Riddick found himself in what seemed to be a cage, when he awoke. He couldn't be sure because they hadn't given him his goggles back, and the lights were on full.
'God damned people.'
He sniffed casually, detecting no other human presence in the room. Moving his feet and hands experimentally, he found himself chained to the floor, and the bench he was sitting on.
'They're not stupid. Gotta give them that. They know I'd ghost 'em, first chance I got.'
The whoosh of an opening door to Riddick's right caused him to direct his attention away from his restraints. He smelled a man, leather, boot oil, the metallic scent of a weapon. Papers rustled as the footsteps stopped directly in front of the cage. Far enough away so that if Riddick were to get out of his restraints, he couldn't reach the man through the bars. He waited, knowing the other man was most likely going to make the first move. He didn't have to wait long.
"Richard B. Riddick," the man said. "Last known as prisoner 234, signed and agreed to be a part of the CDF-10 project seven years ago. Early release granted to stem a full force rebellion on planet 565 in the Nazarek system. Training and up-to-date information required." The man paused before going on. "In other words, Mr. Riddick, we dragged your ass out of that ice pit because we need your help. A man, by the name of Dio Ruiz, is leading a war on 565 and we need someone to kill him. You kill him and no one else, and you regain your freedom. Do you understand?"
Riddick looked in the direction the man's voice was coming from. "Absolutely," he whispered, smiling coldly. He could smell the man's fear from where he was, and he bathed in it.
"Wonderful," the man said, not sounding as enthusiastic as his choice of words. "You'll be unchained, properly dressed, and prepped for the mission. Training should take only two days. Then you're on your way."
"You're just going to let me go if I ghost this guy?" Riddick asked, knowing full well that the whole thing was a lie. They would freeze him again after he X-ed out Dio.
"Yes, that is the agreement. But, you can't kill anyone but Dio. If you do, you will serve the appropriate sentence in Slam, now located on planet Tacosta-45."
Riddick growled, showing his distaste for the man's words. Slam. The last place he even wanted to think about. Riddick heard the man's retreating footsteps and a whoosh as the door closed after him.
Riddick sighed. Concentrating with as much mind-power as he could, he thought of releasing the tension from his cramped muscles. Someone better get in here soon to take him out of these fucking cuffs. They were killing him.
'God damned people.'
He sniffed casually, detecting no other human presence in the room. Moving his feet and hands experimentally, he found himself chained to the floor, and the bench he was sitting on.
'They're not stupid. Gotta give them that. They know I'd ghost 'em, first chance I got.'
The whoosh of an opening door to Riddick's right caused him to direct his attention away from his restraints. He smelled a man, leather, boot oil, the metallic scent of a weapon. Papers rustled as the footsteps stopped directly in front of the cage. Far enough away so that if Riddick were to get out of his restraints, he couldn't reach the man through the bars. He waited, knowing the other man was most likely going to make the first move. He didn't have to wait long.
"Richard B. Riddick," the man said. "Last known as prisoner 234, signed and agreed to be a part of the CDF-10 project seven years ago. Early release granted to stem a full force rebellion on planet 565 in the Nazarek system. Training and up-to-date information required." The man paused before going on. "In other words, Mr. Riddick, we dragged your ass out of that ice pit because we need your help. A man, by the name of Dio Ruiz, is leading a war on 565 and we need someone to kill him. You kill him and no one else, and you regain your freedom. Do you understand?"
Riddick looked in the direction the man's voice was coming from. "Absolutely," he whispered, smiling coldly. He could smell the man's fear from where he was, and he bathed in it.
"Wonderful," the man said, not sounding as enthusiastic as his choice of words. "You'll be unchained, properly dressed, and prepped for the mission. Training should take only two days. Then you're on your way."
"You're just going to let me go if I ghost this guy?" Riddick asked, knowing full well that the whole thing was a lie. They would freeze him again after he X-ed out Dio.
"Yes, that is the agreement. But, you can't kill anyone but Dio. If you do, you will serve the appropriate sentence in Slam, now located on planet Tacosta-45."
Riddick growled, showing his distaste for the man's words. Slam. The last place he even wanted to think about. Riddick heard the man's retreating footsteps and a whoosh as the door closed after him.
Riddick sighed. Concentrating with as much mind-power as he could, he thought of releasing the tension from his cramped muscles. Someone better get in here soon to take him out of these fucking cuffs. They were killing him.