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[MiniKitty]

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I WILL NOT DIE HERE!

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They just said that the Rogues shot down the transport with the supplies.

Shit! Do you have any WaSPs stored?

Nope.
The one we get this evening will need to last for three days.

Do the others know already?

Yes, they do.
If I was you, I would hide for a while, and make sure you hide your WaSP.
They will go for Levan first, probably.

Better him than us.

No WaSPs after this one. How many times more does this need to happen until things change? I can stretch the synth paste, but the water... The last time the supply ship got shot down, I almost died from thirst. Since then, I rationed even more than before, and even hid two water bottles for times like this. One of them got found by someone, but the other should still be there. I can survive this. But I need to hide.

Hey Kid, give me your WaSP.

You know I need it myself!

You are thin, you need a lot less to survive.

I need just as much water as anyone else here!

You are worthless. Hold him!

No! N-oo! Please, I do not want to die!

Oh! Did you hear that, Levan? That was your rib cage!

I had no energy to scream. No tears left for crying. I lay on the floor, for hours. No water. No synth paste. Boots to my body. They never go for the face, because that would lower my value, and the slavers would punish them for that. I was the weakest among them, always. I weigh nothing. I was always alone, on my own. Hang out with the weak one and you become the weak one.

Stand up, kid.

I was not able to.

I will not get any money for you if you are dying.

What a shame.

Here, drink.

Gin.

Try to stay alive, kid. You are one of my best miners.

How nice.


He left. I fell asleep. Everything hurt. At least I did not piss myself. Even at the bottom of the food chain, I had some dignity remaining. Never pissed myself, never made it easy for them. Someone tried something once, I bit it, almost off. Nobody ever tried again. Did he die? No idea. Made it to another mining shaft.

I will not let them kill me.

I will not make it easy for them.

I will not die here.

The guy from Cryer is coming today.

Is he going to get shot?

Slavers do not kill.

Another WaSP to share with some dickhead.

Want to watch how they get him?

Better not to snoop around at the landing pads, man.

They would get him right at the landing pad. Does business with the wrong people. Probably did not pay. Who cares. I will go there and watch it.

Wait, what!? Guys, hold on, I-

Buzzing batons, a scream. Yeah, they got him. Guy set a single foot on the landing pad, now he is getting dragged away. Nobody else is here. Big ship, a gunboat. Cargo bay still open. I wonder...

Hey, a PDA. Not locked. Remote control of the ship, owner still logged in. Consoles are offline. I can plug the PDA into the consoles, though. Huh, it works, would you look at that. Cargo bay door is closing. I want to blow up all of this place. Cannot access the turrets. Engines, maybe? Huh, that works. No idea how any of this works. Autopilot? Sure, get me off the planet.

Where to?

Pennsylvania is on fire, maybe there. No, do not use the trade lanes. Just fly.

Hey, a candy bar. Chocolate and coconut. Sure, it is my last meal anyway. No water, though. I am going to die here. In space.

Badlands, huh? Home of the Rogues. Turrets are still locked. Fine, you get to live, guys.

Pennsylvania jump gate. Sure, jump.

My stomach is empty but I need to vomit. Thank you, hyperspace.

Consoles are still offline, but at least they charge the PDA. As long as the PDA has juice, I can fly the ship. I can turn on the consoles? Enter password to unlock consoles. How about you go fuck yourself? Where to now?

Ice asteroids are a thing. I go there.

Turrets are locked. I can not shoot them into smaller chunks. No ice, no water. That is the end, Levan. You die alone, virgin, your life was nothing but pain. Might as well end it now.

Cruise Engines to max. Just keep flying, there is a little moon. Become a shooting star. Maybe someone wishes upon you.

There is someone? Female voice. Huh, after years without seeing anything remotely female. Such a nice voice. An angel. I am dying in front of an angel.

What is your name, angel? My name is Levan. I chose this name myself.

Theresa Rubble.

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