S2, 02 I really, really hate cyborgs! Part 1 (RB) (May 25, 2015)

Corresponding text underneath each picture.

**2nd May 2095: Present Day**

The air crackled all around us as I piloted the Viper up and away from Soateria. Flashes of brilliantly white lightning lit up the black clouds as we burst through them and then there came a deafening boom of thunder clapping directly over us.

Tracks grumbled from his seat behind me.

Tank: “Easy, buddy. We’re nearly out of it.” I informed him as we burst through the top of the clouds and entered the upper atmosphere.

Tank: “The storm is the least of my worries…” I added to myself as an afterthought.

It had been a little over a week since I had dropped Aril off at his relative’s house in the mountains and we had spent that time resting. I had received a message from Mr. Grey informing me of my next assignment and then I had decided to fly to a different area of the planet. I needed to remain on Soateria but I didn’t feel right staying so close to where Aril was now, hopefully, settling in.

The reason I had to stay on Soateria was simply because this is where Mr. Grey’s next assignment needed me to be. He had informed me via the holo-com that an Imperial General was going to desert and join up with the Collective, taking one of the GI’s brand new flagships with him in the process. He also, at the last minute, told me that the General was a cyborg.

Great…

As per usual, he had sent the full details through to my datapad and I had spent the evening reading through them.

The General’s name was Rill Gendar. He was born on Rerador, was now in his late 50’s and had been part of the military from a young age. He had joined the Galactic Imperium as soon as things had settled down after The Shift. However, after he was caught in an explosion while out on duty, he had been given only a very slim chance to live. His superiors had decided to take him to the floating research facility known as ‘The Bucket’, to have life-saving operations. What happened there, nobody knows, but when Gendar emerged, he was more machine than man and therefore classed as a cyborg.

Cyborgs were known for being very powerful, thanks to their robotic parts but they were also known to become mentally unstable and very unpredictable.

And my task was to kill one of them.

Well… this was going to be fun!

And yes, that is sarcasm.

The briefing informed me that The Brain had received intelligence that Gendar was planning on deserting the Galactic Imperium to go and join the Collective and was going to take one of their brand new flag ships with him. The Collective were powerful enough as it was! If they also had a brand-new, state-of-the-art cruiser, albeit one that is still far behind their own technological capabilities, it would be disastrous for the rest of the system.

The briefing stated that because at that time there was no actual proof of what Gendar was planning, I had to wait until he had actually stolen the ship before I could do anything. And so I had waited for further instructions and this morning, Mr. Grey had sent through a message telling me that Gendar had indeed taken one of the new ships and I was to intercept him over Soateria, as he made his way to the Collective fleet.

So now here we were, flying up and away from Soateria on course to meet the ship not far from the planet.

We exited the atmosphere and there, ahead of us, in the inky blackness of space was the rouge Imperium cruiser.

Tank: “Whoa…” I muttered as I realized the size of the thing. Tracks leant forward to get a better look and whirred a message.

Tank: “Yes it’s really that big.” Tracks looked at me and asked another question.

Tank: “Yes we still have to stop it.” He made a whine that increased in pitch.

Tank: “Yes, seriously.” I replied and he made a sound like a tut and a sigh as he sat back down.

We zoomed towards the enormous ship and as we got closer, the hailing light on my dash began to signal. Now was the time. Hopefully the plan I had come up with for getting on board would work. If it didn’t, we were going to be in *big* trouble! I flicked the switch and a hologram of an officer appeared.

Officer: “Unidentified ship, please state your intentions or prepare to be destroyed.”

Tank: “Whoa, whoa! Okay! I need help! Thank God you’re here! My farm was attacked by the Collective, they’ve destroyed everything. I only just managed to escape!”

Officer: “We cannot assist at this time. Please remove your craft from our flight path or prepare to be destroyed.” He stated bluntly.

Tank: “What? Please! No! You have to help! You’re the Galactic Imperium! You have to help me!”

Officer: “We are on a very tight schedule as it is. You have ten seconds to comply.”

Tank: “Please! You’re supposed to be the law of the galaxy! The news always shows you as heroes! I’ve never had any dealings with you before, but if this is what you’re really like, then maybe the Aurellians would be able to help me!” I tried going for a more defensive strategy.

Officer: “The Galactic Imperium currently have a truce with the rebel force known as Aurelia, until such a time as the Collective are defeated.”

Oh! Well, that was one bit of news that had slipped past me!

Officer: “Last warning. Move or be destroy…” he paused mid-word as somebody off camera spoke to him.

Officer: “As you wish, Captain.” He replied to the person I couldn’t see. “You are to proceed to docking bay 7. A technician will meet you there. Under normal circumstances, I would send a crew but we are a little under-staffed at the moment.” He informed me before ending the transmission.

Well, that was a sudden change! I wonder who had told him that we could board. A Captain? Something didn’t feel right. Surely it hadn’t been Gendar himself? Firstly because he was a General, but secondly, what would he gain by letting a ‘farmer’ on board? Unless he simply wanted us out of the way so that they could proceed and was planning on killing us as soon as we came on board. But if that was the case, why only send one technician? I know he had stated that they were short-staffed, but I already presumed the reason for that. The reason being that Gendar wouldn’t be able to fly a ship on his own but not many people would volunteer to help once they knew what he was planning on doing. So there must only be a handful of crew members on board – those who he had convinced to defect.

Oh well. The less men on board, the less trouble it would be for us.

Tank: “Well, here we go.” I stated out loud as we slowed our approach towards docking bay 7. We drifted through the energy shield door and gently touched down. There was nobody here.

I popped the canopy and climbed out, Tracks following suit. After resealing the ship, we headed towards the exit and as we did so, the technician who was supposed to be here to meet us entered. He was only young, just a couple of years older than myself.

Technician: “Apologies for being late. We are under-staffed at present.”

That seemed to be the generic excuse around here.

Tank: “Don’t worry about it. Thank you for your help.” I said, staying in character.

For the first time, the technician seemed to notice Tracks and his eyes widened in shock.

Tank: “My farmhand.” I explained and without taking his eyes of the towering droid, he nodded.

Technician: “I just hadn’t expected him to be so big.” He explained but then a look of shock came over his face as he realized he’d said something he shouldn’t have.

‘As he’d expected?’ I thought. That meant he had been expecting Tracks, yet I’d not mentioned having anybody with me on the hologram to the bridge officer. Something here really wasn’t right. Somebody on board knew I would be bringing a robot with me – that meant that somebody on board knew us.

And *that* meant that we were walking into a trap.

Technician: “If you’d like to follow me to the bridge.” He invited and led the way out of the door and into the corridor that lay beyond.

As we walked, I highly doubted that we were going to the bridge. More likely going to an execution chamber or something of the sort. But then I thought about it a bit more and realized that if somebody here did know who we were, then that meant they knew how tough Tracks was and how hard it would be to kill us. If I was correct about the very few staff on board just being the bridge crew, which at the minute I appeared to be, as in the time since our arrival we hadn’t seen anybody else, then they were not going to risk sending some of them to try and kill us.

My suspicions were confirmed when we reached an elevator and once inside, the technician selected the bridge level. So we were in fact being taken to the bridge, presumably to face Gendar himself, who would have no trouble at all killing me. But with Tracks here, I stood a much better chance. But that then led back to my earlier unspoken questions.

However, the elevator then stopped and the doors opened on to the bridge.

Technician: “This way please.”

The bridge was semi-circular I shape and was arranged so that there was a central walkway stretching from where we stood now at the flat back of the room, down to the very front curved viewing window. From each side of that walkway curved three rows of computer stations, currently at which sat about a half dozen technicians and pilots, but there was space for at least 20 crew members. They must really just be running on minimum personnel at the minute, I noted as we were led down the centre aisle.

It was at this point I noticed there were two men ahead of us, stood with their backs to us, looking out of the viewing window.

Technician: “Excuse me, General, Captain. They are here.”

And with that he turned and left us. Neither of the two moved for a few seconds and in that time I realised that one of them looked vaguely familiar, but I couldn’t think where from without seeing his face.

Then my thoughts were cut short as the man on the right, Gendar, turned around. His huge bulky body made him stand a good few inches taller than both myself and the other man, however he was still shorter than Tracks which I mentally breathed a sigh of relief about.

Gendar: “Greetings, Tank. I am General Gendar. Formerly of the Galactic Imperium.” He introduced himself in a gravelly voice and I was shocked that he knew my name. No need to keep up the farmer act any more then.

Tank: “How do you know my name?” I asked.

Man: “Simple.” The second man, who stilled had not yet turned around, announced. “I told him.”

And now he turned around and I realised why I recognised the back of his head.

Tank: “Wolfhide!” I growled.

He smirked.

Wolfhide: “The last time I saw you, you were stood on a rooftop, I seem to remember.” He taunted.

Tank: “No wonder I recognised the back of your head. The last time I saw you, you were flying away, like the coward you are.” I countered.

Wolfhide: “Touché.”

Gendar: “The Captain here recognised your ship and informed me of who you are.” The General explained.

Tank: “So you’re a Captain now?”

Wolfhide: “You bet’cha!”

Tank: “So who are you working for now? Him?” I gestured at the cyborg. “Or the Collective?”

Wolfhide: “The latter. I’m a bounty hunter after all. A survivor, first and foremost. I work for whoever pays the most and whoever is in charge. And these days, both of those are the Collective.”

Gendar: “The Collective are always looking for men with exceptional skills, Tank.”

Tank: “Like you?” I asked sarcastically.

Gendar: “Quite. You have skills too though, don’t you Tank.”

Wolfhide scoffed and I glared at him before returning my attention to the cyborg.

Tank: “Maybe. But I’d never use them to aid the Collective. They’re murderers and psychopaths, just like you.” I told him, thinking back over all the destruction I had seen. All caused by The Collective. The bombings on Zarus, the chaos on Qoter and poor little Aril losing his family. However at the last moment, a thought of Eris, the Archmage’s sister, flashed through my mind and I remembered that they were not all, in fact, evil.

Gendar: “I’m no psychopath.” He retorted angrily and one of his eyes twitched. I noticed he didn’t take offence to the ‘murderer’ part of my statement. “I can see what’s coming. What lies ahead for this system. I’ve had a vision of the future and in that vision, it is the Collective who rule supreme. Not the puny, outdated Galactic Imperium.”

Tank: “And did this *vision* involve a whole lot of money for you, by any chance?” I asked rhetorically.

Gendar: “I didn’t do this for the money! I did this because I want to live on. I want to be a part of that future that I know is coming!”

Tank: “Yuh-huh.”

I was getting real tired of listening to the insane cyborg and his pet dog, but couldn’t do anything for certain until I knew Tracks was ready. Our mission was to kill Gendar, not destroy the ship, otherwise it would have been a heck of a lot easier for us to blow the damned thing up! But no, Grey wanted it back in one piece, hence our need to get on board and find Gendar in the first place.

I heard a quiet ‘click’ and took a quick sideways glace at Tracks. Or more specifically at his back.

He was ready.

Tank: “Well, this has been a lovely talk, but I think you’re both out of your minds. Now, if you’ll excuse me, *NOW*!!”

I dropped to my knees at the same time as Tracks’ shoulder-mounted minigun popped out of it’s storage compartment on his back and began firing. He turned 360degrees, the bullets flying everywhere. Gendar was struck numerous times, but Wolfhide was quicker and dived to safety behind the first curved bank of controls.

As soon as my knees had touched the floor, I pulled out my pistols and with Tracks continuing to fire in a circle, killing several of the control operators in the process, I began blasting those who remained. Everyone here was a deserter. Everyone here was now part of the Collective.

And it was about damned time I got some payback.

Tracks finished his circle and the rattling of his minigun stopped. There was silence for a few moments, except for some sparking computer equipment. Luckily Tracks had largely managed to avoid shooting the viewing wall but the few bullets that had struck it hadn’t penetrated the reinforced glass, thankfully.

But I didn’t have time to register any of that because then Wolfhide leapt to his feet behind the computer banks and began firing at us. Tracks shot back and I got to cover behind the leg of one of the desks. I took a couple of shots at him but didn’t have a clear line of sight.

There was a sudden roar and all I saw was Tracks staggering away as Gendar, still alive, rugby tackled him up the walkway.

I noticed Wolfhide glance at what was going on and I leapt out of hiding to take a better shot at him. It struck the console next to his head and he laughed as he dropped to the floor out of sight. I was just glad he wasn’t wearing the flight suit wings that he had been the last time I’d seen him!

A couple of bullets flew past my feet and I realised he was shooting under the desks, so I jumped up onto the nearest one and ran along it towards him.

I cried a war cry as I reached him and went to kick at his head, however, he was too fast and simply grabbed my foot and swung me into the window. I crashed to the floor and looked up just in time to see him pick up his gun. I kicked out and sent his gun sliding away across the floor and then again, up into his chest.

He staggered back, giving me a chance to get to me feet. I rushed him and punched him in the face, but it had little effect. He punched me in the chest and we began fighting in close quarters. There was a mechanical squeal from across the room and in the corner of my eye, I saw Tracks being slammed backwards into a wall by the enraged General.

But I couldn’t help him out at the minute because I had my own problems to deal with. I took a blow and crashed backwards onto the ground. My hand landed on something and a quick glance revealed it to be one of Wolfhide’s pistols, which I shoved into my holster, just in case. I leapt up and his fist caught my shoulder and I stumbled out of his grip and into the desk. I grabbed one of the monitors, and smashed it over Wolfhide’s head. He cried out and I dived past him, grabbing my pistols off of the floor and then swung my legs up and over the desk and ran towards where Tracks was holding off Gendar.

I shot Gendar several times in the back as I ran up the walkway towards him but it barely phased him. He cried out in anger and swung Tracks around like a rag doll. He let go and I had to drop to the floor otherwise he would have crashed straight into me.

I leapt to my feet again and kept firing at the mad General as I rushed towards him. But my lasers just didn’t seem to be having any effect on his armoured body. I got too close and he lashed out and sent me sprawling. He stepped closer, looming above me but Tracks dived at him, passing straight over me and tackled him backwards.

A few shots flew our way from Wolfhide across the room and I sent a few back, but kept my focus on Gendar.

I came up behind him and kicked at the back of his knee with all my might and thankfully, he buckled. Tracks’ fist met his face and he staggered backwards into a well-placed shot from my pistol into the join at the top of his leg armour.

He cried out again, in pain this time, and stumbled away. I shot at him again, but missed and then ducked down behind the counter as Wolfhide resumed his attacks. Tracks fired at Wolfhide and charged after Gendar but as I came back up to shoot, I saw the General give the droid a hard thump and he tumbled backwards over one of the desks. Gendar disappeared through the door and I cursed silently, knowing I had to get after him.

But that was impossible at the moment, because of Wolfhide’s bombardment!

Tracks vaulted over the desk and followed Gendar out of the room, leaving me alone with Wolfhide, who had now leapt onto the desk and was charging towards me.

I took shelter and heard Wolfhide come to a halt.

Wolfhide: “You’re a better fighter than I thought you’d be, I’ll give you that!” he called, out of breath.

I didn’t reply. Instead, I was frantically trying to figure out a way of beating this son of a bitch. I needed a distraction.

Wolfhide: “Are you sure you don’t want to join the Collective? Last chance to change your mind.”

His voice sounded slightly distant that time and I worked out that he was facing slightly away from me. He didn’t know where I was!

As quietly as I could, I reached out and picked up a small lump of debris, a piece of computer monitor, which was laying a few feet away.

Wolfhide: “No? Are you sure? You know you can’t kill me, Rockwell. You don’t have the talent!” he insulted. “I’m a survivor!”

I skimmed the lump of metal across the floor away from me and Wolfhide instantly shot at where it landed and bounced – not at me. I jumped up and shot his own pistol at him.

The bullet entered his right eye and he toppled sideways off of the desk, onto the walkway.

Dead.

I cautiously made my way over to him and dropped his gun onto his corpse.

Tank: “Survive that.” I muttered as I jogged off after Tracks and Gendar.

But I only made it as far as the door, when Tracks returned looking rather bashed up and started whirring and growling urgently at me.

Tank: “What? Slow down!” I pleaded. I’d gotten used to a lot of his mechanical talk now but I still wasn’t fluent in ‘whir’. He appeared to roll his eyes and added hand gestures to his slowed-down grunting.

Tank: “The escape pods?” I asked, checking I’d understood correctly and he nodded.

Tank: “Oh great. Just great….” I pulled my hat off and ran a hand through my hair before putting it back on again.

I sighed and pulled out my comlink. I keyed in a code and just seconds later, Mr. Grey appeared. He’d clearly been waiting for me to call.

Tank: “You can send the retrieval crew.” I informed him, as the plan had stated. I was to kill Gendar, inform Mr. Grey and he would then send a crew to come and pilot the ship back to the GI.

Mr. Grey: “That’s excellent news.” He smiled. “You dealt with Gendar?”

Tank: “Uh, not exactly.”

Mr. Grey: “Explain?” he turned serious.

Tank: “He got away and abandoned ship in one of the escape pods. Tracks said it was heading down towards Soateria.”

Mr. Grey: “Well then, you know what you must do now, don’t you.” he replied, matter-of-factly.

I sighed.

Tank: “Go after him?”

Mr. Grey: “Of course. Your mission was to kill Gendar and rescue the ship. So far, you have only completed half of those tasks. The retrieval crew is already en-route to your location. Get after the General. You needn’t wait for the crew to arrive, they know what they’re doing. Inform me once it is done.”

Tank: “Will do.” I replied and the transmission ended.

I took a deep breath.

Tank: “Right. Come on then, buddy. Let’s get after that freak.”

BONUS PICTURES:

The set for the bridge.

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