FSE

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There were a few facts that weren't lost on me. 1. Ania was a jungle planet, you remembered that with each step you took because the humidity and heat were trying to knock me out and 2, If Chy's team member and Sonya's friend had been missing for two days then they'd probably been eaten and three, the conditions in the life guard tower were absolute shit. There were 20 people, 13 humans and 7 Xeno's, which three or four of each species being kids, most of them under ten. While they did have sleeping bags and adequate space, the lack of food, clothes and AC was already taking it's toll on me, and I'd barely been here for an hour. I was tankful that I had web gear, short sleeves and shorts in my ruck because my standard gear would fry my insides. Once I was done changing and swapping Load bearing equipment, I went downstairs and asked Sonya about a man named Marco, as Chy said that he had a map of where their missing people had been going.

"Marco's outside trying to figure out what to do with the ghoul bodies", Sonya said.

"Thanks", I said walking outside. At the edge of the small, 50 square foot parking lot was a tall black man who was pumped up, arms crossed, dressed only in blue swimming trunks and sunglasses, standing over the pile of corpses, looking annoyed with himself.

"Your Marco?", I asked slinging my Fal over my shoulder.

"You must be Skyline", He said holding his hand out.

"That's me", I said shaking his hand.

"Gotta admit I'd never thought I'd get to meet you. I've known Chy for a long time now and not a day went by where she wasn't thinking about you."

"I can't say I'm any different", I smiled, "anyhow, Chy said you had a map of where your guys went?"

Marco reached into his pocket and pulled out a map, a box of cigarettes and a lighter, handing me the map as he lit one.

"Those things will kill you brother", I said.

He sighed as he blew the smoke out, "I know. Funny thing is, I was almost home free, but was still smoking because I was using those patches, then this shit happened and my wife....well she got bit and turned. I've been trying hard these past few weeks not to light up, but I can't help it."

I sighed, "It's my fault...I waited to try and stop Martin too long."

"Whose Martin?, Marco asked taking another puff of the cigarette.

"The man responsible for those bullshit", I sighed, "at least he won't be fucking anyone else over."

"I don't know man", Marco said, "the way your reputation as a Bounty Hunter gets spread around, I think any delays were probably caused by forces of the Lord."

I smiled, "yeah. Tell Chy that I told you I'll be back as soon as I can and if I find your people alive, they'll get back as well."

"While your out", Marco said, "I have something I think you should give attention to."

'What?", I asked.

"As you can see", Marco said motioning to the pile of carcasses, "I have a pile of dead shit here. I need to get rid of this pile of shit before it attracts more of those undead mother fuckers. There's an old gas station along the route where Kyle and Vahq were scouting and I think the pumps probably still work, if you can bring back at least a half a can of gas we can burn these things. Think you can do it?"

"Can't really turn you down now can I?", I smiled.

"I know your a bounty hunter, so I know you don't expect to do it for free, so I'll tell you what", Marco said, "get me the gas, I got a wad of cash with your name on it. Chy said that she and Sonya have met people that are still taking paper money, so you might find it useful."

"I somehow doubt that I'll run into a trader, but I'll be on the look out for them", I said, "I'd get you the gas for free, but if you feel like you should pay me, I will not stop you."

Marco smiled, "I'll open the gate for you."

Marco opened the gate for Alcatraz and myself, shutting it behind us as I handed Alcatraz the map.

"Check that and see where it is that they were headed", I said.

Alcatraz unfolded the map as we continued walking up the road. There were wrecked cars, blood stains and even piles of half chewed meat strewn all over the parking lot. I sighed at myself. Blood and meat was a scene I had become a little too accustomed to in my years as a Bounty Hunter, but despite that, helping out people who needed it was worth a few nightmares.

"Looks like we just keep following this road", Alcatraz said, "the first intersection we come to is where the gas station is located."

"Alright then", I said, "you want point?"

'Sure", Alcatraz said going ahead of me. We went for another hundred or so feet before Alcatraz walked off the street to a pile of luggage bags, some open, some not.

"Search them?", He asked

"Hell worth taking a look", I said, "I'll keep an eye out for creeps."

Alcatraz nodded to me and began going through the bags. I crouched down to make myself a lower profile for any still living enemies, holding my FAL at the ready. We'd been there for let's say about a minute and a half when I spotted one human shamble out from behind a nearby crashed truck. He slowly slouched over a hump in the road, giving me the same thousand yard stare that the big ghoul at the tower had. I slowly raised my rifle, placing the dot on the ghoul's forehead and pulled the trigger. A faint crack went through the air as the man silently dropped onto the pavement.

"Zombies, Ghouls, Mutants, Crazy Scientists, Vine People, Animals that can jerk Giant trees out of the ground and flesh eating plants", I sighed, "I do so love my line of work."

"I hope that was sarcasm", Alcatraz said picking up his shotgun.

"It was", I said as we continued on, "up until today I thought zombies were science fiction."

"I don't think there zombies Skyline", Alcatraz said, "yeah they act like zombies, but just because it acts like a duck doesn't mean it is one."

"What else could it be?", I asked.

"A goose?", Alcatraz shrugged.

"Fair enough", I said as we came to a curb in the road, which had ambush written all over it. There was a huge, boarded boulder right next to it that was covered in vegetation, however, which means someone in it could turn the tables very easily.

"Hold up", I said lowering my voice and crouching down, "this corner is a good spot for an ambush. Get up on this ledge right here and cover me, at least that way if there's an ambush waiting for us we can counter."

Alcatraz nodded and stowed his shotgun on his Exo, climbing up the broads and disappearing into the grass on the moss covered boulder. Once I was sure he was in place, I walked around the corner, trying to look as casual as I could, but keeping my rifle ready to go at the first sign of trouble. Though the scene that greeted me pretty much guaranteed that no one was waiting to jump me. For the next 1000 feet ahead, there was nothing but a gratuitous death scene. There were smashed and over turned cars, a fallen tree that had been pushed out of the way, blood staining the black asphalt, broken, bloody, sharp bones that were missing their skeletons, decapitated heads, severed limbs and several ghouls feasting on the bodies of the lucky victims.

I sighed, "is there no end to what people are willing to do to each other? Look at your mess Martin."

Without risking allowing one of the ghouls to notice me, I raised my rifle, placed the dot on the head of the closest ghoul and sent the round downrange. The back of the Xeno's head popped clean off and he slumped over, dead before he hit the ground. I was moving to the next closest ghoul, a human covered in the Chitin growths, when I noticed that the blood of the Xeno I'd just put down wasn't eating into the asphalt like it should.

"No acidic blood?", I asked myself as I dispatched the second target, "that can't possibly be right."

It was one target after the other, pop, pop, pop, as fast as I could pull the trigger. I cleaned out my current magazine and was reaching into my web gear for a fresh one when I noticed that there was still a pack of them, partially Chitin covered human, partially Xenomorphic with varying degrees of growth and decay, shambling steadily toward me. I pulled the magazine out of it's pouch and used it to click the empty one out of place, sending it to the hot asphalt down below with a tinny sound. I clicked the new magazine into place and turned the gun sideways to get at the charging handle without taking my finger off the trigger. I placed the reticle on the nearest forehead and once again began popping them as quickly as I could, now aided by devastating head level blasts from Alcatraz Remington 870. Once Alcatraz joined the fight, we made very quick work of the ghouls.

"Clear on plane", I said over the radio reaching for another magazine, "What do you have on your level Alcatraz?"

"I don't see any more damn zombies", Alcatraz said, "Your clear for now. I also have eyes on what looks to be a paramedics truck that might still have supplies in it."

"Rodger", I said, "I'll have a look."

I picked up my two spent magazines and placed them in the drop pouch on my leg before moving up the road to the crashed medic truck. There was a Nissan Cube smashed into the front of the truck and while the cube was basically gone, it had taken the truck and sadly it would seem the paramedics, with it to the afterlife as I could see a bloody arm still clutching a gold cross necklace.

"Ouch", I said sliding the necklace into a small space inside the cabin, insuring it wouldn't get stolen. I the moved onto the bed, where I found a paramedics bag, still packed full, along with a few bottles of pain killers and a plastic trunk that was locked with a key code.

"Key code my tail", I said pulling out my combat knife. I pulled the trunk from the bed of the truck and jammed the knife in between the key pad and the box, prying it off and then using my claws to jimmy the lock open manually.

"Success", I said opening the box, finding a defibrillator along with two more medics bags and some water bottles, "annnndddd jackpot", I smiled at myself.

"Hey Alcatraz", I said into the radio, "get down here, I wanna show you something."

"Hang on", Alcatraz said, "I wanna deal with this ghoul hanging by her neck."

"Rodger that", I said clipping the box closed, beginning to wonder how we could carry it back without a truck. About a minute later, Alcatraz joined me by the crashed truck.

"What you got?", He asked.

"A box full of medical supplies", I said, "it was locked with a key pad which is why I'm assuming it hasn't been looted yet. I wanna hide this so we can come back to it later."

"Okay", Alcatraz said picking it up and walking over to the same ledge he'd just come from, climbing back up, "boost it up, there's a hole over here that should be more than enough to hide it."

I nodded and heaved up the box too him. Alcatraz stashed it and jumped back down. "I could see the gas station from where I was, it's just around this big bend by a stalled tour bus, but it's crawling with those undead vermin."

I sighed, "it's always something. Might as well get going."

Alcatraz nodded and we started down the road once again. As bad as the packs of mutants were, they weren't nearly as punishing as the heat. Alcatraz was pouring with sweat, which was something up until a few months ago was something I didn't think synthetics could do, and my downpipes were open as wide as they could go, if I were a cartoon character they would be venting steam. I was glad I didn't sweat because if I did I would ruin the only clothes I had that were light enough for this planet, which was what I was wearing right now.

"Man how the hell do you even sweat if your body is fake?", I asked.

"Probably for the same reasons you don't", Alcatraz said.

"The reason I don't sweat is because I'm air cooled", I said, "the pipes on my back aren't just there for looks like people think, that's actually a heat exchanger."

Alcatraz sighed, "Skyline, you know something ironc?"

"What?", I asked.

"Actually...never mind", Alcatraz said stabbing a ghoul through the skull with the bayonet on his 870.

"Seriously Al", I said, "what's up?"

He sighed, "did I ever tell you why I had the Exo implanted?"

"No", I said, "why'd you have it done?"

"I had it done...because I wanted to fight", Alcatraz said, "my entire life, all I ever wanted to be was a Bounty Hunter, a solider, some profession that put a rifle in my hands and sent me to as many places as possible. But now, I wonder how you do it."

"Do what?", I asked, "travel a lot?"

He shook his head, "no. I wonder how you sleep at night with all those kills on you mind."

"Who said I do?", I asked, "even the most desensitized to death still have nightmares about it Alcatraz."

'Do you?", he asked.

"Yes", I said, "but never because of someone I killed."

"What do you mean?", he asked.

"It was the second to last job I did, two years before I came out to Biosphere", I began as I bashed through a ghoul's head with the shoulderstock of my rifle, "I was on Hornet 46-A, a lush forest planet, which was a Xenomorph homeworld, though much smaller than Bespin. I was hunting a Xeno by the name of Ruan, his defining feature was his broken visor and it turned out not to be too hard to find out where he slept. I was on the top floor of an old hotel about 1,000 yards away from his house with a Barrett .50 Cal. I was told to go for the headshot."

"What he do to deserve to get put on your kill list?", Alcatraz asked punching clean through a third ghoul's head with his Exo.

"Nothing", I said, "and you know how I know?"

"How?", Alcatraz asked.

"I missed."

"You missed?", Alcatraz asked.

"When a .50 BMG blows your door off it's hinges, the stone cold sniper that Ruan was according to my client, would know right away where I was and react a certain way. His reaction was , "oh my fucking God someone's trying to kill me" and he ducked behind his truck, that, plus the look in his eyes told me I was hunting someone innocent. The crosshair of that Barrett on his forehead is still seared into my brain."

'Wow", Alcatraz said.

"Just remember Alcatraz", I said, "every bounty is optional. Avoid kill jobs if you want, other people will still pay you handsomely for jobs that don't require any deaths."

Alcatraz shrugged as we rounded the corner. At the end of the road, I could see the stalled tour bus along with the four way intersection with a pack of about 20 or so ghouls guarding it. I shouldered my FAL in exchange for my Katana and the Hornets.

"Let's do this up close and personal", I said, "as quietly as possible."

Alcatraz took the bayonet off his 870 and shouldered it as we walked up to the stalled tour bus. I kicked off the fight by releasing a swarm of hornets against two of the zombies, ordering them telepathically to focus their attacks on the head region, which is what they did, dropping them very quickly and hopping from ghoul to ghoul as Alcatraz and I smashed and decapitated anyone who managed to escape their wrath. We made short work of the ghouls, I was just finishing off the last one when Alcatraz spoke up.

"Look, blue smoke."

I looked in the direction he was pointing, finding blue smoke rising from underneath the canopy, fading into the deep blue sky fairly quickly.

"I think we found our guys", I said.

Alcatraz and I ran over to the gas station, arriving just as a gunshot rang out and a ghoul fell face first into a puddle of gasoline.

"Stay back or I'll shot the parking lot and kill you both!", a female's voice shouted from inside.

"Vahq", I shouted, "My name's Skyline! Chy sent me and my friend Alcatraz to find you!"

There was a pause, "then get the hell over here! Hurry up because Kyle's bleeding out."

Alcatraz and I walked carefully over the gasoline and diesel fuel oil slick and to the destroyed convenience store. Vahq unbarred the door and let us in, where we found a store that had been organized to the point of "this is what we found, now let's gather it up and GTFO." In the back of the store on a sleeping bag was a blonde haired blue eyed human male with a good chuck out of his side.

"What happened to him?", I asked opening the paramedics bag.

"Prince Imesee?", Kyle said, "huh, I didn't think I rated that much of a rescue. Don't bother, I've lost too much blood. I wouldn't make it back to the tower in time for Sonya to patch me up."

"I'm not going to leave you here", I said.

"Oh yes you are", Kyle said, "I'm a dead man anyway. I got bit about two hours ago when one of them slipped in behind Vahq's back. I figure I've got maybe half an hour left. I can already feel my mind starting to slip."

I sighed, "will you at least take a painkiller?"

"That would be the best thing you could do", He smiled, "overdose me and tell Sonya and Chy I was dead when you found me."

I shook my head, "no, I'm not going to do that."

"Then give Vahq the vile and let her do it", Kyle said.

"No", I said, "I'll give you the painkiller, but I won't overdose you."

"You have to", Kyle said, "if I die by whatever it is they got I'll turn, but if someone else kills me in the mean time I wont."

I sighed and reached for my Automag, "as much as my instinct is going against this, would you rather a bullet?"

Kyle nodded, "if it helps you sleep better, but not before I finish what I came here to do. Hey kid, you with the Exo, help me up?"

"Sure", Alcatraz said. He helped Kyle up and then Vahq unlocked the door to the back alley way, which was fenced off, with a dead ghoul laying in it. Alcatraz walked Kyle a garage that was adjacent to the station with a Ford F-150 pick up in it, looking like a newer model.

"Kid I hope you can drive because Prince Skyline and Sargent Vahq won't fit inside. The seats are all wrong."

"We'll still fit Kyle", Vahq said, "it's just not comfortable is all."

"And stop calling me Prince", I said, "Skyline is fine."

"Anyway", Kyle said, "those two crates in the corner have all the food we can transport out of here."

I nodded, "I'll get them loaded."

"No", Kyle said, "let me do it, I at least have to finish my last mission."

Only taking help from Alcatraz to stand, and gushing from a gash in his side the size of his head, Kyle turned himself pale from loading the crates. By the time he was done, Alcatraz was footing every single bit of his weight and there was blood everywhere.

"The blood is attracting more of those undead fuckers", Vahq said loading all of the store's snack food into the back seat of the truck, "whatever were gonna do, we better do it quick."

"I'd like that bullet now", Kyle said coughing.

I winced, "I keep my word."

I helped Kyle over to an old seat in the corner of the corner of the warehouse and gave him the Royal Salute.

"When I get back to Bespin", I said, "I'll give you a Royal Medal of Honor, you'd be the first recipient in two decades."

"That'd be nice", Kyle said closing his eyes and leaning back, "make sure you get my jaw, that way if I mutate anyway, I can't infect anyone."

I nodded and racked the slide on the Automag, placing on his chin and after a second of hesitation, I pulled the trigger. The huge .50 Action ripped clean through his head and exited the warehouse, leaving a perfect hole clean through his head, but his teeth were history. I winced as I holstered the Automag, the gun hurt my wrist to fire as it is, but I swear, my wrist felt every bit of that shot, it hurt more than ever. I reached down and picked up the shell casing, sticking it in my pocket and then I unbarred the garage door.

"Vahq do these pumps still work?", I asked.

"Yeah", she said, 'why?"

"I need to fill up two of these gas cans for the generator back at the tower", I said.

"We'll need to fill them both at once then", Chy said, "there's a bunch of those damn things coming up the road to get at us."

Alcatraz idled the truck out of the garage and parked it under the canopy as Vahq and I grabbed two gas cans from the garage and started filling it. My can was about half way full when I began to hear the undead shuffling up the road, there had to be about 40 of them.

"How many of those fuckers are there!?", Vahq asked.

"A lot", I replied quickly, "how full is your can?"

"About half", she answered.

"Hurry up", Alcatraz said, "I got a big ass truck with a huge motor parked over an oil slick, not exactly comfortable."

"Shut up!", I shouted, 'at least you can put it in drive and punch it, we'd burn to death."

"It has a manual!", Alcatraz said.

"Well excuse me", I said putting the lid on my can and getting in the truck, taking Alcatraz's place. Vahq threw her can in the bed and jumped in, firing at the undead shuffling up the street with her M1 Garand as I started the truck, put it in first and drove out. On the way back Alcatraz and I stopped for the medical chest from the paramedics truck. Once we had that loaded, it took me a little under a minute to get back to the lifeguard tower, where Chy and Marco were waiting for us. Marco opened the gate as I drove the truck into the parking lot and then backed it into the garage. I killed the engine and stepped out, grabbing the cans of gas and bringing them out to Marco's pile of bodies.

"Got your gas", I said, "try not use it all and put the rest in the generators."

"Good on ya for bringing back so much", Marco said, "I was planing on giving you half of the money I managed to grab on my way out, but here, take it all."

Marco fished out his wallet, counted out 20 100$ bills and handed them to me.

"I'll put it to good use if the chance arises", I said, "thank you."

Marco nodded, "now I gotta hurry up, these fuckers are starting to stink."

Marco and a few other guys who were armed with an AK-47 and a shotgun began to pick up and move the bodies, Alcatraz went to help as Chy approached me from behind.

"I see you found Vahq", she said, "but where's Kyle?"

"He didn't make it", I said handing her the spent shell casing.

She sighed, "How many times you say no?"

"Enough", I sighed.

She clutched the casing tightly and mouthed, "Kyle you stupid bastard."

I stayed quiet.

"Thanks for doing this Sky", Chy said, "every bit helps us hang on a little longer, why don't you come inside and get some rest? Mike got the AC working."

I smiled, "yeah, I could go for that."