Different Paths (16 page)

Jay was shocked and it showed in his tone. “You
met with the General? And I am just now hearing about this?”

“Well, it has been a busy day and after Diana told
me that our files had been hacked, I had a feeling that we may need a fast way
out.”

“That was good thinking. What did he want?”

Iaido shook his head. “Not now. UNA is a dangerous
place for those who are unwary. Everyone keep their eyes open and their hands
near weapons. Down here, only the strong and paranoid survive for long.”

Putting action to words, Iaido gently placed
Diana’s limp form on the backseat of the speeder and pulled out one of his Graver
Mk7 pistols. Checking the power levels, he made sure the safety was on and
offered it butt first to the Sylvan. “Do you know how to use one of these?”

Talia hesitantly took the blaster. “Yes. But it
has been a long time.”

“Hopefully, you won’t have to use it but better
safe than sorry.”

The companions rode in silence through the winding
tunnels of Underground New Atlanta. Most of the inhabitants of New Atlanta had
no knowledge of the teeming culture that lived under their feet. It had its own
stores, clubs, streets, living areas and laws. Typically the law was simple,
survival of the fittest. Since there was no police force or government to speak
of, only the gangs that staked out parts of UNA for their own controlled and
regulated the violence. As they moved into a large open area, Jay halted the
speeder at the edge of the opening. It was obviously man-made. The remains of
bleachers could be seen to the left and right, however most were taken up with
tents and other make-shift sleeping areas. The large field ahead of them seemed
like a giant flea market with buyers and sellers all over the place. There had
to be ten thousand or more people wandering through the stalls. Gang enforcers
wearing different colors could be seen moving among them.

Iaido said, “Welcome to the Georgia Dome. This is
a no-man’s land and the largest trade center in UNA. Anything and I mean
anything, is for sale here.”

Jay asked, “Will they let us pass?”

“Yes. Everyone is welcome in the Dome…that is as
long as you have something to trade.”

Jay asked, “And do we?”

Iaido’s eyes scanned the nearby area looking for
threats as he answered, “Only the lives of anyone who gets in our way.”

Jay did a double-take at his friend but when he
saw the fierce look on his face, he just nudged the speeder slowly forward. The
gang enforcers glared at the intrusion but let them pass while the pedestrians
just ignored them or moved out of the way.

Talia just looked around wide-eyed at the
multitude of unwashed and pale bodies. This was a part of humanity she had
never seen or read about. It was beyond anything she had learned from the
Sisterhood. After a few moments she couldn’t contain her curiosity any longer and
asked, “Why are there so many people down here? Why don’t they live up top in
the sunlight?”

 “Not everyone wants to live under the yoke of the
UNCF,” replied Iaido. “That was proven by the settlements which broke away and
formed the Confederacy. Those stuck planet side who don’t want to live under
Coalition rule only have a few choices. Some move out into the Wastelands,
where it’s a more simple life, kill or be killed. Those that can’t survive out
there find a place to live here or in one of the other Renegade cities. UNA is
the largest but there are others.”

“But I thought that the Coalition included all the
lands of Terra.”

“Technically it does,” said Jay. “Every country
that survived the Great Meteor Strike of 2012 and the Jihad of the latter part
of the twenty-first century joined the Coalition. However, countries and people
don’t always mean the same thing.”

Talia shook her head. “I don’t understand.”

“Humans believe in the rights of freedom and liberty
of the individual above almost anything, except maybe family. In May of 1775
before the official founding of the United States during a speech to the
Virginia Congress, Patrick Henry once proclaimed ‘Give me liberty or give me
death!’ Among those in attendance were two future Presidents, George Washington
and Thomas Jefferson. That one speech is attributed for gaining the support of
the Virginia troops that were very influential during the American
Revolutionary War.” 

Talia looked back and forth between the two. “You
Terrans are a strange lot. You seem to be a contradiction in action.”

Jay grinned. “You ain’t just whistling Dixie,
sister.”

Talia cocked her head and tried to understand what
Jay meant by that statement but was prevented from asking any further questions
when Iaido hopped out of the speeder. The retired Master Chief slammed on the
brakes and grabbed his blaster. Talia turned around in time to see Iaido
squared off with three muscle-bound brutes with a Jovian in teal spandex
sitting on an ornately carved throne watching with unveiled interest.

Iaido seemed completely unfazed by the three
brutes and totally ignored them. Locking his gaze on the Jovian he said, “Hello
Ledrix.”

“Greetings Spartan. You shouldn’t have come down
here.”

“I go where my path leads me. Currently it has led
me past your brothel.”

Ledrix looked around at his gathering; not
counting his girls, he had at least seven enforcers within ten steps of
Spartan. “This isn’t topside. You’re on my turf. With a snap of my fingers, I
could have your legs broken.”

The three brutes in front growled as if on cue.

Iaido shifted his gaze to the thugs within arm’s
reach. The one directly in front of him was the same one that had gotten in his
face earlier that day. The two on his flanks held baseball bats and were so
similar in appearance that they must’ve been twins.

Iaido glanced back at Ledrix. “Are you sure you
want to walk this path? It would be easier just to tell me what you know.”

Ledrix nodded and opened his mouth to speak but
whatever he was going to say was lost to the wind as the bounty hunter
attacked.

Using the palm of his hand, Iaido struck the
bridge of the nose of the brute directly in front of him. The bones shattered
and several fragments were shoved up the nasal cavity and into his brain
causing massive hemorrhaging and a stroke. The poor bastard was dead before his
body hit the ground.

Without waiting to see how the other enforcers
would react, Iaido launched himself straight up into the air and lashed out
with both feet at the two flanking brutes. When his feet connected with the
chests of the thugs, the balls of Iaido’s feet unerringly struck the solar
plexus, knocking the wind out of them and taking them out of the fight. Landing
lightly, Iaido calmly stepped toward Ledrix.

One of the enforcers standing behind the Pimp King
reacted first. Raising his club, he began to rush forward when the crack of a
blaster echoed through the Dome. When his club blew apart a mere inch from his
hand, everyone in the surrounding area froze and looked towards the speeder.

Talia frowned. “Dammit. I was trying to take his
thumb off with that shot also.”

The brute dropped what was left of his club and
stepped back behind the Pimp King.

Iaido casually folded his arms across his chest.
“No worries. If his partner decides to move, you can take off his whole hand.”

“But the hand is too easy of a target. How about I
just shoot off his thumb? Or better yet, his left ear?”

“If you must.”

Seeing the look of fear on the enforcers and the
slowly expanding pool of yellow liquid at the feet of the one who was still
massaging his hand, Iaido knew that they were properly cowed and locked eyes
with the Pimp King. “I doubt it will be necessary. Ledrix was about to tell me
what he discovered. Correct?”

The Jovian stammered but finally found his voice.
“Yes…yes I was. I’m sorry about this misunderstanding. My enforcers need more
training.”

Iaido shook his head. “No, they need to find a
different line of work. A coyote may scare the sheep but to a wolf, it is
nothing more than a yapping dog.”

Ledrix chuckled. “Even after all these years, I
don’t understand you. One moment you sound normal, the next you sound like a
fortune cookie.”

Iaido didn’t respond. Just cocked his head to the
side and stared.

Ledrix gulped and pulled out a memory crystal. “I
found some odd things in your friend’s recent past. Stuff I thought you might
find interesting.”

Iaido took the offered crystal and walked
backwards slowly, his eyes never leaving those of the Jovian. He had casually
rested his left hand on his holstered pistol. No one in the crowd missed the
implied threat.

As soon as Iaido was on board the speeder, the
retired Master Chief took off at a bit faster pace than earlier. Jay glanced
over his shoulder at Talia and noticed that she was paler than usual.

“Nice shooting there Tex.”

Talia shook her head. “No, it wasn’t. I was aiming
for his chest.”

Iaido nodded. “Then, nice bluff. That took some
real cojonés to do that.”

Talia cocked her head to the side. “Cojonés? I
don’t know this word.”

Jay suppressed a laugh. “It’s a slang term for
courage.”

“Courage…that I understand.” She hesitated for a
moment before adding, “I was so nervous. I haven’t used a blaster since I was a
kid. And when I saw everyone’s expression when the club blew apart, bluffing
seemed like the logical thing to do.”

Iaido nodded. “Well played. Your actions prevented
me from having to kill anyone else and gave Ledrix an easy way out.”

“An easy way out? What do you mean?” asked Talia.

“Ledrix was always going to give me the
information. It was in his best interest but by me showing up during normal
business hours and at his main brothel, I forced him to react in such a manner
to keep up his reputation.”

Talia jerked her head to the fading Dome. “Then
what was all that about?”

“Posturing. In the underworld, many times your
reputation means more than credits or goods. By showing up like we did, we
forced him to react with violence. If he had just handed me the information,
his reputation as the Pimp King and supreme information broker would’ve
suffered. As it is, both of our reputations grew from that encounter.”

Talia shook her head. “That is nonsense. Violence
only begets violence. Nothing good was gained by that fight.”

Jay chimed in. “Don’t be too sure. I bet there are
already rumors flying around about the Sylvan sharp-shooter that accompanies
Spartan the Bounty Hunter. Hell, I wouldn’t be surprised to hear you being
compared to Annie Oakley.”

“Who?” asked Talia.

“A Terran folk hero from the late 1800s,” answered
Iaido. “She was reputed to have been able to split a playing card, edge on, at
ninety feet with a small caliber rifle and put five or six more holes in it
before it hit the ground.”

“It that true about Annie Oakley?”

Iaido nodded.

“Do you think what Jay says will happen? I mean
about me?”

Again Iaido nodded.

“That’s ridiculous. No one in their right mind
will believe such a thing.”

“Only time will tell,” said Jay.

The companions fell silent as they approached the
outlying tunnels of UNA. When they finally pulled out of the sewer drain that
they had been travelling in for the last hour, the open sky and still waters of
the lake were a refreshing sight. A pale crescent moon hung in the night sky to
light their way and this far north, the ambient light of the city faded away to
a glow on the southern horizon. It was at least another hour before they
arrived at Lake Altoona and the companions where exhausted both physically and
mentally. Their flight from the Safehouse had taken its toll on them. The ever
present danger of discovery, the stress of the unknown fate of Eve and the
lifeless body of Diana all wore heavy on their souls.

The lake and the surrounding fields were dark but
a darker patch of shadow beckoned them forward.

Pulling the speeder up in front of the massive
ship, a red light clicked on at their approach and revealed the yawning mouth
of the ship’s cargo hold. A large figure moved in the shadowy light, at first
glance it looked like a seven foot tall praying mantis but on closer inspection
it looked like a seven foot tall praying mantis on steroids.

As far as humans knew there were only four
intelligent species in the universe. There had been rumors of others but no
confirmed sightings.

The Terrans and Sylvans had been communicating
with each other for almost a century but Terrans had only encountered the other
two races within the last quarter century.

The Lemurians were a bipedal man-sized reptilian
race which was very reclusive yet extremely hostile. Nearly every encounter the
Terrans had with them ended in death of one side or the other.

Then, there were the Mantis or Mantodea as the
Sylvans called them. Many just refer to the whole race as ‘bugs’ and believed
that the wholesale extermination of the species was the right thing to do. This
view came more prevalent during the Civil War when hordes of the Mantodeas
joined with the Confederacy against the Coalition. When the war ended, it was
determined that the bugs which had fought were basically slaves. The
Confederate leaders had held the Mantodeas’ queen hostage and forced the
workers and soldiers to fight.

Iaido hopped out of the speeder and walked up to
giant mantis. Placing his right hand on the Mantis’ chest, Iaido said, “Xerxes…it
is good to see you my friend.”

The large bug mimicked the procedure.

“Diana has been injured and we are being hunted.
Prepare the ship for an immediate departure.”

The huge Mantodea spoke in a series of clicks and
chirps.

Iaido must’ve understood what the giant mantis
asked because he replied, “I don’t know yet. It’s too early to tell. After we
are safe Jay will properly assess her status.”