The Silk Road Act 1: Old Cairo — Legacy Forums

Re: The Silk Road Act 1: Old Cairo

#41

Obutsu's job was tedious, but that was what happened when you had your merc rating wrecked by EUdAS agents for working for a Nipponese zaibatsu. His target was a regular arco jerk-off, a suit who ended up on the wrong ship at the wrong time. He was looking for one Mx Adaeze, a gene spliced 7 foot tall Nigerian born woman with a class 3 neko splice, who happened to be the Director of Internal Affairs for the Kampala Arcoplex, and the Terragenesis Complex.

He didn't have the resources to have his own craft, which meant that he had to get a seat on a junker mag-rail and run north along the coast of the Sea of Victoria and try to triangulate the location of her downed shuttle. There was no rhyme or reason as to why a woman (most likely a woman) of such standing and importance would be on a low grade cargo ship on an unauthorized trajectory for Old Cairo, and for her to have been literally shot down by Kampalan aerospace fighters.

It was a shitty job, and it stank to high heaven, but the alternative was sitting in the Hiring Hall outside Kampala, watching his merc rating continue to fall and his bank account creep closer and closer to negative numbers.

The pilot of the rail tramp told Obutsu that he had picked up energy spikes in their path, likely laser fire, and he wasnt getting paid to go into a hot zone, so either Obutsu could bail and take one of the leg suits from the cargo hatch and carry on on foot, or he could stay on until they reached the first stop, and then he could find passage to the Salt Pan from their himself, but that would take him a good 20 kilometers away from the target

Re: The Silk Road Act 1: Old Cairo

#42

Jerome cursed at the high volume of fire the thrill killers laid down, but they didn't have a monopoly on that. The gun barrels would be glowing nicely in infrared, so he fired a burst of heat-seeking 20mm rockets from his gun, fired blind over the rock. The small rockets flew down range, fanning out and then switching to seek mode.

Re: The Silk Road Act 1: Old Cairo

#43

Jerome cursed at the high volume of fire the thrill killers laid down, but they didn't have a monopoly on that. The gun barrels would be glowing nicely in infrared, so he fired a burst of heat-seeking 20mm rockets from his gun, fired blind over the rock. The small rockets flew down range, fanning out and then switching to seek mode.

the three mini rockets found their targets with ease, homing in on glowing laser emitters. Two struck the barrels of the guns they were locked in on, exploding impressively, killing three of the thrill killers and wounded two others with shrapnel. The third came just short of it's target and hit a boulder near the third shooter, shattering the rock and filling the area with dust. The man behind the rock went down with severe injuries, and several others were take out of fighting as they choked on the dust and smoke from the explosions.

Those not incapacitated or otherwise injured decided to go for reinforcements, at the same time. The remaining four would be weekend assassins fled on foot for the approaching dropship. A single person in light armor was at the door of the dropship, manning a mounted weapon and was spraying across the gulley with it, in an attempt to lay down suppressing fire. His own people scattered, and one of the four went down in a burst of blood.

Re: The Silk Road Act 1: Old Cairo

#44

Jerome took advantage of the chaotic enemy and ordered his recon drone to enter the drop ships open door. At the very least, if it took the door gunners aim high, there would be time to fire himself.

Its powersupply would burst equal to a flash-bang. Not enough to injure, but could really spook the pilot...

Re: The Silk Road Act 1: Old Cairo

#45

It wasn't much of a choice for Joao Matos. Heading into a firefight, more or less sufficiently armed, was part-and-parcel to his line of work. An extra delay wouldn't get him paid anymore. "Show me these leg suits," he said to the pilot.

Re: The Silk Road Act 1: Old Cairo

#46

Grinning maniacally, Blue popped up again, having taken cover from the random fire previously. Charging the rifle's capacitor to full strength, the neo-ethnic locked the lightly armoured raider-gunner in the sights, and sent a maximum charge bolt towards the lifted face-plate.
"We're pursuing, yes? I hope so! Haven't even gotten the chance to use *our* mounted gun yet! Plus, we could use a shuttle.
The River welled up in Blue, wanting to be used on the escaping thrill-killers - or to disrupt an eventual take-off of the shuttle, it cared little. "A little closer..."
How far can I reach anyway these days?
Blue tried by pulling on the shuttle's mounted gun...

Re: The Silk Road Act 1: Old Cairo

#47

The door gunner on the dropship swung the mounted gun to engage the drone, not knowing what the little hornet had in it. the shots going wide, but enough to engage the drone's evasion programming, sending it looping away from the dropship before Jerome was able to grab control of the drone back from the automatic systems. The drone smacked into the side of the dropship, it's remote aim not as good as it's inertial systems. The damage was enough that it kept the drone from self destruction.

Matos was issued a standard issue Bolt series leg suit (unarmed, and unarmored version of the All Terrain Recon Transport from Star Wars: The Clone Wars). It was thankfully fast, but lacking a pintle or screen his face is fairly sandblasted by the time he reaches the edge of the combat. He can see a civilian issue dropship ahead of him, markings put it as a short range glider out of Kampala. There is more shooting, and then a series of whumps that he recognizes as explosive munitions.

Blue fired his rifle, the almost invisible beam struck the door gunner perfectly square in the middle of the chest, evaporating organs and charring flesh. The man never even knew he died, the superheated blood cooking him from the inside out, as the beam bored a hole into the dropship and burning out the rear side, severely damaging the craft.

Bad round for the TKs

Re: The Silk Road Act 1: Old Cairo

#48

"Oh, I am *so* touching myself tonight!" Blue cheered as the shot went right through the gunner and shuttle. "Wait, is the mike still on? Sorry!"
Some of the Thrill-Killers were still running, much of the thrill of their vacation done.
"Can we pursue them? And run them over? And claim their shuttle? Please, Captain Arjan ma'am?" Blue pleaded while aligning a shot or two at whichever hostile target presented itself. Perhaps I could get the shuttle's pilot?

Re: The Silk Road Act 1: Old Cairo

#49

Obutsu did a quick visual scan of the scene. Death tourists and a random dropship? Nothing about it particularly interested him. Kampala was a big enough arco to host its fair share of unrelated scum; there was no reason to think the dropship had anything to do with his target.

Still. They were pretty much right in his way. And it seemed like it would be a relatively short fight. There was always the off-chance that the dropship and crew might have some useful intel.

Keeping his mouth shut to prevent any (more) sand from filling his mouth, he manuevered the leg suit at a steady stride toward the dropship, unslinging his VD 10-60 and readying its trigger.

Re: The Silk Road Act 1: Old Cairo

#50

It would be nice to capture it, thought Jerome for a moment. Then he thought better of it. Pilot might want to take us with him..

He switched his rockets to direct fire and fired a burst straight at the jumpship.

"Fire in the hole!"

Re: The Silk Road Act 1: Old Cairo

#51

It would be nice to capture it, thought Jerome for a moment. Then he thought better of it. Pilot might want to take us with him..

He switched his rockets to direct fire and fired a burst straight at the jumpship.

"Fire in the hole!"

Critical Hit

The dropship is civilian, unarmored. The rockets shred the front of the light craft, ripping through the thin plasteel skin and turning the inside to burning pulp. The craft, already suffered from the laser burn through one of the flight controllers nose dives into the ground. It hits with a heavy thump and smolders, belching smoke out of the sidedoor. The remaining trio of thrill killers look absolutely lost, and terrified themselves.

Re: The Silk Road Act 1: Old Cairo

#52

Obutsu snorted as the dropship exploded. How wasteful.

He spied the three thrill killers. They seemed to be no longer a threat, and his Bushido sensibilities denied such fools the honor of a quick death. Plus, if they'd been out in the salt for a while, they might have some scrap of intel.

He strode the legs forward at full speed, raising his weapon. "Drop them if you want to live!" he shouted through the smoke and sand.

Re: The Silk Road Act 1: Old Cairo

#53

Blue fired at another of the raiders, then noticed the newly emerging figure. "Jerome, I got a newcomer spotted, and they seem to be offering the Thrill Killers the option of living! Isn't this our choice to make?" Blue inquired through the comm.
"I've got the bugger in my sights... "
Finger on the trigger, the neo-ethnic aimed at the exposed face, and halted. "Wait, the bugger is a) handsome and b) I happen to know him. Shooting may be unnecessary. With an emphasis on *may*, as this man is too correct and proper, and may behave irrationally. Honorably. I'd still try to deal pleasantly."
He's never had a friend like me.

Re: The Silk Road Act 1: Old Cairo

#54

"Sure, those fuckers got a long walk ahead of em. Let him chat with them, but cut em down if they do anything funny. Him too, if he does."

Jerome surveyed the scene and allowed himself to feel momentarily sorry for the psychos. Play stupid games, win stupid prizes.

He got up. "Captain, I expect you got a whole lot more inspection to do after that shitshow. I'm going to check out the wreck with Tom and Jerry. Might be something worth salvaging."

"Though with all that smoke, we need to bugger out as soon as you give us the go-ahead. Might get more visitors."

Jerome went to his cargo bot and pulled out a box of rockets. Not as many as he'd like, he thought as he began topping off his magazine. "Come with me," he said to it.

"Jerry, go get the camera drone. See how many pieces it's in and bring em back... gently!". The skelebot looked back Jerome with its fixed grin, and hesitated a moment before getting up, as if it had better things to do.

He was thinking this as he came across the first dead 'killer. His rocket had wrecked the 'killer's gun, but even a datapad was worth carrying. He scanned what was left of the 'killers face too. Could be a bounty.

Waste not, want not.

Re: The Silk Road Act 1: Old Cairo

#55

"Hey, captain Arjen ma'am, does your wonderful tank have a loudspeaker? Could you please call out to a the gentleman going by the moniker of Obutsu that we're wonderful friends, and wouldn't like to shoot him, hence he shouldn't try to shoot us either? Thanks!"

Re: The Silk Road Act 1: Old Cairo

#56

'Gladly,' she said, grabbing a mic from the dash of the turbo tank.

'Hail friend Ubuustsuu' Arjan said, 'You with the chicken legs, yes you, we are friendly I am told.'

'You fuckers, you scared fukkers, you drop weapons and drop your pants, or my genie will make you like a pasta pot!' she shouted

Re: The Silk Road Act 1: Old Cairo

#57

Matos hesitated. He’d tried to keep a relatively low profile coming to Old Cairo. It must not have been low enough if this tank crew already recognized him.

“I just need to ask these boys some questions,” he answered, eyes and gun still aimed at the thrill killers. “After that, não estou nem aí.”

Re: The Silk Road Act 1: Old Cairo

#58

"Okay then, get on with it," said Jerome, using his external speakers. "And make it quick. There's a scavenger camp not far off, and they might actually be a threat."

Pasta pot?.. Ah right, sieve. Heh.

"Any luck Jerry?" Jerome had plenty of parts, but fixing the drone would take time. Which Jerome did not figure they had. He flipped his rocket rifle back to Infrared seeking. Wouldn't do to forget that...

Re: The Silk Road Act 1: Old Cairo

#59

Obutsu eyed the frightened thrill killers. "Cargo ship got shot down recently. Was headed to Old Cairo. You see it? You see where it came down?" He held up a finger. "Don't answer yet. There was a woman on board - cat lady, tall, black. You see or hear about her? Know any reason she might be down there? Anyone she might be with?" He jiggled the VD 10-60 with his synthetic arm. "Tick-tock, boys. Give me something I can use."

Re: The Silk Road Act 1: Old Cairo

#60

Obutsu eyed the frightened thrill killers. "Cargo ship got shot down recently. Was headed to Old Cairo. You see it? You see where it came down?" He held up a finger. "Don't answer yet. There was a woman on board - cat lady, tall, black. You see or hear about her? Know any reason she might be down there? Anyone she might be with?" He jiggled the VD 10-60 with his synthetic arm. "Tick-tock, boys. Give me something I can use."

The thrill-killers, pale and shaken, hands up in the air shake their heads. One, an attractive woman with silver hair spoke, 'I don't know about a shuttle or a cat woman,'

Another woman, this one with a LV (Louis Vuitton) beauty mark next to her eye, and chromed irises. 'Yeah I know about that, but I'm not with these two assholes' The other two look surprised by this outburst

Re: The Silk Road Act 1: Old Cairo

#61

“Really.” Obutsu glanced at the other two, then back to the LV chick. “Okay. Talk. You got coordinates? Know if she brought any friends?”

Re: The Silk Road Act 1: Old Cairo

#62

“Really.” Obutsu glanced at the other two, then back to the LV chick. “Okay. Talk. You got coordinates? Know if she brought any friends?”

Adaeze got the once over on my and some of my circle, LV said, when I heard she got mixed up with some suspected terrorist and got shot down, I knew what I had to do, she said.

'I have the coords of where the shuttle went down, but its encrypted,' she tapped the size of her head. 'either you keep me safe and alive, or you cut out and hack my implant before anyone else finds the shuttle.

Re: The Silk Road Act 1: Old Cairo

#63

There was a long silence as Obutsu stared askance at the woman. Finally, he raised a finger from his left hand. “Wait here, please,” he said. The other two thrill killers looked nervous as he turned the legs toward the turbo tank. Matos sent a shot from the VD 10-60 arcing into the sand a few meters in front of the two, sending a shower of sand over them “Seriously. Don’t move.”

Tuening to the tank, he waved at the cockpit. “Can we have a word? Privately?”

Re: The Silk Road Act 1: Old Cairo

#64

Jerry held up the damaged drone. Two of the props were crushed .

Not a catastrophic loss, but more work then he had time for. It sounded like salvaging the dropship was also going to take too much time.

Jerome changed his mind and headed towards the surviving thrill killers. "Jerry, keep a bead on em. If they make a fast move, you know what to do."

Jerome moved up to the thrill killers. "Keep your hands up or skullface there will drill you. Or the guy with the laser, or the lady with the tank. Or me. Maybe all at once. "

He collected the weapons the 'Killers had dropped.

"You can talk to me, - Obutsu - Me and Blue are the primaries on this - outing."

He sent a quick message over the conn opening an encrypted voice channel. He added an invite for Blue. If Blue wanted to add the Captain, Jerome left that option open.

Re: The Silk Road Act 1: Old Cairo

#65

"I find myself in a narrow strait and pressed for time, I'll be brief. I'm on a job and this garata you've encountered has information I need to complete it. I also don't feel like waltzing in to a potential fire fight on these rusty stilts. What I need is a ride.

"Now I imagine you galera have your own business to mind. So here's what I propose. You give me and the girl a lift to the job site - fire off a few rounds if you like - and let me finish my job, I'll lend a hand in whatever your work is. No cover charge, just an exchange of favors. How about it?"

Re: The Silk Road Act 1: Old Cairo

#66

"Well, if Blue say's you're in, then you're in. How about it Blue? Obutsu - We have a very specific shopping list at the shuttle, so we best clear that up before we get there. "

Re: The Silk Road Act 1: Old Cairo

#67

"First of all, a hearty welcome to my favourite street sam beefcake! Joao, haven't seen you around since we messed up at Anchorage! I say, scratch my back, and we scratch yours. Literally - I could use a backrub; if you promise to give me a good one, I say you're in on our little desert cruise. We're fresh out of coconuts, but I could conjure a Coke, being the most magical person in this little wheeled lamp. A djinn, they call me - would you believe that?"
Blue gave him the best charming maninc grin, then cooled down a little: "As for shopping lists and feline females, she's not a slave, is she? You *do* remember - where I am, there's no slaves. If it's a rescue, then by all means, let's come in like knights on shining horses. Shinining knights. On some sort of fancy horses." The neo-ethnic concluded, one self-administered slap later: "If we can agree on the aforementioned specifics, then I'm the best friend you've ever had. So?"

Re: The Silk Road Act 1: Old Cairo

#68

Matos gave half a grin. “Blue. Didn’t know you were operating out here. Keeping busy, then?

“No rescue. It’s a hit. If that’s a problem, we don’t need to do business. No harm, no foul.”

He nodded toward Jerome. “What’s on this list?”

Re: The Silk Road Act 1: Old Cairo

#69

"Bots, and guns. Arco lasers. Rest is for us. Unless you're planning on killing a robot, I think we're golden. I think Blue is in it for some 'pharma."

"Captain, are we good to go? I'm getting real tired of the scenery here."

Re: The Silk Road Act 1: Old Cairo

#70

"I don't mind driving you to a hit, Joao, I do enjoy killing someone who has it coming from time to time as well. Ha! Scratch that, if they have it coming, you can see me... um ... coming to get them, and enjoying it! Also, you gotta promise that back rub before I say yes. With most sapients, you gotta promise more than a massage to get them to say 'yes'. This is an awesome discount!"
While waiting for the answer, Blue chirped to Jerome: "So, we're keeping the LV tramp, and shooting the rest? I'm cool with that, just say the word."

Re: The Silk Road Act 1: Old Cairo

#71

Arjan looked at the prisoners and the kibbitzing 'runners. She ties the hands of the three prisoners, and drags LV to the back of the turbotank and tosses her in. 'I pop rescue smoke, and the wastelanders will come collect these muscori and take of our mess for us.'

She takes a smoke canister from one of the dead bodies, and smiles, 'Their guide might have already been planning this, he has raider smoke' she says and pops the tab on it. Black smoke boils out of the canister and she tosses it at the feet of the former thrill killers.

'We go now, the raiders will come for their obed, their lunch,' she laughs and gets back in the tank driver's seat, her auto-pistol prominent on her hip.

Re: The Silk Road Act 1: Old Cairo

#72

Joao unstrapped himself from the legs and hopped down. Better not get a bill for this trash, he thought ruefully. He gave a nod to the surviving thrill killers. “You see? Still breathing as promised. Bushi no ichigon kintetsu no gotoshi. The word of a warrior is as iron and gold.”

Slinging his weapon onto his back, Matos boarded the tank. He ran his hand against the interior as he walked, nodding in apparent satisfaction. He then turned his attention to the LV chick. “Cadê seu amiga, irmã? Sooner we get to her, sooner you can be on your way.”

Re: The Silk Road Act 1: Old Cairo

#73

Jerome briefly considering wasting the two other thrill-killers, but dismissed it. They chose to hunt, and the game had turned against them.

"Let's get the fuck out of here. Tom, Jerry, get in, and don't damage the woman."

Re: The Silk Road Act 1: Old Cairo

#74

Obutsu stood stood near Blue, eyeing him. "Did you know my mother was a whore?" he said after a moment. "Our local slum lord, Adriano, forced her into the life. He had clients up in Novo São Paulo, zaibatsu bosses and rich bichos who were tired of daimakura and pribnows, but couldn't afford gynoids. My mother's flesh was priced cheaper than a robot.

"She did it for years. No real choice, if we wanted a roof over our heads. One night her handler came back without her. Man in the arco had used her up. He was into some hard sado stuff. Broke her neck. I was twelve.

"When the zaibatsu gave me this - " He flexed his mechanical arm, the titanium showing through the translucent outer sheathe. " - I swore I'd find the man that killed my mother. And you know what?" He smiled. "I did. Adriano told me with his last breath. I could have gotten the desgraçado then, but I bided my time. Then Mr. Lee gave me this." He patted the sheathed monofilament katana at his side. "I named him Obaluaiê. My mother used to worship that old dead god. They say he is a god of vengeance, of retribution." He pulled the blade just out of its sheathe, the metal glimmering in the mechanical light of the tank. "Obaluaiê's first taste of blood was the filho da puta that killed my mother. That treated her like a whore."

The blade slid silently back. He looked Blue in the eye. "After that day, no son of Beatriz Matos is anyone's manservant. You want a back rub? Do it yourself, porro loco."

After a second, Joao laughed. "Good to see you again, Blue."

Re: The Silk Road Act 1: Old Cairo

#75

"I have missed your upstanding and just nature, it does leave me all hot and bothered, and with a belief for a brighter tomorrow. No sarcasm here, I ran fresh out or sarcasm pills, can't censor myself if I wanted, either."
Blue hugged him, burrowing face first into the less metallic shoulder, whispering.
"But, I must disappoint you - I out-whore you. Whoring was my raison d'etre, my prime directive, why I was made. Not too glamorous, one may think - but I checked the books - I am a very expensive plaything, custom-made for a disgustingly wealthy bastard of a nerd, by a legion of eggheads. You know why I speak Japanese? Because he wanted me to watch vintage cartoons with him, after we did stuff that would make your mother blush. And, after shoving what basically amounted to a fire extinguisher up my ass during 'playtime', he would drink from me, speaking of love."
Through the fabric of the combat fatigues, Blue pressed two very pointy breasts against Joao's chest. "These puppies lactate on command... and you'd have to be less of a choir boy to even hear what the rest of this freak show does."

A tear on cheek, rare waste of water, Blue stepped back, speaking slightly louder: "So, I know my share of whoring. I ended my maker, his whole household, even the f!cking exotic fish and the firetruck crew who came to quench the flames. We're basically whore-vengeance buddies."
Hands at the hips, somewhat re-composed, Blue chided him:
"So, it's even sadder. Really, you should feel lucky, I offered you a ride, for the low price of one standard back-rub, for you know how sore the shoulders of idealists grow, all the world's burdens upon them? You should have offered me a back-rub. I am no lady, but by all hells, on occasion I like to be made to feel like one. Anyways, scratch it, your fare is a third of the fuel from here to the shuttle site, and I guess back to Cairo, too, and as I am not a total ditz on most days, I'll calculate a fair proportion of the tank's rent, too, based on how far exactly you ride. Plus the cost of a standard back-rub without happy end from a middle-class massage parlour, because you made me cry. Take it or leave it, and if you take it, come inside for a brewski, I have some alcohol-free because that's not haram."

Re: The Silk Road Act 1: Old Cairo

#76

“Receipt my share of the expenses. I’ll bill them to the client. But let’s save the beer until we finish. Work now, drink later, sim, cara?”

Re: The Silk Road Act 1: Old Cairo

#77

Waiting for Tom and Jerry to finally climb aboard, along with his blast-bot. "Tom, don't bring that in the tank.." Tom had been carrying the head of one of the thrill killers. Tom was a bit of a kleptomaniac, picking up odd things from time to time. Jerome had never spent the time tracking down that particular bug, but it was starting to get annoying..

"Captain Arjan, please proceed at your best speed. LV - what the hell is your name anyway, you're up. We need those coordinates, and I'm only used to hacking bots. Don't fuck us over, and there'll be a share for you." Again, Jerome was free with money, it usually paid off. He also didn't say how big the share was.

Holy fuck, I could use a drink right now...

Re: The Silk Road Act 1: Old Cairo

#78

"I'll be up on the observation deck. Gun post. Ride on, and put on some decent music please. There's no audio controls up there."
Up on the post, Blue added: "No control at all, cause f!ck control."

Re: The Silk Road Act 1: Old Cairo

#79

Arjan cursed as she re calibrated the turbotank to account for the new weight, including the neo-samurai's leg suit.

The tank hummed along the sand, putting quick miles between the burning wreckage of a dropped civilian shuttle and a pall of green smoke. The raiders would be along shortly, and just the raiders. Anyone else would just call out and be picked up by an airship, and wouldnt be so crude as popping smoke for evac.

The sand gave way to to the edge of the salt pan. Not the main salt pan, but the outskirts. This used to be part of the Sea of Victoria, back when the air plant was running at nearly 100% output. The waste water it condensed out of the air was dumped into the old Lake Victoria and the water rose, and rose, and villages vanished, and a broad section of the steppe became marshland, then a great lake, and then, as the runoff continued, it kept growing. The air plant still ran, but nowhere near the full power it once did. It only ran enough to keep the sea full, full for the tourists in the Afrozone. The great African riviera was dotted with dozens of resorts, and heavy traffic in and out of the Kampala spaceport. But that was all on the south shore, with its engineered beaches, and glittering synthetic sand and biomechanical trees. But the north shore, so many miles away was different. The water beat against the yardangs and washed the debris of the resorts up on it's ruddy red shore. When those waters receded it left behind the salt pans.

The tank turned and ran along the coast, past the almost completely rusted away hulks of old construction ships, too damaged to salvage, not valuable enough to drag back. There could be pirates there, and Arjan barked out an order for the guns to be hot and eyes on deck, shot anything that moved, and if it still moved, shoot it again.

Re: The Silk Road Act 1: Old Cairo

#80

As the tank rumbled along, João Matos sat in seiza meditating. The sounds of the tank and Blue's blasting music quieted, and the warrior saw Mx Adaeze and the wreckage of her craft before him. He ran through all the possible iterations of the scenario. Adaeze injured and with a contingent of guards. Adaeze expecting an attack and armed to the teeth. Adaeze prepared to make a deal that might counter his own contract.

Through each scenario, Matos saw himself answer. Catching the first two guards with his VD 10-60, then dodging and downing the next with his mag pistol, then Adaeze herself at close range with Obaluaiê.

The turbo tank firing an opening salvo, giving Matos a chance to flank at speed with the legs, taking out Adaeze with one shot from the VD 10-60.

Adaeze barely alive under the wreckage of her ship, Obaluaiê cleanly removing her head in one stroke before she could beg or barter.

The dropship's weaponry still functioning and -

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

João Matos gasped back to consciousness, head against the steel floor of the tank, scrambling to get back on his feet. He was covered in sweat. Shaking.

He had seen it.

Matos ran to the cabin where Arjan piloted. "What was that?!" he shouted, searching through the windshield for answers.

"What was what?" Arjan asked, not looking up from her console.

"That thing. Didn't you - " He froze. Didn't she what? Feel? Smell? Taste? He couldn't name the sense for it. But it was there. And it was there.

"Do you have scanners? Or something?" He stammered. "Look for - something. Something big."