Drifters

Inti's Watcher

Peter went to the climbing room after lunch and found it the busiest it had ever been. People were trying to find ways of getting up the walls, with varying degrees of expertise and success.

Sophie was squatting on the swing in the middle of the room, holding Rani by the wrists as she dangled in the air. Peter ran over, half-panicking, wondering if he could safely catch Rani when she fell.

Rani glanced in his direction. "Whoever's down there, you'd better not be in three seconds."

"I can help," Peter offered, watching Sophie struggle to pull her friend up.

Sophie flashed him a smile before focusing again. "Peter, please- Don't want you to get hurt."

Peter was about to object when a hand grabbed his elbow and dragged him to the wall. He shoved the hand off to find Nils, from the Wasps, glaring at him.

"The woman said to get out of the way," Nils growled.

Peter looked over at Sophie again. "But she-"

"She said to get out of the way. If they needed help, they would have asked for it."

Sophie was fully standing now, and Rani had her toes hooked on the edge of the swing. They exchanged some words, Rani stepping fully on, then Sophie stepped back off the swing and dropped. Peter yelled, stepping forwards, and Nils caught him by the elbow again.

"You might need to leave," the Wasp told him.

Sophie, being held by Rani, sighed. "Rani, let go."

Rani released, and Sophie dropped a dangerous distance. She landed in a crouch, then bounced to her feet and walked over to Peter, smiling. Rani tipped forwards off the swing into a front flip and landed similarly to Sophie. She glared at Peter, then went to the corner of the room where a line of water canteens sat.

Peter looked at Sophie. "You were doing that on purpose?"

"Of course," Sophie answered. "It was almost time for a break, though; I don't mind the interruption."

"Oh." He'd come to this room to ask if she was sure she'd be able to climb a cliff in Bolivia, but now that question seemed silly.

Nils, apparently deciding he'd done his job, turned towards the wall and started climbing.

"Did you need me for something?" Sophie asked Peter.

He smiled awkwardly. "Would… you teach me to do that?"

She shook her head, lifting his scarred hand. "Not until this is fully healed. And then you need to be able to climb to the swing."

"Right, that makes sense," he admitted.

"In a few weeks I'll show you a thing or two," she promised, smiling again. "Was that all? Rani and I have plans all day, to prepare for whatever we'll face on the cliff."

Peter was being dismissed. He smiled, hiding a surge of frustration. "Just wanted to check on you."

"Very sweet." She leaned up to kiss his cheek, then bounced off to get water.

Not being wanted, Peter left.

Marie sat in the common area, playing cards with Louis and Ebba. They'd gone through a handful of games, and seemed to be settling on poker as their game of choice. It wasn't her favorite, but she wasn't terrible at the game.

Sophie came up and said hello to them. Louis offered to deal her in, to which she declined, instead turning to Marie.

"You know how to properly bind someone, right?" the girl asked. "Tie people up and such so they can't escape?"

Louis was suddenly struck by a coughing fit as Ebba grinned.

"Oh, I think we're all very interested in the answer to that," she purred, leaning across the table.

"No," Marie said firmly, pointing at Ebba. She paused, glancing at Louis. "Maybe." She turned to Sophie, who simply looked confused. "Yes, I know how to- Let's finish this conversation elsewhere, shall we?" She got up.

"What did I say?" Sophie asked, nervous.

Marie led her away from the table of degenerates. "I assume you want to test if you can escape being tied up in the contest, aye?"

Sophie nodded. "I know I can climb down the cliff if I'm free, but I've never been properly tied up."

"Right. First we should ask Nop if we can see exactly how you'll be tied. Hands together or apart. Then the thickness of the rope, and if you'll be tied to something or left to hang. Those and a few other things will make a fairly substantial difference in how difficult escape will be."

"I knew you were the best person to ask," Sophie said happily as they walked into their group area.

Marie paused, checking that they were alone. "Sophie, some people become aroused if they are bound during sex. And other people enjoy restraining, or tying up, their partners. It's about power and control, and requires trust, so emotions tend to run high."

"Oh." Sophie looked a bit mortified, then curiosity took over her features. "Wouldn't that… hurt your wrists?"

"Not if it's done properly," Marie shrugged. "Although some people do enjoy pain. Again, if done properly and if everyone involved agrees to it."

"How can pain be done properly?"

"Would you like to discuss that or would you prefer to find out what type of knot you'll have to undo on Friday?" Marie asked flatly.

"Oh, sorry," Sophie said, her face going red. "Knots. I need to learn to untie knots. Do you know how to escape from shackles?"

This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

"Aye."

"Could you teach me that as well?"

Marie smiled. "One thing at a time, thief. One thing at a time."

Sophie waited for lunchtime in her group's area, tugging at a knot around her wrists with her teeth. Nop stood nearby, timing the process.

Razan came in from the main area, frowned, and sat down next to her.

"Yes?" she asked, pulling the knot loose. She flicked her wrists, shaking her left hand free.

"Twelve seconds," Nop reported.

"I'd like you to break me into Innoka's room," Razan said, ignoring the bird. "Before she finishes lunch, preferably."

Sophie wrote 12 on a notepad. "What will you do for me in return?"

"Absolutely nothing," he answered without hesitation. "I will owe you no favor and we will never speak of it again."

She laughed. "Do you need help breaking back out, or only getting in?"

"I believe I can get out by myself."

"Do you know what room is hers?"

"No."

"Very well." Sophie started drawing a map on her pad. "What color toothbrush does she use?"

He blinked. "Is that a serious question?"

Sophie showed him the map. "We're here. Their group has the next area up. Women always have the northern rooms, so you'll have to get here. Rostari always put the main color of a group in the rooms at the back, and the secondary color in the rooms closer to the door. Knowing the color of her sheets or toothbrush would tell us which room is hers."

"Dare I ask how you know that?"

"I've confirmed it with Rani and Ebba."

Razan slowly shook his head. "I don't know which her room would be."

"Is there something that would give it away if you briefly opened the wall? A weapon stand or something?" she asked.

"She has… She said she makes beaded jewelry to give her sisters. There might be beads somewhere."

"Good," Sophie said, getting up. "And Chimeg? I feel like she'd have her weapons proudly displayed."

Razan nodded. "That seems likely."

Sophie went to her door and paused. "Stay here while I open the wall."

He grumbled about thieves and secrets as she went in and waited for the door to close. Then she picked up her spear, pushed it through the crease in the wall, slid the lever up, and pulled back. The wall moved up into the ceiling. Sophie opened her door and waved Razan in.

"There's little boxes that run around in the main corridor, be careful to not let them see you," she told him, hurrying through the wall as it began to close. "I'm fairly certain they only look forwards, and react to movement."

"Noted," he said, ducking under the wall.

She pointed to the panel. "The dial dictates how long the wall stays open." She turned it all the way to the left. "Put it here and the wall will go up and come straight back down. All the way on the other end, and it stays open for over an hour. This button will make it open. Press it as the wall is opening, and the wall will close. Understood?"

He reached out, pointing. "Short. Long. Once for open, twice for closed."

"Exactly." She hit the button. "Good luck!"

Sophie ducked through the wall without waiting to see what Razan did. She went back to the group area, wondering if lunch was ready yet.

Peter was standing in the middle of the room, looking uncertain. Sophie smiled at him.

He stepped towards her. "I… saw Razan go into your room."

Sophie hesitated. Her first instinct was to tell him he was wrong, but she was a thief, not a liar. "Yes," she said slowly. "He… wanted to get into the space between rooms."

"The space between rooms?" he echoed.

"Yes."

"So you'll show him how you get out of your room but not me?"

Sophie took his hands. "I told you; catch me in the act and I'll explain everything. He caught me."

Peter did not look happy. "So you've been to his room."

"I've been into everyone's rooms," she shrugged. "I mean, yours and his and Marie's. Not everyone on the whole ship's-"

"And you didn't think there was anything wrong with breaking into a man's room?"

"You didn't complain when I broke into yours," she pointed out.

"Because…" He sighed. "You really, honestly don't see the difference?"

"Do you think my only reason for breaking into someone's room is to kiss them?"

"No, but- Just-" Peter stopped. He looked at her seriously. "Don't go into his room again."

Sophie gave him a cold smile. "Very well." She was going to do whatever she damn well pleased.

Razan slid into a room, hoping it was Innoka's. He'd checked both rooms on this side, and the other room didn't feel right for her. This one, with a woven blanket on the bed and a low, round table covered in papers, felt more like Innoka. He checked the handwriting and recognized it as hers. He hadn't seen any of Chimeg's handwriting, but imagined she'd use large, strong strokes.

Razan wanted to smell the pillow to check, but knew with absolute certainty that if he did, at that moment the door would open and he'd discover he was in the wrong place.

So he sat at the table, facing the door, and tried to read the notes. They were not in Japanese, which made reading them rather difficult. Squinting did not help.

He'd been there ten minutes before the door slid open, and Innoka walked in. She saw him and stopped, then smiled, then looked worried.

"Razan, who let you in here?" she asked, moving to him.

Razan got to his feet and bowed slightly before replying. "No one let me in. Sophie knows the secret to getting everywhere, and I convinced her to tell me how to get here."

"Why?"

"I wish to speak with you. Antoni wasn't letting me."

Innoka sat heavily on her bed, troubled. "Antoni… Razan, do you believe in fate? In everything happening for a reason, with some greater purpose."

Razan sat next to her, considering the question. "For some things. The sun is fated to rise every day, some crops are fated to fail, and some armies are fated to win certain battles. But most humans don't have a great destiny, and we're left to do our best as we see fit. My own choices and actions led me to the volcano on the day I died, and I was saved by chance. Perhaps some spirit pointed me out to the rostari, but it was not predestined that I come here. Had I died or returned safely to my job, the world would have been little changed."

"That's… exactly what I think," Innoka said, smiling helplessly. "Antoni believes in fate. He believes groups have two men and two women because they're soulmates. It is our destiny to fall in love. That me not being in love with him is against some god's plan. He's now convinced he's on a holy crusade to not let you near me, because I'm not allowed to have opinions that differ from his."

Razan frowned. "So, Peter and Sophie would be soulmates in his view, does that mean Marie is my soulmate? Because I know at least four people, including myself, who would object violently to that idea."

Innoka shrugged. "Apparently."

"And I do mean violently," he continued, then paused. "Is there a formal way of dueling someone here?"

"I don't know," she said softly. "Duels have happened, but I'm not sure how formal they were."

"I'll find out," Razan decided. "If there is, I'll challenge Antoni for the insult of implying Marie is my soulmate, demanding he dismiss the entire idea."

She smiled again. "Only that?"

"Saying 'Innoka is free to choose who she loves, but that person must be me' would feel hypocritical," he told her. "Claiming you're my soulmate would be agreeing with his idea, just not the specifics, and I take issue with the idea."

"So you won't ever claim I'm your soulmate?"

"Eventually, maybe, but certainly not before I've known you a month."

Innoka looked down, then leaned over and kissed him. Razan kissed her back, slowly moving closer. Eventually she broke away, blushing faintly.

"Why does it feel like I've known you my whole life?" she asked softly. "Everything here is strange and different, but you feel… real."

Razan thought it over seriously. "Maybe destiny did bring us together. That or my plan to get the smartest, most beautiful woman on the ship to fall in love with me is working."

That got her to smile. "Razan, I know I'm not the smartest or most beautiful woman here."

"I'll admit I don't know everyone well enough to say who the smartest is," he said. "Although if you didn't place in the top ten I would be very surprised. As for beauty…" He looked into her golden eyes. "You are perfect."

She shook her head, looking away. "No, I'm not. I-"

"Innoka." He touched her cheek, looking into her eyes again. "To others you may be simply beautiful. To me, you are perfect."