The Orion Incident
by Clyde Andrews
part 1 of 2
“There, I’ve finished the pre-flight checks,” Reg Conway snapped at the stewardess. “Now get out and get back to work, will you? We have a schedule to keep — and I always keep it.”
She did not answer. She just left him to himself in the pilot’s cabin of the tourist cruiser, the spaceship Orion.
The Orion departed the Canberra Space Port on time, upon Reg’s insistence. He had never been late off the pad, and he certainly did not intend to start now. Any late passengers were left behind. Besides, it was their fault as far as he was concerned. Just their bad luck.
Reg liked to run his ship with military efficiency, no matter what Control said. The Orion was carrying 250 passengers bound for Luna base, site A. It was supposed to have 275 on board.
Reg smiled again, revealing all his perfect white teeth. He then lit a cigar, puffing frantically on it to get it lit: thick grey smoke soon surrounding him. He liked to light one on every successful take-off. Suffice it to say he smoked a hell of a lot of them. This was his ship, and on his ship he did as he pleased.
After the last of the solid fuel boosters had been expelled, Reg pressed a few buttons, twisted a few dials, and then sat back and let the ship coast until it needed a course correction. Placing his feet on a well worn part of the console, he finalised his reward to himself.
They were now in space. Once out of the atmosphere he had plenty of spare time, and his mind quickly wandered to more important and pleasant thoughts: off-loading the passengers, so he could get paid. Then, with a wallet full of money he could hit the town and maybe pick up a girl or two. He deserved it. He was the one that wore the Captain’s jacket, after all. He was the one that did all the hard work around here. He was responsible for all the lives on board. He chuckled to himself as he reclined in his captain’s chair. Life was good.
He stabbed the intercom button and barked, “Judy, bring me the local newspaper. I have some spare time in here. Oh, and, Judy, damn well hurry up about it, clear?”
There was an audible sigh, then: “Yes, Captain.”
“Judy, about ten minutes after that, you have my supper ready for me, you hear me?”
There was no reply. Judy knew exactly what he wanted, and how he wanted it; two pieces of toast, lightly browned, lightly buttered, and an egg sunny-side up on each. All served with a large, black, sugar-loaded coffee.
Nearly half an hour had passed when Reg decided to see what the delay was. He was fuming, especially seeing as he was running out of time before he had to start the landing checks. It was unusual for Judy to be so slow, normally she was very efficient. Reg wondered what the delay was all about. His eyebrows knitted together as he reached for the intercom button.
He pressed the button once more and barked into it, “JUDY!” There was no reply, only static.
“JUDY!” he repeated, this time letting his feet fall to the floor. He was now sitting upright in his chair. Something he did not want to be doing at this time. He’d make Judy’s life hell for letting his pleasure time slide by, that was certain.
Finally the intercom crackled and a voice that was not quite male and not quite female said: “Captain, do not be alarmed... your ship has just been taken over.” It spoke with a disturbing calmness.
That alone worried Reg more than anything. If there was one thing worse than a hijacker, it was a hijacker that was cool and calm about it. That, to Reg, could only mean one thing: this operation was well planned. Lives were definitely in danger — especially his life.
“I suggest you stay in your cabin if you do not want me to hurt people: including your cabin crew.”
Reg remained silent. He did not want them to know he was seething like a hot spring inside. In fact he was so mad he forgot about his relaxation time, buttoned up his shirt and decided to concentrate on how he was going to get out of this to save his skin. If he saved some passengers in the process than that would be a bonus. He grimaced. He hated this.
Just then, in a sudden flash of inspiration, Reg remembered the escape hole he insisted be installed in the cabin when the Orion was commissioned. Those that questioned him about it soon changed their minds: they were met by the flesh and bone of his right hook. Reg smiled to himself. He’d sit tight until this thing blew over.
Before he implemented his plan he used the intercom once more. “Um, to whoever it is out there hijacking my ship, please know that I will do anything required to see that the safety of all passengers and crew is upheld... Do you hear me?” Reg said calmly, lying through his teeth. He had to give the outward appearance that he cared. He smiled again as his thoughts wandered back to the escape hole.
“We hear you, Captain,” the smooth voice replied. “Just submit to my wishes and transfer all controls of the Orion to the engine room console, and I will leave you in peace.”
“Sure thing,” Reg said doing as instructed, although he added in a safety code into the transfer, so that he could gain back control easily without being detected if need be.
“Thank you, Captain. I will not need you any further... please remain in your cabin.”
As soon as Reg was sure that the hijacker had finished its discourse with him he bolted for the escape hole. Once inside, however, he received a surprise that nearly stopped his heart. He bumped into Judy.
“What the?” he winced, holding his head, which was pounding from bumping into Judy’s bony body. “Judy, how the hell did you know about this place?”
“Reg — I mean, Captain, you are not the only one that knows all the nooks and crannies of the Orion. I come here quite a lot to get away from... things... Work-related things.”
Reg curled up his lip to form a scowl, not that Judy could see. It was pitch black in the hole. He knew what Judy was talking about. But other matters, more important matters required his immediate attention. “Do you know who they are?”
“Not by name if that’s what you mean.”
“No, I did not mean that. I mean... you know what the hell I mean, woman. Just answer the question and don’t be smart.”
Now it was Judy’s turn to scowl. “And if I don’t tell you, what you gonna do, make me bring you your breakfast!”
“You’re pushing your luck, woman,” Reg said between his teeth. “I’ll think of something worse than that, so help you, if you don’t answer my question.”
“Oh, God no, you’re not going to make me feed you, too, are you?” she said with a gleeful snicker. Judy could sense the anger radiating from her boss even in the dark confined space of the escape hole. She knew she had hit on a nerve, and that pleased her.
“Judy... please.”
“That’s better. Some manners at last,” she said. “I think it’s a Cassiopeian, but I’m not one hundred percent sure on that: it’s not every day you see one of those.”
“Mmm, that explains the cool head. Those things could recite the bible even with their arses on fire. Good work, Judy. What else did you notice?”
“Nothin’ I didn’t have time. What do you think? I’m not going to stand around giving interviews while the ship was being taken over, am I?”
“All right, all right, don’t get all emotional. I just wanted to know how many of them there were, that’s all.”
“Oh, just one. That much I know.”
“Damn, that many. One Cassiopeian is far more trouble than you’d want to imagine, that’s for sure —”
“Why? And how do you know?”
“I spent some time in the early days running freight to their home world. One Cassiopeian is a tough customer, get two and they become passive — something about mating symbiotically for life or something — and when separated become... agitated... so it goes.”
“Oh, shit! Reg — I mean, Cap—”
Reg cut her off. “Just call me, Reg. Well, it will save some time for now.”
Judy ignored him, then continued, “That was what the Cassiopeian meant. It was missing its partner. I think, correct me if I’m wrong, but you took off in such a hurry that his, or her, or whatever it is they mate with, was left behind,” Judy snapped. “Oh, you’ve really done it now, Reg. You and your strict schedule. Damn you, now we’re in trouble...”
Judy trailed off, for there was a noise that distracted them: a loud bang. Their thoughts immediately turned to the horrible prospect of gun-fire.
Reg broke the silence that followed the noise. “Now, Judy, don’t get all uptight. We just sit tight and figure this thing out, nice and calm like. It may not be what we think it is anyway.”
“Oh, don’t be so naive. It may be exactly what we think it is. Reg, we have to do something. That Cassiopeian is going to kill everyone on board, then tear this ship apart, just to get back to its partner. You know that, Reg, you’ve seen how they behave. So stop thinking about yourself and do something.”
“I was thinking about you, Judy.”
“Like hell you were. You were thinking of losing your personal slave, that’s what,” she said. “Just do something, Reg. I mean it... or... or —”
“Or you’ll what?”
“Never mind.”
Reg chose not to inflame Judy any more than she already was. She sounded like she was about to explode. That was all he needed, his ship hijacked by a pissed-off Cassiopeian, and one angry head stewardess right here next to him.
He just said quietly, “I’ll do something, don’t worry.”
“You’d better. I know you, Reg, all you want to do is make sure that sorry arse of yours is all safe and sound. Sometimes we have to make sacrifices you know. I should know, I have to make them every time I get on this damn ship.”
Clearly, Judy was not finished with what she had to say to Reg. His brow furrowed as he took what she dished out. She was right, but that did not mean she also had to tell it to him right now. “Have you finished?” he added in a natural pause in Judy’s speech.
“I have not even begun, Reg. You’re, you’re — well, oh, I don’t know, but you’re insufferable. I hate you. I hate you, do you understand me?”
“Yeah, I understand, and so will the Cassiopeian if you don’t quieten down about it. I get it. You hate me.”
Reg now decided that he needed to speak up. Whether he upset Judy any more or not, he was going to say his piece, too. But he said it with a sarcastic slant. “I get it, Judy, really I do. But I’m sorry you feel that way... I... I thought we had a connection, that was all.”
“The only connection we ever had was purely physical. Nothing more. And that was long ago. You’re a pig. A self-centred, self-absorbed, selfish pig! There I said it. I damn well said it. And I tell you what: I feel so liberated. All these years I have wanted to say that. All these damn long years.”
“Then why the hell do you bloody well stay?” Reg was angry. In fact he was seething and Judy knew it. It was about time, according to her, that he faced reality. And she was going to provide that reality check. She would give it willingly and without apology. God, she now felt good. She faced him, ignored his sarcasm. She was proud of herself.
Judy was about to answer him, in fact the words were on the tip of her tongue. She stopped herself. He did not deserve to know the real truth, not yet, not until he changed. In the end she just nudged him, spurring him on to take action about the agitated Cassiopeian in the passenger cabin.
Reg understood her, then said slowly: “Follow me. We need to get to engineering.”
They reached the engineering hatch after a good half an hour of crawling through the escape hole on their hands and knees. Luckily for them there were some lights in this section of the escape hole. At least they could see each other now.
“Judy, I’m sick of looking at your backside,” Reg complained. Normally Reg would have been happy staring at Judy’s rear end for that amount of time, but not this time: this time he was tired of crawling: his knees were giving him hell. The hole was hot and humid: the worst kind of heat, and the hole got more and more cramped as they ventured into it. Reg made a mental note to make sure he punched the head technician square in the jaw when he got back to Canberra for not adding air-conditioning ducts.
“Yes, they made the escape hole, but they sure did a half-arsed job of it,” Reg mumbled under his breath.
Judy heard him. “Quit your whining. I have to put up with you behind me,” Judy said. “Not exactly the best thing I want, either, you know. I’m feeling rather vulnerable here.”
“You like it, Judy,” Reg leered. “You always did.”
“I used to like it... that was until I found out what a cheating, selfish, chauvinistic —”
“JUDY! We’ve already been there... remember?”
“Shh, we’re here,” she said changing the subject.
“What can you see?”
“Hold your horses. I’m not a bloody miracle worker you know.”
Judy reached her hand out to open the viewing grill slats that were part of the hatch, so that she could peer into the engine room without opening it. She did not want to raise the alarm to their presence just yet.
Copyright © 2006 by Clyde Andrews
