The Stowaway

The Stowaway

The year 2030

He was in the dock. The court had debated and come to a decision.
I can tell from their faces they didn’t buy it! They think I’m mad!
The judge said “The court here finds you guilty of murder by diminished responsibility and sentences you to life on the outer rim asteroids until you die.”
 “No!” he screamed “Please god no!”
“Take him away!”
“You don’t understand! Not until I die! It will be an eternity!”
 

Six Months Earlier

A small cargo ship delivering supplies to Mars base 1. 
“God! I can’t believe it was just two days ago that I last saw Jenny.” Said Imran.
“I know.” Replied Stuart, “It seems to go so fast.”
“Just the two of us on this stupid ship now for the next six months!”
Imran pulled a sad face of disapproval. “When I get back my baby should be 1 years old. I wish I could be there for the birth.”
The two crew of the cargo ship sat at the front of the ship staring into deep space. They had worked together for several years and found each other’s company soothing, especially on long journeys like this one.
“Not the only two, gentlemen, that isn’t quite correct.” A voice as soft as velvet, cultured and as aged as the stars.
“What the hell!” Imran spun round not his believing his eyes.
Stuart instinctually reached for his laser pistol; he had spent a long time in the military back on Earth.
Shit! No pistol! We can’t carry them on simple resupplying duties.
“Who the hell are you?” Asked Imran, taking in the odd shaped character that had stowed away on their ship.
He must be about six foot and he’s wearing a rich velvety dark black suit.
“My name is not important, but for the purposes of this conversation you can call me Icarus.” Again a voiced that seemed to be as aged the stars.
“How did you get on this ship?” Asked Stuart.
Icarus, thought Imran with a very uneasy feeling settling in his stomach.
“That is not important also. I am sorry gentlemen but your lives are over.”
“What the hell do you mean?” Stuart got up of his captain’s swivel chair “No one puts Stuart in the corner!”
He faced the very pale six foot stowaway.
His eyes! His eyes! They boreing into me! Into my soul!
Sit down!
Stuart heard the command in his head, he felt his will suddenly quashed and he turned around and sat down.
“Now gentlemen we can do this the hard way or the easy way.”
The two crew members felt themselves paralysed by some unseen force.
Imran tried to move.
I can’t even blink!
“Do you want to do it the hard or easy way?”
The two stared straight ahead at the deep vastness of space.
“Now if you agree nod your heads.”
Imran and Stuart found they could move their heads. They both nodded.
“Good.” Said the tall pale stowaway.
Stuart looked at the uninvited guest again.
What the hell is going on?
The stowaway stood unmoving.
His pupils are deep black, just staring into deep space, what emotions and memories are those deep black pupils hiding? Thought Imran.
“I’ve heard of Icarus.” Said Imran “we did it in our ancient history class years ago in school.”
“Yes gentlemen,” the voice sounding like soft velvet again.
“Yes Icarus was the guy, who tried to fly into the sun, but the wax holding his wings together melted and he fell to his death.” Continued the stowaway.
At the word ‘death’ a slight gasp of anticipation escaped from the stowaway’s mouth.
“Yes, my death, I have courted you for centuries, now you finally approach.”
What kind of freak is this thought Stuart.
“You want to die?” Asked Imran.
“Yes most certainly gentlemen.”
“Well why don’t you just kill yourself?” Imran said.
“If I could I would have done it centuries ago.” The voice seemed to take on a pained sadness that neither the two crew members had ever heard before.
“You can’t die?” asked Imran.
“No gentlemen, I cannot.”
“Why not?” Asked Stuart.
“The why’s and wherefores are not important; all I will say is that many eons ago. I entered the kingdom of death...” The voice dropped off as if he was in deep thought.
“My love...My one and only true love, I know you wait for me.”
Imran saw a soft trickle of shiny tears slowly coursing down the stowaway’s cheek.
“Whoa!” Said Stuart who was getting more and more confused by the second, “How the hell could you enter the kingdom of death? Unless you are some kind of wizard or something?”
“Exactly gentlemen, I was exactly that, a wizard, but not just any wizard but the greatest the world had ever seen.”
This is some trippy shit, thought Imran, not believing his ears.
“So what happened? Why can’t you die?”
“I was the greatest wizard the world had ever seen, but when death came for my beloved fiancé,” the voice had such a deep sadness and power to it that the two found themselves on the verge of tears also “When Death came for my fiancé there was nothing even I could do. I the greatest wizard that had ever lived!”
“So I cast my most powerful spells and followed Death into the kingdom of the dead...And there...And there I battled Death and won...” the voice was so low now, barely beyond a whisper.
“I did something no one had ever done before, I beat death, I humiliated Death and so Death cursed me...”  he continued slowly, “Death took my coin which I needed to pass into the kingdom of the dead and replaced it with this one.”
He held up a gold coin, “One half represents life and the other half death, as you can see this coin only has one side to it, and so I cannot die. As I can’t pay the ferryman” He paused then continued even lower that they could barely hear.
“Death cursed me so that I cannot die.” The voice faltered of.
Suddenly understanding showed in Stuart’s eyes.
“You going to take us into the sun!”
There was a long pause. The stowaway seemed to come out of his reverie.
“Now gentlemen change course.” The voice seemed to have a strange power behind it and like before Imran felt his will quashed, he flicked through the controls and set course for the sun. They felt the ship change course with a deep grinding noise as its thrusters fired in different directions.
“I will see my beloved once more. I have waited an eternity for this.”
“And what about my beloved?” Countered Imran, “My wife is pregnant with our first child.”
“I have waited an eternity for this.” Is all they heard low and sad.
Tears came to Imran’s eyes
 “Gentlemen I am not without conscience,” tears slowly streaming down the wizards face.
The voice again was so low and sad, “The moment I entered your ship I saw your lives.” There was a pause. 
“I know your deepest secrets and most heartfelt desires...”
“Please! What about me? What about my wife and child?” Said Imran, “There must be another way!”
The wizard was silent for the longest time. Stuart nearly thought he had turned to stone, he didn’t move for so long. A small smile spread across the wizards features.
“Then he said, there may be another way. One of you must take my place.” The two crew members were suddenly hanging onto his every word.
Immortality! Though Stuart.
Immortality!  Thought Imran.
“Which one of you would like to take my place?”
“I will!” they both shouted together.
“I’m going to go and rest in the sleeping quarters, whilst you make your decision. I will be back in four hours.”
The ancient wizard turned and walked away.
Imran and Stuart sat unmoving.
I want this! Though Imran.
He’s not getting one on me! Thought Stuart.
The minutes ticked by, neither man saying or moving an inch. Imran heard the beat of his heart in his ears. Stuart felt the sweat running down his back.
 Suddenly Stuart made a grab for Imran’s throat, he got a good hold.
“I’m going to be immortal!” Stuart screamed as he tightened his grip around Imran’s throat. He squeezed, tighter and tighter. Imran’s body went limp and as pale and blue as the planet Neptune.
God! I’ve done it! What have I done?
As he stared at Imran’s lifeless body he felt a tinge of remorse.
I feel like I’m going to puke!
Stuart got up and staggered towards the sleeping quarters.
He entered the sleeping quarters and saw the wizard fast asleep.
“Sir...” Nothing.
“Sir!” He said again loudly.
The wizard seemed to awake.
“I’ve done-“
Just then pure terror flashed through his mind as he heard the ship thrusters igniting.
 “No!” He screamed but he was too late.
There was a grinding noise as the sleeping quarters dislocated from the other half of the cargo vessel.
Imran’s voice came over the loud speakers.
“So long suckers!”
Imran knew the jettisoned half of the ship was on a crash course for the sun.
The old wizard will finally get what he wanted.
Imran heard a voice in his head.
I chose you. Thankyou.
Imran felt the weight of something in his pocket. He pulled it out.
A gold coin!
He turned it over.
It only has one side!

Present Day

 
He was in the dock. The court had debated and come to a decision.
I can tell from their faces they didn’t buy it! They think I’m mad!
The judge said “The court here finds you guilty of murder by diminished responsibility and sentences you to life on the outer rim asteroids until you die.”
 “No!” he screamed “Please god no!”
“Take him away!”
“You don’t understand! Not until I die! It will be an eternity!”
 

The End.