Human Cargo: The Unfinished Manuscript

Maybe a lot of people aren't aware of this, but Human Cargo the visual novel started out as a book that I'd abandoned set in the same universe as the Galactic Conspiracies series. When I was going through my unfinished work, looking for something I could pick up and continue, I thought this story had promise, but I wanted to try something different.

Hence the visual novel.

I thought it would be fun to show off some of what I'd written!

Chapter 1

Yoshiro Garcia picked up the rectangular black box and turned it over, carefully examining it. The scanning device was the size of his fist — a recent model even — and looked to be in good shape, save a scratch or two on the front, but it did not power up for some reason.

Using a micro-screwdriver, Yoshi removed the screws that held back cover in place, then used a spudger to separate the back cover plate from the device. He grabbed a pair of magnifying goggles and placed them over his eyes. With a couple of taps on the goggles’ side support frame, it activated and zoomed in two hundred percent so Yoshi could get a better look.

Yoshi loved tinkering with gadgets. It was the one thing he was good at. He could take anything apart and put it back together. He could turn scrap parts and broken junk into items they could sell in the thrift shop. His stepfather Clarence demanded Yoshi work at a steady pace, sometimes twelve-hour days. That left precious time for dating — or anything else for that matter. He had to earn his keep, or get tossed out onto the junk heap with the rest of the worthless scrap.

Clarence was a bully.

Yoshi’s mother would be mortified if she knew how Clarence treated him. Yoshi regretted pretending to get along with Clarence while his mother was alive, but he so wanted her to be happy. So he kept his mouth shut when Clarence shoved him, slapped him, berated him — all behind her back. When Clarence called him names, he simply nodded and said nothing.

Part of the reason Yoshi kept his mouth shut was the store. Despite his stepfather, Yoshi liked working at the outpost. It was the biggest of its kind on the planet. Planet X had no indigenous humanoid species, but had the right combination of elements to support humanoid life. Several alien species had set up settlements on the planet, and it was used as trading post and cargo run stop due to its position. The store kept busy enough to turn a profit, but the profit margin wasn’t enough for Clarence.

Yoshi suspected Clarence made a lot of shady deals, which ramped up after his mother died. While many unsavory characters came into the store, Yoshi didn’t really have a problem with them as long as they behaved themselves and didn’t cause trouble. It was the ones that went into the back office to make secret deals with Clarence that made him uneasy.

Those kind of troublemakers took his mother from him. Four years ago, when Yoshi was only seventeen years old, she was caught in the crossfire between two of Clarence’s “patrons.” And now he was stuck all by himself with Clarence the jackhole.

Well, it was no use complaining about it now.

An alien walked into the shop. He was tall and lanky, wearing a skin-tight red jumpsuit. Because of his facial markings, Yoshi recognized him as a Wixanite, but he’d never seen one in person before. He had heard a rumor that they had two…

Yoshi glanced down at the man’s crotch. He knew he was lingering too long, but he couldn’t stop analyzing the bulge. With the magnifying goggles on, he could practically see every nook, cranny, vein…

Boy, he really needed to hook up with somebody. Anybody.

When he glanced up, he saw the Wixanite staring at him with a decided frown on his face.

Oh god. “Hi,” Yoshi said with a wave before snatching the goggles off his head and quickly looking away.

The alien turned and left the shop and Yoshi went back to his workbench and picked up the scanner.

A-ha!

The battery’s wires had broken off from the terminals. Yoshi pulled a pair of tweezers and a micro-solderer from a pocket in his bib overalls. In minutes, the scanner was fixed. He used his multimeter to verify the traces, and once satisfied, put the cover back on. The scanner’s screen came to life and the main menu filled the display, waiting for user input. He turned the scanner off and set it aside. It was ready for sale.

He moved onto the next item on his bench.

Yoshi worked at a steady pace, lost in his own world. He was so caught up, he didn’t even hear his stepfather enter the store floor from the back office.

“Is this all you’ve done all day?” Clarence asked with a sneer on his face. He motioned to the items on the bench with a wave of his hand.

Yoshi looked at the bench. He wanted to scream in frustration, but instead bit his tongue and put on a fake smile. “I was planning to put in some extra time tonight.” The cantina would have to wait another day.

“What about this?” Clarence picked up a computer pad from the table. “This looks almost new. We could get a fortune for this.”

Yoshi shook his head. Clarence had no idea what that was, so how would he know what the price it at? “It has a short in the comm board. I wouldn’t play with that if I were you.”

“It just needs a good cleaning.”

Clarence licked his thumb and rubbed it on the surface. A bolt of energy arced out from the display edge and zapped his thumb. He screamed and dropped the pad on the floor.

Yoshi curled his lips in and pressed them together in a futile attempt to suppress a laugh.

Clarence’s face turned red and he stepped toward Yoshi with a raised hand. “You did that on purpose, you little mutt!”

Ah. That old dig. “I’m glad mom never heard you call me that. It would have broken her heart.”

Clarence dropped his hand. The way Clarence’s face softened almost made Yoshi feel bad for him. For all the man’s faults, he did seem to actually care for his mother.

The chime on the front door took Clarence’s attention away from Yoshi. Three Norashkan had entered the shop.

Clarence pasted on a smile. “Welcome!”

Yoshi gulped. The Norashkan species had a reputation as trouble makers. These three wore old and patched uniforms made of worn leather. Their skin was dark green and mottled and their eyes were reptilian. Instead of hair, they had long, sharp quills on their heads, pointing down toward their back. They were not what Yoshi would consider attractive.

Looking at the aliens’ uniforms, Yoshi was pretty sure they were pirates.

The first Norashkan had a bottle of wine in his hand and stumbled through the door. He took a swig and wiped his mouth with his sleeve.

The second Norashkan sneezed. He picked up a device from one of the tables, and indifferently tossed it aside. He laughed and said something to the others in a language Yoshi didn’t understand. The one with the bottle barked a snort of laughter and then belched.

The third alien moved slowly and carefully, looking around with a calculating eye. His uniform was decorated with a red sash and several other adornments. He must be the leader.

Yoshi lifted his forearm and looked at the com-band strapped there. With a tap, he activated its universal translator.

The lead Norashkan turned his eyes toward Yoshi. His calculating eyes never left Yoshi as he spoke to his men. It was unnerving.

Yoshi glanced down at his translator’s screen. “What is he?”

“Huda,” Sneezy replied. [Human.]

The leader sneered. His tongue snaked out and slid across his lips, and he asked another question.

Yoshi looked down at his translator. [Pretty. Is he compatible?]

[He has a back door and a mouth. What more do you need?]

Yoshi gasped.

The leader pushed Sneezy aside and walked directly to Yoshi. Clarence followed him like a puppy nipping at his heels. “You see something interesting?” He lowered his voice. “I have a multitude of special...” The next two words came out in a whisper. “Tactical devices… that might be of interest to you.”

“How much?” the leader asked in English, still looking at Yoshi.

Clarence drew his eyebrows in. “For?”

The Norashkan moved around Yoshi, eyeing his body up and down. “How much? Ass?” he asked in heavily accented sibilant English. When he grabbed said ass, Yoshi leapt out of his skin.

He knocked the offending hand away as hard as he could. “I’m not for sale!”

Clarence’s eyes lit up. “Ah! He is untouched, if you catch my drift. That would surely bring a premium.”

Yoshi’s jaw dropped. Was this really happening?

The next few minutes were a blur. Despite his protests that he wasn’t a virgin – he wasn’t that pathetic – the Norashkan still wanted him. He watched in stunned silence as Clarence pulled out a credit transfer device and the Norashkan pressed his hand to it.

Clarence grinned. “One thousand mega-credits, for one day.”

Yoshi snapped out of his shock. “What? Wait! No!”

The Norashkan leader grabbed Yoshi by the arm and dragged him away, kicking and screaming.