Second Life of Mr. Hunt: Book 3: Failover

by Gerrit Overeem

  “Well, this is exciting. I know something you don’t about your friends. If you must know, I am on a honeymoon cruise ship.”

  “You got married?” asked Ryan.

  “Not I, but your AI companion and the commander you mentioned seem awfully close now. And good for her, landing an active military man. Explains his tight buns.”

  “What is she talking about?” asked Kat.

  Ryan turned away from the screen. “Not sure. Probably that secret mission they’re supposed to be on.”

  “Ah, hello. Vampire hearing. Your whispering is horrible, and yes, the AI confirmed they were on a mission. If it makes you feel any better, they’re safe and hopefully having an arousing time.”

  Ryan hit the display box in an attempt to stop the wavering virtual picture.

  “Where are you located? The signal is dreadful,” asked Vicki.

  “Long story, but my main concern is keeping some people safe from creatures I know nothing about and was hoping you might have some details. By the way, I appreciate you letting me know Nora and the commander are OK.”

  “You’re welcome, my dear. Now, describe these creatures.”

  “One has a bull-like face, yellow eyes, claws, and radiates a black fire. I ran into some in the lab on that planet last year.”

  “Xeno-Shadows. They’re creatures from the darkness that like to live in shadows. Were they organized?”

  “It would seem so. They were hunting in packs with some mutated humanoids.”

  Vicki smiled. “Someone is controlling them. Someone they see as an alpha. As for the mutated things, I would have to see them to figure that out, so I doubt I would be much help there.”

  “Easy to kill these Xeno-Shadows?” asked Kat, yelling from behind.

  “Do I have to answer her?” asked Vicki.

  “Yes, please,” said Ryan, rubbing his temples.

  “Fine…Yes, a few las-blasts or a pinpoint one will kill them, but they are quick. Anything else?”

  “Yes, there’s another creature, which is black as night, has four arms, wings, and a bat head. It also had a crystal in its chest, and I think it may be blind.”

  “Ooh, rare creatures. They are Shev-Chuks, hunting beasts. If you raise them from hatchlings, they will hunt prey for you. Sort of like trained hawks, but I have never heard of any having a crystal on their chest.”

  “These ones can teleport from what I am told,” said Ryan.

  “I know of no mortal creature that can do that without some serious tech, and no race in existence has perfected it.”

  “Interesting. Oh, one more thing. Does the word or combination of letters “u-p-h-i-r” mean anything to you?”

  Vampires are pale to begin with, especially those who were once Vikings, but Ryan could swear Vicki’s face went even paler. She looked around the room and then leaned into the virtual screen.

  “Where did you read that?”

  Ryan looked back at Kat with a worried look on his face. She shoved him over a bit with her hip so she could get into the view screen.

  “A man who went missing was found outside of the town we are in. He was insane and, from what we were told, it sounded like he was experimented on,” said Kat. “The word was scribbled all over the room he was kept in.”

  Vicki leaned back in her hover chair, her hands folding over each other as she stared to the side.

  “Vicki…Vicki!” said Ryan.

  She jumped and looked back at the screen.

  “What the hell does the word mean?” asked Ryan.

  “That is not a word, Mr. Hunt, it’s a name. ‘You-Fear’ is the correct pronunciation of the name. The demon Uphir is the devil’s physician.”

  “What?” said Kat. “There’s a demon running around?”

  “No, a humanoid who has been dead a long time, or I thought he was. He named himself after that demon.”

  “You’re a vampire. Why are you shaking? Who is this guy?” asked Ryan.

  “He is a Nilorian. A—”

  “OK, this is getting silly now. All the Nilorians are dead,” said Kat, walking away and rubbing her hands on her head.

  Vicki leaned into the screen again. “I couldn’t care less what Katalina thinks or what happens to her, but you need to get off that planet and far away from him. He was in charge of the science area of their society. He worked to make perfect beings by grafting various alien species together, including underworld creatures like myself. Thoughts of the abominations he created keep me up at night.”

  Ryan rubbed his face and closed his eyes for a second or two before acknowledging Vicki. “I can’t leave these people here. They—”

  “You don’t understand. He makes the things done at Nazi concentration camps look like a kid’s science experiment. You need to leave and leave now! I will even go with you, and we can go far away from all of this.”

  Ryan glanced at Kat, who was standing with her arms crossed.

  “We can’t do that,” said Ryan. “Some of us are willing to make sacrifices to help others. Thank you for the information and the offer, but we’re staying.”

  Vicki pursed her lips, leaned back into the chair, and pyramided her fingers to her chin.

  “You have no idea who you’re dealing with, Mr. Hunt. You have no idea. I hope you survive, and if you do, I promise you…you won’t be the same.”

  The virtual screen closed and Ryan stared at the empty air.

  “You think she’s telling the truth?” asked Kat.

  “I would like to say no, but since I’m now shaking…we need to be careful.”

  Kat put her gloved hand on Ryan’s shoulder. “We will.”

  “Then let’s go explore the city.”

  

  Vicki closed the view screen and walked over to a chest on the table. Carefully unlatching the top, she opened it to look at the many pieces of a statue, a statue that was once her younger sister.

  Fredrick LaRue made good on his promise to send her a piece of the statue every day for six months for breaking the deal she made with him. In saving Ryan on LaRue’s ship, she sacrificed any chance of bringing her sister back to life.

  She slumped back in her chair and twirled the stone piece in her fingers. Tears began welling in her eyes. “If only you knew the sacrifice I made for you, Ryan. If only you knew…” And for the first time in centuries, she cried.

  Chapter 18

  City Ruins

  Ryan and Kat took inventory of their equipment before heading out to the ruined city. Kat still had the Glock-17 with about ten rounds, and they were able to borrow two rifles built from parts found around the battlefield. The rifles were single shot and had to be loaded one round at a time. That didn’t bother them too much, but the corroded rounds did. Ryan cringed at the thought of having one of these things blow up in his face.

  Kat turned her scanner on and off a few times. “That’s odd.”

  “What’s odd?”

  “As the evening gets closer to the two full moons, I’m noticing my equipment is working better.”

  Ryan shrugged. “Maybe there is something to this light and dark thing. If the town’s history is correct, we should also be safe from the things that go bump in the night.”

  Kat rolled her eyes. “Nonsense, if you ask me.”

  “Nonsense, you say. Aren’t you the one who has a vampire as an arch-nemesis?”

  “You really want to go there?”

  Ryan cringed at the stare Kat gave him. “Perhaps we should get going.”

  “Good idea,” said Kat, grabbing her rifle and heading out.

  The trek to the ruins would be about a two-to-three-mile hike, and they planned to find a secure area to camp in should they be unable to get back at a decent time. The trip started off well until they hit the crop fields, which were now a muddy mess from all the r
ain. It delayed their journey, but they were relieved when the terrain improved as they neared the forest.

  Coming to a peak of a small mound, they were able to get a view of the two crashed ships.

  The scientific vessel had landed hard. Its front and right-side landing skids were snapped off, and the ship’s nose was partially buried in the dirt.

  “Good pilot to land like that and keep it in one piece,” said Kat. “Her AI system and engines probably gave out, and she glided it in manually.”

  “Far better than Jessup’s ship,” said Ryan, pointing at the wreckage of a transport ship.

  “He was lucky he got out in time. That ship came down in pieces. That round-looking pod over there in the mess of trees, past the wreckage, would be the escape pod,” said Kat. “He was lucky the group of trees slowed him down enough.”

  “Kat, do you think we’re wasting our time looking for him and the woman? It’s been a few months, and with everything going on…the chance of surviving is low.”

  “I’ve always been a person of science, and I would normally agree, but lately, not everything is fitting into my little science bucket. So, I have a hope that he’s still alive, and at least we can say we tried.”

  They inspected the ships and the pod. The emergency supplies were gone, so it was a good sign they were alive and thinking clearly. The edge of the forest was similar to the swampy one they went through earlier, but the trees here were petrified and lifeless.

  After another hour of trekking through the dead swampy forest, they exited near the edge of the city. It was getting close to dusk when they noticed an old crystal-looking pathway partially covered with dirt, debris, and low vegetation. They followed this path for another half-hour until they reached the city walls.

  The city was nothing like either one of them had ever seen. It looked to be made entirely of a crystalline compound. Large craters scattered the area around the city, and most of the buildings were destroyed.

  “Those craters are from an orbital bombardment,” said Kat.

  “Damn, that must have been gruesome for the people who lived here,” said Ryan.

  Kat pulled out her scanner and flicked it on.

  “I know you said your tech was working better, but I doubt the scanning range will work with the interference,” said Ryan.

  All the lights flicked on and the device started to scan the area. “Oh, ye of little faith,” said Kat, smiling at him.

  “How the—”

  “Wow, sometimes your observation skills amaze me. The dark cloud. It’s not over the city area, just circling it,” said Kat, turning with her hand outstretched.

  Ryan looked around and up. “Oh, would you look at that.”

  “Another point for me. When we get back to Gliese-Major, I think you owe me a cute outfit.”

  “How can I owe you an outfit? You have machines that make them now.”

  “There are rare ones that are still handmade…and expensive.”

  “Fine, but let’s not talk about my observation skills again. Now, help me up this mound. I want to get a better look around.”

  He grabbed the slick crystals sticking out of the mound of dirt to help him climb up, while Kat used her free hand to push him up by his butt.

  Ryan’s jaw dropped as he viewed the area. “Kat, you might want to come up here.”

  Kat put her scanner away and climbed up to where Ryan was leaning over with his hand outstretched for her. “Wow!” she said.

  Before them were lower crystal-like buildings, leading to the taller ones that were now ruined. The last rays of daylight danced off the remaining crystal buildings and caused a spectacular show of colored lights.

  “Damn, this city must have been beautiful,” said Ryan. “Too bad it now looks like a European World War II bombed-out city.”

  “The Earth forces must have made a stand in the city and the Woland attacked.” Kat pointed at some items covered by dirt and vegetation. “Those look like the tank back at the OTKE hanger. And if I’m not mistaken, that’s a large Earth dropship wedged into the side of one of the lower buildings over there.”

  “Dear god, this must have been like hell,” said Ryan.

  “I thought the swamp we walked through was bad, but this is just unimaginable,” said Kat.

  They watched as the day gave way to night, and as described, the two full moons showered the area with bright light.

  “I think we should head for that downed transport. What do you think?” asked Ryan.

  “Yeah, let’s head there, and be careful. Not sure if there are any active defense devices in the area. Some of the military stuff was made to last.”

  Ryan nodded, and they headed for the downed craft.

  A fog rolled along the ground as they navigated through the old equipment intertwined with vegetation and debris. Whatever environmental conditions present in the swampy forest were here as well. Mummified remains were strewn everywhere. Their frozen faces showed how horrific this battle was. At one point, they had to walk around an area with so many bodies of fallen Earth and Woland forces there was no place to step on the ground.

  “I guess this is what Gettysburg might have looked like,” said Ryan.

  “I’m not familiar with that event.”

  Ryan paused for a moment to look around. “It was a civil war that occurred in my country about a hundred and ten years before I was born in my first life. The two sides collided in a place called Gettysburg and fought for three days. From a visit I made there, the historians stated the streams ran red with blood, and some of the fields had so many bodies you could cross it without touching the ground.”

  “That sounds absolutely horrible. I’m sad for you.”

  Ryan turned to look at Kat. “Why are you sad for me?”

  “You get a second chance at life. I see you smile at new experiences and marvel at the great technological achievements, but in reality, the future hasn’t changed for you. We are on the brink of an intergalactic war, a Nilorian butcher may still be alive, and we are looking at a field of corpses.”

  Ryan took a deep breath as he surveyed the area again. “I don’t think there has ever been a perfect time in history. You do your best to do the right thing and enjoy the moments with the people you care for.”

  Kat nodded. “Yeah, I guess. We should keep moving in case something is out here.”

  Ryan went to take a step and stopped himself. He tilted his head as he examined some remains in front of him. “Kat, the body in front of me looks different. Does the ripped-up clothing remind you of anything?”

  She knelt to take a look. “These are humanoid and match the clothes the townspeople wear.”

  Ryan pulled out his light, switched on the beam, and moved it around the area by hand instead of taking the chance on its hovering capability.

  “It looks like someone made a path in that direction. Let’s check it out.”

  The path led them to a swinging gate made from tank panels. One side of the gate was on the ground, and the other was barely hanging on.

  The moonlight was enough to show them the horror that had befallen the townspeople who left to start a new colony. Bones and shredded clothes were strewn about as if the people were overrun by a large pack of wild animals.

  Ryan shook his head and sighed.

  “Nothing we could’ve done. Based on the aging of the bones, this happened a long time ago,” said Kat.

  “I figured as much, but I was hoping for some good news for a change. Let’s head back. That dropship was not much further down the main trail.”

  They doubled back and headed down the path for about another ten minutes. Ryan pointed to a break in a crystal wall ahead. “Right through there, and we should be able to make a direct route to the ship.”

  The path led them to the Earth dropship, and it was much larger in person than Ryan
had expected. Half of it was wedged into the crystal wall, almost like it had grown around the ship. Unable to find an opening, they climbed to the top of the dropship, but nothing was there either.

  Before Kat could say anything, Ryan said, “Wait. I got this.”

  She put a hand on one hip and waited to see what he was up to. He reached into his adventurer’s backpack and pulled out a cord, then placed it in a circle on the transport.

  “A breeching cord,” said Kat. “I wonder where you learned that trick.”

  “A mysterious woman archaeologist showed this to me once in an old, abandoned lab.”

  “Mysterious and probably very beautiful,” said Kat, flipping her hair back.

  Ryan rolled his eyes. “So much for being humble.”

  They backed up and let the cord do its work. Within a few seconds, the metal inside the circle started turning red. It began near the cord and moved inward until the entire circle was a bright white. In an instant, the metal started falling like dust until it, and the cord was gone, leaving a large enough hole for them to climb through.

  Ryan pulled out the light ball again and stuck his head and arm in the opening to look around. “Looks clear.”

  He eased himself down. The ship was on a slight angle, so he made sure to steady himself before helping Kat. They both moved in a circle scanning the back area of the dropship.

  Old cargo crates and skeletal remains were piled up on one side. It would appear the effect the outside environment had on remains didn’t work inside the transport.

  They moved to the forward section and took a ladder down to a lower deck due to the top section being crushed. They made their way through the mess of equipment and wires to the main systems area.

  Both of them froze in place. The remains of a C-Tec, or what they thought was one, was dangling against the wall in a mess of wires. The wiring merged into a crystal-like compound that seemed to have grown in through holes in the ship. The humanoid skeletal pieces of the C-Tec laid on the floor under it. A partial metal chest, face, arm, and leg were suspended under tattered robes. One half of where the brain would have been was a crystal.