The Haven

Nobody can hear a scream in the vacuum of space, or so they say.

Regardless, I’m convinced Andrew’s wails of terror are ringing in my ears as I watch him – from the other side of six inch, fused silica glass - tumbling away into the void.

We fixed eyes as I ejected him out of the airlock. After years of his continuous slimy presence, looking us up down, appraising us, the coercion, the abuse, I had thought, as I made my stand, that I would see defiance in his gaze, a final show of strength. But for the brief moment he was still conscious I saw all his smug superiority had disappeared. The anger and rage was gone. His possessiveness over me, and the women on his ship no longer had any bearing. There was no surprise or shock to be seen. Only fear. In that instant he knew he was about to become nothing.

Now I see his body has become a speck in the distance. He’s still screeching my name. Begging me not to do it.

But it’s already done.

I place my left hand on the glass, covering the speck.

And there is silence...

I turn my head away from the window. My senses are heightened from the altercation mere minutes ago and it suddenly hits me how disgusting the storage bay is. Dark and dank from years of neglect, filled with Andrew’s junk; mould and rust crawl over silver steel hues that must have glittered when the ship was new.

Has this really been my home for eleven years?

A whir from the comms snaps me out of it. A woman’s voice. Cracked with panic

“Rachel? You there? You okay?”

It must be Astrid, I realise. I take my hand off the glass and hold it front of my face. It’s trembling from the same pure adrenaline that’s lifting my consciousness into the liminal space between exhilaration and sheer terror.

“He’s locked me in the pilot module… and… he knows! He knows Rachel… I –I don’t know how…” Astrid trails off. She doesn’t sound okay.

“I’m here, Astrid.”

“Rachel! Thank fuck.” I hear relief in her voice.

“Just give me a second Astrid.”

I’m fiddling with the holo-touch screen; it’s been so long since I’ve used one that I’m briefly overwhelmed. I don’t have clearance…

“Rachel, Andrew knows you stole-”

Stole what? I ask myself. But then there it is. Clenched tightly in my right hand. Andrew’s access pass. The whole reason he lost his shit. The only way I was able to close that door on him. I take a deep breath in... and as I exhale… my hand relaxes. I can get Astrid out.

I turn to the module. As expected the holographic interface asks for access. With a flick of my fingers I implement the codes and enable the option for visual. There’s a flicker of digital noise before a slightly transparent visage of Astrid’s youthful face materialises. Straight away I see the bruise on her cheek and the locks of brown hair, caked with blood, stuck like plaster to her forehead.

Oh sweetheart, I think.

Andrew must have hit her before he found me…

“He’s snapped Rache.” She says in breathless whisper. “You need to hide! He’s totally flipped his lid this time - when he knew you took the pass -he was screaming Rache, and then he totally whacked me –“

“Astrid…” I try to interject.

“Fuck, Rachel, he’ll get you…” On the holo vis I see her suddenly wobbling, putting a hand to her head and blinking several times. “Shit, everything is swimming.” She says.

“Astrid, listen a second. Andrew is gone.”

Astrid steadies herself. I don’t think she’s quite registered what I’ve said. That’s fair. Hard for me to tell with the current software but I suspect she's concussed.

“Just a sec…” I say.

Another flick and I submit Andrew’s pass code for medical clearance. Immediately the holographic interface unfolds, displaying her vitals. It’s all here. Thanks to the transponder chip implanted in her skin. Everything. All the tools Andrew used to watch and control us. I scan through. Her transponder alarm has been sounding for some time.

“Okay Astrid, there’s some deep bruising, but no broken bones.”

Unconsciously prompted by my assessment she puts a hand to her face only to wince in pain.

“Andrew is dead.” I say again.

Several emotions play across her face: Confusion, shock.

“What?” She says. "Are… Are you sure?”

“Yes.” I reply. “Definitely. I ejected him out of the airlock.”

Astrid stares at me. Her eyes still wide.

“He’s gone Astrid. I promise. I watched the piece of shit float away...”

I see her mouth moving, unable to form the words.

“It was the only thing I could do Astrid.” I say. Trying to sooth the poor kid.

“He found me, grabbed me and wouldn’t let go, said I should be ‘bloody grateful’ that he wasn’t going to do worse, and… and I don’t know how I got out of his grip…”

It comes back to me as I tell her.

"...But then he was chasing me through storage… And like, his energy was nuts - he was going to kill me.”

I know I’m speaking fast, but I sound calm as I say this. My arm throbs and I realise he must have hurt me. Emotionally though, for once I think I’m okay. Yes, I’m shaken, but I feel proud too. This time I stood my ground.

"He fucked up though." I continue. " He chased me into the ejection bay… I had to think fast and I… Well, I didn’t think, I pressed the button and threw him out.”

It’s hard to read Astrid right now. I hope she’s glad.

“He’s really dead?” She asks.

“Yes.” I say.

The communications alert blares over the intercom and we both startle.

I’m so wired on adrenaline right now, it’s almost deafening. Astrid’s face crumples in terror. Another ship is hailing us. The alert light switches from red to white and I hear a curt voice play over the speakers.

“Crew and passengers of The Haven – this is Captain Sridhar of the Class A law enforcement ship: The Pursuit, –Your vessel is a suspected crime scene. Please prepare for immediate boarding.”

Shit, I think to myself.

I had thought we’d have more time. I thought we’d have more time!

I try to think fast. It’s hard to know what this means because I don’t know where we are. If this is the wrong solar system we’re fucked. I start madly scrolling through the interface, searching for navigation nodes or the star charts. But no... Nothing. Right now it’s clear I can only access from the pilot module. I won't make it in time.

"Fuck you Andrew, you lazy prick!" I yell at the interface in frustration.

Was this a calculated move on his part, or just pure laziness? I’ll never know.

I glance back at the windows and can already see The Pursuit, it’s hull sleek and agile, lights blinking. If we attempt to escape it will catch us. But maybe one of us can get away…

I return to the flickering visage of Astrid and with Andrew’s codes start altering her clearance and legal status.

“Astrid, you need to get out of here now. They’re coming and they are not going to listen to us.”

“Rachel!” She tries to argue.

“Shut up!” I snap.

Already sinewy metallic tentacles are snaking out from the police ship to connect with the docking bay. But I can buy Astrid time, get her off The Haven. The changes to Astrid’s digital profile are uploading now. It’s fast… 77%.

“Astrid – head to the tender shuttles on starboard side – get off the ship and find your family.”

“But I can’t just bail on you!” She’s almost in tears.

I shake my head. “If you are on here, and they implicate you in Andrew’s death they’ll convict you there and then. You need to go!”

From her vitals display I know Astrid is still reeling from her injury. But there's a shift and something stabilises. She's composing herself.

She understands. I’m proud of her.

“Thank you.” She says.

“Love you too.” I reply.

I swipe down and Astrid disappears.

The profile changes are at 99%. Nearly done. But I can’t stop now...

“Search: Haven passenger logs.” I say. “All files related to Astrid Madsden.” I’m out of time to search manually, voice activation is my only option if I have any chance. “Delete all data.”

The holographic interface is a flurry of activity as I watch it search through the logs – finding all records of Astrid. While from in the docking bay I hear the buzzing and whirring of machinery. The wipe is almost complete as the docking light changes to green. I hope to all hell that Astrid is hurrying to the tender shuttle on the other side.

There’s whoosh of air as the docking bay cabin pressurises.

The doors open.

Captain Sridhar strides in - he's a lean and tall man, of dark complexion, with deep lines carved between his brows indicating years of them being furrowed in perpetual worry. He holds the posture and alignment of a man who trained his body for physical precision and the navy blue and golds of his uniform, synonymous with Law Enforcement, clash with the murky greens and rust of our neglected storage bay. He is not alone. It’s been years since I have seen one but to his right is what can only be an AI robotics unit. It’s taller than Sridhar, with a basic humanoid build, made up of steel plates and sinewy metal cables that give the appearance of muscles. It’s head is made up of a single unblinking light, making its gaze appear cold and impersonal.

A gaze that fixes on me.

I know it’s scanning the data on the transponder chip buried in my skin. I wish I had a chance to get rid of it.

Captain Sridhar gives me a look of pity. It’s been a long time since another human has laid eyes on me. Let alone a male one. Andrew wouldn’t allow it.

He hadn't let us wash in months either, I remember.

I realise I must be a sad sight standing before Sridhar; my feet scuffed and dirty, dressed in the tattered gown I was forced to wear.

“I am Captain Sridhar.” he says.

I’m worried. Already I feel like this is a man who is all business and protocol.

“With me is Officer Tiberius.” He says as he gestures to the robot. “Ten minutes ago we received an automated distress signal, coming from a transponder implant. The signature was identified as belonging to Andrew Madsden.”

The robot moves to one of the computer interfaces. Clawed hands split apart, blooming like a flower and several tendrils release from within, snaking out to connect to the console.

“From space we recovered a body”. Sridhar continues.

Good God, I think.

“On examination the body we determined had sustained injury to due to exposure to the vacuum and the condition of those injuries were incompatible with living.” he says, his voice flat.

I decide to take a chance.

“ I’m Rachel Aloise Clarke.” I say.

Calm. Composed. I can do this...

“I’ve been missing for 11 years, Andrew Madsden was my kidnapper.”

For the moment the act drops and I see a flicker of pity and revulsion in Sridhar’s eyes. I know that revulsion isn’t for me. He’s horrified by the implications of what has happened to me.

“Sridhar.” Says the robot. It’s voice sounds male. Though not quite human… Developed to keep them impartial, I remember… Or instil fear.

“I have scanned the ships logs, matching data with the that recovered from Mr Madsden and have determined cause of death due to being ejected from this airlock by Mrs Rachel Madsden, wife of the deceased.”

“No. My name is Rachel Clarke.” I assert. “Please listen, Andrew kidnapped me, he kept me here against my will, I am not his wife.”

Sridhar comes up closer to me and I can finally make out the details of his uniform: a badge… with an eagle over a sphere…

Fuck.

I steel myself for my fate. Hoping all the data on Astrid has been wiped.

“Tiberius, what’s the assessment of this woman’s legal status?” He sounds sorry as he asks.

“The woman identifying herself as Rachel Clarke is registered as the wife of Andrew Madsden, data indicates that ejecting Mr Masden from his ship was a culmination of actions in self defence, but, by United Planetary Law, she was legally his property and had no right to retaliate in any circumstances.”

Sridhar lets out a deep sigh.

“Thank you Tiberius.” He turns to me. “Rachel Madsden, you are under arrest under suspicion of murder...”

As he speaks the robot moves behind me. Additional metal tendrils appear. I feel them tying around my wrists, binding them behind my back.

I'm glad Andrew is dead. At least that was my decision.

The tendrils lift me up from the deck. As they carry me away, my feet hanging in the air, I take my last chance to check the map of the vessel to my left and the icon for the starboard tender shuttle.

It’s been detached. Astrid got away.

I look out the window, almost hoping to see the shuttle. But it’s long gone. Now there are only the stars. Shimmering cascades, surrounded by the inky blackness of space itself. With my mind spiralling I think about how each of those lights is the possibility of another solar system, all those different worlds with the potential for life, populated by billions, forming empires, fighting wars, building entire cultures... I wonder if there a place anywhere in the universe where all inhabitants can live lives that are fair and just?

I regret nothing. I’m still finally getting off The Haven.