As we left the Miltech building, the sun started to set over the skyline of Nuvora. An orange glow met with the flickering lights of the city gradually getting brighter as it dipped below the horizon.

It didn’t take Jeremy long to start quizzing me about what I had to take care of, especially after the ominous turn the meeting with the General took.

“It’s nothing, you don’t have to babysit me either,” I said trying to brush Jeremy off.

“Right, in a city we never knew existed and suddenly you—“

Jeremy paused as his slate chimed with a new message. He looked up at me, his face lit by the slate as we got into the darker streets of Old Nuvora again.

“It’s a bounty Alex. For you. That’s what the General meant when he said they’re betting on you making to back to the ship.”

“Just my luck,” I muttered. “Alright we better make this fast then.”

“No Carter, we gotta get back to the Mortifera.”

I stopped and pushed the paper the old lady gave me against Jeremy’s chest. It was a note left by Lilly before she ran away onto the Haven. It explained why she was leaving and at the end of it she left a P.S. that said for me to leave a note if I ever came to Nuvora before she returned.

Jeremy was silent — no grin, no cheeky comments, just silent with a gentle nod of his head to acknowledge he was with me.

The evening air in Nuvora felt cold, a nice change to the warmth and bustle of the city earlier in the day. As we gained on the Archive building I could see a group of people close by. It was a large group that seemed like an odd place to hang out.

“Alex, we need to keep moving,” Jeremy said, his voice low and urgent as he scanned the street, eyes moving between each figure.

We crossed the street and tried to keep to the shadows, I took a glance over as we passed. It was a group of Miltech officers. They weren’t in uniform, but I recognised the stance, the way they held themselves. My stomach tightened. Surely Miltech wouldn’t be after us?

Jeremy nudged my arm. “They must know,” he muttered. “About you. About the bounty.”

I didn’t respond. I was too busy counting how many of them there were. There were six, maybe seven, we were outnumbered. My mind raced, hoping they wouldn’t look over as we walked on.

“Oi you over there, stop for a sec,” shouted one of the group across the street. They quickly closed the distance between us, with the rest of the group slowly trailing behind.

“We’re Miltech, I’d stop there if I were you,” demanded Jeremy.

The man laughed as he stopped in the middle of the road, putting his hands up mockingly in surrender. “Alright what branch you with then?”

“I’m Major Lewis out of Transporter Salvation.”

“Who’s this then?” He said as he ignored Jeremy and pointed at me.

“Nobody,” I replied defiantly.

“You look like a million Nuvora coins to me,” he snarled.

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He pulled out a concealed pistol, similar to one from Earth but another reminder that we were in some strange retro future city as it also had striking similarities to the Solari rifle I picked up back on Biterra. It was more fear inducing than having a regular weapon pointed at you, this one would fire as soon as the thought entered into his mind.

“Woah where’d you get that?” I said as I took a step back.

Without a word Jeremy lunged forward, hooking the leaders arm, taking his weapon and knocking him to the ground. The rest of the group pushed forward undeterred, their pistols were bio locked to the individual as Jeremy soon found out.

“Fuuck,” grunted Jeremy

He flung the pistol at the nearest person and clocked them right in the face, their head whipped back on impact giving Jeremy the chance to reach for his own pistol. Somehow in those seconds I got a chance to take in the glory of that move which was quickly taken from me as pops, hums, and cracks wizzed around me, followed by a nice jarring strike to the side of my head.

Knocked on the ground and no idea if Jeremy was fighting at this stage, I put my feet flat on the ground and started pushing myself with my back to the ground before a figure leaned over me pointing propping up their hands.

I quickly rolled and kicked as hard as I could into the side the their knee, a yell of pain and a stumble was all I needed to get back onto my feet. I hadn’t brought weapons with me to the surface — a rookie error that I never repeated again.

I jumped forward, grabbed the pistol and knocked them back before I took another blow to the side of the head.

—-

I opened my eyes and involuntarily gasped a breath like no other. It was like I was taking my first breath ever but it felt like I still couldn’t get enough oxygen. That’s when I realised my vision was obstructed, and I had some sort of bag over my head. It let in little trickles of light between its fibres.

“Take it off,” a deep voice commanded shortly before my face covering was removed. Sitting on a chair opposite to me was the General. Jeremy was sat on a chair next to me with his chin against his chest with the men who nabbed us stood around the room.

“You guys put up a bit of a fight, almost had me worried there for a moment,” he said with a light laugh while shaking his head.

“What’re you doing, we’re on the same team aren’t we. Miltech?”

The General hummed to himself, “You’re from the past Mr Carter, and unfortunately you made a mistake in the past.”

His finger started tapping against an object in his lap, a pistol, the same hybrid type as the others. He clicked his tongue as he raised it, pointing it at my head.

“I’m envious of the past,” he said before six shots filled the room, followed by six gradual thumps.

With another gasp of air I opened my eyes. I was sure I was a goner, but instead he killed the six men who brought us here. My confused look from what I thought was certain death seemed to amuse the General as he hopped up of his seat and approached.

“Corrupt. They didn’t deserve to be in Miltech.

“The only reason I’m standing before you is because I had you followed,” he said as he cut me free of the restraints.

“I..I thought you were behind it.”

“Ha. As much as Fletcher and his first mate would of enjoyed that, I couldn’t do that to the infamous Carter. Back from the dead and ready to haunt them.”

It felt like he was talking in riddles again, a lifetime of stories summarised in a few short sentences, but one that I didn’t live like him.

“What are you even talking about?” I asked.

“They came here and told stories of the battle they had with the Mortifera around the planet that the transporter Salvation founded. They said the Mortifera were savages that needed to be dealt with

“I was born on this planet, in Nuvora City, but one thing I know is that Miltech wouldn’t put their assigned transporters at risk for no reason.

“The first mate, Kai, well he was the one pushing to put up a bounty for you. As for Fletcher, he made sure he put some roots down here. He has large stakes in Nuvora industries and has his own little army in the shadows, like the ones you ran into.”

Fear and anger sent a chill down my spine as the General told me of the apparent stronghold that Fletcher has over Nuvora City. It sounded as if Fletcher wanted to keep his Elite status even out in the vastness of the universe.

Typical. Theres always gotta be someone like Fletcher. A thirst for power, for control.

The door to the room burst open and Miltech came flooding in. “SecMajor, room is clear.” It was our Miltech. Off the Mortifera. The sharp clicks of Hendersons heels reverberated around the room as she entered.

Our Miltech officers immediately picked up a still unconscious Jeremy and escorted him out while the others held up in defensive positions and stripped the dead Nuvora officers of their weapons. The General let out one of his laughs again,”here SecMajor I’ll make it easier for you.”

He pulled out a slate and swiped his finger up the screen in Hendersons direction. Her slate chimed as she scoffed and bent over to pick up one of the pistols.

“Let’s try this Carter, it’s the last time you’ll go anywhere unarmed,” scolded Henderson as she scanned the pistol then put it into my hand. Two orange flashes followed by a green meant it was now bio matched to me.

“I’m assuming he’ll need this on our way back to our ship,” she surmised and confirmed by a nod from the General.

“All of Fletchers mercenaries will know you’re here by now. And SecMajor… I’ve assigned two platoons and an additional ship to accompany you until your return, they’ll be waiting up at the space dock.”

It was refreshing to have the support of the General, but nerves still wrecked havoc across my bruised and battered body at the thought of getting to the space dock in one piece.