The Enclave

[fwolf]

The Hour of the Wolf

The music runs in a jukebox in the corner of the bar, dark music in the dark corner enclosed in the midnight. Its Freital base, and the bar is empty, only the bartender and a woman drinks from their glasses.
The woman looks to the big windows glasses to the horizon of stars, almight stars who made man feel as small in the middle of nothingness, and woman in equal measure.
Then a man enters in the room, dressed in black. His right eye is a red cyber implant, the small laser marking some centimeters from his head, his face shows cruelty and suffering, implants are through his back neck. He go to the balcony. The bartender says:
- Long time no see, Friedrich.
- Long timewhat you have of news there?
- I have a new drink, arrived this week. Its called bluedrop. A softer version of cardamine.
- Sowe are all going to be mutants now?
- More than what you are? says the blonde woman.
- WellIm not a mutant, just a, lets sayenhanced person
- How many did you kill in your incursions recently?
- Many corsairs and bounty hunters, my mistress. But also rheinlanders, the infected ones.
- You are very courageous says the bartender few go there, especially alone.
- I brought their heads to be sold, they will be shipped for research far from here.
- Your cousin brought news, he is now in a military zoner organization says the woman.
- I dont care for him, he is not a hessian anymore. Gundahar is very old for my tastes.
Another man enters the bar, dressed in green, his head skinned.
- Commander Schuler says Friedrich Can I known for what reasons you are awoke at this time?
- I have a operation right now, for you, Friedrich Wilhelm Schmidt. You come with me, I show you the way.
Schuler throws a datafile in his table, at his office, minutes later. Friedrich get it.
- Rumours says that part of the lost fleet from the Order was infected by the nomads and is right there in Omega 55.
- And in what this interest us?
- We will ship them for Cryer pharmaceulticals, through the lane hackers. They want it for research and will pay a high price.
- Hmm and my comission?
- 10% of the value.
- No way.
- Ok, 20% is good for you? I have costs for shipping.
- Id say 50%.
- Them I will call another guy for that.
- Ok, wait30%?
- 22%.
- 25%.
- Deal.
One more mission and Im dead, thinks Friedrich. He remembers quite well when his Raven Claw had blowed to pieces and he was rescued by a hessian cruiser that was just passing there, and the other time he was rescued by the Perseus destroyer. Anyway, he always lose a lot of money as he have to put another fighter there. His fortune is going away, being depleted like a ammunition barrel in a missile launcher. Still Friedrich loves his fighter, the Wolfstorm. Fitted with codenames, three Iron Hammers from the obscure Wolf Industries who also manufactured the fighter and sold to him through the junkers. New models are always at disposition to the pirates.
Friedrich remember the old days, when he was a mine working for Kruger, and when he was fired to reduce costs. Unemployed, he was given shelter by his cousin and the hessians.
Gundahar: - Do you still believe in honour, Friedrich? Look to my scarthe military did this to meIve saw my family in the most miserable conditions, my woman and two daughters, hungry. I begged for money in Leipzig station, and still a lot of beggars live in the most low levels, and they are removed through the airlock, in a despicable manner that, if this was made known to the big rich centers in New Berlin, the reputation of Kruger minerals and the military was to go down in such a few time.
His big beard, that big, blond beard. His lack of manners was impressive.
Gundahar: - Thrown by the airlock, thats is the solution for our problemsnobody needs the miners anymore, eh?
Friedrich closes his eyes, sitted in the cockpit.
Gundahar voices fades away: - I was going miserabledo I care that everybody call us backwaters? I dont care anymore, It doesnt mateeeeerrrr.
Friedrich grinds his teeth.