A New Start Chapter Two

[scaseman]

Here is the second chapter as promised. Once again I would ask any readers to please leave comments. Positive and negative.



A New Start.
Chapter Two.

768-05-01 17:35hrs.
Veil of Delusion. Aboard The Kathryn Rose.
The jump drive malfunction had taken the Kathryn Rose well to the south of the normal exit point at the north gate. Scanning nearby space, Jim could see no immediate threat. The Mercenary Training Base and the Pirate Base where both showing on the advanced satellite display feed. Each station was approximately 100km away in distance. Jim started to hail the Pirate Base using the Kathryn Rose's military COM unit, which he had purchased second hand from the Apricot Mapping Service. This COM unit had a far greater communication range of 500km compared to the standard 25km.

"Wait Jim!" Said Candis with a husky voice. You can leave the call until later. You just saved my life. I really should reward you." She stood up from where she had been sitting, draping her jacket carefully across the seat. Looking at me with lowered eyes, Candis slowly began to unbutton her sheer white blouse. "You are paying me. That's reward enough," said Jim. "No that was not what I paid you for Jim. You went far beyond what I could have expected from you," said Candis. The blouse slipped easily off her well-tanned shoulders exposing a lovely lacy white bra, where Candis's well-proportioned breasts were straining to be released. Reaching behind her back she swiftly undid the clasp. Leaning forward Candis's gorgeous breasts swung free from her discarded brassiere.

"Well! Are you just going to stand there staring? Or come her and join me." Husked Candis. Jim could feel a growing tumescence in his groin. Taking Candis by the hand Jim led her the short distance, to his bunk in his sleeping quarters. Candis rapidly released Jim's belt letting his trousers fall to the floor. Reaching down into his shorts she gasped, "well you are more than ready." Pushing Jim back onto his bunk Candis pulled her skirt down revealing a matching pair of lacy knickers and white suspenders. Candis slowly pulled her panties down. Yes Jim thought, she was a natural blonde.

Positioning herself astride Jim, Candis now totally nude except for her white stockings slowly lowered herself into position. Slowly at first but then more quickly as if gaining confidence. Candis rode up and down on Jim. Jim reached up and began to fondle Candis's breasts. Her pert nipples stood out proud and erect. Jim began to speak " Candis...." Candis put her fingers to Jim's lips. "Shush," she said. "Not now." It could not last for long and with a mighty groan Jim released himself into Candis. Candis gasped and slumped down onto Jim. "God Jim you were really great," purred Candis." You were not to bad yourself Candis," gasped Jim.

Looking at Candis, Jim noticed for the first time an ink tattoo in the form of a barcode inside her left forearm. "What's that?" he asked pointing at the tattoo. "I do not want to talk about it," muttered Candis. Quickly leaping off the bunk. Candis said, "Do you have a shower onboard this ship?" Jim replied, "Yes. It's only a sonic unit though. Just down the passageway on the left."

Jim lay back on his bunk and thought to himself. Its funny how shared danger makes people horny. Still! He had a quick flush of guilt as he thought of Shirley back in Herron's Nebula waiting faithfully for him to return. What would she make of this situation? Candis returned from her shower glowing pink and looking quite refreshed, having by the look of it fixed up her makeup. After rapidly dressing back into her suit. Candis spoke "I need a drink. What do you have?" Jim replied "some Kafe and there is a small bottle of Space Fuel in the galley." Although illegal in most sectors of space Jim took the risk as the police usually only scanned the cargo hold for illegal goods. In fact Jim thought I still have a pouch of Spaceweed as well hidden somewhere in the cockpit. Even though he did not smoke it anymore as it reminded him too much of what he called to himself his bad time.

Jim went to get up still half naked but Candis gently pushed him back down. "Wait there I will get you a drink, you deserve it. What's your poison?" Jim should have realised then that she was up to something. But still feeling good he said, "get me a small Space Fuel. I think I need it." With a sway of her hips Candis disappeared down to the galley. Returning a mizura or so later. Candis was carrying two small glasses of space fuel. Handing Jim a glass, she said "bottoms up." Jim took his glass of space fuel and downed it down with one quick swallow. It burnt his throat as it went down and a warm glow, which was not entirely down to the alcohol, suffused his body. Candis slowly sipped her glass of Space Fuel and appeared to be studying Jim carefully.

The next mizura the cabin began to spin around him. Looking at Candis she stood there with a funny look on her face and a pair of handcuffs in her hand. Candis appeared to be standing at the end of a rapidly lengthening dark tunnel. That was the last thing Jim saw as he slumped into unconsciousness.

768-05-02 22:32hrs.
Veil of Delusion. Aboard The Kathryn Rose.
Jim groaned as he slowly regained consciousness. His head was pounding like a hundred hammers where beating into his brain. Leaning out of his bunk he violently projectile vomited a mixture of Space Fuel, Kafe and today's lunch onto the cabin floor. Through bleary eyes he realised that his left arm was handcuffing him to his bunk still semi-naked.

Candis appeared in the doorway. She had a cold look to her face. "Oh you're awake, good." Pulling a PPG from her jacket pocket she said, "I want you to transfer control authorisation of the Rose over to me. If you don't I will hurt you. I don't want to hurt you, as what is occurring is not your fault. But I will if I have to." The muzzle of the PPG loomed large in Jims view. The gun's red targeting laser partially dazzling him. He tried not to think about the mess a pulse plasma gun blast would make of his body at this range. He had seen to many corpses shot with a PPG to wish such a fate on himself.

"Oh!" Candis exclaimed. "You may think being shot would be a quick death?" She reached down to her valise, which she had obviously got out of storage. Opening it she pulled out a taser. "I think I can convince you with this." Candis ripped the front of Jim's tee shirt open so she could make better contact with the taser to Jim's skin.

The pain was excruciating, the odour of burnt hair and flesh permeated the cabin. Jim gasped with the pain as his body shook with the electrical discharge. All of his hair stood on end, and muscle spasms shook his entire body. "Ok. I will do it." Jim gasped. He could have held out much longer, as he had undergone a torture resistance-training course in the ATF. But he knew that all Candis had to do was evacuate the pair of them into space for just over three stazuras. On which the ships control systems would reset thus permitting Candis to claim the ship anyhow. The only problem would be the need for an extended air supply. But it was easy enough to take spare oxygen tanks.

If he managed to get to a base and reported the piracy to the local Authorities. Well that was a different matter. This strange state of affairs went back to the very early days of space travel. As being able to claim an apparently abandoned vessel could mean the difference between life and death. Or Candis could kill him and just evacuate herself from the ship, same result in the end as the ships systems would notice no life forms on board and reset after the set time period.

Candis pulled the smoking taser away from Jim's bare chest. The remains of his ripped tee shirt clung to his sweaty body. Candis threw the handcuffs keys onto the bed. "Un cuff your left hand from the bed. Then cuff your right hand to the left," said Candis as she stood there pointing the PPG unwaveringly at Jim's head. "I can't go around dressed like this," said Jim indicating his virtually naked body with his free hand. Candis rummaged one handed in a clothes locker. Throwing a set of grey coveralls over to Jim she said, "Put these on. Any funny business and I will put a big hole in your head, and don't think I won't."

Once Jim had put the clothes on. He then fastened the cuffs to his right wrist. So that his hands were handcuffed in front of him. He then tossed the keys back to Candis. "Right." Candis said. "Make your way to the cockpit. I will be following behind. Any funny stuff and I will blow your fingers off. Remember I only really need one of your hands." That was true Jim thought. The controls were handprint locked. No check was made to see if the owner was actually alive. I should have gone for the more expensive I.D. option at the shipyard. But it was too late to cry over spilt milk now.

The coverall chaffed at his burnt chest, he felt sick and the handcuffs were clinking noisily as Jim made his way to the cockpit. In his mind Jim could feel the PPG's targeting laser boring into his spine. Candis followed closely behind. But not to closely, so Jim could not make an attempt to jump Candis. Once they were there. Jim with some difficulty put his left hand onto the I.D. scanner. "I.D. Verified," said Bitching Betty. "State your commands." "Command Factory Reset. Alpha, alpha, delta," said Jim. "Command Factory Reset. Alpha, alpha, delta accepted. All command systems reset," chirped Bitching Betty.

"She's all yours Candis," said Jim bitterly. "But what you are you going to do with her." "It's time I told you about my tattoo that you noticed earlier," replied Candis. "It's a slave mark. I was a bought from a slave market as a concubine for a Pirate Prince. I managed to escape and after evading many attempts to recapture me I eventually ended up in your office. You know the rest. In fact you were the first person that I have willingly gone with in the last couple of jazuras." Jim stared at Candis, absolutely amazed. "So where does my ship fit into all of this?" Said Jim. "Another Pirate Prince has fallen in love with me. We met at a meeting of the Pirate Guilds. I need his protection so I want to take this ship to him as a gift," said Candis.

"So I bet there is no 250,000 credits then?" Said Jim. "Sorry!" Said Candis. "I needed a way to get your ship. This was the only way that I could think of." "So what happens now?" Said Jim. "You will put your EVA suit on carefully. Then take a short walk out of the airlock," said Candis. How original thought Jim? Rather than walking the plank like the days of the Terran Sea Pirates. I now just stroll out of the airlock. "Don't worry said Candis. I will Com the nearest station once I have got far enough away to let them know your whereabouts." "How do you think you will manage to fly the ship Candis," said Jim. "I saw the Prince flying his private yacht and he showed me how to control it. So I think I can fly the Rose," said Candis.

Jim thought to himself. This new development would explain the Argon Security response back at the Argon station in Herron's Nebula. They must have been bribed by the Pirates to intercept Candis.

A few mizura later Jim found himself fully suited stood outside the airlock. "Right! In you go and don't forget this PPG can make a hole in you just as easily inside your suit as outside," said Candis. As she waved her gun menacingly in the air. Walking in a suit while in an atmosphere is not easy but Jim made it to the airlock. Operating the control button. Candis opened the airlock and indicated that Jim should enter. Once Jim was inside Candis closed the inner door. Not waiting for the atmosphere to be evacuated, Candis using the control panel opened the outer door. Candis was waving goodbye to Jim through the view port as the rush of escaping air carried Jim helplessly out of the airlock into space.

Spinning out of control Jim got the suit back under control with some adroit use of the suit's control thrusters. Looking at the Kathryn Rose Jim could see black scorch marks on the hull where the laser blasts had semi penetrated the shields. Nothing that a new spray paint job would not fix though thought Jim. Meanwhile the Kathryn Rose had powered up her system drive engines and moved some distance away.

Suddenly a bright yellow flash lit up nearby space as the jump drive powered up and the ship jumped. Candis had jumped the Kathryn Rose. At least she was thoughtful enough not to toast him with the ship's main drive considered Jim. But where had Candis jumped the ship? Obviously the Veil of Delusion was a blind to her actual final destination. As far as Jim's still hazy mind could remember the ship still had two hundred and fifty e-cells or thereabouts left in the cargo hold. Oh my god it's still got my 5,000,000 credits onboard as well, groaned Jim. That has got to be the most expensive piece of sexual pleasure in space history.

768-05-02 00:37hrs.
Veil of Delusion In Space.
An urgent bleeping brought Jim back to the present. "Oxygen reserves less than 50% " said a tinny sounding voice. What! Jim thought. This suit should hold at least two stazura of air. Then another thought suddenly swept through his mind. Maintenance, I have not been keeping up with the maintenance of the onboard emergency equipment and now it could cost him his life. Even if Candis kept her word and sent help. It would be too late. Jim thought about Shirley. Looks like I will never get the chance to make a decent woman of her after all. I should have gone for it and not let her escape.

Jim drifted aimlessly through space for a while. The movement through the nebula seemed to have a calming if not a hypnotic effect on his mind. Two barren looking planets hung in space apparently nearby. Nearly a stazura passed. Just then Jim noticed a flicker right on the periphery of his vision. He looked straight in the direction where the glint had appeared. Nothing was visible. But when he looked slightly away, it reappeared. By now Jim's oxygen level was near critical. Well, nothing else seemed to be offering Jim any escape from his extreme situation. So Jim took the decision to use up the last of his manoeuvring jet fuel to investigate more closely. With the thickness of the sector's reddish gaseous nebula, whatever it was could not be too far away.

With a measly top speed of 14m/s it took Jim nearly all of his oxygen and fuel reserves to get closer to the glint of light. As he approached nearer the item, through the red foggy mists of the nebula. The object gradually began to take shape. Looking remarkably like a giant insect standing stationary in space. The entity resolved itself into a space ship. Getting even closer Jim recognised the ship for what it was. A Pirate Blastclaw, it seemed slightly different to previous models that he had seen. But that may have been simply because Jim was a lot closer to this ship than he had been before with previous encounters. Usually running away if he could admit it. But the Kathryn Rose would have been no match in a fight with this ship. So it could not be considered cowardice. This ship was a Privateer vessel; there was no doubt about that.

If you compared it to an insect the ship had a single glaring bluish green eye, which was the bridge armoured glass. The head was bright red, which was obviously the ship's bridge. The body was also a bright red, which related to the Blastclaw's hull cargo area. Two reddish silver fins were mounted on top of the vessel. Some kind of cooling system Jim thought. Two silvery gold panels mounted on extension struts completed the body of the ship. Finally the two side engines were yellow coloured pods mounted on bright red wing extensions. He counted eight guns bristling the ship. Four main frontal weapons, and two rear facing turrets of two weapons each. Jim could see no signs of any external damage apart from some burn marks on the hull just like the Kathryn Rose. So this ship had been involved in some kind of combat at some time or another, he thought. What the frack is this ship doing out here apparently abandoned? Well whatever the reason it was a potential lifesaver.

Jim looked for the external airlock door. He had no choice the air in his suit was running out. He had to try to get inside the ship. Even if it was booby-trapped or had no breathable atmosphere inside. Finally he saw the airlock and the control panel. Pushing the open airlock door control, it slowly opened. A few wisps of air blew out together with some debris. Entering the open airlock Jim noticed that the emergency lighting was still functioning all be it at a low level. Closing the open door. He pushed the button to pressurise the airlock on the control panel inside the airlock. Jim could feel the air pressure increasing, as his suit got stiffer as the air outside got thicker. Finally he felt as he was now gasping for breath, that he should open his helmet visor. Jim had no real choices left at this moment in time, so he cracked it open.
The air was thin, stale and cold but breathable. So Jim opened the airlock door leading into the interior of the ship.