Welcome to Space Station 47 - Part 1

"Dammit! Why did he have to do it? The stupid git! Just 3 minutes more and we would have been fine."

"I don't know Morgan, it was a high risk task, and he obviously just couldn't keep his cool."

"KEEP HIS COOL! Understatement of the year again from you Perri". Morgan slumped back into Starbug's cockpit seat. "So I guess it's just me and you again Perri, just when I thought we had finally found someone else to travel with". Looking up to Perri he noticed her look back at him with sympathy in her eyes.

"Come here Morgan and I’ll give you a hug"

"Oh shut up Perri, how can you give me a hug? You are just a computer screen and a head!"

"Well that's just rude! I think you'll find I'm an 11th Generation AI Computer with an IQ of 10,000, I am not 'Just a computer screen'. Perri looked angry at the mere mention of her being anything less than the best computer that had ever been created.

"Alright Perri, keep your hair on! I'm only joking with you, but why would you even say you'd give me a hug?"

"I just wanted to see your reaction to be honest, and let’s face it, you still have me here regardless of what Greg has just done".

"You mean die? He died Perri, nothing more, nothing less. But I suppose you are right, it’s been me and you for a long time now kid, we might as well just get used to it, with all the luck I have we are going to be on our own for a very long time."

Morgan spun back to the cockpit console and bashed in some co-ordinates.

"Let’s see what we find here"

"Where are we heading Morgan?" Perri asked inquisitively

"I dunno really, let’s just see what these coordinates have in store for us, anyway, you should know what I've just typed in."

"Oh I know, it's just polite to act as though you don't know, makes the crew think that I'm just one of them".

"What crew?"

"Well I know there's not a crew here except you, but on my last ship, the one you salvaged me from, the crew were always cautious about talking to me, so I learned to adapt".

"Well I’m glad you did, I think I would have gone completely loopy if I hadn't found you, I really didn't need just a computer, I needed a friend, even if you are just pixels and data!" Morgan laughed at his last remark after seeing the look again on Perri's face. "I'm going to get some kip now, see if I can pass the time that way."

"OK, I will wake you if there are any problems, but I'm sure I can handle most of it myself"

"I know you can Perri, night, night"

"Night, night Morgan" Perri's screen turned off as she put all of her systems in charge of piloting Starbug.

Morgan got out of his seat and stumbled towards to sleeping quarters. Yawning as he left the cockpit, he suddenly realised how alone he was in this empty rust bucket of a ship, 'How is it I had to be lumbered with this crap can compared so some of the other ships out there, why was this the only one that was close enough for him to find'. He thought to himself, as he walked down the corridor towards the stairs.

"Lights on" Morgan called as he entered his sleeping quarters. As the lights flicked on, he could see the room still looked dull and dingy, the standard issue bunk beds, ocean grey paintwork, and just the sense that it was more of his prison cell than anything else. As he walked to the bunk and collapsed onto the bottom bunk, he still thought that even though he hated being here, he would hate to leave it behind. This ship has saved his life on many occasions and got him through tough situations, so who cares what she looks like inside, this is his ship and no one will take her away from him. Looking around before closing his eyes, he noticed that Perri had appeared on his TV screen. He smiled at her and she smiled back, at that point Morgan realised he was not alone at all, he had Starbug, who in its own respect has its own personality, and Perri, Starbug’s computer but more than that, his friend, and a worryingly attractive friend at that. "God, I am going nuts" he said softly to himself.

"What was that Morgan?" Perri asked softly in reply

"Oh, nothing Perri, don't worry" He smiled back at her, closed his eyes and fell asleep.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"MORGAN GET BACK HERE NOW" Screamed Snapper "I KNOW WHERE TO FIND YOU ANYWAY".

Snapper was a man about 6 feet tall, well built, looked like a bouncer more than anything else, and to be fair he knew how to 'bounce' people. He was a debt collector and not a very nice one at that, from all of the stories about him, it seemed like he was only employed if they needed the payee gone. Unfortunately for him Morgan WAS that payee.

'Just keep running, you can outpace him' Morgan thought to himself, 'He will tire before me and give up'

Morgan wasn't the quickest of people anyway but when the right circumstances presented themselves he could up his game. This was one of those circumstances. As he sprinted down a dark alley he looked out for any twists and turns he could make to confuse and lose Snapper. Finally after about 10 minutes of running down different alleys he slowed his pace and came to a halt. Listening out for footsteps and sounds of running, nothing....Nothing. He had done it, he survived getting into the grips of snapper, a trained piece of meat, that’s all he could be described as, as far as Morgan was concerned the man had nothing, no remorse, no morals, no compassion, and by all accounts this was true. No one ever stood up to Snapper, and rightly so, if you did, you were very shortly going to be 'Snapped'. That's how he got his name, he could psychically snap someone in half with his bare hands. He was not the type of person you wanted after you, Morgan knew that this was going to be his last few days alive before Snapper caught up with him.

After a long time walking the streets contemplating what he needs to do next, Morgan notices he is back at his apartment, with a quick look around he walks through the main door, up the stairs and to his apartment front door, after a few minutes fumbling around to get the keys out of his pocket Morgan finally gets inside and locks the door behind him. Finally, alone and safe, for now. Walking through his hallway Morgan notices some kind of shadow moving through his living area.

"Who's There?" He shouted, with slight hesitation.

No Reply

"I know you are in there, I am armed, so get out while you still can" Morgan was pleasantly surprised at his own conviction of the statement, he wasn't armed, but who were they to know that?

Slowly Morgan walks through the doorway to the living area and suddenly saw them. He dropped to his knees.

"I'm sorry, I really am, please don't do this...." Morgan pleads with every fibre of his being. "Please I'm begging you, I'll get it all for you, whatever I owe you plus more, just don't do this... It's not her..."

Morgan is stopped mid-sentence suddenly by the sound of the Gun going off.

"Noooo! No, no, no, oh god what have you done...." Morgan starts to cry.

"You have 2 hours to get out of here, don't come back, ever. If I ever see you back here, I will kill you and anyone you have ever loved. That is a promise"

"Yes Sir, I’ll go, I’ll go now....oh Claire I'm so sorry... you didn't deserve this at all, what have I done."

"Shut your mouth and get out of here now, she can't hear you anymore, so there's no point. Leave NOW!"

"OK, OK I’m going"

With that, Morgan took one last look at his girlfriend lying motionless in a pool of her own blood, with that man standing over her, the man who strikes fear into even Snapper's eyes. The man who will die at the hands of Morgan, now that is the promise Morgan will keep. Thinking as he is frantically searching for some way to leave Titan.

"How am I going to get out of here?" Morgan said to himself walking down the street. "Where can I go? I have nothing... But I have to get out of here now".

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------