Farscape Tracker (2) “Well since you need it in a hurry and I’m going to have to stop from working on my other customer’s ships and…” “ JUST tell me how much?” “Fifty thousand…and I want it in borinium.” “Not a problem,” he replied and started to walk away. “You bounty hunters are all the same, frell even remind me of peacekeepers, rude and arrogant, always demanding and never saying thanks. Humph just like the sebacean that was here with my flyboy, she was pushy and quick to the draw.” He quickly stopped and turned around, “Your flyboy; he isn’t sebacean?” “No he’s not. Haven’t you been listening? But the peacekeeper he was with is,” she said sarcastically. “They were both stranded here when this ship, I mean a ship that they were flying around in doing some frellin tests broke down. Being the caring, selfless person that I am, I gave them some help…for a price.” Traynor just smirked. She continued, “Then the others on board the leviathan, a luxan I think… came down and something happened with some bounty hunters and a wanted beacon. I can’t remember the rest. All I know is that I got paid!” she chuckled under her breath. “…And I intend to cash in on the rest very, very soon.” Traynor could not believe his luck, “Did you know where they were heading?” “Why? Aim on collecting on the bounty? If you are then I get half.” “I did not mention anything about a bounty or is it that you are concerned about your flyboy coming back to claim his ship?” he retorted. “Umm…fair enough and the answer is no and I don’t give a garanta’s brax where they went. All I care about is getting paid.” “How long before its ready?” Traynor asked. “8 maybe 10 arns. Fast enough for you?” “Wonderful.” “ Good, now get out of here I’ve got work to do.” “Where’s the beacon?” “There used to be one right outside the depot but that peacekeeper took it with her. There are a couple more scattered around here but couldn’t tell you where any of them are.” Traynor turned and began to walk away, “Remember borinium!” Furlow shouted back at him. “I KNOW,” he replied without looking back. 10 arns to fix the power cell, she was good he said to himself as he listened to the wind and the sand hitting the depot and could tell that the storm was dieing down. He headed to the hospitality level to get something to eat and let things get settled around the depot before he went out to look any of the beacons. He made his way back down to the surface level and followed the catwalks that led to the entrance way to the surface. 5 arns had passed since the storm ended and he was anxious to find a beacon and maybe talk to some of the natives to see if any of them may have remembered anything about what had happened with the luxan and the others. The doors to the depot open up and the sun hits him directly in his face and Traynor reached for his sand goggles and put them on. He was surprised to see so many people moving about continuing to go about their business as if the storm had never passed. As soon as he was clear of the doors he made his way about the square to see if he could find another beacon. He asked a local merchant who was again setting up shop and he replied that there was one right over there and he extended his left and pointed with his fragile fingers to the far end of the square and said that he remembered seeing bounty hunters clamoring around it before someone took it away. Traynor then headed outside the square to see if any other beacons had survived the storm and the countless others that have come and gone. He knew that it was a useless exercise but he had to try to look if only to justify getting sand in his boots. As he walked by the spot where the beacon used to be he saw something running towards him but he couldn’t make out who or what it was only that it was in a hurry and it was carrying a pulse rifle. Traynor drew both of his pistols and aimed both of them towards the object that was coming at him. He stood there not moving and waited for the target to get closer. Finally he was able to make out what the figure was and he relaxed a bit as it came closer. “Move! Get out of my way!” Traynor didn’t move he knew that vorcarion blood trackers were all talk and that they take advantage if you show any weakness. The blood tracker side stepped Traynor and went directly to the spot where the beacon once lay, sniffing all around trying to pick up the scent. “Out of my way hunter, this is my bounty!” “I don’t know what you are talking about. Bounty? What bounty? I don’t even see a beacon let alone know where to find it,” Traynor said hoping that he would take the bait. “The one here is gone. I am trying to remember the scent. I lost it on Cenacka there it disappeared, filthy race the cenakaians, too many scents to strong, I needed to come back to reacquire the scent but it is now gone. It seems that they have escaped me for good.” “Shame that I can’t help you, if we only had a beacon…” Traynor said coyly. “COME follow me,” he snarled, “ My home, I have a beacon, collected one before they were all lost, to help require, remember.” “Have you forgotten how they look already?” Traynor said knowing that vorcarions had bad memories as well as not being able to count. Snarling, “Of course not. I look at the beacon for clues, help. I never forget. Hunter, what is your name?” “Traynor Dekksin.” “ I am Rorf the finest blood tracker in the system. This is my bounty and I will KILL YOU if you steal it.” “Don’t want the bounty just trying to help a fellow hunter, but if you don’t want my help…” “I NEVER need help. However I will allow you to help me and in return I promise not to kill you. My mate is with child and the hunt is longer with only one but I cannot risk the life of my child and woman. COME we shall see who needs help,” Rorf said motioning to Traynor to follow him and turned his back to him and started to walk. Sloppy…never turn you back on someone you don’t know Traynor thought to himself as he followed Rorf and rested his hand on his right pistol just in case Rorf decided to make any sudden moves. “Leave your weapons outside.” “Why?” “Because this is my home and I wish it. If you do not like it…” he said raising his pulse rifle and aiming it at Traynor, “You may leave…but dead.” He took off his holsters and placed them on the ground and then removed his shoulder holsters and gave them to him and followed him through the door into a foul and damp home. Traynor looked around and saw the basic living needs, blankets, chairs, and several weapons lying around. He moved to the center of the room where he saw chains that were suspended from the ceiling that were attacked to some type of table. He walked over it and saw that it was designed to torture its victim, very slowly as well as incarcerate them, similar to what peacekeepers used. “That’s where we tortured the luxan. Strong but we managed to break him down and get what we needed,” Rorf said proudly as he put his rifle away. Traynor was leery of what he said, blood trackers were also known to exaggerate quite a bit. “Stay here. I must check on my mate and child. I will bring you drink.” “Not necessary. The beacon?” “If you refuse to drink with me,” he snarled, “I will not allow you to see the beacon.” “Thank you for the drink,” Traynor replied watching Rorf go into another room where his mate lay sleeping and waited for him to return. Rorf returned with a flask of fellip nectar in one arm and the beacon under the other. Traynor was surprised to see the nectar knowing that it was hard to find at least this deep inside the Territories. He placed the beacon down on the ground and took a seat then opened the flask and took a long gulp and handed it over to Traynor motioning him to take a drink and he did. The two sat there drinking the flask then another and another, both of them waiting for the other to pass out. Finally Rorf spoke, “Why do you seek the beacon?” “ I want to know what the bounty is. Just curiosity, I have no intention to collect it.” “Good. Only the best hunters can expect to track this bounty you do not concern me, if you must have your curiosity satisfied here,” he said handing over the beacon. Traynor did not reach for it; he did not want to touch it. He suspected that High Command might have enhanced the beacon with a DNA sampler, a device implanted in the beacon that would take a sample of the person who touched it and matched that against the bounty. Sometimes the hunted looked at the beacons to see how much they were worth, once they activated the beacon and the sampled matched, the beacon would inject them with a paralyzing agent that was instantaneous and a signal would be sent out to High Command as well as to any command carriers that were nearest to the beacon so that they apprehend them. But the DNA sampler also contained samples from everyone that High Command wanted alive or dead. “No this is your home, your beacon, I would be honored if you turned it on.” Rorf snarled, “Good. You know your place. I will turn it on,” and he took one more gulp of the nectar, fell back in his seat, turned on the beacon and passed out. A holographic figure began to appear and before the figure fully came to form Traynor blurted out, “…Crais…” The hologram came to life, “ATTENTION this is Captain Bialar Crais…” Traynor was extremely surprised that that Crais had risen to the rank of Captain and commanded a command carrier. “…Very good Crais, I knew you could do it…” he said angrily and sarcastically, “…long way from being a farm boy…” He felt uncomfortable with beacon, hoping that there wasn’t any other device that was hidden in the beacon and somewhat upset that he broke his vow. He stood in the corner of the room hidden among the shadows as the hologram spoke and avoid direct contract with it fearing it and listened as the hologram continued about the bounty. When it was finished he was curious as to why the peacekeeper wasn’t mentioned. He understood that this wasn’t a normal bounty, to have a commander carrier go after an escaped prison ship is never head of neither is the non-deployment of a Retrieval Squad. Traynor knew that this was personal. Crais must have some how managed to get permission from High Command as well as the Counsel to after the ship himself. That still left the question as to why High Command would allow him to do this, what there motives were and still left opened the question as to what his retainer wanted with the ship. He walked over to where Rorf lay and took the flask out of his hands and took one last drink and threw the empty flask at him. Traynor walked out of the room and went out to look at his ship to find out how deeply she was buried. The beacon left him with more questions than answers, but at least he knew who his biggest threat was…Crais. A squad of soldiers stood around the entrance of Attan’s heavily armed. They were posted there on orders from General Outha to not only protect his establishment but for intelligence purposes, to report back to him who was patronizing the bar, and to put U’ave’s mind at ease. Attan walked buy a group of soldiers all of whom acknowledge him by nodding their heads. Attan was uneasy with this arrangement but he had no other choice, either comply with the order or face the reality of shutting down the bar and the possibility that U’ave has found him out. He would have to tolerate the situation and do nothing more that can raise suspicion. But this wasn’t only happening to him, other merchants, and bar owners in the city have also felt the vice tighten. More soldiers have been deployed to patrol the streets “for the safety of the people” U’ave’s order declared, but safety wasn’t an issue when it came to interrogations. Something must have happened that spooked U’ave and he was making sure that nothing would hurt his interests and that his brother remained as head of the house. He entered the bar and saw that Elantras was busy as usual and saw that U’ave had arrived early and had taken his seat at his “private table.” “Attan? How much longer will we have to deal with the soldiers?” Elantras asked. “As long as we have to. We can’t do anything that can bring trouble… at least not now.” “You know business is way down. I don’t know how you can keep this place open.” “The same way you meet your needs Elantras, by keeping our business options open.” She knew exactly what he was talking about; her smuggling business was hurting too. “We do what we must but even that is beginning to suffer,” she said worried. “Don’t worry, this will pass. Either U’ave will loose money or someone else will and that will cause trouble…and nobody wants to loose money.” U’ave sat at his table and was drinking alone, every couple of microts he looked up, waiting for someone to come into the bar and he grew impatient. He wasn’t in his usual mood, being very curt and direct, not his usual style, but he felt his time was running out, and for the first time he felt pressured and this he did not like. He looked up once more and saw the figure enter the bar and he breathed a sigh of relief. He put on a fake smile and spread out his arms in a welcoming fashion. “You’re late,” U’ave said annoyed but still smiling, “I have little time as it is.” “I’m sorry it could not be avoided. I had to take certain precautions. I’m sure that you can understand that.” “Of course,” U’ave replied, “Did you land undetected?” “Yes as per your instructions, the control port managed to mask my landing and relayed your orders. I am sure that no one, other than you and the General know that I am here.” “Good. But I must tell you that it was quite difficult to cover your abrupt take off the last time you were here. I hope you understand that I cannot tolerate something like that again.” “I don’t think that that will happen again.” “And your brother? Is he still being kept in the dark?” Elantras looked up at U’ave’s table and saw a familiar figure. His back was turned to her so she was unable to get a good look at him. Finally, as he spoke he turned his head to his left and she saw whom it was. Her face grew ashen when she saw him, “Attan…” she said nearly in a whisper, “…it’s him.” “What are you talking about?” “Its him. I ‘m sure of it.” “Who? What are you talking about?” “Him. The night that Traynor got shot. He was there.” “ I thought you didn’t see anybody?” “I said that I couldn’t make out anyone that was there, until now, when he turned his head, that’s the same face that I saw turning the corner when he was running off. And it’s the same person who was talking with U’ave, the one I didn’t recognize as one of your regulars.” “Elantras, you better be sure about this,” Attan said sternly, “Because if you are, then things just got worse.” “My brother knows nothing,” Odosa replied, “His only concern is trying to find one bounty that will pay off his debt. You don’t have to worry about him.” “I hope not, for your sake, if you want to pay off his debt and keep your life,” U’ave said. “We both have interests that are in common, I will not fail.” “When you task is completed you are free to collect on the same bounty that Traynor is working on. How you accomplish it is no concern of mine. 100,000 in borinium, and that my large friend is being very generous.” “You are very kind.” “Kind but not forgiving. What the frell happened? You were supposed to provide protection for the transport, a transport may I remind you that you procured as well as those drunken tavleks for pilots and bodyguards. You could have gotten better mercenaries with the money that I gave you,” U’ave said raising his voice and hitting the table with his fist. “High overhead. The amount that you gave me was not enough. I had to cut the best deal I could with what I had.” “Overhead? OVERHEAD? Do you think that this is your deal? You came to me for help and I agreed on two conditions, that you maintain anonymity and that you keep our guest onboard the transport at all costs, and you have failed miserably at both.”
Copyright © 2002 Rick Mantilla |