by K. A. Kerr
A final look at the decapitated body and Tarik saw worms flailing about. He felt like he was going to vomit.
Tarik authorized the transfer and walked out the door without looking back for fear of showing how nervous he actually was. Holding back the urge to run he quickly made his way to the recruitment center. Onlookers stared at him with his shirt torn to shreds, the mix of Gorrex and human blood, and the thick chunks of gore covering the entire left side of body.
2 - The New Jimmy
* * *
Tarik walked as fast as he could without running. The sight of him however attracted far too much attention. With the overlay map showing he only had a few hundred feet left to travel before he made it to the recruiting center he hoped he could find safety before he could be challenged again. As good as he felt about his first kill for money “job” he doubted he could withstand another challenge.
Reaching the door he glanced back and saw a mob of thirty Gorrex rushing towards him. He squeezed through the door before the first challenge could be issued. Not even a city full of Gorrex would risk angering the Coalition of Human Domain Corporations, The might of over four hundred thousand military corporations, not to mention the other five million supporting corporations, would decimate this planet before the Interplanetary Union could even call a meeting to condemn the Gorrex. The pack worlds wouldn’t risk starting up another war, being at a serious disadvantage since the Kami raid started. The Human domains were becoming more powerful everyday having only lost two mining worlds and one population system since the Kami arrived. Most think the Kami simply have no interest in human worlds due to their location. Some humans in complete arrogance say the Kami fear us. Others, like the Gorrex, think we are actually in collusion with the Kami.
In any case he needed to get into a corporation and fast, not only to secure his dream but to ensure his safe exit. If he wasn't taken he'd hoped there was a back way to the transportation center or this would be a short adventure.
Getting to the screening terminal he saw there were one thousand three hundred fifty eight military corporations recruiting. He allowed the machine to take his biography and the number dropped to fifty six. He figured this would happen given his lack of experience. He entered in his new weapon information and that number dropped to four, although powerful the weapon would be too exotic for most small armories to work on.
Sighing, he entered in his application details and was immediately rejected by two of them. He now only had two corporations willing to meet with him. The terminal told him to go to room forty six for personal interviews and displayed a map. He touched the screen and the map overlayed to his retinal implant. One last glance at the door showed the crowd had not dissipated but now stood at over three hundred angry Gorrex.
Arriving at the room he realized how bad he looked and smelled but without a chance to clean up he just hoped they bought his story.
The two corporations willing to see him were both smaller independent subsidiaries but could be a launching pad for his mercenary career. If he was accepted and lived for two years he could get a job at Kill Force or Blue Rain. Maybe even get to put the rifle down and go work for Sol Sphere as security. He liked to think it was destiny but he knew it could only be accomplished through skill. In the meantime he needed to suck it up and go kick some ass. He shook his head; he was getting ahead of himself. The first thing he needed to get through was these interviews.
Tarik entered the room and was blinded by the interview lights. He heard the whispers immediately, heard a door open, then close and an announcement that only one corporation remained.
The lights dimmed and he could see a man rise to get a better look at him.
“Fucking hell kid. Did you swim through a Naxh roach’s cunt to get here?”
“Not exactly sir… I was challenged by a Gorrex and this is the result.”
“You aren't some kind of dead Gorrex fucker are you? You former miners get out here and do some crazy shit.”
“No sir, not at all.”
“Well shit, you won a challenge so I guess I got to hear the story now.”
Tarik went on to relay the story, occasionally asked for more details he recalled every detail he could.
“Well fuck me sideways and call me pampered. That's one hell of a way to make some points.”
Unsure of how to reply to that Tarik thought it best to keep his mouth shut.
“I'm Davius Markterm. Looks like I'm the only one left to offer you a job. So here's the contract. Base pay of four thousand points per month, mission bonuses of two thousand per successful task. Wait, do you know what that means?”
“I think so, but if you could clarify I would appreciate it sir.”
“Well it means that if you're given a task to get something and you do that you get the bonus but if I give you another task, if someone dies and is still a requirement of mission completion you do that task for another bonus. If the mission itself is not complete, you don't get shit. In addition to the base pay and bonus you get the standard boat ride. You were a miner so you should know what that means, right?”
“That means I get lodging, calories and equipment. Is that correct sir?”
“It does, but you also will have boat duties like cleaning shitters and such, covered in shit already I don’t see that being a problem. You will also commit yourself to training, and I do mean commit, you will give it your all or be left on whatever rock I choose. Is that understood?”
“Yes sir”
“Well, now that we know you're not a complete fucking moron, do you accept the terms?”
“I accept the terms sir.”
“Good shit, welcome to Markterm Protective Services. Now first thing is first, stop with the sir bullshit or I'm going to kick you in the mouth. Call me Dav while we are off mission. On mission you call me Redeye. Next, grab your shit Jimmy we’re off to the Beetle.”
“Yes Si--- Dav.”
Dav led Tarik out the corporate door and through a maze of hallways. Corporations were allowed to dock directly so he didn't have to worry about being seen and challenged while here. The got into an elevator and Dav kept tapping furiously at his hand blaster stock.
Dav was slightly shorter than Tarik, although Dav could afford rejuvenation treatments it looked like he rarely went. Dressed in tan clothes he reminded Tarik of the Cowboys in Sol legends. He imagined him robbing a steam powered train or maybe with a whip, exploring ruins. The scars on his neck spoke of countless adventures with limited medical support. Tarik looked forward to hearing more about him and the type of life he lived.
The elevator stopped and Dav stepped out. Just then Dav turned quick and faced Tarik. Giving Tarik the most serious look he could ever recall seeing on a man. Tarik tensed waiting to be scolded or maybe even shot dead.
“Tarik, this isn't kids play. If you wish to live a life of peace it's not too late and nothing to be ashamed of. This job is going to break you down. From the moment you step off that elevator you're on contract. Make your choice now and have no fear of anyone judging you. If you worried about the mob I can task an escort, free of charge. I can see you off this planet without harm and you can live out your days. Step out here and you will live for today but I can't make any guarantees about tomorrow.”
Tarik frozen in place weighed his options. The old man caught him off guard, before this frank conversation this was all Tarik had on his mind, this was his plan for the past ten years. Nobody ever questioned him when he told them, nobody ever thought to tell him it sounded like a bad idea. Then again nobody he’d talked to ever did anything like this, all his acquaintances shoveled rock and ice, maybe they boxed on the side for some spare points. He could go back to Sol or another system. He could get on another mining rig, but he'd be stuck out in the rocks. He'd done that before, that life wasn't really worth living to him. It was a means to an end, a stopgap to come here and join a corporation. He knew the danger and he wasn't going to back down now. With a confident stride he stepped o
ff the elevator.
“Well Jimmy, looks like you're part of the team.”
“Dav, my name is Tarik why do you keep calling me Jimmy?”
“You'll be Jimmy for a good long time to come. Until you earn a nickname anyway, speaking of which, go to the facilities over there and wash up. If you don't I'm sure your nickname is going to be “Chickenshit” when time comes. When your done we are at dock 6-H. “ Dav turned and started walking without a look back.
Tarik rinsed the blood from his hair as best he could but it had already stained his light brown hair with purple and green streaks. His jacket was trashed and scrubbing it seemed to make it worse. He emptied a canister of bathroom freshener on his clothes in a somewhat successful attempt at not smelling like spoiled meat.
Arriving at the dock he could see crates stacked high. High enough to only catch a glimpse of the silver haul of the ship. Dav was close to a terminal, no doubt going over the inventory. Walking up behind him Dav swung around with speed and grace he didn't think the old man had. There was definitely something to this guy; he was deadly to the point that it couldn't be hidden.
“Crates will be out of the way in thirty seconds. Crew is back already, sit on that step there and watch out for the loaders.” He turned again and hit a yellow button.
A buzzer went off on a loudspeaker and the crates shifted into the ship so fast it would rival any courier warehouse. Thirty seconds had passed and the crates were gone.
Before him sat the strangest vessel he had ever seen. Three silver balls each double the size of the previous connected via a small tube. Each ball had two legs coming out of the side. Each leg has three joints to stabilize the ball. It was hard to judge the size of the first ball but it was so big he thought all the cargo that was in the warehouse could fit with room enough for another three just like it. The Beetle was monstrous and beautiful at the same time. The cost to build this death machine was more than he would make in a thousand lifetimes.
“Alright Jimmy let's go. By the way you don't smell like shit some much as you do a shitter. But it’s a clean shitter so I guess that works.”
Again unsure of how to respond to Dav he just followed close behind.
“I have some items that require my attention” Dav seemed less than pleased to say. “So when we get in I'm going to hand you off to Bink. He will get you squared away. He will also blow smoke up your ass the whole time so just let him talk and believe about twenty percent. When you’re finished up with him go to medical, the rest will be uploaded to your log. Questions before I go?”
“How do I know which twenty percent to believe?”
“Smart ass.” With that Dav went through the portal and turned right.
As soon as Tarik entered he was met by a short bald black man. His pudgy stomach did not make sense when you looked at his skinny limbs. The man had a hand extended; eagerly awaiting a shake. Tarik assumed this was Bink, he knew the type. A man who had nobody left to lie too had just been given fresh meat.
“They call me Bink. Dav told me we took on a new Jimmy.” Bink gave a look like he was waiting for Tarik to ask about being called Jimmy. Deciding against stoking that fire he just waited for Bink to continue. “So let’s start with the ship and I'm sure we will meet the rest of the crew along the way.”
Bink started walking with purpose. He turned right and took the next passageway to the left. Pointing to signs along the way, like he needed to prove what he was saying. “So the ship was commissioned forty years ago as part of the Gorrex wars. My great uncle was part of the original crew. The Beetle was supposed to be what every ship was going to look like going forward. It was intended to be an instant troop and supply carrier. The three sections collapse. Kind of like Russian nesting dolls. I have some original nesting dolls for sale by the way. Anyway the final sphere is what translates us from this membrane to the target. We then lock onto the new position, reharmonize with our membrane, and just like that we have arrived. Yeah, the Puncture drive is the best way to travel; I had a friend who once used it to escape a blue giant...”
Tarik knew there were several ways around light barrier but this sounded interesting. Most ships travel the complete opposite of what Bink proposed. The Expansion Drive, pushed the atoms of your ship out and through the upper membranes, and then locked on your destination dragging the mass with it. Travelling through the upper membranes was easier but time also expanded while you were there giving a logical limit around ten thousand times C. If what Bink was proposing is true and the Beetle used a Puncture drive, time would condense and they could travel at sixty thousand times C depending on the navigation computer used. He also didn't know if it was a complete lie. Curious, Tarik brought up a virtual polygraph translator.
Welcome to VPoly! Please state the depth of analysis.
Give me truth, partial truth, and false. Expand on partial.
Settings confirmed.
“...so when the Gorrex submitted the old captain didn't really know what to do. Dav took over and has run the show sense. I still haven't found that one million point chip so if you find it I will give you a finder’s fee. And here is the Dome; most of us spend our time here.”
Partial truth, Unknown if points chip exists.
Bink led the way into a three story room that instantly reminded him of a prison. Cold metal tables, stairs, floors and chairs welded to the floor. Tarik counted five tables in total, one in each corner with seating for eight at each and one in the center. The center table was what could be called a kiddie table, seating for two and easily a foot shorter than the other tables. The table closest to Bink had two occupants, a Dereft who looked like she was about to hit mating age and a Flarr.
The Dereft, are seven foot tall orange Amazon women. Originally the species had two sexes but the Y-chromosome died out shortly after they reached the advanced medicine age. They relied on cloning and were close to collapse when they discovered that humans came from a similar enough tree to allow viable offspring. With young human males being who they were, they joined together to send massive colony ships to Dereft territory. Still in high demand Dereft allow human males to take up to four wives and can stay as a slave for the rest of their lives. This wouldn’t be a bad life if it were for the fact you were a sex slave with no rights whatsoever. There were also castes within the culture who did not allow Dereft to take husbands. Some Dereft bought out the other wives and ate their slaves after they had their first child, starting fresh with a new crop every mating cycle. After learning of this the flow of willing males slowed to a trickle. With only the wealthiest of Dereft matriarchs able to afford the low supply they went out to the human systems to try life as a human female. The culture clash was too much for them to handle and only lasted a few years. Now middle class Dereft take on jobs like this in hopes of finding a mate and leaving him shortly afterwards. This particular one had to be close to mating age and Tarik was ready to volunteer immediately. She was strong, beautiful and looked right through him.
The Flarr were a relatively new species to the territories. Only holding two systems they were mostly overlooked and happy to have it that way. Looking like a three foot tall opossum that spent the night in the rain most humans had no desire to get too close to one. Still they were fiercely intelligent and had fast reflexes caused by a great tactile sense. The offset was the poor eyesight and a massive superiority complex, working with them could be difficult.
“Hey Goddess, Mange, this is the new Jimmy. Jimmy I'm sure you can figure out which is which. You can catch up with them later. Let's go check out the Armory and get your gear.”
Truth.
Just then a very naked, very drunk, very ugly woman stumbled through the door. She had dark but dry skin with large swaths of flaking dead skin clinging to her joints. Easily sixty pounds overweight with rolls of fat on her legs and midsection. She was nude with the exception of a leaf tattoo over her vagina. Her breasts sagged and swayed as she walked. Her unkempt hair stuck out in all directions with thick c
oats of grease. The contents of her mug spilled with every step. Tarik hadn’t seen many naked women in person but was certain this was the most disgusting one he could find in the entire system.
“And this beautiful bitch is Rye. How's it going sweet tits?”
Partial truth. Identification is unknown, but ‘Rye’ is more probable than not subject’s name.
She stumbled towards Tarik stopping abruptly just inches from Tarik's face, she smelled of body odor, alcohol and lubricants.
“Suck my dick Bink. Fuck is this guy?”
“Gladly Rye, this is the new Jimmy. So you want to meet in the shower later?”
“Keep eye fucking me Jimmy and I'm going to rip your cock off.”
Truth.
With that she stumbled to the same door she entered. Apparently she only entered to threaten Tarik, or she was too drunk to remember why she came into the room.
“Damn that's one sexy bitch! Be careful Jimmy, that one is a man eater.” Bink was dead serious. “Anyway let's move on to get your gear.”
Truth.
“Just fucking with ya Jimmy, I’m not into her.”
False.
Bink took Tarik to the left doorway and started walking up a ramp. “So this is the corkscrew, since the Beetle doesn’t have offensive capabilities this would be the main way to repel boarders. If we had taken the right door it work corkscrew down.”
Partial truth. Unknown of full offensive capabilities but documents suggest there are some weapons.
“The Dome is meant to be a choke point but since we don’t do void fights it’s really just a meeting place. Occasionally we get together and play board games there.”
Partial truth, it is doubtful board games are played there.
This guy is a master bullshitter.
Truth.
End Polygraph translator.
Bink completely unaware of his assessment continued unabated “...So when I won the Gorrex challenge they offered me to be part of the pack. Oh and the doors off to the left are crew quarters. You will get assigned by the time we wrap up the tour. So the pack leader told me I had to eat the heart of the Gorrex challenger and I was in…”
