Sue brooded into her drink. She had tired of playing the waiting game since the lock-down nearly a week ago. The tragedy that had befallen the competitors of the 'Last Survivor' show had shocked everyone. When Kireek had caused interference with the cameras recording the show, many were secretly glad that they had not witnessed those terrible things. When word had gotten out about Kireek's upgrades and escape, there had been public outcry. Vengeance had been demanded, a contingent of Hunters formed, baying for his blood. Or whatever passed for Android blood anyway.
The government were as appalled by Kireek's actions as anyone else, but when it was revealed that Kireek had been sent down to the surface, they decreed that Ragol was off limits to EVERYONE, irrespective of level or experience. This had caused much tension, not helped by the fact that suddenly every Android on Pioneer 2 was under suspicion, not officially of course, but there was evidence everywhere and Sue knew that full scale riots might not be far behind.
Outside of those privy to the Hunter's Guild, there was the beginnings of panic. Sue rarely associated with non-hunters, the Hunter community was far more interesting, but she knew those that did and they expressed their concerns to her. The explosion on Ragol had occurred over nine months ago and after several years spent travelling in space only to arrive at a planet they could not visit meant that the people were rapidly losing faith in the authorities.
But it was hardly their fault, even with the destruction of Falz, creatures still roamed the forests and outlying areas near the central dome. Despite culling efforts of the top Hunters, they appeared to become more numerous and more stronger with every passing week. The discovery of a hidden research facility on Gal Da Val Island five kilometres off the southern coast had meant that security had to be tightened further. Who knew what other horrors might lie in wait?
Sue stared into her glass, half-empty. It had been that way for sometime, her thoughts moving in a circular fashion like a Farlla chasing its tail. She sighed and inwardly turned her attention to Ash. Poor Ash. In hind-sight, of course it was obvious that the HUcast Mandroid was Kireek. When she had met him he had used a scythe, the alarm bells in her head rang loudly enough. Though if she had actually watched the show she would have been just as powerless as the suthorities to act.
She had known Ash mainly from the missions they had undertaken on Ragol. Whenever she had checked the Guild boards to find out who was active she almost always saw his name. He seemed to throw himself into his work with a dogged kind of determination that she respected. He had of course tried his luck with her, she could hardly blame him (she smiled) but she insisted that they were nothing more than friends and he had accepted that (he had no choice!).
Since the Legendary Hunter had saved him in the Ruins from Kireek's near-fatal attack he had withdrawn from active surface duty and focused his attentions on the Holocast show 'Last Survivor'. An opportunist called Gallon had come up with the bright idea of televising Hunter battle mode competitions. It proved popular, attracting a wide selection of talent, but the best hunters frowned on such transparent glory seeking. They preferred to let their actions speak for them.
She had visited the hospital late last night to see Ash. They were not exactly close but she knew him well enough to be concerned. When she did meet him she was soon given reason for concern. He refused to leave his hospital room, forming a barricade on the door. It had taken nearly ten Beats of gentle coaxing before he finally relented and let her in. He had sustained no lasting injuries physically but his mental state was another story entirely. His paranoid delusions well fuelled by an enemy that by all rights should be dead. The nurses confided to her that the mere sight of an Android would send him into a psychotic episode.
She had extracted all the information she could from his ramblings before he curled up into a ball, rocking back and forth in a near catatonic state. His words had chilled her though, they pointed to something dark ingrained into the society on Pioneer Two. Cassie assure her that he would be well taken care off in the civilian mental care hospital once he had recovered enough to be moved there.
She tapped away lazily at the battered PDA. The screen flashed with the notes she had been making over the course of the past couple of days. Her first stop had been Kroe and Anna Wayanes. Anna had been a member of Black Paper's gang. They were twins and Kroe had used that fact to infiltrate and bring about the apprehension of Black Paper. Sue had been shocked at his unmasking, it was Alex Troupe, her on and off hunting partner.
The last time she had seen him alive was when he had mysteriously ditched her while they were looking for Doctor Osto's research notes. Teaming up with the Legendary Hunter she had found him but he was acting strangely and so they left him behind. In the end a FOnewm by the name of Miranda Fallon had caught him in a bloody battle. The authorities checked the transporter logs and found that he had made too many trips to the surface with the ones caught by Kroe for it to be coincidence.
Alex had said nothing following his capture and was murdered in his holding cell before he might divulge anything. Kireek's confidence in his powers meant he had let slip of his true identity as Black Hound to the One who would defeat Falz. The Legendary Hunter proved to be the strongest in that encounter. Now it seemed possible that the two of them reported to a higher power, namely Black Arm.
It all made sense if you thought about it. Hound and Paper were killing the hunters for their weapons. A few were being sold but the rest were being destroyed. The Wayanes sisters told Sue that they had been instructed to look out for 'something special'. No ordinary rare weapons, what was it they had sought?
With that trail going cold she had questioned the recovery team sent to the Ruins and every junk dealer, scrap merchant and Android repair station on the ship. Her feet felt like she had walked fifty kilometres so far! Kireek's remains had done a fair bit of travelling themselves, being passed from person to person. When the recipient had discovered what they had got hold of, they wanted nothing to do with it and moved them on. The parts were finally assigned for destruction through a dealer called Septia Moose.
Septia Moose however had gone missing over six months ago, one of Black Paper's victims. They used his shop as a front to sell on their stolen merchandise. The authorities knew this information that had been uncovered as well. However, Moose's shop was located in one of the more 'run-down' districts of Pioneer Two's Vega residential district. Here Moose's neighbours would be understandably reluctant to venture forth information. Fortunately, Sue had more luck. Kireek's fresh assault on Ash serving to loosen tongues sufficiently to serve purpose.
The final pages of her notes consisted of a list of descriptions of various regulars that had called upon Moose's shop up until recently. The fact that the shop had been boarded up seemed to be no barrier to business. She could eliminate all but four of the suspects as the Hunter thieves. It was the unknown ones that would prove problematic. Pioneer 2 was the second wave of settlers so it only carried three million people made up of humans, Newmen and Androids. But twenty five thousand of those were members of the Hunters Guild in some capacity and that did not discount those who would imitate a hunter for whatever reason.
She raised the glass to her mouth but put it back to the table when her arm beeped. A BEE system message. The message was direct, "Come to the telepipe reception area in the labs immediately. Tell no one." There was no name signed to it. The message header had been spoofed so she could not determine who had sent it. She paused for a fraction of a Beat before striding purposefully toward the Lab.