by S. J. Bryant
Contents
Title Page
Copyright
Dedication
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CHAPTER ONE
CHAPTER TWO
CHAPTER THREE
CHAPTER FOUR
CHAPTER FIVE
CHAPTER SIX
CHAPTER SEVEN
CHAPTER EIGHT
CHAPTER NINE
CHAPTER TEN
CHAPTER ELEVEN
CHAPTER TWELVE
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
CHAPTER NINETEEN
CHAPTER TWENTY
The Journey Continues
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About The Author
ADVENTURER
S.J. Bryant
ADVENTURER
S.J. Bryant
Copyright © 2015 by Saffron Bryant. All rights reserved. This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, businesses, events or locales is purely coincidental. Reproduction in whole or part of this publication without express written consent is strictly prohibited.
Click or visit:
www.saffronbryant.com
Thank you to all adventurers, great and small.
http://www.saffronbryant.com/free-books
CHAPTER ONE
Nova ran her hand along the charred remains of the hallway on her way to the cafeteria. It came away blackened with soot and the smell of ash hung in the air. The Jagged Maw was still undergoing repairs after the Confederacy attack. Most of the walls had been re-built but there were places where the damage spilled out into view. The bounty hunter base continued to buzz with the story of how Nova and her companions had destroyed one of the Confederacy headquarters.
She sauntered away from the charcoal slabs of broken wall and into the cafeteria. Cutlery clattered against plates and loud conversations echoed around the metal ship.
Nova grabbed a tray and stood behind the other waiting Hunters. Guns and knives poked out of their belts like extra limbs. Nova wore a gun at each hip, locked and loaded. Her black hair spilled over her shoulders, the single neon blue strand glowing under the bright cafeteria lights.
She grabbed a bowl of cereal from the industrial food generator and weaved through the crowd.
"Here, Nova," Tanguin said, waving.
Nova nodded and strode towards her friend. Tanguin bent over a small computer pad, her black hair hanging over her pale face. She wore a hood that covered most of her left side, hiding her cybernetic eye and the metal plates that made up part of her skin.
"Morning," Nova said as she sat down.
Aart glanced up at her and then back to the paper-thin computer screen in his hand, frowning.
"Having trouble with the morning crossword, Aart?"
Aart glanced at her over the top of the screen with a raised eyebrow. "No actually. I'm looking at a new job."
"Ooh, is it a good one?" Nova asked, leaning over the table to look at the screen.
She lifted a spoonful of cereal to her mouth as she tried to read the words upside down.
"Could be," said Aart. "Pretty good reward."
"Pass it here then," Nova said, holding out her hand.
"No can do, I'm afraid," said Aart, flicking the power switch at the side of the computer. The screen went blank. "The job was sent direct, invite only."
"If you're good enough, surely they'll invite me?" Nova said with a grin.
"It's always the same with you two; work, work, work," Tanguin said, spooning a mouthful of unappetizing green to her lips.
Nova couldn't imagine living on the gluggy gruel, but then she hadn't spent the first twenty years of her life hooked up to a virtual reality engine.
"Tanguin, may I please check my emails on your computer?" Nova asked in her sweetest voice.
Tanguin glanced at Nova and shook her head. "No."
"What?" Nova said, baffled. "Don't try and be nice to him."
"No need, I already checked your emails. I figured you'd want to have a look as soon as you saw Aart," Tanguin said. She smiled, but it wavered at the corners, like a shadow passing across the sun.
Nova pretended not to see it and narrowed her eyes as she smiled. "You know that's an invasion of my privacy."
"Oh please, I promise not to tell everyone about the massive collection of fluffle pictures you have… Oops," Tanguin said, referring to the artificially engineered pets that were arguably the cutest creatures ever invented.
Nova rolled her eyes. "We both know that if anyone has a fluffle collection, it's Aart."
"Do you want to discuss fluffles or do you want to find out if you got invited?" Tanguin said, her right eyebrow raising high.
"The job," Nova said with a nod of finality.
"You got an invite," Tanguin said, rolling her eyes. "Of course you did. You're Nova Tabryn, Bounty Hunter Extraordinaire."
Aart and Nova chuckled.
"If it's as good as you say it is, I guess we'll be working together and splitting the reward," Nova said to Aart, around a mouthful of cereal.
"I don't think so, missy. You're not cramping my style. Whoever gets the goods first is the one who gets paid."
Nova raised an eyebrow. "So it's a competition you want, eh? What are the goods?"
Aart grinned. "Some kind of ancient statue. According to the job description it's inside some tomb on Kopet."
"Where's Kopet?" Nova said, tossing her spoon to the bottom of her empty bowl.
"I was just looking it up. It's some outer-galaxy planet. Really small. It looks like human colonists went there centuries ago. It's been abandoned for a while now though, classified as a historical site."
"Does it say how many Hunters they're hiring?"
"No word," Aart said, "But then if you're such a Bounty Hunter Extraordinaire surely you're not afraid of a little competition?"
"Of course not," Nova said, grinning. "I was just worried about parking."
The three of them chuckled as they finished off their meals.
CHAPTER TWO
"Nice place," Nova murmured as her ship, Crusader, came in towards Kopet.
The Z400 model cargo ship that she'd modified somewhat into a passable bounty hunter craft had spots of rust but it worked where it counted.
"What's the Cloud say about this place?" Nova asked.
A forest spread out below the ship with primitive structures peeking out amidst the branches. A valley lay below them with mountains rising up on all sides. A strange blue light lay over the scene.
"The planet used to be occupied by a primitive race; they set up colonies here and chose to eliminate technology from their culture. They died out about a hundred years ago. Since then the planet has been held in private trust. It's protected under the historical relics act of course." Cal's robotic voice sounded displeased.
"Okay, so don't break the temples."
"It probably means you're not supposed to take relics from it," he said, processors whirring.
Nova waved her hand. "I'll be careful. Besides the job said he wants to put it into a museum."
Cal hovered away. "And why would this person lie?"
"We're being hailed," Crusader announced.
"Bring 'em up."
The front window of Crusader blinked and a broad metal face replaced the image of the approaching planet.
"Purpose of visit?" the robot said without introduction.
"We're here doing a job for Mister Malekite," Nova replied, keeping her back
straight.
"Are you aware that Kopet is a level two planet?"
"Yes," Nova replied. Uninhabited but protected. If it had been a level one planet, Nova could have gone in and started her own civilisation for all the Confederacy officials would care.
"All technology deemed damaging or potentially harmful must be left on-board your craft. You will only be allowed to proceed with certain items."
Nova frowned. "Who made that rule?"
"Mister Malekite of course."
Nova's frown deepened. She was as keen to protect the history of Kopet as the next Hunter, but Malekite was taking it a step further by limiting their weapons. What if she encountered real trouble down in the tombs? Any mission was dangerous; a mission with only low-tech could be suicidal.
"Do you agree to only proceed with approved items?" the security droid prompted.
Nova thought on it for a few more seconds. She'd received no word from Aart so she had to assume that he'd agreed to their terms and was now without a communicator. She sighed. "I agree."
"Land in the indicated area. An officer will be waiting to check you over before you go on."
Nova nodded. Crusader took them down to the planet's surface where a green box showed them where they were to park. They fit into the spot as if Crusader had been measured and the parking space made exactly to size.
"Where's Cal? He should be here helping," Nova said as she reassessed her bag of belongings and decided what to take now that her technology level would be limited.
"He's in the storage cupboard. He told me to tell you he's having some computer trouble," Crusader replied. "I believe he disapproves of this mission."
Nova groaned and rolled her eyes. "I think from now on he can go and earn credits and I'll stay here and be judgemental."
"The labourbot disagrees."
"Tell him that I've left. I shouldn't be gone too long. I'll just get my hands on that statue and then I'll be done with it."
"Confirmed," Crusader said.
Nova grabbed her bag and slung it over her shoulder, striding through Crusader to the cargo bay. Here a big door slid open onto the outside world. The sun on Kopet glowed more blue than Nova was used to. The eerie colour changed the mood of everything. What should have been a beautiful warm day turned cold and supernatural under the abnormal sun.
A shiver ran up Nova's spine as Crusader's door hissed shut behind her. She marched towards a canvas tent erected at the edge of the parking area, the hairs on her neck standing on end.
Ten other ships spread out around her, their metal hulls glinting blue in the sunlight. The gravel beneath her feet crunched and a smell like rotting leaves filled the air.
Inside the tent, a dim artificial light flickered above the robot she'd just been talking to. He sat on a wide backed chair behind a cold metal desk.
"Name?" he said, without looking up.
"Nova Tabryn. And there wasn't anything–"
"Bag." He waved his hand at the desk.
Nova gritted her teeth as she hurled her bag up.
He opened it and poured everything out, squeezing it and running his hands along the seams. He separated the items into two piles and threw the bag on top of the smaller mound. It had a few medical supplies, her knife, her basic plasma pistol, and the rope she'd packed. In the other pile sat everything else, her underwater breather, her scanners, her communicator, grenades, and her automatic rifle.
"This is okay," he said, placing a metal hand on the first pile. "This isn't." He touched the second pile.
"Gotcha," Nova said through gritted teeth. Hot rage burned in her chest but she swallowed it before it could erupt and spill through the tent.
The restrictions were too much, even for a level two planet. She cursed herself for not hiding some more essential items around her body. It was too late now. The robot followed her out of the tent and watched her pile the banned items back into Crusader, leaving her clutching the now half-empty bag.
"Mister Malekite wants to meet you down there." The droid gestured down a narrow alleyway made of trees.
Nova threw the bag over her shoulder and stomped towards the corridor of trees, not bothering to look back. She glared at the other bounty hunter vessels as she went past, spotting Aart's ship, Sylar. Her mood lightened at the thought of seeing him, sure that he'd be as outraged at the limitations as she was.
Bird calls and the sounds of the forest engulfed her as she entered the tunnel of trees. The air got thicker and a humid layer clung to her skin. The scent of rotting leaves grew stronger until she could almost taste it. It was as if she was wrapped in a new world as soon as she stepped under the canopy. She laid a casual hand on the butt of her gun as she sauntered through the trees. She couldn't help but feel on edge; the last time she'd been in a jungle like this she'd nearly been digested by a giant planet, and before that had nearly had her brain taken over by a slug.
Ten minutes later, the trees opened up and she came to a clearing with a cave leading down into the dirt. A flat piece of wood hung from the side of the cave with words painted onto it in sharp white letters.
Unfortunately Mister Malekite cannot meet you. However, rest assured he is looking forward to meeting you and bestowing your reward in exchange for the statue. Kind Regards.
Nova re-read the note. "You've got to be kidding me."
She stood straight and looked around but there was no sign of another person or further instructions. The original email had included an image of the statue, which was the only hint she had as to what she was looking for.
She clenched her fists and considered going back to Crusader. Mister Malekite, whoever he was, was wasting her time and there was nothing she hated more. She took a step back towards the ships but stopped, picturing Aart's face if she didn't even try to find the statue. He'd never let her live it down if she gave up this early.
Nova kicked the leaves and glared around at the trees. There was no sign of the other Hunters which probably meant they'd already gone into the tunnels and had a significant head-start. If she had any hope of winning this prize then she had to get a move on.
"Good thing I brought this," she said to herself, lifting her trouser leg and untying her glowball from where she'd hid it.
She attached it to her belt and squeezed. It shone with a bright light. She stomped to the tunnel entrance where stairs led down into the darkness. They were made of rough yellow stone that was scratched and marked with the passing of centuries. Massive bricks slotted against one another to make the walls.
Nova stepped down. She had to bend her head to get under the low entranceway. The same stone as the walls and floor formed arches in the ceiling. Given the ancient people's lack of technology they had built a beautiful tunnel.
After seven steps the floor levelled out and stretched away into the darkness. Dirt and broken pieces of brick scattered across the floor and simple brackets designed to hold torches decorated the walls. Animal statues stood in alcoves, dug into the walls every twenty metres.
The air smelled like freshly turned dirt and bare stone, a deep, dry smell. The sounds of the jungle disappeared a few paces after the stairs and after that the only sound was her shuffling feet and her breathing.
She shivered as the cold of the tunnel ran over her, and pulled the long sleeves of her jacket down. The glowball created a circle of light that surrounded her as she made her way down the uneven tunnel.
The darkness and close walls reminded her of the tunnels on Archalon and an icy cold gripped her heart. Her breath caught in her throat as she imagined Ancients looming out of the shadows towards her.
After ten minutes the tunnel split in two. A simple map carved deep into the stone spread across the wall facing her. The lines were a deep brown as if the soil underneath were wet.
"These are recent," Nova whispered, tracing her fingers along the carving.
She looked over the simple map. A long line lead down from the roof, at the very top was a square with a primitive picture o
f a sun. The line ran down and then divided into two. These new lines ran in opposite directions, at right angles to the first.
A tiny spot of red sat at the intersection of the three lines. Nova leaned closer; bright crimson glowed in the dim light at her waist. She prodded the red spot with her finger but despite all appearances it was dry.
She frowned at the map, the red spot indicated where she stood and the two lines leading off to either side joined a myriad of other lines and squares. Multiple chambers and tunnels criss-crossed the simple diagram. There were other suns at various points on the map; other exits perhaps?
She forced herself to focus on the map and committed every inch of it to her memory. She closed her eyes and recalled the image. It was there, as clear as if her eyes were still open. She could even see the little red dot, shining against the yellow bricks.
A large room with a diamond shape carved into its centre filled the middle of the map.
"A treasure trove?" Nova said and raised her eyebrow. "If I had a precious statue, I know where I'd keep it."
She looked over the map one last time, taking note of the path she'd have to take in order to reach the room with the diamond. It was simple enough but impossible to tell how long it would take. The map could be a consistent scale but there was no way to be sure. What looked like only a few inches on the wall in front of her could actually be miles of tunnels for all she knew.
She turned right and strode forward. There was only one way she was going to reach the chamber and it wasn't by staring at an ancient map. Plus there was the competition to think of. If they'd got a head-start on her then she had some catching up to do.
Bare, cold stone filled the tunnel. A few meager weeds poked their heads up between the cracks. Even these tiny plants were dried and brown, the stones sucking the very moisture out of their leaves. Nova wished she'd packed more rations, already her mouth felt dry, like sandpaper.
If only she'd been able to keep her portable food generator. It utilised the atoms zooming about the air to make almost anything. With the right combination of carbons, hydrogens and nitrogens she could have a steak while sitting in the middle of nowhere. Instead, it looked like she would have to scrounge for food, just like being back on Tabryn.