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Put me out? I am trying not to freak out over the idea of having to share my ship with these two men. I fly solo for a reason, I am a horrible roommate and I don’t do relationships of any kind.
“There is plenty of room here, and once we are out of Xistrosie airspace and on the next planet we can see what can be done.” I try to sound cool about this. The money means nothing to me, between what I have in my purse and what I make on my shipping, I am set for life. More than set for life.
Fynn has been quiet and I look over to him, “Are you okay with this, Fynn?” I ask. “I know it is a lot to take in, for all of us.”
He looks up at me, “Just thinking. I hadn’t taken it all in before. But now that we will leave Xistrosie, I worry about the other guys. What will happen to them?”
I tilt my head looking at him for a minute, “What do you mean?”
Fynn puts his head in his hands and sighs deeply, “The five of us are a team. We were all sold within a year of each other. Umbri teamed us together, forcing us to work together, to live together. We are family.”
I look over at Tobis. He sits against the couch, head down. “Umbri will probably require them to bring in the same amount, their debts growing when they can’t.”
I try to resist, to not respond, but I can’t. No one should be forced to sell themselves, to live as virtual slaves. “Tiri, find contracts for... what were their names?
“Sawyr, Jax, and Roberd,” Tobis responds quietly.
“Akiyra! It’s too much!” Fynn jumps up. “You can’t afford to save all of us. What next? Save all those with debts on Xistrosie, even those bags of shit that attacked you?
His words stop me. What will I do about all those people living out their lives as slaves? Can I really walk away, knowing what I know of that life?
“I don’t know what to do about all those with debts. I am sure some of them deserve the life they have been relegated to, like those two men who attacked me. I can’t save everyone right now. But I can save you five, and that is what I will do.” I look from Fynn to Tobis daring them to object.
Fynn sits back down. “You can’t save everyone, Akiyra.”
“No, I can’t. But this feels right.” I respond, suppressing a shutter of memories long buried. They won’t be able to change my mind. “We can figure the details out later.”
“Akiyra, I have those numbers. Would you like the total or individual?” Tiri speaks up.
“Total, please.”
“For all five, it will be 493,298 bits.”
“Thank you, Tiri. Please arrange the transfer with the local officials.” The money doesn’t bother me, the fact that they have spent years being forced to sell themselves for others does. I turn to Tobis and Fynn. “How about we go get your things and tell the others the good news? As far as I am concerned, you five are free and just passengers.”
Fynn and Tobis look at each other, mouths open in shock. Having spent the night with Fynn, I can read him better. The shock, the hope, the joy. Tobis is a bit harder for me to read, but the puddles forming in his eyes tell me I did the right thing.
Fynn is the first to speak, “It’s that easy. Just transfer the bits and we are free?”
“No, it is not that simple,” Tiri speaks up with a tone I have never heard from him. Almost as if he is mocking Fynn. “Besides the monetary, Akiyra must sign for you and agree to your care.”
“Tiri, none of that is important,” I speak up. What is important is getting the other guys. So, are you two ready to go?”
Fynn jumps up. “I hope Umbri is there. I would love to rub his nose in this.”
Tobis, on the other hand, sits staring into space.
“Tobis?” I ask.
He looks up at me, “What if they don’t want to come? What if they don’t want to leave? I can’t imagine life without them.”