Wasted Potential

Yawning, Hox climbed down the ladder into the taproom of the 'Last Drink'. A quick look outside showed him that night was falling, but only fools and Psychos let their lives be dictated by the coming and going of the sun on this planet.

„A most wonderful morning to you, sir", Tourist-Trap saluted him.

„Go fuck a light bulb", Hox answered without missing a stride and went behind the bar to get his breakfast.

„Listen to the man!", Toby agreed. „Better a light bulb than my only dishwasher!"

„Despite your status as a paying customer, I'd rather not follow that order", the robot objected. „First of all, I'd have to find a light bulb that would actually give me her consent, secondly, it would make me feel unfaithful towards the dishwasher..."

„The dishwasher wants to end the relationship for reasons of health", Toby shouted.

„I hope no one is recording this", Hox murmured.

„So do I", the bartender agreed.

„I am recording this", Tourist-Trap informed them happily. „The microphones acting as my ears store everything they detect for up to a year, though my processor can only directly access the files of the last twenty-four hours, in order for customers not to feel dwarfed by a Claptrap's immense power of remembrance."

„Delete the files", Toby sighed, while Hox sat down in his usual place in the corner.

Jess shuffled in from the kitchen, carrying a bucket of foamy water and a rag. Her grey scarf was wrapped around her head, keeping her face in the shadows.

„Morning", Hox shouted over, but she didn't react. She didn't react either, when she absentmindedly dropped the rag into the bucket and missed.

„Careful there, you almost got the table wet", Toby scoffed.

Jess flipped him off, without looking, and continued swiping tables.

„Glaring example of someone who got out of the wrong side of the bed", Toby said.

The doors swung open and Linda entered. She had wrapped her bun up with an oil-stained bandana and her jacket was zipped open. Apart from an eye-catching red top, she also wore a black, woollen back-warmer wrapped around her midsection. Greeting Toby with a nod, she went straight towards Hox table and sat down opposite him. „Howdy."

Slowly, he looked up from his breakfast. Linda had her eyes fixed on him, her expression guarded and emotionless. „Howdy." Then he went back to his scrambled Rakk-eggs.

„I've asked around. You're an Ex-Vault-Hunter, now you're a merc and apparently you are quite an outstanding marksman."

„Yes to the first, yes to the second, uncertain about the third. Maybe you've been asking the wrong people. Outstanding is a subjective adjective after all."

„Do you have experience with a grenade launcher?"

Hox looked up. Linda's face was still perfectly neutral. „RPG or high-low system? Or maybe an automatic like the AL-69 launcher attached to your Outrunner?"

A little hint of a smile wormed its way across her face.

„I have some experience with an automatic launcher", he continued. This experience boiled down to building and playing around with an automatic launcher which had been loaded with potatoes in university, but that were too many details. „I'd prefer to test it, of course."

„Of course. Would you like to do a tour on my Outrunner?"

„Well, let's define 'like', shall we..."

„You get 40% of the profit", Linda said immediately. „A cut of 20% goes to the car, the rest is divided equally among the crew. In the current case, your share would be 3000 I$."

Hox whistled. „Nice. What is this current..."

„I'm transporting goods to Oasis. They're supposed to arrive before midnight, so I'm in a bit of a hurry. I usually don't do that, but I would hire you for just this one job and bring you back here, if you'd prefer. And the share is not negotiable. I can drive and control the launcher simultaneously, I don't, strictly speaking, need you. I'd just feel better with an independent gunner in the turret."

„I see..." You want an extra shield, he added in his mind. You know that bandits are stupid and don't shoot at the driver; they shoot at the one who's firing at them. „How many gunners have you been working with?"

„Nine", Linda answered without hesitation. „You would be the tenth."

„And how many of those are still alive?"

„None. Obviously. Otherwise I wouldn't hire someone else."

„Did it ever occur to you that there might be something wrong with the bloody turret?"

„The turret is fine, as is the launcher, you can check on that yourself. And I cleaned it yesterday, so it's not bloody anymore." For the first time, there was a little sharpness in her voice.

Hox grinned. It was nice to know a weak spot. „Well, then I better go and check the turret myself, right? And I'd like to shoot the launcher a couple of times, you know, to get its properties."

„So we have a deal?" Linda extended her hand.

„I'll examine that launcher and see how good I am at shooting it. Then, maybe, we'll have a deal." He had the feeling that she was getting annoyed in a serious manner, but she could either play along or drive away on her own and if she'd have been willing to risk that in the first place, she wouldn't have talked to him.

„Fine. Meet me at Louis'." She withdrew her hand, stood up and walked out without another word. Hox watched her go, chuckled a little bit and then resumed his breakfast. He would probably take her up on the trip to Oasis, wherever that was. He might even take her up on another trip outside. That's where he wanted to go anyways. This could be his chance to see a bit of the outside world. But if he'd get the choice, he'd immediately ditch Linda for someone with a little hint of empathy.

„Would you kindly stop ripping through the wiring of my car?", Linda asked half an hour later. She had her arms crossed in front of her and finally showed some emotion. Not the ones with good vibes, but emotions nevertheless.

„I'm just doing the check-up you promised me I could do", Hox replied and shone a flashlight into a cramped compartment filled with cords, connectors and a couple of SDUs for ammunition. It was a mess in there, the Outrunner had been built and maintained on a border-planet and each of these dune buggies was technically one of a kind. The general structure remained unchanged, independent front suspensions on long struts projecting forwards, between them the cab, protected by a roll cage and armed with a nose LMG, the turret right behind the cab and armed with a heavier weapon. But while the standard Runner had a very low profile, Linda's car was a bit bulkier, the turret stood out a bit higher and a big SDU for cargo was mounted behind the cab. Instead of tying odds and ends to the armour, Linda had built a few small SDUs into the sides of the turret which could all be locked centrally and held food, necessities, tools and personal items. The engine above the back axle was encased with armour plates, which was not quite unusual, but not very prevalent either. Hox had seen a few Borderlands cars and this one was quite clean, orderly and obviously well cared for.

Taking the flashlight between his teeth, he carefully singled out a cable and followed it from the launcher's port downwards. „Is there any way to connect the launcher to the navigation system?"

„No, I don't have one on board. I use the map on my ECHO."

„Is there at least a gyrocompass somewhere?"

„Maybe... Why do you need one?"

Hox closed the hatch carefully and climbed up on the turret. „I'd like the launcher to know its current course and relative speed to the environment."

„That's a possibility?" Suddenly, Linda was interested.

„It's an AL-69, manufactured by Pangolin, it has all the ports, as far as I can tell. Just out of curiosity, where did you get it?"

„Stolen from the Lance", she replied nonchalantly. „There was plenty of material left for the taking, after the Vault Hunters chewed through the Crimson Fastness."

That caused Hox to pause. „You met the Vault Hunters?"

„Only their aftermath. Wasn't pretty. So, what about the deal?"

„Just a second - aha!" Hox had crouched down in an uncomfortable position in order to inspect the underbelly of the launcher. Carefully, he opened a panel, unplugged a wire beneath it and put the panel back into its place.

„What did you just remove?", Linda snapped sharply.

„Cockpit override", Hox replied and jumped down on the ground. „If I'm going to sit in that turret, I'm going to be damn sure I'm the one moving it around."

That caused her to pause. „I did not have a hand in killing the gunners who came before you. They died because they were not good enough. They died, because they didn't bring a shield, because they were poor shots, because they didn't duck deep enough behind the brim."

„Call me paranoid then. 3000 I$ is quite a lot of money."

Linda snorted. „I'm a professional. I don't renege on deals."

„Whatever, sweetheart. You still want to hire me?"

„I have to heighten my standards." Linda sighed, and they shook hands.

Jess headed him off, when he and Linda returned to the bar to fill their canteens for the trip. „I have a job for you", she said without further ado. There was an unfamiliar, dangerous gleam in her eyes.

Hox stopped. „I'm currently on a mission to go to Oasis..."

„All the better. I just learned that Atlas has dispatched a troop of their elite assassins to Pandora: The Omega-Squad. If you happen to come across one of them - kill them. I've saved up quite enough for a bounty. Or ten."

„You want me to go to war with Atlas?"

Jess shrugged. „You work best at a long distance. How the hell should they know the difference between a mercenary on a mission and your average bandit?"

„Elite assassins...", Hox repeated. „All right, I need context. Why are they here? Where have they landed? What's their armament?"

„They're here with General Knoxx' forces to return a resemblance of stability, after everything the Vault Hunters did, they have been first employed in the vicinity of T-Bone-Junction, there's about two hundred of them brought in, they're armed for close combat with plasma-swords and throwing knives, shuriken, whatever you want to call them, they're exceptionally fast, lithe and dexterous and they're an all-female force." Jess rattled the list down at a speed that made it hard to understand at points.

„Okay. Fine. Easy." Hox felt bad for lying, but those were the only words that came to mind, especially as Jess was still fixating him with a look that spoke of blood and murder. „Just... just out of curiosity, is there some special beef between you and them or is this just your general Atlas-animosity?"

Jess looked carefully around, but no one was within earshot. „It was one of these assassins that killed my parents and my sister. Happy now?"

Hox swallowed and slowly shook his head. There was a reason why people on Pandora didn't talk about their past, if they weren't encouraged to. Way too many tragedies, way too many skeletons in way too many closets. „No... I... Sorry, I shouldn't have asked."

„Probably not. But while we're on the topic, if you get the chance to kill one of these she-Skags in particular... the one who killed my family..."

„Who is it?" Hox was almost certain that Jess didn't have enough money to make it worth his while to hunt down a trained assassin but seeing the sheer fury and borderline despair in his friend's face were almost enough motivation to do it for free.

„Her name is Athena", Jess spat. „Omega-squad-leader Athena." Having finally said the name of her nemesis, Jess visibly deflated, as if a burden had been removed from her back.

„I'll see what I can do", Hox said. And then, almost unconsciously, he took a step closer, gave Jess the briefest of hugs and immediately backed off, afraid he had overstepped a boundary.

Though judging by the sudden smile on Jess' face, he hadn't.

When the Outrunner finally stopped, Hox was fuming. Literally and metaphorically.

Linda was already climbing out of the cockpit and shaking hands with a barrel-chested man, whom she addressed as „Frank". The smell of salt was almost nauseatingly strong in the air and together with the huge ship that loomed on the cliffside over the town, it implied they were close to a very long very dried up seabed. Hox didn't really care.

„…and done! Now, transfer the goods to this SDU, please", Frank was just saying. „Or do you need to materialise everything first?"

„Hey, I'm not that technologically backwards", Linda replied in mock offence. A few pushes on her ECHO unlocked the cargo SDUs behind the cockpit and the right cable inside the right jack allowed for the transfer to begin.

„How are things?", she continued.

„Oh, you haven't noticed? Well, behold the newest addition to the skyline: Magny's Lighthouse. Captain Blade finished it about a month back and hasn't been the same since then. Mostly rambling about tacos and secret cheese weapons. Drinking himself into oblivion. People are a bit suspicious what became of his accumulated wealth, but as of yet everyone who has asked stared down the barrels of the Orphanmaker and beat a retreat", Frank said. "Commerce is quite happy about his retirement, really. If you will look, there are sand-barges and skiffs at every pier and every jetty."

„Sounds as if you finally caught an updrift. Say, last time I passed through, wasn't there a Vault Hunter snooping around here? Tall woman, red hair, short one leg?"

„Scarlett? Aye, she eventually crawled out of the horrifying bottle she drank herself into and joined a trading convoy to Sanctuary a week ago. Why do you want to know?"

„Got myself another one of her ilk. Hox here used to be a Vault Hunter as well, until the number of Vaults to find dropped dramatically."

Hox raised a hand in greeting. „Ahoy."

„How are you doing?", Frank asked jovially.

„Not too bad, all things considered."

„That's good!" A light flickered on the massive SDU Frank had wheeled out of his storehouse. „And it's done. Wonderful. Nice doing business with you. I'd drink to it, but you'll be on your way, won't you?"

„No, she won't be!", Hox shouted and finally crawled out of the turret. „She's taking that drink. I'm buying. No buts, no ifs. We need to talk."

Linda raised her eyebrows. „I'm on a schedule, you know? I can't just…"

„Yes, you can. Frank, any suggestions for a nice drink?"

„Erm… there's the Kitty Kream down by the piers…", Frank replied. „Shade makes…"

„Will do. Get a move on, No-Lady, and maybe lock your death trap on wheels."

„Insulting the car…" Hox' glare of unfiltered rage cut Linda off and she obligingly locked the Outrunner.

The Kitty Kream was a small booth with an enormous neon sign displaying the name. A couple of rickety tables and equally rickety chairs formed an almost defensive parameter around the small café, while also offering a neat view of the sandfront. Frank had been right; the jetties were teeming with hovercrafts of every size and colour. Deckhands and dockworkers were busy loading and unloading cargo, wearing broad brimmed hats and sashes to ward off heat and sand, though the night had chilled the desert down drastically. Captains stood on the poop decks of their vessels, shouting orders. Hox motioned for Linda to sit down at the next best table and went on towards the counter.

„Two coffee, black, no milk, plenty of sugar", Hox ordered, while keeping an eye on Linda, in case she decided to get up and leave.

„Certainly", the barista replied and turned around. Even with his attention fixated on Linda, Hox couldn't help but marvel at the enormous shades, the faded bush hat and the cigarette holder dangling from the barista's lip. „My, you don't look like one of these boat-people. Where are you…"

"More coffee-making, less talking."

Looking slightly offended, the barista set to work and soon Hox returned with two steaming mugs of coffee. Linda wore a guarded expression and her right hand was lazily placed on the stock of her sidearm. She clearly did not know what to expect.

"Right." Hox placed both mugs on the table and sat down opposite the driver. "The turret. It's an insult. It's a joke. I made just one tour in it and already I can't abide it. No wonder you're going through gunners like other people go through clean underwear."

"You made one tour in it. One. I'd wager you wouldn't complain half as much if you took the time to get used to the turret's properties", Linda sighed and picked up her coffee. "Besides, you destroyed the Bandit Technical quite thoroughly, so I don't see a mayor reason for complaints."

"No, there are plenty! And I'll complain until this ocean becomes an ocean again, though I doubt I'd survive until then, if I really took my time learning the turret's properties!"

"So I take it you want your share and leave by any other means?"

Hox ignored her. "Listen, there is potential in your car. Mountains of it! But you're not tapping into any of it and that's really driving me up a tree here! I used to…", Hox caught himself in time. Even in rage mode, he would not disclose anything about his past.

"Give an example", Linda proposed, looking bored. "Give me a single, specific detail about what's wrong with my turret and I might just treat your ranting as anything more than annoying background noise."

"You want details? Oh, I got details: It's almost impossible to line up a straight shot. Right now, the turret locks into place, whenever there's not weight on the pedals, which links it entirely to the movement of the car. The turret cannot move independently. It should be mounted on separate bearings and the servomotors need to be able to negate car movement. Or automate the process. Let the servos point the turret in the direction the gunner wants it to point, regardless of the car's position. Just slam in a control system, that'll do.

"Even if you put the turret on its own bearings, put a harness or just anything in there so the gunner doesn't get thrown around like dice in a shaker, whenever the driver floors it. Come to that, driver and gunner need to be able to talk to each other, especially if the driver is about to use the booster or has some crazy manoeuvre in mind. I personally cannot shoot anywhere when I need to hunker down and hold on for dear life, because I don't know where we're going next and how fast we'll be going there. Not helping that you don't answer your ECHO while driving, by the way. Hell, keeping ECHO contact would have been more than enough. These are communication masterpieces; they can do just about anything from Morse code to… getting on a tangent here." Hox hastily gulped down a huge mouthful of surprisingly good coffee and cleared his throat.

"Back to topic, the launcher. Well, technically, the launcher's support, because the thing itself is superb. Where do I start? Did you ever notice the little clip-ports on the stock? These are for grenade-mods. Why the hell are they empty? It's not as if grenade-mods are hard to come by, especially on this planet. Why has no one ever thought of feeding the launcher with some reproaching data? It has inbuilt digital sights and they can and will adjust, if only you throw them the necessary information. I could write the code myself, really. Why is the mounting of the launcher apparently welded to the brim? I certainly couldn't do more than tilt it a bit. Put the launcher on a gyroscope, that would give the gunner that much more flexibility." Hox exhaled deeply, took another sip of coffee and tried to remember, whether there had been anything else irksome.

Linda had transitioned from sceptic boredom to rapid interest. "And could you do all that?"

"All what?"

"The modifications you just proposed. You seem to know what you're talking about; can you implement any of it?"

Hox blinked. He hadn't put much thought into what might follow his rant, he had just been furious. "Well… some of it. Everything else should be entrusted to a good mechanic, if you know any around here."

"I do." Linda downed the rest of her coffee. "Would you be interested in the car's share and a little bonus? You'd just have to help to fix the turret."

Hox chewed his lip. Doing a little metalwork for Louis was one thing. Upgrading an entire Outrunner-turret was quite another. On Pandora, he was a mercenary, a sharpshooter and scavenger. He mustn't be an engineer anymore. Way too many shady characters around who might have heard of the bounty.

On the other hand, Linda was about the least inquisitive person he had ever met and she would be off Eridians knew where to. And he had truly enjoyed his old job.

"Deal. But I'd need that mechanic I mentioned and I'm afraid Louis doesn't quite qualify."

Linda smiled. "I've got you covered. There is a mechanic in T-Bone-Junction. If he can't do the job, no one this side of the galaxy can."