John’s SciFi Space Short Story

Possessed

Part 5

Cain couldn’t believe it. He was flying the spaceship. It’s absolutely awesome, he thought. But then reality set in — he wasn’t flying the spaceship — whatever possessed him was. It had full control over his body. He even doubted whether his thoughts were his own, or whether they were those of his possessor.

“Who are you?” Cain asked, frustration of the last days finally coming to the forefront of his mind.

Silence greeted his question.

“Who are you?” he shouted.

“That is not important. At present, you must concentrate on flying.”

“I’m not flying, you are.”

“Shut up.”

A stab of pain coursed through his body and disappeared just as fast. He then realise he had no control, not only over his body but over what he could do. Cain decided to obey his tormenter and concentrated on the controls.

“Where are we going?”

“To Memphis.”

Cain open his mouth to speak again, but closed it. Why are we going to Memphis? There’s nothing there. He suspected he wouldn’t get an answer to his confusion, so he remained silent.

After several hours, Cain felt hungry, but didn’t know if the parasite within him would allow him time to nourish himself. Regardless, he needed to eat or he wouldn’t survive to do the things bidding.

“I need to eat,” Cain said.

“Very well.”

With a sense of release, Cain felt a restraint suddenly disappear from his body, and he was able to regain a semblance of his normal self. He stood and searched for the ship’s galley, hoping to find sustenance and refreshments.

The storage for food proved easy to find, and Cain rummaged through the selection for something to his liking. To his surprise, he found a beef stew. He didn’t think spaceships carried such fine cuisine. When he sated his hunger and thirst, he returned to the bridge and made himself comfortable in the pilot’s chair again.

Memphis was situated in the Kush system on the outer reaches of the galaxy. It had been settled in antiquity, but had never amounted to much because it had little resources, and was so remote from any other population. When the Akkadians conquered the galaxy, they converted the planet into a penal colony, where they incarcerated hardened criminals.

And others, Cain’s unwelcome presence added.

The trip to Memphis took three days. Whatever occupied Cain’s psych left him to his own devices during most of the time except to force me to the bridge to monitor progress and the ship’s functions.

They finally entered the Kush system, and Cain redirected the ship to the planet on the far side of its local sun. He still had no idea why they were there, but he presumed he would find out soon enough. They approached the space surrounding Memphis’s huge space stations orbiting far above the barren surface.

“Unidentified ship, please identify yourself,” a gruff voice echoed throughout the bridge from the communication speaker.

If Cain had someone to look at for advice on what to say, he would have, but he was alone, except for the presence inside his head. He waited for it to tell him what to say, but the thing remain silent.

“Unidentified ship, identify yourself, or we will open fire.”

Cain gulped. His skin dampened from perspiration as panic rose within him. “What should I say?”

His parasite forced his hand to the microphone button. “This is Lucifer alpha delta 666. We request permission to off load prisoner, Mordok for incarceration.”

Cain heard silence for several minutes before a reply came. “We have no communication of such a prisoner transfer. Request denied. Change course immediately or we will open fire.”

“This is high-priority; beyond top-secret. I must speak with the prison governor. He is the only one with knowledge of this transfer.”

“Hold your position while we check.”

Cain changed his trajectory into an orbital position around the planet while he waited. It seemed the safest option as he didn’t want to be annihilated by one of their laser cannons. Glad that his guest agreed, he relaxed and fidgeted with a databank of short holographic videos.

“Your request is granted. Follow the trajectory we provide down to the planet surface. Any deviation from this course will result in the destruction of your spaceship.”

And me, Cain thought.

The directions came through moments later, and Cain changed course, and headed for the planet surface, glad he had no resistance to his actions.

***

To be continued…