----- Chapter 4 : Stronger than Steel ------
Ash stretched himself out as he yawned as loudly as possible. These 'mines' as everyone referred to them were nothing of the sort. Not a single square centimetre of rock was visible, such was the extent of the influence of the settlers of Pioneer One. The roaming robots, Gillchics, proved to be of little consequence. He danced among their slow moving forms, his Double Saber's twin blades dismantling them as fast as any skilled mechanic.
The floating ones, he did not know their names, were a minor irritation. Hovering out of reach of his strikes, they were not worth the TP expended in casting a Zonde lightning strike to bring them lower. Though they were capable of rapid bursts of acceleration, their overall speed was slow, allowing Ash to simply outrun them. Beyond a certain distance they would return to their rest positions ready to attack the next unsuspecting Hunter.
Ash had heard that other Hunters had made raids through these upper mines but from the amount of resistance he had encountered he would not have thought it. It would seem that this army was either being repaired constantly or there was some kind of factory, possibly on some lower level, churning them out. It mattered not to him though. Fighting was fighting and despite having been down here for several hundred Beats, strength flowed effortlessly through his limbs.
-----
Eventide strode into the bar like he owned the place. In fact he was there so frequently that it could have been truth. His eyes narrowed as he scanned the place for familiar faces. Faces were few and far between, none of them known to him. He spotted a young FOmar sitting by himself, casting furtive glances around the room as if afraid that his parents might arrive at any moment. He decided to make friends.
"Hi! My names Eventide." The burly HUmar proclaimed as he gave Sarunakai a hearty slap on the back and sat down.
After raising one finger to the waitress behind the bar he turned his attention to the neophyte beside him.
"Wassa matter? Cat got your tongue? Don't you know its rude not to say something?"
Sarunakai stared briefly at the unshaven and unkempt Eventide.
"My name's Sarunakai." He eventually replied.
"It speaks!" He patted Sarunakai firmly on the shoulder.
The waitress set Eventide's usual on the table.
"What are you having?" Said Eventide as he peered at Sarunakai's glass.
"Fruit juice." Came the reply.
"Get him something stronger." He said to the waitress.
"Now, come on! Don't encourage the boy." Chastised the android as she walked off.
"Man, when they programmed that walk, they sure got it right!"
Sarunakai sighed. It was going to be a long day.
-----
Eric walked out of Doc. Stone's android clinic, buffed to a shine he was ready for action.
"Now if I was organic, where would I hang out?"
-----
Sarunakai sat at the table and cast a casual eye over the patrons. He did not visit the Guild Bar on a regular basis, alcohol might dull his razor sharp edge. It was mainly a place to celebrate his latest victory. Now he sat to pass the time, but he could feel something was going to happen... it was almost tangible.
"Sarunakai!" Called out the latest entrant.
It was Eventide, a roguish but amiable HUmar. He worked hard and played harder. Sarunakai could not help but grin as they shook hands, there was never a dull moment while he was around. They had just gotten comfortable when an android RAnger came in and approached them.
"Are you the one called Sarunakai?"
"Yes."
"I am Eric and I am in need of your help..."
Eventide motioned to the waitress to put the drinks on his tab as they left.
Ash stretched himself out as he yawned as loudly as possible. These 'mines' as everyone referred to them were nothing of the sort. Not a single square centimetre of rock was visible, such was the extent of the influence of the settlers of Pioneer One. The roaming robots, Gillchics, proved to be of little consequence. He danced among their slow moving forms, his Double Saber's twin blades dismantling them as fast as any skilled mechanic.
The floating ones, he did not know their names, were a minor irritation. Hovering out of reach of his strikes, they were not worth the TP expended in casting a Zonde lightning strike to bring them lower. Though they were capable of rapid bursts of acceleration, their overall speed was slow, allowing Ash to simply outrun them. Beyond a certain distance they would return to their rest positions ready to attack the next unsuspecting Hunter.
Ash had heard that other Hunters had made raids through these upper mines but from the amount of resistance he had encountered he would not have thought it. It would seem that this army was either being repaired constantly or there was some kind of factory, possibly on some lower level, churning them out. It mattered not to him though. Fighting was fighting and despite having been down here for several hundred Beats, strength flowed effortlessly through his limbs.
-----
Eventide strode into the bar like he owned the place. In fact he was there so frequently that it could have been truth. His eyes narrowed as he scanned the place for familiar faces. Faces were few and far between, none of them known to him. He spotted a young FOmar sitting by himself, casting furtive glances around the room as if afraid that his parents might arrive at any moment. He decided to make friends.
"Hi! My names Eventide." The burly HUmar proclaimed as he gave Sarunakai a hearty slap on the back and sat down.
After raising one finger to the waitress behind the bar he turned his attention to the neophyte beside him.
"Wassa matter? Cat got your tongue? Don't you know its rude not to say something?"
Sarunakai stared briefly at the unshaven and unkempt Eventide.
"My name's Sarunakai." He eventually replied.
"It speaks!" He patted Sarunakai firmly on the shoulder.
The waitress set Eventide's usual on the table.
"What are you having?" Said Eventide as he peered at Sarunakai's glass.
"Fruit juice." Came the reply.
"Get him something stronger." He said to the waitress.
"Now, come on! Don't encourage the boy." Chastised the android as she walked off.
"Man, when they programmed that walk, they sure got it right!"
Sarunakai sighed. It was going to be a long day.
-----
Eric walked out of Doc. Stone's android clinic, buffed to a shine he was ready for action.
"Now if I was organic, where would I hang out?"
-----
Sarunakai sat at the table and cast a casual eye over the patrons. He did not visit the Guild Bar on a regular basis, alcohol might dull his razor sharp edge. It was mainly a place to celebrate his latest victory. Now he sat to pass the time, but he could feel something was going to happen... it was almost tangible.
"Sarunakai!" Called out the latest entrant.
It was Eventide, a roguish but amiable HUmar. He worked hard and played harder. Sarunakai could not help but grin as they shook hands, there was never a dull moment while he was around. They had just gotten comfortable when an android RAnger came in and approached them.
"Are you the one called Sarunakai?"
"Yes."
"I am Eric and I am in need of your help..."
Eventide motioned to the waitress to put the drinks on his tab as they left.