Thirty Two; Kira

I followed the directions Tex had reluctantly given me and quickly found my way back to the door that led to the cockpit. As I walked it occurred to me there was logic to the layout of Test Eagle, but guessed it would take me a little while longer to get the hang of it.

At the cockpit door I saw Kira, now cleaned up and dressed in the uniform spacesuit all the Freedom Fighters wore. A snug fitting black button up suit. I enjoyed the view for a second, but then i realised that as I was now a member of Freedom Fighters Inc, I might actually be required to wear one as well.

I was torn by this revelation, as a kid I had wanted nothing more than to become an astronaut, my disinterest in spaceships aside, and wearing such a suit would, to the child I had been, be the pinnacle achieve of my life. However, I'm twenty nine years old now, and my body has had time to develop strange lumps and bumps in unusual places. I pictured myself in one of the suits and couldn't image anybody, or more to the point Kira, finding me - beer belly and all - attractive. At least my own clothes did something to disguise my rather lumpish shape.

"Jimmy," said Kira, "There you are."

"I was just," I pointed back the way I had come, thinking desperately to come up with what I would tell her I had just... Inspiration struck, "Bubbles said Bocco was here." Tex, or rather the Tex in the cell downstairs, had made it clear to me that I was not to include Kira in my fact finding mission, he claimed it would put her in danger.

"Yeah, he's this way," Kira frowned. "Where've you been?"

"Just wandering around, trying to get accustomed to the place," I replied casually.

"Did you find anything interesting?" she asked.

I answered quickly, "No! Nothing at all, quite boring really."

"Right," she flashed her white teethed smile at me, she clearly believed me, my status as ship's idiot saw to that. "Well why don't I show you where Bocco is, and then you should get familiar with your duties onboard."

Kira led me back through the ship, along a corridor that ran perpendicular to the one I had just left.

We walked in comfortable silence for a moment. Funy thing about silence, one minute it can be comfortable, the next, well, uncomfortable. I even felt it happen, walking quietly along, very comfortable with the silence. Then it suddenly occurred to me that I should say something, and then the silence felt uncomfortable, and I was reluctant to break it.

"So, Kira is your real name?" I asked, hating the sound of my high pitched, whining Australian accent.

"Yep," she smiled.

"It’s very," I struggled to find a word, and failing settled for, "Original." That is, I added silently to myself, unless you happen to be a character in a sci-fi fantasy story.

We arrived at a door. Kira stopped and asked, "Are you ready for this?"

I nodded, unsure of the question.

"He's nothing like the Bocco you met before."

"How different can a bear be?" I asked.

Thirty One; Jimmy Takes Control

I dragged my eyes away from Bubbles’s cleavage for fear of leaning too far forward and hitting my head on the window that separated us.

“I’ve got to think,” I said, though not to the imprisoned Freedom Fighters Inc.

I pressed the microphone button again, so they couldn’t hear me. The four prisoners clearly thought I was going for the button that would open the door, and an identical expression of glee crossed each of the four faces, which in itself seemed a little odd.

When they realised I had merely turned off the microphone they all adopted the same angry expression and yelled at me through their still open intercom. “What the hell?” and, “Hey, come on man!” and, “Just open the door, Jimmy!”

I turned my back on them and paced away from their cell. I had to figure this out. I needed to get this right.

I went back to the cell door and hit the microphone button. “Okay,” I said, “Sorry guys, but I’ve gotta figure this out. When I’m sure the guys up stairs are aliens I’ll come and get you out.” They all started to speak at once, so I held my hands up for silence. “I won’t give the game away. The way I see it, if they were going to kill you, they already would have.”

“Don’t be an idiot Jimmy,” said Axel.

“Sorry guys,” I said, “but this is how it’s got to be. Just be give me a little time.” Feeling pumped and ready for action, I turned the microphone off again and went to the ladder.

I’d climbed about five rungs when I stopped.

I returned to the door with a little less bounce in my step than a moment before.

Four sets of sullen eyes stared back at me.

I pressed the microphone button and asked, “Er, guys, how do I get back to the cockpit?”

Chapter Thirty Two

Thirty; Jimmy Holmes

"What about Kira?" I asked.

"She's in danger too," said Axel who had been quiet until now.

"Open the door," said Bubbles, who fluttered her eyelashes at me.

"How'd this happen?" I asked, my hand going for the button that would open the door but not pressing it.

Four sets of eyes were fixed on me as Tex replied, "They took us by surprise, while we were waiting for Kira to return from her mission. It was over before we even knew what was happening. They stunned us and the next thing you know we're locked up down here."

"Stunned you?"

"Yes," replied Tex, "One of them comes down here once a day to fetch us food."

"Usually the one that looks like me," said Axel.

"Open the door," said Bubbles, fluttering her eyelashes again. I looked back at her and got the impression she'd undone the top button on her space suit, I was sure it had been done up a moment before.

"Why would they do this?" I asked, my finger hovering over the open button.

They gave me a collective shrug.

I still didn't press the button.

"Maybe I should talk to them?" I said, "I'm good with people."

Axel actually laughed, but it was Wrench who said, "Don't be a fool, they'll either kill you or lock you up in here with us."

"They killed Jax," said Tex.

I thought about that for a second, "You said, or rather the other you said, he ripped you off and jumped ship."

"Of course they said that," said Tex, "Do you really think they would have told you they killed him? And then offered you his old job?"

"Hang on," I said, "Kira knew about Jax, and she's been away."

"Just open the door Jimmy," said Bubbles, she had undone the top two buttons of her suit now. If no other reason than to see how far she'd go, I decided to keep the door closed for the moment. She had great...

"That's because," said Tex interrupting my thoughts, "that's what we thought, until we found his body."

I thought about this for a moment and snuck another peek at Bubbles cleavage.

"How do I know they’re not the real yous?"

"What?" they all asked at once.

"And that you’re not just pretending to be them so that I'll let you out?"

They exchanged worried glances.

"They could be the real yous, or rather thems, and you could be impostors pretending to be them." I thought about this for a moment then added, "And even if they’re not the real yous, how do I know that the real yous, which would be you, aren’t criminals or something, and need to be locked up, whether you’re you or they’re you? And even if they’re not you, you are, why should I care?"

"Because," said Bubbles, "eventually, they'll kill you and Kira too."

I looked at her. There was only one button still fastened on her suit, she really did have great...

Chapter Thirty One