D
Dumont
>Old Osman Imperial Highway.
"So we're somewhere along the sea shore." Arccos said, looking out over the green-muck coated coastline, "But I think career spacefarer isn't really lending me to navigating road maps."
Three figures were stuck out on the side of an old, old dusty road. Some futuristic space carriage having drawn them out at dusk to check up on the situation out at the Algaeia production center. The city presumably had a name, but it seemed that the two mercenaries here weren't of a head to learn it. The Sheriff had somehow managed to get lost on an open road along a coastline... It wasn't really good for the image of the space invaders right this second.
Corgan was hunched over a crudely drawn map trying to figure out which way was north. His life in big cities on Nepleslia didn't prepare him for open wilderness. He sighed and slammed his fist against the hood. "Damn this planet. I miss the interNEP. I miss a computer telling me which way to go. How do you people know where you are?" He demanded, turning to Rubi.
"Maps." Rubi reply, huddled up in the back with the Nepleslian Shepherd, the words like interNEP and computers bouncing off her attention. So far her time with the Raganarok occupiers has taught her that whilst they had lots of fancy technology that can do just about everything, they'd be pretty hard pressed without them. "Do they not have maps out there? With the paper and compass telling you the directions?"
"I spent sixteen years without setting foot on a planet." Arccos said, "So that's about one year of experience trying to navigate the surface of a big sphere. Maps I'm used to are ones where you can go up and down on them, or just fly in a straight line. Corgan has no excuse."
The big man looked a little embarrassed. "I usually put lines on my HUD telling me which way to go. There were road signs too, although usually I navigate by gun stores as landmarks on Nepleslia." He said sheepishly. "So tell me, why are we out here in the ass end of nowhere? Why could we not take the chopper?"
"Pretty sure Cyrus left orders for it to ferry cargo to where he's setting up some base, so we can start making foundations or something? Besides it's just three of us and it's looking to be a nice night so I figured we could use a drive? I was sentimental and wanted to spend time with friends rather than continuing dealing with living wood pillars?" Arccos shrugged dramatically.
Rubi scratched her head at the notion of living wooden pillars. "The trees? I mean I guess they're considered living things but I didn't think people would be that sentimental for tress..." She sat quietly for a moment. "Thanks for the friend compliment too..." She mumbled under her breath
"I meant I'd rather interface with you lot rather'n cut more wood pillars." Arccos explained, "They're sticky, and have weird texture..."
The ID-SOL in him couldn't help but smirk at the word interface. "Hey, if you wanted to interface you should have said so earlier." He said with a wink.
"Is interface the space-word for sex?" Rubi pipped up from the back.
"It can mean sex, actually. But also can just mean social interaction. I meant the latter, but if you both take me to dinner who knows?" the Sheriff shrugged, and reminded herself why she tried to tone down her dialect ever since leaving the Free State.
For a moment Corgan considered saying more, but decided against it. "Not sure I can handle two girls at once anyway." He said, looking back down at the map. "So it looks like north is that way.." He pointed his right hand towards the east. "No, wait.. that's east. North is that way." Finally he pointed in the correct direction. "We need to go east, right?"
"Do you want me to navigate with the map?" Rubi poked her head up from the back. "You seem to be having trouble with simple cardinal directions."
Corgan shook his head no. "I think I have it now. We need to go east from here for a few kilometers and we should be there."
"To be fair, the sun rises in weird places here." Arccos added.
"West to east isn't that weird. I mean, if anything's weird, it's the giant bees you got brought to the planet." Rubi shot back.
"They almost literally came here in search of hugs." Arccos went as if to defend the I'ee... Then thought better of it "So yeah, that is weird."
"The giant bugs weren't as strange as the random starship crash and killer Junkers." Corgan muttered. "If you think you can do better though, take it." He picked up the map and walked over to Rubi's seat, handing it to her.
Rubi looked over the map for moment before taking a look at their surrondings, then up at the sky for the moment. After a few moments, she put her finger down on the map somewhere on the coastline. "We're here and the facility is here." She traced her finger up to X marked "Production Center." "We just need to follow the coast for a few more miles before moving north east inland. Shouldn't be more than a few hours ride on horse back..."
"Corgan, you drive this time." Arccos said, doffing her hat and slipping in to the car.
The big man sighed and walked around to the other side of the car. "Fine, it's better than navigating anyway." He climbed in the driver's seat and turned the car on with the push of a button. He started accelerating the car slowly, following the coastline.
"I... Think so?" Arccos said, looking out to the Algaeia sea. "Yeah, we came from that direction so we follow it this way then head northeast."
The Freespacer then leaned back and pulled a small lever by the side of her seat, letting it fall back with a thunk so she could address Rubi in the back from a rather... Reclined position. "Thanks for coming with us... And sorry if I made you uncomfortable or whatever with the dinner thing. Corgan's just got a filthy mind you gotta call him on every now and then."
Rubi shrugged and follded up the map. "I've been around worse. Backwoods bandits aren't the exactly the masters of not being a bunch of horny bastards but they usually shut up after a few shots." She paused for a moment. "Gunshots that is, not alchohol."
"I assumed shots to the nuts. With a boot." Arccos gave a short laugh, pulling over Corgan's dog to face towards her and giving it a scratch around the scruff. "So you seriously just roamed around shooting guys before all this?"
Corgan looked over at Arccos, starting to say something back until he realized she had a point. "I'm not as bad as some bandit thugs. I mean I used to run with a gang, but mostly I just robbed banks and stores. Usually without anyone even noticing until I got away." He said, not quite offended at Rubi's comparison but maybe a little annoyed. The dog started licking Arccos's fingers.
Rubi just stared at Corgan for a moment before turning to Arccos. "Yup, well the ones that had a price on their head. Bounty hunter is the term use here." She shrugged. "I mean, we went over this when you were getting your badge and almost had a pair of drumbsticks on it."
"Well yeah." Arccos looked up, a little distant, before grinning at the dog's attention, reaching one hand up and patting Corgan on the head "It's going somewhere though. Should I be reinstating bounties on some folks? Something like that. You clearly know how things here work better, so I'd like advice from people in the know."
The bounty hunter talk perked him up. "You were a bounty hunter? That must have been fun. I thought about giving that a try back before Cyrus sent me the invitation to join Ragnarok. Maybe I should try it on this rock." Corgan said with excitement. "I don't think this ambassador shit is for me. If I meet anymore giant insects I'm out."
"It was fun then a civil war happened and I joined up with the rebels of the war because Imperial laws didn't really allow for bounty hunting and now I'm here." Rubi leaned back in her seat for a moment before answering Arccos. "Well I mean, you guys do have the bigger and fancier guns that are scaring off most criminals so far. Haven't had much time to gloss over the bounty boards though."
"More meant... Were people you got bounties on people who the old regime didn't like, or legitimate trouble?" Arccos clarified, "I'd offer bounties if I knew what they were accused of was real... Then you could both work for me, if you really wanted to I guess."
Corgan turned the vehicle northeast and increased their speed after he figured it had been a few miles. "That could work. Honestly working for Uso hasn't been as bad as I thought it would be, but if I'm stuck pretending to be interested in crappy art much longer I will lose my mind." He replied to her suggestion.
"Well there were few outlaws hellbent on complete government overthrow by the time of war but I don't know if they ever had to power to do much threat to anything really." Rubi shrugged again. "The Osman's knew more about possible legitment threats then me." She turn attention to Corgan. "Are you not liking the giant bees?"
"I suspect he was hoping for sexy green alien ladies." Arccos prodded Corgan on the shoulder gently, "Nepleslians generally don't like most aliens out there."
"It not that I don't like them as individuals. I just can't get over the insect thing." He said, shuddering involuntarily. "That and I'm not too good at being diplomatic. I'm afraid I may accidentally start an interstellar war out of boredom. Didn't expect to be here this long."
"Uso is paying us with a percentage of planetary income." once more, Arccos offered Corgan a pat on the head in an attempt to soothe his insect based shuddering, "Cyrus seems to be moving stuff to set up base here as well, so you're here for life as long as you're in Ragnarok. If you want to drop contract and work per head I'll see what I can do, but I think you should work out how you can best take advantage of the situation rather than just letting me make more decisions."
Before responding Corgan considered the possibility of living on this world his whole life. "Well it might not be so bad after we get this place some real technology and start trading with the rest of the sector. I'd also like some decent food and good booze. Not that chunky green stuff they serve here. Hell, I'm afraid to sleep with the girls here for fear of getting them pregnant or catching something that we don't have medicine for."
Rubi coughed in the back for moment, some swears and insults leaking through the coughing and hacking. "Anyways, I would have to talk to Raph about going back to bounty hunting for you... Also that chunky green stuff we eat happens to be Algaeia."
"Well I have some ideas for stuff you can do that's not involved with bee art... But it'll have to wait since I think that's my guys." Arccos pointed ahead out of the windshield to where up ahead a small group of men wearing a mishmash of uniforms and weapons stood. The only unifying markers of them seemed to be thick ponchos marked with greenish paint depicting a semi-circle around a star.
"So we took this place soon after old Osman. It's where they harvest that green stuff... Which is actually delicious, but I make rat jerky." Arccos shrugged, taking up her wool hat once more and cramming it on her head, "Not long ago I had a work ticket out to make some nets to let us skim the ocean faster using the ship, or the chopper. Long story short is we put a lot of people out of jobs... Yesterday, one of my brigadiers got his head caved in by a thrown brick, so I brought you in to talk with the big merchants in town to show we can make this work somehow. If not, we bust the places the old workers gather and pray it's not going to be a problem for too long until we get a better alternative up and running..."
"So we're strikebreaking pretty much." Rubi said, inpsecting the IAW for any faults she could notice. "I mean, you could just work in tandem and have them gather the Algae while the helicopter does some runs every so often. Or just have them harvest entirely and save the helicopter for something else like... whatever a helicopter would be important for."
"That is one option. Also what I brought the ambassador here for. Or you if you have a better idea. I still barely know how money is meant to work, I'm just here to see if I can find the one who threw the brick and hang him..." Arccos said offhandedly, checking her HHG before holstering it again under her arm.
The situation didn't sound very good to Corgan. This could turn into a full-blown riot if they weren't careful. "I'm not sure that would be a good idea. We don't actually have any laws yet. We should see what the Osmans have for laws first. If they have courts, just executing someone with no trial could make people revolt." He said quietly as he checked his shotgun to see if it was loaded. "The helicopter would be pretty useful for something other than algae harvesting. We need to make this work though, otherwise people might end up without food around here."
"And you say you're not cut out for diplomacy, Corgan." Arccos chuckled. "I intend to hold a trial, just so you know..."
"I held trials too. They were rigged trials though." Rubi sniffed. "I asuuming this will be a rigged one too?"
The Nepleslian stared at Rubi as if she were some sort of lunatic for a moment. "Not gonna happen. Uso would probably just grab random people and execute them to make a point, but if I have a say, I'll make sure that the right guy pays." He said seriously. "Okay, I put my body armor in the trunk. No way I am going in there without it."
He climbed out of the car and went around the back, popping open the trunk. Corgan put on his shoulder holster and Styrling Muur armor, even though he didn't have a helmet. He put his shotgun in the holster. Hopefully he wouldn't need it. He would hate to die on a shitty planet for Uso Tasuki's insane ambition.
Arccos just followed Corgan around to the trunk, extricating her own armor and suiting up, "You have a say. I operate on public vote until otherwise instructed... And I doubt Uso is going to have the attention span for determining the justice system or laws..."
As she finished suiting up, her armor was topped with a similar poncho to her men, slung over her shoulder like a cloak and pinned with the silver star of office.
"Right now we just have to talk to some merchants. From there I'll have my own men ask around to try and find who did the killing. It looks better if locals are policing locals, y'know."
As Corgan walked back around he whistled and the dog jumped out of the car, running over to him and wagging his tail happily. "I really need to name you one of these days." He said, patting the dog gently on the head. "You can come this time. Maybe help us sniff out who killed Arcoss's minion." He looked up at the armed men guarding the city. "Those are your guys right there?" He asked cautiously.
"My brigade, yeah."
He nodded slowly. "Good, I was a little concerned." Corgan replied. "You two ladies ready then?"
Rubi was already out and finsihing up putting on her suit of Styrling Muur she was given by Raph. "Ready as I'll ever be."
"We march in the rest of the way, don't want anyone setting fire to the car..." Arccos said, indicating two of her men to guard their way back home, before looking around and making double sure which path was best to make it into town. "Okay, let's go."
He waited for the girls to catch up then started walking quickly down the path into the town. "So how many of these guys do you have working for you? Going to turn them into a real police force?" Corgan asked Arccos. The dog followed quietly at his side, pausing to sniff at random patches of dirt then racing to catch up.
"Don't have a mind to turn them into anything. I pay them to keep the peace, and they can go home at the end of the day. If they work for me, they can trade for stuff from off-world to make their lot better. If that equals police force, then they'll become one I suppose."
As the group cleared the rocky pathways along the coast, they found themselves once more in the 'algae processing facility'. Which was more along the lines of a mid-size frontier river town, the usual reek of drying algae hanging in the evening air... But it seemed a bit odd that these same people in this town were responsible in any way. The response to the appearance of offworlders was no different than in what was Osman City: Everyone seemed to shut up behind locked doors at once the moment the group entered town. The streets were completely empty, aside from the bell shot down from what was once a belltower at some stage during the original claiming of the place.
But then, it was also just a little different to the city formerly called Osman: They were being watched. It was easy to catch eyes peering out of every crack in a shutter, or wall. Seemed everyone was waiting for something to happen...
The dog seemed to sense something strange was going on. It backed away a little and whimpered, looking up at Corgan. Corgan looked around suspiciously. His hand moved to the shotgun on his back. "Does this shit look normal to you? Because I feel like we're about to have a shootout, like an old Nepleslian movie. I'm not too keen on getting shot." He said quietly.
Rubi nodded from the back of the group. "Usually means someone's been saying they're going shoot someone else. Then that someone else happens to waltz into town." She flipped the safety off on the IAW. "Seems like we might be that someone else."
As if on cue entirely from narrative convention, down the road ahead of the group; the doors of a saloon swung open with a repetitive creaking noise. The place even had those weird double hinged half-doors from those old movies Corgan talked about. Heavy bootsteps on the wooden pathways in front of closed up shopfronts as a lone gunman stepped out. Rubi could maybe vaguely remember him as another prominent bounty hunter. "Prominent" being key assumption here.
"So you folk really are too scared t'come out here, 'way from yer fancy palace without metal britches an' an army." He even looked like some sort of Nepleslian historical roleplayer, stetson hat, fancy waistcoat, loaded revolver at his side. At least he hadn't drawn his weapon yet. "Folks round here were a lot bet'r off wittout ya. Now why don't you go on home...?"
The more observant amongst the group could maybe hear the sounds of footsteps on various second floors around them, a tumbling algal spore blob rolling across the street in the gathering wind... Right into Arccos' boot, causing the 'spacer to start inelegantly flailing her leg about hissing 'ohgrossgetitoffame', utterly ruining the mood.
Corgan almost felt like laughing at the situation. He also thought it was funny the guy was actually threatening the group. The Nepleslian pulled his shotgun out of its holster. "I don't think you want to be threatening me. We aren't here to fight, unless you happen to be the guy who murdered one of my friend's men. I'm here to negotiate with the people of this town and work out a peaceful solution to the algaeia harvesting problem." He said, careful not to make any sudden movement. "That said, you shoot at us, we will have to kill you."
Rubi squinted at the man, taking a few moments before recognizing the other bounty hunter. "Well, if it isn't Darin, the sissiest bounty hunter around." She kept her rifle trained on him. "If I didn't know how you operated, I would've shot you as you stepped out of the saloon... But of course, you're never one for fair fights, eh?"
Something like a smile crossed underneath Darin's bristling handlebar mustache. "Well, tarnation... If it isn't little Rubi. You gone an' turn traitor to yer own planet?"
The weird dandy took a few steps forward towards the group with many guns pointed at him, soon standing a few feet away from Corgan. "I mean, these folk don't even know what a threat sounds like... I call you a coward, boy? That's an insult. Then I ask you why you haven't left an' made ev'ryone's life better for merit'a you bein' gone? That's callin' you a right bastard. Also insult. No threats. You the ones comin' t' these fine peoples towns an' pullin' guns on a polite conversationalist."
"Now, Lil' Miss Rubi. You know how I operate, as you say. An' that's true. I won't enter an unfair fight with unfair odds in my hand... I'd take any one o' you copperbottom sonsa bitches in a fair fight. But they ain't comin' t'fight fair."
The town seemed to hold its collective breath. The faint sound of guns cocking in the cool air as this got more and more confrontational. Arccos grumbling that it was on her face now, Maker why? And this guy? Seems he wanted a fight.
The dog growled at the wannabe cowboy. Corgan really wanted to blow this guy's head off, but he was trying to be diplomatic. "Darin, right? Darin, I know what an insult is. That's not a proper insult. I would teach you some, but I don't have the time. Now I'll ask one time. Tell your guys to stand down or you'll be the bastard making life harder for these people."He replied in an annoyed tone.
The bounty hunter gave a weird nasty smile, showing blackened rotting teeth under his whiskers, "Now now, Copperbottom... You think I'm here t'play? Y'heard it y'self, son... I'm a professional."
He seemed to swell with pride... Or hot air.
"Th' General's put a fiiine prize on yer heads... An' I got a job t'do. So I'll tell y'what. I said myself that I'd take any one'a you on in a fair fight. So that's my offer... You agree t' fight me without y'fancy duds, an' my men'll leave this town in one piece. Y'shoot me an' that'll be th'end of it. But if I win, y'all will get on out o' here an' leave these fine folk back t' their livelihoods..."
Darin looked over the collective group, a weird nasty look lingering on Rubi for a few seconds.
"Any one'a ya will do. Yer worthless Sheriff, one'a yer traitors, or even y'self boy."
"I think it's high time the new sheriff proves herself." Rubi said with a glare. "Provided your boys step out here so they don't shoot us after she drops your sorry ass."
Darin looked to think on it, before blowing a high pitched whistle like a dog call from under his 'tache... At which point a good thirty men started to file out from various windows and doors, many standing on nearby roofs. Rubi could recognise at least two or three different groups of bounty hunters... Whoever this General was, the prize was substantial: It was rare this many bounty hunters would work together. Collectively they stood in the open, armed but with weapons unraised. A fair number of them carrying sticks of dynamite or bottles of what looked like lantern oil. Seems that should things fail they were willing to turn the main road into a burning crater in the hopes of stopping the space invaders.
Arccos' brigadiers were outnumbered, while Darin's crew were outgunned. By the looks of things it would be troublesome to fight them all. The 'spacer herself just finished shaking off a spore sac, and looked to Corgan and Rubi as if only just now realising she'd been volunteered.
Corgan shrugged his shoulders at Arccos. "I would do it, but you are the sheriff. I don't think they will just put down their guns if he dies though. It's up to you."
"There's a price on your heads so no, they more than likely won't." Rubi whisped over to the two. "Corgan, how good's your aim?"
Arccos looked around, her mouth straightening to a perfect line as if things suddenly got a lot more tense for her specifically. "You have a plan?" she whispered to Rubi.
Meanwhile, Darin took a few steps away, removing his overcoat. "Take all the time in the world. I was hopin' th' big fella would step up, but I c'n make yer alien bitch bleed all th' same if'n he's not got th' stones..."
The Nepleslian would let people say whatever they want about him, but insulting his friends was a different matter. Without even a warning he aimed his shotgun at Darin's chest and pulled the trigger. "That guy was really pissing me off." He muttered.
The meaty 'thud' of Darin's corpse hitting the ground was followed by a single second that seemed altogether too long for comfort. Arccos clapped a hand on Corgan's shoulder just a second too late to have stopped the shot hitting its mark.
"Corgan, I'm touched that y--" The Sheriff's sentence was cut short by the first retaliation from Darin's men, and judging from the smoke and the way Arccos slumped down from Corgan's shoulder and into the dirt it hit its mark: The back of the Sheriff's head.
Rubi aimed and put several round into one of the few holding a stick of TNT before stopping. "Alright boys! Unless you want to end up like dumbfuck Darin and his buddy I just shot, I suggest you look for employment elsewhere. Make a move and we'll cut you call down before you can even finish the thought of it." She shouted.
Startled by what he thought was Arccos's sudden demise, Corgan looked around for the direction the shot came from. "Whover did that, I want you to know you just shot the only one of us who would even feel remorse for killing every one of you." He yelled before turning to Arccos's brigadiers. "Kill every single one of these assholes." The dog walked over to Arccos and started whimpering. Corgan didn't even look, he just ran into one of the buildings, kicking open the door on his way in.
Following the opening shots, Rubi's gambit seemed to have paid off... Well, sort of. As her bullets dug into the would-be bomber, the explosives on his person ignited, dropping the eaves of one of the town's buildings underneath the ensuing explosion. Several of the bounty hunters started to run... For all they knew, Rubi's new weapon was able to just blow them up and the building they stood on. A good number stopped in their tracks, mostly those who were stuck on rooftops with little cover, causing a minor avalanche of surrendered weapons.
Meanwhile Corgan's rallying cry seemed to pull the Brigadiers out of the shock, as they variously charged to one side of the street, pulling revolvers of their own to down anyone in their way. Seemed that Arccos didn't advise them to keep single shot weapons when there was an alternative. The shots from cover causing more general havoc across the street, and forcing several bounty hunters off the open main road.
The Sheriff herself lay limply in the street for a moment or two, before standing up once again like she was waking from a solid nap... The fighting stopping for a second or two as she visibly pulled the crumpled bullet from her hair and pulled a revolver: H-NAM red rounds blasting one of the bounty hunters to hot chilli, seemingly confirming the feeling Rubi started, as the fight started to turn into a total retreat.
Seemed the entire group were banking on Darin being just annoying enough to coax one of them out of a suit in order to gang up on them.
Corgan practically ran up the stairs to the roof, aiming his shotgun at the nearest bounty hunter. "I'm going to shoot bounty hunters until one of you tells me who shot Arccos." He said calmly. "So tell me now and the rest of you can leave unharmed."
Rubi pushed forward a few paces, letting out several shots as the bounty hunter retreated before looking over at the Sheriff. "I thought you got shot?!?"
"I did. Back of the head..." Arccos said, like she was commenting on the weather. She even held out her hand and offered Rubi the deformed bullet from the back of her head. "I'm surprised no one's tried to earlier to be honest."
Meanwhile on the rooftop, the much gentled Bounty Hunters fell to their knees at the appearance of an angry alien. He didn't even get to finish offering to let them be unhared before one pointed to the now topless bell tower in the middle of town. "It was McLewski. We were s'posed t'wait on 'is mark if Darin bit it!"
The bounty hunters didn't seem to have any reason to lie, so Corgan looked over at the belltower. His eyes zoomed in on the tower, but this McLewski was gone. His rifle was still there. "Know where he ran off to?" He asked as he lowered his weapon.
"I-if we failed we were s'posed t' fall back ta camp, then ride to meet up for th' attack on Osman..." The bounty hunter said, standing up and starting to sidle towards the stairs. "We weren't tellin' each other where our camps an' horses was. McLewski's like a damn ghost anyway, you'll never find 'im out'n th' desert..."
Not wanting to turn his back on them, Corgan backed off to the corner of the roof. "You better run before I change my mind." He said, then called down to the brigadiers. "Let these guys go, I know who killed Arccos."
"Well, you heard him. Those guys didn't kill me, so let 'em go." Arccos chirped from street level. Looking out over the horizon to see a streak of lightning in the distance.
Hearing Arccos's voice shocked him. He looked down and saw her standing up. "You're alive? How the.. damn Freespacers." Corgan muttered before running downstairs and right up to Arccos. He put his shotgun away and gave her a big hug. "I've never really had friends before. And.. damn it, I thought you were.." He let her go with a sigh. "If you died, I wouldn't have someone to call me on my bullshit."
"Well, my skull is made of duran--" Arccos started, before Corgan hugged her. She stopped for a moment to make sure his hands weren't going anywhere untowards before freeing one arm from his embrace and patting him on the head. "I'm glad you care... But for now we have to clear up this merchant bullshit before that storm hits."
"I don't think we have time for that. One of those guys mentioned an attack on Osman City." He replied hurriedly. "We need to go now."
"Well... Shit."
"So we're somewhere along the sea shore." Arccos said, looking out over the green-muck coated coastline, "But I think career spacefarer isn't really lending me to navigating road maps."
Three figures were stuck out on the side of an old, old dusty road. Some futuristic space carriage having drawn them out at dusk to check up on the situation out at the Algaeia production center. The city presumably had a name, but it seemed that the two mercenaries here weren't of a head to learn it. The Sheriff had somehow managed to get lost on an open road along a coastline... It wasn't really good for the image of the space invaders right this second.
Corgan was hunched over a crudely drawn map trying to figure out which way was north. His life in big cities on Nepleslia didn't prepare him for open wilderness. He sighed and slammed his fist against the hood. "Damn this planet. I miss the interNEP. I miss a computer telling me which way to go. How do you people know where you are?" He demanded, turning to Rubi.
"Maps." Rubi reply, huddled up in the back with the Nepleslian Shepherd, the words like interNEP and computers bouncing off her attention. So far her time with the Raganarok occupiers has taught her that whilst they had lots of fancy technology that can do just about everything, they'd be pretty hard pressed without them. "Do they not have maps out there? With the paper and compass telling you the directions?"
"I spent sixteen years without setting foot on a planet." Arccos said, "So that's about one year of experience trying to navigate the surface of a big sphere. Maps I'm used to are ones where you can go up and down on them, or just fly in a straight line. Corgan has no excuse."
The big man looked a little embarrassed. "I usually put lines on my HUD telling me which way to go. There were road signs too, although usually I navigate by gun stores as landmarks on Nepleslia." He said sheepishly. "So tell me, why are we out here in the ass end of nowhere? Why could we not take the chopper?"
"Pretty sure Cyrus left orders for it to ferry cargo to where he's setting up some base, so we can start making foundations or something? Besides it's just three of us and it's looking to be a nice night so I figured we could use a drive? I was sentimental and wanted to spend time with friends rather than continuing dealing with living wood pillars?" Arccos shrugged dramatically.
Rubi scratched her head at the notion of living wooden pillars. "The trees? I mean I guess they're considered living things but I didn't think people would be that sentimental for tress..." She sat quietly for a moment. "Thanks for the friend compliment too..." She mumbled under her breath
"I meant I'd rather interface with you lot rather'n cut more wood pillars." Arccos explained, "They're sticky, and have weird texture..."
The ID-SOL in him couldn't help but smirk at the word interface. "Hey, if you wanted to interface you should have said so earlier." He said with a wink.
"Is interface the space-word for sex?" Rubi pipped up from the back.
"It can mean sex, actually. But also can just mean social interaction. I meant the latter, but if you both take me to dinner who knows?" the Sheriff shrugged, and reminded herself why she tried to tone down her dialect ever since leaving the Free State.
For a moment Corgan considered saying more, but decided against it. "Not sure I can handle two girls at once anyway." He said, looking back down at the map. "So it looks like north is that way.." He pointed his right hand towards the east. "No, wait.. that's east. North is that way." Finally he pointed in the correct direction. "We need to go east, right?"
"Do you want me to navigate with the map?" Rubi poked her head up from the back. "You seem to be having trouble with simple cardinal directions."
Corgan shook his head no. "I think I have it now. We need to go east from here for a few kilometers and we should be there."
"To be fair, the sun rises in weird places here." Arccos added.
"West to east isn't that weird. I mean, if anything's weird, it's the giant bees you got brought to the planet." Rubi shot back.
"They almost literally came here in search of hugs." Arccos went as if to defend the I'ee... Then thought better of it "So yeah, that is weird."
"The giant bugs weren't as strange as the random starship crash and killer Junkers." Corgan muttered. "If you think you can do better though, take it." He picked up the map and walked over to Rubi's seat, handing it to her.
Rubi looked over the map for moment before taking a look at their surrondings, then up at the sky for the moment. After a few moments, she put her finger down on the map somewhere on the coastline. "We're here and the facility is here." She traced her finger up to X marked "Production Center." "We just need to follow the coast for a few more miles before moving north east inland. Shouldn't be more than a few hours ride on horse back..."
"Corgan, you drive this time." Arccos said, doffing her hat and slipping in to the car.
The big man sighed and walked around to the other side of the car. "Fine, it's better than navigating anyway." He climbed in the driver's seat and turned the car on with the push of a button. He started accelerating the car slowly, following the coastline.
"I... Think so?" Arccos said, looking out to the Algaeia sea. "Yeah, we came from that direction so we follow it this way then head northeast."
The Freespacer then leaned back and pulled a small lever by the side of her seat, letting it fall back with a thunk so she could address Rubi in the back from a rather... Reclined position. "Thanks for coming with us... And sorry if I made you uncomfortable or whatever with the dinner thing. Corgan's just got a filthy mind you gotta call him on every now and then."
Rubi shrugged and follded up the map. "I've been around worse. Backwoods bandits aren't the exactly the masters of not being a bunch of horny bastards but they usually shut up after a few shots." She paused for a moment. "Gunshots that is, not alchohol."
"I assumed shots to the nuts. With a boot." Arccos gave a short laugh, pulling over Corgan's dog to face towards her and giving it a scratch around the scruff. "So you seriously just roamed around shooting guys before all this?"
Corgan looked over at Arccos, starting to say something back until he realized she had a point. "I'm not as bad as some bandit thugs. I mean I used to run with a gang, but mostly I just robbed banks and stores. Usually without anyone even noticing until I got away." He said, not quite offended at Rubi's comparison but maybe a little annoyed. The dog started licking Arccos's fingers.
Rubi just stared at Corgan for a moment before turning to Arccos. "Yup, well the ones that had a price on their head. Bounty hunter is the term use here." She shrugged. "I mean, we went over this when you were getting your badge and almost had a pair of drumbsticks on it."
"Well yeah." Arccos looked up, a little distant, before grinning at the dog's attention, reaching one hand up and patting Corgan on the head "It's going somewhere though. Should I be reinstating bounties on some folks? Something like that. You clearly know how things here work better, so I'd like advice from people in the know."
The bounty hunter talk perked him up. "You were a bounty hunter? That must have been fun. I thought about giving that a try back before Cyrus sent me the invitation to join Ragnarok. Maybe I should try it on this rock." Corgan said with excitement. "I don't think this ambassador shit is for me. If I meet anymore giant insects I'm out."
"It was fun then a civil war happened and I joined up with the rebels of the war because Imperial laws didn't really allow for bounty hunting and now I'm here." Rubi leaned back in her seat for a moment before answering Arccos. "Well I mean, you guys do have the bigger and fancier guns that are scaring off most criminals so far. Haven't had much time to gloss over the bounty boards though."
"More meant... Were people you got bounties on people who the old regime didn't like, or legitimate trouble?" Arccos clarified, "I'd offer bounties if I knew what they were accused of was real... Then you could both work for me, if you really wanted to I guess."
Corgan turned the vehicle northeast and increased their speed after he figured it had been a few miles. "That could work. Honestly working for Uso hasn't been as bad as I thought it would be, but if I'm stuck pretending to be interested in crappy art much longer I will lose my mind." He replied to her suggestion.
"Well there were few outlaws hellbent on complete government overthrow by the time of war but I don't know if they ever had to power to do much threat to anything really." Rubi shrugged again. "The Osman's knew more about possible legitment threats then me." She turn attention to Corgan. "Are you not liking the giant bees?"
"I suspect he was hoping for sexy green alien ladies." Arccos prodded Corgan on the shoulder gently, "Nepleslians generally don't like most aliens out there."
"It not that I don't like them as individuals. I just can't get over the insect thing." He said, shuddering involuntarily. "That and I'm not too good at being diplomatic. I'm afraid I may accidentally start an interstellar war out of boredom. Didn't expect to be here this long."
"Uso is paying us with a percentage of planetary income." once more, Arccos offered Corgan a pat on the head in an attempt to soothe his insect based shuddering, "Cyrus seems to be moving stuff to set up base here as well, so you're here for life as long as you're in Ragnarok. If you want to drop contract and work per head I'll see what I can do, but I think you should work out how you can best take advantage of the situation rather than just letting me make more decisions."
Before responding Corgan considered the possibility of living on this world his whole life. "Well it might not be so bad after we get this place some real technology and start trading with the rest of the sector. I'd also like some decent food and good booze. Not that chunky green stuff they serve here. Hell, I'm afraid to sleep with the girls here for fear of getting them pregnant or catching something that we don't have medicine for."
Rubi coughed in the back for moment, some swears and insults leaking through the coughing and hacking. "Anyways, I would have to talk to Raph about going back to bounty hunting for you... Also that chunky green stuff we eat happens to be Algaeia."
"Well I have some ideas for stuff you can do that's not involved with bee art... But it'll have to wait since I think that's my guys." Arccos pointed ahead out of the windshield to where up ahead a small group of men wearing a mishmash of uniforms and weapons stood. The only unifying markers of them seemed to be thick ponchos marked with greenish paint depicting a semi-circle around a star.
"So we took this place soon after old Osman. It's where they harvest that green stuff... Which is actually delicious, but I make rat jerky." Arccos shrugged, taking up her wool hat once more and cramming it on her head, "Not long ago I had a work ticket out to make some nets to let us skim the ocean faster using the ship, or the chopper. Long story short is we put a lot of people out of jobs... Yesterday, one of my brigadiers got his head caved in by a thrown brick, so I brought you in to talk with the big merchants in town to show we can make this work somehow. If not, we bust the places the old workers gather and pray it's not going to be a problem for too long until we get a better alternative up and running..."
"So we're strikebreaking pretty much." Rubi said, inpsecting the IAW for any faults she could notice. "I mean, you could just work in tandem and have them gather the Algae while the helicopter does some runs every so often. Or just have them harvest entirely and save the helicopter for something else like... whatever a helicopter would be important for."
"That is one option. Also what I brought the ambassador here for. Or you if you have a better idea. I still barely know how money is meant to work, I'm just here to see if I can find the one who threw the brick and hang him..." Arccos said offhandedly, checking her HHG before holstering it again under her arm.
The situation didn't sound very good to Corgan. This could turn into a full-blown riot if they weren't careful. "I'm not sure that would be a good idea. We don't actually have any laws yet. We should see what the Osmans have for laws first. If they have courts, just executing someone with no trial could make people revolt." He said quietly as he checked his shotgun to see if it was loaded. "The helicopter would be pretty useful for something other than algae harvesting. We need to make this work though, otherwise people might end up without food around here."
"And you say you're not cut out for diplomacy, Corgan." Arccos chuckled. "I intend to hold a trial, just so you know..."
"I held trials too. They were rigged trials though." Rubi sniffed. "I asuuming this will be a rigged one too?"
The Nepleslian stared at Rubi as if she were some sort of lunatic for a moment. "Not gonna happen. Uso would probably just grab random people and execute them to make a point, but if I have a say, I'll make sure that the right guy pays." He said seriously. "Okay, I put my body armor in the trunk. No way I am going in there without it."
He climbed out of the car and went around the back, popping open the trunk. Corgan put on his shoulder holster and Styrling Muur armor, even though he didn't have a helmet. He put his shotgun in the holster. Hopefully he wouldn't need it. He would hate to die on a shitty planet for Uso Tasuki's insane ambition.
Arccos just followed Corgan around to the trunk, extricating her own armor and suiting up, "You have a say. I operate on public vote until otherwise instructed... And I doubt Uso is going to have the attention span for determining the justice system or laws..."
As she finished suiting up, her armor was topped with a similar poncho to her men, slung over her shoulder like a cloak and pinned with the silver star of office.
"Right now we just have to talk to some merchants. From there I'll have my own men ask around to try and find who did the killing. It looks better if locals are policing locals, y'know."
As Corgan walked back around he whistled and the dog jumped out of the car, running over to him and wagging his tail happily. "I really need to name you one of these days." He said, patting the dog gently on the head. "You can come this time. Maybe help us sniff out who killed Arcoss's minion." He looked up at the armed men guarding the city. "Those are your guys right there?" He asked cautiously.
"My brigade, yeah."
He nodded slowly. "Good, I was a little concerned." Corgan replied. "You two ladies ready then?"
Rubi was already out and finsihing up putting on her suit of Styrling Muur she was given by Raph. "Ready as I'll ever be."
"We march in the rest of the way, don't want anyone setting fire to the car..." Arccos said, indicating two of her men to guard their way back home, before looking around and making double sure which path was best to make it into town. "Okay, let's go."
He waited for the girls to catch up then started walking quickly down the path into the town. "So how many of these guys do you have working for you? Going to turn them into a real police force?" Corgan asked Arccos. The dog followed quietly at his side, pausing to sniff at random patches of dirt then racing to catch up.
"Don't have a mind to turn them into anything. I pay them to keep the peace, and they can go home at the end of the day. If they work for me, they can trade for stuff from off-world to make their lot better. If that equals police force, then they'll become one I suppose."
As the group cleared the rocky pathways along the coast, they found themselves once more in the 'algae processing facility'. Which was more along the lines of a mid-size frontier river town, the usual reek of drying algae hanging in the evening air... But it seemed a bit odd that these same people in this town were responsible in any way. The response to the appearance of offworlders was no different than in what was Osman City: Everyone seemed to shut up behind locked doors at once the moment the group entered town. The streets were completely empty, aside from the bell shot down from what was once a belltower at some stage during the original claiming of the place.
But then, it was also just a little different to the city formerly called Osman: They were being watched. It was easy to catch eyes peering out of every crack in a shutter, or wall. Seemed everyone was waiting for something to happen...
The dog seemed to sense something strange was going on. It backed away a little and whimpered, looking up at Corgan. Corgan looked around suspiciously. His hand moved to the shotgun on his back. "Does this shit look normal to you? Because I feel like we're about to have a shootout, like an old Nepleslian movie. I'm not too keen on getting shot." He said quietly.
Rubi nodded from the back of the group. "Usually means someone's been saying they're going shoot someone else. Then that someone else happens to waltz into town." She flipped the safety off on the IAW. "Seems like we might be that someone else."
As if on cue entirely from narrative convention, down the road ahead of the group; the doors of a saloon swung open with a repetitive creaking noise. The place even had those weird double hinged half-doors from those old movies Corgan talked about. Heavy bootsteps on the wooden pathways in front of closed up shopfronts as a lone gunman stepped out. Rubi could maybe vaguely remember him as another prominent bounty hunter. "Prominent" being key assumption here.
"So you folk really are too scared t'come out here, 'way from yer fancy palace without metal britches an' an army." He even looked like some sort of Nepleslian historical roleplayer, stetson hat, fancy waistcoat, loaded revolver at his side. At least he hadn't drawn his weapon yet. "Folks round here were a lot bet'r off wittout ya. Now why don't you go on home...?"
The more observant amongst the group could maybe hear the sounds of footsteps on various second floors around them, a tumbling algal spore blob rolling across the street in the gathering wind... Right into Arccos' boot, causing the 'spacer to start inelegantly flailing her leg about hissing 'ohgrossgetitoffame', utterly ruining the mood.
Corgan almost felt like laughing at the situation. He also thought it was funny the guy was actually threatening the group. The Nepleslian pulled his shotgun out of its holster. "I don't think you want to be threatening me. We aren't here to fight, unless you happen to be the guy who murdered one of my friend's men. I'm here to negotiate with the people of this town and work out a peaceful solution to the algaeia harvesting problem." He said, careful not to make any sudden movement. "That said, you shoot at us, we will have to kill you."
Rubi squinted at the man, taking a few moments before recognizing the other bounty hunter. "Well, if it isn't Darin, the sissiest bounty hunter around." She kept her rifle trained on him. "If I didn't know how you operated, I would've shot you as you stepped out of the saloon... But of course, you're never one for fair fights, eh?"
Something like a smile crossed underneath Darin's bristling handlebar mustache. "Well, tarnation... If it isn't little Rubi. You gone an' turn traitor to yer own planet?"
The weird dandy took a few steps forward towards the group with many guns pointed at him, soon standing a few feet away from Corgan. "I mean, these folk don't even know what a threat sounds like... I call you a coward, boy? That's an insult. Then I ask you why you haven't left an' made ev'ryone's life better for merit'a you bein' gone? That's callin' you a right bastard. Also insult. No threats. You the ones comin' t' these fine peoples towns an' pullin' guns on a polite conversationalist."
"Now, Lil' Miss Rubi. You know how I operate, as you say. An' that's true. I won't enter an unfair fight with unfair odds in my hand... I'd take any one o' you copperbottom sonsa bitches in a fair fight. But they ain't comin' t'fight fair."
The town seemed to hold its collective breath. The faint sound of guns cocking in the cool air as this got more and more confrontational. Arccos grumbling that it was on her face now, Maker why? And this guy? Seems he wanted a fight.
The dog growled at the wannabe cowboy. Corgan really wanted to blow this guy's head off, but he was trying to be diplomatic. "Darin, right? Darin, I know what an insult is. That's not a proper insult. I would teach you some, but I don't have the time. Now I'll ask one time. Tell your guys to stand down or you'll be the bastard making life harder for these people."He replied in an annoyed tone.
The bounty hunter gave a weird nasty smile, showing blackened rotting teeth under his whiskers, "Now now, Copperbottom... You think I'm here t'play? Y'heard it y'self, son... I'm a professional."
He seemed to swell with pride... Or hot air.
"Th' General's put a fiiine prize on yer heads... An' I got a job t'do. So I'll tell y'what. I said myself that I'd take any one'a you on in a fair fight. So that's my offer... You agree t' fight me without y'fancy duds, an' my men'll leave this town in one piece. Y'shoot me an' that'll be th'end of it. But if I win, y'all will get on out o' here an' leave these fine folk back t' their livelihoods..."
Darin looked over the collective group, a weird nasty look lingering on Rubi for a few seconds.
"Any one'a ya will do. Yer worthless Sheriff, one'a yer traitors, or even y'self boy."
"I think it's high time the new sheriff proves herself." Rubi said with a glare. "Provided your boys step out here so they don't shoot us after she drops your sorry ass."
Darin looked to think on it, before blowing a high pitched whistle like a dog call from under his 'tache... At which point a good thirty men started to file out from various windows and doors, many standing on nearby roofs. Rubi could recognise at least two or three different groups of bounty hunters... Whoever this General was, the prize was substantial: It was rare this many bounty hunters would work together. Collectively they stood in the open, armed but with weapons unraised. A fair number of them carrying sticks of dynamite or bottles of what looked like lantern oil. Seems that should things fail they were willing to turn the main road into a burning crater in the hopes of stopping the space invaders.
Arccos' brigadiers were outnumbered, while Darin's crew were outgunned. By the looks of things it would be troublesome to fight them all. The 'spacer herself just finished shaking off a spore sac, and looked to Corgan and Rubi as if only just now realising she'd been volunteered.
Corgan shrugged his shoulders at Arccos. "I would do it, but you are the sheriff. I don't think they will just put down their guns if he dies though. It's up to you."
"There's a price on your heads so no, they more than likely won't." Rubi whisped over to the two. "Corgan, how good's your aim?"
Arccos looked around, her mouth straightening to a perfect line as if things suddenly got a lot more tense for her specifically. "You have a plan?" she whispered to Rubi.
Meanwhile, Darin took a few steps away, removing his overcoat. "Take all the time in the world. I was hopin' th' big fella would step up, but I c'n make yer alien bitch bleed all th' same if'n he's not got th' stones..."
The Nepleslian would let people say whatever they want about him, but insulting his friends was a different matter. Without even a warning he aimed his shotgun at Darin's chest and pulled the trigger. "That guy was really pissing me off." He muttered.
The meaty 'thud' of Darin's corpse hitting the ground was followed by a single second that seemed altogether too long for comfort. Arccos clapped a hand on Corgan's shoulder just a second too late to have stopped the shot hitting its mark.
"Corgan, I'm touched that y--" The Sheriff's sentence was cut short by the first retaliation from Darin's men, and judging from the smoke and the way Arccos slumped down from Corgan's shoulder and into the dirt it hit its mark: The back of the Sheriff's head.
Rubi aimed and put several round into one of the few holding a stick of TNT before stopping. "Alright boys! Unless you want to end up like dumbfuck Darin and his buddy I just shot, I suggest you look for employment elsewhere. Make a move and we'll cut you call down before you can even finish the thought of it." She shouted.
Startled by what he thought was Arccos's sudden demise, Corgan looked around for the direction the shot came from. "Whover did that, I want you to know you just shot the only one of us who would even feel remorse for killing every one of you." He yelled before turning to Arccos's brigadiers. "Kill every single one of these assholes." The dog walked over to Arccos and started whimpering. Corgan didn't even look, he just ran into one of the buildings, kicking open the door on his way in.
Following the opening shots, Rubi's gambit seemed to have paid off... Well, sort of. As her bullets dug into the would-be bomber, the explosives on his person ignited, dropping the eaves of one of the town's buildings underneath the ensuing explosion. Several of the bounty hunters started to run... For all they knew, Rubi's new weapon was able to just blow them up and the building they stood on. A good number stopped in their tracks, mostly those who were stuck on rooftops with little cover, causing a minor avalanche of surrendered weapons.
Meanwhile Corgan's rallying cry seemed to pull the Brigadiers out of the shock, as they variously charged to one side of the street, pulling revolvers of their own to down anyone in their way. Seemed that Arccos didn't advise them to keep single shot weapons when there was an alternative. The shots from cover causing more general havoc across the street, and forcing several bounty hunters off the open main road.
The Sheriff herself lay limply in the street for a moment or two, before standing up once again like she was waking from a solid nap... The fighting stopping for a second or two as she visibly pulled the crumpled bullet from her hair and pulled a revolver: H-NAM red rounds blasting one of the bounty hunters to hot chilli, seemingly confirming the feeling Rubi started, as the fight started to turn into a total retreat.
Seemed the entire group were banking on Darin being just annoying enough to coax one of them out of a suit in order to gang up on them.
Corgan practically ran up the stairs to the roof, aiming his shotgun at the nearest bounty hunter. "I'm going to shoot bounty hunters until one of you tells me who shot Arccos." He said calmly. "So tell me now and the rest of you can leave unharmed."
Rubi pushed forward a few paces, letting out several shots as the bounty hunter retreated before looking over at the Sheriff. "I thought you got shot?!?"
"I did. Back of the head..." Arccos said, like she was commenting on the weather. She even held out her hand and offered Rubi the deformed bullet from the back of her head. "I'm surprised no one's tried to earlier to be honest."
Meanwhile on the rooftop, the much gentled Bounty Hunters fell to their knees at the appearance of an angry alien. He didn't even get to finish offering to let them be unhared before one pointed to the now topless bell tower in the middle of town. "It was McLewski. We were s'posed t'wait on 'is mark if Darin bit it!"
The bounty hunters didn't seem to have any reason to lie, so Corgan looked over at the belltower. His eyes zoomed in on the tower, but this McLewski was gone. His rifle was still there. "Know where he ran off to?" He asked as he lowered his weapon.
"I-if we failed we were s'posed t' fall back ta camp, then ride to meet up for th' attack on Osman..." The bounty hunter said, standing up and starting to sidle towards the stairs. "We weren't tellin' each other where our camps an' horses was. McLewski's like a damn ghost anyway, you'll never find 'im out'n th' desert..."
Not wanting to turn his back on them, Corgan backed off to the corner of the roof. "You better run before I change my mind." He said, then called down to the brigadiers. "Let these guys go, I know who killed Arccos."
"Well, you heard him. Those guys didn't kill me, so let 'em go." Arccos chirped from street level. Looking out over the horizon to see a streak of lightning in the distance.
Hearing Arccos's voice shocked him. He looked down and saw her standing up. "You're alive? How the.. damn Freespacers." Corgan muttered before running downstairs and right up to Arccos. He put his shotgun away and gave her a big hug. "I've never really had friends before. And.. damn it, I thought you were.." He let her go with a sigh. "If you died, I wouldn't have someone to call me on my bullshit."
"Well, my skull is made of duran--" Arccos started, before Corgan hugged her. She stopped for a moment to make sure his hands weren't going anywhere untowards before freeing one arm from his embrace and patting him on the head. "I'm glad you care... But for now we have to clear up this merchant bullshit before that storm hits."
"I don't think we have time for that. One of those guys mentioned an attack on Osman City." He replied hurriedly. "We need to go now."
"Well... Shit."
