Maniacs The Krittika Conflict

CHAPTER 5



The sun was high in the sky, and it felt like a painfully hot repeat of the day before as they soared north towards the town.

“How long you been at this work?”

He turned and looked at Erin’s young face.

“Almost as long as you have been in this world.”

“You said you have never been a soldier, why?”

“A soldier fights for a cause and for crappy pay. I fight for myself, and my friends. If I am going to run into a shit storm, I want it to be of our own choice, not some arrogant bastard who is happy to have us earn a medal for him.”

She nodded in agreement.

“You don’t find that morally offensive?” he asked.

“Why would I?”

“Come on. You’re an educated and well brought up young woman. I’ve never met one like you who wouldn’t strike me down for what I do and the reasons I do it.”

“Maybe you haven’t met the right girl.”

He laughed at her response and saw she was semi-serious about the comment. They rode into town and found many of the shops shut, including Kaper's bar. Ryant led them to a centrally located building that was unmarked but clearly represented some kind of town hall.

"Let me do the talking," he stated. "We're going in here to hear them out. We make no promises and take no money from them."

"Why not?"

"Because I want to know what we could be getting ourselves into before committing to anything. Some jobs just aren't worth taking for all the money in the universe."

"I'm surprised to hear you say that."

"Yeah, well, money I like, but my life I like better."

They pulled up outside the hall, and Ryant led them inside to find there were thirty men and women awaiting them. They all stared at Mason as he was led to the front of the room. A man in his late forties was awaiting him with a smile. He wore a well-kept suit and was certainly wealthy.

"This is Nolan Machesky."

"The mayor?" asked Mason.

"No, no," replied Machesky, "I am merely the voice of the local businesses in our town."

"Chosen by the rest of you?" he asked.

Ryant nodded.

That's a start. Somebody they actually want to lead them, Mason thought.

"Not sure what I can do for you, Nolan. My people are gonna be out of here just as soon as get our ship patched up."

"Yes, yes, Ryant has told me. But we have also heard from Mr Kaper about what you did for him and his daughter. We have been looking for someone like you for the last five years."

"Like me?"

"Someone who will stand up to Volkov and his thugs."

"Hey, I just helped them out because I was there, and that's how it went down."

"Please, Mr Mason. Can't you see what is happening here?" pleaded one of the women.

He turned and looked around at the people.

"There are thieves on every world. Seems to me you don't have it so bad. Your trade is going well. You have good clothes and are well fed. You got it better than many."

"Mr Mason," called Nolan, "we are not a charity case. This is not some poor village pleading for help. We only want what is rightfully ours, and we're willing to pay good money for those who are willing to secure that for us."

"Go on."

"The business owners of this town will offer you ten million credits to solve our problem with Michael Volkov..."

Mason was silenced by the proposition.

"Ten?" he asked.

"Yes, with a down payment of one million to retain your services. We will, however, reclaim our money from your accounts, should you leave with our money before the job is done."

"Hang on. You're telling me your offering ten mil to do this job, and nobody has taken you up yet?"

Nolan shook his head.

It already feels too good to be true.

"And why is that?" he added.

Nolan took a deep breath and began to answer when Mason interrupted.

"No bullshit now. I want the truth if you want me to even consider this."

"Michael Volkov is a very dangerous man with substantial resources. We are offering a lot of money, but at a big risk to yourself in doing so."

He turned to Erin and could see she wanted him to say yes, as did the entire crowd before him.

"I don't take jobs on a whim, and I am not suicidal. If you want us to consider this, you will provide us with an accurate assessment of what it is you want and what we face. Until that happens, I will not commit to anything. Accurate outlines of this Volkov's resources, troops, weapons, vehicles. His allies and threats we are likely to face. I want maps of his facilities, and a history of his encounters with you over the last year. You get all that to me, and I'll talk it over with my crew, but I'm not promising anything."

"Thank you, Mr Mason. I will have everything you asked for assembled presently and dispatched to you this afternoon."

Mason nodded in agreement and walked out of the room. Several of the people patted him on the shoulder when he walked by as if he were their saviour. He continued on and out the door, with Ryant following close behind.

"Ten mil for a protection job. This Volkov ain't no normal bastard, is he? It's bad, isn't it?" asked Mason.

Ryant nodded in agreement.

"I won't lie. You'd have to have balls of solid steel to take the job."

Mason knew that was a challenge, but he would not bite.

"So you'll think about it?" he asked.

"No, I'll have a look over the info, if and when it gets to me, then I'll think about it."

"That's all we ask."

"Mmm," Mason muttered as he turned and left.

"Is that what you were expecting?" Erin asked as they walked back to Mily.

"One of two possibilities."

"How so?"

"When you get bastards muscling in on towns like this, they come in two forms. Loud mouthed arrogant lowlifes who use words and a little violence to present the image of being a real threat, and then there's the real threat. The man who has the knowledge, the resources, and the power to be the son of a bitch the other types only wish they could be."

"And you think Volkov is the latter?"

"The fact he isn't getting his hands dirty doing this is a pretty good indication."

"So what are you going to do?"

"Exactly what I said I would. We'll continue to patch the ship up, and if they get that information to us, we'll talk about it."

"You'd walk away from ten million credits?"

"I'll walk away with my life."

As they boarded the copter, Mason noticed a marshal questioning people in the street just outside the Digger, which was still shut. The man was getting little assistance from the locals, and he already knew what the subject of his visit would be. The marshal turned and glared at them as the rotors fired up. Mason pretended not to see him and pulled away, making a quick but not obviously rushed exit.

"Something to do with you?"

"Surely will be, Erin."

"You make friends everywhere you go, don't you?"

He smiled back with a cheesy grin.

They got back to the ship and found Andrews and Mitchell hard at work. Liu had joined them and left Hella on guard duty, which she seemed to never grow weary of. Liu passed up a component to Mitchell as they came to a standstill beside the landing site.

"Eager to leave, Liu?" Mason asked, jumping from the copter.

"Never wanted to be here to begin with."

"And yet this is where fate brought us," replied Erin.

"Fate? It wasn't fate that shot up our engines."

"Mmm," she muttered, turning her attention to Hella who sat atop the hull of the Foxy Lady. She had a pop up shelter assembled to give her cover from the sun and sat up there in the shade like a statue.

"She been up there long?"

"Maybe since you were gone," replied Liu.

"You think you can trust her?"

"Why, because she has a weird dress sense and tattoos? Her look offend you, Erin?" asked Mason.

"Maybe. She looks on edge, is all."

"You start telling some truths about your existence, and I'll start pushing her for some of hers," he replied.

It shut her up immediately.

"So what did the townsfolk want?"

"About what we figured, Liu. Muscle to help with a local problem."

"Don't tell me you're considering it?"

Mason looked surprised. "I'd have thought you of all people would want to help."

"Can't save the whole universe. I did my good deed of the week saving this one," he responded, pointing to Erin.

"Your chivalry has no boundaries, I see?"

"We all have boundaries, Erin. If we'd known about this job before we got here, and had time to think it over in the right frame of mind, I'd say it was worth at least a conversation, but I don't like things being thrown in our laps like this."

Mason went quiet for a moment, looking around the barren landscape and thinking it over.

"We'll bring it to the table and discuss it once the sun is down."

Liu shook his head, but he knew he had to accept Mason's command. Mason sat out for the rest of the afternoon, enjoying the sun. He had no clue how to help with the mechanics and engineering required to fix the ship. Finally, Mitchell paced up to him to take a rest. He was dripping in sweat and covered in dirt and dust. He looked down at Mason sitting with his feet up and a cool box of beer next to him.

“I thought you hated this heat?”

Mason smiled. “Turns out it ain’t so bad when you don’t have to work in it.”

Mitchell leant down and took a bottle from the box.

“If you say so.”

“How’s it going?”

“Andrews has sworn at the old girl more times than I can remember, but he’s making solid progress. Tell you what, it’s just as well we have him. I’ve known a lot of engineers, and not many could handle what he can.”

“Yeah, well the Boss always knew who was right to hire and who wasn’t.”

“About that…”

He popped open his beer and took a sip, leaving Mason hanging.

“Well, for God’s sake speak up.”

He gestured subtlety towards Hella, still sitting under the small half shelter atop the ship.

“Seems a few days ago we had a veteran crew of solid old timers. Now we got two young girls, neither of which will be honest about who the hell they are.”

“Well, we all have elements of our past we’d rather not share.”

“Maybe…”

“Maybe? Hell you’re not even cleared to fly anymore. We break the law every time we fly with you at the con. We all expect to be given a little leeway while we continue to be there for each other.”

“And I appreciate that, I really do. The Boss gave me more chances than I ever deserved, but let’s not forget why he did. I’m one of the best goddamn pilots you’ll ever meet. What have these girls got, beyond a bad attitude and a bundle of secrets?”

“Name one among us who is perfect? That one more than handled herself in that bar. She’s got a confidence and resolve like few others. And Erin, she can shoot as good as the best of us.”

“You mean you?”

“Yeah, Liu can shoot the same, but never tell him that. Super cop’s ego is big enough already.”

Mitchell couldn’t help but laugh.

“So, yeah, we’ve got the youngest crew this ship has known since she was fresh off the line, what of it? We expected people to give us the same opportunities when we were that age.”

“Don’t know about you, but I earned mine. Best pilot of the academy.”

“Yeah, you were till you f*cked it up, and then what? Boss gave you a chance when nobody else would.”

“He needed a pilot, and I was there.”

“No, I never told you this, but that day we met, he’d already interviewed three other pilots who wanted the job. You just never knew because you were too late to see them.”

“Come on…”

“I shit you not. They were good pilots, all of them. But sometimes you just get a feeling about someone, that they are just…right.”

“And this Erin girl? She’s gone from a hostage we weren’t paid to rescue, to hitching a ride, to carrying a gun.”

“We all start somewhere.”

Mitchell knocked back his drink because he knew he wasn’t going to get anywhere with his current line of questioning. The rest of the day seemed to fly by as they relaxed in the sun, and the time finally came to discuss business. Mason already knew that most there would agree to what he wanted, especially with the sort of money involved, but Liu was the wildcard.

I’m still not sure what to think, but I’m sure willing to give it a chance, unlike Liu.

The crew assembled at the table in the cargo bay. A few extra lights they had gathered from town aided the emergency lighting in letting them see what they needed to. Even Hella had joined them while they waited for Mitchell to bring them the information. They all sat silently for fifteen minutes until he finally appeared.

“They sent everything over?” asked Mason.

“Sure did, Boss…I mean, Captain.”

Hella picked up on his mistake and could see the others saw the discomfort it brought him.

“Not earned the title of Boss yet?” she asked him.

“Nothing to earn. The Boss will always be the Boss. I’m Captain of this ship.”

“So drab and boring. We’ll have to think of a better title for you,” she joked.

Felix sat down at the table, feeling rather uncomfortable that he had been the cause of the ruckus.

“All right, so here is everything they sent,” he stated, placing a display pad in the middle of the table. He hit a button on it, and within a second, a projection lifted half a metre from the table.

“The town of Melni…”

“That the same town we’ve been dealing in?”

“Yes, Captain, I never thought to ask either. Just seemed another faceless place we were passing through.”

“And now it has a name, it has an attachment,” added Liu.

“All right, calm it down,” stated Mason. “We have a possible job. We’ll weigh up the facts like we always have done. Then we’ll make a decision as a crew. Let’s do this like we do it. There is money to be made. All we must decide is does the reward outweigh the risk? Felix, you’re most familiar with the landscape, you take it from here.”

“Melni is a wealthy mining town, population eight hundred and seventy six. They make a shipment out every month that makes them a pretty penny. Despite this, the locally self elected High Sheriff, Colonel Michael Volkov takes at least half of their earnings as a tax, or protection money.”

Mason could see Liu was finding it hard to keep up his hard line. The former detective was starting to feel a little humbled as Mitchell progressed.

“They’re being extorted for half their earnings?” asked Erin.

“At least,” replied Mason.

“Volkov controls the Sheriff’s department and local militia, which combined are believed to total over six hundred personnel.”

“Six hundred?”

“Not a lot for a mining world, Erin.” replied Mason.

“But a lot for us to deal with,” Liu added.

“But…” Mitchell continued, “the townsfolk believe that many of those wouldn’t fight against the town, if it came to it.”

“That’s speculation, not intel.”

“No, Liu, but it’s information that could be worth knowing, should we take the job,” Mason said.

The room fell silent as they took in the depth of the situation. There seemed little to appeal to any of them to make them want to stay there. Mason knew it was the moment to break the most significant element of the briefing.

“This job pays ten million credits,” he stated calmly.

It gave them all pause for thought.

“Ten?” Liu asked.

“These miners are rich people being extorted, not poor ones being driven into the dirt,” he replied.

Liu could barely believe what he was hearing and turned to Mitchell for confirmation. He nodded in response. It certainly made him reconsider his charitable side.

“Ten mil. Okay, that’s more money than this crew had been paid in their life for anything, by a long shot. What do they want for that?”

“They want to stop being robbed,” replied Felix.

“And you know what that entails?”

“This isn’t going to be a pretty job. Volkov, by all accounts, sounds like a son of a bitch, but we can handle him. We have to do whatever is necessary to stop the protection racket that is going on here. I thought you’d love this kind of work. Make you feel like a cop again?” said Mason.

Liu groaned in response.

“I don’t know much about this Volkov, but we both know men like him don’t go easily. He’s sitting on a lucrative empire here, why would he give it up?”

“Well, surely not by choice, but we aren’t in the business of giving people choices.”

“Then we face off against God knows how many hundreds of guns and what, hope for the best?”

“You know you can be one cynical bastard sometimes. I’d expect more from a cop, or maybe that’s just me.”

“Screw you!” he yelled as he reached across the table.

“Stop it!” screamed Erin. She leapt between them and forced them to sit back down. “What the hell are you doing?”

Hella smiled at the whole situation and seemed to find it amusing.

“You find this funny?” Liu asked her.

“Just a little. A cop and a captain slug it out over who has the moral high ground between helping people and making money. What’s not to like?”

It was as many words as any of them had heard her speak, and Andrews at least found it funny. They all turned to Erin who seemed to have taken the floor.

“Seems to me this is a whole lot of fighting over a simple decision. A job lies before you, us, and whatever. It pays big with big risks. Take it or leave it.”

“Fine words,” Andrews sneered.

“Thank you,” she snapped sternly.

“Wow,” muttered Mitchell under his breath.

Mason kicked back his chair and stood up to pace around the deck while they thought it over. They all looked to him to have the next word.

"You know there's a good chance if we take this job, not all of us will live to see that money, maybe none of us," Liu said.

"Yeah, sometimes the money just ain't worth dying for," added Mitchell.

What would the Boss do? Mason asked himself. He knew his friends were right.

"Okay. This is our business, and we do it to make a living. If the job risks our lives more than is necessary or acceptable, we have always turned it down."

"Well, not always," muttered Andrews.

Mason looked to him to explain himself, but his lips were sealed. He looked to Hella and Erin.

"When the Boss was here, he always asked for one hundred percent agreement on choosing a mission. I don't see why that should change. Hella, you're on the payroll now, and Erin, whether you like it or not, you're involved in the decisions made while aboard. So, let's put it to a vote," he said, turning to Mitchell first.

"No," he stated after a short pause.

"No," Liu agreed.

Andrews shook his head. "Na, not the smart play."

He reached Erin to see she wanted to say yes, but couldn't bring herself to conflict with the rest of the crew who she owed her life.

"No," she whispered, dipping her head.

He finally turned to Hella.

"Well?"

"Doesn't matter what I think if you need all in to do it."

"Still, I like to know what people are thinking."

"I've been in that town two weeks, and yeah, they could do with some help. But no different to most other places I go. We're in this for the money, aren't we?"

Mason nodded in agreement.

"We're decided then. Patch the ship and get out of here?"

There were grunts of approval, despite the fact few of them liked the situation.

"Wizard, how long do you need to make that happen?"

"Two days, I reckon we'll be done."

"That's good work. Quicker than you expected."

"Well, I have been getting some help," he replied, glancing over to Liu.

"Never knew you liked getting your hands dirty," said Mason.

"Growing up all I wanted to be was a mechanic, but coming from a family of cops, what are you gonna do?"

Mason took a deep breath and then relaxed.

At least we have a plan now.

"All right. Mitchell, get the cards. It's time we settled in for the night and enjoy the time we have here."

"Hell, yeah!" he answered quickly and leapt from his chair.

They passed out the drinks, and for a couple of hours, forgot the world around them until finally the call came from Hella.

"We've got company!"

Mason jumped to his feet, grabbing his pistol from the table as he did so. The others were close behind him. They could see a few headlights on a solo vehicle approaching from the direction of town.

"Expecting anyone?"

"No one at all, Wizard. Erin, you have that rifle ready," he said, pointing at the one he'd given her. "Rest of you, too."

"Trouble?" asked Andrews.

"Not that I know of, but I'd bet good money this isn't a social call."

He stepped to the edge of the ramp and looked up to where Hella's voice had come from. He couldn't see her, for she sat on top of the fuselage with no lights at all.

"Hell? You keep an eye about us. This might not be our only guest."

She suddenly appeared at the edge, with her thick jet-black hair draping over the opening.

There’s still something that doesn't feel right about her. She seems all too familiar with my way of life, but I don't understand how.

"It's the Sheriff. Nobody else is with them."

"How can you be sure?"

"I'm sure," she replied resolutely, as if there were no reason to doubt her.

"Well, okay."

He couldn't understand how she could know that much when to him it was just a blur in the distance. The vehicle got within a hundred metres, and in the limited moonlight they enjoyed he could see there were no obvious weapons or armour attached. It was a lightweight skimmer with ducted fans and a small crew of maybe two or three. It was indeed as Hella had said, the Sheriff's vehicle. He holstered his pistol and adjusted his gun belt.

"Lower you're weapons, but keep 'em close to hand!" he yelled to the crew. He turned back just as he thought it over. "And for God’s sake don't shoot them unless there is no other choice."

He didn't want to pick a fight, but he'd always be ready for one. The Boss had taught him that.

The skimmer came to a quiet stop but kicked up dust into the hold of the ship that wasn't appreciated by any of them. Mason spat out the mouth full of dirt over the side of the ramp as they got out.

"Captain Mason?" the first asked.

They stepped into the dull light emanating from the cargo area of the ship until he could make out their faces. The man wore a crest on his chest that he assumed denoted his position. The three all wore matching black dusters, but shared nothing else in common. One carried a rifle in his hands, the other a scatter laser. The man in the middle with the crest was empty handed, but Mason could see his coat flaring out slightly at the thigh where he carried a pistol.

"What can I do for you?" he asked without responding.

"You are Captain Mason?"

Mason sighed in response. The formality bored him.

"I'm the captain of this ship," he replied, just to irate them.

"I'm Sheriff Alken. I believe you passed me in town earlier today."

"I was in town today, but you don't look all that familiar."

They both knew he had seen the Sheriff, but he wouldn't give him the satisfaction of admitted it. He'd avoided the man for a reason. Alken was in a fit and healthy shape, and younger than he would have expected in his position. He was of a similar age and build to Mason, though the Captain still towered over him because of the ramp he stood on. Alken was clean-shaven and well kept. He had the look of a lawman who led a comfortable life with little strife.

"There was a shooting in town yesterday, and I'm investigating it at present. Word has it that self-defence was the nature of the death."

"And?"

"And we'd be inclined to log it as such, if those involved were to not take it further and departed without any more trouble."

Mason did not respond.

"You see what I'm getting at, Captain?"

"I get it," replied Mason in a drawn out and unimpressed manner. He stepped slowly down the ramp to the Sheriff and stood before him.

"My crew landed down here without intention. Our engines were shot to hell, and we went into town for parts. Now since then, a few folk have asked if we could help them out here. We gave it some thought and decided it wasn't for us."

"Glad to hear it, Captain," the Sheriff replied with a smile.

"That was until you turned up here and tried to tell us how it is."

The smile turned to a frown, but Mason continued before he could reply.

"I don't especially like cops. I like corrupt ones even less. You came here to flex your muscles. Well I'll give you a little advice. Next time you try and do that, make sure you can back up your tough talk with more than a couple of apes like these boys you brought along."

Alken took offence to his words, threw his coat aside, and reached for his pistol, but he wasn't quick enough. Mason leapt forward and placed his hand over Alken’s to stop him from drawing. He quickly head-butted the Sheriff in the nose, forcing him to stumble back and lose grip of his weapon. Hella then appeared out of the shadows above them and landed on the rifleman. She wrapped her legs around his neck, levered him back, and flipped him over so that he landed hard in the dirt.

The third man swung his scattergun around, but as he did, Hella grabbed a rock from the ground and threw it with perfect accuracy so that it struck him on the back of the head. His body twisted by the sudden impact, and he fired a single shot that sent laser scatter bursting into the open sky. The scene was lit up momentarily as if a flare had gone up until the laser blast quickly faded away.

Mason stepped up to Alken and pressed his foot down over the man’s hand as it rested on the grip of his pistol.

“I wouldn’t,” he stated.

Alken looked up at Mason’s right hand hung beside the pistol on his side, ready to draw at a moment’s notice. He finally submitted.

“All right!”

Mason removed his foot and let Alken fumble around in the dirt to get to his feet.

“You’ve made a big mistake here, Mason! Attacking an elected sheriff and striking his deputies.”

“Actually, Alken, what I saw is you draw down on us to do us harm, and that’s exactly what those cameras will confirm,” he said, pointing up at the landing cameras above the ramp.

The Sheriff shook his head as he patted dust off his coat and looked up at the cameras.

“Goddamn it. You’re not welcome here, none of you are. Stay out of town. Stay out of all of our lives, and get your asses off Krittika!”

The three of them retreated cautiously and sheepishly. Mason knew he’d made another enemy in the Sheriff, but he was at least relieved that blood had not been spilt. Their vehicle fired up and tore off into the night without another word from any of them.

Mason turned to see Hella had gotten to her feet without so much as a single sound. She continued to impress him in the most surprising ways. He nodded in gratitude for her work. She was calm, as if it had meant nothing to her.

“Cameras, Captain? You know those haven’t worked for two years?”

“Yeah, but the Sheriff doesn’t know that, does he?”

“You really dislike cops so much?”

“You haven’t worked that out by now, Liu?”

“You like me,” he smirked.

“Think he’ll be gone for good?” asked Mitchell.

“No,” replied Liu, “I’ve known men like him. He’s firmly in the pocket of this Volkov character and has made that quite clear. He’ll ensure he keeps pressing us till we’re gone.”

“And if he takes this to Volkov?”

“He won’t, Erin, not yet. He’ll fear Volkov’s wrath the same as the townsfolk and will do everything he can to manhandle us off this world by himself.”

The Sheriff’s visit left a foul taste in Mason’s mouth, and he knew the others felt the same. He didn’t like being pushed around by anyone, but the fact he knew the town’s people were experiencing it daily made him angry.

“I’m gonna call it a night,” Andrews said. “I want all my energy for tomorrow to get started at first light. Let’s be out of here before trouble comes back to our door.”