Hell Is Empty

by Travis E. Hughes

  Roslyn glanced at Talbert. That was all it took. Devil Bill stunned three of the Roach Guards, including Todd’s brother, before anyone else could draw. Hattie spun, drawing her sword at the same time, and slapped a Roach Guard across the back of the neck. Frank and Roslyn held the remaining two at gunpoint.

  “How’s your math now?” Roslyn asked. Arjun’s eyes were wild with fear.

  “Gods be damned!” shouted Kidd Wylie with a whistle. “We’re not worthy, Devil Bill.”

  “Devil Bill?” asked one of the remaining Roach Guards.

  Across the road and along the tarmac and the benches people had stopped to watch.

  “Let me see your guns,” Roslyn said to the bigger of the two conscious Roach Guards. Big man complied and Roslyn looked it over. “You need a stun gun. These need to be modified if you’re going to continue to work security in this town.”

  “Are you going to tell that to Lu Yanker and his Red Scarves?” asked Arjun.

  “Damn right I am,” Roslyn said.

  “What happens if we don’t comply?” Arjun asked. “Or if the Red Scarves don’t comply for that matter? You going to just keep knocking us out?”

  “Then I come back here with my full staff,” Roslyn said, raising her eyebrows and taking a step closer. “I take your guns and then I run you out of town.”

  “I have claims here. I own property,” Arjun said.

  “Oh, I won’t run you out of town, Mr. Grover. Just your security detail,” Roslyn explained. “For a few bytes extra you can get your guns modified to feature a stun mode. These murders have got to stop.”

  “Well, good luck getting Lu Yanker to comply,” Arjun said, rolling his eyes.

  “It is better for everyone, business-wise, if there is peace,” Roslyn said.

  “Oh, I agree,” Arjun said. “But I’m a rational human being. Unlike some greedy monsters in this berg.”

  “Like I said,” Roslyn continued. “I’ll give you a week to update the weapons or hire a new crew that has stun options on their guns. Oh, and I’ll take that bounty money now.”

  Arjun slowly shook his head and looked down at the four guards sleeping in the dirt. He turned to one of the sleeping guards and dug into his pocket to pull out a large coin purse. From it, he produced the bounty of 150K bytes and as if in pain, paid her one silver chip and fifty reds.

  “Mr. Wylie,” Roslyn said, turning to Kidd. “You’re free to go now.”

  Kidd tipped his hat and hurried toward the ticket counter where he bought a ticket on the first shuttle out of town. Roslyn checked the display to see he was heading to Fort Vernon on the southern coast of New Vader. She found it odd because Fort Vernon had been bombed to oblivion during the war. What was there now but a shadow of the town surrounding the former rebel base? Was that his hide out? She filed the information away for later.

  “Let’s go see Mr. Yanker, now,” Roslyn said, looking at Frank. He nodded his approval and they made their way up the hill to Yanker’s store.

  Yanker had moved into his Da’akwood structure and out of the tent, which had been subsequently taken down. The store was organized the exact same way with groceries to the left and mining and camping supplies to the right. The solar powered generator gave enough electricity to run a row of refrigerators and some advertising lights.

  Word about the incident at the shuttle port had reached the Red Scarves and they scrambled to reach the store before Roslyn and her team did. Five of them were already inside when they arrived.

  “Let me see your guns,” Roslyn said to the first Red Scarf she came to.

  “Excuse me?” said the Red Scarf.

  “You have stun mode on those guns?” Roslyn asked to the others gathered. Three more Red Scarves entered the store.

  “What’s this all about?” asked Lu Yanker, coming out of a room in the back of the store. In his mouth, he toyed with an orange sucker.

  “Hello, Mr. Yanker,” Roslyn said as he strode up the lantern aisle toward her. “I’m Roslyn Fink. We’re Interstellar Peace Keepers, sir.”

  “And you are Devil Bill Talbert,” Yanker said, turning to Talbert. “Tried to pull a fast one on me the last time we met.”

  “Nature of our work,” Roslyn said.

  “He claimed to be old friends with Kidd Wylie,” Yanker said to Roslyn, jerking his thumb toward Talbert. “Told me his name was End of the Line Dan or some shit.”

  “We just came from dealing with Mr. Grover’s new crew,” Roslyn said. “I’m sure you’ve heard something about that by now.”

  “I heard there was a skirmish outside of town near the old silver mine,” Yanker said, taking the sucker out of his mouth momentarily and then plopping it back in after he’d spoken.

  “I’ve given them a week to modify their weapons to having the option of stun mode,” Roslyn said.

  Yanker laughed and looked around at his men.

  “You can no longer say you’re working security detail without a stun mode on your guns,” Roslyn continued unphased. “Working enforcement in kill mode is a Gestapo regime. We demolish Gestapo regimes when we come upon them. Check with Lucky Lahky from Athena. So stun guns or no guns. That’s across the board. That goes for your men as well.”

  “Lady, who the hells do you think you are?” asked Yanker. “This isn’t Earth. This isn’t the colonial days any more. You can’t come out here and oppress us like this. Taxes are for asses, last time I checked.”

  “Who’s talking about collecting taxes?” asked Roslyn. “I’m talking about what’s good for business is peace.”

  “Stop with all your talking point bullshit, seriously lady, Elvis Christ already,” Yanker said.

  “The Avians are very disappointed with how we’ve taken the early notions of the explores like Sir Leonard Vincent and Sir Thomas Neutron, Ben Franks, to name a few pioneers who held the torch high for mankind.”

  “Wow,” Yanker said. “You running for queen or what?”

  “No, but, I am saying we have really let ourselves go as a species,” Roslyn continued, fighting the mole from stumbling her up. “We have to stop killing each other over greed and whatever other base emotional, knee-jerk reactions we have. The Avians are watching us.”

  “You’re adorable,” Yanker said with a chuckle and mocking applaud. “Nice speech though. I mean, really.”

  “You heard the lady,” Talbert said through gritted teeth. His steel blue eyes cutting holes into Yanker. “You got a week to make those modifications. If not, then you’re in violation and seen as nothing but street thugs. We come back and take your guns by force.”

  “This coming from none other than the infamous General Devil Bill Talbert,” Yanker said, shaking his head. “I’ve heard some stories about you, pal.”

  “Those were war stories,” Talbert said. “That was a long time ago. We serve the Birds now.”

  “Good for you,” Yanker said. Talbert’s fists balled and his knuckles turned ashy white.

  “We’ll be back in a week,” Roslyn said. “The group that has made the modifications to their guns will be recognized as the proper authority in town. If the other group hasn’t, then we’ll help tip the scales in your little standoff and run the other bastard out of town. Simple as that.”

  “What happens if my men just kill you here and now and be done w--” Yanker’s forehead sparked and the stun bolt distributed down his entire body before he dropped to his knees and then toppled forward onto his face.

  “Stand down!” shouted a Red Scarf as the other Red Scarves drew their weapons.

  “You see?” Roslyn said, walking over Yanker’s limp body on her way out the door. “Isn’t that a better way to end a fight than by snuffing the ignorant bastard’s life? He’ll be right as rain in a couple of hours.”

  “See you all next week,” Frank said, following her out. The Red Scarves looked back and forth between each other uncertain what to do next. The four Peace Keepers strolled out into the bright sunlight and made their way unmolested to the shutt
le port.

  CHAPTER THREE

  There was something different about New Vegas, Roslyn thought when they landed and made their way through the terminal of the shuttle port. Perhaps it was her who had changed? But for the first time since she’d found those diamonds or the months after Star Belly’s demise and the distribution of her empire among the locals, there was optimism in the air. Compared to Yanker it was a proper cosmopolitan city now. What sealed that thought sat parked out in front of the shuttle port, among the other hover bikes, cars, and trucks.

  Somebody realized that the town had grown large enough that people needed a ride to get from one side to the other, so they’d painted their car yellow and stenciled the word UBER-TAXI, across the passenger and driver’s doors. Only there was no driver. The hover car drove itself.

  Despite the fact that she really didn’t need its services, Roslyn hailed the cab and it took her to her apartment. It’s important to support local business, she told herself, sliding a pink chip into the payment slot and not asking for change.

  As she exited the cab, she noticed a few people standing on the sidewalk in front of her building. Then she recognized Adriana Johar and her crew. Their van was parked across the street. The back door was open and Roslyn recognized Raul Silva, the short and funny sound man, listening to the feed and adjusting levels on a holoscreen.

  “Hey,” Roslyn said, trying to walk past Adriana and Rey Rey, her cameraman in smart goggles, guiding the drones with his hands.

  “What can you tell us about Yanker?” Adriana asked hurrying to intercept her before she could vanish into her apartment building. “What happened to Kidd Wylie?”

  Roslyn paused and turned to her. She gave the perfectly quaffed woman a polite smile. “You’ll be happy to report Kidd Wylie was found innocent on grounds of frontier justice having been served. Arjun Grover, the warrant’s author has paid the bounty upon its completion and Mr. Wylie has left the area for all we know.”

  “Frontier justice?” Adriana asked, cocking a thin eyebrow. “Care to elaborate on just what that is?”

  “Not at this time, no,” Roslyn said, remembering her stepfather and how he handled reporters back on Earth.

  “Well, you say he was found innocent, but he killed, what was it?” Adriana paused to recall. “Eleven men, for the rape of one woman. How is that justice, again?”

  “We’ve ordered that both factions in Yanker, in order to comply with decency, to upgrade their guns to include stun mode. We’re trying to bring about change out here. We really are. The Avians are watching. To the highest perch we ascend. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m tired, it’s been a long couple of days,” Roslyn smiled to her best ability. “I’m going to go upstairs and take a long deserved nap.”

  Roslyn brushed past her and placed her palm on the pad to open the door.

  The next morning the senior agents gathered in the brand new boardroom of their brand new offices, Sage had purchased for them. Robots helped move their things across the street from the sheriff’s station. Frank had suggested finding a place further away from the sheriff’s office so that the whole of law and order wouldn’t be within a certain radius in case someone became emboldened enough to set off a bomb on Main Street. But it was the only building large enough to accommodate the entire staff that was already built and recently vacant. It had been a restaurant but after several people became sick consistently enough, word got out and the restaurant closed. It had taken a robotics crew a week to refurbish the kitchen and dining rooms into office spaces with the boardroom taking up the place the bar had been. The last touch was hanging the shingle that projected the hologram of the all seeing eye with the words WE NEVER SLEEP below IPKDA.

  Before entering, Roslyn stood out front on the sidewalk staring up at the sign. She thought about the first time she’d seen it, back on Shiva. How proud and nervous her father had been. Her first kill recently under her belt. She could taste the nausea and she spat to clear her mouth. Then that warm buttery optimism swirled inside her chest and she realized they were making progress. Father should be proud.

  “Let’s go big or go home, people,” Roslyn said, pulling up the wanted posters of the day. “Who’s the biggest fish in the cosmic sea?”

  “Dallas Stroudmire,” Frino said, typing in something on the holoscreen in front of him.

  “What’s the bounty?” asked Roslyn, not bothering to read the print below the man’s slowly rotating image. He was a broad man with short-cropped hair, clean shaven, looking to be in his early forties.

  “120K,” Frino said.

  “That’s not too shabby,” Siringo said, he was squeezing a rubber stress ball, that Roslyn found ironic, because of any one in that room he was the least to need it.

  “Gogmagog’s system,” Frino said. “The moon Albion.”

  Roslyn decided to read the warrant herself. Dallas Stroudmire had been a security officer in the domed city of Corineus. But after only working the job for a week, he’d killed seven people. When the company tried to fire him, he killed the messenger and went after the club owner who’d originally hired him.

  “Gogmagog isn’t bad at all,” Roslyn said. “Hassan, how’s the shoulder?”

  “Mending very well,” Hassan said rotating it to show it didn’t hurt. “Dr. Gonzo has some good tech.”

  “He should after the pile of diamonds I gave him to improve his practice,” Roslyn said. “Or Star Belly’s diamonds that she inadvertently gave back to the community.”

  “Who do you want on this, chief?” Frank asked.

  Roslyn looked at Talbert. He’d been eerily quiet and aloof so far this morning.

  “Hassan you take point on the Dallas Stroudmire case,” Roslyn said. “Who do you want?”

  “Can I take Frank?” Hassan asked.

  “Uh, let’s see what else comes up on the list,” Roslyn said. “I may need him to take point on another case. Depending on the board.”

  “Right,” Hassan nodded. “I’ll take Barry Gould and Sixter Windlestein, those two idiots are proving themselves nicely.”

  “I agree,” Roslyn said. “But I need Barry Gould here. He knows a lot of people in town.”

  “Then give me what’s her name the tall junior,” Hassan said. “Yolanda Tong.”

  Roslyn tried not to smile. He wanted to bring the attractive junior agent with legs that stretched forever. His pretending not to remember her name and then completely remembering both first and last said volumes. Were they already involved? He wanted to bring his girlfriend along? It felt vaguely familiar. But she decided she’d ignore the indiscretion as long as it didn’t interfere with the case. She wanted to get Frank’s advice but decided, for reasons she could not justify, against it.

  The next warrant hovered over the table.

  “Ben Tomlinson’s still up for grabs,” Frank said, reading the warrant.

  “That’s your old best buddy, Siringo,” Roslyn said, looking down the table. “His brother-in-law’s family is still putting up seventy-five K on him.”

  “But look at his last known whereabouts,” Frank said.

  “Ananta,” Roslyn read. “Lynceus system. Is it worth seventy-five? Frino can you budget that out and let us know the cost-profit ratio?”

  “Isn’t that Sage’s job?” Frino asked.

  “Sage is out buying office furniture,” Roslyn snipped, feeling her cheeks warm. “You’re sitting at the big table. Would you like to switch places with her?”

  “How about some local jobs?” Frank suggested. “Scroll down and pick up a few smaller jobs, send out some junior agents to prove themselves.”

  “That’s exactly what we’re doing, Frank,” Roslyn said, feeling like she was losing control of her own meeting. “I like to start with the whales first and then work down to the minnows. Thanks everyone for their input this morning, though.”

  Frank held up his white gloves in apology and leaned back in his chair.

  “What do you think, Bill?” Roslyn asked.


  “I need to go see if Rex Omnious is still in town,” Talbert said.

  “I thought he left town,” Roslyn asked.

  “He was there for my fight with Wild Bull,” Talbert said. “He just keeps appearing.”

  There was a distance in those last words and the effect made them almost mystical.

  “Hassan,” Roslyn said as the meeting was coming to a close and after she’d assigned a few more medium sized jobs and then handed out small snatch and grabs to a handful of junior agents. “When you get to Gogmagog and after you bring in Dallas Stroudmire, make sure you tell whoever they hire to work security next that they’d better have a stun gun.”

  “Will do, boss,” Hassan said.

  “How far do you expect this crusade to stretch? We can’t enforce the entirety of Orion’s Arm,” Frank said, sliding his gloved hands into his pockets.

  “I doubt we could enforce even as far as Gogmagog, but if the word is out, you know, maybe someone else will agree and enforce it on their own.”

  Frank nodded at the logic.

  Roslyn hurried to catch Talbert before he left. He was checking the charges on his pistols in his new office. Boxes sat on his desk and chair.

  “Hey, Bill,” Roslyn poked her head in.

  “Yep,” Talbert said, distracted. He strapped on his holster and tightened the belt.

  “Be careful, chasing this guy,” Roslyn said. “He’s not some common criminal.”

  “Yep,” Talbert grunted, straightening his vest before pulling on his jacket.

  “He’s taunting you,” Roslyn said. “You know there’s a reason.”

  “Well…” was all Talbert would say plopping his hat onto his head.

  “It gives him control,” she continued. “He has the resources and the twisted mind and all of that uncanny Bird magic shit going on. I mean, you ask me, there’s no one out here more dangerous. And for whatever reason, most recently because we killed his dog, he has it in for us and especially you.”

  “Don’t worry about me, kid,” Talbert said, moving past her. “I’m Devil Bill, remember?”

  “I’ve been thinking about that, too, Bill,” Roslyn said. “Maybe you need to start wearing, you know, like disguises and shit. I’m mean, change your hair, start wearing a hoody like Bat Matters does.”