Published: 13 Jun 2019

Over the next month we just cruised around, taking our time and enjoying being free of commitment. We spent a week with Kaylar and sold most of the cargo John and Laurant had put me in charge of. I made sure they got their share but it ended up a bit less than they expected. They hadn’t accounted for Sam getting a share too, since she was there with us. I also insisted that a share go to the families of both Dean and Pierre, as well as one to Madame DuPree.Even with the 100,000 credits in auction, transaction, license and transport fees, each of us came away with 1.9 million credits. After all that, I still ended up broke. I had to refund money for spoiled cargo I never got to deliver, pay back the owners of the cargo I had to sell, and pay off several fines for forfeited contracts.

Then I dumped all I had left into a new set of space drive engines. No more W.I.E.R.D. drive and taking months at a time to get anywhere, not for this space freighter.

While there with Kaylar, one evening he came into the room.

“I need to talk to you a moment, pleaze.” he said.

“What’s up?” I asked, getting up and following him into his office.

“I haf been talking vith my clan leaderz. Zhey haf agreed zhat you haf earned zhe right to zee title of ‘Keldevien Hunter’. Zhere vill be a small zeremony tomorrow night. You vill be exzpected to be zhere.” he explained, matter of factly.

“Do I have to? You know how much I hate things like that! Besides, I did nothing more than my job.” I complained. I didn’t feel I deserved an award for killing so many people, even if it was for a good cause and needed doing.

“Too bad. It iz aready done. You vill be zhere, like it or not. and put on your uniform. It vill alzo be exzpected.” he announced, a steel cold gleam in his eyes. I recognized that look. It said clearly, ‘Don’t even try and argue!’

All the next day I toyed with the idea of just taking off and running. I knew I’d regret it if I did. Kaylar would probably come after me himself and drag me back by my ear like some naughty child.

That afternoon I squeezed myself into my old military uniform. I hadn’t worn it in a very long time and it no longer fit too well. Sam walked in and caught me examining myself in the floor length mirror.

“Haven’t worn that in a while have you.” she laughed.

“No! And stop laughing! I look ridiculous. I don’t know what to do. I can’t go looking like this. I’ll be a laughing stock!”

“Take it off and give it to me. I’ll see what I can do with it.” she said, still giggling. She walked out with my uniform over her arm, still needling me about my weight. When she brought it back two hours later, I couldn’t believe my eyes. It fit almost perfectly.

“Wow Sam! You’re good. How’d you do it? And so fast too!” I said.

“I’ve told you before, I can fix almost anything.” she boasted. “Although it was a stretch to get that to fit over you right.” she giggled again.

“Now stop that! It’s not like I’m fat!” I growled.

“No, not fat. Just pleasantly plump.” she laughed.

“Hey! That’s not fair. I was only 25 the last time I wore this thing and that was a long time ago.” I continued to complain. She continued to laugh as I twisted and turned in front of the mirror, trying to see if I really did look fat.

“Stop worrying. You look just fine.” she said as she stepped over and helped me pin on my insignia medals and other awards. There were quite a few. I’d forgotten just how many. Now I almost felt embarrassed. There were many I had received that I never felt I deserved. I had been there to do the job, not get medals and awards. Again I felt like running.

At least Kaylar had been honest. The ceremony was small and thankfully short. Because they kept the identities of the Keldevien hunters a secret, there were only five representatives of Kaylar’s clan there, including himself. The confirmation was done at Kaylar’s home and over within ten minutes. There was a book presented to me which I had to say some words over. They pinned a badge like insignia on me but told me to wear it inside my jacket when out in public.

The final item was a very old ledger book I had to sign my name in. As they turned the pages respectfully, I saw dates going back for almost a thousand years. The book was almost full. By the time they reached a place with space available there were maybe a dozen pages left before the end of it. I signed and dated it on the next open line, noting that the last signature was dated nearly twenty years ago. Then I had to stick my thumb with a small needle dagger and press a blood print next to my name.

That was it. The ceremony was over. I was told I needed to read, study and learn everything in the book I had been given. It would instruct me on my duties, responsibilities, obligations, rights and powers. I was also warned most strenuously to never violate the things in that book. Over the next several months, as I studied the book, I found that to violate the rules would be to forfeit my Hunter status and make myself a target for other Hunters. Not to be arrested but to be terminated.

Sam, Ryan, Chip and I spent a week getting cargo contracts, loading cargo, buying supplies and fuel and readying the ship for departure. It took almost two full hours to file my travel log and get all the necessary permits. By the time we hit space we were all more than ready to be on our way.

“What’s our first stop again?” Ryan asked.

“Celledon Minor.” I answered.

“Where’s that?” He asked

“It’s out in the Torgian system near the Morii cluster.” I told him. Once again I was worried by how much Ryan didn’t know. It was hard to teach him everything. Sam, Chip and I were working on it but it was slow going. He had over a thousand years of human history and exploration to catch up on.

“Ryan, are you sure you want to stay on board with us?” I asked, for about the tenth time. “I’m sure Kaylar could arrange to get you into one of the academies.”

“No, that’s okay dad. I want to be here with you guys. I’m doing better with my studies all the time. I can learn here, I promise. I’ll work harder, please don’t make me leave.” he begged.

“Whoa there sport. I would never make you do anything you don’t want to. If you want to stay, then stay it is.” I said.

“Good. Besides, you promised we would go get my old ship the Star Hopper.” he answered.He had me there. I had indeed promised him that. Besides that, I needed the money the old ship would bring. I checked our itinerary and found that we would be passing that area in about a month. I therefore modified our flight plan a bit so that we would have time to go retrieve the ship… oh, but that’s a story for another time.

EPILOGUE

It was dark, so very dark. He could see nothing and hear nothing. Not so much as the scratching of mice or rats. Three days had gone by now but he couldn’t tell. Except for the gnawing hunger in his belly there was nothing to mark time with.

His once supple fingers were raw and his beautiful nails chipped and broken. He had been digging, off and on, as his strength allowed. His face was streaked with sweat, mud and blood. One falling rock had hit him a glancing blow. He had been able to dive under his desk for cover just before the entire ceiling collapsed.

Fortunately, his desk was made of titanium, steel and mahogany. It had saved his life then given its own as tools for him to dig with. His progress had been slow. He had to be close now, he could sense it. Above him was a large slab of concrete. After a few minutes rest he dug a flat place to stand in. This was it. If he couldn’t get out now, he wouldn’t get out at all. That thought was what kept him going. That and his burning hatred and desire for revenge against his long time enemy.

He crouched low and worked his feet into the flat hole he’d made. Then he squeezed his rotund body up under the slab. Pressing his back against the rough undersurface, he could feel the uneven lumps dig into his spine. Ignoring the pain, he gave one final shove upward. He used every ounce of fear and anger driven strength he had left. His face went purple with the effort but his rage swelled his determination. Slowly, the slab began to rise.

The parking lot, or what was left of it, was wrapped in night time blackness. Rubble spread over nearly two blocks, filled the streets and alleys. Two toppled buildings lay broken open like fallen giants.The faint glow of the city lights illuminated a large slab of concrete as it inched upward, tilted, the finally fell back with a thud.

The dark form of a human rose from the earth beneath like a spectre rising out of it’s grave. It took a step up out of the hole. Then stumbled forward several paces, and collapsed in a heap on the ground. Phy-Tong-Ki lay there sucking in the cool night air in great gulps. After nearly twenty minutes, he rose and shuffled away into the darkness muttering the name ‘Jared McFarlane’.

The End

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