Nowhere To Run
Tags: Canon-Typical Violence, Canonical Character Death, Tapan POV, Whumptober, Angst
Published: 02 October 2022
Word Count: 1609
Summary
Whumptober 2022
No. 2 NOWHERE TO RUN
Cornered | Caged | Confrontation
Tapan's point of view of her kidnapping and the results of that...
As the two supposed Port Authority people hustle Tapan out of the shuttle, part of her is silently cursing all of her decisions that led up to this point. The rest of her is too frightened to do anything other than go along with them, not resisting their rough hands as they pluck her feed interface from her ear, then push and shove her along the walkway and down a ramp to the private shuttle docks. She’s marched down the dock’s length, towards the more expensive berths at the end. There aren’t any other people nearby, and the few they pass on the way pay no attention to them. There will be no help there.
They stop at the access to a shuttle hatch, waiting for it to open. She’s aware Maro considers her naive, but Tapan knows enough to realise that being forced onto that shuttle means Bad Things for her. She doesn’t have much choice about it though. The Port Authority people (if that even is who they really are) are too big and too strong for her to escape, and she’s half-shoved, half-dragged through the shuttle’s lock when it opens.
She’s pushed along the corridor, past multiple hatchways to other areas of the shuttle, and finally into a large compartment with cushioned bench seating along the walls. Acceleration chairs are at the front of the compartment, by a hatch that leads further into the ship. A few other people are in the compartment, but Tapan’s attention is fixed on the one person she recognises - Tlacey.
Tlacey smiles languidly at Tapan from where she’s lounging in one of the chairs. “Ah, dear little Tapan,” she says, the corner of her mouth quirked smugly. “How nice of you to join us. I’d ask you to make yourself comfortable, but frankly, I don’t care about you.” She waves one hand in a dismissive little gesture, her jaw shifting as she subvocalises.
One of the thugs (definitely not Port Authority, part of Tapan’s mind confirms) lets go of her and steps over to give Tlacey the feed interface he took from Tapan. He then heads back down the corridor, out of sight. The other thug tightens his grip on her upper arm, ensuring that she doesn’t try to escape. Not that she could go anywhere anyway, even if she did manage to break free - the shuttle hatch is long closed, and there’s nowhere for her to run or hide.
Tlacey regards Tapan’s feed interface, holding it up to the light to admire the way it sparkles. “A pretty thing,” she muses idly. “Too pretty for you, really. You won’t be needing it any more, anyway.” She slips the interface into one of her pockets.
Tapan can’t escape, but maybe she can at least get some answers. “Why are you doing all this?!” she blurts out, glaring at Tlacey in a show of bravado she really doesn’t feel.
Tlacey raises a shapely eyebrow at her. “Why?” She taps her chin with one finger in a mockery of thoughtfulness. “Because I want to. Because I can. Because nobody can stop me.” She folds her hands back into her lap and smirks at Tapan, sharp and malicious. “And because I want your SecUnit.”
Tapan blinks in confusion. “SecUnit? I don’t have a SecUnit…”
Tlacey stares at her for a moment, then lets out a sharp huff of amusement. “Oh, dear,” she drawls, grinning. “You really are naive. Or maybe just stupid. That ‘security consultant’ of yours isn’t actually human, you know. I would have thought that would be obvious even to you, but apparently not.”
“Eden…?” Tapan shakes her head. “No, they can’t be…” She thinks about Eden’s calm, reassuring presence, their stalwart demeanour…
… the way they took down three thugs in as many seconds, without even breaking a sweat…
… their augments, and how Tapan never saw it eat…
… their ability to hack cameras and other security…
There’s a sinking feeling in Tapan’s stomach as she considers all the little things she’s noticed about Eden in a new light. Maybe Tlacey’s right - maybe Eden is a SecUnit.
But it makes no sense. It doesn’t match up with anything she knows about SecUnits. Why would a SecUnit have taken a job with her and her partners in the first place? What is Eden doing here? There has to be some other explanation. She shakes her head again. “Eden’s a person, I know they are!”
Tlacey lets out a mocking little laugh. “You silly child. It’s just a tool. It’s no more a person than a gun or a hauler bot is.” She tilts her head a little, and Tapan recognises the unconscious gesture as someone listening to something on their feed. Tlacey’s expression shifts as she gives Tapan another smug, self-satisfied smirk. “And now… it’s under my control.”
She gestures again, and the thug holding Tapan shoves her around to face the corridor entrance, gripping her shoulder tightly and pressing the muzzle of a gun to the side of her head. Tapan freezes, her eyes wide and her palms sweating with fear. She feels the clunk vibrate through the shuttle as the lock disengages and the ship slides out of its docking slot.
There will definitely be no escape now.
She can hear footsteps approaching the compartment - steady, measured footsteps, with no hint of hesitation. She has to remind herself to breathe through the fear choking her throat.
The thug from before moves into the compartment, but Tapan pays no attention to him because behind him is a familiar figure - tall, solid, reassuring, one Tapan has come to trust. Her eyes immediately go to Eden’s face - and her heart clenches at its blank, empty expression. There’s no hint of its by-now familiar little frown, or the way its brow furrowed whenever she or one of her partners suggested something inadvisable, or the brief look of confusion it had given her when she tried to explain how her fear was good. Its gaze flickers blankly over her with no sign of recognition or reassurance before locking onto Tlacey as she stands up from her chair.
Tlacey looks over Eden with a possessive smile, then casually says, “Take little Tapan to a cabin. I’ll want to talk to her later about her work.”
Tapan barely registers Tlacey’s words. All her attention is focused on Eden, who still hasn’t reacted. She can’t stay silent any longer. “Eden, I’m sorry! I’m sorry—“ She’s cut off as the thug pulls her away, through another hatchway and down a corridor. Tapan writhes, trying to break free, but the thug tightens his grip around her arm and roughly thumps her back with the gun. He then drags her into a small cabin and practically throws her towards the bunk against the far wall as the hatch hisses closed behind him. Tapan staggers and barely manages to catch herself, then drops down to sit on the bunk as she tries to get her breath back. “Stay put,” he growls, brandishing the weapon at her.
Tapan stays put.
Her hands clutch the edges of the bunk, fingers digging into the thin mattress, as she tries not to cry. If only she had listened to her partners, to Eden - if only she had gone with her partners instead of staying behind, if only, if only— Anything bad that happens to her or to Eden now is her own fault, and her family will be left never knowing what became of either of them. Or Tlacey will try to ransom Tapan back to her family, to squeeze every last bit of currency out of them. Tapan isn’t sure what’s worse.
Then, suddenly, there’s the muffled sound of weapons fire, sharp and discordant, echoing through the ship.
The thug’s attention swings away from Tapan and towards the door, his gun lowering. Tapan shoots to her feet and lunges towards him, no thoughts or plans in mind other than get out, get away, help Eden—
She’s not fast enough. The thug, already on edge, reacts almost immediately at her sudden movement.
The gun fires.
Tapan staggers backwards, pain blossoming in her side. The back of her legs hit the edge of the bunk and she collapses backwards, sprawling across it. Her mind is blank with shock, her arm pressing against the warm, spreading wetness in a subconscious attempt to hold the pain at bay.
Then the hatch opens, more figures come in - the thug turns to face them. Tapan hears Tlacey’s voice, sounding strained and frightened. “He panicked when he heard the shots,” Tlacey gasps. “You can’t—“
The thug fires again, multiple shots echoing in the small cabin. Tapan can’t see what’s going on, her view blocked by the thug’s back and the way her vision seems to swim in and out. She screws her eyes shut and grits her teeth, fighting back nausea.
There’s the thump of something hitting the wall, the discharge of an energy weapon, and the thud of a body dropping to the floor. A moment later, someone’s leaning over her, their shadow falling across her and blocking out the harsh light that still seeps red through her eyelids. She doesn’t know who it is, until—
“It’s me,” Eden’s voice says, calm and steady and reassuring, and Tapan thinks that it’s the best thing she’s heard in her life.
She feels pressure against her bleeding side, trying to stem the flow. She reaches out blindly, finds Eden’s hand, and latches on, squeezing as tight as she’s able to. She doesn’t want to open her eyes - right now, she isn’t sure she can - but that doesn’t matter.
Eden’s here now, which means… she’s safe.