Ghosts in the System

[The_gladiator]

His hand stayed where it was. Weight, not a grip. If she wanted it gone she could shrug it off.


“Selective footage. Manufactured documents. An asteroid that changed direction.” He said it back so she would hear it outside her own head. “That’s not a crisis. That’s an operation.”


The cooker clicked. He ignored it.


“You tracked it. You watched it turn. Then they told the systems it was a rock, locked the planet, and let the rest of it happen. Starvation. Civil war. A man you had to put down. A woman who would rather die than be caught with extra rations.” His jaw worked once. “And the price of saying any of that out loud was the job. The cover. Me, on a manifest that said rifles.”


Then he turned away, to the cooker. Disgust for the IGA boiling in his veins.


“You know, when I was at university they taught us of a device called a crystal grav bed. Designed for heavy mining. Used artificial gravity—the kind in acceleration compensators—to move asteroids. Let them tow a promising nickel-iron rock out of a field so it could be mined without other rocks colliding with the vessels.”


He set the lasagna on the counter and began dishing portions.


“I’m not saying that was what was used. I am saying it’s possible.”

 

[WretchRoad]

"I know they moved the rock out of the sky," she bit off. "I'm not naive." Though she didn't know the how of it, and the only 'why' she understood was the one spoon fed to her by the IGA.

Her fingers curled into fists, resting on the table, but her anger didn't have a direction so it sat there with her.

"They said it was insurgents, from planetside," she spoke as if she didn't entirely believe it anymore. "A prospecting corp made bank selling mining deeds, saying what the planet lacked in resources it made up for in minerals, the fissable kind. By the time mining corps brought in their laborers and machinery, the prospectors had gone MIA. Jumpgate was bought on loan, so when the corps pulled out, they went after the population to cover the costs."

She blinked a few times when she noticed he was plating up the meals. "I just told you I'm the enemy and you're still serving me supper?"

 

[The_gladiator]

“Was I supposed to shoot you, spend a bunch of time mopping up blood and brains, and let my dinner go to waste?”


He shrugged and set the plate down in front of her.


“You’re hardly a threat. I locked down my systems when we fled, and we’re headed to a place that isn’t on any star charts and is locked down better than most prisons. I’m not insulting your abilities. I’m just not overly worried.”


He sat with his own plate.


“Are you going to try to kill me in my sleep? You don’t seem like the type to kill a man for trying to save the lives of children.”

 

[WretchRoad]

She glanced down at the meal, then at him. It took considerable willpower not to dig in there and then with the rich aroma of herbs and melted cheese wafting up. Much better fare than she was used to.

"I'm surprised you'd even give me access to where you sleep." She raised an eyebrow, and picked up the fork again to slice a chunk off the corner of the lasagna.

 

[The_gladiator]

He gave her a smirk.


“I’d dare much for someone as talented as you. I thought you might be the quote-unquote enemy, and it didn’t stop me before.”


He shrugged and cut into his lasagna.


“You’ll likely be naked if you sleep where I do. And if you sleep elsewhere—if I was worried, I’d lock you in.”


Another shrug.


“I ask you again. Do you plan to hurt me?”

 

[WretchRoad]

She considered it as she chewed, taking her time before swallowing the bite before answering "No."

Still reeling from shifting sides, and not entirely sure where she stood even then, she didn't smile. "You think we're going to fuck again?"

 

[The_gladiator]

“Why wouldn’t we. You’re still hot, and that wasn’t nothing.”


He took a bite. Chewed. Looked at her.


“You also look like you could use a friend. Finding out your bosses are dirtbags will do that. Kindest word I can think of.”


He kept eating.


“Better than that stuff at the gala,” he added, offhand.

 

[WretchRoad]

It wasn't nothing. It bothered her that he saw it, too, but she wasn't sure why.

"The lasagna is amazing," she deflected, taking another small bite. Swallowed. "Much better than the gala."

She liked Becker, that was obvious, but she wouldn't let on how much she enjoyed the lingering ache from him as she sat at his table.

"You still don't know if I'll go back to them the second I'm free. So, am I your hostage now?"

 

[The_gladiator]

“My prisoner of love,” he said, deadpan. Then he laughed.


“I don’t know what you are. I’d like to call you an ally, but honestly I don’t know yet. Do you want to be my prisoner? Do you want to leave? Or do you want to see the truth of the government from my side?”

 

[WretchRoad]

"Love," she scoffed, joining him in a laugh that was more awkward than amused. "People don't use that word around me."

Ester collected herself quickly, asserting "I want to know the truth. Who wouldn't want to understand the why and how of things?"

But she poked at her food in thought while she spoke next "I just found out the organization I work for, who controls most of civilization, has been lying to me for years. And you're a professional liar, too."

She waved her hand through the air, "Fine, a liar for good," and made air quotes with two fingers around the word 'good.'

"But still a liar. So, here's the deal: I come alone for the ride, you show me what the IGA has been hiding, I'll help where I can, and I'm free to go when I want, and—" Ester pointed a finger, "If you lie to me, I'll make you pay."

She stabbed another bite of lasagna off her plate. "And yeah, I'd still sleep with you."