Titan Encounter by Kyle Pratt Read Free Book Online Page B

planets. Leaning back in the chair, he
rubbed his face with both hands.
    Naomi words flashed
through his mind, “And you are strongly telekinetic.” He recalled
 how he held Naomi against the wall with the crumbled gun at her
feet.  He remembered Ferren hanging in the
air.  
    Memories of Garrett,
the man who had bought him and Mara, the man who had treated him like a son and
taught him the salvage business, rolled through Justin’s mind. On that last,
terrible, day they had walked down the passageway to the cargo bays.
    “I’ve got to cut
costs,” Garrett had said.
    Justin knew that
work had been slow and nodded.
    “I’m going to sell
several workers, including Mara.”
    “No.” Justin
shouted.
    “Remember your
place,” Garrett said sharply and picked up his pace down the passageway. 
    Justin followed,
pleaded and then begged.  
    “With that implant I
had put in her skull she is worth more than all the other slaves I’m selling,”
He stopped and lowered his voice. “Look when things pick up I’ll get you
someone, but for now that’s my decision.” Garrett turned and walked into an
empty cargo bay.
    Justin waited at a
portal as rage boiled within him.  I wish you were dead. With eyes
fixed on the large bay doors, he imagined opening them. Breathe vacuum. He
spit the words out as a curse. Metal creaked and popped. The door blew away.
With a whoosh, Garrett shot into the void of space.  
    Though he had no
idea how he was to blame, Justin announced his guilt to the authorities. They
assured him he was not responsible.  The bay door was old. The metal was
weak. It was all just a terrible accident; he had not murdered the man who, in
his will, had freed him and given him the salvage business.  In the years
that followed, Justin almost convinced himself of his innocence, but now he knew
he had killed Garrett with a thought.
    Images of Mara in
the escape pod with him years before flashed into his mind. When the alarms
sounded he screamed and cried for his mother, but she did not come.  When
his ears began popping, he knew what he must do.  Putting his shoulder to
the pod door, he shut it. Moments later, his mother banged at the portal. With
Mara, he struggled to open the door. He failed and because of his failure his
mother died. He had killed her—not with his mind, but with a bad decision.  My decisions are going to cause the death of Mara and Naomi in mere hours. My mother…Garrett…Mara…Naomi. I kill the people I care for
most.
    Consumed by his
thoughts Justin didn’t notice Mara walk in until she stood before him.
    “What are you doing
here? Get some sleep.”
    She shook her head.
“I can’t. I’ve got too much on my mind. She sat. “I thought you might want
company.”
    Justin could see and
feel that she was tense. “Sure. Keep me company.”
    For several moments
she stared at the displays. “Will we find the jump gate and get somewhere
safe?”
    “Yeah. Sure,” he said with
a nod.  No. You’ve probably followed me to your death.
    Mara looked at him
hopefully, but fear lingered in her eyes.
    “I’m working on some
plans and ideas for when we arrive at Spitzer.” It was all a lie, but he had
always felt the need to keep his inner doubts to himself.
    She smiled and he
felt her fear abate. “I’ll take the watch if you want some food.”
    “Food?” He looked at the
table at the back of the bridge.  The coffee pot was empty and the counter
was bare.  “I am hungry. I think the last real meal I ate was the
dinner with you and Naomi.”
    “I put our stuff in
the private galley.” As he stood, she gestured toward the displays. “You didn’t
change any settings while I was gone did you?”
    Forcing a frown he
said, “Are you afraid I might have messed up something?”
    “No,” she said
unconvincingly, “but I am the better pilot.”
    “That you are,” he
said with a smile. “I didn’t touch a thing.”
    Justin first peeked into
the utilitarian crew galley, a small