CHAPTER FOUR

Chaos spiraled unrestrained through the cramped passageways of the market. Vendors grabbed as much as they could hold, scrambling with a wild ferocity to save what they had spent a lifetime building. A fire had broken out in the eastern quadrant and was consuming the stalls in a rapid sea of relentless flame. Lanic held Soran, his grip tight and uncompromising. The pair were jostled around by the frantic escape of panicked market-goers.

"We have to get out of here, see if you can find a clearing," Soran clambered onto Lanic's lumbering shoulders and peered out over the crowd. He scoured for an exit that wasn't clogged with the bodies of desperate souls as they fled the inferno. To the south were the maintenance ducts. A safe bet considering they were only used by the staff to traverse the ship. Not common knowledge to residents or passers-by. That area was for now clear of danger, but the rapidity of the spreading fire was alarming.

"The ducts!" Soran insisted, pointing his arm through a break in the crowd. Lanic raced through the ruined market, jumping over the debris and wares that had been left behind. They reached the duct hatches with not a second to spare. Lanic pulled a steel ring from his belt and plunged a series of keys into the three locks. turning them with simultaneous motion and receiving a pleasant access tone. The sound of their salvation. The system had been set up so two personnel had to enter together; The ducts being notorious for sweeping inattentive workers out into the vacuum of space. Therefore, the twin system was implemented, watching your back becoming someone else's burden. Unfortunately for the Hyacinth, their system was devised before they had any Ven aboard that could open three locks with ease and still have a hand spare to light a cigar. Jumping into the hatch, they ascended a series of ladders that connected the various floors of the station. Their destination was on level sixteen, buried deep in tunnels once purposed for a tram system back when the station was first opened. They had long since been abandoned, making them perfect for any off the radar activities. Entering the ducts they passed a viewing portal and were gifted with a familiar but magnificent sight. Titanic claws sprawled outward from the central cylindrical structure, anchoring the station to its host asteroid. Although an ever-present background for the two engineers, the sheer scale of the construction coupled with its technical brilliance often had them marveling at what the galactic government had managed to birth. The Hyacinth was one of six such stations dotted around the quadrant, adding more weight to what was an already impressive feat. The ladders were a difficult climb on a regular day. Coated in the sweat and diesel of countless greased up runners as they ferried their cargo to its destination. Add to that the near-constant trembling of the station and Lanic had to hyper-focus to even maintain his grip on the rusted iron frame.

After an agonizing climb, they had made it to their exit. Lanic placed Soran down, falling to his knees and wheezing whilst trying to catch his breath. Soaring temperatures made it obvious the fire was yet to be restrained, continuing its assault as it climbed from level to level. The market was only the first causality of what could become the entire station if it remained unchallenged. Lanic struggled to right himself and Soran swung under his right arms, helping the weary Ven to his feet. Lanic took a moment to catch his breath and Soran was reluctant to admit what he had been feeling for a while now. He had noticed it whilst observing Lanic climb around the ships at work. It was present in every strained motion as he climbed from his tattered armchair. Everyday tasks were becoming difficult, the fact impossible to ignore. He didn't want to admit it but he knew that one day soon, his mentor would be hanging up his belt for the last time. "Listen, what I said before, it still applies now. If we get into danger you run. Right?" Lanic was serious. He knew the peril of hesitating, even for a second. He couldn't afford to make another mistake. Even though Soran couldn't bear the thought of leaving his mentor behind, he gave a reassuring nod. "Good lad."

After powering their way through a series of small hatches, they entered the wide expense of the tunnel systems. Lanic hobbled over to the wall, pulling back a large cloth curtain and revealing a small doorway. "Quick, inside." Soran complied, entering a cramped room filled with tools. A long workbench hugged the right wall, littered with various engine parts. The strong odor of paint almost overpowered him. He cupped his fingers over his face to protect his beleaguered lungs. Lanic brushed past him, marching his way to the gloomy back corner of the room. He gently pulled off a tarp that was covering a large object, like a magician performing his final reveal. The room filled with powdery debris and Soran burst into a coughing fit, his eyes forced into a fluttering battle with the dust. As his vision returned, his eyes rested upon an ocean blue vessel, a white stripe running along its center. The decal of a soaring bird emblazoned on its front gleamed in defiance of the workshop's dim lighting.

"You like her?"

"Shes, beautiful Lanic. You did this yourself?" Soran said running his hand over the ship's sleek finish.

"It was supposed to be a surprise. I wanted to send you off in style when you finally left this rotten place. But, it looks like we're gonna have to take miss Bluebird out for a test drive." Lanic slid open the side door and jumped into the pilot's seat, his ship returned a creaking complaint in response. The Bluebird was a two-man vessel with enough room in the back for a small amount of cargo or -- if the situation required -- a stowaway. Lanic pulled up the navigation panel, scanning the tunnel network for a way out of the station.

"Just our luck." Lanic slammed his fist down on the dash, plunging back into the seat. The twin gates that lead out into space were currently locked. A control room on the upper floor the only way to get them open.

"Were stuck." Lanic sighed and deflated further into his chair. Without hesitation, Soran jumped out of the ship, making a beeline for the door. Lanic shouted after him in protest but it was too late, his stained overalls vanishing behind the cloth curtain. Despite his warnings, the boy had thrown himself into danger and in Lanic's current state there was no use trying to catch him. All he could do was wait and hope he would make it back unharmed, their fate was in his hands now.

Soran had previous experience in the control room. On several occasions, he'd been assigned the task of opening the Iris gate. He had ferried countless vessels on their journey to and from the station. All he had to do was get there, the rest was easy. He returned to the maintenance hatch, breathless but without time to spare. As he slid open the iron grate he was blasted with scorching winds and the pungent stench of Nano-Diesel. It was a fragrance most found repugnant but having been raised around the crackling red liquid, the smell made him feel at home. He began to drift, the fumes making him light-headed.

A leak maybe? He shook his head vigorously to focus his mind on the task. Reaching the top of the ladder, he pulled himself onto the cold metal of the floor above, laying on his back to catch his breath. Something dripped onto his forehead and rolled over his cheek. Rubbing his hand through the liquid revealed a viscous crimson substance and confirmed his suspicions. Diesel was leaking through the walls and ceilings of the station, he suspected a ruptured tank on the upper floors. 'If the Nano-Diesel comes into contact with the fire...' Soran's mind's answered with a vivid illustration of destruction. There would be nothing, not even a speck of dust would remain. Soran jumped to his feet and ran as fast as he could. Each room he passed dripped with Diesel, the fumes impairing his ability to function. He felt himself tripping over his own feet, his shoulders bouncing off the walls as he swayed too far to either side. He had to keep moving, the fires were rising fast, and if he wanted to survive those gates needed to be opened.