Sorry for the delay, but here's chapter 12 for anyone who's still interested.
Chapter 12
The hangar bay was still functioning, but it was completely devoid of activity. Deckard checked his instruments and saw the life-support systems on the station still seemed to be functioning. He climbed out of the cockpit, drew a blaster pistol out of his jacket and looked around. He could see only two ships in the hangar: his and what looked like a Hammerhead parked in a far corner. That meant that someone was still here, but who? He tightened his grip on the blaster and made his way to a corridor at the far end of the hangar, his footesteps echoing ominously in the eerily quiet base.
Deckard made his way down the corridor where it ended at a T-junction. He paused for a moment, turned to go down the left corridor and stopped dead in his tracks.
On the ground, ten feet in front of him, lay a body, face down, in a pool of blood. Deckard approached cautiously, weapon at the ready, but nothing happened. He stooped down and rolled the body over. What he saw nauseated him. He had seen the video of the Outcast and what the contents of the case he had carried had done, but nothing had prepared him to discover a real victim of the poison. The man was definitely an Outcast, as his cardamine inhaler lay inches away from the body. His pale, cold skin had the same melted look that the test subject had, and the last of the man's blood was oozing from several open sores that had appeared all over the body. It was all Deckard could do to keep from vomiting as he got up and walked away from the man.
He came across several other bodies as he made his way through the deserted corridors of Ruiz, each one suffering the same fate. Deckard's thoughts raced through his mind. Somemone had obviously released the toxin here, but had they moved on to Omicron Alpha, and Malta? Was he too late?
Deckard found himself in a control room looking out into space. There were two Outcasts slumped over computer terminals, their blood coalescing in pools under their chairs. He looked around and decided to check the station logs to see if they could offer any clues. He found an empty terminal and began to work the unfamiliar controls. As he worked he suddenly felt that he was not alone in the room. He gripped the blaster pistol tighter and swiung himself around and found himself looking into the cold dark eyes of his brother, who pointed a blaster pistol at him.
"Well, well, well," John Deckard said.
The two men faced each other in silence.
"What the hell are you doing here?" Matt Deckard demanded.
"I was just about to ask you the same thing," the elder Deckard replied, "but I think I already know the answer." He moved to an empty chair, sat down, and motioned with his weapon toward the dead Outcasts. "Pretty amazing stuff, isn't it? I never thought I'd be a part of something this big."
"You mean genocide?"
"That's your opinion. I prefer to think of it as a greater cause."
"You think mass murder is a greater cause?"
"Jeez, Matt, they're only Outcasts! What's your problem? Did you find religion or something?"
"Look, John, this stuff doesn't just kill Outcasts, but anyone who's ever dosed on cardamine! This will kill innocent people, you hear me?"
"How the hell do you know what this does?" John Deckard said as he pulled out a vial from his pocket containing the blue liquid. He held it up between them.
"Because Maddox hired me to deliver the same stuff to Malta! Don't you get it? We've been had!"
"That's a crock of bull!"
"Oh, no," a third voice said from behind John Deckard. "It isn't."
From out of the shadows of the corridor beyond a tall figure strode in, accompanied by several other men. As they emerged into the light of the control room, Deckard found himself looking at the imposing form of not one Samuel Maddox, but three. Two other men followd them into the room, dressed in the combat fatigues of the Corsairs.
"What the hell..." Deckard muttered.
"So, here they are, my two couriers," one of the Maddox doppelgangers said. "And brothers, no less. What irony. It really is too bad you both have failed. I had high hopes for you. Now if you will please drop your weapons..." Deckard cursed and did as he was told. John hesitated, then did the same. Maddox smiled a cruel smile, then pointed a blaster pistol at John Deckard, firing a single shot that hit him in the chest. He fell out of his chair and lay silent on the ground.
"You bastard!" Deckard yelled as he shook with rage.
"Don't worry, Mr. Deckard. You may very well be joining him. I only shot him first because his curiosity got the better of him and he opened the contents of the case here rather than deliver them as I requested. I will spare you, for now, and give you a chance to explain your...delay in delivery and your arrival here."
"First of all, which one of you is the real Maddox? Second, why the hell are you with Corsairs?"
"You are not in a position to demand answers to anything," Maddox said coldly, "however, you do make a point. There really is no need to have three of me." Swiftly and methodically he loosed a single round into each of the two Maddox doppelgangers, who dropped instantly to the floor. Deckard looked at the remaining Maddox, shocked.
"Leave us, please," he said to the two Corsairs. They saluted and left the room.
"Now then," Maddox said. "As I said before, I will give you a chance to explain before I decide whether or not to kill you."
Deckard knew he would have to do some fast thinking and even faster talking if he were to get out of this alive. He quickly came up with an idea, and hoped to high heaven it would work, or at least buy him some time.
"I was jumped on a Freeport by an Outcast. He stole the case from me, and I've been on the run because I knew you'd find me."
Maddox smiled in a way that Deckard didn't like. "I see," he said softly. "So an Outcast overpowered you and stole the toxin. That is understandable, as the Outcasts have great physical strength granted them as a side effect of the cardamine. I can only wonder what this Outcast thought he would find." Maddox sighed. "I'm afraid I must leave you now. I can't say I'm convinced. Goodbye, Mr. Deckard."
Deckard knew what was about to happen, but was too late to react. As he tried to jump to one side, the shot from Maddox's weapon hit him in the left shoulder. He felt the searing pain lance through his body as he hit the floor. His last conscious sight before blacking out was of Maddox stepping over the body of his brother as he left the room.
---"Open the Pod Bay doors, Hal, and I'll give you a cookie."
Edited by - neuromancer on 8/29/2005 6:24:54 PM
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Freelancer: Genocide---Fan fiction from Neuromancer (Final c
Read, add and comment on excellent written stories by fans, set within the Freelancer universe
Holy sh*t!
Tue Aug 30, 2005 8:09 pm
Alrighty, finally some literary commentary.
These two sentences get the point across, but read a bit awkwardly. For my two cents, you might try:
"The hanger bay was still operational, but completely devoid of activity. Deckard shot a glance at his instruments, which indicated that the station's life support systems were intact."
The hangar bay was still functioning, but it was completely devoid of activity. Deckard checked his instruments and saw the life-support systems on the station still seemed to be functioning.
These two sentences get the point across, but read a bit awkwardly. For my two cents, you might try:
"The hanger bay was still operational, but completely devoid of activity. Deckard shot a glance at his instruments, which indicated that the station's life support systems were intact."
Mon Sep 19, 2005 6:40 pm
Sorry for the delay, but I was unavoidably detained.
Here's chapter 13. Sorry, it's a little short.
Chapter 13
Deckard tried to regain consciousness, but it eluded him. He could hear only faint voices around him, and could see only hazy shadows. Am I dead? he thought to himself. Unable to grasp consciousness, he retreated back into the darkness.
-------------
He groaned and opened his eyes. Where he was, Deckard could not tell, but it was definitely not the floor of the control room on Ruiz. As he took in more of his surroundings, he decided he was in some kind of medical facility. He looked at his injured shoulder and saw it had been bandaged and his arm immobilized. A series of tubes emerged from the bandages and connected to a small device near his bed, which hummed slightly.
A door opened and three men entered the room. Two of them carried blaster rifles and stationed themselves on each side of the door, while the third came over to where Deckard lay. He was dressed in a business suit and wore a brilliant red cape over his shoulders. The man looked at Deckard for a moment before he spoke.
"Mr. Deckard, I presume?"
Deckard nodded weakly. "And you are?"
"That is of no concern to you. What is of concern to you is a certain package I believe you were hired to deliver to me."
What the hell is this universe coming to? Deckard thought to himself. I'm in the custody of the Outcasts, and they think I have their bloody package!
"Do you have it?" the man asked sofly.
"No."
"I see." The man stook up and turned away. It was a moment before he spoke again.
"Understand, Mr. Deckard, that you are in a very difficult position. You have failed the task you were hired for, and my associates, I'm afraid, are not as forgiving as I am. I shall leave you to heal. We would prefer you healthy before we break you." He motioned to his guards and made for the door.
"Maddox betrayed you." Deckard said quietly.
The man stopped. "I beg your pardon?"
"Maddox betrayed you."
The man turned back and faced Deckard. "Why would he do that?"
"Do you have any idea what he was sending you?"
"Of course I do."
"Then you know that what he was sending you was responsible for the death of everyone on Ruiz?"
"You lie."
Deckard smiled. "I can prove it, if you give me the chance."
The man stood silently, his eyes fixed on Deckard in a cold stare. "Very well. I will give you the chance to explain. Understand, Mr. Deckard, that if you are indeed attempting to deceive me your suffering will be greater than that of my brothers on Ruiz." He turned and motioned to his guards, who followed him out of the room, leaving Deckard alone.
---"Open the Pod Bay doors, Hal, and I'll give you a cookie."
Here's chapter 13. Sorry, it's a little short.
Chapter 13
Deckard tried to regain consciousness, but it eluded him. He could hear only faint voices around him, and could see only hazy shadows. Am I dead? he thought to himself. Unable to grasp consciousness, he retreated back into the darkness.
-------------
He groaned and opened his eyes. Where he was, Deckard could not tell, but it was definitely not the floor of the control room on Ruiz. As he took in more of his surroundings, he decided he was in some kind of medical facility. He looked at his injured shoulder and saw it had been bandaged and his arm immobilized. A series of tubes emerged from the bandages and connected to a small device near his bed, which hummed slightly.
A door opened and three men entered the room. Two of them carried blaster rifles and stationed themselves on each side of the door, while the third came over to where Deckard lay. He was dressed in a business suit and wore a brilliant red cape over his shoulders. The man looked at Deckard for a moment before he spoke.
"Mr. Deckard, I presume?"
Deckard nodded weakly. "And you are?"
"That is of no concern to you. What is of concern to you is a certain package I believe you were hired to deliver to me."
What the hell is this universe coming to? Deckard thought to himself. I'm in the custody of the Outcasts, and they think I have their bloody package!
"Do you have it?" the man asked sofly.
"No."
"I see." The man stook up and turned away. It was a moment before he spoke again.
"Understand, Mr. Deckard, that you are in a very difficult position. You have failed the task you were hired for, and my associates, I'm afraid, are not as forgiving as I am. I shall leave you to heal. We would prefer you healthy before we break you." He motioned to his guards and made for the door.
"Maddox betrayed you." Deckard said quietly.
The man stopped. "I beg your pardon?"
"Maddox betrayed you."
The man turned back and faced Deckard. "Why would he do that?"
"Do you have any idea what he was sending you?"
"Of course I do."
"Then you know that what he was sending you was responsible for the death of everyone on Ruiz?"
"You lie."
Deckard smiled. "I can prove it, if you give me the chance."
The man stood silently, his eyes fixed on Deckard in a cold stare. "Very well. I will give you the chance to explain. Understand, Mr. Deckard, that if you are indeed attempting to deceive me your suffering will be greater than that of my brothers on Ruiz." He turned and motioned to his guards, who followed him out of the room, leaving Deckard alone.
---"Open the Pod Bay doors, Hal, and I'll give you a cookie."
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