A.N. This is my first attempt at writing Sci-fi. I actually have most of this plotted out and know exactly where I want it to go with it, but I'm not sure if I'll ever get around to finishing it. Enjoy this first bit anyway, we'll see what happens.

Runaways

The pinpricks of silver in the vast blanket of space evened out as the ship came out of hyperspace. The big hulk was soon in orbit 22,240 miles above the third planet of the uninhabited system. Only a small scout ship was sent down to the surface with an undermanned crew that was set to explore this new planet for farming possibilities and colonization.

The small vessel landed on the east side of the single large landmass that this planet was host to. Their scanners found several life forms already inhabiting the planet; mainly reptilian species that they deemed harmless. More studies and explorations were usually done but this was not one of those times, this planet needed to be settled immediately. The crew aboard the larger ship was sent the details of plant life and terrain, atmospheric conditions and vids of some of the smaller life forms. So, after a short two days, according to the third planet’s rotation, and quite a few less than was mandatory, the small craft took off from the surface with all needed data and returned to the homing ship. All relevant information was sent off to those concerned in such matters. Having finished its job, the large ship left orbit and made its way back home for its next assignment.

&

A group of people was crowded around a televid, chattering away as they learned the news. If any of these people had been paying any attention to what was happening around them, they would have seen a scruffy looking boy edging around the crowd, glance sneakily over his shoulder, and then walk away nonchalantly. They also would have seen him ducking into a small alley that led only to some abandoned storehouses, but the news made them inattentive to their surroundings.

The boy broke into a run as soon as he was out of sight, his feet pounding along the ground in ripped shoes as he unconsciously made his way home. He reached the small service door and rapped three times, waited a second, then rapped two more. This was the signal to his companions that it was him and not the enforcers who would scour this grid every so often. The metal door creaked as he pushed it open. The boy slid inside and closed the door quickly behind him, the sliver of red sunlight destroyed as soon as it was created.

“Micail?” a voice said quietly as a girl emerged from behind a stack of dusty crates.

“Amie, just wait ‘til you hear!” the boy said excitedly in response to his sister’s query.

“Hear what?” she asked but Micail ignored her.

“Where’s Jahcin and Sain?” he asked as he headed over, his feet disturbing the dormant dust.

“Went out for food,” Amie shrugged distractedly. “Now tell me!” she insisted, tugging on her brother’s sleeve.

“Not yet,” he said flatly, yanking his arm away and walking over to their small living corner. He turned on their makeshift emitter and sat down next to it to listen. Curious, Amie knelt down beside her brother and watched as he jabbed at a few buttons stopping only when the sound of the news report filtered through.

“The Zephira high council has announced today,” the broadcaster said, “that due to the increasing amount of parentless children living on the streets on Zephira, enforcers have been ordered to take any children they find and send them to the closest Orphan-hold, for their own protection.”

“‘Own protection?’” Micail snorted in disbelief.

“Micail, that’s not anything new,” Amie said. “What are you listening for, anyway?”

Before he could answer, there was rapping on the door that singled that the siblings’ friends were back. Jahcin and Sain rushed in closing the door quickly. Both had flushed faces and were slightly out of breath.

“What happened?” Micail asked quickly, talking over the broadcast about the rise in contamination from the Gas Wars.

“Two enforcers,” Sain said breathlessly, clutching his side. “Chased us, but we got away.”

“Something’s going on, too,” Jahcin added, collapsing onto a torn blanket. “It was easier to get food this time, everyone was preoccupied.”

Micail grinned. “I know what it is, too,” he said with the slight bragging tone that one gets when they have a big secret that they can’t wait to share.

Amie looked up excitedly. “Finally!” she said. “He wasn’t gonna tell me until you two got back.”

“What is it?” Sain asked cautiously but if Micail was grinning, it couldn’t be something too awful.

Micail stood up so he could pace in front of his audience. He put on the attitude of an elder giving a lesson.

“The congestion of this planet has gotten worse,” he began in a high wheezy voice, “Orphan holds are outnumbering homes and food is becoming scarce,” he coughed for effect and Amie giggled. Micail turned to her. “You think this predicament is funny, young lady?”

Amie shook her head, trying to hold back more laughter.

“Right,” Micail went on, this time in his normal voice, dropping his charade. “All of the televids in the city are announcing the same thing,” he paused for dramatic effect, “the Zephira Exploration Department has discovered a new planet!”

The other three were silent for a moment.

“And?” Jahcin asked. “That can’t be all.”

“Of course not!” Micail proclaimed. “They are going to send an agricultural team to start up a farming community, which means that ships will be leaving Zephira very soon.”

“What does that have to do with anything?” Amie asked, not seeing where her brother was going with this.

“It’s our best chance to get away from here!”

“We can’t stowaway on a freighter, we’ll get caught!” Sain exclaimed.

“Look, I’ve been thinking. No one will know that we are orphans if we disguise ourselves as the children of a farmer. We blend in with the other children and then find a place to hide once on board. There most likely won’t be a lot of security once on the planet itself, and we can disappear easily enough, just like we do here.”

Sain seemed to be thinking this over. “You know, that could work...” he began.

“We can’t leave!” Amie interrupted.

“And why not?” Micail asked in a tone that said she was going even if he had to bind her to some farming equipment.

“Because you haven’t made me my electronic data pad yet!”

Micail sighed. “The freighters don’t leave for another month yet, I promise it will be done by then.”

Amie grinned happily.

“We’ve got a lot of planning to do before then,” Jahcin said. “But before we get started,” he held up a small sack, “we should have something to eat!”