A Case of The Mondays
27 Dec 2021Maul Montresor
Vacation is over, decorations are coming down and everyone is back at each others throats again. Yep, it's time to put away the silly sweaters and hot coco and throw yourself back into reality.It was time for a job, and to ease my way back into things, I decided to take on something simple. Well, at least I thought. Nothing is ever really simple, is it?
I was recently contacted by someone who works for the Kremavi Hand Gang. Never heard of them, but they were in a bad spot and sounded desperate, so what the hell.
The job was to travel to an evacuated settlement called "Marchand Prospecting Complex" in the Hasattra system. Said that some employee had forgot his compact personal computer with "important information' in his locker during the evacuation. The directions for the job included that I would be working with one of their pilots who would fly me in and wait for me to retrieve the computer and assist in my evacuation and to assist me if anything were to go awry. Now, what a gang like this needed a personal computer from an evacuated settlement for, I do not know.
Sounds sketchy, huh? Yeah, I thought so too but I needed work so fuck it, I took the job. No questions asked.
I was picked up by an unmarked ship. The pilot inside didn't speak a word to me. No introductions. Nothing. Tough guy. You know the kind. We made or way through multiple systems, past multiple planets and all the way to this settlement in complete silence. Real fun guy, this one. Once we landed, he briefly glanced over at me and then pulled out his data slate to...I don't know...I guess preoccupy his time while I did all the damn work.
Great, the power was off. This seems to be a reoccurring theme lately. I knew the drill at this point. Get inside the power center, check the regulator, etc. Luckily, (according to the job details) the data slate I was looking for happened to be in a locker within the power center. So I was heading there anyway.
Odd, the door was already open.
The panel outside the door had been cut open. Perhaps it was done during the evac?
“Deep into that darkness peering, long I stood there, wondering, fearing, doubting, dreaming dreams no mortal ever dared to dream before.”
Not sure what I expected to see here. Of course the regulator was gone. Part of me hoped it had just been opened to cut the power but still left in the drawer.
Someone had even used a E-Breach on the control panel. What exactly happened here?
I turned around to see another E-Breach on the settlement alarm controls. This entire job had been strange from the start and it just keeps getting weirder. Honestly, I was just ready to get this over with and get the hell out of here.
After stumbling around in the dark for a while, checking locker after locker, I found a....locked door. Made quick work of the lock by overcharging it with the energy link.
I was seriously sick of lockers at this point. This one that was numbered "one" had better been the one.
Damned thing was locked with a keypad and with the power out, the only choice I had was to cut it open. Once the mag lock was cut, the locker doors slid up and there it was. A single compact personal computer in the locker. Awesome. So, I snatched it up and ran outside to get in the Scarab and head back towards the ship.
Just as I stepped out of the power center I heard what sounded like a rocket launcher, followed by the Scarab exploding and bursting into flames. Fucking great, what else could go wrong?
......Of course. The guy who dropped me off decided to bail at the sound of an explosion. Why wouldn't he? Asshole.
I dove behind cover as these psychopaths began to continuously fire rockets around my position. I only had a few moments to think. Okay, so to break things down. I was now stranded on a planet with no ship, no srv, and too little firepower to take on a squad of psychopaths that were armed with rockets. I called on the only person that I could think that might have enough credits and connections to get me out of a situation like this and fast; Lambast Mercy.
I sent a quick distress call to Lamb's comms, turned on my suits shields and began to move. The enemies were fast approaching and I'd be good as dead if I stayed still.
In a sad attempt to buy time and, well honestly, the only option I had left. I decided to boost up to high ground and return fire.
After dropping one of the scavs, I needed to reload. That's when I took a shot from my right. I swear they were everywhere.
"Higher ground" was all that could think, so that's what I did. I began boosting my way up to the top of a mining extractor tower and continued returning fire.
Another one down.
Fucking sharpshooters!
I was so focused on returning fire, I hadn't noticed the arrival of a ship. I finally noticed it once it made contact with the tower I was standing on, causing it to shake and which caused me to nearly loose my footing.
The ships nose swung up and leveled out with me. After the body of one of the scavs rolled off the canopy, falling to the stairs below with a satisfying thump, I was able to finally see the Krait's pilot. "Lambast fucking Mercy!", I shouted with a smile on my face. Knowing good and well she couldn't hear me.
Lamb and I connected our comms just as she landed her ship and deployed in her Scorpion (The greatest of the SRV's). The wheels kicking dust as she blazed her way into the settlement.
Lamb warned me to "hold on to something" over the garbled comms, literal seconds before the tower shook again as she began firing rockets at one of the scavs near the base of the tower.
I peeked over the edge of the tower to watch as she shot at the scattering scavs.
Another one down. Lamb stripped his shields and I finished him off with my pistol as I jumped down from the tower, landing near his body on the steps.
With most of the enemies either dead or running away, I made my down the remaining steps, still using it for cover the best I could and hopped in the Scorpion as Lamb swiftly turned it around for a quick escape.
Without bringing it to a full stop, Lamb had opened the hatch to allow me to jump in. Leaving whatever and whoever was still residing in that hell of settlement, behind.
Little did I know that Lamb had been traveling through the bubble when I contacted her and this Krait was basically her glorified taxi. Which meant it was geared for high jump range and had no weapons at all. We sat mostly silent while she chauffeured me to the nearest outpost. And honestly, judging by the look on Lamb's face at the time, I figured I'd rather try to thank her and apologize for all of that, once we'd arrived at the outpost. You know, so there'd be witnesses around. For both of our sakes.
Lamb's face says it all.
Once at the outpost, I used one of the terminals to reach out to my contact in the Kremavi Hand Gang to let them know I'd recovered the personal computer. I also informed them of their pilot that basically left me to die. They rightfully responded with a personal apology and chose to compensate me for the trouble by doubling the pay for the job. I offered Lamb half of the pay for helping me, but she refused, typical Lamb. Anyway, now I just had to wait for someone to come pick this damned thing up.
After killing a few hours by chatting with the girl who worked at the local Pioneer Supplies, I was approached by a man who insisted we step outside the store. He informed me he was the courier sent by the Kremavi Hand Gang. I happily handed it over to him and washed my hands of the whole situation. He thanked me and further explained his situation within the gang.
He introduced himself as Daniel Mitchy and informed me that the personal computer I retrieved was his and that the important data it held was going to help bring down one of the gang's enemies. He'd apparently worked at Marchand Prosperity Complex for a few years, that was until the place was evacuated a few months ago due to a sudden takeover. Corporate factions began warring over the settlement and in the end, instead of the new owners keeping the current employees or even hiring new ones, they'd left the place to rot and go to the scavs. "That explains the psychopaths with rocket launchers". Anyway, he said that he had originally joined up with the gang out of desperation for credits just as many of his coworkers did but that now it was different. Things have become personal.
He explained further that the gang is being slaughtered in their home system by another corporate faction throwing their weight around. Only this time, this particular group of corporate dickheads are openly and mercilessly extinguishing members of the gang and blaming it on their "Anarchist Lifestyle", saying they're no better than raiders, scavs or pirates. They've even had to go into lockdown and hide whilst they try to bolster their numbers to fight back. Daniel finally concluded by asking me if I'd like any more work, a look of slight desperation on his face, he told me not to answer now, but to think about it. So, I guess, I'll sleep on it and see how I feel.
The more I travel the bubble and the more stories I hear from people, the less faith I have in humankind. I really need a drink....specifically H2O.
"Hey, Keila, you won't believe this case of the Mondays I'm having."
