Shroud of Doom

  Chapter 11

  Replica

   

  Shellee escorted Rupra and Peeta to a lounge where customers could recover from their encounters with the Seafolken women. She handed them each a cup of sankee and two pills.

  “Take these pills and then drink a couple of cups of sankee. The pills will help clear your head and the sankee will wake you up.”

  “I don’t remember anything,” Rupra complained.

  “Yes, that’s one of the properties of tortiac’s sting. If you remembered all the pleasures you’ve experienced you would become addicted to it and then we couldn’t get rid of you.”

  “But that’s not fair.”

  “Don’t fret about it,” Peeta said. “It’s true your conscious mind doesn’t remember anything, but your subconscious mind certainly does. I promise you for several weeks you will be dreaming about your Seafolken goddess and wake up more relaxed and content than you’ve ever been in your life. The experience is definitely worth the money.”

  Rupra took the pills and washed them down with the sankee. “So, how much did this little adventure cost me?”

  “You were scanned for four thousand credits? Shellee replied.

  “Four thousand credits!” Rupra exclaimed.

  “Yes, our rates are posted by the door. Didn’t you read them before you came in?”

  Peeta laughed. “It’s okay, Rupra. If you’re short on credits I’ll lend you some until you get a job.”

  Rupra sighed. “It’s not that. I have plenty of credits. It’s just that I’ve never paid for sex before. If my family found out—”

  “They won’t. Every man has to experience a Seafolken woman at least once in his life. It’s an unwritten law.”

  Rupra smiled. “I guess you’re right. Let’s get out of here. I need to call Essyria. She’s probably wondering where I am.”

  They got up and staggered out of the side door to the Mighty Jolly and headed toward the subtram station.

  “I’d stay away from her for a day or two. If you see her today she’ll smell the Seafolken scent on you.”

  “What?” Rupra said. “You mean even if I take a shower, she’ll still be able to smell it.”

  Peeta smiled broadly barely able to contain his glee. “I told you this was an experience of a lifetime.”

  “Scutz! How am I going to stay away from her for two days?”

  “Well, you need a few days to arrange your mating. Just call her and tell her you’re leaving the dome to make arrangements for the mating ceremony.”

  Rupra considered that, then nodded. “Okay. That’s a good idea.”

  As they turned the corner they ran into the huge, one-eyed mutant, they’d met the previous day.

  “So, gentlemen. Did you have a memorable weekend?” Eyeball asked.

  Peeta smiled. “Oh, yes. Quite memorable. Thank you.”

  “Good. Now, don’t ever come back here again. You’re not welcome here.”

  Rupra and Peeta frowned. “Why not?” Peeta asked angrily.

  “I’ve been told your friend here has killed a rhutz and is responsible for many more dying.”

  “What?” Rupra spat. “Who told you that?”

  “That rhutz you ran into last night. While you were enjoying your evening I linked up with him to find out why he was so hostile to you. He says you murdered a rhutz in Tributon and sparked a small war between the towns’ people and several packs of rhutz.”

  “How could he possibly know that?” Rupra asked.

  “Don’t you know the rhutz can communicate with each other telepathically. The word got out about you, apparently. I’d watch my back if I were you and stay away from the Mighty Jolly. We don’t need any trouble.”

  Rupra stepped past Giant and walked off angrily. Peeta looked at Giant and shrugged. “I don’t know anything about it,” he said as he ran to catch up with Rupra.

  “Can you believe the rhutz recognized you?” Peeta said.

  “No. I didn’t anticipate that,” Rupra said thoughtfully.

  “What are you going to do?”

  Rupra stopped and looked Peeta in the eyes. “What would you say to a rhutz hunt?” Rupra asked.

  Peeta smiled. “I’d like that,” he replied, “and I have some friends who might want to join the hunt, too.”

  “Good. Why don’t you talk to your friends and when I get back to the dome we’ll find that rhutz and let him know he’s not welcome in Shisk!”

  Peeta nodded. “Leave it to me. I’ll find us some weapons and do some research on the rhutz population in Shisk too. I hadn’t realized there were rhutz in the city. My family will be quite distraught when they learn of it.”

  “Really. They’re not rhutz lovers?”

  “No. Shisk was built to be a model city. A lot of people were upset when they started letting mutants in. You can see how their neighborhoods have deteriorated. It’s a disgrace.”

  As he stepped into his sky cab, Rupra was feeling very good. Peeta had been right. He could still smell the Seafolken woman on his skin and clothing and it was quite intoxicating. Getting reacquainted with Peeta had gone very well too—better than he could have ever hoped. It gave him great satisfaction to know others felt the same way about the mutants and the rhutz as he did and were prepared to do something about it.

   

   

  Artis fell into a deep sleep and began to dream. She was walking through a thick fog and could barely see anything around her. It was deadly quiet and the path beneath her feet was hard but smooth. As she walked the fog began to lift and she beheld a magnificent white crystal city all around her. As she walked through the city she felt the warmth of the sun filtering down upon her. She looked up but saw nothing but bright white light overhead. Suddenly an insect-looking creature appeared before her. It had four legs beneath a half-shell body but also a torso with two hands like a human. It’s head was divided into three distinct parts held together by a thick membrane.

  “Welcome, Artis of the humans!” the Speaker said. I speak for all the nanomite swarmmasters in our colony.”

  “Hello, Speaker,” Artis said. “Are you real or am I dreaming?”

  “You are dreaming but we are real. Thank you for teaching us your language. We have long wondered about humans and are anxious to learn more about them.”

  “That is our wish about the nanomites, as well,” Artis replied excitedly. Your city is magnificent.”

  “Thank you. It suits us well and protects us from the elements.”

  “How are you able to construct such a strong and durable structure? It’s amazing to us humans and is what drew us to you.”

  “Our building techniques have evolved over time. We are a fragile life-form and must be protected from wind and water. Either of these common elements can kill billions of our brothers and sisters if they are not protected from them.”

  Artis had so many questions she didn’t know where to begin. She feared she’d wake up at any moment and lose the opportunity to find out the answers to them.

  “So, will we be able to communicate in this manner in the future?” she asked hopefully.

  “No. Once we have mastered your language we hope to establish a direct link between our swarmmasters and your mind. You may not remember this dream, so we have left you a sign that you will discover when you awake. Hopefully that sign will help you recall our conversation so you will not lose heart and abandon your efforts to communicate with us.”

  “Oh. I see. Well thank you for contacting me. I was getting discouraged.”

  “Yes, we knew you must be and therefore constructed this dream and left you this sign to give you hope. Goodbye for now. Don’t give up.”

  Artis woke up with a start. Sitting up, she looked at her wrist array and was shocked at how long she’d been asleep. She stretched and then rubbed her temples as bits and pieces of a dream danced in her head. She wondered if her subconscious mind had indeed taken over her task of teaching the nanomites the Tari language. I
t was a stretch to think that it would ever be possible. Feeling a hunger pain she went outside to find Poldra and ask her to fix her something. When she stepped outside she saw Poldra staring at something with her mouth open. She walked over curiously to see what had captivated her attention. Poldra looked over at her with wonder in her eyes. Artis looked down at the spot that had captivated Poldra’s attention and gasped.

  A miniature model of the nanomite city had been constructed on their front doorstep. It depicted the city in precise detail and sparkled in the bright sunlight. Memories of the previous night’s dream came flooding into Artis’ mind. She gasped in delight. Tears began flowing down her cheeks.

  “Oh, God and Sandee. We have done it!”

  Artis grabbed Poldra and began dancing around with joy.

  “It’s a miracle,” Poldra said now also crying.

   Faruk and Giant rushed over to see what all the excitement was about. They stopped when they saw the model city and stared at it in wonder. They looked at Artis.

  “You’ve done it,” Faruk said smiling broadly. “I can’t believe it. I thought you were wasting your time. This is quite amazing.”

  “Have you told Threebeard?” Giant asked.

  “No,” Artis said and then closed her eyes to establish a link with her brother.

  “Threebeard! Come to me.”

  Threebeard was working diligently on the computer in the back room of the Mighty Jolly when he felt Artis’ call

  “What is it, Artis?” he thought.

  “We’ve done it! The nanomites contacted me in my dreams and they have constructed us a beautiful monument of their city so there can be no mistake that we’ve made contact.”

  A rush of joy and excitement came over Threebeard. He struggled to keep his composure.

  “Wonderful! That is spectacular news! I knew you could do it. I will come at once to see this marvel.”

  “Yes. Come now. The nanomites want to establish a direct link and they are anxious to talk.”

  “Alright. I’ll be there in a few kyloons. Excellent work, Artis! Excellent work!”

  Just as Threebeard was about to break the link, the ground began to shake violently knocking Artis and Faruk to the ground. Giant staggered but managed to stay on his feet.

  “What happened?” Threebeard asked feeling Artis’ distress.

  “There has been a tremor. A small one luckily. We’re okay?”

  “I’ve been reading reports of tremors all over Tarizon. Hundreds of them in the last 54 kyloons. There’s been a couple in Tributon too.”

  “Really? What do you think is causing it?” Artis asked.

  “I’m not sure. They all seem to be volcanic in origin,” Threebeard noted, “which isn’t unusual except for the large number of them.”

  “And this is happening all over Tarizon?”

  “Yes, I’ve been monitoring seismic activity on the global web. There’s activity on every continent.”

  “So, what should we do?” Artis asked.

  “Take some pictures of the model city in case there are more Earthquakes. If it gets swallowed in a fissure I want to be able to prove we’ve made contact. Check the ground around you too. If you see any cracks you may want to relocate the camp.”

  “I wonder what the nanomites are thinking. I bet they are worried about the quake,” Artis said.

  “Well, hopefully you’ll be able to talk to them soon and find out.”

  “I know. Won’t that be wonderful.”

  “Yes. I’ll see you soon. Be careful.”

  Artis broke the link with Threebeard and then looked at Giant. “You need to check the camp for cracks. If a fissure opens up around here we don’t want to be in the middle of it.”

  Giant nodded and started walking around the camp examining the ground carefully. “Faruk,” Artis said. “How far away is the nearest volcano?”

  Faruk looked off to the west. “Mt. Alabash is about a hundred kylods from here, I believe.”

  “Good. It shouldn’t be a direct threat then. I wonder if there is any way we can secure this model of the city. I’d hate to lose it if there is another tremor.”

  Faruk looked at the magnificent replica. He noticed a notch etched all around it, so he went over to inspect it. A smile came over his face. “It’s solid rock but the ground beneath it is lose gravel. All we have to do is dig around it and we should be able to remove it and mount it on flat surface for transport.

  “Really? The nanomites must have done that on purpose, knowing we would want to preserve it. That’s wonderful. Go ahead and secure it for me, would you?”

  “Of course,” Faruk said motioning for Poldra to come and help him.

  Artis ran down to the nanomite city to see if it had sustained any damage. She noted several cracks but nothing that looked too serious. As she walked the perimeter there was another tremor. It felt much longer and stronger than the first. When it was over she looked up at the city and saw that the cracks had widened and deepened. Shaking her head in dismay she ran back to camp and saw that some of the camocubes had torn apart and were sagging. She saw Giant and rushed over to him.

  “We should go. I don’t think it is safe here on the bluff and I want to get the replica back home where it will be safe. We can come back later and talk to the nanomites. I think they are going to be occupied for a while, anyway, repairing their city.”

  Giant nodded. “I think you are right. There is a long fissure that starts two hundred feet to the north and it looks like, if it widens, it will run right through our camp.”

  “Okay. Hurry and get everything packed up.”

   A kyloon later they had the camp packed up and loaded in their transport vehicles. Artis took one last look at the nanomite city and then got in and told Faruk to move out. As they started to move the earth began shaking again, more violently than before.

  “Get us out of here quick,” Artis ordered.

  Faruk looked back worriedly and then took control of the vehicle manually. He pushed the throttle causing a cloud of dust and gravel to spit out from under the wheels. The ATV lunged forward just as the ground beneath it gave way. The back end of the ATV dropped into the fissure but the momentum from the forward lunge pulled them out onto solid ground. Artis looked back and gave an audible sigh of relief. Then he saw Giant racing away from the fissure, trying desperately not to be sucked in. Just as it looked like the fissure would consume the ATV, Giant swerved it to the right and out of danger.

  “Holy Sandee! That was close,” Artis exclaimed taking a long breath..

  “Yes,” Faruk said. “It’s a good thing we left when we did.”

  “Thank God and Sandee. I wonder what is happening? I’ve never heard of so many tremors happening at the same time on every continent.”

  Before Faruk could reply there was a tremendous explosion coming from behind and to their west. Faruk stopped the ATV and looked back in the direction of the sound. Large billowing clouds of smoke were rising out of the Doral Mountains.

  “It looks like someone dropped a nuclear bomb,” Artis said.

  “No. It’s Mt. Alabash! It’s erupting.”

  “Holy Sandee! I’ve never seen a volcano erupt. It’s so beautiful.”

  “It won’t be so beautiful when the ash starts falling from the sky,” Faruk warned. “In a few kyloons the ground will be a foot thick with ash, the engines will get clogged up and stop running, and we won’t be able to breath. We need to keep moving away from it.”

  Artis’ mouth dropped. “Then get us out of here, Faruk. We can’t afford to get stranded out here in the Ural Desert.”

  Faruk started the ATV and increased their speed. Giant, who had finally caught up with them in the other ATV, followed close behind. The sky around them began to turn white as they drove and big flakes of volcanic ash started to rain down upon them. Faruk turned on the wipers as it was getting difficult to see. Soon the ash was so thick the sky began to darken and Faruk had to turn on the rolling lights so they could
see the ground ahead.

  “I hope we find the highway soon,” Faruk said. “We’ve got to make better time if we’re going to out run the ash.”

  “How far is it?” Artis asked.

  “My global tracker says it should be just two kylods ahead, but I can’t see a thing.”

  “Just keep following its settings. I’m sure it’s accurate,” Artis said praying that she was right.

   

   

  A day after his encounter with the Seafolken, Rupra Bruda left Shisk and traveled on his jet cycle south to the town of Jedeva. His friend Peeta had given him the name of the townhead there who was a friend of his father. It was a beautiful ride through the thick tropical forests of southern Soni. Mt. Soni was to his left and he couldn’t help but glance up at it from time to time as he drove.

  He had called ahead and was told to meet Silbus Ghant at his office in the government building late that afternoon. Jedeva was a small town that reminded Rupra of his hometown of Vaceen except here the buildings were primarily wooden because of the abundance of timber, whereas in Vaceen everything was built of stone or brick. Rupra parked his bike and then walked into the main lobby of the building. After consulting a directory he took the lift to the third floor.

  The receptionist took his name and told him to take a seat. A few moments later a middle aged man appeared and greeted him.

  “So, you’re a friend of Peeta Escabus?” Ghant said.

  Rupra stood up and nodded. “Yes, that’s right.”

  “How long have you known him?”

  “Since we were children.”

  “Hmm. Come with me. We can talk in my office.”

  Rupra followed Ghant down the hall and into his cluttered office. Ghant cleared a section of a plush sofa so Rupra had a place to sit. Rupra looked at the walls adorned with many paintings and photographs. He noticed a plaque indicating Ghant had been awarded the Medal of Merit while serving in the TGA.

  “Can I get you a drink?”

  “Sure,” Bruda replied feeling a little parched from being on the bike for so long.

  Ghant went to a bar in the corner of his office and grabbed them both a tekari. He handed one to Rupra. “So, how was your drive from the city?” Ghant asked as he sat in the chair behind his knotwood desk.

  “Actually, quite pleasant. The scenery around here is quite spectacular,” Rupra replied.

  “Yes, it is. It’s recovered nicely since the last war. Not quite like it once was. The trees still look a bit sickly from the pollution, but give it another ten or twenty cycles and everything will be back to normal.”

  Bruda nodded. “That would be nice.”

  “So, I understand you have found someone you’d like to mate.”

  Rupra smiled. “Yes, I have. We are quite compatible and know we’ll be good together.”

  “How long have you known this girl?” Ghant asked.

  “Not too long, but we have a lot in common and are quite happy in each other’s company.”

  Ghant nodded knowingly. “I’m sure you feel that way, but you may only be infatuated. You think you are in love and you’ll always be happy, but one day you will wake up and wonder why you ever wanted to be mated. Believe me, the computers are much better at picking a durable mate than the human heart.”

  “We are both telepathic and share similar political ambitions and beliefs,” Rupra noted. “I’ve never met a woman my equal, but Essyria has truly been sent to me by God.”

  Ghant raised his eyebrows. “Well, who am I to interfere with a match made by the Almighty. To be honest with you, I personally believe every man and woman should have the right to pick their own mate. Unfortunately, Central Authority doesn’t share my viewpoint.”

  “But I understood Central Authority didn’t monitor mating outside the dome.”

  “True enough, but from time to time they send out auditors, so we have to be careful. A paper trail will have to be created showing that you were both residents of our town and that your circumstances fell within one of the exceptions to mandatory computer mating.”

  “What are the exceptions?”

  “Pregnancy is the easiest. One of the primary objectives of computer mating is to encourage childbearing, so if you’ve already got that taken care of it makes it easier.”

  “Well, she’s not pregnant. At least I don’t think she is. I suppose I could try to get her pregnant but I’m not sure we want children immediately.”

  “It’s no matter. For the right price we can find you a doctor who will certify that she is pregnant. Later on if Central Authority checks up on you and your mate and wants to know what happened to your child, the doctor will certify that you had a miscarriage. With the miscarriage rate currently at 62% his word will not be questioned.”

  “What about the residency requirement?”

  “You can stay a few nights at the local inn to establish your residency. There’s been no census in many cycles and the auditors don’t have the resources to conduct investigations of those sorts of things.”

  “Good. Then what do I need to do.”

  “You’ll both have to come and visit the doctor. He’ll need ten thousand credits in Soni gold coin.”

  “But that’s not legal tender anymore?”

  “Central authority doesn’t accept it, but it’s still good on the black market.”

  “Okay.”

  “Then you and your mate will have to come over here and fill out the proper paperwork and I’ll sign off on it.”

  “So, how much cash will I need to bring you?”

  “Nothing. I’m doing this as a favor.”

  Rupra nodded warily. He didn’t like owing people favors, but he didn’t have a lot of extra credits to be throwing around so he didn’t object. “Thank you. Someday I’ll repay you for your kindness.”

  “I’m counting on that,” Ghant replied wryly.

  Rupra stood up. “Well, thank you for your hospitality. I’ll call you in a few days to arrange a time to conclude this matter.”

  Ghant nodded and started to rise when the building began to shake violently. Photos and pictures fell from the walls and the lights blinked on and off. Rupra sat back on the sofa and covered his head to protect it from falling debris.

  “What the hell?” Ghant said with one hand on his desk to steady him.

  “It’s a tremor,” Rupra advised. “We get them a lot in Tributon.”

  “Really. I can’t remember ever having one around here.”

  “It’s nothing to worry about,” Rupra assured him as the room stilled. They both looked around warily. “Thanks, again,” Rupra said as he stood up and left hurriedly. He preferred being outdoors during a tremor, particularly when he didn’t know how sturdy the building was.

  When he got to his jet cycle he looked east at Mt. Soni. What he saw startled him. On his way here, the mountain had been quiet and the sky above it clear, but now white smoke was billowing out of the big volcano. Although the sight was surprising it didn’t upset Rupra because he knew volcanos often let off steam just to relieve pressure. He’d seen it many times before back home. Still, on his ride back to Shisk he kept a watchful eye on the big volcano.

  The next morning Rupra took a long bath with lots of scented soaps. He wanted to be sure any trace of the Seafolken woman was off him when he went to see Essyria. He’d called her when he got to his hotel and filled her in on his meeting with Ghant. She was excited by the news and anxious to talk more about it. They agreed to meet for lunch at the Soni Isle restaurant on the boardwalk along the Coral Sea. The boardwalk had only recently been built outside the dome when environmentalist determined the air was safe.

  They arrived at the restaurant a little early so the hostess seated them in the bar until a table was ready. The news was playing on the VC. Rupra looked up and saw a volcano erupting. He pointed to it.

  “Look. That’s Mt. Alabash in Rigimol. I climbed to the top of it one time.”

  “Really? That must have been quite
a hike.”

  “Yes. It was but the view from up there is unbelievable.”

  Rupra looked over at the bartender and tried to get his attention.

  “Yes, sir. What can I get you?”

  “We’d like a couple of tezaries and could you turn the volume up on the VC?”

  “Yes, sir,” the bartender said reaching over to the VC and hitting the volume control.

   

  “The only warnings of the eruption were a few tremors early this morning,” the reporter advised. “Then at 1403 kyloons a quantum eight quake struck the area toppling buildings, bridges and severing highways leading to the big volcano. Moments later steam and ash began shooting into the sky followed by a river of molten lava that flowed down the east side of the mountain.

  “All residents within a hundred kylod radius from the Mt. Alabash have been evacuated as the smoke, ash, and lava are expected to kill all life and vegetation within that zone. In addition all air traffic has been diverted within a 250 kylod radius as the thick ash will clog the engines of most aircraft.

  “Although, Mt. Alabash is the only volcano currently erupting, Scientist are watching several other volcanoes around the globe as seismic activity around them has been unusually high in the past 54 kyloons. This includes Mt. Soni which experienced a quantum four tremor yesterday. Mt. Soni has not erupted in over 100 cycles, so scientist don’t expect it to now, but the increased seismic activity around the globe has many scientist on edge.”

  The hostess came over and told them their table was ready. Rupra and Essyria got up and followed the hostess to the other side of the restaurant where they were seated in a booth and given menus.

  “You know. I felt that tremor yesterday. I was talking to Mr. Ghant when it hit. It knocked a bunch of pictures off his walls.”

  “Really? I didn’t feel anything here? Were you scared?”

  “No. Tremors are pretty common in Tributon.”

  “Hmm. . . . I hope that doesn’t mean Mt. Soni is going to erupt.”

  “Me too.”

  “So, Mr. Ghant said all we have to do is pay off a doctor and sign some paperwork to be mated in Jedeva?” Essyria asked to be sure she had it right.

  “And we have to stay in town a few days to establish our residency beforehand.”

  “So, that’s nothing. Let’s go do it tomorrow.”

  Rupra smiled. “What will you tell your parents?”

  “I don’t know. I’ll tell them I’m going to visit one of my friends. Silla will cover me.”

  “Silla? I’ve never met her.”

  “She’s one of my best friends. She lives on the other side of the city, so I often stay overnight with her. I can invent some reason I need to be away for a few days.”

  “Well, I’ve got something to do this afternoon, but tomorrow I’ll call Ghant and arrange everything for next week. Will that be soon enough?”

  “Next week?” Essyria moaned.

  “That’s not far off,” Rupra said.

  “I know. I’ll just feel better when we’re mated. I’m afraid my parents will find out what we’re doing and try to stop us.”

  “Just don’t act suspiciously and there is no reason for them to find out.”

  “Okay. Next week then.”

  That afternoon Rupra was to meet up with Peeta and the friends he’d recruited for their rhutz hunt at the subtram station near the Mighty Jolly. He dropped off Essyria at the clinic on the way. When they kissed Essyria gave Rupra a questioning look.

  “Did you change your cologne? You smell different.”

  Rupra held his breath as he wondered if the scent of the Seafolken woman was still on him. “Ah, well . . . I was so grimy from my trip I threw a bunch of bath scents in my tub this morning.”

  Essyria looked at Rupra warily. “Bath scents? Just when I think I know you, you do something out of character.”

  Rupra shrugged. “I didn’t want to smell like a stinker rat when I met up with you.”

  She laughed. “Well, thank you for that.”

  “I’ve got to run or I’ll be late.”

  Have a good time.”

  Rupra nodded and made a hasty exit. A few moments later he was boarding the subtram to the Silver Park Station. When he arrived Peeta and three of his friends were milling around. Peeta introduced Rupra to Allie Chalke, Tibor Raseen, and Blinh Bligh and then pointed to a park bench where they could discuss strategy.

  “This won’t be like killing a dirkbird,” Rupra said. “The rhutz is fast and if he sees that you have a gun he’ll try to wrestle it out of your hand with his invisible hand.”

  “So, how do we kill it?” Peeta asked.

  “We’ll have to find it and then lure it into a trap. He can’t disarm all of us,” Rupra said pulling a map out of his pocket and spreading it out on the park bench. “This is a map of this precinct. Our best bet is to lure the rhutz into this warehouse district just south of the Mighty Jolly. Once we get him to go down one of those walkways between the warehouses we can ambush him.”

  “So how do we lure him into the trap?” Chalke asked.

  “I’ll have to do that. He knows my scent and will come after me the moment he smells it. What we’ll do is walk around the precinct until he makes his appearance. Once we see him three of you will go here,” Rupra said pointing to a spot on the map.

  “How are we going to kill it once we lure it into the trap,” Raseen asked.

  Peeta put a bag on the table. “I’ve got lasers for everyone. We don’t want to make a lot of noise and attract anyone’s attention.”

  “Where did you get so many lasers?” Rupra asked appreciatively.

  “My father is somewhat of a gun collector. In fact, he’s got so many guns I didn’t figure he’d notice if I borrowed a few for the afternoon.”

  “Alright,” Rupra said. “Let’s synchronize our communicators so we can talk to each other when we split up. Who’s going to stick with me?”

  “What if he just attacks you the moment he sees you,” Bligh asked.

  “I don’t think he will. He didn’t the last time. He’ll probably just stalk us for a while deciding what to do. If we move quickly we should be able to lure in between the warehouses where no one is likely to see us kill him. But if he forces our hands we’ll just have to shoot him when he attacks. If someone witnesses the kill, we’ll justifiably claim self-defense. That’s why I need some backup. He could disarm me, but not both of us.”

  “I’ll back you up then,” Bligh said. “I’m pretty good with a laser. I’ve trained a bit with the TGA.”

  “Oh really?”

  “Yes. I’m in the peace reserves, actually.”

  “Good. The rest of you find some cover so the rhutz doesn’t see you when he enters the walkway. Once he’s passed you then someone needs to cover the flank so he’ll have no place to run when Bligh and I turn around and confront him.”

  Bligh grinned. “He’s not gonna know what hit him.”

  Bruda nodded. “That’s the idea.”

  “What if he’s got friends?” Chalk asked.

  Bruda shrugged. “We didn’t see any the other night, but it’s a possibility. Either way we should have plenty of fire power to eliminate any further threat.”

  “Alright. Let’s do this!” Peeta said raising his fist.

  They all got up ready to start the hunt. Bruda and Bligh led the way with Peeta, Chalk and Raseen fifty strides behind. They walked casually toward the Mighty Jolly and by the alleyway where Bruda and Peeta had ran into the rhutz a few days earlier. They passed many mutants and a few Seafolken who gave them hard looks as they went by but there was no sign of the rhutz. After they’d walked a few kylods Bruda stopped and looked around.

  “He may be off somewhere else in the city today,” Bruda surmised.

  Peeta shook his head. “Or, he might be watching us waiting for the right opportunity to strike.”

  Rupra turned around and scanned the area. “Let’s walk back to the tram station. If w
e don’t see him along the way we’ll have to take a look at the map again and try something different.”

  Peeta nodded and Bruda and Bligh headed back toward the Mighty Jolly. This time when they passed the Mighty Jolly Eyeball came out to watch them.

  “What are you doing back here?” Eyeball asked gruffly.

  “Nothing. Just taking a stroll.”

  “Why don’t you take your strolls somewhere else?”

  “It’s a free city the last time I heard,” Bruda noted.

  “I can tell you’re up to no good, so watch yourself or you’ll have to deal with me.”

  “You don’t scare me you mutant scum!” Bruda replied.

  Eyeball took a step toward Bruda. Bligh stepped out in support of his friend. Eyeball shook his head, turned and went back inside the Mighty Jolly. As they turned to resume walking they heard a growl from the alleyway across the street. Bruda looked over at Misty and smiled.

  “Alright. Take it easy everyone. It’s time to set the trap.”

  Peeta, Chalk and Raseen immediately moved toward the warehouses. Bruda and Bligh pretending not to be bothered by the rhutz, continued to walk toward the designated rendezvous point. Misty came out of the alley and followed them. Looking back at the rhutz they picked up their pace. In response, Misty started to trot after them. As they rounded the first warehouse Bruda saw Peeta, Chalk, and Raseen turning into the walkway and getting into position. Bruda and Bligh started to run and the Misty did likewise, growling and baring his teeth. Suddenly, Bruda and Bligh stopped and faced the rhutz as Peeta, Chalk and Raseen stepped out to encircle him.

  Misty looked around realizing he’d been lured into an ambush. Bligh pulled out his laser and took aim. The rhutz spun around, concentrated on the laser and it flew out of Bligh’s hand. At the same time Peeta, Chalk and Raseen pulled out their lasers. Before Raseen could fire, his laser flew into the air as well, but Peeta managed to get a shot off hitting Misty in the leg. He let out a painful whimper. Then Chalk shot hit him in the chest causing his fur to catch on fire. Misty fell to the ground hard, then stumbled forward trying to struggle to his feet. Bruda finally took out his laser and fired, hitting the rhutz in the head. Misty let out one last painful whimper and then fell lifeless to the ground.

  “What have you done!” Eyeball exclaimed as he came running around the corner.

  “Quick! Let’s get out of here!” Peeta yelled.

  Everyone except Bruda took off running. Bruda raised his laser at Eyeball. Eyeball ignored him and ran over to Misty.

  “Why did you shoot him, you lousy scutz!” Eyeball screamed as he quickly checked to see if the rhutz was still alive. Feeling no pulse he turned to Bruda. “He’s dead. You’ve murdered him!”

  “It was self-defense,” Bruda protested. “He attacked us.”

  Eyeball stood up, his fists clinched and started toward Bruda. “I’ll kill you!”

  Bruda fired the laser but Eyeball was wearing a thick leather belt that seemed to blunt the effectiveness of the laser. Bruda turned to run but Eyeball managed to grab his arm, yank him back and hit him hard across the face with the back of his hand. Bruda winced in pain as he fell backward onto the ground. Eyeball circled around ready to go in for the kill but didn’t see Peeta taking aim at his back. This time the laser hit him in the leg and he fell to the ground with a loud thud.

  Bruda scrambled to his feet and stumbled away out of Eyeball’s reach. Peeta aimed the laser at Eyeball’s head and fired again. There was a sizzling sound and then the big eyeball exploded. Peeta’s face was pelted with the debris. Wiping his face, he holstered his laser and looked approvingly at his kill. Rupra came up beside him.

  “Nice shot. Let’s dispose of the body before someone comes this way.”

  They both took an arm and dragged the body to a debris station and dumped Eyeball into it. The big mutant disappeared into the industrial waste that was waiting for pick up. Then they did the same with the rhutz. Once satisfied the bodies were out of sight, Rupra and Peeta took off in a run. A few loons later they caught up with their friends at the tram station and boarded the first one heading for Capitol Square. Everyone grimaced when they saw Bruda’s face and Peeta’s blood smeared clothing.

  “Where did that one-eyed mutant come from?” Peeta asked out of breath.

  “I don’t know,” Bruda replied. “He must have been watching from the Mighty Jolly.”

  “Why did you kill him?” Bligh asked worriedly.

  Peeta looked at him. “He was a witness. I’m not going to jail for the rest of my life on account of some one-eyed monster.”

  “I know, but nobody would have cared if we killed a rhutz, but killing a mutant is technically murder.”

  “Don’t worry, Bligh. Nobody saw anything. The warehouse was shut down for holiday and there was nobody around. That’s why we picked that location. Had Eyeball minded his own business he’d still be alive drinking tekari in the Mighty Jolly.”

  Peeta looked a Rupra’s face which was rapidly swelling and turning black. “Damn. Look at your face. You’ll have to put some Rapid Cure on it when you get home.”

  Rupra felt his face tentatively. “It hurts like hell.”

  “Well, that rhutz won’t ever be snarling at you again,” Raseen said.

  Bruda smiled. “Yes. We taught him a lesson, didn’t we?”

  They all laughed. “That was great,” Chalk said excitedly. “We should do that again. I wonder how many rhutz there are in the city. We should kill every last one of them.”

  “I don’t know about the rhutz, but there are plenty of mutants we could take on.”

  They all laughed.

  Bruda nodded. “Perhaps we should—go after more rhutz. It would be too dangerous to target mutants, but who would miss a rhutz? Why don’t you check around and see if anyone knows about other rhutz in Shisk. Tell them there’s a new extermination service in town.”

  They laughed again, louder this time.

  Chalk nodded. “Maybe I will.”

  They all said goodbye at Capitol Station and split up. Bruda went back to his hotel, tended to his injured face and ordered room service. While he was eating he worried about what would happen when Eyeball didn’t show up at the Mighty Jolly. If they found the body and tried to pin the murder on him, he could claim self-defense but he’d have to accept a citizen defender and it could still get messy. Why did Eyeball have to get involved? Damn him!