Reapers Passage [Fan Fiction] new Chapter 21

[Paranoid66]

Reapers Passage
X3 Fan Fiction by Paranoid66

Chapter 21 – A Good Idea at the Time

Elaen was kitting up in the locker room when she saw the familiar bulk of Ravn enter. Busy making last minute adjustments to her uniform – Elaen left her partner to his own devices – he was a little late like the rest of the crew! Finally securing her computer pad and checking her Id and badge were properly displayed Elaen turned to face him and gasped, ‘Paranidia what happened to you?’ she enquired.

Ravn despite struggling to be nonchalant ended up leaning against the lockers, breathing deeply. His eyes looked sunken and sweat was glistening on his brow. In the end he gave up and just replied, ‘Not been feeling so good this morning!’

Elaen reached a hand out to rest it against his forehead, ‘You’re on fire. Either you were on one bender last night or you must be coming down with something nasty?’

‘Didn’t do anything special last night’, Ravn lied. ‘not that I remember anyway, bit of a cold or something. I’ve popped some meds., I’ll be alright later!’

Elaen looked doubtful, ‘Men’, she spat, ‘either you claim you’re dying at the slightest toothache or you refuse point blankly that you’re ill when you’re at deaths door!’

‘Not ready to shuffle off yet’, Ravn mumbled, ‘besides got the best help right here to nurse me through the shift’, he squeezed Elaen’s shoulder.

‘Your going straight to the infirmary to get checked over’, Elaen insisted holding his head between her hands and looking him dead straight in the bloodshot eyes, ‘all those refugees and spacers, anything could be loose on the forge!’

‘Don’t like medicos’, Ravn replied pulling back a little, ‘give me a break – all that poking and prodding – can’t afford the time off either. Besides’, he continued, ‘it won’t look good on the record if I slump off to my pit a few cycles in.’

‘You don’t look in any state for the deck. You know better what if I need you, but you’re all fuzzy headed and dizzy?’ Elaen asked.

‘Don’t we have some office work to catch up on’, Ravn groaned, ‘tie me to the desk. If I’m feeling no better by this afternoon…you think you can swing it with Carl?’

At that point the door opened and a rowdy bunch of constables filed in, ‘One yelled hey looks like we disturbed some lovers’, there was a general ripple of laughter and a lot of physical horsing about as they bumped rudely past.

‘Outside’, said Elaen.

‘Oh’, said one of the guys raising an arm and sniffing loudly, ‘guess I forgot the deodorant again this morning.’

‘Deodorant? That would be a first’, replied another.

‘They don’t make smelly stuff strong enough to cover – Tolies - stink’, said a third.

The rest of the banter was cut off by the sharp closing of the interlocking automatic door, ‘So what’s it to be Partner?’ emphasised Ravn forcing himself to straighten up even though his stomach clenched with pain.

‘Ok, I’ll speak to Carl, go park in a seat before you fall over and embarrass me!’ Elaen said wanting to kick herself. She hated going against standard regs, especially when they were backed up by common sense, however, Ravn had employed the magic word Partner. She hoped the big man hadn’t taken anything he shouldn’t. It always made Elaen nervous when any of the guys tried hard to avoid a check up at the infirmary!

‘Thanks I owe you one!’ Ravn grinned.

‘If you keel or spread some nasty contagion Ravn’, Elaen said quietly, ‘by the time I’m finished you’ll wish you were back - eating dirt on a rock plate - with the other grunts!’

Slumping on a seat Ravn cursed inwardly. The FAST had hit him a lot harder than he remembered. Guess he was getting too old for that one. You can only abuse your body so many times before something gave out, permanently! Luckily that one hit was all he had - so he would be able to avoid future temptation – Ravn would have to find a new edge. He supposed he could have handled the situation in any number of other ways; well it had seemed like a good idea at the time. He suspected the three lads would have been more than handy given half a chance. Ravn didn’t believe in giving his opponents chances.


X was disappointed the cops just didn’t want to let go, this was more than suspicion this was his cover fully blown. As patient as he was he needed to make a report. X felt like he had become the star of his own PVR show. It was time to depart; live and learn! With this degree of constant surveillance his only option was to activate one of the oldest standards. Sending a coded one word signal to an off station associate via interlink.

It was a clumsy blatant technological solution unworthy of him, and it would be the end of this operation; bypassing exit immigration, voiding his current on station ID of Hiko Elm. Well Rud could always be picked up by another if he managed to miraculously avoid prosecution. Rud escaping censure by Tribunal now seemed unlikely given how hot X had become. The clerk however would fare better if Hiko was gone. It was a shame he had been looking forward to examining the next data package. Something outside the norm must be going on here, something beyond very efficient internal security!

Bringing up the map he selected one of the best spots to facilitate the transport. X understood that even with an Active Energy Trace beaming from inside a station - without an official hook up - into a nearby ship required serious boosts to the basic Goner technology. Such procedures weren’t always guaranteed to succeed. Every time you did this, you gambled with your health and your life. It also had to be timed to perfection during the phase cycle.

Luckily this data had been delivered by his employers prior to his arrival. As soon as he activated the powered trace, the distortion field hit and energy spiked alarms would start buzzing, even if the CSMS somehow missed Hiko vanishing by lightshow. AFC 4 could only react and by then he would be jumping out of the system. He often wondered how deviants such as himself would fare without the help of the Goner Priesthood! One day the Argon would realise that every precious vein of silver lining edges a potential storm cloud! X chuckled to himself!


G charged through the shade haunted, moss draped leafy forest relying on his horse’s instincts to avoid head long collisions. Gripping with his knees he pulled another arrow from the richly decorated quiver at his side and let lose at one of the hulking hairy beasts (with their flame bright eyes and shaggy midnight fur) racing on all fours trying to flank him. It wasn’t easy with all the bouncing and careening his shot went high and wild. ‘They have to be fekkin kidding’, he complained, ‘how are you meant to do this!’ Once again the trolls got ahead angled in and took out the horse. He tried a timely leap but failed miserably. Again he ended up chewing dirt with the horse on top of him. As the world went dark he could hear the screams of the mount and his own cry’s as the trolls ripped in, bit down and chewed.

Disgusted Garrin tossed the headset onto the couch, ‘I’m never going to get out of the forest’, Garrin complained to the empty air. Not on foot, not on the horse either, what other options remained? He knew he should have spent more time exploring in the vast Master’s Tower but he had grown bored stumbling down dark passages. The stalking wraith had started to give him the creeps – all the low moaning - the hiss of un-dead breath the muffled bandaged footfalls! So he had decided to blow the joint, get into the sun, and haul his ass overland to the bright and cheerful village of Elvenholm.

All good, but the Arisen Dark Lords presence had seeped forth and the once jolly and benign forest – that had been full of angel light – and flitting fairies was now of course dark and dreary, vine and spider haunted. Worse yet by some evil malignancy the forest was now home to hoards of hairy ground hugging monsters. Heavily armed and armoured beast men as well. On foot the tactically minded beast men had made short work of the hero. While the horse drew every Troll from their holes from miles around!

Looking at The Arisen AVR [active virtual reality] chip he decided to take it back before either he got really hooked on this trash, or found himself throwing an embarrassing wobbly of frustration in front of Elaen! Not that he had much chance to throw anything at Elaen. Maybe he should join up? Ravn saw more of Garrin’s partner than he did! Thinking this Garrin felt more than a little irrational anger. He recalled how keen the Grunt had seemed when he first met El. Then again the ex soldier seemed captivated by anything with a compatible orifice. Ripping the chip out of the headsets slot he dumped it in a pocket and stomped out of the suite. Garrin’s haste was such that it was only the absence of any living bodies inside that keyed the expensive Suites auto locking sequence.


When Carl saw the replay of Hiko spiriting himself off ArgonForge 4 he was very glad his booth wasn’t covered by surveillance, and was completely soundproof! Even a grunt like Ravn would have been impressed with the deluge of obscenities that issued forth from the Commanders screaming mouth. Vented in an almost unending unbroken stream of steaming filthy invective! Ferg at the desk however was not fooled. Unfortunately the accountant caught sight of the wash of a spray of coffee. The liquid taint spread almost uniformly as it ran down the inside of the currently slightly polarised Plastic–glass door. The recyclable cup simply bounced to the deck! Carl had forgotten it was still half full. Luckily it was cold enough that the spills didn’t even heat his hand.

Watching his boss kicking the offending cup across the cubicle floor only to lash out at it again as it rebounded back but missing, Ferg physically deflated. Setting his mobile computer pad back down on the curved Central Security Desk Ferg decided this was an ill judged time. Ferg would relate the budget deficit being caused by the units ever increasing overtime figures to the Commander later… maybe during his next shift cycle! Perhaps if he just left it casually behind at the end of his shift were it would be noticed? No, too much wishful thinking in that cunning plan; even if the pad had READ ME flashing on a front screen in glowing yellow letters!


Jorac ran through the down loads from his informants in the field. Beyond a lot of nonsense about Boron sector visitors there was surprisingly little. All the usual smuggling operations the deliveries of Space Fuel and Weed that passed through Freedom seemed to have stopped. X2 sagt Bussi auf Bauch demand had already shifted to new available sources! He had managed to gather up a few stray associates that were off station during the explosion via third party contacts, but none of these knew anything. Others he had missed had disappeared off the map upon returning to the home base; it was as if the station had become an all consuming monster gobbling up its former inhabitants.

Of course they could be following Jorac’s own policy of lying low. The Argon Fleet was still very much in evidence. In frustration Jorac had dispatched a volunteer Greyl direct to Freedom. The Pirate had been given a direct order to countermand any quarantine. He was to return despite any station lockdown if at all possible - at least - once he knew the situation. Greyl had simply gone MIA like all the rest! Something had to be up. Jorac now - very much - doubted his injury had been caused by a freak accident! It must have been attempted murder. A wider coup had been perpetrated! Person or persons unknown (but surly from among his old crew) had dared steal – his - station that was unacceptable!

The Fallen Angel would have his pound of flesh. If Jorac failed to wrest back his domain - then at least - he would rain down star fires and utterly eradicate the ill fated place from existence. This much Jorac promised himself!


Gregor stood in his luxurious Suite and looked out a portal into space across his shiny silver domain. Outside he could see massive Crates running back and forth delivering essential materials along automated access tunnels to the forges ever active machinery.

The sight was better than any drug; even if calming uppers still floated in his veins. They were all insignificant AFC 4 was still his, and even if it lacked the latest earth derived innovations it was still a magnificent operation. Besides Jollo had promised him his exile here would not be forever and administrating the forge was hardly a hardship; once everything settled: after the furore was over, the refugees gone, little had been lost!

Plus the new systems were as yet untried – only truly remarkable on flexi-sheet – perhaps they would fail in the real world. Certainly the first prototype like the first AFC might not function as well as later variants. This way was even better - once again - Gregor would take over when the bugs had all been iron out of the new complexes.

Fate was Gregor’s benefactress she had brought him AFC 4 she would not abandon him now! He had an excellent team and would yet prove himself to the idiot old fossils of the board! Making an example of the traitor spy will be a good start, he decided. Gregor would demonstrate that he was not a manager to be trifled with, that this Administrator still ran a tight ship! He would see the little rat spaced - as a traitor to the Argon cause - turn it into a publicity coup!

[Paranoid66]

As you can see FAST has its limitations.

I'm rather keen to try and keep a degree of human weakness and limitations even to the most advanced material in my story. I think in the long run this will prove more interesting for me and the reader!

For example: The Laser Line. Very potent weapon but lasts only for a short period of time as the energy drain is massive.

FAST devastating but totally wrecks the user when it wears off and has a cumulative damaging effect on the users health if used too often.

Even the 0.1mj shield built into Joracs powered armour had only an emergency usage and again a very high energy cost and short deployment time.

Rather belated Jorac is now convinced of betrayal. I see trouble ahead for good old Ploopy!

[Gvork]

That would be more fun and mayhem ahead then?

[Paranoid66]

That would be more fun and mayhem ahead then?

Oh yes... He'll be back! [in dire arnie terminator accent]

I have no idea how that is going to pan out - but I'm guessing it will be a bit brutal!