Orbital by bill zhao copyright 2017 Bill Zhao Table of Contents act one (earth)

quietly and opened the door.
Derek slowly stepped in to the spherical room and saw his dad. He was
standing over a control panel and was vigorously hitting the controls.
He looked angry, frustrated and hopeless. He slowly turned and looked
at his son. “Derek… my boy…” He said in a weak and noticeably
damaged voice. He walked towards him with a limp, bleeding from his
right leg. He wore a slightly torn tan coloured suit and dark grey
trousers.
“
Get to Jane, Derek… I’m sorry but you have to go to her. I’ll explain
everything later.”
“
But…”
“
Go. Please.” Derek obeyed as his father faced Stan.
“
Stanley… Thank god you’re alive. I need you to hold the Sector 8
entrance… by all costs”

---

“
Yes, Mr Ragston” he replied and hurried off to do his job. A few ship
security guards stood around the room. Some injured, some not. Derek
who sat by Jane Davis, the Vice Captain, stared at his father.
“
Look son, I’m sorry for this mess… for your mother. But you have to know
what’s going on. That space police… The USOC are trying to get me but
they’ve made a mistake. They are coming a er the wrong person. You
believe me, right? You know your daddy wouldn’t do anything bad…
right?” Derek found himself speechless. He knows something’s wrong. He
knows that he’s in danger.
“
Don’t you worry. I’ll protect you. No ma er what. They are boarding our
ship, The Icarus to find me.” The gunfire echoed closer. “They want to take
me to prison! Don’t worry. I’m not going anywhere” Suddenly Stan’s yells
interrupted the father son talk.
“
SHIT! THEY’RE HERE! I’M HIT! GET OUTTA THERE! GO!” Derek’s dad
stands. “I’m sorry. I’ve got to take care of this.” He draws his silver
handgun. An an que relic from centuries past. He strides towards the door
leading to Sector 8. Along his way ordering the idle guards to different
direc ons. A few le , a few stayed. The gunfire was now right outside the
Sector 8 door and just before his dad reached it, the door blew open -
thrus ng him back into the centre of the room.
“
Derek! GET DOWN! HIDE!” Jane escorted Derek into a corner, behind a
toppled bookshelf. The guards in the room began to open fire on the USOC
troops entering the room. The sound of automa c gunfire engulfed the
room. And his dad was right in the middle of it. Bullets whooshed past,
hi ng all of the security guards in the room. When the ba le smoke
cleared, Derek peeked through a hole in the bookshelf and saw his dad on
his knees. Several USOC troops lay dead on the floor but several more
surrounded his dad. A no ceably higher ranking troop walked past the
others and stood in front of the father who looked up at him. And spat on
his non-armoured coat. Derek could see the wounds his father had taken
during the fight. His legs were filled with bullets and bleeding out. His arms
were bloody and fell limp at his side, a crimson red dripping out of a large
gash on his back.