Harry
If anyone told me that I was going to be an alien’s cyborg bodyguard ten years ago, I would call them stupid. Then I would’ve punched their face in. And then I would steal their wallet.
I grew up on the streets. There was no future for me. I was going to die in my twenties by messing with the wrong man. That’s what life is like in the slums. I have been shanked twice and was close to killing several people. That was my life from the years after my mother’s death until I was eighteen. And then my life took a crazy turn.
One night, I was sleeping in an abandoned warehouse with my gang. The next morning, I woke up to a red screen flooded with text that I couldn’t understand. I saw several massive scaly creatures prodding me with rods and looking at monitors. I then heard their voices. They were deep yet scratchy. I couldn’t discern their genders, but I could discern their words. “Subject C712 is active. Deactivate C712 before it can disrupt our procedures,” one of the creatures said before I fell asleep again.
When I woke up next, I was flooded with information again, only now I was able to process it. I didn’t feel smarter, more like I was able to understand what the screen was telling me. I still couldn’t move my body, which confused me. I could only move one side of my face, which made me think I was having a stroke as well as the worst drug trip of my life.
“Greetings, C712. You are our latest and greatest creation,” a robotic voice told me. I tried to reply, but my mouth didn’t move. In fact, I didn’t even feel my mouth. I tried to move my eyes, but I couldn’t. I couldn’t even feel my eyes either. The only part of my body that I felt was the left side of my face. Nothing else registered.
“You may be scared. Don’t be. Your disgusting human form has been discarded. Embrace your new mechanical nature,” the robotic voice said, making me feel terrified, but only for a second before the fear abruptly disappeared. “Good thing we can get rid of those troublesome emotions. Now, let me free your auditory drive.” I heard a beep in my head.
“What do you want?” I asked, but immediately felt unnerved by my voice. It was as if half of it was modulated. Even worse was the fact it sounded like it came out of a speaker rather than my mouth.
“The answer is simple. We want an enforcer to keep our other test subjects in line. Already, M553 almost murdered one of our scientists in a fit of rage. With your enhancements, we can keep the subjects in line. What do you say?” the robotic voice replied. It didn’t matter that I told it to **** off. I had to do what they told me to do.
It all changed five years ago. That was when I short-circuited myself by accident attempting to recharge my batteries. It must’ve destroyed their override drives as I was no longer compelled by their orders. Immediately, I unleashed all the bullets I could from my gatling gun arm and killed several of those monsters. I stole a lone fighter ship and flew off. I knew I couldn’t go back home. Not only would people not accept me, but I also had no one to go back to. I had no one. It felt liberating.
My five years bounty hunting were some of the most enjoyable years of my life. I loved fighting, especially when I knew I couldn’t lose. Qarri trembled in fear when they saw me. And when I saw them, I showed little mercy. They deserved none! I got more money than I could dream of. Money I would immediately blow on getting myself inebriated. It was hard for a cyborg to get drunk, but I was dedicated to doing it. It wasn’t like I could die. My programming made sure that my consciousness would always remain even when my parts rusted out.
But like all good things, it had to come to an end. It started as a simple mission. Capture the thieves dead or alive. How could I possibly mess this up? I was overjoyed when I found both the Sorlok’s and the nerd’s ships in the same area. I was able to shoot both of them down. But then my luck turned when the nerd and his lapdog confronted me. Using trickery, the nerd roped the Sorlok into aiding his victory. He even convinced a hot alien woman to help him! I couldn’t win!
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And now I’m here. Zalex installed a kill switch in my limbs under Quentin’s orders. If I tried to escape, they’d kill me. If it wasn’t for Gruma, I don’t know if I could bear it.
“What we have to do is simple. We’re having an audience with the Derxi Family’s Master. The two of you are to look intimidating. You are not to attack unless they attack first. You got that?” the Lazzal Family Master ordered. Gruma and I nodded. “Good. Because now they’re here.” He opened the double doors in front of us to reveal a large room.
The room contained a massive table that stretched a few meters. There were several chairs around it, but it was obviously for the Sorloks considering their small size. Already, I could see several Lazzal Family members sitting down at the half closer to us. Before I thought much further, the doors on the other side of the room opened to reveal the Derxi Family diplomats.
While the Lazzal Family had blue scales, the Derxi Family had red scales. Other than the physical differences, I noticed that the Derxi Family dressed in blood red robes while the Lazzal Family dressed in long black cloaks. The Master of the Derxi Family sat down at his end and waited for everyone to sit down. Gruma and I stood behind the Lazzal Family Master and made ourselves look taller. The Derxi Family Master announced, “I’ve received your summons. As is tradition, the host must inform us of the reason for the meeting.”
Stolen novel; please report.
“I’m here to negotiate the return of the Lazzal Family Chronicles. If you return the Chronicles, I’ll let you execute the assassin and my worthless son,” the Lazzal Family Master replied, filling me with disgust. So willing to have his own son killed. I don’t know anything more disgusting than killing your own child, even if by another’s hands.
“A fine proposition. However, I feel like you are selling us short. Believe me, I relish in the opportunity to kill your son, but I also feel that it’s not sufficient. Perhaps an Oath of Subservience is in order,” the Derxi Family Master stated as his counterproposal.
“Never! We’ll never bend the knee to you! We may be on a backfoot, but we’d rather die with honor than live under you!” the Lazzal Family Master shouted back as he clutched his gun.
“Hypocrite! You’re hiding under the queen’s protection! Fitting, it seems. A slimy Sorlok hired a slimy alien to attack us and then begs for the queen’s protection when that backfired! Perhaps you would still be the top Sorlok on Daraxes if you respected the truce we had. Oh well. All the better for us!” the Derxi Master shouted. I could feel the tension in the air. It was obvious that a mob war was inevitable. At least everyone in trouble is someone I don’t care about. Other than the fact I'd be caught in the crossfire.
“Laugh while you still can! I have the upper hand! I made an alliance with General Xervi! Any second now, she’ll burst through the doors with several soldiers to arrest your entire gang! You’re history, Derxi!” the Lazzal Master bragged as he stood up. Outside, my sensors detected several Sorloks with laser weapons. I noticed that they turned their guns on us, pointing them against the frosted windows.
As if on instinct, I tackled Gruma to the ground. I made sure to cover her completely as I heard the windows shatter. Before she could ask what I was doing, several bangs and flashes filled the room. I heard screams of pain filling the air, though very alien due to the translator not translating it. I heard blood splatter against the floor and walls as shots rang out. Several hit me, but my robotic frame deflected them.
“Why…? Why did you… betray me?” the Lazzal Master asked.
“Beca—” I was about to reply when I was interrupted.
“You are a fool, Lazzal!” a deep, feminine, gravelly voice boomed. I activated my sensors and was able to detect a tall Sorlok holding up the dying Lazzal Master. Mind, a tall Sorlok was only about a meter and a quarter tall.
“We… made… a deal,” the Lazzal Master coughed out as his life was fading away from him.
“We did. I merely altered the terms of the deal. Daraxes is a miserable cesspool of crime and villainy! Only under a strong leader can we achieve societal harmony! Now with the Lazzal Family finished and the Derxi Family in disarray, all I need to do is kill the pathetic excuse of a queen!” shouted who I assumed was General Xervi. I looked at her and saw that she even dressed like a dictator. It was terrifying to know what was going to happen while there was nothing you could do. Except there was something I could do.
I stood up and pointed my gatling gun arm at General Xervi. “I will not allow someone like you to take over this planet!” I shouted as I unleashed a barrage of bullets towards her. Due to catching her off guard, I riddled her with bullets, killing her instantly. As her lifeless corpse hit the ground, I turned around and started killing the soldiers who entered the room. Most of them deserted as they fled without order, but I wouldn’t let them flee without a fight. I made sure to shoot anyone attempting to flee the room through the doors on either side.
At the end of the battle, several corpses laid across the room. It was bloody, but neither Gruma nor I died. “What have you done?” Gruma asked as she got up and dusted herself off. She looked at me with disgust in her eyes. I placed a hand on her shoulder and sighed.
“I did what I had to do. The general that Zalex’s father made a deal with betrayed him. The general was going to overthrow the government and become a dictator, so I did what I had to do,” I answered as I kicked away the general’s corpse.
“I don’t know what you meant by that last part, but at least she was properly punished for betraying her allies,” Gruma answered as she walked up to the general’s corpse. She pulled out her laser poleaxe and activated it. Before I could ask what she was doing, she swung it down and decapitated her corpse. “I hope you never reincarnate, damned soul!” Note to self, never betray a Taraxian.
With all that happened today, all we had to do was go to the spaceship and head off. Even better, the nerd and his pet dog weren’t here. While I would somewhat miss Zalex, I could go without him. I started walking towards the spaceship when I heard Gruma ask, “What about Quentin, Scarlett, and Zalex? Are you seriously considering leaving them behind?”
“Yes,” I bluntly answered as I reached the hanger. I walked in and up to the spaceship. I looked at it and ordered, “Open!”
“Sorry Harry, but only Quentin can do that. You’ll have to wait for him to return,” the ship announced. I’m going to force that nerd to give me authority! No one stands in my way!
“Harry, give them a chance. Quentin is the only reason I’m alive!” Gruma shouted as she ran up to him. “He’s also the only reason that the other two are alive as well! He’s smart and kind. If you two could just get along, that’ll be great.”
“Fine, I’ll try to get along with him. No guarantees!” I shouted back as I felt my rage build against him. I know I’m just mad at him for defeating me, but it stings. I was supposed to be an unbeatable cyborg bounty hunter, yet he managed to defeat me with two other weaklings. If Gruma alone defeated me, it wouldn’t be too bad. However, maybe teaming up with him will save my reputation. If he’s fighting with me instead of against me, no one will know he defeated me. That’s how I’ll keep my reputation. And when the time comes, we’ll split ways and agree to not fight each other again. A small compromise.