Suspended Sublimation

“Give me one reason why I shouldn’t pull the trigger.” 

Cool steel pressed against Chronos’ hot forehead. “I have blasting jelly on me! Enough to blow the whole ship up if you shoot me.”

“I don’t believe you.” 

“You haven’t shot me yet, so I think you know I’m not bluffing.” Chronos sighed as Basu’s pistol dropped from their face. She still held onto it with two hands.

“So what if you’ve got jelly? I’ll just shoot you once we dock.”

“I don’t think you want to do that.”

“No?”

“I’m valuable to you.”

Basu laughed, eyes still icy. “Convince me, then. You have-” She checked the navigation time on her watch. “-fifteen minutes before we’re there.” Keeping her pistol aimed at Chronos’ chest, she kicked a box sideways and sat on it. “So, where’s the jelly?”

“You can’t get it away from me if that’s what you’re thinking.”

“Why not?”

“I kind of… swallowed it.”

Basu’s mouth dropped open. “You- How?”

Chronos had her attention. “Still got fifteen minutes to listen?”

“Fourteen now.”

“You gonna put your gun down while I explain?”

“Not a chance.”

…

My name is Theodora Chronos. Theodora Chronos.

The spacecraft had the body of a blimp with a fishbowl cockpit and two metal arms.

I’m a woman named Theodora Chronos. 

It was small, even for a single-occupancy mining ship.

128.45N, 398.31W. Don’t forget those numbers.

Ducking under a rusted leg of the spaceship, Theodora Chronos took a deep breath and prepared themselves- herself now- for a new life. The captain sat on the ramp leading up to the spacecraft. She didn’t welcome them in, just nodded and wiped some blue dirt off her dark brown skin. “You’re late.”

“Sorry. I’m-”

“Chronos. I know. Theodora. The scientist.”

Chronos had a feeling they would be enjoying this job. Their eyes rolled.  “I was going to say I’m thankful for you providing me safe passage. I’ll keep my mouth shut instead.”

It was easier to become another person when Chronos didn’t try to hide the personality beneath the curled brown hair and lab coat.

The captain turned around, put her hands on her hips, and huffed. “Apologies. I’m tired. You’ll find the company you’re now working for doesn’t care about giving people proper time for a lunch break… Speaking of Alodia Mining, they did tell you my name, no?”

“Uh… no.”

Chronos did know her name, but needed it to be said aloud for the record.

“Shit, those guys are lazy. It’s Chandani Basu. Just Basu will do.”

Chronos followed her into the ship. Just inside was a hallway with a bed lofted over them and a few plants on the shelves. To the side, an open door showed off a grungy bathroom. Basu kicked a hatch on the floor closed that probably led to the storage room.

“Didn’t have time to clean. They just dumped this on me right after getting back from dropping off a haul.” Basu began climbing the ladder to the second floor and looked back. “You can come with me up here. I only have one other chair and it’s in the cockpit.”

From the rounded, glass cockpit, Chronos could see all the stars rotating as the ship took off. Basu leaned back and pushed a button to engage auto-pilot. White streaks blurred by. Chronos stared at all the monitors showing where the ship was in relation to the alien planets around them.

Basu looked back at Chronos in the co-pilot’s seat. “Why do they want me to take you, anyways?”

This is your chance to relate to her.

“I guess Alodia Mining Co. is too cheap to send a cab. You’re the only miner headed in my direction today.”

Basu chuckled. “What lucky bastards we are to both be sent out to an inhospitable rock.”

“I’m surprised you don’t have a crew or a bigger ship considering how far you travel.”

“Mining is a one-woman job. It’s more cost-efficient for Alodia that way. I don’t mind working alone.” Basu stared straight ahead. She plopped her boots on the front part of the desk that didn’t have buttons or levers. A few coasters fell off the dusty surface.

“So… how long do we have until we get there?”

“Just thirty minutes.”

Chronos’ heart seemed to stop for a moment. “That must be a mistake. I was prepared for a much longer trip.”

“Just installed a booster. I was up all night putting together the parts. Don’t tell Alodia about that. I don’t think it’s quite up to code.”

They told me it would be two hours! I’m only two minutes into my new life and it’s already fucked up!

…

“Why should I help you?”

“Because it’s your only option. Unless you’d rather rot in prison. Think of it like this. I’m giving you a fresh start, a new life!”

“It’s certainly a tempting offer… A mole, huh?” The alien sat in a glass beaker on the table that was chained to the floor. The chain was useless, really. If they wanted to escape, they could jump out of the glass and roll like a ball of putty to the door. But they stayed out of intrigue. The alien didn’t think their purple, liquid form would be ideal for being a secret agent, but they wanted to hear what the officer had to say. They made themselves boil and gurgled out a question. “Who would I be spying on?”

“Chandani Basu. We believe she’s been smuggling Finitium. It’s a rock used to make…”

“Explosives. Right?”

“Yes…”

“I heard about it on the news. The U.S. government has been selling it to warring aliens. Like the beings on my homeplanet.”

“Not really my job to ask why it’s illegal for individuals to own or why the government still uses it. I don’t make the laws,  just enforce them.” The officer touched his mustache. “You would stow away on the ship, wait until the mineral is onboard, and send her to us. This…” 

“Why can’t you send a human?” One of the bubbles on the alien’s surface popped in confusion.

“Humans can’t stow away. Mining ships have tools to detect bugs or other lifeforms. You can transform into a gas, correct?”

“I can manipulate my body to conform to what I touch, so if I can touch some sort of gas, then yes.”

“Gasses, by most human standards, aren’t considered lifeforms.” The officer looked at Chronos in a way that made them uncomfortable. “You’d be undetectable. Let me see it.”

“I’d need something to touch.”

The officer stuck his hand into the beaker, stubby fingers submerging themselves into the alien’s body. So they wouldn’t have the odd sensation of being prodded anymore, the alien started to change. They latched onto his finger, taking a single cell of skin off him. Using that little piece, they were able to stretch their body, turning it a light tan and getting rid of the dense purple liquid. Bones elongated from the glass and flesh spilled onto the table. The officer didn’t look away during the process. 

When they stopped stretching, they were human. Specifically, a completely naked female human. The officer’s stare lingered over their chest. 

Ew.

This stare was preferable to the methodical scanning of the officer’s eyes over the alien’s liquid form. Either way, still objectifying. Chronos just wasn’t as emotionally attached to this body as the last.

“Beautiful. Now, do it again.”

The alien crossed their arms over their human chest. “I can’t for another hour or more.”

“Shit. Your ride leaves in twenty minutes. The good news is, it should take about that time for it to reach its destination. We can get you on the ship as a human. Then you’ll have to find a way to get back on as a gas.” The officer leaned back and yelled through the interrogation room’s door. “Can someone whip me up a new identity?”

…

“So… you’re an alien working with the cops to turn me in? I’m giving you a chance to live and that’s what you’re leading with?”

“I’m getting to the good part.”

“You better hurry up. You’ve only got eight minutes left until we dock. I’d love to be able to keep you alive. I’ve only killed once and I didn’t care for it.”

“Stop using up my time and maybe you’ll get lucky!”

…

Maybe Chronos could become a gas before their energy had fully restored. They had never tried, but they didn’t really have another choice. Their heart dropped with the ship. Basu pushed the control stick forward slowly and yawned.

“Can I stay on the ship for a while? I mean, my supervisor isn’t expecting me to work for another hour and a half.”

“Go get a snack in the port, then. It’s cramped as hell in here and I need to go out to pick up some cargo anyways.” The ship landed with a thunk. Chronos took their time unbuckling. As they followed Basu out of the ship, they pretended to be very interested in all of the hanging plants in the hall.

Basu waited, foot tapping and hand anxiously tugging at her short black hair. “Come on, I haven’t got all day.”

The door slammed behind them. “Have a nice life!” She waved and Chronos cautiously walked away. A glass bubble separated the port from the rest of the barren, blue rock. Balls of light dangled from the ceiling. Mining ships entered through a decontamination chamber, then docked on the outskirts of the port separated by a circular tram road. Tall vending machines created narrow alleyways.

After rounding the corner, Chronos peeked out from behind a kiosk selling tram tickets. All they could do now was wait. If Chronos was lucky, it would take exactly the amount of time they needed to regain their energy.

Only five minutes passed before Basu came back, pushing a levitating cart full of barrels. Basu left the cart outside. Chronos began to sprint towards the ship. Before they could think of a better plan, Chronos dove into one of the barrels. It was full of sticks of dynamite. The other barrels smelled like they were carrying almonds soaked in alcohol and sour milk. At least they hadn’t jumped into any of those.

Chronos tried not to breathe as the cart moved forward. They steadied themselves by putting their hands on either side of the metal barrel. The container lowered to the ground. They heard a door closing. Was Basu gone? Chronos decided to wait. 

They sat in the dark for what felt like hours, but was only a couple minutes. Prickly discomfort trickled up their nose. That was certainly a new sensation for them. It was an oncoming sneeze. Though Chronos had turned into a human many times, at that moment they had no idea what was happening to their foreign body. Ripping off the lid of the barrel, Chronos breached the surface holding their nose.

Is this what suffocation feels like for a human? Or maybe my body has to go to the bathroom.

They let out a sound that sounded like a kitten mewing. They wiped their nose on the back of their hand.

Interesting. That actually felt kind of nice.

Chronos looked around the room and sighed. No sign of Basu. They were in the storage room now. Crates were strapped to the gray wall and cylindrical containers rolled as the ship tilted.

Suddenly, a hatch on the storage room floor opened up. Chronos lowered their head. It wasn’t a person that came in, but a load of purple rock, sucked in like dust in a vacuum. 

“Oh shit.”

The officer had shown them several pictures of what the illegal rock would look like. This was definitely it. The only problem was the timing.

Crouching by the door, Chronos waited for a specific noise. The toilet flushed on the other side of the wall. Water swelled and gurgled. In the countless space stations Chronos had been in, they had seen signs that showed how long each alien race was supposed to wash their appendages for. For humans, the recommendation was twenty seconds.

Should be enough time.

It was not. Basu, apparently, had not read those signs. 

When she walked through the doorway, catching Chronos sitting at the control panel of the ship, all Chronos could think to say was, “Don’t you care about hygiene?”

“What are you talking- Wait! Why the fuck are you still in my ship?”

Chronos ran.

They got to the storage room a couple seconds before Basu. Jumping up and down, Chronos realized there was no way they were going to be able to change the state of their body’s matter right now. It was too early and they were way too stressed. Maybe they could at least change some of it. Frantically, their eyes scanned the room. They stuck their finger into a random barrel. There was that gross almond smell again. They looked at their finger as their skin absorbed the foul goop. Gurgling as it dissolved, their stomach was replaced by the strange substance. Then a metaphorical lightbulb turned on over their head. A good chunk of their innards was now blasting jelly. Chronos wasn’t sure if this was a stroke of luck or a hideous mistake.

A literal lightbulb turned on over their head. Basu stood by the lightswitch with a pistol.

…

“So… when you said you swallowed it, you meant-”

“Technically, I’m made of it. Same effect, really.”

“Devil’s in the details.”

“I’m not human. I don’t know what the hell that means.”

Basu stepped closer to Chronos. Her black eyebrows furrowed.  “I’m gonna have to put a bullet in you, aren’t I?”

“Don’t get ahead of yourself. Can’t do that until we’re at the dock.” Chronos put a finger over the muzzle of the pistol.

“That’s only a minute away now.”

“Do you know where the dock is?”

“Yeah.”

“Might wanna check those coordinates.” The right corner of Chronos’ mouth tugged upwards. They had seen smirks in human TV shows and they hoped they were pulling it off.

Without lowering the gun, Basu pressed a button on her watch. The map was displayed between them.

“So, Captain, what does it say?”

“You… changed it. 128 North… 398 West…” Basu’s teeth grinded together. “Where is that?” She shoved the gun under Chronos’ chin.

“The meetup point. We’re going right to the cops.”

“I’m changing our course,” Basu spat before turning.

“They’ll know you’re running if you change it now.”

Basu whipped around, finger tightening on the trigger. “You fucking-”

Chronos winced. “Listen, I'm an outlaw too. I just wanted a better life!”

“Well, now we’re both gonna die.” Basu’s face dropped, along with Chronos’ heart.

“Hold on! I can fix this! For both of us!”

“You better move fast! We have thirty seconds!”

…

“Where is my evidence?” the officer roared.

Basu waited for the blow, but wasn’t expecting a punch right on her right cheek. She stumbled back. “I don’t know what you’re talking about!”

“Where is the… scientist?” His face changed, becoming softer in a way that made Basu’s stomach twist. “There was a woman aboard your ship. An even more dangerous criminal than you. Brown hair, green eyes. Know her?”

“Yes. I remember.”

“I could have you charged for her murder. But if you tell me where she is, I’ll consider dropping those charges.”

Basu thought about it for a moment. “I dropped them off at planet X-99. Haven’t seen them since. Practically disappeared into thin air.” Maybe that was too on the nose.

The officer left. “We’ll be in touch,” he demanded.

“No we won’t,” Basu muttered when the door shut behind him.

“Hey, Chronos, you there?”

A voice like a cool breeze spoke quietly into Basu’s ear. “I’m here.”

“How can you speak while you’re in gas form?”

“Really tiny particles can make a sound if they all yell at once.”

“So… Is there any way we can get back my Finitium? Or is it just gone? How did you even do that?”

Chronos laughed. “Yeah, you can have it in a couple hours once my body can become solid again. My body absorbed it, so I have some extra matter to spare.”

Basu climbed the ladder, sat in the pilot’s chair, and set a new course.

Chronos moved the air around Basu, brushing back her short hair. “Why did you help me? You could have turned me in and been free from your charges.”

Basu shook her head. “You obviously haven’t been an outlaw for that long. No cop is gonna give you your freedom. Though I hope that guy’s done with me for a while since he had the satisfaction of getting his anger out.” Basu felt her cheek. “So what are you wanted for, anyways?”

“Identity theft.”

Basu laughed, clutching her stomach, then wiped the tears from her eyes. “Incredible. Well, you helped me out. I owe you.”

“Owe me what?”

“I don’t know. Dealer’s choice. What do you want?”

Chronos thought for a moment. The room was quiet, just the sound of Basu breathing and the blasters whooshing. “Maybe I can stay on this ship for a while. I’ll assume a new identity. Be your partner in crime.”

“That’s really all you want? Why?”

“I want a fresh start.”