Voyage to Ayama Read online

  Contents

  Prologue

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Epilogue

  About the Author

  Voyage To Ayama (Dawnbreaker Book One)

  This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to places, events or real people are entirely coincidental.

  Copyright © 2018 K.A Knight, all rights reserved.

  Written by K.A Knight

  Formatted by Kaila Duff / Duffette Literary Services

  Dedication

  To the copious amounts of wine I drank while writing this, because wine is always the answer.

  “Throw your dreams into space like a kite, and you do not know what it will bring back, a new life, a new friend, a new love, a new country.”

  -Anais Nin

  TRANSMISSION LOG 00015

  DATE: 2032

  MISSION: 43, COLONY

  SHIP: DAWNBREAKER

  DESTINATION: AYAMA

  >…………… Accepted

  > Any news from Ayama? Rumours have gotten around, there must be a break in the chain of command. A rebellion naming themselves The Saviours has started, they claim to know. Advise on how to proceed?

  A YEAR AGO

  Our housing unit is still a mess from my birthday two days ago. I plop my bag down on the table and clear the remaining cake and presents away, and I’ve just spread my books out on the metal table when the bing sounds from the comms unit. I groan, what now? My mother’s voice breaks through my thoughts.

  “Indy, you there?” Her velvety voice comes over the speakers as if she is in the room.

  With a sigh, I trudge to the comms unit in the kitchen, pressing the talk back button. “Yeah, everything okay?”

  “Yes love, how was school?”

  I’m betting she’s knee deep in some secret experiment right now, she has been for weeks. I barely see her or dad, with the exception being my birthday, and she called it school, really? More like college.

  “Fine, I should be able to graduate soon,” I say smugly, thinking of the disbelief on my tutor’s face when he read my results.

  “That’s nice darling.” Her voice is distracted, and I can hear her tinkering with things in the background.

  “I’m also thinking of piercing my nipple, maybe both, and then chaining them together.”

  “Hmm, whatever you think.” Her voice is far away, and it’s obvious she's not paying attention. My lips twist, she doesn’t mean to be ignorant, but when she’s working, she’s miles away.

  “What’s up?” I ask in a defeated tone.

  “Hmm, oh! Me and your father will be working late tonight.”

  I snort, when don’t they? I don’t mean to be pissy. I know they have important jobs and I’m busy too; trying to beat Effie to see who can graduate first.

  “Okay.” My chipper reply is forced. It’s strange; for the first year on board, I was so angry with them for pulling me away from my friends and boyfriend and well -- Earth. Now that I’ve grown up a bit, I can understand why, I just miss spending time with them.

  “Could you bring us some cake? Your dad is whining for some.” I can hear the smile in her voice and my dad shouting a reply in the background. I smile, despite the loneliness in me.

  “Sure, be right there.” At least I will get to see them today, maybe I can get them to pay attention for long enough to tell them about my application approval to join flight training once I graduate. Grinning, I imagine their reaction. They will be so proud; my dad’s chest will puff up and he will say something stupid like, “I never doubted you.” My mum will hug me and tell me how proud of me she is. The youngest pilot ever recorded, that’s my aim at least.

  “Thanks, honey.” Her voice is distracted again. I cut off the comms and grab some cake, putting it on a plate with a lid over it. I don’t bother grabbing my jacket, the ship has been warmer than normal lately, so my basic white t-shirt and cargo pants, the cool ones with all the pockets, will be fine. I place my hand on the release scanner at the door to our private housing area and make my way to the labs.

  When they first told me I would be coming to space, I imagined the ship to be tiny and cramped. It’s the complete opposite. The hallways are well lit and massive, bigger than my old school. The ship has its own swimming pool, theatre, dining areas, the labs and then housing. It’s split up into sections: upper, middle and lower. Original, I know. Upper is for crew only, the middle is where I am, it’s for the scientists and high up civvies. Lower is for the rest. Under the lower is the storage areas and I’m not sure what else. I suppose it has to be big, we are a colony mission after all; on our way to a new frontier -- Ayama.

  The colony has already been started there, and we are the third trip. Only the best of the best get to go; a fresh start the government said. I should have expected my mum and dad to get picked, but it was still a shock when they sat down and told me. And the tests? Ugh. Every medical, psychological, and physical test you can imagine. Plus they tested my skills, intelligence, and what I wanted to do. That test was the longest, sitting down with a shrink and debating the pros and cons of each job and then explaining why I choose that particular field? Not fun.

  The journey is supposed to take five years, plenty of time for me to graduate and earn my pilots license. Then, at least when we get to Ayama, I won't be stuck on the ground doing some menial job, not that there’s anything wrong with that, but I crave excitement, always have. My mother says I’m an adrenaline junkie, my dad says I take after him. He’s a mechanic’s son, he studied engineering at the university where my mother was studying. They met in their first year and fell in love. The rest is history, as they say. My mother worked her way up, as did my father.

  I smile and nod at people as I pass, they nod back with friendly smiles. Everyone around here knows me. My mother runs the labs and my father is one of the head engineers for the ship. My eye is caught by a flash of black. I notice a few guards standing around talking. I make eye contact with one; he’s tall. He’s probably a couple of years older than me and just filling out from his growth spurt. His eyes are what stop me though, grey. Unusual. His skin is a dark tan, not from sunlight, not up here, so it must be his natural skin tone. His hair is short and black, so dark it almost blends into the usual guard’s uniform. He turns away from me as someone nudges him.

  Carrying on, I look in the labs as I pass. It's one thing I enjoy about space, people from all over the world got picked to go. The opportunity to learn new languages and meet new cultures was the only thing I looked forward to.

  My mum’s lab is at the very end. It’s basically a giant square and runs the whole length of the end of the ship. I can see the airlock door up ahead, apparently, it’s for the lab's safety, in case any part of the hallway is compromised. I stop when an alarm I’ve never heard before blares to life. The ship rocks, throwing me into the wall; that’s not supposed to happen. I run my eyes around, the guards are running down the corridor towards me.

  “Explosion in the main lab.” The speaker blares to life, the automation voice is loud to be heard over the siren. Wait, main lab? No!

  I whirl to my mum’s lab and run, the guards behind me. A panic like I’ve never known hits me. I sprint faster, pumping my arms the last few feet, my eyes honing in on the door. I’m driven totally by instinct.

  I skid to a stop outside the door and try the scanner. It blinks red. I slam my hand down, again and again, tr
ying to see through the glass.

  “Come on!” I shout desperately. If I can just get the door open, I can get them out.

  A bang on the glass has me freezing, my hand still on the cushioned scanner. My mum's face appears. I’m the spitting image of her, apart from my eyes which I get from my father. Her long brown hair is tied on top of her head. Heart shaped face, with brown eyes staring back at me. Tears are rolling down her face, and I start to panic even more. My mother doesn’t cry. She’s the strongest person I know. The day I came home with a broken arm from Tommy pushing me off the slide, she sat me down and talked me through the pain in a logical way. She told me to never let anyone see that they get to me. My first heartbreak, my grandad dying, our blowout when I refused to come to space. Nothing, she keeps her emotions in check and thinks logically, unlike me.

  I watch as the tears drip down her face, each one a blow to my racing heart. The guards are shouting behind me. I ignore everything as I look into my mother's hopeless eyes. A bang sounds from somewhere in the room making her flinch, but she doesn’t turn around. Looking behind her, I scream when I spot my father’s crumpled form on the floor. She steps in my way, blocking my view of him and puts her hand on the glass, a sad smile on her beautiful face.

  “I’m sorry, baby.” Her voice is muffled by the layers of steel and glass between us.

  No, no, no. Shaking my head, I smash my palm again and again on the scanner only for it to blink red each time. Frustration burns through me, fighting with the panic clawing at my throat.

  “Indy.”

  I ignore her and the guards, as I try and get through the door. I could circumvent the scanner, but that would take time I don't have. I could kill the circuit board with a-

  “Indy, look at me.” The voice is stern, the one she uses when I’m in trouble. I freeze and do as I’m told for once in my life, my eyes reluctantly dragging back to hers, as if not looking will make it okay.

  “I love you, baby. Be brave and always look for the truth. I’m so proud of you.” I put my palm over the glass mirroring hers, each word hammering home my heartbreak. My chest tightens as my heart struggles to beat, the pain indescribable.

  No, she can’t be saying goodbye. The tears finally burst from my overfilling eyes like a waterfall as a strained sob emerges. Someone grabs me and drags me away from the door. I fight them kicking and screaming, trying to get back to her.

  She stays there watching me, the tears dripping steadily down her face. That horrible smile twisting her lips as she faces death. Something explodes behind her making her cringe, but even then, she doesn’t look away. Her eyes tighten, and her lips start to turn blue, her shallow breaths puffing against the glass. I keep fighting, needing to be there, needing to save her.

  She starts gasping for breath and I fight harder. I hear a grunt behind me and the arms holding me loosen. I jump forward, running back to her. I’m tackled again and lifted in the air. I kick and fight as I watch her suffocate, her eyes dim, and she slumps against the door as I scream.

  The noise of the guards, the siren, and everyone else starts to blur together. I’m turned into a chest, a broad one. I notice the name Barrott stitched onto the guard uniform before my head is gently pressed to it.

  “Don’t look.” The deep voice warns from above me.

  I try and fight, bashing my fists against his chest. He lets me as sobs rack my body. He doesn’t speak or fight back, just lets me pummel his chest until I’m out of energy. I slip to the floor, him following, still cushioning me. Looking into his face through tear-filled eyes, I realise it’s the guard from earlier.

  “No,” I whisper as his face fills with sorrow.

  “I’m so sorry.”

  “No!” I shout it and turn to the door, he allows me this time. The guards are surrounding it, all with grim expressions. One is shouting into the control panel.

  “Tell me how this happened!”

  “I don’t care, keep the door sealed.”

  I ignore them all. Instead, I look at my mother’s body against the glass. I know she’s dead, so is my dad. It’s now just me. I’m alone in space.

  “Not alone.” The chest vibrates against me as he speaks.

  I don’t remember saying it out loud, but I must have because Barrott answers. I ignore him and everyone around me, staring at my mother’s open dull eyes.

  Eventually, I’m taken away. Barrott lifts me in his arms and strides down the ship. I don’t care. I don’t care where we are going or who he is. My mind is numb, and I can’t feel my body. I know this is shock and I should be bothered, but I let the numbness fill me up.

  I’m taken to the medical wing where they check me over. The doctor tries to talk to me, but I ignore him, so he turns to Barrott instead. My eyes lock on the floor replaying my mum’s last moments again and again.

  Barrott crouches by my side where I sit on a cot. I pay no attention to him, I can see his mouth moving out of the corner of my eye, but it seems like a lot of effort to focus on the words. I wonder what happened to the cake I was carrying, I think idly.

  Eventually, Effie comes in and throws herself around me sobbing. I don’t even try to return the embrace, my arms like lead at my side. She cries into my shoulder, her words floating over my head. Her father, Howard, stands in the curtain door hesitating, heartbreak on his face. He’s just lost his best friend. I know the feeling.

  The next couple of days are a blur. I don’t sleep much, Effie takes me to their housing unit and stays by my side the whole time, assuring me she’s there for me. Howard tells me not to worry about anything, that they will look after me. They tell me how sorry they are all the time. I hate the sympathy and pity in their voices.

  It’s the day of the funeral, if that’s what you want to call it. I stand in front of the wooden boxes containing my mother and father. My emotions are fighting the numbness, but I need it now more than ever. The whole ship is here; the first two deaths ever recorded in space. Some are being nosey, some are crying, and some just want to see the orphan girl break down.

  I won’t. I won’t show everyone that. I catch Barrott’s eyes where he stands to the side watching me, but I ignore him too. I won’t let anyone know how much I’m suffering. How could they possibly understand? I won’t let them think I’m the broken girl, when in reality my heart is with the two wooden boxes being pushed into the airlock.

  They can’t keep the bodies on board, one of the doctors told me, so they will be purged into space. I was told I didn’t want to see the remains, I agreed. Now, two coffins fill the hold, both at ceremoniously on separate platforms built into runners which lead to the airlock. There was a ceremony where my mum and dad’s colleagues spoke. I didn’t listen to a word. None of it matters.

  The buzz of the airlock closing sends a stab through my heart, but I block it out. I watch as the outer door opens, and they fly out into the abyss of space. A lone tear rolls down my cheek and I swipe it away before it can fall. I push back the tears by gouging my nails into my thigh, they will be the last ones to fall in front of anyone. I stand there until the crowd breaks, going back to their own lives, and their own families.

  I stand there alone on that platform until a throat is cleared behind me. I turn slowly. Barrott is watching me, concern and something else in his eyes. Still not bothering to speak, I watch him, his eyes are sad and filled with concern and he doesn’t even shift under my gaze. Eventually he sighs.

  “Come on, I’ll take you to the Jenkins’ quarters. That’s where you are living now right?” He winces at his words. I step towards him, and I can see Effie and Howard hesitating at the door, waiting for me. I won’t be going with them. I need to be alone with my grief. I need to be somewhere I can break down, somewhere filled with my family.

  I shake my head.

  “No. I’m staying in my family’s unit.” I ignore his protests and walk through the whispering people who stayed behind to watch. I hold my head high and walk through, ignoring their stares and remarks. I meet
the eyes of a bald man standing next to a woman with jet black hair. They nod at me. Striding through, I count the steps back to my unit. Back to my empty house and life. Only then will I break down and let myself feel. I will be like my mother, I will not show them anything. They will never have it to use against me.

  PRESENT DAY

  There's a fifty-fifty chance I can make this corner. Cain is even with me but slows as he approaches it. Grinning, I speed up. The car I’m in purrs with the speed, well they aren’t really cars. They are high-tech speeders made for travel on Ayama. There are eight of them in total on the ship, and six of them are in the races. Honestly, I have no idea how Lee managed to get the races and the speeders started without the guards or uppers caring. My guess is he greased some palms. He has his own mechanics as well, so the damage to the speeders is fixed immediately, readying them for when we reach Ayama.

  The speeder I’m in flashes a warning. They aren’t made for the speeds in which we drive, but Lee managed to bypass the security system and boost them. I don’t understand half of it, but driving them? That I can do.

  The track runs across the entirety of the two bottom floors of the ship, and no one but the racers and crowd come down here. It’s Lee’s territory, everyone knows it. They just don’t talk about it with everything that’s happening. The track is filled with obstacles, tight turns, and jumps. Just about everything you don’t want to do in a speeder made for space on a spaceship hurtling towards a planet. But who cares? The adrenaline is amazing and it’s the only place I can forget for a while. Plus, the credits, which is the new form of currency, after all, money is outdated and archaic when travelling through space, help Howard. He doesn’t question where they come from, he needs them too badly and he doesn’t tell Effie. I keep her from this side of me - she worries enough about me as it is. She’s too nice and has too big of a heart.