She woke up, sat on her bed, and looked at the man lying next to her.
Panties on, gets into her jeans, croptop, minijacket. Boots.
"Where are you going babe?"
She grabs the bag, "next time you see me, we never met or I'll break your jaw."
She shuts the door behind her.
Walking on the motel balcony. The ship's docked in the motel bay. Sky's a huge dome. On the left, neon-lit streets on the left, agri-fields on the right.
An orbital station with containment dome. Year 3000. These colony grids are everywhere in the interspaces.
Coffeeshop. She orders a coffee. Takes her comm out of her pocket and puts her in her ears. "Mario, where at?"
"Hey babygirl, sent you details. Grab it and get going."
Her wrist interface (bracelet) lit up with holographic info. Target. Location. Price.
"Alright. Got it! Two days max."
"Visiting home soon?"
"Soon enough."
She hung up the call.
Then taps her wrist. "Greetings Eve! Planning to say more?" It was Natasha, her ship's AI she had named after her traveling RV.
"We have a heading. get to docking station."
Heads to her ship. A beggar comes asking for money. She tosses some chips.
Takes a monorail that drops her out to the docking station. Natasha is parked in the docking bay. She pays parking fare, walks up the ramp, cockpit, and flight. Out in the space.
As usual. Reading the book in her favorite chair to cut the time. Listening to music. Her mission is some twenty star systems away.
She was taking a bath when the ship's voice reverberated in the small metallic bathroom, "Destination arrived." They were in orbit.
"Find the nearest fuel station."
Inside the gear compartment she checks her weapons. Things she might need, takes a mental note then heads out.
The side ramp automatically descends down. She walks out. She pays the man through the wrist module, "fill up my baby."
Walk to the edge of the mountain. Looking down at the town covered in a haze of dusty wind.
Planet Artos-31. Orange skies. Desert. Cities. Towns. Moderate government control. Hub of criminal groups.
A man walks to her smoking, big mustaches, muscular. "Nice curves."
She rolls her eyes, narrowing. Her killer queen gaze swept him off his feet, "I meant your cruiser. Those scoutships are rare."
He was a bounty hunter. Accompanied. His friend right behind him. Their ship was parked for fueling.
She doesn't answer him. Comes at his associate, grabs bear from his hand and walks away.
Associate: "Boss, you let her off like that?"
Hunter: "If she is who I think she is, you don't wanna mess her."
Associate: "That chick!?" He'd seen his boss fight cyborgs, enhanced units, mafia enforcers, and wild beasts. It wasn't like him to be… afraid or speechless.
Hunter: "That barbie's a hunter, kid. She's here for someone outta our pay grade."
Inside a bar. A tattooed man puffing a cigar, throwing money at the girl dancing on the pole, more girls on the sofa in her arms.
A brute comes and whispers in his ear, "Rental bike in the parking, we suspect a bounty hunter."
"Should I be worried boys?" He raised a brow.
"Of course not boss, just informing ya!" He chuckled but internally he was worried. The guards didn't know what he/she looked like.
Music continued as the next girl climbed the table. She was a bomb.
Blue eyes, silvery grey hair, big round bosoms, slim abs toned, gifted uplift round butt, thick thighs, long legs. Athletic. Ripped.
Her dance moves were lethal as she shifted hips and wreathed around the metal bar. She leaned on him, he puffed smoke in her face and grabbed her waist, gradually crawling his fingers up and inside her bra.
Who is she? Rocket thought. Didn't matter, he had already marked her... to keep her for a few days.
He took her to her room. I started undressing.
She was sitting at the table. Sipping bear, reading a book. A man comes and takes the front bench. His friend next to him. It was him. The hunter she'd met yesterday.
"You are her aren't you?"
"Say your say and walk away."
"You managed to take down Rocket."
The town was still crawling with his men.
"Look, I won't bother ya. I was just wondering if we could team up, you and me?"
She looked up at the young man, his associate, sitting on the other table. "You already have a partner."
"Then we form a pack."
"Not interested."
"Girl, I'm a member." He showed her his tattoo. Hunter's Clad. "I could introduce you."
Bounty hunters who join Hunter's Clad are bound by oath not to work against other bounty hunters. Keep their identities secret. Never steal bounties or hinder their work. Never sign up for a bounty against another hunter.
Bounty hunting was a revered profession in the underworld. Professionals stick to their words. Hunter's Clad was their ultimate goal climbing the ladder up.
Perks were simple. Protection. More contacts and gigs. Opportunities to make or join packs. The Clad was intergalact, reaching to the top wasn't easy. Takes decades of experience, extra-ordinary portfolio.
"I said, not interested." Her voice was cold.
Being ignored got his ego, "maybe I should talk to them instead. They pay good."
So all the Hunter Clad members are bound by oath, but greed sometimes… they end up getting paid, membership is instantly revoked. They lose respect. But it happens, often more than not.
That's why Hunter's Clad had strict rules and experienced hunters. She had been offered before but she was a solo type.
"You gotta have a nice rig." She said looking outside the window of the dinner by the fuel station. "You do that. Give up my name."
"Are you threatening me?"
Her eyes snapped to him with a furious gaze so intense, the uncertainty of what could happen in the next moment overwhelmed him with fear.
He gulped and got up. "Hey, I'm just messing with ya." He slid his card across the table, "in case you change your mind. or ever need my help."
Walking back to his associate, he was glad he didn't mishandle the situation. One he didn't stand a chance against her. Two. He took a mental note: 'never be carried away by his ego, unnecessarily, ever again.'
He sat with his partner, "let's not talk about it." His associate nodded. They started eating.
She finished her drink, scanned the card and left it on the table. Photogenic memory. She didn't need to keep that.
"Hey."
He looked up, it was her.
"Been to Sal Parlos? Ever came across a bounty you can't handle… you know where to find me."
"I'll keep that in mind." He smiled.
She smiled back.
Minutes later, she was in her cockpit. "Natasha, take us home."
AI's electronic voice chimed, 'destination locked. Sal Parlos. Estimated time. Three days."
The ship disappears in the misty sky.
She woke up. Sat on the bed. Looked at the man lying next to her.
Panties on. Jeans on. Crop top. Mini jacket. Boots.
"Where you going, babe?"
She grabs the bag. "Next time you see me, we never met. Or I'll break your jaw."
Door shut behind her.
Motel balcony. Ship docked in the motel bay. Left, neon orbital sector. Right, hydro domes and agri-fields.
Orbital station. Containment dome. Year 3000. Colony grids everywhere.
Coffee shop. Ordered black. Comm in ear.
"Mario, where at?"
"Hey babygirl. Sent details. Grab it and go."
Wrist interface lit. Holographic feed. Target. Location. Price.
"Got it. Two days max."
"Visiting home soon?"
"Soon enough."
Call ended.
Taps wrist. "Greetings, Eve. Planning to say more?"
Natasha. Ship AI. Named after the RV.
"We have a heading. Docking station."
Heads to ship. Beggar asks for credits. She tosses chips.
Monorail to docking bay. Natasha parked. Pays fare. Up the ramp. Cockpit. Flight. Out in space.
As usual. Read book in favorite chair. Music on. Mission twenty systems out.
Bath. Steam. Ship voice cuts through metal. "Destination arrived."
"Find nearest fuel station."
Gear compartment. Weapons check. Loadout sorted. Mental note. Move out.
Side ramp down. Steps out. Pays via wrist. "Fill her up."
Edge of mountain. Town under dust haze.
Planet Artos-31. Orange skies. Desert towns. Moderate control. Criminal hub.
Man approaches. Smoking. Heavy mustache. Muscular.
"Nice curves."
She narrows. Killer queen glare. He stumbles.
"I meant your cruiser. Scoutships like that are rare."
Bounty hunter. Partner behind. Ship fueling.
She snatches beer from his friend and walks off.
"Boss, you let her off like that?"
"If she is who I think she is, you don't wanna mess her."
"That chick!?" The kid had seen boss take down cyborgs, mafia enforcers, beasts. Never saw him speechless.
"That Barbie's a hunter, kid. She's here for someone above our pay grade."
Bar. Tattooed man. Cigar smoke. Money tossed. Dancers on poles.
Brute whispers. "Rental bike outside. Might be a bounty hunter."
"Should I be worried, boys?" Brow raised.
"Course not, boss. Just informing ya." Chuckle out. Worry in.
Music climbs. Next girl hits the table.
Bomb.
Blue eyes. Silvery grey hair.
Round bosoms. Ripped abs.
Uplifted ass. Thick thighs. Long legs.
Athletic. Sharp.
Dance lethal. Hips twist. Body wraps pole.
She leans close. Smoke in his face. His hand at her waist. Fingers slip under bra.
Who is she? Rocket thinks.
Doesn't matter. He marked her. His for a few days.
Took her upstairs. Clothes off.
Later. Diner. Beer. Book. She sits.
Hunter from yesterday slides in with partner.
"You're her, aren't you?"
"Say it. Then walk."
"You took down Rocket."
"Town still crawling with his men."
"Look, won't bother you. Think we could team up?"
She looks at his partner. "You already have a partner."
"Then we form a pack."
"Not interested."
"I'm a member." Tattoo shown. Hunter's Clad. "I could introduce you."
Clad oath: don't betray hunters. Keep IDs secret. No bounty theft. No contracts against each other.
Bounty hunting sacred in the underworld. Respect and reputation. Clad is top tier.
Perks simple. Protection. More gigs. Packs. Contacts. Intergalact.
Climbing not easy. Decades. Portfolio stacked.
"I said not interested." Voice cold.
Ignored ego. "Maybe I'll talk to them. They pay good."
Oaths break for coin. Some take it. Membership gone. Respect gone. Happens too often.
Clad strict. Old hunters. No slack.
She'd been offered before. Always said no. Solo.
"You got a nice rig." She says, looking out the diner window. "Do it. Drop my name."
"You threatening me?"
Eyes snap. Furious. Deadly.
He freezes. Heart racing.
He gulps. Stands.
"Hey, I'm just messing." Card slid. "In case you change your mind. Or need me."
Back to partner. Relief in his step. Note taken: never let ego trip with her.
"Let's not talk about it." He sits. They eat.
She scans the card. Leaves it. Photographic memory. No need to keep.
"Hey."
He looks up. Her again.
"Been to Sal Parlos? If you hit a bounty you can't handle, you know where to find me."
"I'll keep that in mind." Smile.
She smiles.
Minutes later. Cockpit.
"Natasha, take us home."
AI voice: "Destination locked. Sal Parlos. Estimated three days."
Ship fades into mist sky.