The S.O.S

It was a slow start on a Wednesday, in the Epirium galaxy of the back star system. There were a few dwarf planets in existence and all were occupied by over four thousands miners, industrial workers, farmers and a few handful business owners. Unlike the glory days from old, most of the settlements had a backwater feel. It was as so though the government had purposefully forgotten them. However, there was the occasional visit from the space port inspectors, at most twice a year.

In this relatively small community of colonists, there was one innkeeper. He lived with his wife and they were both getting on in years with a few remnants of youth in their eyes. Their children already grown had established themselves elsewhere. Regardless, the innkeeper and his wife were content with their way of life. They managed the Numeric Inn for almost 32 years.

But at present something unprecedented was about to occur. 

A guest had arrived. 

She was dressed in a long, heavy, dark brown fur coat and a stylish metallic silver hat. Her face was fresh, young and refined but the lines underneath her eyes betrayed her true age. She had an air of sophistication mingled with sadness, even though she tried to hide it. 

She was accompanied by a heavy chest and a few carrier bags.

“And your name is…?” asked Mr. Styx the innkeeper.

“Mrs. Quin”, replied the guest. 

“If you can just sign in the digitized ledger and place your thumbprint here…” requested Mr. Styx.

Mrs. Quin did just that.

“Thank you, Ma’am. My wife will lead you to your suite on the third floor. Our bell boy will handle your luggage.”

“Um, thank you Mr…?” asked Mrs. Quin awkwardly.

“Mr. Styx. If there is anything you need, you can use the communicator in your room.”

Mrs. Quin nodded in acknowledgement and followed Mrs. Styx who was conveniently waiting for her nearby.

The bell boy was a robot, 3 generations old but still reliable. Its name was Tommy. Tommy placed the luggage in a trolley and transported it to the service teleporter, punched in the floor level and room number. In subtle flash the luggage disappeared and reappeared in Mrs. Quin’s room. 

Meanwhile in town, it was business as usual. The town of Ri’po received another shipment of goods which consisted of food, medicine and some scrap metal.

Traders were all over the place by late afternoon. The smell of roasted Hybrid Wild boar filled the air enticing watering mouths to have their fill. The three Empirum suns shone brightly just above the horizon. 

It wasn’t until dusk when the noise settled. Most of the people went home and a few continued their business. The spaceport was still alive with people coming and going. Among them were two AIs who wore official uniforms from the federation.

They made their way to the spaceport control centre and were received by the manager.

“Good evening officers. What brings you to the backwaters of the Empirium galaxy? Aked the middle aged Caryculaen. 

“We are here on official business but we want to be discrete as possible”, responded one of the officers. 

“Ah, I see. How may I be service?” 

Both officers looked at each and nodded in agreement. Then one of them pulled out a photo from their wrist band.

“We are looking for this person”, she said. “We presume that they either came through here or is staying somewhere in this town.”

3 hours later, the Numeric Inn was alive with entertainment and merriment. The bar lounge was occupied by regulars and a handful of VIPs. One of the regulars, a bounty hunter called Ex was deep in conversation with Mr. Styx who was busy serving guests with refreshments.

“I wish things could get interesting”, he said thoughtfully as he disposed his glass of hard liquor.

“I don’t know Ex. I like how things are in this town. Slow and easy going”, responded Mr. Styx.

“Yeah? Well, I still think things need a little shaking up. Any slower and we’ll be stuck in limbo.”

Mr. Styx Chuckled. “Perhaps, its youth in your blood which speaks. It’s never too early to settle down and start a family.”

“No, not for me. I’m still the womanizing prick whose only care is money and good booze”, responded Ex.

“By the way, where your pals?” asked Mr. Styx where he mixed drink for a Caryculaen.

“One of them got caught for traffic violation. The idiot stole some Mech in the Federation’s capital. The rest are trying to spend their pay across the galaxy. But you know something intriguing did happen this morning.”

“Really?” mused the inn keeper.

“There was an accident just outside of town. A single SS5 ship crashed and the rumour is the pilot had escaped unharmed and is hiding somewhere in Ri’po.”

“You don’t say….” 

Ex twirled the remainder of his drink thoughtfully.

“I heard that before the ship crashed there was an S.O.S but the message was barely audible. You haven’t come across anyone unusual today, have you Mr. Styx?”

Mr. Styx paused for a moment. The only unusual person was his guest who never left her room. But so did a few other guests. Mr. Styx minded his own business unless his business was being minded. 

“No, Ex. It’s just another typical day at the Numeric. Seeing you here is actually what’s unusual.”

Ex chuckled at that joke. The mild humour tickled him quite a bit. 

Meanwhile, in the China bleu suite Mrs. Styx sat at a coffee table with a handkerchief in hand and tears rolling down her rosy cheeks. Mrs. Quin was seated by the window watching people passing by below. The streets were bathed in plasma lights and the Lunar Éclair was shining brightly in the sky.

A hand written letter was on the table and its contents revealed a revelation that Mrs. Styx could barely handle.

“Oh, my word. Is this really true? You really are my cousin? My Aunt Frey’s secrete love child?” asked Mrs. Styx once more.

“It’s true. Everything in that letter is true. I apologize for revealing the truth like this”, Explained Mrs. Quin. “But this was the only opportunity I had.”

“The only what…? Whatever do you mean?” 

Mrs. Quin left the window and joined the innkeeper’s wife.

“You see, Silver”, she begun. “There’s more that I need to tell you.”

Back down stairs on the hologram monitor in the lounge, an announcement caught everyone’s attention. Apparently, there was fugitive on the run wanted by the federation government for attempted murder on one of the members of the royal family. The Fugitive’s whereabouts are somewhere in Area 92 of the Empirium A reward of over 50 million credits would be awarded to anyone who brought the fugitive to justice.

A picture of a woman was placed on the screen. 

“Isn’t that Emperor’s sister-in-law?” someone asked in the room.

Mr. Styx connected the dots quicker than a spider’s web. His business and way of life was in danger.

Immediately, the broadcast ended, everyone in the room scampered out. 

Ex was just about to question Mr. Styx but the innkeeper had vanished mysteriously. It was quarter to midnight and the streets were still buzzing.

The AI federation officers had just finished going through all the hospitality establishments but one, the Numeric. They were making their way to the inn when they got notified that they’ll receive additional support.

Mr. Styx had secretly made his way to the China bleu where his fears were confirmed. 

“Magnus, we have to protect her. She is family”, pleaded his wife.

“Silver, our lives are danger and so is our business. If we get involved with this, we could end in prison or worse a concentration camp”, reasoned Mr. Styx.

“Mr. Styx, by letting me stay here, you and your wife are already involved. Please, I implore you both do not give me up to the authorities until my rescuer arrives”, pleaded Mrs. Quin.

Mr. Styx looked at his wife. He could tell what she was thinking even without asking.

He smiled and replied, “Mrs. Quin isn’t your real name, is it?”

His wife’s relative shook her head and smiled for the first time that evening.

“No, it’s an alias. My real name is Marina Winterfield. My husband was an abusive man and all I did was in self-defence. It was a forced marriage”, she explained. 

“Your rescuer who is he? Have been in touch with him?” asked Mrs. Styx.

“He is the one that located you, after I should him the letter. He told me to wait for him here.”

“That would be a difficult arrangement but I will see what I can do to stall the authorities. How will we know for sure when he arrives?” asked the inn keeper.

“He said there will be incident too large to ignore.”

‘That’s quite vague. Let’s hope the odds are in his favour’, thought Mr. Styx.

Suddenly, knock was heard at the door. Everyone froze.

Mr. Styx asked who it was and to his relief it was Tommy. Surprisingly though he wasn’t alone.

“Mr. Styx, you are more spirited than I am. I knew if I followed your bell boy I would definitely find you”, remarked the bounty hunter.

Mr. Styx frowned at Tommy and then at Ex.

“Um, Mr. Styx. There are…um, um…. two AI federation officers… requesting for you”, added Tommy.

The innkeeper rubbed his tired face.

“Both of you, in!” he ordered.

In fifteen minutes, both of them were given the gist of the situation. Mr. Styx marvelled at how willing Ex was in aiding him. Well the bounty hunter did have a fondness for the Numeric.

“So you need a distraction to keep them off the scent?” Ex inquired. “I can handle that. Tell them the truth but don’t rush. Mrs. Styx can hide your guest in another room for now.”

The inn keeper reluctantly accepted the plan and left to attend to the officers. But on his way down the stairs, something strange happened. 

There was a flash of light across the Ri’po and then 3 seconds later an earth quake which lasted a 15 seconds. 

Mr. Styx had held on tight to rails and was shaken up. His ears were ringing and there was commotion in the streets. He hastily made his way to the lobby. Both officers were there but now their focus was on just what happened.

They asked him if he was the owner of the establishment and then told him that he needed to evacuate and wait for assistance in the main square of town.

Mr. Styx wondered if this sudden earth quake was the distraction his wife’s cousin talked about.

While the officers left, the innkeeper went back to the china bleu to check on things. To his relief, no one was harmed.

However, the window was wide open and there was a stranger in their midst. A tall, hooded man with a reasonably shaved beard and witty green eyes.

“Sorry, for the dramatic entrance. I had some men put explosives at the space port. It was the only way for my men and I to sneak into Ri’po undetected”, apologized the man.

“This is Dan Hues my rescuer and lover”, explained Marina.  

“Wait a minute. That name sounds familiar”, responded Ex.

“Unfortunately, we don’t have time to chit chat”, Dan warned. “My love I know this sudden but you must bid your family fare well.”

After saying her goodbyes, Marina and Dan left.

Minutes later, a large ship that was cloaked quietly disappeared into space. The inn keeper and his wife knew that it was them. 

The explosion that had taken place at the space port had caused some serious damaged. There were a number of injured victims but miraculously no one died. The officers who were supposed to question the inn keeper and wife were never seen again.

It was several months later that Ri’po had fully recovered. The emperor’s brother had recover from his injury and was still just as passionate to find his wife. Strangely enough, the space port explosion brought some good fortune to the backwater town, a new face lift and a sudden increase in tourism.

The Numeric was quite busy with customers. Mr. Styx had his hands full but at least one of his children came to lend him and his wife a hand even if it was temporal.

One day, they received an unexpected visitor.

“Mr. Styx, how are you?” asked Ex.

The bounty hunter looked like he was taking better care of himself. Apparently he met his match somewhere in another a galaxy.

“I’m well. You look good. What brings you here?” asked Mr. Styx.

“I got something for you and the Mrs”, responded Ex.

He pulled out an envelope from his pocket and handed it over to the innkeeper.

It was a little crumpled but Mr. Styx didn’t mind. 

Moments later, he was seated with his wife in his tiny office reading the letter sent from her cousin. It was two months old but it brought good news. Marina and Dan were safe. Apparently, he was made the leader of the rebel group, Freedom for all. It also said they would come in six months to pay them a visit.

Mr. Styx shivered at the mention of a visit. He wondered how many more adventures he could take.