Part 1

The Man With Two White Shoes

Part Two

I walked with the group toward our rooms. I was curious as to where the others were staying. As it turned out, we all wound up on the same side of the ship. With the exception of Todd and myself, everyone bunked in the 'A' corridor, the one closest to the center of the ship. After saying goodbye to Gary and Bobby, we both turned to the next corridor out. As soon as we turned on to 'B' corridor, Todd entered his room. Mine was only a few doors down. A fact I mentioned to Todd as we parted.

I entered my room wondering if this would be a good experience for me. I was never so gregarious at home. In college, it wasn't all that often that I would be invited to frat gatherings. Most of those invitations came after a few  people got wind of my prank toys. I opened my large bag and took out a few boxes. The boarding inspectors frowned but didn't get too excited about my collection of gadgets. The scanners hadn't gone off when viewing my bag so I was deemed harmless. Which was perfectly true. Nothing before me would do more than make a person cover their ears for a few seconds. Even the optics were considered low level.

I laid out my clothing for later in the evening. I placed a few things in each of the pockets and pulled out a wristband that looked like an old-fashion timepiece. Ten years earlier, they had come back into vogue. Of course, they were much more useful than anything worn in a past century. For the most part, a person's life was stored in these devices. Naturally, they were keyed to each person's internal biochip. Once they had traveled three meters away from their owner, they would shriek like a banshee. Ten seconds after having my heart stop, the one on my hip would do the same thing. These units were good as gold as far as anti-theft was concerned. The murder rates also went down after the introduction and universal application of these devices.

I slid the band around my wrist and entered the twelve-digit code that would activate it. Of course, I don't remember the last ten digits as they have been activated on the subconscious level by my biochip. The same thing was true of disarming my belt unit. Normally I would have tossed it in the bag knowing that without my bio-signature present, it was as inaccessible as the heart of the sun. Instead, I attached it to the belt I would be wearing later. It would serve a certain cosmetic affect. This having been done, I read through some of my previous journal entries and lay back to take a nice long nap. I wanted to be fresh for the night's entertainment.

My alarm woke me an hour before last dinner bell. I cleaned up, got dressed, and left my room. I stopped in front of Todd's room. Most pranksters like to be completely anonymous, but at times, a confidant can be of great help. My other concern was not knowing how well the others might take a little teasing. I set up a few of my toys in the corridor that ran between 'A' and 'B' then went back to Todd's room. He answered quickly when I knocked.

"Al? What's up?"

"I was wanting to get your opinion on something. I don't suppose your ready to go for dinner?"

"Uh, yeah, sure. Let me turn my vidscreen off. I was watching a replay of this years Super bowl."

I stepped inside and got a brief glimpse of the screen before he turned it off. It had been played on Mars this year at the Bradbury Dome. There are many who like the rust colored fields found on other planets. I prefer the old style turfs made in green. "You're a sports fan, I take it?"

"Sure." He held his hands up before his face. The palms were facing each other about ten centimeters apart. "I was this close to getting a ticket for that game." He pointed toward the door to indicate we were ready leave. "My son wound up going." We walked out into the hall and began to head for 'A' corridor. "He was best friends with the kicker on the Euro team. If the kid's dad had decided not to go, I would have been there. Luck of the draw."

I was walking in front of him thus able to keep my hands out of his sight. We had only traveled a few steps before I pushed a button on my wristband. The result was a low, quick beep.

"What the..." I heard Todd stop behind me. "Did you hear that?'

"Hear what?" I replied. Looking as innocent as possible.

He raised his eyebrows and shrugged his shoulders. "Hell if I know. Let's go." We went a few more steps and then I hit another button. This produced a lower pitched and slightly louder tone just behind us. "Now, I know you had to have heard that!"

"I did hear something. Where do you suppose it came from?"

Todd backed up a few steps and began to inspect the wall to his right. After a few seconds, he zeroed in on a dark spot one centimeter wide at waist level. He bent over to get a better look. At that point in time I hit two buttons in rapid succession then closed my eyes. There was another beep and a bright flash of light. Todd flung himself back into the opposite wall. He sat there for a few seconds before responding.

"What... the... hell... was that?" He looked up at me to see how I had reacted.

Normally, I would have been able to keep a straight face but seeing him sitting on the floor, back to the wall, was too much for me. I couldn't help but smile. I pointed at my wristband. "I told you I had done some programming. I never bothered to say what it was I programmed."

Todd got quickly up off the floor. "You son of a,,," He started in my direction then stopped. He then pointed a finger towards me and smiled. "I owe you one."

"I have no doubt you will find a way to repay me. My question is; how do you think the others will react?"

He placed his right hand upon his chin while supporting that elbow with his other hand. The classic pose of contemplation. "Well, Gary and Bobby would probably fall for things the easiest. They would probably get over it quickest too. I don't know about the other two. We'll just have to play it by ear. Tell me about these things you have."

I spent the rest of the trip to the lowerloo telling him about my gadgets. Listing them in an alphabetical order. I thought of them as nothing more than toys. He seemed rather impressed with their capabilities. Before the others arrived, he asked for a further demonstration before employing them for our mutual amusement. I agreed despite my disappointment. I had hoped to make use of them this night.

The others came in shortly thereafter and our time in the lowerloo was rather uneventful. Two new games were introduced and I would have been totally lost had Todd not made a point of clarifying most every detail. I suspect he did it for my advantage. The new games did level the playing field. Karl was the biggest winner with only ten extra credits in his favor. Bobby and I lost five credits apiece. There was much grumbling about there being no clear winner. Before getting up to leave, we resigned ourselves to playing only five-card draw for the rest of the trip.

We hadn't gone ten paces down the 'A' corridor when a sudden jarring of the whole ship could be felt. A few seconds later, the main lights went out and the emergency lights came on.

"What was that?" Bobby asked.

Karl held out a hand toward the group. "Either something struck the ship or we're being boarded."

"Boarded? That doesn't make any sense," said Kym.

Karl ignored him. "We need to find a communications center."

Todd pointed down the hall. "There's one down here. The only problem is it's locked."

Karl smiled and patted him on the arm. "Not for long. Show me where it's at."

Todd led us to a door marked 'Communications'. Karl pulled something from his pocket and brought it up to the passkey. After a few seconds, a buzzing sound was heard and the door popped open. Before entering the room, he pointed in each direction of the hall. "You guys keep a look out." Kym followed him in while the rest of us stood around wondering what would happen next.

Todd was looking about; taking measure of our situation. After a few seconds he commented, "I don't know about you guys, but I would feel a whole lot safer out of sight." He pointed toward the room Karl and Kym had just entered. Gary and Bobby didn't need any further explanation. They turned and went inside. Before I could follow them, Todd stopped me. He point at four places in the corridor and to a place on the door ledge. He then gave them certain letter designations. I didn't understand what he meant until he pointed at my wristband. He went inside while I planted my gadgets. Once done, I entered the room to discover a weapon pointed at me.

"Come right in," said Kym. He was the one holding the weapon. Karl was on the floor. I couldn't discern his condition. "Don't worry about him, he's okay, for now. I never figured him for an Admin. Just shows you never can tell about some people." He waved the weapon at Todd. "It sure is lucky having Todd around. He's proving right useful." He waved the weapon at the comm. panel Todd was working at. "My men are an hour early. Otherwise I would have been in the main communications center when this happened." He glanced at Todd. "Haven't you got that setup yet?"

"This is an Aegis-16 system. I'm familiar with them but have never worked on them. Give me a minute." From my point of view, Todd appeared to be moving his fingers over the keyboard in a delicate rhythm. "Tell me something." Todd asked while typing at a brisk pace, "what if your men would have damaged the ship when they clanked against it the way they did?"

"We would've simply taken what we wanted, then abandoned this vessel."

"Leaving us here to die?"

'Well, it might be better than the mines on Stelic IX."

"Stelic IX?"

"Sure." Kym smiled, and then chuckled loudly. "Actually, we aren't a bunch of cutthroats. Your lives do mean something to us. We sell the ships to a yard that strips them down for parts, fence all personal items then contract the crew and passengers to mining colonies out in deep space. They don't care where the labor comes from."

Bobby puffed his chest up. "What if we choose not to work?"

Kym leaned forward and looked him square in the eye. "Then you become part of the hydroponics farm. Literally." A fire lit in Bobby's eyes but he didn't say another word. He stood with each fist balled up. This didn't set well with Kym. He raised the weapon towards Bobby's chest. "I don't think I like your attitude. Maybe I'll..."

"I've almost got it," said Todd. He turned to look at Bobby. "Don't do anything foolish." Todd pointed to Karl on the floor then glanced at Kym, "From the looks of things, I would say the Admin are on to you."

Kym shrugged his shoulders, "It's possible the Admin are on to us. That's why we struck so close to Home System. This was going to be our last job for a while anyway. I hear it's rather nice in the Apex system." He looked up as if to address me personally. "I'm looking forward to finding out."

"Damn," said Todd. We all looked over to see the comm. panel was dark. "The thing went into lockdown. Did your men do this?"

Kym pointed his weapon at Todd. "Get that screen back up!"

"I can't. That's what I'm telling you. It's been shutdown from the outside." He looked at each of us; his eyes locking on mine last. "I tried using all standard comm. codes. I would have swore  C,A,C,B,B would have worked. There is another room over on 'B' corridor. Maybe I can prevent the lockdown on that panel."

Kym thought for a second. "Okay. Understand one thing," he made an adjustment on his weapon. "Any of you try to make a break and I shoot everybody. Let's go."

As Todd moved in front of Kym he point to his wrist and mouthed the letters he had used for the comm. code. That was when it hit me. He had formed a plan using my gadgets. I stepped into the corridor ahead of Todd. After two steps, I barely heard the word 'now' from him. I punched the combination in as quickly as I could, pausing an extra second for the last one.

The result was that a beep occurred next to us then one down the corridor in the other direction. Everyone froze. Another beep next to us was followed by one on the door ledge. Kym was standing right next to it when it went off. He backed against the wall opposite the doorframe pointing the weapon right at the point of origin. During this, Todd had tapped Bobby on the shoulder to get him to look at us. As a consequence, everybody but Bobby was blinded when the optic went off.

The next thing I knew, Bobby was kneeling over Kym, punching away. "Hydroponics farm, huh? When I'm done, you won't even be fit for that."

Todd picked up Kym's fallen weapon then grabbed Bobby's shoulder. "Twenty years in a mining colony would be much worse. On the other hand, if he tries to get up, you have my whole-hearted permission to turn him into fish food. How about it?"

Bobby looked down at Kym's semiconscious face. "Okay. What about the raiders? You think they'll just up and run?"

"With any luck they will." He entered the comm. room and pushed a series of buttons. The panel lit up. After a few keystrokes, he pushed a button then spoke toward the panel, "This is Commander Karl Segar, I am addressing the intruders on this ship. We have your leader in custody. There are eighty armed Marines on board and a ship just out of sensor range. You can stand down and surrender or be taken by force."

He released the button and hit another. "The Admin is on to us! Abandon ship!" It was Kym's voice only louder than normal.

Todd pressed the first button then smacked his arm against a side panel. "Keep him down! All units converge upon enemy positions!" He released the button with a flourish then turned towards us. "All we can do is wait."

A few minutes later, another jar was felt throughout the ship. I leaned toward Todd and patted him on the shoulder. "Well played."

***

As it turned out, there were forty well-armed marines on board. They had been waiting for Karl's signal before acting. At first, Karl was angry with Todd for the ruse. Once Todd played back the recording Kym had unwittingly provided, all was forgiven. Dispatches were issued and by the time we reached our first port of call we received word that the raiders had been caught and that the mining colonies on Stelic IX had been raided by Admin forces. It looked as if everyone from the previous disappearances would be recovered.

As far as the rest of the crew and passengers were concerned, we had become heroes. Perhaps these are the kind of stories I should be writing about. On the other hand, I should count myself lucky that things went the way they did. I could be on my way to a mining colony. All's well that ends well. Oh, I guess I should include the incident that happened just a few hours ago.

A knock on my door awoke me. It was less that ten minutes before my alarm would have gone off. I threw on a robe and opened the door. There stood Todd. "Did I forget some appointment we had?"

"No," he replied. "If it hadn't been for your gadgets we might not have gotten out of that mess."

"Nonsense, the Marines would have bailed us out. You were the real hero."

"Be that as it may, you came in pretty handy. As such, I would like to give you a token of my appreciation." He reached into a back pocket and handed me a small wrapped box.

"You didn't need to do this," I said. Actually I was quite delighted. I had torn the wrapping off and was about to open the box.

"Wait a second, I forgot something." He turned back toward his room, took a few steps, and then fell stiffly to the ground.

Before I could move, the box in my hand let out an ear-piercing shriek. I dropped the box, looked at Todd, then back to the box. Without warning, it stopped screaming. The sudden silence was filled with the sound of running boots. As I started toward Todd, two marines ran up from each side of the corridor. "You!" One of them shouted. "Your hands in the air and against the wall!"

I was totally shocked. The sounds of stun batons charging and rifles being armed brought me quickly to my senses. Without further hesitation, I fell into the wall and closed my eyes. One of the Marines raised his fully charged baton up to the back of my head. As a loud crackling filled my ears and the smell of ozone filled my nostrils, my life flashed before my eyelids. I stood there for what seemed an eternity before I noticed the baton had been lowered and the crackling replaced by the sounds of laughter. I opened my eyes and looked to my left. The Marine who had shouted the order was standing at ease. His weapon pointed toward the floor. He and his companion were sporting big, toothy smiles. I didn't know what to make of this. I turned toward the other two Marines. Todd was standing next to them, grinning like a wolf.

"Now were even."