You can run, but you cannot hide.

[Seth Karlo]

With a hiss, the door to the cabin sprang open. Within, on a bed, lay a man, horribly disfigured by burns. Pipes, cables and wiring sprang from beneath the skin, a mutated mix between cyborg and human.

Salazar's footsteps echoed around the small room, bouncing from metal wall to metal floor. He walked through the door tall, well groomed. He could walk into any upper class club on New London and no one would give him a second look... except for the fact that his face was well known by most. A disadvantage to being a mass murderer.

Alas, clubs were the last of his desires. He peered down at the soldier on the bed, who was mildly groaning. The screams and tears had stopped, the shock and pain were now taking over his sanity, they were no longer capable of creating a physical reaction.

It was interesting, seeing how far Salazar could push this brainwashed fool, a soldier who had dedicated his life to anything his 'Lord' wished. In a similar way to a cult, Serena and Salazar had convinced the children as they grew to worship and love their masters. Restricting cognitive ability, discouraging aspiration and free thought, they were the perfect soldier. Unified, loyal and easy to command. Siona had even dabbled in hypnotherapy to bury keywords into their subconscious. Say the correct word, and the soldier would be released from certain mental bonds, an easy way to promote them to a field tactician for example.

And now, after so much pain and horror, this soldier had finally broken free of his indoctrinated mind. He now loathed Salazar, hated him for the pain he had caused, sickened by his own distorted body. And yet the hunter was glad of it. It told him that even after years of dedicated training, people could still change. Perhaps he could too. After Bretonia was nought but a memory and he was finally avenged, perhaps he too could let go of his hate.

He opened a panel on his tab, it sliding out from a tiny square to fill an area about 10 inches across. Sliding his finger across a small picture of a microphone, he began to speak.

'The subject has now been injected with the osteoporosis treatment. This should encourage rapid bone growth. We will continue with bone marrow calcium shots to stop the bone becoming brittle.'

He lifted his finger, allowing the computer to transpose his voice into a new note file. His eyes found his victims, and he smiled sadly at him.

'Just remember, your death will help me kill others. You will help me perfect this formula, creating the perfect... perfect soldier.'

His eyes glazed slightly, and then he typed the command to start the injection. And though the soldier thought he could scream no more, scream he did.

And the Immortal Hunter continued to travel silently north towards the Tau systems, out in the middle of nowhere, and the screams stopped at the bulkheads.

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Signature by Sleipnir.