The Sands Chapter 7

Chapter 7

-Where Things Are Played Out On Stage-

Restless energy surged through Cee as she leaned against the railing of the bridge, her eyes following the mesmerising dance of sands rolling across the walls. Numbers and gages flickered across the walls in a pale blue which Cee assumed ment that everything was within the proper levels. Mora stood behind a console of important looking buttons and levers. A thin man stood with her, he might have been tall if he wasn’t hunched to nearly half his height. His fingers danced with precision across the console, deftly pressing buttons and adjusting levers as if conducting a symphony of technology.
“So we’re on course?” Mora said to the man.
“Yeah I mean, I’ve set a course for the coordinance you gave me. As far as I know though it’s just open sands out there.” he said.
“As far as you know,” said Mora, almost inaudibly. 
“Where are we going?” Cee asked, interjecting herself into their conversation.
“You’ll find out, now’s not the time.”
“Not even a hint?” Cee cocked her head.
 Mora lent in and with a sly smile she whispered to Cee, “We’re going to change the world.”
“That's broad and generally unhelpful.” Cee scowled in concentrated thought as she tried to figure out what Mora intended with that statement.
“You’re welcome.” Mora’s grin widened as she watched Cee’s scowl deepen. Despite her efforts Cee failed to escape her state of general confusion.
 “Fine be that way.” she said.
Mora sighed, “Excuse me for wanting to maintain the suspense.” She put her arm around Cee. “Look I’ll tell you this, you’re in for a treat. Something that you never thought possible, we all are.”
“Still unhelpful,” said Cee.
“You’ll just have to be patient.” Mora said with a laugh.
“I’m not good at that,” said Cee.
“I know.”
“One question though.”
“What’s that?” Mora moved her attention to the control board.
“This world changing, mind blowing thing that we’re heading towards.” She paused, struggling to get the rest out.
“What about it?”
“Are we going to have to fight people for it?” The question squeezed its way out.
Mora stared down at her for a time. “Why?”
“I don’t really want to have to kill anyone.” Cee said, unconsciously bracing herself for the whiplash. Mora looked at her in silence for a while. 
“You realise that I can’t promise that. Not now and not in the future. This life sometimes requires violence. You know that right?” 
Thoughts tumbled through Cee's mind like scattered puzzle pieces, and she struggled to find the right words to express her concerns. “Okay, yeah, that makes sense.”
“Good,” Mora said, looking at the screens. “That does raise a good point though, we’re going to need bigger guns.”
 You don’t want to kill anyone, funny joke.
 I don’t
 You already have, you’re a killer, there’s no going back. A man, short, round and disgusting meets her eyes. She can see the shock in them. It falls away to be replaced with rage. They look into the face of their killer. As quickly as they came the eyes vanish. Swallowed by the rything sands.
 That was different.
 Why, it was you wasn’t it? You pushed him. That makes you a killer.
“Fuck, Cee! Earth to Cee!” Cee snapped back to the bridge of the ship. Mora’s face centimetres from her own. Her eyes were like leaves on a tree, a dazzling emerald green. “This is going to be a problem, it’s ridiculous, just completely gone.” Mora returned to her full height.
“Sorry,” Cee’s eyes fixed to a rivet next to her foot.
“Heard that before. Go eat, take a nap, get your shit together.”
“Right,”
“Go on then.” Mora waved her away.
Cee felt like she was drowning. Like the sands were flooding her mind. She mentally gasped for breath before the boiling seas tumbled over her again. Leaving her once again plunging deeper and deeper into the dark recesses of her mind. She remained like that, barely conscious of where her feet were taking her. She managed to pull herself up for breath again, to find herself sitting alone in the canteen of the ship. A plate of what was presumably food sat before her. What that food actually was, only a handful of people in the world would have been able to determine. She absently pushed the food around her plate, not eating anything.
“Hey, it's the captain's little pet.” Cee looked up from her mystery plate. A group of large men stared at her with the wavering focus that indicates the consumption of a large amount of alcohol.
“The hell do you want?” Cee stared daggers at the group.
“We were just wonderin’ what the big deal was ye know.” The largest of the men and the clear leader of the group spoke up. His two friends, the stooges, nodded drunkenly.
“From my point of view there really isn’t much to see,” said Cee. The three men spent some time processing her statement. Occasionally sharing a glance or mouthing words of confusion. Finally one of the men spoke the question they had been pondering.
“Was she talking about us?”
“Musta been right?”
“But what’s it mean exactly?”
“Think she was calling us ugly.”
“Is that true?” The leader said threateningly.
“More or less,” Cee shrugged. The room shook as he brought his fist down, or maybe it was just the table. 
“Well you little shit! Least we fucking do something.”
“What do you mean?” Cee asked half heartedly, she’d returned to absently stiring her food around her plate.
“What do you actually do, pet? If we went missing tomorrow the ship would suffer, cause we actually do something. If you disappeared would anybody care?”
 They’re kind of right, you know. You don’t actually have any value around here.
“At least I couldn’t be replaced by any random nobody in a scrap city dock.” Her bravado was entirely false, but even so the anger swelled on the man’s face. Cee closed her eyes as a fist swung towards her head. She braced herself against the impact, but it never came. She opened her eyes. She was alone in the canteen, with her plate of  mystery food.

*******

Frytir’s knees scraped the floor, the rivets that held the flying piece of scrap together dug into his skin. “Please, you have to have something, you have to know someone who has something!”
“I told you freak I have no idea where to get your drugs, go get your fix elsewhere!” Frytir clung to the sleeve of a man who was desperately trying to pry him away. Reminiscent of how you would try to shake a spider, or cockroach, off your sleeve without actually having to touch it.
“I don’t need a fix or anything, I’m not an addict. I just want a little pick me up is all.” Frytir picked himself up off the floor. He attempted to brush the dirt from his clothes,to attempt to reclaim a little dignity. The results were mixed at best.
“Well I don’t have your pick me up, go look elsewhere.” The man examined his sleeve where Frytir had been clinging on. His mouth twisted in a look of disgust. 
“LIAR!” Frytir launched himself at the man's face. He was knocked away mid lunge by the man’s friend. Brushed helplessly to the ground.
“He says he doesn’t have any of your shit, then he doesn’t have any of your shit, fucking addict.” The friend said, looking down on Frytir with disgust.
“I thought the captain didn’t allow any of that shit on board?” said the man Frytir had been clinging to.
“Yeah, now you see why. Let’s go before he gets it in  his head that we’re hiding it under our skin or something.” The pair rose from where they’d been sitting in the canteen. Not bothering to glance back at Frytir as they walked away.
“Why’d they let someone like that join the crew anyway?”
“You’re on a pirate ship, remember the standards for admission aren’t exactly high.”
Under their skin that’s ridiculous. There’s no way they’d keep leaf under their skin.
It would be a good place to hide it though wouldn’t it? If you didn’t want anyone to find it.
You think?
There’s no way anyone would think to check under their skin, is all I’m saying. Frytir pictured himself digging under the mans flesh. Fishing out a bag of violet leaf. Was it possible?
No! Shut up! That’s stupid don’t put those things in my head.
You put those thoughts in your head. Frytir’s mind cleared for a moment. A very brief moment but a moment nonetheless. He realised what he must look like to the general public. There, kneeling on the canteen floor, muttering to himself. He picked himself up off the floor, glancing around the room at the other occupants. There they were, whispering to each other. Whispering about him.
Another hit would make you look less crazy. 
Ray has access to all sorts of things, maybe they can get me some. The rusty hinges of Ray's clinic door screeched in protest as Frytir's desperate knocks echoed through the narrow hallway, the smell of disinfectant and old medical equipment engulfing him as he anxiously waited for Ray to answer. He had no memory of actually going to the clinic, His body had just moved on it’s own.
“Ray, Ray! Are you there? I need your help!” Frytir said. The door to the clinic opened revealing a very tired looking Ray.
“Frytir what the hell man, do you know how much time I get to sleep? Not enough, that's how much.” They stopped they’re rant to study Frytir’s face. “You don’t look too well are you alright?”
Frytir's voice quivered with desperation as he pleaded, his heart pounding in his chest, beads of sweat forming on his forehead. “Ray, please, I can't take it anymore. I need something, anything, I’m begging you, please!”
 Ray pursed their lips letting the silence stretch for a few breaths. “Alright I’ll help you,” Ray said. 
“Thank you so much! I knew you’d have some violet leaf! Thank you!” Frytir practically collapsed into Ray.
“Oh I’m not giving you violet leaf.” Ray had materialised a syringe, filling it with an unknown liquid. 
“What? But you said you were going to help me?”
“I am, giving you more of your drug is not how I’m going to do it.” The long sharp needle pierced the skin of his arm before he’d realised what was happening. Ray pressed the plunger and withdrew the long thin point, massaging the place it had been moments before. “Don’t worry though this will make things easier.”
“What did you… give me?” The world swam before him, Ray’s face stretched in his vision until they became little more than a streak of colours. Frytir felt himself fall through the air, waiting for an impact that never came.

*******

Cee stood on the deck of the ship, it was becoming a nightly ritual of hers. The night air and stars over the sand sea in the dark put her mind at ease. Just as this thought crossed her mind the starry landscape was swallowed by a large black mechanical beast. Blotted by one of the floating islands passing overhead. She suddenly felt very alone there in the pitch black. The only light, some faint red specks emanating from the bottom of the corporate city. Cee found herself wishing that boy would join her on the deck again, she had liked talking to him. She wondered if he felt the same. Cee hadn’t seen him since that one night he had come up to smoke his pipe, not even around the ship.
 That was almost a week ago.’ She thought.  Maybe I should see if he’s alright.”
 Like he wants to see your crazy ass again.
 Maybe something happened to him.
 If something did I’m sure his friends would take care of him.
 Who did he hang out with? I could at least ask.
 You met him once, he probably hates you.
 I remember he was close to the new doctor, I could ask them.

Cee stood outside the door to the newly refurbished medical wing. Several other patients waited outside. Hoping the doctor would be able to do something about their various ailments.
“Can I help you?” A young man asked her. His face looked fairly manly anyway. A light stubble and a pale scar running across his face. Despite this though he retained a kind of childlike innocence. He reminded Cee of a mouse that had seen a couple fights. A little ragged, but still a cute little mouse.
“I want to talk to the doctor, are they in?”
“Do you have an appointment?” He asked, flipping through a book.
“We have appointments now?” Cee couldn’t remember ever having to make an appointment for anything on this ship.
“We do now. Dr. Ray can’t keep up with all the requests. They need someone to impose some order around here.”
“Ah well, I don’t actually need anything medical. I just need to talk to her.”
The mouse man gave her a nasty look. “The doctor is very busy with people who actually need them.”
“I won’t be long I promise.” Cee began towards the door of the doctors office.
“No means no.” The man stepped in front of her, he seemed to double in height.
Cee sighed. “When is the doctor free then?”
“The infirmary closes in half an hour. If you want, you can bother them then.”
“Fine,” Cee sat in a spare chair and glared at the man.
A gentle shaking woke Cee from her sleep. She was still in the hall outside the infirmary. Though she was now the only one in a chair. Someone stood over her. They had jet back hair and wore a long white coat. It hung open a T-shirt and jeans beneath. Their face was delicate but something about their gaze told Cee that taking this person lightly would be one hell of a mistake.
“You must be doctor Ray,” said Cee.
“No, just thought I’d do some cosplaying. Next thing I know I’m reattaching limbs and prescribing medicine for STDs. It’s been one hell of a trip. Cee stared at them blankly. She hadn’t completely booted up her brain yet and wasn’t equipped for this. “Anyway, I hear you want to talk to me.” They said, helping Cee up from her chair.
“Nothing about me, I was just looking for someone. I think they’re friends of yours. His names Frytir, I think.”
“By the sands what did he do now?”
“What?”
“If the top brass are looking for him then it must be something serious. I’m sorry to say he’s really not in any condition to go anywhere right now.”
“Nothing like that!” Cee waved her hands in a flustered gesture. “I just haven’t seen him in awhile and was wondering if he’s ok.”
They looked at Cee suspiciously. “You know what, not my business. Unfortunately though he’s not in the best shape. Turns out there’s no violet leaf on this ship.”
“Yeah Mora doesn’t want the crew doing it, thinks it makes them useless. Oh…” It dawned on her what they were saying. “So he’s…”
“A trembling, sweaty, vomitty mess? Yeah pretty much.”
“Is there anything I can do?” She asked.
“Not really, you can go see him if you want but he’s kind of out of it.”
“Would that be alright?”
“Why not?” Ray scribbled something down on their notepad and handed it to Cee. On the sheet was a number, presumably a room number. Room numbers were another new thing for the ship. Mora thought that labelling and assigning rooms to crew members would better organise the running of the ship.
“Should I bring something?” Cee asked.
“Do whatever you want, I’m going to bed.” Ray was already walking away.

The boy Cee had met the other day lay in front of her in his bed. He was pale, paler than she thought a person could be. He was curled into a tight ball, visibly shaking.
“Frytir?” Cee was almost scared to approach him. The room they were in was dark. The other roommates were either on their shifts or just reluctant to go to their room. It was understandable the room was thoroughly unpleasant. The smell of sweat and vomit hung thick in the air. So thick it turned the air into a nearly sludge-like substance.
“Are you alright?” Cee asked.
“Uhhhh,” Frytir’s eyes flicked open for only a second before closing again. 
“Can I get you anything?” Frytir answered her question with a bout of vomiting. Leaning over the side of his bed to a bucket that was already half full. “I’ll get you some water.” Cee said quickly leaving the room. She stifled a gag as she sought to make distance between herself and the overwhelming smell. Cee grabbed a glass of water from the canteen before returning to Frytir’s room. She stood outside, took a deep breath holding onto it with all her strength. She quickly broke the seal to the room and rushed to Frytir’s bedside. Leaving Frytir a glass of water on the small bedside table, she hurried out of the room before she vomited herself.

*******

The word swam around Frytir, and not in a good way. Everything hurt, his bones hurt. His heart felt like it was going to explode from his chest. The mattress was spotted with blood where he had broken his own skin. The palm was particularly bad. It was easy to press a nail through the skin, just to relieve the tension. Roui had brought him some water at some point. Must have been Roui. Most of the water had ended up soaking the bed when he tried to take a drink. He was shaking so bad it was near impossible to get the cup to his mouth. Still, he had to try to wash away the taste of vomit.
 I suppose the fact that I can remember that I’m thinking is a good start. Does that make sense?
The door opened burning Frytir’s eyes with the light from the hall. He could make out a silhouette standing above his bed, barely.
“Roui?” he asked the figure.
“Nope, try again.” The voice wasn’t Roui’s.
 Who else is there? He scanned through the embarrassingly short list of people he knew on the ship. “Ray?”
“Ding, ding, ding, good guess. You win a prize!” They tapped something that they held between their fingers. Sounded like glass. “Now hold still, this will help.” A sharp pain shot through his arm, but it subsided quickly. They were right, it did help. Though not nearly enough. “Sorry, that's all I got for you.” said Ray. “I’ll empty your bucket before I go.”
“Thanks,” he croaked.
“Don’t worry about it.” Ray took the bucket of vomit, leaving the room. The world swirled in an incomprehensible haze. At some point his vomit bucket had returned. It didn’t stay clean for very long. People came and went. Some gave him things, or jabbed him with things, or winced, plugged their noses and avoided looking at him. Occasionally, Frytir was struck with periods of relative clarity, these were the worst.
“What the fuck are you going to do! At this rate they’re going to kick you off the ship! Do you even care? What about us then? Are we just finished if you can’t get your shit together?”  The voice slowly came into focus. He knew it from somewhere.
 Wait, I've got this… Roui, it’s Roui!
“Roui?” He asked, just to make sure.
“Yeah, of course. Do you not even know who you’re talking to?”
“Talking to?” Frytir was pretty sure he hadn’t been speaking. Doubted he had even been awake before now.
“You’re fucking hopeless!” Roui’s silhouette made some gestures implying anger.
“What the hell are you doing? Do you think this is helping?” Another silhouette entered the play.
“He needs to-” Roui was cut off.
“He doesn’t need to do shit, get out!”
 Ray? The new silhouette sounded like Ray.
“But-” Roui was interrupted again.
“No buts, now get out before I make you.” The silhouette representing Roui exited the stage.
Definitely Ray, nobody said no to Ray. Ray’s character turned to face the audience. “You awake there Freet?” They addressed the crowd.
“More or less.” The crowd answered.
“That’s good,” they placed a glass of water and a bowl of gruel on the table next to the bed. “Hey I’ve got a question for you.” Ray held the water to his lips and he drank deeply. 
“What’s that?” he asked after the cool liquid slid down his throat.
“How’d you and the pirate girl get so close?” Ray withdrew the water, replacing it with a bowl of gruel.
“Which pirate girl?”
“You know the one that always hangs around with the captain.” Frytir shook his head softly, nausea welling up inside him as he did so. “The one that led you and Roui to the bridge when our cargo ship was attacked.”
Now he remembered the girl he had talked to on the deck. “We aren’t close!” He almost spat out the food that he had been downing with a ferocity only seen in the starved.
“Well she seemed awfully concerned with your condition, even came by.” Ray shrugged.
“Really?” Frytir couldn’t remember her coming. Though, he didn’t remember much recently.
“Really,” Ray took his now empty bowl. “I have to get back to work, it’s good to see you doing a little better.” They gathered their things and left Frytir alone in the room. Frytir hadn’t slept in awhile. Proper sleep anyway, deep sleep, without shakes and sweats and vomit. He slept well then, long, undisturbed. He dreamed the pirate girl came to visit him, he dreamed of fireworks. Like the ones they used to have on the solstices back home. When he woke Frytir was being pulled from a metal web that glowed with a warm orange light.

*******

Cee sat in a dark enclosed space peering over Skaught’s shoulder at a series of flashing lights and tangled mess of wires. In one arm was a large book entitled “Ship Engineering for Absolute Imbeciles” Cee thought it was a rather harsh title. Skaught had been letting her shadow him on the everyday maintenance of the ship. She was determined to make herself useful and had always found mechanical systems fascinating. Though the electronics of the ship were far more complicated than the scrap she was used to tinkering with back home.
“That should do it there.” Skaught finished replacing a set of wires and plugged them back in. Power flowed through the bridge. Briefly anyway, after securing the last cable sparks issued from the panel and power was once again lost.
“What did you do now Skaught!” Mora’s voice echoed from outside the small crawl space.
“Calm yourself, I got this!” Skaught called back.
“I think you mixed these two up.” Cee looked up from her book, switched two cables, slightly different shades of yellow. Causing power to return to the bridge.
“Way to go,” said Skaught. “Honestly, had no idea what was going on. Just going to mess with it till something happened.” 
“Hmm that was fast.” Cee heard Mora say as they climbed from the crawl space.
“What’s up?” Mora asked you’re usually fucking around in there a lot longer before things start working.”
“This one’s a natural , that's what’s up!” Skaught put an arm across her shoulders and flashed a stupid grin.
“Best be careful there Skaught she might take your job!” One of the other crewmen said with a laugh.
“You’d keep me around if only for my spectacular wit!” Skaught said. “That and my magic touch with explosives.” He added.
“Good work,” said Mora, giving Cee a small smile.
“Thanks,” Cee felt herself blush, despite her best efforts. Someone interrupted them, interjecting himself between them and whispering something to Mora. As quickly as he had come he was gone, hurrying away like a scared animal. Mora spent a few seconds lost in thought before suddenly marching to the door. She seemed to remember something, turing back to Cee and the crew. 
“Skaught, Cee come on, we're going to the meeting room.” she ordered.
“Why us?” Cee asked.
“Hurry up.” Mora said ignoring Cee’s question. Skaught and Cee fell in step behind Mora. Not bothering to ask anymore questions.
“We have a meeting room?” Cee asked Skaught quietly. Skaught just shrugged in reply. 
They did indeed have a meeting room. It was the only wood panelled, carpeted room on the ship. Apart from the Captain’s quarters. In the centre of the room was a large wooden table, It looked to be expertly carved from a single slab of wood.. It must have cost a small fortune. Cee hadn’t even seen a tree large enough to make a table this size. Around the table were several overstuffed leather chairs. They looked both tacky and uncomfortable. The whole room smelled faintly of old smoke. The kind that seeps into a room, becomes a part of it. Cee felt certain this room was a hold over from the previous captain. It didn’t fit Mora’s more utilitarian sensibilities. Mora took the single seat at the head of the table, motioning Cee and Skaught to take the seats closest to her.
“Mora don’t take this the wrong way, but why are we here?” Cee asked.
“Be patient, you’ll find out soon enough,” said Mora.
“Right, but why am I here?” said Cee, putting emphasis on the I.
“Why wouldn’t you be?” Mora said, failing to provide any more details on the subject.
“Well…” Cee began answering the question. Mora’s ice cold eyes locking with hers made her lose her train of thought.
“Alright then,” said Mora after Cee sat there in silence for a few heartbeats. Just then other people began filtering into the room, taking spots around the table. They were all people in charge of different aspects of the ship, Quartermaster, weapons maintenance, Human resources. Cee had a passing acquaintance with each, but didn’t know any of them all that well. “Good took you long enough,” said Mora. Cee suspected this was Mora’s way of being friendly.
“Why are we here?” said one man in a clean, pressed shirt and pants. He was the most pristinely dressed person Cee had ever seen, especially on this ship. Cee was pretty sure he was in charge of Human Resources.
“We’re going to attack a corporate security ship.” Mora said matter of factly. This comment laid a thick silence on the room. Nobody quite sure how to broach the subject, or which question of the many that rose to their minds to ask first. “We’re going to do this because we need their weapons.” Mora said when nobody rose to respond. She paused again for anyone to interject.
“Why do we need their weapons?” Cee asked, taking the bait.
“I’m glad you asked!” Mora said cheerfully. “We’re going sand diving, and what we’re after will probably draw a lot of attention from the corporations.” A whisper passed through the room. 
“What’s sand diving?” Cee whispered to Skaught.
“She wants us to go under the sands.” Skaught said.
“Go under the sand!” She said lounder that she intended. “She can’t be serious, you can’t go under the sand.” Cee lowered her voice again.
“Wrong!” Mora seemed excited to propose her insane plan. “It can be done. It has been done, it’s a method scalpers sometimes use to retrieve things from the sands.”
“Sometimes is a strong word,” said Skaught. “ It's incredibly dangerous and often leads to nothing.”
“They just don’t know where to look,” said Mora. 
“And you do?” asked the quartermaster.
“I do, and trust me, this prize is worth the risk.”
“Are you going to tell us what this prize is?” asked HR. Mora stood placing her palms on the table in front of her. 
“You were all with me when we took this ship, yes?” The room nodded silently. “And you were with me when we took the cargo ship, without a single casualty?” Again everyone nodded. “I’m asking you to trust me on this. This will pay out, for all of you, and we’re going to need better weapons to do it.”
“What about my weapons?” Skaught said, sounding hurt.
“The weapons we have are excellent for what they were made for. Attacking and disarming cargo vessels. But if we’re going to attract the attention of the corporations we’re going to need corporate quality weapons.”
“I guess you’re right.” Skaught sounded defeated.
“Don’t worry Skaught, I’ll let you tinker with them when we get them.” Mora said. Skaught visibly brightened at the idea of being able to work with corp grade weapons.
“I think we should do it.” Cee said. She wasn’t sure if it would work. Cee had never seen Mora this passionate before and she trusted Mora.
“I’ll go anywhere I can blow some shit up.” Skaught shrugged. One after another the rest agreed to the plan. What little of it was shared anyway. 
“I’m glad we’re in agreement.” Mora said in a threateningly cheerful tone. It was the first and last time Cee had heard anything like it. “There will be a floating city passing through here in the next few days. We’ll be waiting for them in the desert peaks.”

The desert peaks had at one time been a string of massive mountains. The valley’s of which had long ago filled with sand. There were a few nomadic tribes that called the peaks home, but they were few and far between. Most of the area being deserted wilderness. Mora had set up the ship between two peaks. Well hidden from any prying eyes, and they waited. Cee had spent the time helping Skaught with his many weapon ideas. A few of which were genius, most of which were garbage. Cee was on the deck when the skies went dark, signalling the passage of a floating city overhead. Each city was accompanied by its own swarm of security ships, whose job it was to eliminate any potential threats.
 It’s happening’ she thought, heading below deck.
 One passed over right before that day as well.
What?
 Don’t you remember? Don’t you care? A city passed over right before they were killed.
 So what, she didn’t like thinking about that day if she could.
 That means the security ships were there too. They must have killed them.
 I didn’t see any ship.
 That’s because you were too busy being a selfish bitch to be there when they died. That was true, she should have been there. Now was not the time for this though, they were about to go into battle.
 Leave me alone. she thought. She could have sworn she heard something laugh.

The bridge was buzzing with activity. People running this way and that. Shouting over each other in a terrible crescendo. 
“Enough!” Mora bellowed over the noise. We’re prepared for this! Fucking act like it!” A quiet fell over the room. “We’re going to wait until the city passes. Attack from the rear, try to attract as little attention as possible. We’ll isolate one ship and disable it. Got it!” The room nodded. The sunlight slowly became visible as the city cleared the first peak. The ship's engines roared to life, and it lurched forward, skillfully weaving its way through the shadows of the mountain peaks, its hull barely brushing against the rocky walls. The city cleared the second mountain. From the bridge they saw a lone ship passing over a large sand patch, surrounded by mountains. It must have at one point been a large valley. “There it is,” Mora said under her breath before repeating in a more commanding voice. “There it is, we’re taking that one!” With that their ship lunged from the mountains towards the exposed corporate security ship.
In the days that followed members of the crew would call what followed a trap. That the corps ship sitting there in the open was a lure. That they had taken the bait. Cee didn’t think that was true. She didn’t think that the corporate fleet predicted that they would be attacked that day. Just as no one could have predicted the appearance of the snake. No, as far as Cee was concerned they were just unlucky. Maybe impatient would be a better word. Ultimately they were very lucky. They should have waited until they were sure that this was the last line of security. 
They lunged at the exposed security ship. Though the pirates were untrained and in comparison vastly unprepared. While some of them could hold their own in person to person combat and they could easily take on some random shipping vessel. They’re enemies were trained in all methods of combat. Especially ship combat, which Mora’s crew was not. The corps saw them coming from a mile away. Simply banking to avoid them. Mora’s crew scrambled desperately just to barely avoid the corps returning fire. They might as well have been moving in slow motion. A single well placed shot sent Cee spinning as the ship careened towards the sand below. Mora wrenched the controls away from the pilot. Just managing to right themselves in time to avoid hitting the sands.
Lying on the floor of the bridge Cee swore she heard a sound that shouldn’t be there. Like air escaping from a small hole, then it was gone. The corps were coming in for the kill. Mora swerved narrowly avoiding the killing shot. The enemy ship skimmed the surface of the sand as it lined itself up to finish the job. That slight disturbance of the sands was enough for what was waiting beneath. In a flash the head of something smooth, hard and gigantic emerged from the sand, its mouth yawning. As easily as Cee would take a sip of water, the creature swallowed their pursuers whole. Cee caught a glimpse of one of its fangs, easily the length of their ship. As quickly as it appeared it was gone. Lost below the sand. Panic seized the bridge as everyone tried desperately to navigate out of the valley death trap before it decided to take another. Mora frantically tried to gain some height. The ship banked dramatically. A map of the ship appeared on one wall, a large section outlined in red.  
 That’s where Frytir is, Cee thought. This train of thought might have gone farther if more shots hadn’t at that moment passed in front of the ship. Reinforcements? Not there hadn’t been enough time. There must have been another line of defence behind the ship they’d attacked. Mora swore, as did many more of the crew. Cee would have as well, if she could get her voice to work. She just watched the ship approach, mouth hanging open limply. They fled, they were in no shape to take on a second ship. They weaved through the paths created by the jagged mountain peaks. Mora easily lost they’re pursuers. What she may have lacked in ship combat she made up for ten fold in piloting skill. 
Nobody felt comfortable staying in the mountain range any longer than absolutely necessary. They had all seen what waited below those sands. Cee felt something she hadn’t before, doubt. It was just a seed now but it was there. Mora’s plan had failed. She could fail in other things too.