S2, 18 The Candidate (FB) (November 22, 2015)

Corresponding text underneath each picture.

**28th September 2095: Present Day**

Tank: “Noo….. Please no…” I groaned at my bleeping comlink as I lay in bed, having just been woken up by it.

It had been several days since I’d visited Eris in hospital and just over a week since the battle of London had come to an end and in doing so ended the Collective War.

After leaving the hospital, I’d found somewhere quiet to stay for a while, a pretty dingy hotel away from everything that was going on. Away from the faffing around, trying to sort out the politics of how to incorporate The Collective into society, of trying to get the truce between the Imperium and Aurelia to become permanent, of simply cleaning up the various war zones around the system.

And now here I was. In bed. With my comlink bleeping for attention from where it sat on the cabinet next to me.

There was daylight streaming in through the thin blinds and with a groan I sat up, fearing I already knew who was calling me, and picked the device up, thumbing it on in the process. Sure enough, Mr. Grey appeared.

Mr. Grey: “Oh so you are still alive.” He commented sarcastically.

Tank: “Hello.” I replied.

Mr. Grey: “I trust you’ve had enough rest?”

Tank: “Well, I’ve had some. I wouldn’t exactly call it enou…”

Mr. Grey: “I need you to go to Qoter.”

With a sigh, I asked the obvious question.

Tank: “Why?”

Mr. Grey: “I know it’s not your usual thing but hear me out on this…”
I frowned, wondering what he had planned.

Mr. Grey: “With the war with The Collective over, the diplomats are finally getting around to electing a new Governor.”

Tank: “What happened to the old one?”

Mr. Grey: “He was killed by The Collective during the war. Now, the election is due to take place on the 3rd of October, so the candidates are currently campaigning to get the public interested in them. However, one of the candidates, Roland Shrump, has piqued the interest of some other people – specifically The Brain.”

Tank: “Why?”

Mr. Grey: “Shrump isn’t exactly Governor-ial material. He’s about as corrupt as they come and the Brain’s informants say that he was also giving information to The Collective during the war. He also has some… shall we say, disturbing, hobbies.”

Tank: “So in actual fact, he’s pretty much a standard government official?”

Mr. Grey smirked but didn’t respond directly to the comment.

Mr. Grey: “Having him in charge of Qoter would not do the Imperium any favours.”

Tank: “Good.”

Mr. Grey: “No, not good. I know you have no interest in the Imperium, however, for stability at least, Qoter must remain in secure hands.”

Tank: “Okay, so what do you want me to do? Rig the election?” I asked, rubbing the sleep from my eyes.

Mr. Grey: “I want you to kill him.”

It took a couple of moments for that to sink in.

Tank: “Whoa, wait a minute…”

Mr. Grey: “Shrump is a sleazebag, Chain. He’s a cheating, lying, dirt-bag who needs eradicating.”

Tank: “What’s so wrong with him?” I demanded. “I am *not* going to kill an innocent man!”

Mr. Grey: “Innocent? HA!” he laughed. “Innocent is a very strong word to be attached to Shrump! In fact, I don’t think that word is even in his vocabulary!”

Tank: “Forget it, I’m still not doing it.” I replied and prepared to hang up, but Mr. Grey wasn’t done yet.

Mr. Grey: “He kills women, Chain.”

That got my attention.

Mr. Grey: “*Those* are the innocents. One of Shrump’s favourite past times, besides drinking, gambling and visiting brothels, is plucking innocent women, and when I say women, he doesn’t care what age - anything from kids to grannies, off of the streets, and murdering them.”

I’d seen Mr. Grey angry before. Angry at me for… well, various reasons at different times, but the fire in his eyes now was something completely different.

And I didn’t blame him. I felt sick, but he still wasn’t finished.

Mr. Grey: “But he doesn’t give them quick deaths, oh no. He tortures them first. Sexually to begin with and then however takes his fancy at that time. Sometimes, he even does both at the same time. And speaking of ‘at the same time’, sometimes he does this to multiple women at once. A blood bath, if you like. Because once he’s done with them… there’s not much left.”

I actually didn’t know how to respond to that. I felt physically sick and didn’t know what to say.

Mr. Grey: “This man is a monster, Chain. He cannot be allowed to rule Qoter. He needs taking out.”

With a deep breath I spoke again,

Tank: “You’d better not be making this up…”

Mr. Grey: “I assure you that I am not.”

Tank: “Because if you are, and I kill this… beast, and I find out… the next person I kill will be you.”

Mr. Grey: “Of course. But I swear, that it is true. You need to kill him, Chain.”

Slowly I started to nod. I wasn’t even aware I was doing it at first but slowly the nod became more affirmed as the echoes of what Mr. Grey had just said floated through my mind.

Tank: “I’ll do it.”

Mr. Grey: “Good. On Friday night, at 11’oclock he will be visiting one of the brothels he frequents. Whether to fulfil his sexual desires, or whether to pick up his next victim, we don’t know. Possibly both. Meet him there. Kill him. It’s as easy as that. The brothel is quite exclusive so I will send an entry ticket and the address through to your datapad.”

I just nodded in reply.

Mr. Grey: “I don’t care how you kill him, Chain. Just do it.” And with that, the hologram fizzled out leaving me with a sickening feeling in my stomach and a burning hatred for a man that ten minutes ago I’d never even heard of.

**30th September 2095: Present Day**

**Qoter...**

Dressed in a brand new suit which Mr. grey had sent me the money to buy yesterday and without my hat and coat, I reached the front of the line outside of the brothel where I was to find Shrump. I had also left my weapons behind, however I had managed to conceal a small hold-out blaster, which I had found in the aftermath of the London battle, within my jacket.

I had left Tracks with the Viper at a landing pad not far away. I was pretty sure that droids wouldn’t be allowed inside.

There was a soft beep as I ran the code on my datapad through the entry scanner.

Woman: “Welcome to Velvet Arcadia, Mr. Tolson.” The woman, dressed in a something similar to an old-fashioned Mardi Gras carnival costume, stood behind the scanner greeted with a big smile as the bouncer stood beside her opened the door to let me inside.
I smiled in return and stepped past the bouncer into the brothel.

The door closed again behind me and left me in a world completely unlike the one outside that I had just left.
The place was huge, with old fashioned architecture; pillars and inside balconies and such and was luxuriously decorated with hanging drapes and gold-framed paintings on the walls.

The sound of the casual chatting of numerous people, mixed with the overly-flirtatious laughs of women and the underlying sound of nondescript music playing in the background filled the spacious rooms as I slowly made my way towards the main chamber.

There were people everywhere -mainly women dressed in hardly anything; thin gowns, babydolls, underwear, the usual selection of sexy attire that was pleasing to the eye. But there were also a good number of men; old men, young men, fat men, thin men, rich men, p…. slightly less rich, but still rich men – all clients come to enjoy themselves, and in fact, as I looked around, I noticed a fair few female clients around too.

There was a short flight of stairs leading down into the main chamber and I paused for a moment at the top, scanning the scene below to see if I could spot my target. I’d done some research on him and made sure I’d seen up-to-date photos of him before coming, so now it was just a case of wandering around and trying to find him.

As I stood looking into the main chamber, my mind wandered to thinking about how I was actually going to do the deed. I had never assassinated anybody before. Heck, I made a point of only killing when I really had to, so this whole business was totally new to me! As were my surroundings. Not just this particular club, but these sorts of establishments in general.
I’d been ten when I’d gone to jail so at that age, I knew nothing about the opposite sex and sexuality. And since getting out, I’d been rather pre-occupied with doing the Brain’s dirty work and fighting in a war. So sex hadn’t really been on my mind. Thinking about it, I hadn’t really had very much contact with women at all!

Of course there was Eris, but… well; While she was both beautiful and powerful and I suppose I had been a bit enamoured by her to begin with, I knew that I was simply a friend to her and I had no desire to combat that. I think the feelings that I had had for her were simply because she was the first woman I had had any proper friendship with since, well, since I was a boy. For all I knew, she didn’t care for me at all! Now being the Archmage of The Collective, she had even more people close to her, it wouldn’t surprise me if she forgot about me soon.

Whore: “Anything you see take your fancy?”

I snapped back into the present, realising that I’d been in a complete daydream. A young brunette was stood beside me with her hand gently resting on my arm.

Tank: “Uh… I.. I’m just enjoying the view for the moment.” I blabbered out.

Whore: “I’m sure you are sweety. Well, if you need anything, don’t be afraid to ask. I’m Janie.” She smirked before slowly gliding down the stairs.

I felt my eyes lowering down her body to watch her as she went down the stairs and I had to mentally shake myself and force myself to concentrate. I was here to do a job and that’s what I was going to do. There was no time for pleasure now.

Under any other circumstances, I probably would have enjoyed myself. Well, I’d have enjoyed the views at least. I’m not sure if I’d actually have the bravery to approach anybody. Actually, under any normal circumstances, I probably wouldn’t even have had the bravery to come in!

I moved on, walking down one of the passages to an adjoining room which was basically just a smaller version of the main chamber. I scanned the room but there was no sign of Shrump.

Whore: “Hey handsome.” A blonde smiled as she approached.

Tank: “Hi.” Was all I managed to reply. Wow.

Whore: “How’s about we take a seat and get to know each other?” she asked taking my hand and getting ready to take me over to one of the couches.

Tank: “Uh… I’m looking for someone.” I replied and took my hand back more roughly than I’d meant to.

Whore: “Ah… You a regular then? I haven’t seen you before. Who are you looking for? Maybe we can share you.” She smiled, unphased.

Tank: “Uh…” I couldn’t tell her the truth, obviously, but how else was I supposed to explain that I was here actually looking for a man!

Tank: “I’m looking for Janie.” I lied, remembering the name of the first whore who had approached me.

Whore: “Ah, I think she’s back in the great hall. You sure you don’t want me to accompany you?” Tank: “I’ll be fine, thank you.” I replied, glad to have gotten out of the situation and turned and headed back the way I’d come.

I reached the main chamber, or the great hall as it was seemingly called, trying to think of the best way to search the rest of the building without being caught. However, I needed have worried because as I got there, straight ahead of me, just coming up out of the lowered area with a woman on both arm and another following, was Shrump. They turned into the passage opposite the one I had just left and I began to follow at a distance.

The girls led the Governorial candidate up a grand flight of stairs, but he clearly knew where he was going already. I kept my distance but made sure to keep them in sight as I tailed them up the staircase to what seemed to be the top floor and then along a corridor. The corridor was lined by doors on both sides, each with a light above it. Most were green but a good amount were red, presumably meaning that they were engaged.

I hung back as they turned into a room, but I was nearly caught as the door just next to me opened and a giggling prostitute emerged, completely topless.

Whore: “Ooh. Freebie.” She winked as she spotted me and then, still giggling, covered herself up before striding away down the staircase.

I realised I had been stood there for several seconds longer than necessary, staring at where the woman had ben stood, and so shaking my head to clear my mind and regain my concentration, I headed on down the corridor to the room where I’d seen my target enter with the three women.

The light above the door was red and I paused outside to listen in. I could hear the girls talking sensually to him but couldn’t pinpoint their location in the room. As quietly as I could I tried the door, but found it locked. I had expected it would be so had come prepared. Checking the coast was clear, I pulled out a pin and a small screwdriver and opened up the keypad that was on the wall next to the door. I tinkered with the wires for just a few seconds until there was a satisfying click and the light above the door turned green.

I didn’t bother to replace the panel, I just pulled out my small hold-out blaster and quietly turned the handle. The door opened slightly and I kept an ear out for any sounds of shock from within, but none came. One of the girls laughed and another moaned pleasurably so I assumed they were well distracted.

I opened the door fully and gun outstretched, stepped into the room.

The four occupants were on a big four poster bed. One of the women was laying on her back, naked, and a second was lying beside her kissing her. The third was running her hands all over Shrump, who was knelt at the foot of the bed, still in his shirt but his trousers and underwear were in a pile on the floor.

I don’t know why, but I hesitated in pulling the trigger and in that moment of hesitation, I was spotted.

Shrump: “HEY!” he shouted and the girls all screamed and attempted to cover themselves up.

My finger squeezed, but before I could shoot there was an explosion that engulfed the possible future Governor and all three women. The shockwave knocked me back through the door and I ended up laying on my back in the corridor.

My ears ringing, I sat up, wincing in pain and looked back into the room. A fire was raging from where the explosion had been and I could see the mutilated corpse of Shrump laying amid the flames.

I noticed that the window on the opposite side of the room to the door had been shattered in the blast and as I looked on, something… no, a figure made a saluting gesture in this direction and then took off from the rooftop opposite. I frowned, wondering who the hell it had been and why they had just done my job for me.

As my ears adjusted, I realised that a siren was wailing away and that people had started exiting the ‘engaged’ rooms up and down the corridor.

Whore: “Look!” one woman shouted, pointing at me and I realised that I still had my gun in my hand. I didn’t stick around to try and convince them that I wasn’t the cause of the explosion. Instead, I ran for it. I knew that now I’d been spotted with a weapon I wouldn’t be able to get out the way I had come in and I also knew that I had to find out who the hell had caused that explosion. Who had I seen on that rooftop and had they intentionally set me up?

I ran along the corridor, shoving people out of the way as I went.

Tank: “Tracks, I need evac’, fast!” I shouted into my comlink. “Follow my signal and open the cockpit!” Without waiting for a reply, I barged into a random room on the opposite side of the building. I shot the window out and then waited, keeping an eye on the figure in the sky that was growing ever farther and farther away.

Tank: “Come on…” I muttered impatiently, waiting. But I didn’t have to wait long.

The Viper burst around the corner of the building and Tracks brought it to a hovering standstill beneath the window. I climbed out and dropped rather awkwardly onto the wing before clambering into the open cockpit.

Tank: “Go, go, go! There!” I hurried, pointing towards the dot in the distance, and Tracks immediately set off in pursuit.

We quickly began to catch up, however, as we headed across the city, the figure seemed to realise that they were being followed. They took a sudden turn and darted between two buildings. Tracks didn’t react in time and had to fly all the way around the tower block before continuing the chase.

Our quarry tried several more times to shake us off but failed in every attempt.

Tracks whirred questioningly and pointed to the gun controls.

Tank: “No, no, I want them alive. I want to find out who they are and how they knew where Shrump would be to kill him.”

Then an idea struck me.

Tank: “Shoot his wings.”

Tracks opened fire but the figure was nimble on their wing pack and managed to weave around, dodging the bullets.

I cursed silently.

Tank: “Keep us level.” I told Tracks and reached past him to punch the canopy release button.

The Viper shook under the strain of flying with the canopy open, but we pushed on and I grabbed my sniper and took aim.

The shot rang out and the figure’s right wing exploded in a flurry of metal shards that flew back and bounced off of the Viper.
The fleeing assassin dropped like a stone, flapping their arms in panic and crashed hard on a rooftop.

Tank: “Quick! Land there!” I instructed and Tracks did as I bade.

I climbed out, my pistols drawn, and dropped onto the ground. Across the roof, the figure, who had clearly been injured by their fall, struggled to their feet and unhooked their wing pack, letting it drop to the floor.

Tank: “Stay right there!” I shouted as I approached.

The figure, who was wearing a black helmet turned to face me and I heard a man’s laugh.

Figure: “Oh Tank…”He chided and pulled off his helmet.

Wolfhide: “Didn’t anybody ever tell you it’s rude to make demands?” he smirked.

I took a sharp breath as I realised who it was. It took me a moment to figure out what was different about him but then I realised that he was wearing a golden eyepatch and remembered that the last time I’d seen him, he was laying seemingly dead on the floor after I’d shot him in the eye.

Tank: “You’re dead.” I commented aloud, rather stupidly.

Wolfhide: “Evidently.” He replied sarcastically. “Like I told you, I’m a survivor!”

With that, he grabbed for his pistol, however he found his holster empty. I kept my guns trained on him and allowed myself a smirk as Wolfhide looked around and spotted his gun laying on the roof where he’d crashed.

Tank: “Smooth.” I commented and he turned back to me.
Wolfhide took a deep breath and settled his single eye on me.

Wolfhide: “So… you’ve got me. What now?”

Tank: “Why did you kill Shrump? Who hired you?” I demanded.

Wolfhide: “Why?!” he repeated incredulously. “I assume for the same reasons that you were there to kill him for! He was an animal!”

Tank: “Who hired you?”

Wolfhide: “It doesn’t matter.”

Tank: “It does to me.” I demanded.

Wolfhide: “Fine. It was The Brain.”

What?! Why would The Brain hire two people to do the same job? That didn’t make sense!

Wolfhide: “Now, can I go?”

Tank: “What do you think?” I snarled back, angry with The Brain for not telling me that he’d hired somebody else as well. Had Mr. Grey known? And if he had why hadn’t he told me?

Wolfhide: “Well, if it’s all the same to you…”

I lashed out and whacked one of my pistols around his face and he fell sprawling on the floor, unconscious.

Tank: “Shut up.” I muttered, still preoccupied wondering whether or not Mr. Grey had known about The Brain hiring Wolfhide. I would be having serious words with him when I got back.

**Several hours later…**

I had been seriously tempted to put several lasers through Wolfhide’s skull, however, I decided against it. He’d not been there to kill me and he had in fact, in a way, helped me by doing my job for me.

Instead, I bundled the unconscious bounty hunter into the Viper and we literally ‘dropped’ him off at the door of the nearest Imperial outpost.

Confident that he would be taken properly care of, we went on our way and headed off to find somewhere to stay.

As we flew, I decided that I couldn’t wait any longer to find out if Mr. Grey had known about Wolfhide or not, so called him on the Viper’s com channel.

After a handful of seconds, he appeared.

Mr. Grey: “Chain.” He greeted. “Is it done?”

Tank: “It is. But something came up.”

Mr. Grey: “Oh?”

I took a deep breath and just went for it.

Tank: “Wolfhide was there. He beat me to the punch. Just as I was about to pull the trigger, he showed up and did it for me.”

Mr. Grey: “I see. So not only did you lie about having killed him in the past, you also failed to carry out this task as well?”

Tank: “What? No!” this wasn’t how the conversation was supposed to go! He couldn’t turn this on me!

Mr. Grey: “So what you just told me was false?”

Tank: “No, it was the truth! But…”

Mr. Grey: “Well then I see no reason for your questions.”

Tank: “Did you know?” I demanded. “Did you know that Wolfhide was still alive?”

Mr. Grey didn’t respond immediately, which in itself was pretty much the answer.

Mr. Grey: “We had our suspicions. We didn’t know for certain but it would make sense. It would explain how the GI ship that you were supposed to rescue from Gendar managed to disappear on its own and end up in Collective hands.”
Inside, I was fuming but externally I remained as calm as I could.

Tank: “Wolfhide said that it was The Brain who hired him to kill Shrump. Is that true?”
This time, the other didn’t hesitate before answering.

Mr. Grey: “Chain, I do not get told everything that The Brain does. You must remember that I am just the messenger. I did not know that The Brain had hired Wolfhide, if that is in fact the truth. I do not even know how Wolfhide knows the name of The Brain. All I can tell you is what I know.”

I was still fuming, but some of it was starting to abate now. In my anger I had forgotten that Mr. Grey wasn’t the one calling the shots and now felt slightly guilty for taking it out on him. However, I wasn’t going to apologise. I was fed up of being treated like a child by The Brain.

Tank: “Fine.”

Mr. Grey: “Is that all?”

Tank: “Yes.” I replied curtly.
Mr. Grey nodded in reply.

Mr. Grey: “Very good. Well, at least Shrump is dead.” He acknowledged.

Tank: “I don’t suppose I get to know any answers, do I?”

Mr. Grey: “Was it you who killed Shrump?” he asked rhetorically.

I didn’t answer. Instead, I terminated the link, grinding my teeth together in an emotional state somewhere between fury and wanting to cry.

One day soon, I would get some answers from him. One day soon.

**BONUS PICTURES**

The set for the exterior of the building.

I actually created my own cosplay of Tank!

As my series is going to be jumping around though time, I will include a date on each episode and add it to the timeline at the end of each episode so that you can follow it.

TIMELINE