Four Heroes
Chapter One
2 Years Later
The door slid slowly open and, for a split second a face darted around the frame. The Hunter took a deep breath and rolled through the doorway. Staying low, he gave the room a look over, searching for exits, cover, potential weapons, everything his training had taught him to do. Suddenly a Photon bullet buried itself into the wall just inches from his head. The hunter quickly dove behind a stack of boxes, taking a look back to see a large silhouette move closer. It was the Android. Thinking quickly, the hunter lowered his sabre and drew a simple handgun. Quickly darting out from his hiding place he took his best guess and fired into the room. He missed his target, by a good meter. Immediately he was faced with a return volley from his robotic adversary. The hunter deftly dodged the photon bullets, now he had a target. Electricity began to coarse through his arm and with a bright flash the charge arced across the room to what he hoped was the target.
"Gahhhhhhhh!" a robotic voiced cried in pain, "you cheating little…."
He didn't have time to finish; the Hunter had already drawn his sabre and was charging at the grounded android.
"Sorry, pal," he smirked, "all's fair in love and war," and with that, he drove his sabre deep into the android. Everything went black
Servo stormed out of the VR suite rubbing his chest. That fact that his chest was made of metal and rubbing had little effect didn't seem to matter to him. Aftershock was close behind him and quickly court up to the large, white and purple ranger. Matching the RAcast's pace he looked up at him with a broad grin.
"You gonna look like that all day?" Servo asked gruffly. "You know if you weren't such a weird little Technique freak you wouldn't be so happy." Aftershock kept smiling.
"What?" Servo stopped walking, "Why are you looking at me like that?"
"Guess which little technique freak is in the advanced party." Aftershock's broad smile didn't falter. If Servo had had a mouth, it would have dropped open.
"You?" Was the only response he could immediately process. Aftershock nodded slowly, his grin broadening. "You luckily little flesh bag!" I'd give my right arm to be on the first team down to Ragol!" To make a point of this, he detached his right arm and handed it to his HUmar friend.
"Well that's nice of you pal," Aftershock examined the freshly picked android limb thrust into his hands, "but you would be much use down there without your trigger finger, and I can't really think of a use for this…unless…" he reached, with Servo arm, behind his back and proceeded to scratch his arse with it. "Yeah, reaches the place other arms can't!" Servo hastily grabbed his arm back and re-attached it.
"You know what I take it back," he grunted as Aftershock fell about laughing, "You go down there, with any luck you'll catch some alien virus that makes your skin turn blue or something!"
"In all honesty," Aftershock recomposed himself, "I don't think it'll be really exciting. There is already a community down there, and they'll be opening up communication before we're even in orbit. It's just a formality."
"Still," the Android pined. "Anyway how did you get selected, I thought it was the best and brightest!
"Well far as I can tell it was my…Electric personality!" Aftershock laughed heartily as his one bad pun. "Seriously though, apparently I tested higher then any of the other Human hunters on techniques."
"You don't say…" Servo futilely rubbed his chest again, "So who else proved to the cream of the crop?"
"Not sure, don't meet them till tomorrow," Aftershock shrugged. "But I hear it's a pretty mixed bag. There is a Newman girl; apparently she put 19 people in the medical wing during her time at the HTC. Then there is a FOmar who makes my Zonde look like a cheap light show."
"What about the forth?" Servo quizzed
"All I've heard are rumours," Aftershock lowered his voice, "They say she's a RAmarl, but I heard she fights more like a HU. Some say she's not even from Coral.
"I don't Believe it!" Servo cried, wounded, "They'd put an outsider on the team before the pride of the Android ranks!"
"I know," Aftershock smiled, "But I heard Kireek was busy!" Again Aftershock was highly amused at his own jest, and Servo face (such as it was) gave a sour expression.
"Sure laugh it up water sack!" Servo growled, "You'll be laughing on the other side of your face when you're trying to wash the blue off!"
Aftershock continued to grin. Despite the pair's friendship Server had always managed to wind up on the receiving end. Been a third generation android, he really couldn't understand how a mere Human could out best him, leading to a friendly rivalry. Still, as much as Servo was put out by his Human friend, he respected him just as much, and in truth, he was happy for him to be on the first landing party.
"You don't remember Coral do you?" the android quizzed as they continued towards the living quarters. Aftershock shook his head.
"Only what I'm told," he answered softly. "I was born just before Pioneer 2 was launched, and my parents where lucky enough to be chosen."
"So this landing party will be the first time you've really been on a planet…" Servo mused.
"I suppose," the HUmar went on, "but you where constructed on aboard, I mean you've don't even have some to tell you of home." Servo shrugged.
"I'm an android, I'm at home on Pioneer," Servo looked down at the Hunter, "It's you organics that crave the soil and wind and rain. That stuff would just mess up my gears anyway, and…hey are you listening?"
Aftershock was staring out of the window. "Hey I'm trying to say good luck," Servo stormed over, "you could at least…Whoa."
A crowd began to gather at the window, all transfixed by the same thing. A small, blue sphere, appearing no bigger then pinhead, but shining clear in the sea of stars.
Ragol.
