Ray got to the crates where they had been firmly secured to the bulkhead. “Everybody go as far forward as you can, we’re gonna have to open the door,” she yelled as people shuffled and pulled each other out of their hiding spots.

She had her micro-cutter out and fired by the time she reached the crates. She didn’t even mess with the rigging but sliced right through the synthlar straps. As the upper straps popped the two crates on top dropped on the bottom ones. Ray kept cutting. The bottom straps let loose and the stack came tumbling down. One of the top crates fell and smacked the deck hard, popping the rivets that held the locking clasp. Shimmery bits of metal scattered everywhere as they poured from the cracked container. What was all that stuff? She took a closer look and her mind did a somersault. Laying on the deck of her ship was more pieces of valuable metal than she had ever seen in her life. It was mixed in with many different kinds of coins and currency. It was treasure, pirate treasure. Possibly 20 years worth of acquired wealth, she guessed.

She lifted the emergency override lever and hit the door’s open control. The door cracked open and alarms blared as Dreagar came up next to her ogling the gold and silver and platinum and rohedenoidium and whatever else was littered about the place. The wind gusted in through the hold and the loose bits began to slide down the ramp and out into the storm.

“Help me dump these!” Ray yelled to Dreagar. He absently grabbed the other end and helped her shake the contents of the first crate out of the busted container. It trickled down the ramp, the odd gemstone adding a splash of color. As soon as it was mostly empty they tossed the crate.

“Next one!” She yelled over the whooshing wind as she flicked her torch on again and aimed it toward the small but stout looking lock.

“Why bother?” Yelled Dreagar. “Let just toss ‘em full, no sense tormenting ourselves.”

“No, it’s just that I’ve ridden in crates smaller than these, I have to see what’s in them before I throw them out.” Ray said as she sliced through the locking mechanism. The lid popped up revealing more of the same in this one. Dreagar tipped it out on the sloped deck with a crash.

The third one was almost entirely full of gemstones of every shape and color imaginable. Right in the center sat a small leather pouch. Ray grabbed it and stuffed it into her pants. Dreagar shot her an inquisitive glance, but she just shrugged her shoulders and heaved the crate over. The gemstones shimmered and refracted flashes of light all around the hold. The bottom had some solid ingots of metal wrapped in deteriorating cloth. Dreagar heaved them out the open door as ray worked on the last crate.

This one was a little different and the lock was much thicker. It was faster to blast the hinges off the other side, so she did. The lid popped open to reveal a lot of leathery bits and pieces, they were holsters and slings and harnesses she noticed as she chucked them toward the opening. Underneath were the matched items that belonged to all the holsters. Weapons, lots of them, mostly pistols and rifles with some others of odd configurations. Some were packed carefully and some looked like they had been tossed in recklessly. Many were not just normal weapons but had intricate metalwork and gemstones emblazoned into them.

They tipped the crate over and the weapons banged around noisily as they slid down the ramp and out into the blowing storm. One that had been wrapped up in rags fell out as it hit the deck, it was a small elegant looking pistol almost totally covered in sparkling gemstones. Dreagar’s arm snaked out and grabbed it. He looked straight at Ray and shrugged his shoulders as he stuffed the weapon into his pants.

Ray felt someone approaching from behind her. She turned to see blaster boy, he rushed up to her and grabbed her sleeve tugging gently.

“What is it?” she asked him directly.

“Ger, gerr.” He said, while tugging and pointing forward. Oh, this boy must be some sort of mutie or something, she hadn’t really noticed before but she also hadn’t had much of a chance for conversation either.

“Ok,” she told him. “One parsec.”

She let the last crate go and Ray turned to Dreagar. “Clean it up,” she yelled and started to head back forward. “Aye, aye Captain!” she heard Dreagar call behind her. She turned to blaster boy. “Help him.” She said and pointed toward Dreagar. The boy smiled a huge grin and gave her a mock salute.

As she got near the cockpit, she heard Jimmy calling over the background noise of the comm. “Ray! Ray! You need to hear this.”

“What is it?”

“Radio broadcast, someone is hailing us.”

“What? Here? How?” Ray sputtered.

“I don’t know, but it’s a female voice and she claims to know you, she asked for Raybeam Starchild specifically.” Jimmy said as the comm again crackled to life.

“Ray, hey Ray, can you hear me? Listen, if you can, I know this is weird but just hear me out, I’m here to help you. Ray. Raaaay. Raybeam Starchild, calling Raybeam Starchild, you got your ears on missie?”

Ray looked at the comm station’s display. It showed the incoming signal was a very low power, short range transmission. They had to be close, wherever they were. She matched the frequency and pushed the transmit button.

“Raybeam Starchild here, to whom am I speaking?”

“Ray! Hey, it’s me. Um, you may not recognize me but I’m pretty sure you will as soon as you see me. We’re kinda like, related or something.”

Ray’s mind was spinning. “What? What is your name? Over.”

“Look, I can’t say and we don’t have much time, I’m here to rescue you. May I have permission to come aboard?”

How was that even possible? Come aboard? “What? How?” was all she managed to get out.

“Don’t worry about that, May I please have permission to come aboard, Captain Raybeam?” Came the curt and urgent reply.

Ray really didn’t know how to respond. “Sure, I guess. Where are you?”

“Great! Close, I’m close. One sec. Now don’t shoot me or anything, ok. All weapons holstered please, I’m coming unarmed.”

Just then a bright light faded into focus and what appeared to be some sort of mirror came into view right in the middle of the cockpit. On the opposite side of the mirror stood a female figure approximately the same height as Ray, but much heavier set, much more muscular, but also more, what was the word? Ray remembered some of the romance vids she had seen. More, voluptuous she decided. Ray was looking at a woman. But not just any woman, she did know this woman for they shared the same face. Could it be her mother?

The woman looked at her, smiled, and then stepped though the portal which disappeared behind her. She looked straight at Ray.

“Before you even ask, no I am not your mother.” She laughed and began waving her arms around in front of her in odd looking repetitive motions.

“Who are you then?” Ray asked. She noticed that the woman was not totally there, but looked like an apparition, or perhaps a 3D vid projection. She was somewhat translucent.

“Well, in the simplest terms I’m you. An older version of you from the future, and from an alternate reality as well, but still genetically you, we share common history at some point in the times.” The woman said matter-of-factly and smiled, all the while continuing her silly hand gestures.

Ray stared at her blankly.

“I know this might sound pretty crazy, but here’s the lowdown. You’re all about to die. In fact you get wiped out in about an hour when this ship runs out of fuel and you have to put down on the moon down there. That’s as far as you get in this timeline, I’ve been over it a hundred times. Sometimes you manage to touch down on one of those floating mountains and last for a few more hours, but the end result is the same. That planetoid is just not a safe place to be right now and won’t be for at least another…” The woman stared off into the distance blankly for a few seconds. “Another four and about a quarter rotations.”

The strange woman continued. “Let’s see, I need to get as close as possible to your starboard nacelle.” She turned to Jimmy in the pilot’s seat. “Just hold her steady on this trajectory for a while, will you please my good man…” The woman trailed off as she walked toward the living quarters.

Ray followed. “So you’re me, but from the future?” she asked still trying to get her head wrapped around what she was hearing.

The older Ray smirked and looked around at the people who had stuffed themselves everywhere around the small room. She looked back at Ray. “Ixnay on the uturefay!” She said in a strange language before dropping to a hushed tone. “And Yes, thought we were over all that.” She winked at Ray then turned back to the people, “Ok, everyone on this side needs to move out, right now, head over to the other side, or back there somewhere, RIGHT NOW!” Some of the people responded and some looked at Ray.

“Yes, yes, do what she says. Everyone move out, she’s here to help us. Please help out the little ones. Common kids, outta that bunk, come over here. We’ll get you settled over here. This nice lady needs in here so she can help us go somewhere safe, ok.” The children responded to her voice and carefully moved out of the bunk that had been their hideout.

“Hmm, that’s a handy trick to have.” Her older self said to her. “I never had much success with kids. I usually just squirt ‘em with some soap or something, filthy cretin.” She said as Ray handed the kids off to Dreagar to help find them a safe spot. She turned back to see her older self waving her hands at the hull, a small torchlight pod on her left shoulder was shining on the wall but where it hit, she could see right through the hull. As older Ray walked closer and turned the beam shined into the locked up engine exposing it in cross section. She could see the gunk that had been the wasps and their nest. It had been burned into a solid charred mess that had settled on all surfaces.

“There you are, you little nerffle.” She said as her hands flickered. In the lightbeam Ray watched as the charred on residue began to flake away and dissolve. “All right, there you go little guy, doesn’t that feel better? Now let’s give you a good once over while we’re at it.”

A red beam snaked out of the shoulder pod and began tracing the engine’s interals. As the woman turned back to Ray, the pod rotated and continued it’s tracing.

“You know, it really wasn’t your fault that you didn’t make it past this point on your own, you know. I saw you try everything that you possibly could from this point on, you just didn’t have the resources. So don’t feel bad about it, you know later on, when you’re thinking all this through. Plus I think somebody was up to no good personally, I’ve never seen a rive-wasp hive like that, they usually set up shop on a food source, so either something else climbed in there and died or…” She trailed off as Dreagar walked up next to Ray, looking oddly between the two women.

“Hey is this your beau?” she said while blatantly looking Dreagar up and down.

“Uh no, not really.”

“Not really, huh? Girl, I would so tap that.” She slapped Ray on the shoulder. Ray didn’t know how to respond so she just froze, mortified.

“Ah play it shy, whatever.” She leaned in close as if to whisper in her younger self’s ear. “Drive’s ‘em crazy, you know.” She said not at all in a whisper before jabbing younger Ray in the ribs.

“Naw, I’m just kidding. You meet him here on this moon?” She looked back at Dreagar before Ray could respond. “What’s your name cutie? I might have to look you up when I get back to my own universe, if I ever get back…” she trailed off again.

“Uh name’s Dreagar ma’am, you look awfully familiar, do I know you from somewhere?”

“Oh not too bright though, oh it doesn’t matter.” She waved him off and turned back toward the exterior of the ship. “Ok good, almost done, just gotta smooth out a couple spots and get everything lubed and ready to go.” She made more gestures ending with a clap. “All right, back into the cockpit. Thank you for your help everyone, you may now return to your previous cowering positions. You’re in good hands, this gal here will get you out of here.” She stopped suddenly, turned and walked into the forward section trailing Ray and Dreagar. Blaster boy followed behind them.

As Ray came up next to the woman, she put her arm around her and spoke softly. “Now sweetie, normally I’d do a mind wipe to all these memories, but I see you’ve already had a lot of that in your life and too much will cause brain damage, well that’s what it really is in all honesty, just little bits at a time. Makes it all kinda feel like a bad dream, you know that you can’t really remember and don’t really want to remember? I bet you got a few of those rattling around in that head of yours.” She grabbed her by both sides of her head and shook, while pealing out an abrasive laugh so annoying it made Ray cringe. “Anyway, I’m not going to subject you to any more.” She looked behind her as they walked into the cockpit. “Tell your people to give us a little privacy.”

Ray turned and held up a hand. Dreagar stopped blaster boy and the few townspeople who had followed them at the door. They paused just inside the entry way but far enough from Jimmy in the pilot’s chair. Her older self leaned in uncomfortably close. “Did you spend some time at a place they called ‘the orphanage’ when you were little?”

Cloudy memories came rushing back at her, but only bits and pieces, the emotion of the memory, Ray expertly swatted them aside. “Yea, I did, me and my brother.”

“You have a brother?!” the woman asked alarmed. “Older or younger, not twins I hope?”

“No, younger by two cycles.”

“Hmm, do you know where he is?”

“No idea, he was adopted from the orphanage, two weeks later I escaped to go find him but haven’t heard a thing since.”

“Ok, sweetie, come here.” She grabbed Ray and pulled her firmly but also gently, lovingly toward her. She wrapped her arms around her and squeezed. “I know you’ve had a rough time of it, but I need to tell you, it does get better. You have to believe me. I know that was an awful place, it’s not a real orphanage and they are sick people who called it that.” She released herself, held ray at arms length, and peered into her eyes. “I think you already have figured most of that out. You’re doing amazing to get this far. Most Ray’s that go through that horrible place end up on pretty dark paths. I mean you’ve already got yourself a ship! Good for you, I didn’t get my first ship until much later.”

Ray smiled in spite of herself. Her older self continued. “Now I’ve got to go, I’ve already said and shown you far too much. I know you’ve still got a lot of questions and this won’t help answer any, in fact it’s probably going to leave you with a ton more, but that’s ok. You just keep doing how you been doing and you’re gonna be fine, you hear me? Look, you’ve got proof right here. You can do this! I know you can.” She squeezed her one more time and Ray had to admit it did feel pretty good, she squeezed back, but just a little.

“Oh and one more thing, you do what you want with that Dreagar guy but don’t ever let yourself get trapped in any sort of relationship that you don’t want. You are in charge of your own body and YOU get to decide how to use it, nobody else. Never let anyone, even someone you love, make you do anything that you don’t want to do, ok?”

“Yea don’t worry about Dreagar, I got him on a short leash. He’s ok but I’m not gonna marry him or anything.”

“Good for you, girl. And along that same topic, I just need to tell you one more thing and this is very very important so I want you to listen close ok?”

Ray nodded.

“At some point you are probably going to run into this guy. His name is usually Zahn, or Geon, or something like that. Always just a single name, he loves that, the egocentric bastard, it’s not even his real name. He’s this like super elite assassin bounty hunter type, and he is without a doubt the biggest most arrogant, lying & cheatingist arsehole in the multiverse. Now he is also beautiful and has the best body I’ve ever seen on a man. But don’t fall for it! It’s really not worth it. You will have some fun, oh yes, but I promise you it will not end well and he’s really not all that great in the sack either. You’ll do much better with someone who is more into you than themselves, you got that?”

Ray nodded, she was already familiar with the modus operandi of most self absorbed males.

“So anyway you will probably run into this guy at some point. Whatever you do don’t go with him if you can at all help it. And don’t buy into any of his bullshit lines either, that’s all they are. He will say ANYTHING to get you to do what he wants you to. Alright, no I really can’t stress this enough! Don’t mess with this guy, stay clear of him. He is more than a little dangerous and not someone that you want stalking you, understand? Tell me you understand.”

“I think I understand. I know the type, you’re not talking about a guy named Cosmo are you?”

“Oh that idiot, is he even still around in this universe?”

“Yea, I think so, although I don’t really know where he is.”

“Naw, that guy’s nothing compared this other waste-bag I’m telling you about. He’s good, I’m not gonna lie, he will make you laugh and then it’s all down hill from there…” an alarm went off interrupting & startling her older self. “Oh, I gotta go, take care and hopefully I won’t see you again, but that’s good it just means that everything turned out alright. And be careful, once I jump verse, I may not be able to ever come back here so consider your fairy god-mother points all used up, ok?”

“Alright, I guess.” Ray said as she watched her older self make some more gestures and the mirror portal returned. She peered into it and could just make out the spotless white and black interior of a very sleek and very posh looking spaceship. “Hey!” she called to herself as she stepped through the portal. Her older self turned toward her. “Thanks!”

“Aww, you’re welcome hon, bye.” She said and then the portal blinked out of existence.

“Who the fark was that, Ray?” Dreagar insisted.

“Um I’m not really sure. A friend I think.” There was no time for that now. “Hey Jimmy, what’s the status on the starboard engine?”

“Uh, no change, well wait actually it is flickering from red to amber every now and then. There look, it’s showing amber now.”

Ray reached in and hit the control to fire Atmospheric Thruster no.2 There was a loud “FWOOOMP! OOMP! OOMP! OOMP!” and then it roared to life, pushing the ship forward with a surge. It chugged a time or two more and then the display went from amber to yellow and then to green.

“How the hell did she do that?” Jimmy was saying from the pilots seat as he adjusted the controls for the increase in power.

“I watched her and I still have no idea, I’ll tell you about it later. For now get us the fark away from this moon!”

“Yes Sir!” said Jimmy enthusiastically as he kicked the power up to full and nosed the craft up.

Ray, pushed the intercom button. “Alright folks, I think we’re out of trouble, prepare to make orbit.” She hoped she was right this time.