“If you do not release these bloody restraints and get me a ship I will tear this station apart, and you really don’t want to know where I will shove the pieces,” responded Nifty very slowly. A crash from behind Duke Ramboe made him spin around. Looking down he saw one of the security guards had fainted, while the remaining five looked terrified. Looking over at Hydroponic he saw the bounty hunter had lit his cigarette and was inspecting his fingertips as if he had never seen them before.
With an evil grin, Duke Ramboe turned back to Nifty. “Hydroponic has a ship and knows Blackarachnia’s hunting methods better than anyone, so you have got a ship and a guide to go with it.”
Hydroponic’s head shot up. “What?”
Duke Ramboe continued, ignoring the bounty hunter. “Once the Doctor gives you a clean bill of health I’ll turn off the restraints and you’re free to go.”
“Well, could you please get the doctor in here now, before I get bored of waiting,” Nifty said in a sweet voice that was even more chilling.
Duke Ramboe indicated to one of the guards to get the doctor and then turned and walked out. Hydroponic jumped down from the bed and fell in beside the bounty hunters’ leader.
“Now you listen. I’m a civilian, you can’t make me go on any missions,” he declared as they got outside.
Duke Ramboe stopped and glared down at Hydroponic before he smiled. “We’re at war and even if you didn’t hold a valid bounty hunter licence I would conscript you. You go, or I transfer you to the infantry on the swamp world of Dreadmarsh. That poor sweet girl wants to go find her husband and there is no way in Sung that I’m standing in her way. Am I making myself clear?”
“My licence expired over five years ago, so don’t try pulling that one,” Hydroponic protested.
“I renewed it the day you got back,” Duke Ramboe announced with an evil grin.
“That’s illegal and against Federation law,” replied Hydroponic, shocked at Duke Ramboe’s blatant law breaking.
“So report me to the Senate.” Duke Ramboe slapped him on the shoulder, smiling. “You will act as a guide to Nifty or I’ll make your life impossible.” He walked off leaving a crestfallen Hydroponic muttering about sneaky underhand tactics.
Guerick Tackful didn’t believe in luck. It was all down to planning and training. So he was at a loss to understand how he had managed to end up being held prisoner. After his run in with Blackarachnia, he had spent a week in a medi-tank recovering from his injuries before heading back to the dreadnought to hunt for clues as to where his target may have gone. It was here that his luck had run out and things had gone downhill. He had beamed aboard what should have been an empty ship; he had seen the mangled armoured suit of the mysterious Mr Fluffy, and a scan of the ship showed no life signs. With him he had taken an away team of four, each man a highly dependable veteran of many hunts and battles. In the cargo bay they had found the crates they had delivered empty. The next surprise had been the crew of Blackarachnia’s ship. They had moved around like robotic zombies, unaware of any events around them as they went about their tasks. The first crew member they had come across they had killed. It was only then that they had seen the black box embedded into the base of the skull. Guerick had seen mind control devices before but never anything like that. It was just after this that they had encountered the mysterious Mr Fluffy. He was very much alive and had built a new battle suit from the parts they had delivered. He stood at almost seven feet of armoured steel, shaped roughly like a human, but the head was that of a cat. Within moments it had killed his men, before turning its attention to him. The suit had some sort of shielding that made his guns useless. Still, Guerick had stood his ground, emptying his guns of ammunition at him. Mr Fluffy had stood still, purring as the bullets bounced from his suit before he struck with stunning speed. He had avoided the first lunge, and tried to radio his ship for aid but couldn’t get through.
Knocked senseless by the next attack, he had awoken in an energy cell within the science laboratory.
To be continued.
All images are mine.
