Heinrich knew Erick wouldn't have shown up if he hadn't slipped the towing service extra cash to haul and scrap his old junker. He leaned against the center control panel, studying the older man. Mid thirties, dark reddish brown hair cut short with a part down the middle. Cynical, lively brown eyes with laugh lines.
"You named it blight." Erick folded his arms. A frown spread across his face.
Heinrich nodded. He wrapped his thin arms around his torso, pulling his leather jacket tighter. He shifted, causing one of the thick black chairs beside him to scrape softly against his leg, its base producing a half-shadow as it turned.
"Wasn't there some adult I didn't know who could've stopped you?" Erick asked, his gaze sweeping over the sparsely furnished room. His eyes landed on the three control centers, flanked with multiple chairs. His back tensed.
"No, I'm emancipated," said Heinrich. "Was granted a reward for my service."
"Ah, okay, so that makes you?" Erick swallowed and hesitated. He leaned over and looked down at the brown-haired teen.
"The captain, yes." Heinrich's eyes darted down to watch Erick's feet. "The decision maker."
"And you're how old, and I'm what?" Erick lifted a hand and pointed at the silver surface.
"My second in command. My age makes… others feel uncomfortable." Heinrich watched Erick's black boots tap against the grates. "The one to back up my decisions or to offer a new perspective." Heinrich lifted his gaze.
"So the one with experience to back you up." Erick turned his face to the metal ceiling. His eyes rolled.
"Since you put it that way," said Heinrich. He went to open his mouth, but before he could formulate any words. The sounds of screeching and prying made his attention drift to the closed metal doors that rested off to the side of Erick. Heavy grunts joined the mixture of sounds.
"Warning, warning," a mechanical-sounding female voice blared.
"Cockpit doors are being breached." A loud screech echoed as a metal pole extended slowly from the ceiling, topped with a red bulb under a glass cap. Red lights flashed and swirled around the room, illuminating various dashboards and the tan walls.
Erick inhaled and shifted his gaze down. He lifted a hand, tapping his forehead, muttering. "That has to be Solitar."
As the doors were forced apart, steam released from the corners, spraying down.
Heinrich leaned against the controls with wide eyes.
The doors slammed back, rocketing into the wall sockets. A large, tall, green man stormed in. His black hair was pulled tightly into a ponytail. "Where is Heinrich?" The man roared in a loud baritone voice.
The doors screeched open slowly, leaving a gap as they tried to meet, then slid back with a squeal into their sockets.
Heinrich scrambled back further. "Solitar.. what?…. He looked off to the side, shouting. "Turn off the alarm."
The mechanical, feminine voice spoke. "Alarm deactivated." The pole retreated into the ceiling.
"You smell of metal and fluid." Solitar approached Heinrich. "It confused me before." The corner of Solitar's lip lifted, revealing a sharp tooth. His meaty hand gripped the front of Heinrich's leather jacket and T-shirt. He lifted Heinrich.
Heinrich's eyes widened. His mouth opened. "Oh, okay, so we are doing this."
Heinrich's feet dangled. He made a face, squeezing his eyes shut as he turned it away.
Erick drew his blaster, shaking. He steadied his blaster over his hand. "Are you a cyborg, android, automaton, cyrexion, pxyrexion. Don't make me shoot you, because if you are just a kid…" he turned his head down. "Just don't get cocky."
There was a deep pause in movement and sound from everyone in the cockpit. Sudden sounds of mechanical footsteps echoed in. "Oh, my." A tall blue man with metal augments caught sight of the door. "What happened?" He scratched his head. "An alarm did ring out." He poked his head in and gasped, "I say let him go. What are you doing?"
Solitar jerked Heinrich. "Answer, puny boy."
Heinrich gritted his teeth. "I am Solrexian. Now put me down. Ignore them, Trevor."
Erick lowered his blaster and squinted. "One of those magic-wielding, human-looking races that combined tech?"
"Yes," said Heinrich.
"Solitar isn't happy. Tech ones can get viruses. Most of this ship has Cyrexions," Solitar huffed.
"Humans and regular folk get the virus, too." Heinrich reached up to pat Solitar's hand.
"He is right." Erick holstered his blaster.
Solitar's nostrils flared. "Organic viruses that make them sick, not viruses that make them kill." He moved slightly away from the control panel and dropped Heinrich.
"Well, in 6078 there was the…." Erick caught Solitar's look. "Right."
Heinrich made a small sound as he hit the floor. He withered for a moment, gritting his teeth.
Trevor blinked. "Was that necessary?"
Erick turned his head slightly. " He's emancipated. He can handle it."
Trevor paused. "That logic does not compute. He is legally mature… debatable. Not sorry, Heinrich."
"None taken." Heinrich slowly sat up.
Trevor continued speaking. "But he is still a child."
Heinrich scowled. "Offense, I guess."
Erick sat his butt against the silver table. He folded his arms. "Then he shouldn't be hiring."
"I asked him not to," said Trevor. "But he is correct on all fronts; no one will take us seriously with him as captain. We need someone with more experience."
Solitar grimaced. "Turn them down. We don't need their money or ship."
"But you do," said Trevor.
Solitar swiped his club, hitting air. "Do not."
"Your little junker got hauled away," said Trevor.
Erick groaned. "We kinda do need a ship, Solitar."
Then let's commandeer this one," said Solitar.
"There are only the two of us," Erick reminded him.
"Also, wouldn't recommend," said Heinrich quietly.
"What?" Erick raised a brow.
A shrill beep cut across the room. Red numbers pulsed on a display appearing on the windows, displaying a countdown.
"30, 29, 28."
Heinrich glanced up. "Clear self destruct sequence."
The feminine machine voice spoke out. "Sequence cleared."
He avoided their eyes. "It's a failsafe. If things went south in this meeting. Blight would have destructed."