Rise of a Scoundrel

[Distance_warrior@hotmail.com]

***Warning power low life support failing***

Patrick looked at the flashing light on the console once more before fiddling half heatedly with some knobs before admitting defeat and slamming his fist into the console. He had allowed for his temper to get the better of him. The way the successful recruits sneered behind his back while he waited for the boss to contact him. It snapped him. He barge his way into some random leaders office put a gun to his head and ended up in the slave pens.

With nothing to lose he fashioned a weapon from some of the dead slaves and made his escape aboard the hyena. he has spent the past weeks drifting Liberty space looking for a port. But it was useless.

No one took him in he had no money no spare parts a ship that couldn't destroy a starflier and a bad reputation with both the navy and the unlawfuls. At last the air was running out.

Patrick lay slouched in front of the escape pod gears inside whirring as it awaited its doomed passenger.
"Where would I go? I go to the rouges I'm dead I go to a planet I'm imprisoned and I"m not going back to jail."

He stepped back from the waiting pod and slouched in a corner. Clarence finally mastering zero G flight swooped down to his master, holding a torn photograph of the Scraper Rats. The faces of all the member except for Fitzwillam torn with Clarence perched on his shoulder.

Failing to hold back the tear he turned to his prized pet.

"You know this is it. The wages of sin finally paid huh. What I wouldn't give to be back on Denver with the gang. We wouldn't even need to be looking for that next big haul. Damn I had such hopes for space I thought 'Now's the time to make a name for myself' and 'Now i can finally move up in the world gain some respect."

Patrick broke further into tears verging on blubbering.

" And now, now I have nothing save you. Well those bastards wont get you. YOU WON'T GET EVERYTHING!!!!" he swore to the empty void filled with rocks and scrap.

Doing his best to stand up in zero G Patrick walked to the escape pod holding his sole possession in his arms. With renewed vigor he turned to address his bird.

"If I go back to Denver the cops will get me but they won't shoot a bird."

With that he shoved Clarence into the airlock despite the bird raging protests. When the hatch sealed their eyes locked for a brief second before the pod flew away and Patrick watched it speed off towards a jumphole.

He sat there for hours watching the direction the pod flew off into. The air was starting to run out and every breath became a labour. The lone pistol in the armoury rack was becoming more and more prominent. When the warning lights on the console finally went out Patrick picked it up and without a word bit the barrel

... and pulled the trigger