"....."
Eunike arrived at the subway station at around noon, she could've been here since morning, but she had to get permission from the police department. A lengthy process that took half a day, but now, she's allowed to look into her newest, and perhaps, most mysterious case. The crime scene at the station's bathroom was still up, with police lines around the entrance, only a few policemen still around.
"Gloves…. Mask…. Shoe cover…."
She recounted the requirements for on field forensics, she essentially signed up to be a pseudo CSI anyway, so might as well fully follow the rules.
“Right!...”
She donned everything she needed, tucked her clothes in, sprayed herself with a sanitizing spray and made sure she's not too dusty before she stepped under the police line. Entering the bathroom, she was hit with a certain smell, rot, to be exact the body is no longer here, but the smell persists.
"Ugh…"
She looks around, there's an outline on the floor, following the shape of the pose the man was found in, some signs marking interest points, and there's only three of those. Usually on a crime scene of this nature you'll see a dozen, but all that was found was the man's crumpled phone, his ring, and a switchblade he must've been using as self defense.
Other than that, there's nothing else, no security footage since apparently the camera was apparently broken for the day the murder occured, no clear fingerprints whatsoever, and even if there is, no one can tell if it came from someone who finished taking a shit or the actual murderer. So all she's left with is a bathroom that reeks of decay, an outline, some signs, and a few splatter of blood.
She noticed something with the splatter, though she's not the only one, she chatted with some actual field forensics back in the police station, they noted something strange about the splatter too. It was… well, oddly clean, too clean, like it was done in a single slice, it is also… on the ceiling. The wounds found on the man's body are also just that, a single clean vertical cut.
"Poor guy"
She whispered, as she looked at the direction of the splatter. Not much can be taken from it, other than maybe what weapon was used. Forensics suggests that the man was killed with a sword, as ridiculous as that sounds, they didn't specify what kind of sword, but she doesn't think it matters much.
Whatever mad man can hide a sword in the most crowded subway in the largest city on earth, they have her respect. She continued her little investigation for some time, checking even the bathroom stalls, she ended up with nothing but disappointment.
"damn it…"
She said to herself as she walked under the police line and out of the crime scene. She was right, this was way out of her league, maybe doing some field research won't yield her much, she wonders if Daniel has got anything, he’s always been quite capable in finding some information. One of the reasons she can tolerate working with him, he seems to have thousands of random ways to get the most obscure of infos.
—-~----
“yeah i got something”
Was the response Eunike expected, and it's the response she gets as she asked Daniel. She's back at the office around afternoon, in a state that can be said for most people who work 9 to 5, depressed, tired and running off 10 cups of coffee, most of which she got from the free to use coffee machine at the police office while waiting for her permission.
“*Sigh* how do you always have something?”
“Heh… magic, and you can't know how”
“Stop playing around! i’m tired, i’ve spent half of this day in the police department and some more on the subway”
“Alright fine… so here's what i got, some info about our victim's life, so the dude was some former marine guy, from the US, who got kinda rich because of compensation”
“Compensation?”
“Compensation for the injuries during his service, one of those rare cases where the military actually admits that someone's missing leg is indeed service related”
“Oh yeah… he’s got a prosthetic didn't he?”
“Yup, so the guy started his own business with the money he got, a small arms company called the Stilt arms”
“Sti-”
“I know, not funny, but that is the name, so don't blame me… anyway, it’s kinda sketchy, they only sell some weird stuff, almost like novelty items, it’s obvious the guy start it for fun more than buns, he was basically a grandpa anyway”
“What does it have to do with our case?”
“a lot, cus lately it stopped being a fun little company selling silly gun gimmicks to selling some weirdly advanced stuff, 3 months ago, around the middle of march they rebranded to Sitech, selling custom guns with borderline illegal capabilities and tech rivaling even the military, look at this”
Daniel turned his laptop around, there was an image of a rather strange looking gun on the screen, with the Sitech logo on its barrel.
“uhm…”
“That's a shotgun, automatic, with high capacity drums, and a rate of fire of 1 shell every one tenth of a second… meaning in one second, it would fire *10* shells”
“And that means?”
“that’s insane! And It’s illegal… this is one of their canceled products, but it exists! And some collectors have it, question is… why the fuck do they have this? The feeding mechanism has a design never before seen! it’s a revolutionary design!”
“Do you know why?”
“....maybe”
“Pray tell”
“4 months ago, the owner of Stilt arms, our dead guy, made a deal with another private company, but much bigger… Lancaster Arms, Lancaster basically bought Stilt, turned it into a secondary branch shop, and put the previous owner as the manager… but two months after that Sitech received a lawsuit from Lancaster”
“For what?”
“Copyright, they sued for the design of this shotgun, but that's not mentioned anywhere in detail, i only know because they sued for a “special” internal system design, which must be the one used for this shotgun because soon after the lawsuit was up and going it stopped appearing in Sitech website”
“Why would a parent company sue their child company? Can't they just… I don't know, make a decision to pull it back?”
“Well yeah, but one day before the lawsuit was dropped Sitech separated from Lancaster to become its own thing, but the thing is… nothing, and i mean *nothing* on the Lancaster website, stores and dealers offer anything close to this gun! They sell basic shit! That means Lancaster had the design but hid it… until Sitech stole it! and this is just one out of many”
“But why?”
“I… don't know why, i haven’t got much from this point on”
“Hmm… well… it isn't a direct correlation, but it helps, no way Lancaster would send a hitman right?”
“Mhmm… They ain’t that petty, and they’re a bit too big and popular to get away with it in any sort of clean way… but it is a hitman if i have to guess, private too probably, so we’re not going far with that”
“right… so it’s someone else, that could be related to Lancaster, that had something to do with possibly secret gun designs, do you think that makes sense?”
“Only one we got, the murder’s too strange and peculiar for it to be just some random mugging, this is targeted, and it’s worth noting something, Lancaster tends to buy out some smaller companies to branch out quickly rather than just making new stores, Sitech is their new branch for Anasea”
“Hmm… what's their closest store, or office or whatever?”
“Wanna meet the current owner?”
“Of course, if this has relation to Sitech then it’s only logical”
“Then there's only one left, on C district, on Taipei street, next to Matador hotels”
“The Chinatown part of Anasea huh?”
“Yeah, and it ain't even an office, it’s a small apartment like this one… but worse”
“What? How?”
“Because the owner of Sitech now… is our dead man’s brother”
“Oh no…”
—-~----
Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.
Ruke walked down the street of Rezen, on a path that leads to what many call the slums of Rezen’s only large city. To many people it’s where the poor gather and the wicked thrive, it can't be said that they were wrong. They're not entirely correct, to some, slums were a safe haven, with Bolyash practically ignoring its existence and authority not wanting to bother with it, where they can do whatever they want, limited by only their own capabilities.
But to very few people, slums were their home, where they were born, the place they knew since the start of their day. Ruke was a bit of the second type, but he may have considered the third, as he approached a very cheap housing unit. Cheap, but it was his very own, he can't remember the last time he had somewhere to settle other than his old junk of a ship.
“*Sigh…*”
As rain drums away at his helmet, he remembered what he went through to get this. He had a bit of a repentance so to say, he went to get a legitimate job, a mere repairman, hired by whoever clueless enough to not know how to fix your everyday electronics, but still decent considering everything. He worked other jobs too, most were legal, but who cares if it’s otherwise?
Nevertheless, a tiring life, it’s common for him to not touch his own home for the majority of a day, sometimes even for a few cycles if he really needs to. But it’s all worth it, for this home, for this life, for…
“I’m home-”
…Her. The reason why he let himself through it, waiting by the door with a smile that no one can put a price on. He was interrupted by a very sudden hug, he didn't even close the door yet, almost making the two fall into the rain outside.
“hrm… be careful”
“How can I be careful when I've been waiting so long?”
“Sorry, so how are you?”
“Oh please, close the door, take that stupid helmet off and kiss me, then you’ll know”
“Eh… can't argue with that”
He slammed the door shut and locked it. Just as he was taking his helmet off she was ready to start, their tongue intertwined as Ruke struggled to focus between continuing to take his helmet off or play along. He chose the sensible way and pushed her off for a moment.
“Pent up?”
“Starving for it”
“Then why stop here?”
He grabbed her waist with one hand and lifted her chin with the other, she seemed to really like what he’s trying to do. He would be too, in a few minutes, or hours depending on how she wants it to go.
“I like that idea~”
—-~----
“So how's your day?”
Ruke asked as he looked out of the window of their home, at the rainy world outside. That's Rezen for you.
“R-really? Ugh~”
Sevi answered with a weak voice, she was still laying on the bed, belly down, still hugging a bite proof pillow, with her limp tail twitching by her side. She tried her best to look behind her, she grimaced just as she managed to muster enough power.
“That's going to take some time to clean…”
“you’re not the only one pent up”
“sure… but next time… mmh~ oh God… tell me”
“was i a bit too rough?”
“Not even close… but you certainly made a mess, help me, please?”
He stopped his little landscape viewing and picked her up and carried her to the bathroom, Varashians aren’t the heaviest of species present in this universe. That would go to the Bolyash, with Algors in close second, which is what he is. In hindsight, making love to someone almost twice as tall and more than double your weight wasn't the wisest of decisions, Varash males can't even get to be that heavy.
“Thank you…”
She exclaimed in relief as he put her down beneath the shower. He turned it on, expecting for some sort of reaction, but she just very calmly sit there as the water cools her down.
“How was your work?”
Was that retaliation? Ruke can't tell.
“Hmm? Oh, it’s fine… pain in the ass”
“Mhmm… i know how that feels”
“Very funny… What do you want to do? After you… recover”
“Why do you ask that?”
“Why does it matter?”
“Because you usually just want to sleep at this kind of time only to leave me again next morning”
“Hey, that's just work, okay? I asked you because I thought I'll take some days off, for… at least 2 cycles”
“Are you going to be here for that long?”
“Of course, what else is there? Though… I'll be leaving tomorrow morning, not for long… just… some small business, i’ll be back in a few hours”
She smiled.
“I love you”
“Love you too, so that's why I ask, I thought maybe we can have some fun for once, so… you want to do anything?”
“Hmm… ever heard of Yano?”
—-~----
Everyone under the rule of the empire can agree on one thing, anyone except Bolyash themselves, that culture, just doesn't matter anymore. Under a rule as oppressive and as censoring as the Bolyash empire no one can bother to think about the cultures of the past, everyone can only think about themselves. But very few hold it up, and Ruke just learned that Sevi is one of those peculiar people.
“This is difficult”
Yano, it seems, was a dance, carefully crafted and practiced by the Varashians for generations. Ruke can't really comprehend it, though… it’s not really because he doesn't care, it’s mostly because he can't co-ordinate his movement at all.
“It’s not! Just follow me, carefully, follow my feet”
“Okay…”
“1-2… pause, 3-4-5… pause, 7-6… pause, 8-9-10… and… pivot! Then 1-2-3… pivot!”
Sevi was very smoothly guiding him through the steps of the dance, but even then he fumbled hard. His foot got caught on his own tail and he fell backwards, Sevi let go in time before he could drag her with him.
“Are you okay?”
“Ugh… i’ve been better”
“maybe Yano isn't made for someone as tall as you”
“Maybe not, maybe yes, who knows? I never was a dancer”
“You don't need to be a dancer for Yano, it’s almost casual, for fun and…”
“And?...”
“Initiation…”
There was a slight tone of embarrassment in her voice.
“You mean?”
“There's three versions of Yano, casual, ceremonial, and… for weddings, Yano, Yane and Yani respectively”
“oh…”
“It’s like a test, if the couple can do it perfectly, they're officially recognized as husband and wife, watched by the families of both sides of course”
“Well I guess we failed…”
“Ah no… that was the casual one, the initiation is much harder… it’s to prove loyalty and test the trust between lovers!’
“How do you still remember all this?”
“I don’t know, maybe because I'm good at it?”
“No, I mean… after all those years in the club?”
“Well… some things just can't go away… besides, i still need to dance nonetheless”
“I would’ve forgot everything if i were you”
“you’re really not a man that appreciates the past aren’t you? I still have a life to remember before I got there, Ruke… I still remember them… even now…”
“*Sigh* lucky you…”
“Why’s that?”
“You can still remember… i… i can't remember anything”
“.....”
“Sometimes it feels like I've always been like this since the start, just… some pointless man who wanders around the world pointlessly, hoping for something to change… it’s not always like this… i know that… i just… can't remember how it was like”
She sat down next to him, caressing his head as she did.
“Don't belittle yourself like that, you’re a person and a man!... It doesn't matter who you are! It’s what you do…”
“Sevi… i… I'm not a good person… you know that right? I’m a Loner”
“Well yes, but is it what you want to be?”
She poked his chest with her claw, it didn't scratch him whatsoever, didn't even tear his clothes, but it felt like a stab in the heart for him.
“You’re like that because you have to, not because you want to… have you killed people before?”
“.....”
“Be honest!”
“Y-yes… no need to yell…”
“Do you enjoy killing them?”
“No! I would never!”
“Do you need to kill them?”
“That- why are you asking me this?”
“Just answer honestly…”
“...I don't know, maybe because I was desperate… i… maybe i could've come up with something else but couldn't think of anything else!... I don't know! Why are you asking me this?”
“because I want you to hear yourself and think! Are you bad?... Or are you forced to be? Being a sex worker isn't good by any means Ruke… yet i am, but it was because i was forced to be, what about you?”
“I don't know…”
“That means you're forced to do it… that doesn't make you a bad person, you only did bad things because you can't otherwise… “
“But i still did it, willingly, doesn't that-”
“Shh… shut it, just remember this… we can't blame ourselves over things we can't do anything about… remember that, okay?”
“...i will”
“Good… now go to sleep or something, i can't stand looking at you like this”
“Hmm?”
“Ruke, you’re almost twice as tall as me and way stronger, you’re a man! and you curl up on the floor with tears in your eyes just because you think you did something bad”
“Heh… I had tears in my eyes?”
“You’re crying right now
“Oh…”
She was right, he did have tears running down his snout, it somewhat stings as it seeps in between his scales. Somehow he wasn't aware of it the whole time.
“Go to sleep, it’s almost midnight”
“right… but only if you’re going as well”
“Of course! I need some sleep too… i’ll be sleeping like a corpse, this rain is making me sleepy, see you in bed you big man baby~”
She tapped his nose playfully as she got up and left for the bedroom, she had a smirk as she walked away.
“Man baby- hey!”
“Not listening! Go to sleep!”
“*Sigh*”
Of all things Ruke expected going down in this relationship, being treated like a child wasn't one of them. As embarrassed as it feels to think about, it doesn't feel wrong, maybe this is what it’s supposed to be like? He can't tell, not like anyone's there to teach him how it’s supposed to be in the first place.
—-~----
Rezen was always somewhat of an oddball of a planet, the constant rain makes construction difficult. Erecting anything that can withstand the eternal rain while having it stand during construction under the rain was a challenge and a half even for the Bolyash empire. Ruke can't understand why the empire would even choose to start building anything here, the rain can be nice but it’s a nightmare for buildings.
Nevertheless, multiple cities were built, seemingly done out of sheer spite against nature. It makes for a nice view, the visage of a city that's always bright and awake was one to certainly behold. God forbid a thunderstorm comes though. A storm is fierce on its own on any other planet, Rezen's a special case, with constant rain with an odd lack of thunder, actual storms here are like an urban legend.
He never saw it, but allegedly the last time there was a storm it collapsed a skyscraper, not by wind, but through damage to its structure from constant thunder strikes. He doesn't exactly believe it, but he certainly doesn't want to be proven wrong. He walked among the trees of the forest just outside the city, following a path he made himself.
Rezen are one of those planets with minimal exploitation to its resources, mainly because the rain makes it hard for any kind of heavy machinery to reliably run. Results are that most forests are still intact, and the trees grow like a beast.
Having adapted to the harsh environment, with hydrophobic bark, thin razor sharp leaves that don't catch the wind, thick trunks and massive roots that go incredibly deep, there's also the silver lines, engraved on the bark, the metal that the tree had absorbed and turn into some kind of natural wire that redirects the electricity of any lightning that strikes the tree. It glows in the dark at night, giving the forest its name, the forest of silver lies.
They call it that because the trees look like perfect cover during lightning periods, when it is instead the most dangerous one. No one wants to be here, in fear that when lightning comes, the trees would roast them with the arcs coming off its bark.
A perfect place to hide something, and he certainly had one to hide here. He comes up to a clearing, a certain crater deep in the forest, made by an attempt of harvesting the metal infused trees using explosives. Down in the bottom of the crater was something he had left behind, for many cycles now, he can't remember exactly how long.
His old ship, he had bought a new one thanks to his job, a simple shuttle that makes general transport easier, certainly easier than a bulky old carrier that has been obsolete longer than he has been alive. It’s partially submerged in mud, without the trees, the ground was turned to mud by the rain in an instant.
“Let's see”
The only access hatch not submerged was the top one, used for maintenance and space walk. He jumped on top, avoiding the pool of mud, and entered the ship through it. Inside has a particular earthen smell, not pleasant yet not bad, just strange, the mud have seeped through the plating it seems, as the floor was covered in a layer of half dry mud. The generator is long dead, so there was no light by any stretch of imagination inside.
He took out his flashlight to light up the way, but the darkness mostly persisted, like it was alive and actively absorbing any light. Every step comes with a squelch of mud, making a weird combination of sensations. The rain barely heard outside, the ringing in his ears from the silence interrupted by the squelches, the darkness, the smell, it would be overwhelming if it wasn't for his suit. An old suit used for mining operations, with minor protection to protect from sharp rocks, gasses and liquids, good enough for him.
He arrived where he wanted to be, a room sealed with a blast door, such doors common for engine rooms, and that is exactly what the room is. The hinges are rusted and some mud is coming out of the seams, the door itself was very rusted, unnaturally so. There can only be one reason for it, and it lies behind the door, he took his helmet off and was assaulted in every aspect, hearing, smelling, even the taste of mud crept up his tongue.
But he resists, and puts his ears against the door, trying to hear anything on the other side. Silence came, he knocked on the door once, and waited, yet again, silence, he knocked twice, silence, thrice, silence, and with a final fourth knock he pressed his ears against it as much as he could. And yet again… silence, is it dead? Perhaps, but he can't just believe that, he needs to see for himself.
With a mighty loud creak he turned the rusted handle, and with even more effort he opened it, the rust had quite literally welded the door together. Not a strong enough weld, he broke it in a few tries and the door wails a deafening melody as it swings open. Inside was… a hole, somewhat, in front of the engine was a small pit, where mud, rust, dirt and small plants mix. In the pit lies…
“Hrm… dead huh?”
…The strange creature, immobile with part of its body stuck in mud and the collapsed flooring itself. It was seemingly dead, with no movement whatsoever, he decided to test it with sound.
“HEY!”
No response. Maybe it’s time for a touch test, he took a small metal rod he had prepared and poked the creature with it. No response. He poked it again, no response, he smacked it on the head, no response.
“maybe you are…”
Ruke had enough of the place, and decided he should just leave, it’s dead anyway, he closed the door behind him and walked back to the hatch.
—-~----
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