I make it to the bridge of the ship. It is a large platform, far bigger than any i have seen in my life. This area is exposed to the outside, but plenty of protections exist. First is the barrier around the Solar Sail. Essentially, it is a giant bubble that protects the ships from outside elements and provides an artificial atmosphere. An energy barrier is normally inscribed with magical writing that infuses protection spells into the shield. This is the layer Crane and Crimson are trying to break into.

  The next is the Helm’s Home, an elevated area on the bridge. This is the section where everyone in charge of operating the ship's main functions is located. Organized in a grid system are computers and screens, each in charge of a particular function on the ship. In the center is the captain's chair. A large adjustable chair can rocket up so the captain can see the full ship and move where needed.

  In front of the ship floating in the air is the helm. It is a large wheel that is smooth and glows with the rune inscribed on it. It is a float so that the captain can steer the ship wherever they are, and they can even choose to toss it to anyone on the ship who may be a more skilled pilot. Surrounding this area is a second barrier, one far more powerful than the outer because it only protects the Helm Home.

  As I approach the stairs, I hear Emanuel call out to me.

  “Catch.” A small objects are flung from the Helm Home to me. I stretch my arms out, catching them, knowing what they are before they touch my slime. This is a special HH pass. They are small bracelets that we would wear so that we don’t slam our faces or get electrocuted by the barrier. I let mine float in my body as all that matters is that its on me.

  I walk to the HH and find Emanuel busy in the captain’s chairand feeded picking at his pass that is wrapped around him like a belt. Screens and keyboards made of light float around him as his eyes jump around. He presses one key on the floating keyboards, and another key on one of the consols is pressed in the same spot. Right then, I can see the lights on the bridge turn on. He presses a few keys on another keyboard and presses different console. I feel the soft breeze fill the bridge as the artificial atmosphere activates.

  “How long until take off?” I ask, rushing to a console.

  “I need a few more minutes,” Emanuel says, not breaking concentration from the screens. "From that console, you should be able to check on grocery upload.”

  “Looks like we only got forty-five percent done before they stopped it. I think that should last us until we get out of this rock and far from Crane.”

  “Okay, the engines are warming up. Once they are ready, we can open the roof and get out of here.”

  A screen on my console flashes small red dots. It's the ship's radar. The center white dot is us, with the tiny dots being Crane, Crimson, and his men surrounding the ship. There is a larger yellow dot beside them, and it is the vehicle with a circular saw with magic light infused in its blades. With every passing second, that saw is chipping away at our barrier. That isn’t the worst news.

  Zooming out, I can see the outline of the hangar as the ship systems recognize where we are. Outside the hanger is an armada of yellow and red dots. Multitudes of what I expect as vehicles outfitted with cannons or, more like, the docks, Runaway Catchers. These are vehicles equipped with harpoons attached to a thick metal rope. These catch any ship that tries to skip town without paying their docking fees. The second we fly out of this hangar, we are doomed.

  The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

  Right then, we see a red light flash on the screen. A transmission is forcing its way through our system. It picks up, and Crane's grin appears on our screen.

  “Your next part of the plan will fail,” Crane says. I look over at Emanuel. He stares at the screen, and I can feel his anger rise. He opens his mouth to speak, but nothing comes out. I look down at my keyboard. The keys jiggle as if shaking fingers lay on them.

  "You say your god. If I pray for you to giver up eaisly, would you?"

  “Of course you say that,” I respond. “You don't know that for certain, a prayer. Well, guess what? I don’t care for the prayers of evil people.”

  “Evil? I don't care for that title.” Crane says, rolling his eyes.

  I hear clicking and look down. I see my keys being pressed slowly. One by one, i read them. K-E-E-P-H-I-M-T-A-L-K-I-N-G.

  “It fits you so well,” I say, chuckling at him.

  “Evil is such a singular moralistic view of it. What you see as evil, I see as business. Am I evil if I am following the path of success? The system we live in has paved the way for us.”

  “You murdered an innocent family.”

  “Whose business ran smaller business off this rock.” Emanuel stops typing when he hears Crane say that. He is still for a second but then continues.

  “They didn’t do that knowingly.”

  “And you know that for certain?” Crane throws back at me. “ Is that what the boy told you. One who probably didn’t even know that was happening. Isn’t his family evil for stopping growth in their community, or does intention make a difference? Are they fine since they didn’t mean to bring those families to poverty? Since I intended to end their reign, I’m evil. As a supposed god, knowing which is which isn’t your job. In your eyes, who was wrong.”

  The clicks of Emanuel’s keys stop. I move my eye to the back of my shoulder, hoping he doesn’t see me peaking. Emanuel is facing the keyboard; he doesn’t dare look at me.

  “I won’t pretend to know their intentions,” I start to say. "If their actions harmed others, that is their burden to bare, intentional or not. All I do know is that they raised a great kid.”

  The typing resumes as Emanuel shouts at the screen.

  “Listen here, Crane. I hate you.”

  “I don't care.” He says without giving a second thought.

  “It’s not Cid’s job to judge my parents. It’s my responsibility to deal with their mistakes. I don’t know if that makes them evil, but everyone on this rock hates you. You reap what you sow, and the pain you caused us all will return for you.”

  A metal screeches above us as the rust is shaken off the opening hangar ceiling. Light pears into the dark room, shining down on our ship.

  “Now, if you don’t mind,” Emanuel says. “We're leaving?” A tsunami of dust and air pushes everyone in the hangar back as the ships begin to levitates, and the runs on the haul light up. The thrusters in the back hack and cough as they are finally awake for the first time in too long.

  My eyes look toward the radar. Something strange is happening.

  The yellow and red dots surrounding the hanger are moving. They are coming closer but instead moving away. Some drive away, heading toward the exit, and others head toward the center. I zoom out more on the radar and notice a large amount of dots congregate at the center or flee. From inside the hangar, I can hear cannons firing, people yelling, and vehicles driving away.

  Emanuel turns to me. “What's happening?” He asks.

  Then I feel it again, the eyes watching me. The sensation of a familiar haunting energy hunting me down is close. It took me so long to remember where I felt them before. I see two moons approaching us. Bristles that are a graveyard of ships. Fins and a back filled with comets and meteors that dared cross its path. The end of any vessel's journey and the one that is rumored to be able to eat a planet.

  Heading toward the rock is a Cosmic Swaller.