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6
Lyssa
“You’re coming with me,” Manik says.
A day or two has passed and I can tell that he’s getting cabin fever. He’s worried about Computer, and he probably should be. She’s actually a much better shot than she’s demonstrated so far.
“What?”
“Your madly jealous ship won’t take a shot at me if it might hit you, and I need to hunt, so you’re coming with me.”
“Oh. Okay.”
I am a little nervous because the last time I was outside on this dangerous planet I was simultaneously combusted and frozen — I didn’t like either.
“Don’t worry,” he says. “I have protective clothing that will keep you at the right temperature. It might be a little big for you, but I am sure we can make it work.”
What he produces is not merely a little big. It is absolutely fucking oversized. In order to fit the suit, presumably claimed from one of my unfortunate bounty hunting brethren, the arms and legs both need to be sort of clamped up higher than they want to sit. It is pink, though, which would be cute if I weren’t still terribly aware of how he sources his dyes.
“We’ll put a belt on it,” he says, unintentionally sounding like every mom trying to convince her kid that they’re going to grow into outlandishly sized clothes.
He does put a belt on it. The combined effect is of everything being way too tight, and far too loose. When I move, I don’t so much walk as shamble along.
“Good,” he says, ignoring the evidence of his eyes. “That will work.”
“I can’t fucking move!” My objection is lost in the muffling effect created by voluminous fabric spilling up into my protective helmet. I can just see over an impromptu ruffle, and that is it. A thin line of reality meets my gaze as Manik ushers me out of his hideout and into a wicked plain of terrible snow and trees and probably things that will eat us if we are not careful. Computer didn’t mention anything like that, but Computer is always focused on the target. She doesn’t care about the fauna and the flora. She only cares about the bounty.
“Follow me and stay close,” Manik says. That would have been difficult enough if I was wearing normally functioning clothing. His legs are much longer than mine, and he covers ground with more than twice my speed. Within minutes of departing the shelter I have fallen behind multiple times, further and further back each time.
“I said, keep up!” Manik turns around from several feet ahead and glowers at me. All I can do is lift my cloth and alloy weighted arms up and let them fall back in a shrug of despair.
He sighs and returns for me. “I am going to have to carry you, aren’t I.”
I wave my gloved hands up at him. I can’t even grip in these things. He might have bundled me up against the cold, but he basically made it impossible for me to do anything besides trundle around in terribly dangerous conditions.
Manik picks me up and slings me onto his back. I hold on around his neck as we start moving across the icy plains with a swiftness I did not imagine he was capable of — but should have. Manik is a fucking animal. And a monster. And a beast. He’s every trope ever created rolled up into one terrifying… thing.
It is a thrilling experience to be carried across the world I almost died coming to, by something so much more powerful than myself and yet apparently benign. I really think Manik has been misunderstood. He’s not such a bad guy. He’s just strong, and principled, and people never like creatures like him. They want to destroy him because he’s better than them. Yes. That makes sense. I wish I could snuggle my face against the back of his neck, but I am forced to keep bobbling along in this bubble of mine instead.
For a while, I feel something close to happiness. And then Manik stops dead. He becomes a sentient statue. Every bit of his attention is focused on the deep forest. He puts me down and puts a finger to his lips. I wasn’t going to make a noise anyway. I don’t know what’s going on, but something has my instincts turning my stomach into a knot of pure fear.
He can obviously hear something I can’t. His senses are not nearly as impeded as mine. Whatever is out there, it makes him angry. He slides me from his back and tells me to stay still in a tone that does not allow for anything resembling disagreement. I freeze, staring at him. Something is happening to him.
He looks like a different creature. His eyes have narrowed and seem to glow. His teeth are bared and sharp. The very shape of his face is sharper, harder, and more intense. His shoulders seem broader, and his motions are more aggressive. He is undergoing a complete transformation — and it is absolutely fucking terrifying.
There must be something incredibly dangerous ahead. Something capable of doing great and permanent damage to us both. I am freaking out, but I couldn’t do anything about it even if I wanted to. The oversized suit is keeping me more or less completely in place thanks to the fact Manik basically stuck me down into the snow like a marker.
I expect him to go off and engage the enemy, but he didn’t come out here with any weapons. And that suddenly strikes me as very, very strange. What were we hunting without weapons? And what is he doing now?
Instead of taking an aggressive stance, Manik appears to be burrowing into the deep snow drift, not unlike those fish and octopi that sort of wriggle their way under sand to pretend they’re not there. Is he fucking hiding? Has he left me here, exposed?
Figures come into view in the mid-distance. They look human. They look like they’re wearing… Oh no… they’re bounty hunters. Special forces. Elite edition. The orange badging on their helmets and arms marks them as the best of the best. They will be heavily armed, and they will not be alone.
They’re waving at me. They’ve come to rescue me. Computer must have made contact with a backup team. This is going to cost me big. I’m not even certain that I can afford to pay the first installment. They’re going to probably repossess my ship, and…
“NO!” I scream, as all the pieces fall horribly into place. I wave my arms as best I can, but it just looks like I am waving back to them. I try desperately to think of a way to indicate that they should leave, but they can’t hear me through the helmet and now it is all too late.
Manik emerges from the snows like a hidden Yeti. Snow is thrown by the powerful motion of his body in a small cloud that obscures his position. They fire at him, and they miss because he is no longer where they think he is. He moves faster than I thought was actually possible. He drives an icicle through the exposed throat of one hunter with a harsh stabbing motion that makes every muscle in his blue body ripple. The second hunter is not so lucky. He sees what has happened to his companion and attempts to retreat. Manik is not going to let him get away. He gives chase and overhauls the hunter easily. The hunter is weighed down with gear and weaponry, while Manik has nothing but his body and the world around him. He is out of rocks and icicles. When he catches the hunter, he uses his bare hands…
