantwortlich. Es tut mir leid wegen des Wartens, aber ich war die Stra\u00dfe runter, auf dem Planeten\", sagte sie.\n\nDer verschlafene \u00c4rger war schlicht wie eine Pfeife auf ihrem Gesicht. Sie hatten sie aus ihrer Freizeit gest\u00f6rt.\n\n\"Es tut mir leid, dass du gest\u00f6rt wurdest\", sagte ich und meinte es ernst. \"Aber kannst du mir sagen, warum ich festgehalten werde? Niemand hat etwas gesagt, und w\u00e4hrend ich noch viel Zeit habe, um meine Kurierlieferung zu machen, bekomme ich einen Bonus f\u00fcr die Geschwindigkeit. Wenn du eine Nachricht brauchst, ist nichts schneller als FTL!\"\n\nIch sagte den letzten Teil, das Firmenmotto, mit einer kleinen singenden Stimme, die ein winziges L\u00e4cheln an der Ecke von Captain Hennessy's Lippen zerbrach. Es verschwand so schnell, wie es erschien.\n\n\" Ein Kurier, was? Das hat mir niemand gesagt\", sagte sie und blickte jetzt finster. Sie stand einen Moment lang da, die Arme verschr\u00e4nkt, biss sich auf die Unterlippe und dachte nach.\n\n\"Nichts geht \u00fcber eine B\u00fcrokratie, um die Arbeit aufzubessern\", bot ich an.\n\nSie legte ihre H\u00e4nde auf ihre H\u00fcften. \"Das ist meine B\u00fcrokratie, von der du da redest.\"\n\nIch schluckte und zwickte mir das Bein. Das war ein dummer Zug.\n\n\"Schau\", sagte sie, \"Ich will zur\u00fcck auf den Planeten, aber etwas auf deinem MobiGlas hat unsere neuen Sensoren ausgel\u00f6st. Und wir m\u00f6gen es auch nicht, wenn Menschen unsere Sicherheitsbereiche aufzeichnen. Wir haben einen Kameraknopf an deinem Rucksack gefunden.\"\n\nIch lie\u00df einen Schrei \u00dcberraschung los. \"Oh, das hatte ich vergessen. Es ist meine erste Reise f\u00fcr die Firma und meine erste Reise vom Planeten. Ich dachte, ich w\u00fcrde alles aufnehmen. Du wei\u00dft schon, weil....\"\n\nIch hob eine Schulter in einem teilweisen Achselzucken an. Captain Hennessy meckerte in ihrem Hals.\n\n\"Was die Akte betrifft, so nehme ich an, dass das meine Lieferung ist\", sagte ich.\n\nDer Captain zog ihr MobiGlas heraus und begann, einige Informationen zu \u00fcberpr\u00fcfen. Die ganze Zeit biss sie sich auf ihre Unterlippe und seufzte. Ich konnte sie praktisch sp\u00fcren, wie sie \u00fcber ihre Schulter zur\u00fcckblickte, als ob sie sehen k\u00f6nnte, an welchem Ort sie gerade Urlaub machte.\n\nAls der Captain mich wieder runzelte, wusste ich, dass ich in Schwierigkeiten war. Sie wollte vielleicht wieder zu ihrer Freizeit zur\u00fcckkehren, aber ich konnte auch sehen, wie knackig ihre Uniform war, selbst bei dieser kurzen Zeit. Sie war eine Frau der Pflicht und Verantwortung.\n\n\"Die Gesamtgr\u00f6\u00dfe der Dateien auf Ihrem Ger\u00e4t \u00fcbersteigt bei weitem das, was FTL f\u00fcr Ihre Sicherheitsfreigabe genehmigt hat\", sagte sie und tippte mit dem Finger auf den Bildschirm, w\u00e4hrend sie sprach. \"Als nassnasiger Kurier solltest du nur Rezepte f\u00fcr Lammbraten und vielleicht einen Fahrradabdruck mitnehmen k\u00f6nnen. Diese Art von Dateigr\u00f6\u00dfe ist normalerweise nur bei gro\u00dfen Industrieprojekten oder komplexen Systemen zu sehen. Die ganze verdammte Physik.\"\n\nAls ich meinen Mund \u00f6ffnete, plante ich, Captain Hennessy zu sagen, dass er das FTL-Hauptquartier auf Castra II kontaktieren soll. Sie w\u00fcrden es f\u00fcr mich aufkl\u00e4ren.\n\nAber ich z\u00f6gerte.\n\nAus zwei Gr\u00fcnden.\n\nDas erste war, dass es wahrscheinlich Tage dauern w\u00fcrde, bis die Firma zu Captain Hennessy zur\u00fcckkehren konnte. Nicht nur, dass ich die Zeit in einer Arrestzelle wie dieser verbringen m\u00fcsste, ich w\u00fcrde auch meinen Liefertermin verpassen.\n\nDie zweite war weniger sicher, mehr Spekulationen. Ger\u00fcchte sogar. W\u00e4hrend der wenigen Wochen des Trainings und der Orientierung, die wir erhielten, vor allem \u00fcber die Feinheiten des interstellaren Reisens und einer erb\u00e4rmlich schwachen Selbstverteidigungsklasse, wurde eine Anekdote \u00fcber unsere bevorstehenden ersten Lieferungen verbreitet.\n\nEs wurde gesagt, dass das Unternehmen normalerweise zum ersten Mal neue Kuriere auf eine gef\u00e4lschte Mission schickte, oder \"Lead Sled\" in der Firmensprache. Eine M\u00f6glichkeit, Loyalit\u00e4t und F\u00e4higkeiten zu best\u00e4tigen. Einige Leute sagten sogar, dass sie mit Hilfe von Schauspielern und echten Beamten Hindernisse in den Weg gestellt h\u00e4tten, um zu sehen, wie der neue Kurier reagieren w\u00fcrde.\n\nAlso schloss ich meinen Mund und rekalibrierte meine Antwort, zuerst r\u00e4usperte ich mich, um meiner Versp\u00e4tung Glauben zu schenken.\n\n\"Ich bin sicher, es ist ein Fehler irgendeiner Art\", sagte ich. \"Vielleicht wollten sie es einem anderen Kurier geben, oder sie haben meinen Sicherheitsstatus nicht erkannt.\"\n\nCaptain Hennessy fasste ihre H\u00e4nde vorne an. \"Oder sie dachten, sie k\u00f6nnten diese illegalen Akten an meiner Station vorbeibringen. Oder vielleicht arbeiten Sie f\u00fcr jemand anderen und sind nur diesem Dienst beigetreten, um die Sicherheitsfreigabe zu nutzen, die er Ihnen gegeben hat. Wir haben gerade erst diesen neuen Detektor installiert, so dass niemand davon gewusst h\u00e4tte.\"\n\nTrotz meiner Unschuld f\u00fchlte ich mich schuldig. Haupts\u00e4chlich, weil ich wusste, wie es aussah, und es sah nicht gut aus.\n\nIch war im Begriff, in den \"Little Girl Mode\" zu wechseln, einen Trick, den ich mehr als einmal auf Castra II zu meinem Vorteil genutzt hatte. Ich war nur 45 Kilo schwer, wenn ich eine gro\u00dfe Mahlzeit gegessen h\u00e4tte und zierliche, elfenhafte Ohren h\u00e4tte. Mein Vater behauptete gerne, dass meine Mutter, Abigail, wirklich eine Feenk\u00f6nigin sei, die er dem Fey gestohlen hatte, und dass sie nicht wirklich gestorben sei, nur nach Hause zur\u00fcckgekehrt sei. Es war eine sch\u00f6ne L\u00fcge, und eine, die ich mir mehr als einmal erz\u00e4hlt hatte.\n\nAber dann sah ich zu Captain Hennessy auf. Ich sah sie wirklich an. Ich hatte ihren Typ in der Bar gesehen. Einmal, als sie j\u00fcnger war, hatte ihr die Pflicht einen festen Halt in einem br\u00f6ckelnden Lebensstil gegeben. Vielleicht hatte sie einen missbr\u00e4uchlichen Vater oder eine schlechte Ehe gehabt, aber der Sicherheitsdienst hatte ihr einen Weg gegeben, einen Teil ihres Lebens zu kontrollieren.\n\nIch wusste nicht, ob es funktionieren w\u00fcrde, aber ich musste ein Risiko eingehen. Ich lasse meine Schultern fallen und das Kinn auf meine Brust sinken.\n\n\"Es spielt keine Rolle\", sagte ich und lie\u00df die Worte aus meinen Lippen tropfen. \"Selbst wenn es ein Fehler ist, werde ich meine Lieferung verpassen und sie werden mich feuern. Es ist genau so, wie mein Vater sagte, dass ich es irgendwie vermasseln w\u00fcrde. Jetzt muss ich dorthin zur\u00fcckkehren.\"\n\nAls ich einen kurzen Blick nach oben wagte, sah ich Captain Hennessy zucken, wenn auch nur f\u00fcr einen Moment. Es half, dass das meiste von dem, was ich sagte, wahr war. Ich wollte nicht zur\u00fcckgehen. Und mein Vater hatte gesagt, dass ich es vermasseln w\u00fcrde.\n\nAber etwas aus der Vergangenheit des Captains wurde durch mein Eingest\u00e4ndnis ausgel\u00f6st. Ihre Stirn war so eng wie eine Trommel, fast ein \u00dcberhang von angespannten Muskeln, dass ihre Augen im Schatten ertranken. Sie dr\u00fcckte ihre Lippen so fest, dass sie blass wie eine Leiche waren.\n\nIch legte meine Stirn auf meine Handfl\u00e4chen und wartete. Captain Hennessy klopfte mit Gewalt auf ihr MobiGlas und seufzte zwischen jedem f\u00fcnften Schlag. Sie murmelte etwas \u00fcber einen Strand und bekam nie eine Auszeit unter ihrem Atem.\n\n\"Sorri\", sagte sie zu mir, mehr ein Befehl als eine Frage.\n\nIch sah sie mit nach oben geneigten Augen an. \"Ja, Ma'am?\"\n\n\"Die Menge an Papierkram, die ein versuchter Sicherheitsversto\u00df wie dieser verursacht, ist ersch\u00fctternd\", sagte der Kapit\u00e4n, Finger auf ihrem MobiGlas.\n\nMein Magen machte einen R\u00fcckw\u00e4rtssalto. Ich konnte bereits h\u00f6ren, wie mein Vater mich \u00fcber meine Dummheit belehrte, als ich nach Hause zur\u00fcckkehren musste.\n\n\"Und der Einzige, der diese Art von Unsinn billigen kann, bin ich\", fuhr sie fort. \"Aber das Wenige, was ich an dir finden kann, sch\u00fcttelte sie den Kopf, als ob sie nicht glauben k\u00f6nnte, dass sie es sagte,\".... und ich habe fast ein Jahr auf diese Auszeit gewartet. Wenn ich mich damit befassen muss, werde ich die ganze verdammte Sache verpassen.\"\n\nIch hielt den Atem an, w\u00e4hrend sie blinzelte und einen kurzen internen Krieg mit sich selbst f\u00fchrte. Ich wusste, dass ich noch nicht au\u00dfer Gefahr bin.\n\nSchlie\u00dflich kam sie zu ihrem Schluss, und ich konnte erkennen, dass es das St\u00fcck des Puzzles war, das die Entscheidung in meine Richtung lenkte.\n\n\"Und ich wei\u00df eine Kleinigkeit \u00fcber ein junges M\u00e4dchen, das nicht nach Hause zur\u00fcckkehren will. Also werde ich diesen Bruch aus dem System entfernen und dich den Planeten runtergehen lassen.\"\n\n\"Danke, Captain Hennessy\", sagte ich, als die Erleichterung durch meine Glieder str\u00f6mte.\n\n\"Jetzt muss ich gehen\", sagte sie, ein unerwartetes L\u00e4cheln auf den Lippen. \"Aber ich will dich nie wieder sehen, oder?\"\n\nIch nickte begeistert.\n\nNachdem der Captain gegangen war, kam einer der Sicherheitsbeamten mit meinen Sachen rein. Er sch\u00fcttelte die ganze Zeit den Kopf, als h\u00e4tte er gerade Geister oder einen sprechenden Hund gesehen.\n\nDie Shuttlefahrt nach unten war kurz und erschreckend. \u00dcber Neu-Alexandria hatte sich eine Wolkenschicht gebildet, so dass es auf dem Weg nach unten nicht einmal eine gute Aussicht gab.\n\nAls wir ankamen, schulterte ich meinen Rucksack an, l\u00f6ste die Remote-Kamera wieder aus und machte mich auf den Weg zu den Ausg\u00e4ngen am Starthafen, wich um die Menge herum und hielt Ausschau nach Schildern. Meine Beine waren immer noch nerv\u00f6s von dem Verh\u00f6r und der entsetzlichen Fahrt nach unten. Zumindest teilte Oya III eine \u00e4hnliche Schwerkraft mit Castra II. Ich war stark f\u00fcr meine Gr\u00f6\u00dfe und als M\u00e4dchen, aber der Aufenthalt in der Sicherheit hatte mich vor Hunger schwach gemacht.\n\nDas erste, was ich vorhatte, war, einen Imbissstand in den Basaren um New Alexandria zu finden. Als der Starhafen gebaut worden war, waren die Arbeiter, die f\u00fcr die Arbeit gekommen waren, in den Lagern geblieben, und schlie\u00dflich wurden diese Lager zu einem Ring von Neubauten und Barackensiedlungen. Der wahre Reichtum der Stadt lebte weiter s\u00fcdlich, aber ich w\u00fcrde nach Norden zur WillsOp Corp. gehen.\n\nNeu-Alexandria war bekannt f\u00fcr seine gew\u00fcrzten Lammkabobs, und ich schwor, dass ich einige riechen konnte. Ich stand drau\u00dfen neben den Hovertaxi-Fahrspuren und versuchte mich zu orientieren, benutzte die Kartenfunktionen auf dem von der Firma herausgegebenen MobiGlas, schmeckte fast das scharfe Fleisch, das auf meiner Zunge explodierte, als ich das leise Summen eines Elektrofahrrades h\u00f6rte.\n\nIch blickte auf und in das Gesicht eines gewaltigen Riesen, der sein Fahrzeug in den Schatten stellte und ihn aussehen lie\u00df, als w\u00fcrde er ein Kinderfahrrad fahren. Sein Haar war salzig schwarz, und sein knuspriges Kinn passte zur Haarfarbe. Er hatte einen \u00fcberw\u00e4ltigenden K\u00f6rpergeruch, der mich dazu brachte, meine Nase zu knittern.\n\nIch dachte, er w\u00fcrde nach dem Weg fragen, als ich die H\u00e4rte in seinen Augen sah. Dann streckte seine kraftvolle, fleischige Hand aus und streichelte das MobiGlas von meinem Griff, und als er wegfuhr, sah er mich an und sagte: Folge mir und stirb.\n\nwird fortgesetzt.....","zh_CN":"The worst part about being stuck in a holding cell wasn\u2019t the interrogation, but the waiting until it got to that point.\n\nNot that I was a hardened criminal or anything, just a bit of a wild child that ran with the wrong crowd for a brief time a few years ago. Racing hovers through the bazaar, painting the hand railing at the casino with a mild contact hallucinogenic, releasing a pack of spitting llamas into an Advocacy convention, that sort of thing.\n\nMy history was probably one of the reasons my father had agreed to let me join the courier service. He said, I just had steam to burn, or maybe a little anger that mom had died.\nHe was wrong on both accounts. Simple boredom, that\u2019s all it was. That and a realization, born from a day when I was sitting in a holding cell just like this one, for one of our petty pranks, that sitting in jail and working in the family bar were just about the same thing.\n\nAt least in the bar, though, I could pass the time studying the patrons.\n\nThe holding cell was about as featureless as deep space, with a miserably hard chair as its only furniture. They wanted to soften me up, making me so bored I\u2019d be willing to spill my secrets to them willingly. The fact that this actually worked on some criminals boggled my mind. How could they be so dumb?\n\nBut I had nothing to worry about. I\u2019d done nothing wrong. I just wish someone would come in so I could tell them that.\n\nAfter about three hours, a woman entered the cell. She was older, mocha skin, and severe lines around her eyes and mouth. She\u2019d been beautiful once, but now those looks had been suppressed behind duty and a crisply-kept security uniform. Not even one dark hair of her military cut was out of place.\n\n\u201cSorri Lyrax?\u201d\n\nI gave a thin lipped nod.\n\n\u201cI\u2019m Captain Hennessy. I\u2019m in charge of this facility. I\u2019m sorry about the wait, but I was down the street, on planet,\u201d she said.\n\nThe sleepy annoyance was plain as a whistle on her face. They\u2019d disturbed her from her off-time.\n\n\u201cI\u2019m sorry you were bothered,\u201d I said, truly meaning it. \u201cBut can you tell me why I\u2019m being held? No one\u2019s said a thing, and while I still have plenty of time to make my courier delivery, I get a bonus for speed. When you need a message delivered, nothing\u2019s faster than FTL!\u201d\n\nI said the last part, the company motto, in a little sing-song voice, which cracked a tiny smile at the corner of Captain Hennessy\u2019s lips. It disappeared as quickly as it appeared.\n\n\u201cA courier, huh? Nobody told me that,\u201d she said, now scowling. She stood there for a moment, arms crossed, biting her lower lip, thinking.\n\n\u201cNothing like a bureaucracy to gum up the works,\u201d I offered.\n\nShe put her hands on her hips. \u201cThat\u2019s my bureaucracy you\u2019re talking about.\u201d\n\nI swallowed and pinched my leg. That was a dumb move.\n\n\u201cLook,\u201d she said, \u201cI want to get back down planet, but something on your MobiGlas triggered our new sensors. And we\u2019re also not fond of people recording our security areas. We found a camera button on your backpack.\u201d\n\nI let out a yip of surprise. \u201cOh, I\u2019d forgotten about that. It\u2019s my first trip for the company, and my first trip off planet. I thought I\u2019d record it all. You know, cause.\u201d\n\nI lifted one shoulder in a partial shrug. Captain Hennessy grumbled in the back of her throat.\n\n\u201cAs for the file, I assume that\u2019s my delivery,\u201d I said.\n\nThe Captain pulled out her MobiGlas and started reviewing some information. The whole time she was biting her lower lip and sighing. I could practically sense her looking back over her shoulder as if she could see whatever location she was vacationing.\n\nWhen the Captain frowned at me again, I knew I was in trouble. She might want to get back to her time off, but I could also see how crisp her uniform was, even on this short notice. She was a woman of duty and responsibility.\n\n\u201cThe total size of the files on your device far exceed what FTL has approved for your level of security clearance,\u201d she said, tapping her finger on the screen as she talked. \u201cAs a wet-nosed courier, you should only be able carry recipes for roast lamb and maybe a bicycle print. This kind of file size is normally only seen with major industrial projects, or complex systems. All that damn physics.\u201d\n\nWhen I opened my mouth, I planned on telling Captain Hennessy to contact FTL headquarters on Castra II. They would clear it up for me.\n\nBut I hesitated.\n\nFor two reasons.\n\nThe first was that it would take probably take days for the company to get back to Captain Hennessy. Not only would I have to spend the time in a holding cell like this one, I\u2019d miss my delivery due date.\n\nThe second was less sure, more speculation. Rumor even. During the few weeks of training and orientation we received, mostly on the intricacies of interstellar travel and a pitifully weak self-defense class, an anecdote got passed around about our upcoming first deliveries.\n\nIt was said that the company usually sent new couriers on a fake mission, or \u201clead sled\u201d in company lingo, for their first go. A way to confirm loyalty and ability. Some people even said they threw obstacles in the way, using actors and real-live officials, to see how the new courier would react.\n\nSo I closed my mouth and recalibrated my answer, first clearing my throat to give credence to my delay.\n\n\u201cI\u2019m sure it\u2019s a mistake of some kind,\u201d I said. \u201cMaybe they meant to give it to a different courier, or they didn\u2019t realize my security status.\u201d\n\nCaptain Hennessy clasped her hands in front. \u201cOr they thought they could slip these illegal files by my station. Or maybe you\u2019re working for someone else and only joined that service to utilize the security clearance it gave you. We only just installed this new detector, so no one would have known about it.\u201d\n\nDespite my innocence, I felt guilty. Mostly because I knew how it looked, and it didn\u2019t look good.\n\nI was about to go into \u2018little girl mode\u2019, a trick I\u2019d used to my advantage more than once back on Castra II. I was only forty-five kilos if I\u2019d eaten a big meal, and had petite, elfin ears. My father liked to claim that my mother, Abigail, was really a faerie queen that he\u2019d stolen away from the fey, and that she hadn\u2019t really died, just gone back home. It was a nice lie, and one I\u2019d told myself more than once.\n\nBut then I looked up at Captain Hennessy. Really looked at her. I\u2019d seen her type in the bar. Once, when she was younger, duty had given her a firm hold on a crumbling lifestyle. Maybe she\u2019d had an abusive father, or a bad marriage, but the security service had given her a way to control part of her life.\n\nI didn\u2019t know if it\u2019d work, but I had to take a chance. I let my shoulders slump and chin dip to my chest.\n\n\u201cIt doesn\u2019t matter,\u201d I said, letting the words dribble out of my lips. \u201cEven if it\u2019s a mistake, I\u2019m still going to miss my delivery and they\u2019ll fire me. It\u2019s just like my dad said, that I\u2019d screw it up somehow. Now I\u2019ll have to go back there.\u201d\n\nWhen I risked a quick glance up, I saw Captain Hennessy flinch, if only for a moment. It helped that most of what I said was true. I didn\u2019t want to go back. And my father had said I\u2019d screw it up.\n\nBut something from the Captain\u2019s past had been triggered by my admission. Her brow was as tight as a drum, almost an overhang of tensed muscles, leaving her eyes drowning in shadow. She was squeezing her lips so tight they were pale as a corpse.\n\nI rested my forehead on my palms, and waited. Captain Hennessy was forcefully tapping on her MobiGlas, and sighing between every fifth tap. She was mumbling something about a beach and never getting any time off under her breath.\n\n\u201cSorri,\u201d she said to me, more of a command than a question.\n\nI looked at her with upward tilted eyes. \u201cYes, ma\u2019am?\u201d\n\n\u201cThe amount of paperwork an attempted security breach like this generates is staggering,\u201d said the captain, finger on her MobiGlas.\n\nMy stomach did a back flip. I could already hear my father lecturing me about my foolishness when I had to return home.\n\n\u201cAnd the only one that can approve that sort of nonsense is me,\u201d she continued. \u201cBut what little I can find on you checks out \u2026\u201d she started shaking her head as if she couldn\u2019t believe she was saying it, \u201c\u2026 and I\u2019ve been waiting nearly a year for this time off. If I have to deal with this, I\u2019ll miss the whole damn thing.\u201d\n\nI held my breath, while she blinked and had a brief internal war with herself. I knew I wasn\u2019t out of danger, yet.\n\nFinally, she came to her conclusion, and I could tell it was the piece of the puzzle that tilted the decision my way.\n\n\u201cAnd I know a little something about a young girl not wanting to return home. So I\u2019m going to clear this breach from the system and let you head down planet.\u201d\n\n\u201cThank you, Captain Hennessy,\u201d I said as the relief flooded through my limbs.\n\n\u201cNow I need to go,\u201d she said, an unexpected smile on her lips. \u201cBut I don\u2019t want to see you again, right?\u201d\n\nI nodded enthusiastically.\n\nAfter the captain left, one of the security agents came in with my stuff. He was shaking his head the whole time as if he\u2019d just seen ghosts or a talking dog.\n\nThe shuttle ride down was brief and terrifying. A cloud layer had formed over New Alexandria, so there wasn\u2019t even a good view on the way down.\n\nWhen we arrived, I shouldered my backpack on, triggered the remote camera again, and headed for the exits at the starport, dodging around the crowds and keeping watch for signs. My legs were still jittery from the interrogation and the harrowing ride down. At least, Oya III shared a similar gravity with Castra II. I was strong for my size, and being a girl, but the layover in security had left me weak with hunger.\n\nThe first thing I planned to do was find a food stall in the bazaars built up around New Alexandria. When the starport had been built, the workers that\u2019d come for the work had stayed in the camps, and eventually those camps became a ring of new constructions and shanty towns. The real wealth of the city lived further south, but I\u2019d be going north to the WillsOp Corp installation.\n\nNew Alexandria was known for its spiced lamb kabobs, and I swore I could smell some. I was standing outside next to the hovertaxi lanes trying to get my bearings, using the map functions on the company-issued MobiGlas, almost tasting the hot spicy meat exploding onto my tongue, when I heard the quiet hum of an electrocycle pull aside.\n\nI glanced up and into the face of a towering behemoth, who dwarfed his vehicle, making him look like he was riding a child\u2019s bike. His hair was salty black, and his gristled chin matched the coloring of the hair. He had an overpowering body odor that made me wrinkle my nose.\n\nI thought he was about to ask for directions when I saw the hardness in his eyes. Then his powerful, meaty hand reached out and swiped the MobiGlas from my grip, and as he drove away he gave me a look that said: follow me and die.\n\nto be continued \u2026"},"links_count":0,"comment_count":74,"created_at":"2014-04-24T00:00:00+00:00","created_at_human":"12 years ago"},"meta":{"processed_at":"2026-05-09 03:06:53","valid_relations":["images","links"],"prev_id":13825,"next_id":13827}}