Nameless followed Captain Spider over to the black and red ship that the little Spider had crawled out of. He studied the little boy as they walked, taking in his hunched and hesitant gate, his head held low and unassuming; the Spider's beady little eyes darting back and forth, constantly checking his surroundings. The young bounty hunter had never encountered such a person before. Could it even be counted as a person? He looked far more machine than human.

Nameless came to the side of the ship, studying the peeling paint, proud massive guns, and the high antennae. The little spider captain patted the hull of his boat, his young, scared face grinning as Nameless studied the ship.

“H-her name is, is M-m-m-m-magnolia,” Spider said.

“That's a lovely name,” Nameless said, smiling. “Is she fast?”

The young Spider nodded vigorously.

“I-I m-m-m-modded her m-m-my s-s-s-self. S-s-she's the only b-boat I'm, I'm paired with.”

“Paired with?” Nameless asked with a raised eyebrow.

The Spider nodded again, twirling and spinning his metal limbs in a nauseating pattern.

“Ah.”

“I-I-I was b-boatswain of, of clan m-m-m-mosscrow's s-s-s-squadron. W-w-we protect the the s-s-s-s-shipping lanes,”

“Not anymore. You're with us now, buddy.”

The little Spider smiled, several teeth missing in his grin.

“Where's everybody else, Captain Spider?”

“They, they all went up t-t-to fight. I-I-I w-was left to guard the boats-s-s-s.”

“How come you didn't shoot at us?” Nameless asked curiously.

The little Spider hesitated, then spoke. “Y-y-you d-don't look like them-mean people. I-I-I d-didn't wanna hurt a-any, any in-n-n-nocent p-people.”

Nameless chuckled. “Well, you wouldn't happen to have any medical supplies on this bad boy—”

“Bad girl,” Spider corrected. “And M-m-m-magnolia isn't a bad, bad girl, s-s-s-she's a p-pretty queen, and s-s-s-she messes p-people up.”

“Right,” Nameless chuckled. “Does Magnolia have any medical supplies? My friends are hurt pretty badly.”

Spider nodded happily.

“T-t-there's am-medical b-bay on, onboard,”

“Awesome. Hey, guys!” Nameless beckoned to the group. “Get over here!”

The ragtagg group trotted toward the Magnolia.

Aj and Sammy gazed at the ship in wonder, eyeing the massive hull and guns. Julia and Carla held Hera upright. She had no visible damage aside from her leg, but she looked to be in severe pain. Julia nudged Hera in the ribs and she groaned in pain and broke free of the girl's grip, closing the distance to Spider.

Spider, seeing the girl approach, hunched lower, his eyes lowering to the ground.

“Hey, Spider. Listen, I'm—” Hera hesitated. Nameless could see a spark of lightning in Julia's eye behind Hera. Hera must have noticed the energy from behind her and continued. “I'm sorry. Okay? I'm sorry for being so rude.”

Spider looked up from the ground, making eye contact with Hera.

“R-really? N-no one's a-apologized to me b-before.”

Julia strode past Hera, giving her a sideways glance, then knelt before Spider.

“Get used to it, little guy. Now, did I overhear that you got a med bay on that big, beautiful ship of yours?”

Captain Spider's face lit up with joy.

“Y-yeah! C-come on, onboard!”

Spider raced to the side of the ship and, using his metal limbs, scuttled up the metal hull, well, like a spider.

“G-gimme a s-s-s-s-second!” A tiny, faint voice could be heard from the overhead of the group. As metallic noises and grinding from Magnolia's deck sounded out, Nameless turned to look back from where they came. He scanned the top of the chasm and walls, looking for any signs of people. There were none. Then his eyes drifted to the mouth of the cargo bay.

There, blending in the dark just beyond the limits of the sunlight were faint silhouettes of tall, slender, inhumane forms. Tiny specks of red and blue were glinting from the cave.

Terror bubbled in Nameless’s guts as he slowly tapped Aj’s shoulder.

“Don’t. Move,” he whispered. “There are vectors in the cargo bay.”

Only Aj heard him, and he nodded, fear glinting in his eye.

“Spider? Any time now, buddy,” Nameless called out nervously.

“Nameless” Julia retorted incredulously, oblivious to the danger they were in.

“J-just a s-s-s-second!”

Nameless rested his palm on the handle of his pistol, cold sweat running down his body as his hairs stood on end. He was making distant but direct eye contact with at least five vectors. Only a few hours ago, he had just witnessed what one could do to a group of men. They needed to move fast.

“Spider? Now would be a great time, pal,” Nameless called up, his voice shaky.

“He's a person, 8-0-1! Stop ordering him around,” Julia scoffed. “Take your time, Spider!”

“T-the r-r-rope ladder is s-s-s-stuck,” Spider chuckled gleefully.

Nameless wasn’t fazed by Julia using his numbers. Instead, he unlatched the holster to his pistol. Sammy turned around, the holster snap seemingly alerting her.

“Don't,” Aj sputtered, but it was too late.

Sammy looked back and saw the eerily distinct, semi-concealed forms of the Vectors.

“Oh, my gods,” Sammy whimpered, her face losing all color.

Spider flung the rope ladder from the top deck, clanging loudly on the metal pier below. The sound rang out; the clang bouncing off the walls. Sammy, Aj, and Nameless all jumped from the sudden abrupt noise.

“There, you impatient little shits. Ladies, first, let's go, girls,” Julia said smugly.

Sammy bolted through the group, instantly grabbing the ladder, and getting up onto the armored gunboat as quickly as her tiny body would let her.

“Well, excuse me!” Julia huffed, clearly irritated. “Look, I know we're all tired, but there's no need for—”

“Just get on the fucking boat!” Aj growled as Hera started climbing the ladder slowly, taking advantage of Julia being distracted.

Julia spun around to face the remaining men and the cave mouth.

“I don't know what the hell has gotten into you two, but—” Julia's angry tone flattened as her eyes picked up the dark outlines in the cavemouth.

“Oh,” she whispered softly, her eyes widening.

“Spider,” Nameless called out, “can you please get those guns up? Like right now?”

“C-c-can do, s-s-sir!” Spider called out, utterly unaware of the danger.

There was a metallic clack, and then the sound of quickly moving feet as Sammy must have rushed inside. Spider reappeared over the deck, smiling at his new friends. He turned to reach out his right hands to help Hera over the deck well. She looked at him in disgust and took his human hand for support. Spider helped her over, blissfully ignoring her disgusted expression and gestured kindly to the open hatch.

Hera limped past Spider, Nameless watching from below. After everyone was onboard, Nameless followed them inside, unease tearing at his stomach. Inside the cabin of the Magnolia was a wide and long metal panel, cover in buttons, levers and ships wheel housed before a worn leather captains seat.

“D-down there is the m-m-medbay and b-bunks,” Spider pointed toward the gaping causeway in the cabin floor.

“Everyone except Aj and Julia down there, now,” Nameless commanded.

The girls nodded apprehensively and descended into the guts of the ship.

Spider scuttled to the captain's seat and eased into the worn leather chair; the air escaping from the center with a soft hiss. His metallic hands flattened into spade-like metal formations and inserted themselves into the panel. His robotic feet locked into the ship's floor inserts, the metal limbs meshing with the pedals, becoming one.

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Spider's body lurched as the panel sprung to life. The boy's eyes rolled into the back of his head as his human limbs moved seemingly by themselves, clicking buttons and pulling levers at breakneck speed.

The Magnolia's engines roared to life, sending pitch-black water soaring as the rudders activated. The ship's radar systems began spinning atop the cabin ceiling. The windows in front of Spider transformed into holographic sheets of data speeding by far too fast for the human eye to pick up. The data sheets were then replaced by the speed, fuel, and ammo levels, along with sight pictures from the gun turrets. Captain Spider was now one with the mighty Magnolia.

“The captain has taken the helm,” a female voice buzzed from an intercom in the panel.

Spider smiled, then took in the ship's surroundings. The radar indicted five unique human-shaped holes in the scan; something was bouncing the radar back. Spider grimaced.

“We’ve got five dark ones, sir,” Spider's voice boomed from the ship's exterior horn intercoms. It was the same one the group had been challenged by earlier.

Aj, Julia, and Nameless all exchanged looks.

“Well, he's certainly full of surprises,” Julia chuckled nervously.

Nameless nodded.

“Stay onboard, I'll cover you guys,” Nameless said not so confidently. He reached into his right pocket and held up the vial. As Aj reached out to take it, a very faint buzzing could be heard from the cargo bay, where the elevator shaft lay.

“You do know he has big ass guns, right? You don't have to do this,” Aj interjected.

“It's not his guns; it's his fishing boat turned gunship. We can't handle the Vectors trying to sink this thing. Go!” Nameless said vehemently.

“I don't like this,” Julia whined.

Ignoring them, Nameless walked out of the cabin, shutting the hatch. He then vaulted over the deck, thudding unto the pier. He brushed himself off and began walking down the wooden plank. Every fiber of him screamed, Stay on the ship, get to Oasis, get paid. But in that moment, he had had enough. Money was worthless if they all died. Maybe him fighting and dying here and now wouldn’t fix life on Mars. But he had never gone out of his way for anyone his entire life. Time to make up for that. Nameless silently prayed to the Gods, as he walked toward the Vectors.

A boon from Sol Invictus, God of glory and order, that Nameless’s weapons would not jam or blunt. A short prayer to Bellum, god of war, for strength and courage. A plea to Mistress Nima, the goddess of justice, that evil would fail. And a prayer to his patron god, the thirteenth and nameless one, god of unknown soldiers. That win or lose, his friends would make it.

The five vectors slowly began moving into the sunlight, their clairvoyant camouflage deactivating, revealing pure white cloaks draped over their slender bodies. Had they not been angels of death, their stride toward the ship would have indeed been beautiful.

The ship was built for fighting, not speed. It was doubtful that the shipbuilders had intended this refurbished fishing vessel to be going toe to toe with the most lethal beings on Mars. The young bounty hunter needed to buy his friends time.

Nameless held his pistol in one hand, unsheathing and baring his thermal knife with the other. The blade activated with an eerie hum, the blade's edge glowing pure white and vibrating. Maybe if he had stayed on the boat, they could all get away; perhaps they'd all die. There was no way to be sure. But this way, he could buy some time and atone for hesitating back in the camp.

Resolve and fear whirled around inside his mind as his legs seemed to move by themselves toward the danger. Pure liquid fear seemed to be injected into his brain again, perhaps a product of the Vectors' abilities.

“C’mon! You want me? Here I am!” Nameless shouted.

The Vectors did not break their stride, merely speeding up ever so slightly.

Suddenly, a searing migraine cracked Nameless 's head, molten hot pain racking his mind.

“Give us the vial,” a wretched, terrible voice said inside his head. It was the most horrible voice he had ever heard. It wasn't human. It sounded like a fork being scraped slowly along a metal plate, the words echoing in his mind. Dozens of smaller barbs of pain and voices mimicked the words, but not entirely, creating a chaotic choir of small little voices saying the word vial over and over and over.

Nameless 's knees nearly buckled, his legs feeling the need to fold.

“That's not fair,” Nameless grunted.

Despite the pain, he continued trudging forward. He suddenly doubted every decision he had made up until that point. The Vectors were buzzing and hissing, their red and blue eyes blazingly bright, boring into Nameless 's skull. His full intention was to die if needed, here on this rusty pier in a derelict, polluted chasm river.

The Vectors halted, each one marginally taller than the young bounty, a few dozen paces away. The seeming Vector leader, with a bold blue stripe lining the front of its hood, stepped forward. Its cloak shrank and receded into the Vectors body like an insect's wings, revealing a human-like torso covered in a white combat skin lining. Electric energy coursed through the hexagonal patterns of the body suite. The Vectors head was still shrouded with a hood, but the bright light from its eye seemed to reveal a dimly light, sunken metal face. Possibly a mask of some kind.

“You know what? You are one ugly son of a bitch,” Nameless said.

He hawked a phlegm rocket into the sand in front of him, entering the combat stance he had been trained for since birth.

“Foolish boy,” the voice said again. ”Give us the vial,”

“Come and get it,” Nameless said through gritted teeth.

The Vectors formed a semi-circle in front of Nameless, their figures relaxed yet ready. The Leader came closer to Nameless, its body tensing as the sound of the ship warming up started to echo in the chasm.

“You guys got what you wanted! Everyone's dead. What's so important about this vial?” Nameless asked, desperately vying for more time.

“You know not what you carry. Give me the vial.”

“Yeah,” Nameless sighed and squeezed the trigger. His pistol erupted, the bullet barreling straight for the leader's shrouded figure. The bullet impacted the Vector's face, ricocheting off, narrowly missing Nameless as it sped back into the sand.

The Vector cackled a low, creature-like amusement that made Nameless 's skin crawl. The Vector extended its hands, its fingers morphing into knife-like, long blades. The Leader got down and started to circle Nameless.

“That is not cool,” Nameless groaned, holstering his pistol. He kept his knife up; maybe the thermal knife could still do some damage. The Vector seemed to doubt that, as it charged him.

Nameless was shocked at how fast it moved; time seeming to slow down as the creature came barreling down on him. The long finger knife blades came whistling for his face. Nameless swung the thermal knife barely in time, bringing the white, glowing edge down on the Vector's finger blades.

Electric sizzling could be heard as the Vector screeched, recoiling backward clutching its hand. One of the blades had been severed, a deep black tar-like substance coming from where the blade had been separated. The Vector glared at Nameless.

“That is no ordinary thermal knife,” the voice seethed. ”Where did you get that?”

A glimmer of hope rose in Nameless 's chest. If it could bleed, it could die. Maybe he could take at least one out of commission? What did the Vector mean that this was no thermal knife. It seemed like any other fancy thermal blade to him.

The Vector's body contorted, its eyes blazing with fury as its back arched. Pure blue energy coursed through its armor as the Vector's entire suit seemed to glow.

“Oh shit,” Nameless stammered.

The Vector charged Nameless, full speed, and force. All he saw was a blind flash of light and sparks, followed by the sensation of the ground falling away.

Nameless felt all the air leave his body simultaneously as he realized he was flying midair. Did the Vector hit him? He didn't seem to remember; there was no impact at all. Just pain, and now air all around. Nameless felt confused as the ground rushed to meet him. He smashed into the ground, crumpling like a lifeless doll. As the bounty hunter looked up from the ground, it was apparent he had been thrown a good ten feet back onto the pier.

“Now!” Julia commanded over the radio, her voice echoing through the valley.

“But we don't know what's in the canisters,” Spider responded, his young voice echoing along the wall.

“He's got a gap, fire!” Julia exclaimed firmly.

Nameless turned momentarily, to see the little Captain’s determined face outlined from behind the glass window of the cabin. Nameless dove on the ground, covering his head, watching the cabin through the glass window.

Spider's metal limbs twitched furiously. Outside, rocket pods emerged from the ship's deck and let loose a furry of rockets directly into the clump of Vectors. As the rocket pods sent projectiles whistling through the air, the vessel began backing away from the pier, gaining speed rapidly.

Captain Spider expertly swung the ship back into the polluted river, the ship's engine roaring and water being sent up like a geyser from behind the boat. As the ship's side was now facing the Vectors, Captain Spider aimed the turrets at the dark creatures. The ship began moving forward downstream, creating a diagonal sector of direct fire for the machine gun turrets that avoided hitting Nameless.

Belts of ammo began rushing into the feed trays of the gun turrets, Spider seamlessly steered the ship and aimed precisely at the Vectors. The roar of the guns filled the chasm, the echoes traveling for miles as the rocket pods and guns, big and small, ripped into the Vectors.

Smoke, phosphorus, grapeshot, rockets, grenades, machine-gun fire pounded the Vectors, melting their built-in shields. Beams of light, sparks, and explosions enveloped the forms of the vectors. As Nameless struggled to get air back into his lungs, as the smashing sound of the ammunition impact and continuous pop of rounds going over his head pulverized his eardrums.

The young bounty hunter scrambled to his feet and started sprinting down the pier. As he moved, the shrieks of the vectors overcame the sounds of gunfire and explosions as some were ripped to shreds, others activating bright blue energy shields and digging into the ground, desperately trying to survive the ballistic onslaught.

“C'mon, Nameless!” Julia nervously called from the ships horn.

As Nameless sprinted for his life, he saw the back door to the cabin open.

Aj swung the cabin hatch open and ran down the length of the ship deck toward the very back. Resting on some shipping crates, was a massive belt-fed gun. Aj hefted the gun onto the deck well, bracing the gun. He fed the large rounds into the feed tray and racked the gun. He sighted in on the pier as Nameless ran toward him.

As Nameless closed in on the ship, the gun turrets were cut off, their bright orange barrels smoking. The rocket pods were still reloading and firing, but they alone couldn't keep the Vectors down.

Nameless sprinted toward the boat, rapidly running out pier. As he ran, scuttling could be heard directly behind him. He didn't need to look to understand what was chasing him. Behind him was the Vector leader.

Aj sighted in on the Vector and squeezed the trigger, letting the machine gun eat the ammo. It had a slow rate of fire, each round a molten red beam of death impacting directly into the Vector leader. At first, the rounds were bouncing off, then slowly denting the Vector’s armor. Some even penetrated the Vector, taking large chunks off it. But still, it charged, a hideous shrieking emanating from its now exposed mask. There was no light in its eyes now, just a dark, grotesque mask that resembled a brazen human male face.

Nameless was so close now, the ship merely a few bounds away, the rounds of Aj's gun barely missing him as the Vector closed in. Nameless came to the end of the pier and jumped as hard as he could, barely grabbing the edge of the ship. He hung there, his legs dangling as Spider accelerated with every measurable width of power the engines had. The ship shuddered and heaved, the hull shaking with the force of full speed.

Aj put the gun down and clambered over to Nameless. Aj reached downwards and grabbed Nameless's arms. The lumbering gunner hauled him onto the deck like a great fish. The two collapsed unto the metal ship's deck, each hyperventilating. They lay there, chests rapidly going up and down. Then they started to laugh in between gasps of air.

Their joy was cut short as a loud thud emanated from the ship's side.

“You-you gotta be kidding me!” Aj groaned through huffs.

The two got up, Aj reaching for the machine gun, Nameless baring his knife. He peered over the side of the ship cautiously, only for the bladed fingers of the Vector leader's hand to miss his face by a hair's width. Nameless recoiled backward, shouting as Aj hefted the gun to meet the intruder.

The Leader was clinging to the side of the ship, its last good arm anchoring itself to the deck well. Its face was staring at the two with pure hatred.

“Oh, my gods,” Aj stammered. Pure shock rang through Nameless 's body.

Half of the Vector's mask had been blown away, revealing a very gaunt, colorless, human face and eye.

“Ain’t no damn way that thing is human, man! Ain't no way!” Aj yelled, nearly dropping the gun in fear.

The Vector leader bared its metal teeth filed to a point, hissing like a wild creature. Nameless closed the distance and stabbed the Vector in the side of the neck, sinking the thermal blade all the way to the hilt. The twisted life left the Vector leader's body, and it fell into the water, dropping to the very bottom. The two stared after it, their faces pale and shaking. The ship kept going forward at full speed. As the two stood there, a large explosion erupted underwater, sending debris and trash everywhere.

“I really hate those things,” Nameless sighed.