Halfkinds Volume 1: Contact (21 page)

“Got anything?” I ask.

“No, it’s hard to pick up a scent
if I don’t know what I’m sniffing for,” Fenrir says.

“I smell something faintly, but
nothing solid.  The earlier battle has spread all this debris, there’s too much
bombarding my nose,” Apollo says.

“Don’t blame this on me, dog,”
Fenrir snaps back.

“I’m just saying.”

“Enough fighting you two, we need
to…”

Suddenly something catches my
eye.  On my vehicle lies a note stuck tightly on the side.  It flutters violently
as the wind blows against it.

I walk towards my hovercar and
snatch it off.

TWO OF US ARE DEAD.  IT’S TIME WE
TALK.  MEET US AT THE SPADES AND DIAMONDS CASINO IN ONE HOUR.  DON’T BE LATE.

“What is it?” Apollo asks.

I don’t answer him.  My brain needs
some time to process the message.  I hastily make my way back in.  “Let’s get
inside, we need to talk to the rest of the group.”

I rush into the warehouse and
address the others.

“So what was outside?” Colbo asks.

I hand him the note and he passes
it around to the others.  After they read it, Fenrir speaks.  “This is a trap.”

“Another trap?” Colbo says.  “Is
your mouth on repeat?”

“Well what could they want to talk
about, the weather?” Fenrir says.

“If this is a trap, then what
about your theory on the Gonzalez station?” Borton asks.  “That also another
scheme they have?”

Fenrir is at a loss for words.  “I
suppose I was wrong in my earlier assumption.  Maybe they’re trying to draw us
into one place while they make their escape at the teleporter.”

“That does seem like a wise
strategy,” Apollo says.  “Perhaps in this case, it is a good idea to split up.”

“I agree,” I say.  “This is most
likely a ruse they’re setting up.  I don’t think they want to talk.  But even
if they are setting some kind of con, I still think that the Spades and
Diamonds Casino is worth investigating.  If we split up the squad, one group
should take the Spades and Diamonds and another should check out the Gonzalez
station.”

“And the Li station?” Fenrir asks
in a concerned tone.

“Sorry, but I don’t want to divide
us any further.  If we don’t find anything at either location, then the Li
station will be our first priority.  But for now, we should focus on these
two.  Is that a deal?”

I look at the others.  They all
are in agreement, except Fenrir.  But as my eyes continue to pierce at him, he
finally relents.

“Fine,” he says begrudgingly,
“we’ll do it your way.”

“Good,” I say.  “The assignments
will be Apollo, Borton, and I to the Spades and Diamonds Casino, Erawan, Colbo,
and Fenrir to the Gonzalez station.  I’m splitting up the trackers so that
there’s one on each team.  In case this is a diversion, I’ll concentrate the
heavy firepower at the Gonzalez station.  I’m looking at you Colbo and Erawan.”

“Don’t worry, we got it covered,”
Colbo says.

“We’ll be Team A, and you are Team
B,” I say.

“Try to be a little more discrete
this time,” Apollo says.  “It’s one thing to blow up a cruddy supply depot,
it’s another to destroy a teleporter station.  The Alliance won’t be too happy
if the bill for this mission runs high.”

“We’ll do what we need to,” Fenrir
says.  “Besides, it’s not our fault that birdboy threw a bomb at us.”

“Noted,” Apollo says dryly.

“We’re leaving now, Commander?”
Colbo asks.

“Yes, but Team B will set up a
perimeter on the Gonzalez station.  Your assignment will be to wait on my
command before you engage.  I want to check out the casino before giving the go
on an assault.  The more information we have, the better, and if the casino is
empty, I don’t want Team B to be stuck in the middle of an ambush.  I have a
suspicion that if this meeting is a trap, they’ll be waiting in full numbers at
the Gonzalez station.  If you wait, I can relay our status via our
communicators and give you the signal to lead your strike.  Is that understood? 
Don’t engage until I tell you to, I repeat, do not engage unless I tell you.”

“Yeah, yeah, we got it Commander,”
Colbo says nonchalantly.

“Good.  We’ll be departing for our
respective locations in ten minutes.  Finish up whatever you have left to do
and get ready to move,” I say.

The others disperse and start to
pack their gear.  Once again, I notice Erawan has stayed mute throughout the
strategy session.  He doesn’t have much to pack and silently stands still while
the others rustle through their items.

“Nothing to say again?” I ask him.

“Not much, Commander,” he says.

“What do you think of the plan?” I
ask.

“It’s solid.  I see your reasons
for spreading the group and I understand why the teleporter stations are high
priority.”

“But it seems that something is
bothering you.  You haven’t said anything since we got here.”

“It’s because there’s nothing to
say.  There’s one thing I do disagree with, though.”

“And what’s that?”

“Your assertion that these
halfkinds aren’t desperate enough to sacrifice their own.  They may be
intelligent like you and I, but that doesn’t mean they have lost their survival
instinct.  In the end, all we want to do is survive, primitive or intelligent. 
And with a group as dangerous as ourselves hunting them down, and their
desperation increasing every second, I wouldn’t be surprised if sacrifices
needed to be made.”

“But they’re family.”

“Does that ever matter?” he says
bluntly.  “Excuses like that are conveniences we can afford because we’re
smarter than the primitive animals out there.  But in the end, our core is made
of those primitive instincts.”

“You sure are battle hardened,
Erawan.  I wish you would speak more, you’re experience could help guide the
others.”

“Talk is useless, experience can
only be gained through actions.  Whatever I say would be lost on them.”

“I see.  So do you think Fenrir is
right, then?  Do you think they sent their brother to deliver this message?”

“Perhaps, but it’s a guess.  My
knowledge can only go so far.  We creatures are too unpredictable.”

“Well for the sake of the mission,
let’s hope our gut feelings are right.”

“Yes, for the sake of the
mission,” he says as he walks away.  I sense a subtle sarcasm in his words, as
if the assignment means nothing to him.  But I can understand, after years of
these kinds of tasks, importance and meaning get lost in the sea of memories
you obtain.  You do what you’re told and don’t think a second about it.  Even
the best of us get worn down eventually.

November 17, 3040
12:05 AM

After two miles of walking, we’ve
arrived at The Spades and Diamonds Casino.  It has been about one hour since we
left the hideout.

The road wasn’t easy.  I was
worried about the risk involved, as the casino had only been closed for about a
year.  Something shutdown so recently might have drones sweeping and cleaning,
gutting the place up so that it’s ready for the next owner to move in.  Inside,
there might be squatters like us or maintenance workers doing jobs the machines
can’t.

Maddie, however, had told me she
had been there a few times before and it is indeed empty.  The Spades and
Diamonds Casino used to be a relatively successful gambling hall, but hard
times reduced it to an eyesore in Primm.  Given the city’s already poverty
filled state, that was hard to do.  Its owners went out of business, abandoning
mostly everything.  There were rumors that the local mob drove them out of
town.  They left in such a hurry that they had no time to flush the building
out.

There have been talks of investors
coming in to refurbish the place, but there’s been no resolution.  Poor
conditioned slot machines, tables, and decaying furniture is all that you’ll
find inside.  It’s like a ghost town in there, which makes it the perfect
temporary hiding place while we decide what to do next.

Maddie says she doesn’t think
anyone has set foot in it for months, that the only inhabitants you’ll find are
bugs and rats.  I believe her.  Unlike others, I trust and respect the opinions
of all my family members.  That has never been the case with Tiago, he only
cares about the people who are deemed worthy.  He treats our family like a food
chain, and if you’re not at the top, you don’t matter.  A family shouldn’t be
that way, structured like some kind of power ladder.  All of us should matter,
not just the ones that are the highest.

I’m done living under that kind of
rule.  I still care for my brother, but there’s no place in my heart for his
brand of leadership.

And I can’t follow him on his
suicide mission to the Moon.  He thinks it’s an end-all solution, but what he
fails to realize is how crazy it is.  I think about all that could go wrong and
I’m glad we decided to leave.  I’ve already seen him brush aside two brothers
so carelessly, I wonder how many more must die until his goals are complete.

There are so many faults with his
plan.  What if Candy can’t figure out how to work the teleporter?  What if the
United Species Alliance finds them?  It’s quite obvious that escape will be a
priority for us and a plan like Tiago’s will attract a lot of attention.  I
think it’s better to lay low until things die down, but Tiago wants to leave as
soon as possible.  He doesn’t think of the repercussions.  I had to do what was
best for the others, offer them an alternative to his madness.

I wish it didn’t have to end up
this way.  I wish we could have been a family as one.  I wish mother hadn’t
died.  I wish none of this had happened.  But wishes do nothing.  This is
reality, this is the situation, and I can’t hopelessly think about what could
have been if I am to lead Maddie and the twins away from death.  I must be a
strong leader for their sake.

We stand at the front entrance. 
The windows have already been broken, providing an easy way to slip in.  Maddie
takes the lead, guiding us through the trail of broken glass.  The building
isn’t very large, no bigger than the warehouse we were at, but it seems roomier
thanks to all the gambling machines lying about.  None are working, and I doubt
there are any credits around.  Looters raided the place right after it had
closed down, taking anything of value with them.  There’s also no electricity
or water, as the utility companies cut it off immediately after it closed.

There are some chairs and sofas
strewn about.  There are green, matted tables, all of them dusty, some
overturned.  The floor has dark red and black checkered carpeting with diamond
and spade designs imprinted on them.  The walls are a mahogany color, but the
paint is already peeling off.  Still, it’s a lot better than our old hideout.

Traces of life still remain,
though their state has been worn down considerably.  There are some broken,
grimy glasses and empty bottles sprinkled about a dingy bar that hugs a wall
nearby.  Playing cards messily cover the ground.  There are stairs leading to a
balcony that surrounds the main playing floor.

It’s dim, but the bright street
light crawls its way through the windows and crevices to provide enough
illumination to see through the darkness.

I see a plush, red couch, drop my
belongings, and plop myself right on it.  The walk here was long and tiring,
especially for someone with my weight.  Maddie does the same, but I see the
twins rustling through their things.

“What are you doing?” I ask them.

“I was able to swipe some stuff
from Tiago’s stash before we left, I want to make sure it’s accounted for,”
Iris says.  “Don’t worry, it’s not anything they’ll miss.  They still have
quite a lot of stuff.”

“What’d you take?”

“Food, water, and some clothes. 
Also, some portable lanterns from our previous hideout.”

“And the insta-item?”

She shakes her head no.  “I didn’t
see it in his stash.  I think Ace only got one and Tiago must have it on
lockdown.”

I figure that would be the case. 
The insta-item was the most important thing he wanted Lombardi and Ace to
retrieve.  It’s a key element in his plan, so I figure his muscle, Alex, is
guarding it.

“How long do you think we’ll last
with the supplies you got?” I ask Iris.

“If we ration it, probably about
two weeks,” she says.

“We’ll have to make another run to
the supply depot?”

She pauses.  “Regretfully so.”

I hate to admit it, but Tiago at
least had that right.  The insta-item is the way to go because I don’t know how
many times we can sneak around.  And now that the United Species Alliance is
after us, it’ll be harder to go in and get what we need.  If only I had thought
of that earlier.

Iris takes some of the portable
lanterns and places them around our squatted campsite in the casino.  They’re nice,
but there’s still plenty of light coming from the Moon.  I trace the beams of
lights shining from the few windows, I stare at it, and my mind wanders into
space.  It’s actually quite beautiful and with the light reflecting off of the
blue and green from its terraformed surface, it looks like a grand jewel in the
night sky.  I can see the land formations and I imagine life fluttering there. 
Many parts of the moon are uninhabited.  It’s only starting to take shape, but
I find it amazing what intelligence can accomplish.

Iris notices and says, “You think
Tiago is really going to make it?”

I wake out of my trance.  “He
might.”

“Are you being honest?  If you
really thought that, we would have never left him in the first place.”

“I didn’t want to leave because of
my doubts.  I didn’t like how he was running things, we seem expendable.  I
would want to follow a leader who actually cares about the people he’s
leading.”