Mike Sutton's Blog: For prose apply within. - Posts Tagged "chi"

The games were played in the shadows that at the very edge of civilization. They were bloody fantasy, a moaning ghost to the rest of the city. They were a plague that the Seers wished to eradicate. Something that didn't exist in the real world, so those outside rules didn't seem to readily apply. Here a First Ringer might flirt with a denizen from furthest out, and sit in his lap and whisper sweet nothings.

Here the games lived and breathed and the anonymous spectators were a single writhing mass of cheering men and women.

All of it would shatter and fade with the final bell. Life would return to normal.

The guard frowned at the plastic cards in his hand before waving the duo through to join the crowds who had already gathered in anticipation of the masquerade. Lights flickered in the damp tunnel, and she could just hear a drip of water over the bursts of merrymaking that were erupting from the far end.

Under the masks, most of the guests were wearing their finest garb, as was expected at any sort of formal gathering. The poorer denizens had arrived their church clothes, while the inhabitants of the inner rings were wrapped in glittering evening attire that would have done well for a wedding or ball. Angela had attended both weddings and balls in the center rings. She would have laid her bets that many of the top crust present spectators had saved what they were wearing this night for this purpose alone.

The Games were that important.

Even Rex had donned a jumpsuit that was both clean and new. Angela herself was one of the few who had remained informal.

Angela and Rex took a seat in the back row of the benches nearest the door. Chamber music was being piped in as the rest of the guests milled around and collected into small groups and chatted. Some were friends, others strangers. Even here the differences between the classes were obvious, but ignored in that uncanny fashion that seemed only to occur amongst devotees, and only during these rare occasions when they were all thrown together.

Rex pitched his voice to slip past the din.

“I've lost my sense of direction. Where do you think we are?”

“Not sure.” Angela responded as she slowly scanned the room for potential trouble. The waters seemed calm for the moment. “I would guess somewhere beneath the outer ring.”

“I've been studying the setup here, it doesn't look permanent. With a good crew, I bet it could be stripped down and loaded into a lorry in a couple hours. Everything would be gone except for the stains and memories.”

“I wonder how good their security is.” Angela stood up on the bench and looked around the room. There were three other exits. One at each cardinal point. She would have bet her next job's pay that they were in what had once been a trolley station. The last time she had seen the Games had been a few years back while hanging on the arm of a client who wanted a body guard who looked good in a slinky dress, just in case. The dank basement had all but ruined that gown. A good thing she hadn't paid for it.

“What sorts of events do you think we'll see tonight? I'm partial to the Maze Races. Aside from that main event of course.”

“I don't know. Beyond the Champions are appearing at the end of the contests.”

“Yeah, the Champions!” A dreamy grin spread across the hound's face. “That should be quite a spectacle. Two top contenders, and so different in their style. If I ever have any children, I will be telling them about this night. Hopefully they give a good account of themselves.” Rex flipped a small red disk and caught it. He checked which face came up and smiled again. “I wouldn't want it to be over too quickly.”

There was little reason to wish to see the events stretched out. “They will last as long as they do.” She responded, sending the conversation into a lull. She thought back again on her last visit to the Games. Her client had expected services beyond those that she had contracted for. He went home with a broken arm while she ditched her business and began anew.

Those had been lean months.

“Where did you come across a pair of invitations?” Rex asked as he shifted on the hard bench. “Nobody who lives past the Third Ring could afford to dream about this. I've heard of powerful cogs in the Second who would kill for just one of these seats.”

“I think that these seats are good enough. We can see everything.” Angel responded, without answering the question. She checked over her shoulder again. The guard was standing still and looking bored and sleepy. He was probably right, the make-up of the crowd was almost proof against a raid. “I like sitting near the exit. It makes getting out easier.”

She added, returning her attention to the pit. Well over a hundred spectators had already gathered. Most were wearing masks that concealed the upper portions of their faces. It was a tradition with spectators of the games.

The masks were elaborate and extravagant affairs that grew in magnificence the closer to Center the wearer dwelt. For the inner ring they were dazzling studded with jewels and crests of feathers. The denizens of the outer rings imitated their betters to the best of their ability. Many chose glass beads and Angela saw one mask with glued mirror shards. Rex offered the barest minimum to tradition by wearing what looked to have once been a shirt with two eye holes cut into it.

Angela's mask was slightly worn, but of high quality. She had borrowed it from a friend's hockshop for the evening. An evening at the games wasn't her chosen way to spend her down time. There seemed to be something unnecessary in all the brutality, and she had enough blood.

Men and women were chattering while they waited. Servants weaved paths through the crowd, offering them culinary delights from large trays – gratis on behalf of the game's proprietor. But only for those holding a level four betting chit, or higher.

Angela's hands were empty.

Rex took an entire tray and sent the servant off. “I have been saving whatever I could stash away for a month for this match.” Rex declared around the three or four small sandwiches he had stuffed in his mouth. “Ah, calories! How I've missed you little guys!” Angela, for her part, let him eat in peace. “Tonight's the night. Say good bye to Rex the Hound. I've backed the right man here, then I'm going to retire to Ring Three.”

“Only Ring Three? Why not shoot for the stars?” Rex always took the long shots.

“I'm not greedy. Or stupid. Living any closer to Center and I'd be a splash on the radar of the Police. I ain't as good as you at spinning illusions. Even visiting makes me feel uncomfortable, I become real aware of how much I don't belong with them kind. You know what I' talking about? Ring Three is posh and comfortable enough. Besides, I'll have more money to spend on the finer things like food. I dream about eating real roasted beef once a month, like one of the big wigs. I always wanted to know what real red meat tastes like. Any meat.”

“That's a grandiose dream. How do you plan to make it come true?” From Angela's perspective, that was nearly impossible. She had been one of the domes where one of the actual herds was corralled. Her first impression was that animals were filthy creatures that smelled terrible. Second, there wasn't enough of them to go around. No loss, she preferred the vat grown medallions.

“Don't you worry about that Athena, I'll have money. Money, it can get you anything. With the right contacts of course. And I know people who know how to lay their hands on the finery luxuries that our society has to offer. Perhaps I'll start a family too. Wouldn't that be grand? I bet I'll be able to afford a wife AND a couple kids!”

“Oh?” Angela asked, only half listening. “Do you have a dame already picked out?”

“Not yet...” He trailed off as he thought for a moment. “Maybe I could marry in to one of the respectable families. Don't know. Laying my hands on the paperwork to prove my certification would be tricky. Or better, a pretty, lively lass from Ring Seven. I like that. A girl who won't be too snooty and instead quite grateful and appreciative of a man in my position.”

“If you move to Ring Three, what will you do with your zoo?”

“Wha'da'ya mean? Take them with me?”

“You won't be able to find a building manager up there who'll let you in with all the contraband you have.”

“Hey, I'm smart. Probably smarter than even the craftiest building manager. I'll get around any idiotic rules that a lowly squat throws at me. No problem. Guess I should start thinking up some deviltry, I have a feeling that I'm going to need it soon.”

“How do you plan to transport the animals?” Rex just winked. Angela shrugged. She ran over a list of other possible dogs that she would be willing to work with. Who she could afford to partner with. It was a lightweight undertaking as the list was very short indeed.

Up front, near the pit, large screens began to unroll. Conversations ceased abruptly as the spectators rushed to their seats. The house lights began to dim and the screens flickered to life.

The announcer spoke, the speakers screamed and the noise cut off with a sputter. A couple moments later a man's voice returned. “Testing. Testing. Alright! Here we go! Greetings gentle patrons of the humanities. We have worked diligently these many months to bring you the finest contest between the most fearsome outcasts that Indy has ever seen. Our proprietor bids you all welcome and enjoyment for the coming night of celebration of all the vibrancy that is life!”

The crowd cheered.

“We have a full night of excitement for you all! And the excitement will cumulate with the fight of a life time. Remember that we are vidding this for all the poor folks who could not afford to be here tonight in the city of Chi, so show your enthusiasm and the superiority of out city for all of the citizens of Indy!” The announcer ran through a list of the thrills that were in store for them that night. By the end the crowd was cheering at the tops of their lungs.

In a brief lull Rex leaned over and said. “Good. No Rat Baiting.” There was a touch of relief as he glanced over at Angela. It seemed that she wasn't alone in her distaste for that most wasteful and bloody sport. Sadly, Ratcatchers were paid well to bring in prey for Baiting events. The public loved them. A good hunt that brought in a dozen extraordinarily fine specimens could net the mercenary more credits than entire Manufacturing families made in two years.

The first game of the evening was a Gauntlet.

A group of Mice were released in a specially built labyrinth, usually in an old building that was sealed off from the rest of the city. When they were released Cats were set on them. The Mice often outnumbered the Cats two to one, and most often the Mice were the fastest and most nimble minors that could be rounded up. They made for better sport, but were easier for the Cats to stun and then haul back to the cage. The Cats were expected to go easy on their prey. Skilled Mice were a valuable commodity and difficult to replace.

The game was over when all the Mice were returned to the cage. The Cat with the most captures won the game. Points were deducted if the Mice were excessively battered, and a death would almost certainly cost the match.

The music mounted and the lights flashed as the cameras cycled through, touring the arena. The gates opened and the Mice bolted. A good pack. Mostly outcasts. Strong and fast. They scattered through the abandoned building, and the cameras followed.

“Have you ever considered participating in some of these? You have the right skills and we've taken on harder targets than a bunch of unarmed kids.” Rex asked. “I really wanted to get onto a team for a long time. But you need some good connections. But think of the fame and glory you could win. Not to mention the wealth and women. Some of the better Cats take home quite a living. What do you think the best strategy for the Mice is?”

“Unless the mice find an unassailable hiding place, moving around is usually the best bet.”

“Yeah, but if you're out and about, you might run into one of the hunters. And that means being stunned and caught.”

“If they catch you hiding, then they have you in a corner. And eventually they will find you. Then you have nowhere to run.”

“Ah yeah, I guess you're right. Sometimes I wonder how the Cats find their prey so easily.”

“I think that they have helpers watching the feeds, at least in some events. They keep their Cats informed by radio.”

“Really?” Rex was scandalized by the suggestion. The games were as sacred as they were proscribed. The warriors who battled in the arenas were heroes. To cheat... Nobody wanted to believe that. “Who do you have on this one? And by what spread?” Rex asked.

“McClean by two, maybe three if he's lucky.”

“Really? You don't think Owens' strength and speed gives him an edge?”

“He's strong and fast. But he blows out easily and ends up dragging if the match goes for more than a couple hours. McClean is smart and paces herself better.”

“Owens has those long and gangly arms and legs. He can reach places where McClean could never go and he has that excellent reach. That is a huge. Especially when one of the Mice lodges itself behind a barrier or gets stuck in a vent.”

“Maybe.”

“Want to lay a wager?”

“I thought you spent your money.”

“I did.”

“Then what were you planning to bet with?”

“Favors.” Rex had a gleam in his eye and Angela suspected she knew what he'd be after. She nodded and they shook hands.

Spectators ohhed and awed as the Cats stalked their prey. Cheered with each pounce. And applauded with each capture or especially daring escape. The outcome was always inevitable, the mice would be caught. But buy who and how? These questions fed the adrenaline so devoid in their daily lives.

The match ran for three hours. McClean pulled it by three. “Damn it. Now who am I going to find to smuggle the zoo?”

There were other diversions during the Gauntlet. Fights between opponents using their fists. Races. Juggling and plays. All as the furor built, rose and amassed for the long awaited main event.

There was a whining noise that signaled that the screens were being rolled up. Cameras were being swiveled into position and with a sudden, blinding flash the arena was flooded with light. The main event had begun. Hundreds of people stood at one and cheered. Angela covered her ears against the tumult.

She looked over her shoulder again. The guard was no longer bored. He was at full attention and watching the ring as intently as the rest of the crowd. Rex was standing and cheering, pumping his fists as he danced. “Now it's time for the big pay off!”

“Please welcome respectfully our guest, the beloved Champion of Dome Chi! Here to spill blood for your delight and fight for the honor and pride of his adopted city, Eirick Who Jams the Gates of the Underworld!” A man in a chrome mask and leather loin cloth was pushed out of the gate. His skin hairless and tanned. His body was hard and lean. Very lean. His corded muscles were wrapped tightly in a shirt of scars. Several long knives dangled from the leather straps that were slung across his powerful chest. “Vultures follow Eirick, a man bereft of fear. In his hundred battles he has been impaled three times and survived, while all of his foes have gone to feed the worms.”

Eirick drew one of his knives and stalked the perimeter scratching a line on the wall.

He paced the pit warily like a caged, wild animal, his head swinging back and forth and glaring death at the audience. They lapped it up and cheered loudly. Angela thought that they wouldn't be so eager without the five centimeters of plexiglass dome that protected the spectators from the pit.

“Please welcome, good citizens, our current champion. Grellnock Skullsplitter. A warrior who's gaze freezes his foes.” Grellnock pushed the gate aside and stepped in. Taller than Eirick by half a meter, the champion of Indy was a wall of muscle and fat that would have blotted out the sun if he had run free. If the Champion of Chi had two like brothers, all three could have crawled inside the giant's skin with room to spare. His massive fists and forearms were clad in gloves of articulated steel plates. Shards and bristles of sharpened metal points bristled from the steel plates. He looked like an enormous bear walking on hind legs.

“Where do you think they found that giant?” Rex asked. “I hope closer to Chi than Indy. I don't like the idea of a horde of brutes stalking around our perimeter. Damn, but the Rangers would have their hands drenched in blood.”

“The ones who survived. We'd be forced to recycle a good number of soldiers. I think that happening on a band of them would make the start of a terrible day.”

“Assuming that they didn't jump you first. Word came from a friend of mine who went on a deep patrol, he said that some of the tribes have become warlike and wily. His team was out in the bush for a week and barely caught a scent of a one of them. Then one night a hundred bloodthirsty maniacs jumped out of the bushes. My friend's platoon lost half of their count. He said that they killed dozens of the animals, and then the Brass sent them out a month later to find the village and raze it.”

Eirick had crouched down as the gate opened. His full attention and fury focused on the door and the lumbering monster that emerged. He hissed. The wiry man's face was burned with rage as he coiled like a spring and launched himself at the lumbering giant, a knife appearing in his other hand.

Grellnock stepped aside with alarming speed and grace and swung his claw at Eirick's head.

“I hope he's a freak among his tribe.” Rex exclaimed in quiet awe as the giant pressed the attack on the smaller man. Chi was dancing backwards, weaving, ducking and rolling to avoid the onslaught. A single swipe and his body would be broken.

Eirick leaped forward on the attack, rolling past the Bear. A long gash opened up across Grellnock's thigh. The giant roared and kicked out his injured leg, catching Eirick in the chest, throwing the smaller man three meters across the arena. Eirick's body slammed against the wall, stealing his breath, as Grellnock knelt and gripped the wound between two large mitts.

First blood Chi.

Eirick struggled back up onto his feet and stumbled forward dazed. The Bear snarled and rose to meet his foe. They began circling each other anew, the smaller man slashing and feinting, reposte followed remise. Eirick and Grellnock gathered a new collection of gashes and punctures across their scarred skins. Blood gushed and the gladiators slowed their furious steps.

The wiry foreigner struck again, carving a lump of fat from the giant's side.

Grellnock screamed and flailed his arms, catching Eirick's braid as the smaller man tried to roll away. The giant lifted his bane by the hair and swung the smaller man around like a hammer, as if he were trying to launch his foe from the arena. Eirick swiped his knife at the man's wrist, and flew backwards head over heels until he landed in the sand.

After a long moment on his Eirick rose unsteadily to his feet and shook himself. Grellnock's severed hand fell from his hair. The giant was on his knees and screaming as he clutched the stump that had become a fountain of blood. The rest of the world was lost to him, as Eirick's knife slid between his ribs, and then again, and a third time. Grellnock screamed and lashed out with his good hand, catching hold of Eirick's face.

The giant struggled to stand erect, heaving with the effort as his blood soaked the sand at his feet. Eirick thrashed his arms and legs, trying to free himself from the larger gladiator's enormous hand and powerful grip. More gashes appeared Grellnock's flesh. The giant bellowed and rage and he began to shake the champion of Chi.

There was a loud pop, followed by a hollow grinding. Eirick's arms dangled uselessly as his body fell limp. Grellnock tossed the corpses aside like a rag doll. The Champion of Indy took a half step forward and then collapsed, falling down face first into the mud, bleeding out around Eirick's last knife in his Triumph.

Deafening silence ruled the room for the space of several heartbeats following the final collapse of the Indy's champion. Then the howls of

“This situation won't end well.” Angela jumped down from her bench and peeked out into the tunnel.

“Ah hell. No, that isn't, no!” Rex said. He threw his chit down onto the ground and stomped on it. “I can't believe that that little runt won. I'm going to kill that runt myself!” Runt, he was taller than Rex, though Rex looked broader.

“Grellnock won.”

“Really?”

“Most likely. They're both dead. I guess Eirick struck his killing blow first. But the Giant was the last still standing. You didn't bet on the challenger, so you should be holding a winning ticket.”

Rex crossed his arms and growled. “I bet on our man to not only strike the killing blow, but to survive the match. The payout was better. Damn, I should have gone with the safe bet...”

Angela sat up straight. Something felt wrong. She cut Rex off as she strained her ears. The cadence of running feet rippling through the tunnel that they had entered. “Trouble.” She said. The tantrum ceased without a sputter as Rex became fully alert. He cocked his head and then got up and edged towards the tunnel entrance.

“Wonderful.” Rex spewed a stream of profanity as he peaked around the corner and cursed. “Where did you get your tickets from Athena?” He stepped back and glanced quickly at the mob. Nobody was giving any attention to the tunnels. They were near rioting.

“From a favored client. They came by courier.”

“Well, you've been betrayed or tricked. But either way, now we know why we didn't have to sit through baiting. We're going to have to run through it instead. I wonder if they got cameras pointing at us for the entertainment of the outside. I damned well hope that we survive.”

“Why are you so pressed? You're destitute again and likely to end up in the gutter if we escape.”

“Hey, alive and broke ain't so bad so long as you get the alive part. That way I can keep going and try to find my fortune. As the old rhyme goes, Live to play another day. Man's gotta have something to strive for, else life would get powerful boring.”

Angela climbed back up onto the top bench and scanned the room again. Any minute now the soldiers were going to burst into the arena and the carnage would begin. Rex climbed up beside her. He was still complaining. “It's a Cull. Those aren't Peace-keepers Athena. They're not even Rangers. Who are they?” She could hear the cold sweat dripping down his face in his voice. Rex was never frightened and rarely bothered. Angela couldn't blame him. She felt like her knees were about to give out.

“They looked like the Hammer of the Heavens to me.”

“They exist? I thought that the Hammer was a myth. What the hell is going on?” Rex looked around frantically for a bolt hole to dive into. “I knew I shouldn't have accepted your invitation. Momma always said that there was no such thing as a free lunch. I always get into trouble when I forget that stupid rule. Greed is going to be my downfall!”

Angela wanted to strike the man. He often let himself be swept away before a fight. Instead she took a hold of his shoulder and pointed towards the pit. A crew was working hard to remove the carcasses. They were entering and exiting through a pair of “I think that may do.” Rex looked up, following her finger.

“Maybe.” He said slowly, nodding as he studied the fence. “Looks like they built it to keep the fighters in. But toe-holds might be hard to come by.” The footsteps were growing closer. In a minute or two the Fanatics would be wading into the crowd. Angela glanced at one of the cameras. It was pointed straight at her. She touched her mask to make sure it was still in place.

Some faces in the crowd had turned back towards the tunnel. Mouths opened in screams that were swallowed by the surrounding din. Those newly awakened to the danger pushed away from the door. More faces turned backwards. More screams. A few broke away from the mob and darted for the tunnels.

Bullets tore through the air.

“Now!” Angela cried a heartbeat before the first soldier stepped through the portal. Her long legs carried her down across the tops of the bench seats of the bleachers. She felt Rex follow close at her heels as she leaped up atop the crowd. More gunshots and more screams of terror and pain. Projectiles flew past her, tearing at her jumpsuit.

Angela pushed as quickly as possible, stepping on faces and heads as she waded over the panicked crowd. Please let them hold together, she prayed as she waded towards the pit. Bullets were ricocheting off the Feglass.

Her fingers curled around the top ridge of the fence. Steel barbs dug into her flesh as Angela pulled herself off the crowd and over the wall. She landed heavily in the sand and rolled to her feet. A moment later she heard Rex land behind her.

“What are you...?” The man started. Rex rammed the heel of his hand into the man's jaw, toppling him over backwards into the blood-soaked sand. Angela took one of Eirick's knives from the worker's belt and transferred the weapon to her own. The rest of the laborers stopped their tasks and backed away from the intruders.

Angela through herself shoulder first at a heavy metal door under a tall arch. The Arch that Grellnock had entered through. Pushing at the handle she tried to force it open. The door wouldn't budge.

Rex dug in the sand and found a knife. The tip was broken, but it would do. “The door! How do you open it?” He demanded as he swung around the stub of the blade. “Now, or I'll gut the lot of you and then find your families!”

A short, broad man with cropped hair stepped forward. His hands were shaking as he unlatched a metal ring about the size of his fist and tossed it at Rex's feet. The mercenary picked the ring up and examined it. The ring had been strung through some twenty finger-length bits of metal that clinked together as he shook the ring. Keys! Angela exclaimed silently. Actual keys! How old was this tunnel that they still used keys?

“What...?” Rex began to ask as Angela yanked the ring from his hand.

“Watch them!” She ordered her companion as she searched the door for the key-hole. A moments inspection lead her to what must have been the lock. She singled out the first key and tried to jam it into the opening. It resisted, she spun it around and tried again. No dice.

“Hurry Athena, whatever you're doing.” Rex said nearly over her shoulder. He had backed up as far as he could go. The screams had diminished noticeably, even to her distracted ear. The keys rattled in her hand as she shook with fright. Methodically she tried the next key, and the next as Rex prodded her onwards.

The seventeenth key turned with a soft click as the lock gave way. Angela lifted the latch and pushed the door open with her hip. “Let's go!” The Ratcatcher called as she slipped through portal and into the concealing darkness.

Chapter 1

Angela located the man she wanted exactly where she expected to find him. In a speakeasy in the converted room of a neglected building in the north-east perimeter. North East Point Private Members Club. Angela wasn't a member, but she had little trouble talking her way past the sentries. She had a smooth enough tongue when the need arose and a desire to get out of the alley and inside had provided just enough pressure to set her mind to work.

The entire outer ring was ragged, and had been since the last incursion. Most of the inhabitants were laborers and drones and were left to themselves in normal times and only bothered when Center wished to make its presence felt. Since the Peacekeepers had been pulled back from the edge, Ring Seven had once again been infested with the silent neglect that had so long troubled it. The occasional broken bottle or graffiti tag would be jarring, and maybe frightening to the caged songbirds closer to Center – Angela found the ramshackle streets far less dangerous than some places where she had been forced to wander.

But when wandering the wastelands, she had always been well armed.

In the dome, inhabitants with minds which had been touched by the moon often found themselves pushed to the edge of the city. Rangers and other unfortunates who were driven mad by the things they saw. They hid in the gutters around the edge and did their best not to get flushed out. If they couldn't hold on? Then they were ejected out into the void. If they didn't manage to drown themselves with illegal hooch first. Angela passed a few of these sad cases and kept walking. No point in getting involved.

Angela took a surface road into the NE Point. The skyway ended service

A drunk stumbled out of the door and then stopped, facing her way. “Hey there Horse face! You lookin' for a good fuck?” He laughed and thrust his pelvis a couple times. Angela ignored the man, mostly, and kept walking. He called after her for a half block before giving up the ghost. Responding wasn't worth while, the man was too drunk for a good verbal beating, and the physical thrashing that might follow if he weren't so drunk after all.

Angela checked herself. Even after years of abuse, and with a belly full of the local vine, ex-rangers could be deadly fighters. Years of training for expeditions into the void left them dangerous with their hands and feet. If things got too hairy with a rogue, Angela had the knife strapped to her thigh under her skirt.

Flashing steel to stop a rape could be more trouble than it was worth.

Life inside was always so much more complicated. Violence was rare on the inside, even in the roughest parts of the city. She had not seen a murder or heard of rape until she had taken up her trade and left the dome.

“Athena my comrade! Fancy seeing the likes of you in these parts!” Rex said, pushing himself away from his table and onto his feet. Angela shook his hand. His grip was firm, but not overwhelming, it told volumes about the man behind it. The two mercenaries were about the same height, though Rex seemed larger by two fold. Maybe it was that he didn't carry himself like a mere mutt. Rex was a wolf and he seemed to loom. His face was battered and scarred from years of hard use. The worst of which had ended his ability to grow hair on his face. His nose leaned slightly to the left and he was missing his left ear. His right ear had been crushed and malformed. Another reminder of his hard youth.

But his two blues eyes were still sharp and clear. His short cropped hair was prematurely gray, as Rex was only a handful of years older than she. He had an air of danger that certain types of women lusted after, despite his frightening visage – or likely because of it. “You're not lost are ya?”

“Not too fancy, I need a Hunting Dog for a proper job. I thought you might be interested in being paid for some adventure.” Rex smiled and then laughed at the thought of being paid to fight. For many it was a completely alien concept. He was always on the edge of dark mirth. Tempered by a sarcastic good humor. He complimented Angela well.

“Yeah, figured as much. Ya don't come around if ya don't need muscle.” He looked around the bar. “A pity that, we have such wonderful culture. Yeah, but a job? I'll take whatever bones ya got to toss my way.” They shook hands again and sat down as Rex nursed his drink. Unusual.

“Taking it easy on the hooch? Aren't you going to ask what we're getting paid?” She asked, frowning at his half full mug of rotgut. She didn't like his drinking, it often got out of hand and caused problems. But that was his problem. Rex was disciplined enough to behave while on contract.

Rex nodded. “Does it matter what the pay is? Work has been slow. I've been sleeping in a flop house for three cycles. Drinking is my only pleasure these days. Girls are well out of my grasp.”

“That can't cost too much. A handful of credits a gallon? And it smells like a couple deep breaths would knock out a bull. You were never careful before. So, what gives?”

Rex held up his arm. A small silver chip was embedded on the back of his hand. “Judge felt I was drinking too much, and in all the wrong places. Too visibly flaunting my vices you know. He had a monitor implanted. If my drinking gets out of hand, the wagon comes to pick me up. I kick it in a box for a few months and have another black mark on my record. Too many black marks hurt even people in our profession.” He shook his head and growled in disgust. “So, what do ya have cooking that you need a man of heart to back you?” Rex asked as he stretched and flexed his wiry arms. Rex wasn't especially large or powerful when compared to the competition. But he was quick and damn skilled with any weapon that landed in his hands. She had seen him turn heavily armed warriors into And nearly as dangerous with an empty palm.

“There's a problem in the tubes between East Gate and Junction I3. Workers have been going missing. Or coming up as empties.”

“Killings huh? Does it sound like scavengers are getting into the tubes? And we're going in to find out what the gig is. These insiders are a bit dim, they should never leave the perimeter.”

“Here.” Angela said as she handed Rex the small plastic card that would get him into the staging area.

“Oh, and now the end of my drought is official! I thank you comrade, I'll meet you at the port with my gear.” They parted ways as Angela climbed into the inbound monorail and zoomed away.

Angela returned to her flat and stripped off singlet and tossed it aside. The dome was kept at a constant temperature and the thin fabric was more than enough to protect her modesty. The outside world was not. She climbed into her favorite jumpsuit, a dark gray and often patched garment that had been worn in places from where blood and other stains had been scrubbed out. The surface was riddled with a multitude of pockets, many of which were hidden. Her most important and mundane gear was stashed in those pockets. From spare batteries to lock picks. She would sooner leave the city without her Equalizer than that jumpsuit.

Angela made one final check of the contents of her pockets. Everything she expected that she may need was accounted for. She collected the remainder of her kit and caisson.

The city came alive and the streets and rails filled with traffic. Aside from the dull metal box in her hand, Angela appeared little different from the thousands of others travailing the town as the shifts rolled and changed.

The flow of humans thinned as they approached Center, that megalithic tower that overlooked the rest of the city. This was the home of the Church and her Government in Indy. Center was the sentinel guarding the only gateway to the underworld. One had to pass through the underworld in order to leave paradise.

Angela handed her pass card to the the door guard at the surface gate, saying nothing of her business. The guard took the card and studied it. She stopped for several long moments, waiting for Angela to run her chip over the scanner. Angela stared back with feigned indifference. The guard appeared confused and he finally bent to examine Angela's ID closely. After a few moments he compared the likeness to her physical person and cross-checked it against the information that came up on his screen.

She didn't know what record passed before the guard-woman's eyes. Little of it was true and Athena was just one of a half-dozen different identities that she had stepped into since the beginning of her career. She hadn't been able to study the newest files completely yet, a mistake that might catch up with her if she failed to remedy it.

People who lived in the shadows didn't survive very long when they ventured into the light. Not when someone took notice. The guardswoman passed Angela with a glare. As Angela entered the Eastern Tube Station, she slipped into a corner to slip on her mask and helm. The rest of the armor would have to come later, after she checked it out of Athena's assigned locker.

The stairs went down about three stories and emptied out in a giant domed chamber with two-dozen entrances spaced evenly around the perimeter like points on a compass. A full six of those yawning holes hid stairways out of the dome. The rest lead to the underworld. Angela had ventured through less than half of the portals, and sometimes itched to explore the rest. Each doorway hosted a platoon of fully decked Rangers.

The heavy armor and arms were enough to cast a spell of intimidation on the uninvited.

Hundreds of men and woman scurried about the floor. Their eyes were on their feet as they hurried on with their work. Angela stepped into the flow of the crowd and drifted with the current towards the center of the hall.

A single desk sat in the middle of the floor. A solitary laborer was sitting behind the desk. She was a handsome woman, but judging by the cut of her jumpsuit she was ranked lowly. Pretty folk were always stationed out front. Angela just hoped that the woman wasn't vapid. She looked bored.

Angela drew a clearance card and handed it to the woman. The laborer stared at the card for a moment. She was confused. The card was blank except for a single gold chip. Doubtful she had encountered the like before. Few people in Indy had.

She looked up at Angela, as if she were trying to dig around the edges of the mask, or bore through. Angela smirked and stared back. The woman dropped her eyes and returned her attention to the card for one long moment before she finally inserted it into the scanner. And then three more times before calling over her supervisor, who repeated the process. “Everything seems to be in order Soldier Athena. Let me get my pass key.” He returned and led Angela to a heavily reinforced side room.

Dots of perspiration appeared on his forehead as the Supervisor tried to figure out the mechanism for the lock. Angela quashed the urge to sidle right back out the door. If this buffoon glitched, then she wouldn't be around to feel anything. A wrong jiggle might mean that his subordinates would be cleaning a dripping coat of blood and human gore from the walls of the bunker. The Supervisor held his breath. The locked clicked open. He released a long sigh and stepped aside. Angela opened the box and began to sort her gear.

Angela thanked the supervisor as she slid the Equalizer into the holster over her left hip. The handgun was heavy, but the weight was a pleasant comfort. That weight meant extra fire-power in her hands. One knife went into each boot, a third at her right hip and a last between her shoulder blades.

She closed the case and snapped the lock shut before handing it over to the door guard for storage. “Take care of this.” She said flippantly as she left to find her Dog.

Rex was overdressed for their outing. A SMG on each hip, a shotgun slung over his shoulders. More knives than she could keep track of. He acted like a one man squad. Worse. A nozzle peaked out of his coat. He was packing an incinerator.

“Are you sure you need that?” She asked, motioning towards the half hidden space-heater.

“We're going to clear tunnels out aren't we?” Angela lifted an eyebrow.

“And if we want prisoners?”

“Then we get the less blackened ones. The brain trust can regrow them from the left over flesh.” Angela reached into her bag and pulled out her mask. It was a new model. Grey with blue lines. Only the barcode remained unchanged. “Besides, the Sky-Dwellers never want us to take prisoners directly, at least not adults.”

“New face huh?” Rex asked as he slipped on his helmet. The man used to wear a mask, one that was as battered as the mug that it nominally protected. He had since switched to a full helmet and face-plate. The new face-plate was molded into a grinning skull. Spikes ringed the helmet. He was a frightening sight to behold when he emerged from the dark, and more than one foe had broken and fled. Especially out in the void.

“Yes. The 300 model.” They made small talk about the features in the mask. Standard armor rating. The HUD was a step up from her old model with superior optics – thermal, IR, polarized and 7 powers of magnification. Both Micro and Macro. It was lighter than the last with a built in air filter, and had a port to attach to an external air supply should the need arise. The coins had been legitimate currency. The boon had eased some of the ire that Client had arisen in her mind.

As with the rest, she still declined to take further assignments from the man. Referring Client instead to willing colleagues. They could have that Client.

“So Athena, who is paying us?”

“The city is paying me, and I'm offering you your usual cut.”

“10% sounds fair to me. And the city? That's working into the big time How much are we making?”

“A Client recommended me. That Client has been sending a lot of business my way. I didn't ask about the pay, and the Client didn't mention it.”

“Well, the city usually pays around five grand for these types of jobs. Pretty good I think for a straightforward hunt. It must be nice to have loyal Clients. I've never managed to hold onto one for long.”

Angela tapped her mask. “Sometimes. Sometimes patronage takes a heavy toll.”

“Ah. Well, there are risks I suppose for someone in your position. Why are they sending us though? Why not the Rangers. This is the sort of work you expect them to do.”

“The Secretary didn't say, and I didn't ask.”

“You must have heard something right? You always have a lot of friends spread through the rings.”

“They're silent. Nobody seems to know anything. Or they're just not willing to speak.” Rex grunted. Angela slipped on her mask and ran a series of tests to make sure it was working before finally securing it. Rex copied her, producing his signature black and red snarling wolf facade.

Angela found her contact. He was a small man. Many of the Tunnel Engineers were, it was almost a requisite of the job. He was clad in the dull, colorless jumpsuit that was the uniform of the low level bureaucrat. The man's hair and mustache were greying, and his jumpsuit was spotless and crisp, suggesting that he was an overseer.

The official raised his head and looked up at Angela. His expression suggested that she was standing there and dripping with raw sewage. “You must be Soldier Athena. I was told to expect your arrival. Your associates are waiting for you. Orderly, lead Soldier Athena to the office where it's associates have been stored.”

Rex leaned in and asked, “Associates?”

“We're bringing along a pair of Ferrets.”

Rex nodded. “A wise move. That way we don't have to try and wiggle into the smaller tunnels. As long as the team is skilled. But you wouldn't bring anyone who didn't know one end of a carbine from the other. Anyone I know.”

“Gemini Team from the Thomas Clan.” Athena began.

The string of profanity was suddenly cut off when Rex realized that his radio was still broadcasting. Clearly they had met. Or maybe he didn't get along with the Thomas Clan on general principles. Well, they were a rather cutthroat lot. But they were trustworthy. Angela growled into her radio. The last thing she needed was drama while in the tunnels.

Gemini were sitting against the wall next to a large door. They stood up and removed their masks as Angela approached. Both were short and slim and wearing black fatigues that molded to their wiry bodies. Leto stood taller than his older sister by a handful of centimeters. Both had delicate, pale faces with large dark eyes and black hair. Both briefly glanced at Rex with a look that blended disgust and disdain. Angela wondered which of the two Rex had propositioned and a few scenarios played through her mind.

Each was worst than the last. She'd have given an additional 10% cut right then and there to find out. 50% to have known far enough in the past to have avoided the whole mess.

After that initial glance, Gemini markedly ignored Rex. “We're ready and waiting Athena.”

“Is what was offered an acceptable rate?” She knew it was. They had agreed upon the terms before the twins had signed up. But the forms needed to be followed.

“That is acceptable to me.” Leeta said, offering her hand. Her brother Leto followed. They too secured their smooth and featureless black masks.

The supervisor returned and waited back until he was acknowledged. His words poured out in a nervous stream. “Pardon my intrusion Soldier Athena, but I have just received orders that one of the Ministers would like to speak to you.”

Angela suppressed a start. Rex's hand moved towards his knife. “Wait here.” She ordered her companions as unburdened herself of her equipment, especially anything that could remotely be imagined to be a weapon. She motioned to the supervisor to lead the way. He almost shook with relief as he took off at a trot towards a elevator.

The Ratcatcher had ventured inside of Center fewer times than she could count on one hand. Even the hand where she was short a digit. Even a hand that was completely wanting of fingers. One had to be invited to enter Center and the untouchables such as herself were rarely allowed into the holiest heart of the city.

An extraordinarily pretty man with a strong, lean body in a neat suit was waiting behind a desk. He wore a vapid smile and nodded to the supervisor in a friendly manner as the door opened. Angela stepped out of the lift. The tunnel supervisor remained inside the elevator box, looking relieved as the doors shut and he could return back under the earth to his world.

There was no point in trying to hide, odds were good that they already knew who she was. Angela stepped into a lobby. Her attention was captured by the large fountain of black marble that rested in the center. Each park in Indy had a fountain at the center, but she had never heard of one being indoors. Angela was unsure how she would be expected to behave. She removed her mask and bared her face before the elevator doors swished closed.

The pretty man pretended not to notice Angela as she stood rigidly in the middle of the floor. Finally a panel in the back of the waiting room slid open with a audible swish. Angela waited for some further sign of invitation several minutes longer before stepping forward. The man still took no notice, so she passed through the doorway.

A withered old woman with a sullen mouth sat behind the desk. She did not stand up to greet her guest, nor did Angel expect her too. In a monotone “Athena Ratcatcher.” It was neither a question nor a greeting. The woman was merely stating a fact. In front of her stood a Ratcatcher who often used the alias Athena.

Height, 167 Centimeters. Weight 55 Kilograms. Hair dark blond. Approximate Age 27. No distinguishing marks or tattoos. Derelict. Plus a hundred more little factoids that she would never have considered. Few happenings under the Dome slipped past the Seers unnoticed. Angela cringed inside as she was reminded about how exposed she was.

“You are hereby ordered to clear out the Eastern Tunnel between Junction I-1 and K-35. Rovers have been entering the tunnels and waylaying shipments of goods between the other domes. This is costing Indy trade. Any non-authorized personnel that you encounter within the tube are to be exterminated. No exceptions. Period. You will be working with Security. Twenty-Five Thousand Credits have already been transferred to your account, and another Twenty-Five Thousand will follow when you complete your assignment. All of your expenses will have to come out of those payments. We are watching.”

Fifty Thousand Credits? That was easily what she would make in two years of taking every last job that came her way and scavenging food from the gutter, even after expenses. Angela intestines were bathed briefly by an icy wind of pure dread. The city never paid that much to any Ratcatcher for a single job.

There were many questions to be asked. There were always questions of course. “Why?” Held the first five places in Angela's list. Answers were a different matter. Answers were rarely given. Angela clicked her heels and saluted. The woman waved her away and the door opened once more. She found the elevator waiting for her as she resumed the foyer. Her crew was waiting for her when the elevator doors opened again. She stomped down on the sudden tickling of nervousness before it transmuted into pure dread.

The Cart Driver lectured to mercenaries as they raced through the sunless tunnel. Angela caught the occasional flash of the grey concrete walls as they passed, but nothing more. “When the tube is sealed, large pumps remove the air and create a vacuum inside. When the capsules are loaded and sealed, they're powered up and then catapulted along the rails at 2500 Kilometers per hour. We can get a full load from Indy to Ny in just around an hour. The passage to Chi takes about an hour, including prep-time. Our engineers are working on cutting even that. I hear that with the new advances the cross seas trip to the megalopolis' of Westminster or Rees are quicker than the Indy-Ny passage.”

“And scavengers hide in the tubes? How? Last I recall, a man cannot survive long in a vacuum. How do they get in? Why would they even try?”

The tech shook his head and pointed at a hatch on the left side of the tunnel. “They don't stay in the tubes themselves. Not usually. We do find a corpse from time to time during maintenance. When they do venture into the tubes it's when the capsule has been forced to stop. Then they loot whatever they can lay their hands on and kill or drag off the passengers and crew. Mostly we encounter signs of intruders in the maintenance tunnels, where they cut holes into the structure and burrow in. There are three tunnels sandwiching each pair of tubes, and all three have access hatches to the surface. We think that the outcasts have broken open some of those hatches in order to get inside. This is how it was. Now, parts of the tunnels won't seal properly.”

“So great, fix the hatches. What do you need me for?” Angela hated working in the tunnels, they were so cold and damp. Worse than the sewers even. The blackness only opened long enough to let the globe of light pass before closing up again. The blackness seemed to run on for infinity.

“My department has been doing its best to maintain the hatches. But the rovers above ground are destroying them faster than we can effect repairs. We are being overwhelmed.”

“This I why we were hired.” Angela responded a mite curtly. “To clear out your infestation. Up above if need be.”

“Up above? You'll actually leave the tunnels?” Awe was evident in his face and voice. And horror. “How much safe air does your mask hold?”

“Enough. Always enough.” Rex said. Angela could hear the man's grin.

Several lights on the console began to blink. “Here we are.” The Engineer declared and he flipped some switched and pulled a lever. They began to slow and then came to a complete stop in several meters from an enormous steel door. “That is a pressure door. There is one every ten kilometers. There has been a breech in the west tube somewhere on the far side, allowing the atmosphere from the topside into the tube. The east tube is still intact, but who knows for how long. After you're done, some of our crews will be sent out into the tunnels to fix the gaps and bring the system back online. I'm glad it won't be me!”

“Looks like that's where we'll begin our hunt.” Angela declared. “We'll need to get past that door and unload our equipment.” The Engineer was aghast at the thought.

“You're all mad! You'll be killed by the poison seeping in from up top!”

Rex tapped his mask. “Our filters will compensate for the atmosphere. But I agree, we'll set up the camp in the central tunnel. Just as soon as we unload our supplies. Engineer?”

“What? Oh yes, you are quite correct! My apologies Ratcatcher.” The Engineer edged past where she stood, careful not to brush her person. His crew unloaded a half dozen large crates with admirable efficiency. “Good hunting Ratcatcher. We have lost many good men to whatever vermin has taken residence in these tunnels. I hope to have the honor of picking you up when your work is complete.” The Engineer bowed clumsily and then scrambled back into the cabin and got the carriage rolling away.

“That happen to you often?” Rex asked as they re-joined Gemini at their camp location in the central tunnel. “Being treated like a field full of razor nettles I mean. I know it happens to me a lot. But I'm a real bad man, so I expect it.”

“We're responsible for three and a half square kilometers of territory. That's quite a bit of space when you consider that each of these tunnels is only ten meters wide.” Angela said as the last glimmer of light from the carriage blinked out of sight. Her crew was now several weeks walk from home and safety. She checked her watch and found that proper night would be falling soon on the soil over their heads. “For now, let's set up camp and get some nutrition. Hunting over the next few days is going to be rough. I want a hot meal and some sleep.”

The tube network stretched out in four different directions from the city. The network was the lifeline of trade that kept the people alive, as no single state could satisfy all of the people's needs. Each line consisted of a trio of parallel tunnels. Out, In, with Maintenance running between. The Inbound tunnel had been breached, while Outbound was still in vacuo and thus inhospitable to life.

That made Maintenance both the safest and least safe of the trio. The atmosphere was safe, and there would be no further pods coming along. But the rats would know this as well. There would be no rest of the wicked this day. “Let's secure base and then take a look around.” Angela said as she drew her side arm.

The Ratcatcher was weary by the time they finished their rounds. Her body ached and complained about the lack of food. She ignored the pains. Security always came before comfort. The good news was that the tunnel had been empty of all save themselves. It was devoid of the spore and signs a hunter expected to find when wading through an infestation.

The four hunters were alone. So they dug in and set up camp.

“We're on the far end of the search.” Angela explained as they sat down to rest and eat. “The very flank. That means that anything ahead of us is open game, while anything, including friendlies, may appear at our rear.”

“Is it true that all the feral rats wear leathers cut from human skin?” Leto asked.

“First time out of the dome then?” Rex said with heavy dose of scorn. “No, they don't wear leather from human. None that I've ever seen.”

“Oh, and have you seen them all dog?” Leeta said, filling her tone with as much derision as her girlish voice could hold. Rex laughed.

“Is there something funny dog?” Leto rose to a crouch and reached for his shotgun. Angela held up her hand.

Rex ignored everything. “A number of things greenhorn. At least they would be funny if I were still back under the dome and listening to Athena tell this story, instead of my living it directly. I've heard all of the stories that we tell ourselves about life under the skies. Many aren't true. Others are. And you'll never believe which is which unless you experience life out there yourselves. In some ways the half-tamed skags we have back in the dome are far more dangerous than anything you'll meet out here. In some ways.” He turned to Angela and said, “You should have brought a team with experience outside boss. The middle of a cull is a difficult place to unlearn wrong lessons.”

Leto growled and Leeta hissed. Rex was right. But he was wrong. Rex stood and walked to the perimeter.

“What does he mean by all of that?” Leeta asked. “That the skags inside are more dangerous? They've been tamed and broken.”

“You can't break a human. Not for long. There's always something in them that is watching and waiting for the master to lower their guard.

//////

“IR going hot.” Angela announced as she switched on her shoulder lamp, flooding the tunnel with invisible light. “Keep the waves open and don't spread out too thin. Gemini take point. Look for any breaks and burrows.”

The Ferrets raced out ahead about twenty meters, separating to cover both sides of the tunnel. Rex brought up the rear. Angela watched every direction at once. They covered their assigned section of the center tunnel in a matter of hours. “Well, that was a disappointment.” Rex whispered as they stood under the final marker that designated their furthest boundary. “I was hoping to find something that would get the blood pumping. But I did not see a single sign of a tunnel or burrow.”

“Soon. Just be patient and stay steady. We still have two more tunnels to search, and it was never likely that we would discover any evidence here. If the rovers had gotten in, I expect that all traces of any incursion this far has already been removed by the engineers. Mostly I wished to make certain that we didn't have any unwanted guests surprising us in our camp. Set up motion sensors here and back every five hundred meters until we reach camp. And then every hundred meters on the far side of camp.”

They backtracked, jogging briskly and stopping only to set up the hot spots in their perimeter.

“Home or Away? Which do you think we should investigate?” Angela asked her crew. She was going to push for Home, but she liked to have input from her team. It did no good to hire professionals and not take full advantage of their skills and knowledge.

“Well, the Engineer said that the In Tunnel was the one the had compromised. All bets are that the skags don't have any vacuum gear to protect them, so I doubt that they'll be able to get to the Out tunnel. I wonder why they attacked the Inbound tunnel? Usually they come looking for food and Indy never imports food.” Rex said slowly as he pondered the puzzle and formed a strategy. “I would like to get into the blood, but we should continue securing our flanks first before moving on. That way it will be harder to surprise us.”

Gemini agreed in a round about way, all while trying to avoid mention of Rex's assessment. Good. Life was easier when they all agreed.

With their net woven they stopped for a quick meal before finding the nearest hatch. Leeta drew out a small pad from the pouch on her hip and plugged a cable into the jack. There was a flicker of green and red lights before she gave the all clear. Leto opened the hatch and they crammed themselves into the airlock. Angela adjusted the mask and switched on the filter before the door opened.

“Let's make this quick.” Angela said. Leeta decompressed the compartment. Leto opened the door and jumped down into the tube and scuttled across without a glance in either direction. Had a capsule been inbound, the door hatch would have remained locked. In a space of heartbeats they were into the Inbound tunnel and beginning their sweep.

The ferrets loped ahead an couple dozen meters and took point. Rex and Angela strolled along side by side, bringing up the rear. The tunnel was as straight as a laser for a hundred or more kilometers in either direction. Straight and homogeneous, with every single panel of concrete looking exactly like the last. There was no warren of tunnels to twist the mind, not like the sewers beneath Indy. Just an overwhelming sense sameness that would fog distance and direction.

Angela switched on her pedometer in her mask as she pressed forward away from the dome. She watched the counter click higher with every step. It was almost hypnotic.

The count was well over 5000 when Angela noticed a patch of deep shadows along the tunnel wall. A hole had been carved into the concrete and a tunnel branched off the main tube. “Eureka.” She called over the radio.

“Good find.” Rex said, slightly agitated. Was he upset that he hadn't gotten the first scent? Or was he just ramping up for the fight? She thought the second. Angela held up two finger and waved them. The Ferrets raced further up the tunnel.

“Ah hell. They've dug in and made themselves right at home. I hate working in tunnels.” Rex found a loose stone and tossed it into the mouth of the nearest cave. The scraping stone echoed and seemed to reverberated into infinity through the tunnel as it pattered along the floor. Rex sighed and drew one of his knives and tested the edge. The entrance to the warrens barely came up to his chest, and was only a few inches wider than his shoulders.

He would be a tight fit if they were forced to explore further.

Leto and Leeta checked in, they had discovered a second exit about 500 meters further on. And nothing beyond that for a further two kilometers. They had found their warren. The ground about was littered with debris. Stone and discarded trash. She carefully picked through a pile, noting bones and broken tools.

“Do you see any other further signs of inhabitation?” Angela asked over the broadwave.

“Yes.” Rex answered in an ominous voice. “And I don't like what it implies.” He returned with a G5-7 in hand. “You see?” He asked, hefting the bulky sidearm.

“Where did that come from?” Leeta asked, a touch breathless.

“Just inside the first entrance. I looked it over, there's a cracked firing pin.”

“But where did it come from?” Leto continued. “Only the rangers are allowed to carry those. Was there a firefight here? Were rangers involved?”

“No point in searching for shells.” Angela declared. “Ranger ammunition is caseless. But look for any holes in the wall left by the slugs. Ranger weapons can punch holes in armor, this concrete will mean nothing to the.”

They fanned out again. Not a single trace of a gun battle was uncovered, leaving the pistol's fate a mystery. Angela began to feel worried as she stared into the entrance of the warren.

“It's your call boss, but it looks like now's the time for us to earn our pay, starting with our weasels.” Rex whispered into her private channel.

“Yes it is.” She recalled Gemini. “Ok. Our Objective has been located and it looks like we have some work to do. We are going to return to camp for the tools that we'll need before we proceed. You all know your part in what is to come and what to gather. Let's get this done.”

Time was a fuzzy concept in the eternal dark, but Angela reckoned that it was approaching late afternoon before the team was in place. The feral people who scratched their livings outside the dome were often more active in the cool evening and night hours. She wondered if the same would hold for the colony that made its way into the tunnels.

“Leto, Leeta, start your sweep. Rex, you're with me.

Leto lit his incinerator and took point as he crawled into the far tunnel. His sister held a light pistol in one hand, and a grenade in the second as she followed his lead. There was chatter over the radio as Rex and Angela crouched outside the second entrance and waited for the ferrets to flush their prey.

“Looks like the tunnel forks in three directions. We're taking the left and tracking back to you.”

Rex nodded along as he fixed his teeth. A wicked looking bayonet sprang up at the end of his shotgun and then chambered a round with a satisfying click.

Angela shifted her grip on her pistol and then drew the sword that she had found at camp. The knives would come first, no matter how little she liked getting close and personal in a fight, even against poorly armed savages. The silent blades would be less likely to give the ambush away in the confusion of the attack. She prayed that the pistol that they had found earlier didn't have any family in the area.

The Rats were known to use any gear that they laid their hands on. Their usual knives gave them sharp enough teeth. Deadly stingers that could slip inside the joints in a soldier's armor. A single round out of a G5-7 could punch holes through both sides of their Operator armor. Center always kept the best of the best for itself.

A flash of light warmed the walls of the tunnel for a couple seconds before disappearing.

“Looks like they've started.” Rex said. “Wonder if they've made contact yet. Or if they're just trying to flush the slinks out of their holes.” He laughed. “Even the dumbest animals fear fire.

“The skags aren't dumb. They're as smart as we are.” Angela muttered with a distracted air as she tried to listen close for any sign that the ferrets' were effective in their chase. Long seconds passed into nothing.

“Probably smarter.” Rex whispered.

More splashes of flame sputtered in the darkness. They were growing brighter and warmer as the twins approached.

Leto checked in with, “First tank is empty. Switching to second. No kills. Little sign of life.”

“Movement spotted. Three fleeing.” Leeta added. “They are headed towards the exit and you should make contact in seconds.” A foot scraping against the stone Angela sent deeper into the shadows as she waited. She switched off her lamp and let her mask switch to passive mode.

Rex stood his ground as he slouched against the wall, crossing his legs. Angela thought that she could almost hear him whistle. His hand was clenched around the base of his shotgun. “There!” Rex said as a shape emerged, followed by a second, then a third, forth and fifth.

The dog leaped into the confused mass in the blink, cracking a skull with the butt of his shotgun. His bayonet tore the throat of a second. The rest of the rats noticed his presence and began screaming as they panicked and tried to flee his snapping teeth.

Anglea watched Rex work with one eye, keeping the second on the portal. She wouldn't bloody her blade unless needed. That was his job. Hers was to make sure that none of the rats escaped into the walls. A vicious swipe of her short sword took a man's head just beneath the chin.

A single crack of his shotgun cut through the screams. There was the flash of light, so bright in the darkness. The slug hit the man in the midsection, tearing through his flesh and felling him like a sapling in a storm.

The whirlwind melted away as quickly as it had arisen. Chaos returned to order. Rex began to check the bodies.

“What caused you to use your firearm?” Angela asked, curious. Rex held up a second firearm. She nodded. A G5-3. Another Ranger cast-off. She had one, and it was a formidable weapon.

As the dog knelt over a body a quick moving shadow launched itself out of the shadows, and onto Rex's back. It beat at him with hands and feet. The warrior grunted as he flailed about and tried to take a hold of the hundred handed beast.

Rex finally caught the girl by the throat and pinned her to the wall. She clawed at his arm like a wild animal that had been caught in a trap, spitting and hissing as she flailed away. Angela shined a light on the girl. Her wild brown hair was tied back in a tail, revealing a surprisingly clean face. Late teen years and fully mature. The girl was pretty as she was feral.

“What do you think Ratcatcher? She'd make a fine pet for one of the Mugwumps in Center. We could make some money on the side. Not a bad deal.”

Angela studied the girl. She was very pretty, but too old and savage. Breaking her would be a mean feat. Besides which, she had a feeling that her actions were being watched closely by the authority. “No dice. We have other concerns here tonight. She would only be a burden on us out here, and next to impossible to smuggle in without the authority of a Patron. Finish her quick.”

Rex shrugged and then drove his knife into the girl's heart. She squeaked in surprise, her eyes widening briefly as the life drained away. She whimpered and then fell limp. Rex held her for a few moments longer before he cleaned his blade and dropped the corpse into an unceremonious heap. “Seems a waste of prime flesh to me. But you're probably right. Well, what's that look like Athena? A dozen?”

“Seems so to me.” Angela responded as she stepped over one of the quickly cooling forms on the floor.

“Fine work. Do we get paid by the corpse. Some sort of bonus.”

“No. Just the single fee. That should be good enough for any of us.”

“Well, a man could hope.”

The twins appeared at the mouth of the tunnel. “First passage is clear! ” Leeta reported in a grim voice as she studied the carnage. The worst of the mess would only be revealed if studied in true light with the naked eye. What they could see was bad enough.

“So young.” Leto said as he poked one of the bodies with his toe. The body of a child. None of the skags were to be spared. “You never see too many offspring while hunting in the city.”

“No.” Leeta said, agreeing with her brother. “But mostly we've only had to hunt dangerous runaways. Why do they even bring these diseased wretches in? Aren't they dangerous.”

“Nah,” Said Leto. “The rescued skags are always thoroughly decontaminated before they're allowed in.”

“Good. Time for the second phase. Gemini, you re-enter here. Rex and I will meet you at the far passage.” The dog groaned, but leaped to obey. A sinner's work was never done.