The Blind Engineer's Gambit

Thaddeus waited until the sound of Vex's footsteps had completely faded before moving again. Rising silently, he made his way back to the center of the room, his fingers finding the panel in the ceiling once more. He knew this route well - had debated using it before while trying to avoid Flint's "meetings." The irony of using it now to escape a different unwanted suitor wasn't lost on him.

With a final glance around the room to ensure nothing was out of place, Thaddeus carefully lifted himself up into the maintenance shaft. The familiar metal walls closed around him as he pulled the panel shut behind him, sealing himself in the narrow passage.

Thaddeus paused for a moment, allowing his heightened senses to paint a mental picture of his surroundings. The shaft was tight, the air stale and thick with dust.

Slowly, carefully, he began to crawl forward. His movements were precise, calculated to make as little noise as possible. The slightest sound could alert the pirates to his escape attempt.

As he inched through the tight space, Thaddeus's mind raced ahead, planning his next steps. He needed to reach the engine room. From there, he could potentially sabotage the ship's systems, or at least send a distress signal to any nearby Space Guard vessels.

But first, he had to cross the length of the ship undetected. Thaddeus grit his teeth, pulling himself forward hand over hand.

Time seemed to stretch endlessly in the dark, confined space of the shaft. Thaddeus had no way to gauge how long he'd been crawling or how far he'd come. He could only trust his mental map of the ship and keep moving forward.

Suddenly, voices echoed from below, muffled but distinct through the thin metal of the shaft floor. Thaddeus froze, barely daring to breathe.

"...still can't access the engine controls," one voice was saying, frustration clear in its tone.

"Keep trying," another responded gruffly. "The captain wants this ship operational. We're sitting ducks until we get the engines back online."

Thaddeus's heart pounded. They were talking about him, about his uncomplicated sabotage of the engines before he'd been captured. A grim smile tugged at his lips. At least he'd managed to buy some time, but any decently skilled engineer would be able to get the ship back and running. 

Finally, after what felt like an eternity of painstaking progress, Thaddeus reached a junction in the shaft. He ran his fingers over the walls, finding the latch of another access panel.

Thaddeus carefully slid the access panel open, the cool air of the corridor washing over him. He paused, straining his ears for any sign of movement or conversation. Silence greeted him, punctuated only by the distant hum of the ship's engines.

Cautiously, Thaddeus lowered himself out of the maintenance shaft, his feet landing softly on the metal floor. He crouched there for a moment, getting his bearings. The engine room was still a fair distance away, and navigating the ship's corridors undetected would be a challenge.

Thaddeus's blindness, usually not an impediment on the familiar layout of the Protea, now felt like a glaring vulnerability. He couldn't rely on sight to avoid the pirates - he would have to depend entirely on his hearing and his intimate knowledge of the ship's layout.

Slowly, Thaddeus began to move down the corridor, one hand tracing the wall to keep himself oriented. He moved cautiously, pausing frequently to listen for any sign of approach.

The ship seemed strangely quiet, the usual bustle of crew activity replaced by an eerie stillness. Thaddeus couldn't decide if that was a good sign or a very bad one.

Where was the crew? Had they been taken prisoner as well?

As he turned a corner, Thaddeus suddenly heard footsteps - the heavy tread of boots on metal, growing louder with each passing second. His heart leapt into his throat. A pirate, and they were coming his way.

Thinking quickly, Thaddeus felt along the wall, his fingers finding the contours of a doorframe. He slipped inside, carefully easing the door shut behind him just as the footsteps reached the corner.

Thaddeus pressed himself against the wall, hardly daring to breathe as the pirate passed by his hiding spot. He could smell the unwashed stench of the man, could hear the creak of leather and the clink of metal as he walked.

Seconds felt like hours as Thaddeus waited, his heart pounding in his ears. Finally, the footsteps receded, fading into the distance.

Letting out a shaky breath, Thaddeus slumped against the wall. That had been close - too close. He needed to be more careful.

Composing himself, Thaddeus felt his way to the door, cracking it open to listen once more. Silence greeted him again. Cautiously, he slipped out, resuming his careful journey towards the engine room.

Thaddeus froze as Captain Vex's voice suddenly blared over the ship's intercom system, shattering the tense silence.

"Attention all hands!" Vex's voice boomed, echoing through the corridors. "The blind engineer has escaped custody. He's loose somewhere on the ship. Find him and bring him to me, now!"

Thaddeus's heart sank. His escape had been discovered far sooner than he'd hoped. The element of surprise, his one advantage, was gone.

Almost immediately, he heard the sound of running footsteps, shouts of alarm and anger as the pirates began their search. They seemed to be coming from all directions, the sound growing louder with each passing second.

Thaddeus began to move again, faster now, abandoning some of his caution for speed. His heart pounded in his ears, nearly drowning out the sound of his own footsteps.

He turned a corner and suddenly, a shout rang out, far too close for comfort. "There he is!"

Thaddeus didn't hesitate. He ran, sprinting blindly down the corridor, one hand skimming the wall to keep himself oriented. He could hear the pirate giving chase, the heavy pounding of boots on metal growing louder behind him.

Thaddeus's breath came in ragged gasps, his heart feeling like it might burst out of his chest. He pushed himself harder, faster, his muscles screaming in protest.

Suddenly, his outstretched hand met empty air. A doorway. Thaddeus hurled himself through it, slamming the door shut behind him and feeling frantically for a lock. His fingers found a bolt and he slid it home, just as the weight of his pursuer slammed into the other side.

The door shuddered under the impact, but held. Thaddeus stumbled back, gasping for breath, his back pressed against the far wall.

He took a moment to orient himself, his heart still racing. The room was small, the air thick with the smell of grease and metal. A storage room, filled with spare parts and machinery.

Thaddeus couldn't stay here. The door might hold for a while, but not indefinitely. He needed to keep moving.

Feeling his way around the room, Thaddeus found another door - a back exit. He eased it open, straining his ears. The corridor beyond seemed quiet, the sounds of the search muffled and distant.

Slipping out, Thaddeus began to move again, as quickly and quietly as he could. The engine room couldn't be far now.

Finally, mercifully, the familiar hum and heat of his beloved engines washed over him.

He pressed himself against the wall just outside the engine room, his heart sinking as he heard the voices coming from within. Pirates, at least two of them, their conversation punctuated by the clang of tools and the hiss of steam.

They were trying to undo his sabotage, to get the engines back online. Thaddeus couldn't let that happen.

But he was outnumbered and outmatched in a direct confrontation. He needed to be smart about this, to find a way to even the odds.

An idea began to form in Thaddeus's mind.

Moving as quietly as he could, Thaddeus felt his way along the wall until his fingers found what he was looking for- a maintenance panel. His fingers traced over the various cables and conduits until he found what he was looking for - the main power line for the engine room's lighting system.

Taking a deep breath, Thaddeus grasped the cable firmly. Then, with a swift, decisive motion, he yanked it free from its housing.

Instantly, the engine room was plunged into darkness. From within, Thaddeus heard shouts of surprise and confusion.

"What happened to the lights?" one of the pirates yelled.

"Must be a power failure," another responded. "Come on, let's go see if we can find the fuse box."

Thaddeus heard the clatter of tools being set down, followed by the sound of footsteps moving towards the door. He pressed himself back into the shadows as the door hissed open and the pirates emerged, grumbling about the inconvenience.

As soon as they were clear, Thaddeus darted forward, slipping into the darkened engine room. The sudden transition from light to dark didn't faze him - he navigated by touch and memory, his hands finding the main console with practiced ease.

As before, his original plan to disable the engines evolved into something more desperate, more daring.

Thaddeus's mind raced as he worked at the engine control panel, his plan taking shape with each passing second. He knew that the pirate ship was tethered to the Protea.

If he could overload the Protea's engines at just the right moment, when they were approaching the asteroid belt...

But first, he needed to know their location. His hands moved over the control panel, his fingertips reading the array of buttons and switches like a tactile map. There - the navigation system.

Thaddeus pulled up the star charts, his sensitive fingers tracing over the raised lines and dots that represented celestial bodies and ship routes. They were in the Argus Sector, approaching the Koronis Asteroid Belt. At their current speed, they would reach the belt in approximately 30 minutes.

That was his window. 30 minutes to set his plan in motion, to turn the Protea's engines into a time bomb that would detonate at the crucial moment.

Thaddeus set to work, his hands flying over the controls. He began to reroute power from all non-essential systems, channeling it into the engines. The hum of machinery grew louder, the vibrations intensifying as the engines strained under the increasing load.

As he worked, he set a series of timed commands. In 25 minutes, the engines would begin to redline, pushing past their maximum safe output and at 28 minutes, the power flow would spike, pushing the engines to the brink of meltdown, dragging both ships straight into the asteroid belt.

It was a desperate gamble. If his timing was off by even a few seconds, the effect would happen too soon. If that were the case, the pirates might have time to detach and escape. 

Thaddeus's hands shook slightly as he entered the final command. He was setting in motion a chain of events that could lead to his own destruction, along with everyone else on board.

But what choice did he have? If he did nothing, the pirates would have the run of the ship. They would strip it of valuable technology, or worse use their colors to invade other ships, thinking they were friendly. This was the only way to stop them, even if it meant sacrificing himself in the process.

As he finished his grim work, Thaddeus's thoughts turned to Jasper. A wave of emotion threatened to overwhelm him - regret, longing, a desperate wish for more time.

If this was to be his end, he wanted Jasper to know the truth of what he felt. But there was no time for that now. 

As he stepped back out into the corridor, the ship shuddering ever so slightly under the growing strain of the engines, Thaddeus whispered a silent prayer to the cosmos. Not for himself, but for the crew of the Protea.

"Let them live," he murmured into the trembling air. "Even if I don't, let them live. Please."

He turned, racing for the secondary exit. If he could just make it to the escape pods...

But as his fingers found the door control, a hand jutted out, grasping his wrist. 

"Going somewhere, my dear engineer?" Vex asked, his voice a dangerous purr.

"Apparently not." Thaddeus sighed. 

"Come now, let's get you back to your nice, cozy room." Vex smirked, his grip tightening on Thaddeus's wrist as he began to drag him down the corridor.

Thaddeus allowed himself to be drug along, a small, wry smile playing at the corners of his lips. It didn't seem like Vex had any idea about the sabotage.

"In you go," Captain Vex said, tossing Thaddeus casually back into Flint's quarters. Thaddeus landed in a heap on the floor, quickly pushing himself up to a sitting position"Really, my dear- you're making this so difficult." Vex's smooth voice carried a note of amusement, "you should really consider my offer. I'll treat you well and I could give you anything you want."

"I told you, Vex," Thaddeus said evenly, "I'm not interested in your offers. I won't betray my crew."

Captain Vex chuckled darkly, "You're no fun."

"I have no intention of being 'fun' for you, Captain," Thaddeus replied, "I plan on being very much a problem."

Vex shrugged casually and poured himself a drink from Flint's mini-bar, his eyes never leaving Thaddeus. "Eh- It's a shame, really. You could have had a life of luxury, but instead you choose to be a martyr. Your choice."

Vex lifted the glass to his lips, but his gaze darted to Thaddeus's chest pocket. As he took a step closer, his hand shot out and grabbed at Thaddeus's coat. "What's in your pocket? A weapon?" Vex demanded, his voice edged with suspicion.

Thaddeus, with a ferocity he didn't know he had, tore himself away from Vex, scratching the pirate captain's arm in the process. "Don't touch me!"

Vex recoiled, his hand coming away with a thin line of blood welling up from the scratch. His eyes were wide, caught off guard by the engineer's sudden display of anger.

Thaddeus reached into his pocket, pulling the metal rose from within. His fingers moved frantically over it, as though checking to see if it had been damaged in the scuffle.

Vex watched with a mixture of curiosity and wariness, his injured arm forgotten for the moment. "What is that?" he asked, his voice low.

"It's just a trinket," Thaddeus replied vaguely, his grip on the metal rose tightening. "It doesn't mean anything to you."

Vex's eyes narrowed, suspicion clouding his features. "Everything means something to me, engineer. Especially if it means something to you." He took a step forward, reaching out as if to snatch the metal rose from Thaddeus's hand.

Thaddeus recoiled instinctively, holding the rose protectively close to his chest. "Don't," he warned, his voice low but firm.

Vex's eyes narrowed as he studied the delicate object in Thaddeus's hand. "You-"

He was cut off by a violent shudder that ran through the ship. The ship lurched violently, the sudden motion sent both men sprawling across the floor. Vex crashed into the heavy wooden desk, while Thaddeus collided with a bookshelf, sending volumes tumbling around him.

The lights flickered and died, plunging the room into darkness for a moment before the red emergency lighting flickered to life. Alarms blared, their shrill sound piercing the air.

Vex groaned, disoriented by the impact and the sudden blackout. He fumbled in the dim red light, trying to regain his bearings. "What in the hells!?"

In stark contrast, Thaddeus seemed barely affected by the chaos. He gracefully rose to his feet, brushing off his clothes as if he'd merely tripped over a small pebble. His unseeing eyes, untroubled by the darkness, seemed to glow eerily in the red emergency lighting.

"What just happened?!" Vex growled, all charm vanishing from his voice. He activated a comm panel. "Bridge! Report!"

"Captain!" a panicked voice responded. "The engines are malfunctioning! We're dragging the tethered ship right into the asteroids!"

Vex's eyes, now adjusted to the dim light, fixed on Thaddeus with dawning comprehension and fury. "You! What did you do?"

Thaddeus allowed himself a defiant smile. "Let's just say I've revolutionized your navigation, Captain. Though perhaps not in the way you hoped."

As Vex shouted orders and the ship careened through the asteroid field, Thaddeus sat back, a mix of relief and anxiety washing over him. His plan had worked, but now he was trapped on a crippled ship with a furious pirate captain. 

The acrid smell of smoke and melted circuitry filled the air as Captain Vex seized Thaddeus by the arm, his grip iron-tight. "Move it, engineer," Vex growled, shoving Thaddeus towards the lifeboats. "Your little sabotage trick may have crippled my ship, but it won't save you."

Thaddeus stumbled forward, his unseeing eyes wide as he tried to process the chaos around him. The ship shuddered beneath their feet, a dying beast in its final throes. Crew members rushed past, shouting and cursing as they scrambled for the escape pods.

"Zark! Mira! Keep an eye on our esteemed guest," Vex barked to two of his most trusted pirates. "If he so much as twitches wrong, stun him."

Thaddeus felt rough hands grab his shoulders, guiding him none too gently into one of the lifeboats. As he was thrown in, his keen ears picked up the sound of Vex issuing rapid-fire orders to the rest of the crew.

"Plot a course for the nearest habitable planet," the captain commanded. "We'll regroup and figure out our next move from there."

The lifeboat's engine roared to life, and Thaddeus felt the familiar lurch of acceleration as they pushed off from the dying ship. Despite the dire situation, his mind was already racing, formulating plans and contingencies.

Thaddeus sat in the cramped confines of the space lifeboat, his fingers tracing the unfamiliar contours of the wooden bench beneath him. The gentle creaking of the hull and the soft billowing of the solar sail above filled his ears. 

'First things first,' he thought. 'Memorize the route. Count the minutes, feel the course changes.' His fingers twitched slightly as he mentally mapped their trajectory, building a picture of their journey through the void of space.

As they hurtled through the darkness, Thaddeus considered his assets. His blindness, often seen as a weakness, could be an advantage here. The pirates would underestimate him, might get careless. And his heightened other senses could provide crucial information about their new environment.

The journey seemed to last an eternity and no time at all. Suddenly, the lifeboat shuddered violently. "Entering atmosphere!" someone shouted. Thaddeus gripped his seat, bracing for impact.

With a bone-jarring crash, they landed. The acrid smoke from the now destroyed engine was quickly replaced by new, alien scents. Damp, earthy smells mingled with something sweet and slightly metallic. Strange, chirping calls echoed in the distance.

"Out, all of you," Vex ordered. "Zark, Mira, bring our engineer friend. The rest of you, secure the perimeter. I want to know what we're dealing with."

As Thaddeus was hauled to his feet and led out onto the alien soil, his mind whirled with possibilities. The unfamiliar terrain could be both a blessing and a curse. If he could just get a moment alone, perhaps he could rig up a makeshift transmitter from the lifeboat's systems. Or maybe he could use the strange environment to his advantage, find some natural feature the others would overlook.

"Watch your step, genius," Zark sneered, giving Thaddeus a rough shove. "Wouldn't want you to trip and hurt that valuable brain of yours."

Thaddeus stumbled but kept his balance, cataloging every sensation. The give of the soil beneath his feet, the direction of the warm alien sun on his face, the subtle shifts in the air currents. All of it could be crucial for his escape.

"Alright, listen up!" Vex's voice cut through the alien sounds. "We're going to set up camp somewhere around here until we can figure out our next move. And you, my dear Thaddeus," – Thaddeus felt Vex's breath hot on his face – "are going to help us salvage this situation. Your brains got us into this mess, and they're going to get us out. Unless you fancy becoming alien food, of course."

Thaddeus kept his face impassive, but his mind was already several steps ahead. Let them think him helpless. Let them believe they had the upper hand. He'd bide his time, gather information, and when the moment was right...

"Of course, Captain," he said smoothly. "I'm at your service. Though I do hope the accommodations will be more comfortable than your last quarters for me."

Vex laughed, a sound with little humor in it. "Oh, Thaddeus. Never change."

As the ragtag group of pirates and their captive engineer ventured deeper into the alien landscape, the world around them seemed to pulse with an eerie, otherworldly life. The ground beneath their feet was a mosaic of spongy, iridescent moss interspersed with patches of crystalline structures that chimed softly with each step. Towering fungal growths stretched towards the violet sky, their caps glowing with bioluminescent patterns that shifted and swirled hypnotically.

The air was thick with a mix of sweet and acrid scents, carrying spores that danced in the ethereal light of three moons hanging low on the horizon. Strange, bulbous plants lined their path, unfurling tentacle-like appendages that seemed to reach for the passing crew members. One pirate yelped as a vine wrapped around his ankle, only to shrink back when another crewmate swatted it with the butt of his weapon.

In the distance, the haunting cries of unseen creatures echoed through the alien forest. Shadows flitted between the massive trunks of what appeared to be trees, but upon closer inspection were revealed to be living pillars of intertwined, serpentine life forms. Occasionally, the group would freeze as a particularly large shape moved in the periphery of their vision, collective breaths held until the threat passed.

Despite the treacherous terrain, Thaddeus moved with surprising grace. His bare feet seemed to find purchase where others stumbled, effortlessly avoiding the grasping tendrils of carnivorous flora and navigating around hidden sinkholes that nearly claimed the boots of his captors. Vex maintained a firm grip on Thaddeus's arm, which was bound behind his back, but it seemed more for show than necessity.

"I must say, Thaddeus," Vex mused, his voice tinged with genuine admiration, "your ability to traverse this hellscape is nothing short of remarkable. Are you certain you can't see through those milky eyes of yours?"

Thaddeus didn't break stride as he responded, his tone dripping with sarcasm. "Oh yes, Captain. I've been faking blindness all this time just for the fun of it." He rolled his unseeing eyes dramatically, the gesture somehow more pointed coming from a blind man. "Perhaps if your crew spent less time gawking and more time observing, they'd have an easier go of it."

As if to punctuate his point, a nearby pirate lost his footing on a patch of slick, phosphorescent lichen, landing hard on his backside with a string of colorful curses. The alien vegetation seemed to recoil from the disturbance, emitting a high-pitched keening that set everyone's teeth on edge.

Vex chuckled, a sound that seemed out of place in the eerie environment. "And there's that sharp tongue of yours. I do hope you'll put that keen mind to work on getting us off this godforsaken rock, my dear engineer."

Thaddeus didn't dignify the comment with a response, his face a mask of bored indifference. But behind that carefully crafted expression, his mind raced, cataloging every sound, scent, and sensation. Each step brought new information, building a complex mental map of their surroundings. 

As they pressed on, the alien world seemed to close in around them, its mysteries both enticing and terrifying. But for Thaddeus, it was all just data – data that would fuel his inevitable escape.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​