Chapter 1
My mission was easy enough. Find the hunter Arachnid and eliminate him. Not the kind of job I prefer to do, but it paid well, and I'm not one to decline a good paycheque. I met my employer in some dark back lobby. He transported out of a team looking like he had been doing some hard work.
"Challenging?" I tried not to sound sarcastic.
"Yes, very." he said. He didn't look anything special, but I noticed his rank and I knew he had the weapons, money and connections to make people disappear. So I smiled and took the job.
Now I was in a public place. A huge gazebo was built over the square, some tables and chairs underneath. My target was having a double vodka at one of the tables. I was circling it when I noticed her.
She was stunning. She was wearing a purple outfit and it emphasised her perfect shape. She looked like she could handle herself too, a nice array of weapons hung on her belt and the few scars that marred her skin were obviously obtained in battle.
She was focused, like on a mission. I turned to see what she was looking at and it was Arachnid. This was getting interesting.
I found a place to hide and when she walked passed I drew her in and before she knew what was happening I had her against the wall with a dagger on her throat.
"He's my target, and your not killing him."
She smiled. "You better let me go before I shove this in."
I felt a sharp object against my midriff.... she was good.
"Alright, what do you say we both let go and we talk about it?" We eased off
"What makes you think he's my target, Marvelon is it?" She said.
"The way you look at him, I can recognise someone who's about to kill by now. And yeah it is Marvelon, and you are?"
"Subgirl X, who hired you? I bet it can't be as weird as my employer, that's for sure!"
"Some guy called Volt, apparently Arachnid there has been putting the moves on some girl that he fancies."
"Really?!" she seemed agitated. "Well, my benefactor in this case is none other than Arachnids brother, Fryer... He didn't give any details, he just proved his unlimited rating at the bank and promised a large sum of money if I pulled it off."
"I guess we'll have to look into what's going on here" I said. " I suggest we both follow our employers and see what we can find out."
Subgirl agreed.
I asked around about Arachnid and it turns out he had been going out hunting with Subgirl quite a lot. I found out some more about Subgirl and it turned out she had been going out hunting with a lot of people... Volt and Arachnids brother, to name the most important ones. There was a pattern here, I just couldn't see it.
I wandered around thinking about the case when I found myself in a brightly lit lobby. I checked the roster to see who was hunting out of this location when I came across a familiar name. Erebus.
I bribed the lady at the lobby to transport me to the planet. 50 meseta goes a long way in this part of pioneer. I found Erebus in a team in the forest. I spoke to him about the case.
"This whole thing revolves around a woman, doesn't it?" He looked at me as though he was expecting an answer.
Then it hit me! "Your sister!" I said. He smiled.
"Blood make us one, Marvelon." He seemed amused saying it.
With that Erebus ran off, changing weapons as he went.
Chapter 2
Subgirl looked good as ever when she went to visit Fryer. He was pleased to see her (as always) and Sub didn't flinch at using this to her advantage.
"So, what's the deal with Arachnid?" she asked. Fryer manoeuvred around his room. She always found it amazing how he managed to move around without knocking things over. He seemed reluctant to answer though, so Sub pried some more.
"Listen, I found out there's more going on than you tell me. I wasn't the only one out to kill your brother."
"He's not my brother!" Fry put as much emotion in his voice as his modulators would allow. "Not anymore anyway." All his metal seemed in the same place and yet he seemed down.
"It's because of me, us... isn't it" Subgirl turned up the innocence.
"Yes." Fry's modulators barely produced the sound, but it's all she needed to know. She'd been going out with Arachnid, to the chagrin of Fry, so he turned her profession against her. It's not easy being a gun-for-hire, especially not when your hired by a loved up android to kill his brother.
Meanwhile I was at Volt's place. Volt Paced back and forth in front of his weapons rack. The average hunter would kill to hold just one of the weapons on there for a few minutes. Volt was aware of it - that's why he sometimes required my services. Illegal trade, murder, blackmail... Volt was a good customer. One with clean hands and formidable power, one not to mess with.
"What's the deal Volt... You know I don't like being played for a fool, I've known you too long, this isn't a business occasion is it? It's about that newman, Subgirl."
Volt looked up with a look on his face somewhere between surprise, anger and fear.
"I know you fancy her Volt, and that she's been going out with this Arachnid character." I hadn't done my research so I just bluffed.
"Yes, Marvelon, what should I do?" Volt, the great Volt. He would work the ruins for days on end and not get a scratch on him, seemingly without fear. But dealing with a woman was not his strong point, so I found out.
"Well, killing her boyfriend before the first date is usually not a good idea. It leaves a bad impression."
"She doesn't have to know it was me."
"She already does Volt." He didn't stipulate anonymity, and in this case I didn't see it necessary, not towards another hunter in my job.
"Forget it then, take your pay and leave." He picked up an Imperial Pick and played around with it.
I left.
Chapter 3
I simple mailed Subgirl as I left Volt Mansion. I asked her how her meeting with The Fryer went and what she was going to do next. Her reply was short but clear
"Find Arachnid."
I hacked the mail system and found out where she had sent the simple mail from and transported there. I caught her going towards a transporter to Ragol.
I ran after her, and transported down. The forest looked lush as ever, early evening it was but still warm.
"Subgirl!!" I got her attention. She stopped and waited for me to catch up.
"I don't think you should do it, Sub. Volt cancelled his contract on Arachnid and I'm guessing Fryers just lovesick over you."
"That might be true." She looked straight in my eyes.
"Perhaps you just need to find someone with some more sense than these clowns... Volt and Fryer are trying a bit too hard if you ask me and Arachnid just seems caught in the middle."
"Someone.... Like you?" She reached up and touched my shoulder.
"I.. I guess." Was I nervous? Was she coming on to me?
"Yes" I said, "I would be a good choice."
She smiled, and in the sunset we kissed.
Epilogue
Volt went on to become the 6th Principal of Pioneer 2, and after the Clearing first mayor of Firstsite, Ragol.
Fryer became the first published android poet in history and his books were very successful. He killed himself at age 198 when he discovered who created him.
Arachnid went on to marry another newman named Star, they had two kids and lived happily ever after.
Erebus led his parties to glory on many occasions. He retired at old age and opened a mag-shop on Ragol.
Subgirl and I were together for a long time, we hunted together and took on jobs together. We split after a moral row over a blackmail case. Subgirl was killed 4 months later by a drunken ranger.
As for me, there's not much to tell. I drank for a while and did shit jobs for a while after that. I got lucky on a job and obtained a considerable amount of meseta that, through happenstance ended up on my check account. So I retired and am writing to you from the lovely island of Gal Da Val. My beach cabin has a fridge, so come round anytime and we'll crack open some beers and talk about the good old days.
