Back at Felix Rain's tavern, Becca and Felix were reminiscing about old times. As the two talked, Rhade glanced from time to time over at the entrance.
Becca noticed Rhade's actions and almost laughed. It almost looked like he had developed a nervous twitch.
"What's wrong with you?" Becca asked. "Are you in a hurry to leave or something?"
"No." Rhade said. "In fact it may be too late for that."
"What do you mean?"
"Remember Fletcher's goons?"
"You mean the two that's been following us all day?" Becca asked.
"Yeah." Rhade said. "It appears that they've been getting reinforcements while we've been here. At least a dozen men have joined them, and they're waiting out front."
"Are you talking about Captain Fletcher?" Felix asked.
"Yes." Becca said. "You know him?"
"I know enough to stay out of his way. Once a week his thugs come in here and demand protection money. I pay and they leave me and my customers alone. He also operates a big time casino on the orbiting space station. That's where he generally stays unless something really big is going on down here. It seems he hates planets."
"I understand the part about hating planets." Becca said. "But I wonder what's so special about us being here that made him meet us at the space port?"
"He was at the space port?" Felix asked. "When?"
"A few hours ago." Rhade said. "When we arrived."
"And you say his boys have been following you all day?"
"Just like our own shadows." Becca said.
"Becky, I know that ever since you joined the crew of that Commonwealth ship that you're probably involved in a lot of dangerous missions and meet a lot of nefarious individuals, but believe me, they're nothing compared to this man. He'll act all nice and sweet to your face one minute and order your deaths the next. And those genetically altered thugs of his would rather kill you than look at you."
Genetically altered?" Becca asked. "Those two at the space port didn't look like much to me."
"That must have been Rondal and Krandal." Felix said. "If they were the only two we had to deal with there wouldn't be a problem. They are a bit slow mentally. Some say that it was caused by some bad experimental nanos, but I think they're just naturally dumb."
"What about the law?" Rhade asked.
"Fletcher is the law." Felix said with a sigh. "If he's after you, it can't be good."
Becca glanced at the large window in the front of the tavern and noticed that there was now a larger group gathered out front.
"You wouldn't happen to have a back door in this place would you Old Man?" Becca asked.
"That I do." Felix said. "You wait here while I go to see if it's clear."
Felix didn't take long. He was soon back with a frown on his face.
"I'm sorry Becky." He said, shaking his head. "There's at least as many back there as there are in the front."
Rommie noticed the men following them and tapped Harper on the shoulder to get his attention.
"Yeah, Rommie." Harper said.
"Harper, I thought you should know that we're being followed." Rommie said.
"I know. It's more of my old friends. It seems that some people never learn."
"If they are your friends," Sari said. "Why are they hiding from you?"
"They used to be my friends Sari." Harper tried to explain. "Several years ago when I was a different person."
"How can you be a different person?" Sari asked in a childlike tone. "Do you have the ability change?"
"Yes." Harper said. "At least I thought I did, but not in the way that you mean. What changed is my thinking and the way I react to people that are different than myself.
Years ago when Becca rescued me from Earth, I wasn't the frightened kid that everyone thought I was. I spent my entire life stealing and killing in order to survive. For sixteen years of my life if there was two things I learned, it was that the only good Uber was a dead Uber, and Magog were the most vile, evil, and terrifying creatures in existence and there was no good in any of them. I later learned that I was wrong about both. Although so far Rev is still the only good Magog I've ever met.
The first few weeks aboard the Maru weren't too bad. In fact it would have been great if it wasn't for Bobby, but I don't have time to tell you what I think of that joker. As I was saying, things were going pretty good, but one day we stopped at a drift and while I was at a bar a man approached me.
"Buy you a drink?" He asked.
"Sure." I said. "Never turn down a free meal, my Da' always said."
"A beer hardly qualifies as a meal." He said.
"On Earth you take what you can." I blurted out without thinking. Here I was trying to pass as a spacer. I didn't want everyone to know that I was mud foot.
"I took you for an Earther." He said, sounding pleased with himself.
"Look!" I said getting very defensive. "I don't know what you think you know about Earthers, but whatever it is, it's wrong!" My hand was already on my gun and ready to draw if the guy so much as blinked.
"I meant no disrespect." He said. "In fact I understand that for one to survive there, you gotta be pretty tough."
"You got that right." I told him, still not relaxing my hold on my sidearm.
"I assume you aren't too fond of Nietzcheans or Magog?"
"Who is?" I asked.
"I'd like to offer you a job. I understand that you work on a cargo ship?"
"Yes, but if you need something shipped you better talk to the boss. She handles all business deals."
"Not this one." He said. "I don't need anything shipped. What I need is someone to be in the right place at the right time. At this very moment a colleague of mine is making certain that you will be at that right place and time."
"How's he doing that?" I asked, becoming more and more suspicious.
"He's making arrangements with your captain to ship some containers of medical supplies to seven drifts in this sector. If you agree to take the jobs I offer, you and your captain will get paid much more than the agreed shipping fee."
"What kind of jobs are we talking about?" I asked, although I had already guessed.
"I'm part of an organization that, like yourself, has a strong dislike for all Nietzcheans. Here's our card. Basically we're in the business of making the Universe a better and safer place for genetically pure individuals like yourself to live."
"Why choose me?" I asked. "I find it hard to believe that you took one look at me and said "Now there looks like someone that can put an Uber down."
"Actually we've been planning this since the day you left Earth,… Harper."
"...and that's how I became a member of the Kill An Uber If You Can Club."