13 Purpose Addiction 2

Alderson was his name. To find Alderson I took leave with the Carnifex, making a reasonable pace within the areas of Ganymede. I could have taken the transporter bus, but I did not want to casually arrive near Alderson who is living near the shores of blanch coast. Blanch coast is a popular spot for retirees or people who don't have to worry about money. Inside the Carnifex I could see the view, the coastal area stretched miles. Rows of houses protected with roofs made to shield them from the cosmic rays glittered.

"Airspace is garbage," I muttered. The interceptors and private ships were congesting the airway. Thankfully I need to land to the place that I reserved. It cost money, I hate it, but I can do nothing about it. I arrive in the area, a secured enough structure that'd allow me to park the Carnifex. I saw the switch that was near the parking space, I grabbed hold of it and typed in the code that the renter give me.

"Transaction completed," said the mechanical voice. Then, more codes appeared saying that I am entitled to the parking space until I leave the area. It was expensive but it's pretty neat. With that done I took the path where most people were going, walking along the road with houses on my right and the beach on my left. There were fools who were trying to get a cosmic sunburn while there are bodybuilders showing their muscles at the women who were practically naked. Oh, look at those bouncing plastic breasts.

I made way through a straight road they call Silvering Path. It was a road that glitters with a silver brilliance as the light from the sky meets. It was obvious enough why they named it like that. Continued walking until I found myself in the place where Alderson is. I check the houses and inspected them. There were no people inside the houses.

I moved to the last house located near the edges of the beach. I realized that I was already high up and that I could see the beach from the place. Alderson, who looked like he was reclining in a rocking chair, stared blankly at the cosmic sky. I drew my plasma pistol capable of melting his face, sauntering slowly until he was able to notice my presence.

He looked at me blankly for a second. His expression turned from happiness to sadness and then to disappointment. "I was hoping it was a beautiful woman that would kill me. What a waste of money!" His frown pissed me off. I tightened my grip on the pistol. "You sure are relaxed," I said. I know what this bastard has done. I heard that many clients do this since they are too afraid to do it themselves. There were many bastards like this. It was my first time doing a bounty, and I get this?

"What? Are you going to stare at me like that Mr. Bounty Hunter?" Alderson said. "Or are you going to end my misery?"

I was dumbfounded as I raise my plasma pistol at his face. Alder suddenly panics, waving his hands as if distressed. He wanted to die yet he's showing me this reaction?

"The fuck is wrong with you?"

"I should be the one asking that! Are you really going to kill me without giving me the chance for last words?

I have no idea what this bastard wanted.

"I am a bounty hunter."

'I know!" he waved his hands. "That's why I hired you!"

"Are you serious right now?"

"I am. Give me my last words. Also, why are you so cold-blooded? Ah, I can tell that you are a soldier just by the way you hold that gun and your eyes. Perhaps you've fought aliens before?"

"I have no comment."

"Silence eh?"

Alderson rocked his chair. He brought up his tablet and showed me the bounty hunter information. He was the one that placed the bounty in my head so it was no surprise that he could pull it out. The smug bastard waving that tablet made me thought that I should just kill him while he still did not pull the bounty out. I raised my plasma pistol again. This time I was going to shoot his face if raises that tablet again or move his fingers.

"Whoa, you really are pissed?"

"I traveled and use important fuel, bastard. Now I am here listening to your blabbering. If you pull that bounty I'll just mention that I didn't know. Accidents like that happen all the time. You know this."

He lowered his head. He gulped and looked at me.

"So you are going to kill me?"

"You asked for this."

"Fine," he said. "I'll withdraw the bounty and pay you twice if you don't kill me. So what do you think about that?"

I touched the forehead of Alderson with the tip of my plasma gun. He shuddered with fright. He was breathing roughly. Sweat runs from the side of his neck. His eyes dilated, and his hands started shaking madly. His mouth shook badly as he stares at me with eyes shaking. The cosmic light coming from the sky made him pitiful.

"Scared?"

"I really am, Sir. I did not know that death would be this scary."

"Give me a reason not to kill you and fulfill my first contract?"

"I can try to adjust the details? It will say that you did kill me and that the contract is fulfilled. I'll give you three times the original reward. Will this be okay?"

"Do it then."

He slowly taps his tablet and showed me the process. It said in the tablet that the contract was done beautifully and the client was extremely satisfied. I also got three times the amount of killing him. He looked at me nervously since my plasma pistol was still on his forehead. Taking my plasma pistol back, I holstered it and crossed my arms.

"What the fuck were you thinking doing this?" I snapped.

"I just want to die! I didn't know it was going to be like this! It's fucking scary!"

"What did you fucking expect?"

I slap his face. He held his cheek and looked at me. "You are a mean person!" The urge to slap him again rose up but I could not be bothered any longer.

...

Alderson was in relief for me sparing his life. My time was not that wasted since I have now three times the money that I was about to work for. The credit was sent to Captain who when I called could be seen taking cover from somewhere in an abandoned warehouse. The warehouse reminded me of those storage areas in the heavily smoke-filled industrialized sector.

"I don't even want to know."

"Remember the Corporation?" Captain wiped her brow while shooting in the right direction. "They are killing anyone that has wronged them. Want to guess who is leading them?"

"Is it Major Tom or the Stan guy?"

"You barely remember his name? But you are right. The two's trying to kill us and reclaim the Carnifex and Fortuna."

"That's shameful," I sneered. "So you want me to back you up, Captain?"

"Nah," Captain said. "I'll kill the robot guy and head to where you are. The Fortuna's is about to ram their ship."

"Did you continue that remote project?"

She did not need to answer. The Fortuna with its awfully reinforced bumper rammed the ship of the enemy. Captain was still projecting my face so it was easy enough for me to see her violent reactions. She made use of her laser rifle to break someone's jaw. She threw a plasma satchel (a souvenir from that mega-ship) and blasted the last remnants of the enemies.

Alderson walked next to me, staring at the PDA. "That your partner in crime?" he gasped for breath. "She's one hell of a crazy one! Wait...that's Regina Doll isn't it, holy fuck!"

I've heard recently that Captain's a well-known figure in the Milky Way galaxy. Her popularity has been slowly simmering down ever since she got out of the army, but I cannot deny that she's really known. Even Alderson have sparkling eyes as he looked at the scene being projected by the PDA of mine. "Miss, I am a huge fan. Alderson is my name, oh gosh!"

Alderson had the look of a fanboy. Captain gave a glance at Alderson and looked at the Fortuna opening its door. "I have to drive. Don't return to the apartment, Nix. Remember Katia and Olga? They said we can lay low on Mars for a while."

"That's great," I snapped. Alderson who was beside me shouted, "You live in the same apartment? What the hell man?"

"Merely platonic, and can you stop looking at someone's PDA?" I thundered. I slapped him again. "Can you please stop slapping me? You're Soldier turned bounty hunter and you are doing this to a humble me who gave you credits?"

"You wasted my time," I cocked my head. "So can you leave me alone? Do not do that again."

I have to go so I pressed the remote function of my watch. Carnifex flew straight up and created a sonic boom that made the airspace around the area tremble. Alderson looked at the Carnifex with eyes wide open. "That's a really impressive interceptor, do you by any chance need a security engineer or a mechanic interested in working on interceptor ships?"

He gave me a memory card containing terabytes worth of data. "What gives?" I asked. "This has a lot of information and some of these are quite good."

"You can tell?" Alderson spat. "Ah, it's probably the markings on the memory card. Damn, I should really have called a bounty hunter to fuck up that buffoon."

"You worked for the Army?" I asked.

"I did," Alderson sneered. "Horrible place isn't it?"

"I agree," I moved near the Carnifex. "Why leave?"

"Spend your life with men and women that smell alien blood? Spiders are scary and you are telling me to live near places that have giant spiders that can shoot acid and eat your head like candy? No thanks."

"You sound depressed."

"I am!" shouted Alderson. "Why in the heavens would I get someone to kill me if I was not depressed? There is literally no meaning for me to stay alive in this goddamn world!"

"The War's ending," I snapped. "No need to be so depressed now."

"You actually believe their bullshit?" Alderson laughed. "Have you been outside the Andromeda Galaxy? I can see that you have signs of someone who has been taking pills for longevity and muscle enchantment."

I glared at him, "Looks like you far up position wise. No wonder you can be a client and assign a bounty on your own self. That thing on your wrist makes me want to shoot you."

"Engineer stuff," he snapped at me. "I guess you recognize the defense of us Mechanized Engineers?"

"I do," I tilted my head. "Did you know that one of you fucks killed a good friend of mine? He was a chubby baby-faced guy but was the nicest. He was everyone's big brother and he had a chance to get away from war. Do you know what happens?"

I didn't let him speak. I felt an unspeakable hatred inside me.

"He got crushed by one of you fucks."

"Is that it then?" he scoffed at me. "Want to discriminate against anyone who is a Mechanized Engineer?"

I raised one finger, "Not quite. I am not that hateful against you folks. It's just that you pissed me off with that smug look on your face. I am confiscating that."

"I don't think you can!" he tried activating his gear. I clobbered him with my fist. He fell back down. He tried reaching for his watch. I stomped on his wrist and untied the gear. "DNA activated and fingerprints eh?" His hand touched the fingers as it then deactivated the security measures. I wrapped the watch around my left wright and said. "Thank you for the watch, Alderson." I drew an ancient pistol called revolver and shot Alderson right in the thigh. He shouted and wriggled in pain. "I really fucking hate that smug look of yours. But if I want an engineer to consult then I'll look for you."

"Son of a bitch!" he barked at me. "You didn't have to do that! And give me back my fucking watch!"

"Oh please," I sneered. "You have a lot of watches in you."

Alderson pulled an auto-syringed and healed his thigh. He sat cross-legged as I operate the Carnifex away from his house.