Purple Aurora: Chapter 1

A Lost In Space

“Patrick,” Sam whispered. Patrick isn’t responding. “Patrick!” he’s whispering louder.
“Ssshhh, be quiet!” Patrick put his finger in his lips without looking back. “Do you want that man catch us and beat us to death?”
“But this is such a dangerous thing to do!” Sam complained, but immediately toned down his voice after Patrick face him with wide eyes. “I mean, c’mon buddy, you can buy another same necklace in the Stovic’s market. The merchant from Toroia will comes replenish the market’s supply tomorrow.”
“Sam, we’ve already through this,” Patrick sighs and turned around, “That’s my mother’s only gift for me,” he paused, “and I can’t risk to lose it. And I guess Samoria necklace from planet Toroia doesn’t come with my mother’s face pre-installed in it, right?”
“Yeah, but I bet she doesn’t want us to be captured and beaten to death for stealing from the Ceres. They’re one of the baddest pirates out there, remember? — Hide!” Sam grab Patrick’s collar and push him to the ground. “They’re coming.”

Patrick is hearing footstep behind the box they’re hiding. The sound of boots clanging with the thin metal floor is echoing, nearer over time. Patrick could hear the sound of men talking to each other.

“Is this freight ship ready to start goods transport to Alabama?” one man, with a deep voice, talked.
“Yes sir. The interplanetary drive has already been rechecked. Once we lift off, we can arrive at planet Alabama in approximately 1 hour.” another man, with higher voice, answered.
“Then, all my goods is ready to be carried as our contract stated?”
“All the goods have already been packed, except a few boxes around here. It will be done shortly in a few minutes.”
“Good. Enough talking. Get your men ready to work.”

Patrick and Sam staring at each other with sudden fear. Sam grabbed Patrick’s arm and pull him to a stack of boxes as some men suddenly came and lift the box they’re previously hiding behind. Patrick then peeking from the middle between the box stacks. He see a big beard man with a robe, looks like a high position man in an army, and a smaller lean man wearing a white-blue tight space suit.

“I don’t see my necklace.” he said.
“Of course you won’t see it,” Sam rolling his eyes. “It probably packed with all other goods within those boxes. Why would you think he will treat that necklace special and bring it personally with him?”
Patrick doesn’t reply. He still watching over. “Hey, I recognize those symbols in his robe,” he suddenly whisper. “That blue circle with a red dot belongs to the captains of the Ceres’ fleet. I remember see that on most wanted posters in our city.”
“Okay okay, now get down. We have to think a very brilliant way to escape ourselves from this den of evil, or we will become tonight’s dinner instead.” Sam is grabbing Patrick’s cloth to bring him down.

“Oh, and I guess this is yours,” the smaller man talking.
“What? What is this… oh just a necklace. I never wear a necklace.” the bigger man replied. Patrick immediately got up and peeking again. The bigger man seems to receive the necklace from the other man.
“Well, more looting is better. This is a Samoria necklace. I bet it can worth thousands of credits in the antique black market.”
“Hey… hey hey Sam, I think that’s my mother’s necklace!” Patrick tries to poke Sam, but he felt his hand suddenly brush against something and…

BRANG!

“Who’s there?” Those men immediately face to stack of boxes where Patrick and Sam is hiding, whose gasping fearfully while watching the shards of bottle that just broken.
“Come out you punk, I know you’re in there,” the smaller man is drawing a shock gun. Patrick is grabbing another empty bottle in terror, while the man’s shadow is moving near. He’s ready to hit the bottle to the man’s face, when suddenly a squeak is heard.

“Oh, it’s just a rat.” a voice is heard in relieved, and a gun is heard put back into its slot. Patrick turned his face, just to see Sam with a wide smile with a hand in the floor. Patrick follows Sam’s hand direction, to see a rat walking around. Sam blink his eye to Patrick, which replied quietly with relieved look.
“Okay, enough messing around. Just finish your job already.” the bigger man shout.

Patrick looks at Sam, and they immediately run behind the freighter near them, where the boxes is being loaded.
“Marian,” suddenly Patrick hears a very familiar name in his ears. He stopped running, and peeking from the bottom of the freighter. He sees the bigger man has already open the locket of the necklace. “Where did you get this?” he inquiry the smaller man.
“I don’t know,” he answers. “Your staff found it near your warship just before you all take off after doing your ‘business’ in New Memphis.”

Patrick hold his breath. “That’s my necklace! I knew it! It truly then was lost when I run from their chase. And.. and when one of those people found it and bring them into the warship, I knew I wouldn’t have any second chance to see that necklace again if we don’t sneak around and get into the warship when they didn’t notice it…”
“And what do we gain from all of this?” Sam cuts Patrick’s rambling. “Our lives is in danger now!”
“Don’t worry, I’ll get us out of here.” Patrick whisper back. “But I still curious, how in the galaxy that man knows my mother’s first name?”
“It doesn’t really matter. What matter’s now is how we get out from this planet back home. My parents will be really worried.” Sam insists.
“You can say that because you still have parents, Sam!” Patrick almost yelling at Sam, when he’s immediately realize the situation and quickly added, “don’t worry, I’ll make sure we get out of here safely.”

“Close the back hatch!” suddenly a voice heard.
“Quick, jump into the closing hatch,” Patrick grab Sam’s arm and together they jumped before the hatch closed.
“But this ship is going to planet Alabama!” Sam cried, but his voice is lost in the middle of the engine sound.
“Like I say, don’t worry, there’s much regular planetary transport from Alabama to New Memphis… wait, why they’re still talking outside?”

Patrick is hearing people conversation. He’s moving closer to the now near closing hatch to hear what conversation it’s all about.
“Oh, you’re not coming to Alabama?”
“No, I.. uh.. need to take care of something in New Memphis first.”
“I see, then we’ll get the warship ready to depart…”
“No need the ruckus, just prepare me a P-ship.”
“But that means you’re going alone…”
“Don’t worry, I’m a captain of a pirate ship, remember? I can take care of myself.”
“But sir…”
“An order is an order. Do it now!”
“Y… Yes sir!”

BLAM! The hatch is fully closed.

“Noooo!!” Patrick cried out banging the back hatch in vain as the ship moved into a release chamber, and embarks to Alabama.

Next: Purple Aurora: Chapter 2