Halfkinds Volume 1: Contact

by Vu, Andrew

  “I agree,” I say. “This is most likely a ruse they’re setting up. I don’t think they want to talk. But even if they are setting some kind of con, I still think that the Spades and Diamonds Casino is worth investigating. If we split up the squad, one group should take the Spades and Diamonds and another should check out the Gonzalez station.”

  “And the Li station?” Fenrir asks in a concerned tone.

  “Sorry, but I don’t want to divide us any further. If we don’t find anything at either location, then the Li station will be our first priority. But for now, we should focus on these two. Is that a deal?”

  I look at the others. They all are in agreement, except Fenrir. But as my eyes continue to pierce at him, he finally relents.

  “Fine,” he says begrudgingly, “we’ll do it your way.”

  “Good,” I say. “The assignments will be Apollo, Borton, and I to the Spades and Diamonds Casino, Erawan, Colbo, and Fenrir to the Gonzalez station. I’m splitting up the trackers so that there’s one on each team. In case this is a diversion, I’ll concentrate the heavy firepower at the Gonzalez station. I’m looking at you Colbo and Erawan.”

  “Don’t worry, we got it covered,” Colbo says.

  “We’ll be Team A, and you are Team B,” I say.

  “Try to be a little more discrete this time,” Apollo says. “It’s one thing to blow up a cruddy supply depot, it’s another to destroy a teleporter station. The Alliance won’t be too happy if the bill for this mission runs high.”

  “We’ll do what we need to,” Fenrir says. “Besides, it’s not our fault that birdboy threw a bomb at us.”

  “Noted,” Apollo says dryly.

  “We’re leaving now, Commander?” Colbo asks.

  “Yes, but Team B will set up a perimeter on the Gonzalez station. Your assignment will be to wait on my command before you engage. I want to check out the casino before giving the go on an assault. The more information we have, the better, and if the casino is empty, I don’t want Team B to be stuck in the middle of an ambush. I have a suspicion that if this meeting is a trap, they’ll be waiting in full numbers at the Gonzalez station. If you wait, I can relay our status via our communicators and give you the signal to lead your strike. Is that understood? Don’t engage until I tell you to, I repeat, do not engage unless I tell you.”

  “Yeah, yeah, we got it Commander,” Colbo says nonchalantly.

  “Good. We’ll be departing for our respective locations in ten minutes. Finish up whatever you have left to do and get ready to move,” I say.

  The others disperse and start to pack their gear. Once again, I notice Erawan has stayed mute throughout the strategy session. He doesn’t have much to pack and silently stands still while the others rustle through their items.

  “Nothing to say again?” I ask him.

  “Not much, Commander,” he says.

  “What do you think of the plan?” I ask.

  “It’s solid. I see your reasons for spreading the group and I understand why the teleporter stations are high priority.”

  “But it seems that something is bothering you. You haven’t said anything since we got here.”

  “It’s because there’s nothing to say. There’s one thing I do disagree with, though.”

  “And what’s that?”

  “Your assertion that these halfkinds aren’t desperate enough to sacrifice their own. They may be intelligent like you and I, but that doesn’t mean they have lost their survival instinct. In the end, all we want to do is survive, primitive or intelligent. And with a group as dangerous as ourselves hunting them down, and their desperation increasing every second, I wouldn’t be surprised if sacrifices needed to be made.”

  “But they’re family.”

  “Does that ever matter?” he says bluntly. “Excuses like that are conveniences we can afford because we’re smarter than the primitive animals out there. But in the end, our core is made of those primitive instincts.”

  “You sure are battle hardened, Erawan. I wish you would speak more, you’re experience could help guide the others.”

  “Talk is useless, experience can only be gained through actions. Whatever I say would be lost on them.”

  “I see. So do you think Fenrir is right, then? Do you think they sent their brother to deliver this message?”

  “Perhaps, but it’s a guess. My knowledge can only go so far. We creatures are too unpredictable.”

  “Well for the sake of the mission, let’s hope our gut feelings are right.”

  “Yes, for the sake of the mission,” he says as he walks away. I sense a subtle sarcasm in his words, as if the assignment means nothing to him. But I can understand, after years of these kinds of tasks, importance and meaning get lost in the sea of memories you obtain. You do what you’re told and don’t think a second about it. Even the best of us get worn down eventually.

  Chapter 16 – Oscar Lawton - Runners

  November 17, 3040 12:05 AM

  After two miles of walking, we’ve arrived at The Spades and Diamonds Casino. It has been about one hour since we left the hideout.

  The road wasn’t easy. I was worried about the risk involved, as the casino had only been closed for about a year. Something shutdown so recently might have drones sweeping and cleaning, gutting the place up so that it’s ready for the next owner to move in. Inside, there might be squatters like us or maintenance workers doing jobs the machines can’t.

  Maddie, however, had told me she had been there a few times before and it is indeed empty. The Spades and Diamonds Casino used to be a relatively successful gambling hall, but hard times reduced it to an eyesore in Primm. Given the city’s already poverty filled state, that was hard to do. Its owners went out of business, abandoning mostly everything. There were rumors that the local mob drove them out of town. They left in such a hurry that they had no time to flush the building out.

  There have been talks of investors coming in to refurbish the place, but there’s been no resolution. Poor conditioned slot machines, tables, and decaying furniture is all that you’ll find inside. It’s like a ghost town in there, which makes it the perfect temporary hiding place while we decide what to do next.

  Maddie says she doesn’t think anyone has set foot in it for months, that the only inhabitants you’ll find are bugs and rats. I believe her. Unlike others, I trust and respect the opinions of all my family members. That has never been the case with Tiago, he only cares about the people who are deemed worthy. He treats our family like a food chain, and if you’re not at the top, you don’t matter. A family shouldn’t be that way, structured like some kind of power ladder. All of us should matter, not just the ones that are the highest.

  I’m done living under that kind of rule. I still care for my brother, but there’s no place in my heart for his brand of leadership.

  And I can’t follow him on his suicide mission to the Moon. He thinks it’s an end-all solution, but what he fails to realize is how crazy it is. I think about all that could go wrong and I’m glad we decided to leave. I’ve already seen him brush aside two brothers so carelessly, I wonder how many more must die until his goals are complete.

  There are so many faults with his plan. What if Candy can’t figure out how to work the teleporter? What if the United Species Alliance finds them? It’s quite obvious that escape will be a priority for us and a plan like Tiago’s will attract a lot of attention. I think it’s better to lay low until things die down, but Tiago wants to leave as soon as possible. He doesn’t think of the repercussions. I had to do what was best for the others, offer them an alternative to his madness.

  I wish it didn’t have to end up this way. I wish we could have been a family as one. I wish mother hadn’t died. I wish none of this had happened. But wishes do nothing. This is reality, this is the situation, and I can’t hopelessly think about what could have been if I am to lead Maddie and the twins away from death. I must be a strong leader for their sake.

  We stand at the front entrance. Th
e windows have already been broken, providing an easy way to slip in. Maddie takes the lead, guiding us through the trail of broken glass. The building isn’t very large, no bigger than the warehouse we were at, but it seems roomier thanks to all the gambling machines lying about. None are working, and I doubt there are any credits around. Looters raided the place right after it had closed down, taking anything of value with them. There’s also no electricity or water, as the utility companies cut it off immediately after it closed.

  There are some chairs and sofas strewn about. There are green, matted tables, all of them dusty, some overturned. The floor has dark red and black checkered carpeting with diamond and spade designs imprinted on them. The walls are a mahogany color, but the paint is already peeling off. Still, it’s a lot better than our old hideout.

  Traces of life still remain, though their state has been worn down considerably. There are some broken, grimy glasses and empty bottles sprinkled about a dingy bar that hugs a wall nearby. Playing cards messily cover the ground. There are stairs leading to a balcony that surrounds the main playing floor.

  It’s dim, but the bright street light crawls its way through the windows and crevices to provide enough illumination to see through the darkness.

  I see a plush, red couch, drop my belongings, and plop myself right on it. The walk here was long and tiring, especially for someone with my weight. Maddie does the same, but I see the twins rustling through their things.

  “What are you doing?” I ask them.

  “I was able to swipe some stuff from Tiago’s stash before we left, I want to make sure it’s accounted for,” Iris says. “Don’t worry, it’s not anything they’ll miss. They still have quite a lot of stuff.”

  “What’d you take?”

  “Food, water, and some clothes. Also, some portable lanterns from our previous hideout.”

  “And the insta-item?”

  She shakes her head no. “I didn’t see it in his stash. I think Ace only got one and Tiago must have it on lockdown.”

  I figure that would be the case. The insta-item was the most important thing he wanted Lombardi and Ace to retrieve. It’s a key element in his plan, so I figure his muscle, Alex, is guarding it.

  “How long do you think we’ll last with the supplies you got?” I ask Iris.

  “If we ration it, probably about two weeks,” she says.

  “We’ll have to make another run to the supply depot?”

  She pauses. “Regretfully so.”

  I hate to admit it, but Tiago at least had that right. The insta-item is the way to go because I don’t know how many times we can sneak around. And now that the United Species Alliance is after us, it’ll be harder to go in and get what we need. If only I had thought of that earlier.

  Iris takes some of the portable lanterns and places them around our squatted campsite in the casino. They’re nice, but there’s still plenty of light coming from the Moon. I trace the beams of lights shining from the few windows, I stare at it, and my mind wanders into space. It’s actually quite beautiful and with the light reflecting off of the blue and green from its terraformed surface, it looks like a grand jewel in the night sky. I can see the land formations and I imagine life fluttering there. Many parts of the moon are uninhabited. It’s only starting to take shape, but I find it amazing what intelligence can accomplish.

  Iris notices and says, “You think Tiago is really going to make it?”

  I wake out of my trance. “He might.”

  “Are you being honest? If you really thought that, we would have never left him in the first place.”

  “I didn’t want to leave because of my doubts. I didn’t like how he was running things, we seem expendable. I would want to follow a leader who actually cares about the people he’s leading.”

  “But you really think that? You think he would throw us under the bus if he needed to?”

  I think about Tiago, about the hard times he gave some of my brothers and sisters while growing up. And I think of Leonard and Lombardi.

  “There are some things I want to believe,” I tell Iris, “And then there are some things I just know.”

  “I see,” she says.

  “Why did you and Isaac join me? It always seems like Tiago respects you two, I don’t think you’re on his ‘weakling’ list.”

  “I don’t know, I guess I have a feeling that he’s going to lead us to our end. I can’t really pin it on anything. I mean, I have no real concrete evidence to do so. It’s just, I have this sense, this intuition that something is going to happen, something bad, and no matter what I say to stop him, he’s already set on his way. In order to save myself, in order to save Isaac, in order to save the rest of us, we need to stay away from him and his schemes.”

  “One of your visions?”

  She looks embarrassed, dismissive.

  “Uh, I guess so,” she says.

  Suddenly, Isaac barges into the conversation.

  “What’s the plan, Oscar?” he asks me.

  I pause to think. If there’s a time for a group meeting, it’s now. I motion for Maddie to come over. All four of us are huddled with a blanket of lantern light covering us.

  “I think we should lay low,” I tell the group. “Tiago is charging into the situation with full force, he’s bound to run into our pursuers eventually. He’s not going to be quiet about things, either. I think while the United Species Alliance is distracted, we can obtain an insta-item from one of the supply depots. We have to finish Lombardi’s job. But we can’t go right away, we’ll have to wait until the dust clears because they’re on high alert after the first raid on the depot. We can live on our supplies for now, but eventually we’ll have to make our move.”

  “What about Tiago? What if he and the others get into trouble?” Iris asks.

  I hesitate saying what I want to say. I would help Tiago if needed. I know his hasty decisions will lead to carnage left and right and he could use assistance. But I can’t. I have to do what’s good for the rest of my family.

  “Tiago’s a fierce fighter,” I say. “And the rest of the family has what it takes to endure. I know him and the others can take care of themselves, trust me.”

  “But we’re abandoning him,” Iris tells me softly.

  “No, we’re not,” I say sternly, “we just have to take care of ourselves first.”

  “You know who you sound like? You sound like Tiago,” Isaac says bluntly.

  “I am not like him,” I snap back. “If you died, he wouldn’t even flinch at it. He would probably push you into the law so he could get away.”

  “You don’t know that. I don’t think that would happen to Iris and I. You’re assuming,” Isaac says. “Your judgment is clouded by your bad blood.”

  “That’s not true. You saw how quick he passed over Lombardi’s death and went straight to business afterwards. He didn’t mourn over his brother, Lombardi meant nothing to him.”

  Isaac stands silent.

  “Oscar’s right!” Maddie says. “You don’t know him like we do. Tiago is a terror. He’s always had respect for you and Iris, but it’s different for the rest of us.”

  “He’s not that bad,” Isaac says. He continues to defend Tiago. I suppose if I were him, I’d do the same. Isaac has never really had a reason to distrust Tiago, but I’ve seen Tiago’s treatment of Maddie, Leonard, and Lombardi. I know how much of a bully he can be.

  “Yes he is! Why did you even come with us?” Maddie shouts as her eyes get watery. Isaac remains tight lipped, but Maddie persists. “Why?”

  “Because I made him,” Iris interrupts. “I told you about my premonition, that something bad is going to happen if we stayed with Tiago. No one else would have believed me except Isaac. He’s here because of me.”

  “Is this true?” I ask him. He nods silently. I pause for a few seconds then address him. “Isaac, I’m not mad at you. I understand that you might be questioning things, that you might be scared you made the wrong choice, but trust me, I’m here f
or you, I’m here for all of you. You aren’t soldiers in my army, you are my family, and I won’t let anything happen to my family.”

  Isaac’s face softens a bit. He no longer has the frown that covered his face earlier. My speech has affected him.

  “Okay, Oscar, I trust you,” he says.

  “Thanks,” I say. “It’s been a long day and it’s already midnight. We should probably get some rest soon.”

  They all agree and slowly get settled in for the evening.

  After our talk, I am optimistic. We may not have our whole plan figured out, but we have each other’s support, the kind that was missing when we lived under Tiago’s regime.

  I think we’re going to make it after all.

  Chapter 17 – Simon Trevor - Assault

  November 17, 3040 12:50 AM

  Borton, Apollo, and I are on our way to the Spades and Diamonds Casino. We’re in our transport, possibly heading toward a trap, but we’re fully armed and prepared for what may come. I have my energy shotgun and pistol, Apollo and Borton have their gear. We also have a cache of smoke and pulse grenades.

  The Spades and Diamonds Casino is about four miles away from the Primm-Phillips supply depot, but we only take the hovercar three miles. We proceed on foot for the other one. This is what I decided. If we take our vehicles to the front, we might alert them, and the only way we can control the situation is to utilize the element of surprise.

  We’re here. The shabby casino sign I see used to shine brightly in the Primm landscape. The once glorious marquee has a gaudy diamond and spade on it, but it’s been reduced to chipped plastic and cracked glass. We get out of the hovercar cautiously. I motion for Apollo to survey the area and sniff out any traps. He sprints and investigates a half mile ahead of us and comes back. He shakes his head, everything seems okay.

  I kneel down.

  “Okay, so let’s go over the battle plan one more time,” I say. “There are two entrances to the Diamond and Spades Casino. I will take the front entrance, Apollo and Borton will take the back one. It’s a pretty small building. The Spades and Diamonds Casino is a single floor, one room gaming complex.”