No one, who has done what he has to protect our world, should be reduced to such misery.
I have to find a way to fix this.
Corzin, a Shifter from another district, met his human mate at the Alien Bride Race. Perhaps it is time I look into a change, something that really breaks the rules. I can only hope the district council will listen to me and approve another human for our world.
When the land is dark and bare and Jezza’s essence is gone, I hike back to my cabin and get to work on a new plan.
Scarnis thinks he controls us. But he can’t, now that we are on our own again.We just need a pack that’s strong enough to overpower his. I think it’s time I reach out and call in a few loyal loners like us.
2: Tessi
I dangle from a rocky ledge by one hand, watching a commercial drone fly up behind me, zoom into the crevice I’ve spent the last hour climbing up to, and pry free the firing control module from a wrecked starship, the very reason I came all this way, then hum off like I don’t even exist.
A pained rasp leaves me. I’m exhausted, sweaty, and not going to get paid.
“Fuck you!” I scream at the drone.
It spins around, and the LED screen forms a radiant hand giving me the middle finger.
“Goddamnit.” I look down, checking my footholds, wondering why I’m still scavenging, and fearing it’s time for a change of careers.
An urge to shoot the drone down grips me. But that has only sent more drones after me to hunt everything I have my eye on, just to spite me, and to send me a message.
I get it. I’m an outdated model of machine: flesh and bone and heart and broken soul.
“Shit,” I mutter in disappointment, glancing down at the five story drop that would kill me if my hand slipped. I’ve been here a few times more than I like to admit.
“Drone got you again,” a distant voice shouts across the canyon, followed by triumphant laughter.
Falgus Ganim and his buddy, Rejillio, who the rest of the scrapper crowd out here callsReji, are thankfully working a different crash site today. No one wanted thetowers of death. At least, that’s the locals call them. With all the other areas either picked clean, or occupied by some other scavengers, I’m left with the most treacherous section.
“You need someone to watch your back...side,” Falgus adds. The quieter reply from Reji is barely audible, but I pick up something about watching it with his dick, followed by a grunt of lust, to which Falgus chuckles.
“Not interested!” I swing my other hand up to the rock, grab on and pull myself up.
“Afraid you’ll like it? Two for one!” Falgus chuckles.
“Pick a reason!”There are plenty.
Once I’m on the ledge, I stop and catch my breath. Falgus is a rust rat, a hoarder of anything he can get his grubby hands on, including every prostitute in every town.
Reji’s worse. He’s a bed shark. They’re both over confident leaches that drain the life from the world. A three-way isn’t off the table. But with their filthy dicks, I’m out. The last thing I need is to add more misery to my life.
I crawl back into the cracked rock to check for anything the drone missed. A glossy black corner peeks out of the dust. I brush it away and free a piece of a ship’s hull. It hums with a strange energy that I can feel the moment I put both of my hands on it.Like it’s transmitting current.
It immediately begins to smoke.
Holy shit. This is Neb.
I drop it like it’s going to burn me. I don’t have a license for Neb gear. Only Federation.I’m supposed to report it. It shouldn’t be in this debris field. The military is supposed to collect this type of wreckage.
The panel turns back to its solid mass, glinting with light when I release it to the dirt.
“Tessi?” Falgus calls out. “Don’t make us come over there and take what we want.”
I roll my eyes, hating that they try to toll me into avoiding a threesome with their dirtyhardware.
There’s no reason to take the panel, but there’ssomereason to take it. It would sell on the black market for a hot price. Collecting the piece with one hand, I slip it into my armored chest pouch and scout the rest of the area.
