The Lost Star Chart - Chapter 4
Uncovering ancient secrets, evading certain death—welcome to Darla’s daily grind.
The Lost Star Chart, gritty, sometimes silly, stand alone space adventure novel, is out today!
To celebrate, we’re sharing the first five chapters for free (but, be warned, only the first five chapters). This book will be the March book of the month, which means all paid subscribers will get a free copy.
Chapter 4
Norman — Two months earlier
The vivid blue sky topped the snow-covered peaks that surrounded Norman Butterworth. He sighed as he took in the view. Rayleigh scattering created the blue, just the way the textbooks had described Old Earth’s sky. In the distance the fresh snow on the jagged mountains appeared crisp and clean. It was the kind of panorama that belonged on a holiday card.
“It’s your turn, my friend.” Haoyu had started with his usual move, meaning the winner was a forgone conclusion.
Norman shifted his attention to the chessboard between them. They used to play on a real chessboard—a gift from Haoyu’s sister. However, a moment of excitement in the past had left it ruined.
Now they used a handmade version crafted from an upside-down resin tray stolen from the cafeteria. He’d spent days carving it and all the pieces, each designed to match Norman’s childhood set. He picked up a pawn. Like the rest, it remained rough to the touch.
“Have you ever thought about escaping?” Norman asked as he considered an unexpected move.
“That would be nuts. Look at what surrounds us.” Haoyu gazed out at the breathtaking landscape and sighed. “It may be beautiful, but there is nothing out there for us—no wildlife, no plants, not even water we could drink.”
Norman nodded. The guards were always quick to point out how desolate this planet was.
“And the prison is the only building around for miles. I doubt they’d even bother to search for us if we left.” Haoyu pursed his lips as he looked at the view.
“Yeah.” Norman eyed his friend.
“We’d die within days.” Haoyu met Norman’s gaze.
Norman's assessment of the situation was the same. Every day for the past decade, he and Haoyu had come to the rooftop space, played a game of chess, and pondered their escape. To Norman this was just a thought exercise, something he thought prisoners were supposed to do.
“They picked this planet well,” Norman said as he stared at the board, his heart heavy with indecision as he hovered his pawn above a white square. After a long pause, he made his move.
“They certainly did. If you really want out of here, why don’t you take up my offer to have my lawyer look at your case?” Haoyu captured Norman’s pawn with his bishop.
Norman stared at him, wondering if he was offering a lifeline or baiting a trap. Haoyu was a member of the Long family, a crime family with a reputation for ruthless power plays. Norman didn’t want to get caught in their web. Still, the offer tempted him—anything to escape this intergalactic prison.
Norman captured one of Haoyu’s knights with his queen.
“Are they your lawyer or your family’s lawyer?”
Haoyu chuckled. “Well played, my friend.” He moved his queen across the board and leaned back in his chair. “You’re wise to be cautious. But I assure you, my lawyer is not beholden to my family. He’s the best in the sector. I bet he could get you out of here.”
A gust of wind, scented with snow and frost, ruffled Norman’s mostly grey hair.
“I’d be worried accepting help from a crime family’s lawyer is the kind of favour I’d have to pay back forever.” Norman moved his bishop. “Checkmate, my friend.”
“My sister’s the real crime boss. It’s never been me. She always had a better eye for the long game,” Haoyu said with a smirk. “Pun intended.”
Norman groaned. “Is that why you ended up here?”
Haoyu’s smirk broadened. “I can never say, but I’m getting out soon. Let me have my lawyer contact you so you don’t have to spend your life here.”
“My actions resulted in Captain Kassinger’s death,” Norman said, his voice hollow. “There’s no denying it. I’m a murderer, and this is where I belong.”
Haoyu shook his head slowly, his eyes shining with sadness. “But it was an accident, my friend. You didn’t mean for it to happen.”
Norman clenched his fists, but he couldn’t bring himself to challenge Haoyu’s words. They sat in silence for a while as Norman’s thoughts churned. Even after seventeen years, that day remained etched in his mind. How he’d been foolish to attempt a crime for a pretty woman, how things had gone sideways, and how he’d been betrayed. He swallowed past the lump in his throat. Then there was the question of Captain Kassinger’s death.
Haoyu continued, “Besides, seventeen years is more than enough time to atone for that. I’m certain there’s a loophole that could help.”
“I don’t know.” Norman would never admit it, but he appreciated the routine here. The predictability almost made up for the fact the food was crap. Oh, how he missed enjoying a good coffee with a perfectly flaky croissant. He sighed. Although he dreamed of making a daring escape, he accepted this was where he belonged.
“I’ll talk to my lawyer.” Haoyu started putting the chess pieces into a box as a chime sounded, signalling the end of their time outside for another day.
Norman sighed. “This is where I deserve to be,” he said a second time.
Haoyu shook his head as the two men descended the stairs to the prison yard. They joined the fifty or so inmates in a single-file line against the chipped concrete wall, their faces stoic, their eyes cast down, while the guards counted them. Only the echoing of guards’ boots and the ever-present wind broke the silence. After every prisoner was accounted for, a thick iron door slid open with a grinding groan, and they began their slow walk down to their level of the jail—slow because this group contained only long-timers, men who’d committed their crimes so long ago they’d become different people.
“Haoyu Long,” a guard said as they passed the checkpoint. “Come with me. Your lawyer is here to see you.”
Haoyu grinned. “I’ll get you out of here, old friend,” he told Norman before following the guard in a different direction.
Norman sighed. Did he want to get out of here? If he was free, how would he spend the rest of his life? He’d once dreamed of captaining a luxury yacht, but now the best he could hope for was a job as a deckhand on some crappy cargo ship. Once more he sighed and repeated his mantra of deserving to be there.
He peeled off to the right and into his cell. The drab grey concrete walls, lit by a single bright fixture overhead, comforted him, as if he were home again. He sank onto his cot and closed his eyes. Being in his cell was soothing—his room felt like his own private sanctuary.
A buzzer preceded his door sliding closed. It was clear, meaning he could be observed at any time. This prison was a perfect panopticon. Eyes could be on him from the central control room, or a patrolling drone might pass at any moment. However, the authorities considered his cohort of prisoners as low risk, so they were allowed a few luxuries.
From the small table beside his cot, Norman picked up one of his luxury items. It had arrived in the mail a few years after he arrived. It was a model of an old-fashioned steam engine, the kind once used on Old Earth. Norman ran a finger over the shiny blue paint. He knew who the gift was from. This was the only contact he’d ever had from her.
Also on the table was an old-fashioned still photograph. He picked it up next, the photo paper now soft from age. A toddler gazed back at him. Her grin was so big, you could see the gap in her front teeth. The kid—his kid—wasn’t a kid anymore. He’d missed her childhood.
Norman sighed again.
Stay tuned for Chapter 5.