1.19
Cameron eye’s had just barely closed, when the sound of heavy footsteps on the concrete floor caused his eyes to open once again. The prison was empty, save for its only occupant, him. So when the sound continued to grow in volume he knew there could only be one reason. Something was about to happen, whether he liked it or not. He sat up on his cot and rubbed the sleep from his eyes, blinking rapidly to get them to focus. He could feel their protests of use, and felt a sharp ache in the left one, signaling a burst blood vessel. This, coupled with the oily sheen he felt on his face and his ball clothing he still wore, bloodstained and wrinkled, told him all he needed to know about how appeared. Exhausted and pathetic. Still, he managed to force a look of confidence on his face, as the footsteps came to a stop right outside his cell.
“Is it breakfast already?” He called out to the unseen person, likely a guard coming to check on him. When no one answered, he hopped up, walking towards the bars. “I don’t suppose you guys take special orders do you?”
“Unfortunately,” Logan responded, his gravelly voice giving Cameron pause, “We were a little short on time, so you’ll have to make do with what we can provide.”
Cameron took a moment, his smile dropping as he tried to find the meaning in Logan’s words.
“… What are you doing here Logan?”
“I told you. I was going to get you another option. And I did.”
“What?” Cameron’s voice came out more desperate than he had wanted, but he couldn’t help it. He reached out, wrapping his hands on the cool steel bars and squeezing them in a white knuckled grip. “What do you mean?”
There was pause, followed by a weary sigh from Logan. “I mean… I can get you out of here… I am getting you out. But, it’s not going to be in the way you expect… or approve of.”
“W-What do you mean?” Cameron asked, his voice cracking from the hope that was slowly welling up in his chest. “If you can get me out of here, I don’t care what you do! Just do it!”
Another pause. A longer one this time, with Cameron chewing his bottom lip as impatiently waited.
“Logan? Are you still there?” He asked, worry in his voice as he feared he had scared the man off.
“Just… Do me a favor.” Logan called back, breaking the silence. He was still out of sight but something in the way he was speaking didn’t sit right with Cameron. It was almost as if he was… pleading with him. Like when a parent was struggling to tell their child they pet had died. It was unsettling, but Cameron wasn’t about to let his freedom slip through his fingers just because Logan felt bad.
“Sure. Anything. What is it?” Cameron called out, pressing his face to the bar, trying to see where the man was. It couldn’t find him in the darkness but he heard his voice only a few feet off to his left.
“Promise me you’ll keep your mouth shut until I tell you it’s okay. You’re probably going to react once things are made… official. But you have a role to play in this, same as you. How I play that role depends on how you react. I have no qualms doing this the easy way or the hard way. But I’d rather do it the easy way. No I can’t tell you what’s going on right now. No one else can either. But I promise I’ll explain everything when it’s over. Understood?”
Cameron couldn’t help it, the curiosity to know outweighed his yearning for freedom in that moment.
“Logan what the hell are you -”
“Just say you understand Cameron.” Logan’s voice was flat and cold, causing a tremor of apprehension to shoot up Cameron’s spine. He wanted to know more. Needed to even. But, he resigned himself to obey Logan’s request.
“I understand.” He said, before closing his mouth.
“Good.” Logan acknowledged before stepping into Cameron’s vision for the first time. He was dressed in the same attire he had worn when Cameron first saw him; combat boots,tactical pants and a sleeveless compression shirt, his uplink threads on full display. Cameron opened his mouth to make a comment on the outfit but a warning look from Logan was enough for him to clamp down and stay silent. Logan waited a moment, before nodding and pulling a key out of his pocket.
“I told the guard I should be the one to do this.” He muttered as he put the key into the lock and unlocking the door with a low, rumbling thunk.
The door slid open, allowing Cameron to step out into the dimly lit hall. He looked around, seeing the barely furnished environment of the jail before turning back to Logan, raising an eyebrow as if to ask ‘What next?’.
Logan nodded forward, pointing with his chin to the heavy metal door, leading to the exit saying only one word. “Walk.”
Cameron was conflicted as he and Logan made their way through the winding hallways of the palace. On one hand he was happy, grateful even to be out of that cell, breathing clean air once again. But the mood had been soured by the foreboding mood that hung in the air. There was an unsettling silence that permeated throughout the palace, and Cameron spent a long time trying to figure out why. Then he noticed how empty the hallways were. No servants hustling and bustling throughout the complex. No minor nobility schmoozing and politicking in the various salons and gathering rooms. The whole palace was empty. At least it appeared to be.
Then Logan rounded a corner and Cameron understood. The large alabaster doors leading to the throne room were open, and the room was packed. Servants, nobles, and guards were jammed inside, filling the room on either side, leaving a space leading to the throne large enough for Cameron and Logan to walk through side by side.
“Remember what I said.” Logan said in a sharp whisper. Cameron looked over to the man to find him looking forward, jaw set and face devoid of any emotion as he clarified. “Do what you’re told and keep quiet. Don’t make me do this the hard way.”
Cameron could only nod, before swallowing hard, his throat scratchy and dry. Logan nodded back and started walking again, causing Cameron to match his gait as the pair entered the throne room eyes forward, gazing on the group waiting to recieve them.
There was Miranda, sitting on the throne, looking slightly refreshed compared to Cameron, though her red cheeks and glassy eyes told him her tear stains were fresh. Off to her right, Sybil stood, clutching a piece of parchment, her face neutral, if a little… sympathetic? Cameron’s confusion was mounting, but he stayed silent, his inner turmoil reaching a near boiling point as he felt deeper into confusion.
Of to the left, more sidelined than Sybil, but still a part of welcoming committee were Augustus and Lendrick, the Latter of which was staring daggers at Cameron, with the former doing so for Logan. Just what the hell was going on?
“Announcing Captain Logan Rake, and transferee, Cameron Pellyn!” Marcus’s voice boomed, signaling their approach properly, even though all eyes were already on the two. There was a word to his announcement that drew Cameron’s attention. Transferee. Just what did that mean?
“Approach, brother.” Miranda said flatly, snapping Cameron’s attention back to his sister. He gulped, before taking a step forward, standing front and center as Miranda turned to Sybil holding out a hand. Sybil said nothing, not taking her eyes off Cameron as she passed the parchment.
“Captain Rake,” Miranda continued, a slight sharpness to her tone as she called his name that Cameron caught. “Please approach.”
Logan obeyed, stepping next to Cameron, and the prince could see his sister’s eyes glaring at Logan for the faintest of moments before turning back to him, sighing heavily. Then she stood, unfurling the parchment, reading it in an official oration.
“To all parties concerned in the matter of one Cameron Pellyn of the planet Ketris, ordained by EarthGov, Southern Arm, Sector 5 Let it be known that a request for Forced Relinquishment has been made on behalf of the stated party above, by one Logan Rake, Free-Space citizen and current acting ambassador. Request has been acknowledged and approved by one Sybil Moore of EarthGov and one Miranda Pellyn, ruling monarch of previously stated planet. Effective immediately you are hearby stripped of your citizenship -”
“What?!” Cameron exclaimed, forgetting his promise in his confusion. What did she mean stripped of citizenship? A sharp elbow to his ribs followed by warning glare of Logan caused him to quiet once again. He looked to Logan, the man giving an imperceptible shake of the head, before they both turned to look at Miranda. Cameron could see her eyes tearing up once again, but she managed to clear her throat and continued to read aloud.
“Effective Immediately you are hearby stripped of your citizenship, and placed into the care and custody of stated Free-Space citizen, Logan Rake. Should you hold any noble titles or claims you are stripped of those as well. Additionally, the name Cameron Pellyn will be unlisted from the galactic census. Going forward, you’re name as having been assigned by one Logan Rake is the name Cam Ket.”
“W-Wait! Miranda! What’s going -” Cameron exclaimed once again, his mind racing with information and fear induced anxiety. Before he could finish however, a fist had impacted his stomach with a force hard enough to lift him off his feet. In the blink of an eye, Logan had turned and delivered the blow, hitting Cameron with the force of a bullet. His eyes went wide as his breath left his lungs, knees buckling as he collapsed to the floor. His body convulsed, shaking from shock as he fought for air, while Logan knelt over him, his voice coming out as a quiet growl.
“Shut. The fuck. Up.” He said, slowly enunciating each word. “Let her finish reading, before they come to their senses and decide to keep you here.”
Cameron eyes watered from the pain, confusion and despair running rampant in his mind, as Logan grabbed him, getting him back on his feet. He sniffled, his gasps quieting as he found oxygen once again.
“Miranda had turned away, audibly sniffling as she wiped her face, before turning back, looking at Logan as she struggled to piece together what she wanted to say.
“K-Keep control of your transferee Mr. Rake. For all our sakes.”
Logan simply nodded, waving with his hand. “Please continue, your majesty.
She cleared her throat one more time, not opening the parchment again, seemingly having memorized the last passage as she looked into Cameron’s eyes, with tears of sadness, and… relief falling freely now.
“You have three hours to gather any possessions that you can carry, and leave planetary orbit. You are forbidden from returning to Ketris. Do you have any questions?”
Cameron had many, but he had learned his lesson, meeting her question with a pitiful silence.
The next few hours went by in a flash. Once Miranda had finished her Edict, Cam was escorted off by the guards and taken to his old quarters. There, he was given a duffel bag and a half hour to fill it with his belongings, being supervised the whole time. He packed in silence, his mind cluttered with racing thoughts and emotional turmoil.
How could they do this to him? Strip him of everything and throw him out like trash? His heart ached with pangs of loss and rage. In less than twenty-four hours he had went from having everything, to nothing. He was no one now. A ghost that Ketris would forget the minute he left it.
“They should have just killed me.”
He didn’t waste too much time packing, there was only so much he could carry after all. So he kept it simple. A few changes of clothes, a bottle of whiskey he had stowed away for a special occaision, and a photograph that sat on his dresser collecting dust. He must of passed it thousands of times without giving it a second thought. But today… things were different. He grabbed it off the dresser and looked it. It was an old picture, showing him and his family. The triplets couldn’t have been more than six, Liam bearing a gap toothed grin as Ian and Dean looked to be in the middle of an argument. Miranda was off to the right, standing next to their mother, both women bearing a similar regal demeanor. And then there was Cam, standing next to his father who was seated at the throne, his face contorted into a warm smile, his hand resting on a young Cam’s shoulder.
Those were better days. Days that he could look back on fondly. Days that he could never return to. A bitter taste entered from the back of his throat as his stomach lurched with an empty pain. He felt a sneer tug at his lips, and became aware that he’d been grinding his teeth. It was too much for him bear. These people weren’t his family. They were strangers. And this wasn’t a memory. It was a lie.
“Fuck this.” He growled as he reached up ripped the photo down the middle, tossing it to the ground like old garbage. If they could just remove him so easily from their lives, then he could do the same. He looked around one last time before walking out, not giving that room, nor his old life a second thought.
“Take me to the dock.” He mumbled to the guards as he passed. “Now.”
If Cam had to describe Logan’s ship, Cerberus in two words, it would ‘Non-Descript’. It wasn’t huge, like any of the tankers, ferrying supplies from neighboring sectors, easily a kilometer long from one end to the other. Nor was it small, like the shuttles used to transport people from planet to planet roughly the same size as one of the ancient automobiles that littered Earth hundreds of years. It was simply the size it needed to be. A metal hull, 500 meters long and 50 meters wide floated gently on the gravdoc, with a hatch roughly 50 meters high looming over him as he sat down next to the gangplank, waiting for his new ‘Master’ to show up.
He didn’t have to wait long. As after only ten minutes, Cam spotted the familiar faces of Logan and Marcus walking toward him. Seeing their faces caused a fresh wave of rage to was over him and he had to stop himself from lunging at them the second they got close enough, settling instead for gripping the edges of his seat so tight he could hear the wood crack in protest.
Logan was the first the speak, already do damage control as he held his hands up in surrender. “Look kid, I know you’re probably pissed. But trust me -”
“Trust you?!” Cam snapped in response. His anger had boiled over in such a force that he couldn’t contain even if he wanted to.
“I did trust you! And look where it got me! I have no home Logan. No name. I’m the equivalent of a slave! THIS is what I got for trusting you!” He shouted, spit flying from his lip as the dam broke and a flood of emotions came spewing forth.
“Cameron I-” Marcus tried to cut in, but was cut off by Cam’s continued tirade.
“It’s not Cameron anymore, Marcus. It’s Cam. And you’re not responsible for me anymore so why the FUCK are you here?!”
Marcus didn’t raise his voice in return. He simply allowed Cam to continue yelling, letting him get everything out he had been bottling since this morning. Then he took a breath and spoke in a gentle, warm tone.
“I… Don’t have a home anymore either, Master Cam. I relinquished my post shortly after you were escorted away.”
This got Cam’s attention. He stopped, stunned for a moment, his anger replaced by a sense of confusion. “What do you mean, Marcus?” He asked, slightly more aggressive than he had intended.
“He’s coming with us,” Logan said matter-of-factly, looking at Cameron with a look that radiated both irritation and understanding. “It was a part of the deal. A stipulation on Miranda’s part that Marcus volunteered for. I was getting ready to explain it to you before you decided to throw a temper tantrum.”
“Because you bought me Logan! Like fucking livestock!”
“No! I saved your life!” Logan was shouting back now, taking a step forward as both men invade the other’s personal space. “You and I both know that you would have died or had been left to rot if Lendrick got his way!”
“Then what am I supposed to do now?!” Cam shot back, practically foaming at the mouth.
“Live!” Logan bellowed, drawing out the word until his face turned purple from exertion.
A heavy silence fell over the three of them, the only sounds being the grinding metal of heavy machinery, and Logan’s breathing. It took him a minute to gather himself, though somehow, he managed. He sighed heavily and looked Cameron in the eye, his anger and irritation replaced by something else, regret.
“I’m sorry Cam.” He said, his voice slightly raspy and tinged with exhaustion. “Really, I am. But I wasn’t about to let that happen to you. I wish that I could have done it a different way, but this is all I could think to do.”
Cam was taken aback at this display of vulnerability from the man. Something in him clicked in that moment. Like before, it hadn’t felt real enough for him yet. But seeing Logan look at him with such… pity was enough. His mask of bravery that had been sustained by anger and distraction was shattered in that instant. He wanted to cry. Wanted to wish that this was all a bad dream and wake up like nothing had ever happened. But he couldn’t. This was his reality now. Cameron Pellyn had died today, and left of husk of his being behind. How that husk was filled was now left up to him. Was this really how he wanted to begin this new life, regardless if it was his choice to live it?
No.
Cam took a moment to collect himself, closing his eyes and inhaling deeply. He took in the fresh air through his nostrils, letting it fill his lungs, before slowly exhaling. He imagined that with every breath he was pushing a piece of his old self out. His anger, his arrogance, his apathy, all were products of his old life and there was no room for them now. When he opened his eyes and looked back at Logan, he still felt the anger that had overtaken him a moment ago, but it was a mere ember, when compared to the raging inferno from before. He wasn’t sure if he’d ever stop feeling this heat that burned inside of him, for now, he could focus on another feeling… clarity.
“Look…” He began, chewing at his lip as he searched for the right words. “I don’t know if I’ll ever get over this.”
Logan nodded slowly, opening his mouth as if getting ready to reply, but Cam wasn’t done just yet.
“However…” He said, steeling himself as he continued. “What’s done is done. I can’t change the past no matter how badly I want to. I’m don’t want to be angry all the time. I don’t want to be wallowing in a past life that I’ll never return to.”
“So what do you want then?” Logan asked, raising an eyebrow in appraisal.
“I want to do what you told me to. I want to live. Whatever that looks like out there in Free-Space, I want to live.”
A small smile slowly crept onto Logan’s face teasing the corners of his mouth as he nodded. “I think we can do that. Free-Space is a pretty big place. Shouldn’t be too hard to do that out there.”
“Then tell me what I need to do.” Cam said. His eyes set in a determined glare as he held out a hand towards Logan.
Logan looked at the outstretched hand, then at Marcus, the two of them sharing a widening grin. He then turned back to meet Cam’s gaze as he reached out as well, taking the offered hand in a firm grasp.
“First things first Kid. We got some homework to do.”