The sleek glass tower of Thunder Tech gleamed against the city skyline, a monument to human ambition and technological prowess. Within its walls, the hum of computers and machinery thrummed with a steady pulse, the lifeblood of the multi-billion-dollar corporation.
Walter Freeman, CEO of Thunder Tech, sat in his expansive corner office, surrounded by floor-to-ceiling windows that offered a panoramic view of New York City. His expression was stern, lips pressed into a tight line as he pored over the latest mission report on his desk.
The dossier detailed the successful retrieval mission to the savage future, a world dominated by warring Beastmen tribes and strange mutated creatures living among human ruins. His expedition team had returned with a fresh batch of prisoners - twenty living specimens captured for study and a cache of artifacts and resources plundered from the future timeline.
A hungry glint flickered in Walter's cold brown eyes as he absorbed the details. This was the opportunity he had been seeking, a chance to stay ahead of his competitors by exploiting advanced technology. By reverse-engineering the future artifacts, his company could develop groundbreaking products and cement Thunder Tech's dominance for decades to come.
Not only that, but the live Beastmen specimens presented a lucrative opportunity. With their extraordinary physical capabilities, Walter could study their anatomical secrets and biological enhancements. A pleased smile crept across his features as visions of lucrative military contracts and privatized super soldier programs danced in his mind.
The sharp rap of knuckles against his office door shattered Walter's reverie. "Come in," he barked, hastily rearranging the dossier into a neat stack.
His secretary, Lisa, burst through the door, eyes wide with panic. "Mr. Freeman, we have a situation!" She gasped for breath, her usually pristine appearance disheveled. "The Beastmen specimens...they've escaped containment!"
Walter shot to his feet, the chair clattering backward as his hands slammed against the desk. "What?!" He roared, spittle flying from his lips. "How is that possible?"
Lisa flinched, shrinking back slightly. "We're still trying to ascertain the details, sir. But three of them escaped into the city. The lion-man, zebra-woman, and rhino-brute."
A vein throbbed in Walter's forehead as he struggled to regain his composure. Losing such valuable assets was unacceptable, a blow to his ambitions and reputation. He could not allow these primitive brutes to jeopardize everything he had built.
"Mobilize all available mercenary teams immediately," he growled, his voice low and dangerous. "I want those three beasts found and recaptured at any cost. Lethal force is authorized if necessary, but I want them taken alive if possible."
Lisa nodded rapidly, her fingers tapping the screen on her tablet to relay his orders. Within seconds, Thunder Tech's extensive private military forces will scout every corner of the city in pursuit of their escaped quarry.
As his secretary rushed off to coordinate the search efforts, Walter turned his gaze back towards the sprawling metropolis beyond the glass. His jaw clenched, a muscle twitching in that harsh line of determination.
The hunt was on. And Thunder Tech's CEO intended to be the apex predator.
*****
The descending sun cast long shadows across the crumbling apartment building, its fading rays filtering through grimy windows. Huntar eyed the peeling paint and cracked cement with curiosity as Jenny led them inside.
"Not exactly a palace, but it's home," she said with a shrug, offering them a sheepish smile over her shoulder.
Zena snorted, her sharp gaze roving the dingy hallway. "I've camped in caverns cleaner than this dump."
Jenny shot her a look, but there was no malice behind it. "Well, excuse me for not having a royal suite ready for your arrival."
A chortle rumbled from Torag, and even Huntar couldn't suppress an amused snort. Some things never changed, and the familiar back-and-forth between Jenny and Zena was...comforting, strangely.
As Jenny fumbled with her keys, Huntar studied her. The years apart had left their mark—her hair more streaked with blonde than he remembered, her eyes carrying a weight he didn't recognize. But beneath the weariness, the brilliant gleam he'd once admired still shone through.
The clunk of the lock disengaging drew his attention back to the present. Jenny pushed open the door, gesturing for them to enter. "Well? What are you waiting for? An engraved invitation?"
Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author's preferred platform and support their work!
Zena rolled her eyes, but ducked inside without further comment. Torag followed, his bulk nearly filling the cramped entryway. Huntar lingered a moment longer, catching Jenny's gaze.
"It's good to see you again," he rumbled, the words inadequate to convey the depth of emotion surging within him.
A faint smile tugged at the corners of her mouth. "You too, big guy."
He offered her a solemn nod, then stepped across the threshold into her world.
The modest living space opened up before them, an eclectic blend of mismatched furniture and scattered clutter. Huntar's brow furrowed as he took in the strange artifacts lining the walls—vibrant images encased in sleek frames, peculiar figurines posed mid-motion. Curiosities from a world he didn't understand.
"I know it's not much," Jenny said, sidestepping a tower of books and magazines to reach the kitchenette, "but make yourselves at home."
Zena flopped onto the worn couch with a grunt, propping her hooves on the battered coffee table. "Well, it sure as hell beats a cage."
A weary chuckle escaped Jenny as she rummaged through the cabinets. "I'll take that as a compliment." She emerged with a stack of plates and utensils, passing them to Eddie. "Here, let me get you guys something to eat."
As the humans set about gathering supplies, Huntar drifted to the wall, studying the bizarre images. Vibrant hues and contorted figures danced across the glossy surfaces, unlike anything he'd seen before. Art, but of a form entirely foreign to him.
"Those are movie posters," Eddie supplied, startling Huntar from his reverie. He jerked his head toward the bespectacled human who wore an easy grin. "From some of my favorite films. They tell entire stories through moving pictures and sound—it's pretty incredible."
Huntar eyed the peculiar artwork with renewed interest. "Moving pictures?"
"Yeah, like...plays, almost. Except they're captured permanently, so you can watch them over and over." Eddie's eyes danced with excitement. "I've got a bunch of them here—classics, cult favorites, you name it. Maybe I could show you guys some later?"
A snort from the couch drew their attention. "As riveting as that sounds, I think I'll pass," Zena drawled. "Give me a decent brawl over your...what did you call them? Moozvees?"
"Movies," Eddie corrected with a chuckle. "But the offer stands if you'd rather stare at the walls all night."
Zena opened her mouth, no doubt to unleash another sarcastic barb, but the clink of plates cut her off. Jenny approached, carefully balancing a tray laden with an assortment of foodstuffs—slices of bread, fruits, and meats unfamiliar to Huntar.
"Eat up," she said, placing the offerings on the coffee table. "I know it's not a feast fit for royalty, but hopefully it'll tide you over until we can figure out our next move."
Torag wasted no time snatching up a fistful of the strange viands and shoveling them into his gaping maw. Zena eyed the strange fare with a skeptical moue before grabbing a hunk of bread and tearing into it with her teeth.
Huntar lingered back, his gaze drifting between the humans and his companions. So many questions burned within him, a tangled knot of confusion and disbelief. He knew he should feel relieved—against all odds, they'd found Jenny alive and well. And yet...
His brow furrowed as realization dawned. For so long, he'd clung to the memory of her sacrifice as a source of strength and inspiration, a reminder of the noble cause they fought for. To have that torn away, to face the truth that she had yet lived while he and the others carried on in ignorance...
It left him adrift, unmoored.
A gentle touch on his arm drew his attention downward. Jenny peered up at him, her eyes filled with soft understanding.
"Hey… Are you okay?" she murmured.
Huntar held her gaze for a long moment, dimly aware of the others receding into the periphery as the world seemed to narrow to this single connection. So much had happened, so much kept them apart. And yet, in her eyes, he saw the same steadfast Jenny he'd known—the woman unafraid to charge headlong into the unknown, armed with nothing more than her indomitable spirit and faith in those around her.
At last, he gave a slow nod, feeling tension seep from his shoulders. “Yes.” He cleared his throat. “Would you mind telling us who the mysterious raiders are?”
As if reality snapped her back, Jenny blinked her eyes. "Oh! I believe they are from a company, which my father used to work at. It is called Thunder Tech. They are like merchants who trade advanced technology to my kind for profit, and it helped them grow to make more money. They have a machine called the Transgate, which I am sure my father mentioned to you before?”
Huntar grimaced. “We do not remember much of what he said when we first met him. But he did tell us how he appeared in our world. Is it the same device that he invented?”
“Yes, and I think Thunder Tech used the Transgate to bring you all here from your time.”
"Let me get this straight," Zena rumbled, pinning Jenny with an intent look. "These...Thunder Tech beings captured us, dragged us through some form of portal...for what purpose, exactly?"
Jenny sighed, shooting Eddie a weary glance before focusing on Huntar once more. "That's the million-dollar question, isn't it? From what I know about Thunder Tech and Walter Freeman..." Her mouth twisted sourly at the name. "They're notorious for prioritizing profit over ethics. Exploiting new technologies for financial gain, no matter the cost."
"So they plan to, what?" Zena leaned forward, resting her elbows on her knees. "Sell us off as slaves in your own time?"
Eddie shook his head. "I don't think so. If that was their goal, putting you on display would make more sense than keeping you locked up."
"Then what?" A muscle ticked in Huntar's jaw as his mind churned. "You said they've been... collecting things. From our time."
"That's the working theory," Jenny said grimly. "Though the extent of their operations is still unclear."
Silence fell, heavy and pensive, as the implications settled over them. To be mere specimens, plucked from their world and caged like animals... Huntar's lip curled in a snarl at the thought.
"Well." Zena's voice cut through the stillness, colored by a grim resolve. "I don't know about the rest of you, but I have no plans to be kept like a feral beast in a prison on display.”
Torag rumbled agreement, his meaty fists clenching.
"We cannot allow these...Thunder Tech humans to continue violating our world," Huntar stated, his tone hard as glacial ice. "No matter their intentions."
"You're preaching to the choir, big guy." Jenny's expression was set, her eyes blazing with determination. "Which is why, first thing tomorrow, we start putting a plan into motion."
Huntar eyed her appraisingly. The woman before him was leaner, more careworn than the one he remembered, but the core of unshakable steel remained intact. A surge of pride, of rekindled hope, welled within him.
If anyone could navigate the perilous path that lay ahead, it was the indomitable Jenny.
"Very well," he said with a nod. "We will put our trust in you, Jenny."
A ghost of a smile played across her lips, but her focus remained resolute. "Then you'd better get some rest, warrior." She jerked her chin toward the dimly lit living area. "Because I have a feeling we're gonna need all our strength for the battles to come."