Terranus: Renaissance: Book two of the 'Terranus: Origins' series.

by Joe Crouch

  “I’ve heard a lot about you, Zarid,” the man said with a wide grin, “Your exploits in the Silidrius system are almost legendary.” Pulling a chair through the loose sediment the bald man slammed it down in front of his captive, sitting without a care in the world. “Tell me, how exactly did you get past those droid sentries while carrying your target out to safety? I’ve got to say, a lot of the men and women back there are star struck at having you on base.”

  “I’ve got a certain natural talent that others don’t,” Zarid grinned, “Robots are no match for anyone with even a modicum of common sense, the trouble is that they’re predictable, once you learn their patterns it becomes easy.”

  “I suppose you’re right,” the man admitted, lifting his large leg over the other and leaning back, picking at his teeth, “People can be… unpredictable, can’t they? Just when I think I can trust someone then boom,” he motioned an explosion with his hands, “It all blows up in my face.”

  “Trust and expectation are two funny things, they often go together but are not mutually exclusive, you can trust someone and expect nothing, receive nothing in return for that,” Zarid said, lifting his feet out from the sand. “You can trust me, big boy, just untie these and I’m all yours.”

  “You’re mine already, filth,” the man shouted, landing a fist across Zarid’s face, “Anymore of your cheek and things will only get worse and trust me, things can get a lot worse.”

  “My cheek?” Zarid questioned, “I’ve got two that smell faintly like what’s coming out from the rubbish heap you call a mouth.” His insolence garnered him a second punch across the face, the man’s large fists hurt far more than he let on, he allowed himself an inward wince with every hit. “That all you got?”

  “I like you, Zarid, I really do, I wish we could work this entire situation out then you could come and work for us, but unfortunately, we cannot,” he said with no emotion. They sat for a few minutes in silence, Zarid spat out the pooling blood until eventually speaking up.

  “So, the least you can do is tell me your name if you’re to be my judge, jury, and executioner,” Zarid said, looking the man dead in the eyes.

  “I’m Za’Arm, and don’t worry, there’s no way I’ll be your judge or your jury, your fate has already been decided,” Za’Arm said, landing a clenched fist down onto the top of Zarid’s skull. With his vision blurring, he concentrated on the mountain that sat in front of him, “So tell me, where’s the haul you and your ex-team stashed? We’ve searched Emeio all over but found nothing, a few words from you could make this whole thing end quickly, you want that, don’t you?”

  “I’ll never tell you,” Zarid wheezed, spitting blood at the man. With a final crunch to his jaw, his head snapped back and his vision faded to black, for now, the beating subsided, but no doubt he would be back.

  ***

  “Let’s just leave!” Taris boomed, “I like the guy but it’s not worth risking Remulus or the Veterum discovery on a lowly Fre.”

  “I knew you had something against him or his race,” Sean professed, furious at the attitude the Ioution had taken up since everything went down. The three of them stood in the spaceport, sifting through the light armament of weapons a crew had brought down from the Mar’Ell. “Ever since he came aboard you’ve been dismissive of him, do the Fre and Ioutions have a storied history or is it a prejudice you carry alone?”

  “That’s unfair and you know it,” Taris said, poking him in the chest, “I’ve been nothing but nice, if I seemed distant it’s because I don’t trust him or that Theran we brought aboard, this isn’t a fucking circus we run, it’s an advanced military warship and is no place for a sideshow.” Sean went to reply but was held back by Fez, the captain didn’t want to see his crew infighting over a decision he would ultimately have to make, so to put a final halt to the hostilities he spoke up.

  “This is my decision, both of you are right in your own ways, he joined this crew to change his life, make a new start for himself, for us to abandon him now would be cruel,” Fez said while handing out blasters to the group. “First, we need a plan of action, I say we ask around the spaceport and in town for any leads on mercenary Fre gangs that have taken hold here if anything actionable comes back to us we act.” Nodding in unison, the team agreed to stick together and question the locals.

  Working together they began interacting with the bustling crowds which moved swiftly through the area, few people had the time or inclination to stop and chat. They were pushed, barged, cursed at, all for asking a simple question, either the gang was well concealed or the people of the planet were hiding something. It was only when a scraggly looking Fre approached them that they got their first lead.

  “I heard you’re looking for a mercenary gang around these parts,” the man spoke, almost seeming to hiss towards the ends of his sentences, “I’ve seen something like that on my travels but information is never free.” The crew silently judged the man, looking over his worn and beat down demeanour with a curious but careful eye.

  “Of course,” Fez said, stepping out in front of his crew, “Name your price and we will see if we can come to an accord.” Darting his head about, the man scratched at his unkempt beard, he seemed on edge which in turn made the team wary of the whole situation.

  “Ah ha!” the man declared, raising a long finger up into the air, “How about one of those blasters you have there? I saw that box of weapons your friends brought for you, one less won’t affect your ship at all.”

  “Ioution Fleet doesn’t share weapons technology,” Fez replied without hesitation, “Think of something else you desire.” Slapping the side of his dirty face, the man clawed at his long, greasy hair before smiling, revealing the few teeth he had remaining.

  “… Credits?” he asked cautiously, not wanting to appear a beggar in front of the imposing, righteous captain.

  “Credits we can do,” Fez answered, “How does a thousand sound? That should be enough for almost any of your needs.” With wide, expanding eyes, the man nodded furiously cupping out both of his hands as the captain dug through his own pockets before placing four chits in the man’s hands.

  “Thank you so much, sir, may the three Gods be with you,” the man said, slowly turning to stroll away.

  “Ahem,” Fez cleared his throat, “The location?” Slapping the side of his head once more, the man dragged them towards the planet’s tourist board. Pinned on its surface was a map of the landmass, with a shaky finger he pointed to a general area, rambling about ‘bad men’ who lived there. With a pat on Fez’s shoulder, the man ambled away with his vision affixed to the chits in his hands, but stopping, he turned back.

  “Follow the screams,” he yelled, “The screams come from the dead who inhabit the area.” With that he was gone, disappearing down an alley never to be seen again. With this new information, they headed out from the spaceport, armed and ready to fight the gang who had taken Zarid hostage.

  The walk through the town towards its outer edge was an interesting experience for the team. Poverty grew as houses became denser and streets narrowed. Dishevelled Fre shuffled along the barren roads, their minds lost as they mumbled incoherent gibberish towards the crew. It was in stark contrast to the relative wealth and welcoming attitude of the beachside, here, eyes were like daggers as people ogled their expensive weapons, licking their lips at the treasure they held.

  The transition through the city went without a hitch, as much as the people desired their items, the heavily armed group were more of a deterrent than a target. Leaving the boundaries of the city they found themselves walking across a rolling, hilly landscape as the hot Sun beat down on them with a relentless force. A variety of trees littered the scenery and arced high up into the afternoon sky, they shared the lands with a lush, green backdrop of alien flora and hot, sparkling sand dunes.

  Panting heavily, Sean slurped on the nib of his water bottle as if he were a gerbil clamouring for a drink. With a laboured sigh, he noticed the team watched him in amaz
ement, unable to decipher the grotesque noises he had just made. “What?” he asked, wiping away the excess liquid from his lips, “I was thirsty… It’s hot out here.”

  “It’s not that bad,” Taris said, “We’ve been on hotter worlds, hell, even some places on Earth are… wait, did you hear that?”

  “Hear what?” Sean asked, stopping to listen to the faint scream that echoed from the distance.

  “That,” she replied, “It’s coming from over that dune.” Slipping and sliding up the face of the large mound, they crested its apex to see a walled-off facility sat in the middle of nowhere. Guard towers were posted at its four corners defending the small, rundown village that had been constructed from dilapidated brick and worn metal roofing. High-pitched screams rang out from one of the buildings on the outer edge of the base sending cold chills down the team’s spines.

  “Is that Zarid?” Remulus questioned, looking uneasy as she dug deeper into the sand.

  “I don’t think so,” Sean said as he looked down his scope to get a better view. A mixture of races strolled casually about the facility all with one thing in common, they were armed to the teeth and ready for combat. He noticed a large wooden gate sat at the front of the base with two guard towers high above it. “This might be a bit too hot, even for us,” he admitted.

  “You could be right, those weapons seem to be Ararea developed, if you learn one thing today it's to not mess with Ararea weapons” Fez replied,

  “Ararea?” he questioned, “Never heard of ‘em.”

  “They’re an Ioution weapons manufacturer, they make some of the best weapons around, whoever is funding this operation has some serious connections,” Fez said. Scoping the facility for a moment longer he turned to the team, “So, anyone have a plan?”

  “I can see a large crack in that wall there,” Taris said, “It might not be enough for us to get through, but someone the size of, oh let’s say a Human might be able to,” she smiled, raising her eyebrows at Sean.

  “Why always me…” he complained.

  ***

  “Ugh,” Zarid shouted as the man’s large fist slammed into his gut once more in the never-ending assault. He had given nothing to the Fre, which meant that his body had paid the price. He was battered and bruised all over from the punches, lashes, and kicks he had received as punishment.

  “Just give me what I want it’s so easy, you could be out of here in a few minutes, albeit in a body bag, wouldn’t you rather the quick option rather than wasting both our time with this?” Za’Arm smiled as he knelt.

  “You’ll never get what you want, Za’Arm,” Zarid spluttered, spitting out a thick mixture of mucus and blood into his face, “Unless that’s what you wanted?” Drawing back his fist, the man went to hit Zarid squarely in the jaw but the door swung open violently and interrupted the attack, giving a brief respite to the wheezing Fre.

  “Sir, we intercepted the group near the spaceport, they were trying to leave Sarimunio, we managed to kill an Ioution and brought his body back here for your inspection,” the lanky Fre said with a wide grin on his face.

  “Very well, let me just finish up here, dismissed,” Za’Arm replied. Hatred and anger flushed through Zarid’s body and in a fit of rage he planted his feet on the floor and pushed. The rickety bolts keeping the chair in place began to rock and loosen as he applied pressure. With a loud crack, the chair snapped at the legs sending him to the floor in a cloud of dust. He watched as Za’Arm approached, ready to inflict the final blow on his captive, but Zarid had other plans, with a loop around the broken legs of the chair, his tied hands were freed, albeit still stuck behind his back. He scrambled about in the dirt searching for anything to use as a weapon as the stomping of his executioner grew closer. The tips of his fingers rolled over a splintered metal leg, so with a firm grasp he picked it up, placing it against his back.

  “I’ve got you now,” Za’Arm declared as he rushed towards him. Turning on his heels, Zarid pointed the sharp end of the makeshift weapon towards the onrushing bull and rushed backwards himself. With a fleshy pop and a ghostly breath, the large man dropped to the ground in a pool of bodily fluids. Kneeling, Zarid dug the weapon gently into the man’s throat, listening as his flesh parted with a satisfying squelch ensuring he would never be able to cause him trouble again. He slumped to the ground and gasped for air as the humidity around him grew to uncomfortable levels, sweat dripped from his arms and nose as he lay there, just for a moment. With a violent shake of his head, the EM band attached to him slipped off, he could access his implants once again, how useful they would be, he wasn’t sure.

  As he rolled onto his side he pushed himself up and began clawing at the poorly constructed wall, trying to pull the bricks away from their holdings. And fall they did. One by one the loose stones fell away, pooling into a pile of debris at his feet as an opening began to form. His escape was just beginning, there were many more obstacles to face outside, the crew aren’t coming for me he thought, digging his arm deep into the wall, dragging back a slab, why would they?

  ***

  “I’m never going to fit through here!” Sean whispered angrily as Taris and Remulus tried to push him through the tight gap, “Stop, stop, STOP, you’re killing me,” he wheezed.

  “Alright, alright, you cry baby, let’s pull him out,” Taris huffed, yanking at one of his arms until he came flying out, crashing into her contorting them both into a ball of flesh, “I hate you so much,” she groaned. Untangling themselves, the trio rushed back up the dune and reconvened with a disappointed father-like figure in Fez who offered nothing more than a sombre shake of his head in reply.

  “So, what do we do now?” Remulus asked, sharing confused, vague looks with the team who could think of nothing more.

  “… I could blow the wall up,” Taris suggested after a moment of silence.

  “NO!” the others yelled in unison, “In and out without anyone knowing we were there,” Sean said, looking out over the complex through his scope, “If they even get wind that it was… wait…” he paused, flabbergasted, “Is that Zarid crawling out from that building?”

  “Where? Let me look,” Taris said, zooming her scope down upon the facility. The crew watched on in absolute amazement as the lone Fre darted between buildings, hiding from the patrols which strolled about.

  “We should really do something about this,” Fez said, observing the action below as if he were watching a film.

  “Yeah…” Sean sighed, “You’re right, but he seems fine, why interrupt a great story?”

  “Nope, he’s not fine, a guard just grabbed hold of him and they’re struggling on the floor together,” Remulus interjected.

  “Enough inaction,” Taris boomed, standing tall, “Let’s get this party started.” Drawing her XR-61 the loud whirr of the capacitors spooling up grew louder with every passing millisecond. Before they could stop her, a concentrated blast of energy ripped out from the weapon demolishing the wall below, debris scattered everywhere as it was almost vaporised into nothing but a cloud of dust. “See how easy it is?” she grinned. Loud, pulsating alarms began to rhythmically blare from the base. Hiding their excitement behind their scornful faces, the crew pushed themselves up and charged down the hill with their weapons drawn, luck was on their side as the nearest guard tower was unoccupied but the free ride, they knew, would be short lived.

  High-velocity rounds impacted besides them, tearing large chunks from the outer wall. Scattering, they took cover behind the two nearest buildings and fired blindly around the corner down into the narrow gap between the structures. They continued to exchange fire as energy roared overhead, heating the air around it as it passed, throwing the loose sediment of the ground up into the air creating a thin haze between the groups. Kneeling, Taris crawled in tight to Sean who stood flat against the corner, she charged her weapon and let off a powerful round towards their target. Pieces of stone and brick ejected outwards into the air as three men were blasted back, this gave Sean and Fez a chance to op
en fire on the exposed enemy.

  Taking aim, Sean aimed for the man who lay closest to them, he clawed at the sand, looking for anything to help move him along quicker but it was futile, with a light pull of the trigger his repeater spewed out multiple rounds. In a literal flash, the man’s life was ended. The assault continued, but with a dull thud, a blinking device landed at Sean’s feet.

  “Grenade!” he shouted. Time almost seemed to move in slow motion as he watched his team each dive away, getting as far from the device as possible, but he froze, his sight fixed onto the small sphere which sat so serenely below him. Instinctively, he raised his arm to cover his face and in a flash of bright light the Veterum device still attached to his arm snapped into life to form a protective shielding. In a blindly hot flash, the grenade detonated and sent him crashing backwards, a pile of sand built up behind him as he skidded through the loose ground. “This is the last holiday I go on with you,” he growled as he dragged himself up and rushed back to his corner.

  As the fight raged on, a faint crunching of sand came from their left, “Footsteps!” Fez yelled, running over to cover their flank, but as he poked his head around the corner he watched as a drained Zarid limped towards him. “It’s Zarid,” he shouted.

  “Good to see you came for me,” Zarid said, wrapping a single arm around the captain’s shoulder for support, “This is why I didn’t want to come to this damned world.” Shuffling along, the team formed up behind the injured Fre protecting him from the line of fire, Sean’s shield buzzed and flashed as rounds ricocheted harmlessly off its pulsing, wave-like surface.

  “Guard tower,” Taris shouted, bringing her weapon up to destroy the structure before the person stood atop it could open fire, but she was too slow. With a crack, a single round arched out and ripped a hole through Zarid’s shoulder, moments later the tower was engulfed in flame as Taris obliterated it from below. Dropping to the floor the Fre cried out in pain, Sean stood above him deflecting any incoming rounds, Fez wasted no time in grabbing the injured crew member and threw him over his shoulders to begin their ascent up the steep dune.