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

display cycled through the songs and music he listened to whilst doing
so. The audio transference was flawless today. Some days it’s jumpy,
some days it’s not. This doesn’t matter though. He was on his way to
get it fixed anyway. Derek never liked getting people to go to his house.
He thought it troubled them too much. He walked through the entrance
of the shop.
Derek’s Apartment, 2130 Hours
Derek Simmons set his bed up. The same as yesterday and the day
before that. The same process, the same phone by the bedside and the

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same .45 ACP Colt M1911 under his pillow. He bought it at a USOC
auction. No of course not. He stole it because it was rightfully his. It
belonged to his father and no matter what kind of criminal he was, he
was still family. Derek checked it one last time before going to sleep.
Derek’s Apartment, 0245 Hours
The same dream every night… the same memories. Nothing significant but
what bothered him was why.
20
th 
August 2482.
When he crashed to Earth.
He was picked up… found by a couple of mountain hikers sleeping at a
lodge for the night. They couldn’t take care of him of course let alone raise
him, so they sent him off to an orphanage. Derek lied about his last name.
The one smart thing he did there. Simmons was as far from Ragston as he
could think of. The first couple of nights were rough. There was no control.
Control was a thing of the past in that orphanage but luckily, adop on rates
were high and two days later he was with a middle aged couple. They were
mugged the next day. Costs were too great so he went back. For some
reason, he stayed at the orphanage for the next seven years. Nobody
wanted an older child anymore. All they cared about were the young ones.
The babies. Some part of Derek was actually glad he never got adopted
again even if the two nights which he was were the best nights on Earth he
had.