CHAPTER 6

REECE

M y leg bounced as I sat on the thin bed and stared straight ahead at the bland metal walls. The single bulb in the ceiling was dim, but the reflection from the metal was what truly illuminated the room. Sometimes I would try to find shapes in the reflections before settling for speaking to my own as if it were an actual, separate being that could respond. After spending so much time alone in this cell my brain could run away from me. It only took a couple of weeks before I’d started seeing things.

Xander called them mirages. Apparently, training to endure this was a part of the training program for specialising cadets, but I’d never gotten the chance to reach that level before I’d found myself locked up in solitary confinement. Luckily, I was still allowed the occasional visitor, but it was mostly Xander and sometimes Addy. Markus came to visit a couple of times, too, just to check in on me and sneak me some treats. His visits were always the weirdest, though. I didn’t really know him, so it didn’t make much sense why he would make the effort.

He always seemed happy to see me, though, which I soaked up whenever I had the chance.

Today was a little different, though I wasn’t entirely sure if it was just my imagination and wishful thinking. I was woken from a restless sleep by the shuffle of feet outside my cell’s door. I didn’t have a guard since the room kept me locked up tight and it was too early for the delivery of my morning meal. I found that out when they actually delivered it.

And then there was the sound of muffled voices that drifted through the walls that accompanied the footsteps later on. All throughout the day I had sat there, waiting and listening while my anxiety built about the cause of the extra foot traffic. When nothing came of it, I was leaning more towards it all being in my head.

And then the door opened again, only this time there was no food.

Two of the gas mask-clad guards stepped through – both from Drakfern descent – and pointed their guns right at me. I hadn’t had too many interactions with them, but they always behaved as if I were going to attack them at a moment’s notice. I wasn’t sure where they got that idea from since my accusatory charges were based around a different kind of assault and I was innocent.

‘Prisoner, you are coming with us,’ one said, his voice distorted behind the mask.

I rose from my seated position, eager to get out of the tiny room and stretch my legs despite not knowing where they were taking me. I didn’t really care. It had come to the point where I no longer cared about much of anything these days. Hope had fled my system months ago, and I had accepted my fate.

I wasn’t getting out of these false charges, and I was going to face the punishment someone else was owed.

I kept my face forward but my eyes towards the floor as they sandwiched me between them and led me through the metallic corridors. I was so sick of metal, there wasn’t any reason to try to catch a glimpse of a different section of it. I missed my home world more than anything. The bright sun, the plentiful flora, the abundance of fauna, the beautiful array of colours. The seasons.

Everything on Nova Station was drab and grey, clean and shiny. Even the dust blended in. And the circulated air was stale and stifling. What I wouldn’t give to be home, to feel the breeze on my skin while I inhaled a deep breath of fresh, clean air.

The guards led me through corridor after corridor, even going so far as to take the elevator up two levels. It wasn’t until we reached the higher storey that we finally merged with a crowd of people. Up until then, we had only come across the occasional guard or Program scientist.

I didn’t want to think about what they were doing, the memory of their victims’ screams echoing in my head – the cause of countless sleepless nights – a macabre internal soundtrack as I trudged towards my doom.

I wasn’t an idiot. I had been locked up for far too long for this to be anything other than my sentencing. They must have finally drudged up enough fake evidence to pin me with the assaults, and I was morbidly curious to see it for myself.

‘Mister Hastings,’ a familiar voice called out to me that shocked me out of my mind enough that my head snapped up. My eyes needed no additional guidance to locate them, and the guards paused in their path towards a set of ornate gilded doors.

‘CWO Brin,’ I greeted, giving the tiny pink Griknot lady a nod of respect. My voice was gravelly and painful to use after so long sat in silence, and I didn’t miss the way her eyes twitched as if she were holding back a wince. Me too, Adara. Me, too.

She eyed up the two brutes caging me in with poorly disguised disdain before bringing her attention back to me, though she kept one eye on our surroundings. Her physical appearance distracted the guards from her intelligence, which was made evident by the way their eyes tracked her feminine form and their eyelids lowered into matching, smarmy leers. I wanted to smack the expression right off their faces. Lucky for everyone, she ignored them.

‘The captain was only just informed of the need for his attendance at this meeting but he was already busy with other tasks, so he is running late. He has asked me to step in for him in the meantime, so I will be representing you until he arrives,’ she told me, her tone measured and void of any emotion. It was smart of her to keep our friendship to herself, especially in front of our rapt audience.

If we were even still friends. I hadn’t seen her in months.

I didn’t have the time to ponder that any further as the doors swung open, hinges creaking from their weight. They were purely ceremonial as Nova Station was entirely technological. Doors were a planet-bound custom or for those who couldn’t afford the fancier, technologically advanced versions.

I expected the inside of the room to be cavernous, but those doors were clearly misleading. Instead, I found myself in a shallow chamber with chairs spaced evenly around the circumference. Each one was occupied by black-cloaked figures. Their hoods covered their faces, drowning them in shadow to maintain anonymity which I found to be a bit melodramatic, but alas, I was on the wrong side of these procedures and nobody would care about my opinions.

I was led to a slightly raised dais in the centre of the small, circular room, and then was promptly abandoned by my escorts. Brin was the only one remaining, but the officials didn’t seem to like her presence.

‘And who are you?’ one of them asked her.

I’d give her props for the way she stood steadfast and strong, like she was exactly where she was supposed to be. Her voice didn’t even waver when she spoke. ‘I am Chief Warrant Officer Adara Brin. I was informed by Captain Hironimus that his summons was not given in a prompt fashion and he is unable to make it on time. He apologises for his tardiness and has asked me to stand in for him until he arrives.’

The original speaker grunted, those surrounding him releasing equally irate noises of disapproval. ‘I see. And are you qualified to stand in his place , CWO Brin?’

My patience was tested at the clear derision in his tone and I wanted to leap over the small banister dividing us to punch his face in, but Brin didn’t even flinch. ‘I am aware of everything the captain is, sir. We have worked on this case together, and I am equally qualified to represent the defendant.’

I couldn’t see his mouth, but I imagined him pursing his lips. Something instinctively was screaming at me that this entire trial was a farce and was rigged against me. There was no way they would have forgotten to summon the captain until the last minute unless they intended for him to stay away. He must have become a thorn in their sides in their efforts to frame me.

It was obvious to me that each and every one of these people in control of deciding my guilt or innocence were in league with The Program. They had been corrupted, and if these high-ranking individuals were then the cancer had spread further and stronger than I thought possible.

Which meant…

Oh, fuck.

The Intergalactic Union at its core had been compromised.

My gaze whipped towards Brin who I found was already looking at me. Our eyes clashed, and a morbid understanding passed between us. She already knew. She knew how this meeting was going to go, and it wasn’t going to end in my favour.

I’d known that coming in, but that still didn’t prevent the absolute gut-punch the confirmation gave me. My heart dropped and my lungs constricted. A small noise of protest came out of me, but it was nothing more than a wheeze. I shouldn’t have tried to protest at all, but I was being driven by instinct.

I didn’t want to live out my life as a convicted rapist, especially when I wasn’t one. I didn’t want to spend the remainder of my life in a tiny cell, cut off from my friends and family and the outside world. I wanted my freedom. I wanted my life back.

No, I wanted to run away from here and start a life somewhere safe away from all this madness. Except the image that thought conjured included the one man that wasn’t here. The one The Program had taken from us all.

Fuck, I just wanted my friend back. I wanted to start a new life with him, to find partners and settle down and stay out of IU business forever. A quiet, peaceful life with one of the only people I trusted. I could even see the others joining us, except that was ridiculous. Bromm was a prince and Foryk would follow him. The captain’s sense of duty would force him to stay put and Brin would remain loyally by his side. Dorian, Urman, Henrik and Cadmus weren’t close enough with us to warrant abandoning life as they knew it for either me or Arty.

It really would be just the two of us.

The scratchy sound of a weathered voice clearing their throat brought me back to my unfortunate reality. I took a deep breath and tried to centre myself to get through the undoubtedly terrible outcome of these proceedings.

‘Reece Hastings, you have been accused of the brutal physical and sexual assault of multiple women. You have also been accused of sexual harassment in the workplace by a number of women who shall remain anonymous for their safety and wellbeing. How do you plead?’

‘He pleads not guilty,’ Brin spoke up before I could. I didn’t think it would matter either way. They had already decided my fate and were not going to be swayed by the evidence. For some reason, these people wanted me to take the fall for someone else’s actions, and it only reaffirmed my suspicions that the true culprit was also in league with The Program and they were covering for him.

The only question that remained was why me? Why was I being targeted for something that anyone who knew me would never believe? What had I done that made them view me as a threat?

‘Your plea has been noted. Bring in the arresting officer.’

The heavy ornate doors opened once again to allow the entrance of the emerald-green Tornu that had arrested me. He walked forward until he was standing beside the raised platform I was on. Not once did he even glance in my direction.

I brought forth the memory of what had happened when Nova Station had been taken. We’d been locked in that room together for quite some time until we’d been discovered, and then he was back to placing cuffs around my wrists and marching me to a holding cell. I’d not seen him since.

‘Please state your name for the council,’ the same hidden figure with the scratchy voice demanded.

‘Chief Kir Pemmel, sir.’

‘Chief Pemmel, it is my understanding that you arrested Reece Hastings, is that correct?’

‘Yes, sir.’

‘And what evidence allowed you to make the arrest?’

‘There was video evidence recovered of the attacks alongside multiple witness accounts that corroborated with the footage.’

‘I see. And how many witnesses attested to Mister Hastings’ involvement?’

‘Sixteen.’

Wait… what? Sixteen people told everyone it was me? And that video was clearly someone else. There was no way... unless it had been tampered with.

Fuck, someone changed the video to make it look like me, didn’t they?

I exchanged another grim look with Brin, and that told me more than enough. This whole thing was only a formality.

‘And is there anything you would like to add that you have not already officially stated, Chief Pemmel?’

I watched the chief as he hesitated, his eyes darting to me briefly before returning to the official that was addressing him. ‘No, sir. There’s nothing else.’

‘Very well. You testimony has been recorded. You are free to leave.’

The large green man exited the room hastily, refusing to look back even when Brin glared daggers at him.

‘We have watched the video that has been submitted as evidence and read the witness statements. CWO Brin, is there any evidence that disputes the evidence currently in our possession?’

She stepped towards the platform, placing herself in the same position that the chief had just vacated beside me. ‘I was the one that retrieved the original surveillance footage of the attack. The attacker was very clearly not Reece Hastings. I haven’t seen the video you have in evidence, but I know for a fact that Hastings is innocent because I’ve seen the real evidence myself.’

They inhaled sharply in unison, their shock at her blatant dispute of their so-called ‘proof’ reverberating around the small room. ‘Careful, Chief Warrant Officer . I should hope you are not insinuating that our evidence is false.’

The threat was clear. I just wanted nothing more than for Brin to shut up and for this whole farce to be over with. I didn’t want to drag her or anyone else down with me.

'I’m not insinuating anything. I was merely stating that I was the one who recovered the original evidence, and therefore I am well aware of this man’s innocence. Whatever video you have that apparently proves his guilt has either been tampered with or misinterpreted.’

‘Shut up,’ I hissed at her out of the corner of my mouth. She ignored me.

‘Miss Brin,’ the original speaker began, dropping her title in a blatant show of disrespect, the threat more tangible than ever. ‘There are severe consequences for what you are claiming. Produce this apparent ‘real’ footage now, or you will be penalised.’

Without missing a beat she pulled her holo-tab from her belt, messed about with it for a moment and then handed it over to the officials extended hand.

With all the confidence in the world, enough to even re-spark that tiny ember of hope that had so long ago been smothered, she spoke. ‘Just press play and see for yourself. Reece Hastings is innocent.’

None of the officials so much as twitched. Instead, a heavy sense of foreboding drifted through the air and pressed down on my with suffocating intensity. I knew, then and there, that even though she was providing them with the evidence to have me acquitted, they were going to dismiss it.

She’d destroyed herself trying to protect me.

The official played the hologram of the security footage, and there, clear as day, we could all see the true criminal in all his arrogant, malignant glory.

And then the holo-tab was scattered on the floor in pieces, shards of glass and machinery creating a thin carpet of destroyed hopes and dreams.

Brin gasped. Her knees bent as if she were about to attempt to gather the pieces and reassemble it there and then, but she thought better of it at the last moment.

‘All I saw was Reece Hastings believing a simple mask could cover his identity. There is nothing there worthwhile, and you will now face the consequences of lying to this council. Adara Brin, you are hereby stripped of your employment within the military, your title and your status, and are hereby found guilty of contempt in this court.’

Her face paled until the pink was practically white, then she stepped backwards into me. No, she didn’t step, she fell. I quickly linked my arms beneath hers to steady her and keep her upright, but the damage was already done. I didn’t have to see their faces to feel the smugness radiating from them.

‘Reece Hastings, it is clear to see that you are guilty. You are hereby officially charged with physical and sexual assault, sexual harassment, and contempt of this court. Take them away. You know where.’

Gas mask-clad guards suddenly materialised seemingly from thin air and converged on both me and Brin. I knew there was no point in fighting it, but Brin protested loudly. When they grabbed her, she kicked out and screamed, demanding to be freed and insisting this was all a misunderstanding. When she clocked enough of the guards they eventually pulled out a syringe and injected her with some sort of substance that knocked her out almost immediately.

When one of them draped her over their shoulder, her head banging against their back with every step, I couldn’t keep silent any longer.

‘Stop! Put her down!’ I shouted, throwing my elbows out at the guards surrounding me. They grunted when I made contact, falling back momentarily before someone whipped out another syringe.

There was nothing I could do to stop them from stabbing me in the neck with the needle. A cool sensation spread from the stab site, running through my veins faster than I could comprehend. Within moments everything was spinning, my vision blackened, and then there was nothing.