Escape from New Sydney, Act 5
Posted on Sunday 14 April 2019 @ 21:16 by
Mission:
Academy Days
Location: New Sydney
Timeline: 11 Years ago
2781 words - 5.6 OF Standard Post Measure
Stephanie and Sarah, or that is to say Mrs. Marilyn Manson and her wife Shirley stood outside the New Sydney branch of the Bank of Bolius, a ground car having just dropped them off. As they walked into the bank Sarah hung on Stephanie like her whole job was to be seen doing so. As they walked in, Sarah whined in a muffled voice "But I don't wanna go. It's cold there and there's no good restaurants!"
"Hush now, sweetie. Mama has to work. I promise you we will talk about it in the car." Stephanie was speaking in an accent she had adopted for the occasion, trying to disguise her Irish accent by over pronouncing words. She cleared her throat as she approached the teller. "I'm frightfully embarrassed. She does carry on some times. I am being sent to a somewhat remote location by my employer and my wife is unhappy with the turn of events. and I am afraid there's no branch of your financial institution in the sector. As such, I need to close my account and withdraw all availible funds to cash."
The Bolian teller nodded, curtly, sliding a thumbprint scanner across the desk. "Absolutely, Ma'am. I just need your thumbprint."
This was where the rubber met the road. If Stephanie hadn't been one hundred percent accurate with her code, this entire plan would fall apart and they would all be dead by the end of the week. Trying not to sweat, shake or tremble, she closed her eyes and put her thumb against the pad.
It beeped. She withdrew it. There was a few tense moments as the Blue man read the screen in front of him impassively. Stephanie had to keep herself from exhaling with relief When he nodded and smiled, and said "Yes, Ma'am. We are sorry to see you go, Mrs. Manson but we hope that when you return, you will consider banking with us again. Now how would you like that?"
"Split up among four credit chips. 200, on one, and 100 on the other."
"Would you like us to encode them for private use?"
"That shan't be necessary. Open coding is just fine. thank you."
Sarah whined and tugged on Stephanie's arm. "Mar, sweetie..." She said in a voice that one would more expect to hear from a petulant child. "I'm hungry. Can we go get some dinner?"
"Just a moment, precious," Stephanie responded. "I'm talking with the nice man." She kissed Sarah on the forehead and turned back to the teller, who handed her the credit chips which Stephanie placed in her purse, thanked her once more for her business and sent her on her way. The two women walked outside.
When they were out, Stephanie sagged against the side of the building. "Holy feck," She said in her normal accent. "It actually feckin' worked." She smiled. "An' you, baby," She gave Sarah a quick peck on the lips. "You were bloody brilliant."
"I had great inspiration. I thought how your mother would respond in the same situation. Self-centered and rude." Sarah shot back.
"Say what ya will about Daffy. At least she can be used as a bad example. Let's get outta here 'fore people start askin' questions." They walked to where their diver was waiting with the car."
"Hiring the chauffeur was a bit much." Sarah said.
"When was th' last time ya saw a body who thought they were important walk anywhere? Besides, we need th' shoes t' make th' outfits believable, an' they're not exactly conducive t' long-distance hikes."
"Point taken," Sarah said.
In the O'Hara household, war was breaking out.
"Who the hell does that self-important little bitch think she is, making decisions that affect the whole family without so much as a 'by the way'?" Daphne asked/screamed at her husband.
"Grouchin' at me is na gonna help a thing, woman!" Michael shot back. "This is our new parigidm. You either need t' learn t' adjust, or ya can stay behind an' take your chances wit' the Syndicate. She got us inta trouble, but at least she's given us a way t' get out." He turned his back to her and busied himself putting bottles in boxes.
"I'm not going!" Daphne screamed as she sat stubbornly on a bar stool, refusing to move. "What did she do that is costing us our home and our lives?"
"She wouldn't say. She obviously thinks she's protectin' us by not tellin'. What I do know is that if we don' get off th' planet, none of us is safe. Make th' decision now if yer comin' along, because I'll have none o' yer whiny bullshite. I'm stressed out enough as it is! See t' yer son."
Liam was busily hauling an overstuffed suitcase down the stairs, and Daphne went over to help him. "God, Liam this is way too heavy. What on earth do you have in here?" Daphne opened the suitcase, and found it to be full of PADDs. "There's not a stitch of clothing in here. You can't take all your comics and games. Pick one and fill the rest up with clothes. Make sure you have socks." She dragged him by the wrist upstairs.
The hacker known as TargBreath grimaced as he cut the final link to the central database server. He rubbed his neck where his data port was. "What did they do to the net? They must have juiced up the security barrier. That hurt. She so owes me for this." He took up four velvet pouches from the shelf next to him, inserting Sarah and Stephanie's ID into one, then the others separately. He stuffed them in the pocket of his oversized, tattered and stained coat and started making his way for the spaceport.
While he knew better than to take the direct route anywhere, according to WarpDiva, time was of the essence.... This was how he found himself on the main thouroughfare of the New Sydney. Grath was strolling the streets of the Colony, flanked as ever by his Naussican and Klingon 'associates'. He didn't notice them until he ran into the Naussican... Literally. TargBreath wasn't looking where he was going and bumped into the Naussican, who turned on him with murder in his eyes. A hand shot out and snagged TargBreath by the throat and lifted him off the ground.
Seeing the commotion, Gralth turned his squat little Tellarite body toward it. "What do you have there, Tiny?" he asked.
"Clumsy hu-man," Came the reply.
Gralth appraised the situation, his eyes resting firmly on Tiny's latest catch. "Well, well, well..." He began. "What have we here? It's our good friend TargBreath. How are ya, boy?"
"Better... if I... could breathe." TargBreath gasped out.
"But of course," Gralth nodded to Tiny who set the wheezing TargBreath down on the pavement. "Maybe you can help us with a little problem."
"I'd love to," TargBreath said. "But I'm on my way to a meeting. My reputation and double my going fee are riding on this, but I will be more than happy to come back and help you with whatever you need after I make my appointment."
"This won't take a moment. I'm looking for O'Hara." Gralth said.
"Who?" TargBreath asked, looking genuinely confused.
"WarpDiva."
"Sorry. Can't help ya. Never met her in person," TargBreath lied. "You could be her for all I know."
"You're not a very convincing liar, you know." Gralth said.
"Then it's a good thing I'm telling the truth."
"You look nervous."
TargBreath pointed at Tiny. "He's bigger than me, angry at me, and not on my payroll. I think being a little nervous is entirely justified."
Grath smiled and chuckled in an unsettling sort of manner. "I can see how that would be a thing. If you should happen to see her, though. Let me know. I'll make it worth your while." He pulled a roll of bills out from inside his jacket, peeled one off and stuffed it in one of the grungy coat's many pockets. "Go make your meet. We will talk more later." He motioned to Tiny, and they walked off.
TargBreath dashed off, breathing heavily as he realized the size of the bullet he just dodged.
The ground car carrying Stephanie and Sarah let them off at the entrance to the spaceport. Neither had any bags. The driver didn't ask any questions. As she exited, she saw a slightly disheveled man in a grungy coat amble up toward her and begin scanning the crowd like he was looking for someone. Stephanie decided that in spite of the inappropriateness of the timing, she would have a little fun at his expense.
She walked over to him and put on the same accent she used at the bank "Are you looking for someone, young man?"
"Mind yers, lady." TargBreath shot back.
"Now Targgy," Stephanie continued in her normal accent. "Is tha' ana way t' talk t' th' woman who's writin' yer check?"
TargBreath did a double take. "Diva?" He asked incredulously. "What's with the getup? I didn't even recognize you."
"That's sorta th' point, ya nonce. If yer on th' lam, ya don' wan' everyone an their brother t' know it's you. Gingers tend t' stand out."
"Jesus H, Chica. What did you get yourself into?"
"Why does everyone keep askin' me that?"
"I just ran into Gralth and his goons on the way over here. They're looking for you."
"Did he say what for? Actually, never mind... Doesn't matter. D'Ya have 'em?"
TargBreath reached in to his coat and withdrew the four pouches. He offered them one at a time to Stephanie, who gave them a cursory evaluation and then handed them to Sarah. "Well done, Targgy. Ya earned this." She handed him a credit chip. "200 Bars as promised, an' I owe ya a big one." She said. "Now get outta here before someone sees us talkin'."
Knowing the party was over, TargBreath pocketed the credit chip, waved and disappeared into the crowd.
Inside the terminal, The O'Hara family was milling about, looking for their daughter. Daphne was near the edge of hysterics, and complaining loudly enough to be overheard that Stephanie was nowhere to be found. A well dressed woman, and one who was dressed more like she was supposed to be on display walked up to the family and began talking.
"Ya might wanna keep yer voice down, ya stupid cow." The well-dressed woman said.
Daphne looked at her for a few moments. "Stephanie?" She asked, staring at her daughter as if she had never seen her before.
"Aye, ya daffy bitch... An' th' most important part o' this plan is na drawin' attention t' yerselves. So maybe shut yer feckin' gob long enough f'r me t' save yer worthless life, then cuss me out all ya want when ya get t' where yer goin' safe."
Sarah passed out the IDs. She dropped Daphne's on the floor. "That leaves no question to who you are," Daphne said as she bent down to pick it up. "Nice to see you again, too, Sarah." The sarcasm was obvious.
She fished a credit chip out of the purse and handed it to Michael. "This is worth a hundred bars o' latinum, free and clear."
Daphne made a grab for it. Stephanie pulled it away. "You don't get t' touch it, ya theivin' wagon. I know you. As soon as ya have money an' an escape plan, you'd not think twice t' leave yer family high and dry."
"Like you're not doing that right now?" Daphne said.
"I am riskin' my life t' save ya an' get ya off this miserable mudball. I had t' go through th' gate o' Hell itself t' pull this t'gether an' I'll na have ya ruin my hard work because ya smell money. So f'r maybe once in yer pathetic life, try t' shut th' feck up an' be grateful." She pressed the credit chip into Michael's palm. "This is t' get ya offworld. I can' know where yer goin'. Just get on th' next shuttle an' go. Take connectin' flights if ya can. Make it as hard as ya can f'r 'em t' track ya."
She looked down at the tips of her pumps then back up at Michael, tears welling up in her eyes. "I let ya down, Daddy. This is th' best I can do t' make it right, an' it's na enough." She hugged him tightly. "I'm so sorry."
She walked over to Liam, and looked him in the eye, trying to not let him see her lose her composure. "Ya didn't deserve any o' it. You were innocent in all this. I've done ya th' greatest disservice of all. I've robbed ya o' yer future, an' f'r that I don't blame ya if ya hate me. I can live with it as long as I know yer alive t' do it."
Much to her surprise, Liam hugged her. "It's okay, Steph. I know ya tried."
When Liam let go. She looked over at Daphne. "Don' worry. I'm na gonna get lovey-dovey with ya," She said simply. "I tried t' talk Daddy inta leavin' ya behind. Th' only good part o' this whole thing is that I'll neva have to see yer smug face an' experience yer holier-than-thou attitude ever again."
Daphne didn't respond with words. Instead, she caught Stephanie with a stinging slap across the cheek and walked away.
When the initial shock of it wore off, She looked at her two male family members and said "If ya mean t' take her with ya, ya best be after her. I don' put it past her t' leave without ya. I love ya both. I'm sorry."
She turned and walked away, Sarah followed. A short way away, Stephanie stopped. She pulled out the last pouch, withdrew one ID which she put in her purse and put a put a credit chip in the pouch. "You too, lover," She said, handing Sarah the ID. "You need t' go too."
"I'll do no such thing," Sarah said stubbornly. "You need me."
Stephanie didn't say anything else, fighting the urge to fall to her knees and sob in the middle of the terminal. "No, I don't. Now go." She began walking away, her heels hitting the floor seemed like the loudest sound in the bustling terminal as she walked toward the door and the waiting car. She didn't stop, she didn't look back, because she knew as soon as she did, her resolve would break and she couldn't afford that. Not now. She stalked out to find the driver that opened the car door for her. "O'Hara's Pub," She ordered and then got in the car. It was a few minutes, and the car hadn't moved. Stephanie was just about to exit to see what was going on when the door opened and Sarah got in.
"I'm coming with you," She said matter of factly. "You are trying to be who you want everyone else to see. Emotionless, unflappable, in control. You are not any of those things right now. Leaving your father and your brother dug deeper than you want to let on. I know you better, and I think I deserve better than just having you run out on me because you're scared. I love you, and weather you're willing to admit it or not, you need me, and I'm not gonna leave you when you need me."
"I need ya t' be alive! If ya come wit' me, there's a very solid chance that ya won' be, an' neither will I."
"Then we go out like Bonnie and Clyde," Sarah said.
"Have ya always been this stubborn?"
"Only since I fell in love with you."
"I don' deserve ya." Stephanie said. "By th' by, Which one o' us is Bonnie in that scenario?"
"Me, obviously. You're way more butch. Why are we going back to the bar?"
"I've gotta destroy th' equipment in my room. I can' leave anathing that could be used t' track us."
●○ LTjg Stephanie O'Hara
Chief Engineer
USS Merlin
