Chapter 16: Chapter 16
A wave of relief washed over Eric as he spotted the solar batteries. He retrieved a strong grappling hook to climb, but he soon discovered the batteries were far too heavy for one person to move. He would need Jimmy’s help.
Eric walked back up to the main deck, but as he rounded the final corner, he was met with a shocking and unexpected sight.
"Eric Blackmoor, your submission is highly necessary," Yelena said, her voice and face as cold as ice. She had a weapon generated from her arm, pointed directly at Eric, while her other hand gripped Jimmy’s neck.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa, we don’t want you blowing up another bloody ship!" Eric said, surprised by her revival but more concerned about Jimmy, who had his hands raised in surrender, his eyes wide with fear.
"I am authorized to use force if you do not comply, so it will be in your best interest if you do," Yelena commanded, her voice filled with a chilling seriousness.
"Listen, love, you’ve been dead more than alive these past three days. I could’ve left your corpse rotting in that dive or finished the job myself, but I didn’t," Eric replied, his expression as normal as possible. He placed his hands in his pockets, worried but not scared.
"My business here is to set things straight and put the rights where they belong. Helping me regain consciousness is none of my concern," Yelena replied, her weapon still aimed at him. "I’m taking you in, Eric Blackmoor."
"I need your bloody help, Yelena," Eric said, his tone shifting. The bravado in his expression melted away, replaced by a look of genuine desperation.
"What?" Yelena’s eyes widened slightly, stunned by his sudden shift.
"Get my daughter back, and I’m yours. Chains, fire, eternal torture, take your pick. Just help me find her first."
"I assure you, your trickery isn’t going to get you anywhere. I’ll say this one last time, surrender." Yelena activated her weapon, which began to buzz with energy, ready to fire.
"Her name is Cire Blackmoor," Eric said, taking his hands out of his pockets and confidently stepping toward her.
Yelena raised her weapon, preparing to shoot, but Eric’s next words stopped her cold.
"You wanna kill me? Do it. I’ve earned worse. But please... find my daughter. And when you do, just... tell her I’m sorry. That’s all I’ve got left" His voice was calm and subtle.
"Your daughter isn’t my business to handle. Surren—"
"Tell me, how’d you feel if your old man buggered off for eighteen bloody years? Left you with nothing but ghosts and questions?" Eric’s question landed like a blow. He was now close enough to look her in the eye.
Yelena’s expression wavered. She was in a state of deep thought, and Eric could see a flicker of recognition, a shared pain in her eyes.
"You know—" Eric began, but Yelena cut him off, placing the tip of her weapon against his chest.
"You know the headlines, I’m the bastard who got millions killed. My own family, too. Didn’t even spare them. That one’s on me." Eric continued, his voice softer now.
"I took the blame, every last bit of it. Didn’t fight the sentence. Sat in that cell and let it eat me. Swore I’d never touch that part of my mind again. No more world-saving theories, no more bloody science. Threw it all in the bin and locked the lid."
Jimmy, who was still in Yelena’s grasp, began to pay close attention. He realized this was the story Eric had promised to tell him, the truth about the incident eighteen years ago.
"My hands. My bloody inventions. All that brilliance, all that ego, and it cost innocent lives. Dozens. Thousands. I stopped counting," Eric said, his voice shaky with emotion.
"Then I found out, my daughter... she made it. Survived. And that..., that is the only reason I’m even still standing here right now. I’m just trying to see her again, that’s all."
"So I’m begging you, Yelena... help me find her. My daughter. She’s all I’ve got left." he pleaded. "All I want is to see her. After that, you can take me in."
Yelena remained silent, her cold stare unwavering as she held the weapon to his chest. Jimmy felt a wave of sympathy for Eric, and at the same time, he felt Yelena’s grip on him loosen.
"And why should I trust you?" Yelena asked, her voice still cold and dangerous.
"This here is a Proximity Shifter," Eric said calmly, pulling a pair of devices from his pocket.
"When you activate the trigger, it creates a localized field that folds space just enough to instantly relocate anything in contact with the receiver to within three feet of the trigger." He stretched out the trigger device toward her.
Yelena released Jimmy from her grasp, who immediately began to cough, rubbing the handprint on his neck. Yelena calmly retrieved the trigger from Eric.
Eric then took the other receiver device and placed it on his wrist like a watch. Sharp, thick pins instantly pierced his skin, just enough to draw blood.
"I can’t take this off. If I try, it’ll punch straight through my bone and slice my hand clean off." He then slowly began to walk backward, his hands raised high in surrender.
Once he had reached a desirable distance, Yelena clicked the first button on the trigger. In an instant, Eric teleported back to her, standing face to face with her once again.
"And just like that, I’m bloody stuck, no matter how far I run, you’ve got me by the throat," Eric said with a confident look. "Hope I’ve earned a scrap of your trust, even if it’s just a blink. Are you alright, kid?" he asked Jimmy.
"Yeah.... yeah," Jimmy replied, giving him a thumbs up as he held his neck.
Yelena saw the lengths to which Eric was willing to go to prove himself. She withdrew her arm, the weapon transforming back into her hand.
"The only reason I’m doing this is because of that daughter of yours. After that, I’m taking you straight to NEXUS, whether you like it or not."
"I’d say I owe you one, but I’ve got enough debts already. Still, means something." Eric said as Yelena turned and headed to the main flight control area.
"So, what’s the current status?" Yelena asked, staring through the windshield at the vast, empty space.
"We nicked some juice from the ship to jolt you back to the land of the living, did the trick, but it cooked the bloody engine." Eric explained, walking up to join her. "Lucky for us, there’s a pile of batteries sitting pretty, so we’re not completely screwed. Yet."
"Where are they?" Yelena instantly replied, her gaze still fixed on the view.
"Lower deck," Eric responded, but before he could say anything else, Yelena was already walking away, leaving them alone.
"So, about that device?" Jimmy said, walking up to Eric.
"Built it with scrap I scrounged off this rust bucket, so of course it went up in smoke," Eric replied with a small smile.
"So you had a plan all along in case she woke up?" Jimmy asked curiously.
"Only plan I had to keep her from blowing everything to hell. Worked well enough."
Eric said as he turned to the lower deck.
"We’ve bought ourselves a sliver of time before they lock us up. Now move it, kid. We’ve got a bloody mess to clean up."
He walked away, and Jimmy followed him.