Titan's Plague: The Trial by Tom Briggs (story reading .txt) 📕

the previous night getting to know this model, and she recognized every piece as Nancy pushed her toward what was called the command center. A humorous designation, considering the occupant would command nothing.

Nancy pushed her to a spot up front where the chair was designed to be secured and would be part of the furniture after launch. Pati felt it lock into position, and her arms remained strapped to the chair.

“You’ll be on your way soon,” Nancy said. She walked once again to Pati’s front. She had a look that was even more removed from the Nancy Tate she knew. “And, they have commanded me to complete one more task.”

Nancy pulled out a decimeter-long knife from the inside of her jacket and held it in her right hand. The metal reflected off the ship’s lighting. “I was told to kill you before you left. Temujin believes you’ll escape again unless you are eliminated directly by hand.”

“He can’t kill me himself,” Pati spat. The bravado masked her fear. She had resolved not to say a word, and yet the brandished knife ended that resolution because this could be her end.

“Well, after your last meeting, he’d found a cooperative human and is busy attending to him. Temujin planned on dealing with you directly, and we worked to extend the trial so he could accomplish the act. Since you rushed the process, he had an alternative plan to delegate the mission to me.”

Pati saw Nancy take a deep breath and look her over. Pati hadn’t prayed in a long time. She didn’t close her eyes, but she did think out a quick prayer for help.

“Then again, it wouldn’t look good if I had blood on my clothes,” Nancy said. “If I had time to prepare, I could have had a cleaner method of disposing of you, but I’ll just have to let the ship’s programing do its job.” Nancy returned the knife to her pocket. “Goodbye, it’s been nice working with you,” she said and walked away.

Pati could hear the light footsteps toward the hatch, and it was time to activate Plan B. She hadn’t lived with Bruno and the twins for three months without learning how easily situations could go wrong. She had to expect it and be prepared. That she would wind up on a ship back to Earth after the trial was not considered likely, but it was possible, and she had to be ready.

Pati had reviewed the procedures for transporting a condemned criminal to these ships, how they’re secured from the courtroom, and how they are moved there by the defense counsel. Sometimes the defense counsel was not trusted, and the bailiffs would provide the transport. Pati was prepared for either situation, and it started with the small pliers she’d placed in each of her sleeves.

With Nancy four steps behind her, Pati pronated her wrists to pull out those pliers. She’d practiced this move last night, and in a second, had the set from her right sleeve out. She held them in her fingers and thumb, again severely pronating the wrist and clamped on the strap that held her arm down.

She pulled out the other pliers with her left hand. While the right-side strap was held tighter and farther up her forearm, the left strap was looser, and she could loosen it further. It allowed her to slip her arm out.

Nancy was at the door, and Pati could afford the sound lifting the strap off of her right wrist. The same with her ankles tied to the chair. Pati swung her head around to make sure Nancy had exited. She was no longer on the ship and the hatches began to close. Pati jumped from the chair, pulling off her right shoe.

Her shoe was a flat sole, black, and ankle-high. It matched the business casual ensemble she wore and was made of faux leather. Compared to most shoes worn on Titan, it was substantial, and perfect for the task at hand.

The ship’s hatch and dock door closed simultaneously, and Pati had at least five seconds after Nancy walked through. She also had to be light on the floor as she raced to the exit because she might launch herself into the ceiling.

The door had maybe two decimeters to close, and Pati dove, grabbing a shelf on the left side to help propel her. Pati bounced off the deck, rose up, and smashed into the hatch. The hatch then finished its downward cycle.

Or had it? Pati straightened and saw she had her shoe trapped underneath the hatch. It no longer moved, but she also did not hear the latching sounds that would accompany securing a ship from the vacuum of space.

She exhaled and allowed herself a tight smile. Step one of her plan had worked. She took a deep breath, realizing steps two, three, and four depended on a great deal of luck. After step four, she’d have to figure out step five and the rest.

First, she had to open this hatch. Since they secured a prisoner to the chair, there was no need to lock them in the ship before launch. The square control panel on the right side had an emergency open switch, and Pati flipped off the cover and engaged. The hatch slowly opened up.

Before retrieving her shoe, she walked back to the galley section, pulled a glove used for cooking, and placed it in the gap where the hatch would try to seal. She then put her bent shoe back on, grateful the sole wasn’t damaged.

Looking through the window in the dock door, she checked to make sure the hallway was clear of people. Nancy should have exited by now unless she waited for the launch. If that had been the case, her face would be on the other side of the docking hatch, staring back at Pati, and aware of why the ship hadn’t left. Or, possibly, she had watched every move Pati made and had already called the bailiffs in to shoot her with the tranquilizer guns.

Since Nancy’s face wasn’t visible, Pati felt confident. She stuck her head toward the window and looked around the hallway.

Nancy was still there, and she wasn’t alone.