S1, 06 Finding the Lost (FB) (March 1, 2016)

20 February, 2096

Knightborn City

Qoter

The city of Knightborn pulsed with life as a new day greeted its skyline. For Risa Donovan, it brought only the end of a nightmare-filled night. She propped herself up in bed as she stared out of the window, willing the memories away.

A fruitless attempt.

Grunting slightly, she dragged herself out of bed and took in the view outside her apartment window. Knightborn gleamed as always, a monument to human advancement. Built further south of Qoter's equator, the city had avoided the heaviest of bombings and assaults from the recent Collective War. Risa had mercifully been spared fighting the alien forces as she'd been visiting relatives in Rerador at the time and been more or less trapped there for the majority of the war.

Even now, supply ships were heading to Regentis, giving any aid they could, though the remnants of attacks could still be seen throughout the city, the cleanup crews zooming about, the rescue shuttles searching for survivors from ruined buildings.

To Risa, it was home. The only real home she'd ever known.

She trudged over to her monitor, shaking of the last dredges of her minimal sleep and checked the program she'd left running overnight.

Nothing. A message flared up saying the search box was empty.

Risa sighed at the message and shook her head for what must have been the hundredth time. It had been over a month since she had returned home from her mission of terror and traitors. She'd only spent a week in hospital, recovering from her burns and injuries, and two days telling the Imperium the bare minimum of details of the mission. We were ambushed, everyone else got caught in the crossfire.

Havok's betrayal ran too deep for her to share with anyone else. Besides, she had no idea how high Uek's influence within the Imperium ran, and she had no wish to inform him that she was still alive.

So she had spent all the time searching. Searching for the only piece of information gained from that night of horror. The name Dustin Vorn.

However, the man was apparently a ghost. She had found nothing involving him but unbreakable coding and deleted information. She'd tried locating any info on Uek, with a similar lack of success. Even the Imperial profiles on Havok had disappeared. Whoever the Core were, or had been, they knew how to cover their tracks.

By force of habit Risa restarted the program. It began filtering, sorting and searching the archives for more data, trying desperately to find anything relating to Dustin Vorn. She'd prepared herself for disappointment, but didn't give up.

Hope was all she had left.

A datapad slid into her hands. She checked the programs running on that as well, though they were as talkative as a mute. She sighed again at the sheer impossibility of her task. She'd already searched the city, the library, old military contacts but all had come up with nothing. If only they knew how important finding this man was!

Somehow, he would know exactly what to do to stop Uek. Somehow, he would know all the answers she was seeking. Somehow...

She changed into casual clothes, throwing a jacket over a crumpled old shirt. After explaining the mess of a mission to the GI, she hadn't turned up to work. She couldn't bring herself to work for another team, another leader so close to losing her old one. Scars took longer to heal than that.

She folded her pyjamas and placed them on her dresser. She turned to face the monitor again, repeating the routine she'd been doing for the last month. Get dressed, stare at program, sigh, repeat. Nothing she was doing was working. She'd still found nothing.

Nothing, nothing, nothing...

With a gulp, she lent against her bed, blinking back tears as the lack of results hit her. She had fought the tears down for the past month but finally they trickled down her cheeks. She had failed her team. She had failed this whole system! Without the knowledge she needed, who would be able to stop Uek? Who even could?

She grimaced through the tears, trying to keep the hope burning. It WAS all she had. She couldn't give it up, but at the same time all she had received in return...was nothing.

Her thoughts piled up as she stood there for what seemed like decades, the tears receding but never quite stopping. She'd gotten nothing.

Nothing...

Her datapad beeped. She turned and reached for the device, ready to delete the unimportant request to return to work or some useless e-mail. However, only a one message was displayed on the small screen.

"1 result found"

Confused, she turned to the monitor. It too had lit up with the same message. One result found. One result.

Found...

She dashed to the computer and opened the file it gave her. She briefly registered that the program had been scanning through business records before the file opened and a handwritten receipt presented itself.

It looked old and torn, as if the record had been kept at the bottom of some filing cabinet before someone decided to scan it into the machine. It was mostly redacted, little black rectangles filling any useable data.

However, at the very bottom of the receipt was a small reminder, lost in the trillions of data points online. And it had all the information she needed.

"Note to self, visit Sal's tomorrow, in Trion. Need to see him."
"D.Vorn"

Risa smiled. A real, genuine smile filled her face and her heart. The tears of sadness dried up as quick as they had come as she threw up her hands in relief.

Risa: "Finally!" She yelled aloud, her relief at finally finding information she could use. She had finally made headway! She would, she could finally find this ghost of a man.

She quickly copied the note into her datapad, locking the name and place into her mind. She was somewhat familiar with Trion, a small suburb near the heart of Knightborn. It was mostly homes and small businesses, and wouldn't be too busy during the middle of the day. And though the name 'Sal' didn't ring any bells, the receipt had come from a business record of some kind.

So a business owner, named Sal, in Trion. Risa began changing clothes again, putting on her Imperium formal clothes. The suit would identify her as someone in the military, limiting the amount of attention she'd get for looking for a missing person.

She grinned again. It was just past eight in the morning. She had the whole day to search for such a specific individual. How hard could it be?

Very, very hard, Risa thought to herself, eight hours later.

Trion, as it turned out, was bigger than she remembered. And though the businesses were recorded online, many were small and hard to find. She had thought the name Sal would have been unique. She'd been right on that account; nobody she asked had ever heard of a Sal who owned a business in that area.

She'd spent most of the day searching the suburb, with barely any success. The only lead she had was from a woman who'd told her that it 'must be a most unnecessary place if I've never heard of it.'

Risa sighed as she trudged down the street. To her left were a row of older buildings, clearly owned by multiple people over the years. A large dark green building filled the majority of the lane, a small red and white lamp hanging from the awning. A barber shop. Risa smirked.

She hadn't seen a proper barber shop in years. Curious, she looked at the name displayed above the shop and her smile widened.

"Well how about that." She said to the late afternoon air.

The name SAL shone like a beacon from the roof. Hope filled Risa as the idea of finally going forward in her little quest rekindled her determination.

Now all she had to do was hope that this barber Sal knew how to find a ghost. She opened the door and went into the building.

The shop was...old. No other word quite described it. Risa was slightly taken back at the style of the store. All the walls were wooden with sandstone foundations, and a number of shelves lined the sides, holding all number of hair products. Old wigs and hairstyles stood behind the counter, like watchful guardians over the scene of timber.

Yet under closer inspection, she could see modern technologies intertwined with the old. Black screens stood opposite two rotating chairs, taking the place of mirrors. And though the place was old, it was also very clean and well-kept.

In the midst of it all was an old man, sweeping the floor in a practiced motion. A furious grey moustache met large sideburns on his face, matching his silver, shoulder-length hair. His suit was clean and tidy, but he wore a scowl and seemed to emanate a gruff attitude.

Sal: "We're closed." He didn't even turn to look at Risa, not seeming to care who it was. His accent had a Scottish lint to it, uncommon this far from Earth.

Risa: "I'm sorry for intruding sir. Risa Donovan, Shock Trooper. I'm just here to ask you a few questions."

Sal stopped his sweeping and turned to face her, taking in her military uniform before shrugging.

Sal: "Time's precious, lass. Get on with it."

Risa: "Right then. How...uh...how long have you been here? In Knightborn?"

Sal: "Few years. I used to work out of Edinburgh, but moved after the Shift. Been here ever since. What else?

Risa: "Uh, ok." She said, silently cursing her awkwardness. His gruff nature had thrown her, so her questions were falling flat. She'd kept her questions routine for each person she'd asked about Dustin, deducing whether they were in league with Uek from their responses and body language. But this one had thrown her slightly.

Sal: "Finished staring?"

Risa realised she'd left her eyes locked on him and quickly blinked. "Oh, yes. Sorry. So are you a permanent resident?"

Sal: "Well it's my shop, so what do you think?

Risa: "Yes, of course. Sorry, again. Um...Could I please have your full name?"

Sal: "I'm an orphan, no last name. Call me Sal Barber if you need one."

Risa: "Alright. Sal...Barber then." She stammered over her words, wondering how to introduce the Dustin Vorn topic.

Sal: "Listen lass, this encounter has been fun, but I've got actual work to do."

He turned and walked off without another word. Risa hurried after him, words forming on her lips.

Risa: "Sir, wait a moment! Do...do you know anybody who goes by the name Dustin Vorn?"

Sal kept walking, but Risa saw a slight falter in his step. He knew. She forgot the awkwardness she had had before and hardened her resolve.

Sal: "Sorry lass, can't help you there. Never met a Vorn before."

Risa: "Then how is it I have a record sighed by a Vorn, with your name on it."

Sal's brow furrowed as he faced her, his anger present.

Sal: "Look, I've never known someone by that name. And even if I did know, why would I tell you? You're military, and I don't trust the military. Too many secrets for your own good."

Risa: "Please sir, it's important."

Sal: "Why? Why is it so damn important?

Risa faltered and searched for an answer that didn't give anything she knew away. "I'm...afraid I can't tell you that, sir."

Sal nodded once and walked right passed her, muttering under his moustache.

Sal: "See what I mean about secrets? Look, I've never met a Vorn and I don't intend to. Now do me a favour and get out of my shop. Like I said, I'm closed."

He stormed behind the counter, as if to grab the keys and leave there and then.

Risa: "Wait!" She yelled desperately, throwing caution to the wind. This man DID know about the ghost she was hunting. And she needed his knowledge. She needed that hope.

Risa: "Perhaps you know another name then. Please, tell me the name Uek Ferris mean something, anything, to you?!"

The man stiffened, going totally rigid. He quickly turned and stared directly at Risa, his large eyes seeming to burrow into her skull.

Sal: "What did you just say lass?"

Risa: "Uek Ferris! Please, tell me you know him."

The old barber kept his gaze locked onto Risa, the broom slipping from his grasp as his face turned somewhat pale. He knew Uek, and he clearly knew what he was capable of.

Sal: "Damn it. He's back. What did he do to you lass? If you know about him, you should be either with him or dead."

Risa: "Well, I won't lie and say I came close to the second, but I got lucky. My squad, my whole team though...he took them all. Please sir, I need help. I need someone who can give me information about all this. I need answers. Please."

Slowly, Sal regained his composure and walked past Risa to the back of the store, his lips moving again. His gruff attitude remained, but his rudeness was gone.

Sal: "You're not with Uek, and you know about Dustin. You have a ship?"

Risa: "A long range fighter; space for two."

Sal: "And this is all off the books?

Risa: "Yes sir."

Sal: "Right, wait here."

Risa was stunned by the man's sudden reversal of opinion. He clearly knew exactly what Uek was capable of, probably even more than she did, and how important it was. She raised the question, though phrased it almost jokingly to make sure he wasn't pulling her leg.

Risa: "What happened to 'I never met a Vorn'?"

Sal: "I made the kid a promise that I'd keep his status secret, but if you met Uek, and not only survived but want MORE answers, I reckon you're probably our best chance of getting him out."

Sal reached into a tub full of old hair gel and fished around before finally pulling out an ageing data pad. Risa's curiosity overtook her, and she couldn't help asking the question she'd been holding.

Risa: "What do you mean 'get him out'? Where is he?"

Sal stared back at her, his frown steady.

Sal: "Ever heard of the Skarr?"

Risa shook her head, though the name seemed familiar.

Sal: "Not surprised. Not many people know much about it, other than the lies both sides give. It's one of the biggest messes in both Imperial and Aureli's history. Here."

He said as he tossed her the datapad. A video began loading as soon as she touched the screen. A documentary, of sorts, and a cool female voice that began speaking as a few images filled the device.

Narration: "The Imperium and Aurelia. Ever since the Aurelian formation in 2083, these two factions have been in near constant war. Uprisings, rebellions and riots have covered the earth and caused more bloodshed then nearly any other war in human history. Yet this bloodshed, though widespread, is most focused in one location on Earth: The Republic of Australia."

Narration: "Official records say that Australia joined the Imperium alongside New Zealand peacefully in September of 2081. However, the truth is fair more perverse than that. Though the politician signed the treaty, the Australian population was divided in half for support of the Imperium and rebellion against the government."

Narration: "Skirmishes broke out all over the country as both sides fought for control of the land mass. Lives were worth less than bullets during those few, bloody years. The media attention seemed to ignore the fighting, content to let the Australian people sort it out amongst themselves. There was enough unrest everywhere else."

Narration: "The fighting finally came to a head in the spring of 2084, on the Queensland, New South Wales boarder, in an inland city known as Prenmane. The fighting went on for weeks as the city crumbled. Millions died in the carnage, and countless bombings left even more innocents stranded."

Narration: "The fighting only ended when the Aurelian generals, financiers and head supporters were massacred in a vicious attack in their home city of Sydney. The Aurelian forces stepped down and the Republic joined the Imperium not only in name but in loyalty, though after the Shift occurred every Aurelian left the country, and the planet, for lives elsewhere."

Narration: "However, the old city was left a ruin, thousands trapped within. All major roads had been obliterated and the city was too large, and too far inland, to evacuate the entire populace. Due to the fighting that had broken it, the slum was renamed as the Skarr."

Narration: "Eventually, the Imperium constructed a wall, the Onyx Fence, around the city in 2085, hoping to contain the remaining Aurelian soldiers abandoned inside. They also used the ruin as a refugee camp of sorts, emptying other slums, hovels and camps throughout the planet into the Skarr. The result was a mixture of cultures, values, beliefs and practices. It became the worlds biggest slum."

Narration: "Another small city, Northton, was built around the Onyx Fence, mainly used as a military base and training ground. The man who runs this city is Briat North, self proclaimed 'owner' of the Skarr and its populace, though many intergalactic companies have implemented branches within the slum, taking advantage of the cheap labour. These are primarily construction companies who give the Skarr's populace the one thing they crave; freedom."

Narration: "The Skarr has been glossed over by every history book, survivors refusing to speak of it. It is the darkest stain in both Imperial and Aureli history, and still remains hidden in obscurity and vague reference to this day."

Risa blinked as the video finished, shocked at the images she'd seen.

Now she remembered the Skarr, from first contact lessons after the Shift. It had been described as 'an old city used as a staging ground for Aurelian attacks, now a slum for the homeless.' But it was so much more! A brutal war had been fought there, at the dawn of the Imperium, when the Core had been running around.

And the ghost, the one with all the answers, was in there...

She turned to Sal, who seemed to read her mind and confirmed her thoughts.

Sal: "Yep, that's where he is. He was abandoned there, left for dead. The only thing he sent me was a personal message and his last co-ordinates before his transmitter died."

Risa: "Where would I even start! The city's huge! How long has he even been there?"

Sal: "Over five years. Keep the datapad, his last coordinates are in it. He's clever, so he's probably got a settlement somewhere nearby. He'll have long hair, it grew like grass it did, probably stubble and some form of hat to conceal his identity. He's also got that eye-thing, one's blue, one's green. That should limit the search area a bit. That's as much as I can give you, as that's all that I know."

Risa: "If you knew where he was all along, and you want him back, why haven't you already gone down there?"

Sal: "I don't have a ship. And no taxi flies to the Skarr. More than that though, there's high level players that want me dead. I can't get him out without dying in the process. You can."

A hundred questions still zoomed around her mind, but one rose to the top of it all.

Risa: "Thank you, so much, but why do you know so much? Who even are you?"

Sal picked up the broom again. "I'm a barber from Scotland lass. Now, if you wouldn't mind, I'm well and truly closed."

Risa left the little shop, questions piling up in her mind. Whoever Sal was, he'd given her what she'd asked for. She knew where to find her ghost, the one that would somehow know all about Uek and how to stop him.

Now all she needed to do was make a plan to get him out of a place of bloodshed that was as barren as physically possible and filled with the lowest of the low in the Imperium.

"How hard could it be?" she said to herself as she started walking home, preparing herself for a long night of planning.