“Right on time!” Thomas said as he began to awaken. Ryan tried to reply back, but something caught in his throat. An invasive object that had no business being there. In a mild panic, he tried to yank at the obtrusion to his face, but a warm hand caught his as his brothers eyes looked down. “Do you want to rip out your esophagus? Quit it!” He warned.

Ryan lay quiet as Thomas chattered on and the doctor cleared away the tubes and hoses. Thomas talked to him, telling him the time and date. It had taken him an hour less to get back than it had been going. Return trips were always shorter. Thomas also gave Ryan a tongue lashing that he only half followed. “Don’t know what went on towards the end! You almost didn’t make it back! You're stubbornness about got you killed! Heart rate all over the place…. had to sedate you lest your body do a kick… could have been killed you fool!”

Finally free of the machines, Ryan carefully sat up. Days away from his body meant it was stiff and hungry. He gave a hearty stretch, his joints popping as Thomas finally gave him a hug, clapping him on the back. A bowl of soup sat on the table. Thomas always kept food near, no matter if he was due back or not. He knew what the hunger was like. Ryan hobbled to it, flexing his stiff ankles, and scarfed it down.

Work resumed as normal for the next few days. The brothers often operated their messenger duties in split shifts. A week or two for one, the other doing mercenary work if possible. Ryan took more of the mercenary work. He had a natural talent for it. The right instincts for killing and staying alive, and he could also astro travel much farther than Thomas could. Thomas however, refused to let Ryan do all the work and took simpler jobs when possible. He was also the one who organized everything, having a natural talent for organization and bartering.

A week went by before the money from Leo and Curtis came through, along with a heartfelt thanks. Evacuations had started off without a hitch and the body had been recovered that Leo so desperately wanted back.

Thomas sat balancing the books late one night. “We are so close. Maybe two or three jobs more, and we can be done.” He whispered to Ryan. Ryan had been messaging the past week and a half, and it showed. His body was dangerously thin from skipped meals and he ate nonstop to keep up the carbs. He thought fondly of the chicken and beef from planet Bezants. This world was not sophisticated enough to have protein every night. They had to buy it at sky high prices from the market. Ryan bit into a chunk of meat that flavored the thin soup before him. Some rodent from this planet, but the protein was wrong, and was of no nutritional value. It was only added as taste.

“Find me a big job, and we can get it done sooner.” He said back.

Thomas shook his head. “I’d rather a few small jobs and you stay alive.”

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“I’ve done fine so far. I can do it.”

He had done fine so far. But Thomas gave him a mournful stare. “You have. But there have been a few close calls. What good is the money if you die? We are supposed to go together.”

In the end, Ryan got his wish. A big job. One Thomas couldn’t resist and that would set them free. Ryan tapped the sheaf of papers against his thigh that Thomas handed him as he talked to him about it. “This is super dangerous. But the money is more than enough to get us out of here.” He said. “So dangerous though, that not even Postrie would take it.” Postrie was their mercenary mentor. A crazy man who lived for the thrill of killing. So much so that he inhabited a small planet all on his own with just his twelve wives and kids. He killed to keep them fed, but also because he had a hellacious blood lust.

“Postrie wouldn’t even do it?” Ryan dropped his mouth in surprise, a bit of chewed up vegetable matter falling out.

“No. First it comes from Planet Sasfriesas.”

“Shit.” The richest planet in the universe. No wonder the payment was so high. But also the most technologically advanced, with a fully terraformed climate and known as the second Earth. If there was a planet in the known universe considered the capital, Sasfriesas was it.

“Second, Postrie claims that there are rumors of a weapon that can take out a Astro-Projectionist.”

“Take out? Like kill? Do you mean in the body it’s inhabiting? Or the spirit itself?”

“Good question. Postries sources said both.”

Ryan felt a chill down his spine. Of course any weapon could kill a body. Blow a big enough hole while an Astro-Projectionist was not expecting it into said body, and both body and Astro-Projectionist was dead. Usually that was hard to accomplish though. A good mercenary would be trained to leave at the first sign of danger. Point a gun and they flee, leaving the body. Step on a land mine, leave before the foot even lifted. But the people of Planet Sasfriesas were far too refined for such barbaric means. Any weapon they created would be hard to detect, a work of art, and deadly in its efficiency.

Ryan lifted the sheaf from his thigh and glanced through the papers. The mission was well thought and concise. It involved assassinating a well known leader. The details and steps were simple enough. Using an invisibility suit, fly in, shoot, and he could leave the body. The risks that were listed were troublesome though and gave him pause. Detection devices that could find him leaving him only a three minute window to complete his mission, weapons that were unheard of that could take him out and cause unknown damage, poor visibility of the target. He thought it over. “If they don’t care about what happens to the body afterwards, this could be worth it.” He said to Thomas. “Even if I fail, I can leave the body at the first sign of danger. We could just send the half of the payment they sent back.”

“Yes, but what if they use a weapon you can’t escape? What then? We don’t know what could happen. We don’t really know what they have!”

Ryan thumped the papers down onto the table, his decision made. “Its worth a try though. I want my life back. I’m willing to try a gamble. I can at least go and learn the weapons and decide then.”

He watched Thomas blow out his breath in fear and exasperation. “Fine. I don’t like it. But fine.” Thomas turned to go back to the lab downstairs to send a message back to the requestors but stopped. “You get out of there at the first sign of danger though! I mean it. I don’t think this is one you will be able to drag out. You hesitate with this one, you are done for.”