Surface: Doomed Planet

Excerpt 7-Speculation

When we made it back to the lifeguard tower, we were greeted by Marco and Matt as they opened the gate for us. Chy pulled the Ford into the parking garage and killed the engine as the rest of us stepped out.

"Take that stuff into Sarah", I said, "I'm gonna talk to Matt."

"Will do", Alcatraz said.

He, Mike and Allen began to unload the Ford's bed while I walked back outside.

"We heard the gunfire", Matt said slinging an AK-47 over his shoulder, 'what happened?"

"The pharmacy was occupied by some para military people", I said, 'well uniformed, well trained and everyone was armed with P-94 plasma rifles."

Matt and Marco exchanged glances.

"P 94's aren't exactly a choice weapon for militaries", Marco said, "their too expensive."

"I know", I said, "that's why it concerns me. Also because they seemed to think that the planet was expunging sentient life, so they saw it their duty to purposefully infect people and spread the virus."

"Did you get a count of how many their were?", Matt asked.

"I killed three of a group of six that surrounded me", I said, "but Chy and the others went through a good amount of ammo, so you'll have to talk to them."

Marco sighed, "think they might come here?"

"If they do you'll know it", I said, "anyone carrying a P-94, shoot to kill and ask questions later, especially if it's the purple glowing military model."

"What?", Marco asked quickly, "you said they had P-94s, not P-95s."

"They do", I said, "P-94's with the upgraded capacitors for military use, they glow purple instead of blue."

"No", Marco said, "their completely different rifles, P-95's are on a regenerative circuit, they never run out of juice and there's only one person I know of who can afford to outfit his men with such high end rifles. What else can you tell me about what you saw?"

"They had advanced electronics on their helmets", I said, "looked like Land Warrior systems, they were clad in Multi cam and wearing high grade body armor as well as having mounted EoTech and Aimpoint optics on their weapons. They were trained very well, martial arts and gun-fighting and seemed to be following a well planed and thought out patrol pattern. The last man I fought wasn't carrying weapons or a helmet, but he was wearing body armor and a silver design on his fatigues was covered by his carrier. He also seemed to be using the Hellfire Gene Modification to augment his Martial Arts skills, which he's damn proficient in."

Marco sighed, "that crazy bastard, I had hoped the virus would have whacked him, should have known better."

"Who?", I asked,.

"Ryu Ryoichi", Marco said, "the man who crossed gangs with the Samurai and the Military. Pre Outbreak, he was really the one in charge and the Emperor of Ania was more a figure head than anything else. He's not your typical narcissistic sociopath, he's straight to the point and doesn't hesitate to pull the trigger or beat someone within an inch of death to make a point. He likes to do his own dirty work as well, which means if you pissed him off, he'll be raiding every survivor colony he can find to finish the job."

I sighed, "I'll take him any day of the week over Doctor Martin."

"Who?", Marco asked.

"Know my friend Allen and James?", I asked.

"Yeah", Marco said.

"Well, we'll say that James, who was the boss of the lab where the virus started, fired Martin and the next day, when Martin showed up, Allen, who carries a belt fed machine gun, was too terrified to throw him out. Thing with Martin is I think he knew the day I showed up I'd eventually get up to the tower and kill him. The entire month I was at the lab, he was just biding his time, every second he could scrape out he used and he used it well", I explained, "he knew he had to get me out of the lab, and he did exactly that by dropping a pile of lab parts on me and then taking me to another lab a day's hike away. I guess that I woke up before he could leave, and when I lost a fight he put me on something that kept me asleep for a month. By the time I finally made it back to Biosphere and made it up there to kill him, his plan was completed, it didn't matter if he lived or died anymore."

"And I thought Ryu was smart", Marco sighed, "regardless, even if Ryu is shit compared to Martin, Ryu is still a very dangerous man from the simple fact that he has an army of thugs to back him up, and each one of them has the firepower to win a small war and the skill to use it. If he's trying to spread the virus, he'll be coming and he'll be bringing men, lots of them."

"What kind of numbers are we talking about?", I asked.

"I would guess ten to twenty", Marco said, "if your as good as your reputation states, they'll fall like grass under a mower, but all that means is he'll come back with more."

"He already knows who I am", I said, "somehow I think he'll bring enough the first time."

"What?", Marco asked, "how, how is that...how is that possible?"

"I wouldn't know", I said, "but he landed a surprise attack, then goes, "your telekinetic powers should have revealed my intentions Skyline Imese." The only possible way I can think of that he could know me is that he's telepathic as well."

"No", Marco said, "I grew up with him, we weren't the best of friends, but I knew him well enough to know he doesn't have the mental capacity to form and maintain a telekinetic field."

"He must", I said, "I don't think I've ever dealt with someone like that before, and usually that's what people say about me, so that's saying something."

Marco sighed, "you should go tell Chy while I try and see if I can figure something out."

I nodded and went back inside. I searched the tower before finding Chy in the kitchen with Jacob and Sonya, deep frying the chicken that I had recovered earlier and handing them out to whoever wanted any. I waited for a while in the back of the kitchen before everyone had been served and my friends were picking over the leftovers.

"Hey guys", I said walking up.

"Hey Sky", Chy said handing me a plate, "here it's extra crispy."

"Thanks love", I said, "Marco knew that man I fought."

Chy gave me a curious look, "who?"

"Someone by the name of Ryu Ryoichi", I said, "big time gang banger, someone who knows how to get shit done and won't hesitate to pull the trigger."

Chy sighed, "great, as if we didn't have enough to deal with."

"Marco thinks he might show up here with force", I said, "so to this end our priorities have shifted."

"To what?", Sarah asked.

"Our main objective is to contact the Bespinite Military and get the fuck off Ania", I said, "once were back on Bespin, Sarah, you'll have full access to Government Labs to get a cure for this thing developed. I'm not willing to sit around and wait for Ryu to come at us in force, the sooner were home on Bespin, the better. Chy, is their any radio equipment powerful enough to contact the fleet that brought you here?"

"If their still in orbit", Chy said, "which they should be, the radio antenna on the roof of the tower will be a good starting platform, but we'll need better signal equipment."

"Where can we get that?", I asked.

"Our best bet is the old lighthouse", Chy said, "there was a radio station up there that went offline a mere two days ago, which means either our friend Ryu nailed it, or the people there turned. Judging by his work on the computer, I'd say Tyler could pull the equipment from it."

"Yeah", Tyler said, "take me up there I bet I can pull it."

"Then it's settled", I said taking a bite of the crispy, juicy chicken, "next stop is the radio station."