Evasion

Ken has started to relax some as their vehicle moves through the streets of Lu'Weng. He remembers the first time he came to Shinon and to this city. He was coming to start learning at the medical academy. The city is a beautiful city with hot springs everywhere. In those first years, he spent a lot of time sitting at one of the springs near the campus thinking of the future. Never did any of his dreams resemble the situation he currently found himself.

After what seemed to Ken to be days, they stopped in front of an elaborate, tall building. Jessica steps out of the vehicle and beckons for Ken to follow. After he exits, the door is closed and they speed off into the distance. Jessica turns to enter the building and seeing that Ken isn't moving turns back to him.

"What's wrong, Ken?" she asks, a worried look on her face.

He breaths deeply for the first time since they pulled him out of his cell. He looks back at her, "I'm fine. For the first time in a while, I feel good." He smiles, looking at the building, "Where are we now?"

She starts to lead them into the building speaking back at Ken, "This is my new place. I moved here just a few weeks ago. This was the only way I could plan this. We won't be here long. Someone else will be here in a bit to pick us up." They have been moving through the building as she speaks, approaching a door on the left side of the hall. "Here we are," she says as she opens the door.

They step into a sparsely decorated space. There seems to be only the essentials needed to live and keep up the appearance of normalcy in the outside world. She offers him the one cushy chair to sit. He shakes his head in denial, "No, I cannot. I might not get up it's been so long since I've seen something that comfortable."

"Ok, how about something to eat, then? I know you haven't had any good meals these last two years," she says.

His eyes bug out of his head. "Two Years!?! Has it been that long?"

"Yes, Ken, it has. I'm sorry that it took me so long," she says looking saddened for the first time tonight.

Figuring he would need the consoling, he is shocked to see her face, "Don't worry about me." He moves to give her a reassuring hug, "I did not realize that much time had passed. I had only the meals they gave me to tell time. And, I know they didn't always feed me on time. I'm glad that you came." He holds her as tightly as he can manage.

"Thank you," she says as she wipes away the few tears that had formed. "Let me get you something to eat."

He lets her go and watches her disappear into the next room. A moment later, she returns with a small plate of sandwiches and a pitcher of water with two glasses. The sit in silence as they eat. When they finish, Jessica gets up and goes into another room, coming back with a box.

"These are some things you will need to get out of here. We had to create a new identity for you. Luckily, fortune can shine and dim in the same moment. If you'll look at the ident card, you'll find your new name and some important information," she says.

He looks over the ident card for a moment when he comes across the name, "Who is John Obielson?" He sees a look of saddness come over her again.

She considers his question and feels it would be better if he knew the truth. "John was my brother-in-law. He married my sister, Kay, and they were happy together. He was a wonderful man and we became close friends." She starts to cry but continues with her story, "He was in an accident and died a few months ago. He survived in the hospital for three weeks before he passed. I went to see him when I could. On my last visit, near the end, he talked to me alone. He knew about you and how much you mean to me. He said that if it would help get you out, that I could use anything he had access to obtain. And, much as it pains me, he also said that I could use his identity to help get you out. He felt it was the least he could do to help someone that meant so much to me. It was also his contacts that helped organize your escape and your travel off this world to somewhere safe." She looses all control and falls completely into tears.

He grabs hold of her again, trying to make her feel better. But, he knew that he could not. He knew how hard it was to give him the ident card and relive John's death. Despite all of those things, he held her anyway in the hopes that it might help. After a few minutes, she starts to calm down and regain her composure.

She looks at the time, "Oh my, we have to hurry. There are a few more things you need to know before we go. I was able to transfer much of your money away during the trial using the access card you gave me. I was able to put it into a new account under John's name. So, you should have access to it. I had to use some of it to pay people to help, I hope you don't mind. I can pay you back if you like."

He smiles broadly at this statement, "Are you kidding? You just helped me to freedom. And, now you tell me that I have means to maybe survive. And, you're worried about having taken some part of my money to get me out. That is just the silliest thing I've ever heard."

She smiles half-heartedly at him and continues, "We are going to get you off world as soon as the next group comes. We are going to a spaceport and you have been booked passage to Ezra. It is a decent kind of planet and relatively neutral in the war. The rest of it you can read as we travel and figure out as you go along." She gets up from the chair and looks outside the window. She turns to Ken, "They are here, are you ready to go?"

"I am as ready as I am going to be. Let's go," he says as they leave her apartment.