Moondog looked up and barked. He'd heard the soft hum of the ship first. It had no markings to identify it as Council or anyone else for that matter. Rick thought it looked a lot like their production ship. If Amy had been around, she could have confirmed his suspicions, but she wasn’t. She’d be off looking for booze when he died, poetic.
Luna City was a no-fly zone, so it was only a matter of minutes before security bots showed up to give pursuit, but it only took a second to shoot. A salvo of plasma fire was unleashed onto Pete’s position before the ship vanished. The explosions threw dozens of people, including Rick and the others. Smoke and fire filled the plaza — those who could, fled.
Rick was sprawled on the ground, dazed, ears ringing, shouting at Mom to switch to thermal imaging or something. If it hadn’t been for the suit, Rick would have probably died. Beeping and red flashing on his HUD made him aware of that fact. Mom quickly got everything under control. The display started showing waypoints and IDs. Rick could see Moon a dozen metres away, hunched over Moondog. Gary was checking on the camera bots, one of them was down. Half its body melted by the hot plasma and its systems fried by the ionised particles. Gary was fiddling with the head. Probably trying to save the footage. Priorities Gary, priorities. Brock was moving towards Pete who was also down.
The smoke had begun to clear a bit. Rick switched back to normal vision and saw that Pete was fairly hurt, his legs were missing. He pressed his pack onto Brock’s chest. Rick couldn’t make out what they were saying, so he edged closer. The cracking of railgun and plasma fire started from a side street and Brock shouted at Rick to get down. Superheated projectiles sped through the air leaving blazing trails and arcing electricity behind them. The ground and walls erupted around Rick. Smoke and flames filled the plaza again. Rick could here pings on his suit from where shrapnel was ricocheting off him. The beeping and red flashing started again. Fuck this shit.
“Mom! I want to shoot back! Fucking do what you have to, but I’m standing up and shooting down that street in one second.” Rick looked at his wrists. The plasma cannons started glowing. “How does it work?”
“Just aim and think shoot.” Nice and straightforward, Rick liked that. He remembered Pops saying something about the genius brainwave interface the dolphins had built. “So simple a moron could use it”, thanks Bubbles. He raced towards an overturned vending machine near the hostile street’s mouth. Brock was shouting obscenities at him, but he stood up from behind his cover anyway, raised both his fists and unleashed. Rick’s arms shook as fireballs shot out of his wrist cannons. He was surprised by the recoil, but the suit absorbed much of the force and Rick only shot off target a few times.
Fiery explosions engulfed the end of the street. The incoming fire stopped. Rick rushed over to Moon. She was alright — a few cuts and bruises. Moondog was hurt. Tears streamed down the side of her dusty face. Rick’s helmet started ringing, Amy’s name was flashing on his display. Rick picked up the incoming call.
“Rick are you OK? Where are you? What's happening? We’re trying to get back to you, but streets are sealed off. Security bots are saying there was a terrorist attack.” Amy was talking too fast. Too much was going on for Rick.
“Just get back to us.” Rick hung up and turned back to Moon. She was crying and close to catatonic. Smoke had filled the street again, and he couldn’t see Brock or Gary anymore. “Mom, waypoints.” Instantly the information came up on the HUD. Pete had gone cold. Dead. Fuck. Brock was speed-crawling towards them when the incoming fire started again.
“We need to get the fuck out of here.” Brock was over Rick and the Moons now. He scanned the area waiting for the attack to relent. “OK, let’s move. Rick take Moon. I have the dog. Let’s go. Head towards Gary. Go, go, go!” Brock gently picked up the dog and Rick grabbed Moon’s blood-soaked hand.
Gary didn’t seem panicked at all. He appeared entirely focused on saving the bot’s head. His Smartcube floated around him blocking shrapnel. Rick had respect for that kind of commitment. However crazy it was. Brock grabbed Gary by the collar and kept going. Gary wouldn’t let go of the bot’s head, so Brock tore it off and handed it to him. “Move, move, move. Don’t stop running!” They got off the plaza and turned a couple of corners and caught their breath for a second. “We have to keep moving.” Everyone started to shout different things at Brock, but he was urging them on again. Rick knew it was pointless when Brock was in soldier mode.
Brock Motherfuckin’ Dynamite
The shell-shocked group met Amy and Mr T as they entered the hotel lobby. Brock hurried everyone to Rick’s room. It took a little while for everyone to come out of their stupor but when they did; questions started firing in every direction. Brock was administering first aid to the dog. Moongirl was crying and begging him.
“Please, please, please. Don’t let my baby die. Please save him. Please, I beg you. Please…”
Brock didn’t respond. It should have been obvious just by watching him that he was doing his best. It had been a while since he’d had to dress a wound. And he’d never done it on a dog. He’d field dressed the Turk once. The hairiest guy Brock had ever seen. He'd shaved him. He needed to shave the dog.
Moon started screaming when he pulled his blade out. Crystal-shattering. Thankfully it went back to begging immediately after.
“I’m not gonna hurt your dog, but I do need to shave him if I’m going to save him.”
Surprisingly enough Rick didn’t make a joke. The severity of the situation was not lost on him. He was maturing...
The blade was sharp, and Brock expertly removed bloodied clumps of hair while Moon held the dog’s head and whispered sweet words. Shrapnel. Burning hot chunks of twisted metal. The dog had three embedded in his left leg and lower back. No vital organs were hit. But those things had to come out before the dog bled out. Brock had Mr T scan the dog to locate the exact position of the shrapnel. Mr T then activated his tractor beam and positioned himself in line with the entry angle. Slowly he pulled out the projectiles. The dog howled and struggled, then settled on whimpering. The things were still hot. Brock closed the wounds and bandaged the dog. He gave it some painkillers and laid it on the bed.
Brock stretched and took a look around the room. Gary was checking the camera bots, and Rick was looking out the window. Brock went over to the holoscreen and switched to the news. The official story was a terrorist group had attacked the Last Human TV crew.
“This is crazy! Why would terrorists attack us! We’re only making TV!” Gary was pacing up and down the room. Brock was shaking his head at Rick. No, say nothing. Gary was still raving on hysterically. “If anything we’re trying to help the colonies. It makes no sense…” Gary turned back to his camera bots. “This makes no sense. I need to review the footage…” He was about to start syncing with the holoscreen when Dave burst through the door.
“What the actual fuck!” The question didn’t seem directed at anyone in particular.
“We don’t know! We were literally just interviewing Moongirl when this ship just opened fire on us!” Rick was going with the TV story. Good.
“Why did you return fire? You’re not security forces or some fucking superhero. We don’t have insurance for this kind of bullshit. There is security drone footage of you shooting fireballs like a blind idiot. You’ve damaged several buildings, injured bystanders and you killed someone.” Killed someone. Brock’s heart sank. Shit just got real. He could see the darkening look on Rick’s face. Gary must have seen it too because he intervened to stop the spiralling.
“If it weren’t for Rick we would've all died. We didn’t have enough Smartcubes to shield us…”
“Shut the fuck up Gary!” Dave snapped at Gary and turned his attention back to Rick who was staring at the floor in disbelief.
“Did I really kill someone?” Brock knew Rick. He wasn’t the type to want to kill someone. But then he thought most people probably didn’t think they’d kill someone until they did. Shit happens and then you die.
“
Yes.” Dave’s anger was simmering now.
“Wow…” Rick stood there dumbfounded.
Brock had seen it. Rick hadn’t aimed or known what he was doing. This was nothing. Strangling someone. Or stabbing them. That leaves a more profound mark on the soul.
“Was he one of the attackers?”
“Yes.” Dave’s answer immediately lifted everyone’s spirits.
“Well fuck him then.” Dave did not like that.
“No fuck you, Rick. You’ve jeopardised the show.”
“No fuck you, Dave! Those fuckers who attacked us jeopardised the show!” Dave smiled a slight smile, an evil smile. Brock saw it.
“Well you need to condemn the resistance and their terrorist actions in the next episode, and you need to go on the Moonland news to do it as well.” There it is.
“Shut the fuck up Dave! We’ll do what we have to, but now is not the time for your bullshit. So why don’t you fuck off and do your job and sort out this PR shitstorm.” Dave tried to hold Brock's menacing glare for a few instants, but he couldn’t for very long. Nobody can. I’m Brock Motherfuckin’ Dynamite.
“Enough fuckery!” And with that Dave left. Everybody seemed to breathe easier once he'd gone. That asshole could suck the fun out a party through a mile-long silly-straw.
Amy and Mr T had just finished syncing with everyone. They were up to speed. Brock was thinking about what to do with Moon and Gary. Moongirl would be a target now. The heavy-handed mercenaries hired by the Agency were dangerously careless. And Gary… It seemed Gary was not in league with Dick and Dave. Everyone was looking around the room, someone was about to speak. It was Amy.
“Right, your attention please.” Gary stopped pacing, Moongirl looked up but stayed on the bed cradling Moondog, Rick turned to Amy, and Brock sighed and took a seat. “Mr T and I have analysed the situation, and it is not good. Gary, Moongirl, we’re sorry you got dragged into this. But this is the reality. The people who attacked Pete will attack again. Everyone that interacts with Rick is a target. That means you, Moon. According to our predictions, you will most likely be the next target.” Moongirl started protesting but was cut off by Mr T.
“Listen up fool!” Mr T cranked up the volume on the holoscreen. The news anchor’s voice filled the room.
“Among the casualties in the Luna City attack was the great journalist John Pilg. His body was found…” The voice dimmed as the volume went down. Mr T was satisfied he’d made his point.
“No, no, no, no, no, no!” Moon went up to Rick. Brock could recognise mounting hysteria when he saw it. Just weather the storm Rick. “What is happening? What is this? Is this part of your show? Is this a joke?” She marched over to Gary, “these cameras are filming right? This is all part of the show right?” Moon was pleading now. Black tears streamed down her cheeks.
“Listen to me, Moon.” Rick walked up to Moongirl and brought her in for a hug. She sobbed as he spoke softly. “Your dream is to find aliens. Right?” That slowed her crying. “There is no reason your dream has to change.” She looked up at him with her teary eyes, and in that instant, Rick looked like he was in love. Fuck. “You have to come with us. We’ll keep you safe.” Moon didn’t seem convinced. Her body language was saying no, but she didn’t break away from the embrace. “You can’t stay here. You have to take your dream on the road. Like I did. People are trying to kill you now.”
“But I haven’t done anything wrong. I’m just a researcher.” Now Moon moved away from Rick and looked around the room pleadingly.
“I’m sorry Moon. You can’t go back to your old life. They will kill you before you can explain your position. You saw it with your own eyes.” Amy floated closer to Moon and tried the feeling sorry emoji face on her display.
“They didn’t attempt to make contact. They opened fire at a distance…” Brock's voice trailed off as he thought back on the attack, “savages…”
“I’ve always wanted to find aliens. So how about this? Let’s find aliens together.” Then in a stroke of madness, Rick went over to one of the camera bots, Steve was his name, and squared up to the lens. “You hear that? The Last Human is going to find aliens! We’re going interstellar!” Brock was signalling Gary to stop recording.
“What the fuck Rick?” Brock hoped Rick would understand this was a question from the inflexion at the end.
“What?” He hated when Rick did that.
“What do you mean what? What the fuck are you doing?”
“Simple. We honour Pete’s mission and John Pilg’s and Moon’s. We find aliens, we deliver Pete’s package, and we report on the situation on the colonies.”
“That won't work Rick! Everything we record gets beamed to the support ship, and we’ll get censored.” Gary had something to say about that. Brock could feel things escalating again.
“Not anymore!” Gary was up, pacing again, he was getting excited. It looked like he’d just snorted a fat line of marching powder. “I’m in! Let’s fucking go guerrilla. Let’s shoot the greatest show ever! We can handle everything ourselves and just beam a finished product straight to Terra. They’ll have to air it. Or we just air it ourselves on Youtube. They can’t control us! They can’t stop us!” Gary started laughing. Probably his nerves.
Rick told Steve to start recording again. “Alright fans! Things are getting crazy up in here! We can’t trust anyone, so we’re going dark! But tune in for live videos and new episodes of Solus Tour: Off The Reservation! Shot guerrilla-style while pursued by vicious mercenaries. Did I hear anyone say BEST SHOW EVER!” Brock still wasn’t convinced and he told Rick that much. “Mate, this is the only way, the fans will protect us. If we don’t keep the cameras rolling, we’ll die a lot faster. Amy tell him this is a good plan.”
“Brock, Rick is right, keeping the show going will make it harder for people to attack us. It is completely unexpected and will put off our true enemy.” Brock hadn’t thought of keeping Gary around and the show rolling. This could actually work. Sometimes stupid ideas are the best ideas. He hated that he'd just had that Rick-thought.
“We’ll see won’t we.” Brock was on board.
“Moon?” Brock could tell Rick was really hoping she’d come with them.
“Well, it’s not like I have a choice. But Moondog is coming too. Also, we need to get my Smartcube before we leave.” No one had said anything, but Brock had found it weird that Moon didn’t have a cube.
“I wondered about that.” Rick too apparently.
“Yeah she’s quite independent, but we’re neural-linked. She always knows where I am and what I’m doing. She’s freaking out right now.”
“OK, we get the cube, and then we get off Moonland.” Nods from everyone. “Oh, and nobody says anything to that prick Dave.” Brock was pleased he’d seen the last of Dave.
◆◆◆
The next hour was spent re-organising their schedule. As far as Moon, Gary and the camera bots knew they were being pursued by some militant terrorists; and it was probably best to keep it that way for the time being. They were booked on a Solus Express to Mars City for the next Terran morning, but Brock wanted them to leave as early as possible. Gary tried to argue that that wouldn’t sit well with Dave. He’d told Gary that Dave could go fuck himself and to upload some clips to the show’s Youtube channel. Once the fans were on board, and they went viral Dave would be powerless to stop them. Gary was swayed by that. The power of the fans should never be underestimated. He’d gotten to work immediately. Moon had gone back to her dog. Brock pulled Rick aside while everyone busied themselves.
“Rick don’t fuck everything up because of a woman!” Brock paused, no reaction from Rick. “Don’t wanna burst your bubble but you realise love is just pheromones producing a chemical reaction that compels living things to reproduce to further their genetic code.” Brock stopped. Rick was smiling.
“That was hot! You’re making me hard! Talk sweet to me some more handsome.” Rick burst out laughing. Brock wanted to concuss him. “Listen mate, this
is a good plan. And Moon coming with us is just… It’s just a happy coincidence.”
“Or unhappy if you ask her.”
“She was in a rut. She said so herself. A bit of adventure is vivifying.” Rick was beaming. Brock sighed. A happy Rick was far more annoying than the usual drunk or depressed Rick. “You know they’d kill her. I’m not lying.” Brock shrugged, Rick was right. They’d tie up all loose ends. No point in arguing with Rick when he was like that.
They left in a hurry, Brock had meant to let them pack but his instincts screamed at him to make haste. The hotel checkout happened without any incidents. Brock was real nervous the whole time Amy was at the counter. He was carrying Moondog in a blanket. The dog was stable but would need surgery. Moongirl was right by him, petting her dog and murmuring loving nonsense. Rick was by the door scanning the street.
Everyone was on edge, but the walk to the train station and journey to the space station went smoothly. Still, no time to relax. They headed straight to the Solus Express terminal. Just as Brock was wondering how they’d ever find Moon’s Smartcube the little fucker appeared.
“Mom!” Mom? The cube came up to Moon, and they touched faces. Interesting greeting. Brock shot a glance at Mr T who noticed and came on the neural link immediately.
“Don’t you think about it fool!”
Moon turned to the others and introduced the crew to her AI. “Mom, this is the Last Human, Rick, his bodyguard Brock and their AIs Amy and Mr T.” Moon waved at Gary and the camera bots. “That’s the director, his AI and the camera bots. Not sure what they’re all called.” Moon’s AI floated around saying hi to everyone. When she stopped in front of Brock, he saw that she didn’t use emojis on her display. Instead, there was a flawless 3D model of someone’s human face. It looked like someone’s head in a box. He wondered if he should do the same with Mr T. It was a bit weird.
“How do you change the display from emojis to a 3D model of a face?” That was not the question the others were expecting. This was one of those things everybody knew, but Rick had never bothered to inquire about. Amy answered.
The Last Human Page 17
