Conflict Zone Intensifies
01 Sep 2024Meowers
Listen, nobody's ideal. And life isn't always about deep, profound and important stuff. Sometimes, you just want that, and nothing in the world can quench the thirst, the thought just sits there in the background all day, itching and buzzing. There are no signals, no ways to predict, to see it coming, until it's too late. And, you set a goal for yourself: today, I want cringe. The purest form of cringe humankind has to offer.
Cringe comes in many forms, but almost all of them are created by people. And mostly unintentionally. Humankind invented cringe and stays firmly in the lead at producing it. This is our domain, our element.
After some time spent travelling the lower networks, away from glossy, polished, refined and absolutely neutered content, I stumbled upon this masterpiece of a movie, and its title alone was able to touch the right string in my tired soul. "The Elite Bounty Hunters: Unstoppable Justice. Part 72. Film adaptation of an award-winning novel..." Wow. They even have a novel about that.
* * *
Three massive fleet carriers silently emerged from hyperspace rifts near a dull red dwarf star. On the command bridges of the carriers three commanders sat in their chairs, boldly and even defiantly, held in place not by the safety belts but by the sheer mass of their ego. Or maybe something else, hidden from viewer's eyes.
A communication channel opened, and one of them started speaking.
"Gentlemen. CMDRs. Welcome to HIP 420. I found this system today and brought us here, so that we could finally stop the raging horde of wanted criminals who wreak havoc and take innocent lives. Because that's what we do. The Elite Bounty Hunters."
The system map appeared on the screen, one of the far planets marked by an icon with two crossed swords on it.
"This is where we bring justice to them. Seventh planet, an icy world, 50 thousand light seconds from the main star. At this exact moment, the filthy, despicable, wanted criminals of the HIP 420 Blue Orange Green Gang are trying to capture one of the settlements crucial for the life and prosperity of this system. Fartsmith Horizon, a well-known tourist facility, is under attack. They need our help. This is a call we can't ignore."
* * *
On the bridge of a Federal Corvette, one of the commanders sat relaxed in the pilot seat as cruise assist navigated the ship through deep space. Dim red light of the star played on his personal armour, decorated with Triple Elite shoulder decals, which looked like magically hovering over the plates. Perhaps, a hologram.
Communication channel opened once again, displaying the map of the settlement, arrows and signs of battle plan placed over it. By the looks of them, they were drawn using the tool from the standard onboard software.
"Prepare for battle, CMDRs. We should advance from three sides, in order to secure CMD, PWR and at least one of the HABs. STO is optional."
"That looks familiar..."
"Yes, the same layout we'd seen a couple days ago. And, a few times last week. Makes the job easier."
"Can I go to the PWR?"
"Do you still need those Power Regulators? Okay. Just don't steal it until we're done."
A few minutes later, three massive ships, two Federal Corvettes and one Imperial Cutter, cast their shadows on the surface. Almost as big as the settlement itself, they dwarfed it, landing from three sides. From each ship, a commander disembarked. Each one holding the ranks of Rear Admiral in the Federation and Duke in the Empire at the same time, their wealth combined enough to buy the system with its inhabitants entirely, their fleets so vast they could cover the moon of this planet in ships. Clad in Dominator suits, with hats over their dark helmets, pictures of crosses and skulls painted on the black-tinted visors, they walked towards the assaulted settlement in absolute silence. So unique and so dangerous that every single field in their personal profiles was [REDACTED], even their eye colours, accents they spoke and genders. Ready to bring justice, to punish the filth, to restore peace, personally, as in good old times, as those who have hunted armed men long enough and liked it, never care for anything else thereafter, or something to that extent. This scene desperately asked for some tumbleweed.
* * *
The face of a gangster appeared in the sniper rifle scope. Unaware of his imminent death, he stood on the roof of a building, observing the walkway beneath, waiting for any of the settlement defenders to get into his firing range.
"Distance, 100 metres," one of the bounty hunters whispered quietly, aiming. "Gravity, 0.12G. Wind, zero. Come on, you're the best shot in the Galaxy..."
A scorchingly bright purple blob of pure energy left the barrel, silently travelling towards its target. Bandit checked his rifle and loaded a fresh magazine just to make sure, made a few impatient steps left and right, scratched his backside, and then someone called him over the radio. He shrugged and reluctantly walked away from his spot, likely to assist someone elsewhere. Shortly after, the energy blob flew past the point where he stood, went further into the sky and disappeared.
"Damn, I missed! Lucky son of a bitch! Okay, let's do it the hard way..."
* * *
"Taking casualties! Where is that bastard?!"
The bandit squad leader roared over the comms in anger as another friendly marker on his helmet HUD disappeared. His entire squad followed his steps closely, in a chain formation, advancing towards the power building, without facing any resistance on their way at all. But something invisible kept claiming the lives of his soldiers, one by one.
"Should've started streaming that...", muttered one of the commanders, reloading his plasma shotgun. All the way, from the troop transport LZ to here, he's been running a few steps behind and shooting the gangsters in the back.
"I need a new squad! I'm alone! I swear I'll find that sucker and... AAAARGH!"
* * *
In the chaos of battle, a small group of bandits was cut off from the main forces and seemingly got lost. Wandering around the settlement, searching for any friendly face, they accidentally stumbled upon one of the giant Corvettes parked right behind the habitation building.
"Uuuuh! Dats der shipz! Boyz, fire!"
Assault rifles rattled and produced a chaotic spray of projectiles, aimed at the formidable vessel. Or, to be correct, all over it. Imperial Prismatic shields of the Federal Corvette flashed with green light, enveloping the ship in a protective shell, but faded after a minute of sustained small arms fire. Thick armoured hull, several inches of military-grade composite metal, stood strong, turning hundreds of projectiles into a shower of sparks, but the bandits kept firing and firing, loading one magazine after another into their trusty rifles. Soon after, in the eerie silence of vacuum, the Corvette exploded into big chunks, which shot in every direction. Once the smoke and flames dispersed, the ship was no more. Vanished, without a trace.
"Yeeeee!"
A wide triumphant grin appeared on the bandit's face, showing a few teeth missing, just before he was mercilessly shot to death. Blood covered the helmet glass from the inside and the body slowly fell onto the ground, revealing the silhouette of a bounty hunter behind, weapon still smoking in his hands.
"Damn! They got my ship!"
"Someone rides a taxi!"
"Nevermind, I'll just buy a new one."
* * *
"One of them is inside! Keep going!"
Squad after squad, leaving the troop transports, bandits ran towards the small warehouse building. They knew one of the commanders took a defensive position there, and their leaders kept sending forces to deal with him, in human waves. What they didn't know, however, is the fact that the airlock was closed, and the small porch next to it was now so crowded that those who came there first couldn't even move. Bumping into each other, swearing, hitting the wide airlock door with their helmets and weapons, bandits hoped that, at some moment, the door would open, letting them in, to deal with their problem. Everyone wanted to get that kill.
"Signal me once the camera is ready," on the other side of the settlement, another commander aimed his rocket launcher at the crowd.
* * *
Thick glass barrier separated a group of gangsters and one of the commanders. Everyone knew that an attempt to get around it would only lead to death. So, both sides were locked in a stalemate, showing rude gestures to each other.
"Don't. We aren't supposed to do that. Just wait," group leader tried to stop his young gunman from expressing fresh and dangerous ideas. "Eventually, he will show up and we will shoot him."
"Come on," the youngster replied, sparks in his eyes, his voice full of confidence. "They do that, why shouldn't we? It's only 0.12, just squat and then push, and there you go! Hit him right in the head!"
"You shouldn't do that! Stop!"
But the young man didn't listen. He craved his own shot at glory, and he got it. He did what he wasn't supposed to. He jumped. And, in low gravity, this jump carried him several metres above the ground. Excited by his tactical genius, he pulled the trigger, scattering bullets all over the bounty hunter and landing a few good hits. Confused and surprised, the hunter darted to the nearest cover while his personal shields struggled to keep him safe. The path for the team was cleared.
"What the crap... Are they evolving?", muttered the baffled hunter, aiming from behind the cover. Dozens of weapons, those of all three commanders and nearby settlement defence troops, converged on a single point.
"Poor Billy. He was just seventeen. At least it was quick," commented the group leader in a sombre tone, watching as the mangled, smoking corpse, mutilated by countless bullet holes, slowly descended on the ground. Then, he turned to his remaining troops, who still held position behind the barrier. "We shouldn't jump. No jumping. Never. Forget about that, once and for all."
* * *
"Finally. Got ya. Prepare to pay for your crimes, lowlife scum."
The battle was almost over. Trapped inside of a building, a group of bandits were getting ready for their last stand. A bounty hunter walked inside boldly, confident in his imminent victory. In his hands was his trusty Karma AR-50 rifle, painted midnight black, decorated with a white skull picture, full magazine loaded.
In a move of sheer desperation, his opponents attempted to make a breakthrough. A pull of a trigger, and a wave of bullets filled the room, hitting appliances and furniture, ricocheting off the walls, floor and ceiling, knocking over a pair of boots someone had forgotten on the table. Some of the projectiles finally found their targets amidst the chaos: two wounded bandits crawled back to their corners, joining the rest of their group. Fifteen metres were still an impossible distance to cover.
"Damn! I knew I should've upgraded it more."
* * *
"You are our heroes, CMDRs! We are forever in your debt!"
Battle survivors filled the small square next to the command building to look at their saviours. Three figures in dark suits with crosses and skulls covering their faces wasn't the picture they have ever imagined though. Considering that throwing flowers was a sub-optimal celebration experience on an icy airless planet, they just waved their hands and jumped in place.
"This is our job. We are Elite Bounty Hunters. Criminal scum must pay," replied one of the hunters with a deep and husky voice of a seasoned warrior. "We restore peace, we purge the wanted scum, we swore to fight crime and we will do it until our last breath. In the cutthroat galaxy, human life is cheap..."
"...Excuse me, sir. Remain still, please. Routine check is in order," settlement security immediately got back to duty after the battle concluded. Slipping through the crowds, one of the officers pointed a portable scanner at the bounty hunters.
"Shit."
"An E-Breach! That's ille..."
Dozens of new red dots peppered the HUDs of hunters' helmets. They knew what to do, and they reacted instantly. In a few seconds, it was over. Entire settlement population was thoroughly massacred, armed and unarmed alike, children and elderly, employees and tourists. Corpses covered the entire square, mutilated and disfigured by intense gunfire, blood freezing and boiling in vacuum, empty stares turned at the sky. An infernal picture of unbridled murder.
"You can grab that Power Regulator freely now."
"We are criminals! We are wanted! We have bounties on our heads! What have we done?! I can't..."
"Calm down. Collect their stuff, get back to the carrier, dock and go to sleep. They will forget about it tomorrow and bring new people here. Then, pay off the bounties. It has never been a clean and easy job."
* * *
Perhaps, I should consider subscribing to that channel.