[ WP ] Write about a great train robbery - but in any genre other than Western .

“ All riders, all riders board your fleet vessel. Departure in ten minutes. Next stop, Mars outer colony 70. ” The intercom blinked up above my head. 
 
 I was fixated on the floating vessel in front of me; space travel was new and foreign to me still. My meager income has resolved me to the same stricture that bound every other laborite to the surface of mars. Only the rich and powerful colonists ever saw sanctioned space travel, the rest of us, the labor force, we just rode the surface trolleys. 
 
 Today was different however. I clutched the space pass tightly in my hand, fearful that I might drop it before I boarded the ship. I had won it after being awarded as labor member of the quarter… Some other laborites were jealous of me, even going so far as to offer their yearly salary in exchange for the pass. 
 
 If I had known what was about to happen to me, I might have made that deal. 
 
 I stepped onto the spaceship, and sat near the entrance. I watched as other riders did the same; men and women of obvious affluent entitlement placed their luggage in stowage areas, and then sat far from me, turning up their noses in distaste. I looked down at my tattered workman ’ s clothing and realized how out of place I must look. 
 
 “ Don ’ t you have to be in the servants quarters now boy? ” An older man questioned me haughtily as he passed by. 
 
 “ Oh. No sir, I ’ m visiting the outer colonies. ” I said with a smile as I held up my ticket. 
 
 He frowned and shuffled towards the back of the ship. 
 
 “ Departure in two minutes, please fasten your safety interlock devices. ” A warm voice hummed over the loudspeaker. 
 
 I watched out the window as the engines on the massive spaceship started to glow in preparation for flight. My heart ached as I was about to embark on an unknown adventure, leaving my friends and family behind me. 
 
 “ Initiating lift off in ten, nine, eight… ” 
 
 I closed my eyes and remembered the first time I had seen the red soil of the Martian landscape that I called home. I felt the gentle pull of the planet falling beneath us, as we vaulted into the heavens. 
 
 “ Attention passengers, we have exited Mars orbit, please feel free to walk about the cabin and the stewardess will… ” 
 
 The pilot ’ s broadcast was brought to an abrupt end as the spaceship shook violently, audible alarms beginning to screech loudly throughout the cabin. 
 
 “ Hull breech! Hull breech! Airlock in cabin 3 compromised. ” The pilot screamed. “ We ’ re being boarded! ” 
 
 The cabin erupted into complete chaos. People started scrambling for the exits as they clambered and scratched each other for a quick exit. I watched from my seat as an elderly lady shoved a small girl out of her way in her desperation to leave. 
 
 I then watched in fascination and terror as three figures strode into the cabin. All three of them were clothed in dark red cloth, with black masks covering their faces. I knew them immediately from the stories I had heard. Before I could do anything more, someone within the cabin confirmed my suspicions. 
 
 “ Pirate scum! You ’ ll never take our riches from us! ” The elderly man who had condemned me moments before yelled at him. 
 
 The man in the front of the trio took off his mask. His long, black flowing hair hung loosely about his shoulders. An eyepatch covered his left eye. He grinned a massive grin and drew out a laser pistol from his belt. 
 
 “ Is that right old man? And just what are you going to do about it? ” He laughed loudly. 
 
 He scanned the room slowly, and stopped when he spotted me. He walked over to me, and lifted his pistol to my head. 
 
 “ Well boy? I know you don ’ t belong on this ship, seeing as how you ’ re clothed. Hell, you even look as I did at one time. How would you like to join the red pirates? We need a couple more recruits. What do you say? ” 
 
 I looked at his pistol, then at him. I then turned my gaze towards the old man who had shunned me earlier. I reached up and grabbed the pistol from him, standing slowly to my feet. I walked past him and turned towards the old man who had been so quick to condemn me earlier, even though he never even knew me or where I had come from. 
 
 “ Well old man. ” I breathed heavily, leveling the pistol at him. “ You heard him. What are you going to do about it? ” 

