The Fugitive

Blood dripped from the corner of his lips as he lay in the corner of the electrified cell. His blue eyes were nothing more than a hollow glare, staring up at the blank ceiling as he feared the worse was in store for him. He'd been caught two days earlier, some anonymous tip about a man wearing the clothes of a Patrol personnel. He'd been asleep when the raid had taken place, and a quick gun butt to the temple was enough to keep him from even thinking about trying to escape from the small force that had combined to come and arrest the culprit.

Now he was stuck here, in the Patrol's nice little cage. His fingerprints had been burned as a kid, so all basic attempts at identifying himself had gone down the drain. He thought he might just get away with everything as they sat stumped, the officers just staring at him in wonder as he was just an anonymous member that had been living on the planet for some time now. Though a final test had been decided on, a blood test to test for the gene manipulations that were registered with the Patrol, and though he hadn't even shown them a hint of what his true power held, the damn clothes that he was stuck wearing for his chance to escape had been the one thing that sold the idea. Now he had his hands tied behind his back, as well as the white 8x8 cell that he was currently calling home until the next orders came down from the Patrol headquarters. Leaning up off the floor, he saw one of the arresting officers just staring at him from the otherside of the blue tinted field that held him to the small area.

You know we got those results back from the big guys, and you're worth a nice penny from years ago. It was nice of you to drop by and let us keep ya here for awhile.

The guards harsh sarcasm cut much deeper than usual. Owen had been safe for 6 years, and some random citizen had just ruined it for him. He used his powers too often and it had caught up to him, he really had no one to blame other than himself.

The field was then turned off and he continued to lay on the ground. His heart regulator had been stripped off his chest when he was captured and now lay in the pile of his belongings that sat on the desk across the room. Without it, he would have a heart attack the instant his started to take off. As the officers neared him, he closed his eyes and went limp, earning himself nothing than a quick kick to his midsection. Coughing violently, he convulsed violently, his body practically jumping completely off the ground. The police conversed amongst themselves for a moment before Owen finally just gave them the answer they were wondering of.

Heart!... My- heart! Need... Reg!..

He tried to put as much pain into his voice as he could as his face twisted and contorted to the convulsions. The seizure act seemed to be working though as the captain quickly ordered the unit to be brought over. They threw the priceless equipment down to him, and he fought to catch it and apply it back onto his chest, and with a small effort, he finally took a quick sigh of relief and relaxed, catching his breath as he paid a close attention to the reaction the officers had. They were shaken, but not too far as they were quickly pulling him off the ground and leading him wherever his next destination would be, but he wouldn't be going with them anytime soon.

Letting go of him for a moment, then began filling the papers for a prisoner transport onto some Patrol ship in orbit, and it was the quick break he needed. Stepping back, an officer drew his pistol and Owen only smiled.

I hate to leave your hospitality but I really must be off. I want nothing to do with that ship or the Patrol. You'll be reprimanded, and I'm sorry, but goodbye.

With hardly a blur, he had vanished from their sights, leaving them lost as to where this person had gone, and yet it hit them when the receiving officers had arrived, they were holding an experimental mod.

Owen had no experience in dealing with the cuffs that were still limiting him, and all he could do to hide it was to make sure no one stood behind him. Racing through the town, he tried to take a turn too sharply down another street to get out of the industrial district, but slipped. As he fell, he slammed into the stone that lined the streets and rolled, over and over, until he finally came to his knees and fought his momentum with as much grip and friction he could build up with his weight and the soles of his shoes. Coming to a sliding stop, his face was now a mess of blood from small cuts all down the side of his face. His bearings were lost and he fought to keep his consciousness until he could get out of sight.

Finding himself at the landing area of many ships, he stumbled towards the nearest, a newer looking vessel he'd never seen personally. Beating on the door of the ship, he closed his eyes, glancing around and seeing no other ships really near, and in the distance, the sound of sirens only caused his heart to drop a little more each passing second.

Ellara sighed deeply, enjoying the scalding water running over her body. Reaching up, she took down some shampoo and began rubbing it into her hair. The intense smell was nearly suffocating in the static-enclosed space and she coughed a few times until she was used to it, then closed her eyes and stood still. As she rinsed the soap out, she thought about the next steps. 'If I'm going to be running cargo and smuggling people, I'm going to need to complete my crew. I've got security. I need a weapons specialist, some form of entertainment, a decent co-pilot, and probably someone for social relations. I don't play well with others...' Dropping her head, she conditioned it quickly before reaching out of the screen. The shower shut down automatically.

Even as she started to dry off, the red lights above her door began to flash. A frown came to her lips. 'Great.' Wrapping the towel around her hair, she began to yank on some jeans and a bra. "Computer. Report." The security system informed her that there was a person hitting the ship close to the bay doors. Scowling, she pulled up the screen and examined the stranger. She didn't know him, but he was wearing an old Patrol uniform. As she began to walk toward the end of the ship, she thought about it. 'Why would he be wearing such an old uniform? He can't be a recent member of the Patrol... maybe he's retired. What if he's still loyal?' A disgusting smirk rose to her lips. 'Well, there are ways to deal with that too.' As she walked through the deck, she picked up a shock pistol lying on her chair, then entered the holding bay.

Sliding down the railing, Ellara landed lightly at the bottom, tossing her towel onto a nearby vessel that was still in repair. Her wet hair had turned into mass of waves except for her bangs which fell promptly into her eyes. Running over, she put in the key and watched as the bay opened. She held out an arm and, with some effort, pulled the large man into the ship. Glancing up, she frowned. A squad of Patrol officers were running through the streets a good ways off, lights and sirens announcing their haste. Frowning, Ellara re-entered the code, closing the ship and locking it. Her hand fell to the gun at her side as she turned toward the man. Pushing her bangs back out of her eyes, the pilot addressed him with cool curiosity.

"So... an old Patrol officer running from the Patrol..." Smiling, she leaned against the wall of the ship. "If I were a crooked freelancer, like 90% of all of them, I'd try to turn you in for the kind of reward you'd probably fetch." Since Ellara had never been one to mince words, she drew the gun and aimed it straight at him, a low hum resonating as the device collected energy for a blast. "Now... you can be honest with me and tell me what the hell is going on, or I can shoot you. Normally I'd let my lovely guard take care of this but he's away taking out his... trash, shall we say. Since that won't work, I suggest you not test my aim. What are you doing here and who are you loyal to?"

The moment the doors had opened, his faith had seemed restored. Yet he now sat on the cold floor of the ship's holding bay, slightly dazed and could only stare at the barrel of the gun currently pointed at him. It only gave him a minor optimism that she'd at least closed the door so that they were hidden. As she spoke, his eyes never left the gun that she held at him. Taking a deep breath, he glanced down at his suit and then back to her, his eyes narrowing slightly.

I'm not an officer of the Patrol, I've never been part of them by choice!

His small outburst surprised even himself, bringing him to take another deep breath. Standing up slowly, he held his hands up in front of him, still bound by the handcuffs that had been on since the day he was captured.

Do you really think someone would be loyal to a civilization that does this to one of it's members? I'd say if I'm loyal to the Patrol still, I've got a lot more problems going on than the gun currently aimed at my skull. Please...

Moving his hands up, he wiped his face against his sleeve, trying to keep the blood out of his eyes, yet the cuts continued to keep the blood flowing. Stretching out his leg a bit, he tried to stand steadily before the woman that now thought she could keep him as a hostage and possibly would be the one turning him in. He bit down into his lip sharply as he stood, trying to keep himself up straight as he looked down at the woman, then gave a halfhearted smile.

Well, I guess if you're going to turn me in, you'll have to keep me locked up. I'm sorry though, because I won't be doing such a thing. I've been locked up far too long. I've escaped their control twice now and I don't see me going back if I'm on this ship.

Leaning slightly, he quickly sprinted the other direction, and around the room to stand behind her. Reaching up, he grabbed her wrist and forced the gun to fall to the ground, holding her hands up in front of her as the chain of the cuffs rubbed against her forearms.

Now, can I please wash up. Also, can you please get these damn things off me?!

Ellara's cold expression softened and she sighed. As she started lowering the weapon, suddenly he vanished in a flash. She blinked. 'Oh. That can't be good.' Before she realized what was going on, he was behind her. Her wrist twisted and she gasped, dropping the gun. 'Motherfu-' Squeezing one eye shut and biting her lip to keep herself from crying out in pain, she stood still in his grip.

"The hell? You want me to free you and this is how you're going to ask?"

Twisting out of his hand, she disappeared, moving beside him and kicking him in the chest. Dissolving back into his visual as she caught him, she sighed. It didn't feel quite right taking revenge on a man who was already tied up, but she didn't like the fact that he'd put his hands on her either. Seriously - do not touch the woman wearing no shirt. Amen.

"You need to work on your people skills. Now come here..."

Taking him to a work bench, she picked up the towel and rubbed his face clean for him. He might smell like a girl, but it was better than bleeding all over the place. She shoved him onto a nearby stool and turned, walking to the wall and pulling down a high-power short-range laser. Walking back, she examined the cuffs, then burned them apart so he could use his hands. Putting away the device, Ellara then returned with a huge set of keys. As she tested them, she spoke to him.

"My name's Ellara. I'm an ex-Patrol Spy, now a Genetix runner. And no, I don't plan on handing you in. Doing those bastards a favor is not my idea of sticking it to them." The key turned and he was free. After releasing his other hand, she smiled apologetically. "Normally I wouldn't have been so- Okay, that's a lie. I would have been that bad. But you never know... This place is crawling with Patrol scum. You could've been some kind of decoy or scout, and I definitely don't need to be dealing with another mass murder."

She paused, looking at the ever-so-tall man calmly. With smooth strides, she walked to a nearby console and turned on the electrical field around the ship. "So... what's your name and story?"

As she had escaped and grabbed him, he let go a sad sigh. He wasn't getting much of a break today and as she dragged him, he just went with it. The laser had scared him a bit, though when the chain had broke, he couldn't help but move his arms a bit until she appeared once again with the keys. After a few attempts, he was finally free. Laying back against the bench, he closed his eyes and put the towel over his head for a moment, the cloth becoming darker red with each passing moment as he tried to clean up the best he could.

I'm sorry for my actions earlier, it was childish of me, but I haven't really had interaction with people in a long time. From what I do know is that they seem to be inherently bad though.

He gave a slight shudder as he set the towel beside him and got up, walking over to the console which she had interacted and glanced over all the lights and buttons, somewhat mesmerized. Shaking his head to get out of the daze, he extended his hand to the woman.

The name is Owen. I've been hiding out around here for the last 6 years, well, until the Patrol came for me 2 days ago. They've been trying to find me since I left- well, ran away from their labs on Feryx when I was 14. I guess my luck just caught up with me, and I'm the fastest thing in this damn galaxy.

He glanced over a the mysterious woman beside him a moment before staring back down at the lights, seeing the field control then glanced away. He heard the sirens still constant in the background, yet he was starting to calm down a little. He felt a safer here than he did anywhere outside in the town. Looking at her again, he figured he'd continue.

I was some experiment on their planet since I was a child. They came and got my siblings and I as mere babies and started messing with our genetics. I used the speed and got out of there, but this suit makes sure I don't burst into flames while running and this resonator makes sure that my heart doesn't quit on me when I'm going. They couldn't identify me while I was in the custody of the few officers around here and they sent a blood sample to some superiors. I don't know what they know or what's to even happen to me. I just don't want to have to be stuck with those... monsters.

Sighing, he closed his eyes as he turned away from her and walked back to the bench where he'd left the towel. His eyes had swollen with tears, and while he tried to make it look as though he were getting more blood from the minor lacerations across his skin, it was to keep the tears back. He put the towel back down after a moment and hopped up onto the bench, staring over at the woman that had just saved him from the manhunt taking place outside.

Well, you've heard my story now. What's your name miss? And how exactly did you get to become... uh, well whatever you are?

The woman shifted uncomfortably from side to side, noticing his awkward glances at the panel. She didn't know if she could trust him... And while it would be nice to think she could, Ellara couldn't really take the risk of letting him just wander around on her ship. But rather than lock him up, she listened to him, watching him with steady eyes. The pain in his voice made her wonder what he had been through. While she had never had anyone to call family, she was certain it felt terrible to lose one.

The tears in his eyes weren't hidden, and she felt horrible. Even so, she kept a mask of indifference, trying to figure out what to do with him. She didn't need him on her ship - he'd make her a quick target. He also didn't seem to be very useful to her. But the gentler side of her knew that kicking him off would immediately put him either in danger or right into their hands. 'Ohhh.... I need to start working out again. I'm getting soft.' Patiently, Ellara confiscated the towel, folding it into a neat square.

"Again, my name is Ellara. And while I'm glad to be helping you, Owen, I have to be blatantly honest with you: keeping you here puts me and my 'crew' at risk. I need you to understand and respect that."

She didn't plan on kicking him off, but she wasn't going to allow her ship to come under siege, either.

"I was born in a lab. I was raised in a nursery learning academics until I was seven, and then I was sent into military training. Once I had completed that, they sent me to some backwater planet to work on my genetic abilities. However, I got completely bored living among the monks, so I jumped ship and left. I'm secretly a member of Genetix, although the Patrol thinks I'm the leader of their high-ranking organization, Spies."

Pausing, she gently took his arm and pulled him to the deck, sitting him on a viewing bench and settling herself beside him.

"I recently acquired this ship by getting on and turning the entire thing, along with all its contents, invisible then killing the crew while they were running around like rodents. I'm a bit... concerned... for its safety, since it's such a nice ship and there are no others like it."

Smiling charmingly with a touch of sympathy, she put her hand on his, hoping it would have the desired effect.

"You're welcome to stay here if you'd like... I guarantee you'll be safe. And, if it will help you, I'll even arrange to get you out of here and to a different planet."

Her face falling a bit, she looked down. "Although, you really wouldn't be safe on any Patrol or free planet... You'd probably need to go to a Genetix one. I'm certain it'd be safer..."

'Well, I hope he agrees, because otherwise I'm gonna have to think of something else to do with him... And I'm pretty sure nothing else would be very good.'

I understand completely, but I'm sure I'm able to do something aboard here that could be of some use for the time I'm around. I mean- before I'm dropped off somewhere of course. I don't want to bother you or the people aboard your craft. Especially if they have opinions dealing with the fact that I'm.. well, wanted by the people that you swear to defy.

He gave a small smile as she took his arm and led him to the deck where they both just stared out into the shipyard. Trying to find a hint of any officers around, he was unable even see or hear a single siren, signaling that they had given up the search in that area. He would be hunted until the entire planet had been scavenged by the Patrol, possibly even bringing soldiers into the matter if the bounty on his head was high enough. Greed was one thing that all people would fall into, a trap that was an inescapable as a black hole. Glancing around the deck when she described how she had acquired it, he gave a small smile as he looked back at her, feeling her hand on his.

Thank you for the offer, though I don't want to be any kind of burden. I know that you have good intentions, and beyond your cold demeanor, you're awfully kind to drifters. I'll make it up to you somehow whenever we get to another one of these, genetix planets that you speak of.

Standing up, he glanced up towards the skies, only finding a couple stars and a cruiser of some sort up in the atmosphere through the lights of the yard. He knew where he wanted to go, but he was going to have to work a lot more before he was ever going to be ready for something of the sort. Deep down he wanted to find his siblings one day and perhaps even return to Titan, though the Patrol would have to fall before he could even think of seeing his parents.

If any of the crew you pick up has problems with me being here, please let me know. I could always find another way to get off this hell hole, and get to some.. genetix planet. I've got bigger plans one of these days, I escaped but my brother and sister should be close behind hopefully. Maybe I'll be able to get them out of there one day.

Glancing back to her, he gave a small shrug of his shoulders and looked back up to the large ship that sat like a bright star in the atmosphere. Hopefully it'll be easy enough getting passed these Patrol groups.

Standing, Ellara stretched and turned to the mirror-like screen behind her. 'Damn, my hair dried wavy. I hate that.' Having accomplished what she wanted (which was getting him to say he might go to a Genetix planet) she studied him. She really had no idea what he could do on her ship besides consume supplies, but if he could possibly turn for their side, and she had a sneaking suspicion he might, then it was no different than transporting Genetix operatives. While she felt bad for him about his family, she honestly couldn't sympathize.

'Family... What do you need them for anyway? What makes them so special? Sharing some genetic traits means nothing, especially since you can alter your genes.'

But Ellara knew it would be completely insensitive to voice these opinions. Instead of being rude, she decided to play the kindly pretty girl who cared. Walking back over to him, she placed her hand on his shoulder and nodded. "You'll help them." Of course, she wasn't going to say "soon" or "and live happily ever after" because neither was very likely. Nor was she going to promise to help him. She could really care less whether or not he recovered his family, as heart-breaking as his story was. So she simply offered him the consolation she could before moving on.

"My simple crew of one other person will get fired if they try to talk back to me, so don't worry about them taking offense. For now, you'll probably need a room... and some different clothes." Crossing to the corner of the room, she called up an elevator and waved him inside before entering herself. Once the door closed, she pushed a button and they dropped to the rooming level. Turning right out of the elevator, she went immediately to the first door on their left and opened it using a key code. She took his hand and placed it on the pad, then smiled.

"The room is yours. Feel free to do whatever. If you damage it or anything, you need to fix it, or I will hunt you down to pay for a replacement. There's a communicator on the bed-side table with a black button. That wires to my room down there-" She indicated the only door on the back wall, "-and if you need me for something and I'm not answering, knock. The blue button should be the bridge, and if you press the red button I'll come shoot you because it sets off the alarm. And I'll probably go start making dinner. The computer will wash your clothes with whatever instructions you give it, and there are some differently-sized things in the drawers."

Clapping him on the shoulder, which was so VERY high up in comparison to hers, she shrugged.

"Any questions?"