Ura was in the passenger seat, and I followed the GPS to the bounty office with a dead body in the trunk of the car. I left the Datapad in the spaceship. We made sure to leave it in the Hidden Cargo bay with the Elven Tree Sap. It was best left in the safest part of the ship, and Ura was looking around happily, “I cannot believe how happy I am to be in a shit town like this in bum fuck nowhere.” Ura said, “Dunno how you made a living as a bounty hunter here.”
Driving, I didn't answer, but I couldn't help but agree with her. There weren't many people, but something told me that the dumbfuck in the trunk wasn't the first engineer that stole something and ran. It wasn't going to be my problem soon as we reached the office, and I pulled in and parked the skimmer where I had found it before.
“We are going to have to walk back,” I told Ura, and she nodded.
“Expected as much,” She replied, and I grabbed the keys, got out of the skimmer, and opened up the trunk. I picked up the dead body and heaved it onto my shoulder easily. I looked around as I walked and thanked the heavens that I had a good strength stat. With the number of weapons I was carrying, I would be hard-pressed to carry around a lot if I didn't.
I walked around the building with Ura following me before I turned to her. “Say nothing,” I told her flatly, “Play by ear and collaborate on my story if you have to,” I finished, not insulting her intelligence before opening the door.
I was greeted by a sleepy and angry expression on Richard's as I brought in the body. “Took you fucking long enough, Cat.” He cursed, “Boss wants to see you; disappointed you took so long,” Richard said, still holding a grudge.
“Okay, Lead the way, Dick,” I said blandly, and Richard snarled.
“Fucking lying, Cat,” Richard snarled, turning away and ignoring Ura.
I followed along into the base with the dead body on my arm. We walked in and the Lizard I saw much earlier this morning was there looking at me as I entered. “Sleepy Wonder,” The Lizard said as I entered, “I was disappointed how long you took to complete this bounty,” He said as he looked at Ura.
“Who is the Polira?” He said, motioning to Ura.
“Woman I saved from Slavery,” I said flatly as I dropped the dead body in front of his desk, as he looked back at me. “Found that this guy had sent out a signal for backup. Two ships came down, although I think he was only expecting one,” I said. “Saw him, and I punched a hole through his chest. I went into a gunfight with two Hextars and two Polira,” I continued blandly, “Killed the two Hextars and the two Polira while the other spaceship dipped. I didn't have any weaponry for the spaceship that fled, so I didn't try to take it down. I got onto the ship, left behind on a rough landing pad, and entered inside. Found this little Polira who just so happened to be the old captain of the ship and a capable helmsman.” I continued my Voice flat as if it was nothing at all. “Rescued her and used the spaceship to bring back the skimmer and the body. I left the Pirates at the scene and came over with the bounty.” I finished, and my boss looked at me for several moments.
“Sleepy Wonder,” He said after a few moments, “You have never made me want to question your story before, so I won't now. So I have a question, though. Did you see a Datapad?” He asked. “A company that set the bounty is looking for it, and it comes with a hundred thousand Federation Credit bonus. Did you find it?”
“A data pad?” I asked and shook my head, “I found some boxes of parts and rations. A couple of blueprints for traps that I learned and the blueprint for the Rough landing pad and transmitter. I also grabbed some shitty assault rifles. I don't remember a data pad, though,” I said, turning to Ura. “You see one?” I asked before turning back to the Lizard.
“W-When I was helping you load,” Ura stuttered, sounding a little more hurt, “I d-d-didn't see it,” She shook her head, and I turned back.
“No datapad,” I said, shrugging, my tone casual, “Maybe the other spaceship took it?”
The lizard's eyes narrowed, and he turned his head to spit. “Fuck! I was hoping you had it,” The lizard cursed. “The Corporation is on my heels about it. They never fucking said anything in their bounty until you had already left. I will message them,” He said. “Don't go too far,” The Lizard said, and I nodded.
“I will leave the corpse with you,” I said, getting up and motioning for Ura to follow me.
We both walked out, and I headed to the room I had started in. I quickly gathered my stuff and collected my tools while Ura sat on my bed. “Got a bag?” She asked, and I pointed to the bed sheet. She scoffed but shrugged as Richard came to the door.
“Sleepy Wonder, What are you doing?” Richard asked.
“Packing,” I told him.
“This Ura bitch taking you off the world?” He asked, his tone changing.
“Not your business,” I replied.
“No, but it is the Bosses,” Richard said, leaving.
“He hates you,” Ura said matter-of-factly.
“His problem,” I replied.
“Maybe ours soon,” Ura replied. I looked at her, and I grimaced. I didn't think about the background of my Character. Maybe I had something over my head that I didn't know, and that might be a problem with leaving.
I shrugged, continued packing, and soon found a large duffel bag under the mattress, so I didn't need to use the sheets. I began packing everything in the bag when Richard came back with a smile.
“Boss isn't happy, Cat,” He said with a grin, “Wants to talk, Now.” He finished.
I nodded, finished packing up my duffel bag, and double-checked everything before turning and walking with Ura back to the office with all my stuff and tools in my room. The body was still there, and I placed my stuff to the side and put my sniper next to it, watching the Lizard when I came into the room.
“Sleepy Wonder. Are you trying to escape your contract with us?” He asked, and I looked at him uncaringly.
“Show me the contract,” I said, and the Lizard scoffed.
“You are under me for at least another year,” The lizard said, and I looked at him.
“Show me the contract,” I replied simply, “I have found no record of that contract among my stuff, and so I want to see my fingerprint or signature on a contract that I have signed,” I told him simply with a flat tone and the lizard looked at me deeply.
“I don't have it here,’ He replied.
“Then show me the exact copy of it,” I told him, my voice turning vaguely hostile, and Ura watched me.
I stared at the Lizard boss in front of me as before he growled. “Fine,” He said and stood. He walked over to a cabinet and brought forward a data pad, and placed it in front of me. “Sleepy Wonder, You make a good amount of Credits bounty hunting here,” The Lizard continued, “We even give you parts to mess around with and make guns. Why do you want to leave?” He asked.
I ignored him and opened up the data pad and noticed a Notification Icon.
—
Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.
Datapad with Personal Employment Contract.
A contract binding you to the Penvora Bounty Hunter office.
—
I looked through the contract and frowned as I looked through it. I scoffed as I looked at the time stamp, and it seemed this Tutorial wasn't over yet. I found a clause at the end that bound me here till either I paid a ridiculous sum of over a million federation credits. Worse, if I was looking at the amount of time I would need to spend here to time out the contract, it was at least another six months. This gave me fifty percent of each bounty, but I didn't have to be here during that time. Any tools they gave me to keep me happy were my own, including equipment.
Looking over this contract, I could tell that the person I was before taking over this body was desperate to get work. They were technically inclined but needed parts and credits to make the weapons. This contract was perfect for such a person, and I would probably time out in six months without an issue and move on with life. That would be perfect if it wouldn't handicap me in the game world right after leaving. This was a tutorial, but I wasn't in a rush to leave.
I looked it over again with a slightly different mindset and came to some fun discoveries. There was no clause that I had to do a bounty every month, and it was only that I had to stay within reasonable contact with the boss. There was nothing that I had to stay on the planet or that the bounties I had to do were on the planet. This was intriguing, and I also found that I had relative freedom on which bounties I took so that I didn't take something that would kill me. All very interesting notes in the contract.
That means that if I wanted to, I could stay in the tutorial for Six months if the tutorial was breaking out of it. I could simply pay fifty percent of all earnings I made on bounties that I made out planet to the Pervona Bounty Office. That meant for six months; I would be paying the Pervona Bounty office in order to stay in the Tutorial world if that is what was keeping me here.
I did not know what was keeping me in the tutorial, though. Was this already the game world, or did I have to log out? There were questions on that, and I frowned. I had been in the pod for four hours, and I would need to eat in real life soon and get some good sleep along with some time to stretch my muscles.
I had an elliptical in my apartment to get some movement in for at least a half hour with some weights. But I also had to make sure I did a sleep stream tonight for at least six hours. I loved making money while I slept and knew I would be sleepy when I awoke. I was already starting to feel sleepy, which meant that I should deal with this lizard and head back to the spaceship with a clear plan.
“I don't see anything in this contract that I have signed that says that I cannot leave,” I told the Lizard, surprising him. “I see that for all bounties I take, I have to pay you half for at least the next six months. There is nothing in here that says that I have to be on base or in the office. Even says that I can feel free to turn down priority ones if I feel that they are a risk to my health. I can just choose to make all bounties you hand me in total too dangerous because you may want to retaliate against me. Again, all I have to do is pay fifty percent of all bounties to you that I do regardless of where I am in the galaxy,” I told him, my voice flat, and Ura looked at me surprised, as did the Lizard.
I took the contract and handed it to Ura, and she began to look it over.
“What?!” The Lizard said and pulled out the contract himself, and slowly I saw that his face was drained of color as he read it himself. “YOU HAVE THE OLD CONTRACT!” He exclaimed.
“That is the contract I signed with my fingerprint on it, it seems,” I replied, “The one you initially said you didn't have when I asked for it. Seems I will be leaving, and I will pay out any bounties in the next six months to you.” I finished with a smile reaching down to my bags.
“I have a bounty for you,” The Lizard suddenly exclaimed. “I will transfer the Credits to your account, and you do this last bounty for me. The Bounty is a million credits. I keep that, and you can leave!” He said, his tone desperate.
I frowned, looking at him, “Are you threatening not to pay me if I don't do this bounty?” I asked; this time, I reached for my shotgun instead of reaching toward my bags.
“What are you doing?” The lizard asked, alarmed.
“You will pay me now for my last bounty,” I said, kicking the corpse at my feet, “Or we will have other issues,” I told him.
“You,” The Lizard paused, looking at me, and growled. He turned to his computer, and I received a notification. I pulled it up quickly and saw the transaction.
—-
Current Balance:
Federation Credits:202200
—-
I nodded, pulled my hand back from my shotgun, and leaned back. “You should know me by now,” I said seriously, “Threats to what is mine will be met with hostility.”
“I am aware,” He snarled. “The bounty is for Dane and his henchmen in Twirling Canyon,” He said, and I laughed as he finished. He realized as he turned to look at me I was laughing in a mocking way at him. “What?!” He shouted, losing his cool.
“I will time my contract out,” I told him seriously, “Or I will pay it off with the penalty when I wish,” I continued. “For now,” I stood, keeping the original of my agreement. “I will be leaving. I will pay you fifty percent when I can. Thanks for the help in the past. I would rather not ruin our relationship.”
The Lizard opened his mouth when a sudden buzz happened, and he turned to his computer.
“What is it?” He asked.
“Is your Bounty hunter still there?” The other person asked.
“Yes,” the lizard said, turning to me, “Sleepy Wonder, someone wants to talk to you,” He said.
I rolled my eyes, and he turned the Monitor to me. It had the head of someone attractive. A sharp-looking man that was handsome. His black suit made him a talking head I dated once and learned that he was a terrible boyfriend that was never around. With my sex drive, that made him next to useless.
“Sleepy Wonder is your name?” The talking head asked.
“It is,” I replied.
“Did you happen to come across a Datapad when you were claiming your bounty?” He asked.
“No,” I replied.
“Do you mind if we check?” He asked, and I shrugged.
“I was planning on leaving the planet soon, so sure.” I replied, “Don't want you thinking I have it. Since you are taking it so seriously, I am sure there must be something important about it.” I replied, and the guy nodded.
“You are right,” He said, “I won't go into details, but it can be very bad in the wrong hands. We received a brief from your boss, so we only need to check the spaceship and you for it. Is that acceptable?”
“No,” I told him, and he showed a surprised expression, “But I will allow you to do it. I just don't like you snooping through my things.” I told him, and he nodded in understanding.
“Also, remember,” I said, “I just took it back from Pirates. Some of the stuff on the ship isn't ours.” I finished.
“The ship says it belongs to an Ura?” The man said, looking away from the screen.
“She is with me,” I replied, “Saved her from the Pirates when I was taking your bounty.”
“Very good,” He said with a smile, “Still, we need to check the ship, but we understand that it was just taken back from pirates. I will make a note to authorities on that as well.” He said, and I nodded.
”Thank you,” I said and turned to Ura. “Ura, let us go and meet them at the ship,” I told him and grabbed my things without looking back at the angry boss I was leaving behind.
Ura was smiling as she followed me out, and I saw the gloating expression of Richards up until the moment I didn't walk back down the hall to my room. Instead, I walked out of the Bounty office, not to grace those walls with my presence anymore.
“Let us walk back first, then plan from there,” I said, and Ura nodded.
“They were pissed that you were not paying them off or doing their contract. I am not sure which,” She said.
“I think I wasn't making the full Bounty amount,” I told her, “Either way, I will pay them off on my own time. I want to see if the grass is greener on the solo side first.”
“Makes sense. I will also transfer your shares soon for the ship.” Ura said.
I nodded, and we walked in the night back toward the ship. Ura cuddled up to me as we walked. I noticed the Notification in the corner of my screen and opened them up.
—-
New Trait unlocked: Contract bound.
I'm not stuck with you. You are stuck with me.
—-
—-
New Trait unlocked: Stubborn Negotiator.
I take it all, and you get nothing.
—-
—-
New Trait Unlocked: Reasoned Negotiator.
My terms are within the binds of the Contract. I'm not breaking it, Are you?
—-
They were odd, but I smiled. I wondered if traits were good or bad. Either way, I felt like I should want more, not less. My guess could always be wrong. Just like I hoped that if I logged out, I wouldn't lose the Tutorial I had been working in.
My mind raced with plans as I walked in silence back to the spaceship with Ura.