----- Chapter 19 : Who Watches the Watchmen? ------
These certainly were strange days. It would be the first time in living memory or indeed in any history book that a Hunters Guild would be forced to close for a problem that could not be handled in true Hunter style, namely brute force.
It turned out that Sarunakai must have had the luck of the angels. He had created the telepipe a fraction of a Beat before Ash tackled him. Sarunakai knocked to the ground, Ash sucked back up to Pioneer Two. Ash had emerged at the reception area, startling a nearby group of Hunters half to death. Their number and the bright lights drove Ash to exit again through a second telepipe.
Once Sarunakai had been rescued the Guild was put on alert, total lockdown with all active members recalled back to the ship. Sue had decided it was time to surrender her creature with a report on the incident in hope for an exchange of information with what the government knew. The government in turn interrogated her for many Beats and she was hauled up in front of a Hunter disciplinary body.
It was all for show, the Guild took care of its own. She was reprimanded for withholding her findings but that was the end of that matter. She had gone to the hospital in hopes of speaking to Sarunakai, the only survivor of any of Ash's hostile encounters, but he would not be saying much for sometime, his battle was now with post-traumatic shock.
When Sue exited the Hospital, it was early morning. She had decided to nap for a few Beats while waiting to see if Sarunakai would recover enough for an interview. Cassie managed to locate a spare cot for her to crash in, but the few Beats had turned into six hundred before she knew it. She expected the walkway to be empty following this new emergency so she was surprised to see guards posted at either end.
The main transporter was located just a short distance ahead and spaced out evenly before the heavy shutters were FOrces. She recognised the nearest, a seasoned veteran FOnewm called Zi'zuku. He was different from most Newmen in that he was never seen without wearing some kind of drab cloak to cover the brightly coloured clothing favoured by their kind. He also wore a metal mask that covered his lower face, Sue did not know the reason for it though.
As she approached him she observed that he was wearing an anti-nullifier ring around his right wrist. The nullifier fields disrupted photon technology and made the casting of Techniques all but impossible. The ring generated an exclusion field so that Hunters could use all their weapons and techniques in order to serve as guards in such restricted areas.
"Hey Zi... what's happening?"
He turned to look at her with his left eye, the right obscured by his ice-blue hair.
"Ruins are off-limits to all personnel below level fifty. Not that it makes a difference, only fools and heroes would venture down there voluntarily till they catch that thing."
"I feel responsible in some small way..."
"Don't be, We were fully briefed, we saw your report. There wasn't much you could do at the time. The question is, could you be doing something for him now?"
"Now?"
Zi'zuku leaned towards her and lowered his voice, "From what I've heard, his body has been altered but his mind may still be recoverable..."
He straightened up.
"Now Miss, if you don't have any Hunter business here I suggest you move on."
Sue gave him the subtlest of nods and walked past him in the direction of the exit.
"Just remember, the Guild is a pawn of the government." He whispered to her.
She neither stopped nor looked back, but did ponder what he had meant.
These certainly were strange days. It would be the first time in living memory or indeed in any history book that a Hunters Guild would be forced to close for a problem that could not be handled in true Hunter style, namely brute force.
It turned out that Sarunakai must have had the luck of the angels. He had created the telepipe a fraction of a Beat before Ash tackled him. Sarunakai knocked to the ground, Ash sucked back up to Pioneer Two. Ash had emerged at the reception area, startling a nearby group of Hunters half to death. Their number and the bright lights drove Ash to exit again through a second telepipe.
Once Sarunakai had been rescued the Guild was put on alert, total lockdown with all active members recalled back to the ship. Sue had decided it was time to surrender her creature with a report on the incident in hope for an exchange of information with what the government knew. The government in turn interrogated her for many Beats and she was hauled up in front of a Hunter disciplinary body.
It was all for show, the Guild took care of its own. She was reprimanded for withholding her findings but that was the end of that matter. She had gone to the hospital in hopes of speaking to Sarunakai, the only survivor of any of Ash's hostile encounters, but he would not be saying much for sometime, his battle was now with post-traumatic shock.
When Sue exited the Hospital, it was early morning. She had decided to nap for a few Beats while waiting to see if Sarunakai would recover enough for an interview. Cassie managed to locate a spare cot for her to crash in, but the few Beats had turned into six hundred before she knew it. She expected the walkway to be empty following this new emergency so she was surprised to see guards posted at either end.
The main transporter was located just a short distance ahead and spaced out evenly before the heavy shutters were FOrces. She recognised the nearest, a seasoned veteran FOnewm called Zi'zuku. He was different from most Newmen in that he was never seen without wearing some kind of drab cloak to cover the brightly coloured clothing favoured by their kind. He also wore a metal mask that covered his lower face, Sue did not know the reason for it though.
As she approached him she observed that he was wearing an anti-nullifier ring around his right wrist. The nullifier fields disrupted photon technology and made the casting of Techniques all but impossible. The ring generated an exclusion field so that Hunters could use all their weapons and techniques in order to serve as guards in such restricted areas.
"Hey Zi... what's happening?"
He turned to look at her with his left eye, the right obscured by his ice-blue hair.
"Ruins are off-limits to all personnel below level fifty. Not that it makes a difference, only fools and heroes would venture down there voluntarily till they catch that thing."
"I feel responsible in some small way..."
"Don't be, We were fully briefed, we saw your report. There wasn't much you could do at the time. The question is, could you be doing something for him now?"
"Now?"
Zi'zuku leaned towards her and lowered his voice, "From what I've heard, his body has been altered but his mind may still be recoverable..."
He straightened up.
"Now Miss, if you don't have any Hunter business here I suggest you move on."
Sue gave him the subtlest of nods and walked past him in the direction of the exit.
"Just remember, the Guild is a pawn of the government." He whispered to her.
She neither stopped nor looked back, but did ponder what he had meant.