A Mutiny of Pirates: Being an account of the Damn Shames and the search for the treasure of Chalcedon
The Damn Shames, a group of bikers-turned-pirates, find themselves at the center of a search for a legendary pirate captain’s treasure–a quest made deadly by politicians, privateers, and the uncaring vacuum of space.
4025 words – 15-20 minute read
Riph holds a wooden cup of wine between himself and the abyss.
It’s not all that melodramatic. There’s a vacuum lid over the wine, and he’s wearing a suit. He’s not longing for death—just preparing himself for it. Himself and his dear little family.
Even after seven days of thinking about it, that idea still makes him want to cry.
Look up, Riph. Look up.
He looks up, and it keeps the tears from forming in the corners of his eyes. His breath rattles in his helmet, the only sound in his tiny bubble of silence.
He always looks up when he feels small, or afraid, or hopeless. For many years, he gazed up at the stars from the cooling sands of his home planet. For many more years, he gazed up at them through ship cockpits and portholes.
Now, he’s watching the universe go by through a gaping hole in Falcor’s hull.
:’D