As the story will now focus completely on August, I will transition to First Person POV from his perspective. If I make any mistakes along the way, please bare with me and leave a comment. I will do my best to improve as the story goes on. Please Enjoy.
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It had been several days since I had woken up in space.
There were several means of space travel in this age, ranging from war ships to freight ships to the commercial cruise ships, but the type of ship that required the least amount of crew to function was the Garbage Crate Ship, or the GC Ship.
The GC Ship mainly only need the loaders and the security. Navigation was performed by the on board computer systems, so a piloting crew was not needed. The larger GC Ships, the ones that were responsible for the collection of the wealthiest systems, would often have a crew comparable to the crew seen on a freight ship. This GC Ship however, seems to be of the smaller sizes.
"Haaaa. It seems as if they paid of the crew of a Scrap GC Ship.
"A Scrap GC Ship typically has the smallest crew size. They don't make much money to pay the salary of a large crew, which would make it easier for whomever wanted me gone from the Croft family to pay them off.
"It will be less likely for anyone to be made aware of my existence, too. How unfortunate. It seems as if I can only look forward to whichever trash heap this ship is heading towards."
The conversation with the priest seemed to have been going well. Was it my fault for being too trusting? Though I suppose it is hard to trust anyone if you can't trust a priest. How vexing.
The only thing that I can do for now is stay hidden. I have no doubt that the priest meant to keep me alive-- for whatever reason-- but the last thing I want to do is expose that I am awake to the crew on this ship.
Who knows what they'll do when they know I have seen their faces...
I suppose I should be grateful enough that food manages to find its way in here twice a day as is. I can't allow for my situation to get any worse.
Nevertheless, I do need to figure out where this ship is heading. The more information I can gather the better.
'Crap, I can hear someone around the corner.'
Footsteps rapidly approach before coming to a halt behind the shut door. A series of digital beeping can be heard as the input the code to enter the room I'm in.
"Aye, you little shit. I'm coming in, so cover your pretty eyes before you seen something you wish you hadn't."
Left with no choice and little time, I reluctantly shut my eyes and cover my eyelids with my right hand. I would use both, but my second hand is currently gripping a sheet of metal I had found amidst the piles of junk within the room they are keeping me in.
"Your eyes better be shut, boy. The cook made you a meal too good for someone who's been tossed aside. You better appreciate it."
He was right about that. No matter who the priest was, it stands as a fact that someone in the Crofts was behind my abduction. They made as much use out of my parents as they could, and now that they are out of the picture, I am no better than the pieces of scrap in this room to them.
"At least Rue will be looking for me," I said, quiet enough to not catch the ears of the lumbering oaf delivering me my meal.
The last thing I want is for him to spit in my only meal for the next 12 hours.
The electronic door slid open. It was an interesting noise to hear from so up close. A completely unique sound, one that I could not hear back on the Croft planet.
'Silver lining?' I asked myself. It was best to maintain at least a little humor in a dire situation as such.
The man holding my meal walked quickly to the area I was seated in. Dropping the food with a huff, he quickly turned around before nearly sprinting out of the room. It seemed as if the last place he wanted to be, was with me.
I find it hard to blame that reaction, however. If I were to, somehow, make my way to the authorities with detailed information on my captors... Let's just say death would be the quickest way out once Aunty Rue got their hands on them.
No matter. The faster and further he gets from this room the better.
I quickly make my way to my feet and hustle over to the electronic sliding door.
My parents and tutors-- even Aunt Rue-- always called me bright. I can't blame them, I really am smart. Rather, it's hard not to be when you can remember everything that gets taught to you. Combined with the S-Grade Enhancer I was fed that allows me to connect the dots and paint the full picture...
Anyways, learning the functions of a small GC Ship was one of the first things that my Engineering tutor taught me. Security functions aren't meant to be high. As long as no one is in ear shot, and you find a thin and flexible enough sheet of scrap metal, being able to block the locking mechanism without damaging the door or keeping it from shutting is light work.
I wouldn't be able to get far if I were to decide to go exploring right now. Too many eyes keep me from looking around comfortably. Instead, keeping it as an option for later is better. As long as I return in the next twelve hours, before breakfast, I should be able to find what I am looking for without getting caught.
'Seems like tonight will be fun.' A small smile took over my face.
As long as I can get some kind of signal out... As long as Aunty Rue can find me...
I don't care how long it will take, I know my mom is not dead. As long as I survive, I can find a way to get her back. I'm sure of it.
***
"You give that little boy his meal?" A thin man wearing a captains pin asked.
"Yes, sir. Though I did spit in it first. Heard things taste sweeter that way. Kek." The buff man that delivered August's food snickered.
"Whatever. Just as long as he doesn't die. If he dies... just know that nobody wants to know what will happen then."
"Who is he anyway? We have gotten quite a few disposal requests, but never for someone so young. Not to mention for someone alive. Heh."
A sharp smack sounded as the buff man keeled over. The raised arm of the thin captain gave him away as the perpetrator. It was clear that despite the thin stature of the captain, he had cultivated his strength high enough to be the captain of the GC Ship.
"You know better than to ask the name of a query. If anything like that gets out, we're done for. Speak out of line like that again, and I'll just take your whole head."
"Yes, sir. Sorry, sir." The apology came out quickly. As much as the buff man was joking earlier, he knew that the captain was not in a kidding mood. Anyone that captained a ship like theirs-- A ship that operated on both sides of the law-- was not someone meant to be treated lightly.
The intelligent August may know how the ship functions, but the past of the crew is something that he could never expect.