Chasing the Stars (49 page)

‘I love you, Nathan.’

Nathan regarded me for a moment. ‘I know.’ Pause. ‘Perhaps one day I’ll send you a message telling you how I feel about that.’

And perhaps he wouldn’t, but it didn’t matter. All I wanted was for Nathan to know the truth.

‘You take care of yourself, OK?’ said Nathan.

‘Only if you do the same,’ I said.

God, I couldn’t do this any more. For all my bold talk, seeing him like this, knowing it was the last time we’d ever be together was killing me.

‘I wish you only good things, Nathan.’

‘Goodbye, Vee.’

I turned away first and walked back up the ramp onto my ship.

In the cargo hold, a single workman was left doing something or other to the outside of my newly requisitioned landing craft. I nodded to him out of courtesy.

‘Captain Sindall, your ship will be ready to depart within thirty-five minutes,’ said the man with Pearson-Singh printed on his coveralls.

‘Thank you. I appreciate all your efforts,’ I said.

He nodded and I carried on towards the lift, desperate to get to my quarters. Once there, I sat down on my bed, my head in my hands. Moments turned into minutes before I found the strength to even move. The
Aidan
had been fixed and groomed and looked like new and I hated the sight of it. It would be my prison for the rest of my life.

But at least now, I had a purpose. If, by some miracle, I did manage to make it back to Earth’s star system, then the Authority were going to learn my name and the name of this ship – with a vengeance.

I had lost the love of my life, but I would survive.

Yes, I could do that, if nothing else.

‘Captain Sindall, we are cleared to disembark,’ stated the computer.

Forty minutes had passed since I’d first come on board the
Aidan
and I was still in my quarters. I had yet to get used to the computer’s new voice. The first chance I got, I was going to change it back to my brother’s voice.

But then again, maybe not.

Perhaps it was better to accept some losses, because with acceptance came a chance to move on.

But then again, maybe not.

I headed for the bridge, sitting down in the captain’s chair. After the influx of Callistan settlers, there were a number of times when I’d wished to see the bridge exactly as it was now, devoid of people. Just me and silence. But the bridge looked so empty. A ship without people was nothing but metal and circuits with no heart or soul.

‘Set a course for Earth’s star system and take us out,’ I ordered wearily.

‘Yes, Captain,’ the computer replied.

The ship moved slowly away from Edwardes base and everything I loved.

Without warning, the bridge door hissed open.

‘Captain, permission to enter?’

I stood up slowly and stared. What on earth . . .? What was Sam doing here? I thought I was alone. When did he come on board? And why?

‘Permission granted,’ I said slowly.

‘I would like to offer my services as your first officer,’ said Sam. ‘I have taken the liberty of uploading my credentials onto the computer. If you’d care to check you’ll see that—’

I shook my head. Sam frowned at me, misunderstanding the reason.

‘No, I mean . . . I’d be more than happy to have you as my first officer, Sam. In fact, I’d be honoured, but I still don’t understand what you’re doing here?’ I said in a rush. ‘I thought you’d never serve under a captain you didn’t respect and trust?’

‘And that still applies – Captain,’ said Sam, the merest trace of a smile dancing over his lips.

A lump came out of nowhere to lodge in my throat as we looked at each other. I had to cough twice and swallow once to get rid of it.

‘Er . . . welcome aboard.’ I said gratefully.

‘Something about taking the fight to the Authority really appealed to me,’ said Sam.

‘You know they’ll stick a price on our heads and every bounty hunter in the galaxy will come after us, right?’

‘If they don’t, then we aren’t doing our job properly,’ said Sam.

That was indeed a point of view.

‘Why didn’t you just ask to join me back on Edwardes base?’ I asked, trying not to look a gift horse in the mouth and all over.

‘You might’ve decided you could take on the Authority by yourself, and that would never do. Why should you have all the fun?’

‘Fair enough,’ I said. ‘As long as you know what you’re letting yourself in for.’

‘Always. Now may I register the rest of the crew and assign them their duties?’ asked Sam.

‘What rest of the crew?’ I frowned.

Sam walked over to the door of the bridge and opened it. The queue of people in the corridor took my breath away.

‘Anjuli, you’ll be the flight officer,’ said Sam.

‘Yes, sir.’ Anjuli beamed at Sam before she headed over to the flight panel and, after a wink at me, immediately made herself at home in Aidan’s old position.

‘Erica, you will be on weapons,’ said Sam.

‘Yes, Sam,’ said Erica. At his immediate scowl, her response quickly changed. ‘I mean, yes, sir.’

Erica gave me a brief nod as she took up her post to the left of the bridge. And so it went on. Those who had been on the ship before were assigned to their roles immediately. Hedda was assigned to defence and tactical, Mike to the medical bay – I hadn’t realized he was actually a qualified doctor, albeit a junior one, and Harrison to engineering. Four newbies I didn’t recognize – Becca, Andy, Zach and Valianta were registered and scanned by Sam. Andy and Valianta were assigned the engine room alongside Harrison. Becca was assigned to the medical bay when required to work with Mike, otherwise the astrophysics lab. Zach, who had to be no older than fifteen or sixteen, was assigned to the mess hall but was warned to make himself available to anyone who needed him. After their assignments, I introduced myself to each of them and shook their hands. I needed to get to know them all, to learn their strengths and their weaknesses if we were going to make an effective team. But I had time. We all did.

Valianta was the last in the queue. I peered surreptitiously after her but there was no one else waiting to come onto the bridge.

‘Is that everyone, Anjuli?’ I asked, with what I hoped was just the right combination of professionalism and detachment.

‘Yes, Captain.’

Anjuli and I exchanged a look. I hadn’t fooled her for a second. She almost imperceptibly shook her head. The hope that had flared within when I saw Sam and the queue of people in the corridor guttered and died.

Nathan hadn’t come.

I leaned back in my chair, briefly closing my eyes. Hope was such a dangerous thing. Its loss had scooped my heart out anew but I would survive.

I didn’t need my heart for that, just my head and my wits.

Anjuli smiled briefly but sympathetically, before turning round to face her instrument panel.

‘Lay in a course for Earth’s star system,’ I directed. ‘I’m going to make sure the Authority get to know the name of this ship.’

‘Course laid in, Captain,’ said Anjuli.

We were on our way.

An alert flashed up on the panel that was part of my captain’s chair. A personal message was coming through for my eyes only. I checked the sender.

Nathan.

A quick glance around the bridge, but no one was paying me any attention. My heart thumping hard in my chest, I opened the message and read. Then read it again and a third time.

Vee, I love you too.

Nathan

Tears may have escaped and slipped down my cheeks, but I had a smile on my lips. I closed my eyes. Maybe one day, by some miracle, Nathan and I would be together again.

But if not . . .

Goodbye, Nathan. See you next lifetime.

Malorie Blackman has written over sixty books and is acknowledged as one of today’s most imaginative and convincing writers for young people. She has been awarded many prizes for her work, which includes the bestselling
Noughts & Crosses
sequence.

In 2005 she was honoured with the Eleanor Farjeon Award in recognition of her contribution to children’s books, and in 2008 she received an OBE for her services to children’s literature. She has been described by
The Times
as ‘a national treasure’. Malorie was Children’s Laureate 2013–2015, inspiring and championing creativity and diversity in all its forms, also establishing the Young Adult Literature Convention as part of the London Film and Comic Con.

You can find Malorie online:
www.malorieblackman.co.uk
@malorieblackman

Noughts & Crosses

Knife Edge

Checkmate

Double Cross

Noble Conflict

The Stuff of Nightmares

Love Hurts

A collection of love against the odds from the very best teen writers and edited by Malorie Blackman

An anthology of stories and poems to commemorate the bicentenary anniversary of the abolition of the slave trade

RHCP DIGITAL

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First published 2016
This ebook published 2016

Text copyright © Oneta Malorie Blackman, 2016

The moral right of the author has been asserted

A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library

ISBN: 978–1–448–15712–9

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RHCP Digital
Penguin Random House Children’s
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