by G J Ogden
The only Shaak signatures were coming from the space around the gas giant. The fractured remains of the Revocater remained in orbit around it. Some hunters had even forgone the planet in an attempt to salvage what they could from the broken ship instead.
Suddenly, the navigation scanner bleeped, and a red chevron appeared on the map displayed on its screen. Hudson quickly checked the readings and confirmed that the new contact was Cutler’s ship. It had landed in what appeared to be the remains of a major city center. Despite there being no Shaak signatures, the area seemed thick with technology. Hudson was picking up objects that could have been ships or transports, and there was an abundance of other rare and precious metals. A plentiful hunting ground… Hudson told himself.
Hudson began his descent towards the city, but then he realized that there were a number of other hunter ships also in the vicinity. These crews had obviously spied the same potential for a big score as Cutler and Griff had. He picked a landing spot about a kilometer from Cutler’s FS-31, avoiding the other landed ships as much as possible. However, it was clear that he would have to tread carefully. This was not only because of Cutler and Griff, but the other hunters too. It was a case of every hunter for him or herself, and Hudson expected bullets to fly more freely than words.
He set the Orion down in the middle of a large building that had been hollowed out by some kind of bomb or weapon. However, its walls were mostly intact, which made it an effective hiding place. It was about as concealed as Hudson could hope for, given that the roar of the landing thrusters would have alerted anyone on the surface to his arrival.
Hudson shut down the main drives, but left the reactor hot, in case he needed to make a quick getaway. Moving through the ship and into the cargo hold, he then checked and loaded his pistol, before hitting the release for the ramp. Cool air rushed in and Hudson stepped outside, looking up at the cloud-covered grey sky. Prior to Morphus imparting him with knowledge of the Corporeals’ history, he would have been amazed that the moon had an Earth-like atmosphere and gravity. However, given the shared ancestry between humans and the long-dead population of the moon, it now all made sense.
The ramp whirred shut behind him, and he drew his pistol, before climbing over the rubble to scout his way ahead. He had attached a simple wrist pad to his left arm, which showed the location of Cutler’s FS-31, plus a beacon displaying his own ship. The route would take him through broken streets and a dozen other fractured buildings. Conflicts on Earth were now mostly economic in nature, but this landscape resembled the war-ravaged cities of the late twentieth century. An ambush could wait around any corner, and spring from behind any wall.
Hudson took a deep breath and forged ahead, occasionally glancing down at his wrist pad to stay on course. The going was not easy and he wished he’d worn his backpack full of relic hunter gear.
He scrambled down the side of a collapsed tower, and checked his wristpad again. He was still over half a kilometer from Cutler’s ship, but without climbing higher there was no way to see it. He considered risking a short ascent up the remains of a skyscraper, but then he heard the sound of debris falling. He dropped to one knee, raising the pistol in readiness, and remained still, listening for the sound. It came again, echoing cleanly off the smashed walls of buildings all around him. Hudson couldn’t pinpoint the location accurately, but he knew it was close by. Hudson quickly reconfigured the wristpad to show movement and then spotted a blip about fifty meters from his current position. The blip was steadily moving and, as Hudson quietly observed its progress, he realized it was heading directly towards him.
CHAPTER 7
Hudson crept closer towards where his wristpad indicated the rival hunters were approaching from, and climbed a steep mound of rubble to gain some elevation. He’d hoped to spot the other hunter crew's advance, but the crashed remains of some sort of alien flying transport blocked his view. It had cut a long groove through the city, before eventually smashing through the base of a tower block and coming to rest. Hudson cursed himself for not avoiding the crash site. It was exactly the sort of thing that would attract a hunter looking for a high-tech score.
The crashed craft lay between Hudson and where he needed to be, but to go around it would require a lengthy detour. It would also bring him close to where some of the other hunter ships had landed. Hudson weighed up his options and cursed under his breath. “Damn it, Hudson, this is another one of your stupid ideas,” he whispered into the chilly air.
Hudson dropped down to street level and crept along the side of a building towards the crash site. He glanced down at his wristpad again, and to his relief, the other hunters now appeared to be moving away from him. Once he was past the crash site, he’d be able to steer a wide berth and avoid them entirely.
Climbing in through a smashed window, Hudson began to navigate inside the downed vessel. It was vaguely similar to the commercial passenger transports that ferried people between the portal worlds, except at least three times the size. Hudson briefly marveled at the technology that would have kept it airborne, but then another sound grabbed his attention. He dropped low again, and saw a shadow moving towards him inside the vessel. He checked again, and the blips on his wristpad were still moving away. This was someone else, he realized.
He gripped the pistol more tightly and began to circle around, watching the shadow through the broken and mangled rows of seats. Suddenly, the shadow darted towards him, but Hudson reacted just as fast. He saw a pistol glinting in the gloom, but Hudson had already closed the distance between them. He deflected the attacker’s aim, then grabbed his opponent’s jacket with his free hand. Driving forwards, Hudson wrestled the figure – now more clearly identifiable as a young man – backwards over a row of seats, while pressing his pistol under his chin.
“Drop it, and don’t do anything stupid!” Hudson called out, adding more pressure with the barrel of the pistol.
“How about you drop it instead, asshole,” said another voice, as the cold feel of something solid pressed up against Hudson's throat from behind. However, he wasn’t afraid; he would recognize that voice anywhere.
“Liberty?” said Hudson, hoping that his instinct was correct, and not just wishful thinking.
“Hudson?” came the reply.
The object was removed from his throat, and Hudson looked around to see Liberty standing in front of him, holding a pair of tonfas. He released the man, who tumbled inelegantly to the deck, and rushed towards her, pulling her into a tight embrace. The move seemed to stun Liberty, but after a couple of seconds, Hudson felt her arms tighten around his body too.
“Are you okay?” he blurted out, pulling away from her. “How did you escape from New Providence? How did you get here? No, what are you doing here?” Then he glanced down at the martial arts weapons in her hands, and added, “And where the hell did you get those?”
Liberty was completely blindsided by the onslaught of questions, and was incapable of forming a coherent response to any of them. Then the man Hudson had just wrestled to the deck climbed to his feet and stood beside Liberty, massaging his jaw. He was holding a stun gun in his other hand. Hudson frowned at the weapon, then at the man, before delivering one final question. “And who the hell is that?”
CHAPTER 8
Hudson’s question hung in the air, but the sudden, sharp clack of rock clashing against rock meant it went unanswered. Alert to the possible danger, Hudson, Liberty and Tobin all darted behind cover. Hudson remained still, barely taking a breath, as he checked his wristpad. The original blip was again moving towards them. In his shock at finding Liberty, he’d completely forgotten about the other hunter crew that was prowling nearby. Their scuffle and the subsequent loud voices had no doubt drawn attention to their location.
“We have another hunter crew heading this way,” Hudson whispered to Liberty, showing her the blip on his wristpad.
Liberty nodded, “I’ll circle around behind them. You two draw them inside.”
Hudson was ab
out to question the wisdom of Liberty’s impulsive plan, but she had already slunk away, tonfas held ready.
“I guess that means we’re the bait,” said the young man. Then he offered his hand to Hudson. “I’m Tobin, by the way.”
Hudson took Tobin’s hand and shook it quickly, “I look forward to hearing how you two met, Tobin,” said Hudson, sounding sterner and more fatherly than he had intended. “But let’s deal with our new friends first.”
Hudson checked his wristpad again, which now showed two distinct blips; the latest one being the stealthy movements of Liberty. He pointed over to the far corner of the craft and Tobin nodded, before raising his stun pistol and slowly creeping away. Hudson followed, keeping half an eye on the blips on his wristpad.
“They’re through there,” whispered Hudson, pointing to a section of the craft’s hull that had been ripped open. “Take cover…”
They both ducked down behind a row of seats, just as a man and a woman slowly moved inside. They were dressed in hunter gear, and looked like they’d seen a few scrapes in their time. Both swept their pistols around the interior of the craft, before the woman spoke up.
“Come out, we know you’re in here,” the female hunter said, taking cover behind a partition wall. “Throw out your weapons and you won’t get hurt.”
Hudson glanced down at his wristpad again. The blip representing Liberty was now just outside, a few meters away from the new arrivals.
“Follow my lead,” whispered Hudson. Then before Tobin could protest, he stood up, holding his hands in the air.
“Hey, we’re not looking for any trouble,” said Hudson, as Tobin sprang up at his side. He also had his hands raised in surrender, but his expression betrayed his obvious unease. “We’re just hunters like you. There’s plenty for everyone on this moon; no need to take what we have.”
The woman laughed, “Yeah, but it’s much easier if we just take what you have. This moon is getting too hot already.”
Then the woman stepped out of cover, with her partner at her side. Hudson guessed they were both in their mid-thirties, and they had matching tattoos on their right shoulders. Hudson had seen the mark before; it signified they used to be part of an OPW private security unit. Guns for hire, Hudson realized. However, while they were undoubtedly dangerous, they were also brash and overconfident.
Jabbing her pistol towards the deck, the female mercenary added, “Throw down your weapons, and whatever you’ve scored so far.”
Hudson glanced behind the rival crew and saw Liberty creep inside, tonfas held ready. He smiled back at the female hunter and said, “You know, I don’t think I’m going to do that…”
The female seemed surprised and even mildly impressed by Hudson’s steely nerve, “Tough talk, mister. But I’m afraid this is just going to get ugly.”
Hudson smiled back at her. “For you maybe…”
Liberty pounced, striking both hunters cleanly across the side of the head with her tonfas. She had then spun the weapons back against her forearms, before the pair had even hit the deck.
Hudson moved around the row of seats he’d used as cover, and stared down at the knocked-out hunters. “Hey, you’re pretty good with those,” he said, nodding his head appreciatively.
“You ain’t seen nothing yet,” Tobin chimed in, smiling. Suddenly, Tobin’s face fell and he hastily raised his stun weapon, firing it before Hudson had chance to spot his target. For a split-second, Hudson thought he might have been shooting at Liberty, and almost turned on him. However, then he saw another man just outside the fractured entrance to the craft, spasming from the stun dart Tobin had fired into his chest.
Liberty jerked around, just as the third hunter fell to the deck, unconscious. “Thanks,” she said, closing her eyes and tilting her head back. “I’m glad you’re a good shot with that thing.”
Tobin laughed, then slumped forward on the row of seats. Hudson noticed that his hands were shaking. “I’m actually a terrible shot. That was a pure fluke!”
Hudson shook his head, “Pro-tip, Tobin… you should probably keep that sort of thing to yourself…” Then he checked his wristpad again. “Not that this thing has been particularly accurate so far, but I think we’re finally in the clear. For the time being at least.”
“We should keep moving,” said Liberty, sliding the tonfas through her belt. “Those other hunters were right about one thing; this planet is hotting up. The RGF will close down these initial hunts soon. So, we have to get the scendar back, before Cutler and Griff decide to leave.”
Hudson slapped Tobin on the shoulder to jolt him into action, then moved up beside Liberty. “It’s more important than ever that we get that crystal back,” he told her. “Morphus explained everything to me. Goliath is a much bigger threat than we ever imagined.”
Liberty frowned, “Morphus is back?”
“Yes, I’ll explain as we walk,” replied Hudson. “There’s so much I need to tell you. And there’s so much I need you to tell me too,” he cocked his head in the direction of Tobin, “especially about your new admirer over there.”
“He’s not my admirer,” Liberty answered, in the sort of despondent manner that a teenage daughter replies to embarrassing questions from her dad. “And he’s a good guy. I wouldn’t be here without him.”
“Good to know,” said Hudson, satisfied that if Liberty trusted Tobin, then he was trustworthy.
“And you’ll never guess who helped me to escape from New Providence…” added Liberty, in a deliberately evasive manner that invited Hudson to ask ‘why?’. “In fact, if it wasn’t for her, I’d still be there now.”
Hudson’s eyes widened, “Now you really have got my attention…”
Liberty smiled, “I’ll tell you on the way.” Then she glanced over at Tobin and added, “You’re on point, sharpshooter. Nice and quiet.”
Tobin snuck out ahead and started to advance down the street on the other side of the crashed craft. Liberty headed out after him, but then Hudson held her arm and gently pulled her back.
“Hey, I did try to come for you, you know,” he said, suddenly feeling a knot tighten in his gut. “Morphus and I went to New Providence, but we got into trouble with some Council goons, and then…” He hesitated, finding it difficult to explain. The guilt over his failure to rescue Liberty hadn’t gone away, despite the relief of finding her alive.
“It’s fine, Hudson, you don’t have to explain,” said Liberty, softly. However, Hudson had to get it off his chest.
“It’s not fine, Liberty,” Hudson replied, his eyes dropping to his boots. He couldn’t look at her. “I shouldn’t have left you alone on the planet’s surface. I shouldn’t have let them take you…”
Liberty held Hudson’s shoulders and made him look her in the eyes. “You didn’t let them do anything, Hudson. It wasn’t your fault. It’s all on that bastard Griff. I knew what I was signing up for. Equal risk, equal reward, remember?”
Hudson gestured over to Tobin, who was now crouched down behind a wall, waiting for them. He was frowning and no doubt wondering why they hadn’t followed him yet. “And what about him? Do we have a new member of the crew?”
Liberty shrugged, “I’m not sure. Depends if his mom lets him stay out to play.”
“His mom?” Hudson recoiled slightly. “Who the hell is his mom?”
“Some big shot businesswoman, called Vespa Rand.”
Hudson looked as though Liberty had just said she was the Wicked Witch of the West. “Vespa Rand, the logistics tycoon? He’s her son?” Liberty just smiled again and nodded. Hudson let out a low whistle and shot Liberty a mischievous smile. “You know, we could just kidnap him and hold him for ransom. I bet no-one has thought of doing that before.”
Liberty threw her head back and laughed freely, “You’d be surprised.”
Hudson raised an inquisitive eyebrow, “Now you really do have my attention!”
Liberty smiled and slapped him on the back, “Come on, co-captain, I’ll fill you in on ever
ything as we go.”
CHAPTER 9
Logan Griff slung his rucksack into the hold of the FS-31, then secured it down with straps. The bag was filled almost to bursting, but since the tech on the alien moon was completely different to that of the alien wrecks, he had no idea what any of it was. Nevertheless, he was pretty sure that some of it would end up being valuable, and so was satisfied with his score.
Another ripple of gunfire echoed off the broken walls of the buildings around him, and he checked his wristpad anxiously. Tensions between the RGF and the CET and MP authorities were hotting up. And the RGF was already clamping down on hunters leaving the system. This would cause the crews to become desperate and scavenge what they could, however they could, in the time they had left. Soon, checkpoints would be established on the surface, and then the early-bird hunter’s ‘free lunch’ would be over.
On top of this, Griff had already ignored five messages from Superintendent Wash, ordering him to the new patrol base at the portal for a debrief. And by ‘debrief’, Griff knew that what she really meant was to take an unfair slice of his new score, then take back the portal detection device. He’d put off responding mainly because he didn’t know how to break it to Wash that the device was broken. He’d rehearsed the speech several times in his head, but he knew Wash would be furious, no matter how he spun it. His best chance was to explain the situation face-to-face, and emphasize how much more valuable Chrome One was than a regular portal world that had only a single wreck to plunder. Despite not being able to discover any new portals, the successful claiming of an entire alien moon’s worth of relics would still gain Wash considerable support inside the top ranks of the RGF. And it would give her the funds to buy off or bribe any dissenting voices. Griff hoped this would be enough to appease his vindictive superior officer.