ADSactly Sci-Fi : Outer Earth Series 'The One Eyed Man (Part 6)'
Hello Steemians. For those just catching up now... Are you just like me, hopelessly addicted to Sci-Fi stories and the many wonderful series shows available on Netflix?
Have you ever seen shows like Firefly, The Expanse, Dark Matter, Killjoys, Star Trek Discovery and the rest?
Well, we've got more in common than ever! I've only briefly played around in this genre and by no means can I consider myself a master sci-fi creative writer but at this point I feel like I have a pretty firm grasp of the fundamentals required to create a real sci fi experience. An immersion into another world. With deep characters, comedy and action sequences I will take my readers to another world.
Without further delay, I bring you the fourth chapter in a new sci-fi short story I've been working on. I'm still working out final details in the storyline but still have time to add in new elements, situations and characters... Any ideas you have will be greatly appreciated in the comments section below!
If you are just now tuning in, I recommend stopping right here and reading parts one, two and three of the story before continuing on:
https://steemit.com/science/@adsactly/adsactly-sci-fi-outer-earth-series-the-one-eyed-man-part-1
https://steemit.com/fiction/@adsactly/adsactly-sci-fi-outer-earth-series-the-one-eyed-man-part-2
https://steemit.com/fiction/@adsactly/adsactly-sci-fi-outer-earth-series-the-one-eyed-man-part-3
https://steemit.com/science/@adsactly/adsactly-sci-fi-outer-earth-series-the-one-eyed-man-part-4
https://steemit.com/fiction/@adsactly/adsactly-sci-fi-outer-earth-series-the-one-eyed-man-part-5
Now I give you 'The One Eyed Man (Part 6)'
Outer Earth Series – The One Eyed Man (Part 6)
Now that Albright had a good idea of where to find Derek all that was left to do was hitch a ride to Tremaine and track him down. Based on what he knew about Derek nothing really seemed to add up. What was he doing on Tremaine?
Albright had been charged with capturing Derek and recovering the stolen equipment, some sort cargo which Syntec obviously found extremely valuable and secretive. It was so valuable enough to pay an insane amount of credits and kill Albright’s booking agent just to keep the whole mission quiet.
Derek was a lot more cunning than some of Albright’s previous bounties. He was smart enough to pull a fast one on one of the most ruthless corporations in the galaxy. He was able to get past a string of supposedly airtight security measures and he was clever enough to move this secret cargo hundreds of lightyears without being detected.
Albright sat at a table sipping his rocket fuel cappuccino pondering the whole situation. It was late now and most of the colonists had already packed it in for the night. A few druggies could be seen stumbling around outside the café. Albright reached slowly into his pocket and pulled out a pack of smokes. He gently pulled one out of the pack and lit it.
He took a few drags and then tapped the ash from the cig while immersed in thought. Getting the drop on Derek without him catching wind of it would be tricky. He would need to set up some surveillance cameras once he was able to track Derek down so he could get a feel for his day to day movements.
If he captured Derek without the cargo at the same time there were too many things that could go wrong. He had captured bounties in the past that had outwitted him with secret cyanide pills hidden in a tooth.
Some aftermarket neural implants had the ability to fry their owners brains when given the right command. In this age, torture just wasn’t as effective as it used to be. He could only really count on one shot to get this right.
Albright stared into his coffee mug, he had almost downed the whole cup and all that was left was a bit of foam with a few sprinkles of cinnamon on top of it keeping the foam company. His last job was a complete failure. It was his partner’s fault really. The guy was completely incompetent. What kind of mercenary forgets how to handle his firearm and frags their payday by mistake. Amateurs.
The fact that he had been burned on the last job, still haunted him. On one hand having a partner could really come in handy but usually, well most of the time, they just got in the way and slowed him down. He struggled to think of a time when he had a partner that really pulled their own weight or helped him close out a contract he couldn't manage on his own.
There was one job he did a few years back that came to mind. He had been hired to assassinate a wealthy Terrian land owner at a lavish swingers event on a planet called Risa. Only the richest Terrians were allowed to attend.
It began with a cocktail party, couples would split up and find new and interesting people to meet and greet, if you hit it off with someone you could invite them up to your room for a more intimate encounter.
At the end of the event some couples broke apart in favor of new partners and others remained together for the time being. The mark was named Richard, he wore a sky blue linen suit with a brown necktie. He was quite tall as Albright remembered it and had thick brown hair.
He was assured by his employer that he would receive a very large bounty as long as the target died at the event. The circumstances surrounding the death were inconsequential. Albright intended to graze the man with a thin blade containing a very potent neurotoxin.
The toxin would cause him to become queasy and use the toilet. A few minutes the toxin would cause cardiac arrest and it would appear to everyone at the event that the man was simply unlucky to have died of a heart attack in the shitter.
Everything was going to plan and Albright was ready to make his move but just as he was moving in a very attractive young lady approached Richard and began chatting with him. She had long wavy brown hair and olive skin.
Her lips were full and red, her waist was tiny and her rump was plentiful plus she had a very nice bust on top of all that. Albright couldn’t help but feel a bit jealous. Why do these rich douchbags get all the luck he thought to himself.
The sooner he could slash this mark and shut him down, the sooner he could get paid and have a bit of fun himself. The woman took Richard by the hand and led him to the lift.
‘Flerk me, flerk me right in the arse!’ Albright muttered as he saw the pair walk off. He couldn’t help but feel this job was going to shit. Plan b, he would grab a drink and give them thirty minutes to do their dirty deed.
Then he would sneak up to Richard’s floor and act like he was waiting for the lift until the woman left. A job like this needed to be done clean and it was always best not to create witnesses as they’d have to be killed later, really it just meant more work.
Albright tried to kill time waiting near the lift by pacing back and forth. It had been about an hour since the couple retreat to more intimate quarters. He heard a clicking sound of a door. He turned around and there she was.
‘Too late, Albright. You snooze you lose big boy.’ She wore a big grin across her face.
‘I’m sorry, have we met before, I think I would remember if we had.’ Albright was still stunned by how beautiful the woman standing before him was. He was more than a bit lustful for her.
‘The name’s Claire. Seems we were double booked for this one. Don’t feel bad that I got the drop on you. I usually come out on top with these types of jobs.’
Albright was officially in love with this one. Although slightly annoyed he’d be going home empty handed. She was beautiful, confident and deadly. Just what he had always wanted in a woman.
‘That’s alright Claire. You beat me to it fair and square. Care to get a drink?’ Albright tried his best to put the charm on thick but he knew this one was probably way out of his league.
‘Sorry, I don’t usually mix business with pleasure. The authorities will be here soon. Maybe next time. Actually, you know, you’re not as ugly as your profile made you out to be.’ Claire stepped in the lift, they both gazed into each other’s eyes and the lift door shut with Albright on the other side.
‘Well isn’t this just the story of my life…’ Albright mumbled to himself as his racing heart began to slow down. She was good, a total pro and probably amazing in the sack to boot.
Albright walked to Richard’s room and triggered the electronic lock with a magcard he had encrypted with the hotel’s master security keycode. Although the scene was gruesome, what he saw didn’t shake him in the slightest. Richard was laying on the bed in a pool of blood, his hands tied to either side of the bedpost. His eyes were closed and he had a big slash across his throat from one ear to the other.
So she was good with knives eh? Albright thought to himself about all the ways to go and sort of figured this guy was lucky. I mean, at least his last few moments of life were spent with a beautiful woman. The whole situation was a bit of a disappointment but these double bookings happened from time to time.
Albright lamented for a brief moment. He only had himself to blame, this is what happens when you are in a rush and get sloppy on research. He deserved what he got, she had one upped him fair and square. Later he was able to find her file in an encrypted database, her name really was Claire and she was one of the top earning freelance bounty hunters in the Syndicate network.
She had completed several dozen kill contracts and was also an expert in espionage and kidnapping. He even found and logged the private voice address she had provided for contract work.
Albright paid the waitress for his coffee and tipped her a few extra credits. He had done about as much as he could for the day so decided to hoof it back to the shitty little apartment he called home while mulling over the idea of getting in contact with Claire and offering up some credits for her help in clearing this contract.
Well, it seemed worth a shot at least, the odds looked better having some backup. Heck, it might just help him get out of this alive if he played his cards right.
Final Thoughts
This chapter had a lot of action in it. Don't you love stories within stories that give you a better glimpse into characters and what define them? Do you think Albright will leave the whole thing in the past or should we expect this all to come around full circle?
I hope I've got readers to relate to the characters so far. The story is starting to really come together at this point and conflict is just around the corner. Writing is like anything else I suppose, the more we practice the better it becomes and the easier it is for us to express ourselves.
I'd very much like to know your thoughts this story so far and what about it you may have liked or didn't like. Thanks so much for reading!
Authored by: Zentalk
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Thank you!
Claire's inclusion puts more emotion into the story. Apparently it's a woman's gun to take. It is a character that surely comes to reinforce the intrigue and action. The game you play with the narration was great. The whole inner monologue from the image of the coffee is interesting and very well done. Apparently we have a great deal of adrenaline and action in store for us. Thanks for sharing, @zentalk
Absolutely. Writing a female character into the story is another challenge, one that will take more effort and also one I'm not sure I'll be able to do quite perfectly on my first attempt. I'm happy you liked the narration and how the coffee and backstory seemed to have some sort of connection. Yes! There will be a lot of action and adventure ahead... The introduction phase has been pretty much wrapped up so now its time for mystery, conflict and intrigue! Let the games begin! Thanks for reading and providing feedback @nancybriti!
What is presented in this instalment seems to be of importance in the development of the mission entrusted (better, contracted) with Albright. Stories within another is a highly prized resource in literature, at least since Shakespeare and Cervantes. You use it quite well. Apparently, Claire's intervention -an undoubtedly very attractive character- would be a key to fulfilling the task at hand with Derek. We'll see. Thank you, @zentalk.
Absolutely. I feel that providing 'flashbacks' can enhance the overall realism of the story and create a better mental model of the characters and their lives. Thanks for the compliment via its use in this chapter. Most stories tend to benefit from male/female interaction and also provide more possibilities for what could happen. Also it provides a chance to show the alternate methods of a female and male hero, the way they think, talk, and solve problems. Thanks for following along!
I'd be jealous too of her, sheesh.