Chapter 3: Rogue Influences

Iria sighed and tried to get comfortable in her seat, Bob had finally persuaded her to relinquish control of the Kreper and relax. Kei had fallen asleep in the back because of the extraordinary distance that they had to travel to find a TranSat. Iria had to admit that she was feeling a little sleepy herself. The adrenaline rush that she'd felt during the battle had long since worn off, leaving her feeling weary. She wondered idly if almost being absorbed by Zeiram had drained her physically as well as mentally.

Iria leaned back and looked up into the sky. Night had fallen. It was a crystal blue evening that let the stars poke through the sky and glimmer with full force. The familiar sights and smells of Myce should be putting her at ease, but Iria felt restless in spite of the post-battle exhaustion. Sure, Zeiram was dead, but his clones - his "Zeiramoids" - were still out there and who knew how many he had stashed away on any given world. As the battle at Tanjenkambaran had demonstrated, they could be an overwhelming force if enough of them gathered together.

"We'll be at the house in a few minutes," Bob stated, bringing Iria's thoughts back to more immediate concerns.

"Thanks, Bob. Sorry for my outburst earlier, I was under a lot of stress and I just needed something to release it. Looking back, I can see that the Stardust was actually a good spot for the fight," Iria said in apology. "Such a remote and barren world meant I didn't need to worry about collateral damage or interference."

"Forget about it, Iria. There isn't any need to apologize for something that you couldn't really help." Bob paused for a moment. "Besides, the Stardust wasn't what I had originally planned for your battleground. I know how much you dislike that place..."

Iria had to smile. Although Bob was just represented by an abstract object that looked very close to a Varja, with two ornate and curved vase-like constructs sandwiching a red and blue sphere between them, he still found a way to be expressive. At the moment she could tell that Bob was eager for her to be just a bit more curious. She sighed internally with amusement and knowingly took the bait. "Where did you originally intend to send us?"

"The Administration has been toying with a new concept known as Dimensional Zones that copy a geographical area and then recreates it in a contained subspace pocket," Bob replied, his tone eager and even a little giddy. "Instead of transiting away Zeiram, they could have trapped him in a Zone and dealt with him without a risk to the populace. Unfortunately the technology is very new and largely untested, I didn't have time to make the proper calculations, but give it a few years and I think Zones will revolutionize how we go after bounties."

Iria flashed a dubious glance at her partner. "I take it back, the Stardust Desert sounds sane compared to that madness. You wanted to put me in something like that!?"

"It would have been perfectly safe if I'd had more time to prepare one," he assured her.

"Keep telling yourself that," Iria retorted.

"Let's put a pin in the idea for now," Bob suggested. "We're home."

The Kreper swerved to avoid one of the many rocky outcroppings that surrounded the house as Bob parked it in front of the garage. The place still looked like Iria remembered it; the massive garage, the saucer-like structure on top of it that served as the living area, and the large jutting beam that sloped down horizontally from the middle of the structure to the ground. Iria actually had no idea what the beam's purpose was supposed to be. When Gren had bought the place, he had mentioned that the structure had originally been a decommissioned Administration listening post. The place had already been stripped down when Gren took ownership of it, so perhaps the beam had originally housed surveillance equipment or weapons platforms. All it seemed to be good for these days was providing a place for Fujikuro to hang his Dempadon during a visit.

Iria had meant to ask Gren for more details about the place one day, but amidst all the training and day-to-day concerns of two siblings making their way in the universe, it just never came up. Now it was too late. She would never have that chance. Iria felt a rush of melancholy wash over her as she thought back to the times before Zeiram. It was okay. The memories she had made in this place were eternal and Gren was at peace. She could accept that he was gone now.

Iria glanced behind her at the sleeping figure of Kei in the back seat. Gren was gone, but there were plenty of more memories to be made. She gently nudged Kei out of her slumber. "Wake up, Kei. We're home."

Kei sat bolt upright, startled. Her shock of vibrant red hair looked even more messy and tousled than usual. "Iria! I wasn't sleeping! I was, uh, deep in thought."

Iria grinned in amusement. "You know, it isn't a bad thing if a Hunter takes a nap now and then. It helps to keep the energy up."

Kei's eyes widened. "Really?"

"Sure," Iria confirmed. "When I was on stake-outs with Gren, we used to take turns napping. That way, when it was time to act, we'd always have plenty of energy to do the job."

"It's true," Bob chimed in. "I did the same... before my mind was transferred into this computer, of course. The trick is knowing how to wake yourself up at a moment's notice."

"Speaking of stuff that Hunters do... when are you going to start training me as your apprentice?" Kei asked expectedly.

Iria took it in stride. "All in due course. Technically someone your age isn't supposed to be eligible for an apprenticeship."

Kei looked crestfallen. "Oh."

"Hey," Iria said as she leaned closer to Kei. "It doesn't mean that I'm not going to teach you anyway. Hell, the way you helped out with the Zeiram situation should practically guarantee you a license. You're a natural!"

Kei's frown made a sudden flip. "Really!?"

Iria winked. "You bet. Now, why don't you and Bob check on the house and make sure everything is where we left it? I'm going to go for a bit of a walk to stretch my legs and then I'll join you."

Kei's spirits rose considerably. "Sure thing, Iria!"

"I'll transfer over to the house systems in a moment, Kei," Bob said to her. "You go ahead."

Kei nodded and bounded up the stone stairs next to the garage to reach the elevator that would take her to the living quarters and hurried inside. Only once the door was closed and Kei was out of earshot did Bob address Iria. "How long will you be gone?"

Iria closed her eyes, suddenly too tired to look at her friend. "Soon, I promise. I need to take a little time to decompress. It'll be alright."

Bob was quiet for a moment. "It's expensive hiring Fujikuro to track you down every time you disappear, you know."

Iria reopened her eyes and laughed. "It'll only be for a few minutes. Now get going before Kei wonders why you're taking so long!"

"Just remember that Kei and I are always here for support." Then Bob's image snapped off, leaving Iria alone with her thoughts.

Again, Iria looked at the stars and the uneasy feeling that she'd had in the Kreper returned. It felt like something was gnawing at the edges of her perception every time she looked at them. She forced herself to keep staring at them, hoping the feeling would become clearer, but it remained frustratingly aloof. After a few minutes without any success, Iria sighed and began a leisurely walk away from the house.

The area where the house was located could charitably be called scrubland. In reality, it was closer to a wasteland. Jutting rocky outcroppings of all different sizes dominated the landscape. Hardy bushes and patches of grass and weeds clung tenaciously to the ground wherever they could. Occasionally a tree or a flowering plant of some kind would break up the bleakness of the landscape, but they were the exception and not the rule. The only part of the environment that saw any kind of regular upkeep was the ancient road that connected the house to the city in the distance.

Although it didn't paint a pretty picture, the landscape was actually ideal. Part of the reason Gren had picked this location was because of the wasteland around them. It was the perfect place to train and test out weapons of all kinds. There were no neighbors to get upset at the noise and no nosey Administration representatives to barge in demanding permits or whatever.

Iria made her way away from the house and wandered between the jutting rocks. It was a calm night, so every so often a gentle breeze would waft through her spiky dark red hair. Occasionally, Iria would look back at the sky but every time she did the uncomfortable feeling would return. She sighed and found a nearby knoll to sit down on before burying her face in her palms to block out the sky.

That's when she heard the noise.

Off to her left was a scuffling sound on the hardpacked ground. The noise stopped suddenly as soon as she turned her head in that direction. She didn't spot anything, but there were plenty of large rocks and bushes that could be used as hiding places. The instant she looked away it started up again, getting a bit louder with each passing moment. There was no doubt about it, something was stalking her.

Iria didn't want to take chances, she sprang up from her spot and whipped out a pistol. Her whole body still ached from the fight with Zeiram, but Gren had taught her long ago to never show weakness to an enemy. To any outsider, she would have looked ready and willing to engage in combat. It wasn't far from the the truth, but Iria tried to bury any doubts about how effective she would be right now if she had to fight.

"Come out and show yourselves! I won't hurt you unless I'm forced to," Iria warned as she pointed the gun at the source of the noise.

The scrabbling got louder as a figure popped out from behind a rock, followed by another and another. In less than a minute, Iria was surrounded on all sides by dark silhouettes. None of them were close enough for Iria to make out features. How the hell had she missed the rest of them? Was she really that tired?

Iria turned to the largest shape, hoping that it was the leader, and pointed her pistol squarely at it. "I am Hunter Iria, number 9799-5," she said to them as she pulled out the tear-shaped Hunter badge she kept around her neck. It was dark blue with three vertical red dots on the front to signify that she was a full Hunter. Whether they could see the badge or not in the dim light, the very act of pulling it out would hopefully give her ambushers some second thoughts.

The group didn't budge and kept their silence. Iria was about to call Bob for assistance when her pistol was hit by a sticky, heavy weight, forcing her to drop it involuntarily. She instantly surmised that trying to pick up her fallen weapon would be folly. Instead she rushed towards the nearest body and used their shoulders to catapult herself away from the gang by doing a flip over them and landing at their back.

Iria's muscles ached as she sprinted towards the house. She was about to call Bob again when her feet suddenly became stuck in the same substance that had knocked her pistol away. Before she even hit the ground, the Hunter was struck repeatedly with more globules of the same gooey material. Iria was bound tight by the time she hit the ground. The substance was covering every part of her body that could possibly be used for help, even her mouth.

When her vision cleared from the fall, Iria found herself looking at one of the people that had attacked her. Even with a sky full of stars, Iria wasn't able to make out any distinguishing features. Was it some kind of cloak? Was her vision going? She then realized a bit too late that the figure had a foot drawn back. With a swiftness that Iria wasn't expecting, she felt the impact of a kick against her face.

Stars of her own appeared before her eyes but were soon washed away by a black sea of unconsciousness.