Station Six: A Hub of Chaos

Weapons fire on a space station was normally cause for concern in more ways than one. One shot in the right spot and the area opened to space. Then this was station six. The lowest of the low and every manner of criminal element came here. There were still laws, but on station six, many things were legal that were not on other stations. One of them was the sale of old style weapons. They didn’t pose much threat to the station. However, without the proper protection they could still kill a person.

Daniel Miller shook his head as he ran for cover and barely missed having a round hit him. It was his first day on the station and trouble already found him. He dodged another round and jumped behind a planter for cover. He watched as the round impacted on the far wall shattering a control panel. He lifted his own weapon and checked the charge. It was near full and even with the backup he had he was sure he couldn’t hold them off alone. There had to be at least fifteen of them. The fact that they were also jamming the communications told him they were not just rowdy locals drunk and losing their minds. He only needed to keep them at bay until the station security got the reports or noticed the area jamming. Being on the Emporium ring normally had some advantage. With all the shops and eateries, someone somewhere had to be able to get a call in. The council wouldn’t risk losing commerce and had a great deal of redundancies in place. However, it also meant more could be harmed.

Daniel listened as the men approached more shots in other direction and screams patrons ran from them. He had to bring their attention back to him. Not that he was in any hurry to let them kill him. As a Security Marshal it was part of his job to protect what little innocence there was here. A deep breath and he rolled to the left jumped up toward the right and fired. Locking his weapon on multi fire he managed to get several round out before crashing to the floor again. He hit one maybe more but it wasn’t his intention. He wanted their attention on him and a moment later it was. There was laughter and then a dull thud as something hit the floor nearby. A few clicking and beeping sounds got his attention and his eyes went wide. He scrambled to his feet seemingly running in midair cursing the men as the explosion came and threw him into a shop window, the perma glass shattering from the shockwave and his body hitting it. He blacked out a moment coming to his eyes blinking pain in his legs and shoulder he tried standing, leaning on the wall. Small fires were all around now. Stumbling he found his weapon and searched the areas. He found six men down a dozen scared patrons shaking under tables and benches. They started crawling out when they saw his badge and Daniel fell to his knees. The large shards of glass in his body where slicing more into him as he moved. One of the women started for him but screamed as one of the men reached and grabbed her. He pulled her to him as Daniel lifted his weapon.

“Alright lawman you’re going to let me go or this pretty lady will be sorry she got up this morning,” he yelled out reaching and grabbing another woman by the hair and making her stand by the first. “This one will be next. So put that weapon down. We know you won’t harm an innocent. Always been that way hey lawman. Play by the rules and they burn you.”

Men came over and helped Daniel stand as he struggled to keep awake. The man was effectively hidden himself behind the women as he pulled them with him as he backed away. He couldn’t shoot without hitting them. He tried switching the rounds to non-lethal but the controls were damaged.

Laughing the man stood up a little more. “ That’s right lawman you’re not that hot. You can’t take me out without them to. Maybe I should shoot you where…” a rapid popping a whirl and a hiss and stopped him mid-sentence.

Even in his stupor Daniel hear the sound and groaned. “ Stop, don’t move another muscle.” Daniel screamed. That froze both women in mid step and the man with his left heel coming up. “Tell me you idiots didn’t have a flash mine,” he said straining to see who it was that had stepped on it.

The man was shaking as he held his hands up and the weapon he carried. He knew what it was and the fear struck him dropping the weapon to the floor. Only one of the women ran from him and behind Daniel. “What part of don’t move don’t you understand,” he asked as he turned towards her.

“I saw a path and took it. I’m not sure what’s going on but I know enough that it got me here now didn’t it“ she retorted.

Daniel conceded that luck had been with her. “Are you ok,” he asked seeing it was the first woman that had started to come to him.

“I’m fine, but you look like shit.” She started looking over the wounds he had and hissed at each one. “We need to get you to the Med center fast. You have multiple lacerations as well as shrapnel still imbedded in some. You lost a lot of blood, and losing more the longer you are conscious.”

“I’m afraid that if what they are standing on is what I think it is we wouldn’t make it to med center or even off the food court. Never the less I need you and anyone else to start clearing out and take anyone capable of walking with you. I’ll try to figure out how to disarm it but at the least if I can keep them from stepping off it will buy you time to get clear.” She tensed and looked back at the other woman.

With a sigh, Daniel pushed her toward others now gathering around. “Go get them out of here. Go at least two levels. Get clear of the jamming if you can and report it to the central security office. Tell them there’s a code red alpha one.” He pushed her again as she stared at the woman frozen stiff a dozen feet away. “Go, I will do what I can to get her back to you,” he whispered. “Right now everyone else needs to leave. I can’t help her and do the evacuation. I need help. Grab everyone and push everyone along.
Daniel saw her reluctance but she quickly reached and broke off pieces of the glass from the chunks that had pieced him. “That should help. I can’t remove them fully since its helping with your bleeding. It’s not a perfect seal and moving makes it open and bleed more. Do what you need to with as little moving as necessary. Then get your ass to Med center.”

He winced and grinned at her as he finally got a good look. She was a brunette no older than mid-thirties at best. She towered over him but was probably his height of five eight. She was in light blue shirt and white pants. Both had spots of blood and formed to her curves. “I’ll do my best,” he whispered after her.

Daniel struggled a moment and wobbled over towards the two. “You two need to stay very still unless I say otherwise. Do what I say and we will all get out of here.” He talked as his eyes looked around the area and the shops they were nearest to. When he was close enough he looked down at the floor and their feet. He let out a held breath. If things weren’t complicated enough as it was. There wasn’t one mine, but two. Both were armed. The mine released a web of through the web of explosive cord the mine expelled on activation. These were small versions so there was only about twenty feet some less depending where it struck a solid object. Lucky for the one woman was that there was a proximity sensor. It prevented the cord from ejecting since she was to close to the mine itself. That also gave Daniel a spot to kneel down to get a closer look. He leaned down his head more than a foot off the floor and he could smell it.

“Ok miss I have to touch your foot. I’m sorry if this is to personal” he said softly moving closer to the foot she had raised up. It seemed lame but sometimes it was better to play it safe than upset someone under the best of circumstances.

“That’s not personal. Get me out of here and I’ll show you what personal means,” she laughed slightly and shook nearly toppling over. With as much effort as he could Daniels reaction sent his hand straight up and on her ass cheek balancing her. “Now that’s more like it,” she whimpered.

“Sorry,” was all he said as he went back and quickly removed her shoe so it wouldn’t fall and strike a cord line. “Slowly move your foot forward about three inches and then straight down slowly.” He watched as she did. “Stop,” he yelled a bit louder than he wanted. “Move over towards me just slightly.” He tried to focus as she did and his eyes watched the monofilament strand. The heat in her foot would be enough to set it off if it touched. “Gently move down.” He spoke calmer and took a breath he let it out as her foot touched the floor flat.

He got up and a wave of dizziness struck. He had to move faster he was running out of time. He got down close to looked for a small compartment and opened it. He pulled a small wire from a panel and slid across to the man stepping over the cords. He leaned down on the floor next to the mine the man was on. It took a second but he found the port he needed and connect the two. He reached around and pulled out a small device from his belt. He took a few deep breaths and got back down even closer to the mine. He had to recall the sequence as he pressed the small indentation on one side then moved to another. He was sweating. Finally, he hit the last slot and shifted the tool sliding a small round cylinder through a hole. He grinned as the mechanism inside whirled pulling back the cords and locking them back in place. The mine clicked and he stood up took her hand and guided her off.

She gasped and threw her arms around him and he groaned as she quickly let go. He was breathing harder now. Nearly gasping for breath. He sat down and looked at the woman. “Go quickly,” he pointed to the exit. “Come with me. Let him to his fate,” she tried to pull him to his feet. He smiled and shook his head. “Can’t, even for the jack ass it wouldn’t be right. Go now please.”

She kissed his cheek and then his lips. With a small thin smile, she ran off.

Daniel looked at the man who was shaking. “ You can put your foot down but don’t step off,” he said as he moved over to a vender cart and looked at the contents. He smiled and looked at the man. “I need a drink, how about you. Coffee, bit expensive these days but sometimes you just need to splurge.” he shrugged and punched into the screen. He stumbled as he stood up and pressed his credit band against the reader.

The man snorted and laughed. “You’re bleeding to death and you still take time to get coffee and you even pay for it. Lawmen are stupid.”
Daniel sat and nodded. “Perhaps we are. Unlike you who will serve at least thirty years in the mines for the crimes you’ve committed today. All for what? A rush? You got nothing out of it and risked everything.”

Again, the man snorted and looked around seeing they were totally alone. “Wise up Stupid. This is station six. The man I work for paid me a million credits to wipe you out and you can’t prove a thing. All these weapons are untraceable, we made sure of it. Jameson Carter owns this place and every judge too. I ain’t going nowhere. You crap ass lawmen think you can come in here and take over take away our money and the way we do things. To him it was a pittance, loose change. When he asked me to do it, I almost told him I would do it for nothing. You all come in here no one will be making any credit. Ain’t right. I’d kill every one of you if need be.”

Daniel nodded and looked over at the screen again. He adjusted it and turned it so that the screen faced the man. “I trust that would be sufficient Marshall Commander. You have a confession to illegal weapons purchase, conspiracy to commit murder and various other charges. I’m sure his hostages will be happy to add to the charges.”
“I’m certain they will Marshal Miller. Doctor Caspen has also told us about the injuries you have. A med team is waiting for the ventilation system to evac the plasma gas. Doctor Branson said you were floor level for over three minutes. How much did you breathe in?”

“Enough, Sir. I was feeling it then. I’m really feeling it now. I don’t think they will be in time.” He felt his eyes fluttering and the darkness coming. The Commander was shouting at him but his could barely hear. It was as if he was under water.
He could fell hands on his face, arms, and legs. He looked but couldn’t see. He tasted bitterness in his mouth as he tried to tell them the mine was disarmed. The jackass was safe.

********************************************************************************

He dove straight down from the pier He could see the bottom as he swam over to one side following a colorful fish. Slowly he went back up and broke the surface of the water
taking in a long deep breath as he wiped water from his face. A bird flew overhead as the sun was starting to go down. He didn’t think he swam far but the pier was nowhere
to be seen. He started to swim back the direction he thought it was. The current around him increased swirling around. The vortex surrounded him and pulled him under. As
he struggled to get free, he was dragged through a large hole.

Daniel Miller bolted straight up in the bed he laid. A device around his arm beeped and another against the wall flashed.

“Well, well sleepy head about time you woke up,” a soft voice replied from the door and a hand was pressed against him pushing him back down on the bed.
“By my recollection, I shouldn’t be awake, let alone alive.” His voice was hoarse and broken as he spoke.

“Shush, no talking.” Fingers pressed on his lips but his eyes wouldn’t focus. “It was touch and go for a while. We had to revive you three times the first week. But the regen finally started working. You’re going to feel a bit disoriented from it. Also breathing will be a little labored for a few days while your new lungs accumulate to station oxygen.”
“Can’t see,” he stammered trying to move out of the bed.

“Stay put, Doctor’s orders” a hand pushed him down again. “We flushed your system with regen to help heal your damaged tissues and aid in the implantation and acceptance of your new lungs. Since regen is not specific to an injury, the flush may have also corrected any non-related medical issues. We won’t know until we run tests. We can start as soon as you’re fully recovered” he felt the bed move. “We can also take care of some other promised business.”

Daniel shook his head trying to think. He felt her hands as the wrapped around his face and she pulled up. The bed shifted and he felt her lips on his. The soft caress of her lisp as she rubbed them back and forth then parted hers slightly drawing in his upper lip and then letting go. Whoever it was smelled good. He could smell her perfume, sweet lavender, lightly scented. She must have dabbed it on because it wasn’t coming from all over, just some spots. She took his hand as she continued to kiss him and slid it up her shirt pressing it against one of the breasts. She groaned in the kiss as his fingers rolled the nipple around. His mind was foggy and couldn’t clearly recall anything. His mouth opened more as he took a deep breath he could smell an aroma even sweeter than her perfume with a hint of musk. It was intoxicating as he rubbed her breast and pinched her nipple between his fingers. His ears popped as he hears a low moan form one corner of the room he turned his head towards it breaking from her lips. His hand quickly released her breast and pulled form her shirt.

“Easy there, its ok. You are safe here,” his amorous bedmate said softly again pulling his face to hers and kissing his cheek and then lips then the other cheek. “Don’t mind her she just likes what she sees.” She again took his hand and he expected her to again let him fondle her breast but she moved further on the bed. He hand guided his down between her legs and encouraged his fingers to mover around spreading her lips and parting them. She even pressed her finger in with hers working them in and out before he started to move more on his own. His hand rubbed her mound smooth and moist as he palmed her clit. She shuddered as he ran a finger in, hooked it upwards and rubbed against her G spot. She buried her face in his shoulder moaning louder as he worked both sensitive spots. She clenched and he felt the increase in wetness.

Daniel turned he head towards the corner where the other woman was and smiled recognizing what it was he smelled.

“We have other patients to see. We will be back and we can do that again.” The woman with him croaked as she came down form her orgasmic high.

“I’m not sure if I can, your wife might object” he grinned as he heard them both suck in a bit of air.

The one in the corner moved to the bed and he felt her hand on his shoulder. “How did you know?”

Daniel smiled “I remember the look you two gave each other. I can also smell it on you. It seems my awakening interrupted something more than your daily rounds.”
They laughed. “Maybe, but from what I saw it was worth the interruption.” She sat caressed his face and he felt her move and as she leaned down she whispered in ear. “Her wife totally objects.” She kissed his ear “After all it’s my turn next.”

Daniel laughed. “You two might want to shower or at least wash up. You have a very heavy odor of sex. Wouldn’t want your patients getting the wrong idea.”

One on his right laughed. “It seems your nose is working overtime to make up for the loss of your eyes for the moment. Try not to get to accustomed to the sensitivity. It will dissipate after your vision clears. Enjoy it while it lasts, “she said with a little mischief in her voice. The next thing he knew he felt wet fingers rubbing under his nose.
“We’ll be back in about an hour. To bad your eyes aren’t adjusted you should have a perfect view of the Earth from this window.”

Daniel grinned. He could smell them from the door even. It slowly vanished when the door slid closed. He sat with eyes closed and just took long deep breaths smelling the aroma they left behind. He drifted off thinking of how much he would have liked to seen the earth view. It’s not a common one from any station. It was supposed to be very nice this time of year.

He drifted slowly. His head turned as he though he heard them again. “He’s recovering faster than anticipated. Didn’t think he would move let alone do what he did.” One laughed and that was when drug induced sleep overtook him.