Homecoming

[Sanjei]

"Now boarding, ICC Transport Liner Eye Of The Pegasi towards Rubi-Ka space. I repeat, ICC Transport Liner Eye Of The Pegasi is now boarding. Bay doors will close in fifteen minutes. Please remember to keep an eye on your luggage all the time."

The computerized woman voice called out this message two, maybe three times more accross the intercom Centauri Intergalactical, a huge orbital station used for stopovers betweenSol and other systems. Circling at a safe distance around the Toliman star, the station drained power from the star itself and converted this into pure energy, making it possible for mankind to use the station as not only a stopover station, but also a so called "Star City". Everything that was needed to create a independent city was there. Greenhouses, oxygen stations, water processing plants, artificial gravity, everything. About half a million people lived permanently on this station, and the numbers were increasing for every day. Except from the permanent residents, almost the same amount of people passed through the station every day, each and every one choosing to relax a bit between their flights accross the galaxy, sleeping a night or two in one of the many hotels that existed there.

Not surprising, the station never slept. With starships arriving and leaving the station all the time, the arrival and departure halls had everything to satisfy the travellers. Coffee shops where the sophisticated businessmen with their suits sat and discussed the recent developments on Earth's stock market over a cup of triple frappucino. Bars, where people were trying to drown their fears of intergalactical travel in a glas of Hit-The-Floor-Jack or a plain traditional vodka, everything just to be drunk enough when their transport left. And then there were the giant shopping malls filled with families buying tax-free toys, lying next to a shady club that seemed to be the host of more-or-less naked ladies and men. As one could understand, there was something in these halls that aimed to suit every single one of the visitors. Of course, these places never closed for the evening. They were open 24/7, so to speak. And wherever there could be a person waiting on his ship, there was a intercom shouting out the latest news on the flight net.

Just your typical spaceport, just on a typical stressed out day. When the woman once more squeaked out a message, two people in the bar checked their watches, rose from their seats and payed the barkeep a fair amount of credits for their drink before they left. The first one to leave through the doors looked like a typical slacker. Wearing something called "Jeans" and a old torn t-shirt he could be a standard John Doe. Although, the other one was what caught the attention of a third figure sitting in a smoky corner of the room. With his black suit, his black tie and a standard gray briefcase he could be another one of these suits sitting in the coffee shops. Alas, his briefcase was what revealed his true intention. In the top right corners of the briefcase were a Omni-Tek logo on both sides. The figure in the corner glared at the man. If it would have been another situation right now the employee would have had a bullet between his eyes within five seconds. Alas, too many spectators. And he would not want to bring the war more outside of 'Ka than it already was. Acrimonious to this particular fact, Hunter "Sanjei" Ciafardoni clenched his left fist and used his right to take another sip from his stout. In silence he watched as the employee left the bar, then returned to his own thoughts.

It had been a long time now, even now the memories were oh-so-clear. The burden and the guilt of Keppler's death still hung above his head. And what the Other had said and done to his fellow clanmates. It was a shame that the soldier was still alive, according to himself. He had hated himself from day one in recovery after all the incidents. And the Deus Ex Machina? A shadow org that he hid his participation in even from the other members of Assembly. There was many things he could have done in other ways than he did. But he did it. At least the Deus Ex Machina left an impression on the planet itself. But after the spokesperson of DeM got arrested and reformed there was nothing to remember about it anymore.

But he remembered his crueller actions. How he killed the applicant Keppler in cold blood, under control of his other self. The cyborg self, who had long since been struggling to take him over completely. Until Sandra managed to damage its dominant systems enough for Hunter to break free from its grasp. Almost the first thing he had done was to flee the planet like a dog with its tail between his legs. Coward, he thought back then. But now, it was something completely else. Through his more shady contacts around the galaxy, he had found a A-class fixer. With his expertise and many long and painful moments under the surgeons knife, the fixer managed to turn the steak around. The cyborg device burrowed deeply into his neck had been turned against itself. The result of it was stunning. A soldier thinking independently, but with the mind augmentations of a cyborg. Thinking of it made Hunter reach back and touch the large scar on the back of his neck. It was still there, and it would still be there forever, as a reminder of his bad actions. He slowly closed his eyes and focused. Within seconds the pain of his memories disappeared. Something he had gained from the device, the ability to shut out emotions if he found them troublesome. At first it was strange to have a "computer" within his head, but he was getting used to it.

The one thing he couldn't take or shut out was the nightmares. Every night, when his subconsciousness was coming into effect, the last part of the cyborg mind were still there. Harassing him with memories and pitcures he didn't want to remember. This had left him with almost insomnia, being able to only rest about two-three hours a night before the sights had started to appear. Oh, how he didn't want it to be that way. But that was the way of life. Was it fate? No. Just bad luck.

Hunter shook away his thoughts. His rough, now beardy face was filled with scars. Scars that hadn't been there when he had been on 'Ka. New ones mixed with old ones. The once green eyes were now ice blue due to the device's influence on his hormones, and they focused again as the woman called out once more.

"Final boarding call to the ICC Transport Eye Of The Pegasi heading for Rubi-Ka. Please, keep an eye on your luggage at all times. Pickpockets are everywhere. Thank you, and have a very pleasant day."

The soldier rose and threw his bunk bag accross his shoulder. At the moment he looked like a mixture between Robinson Crusoe and a hobo. All of the equipment that still was his was left on 'Ka in his apartment. Hopefully. It had been standing there in almost, what was it now? One, two years? Hopefully no burglars had been there. Well, he was about to find out. With his free hand he looked once more on his paper ticket. The travel would take about two weeks. He would be sleeping most of the time if he was lucky. Not even his nightmares was able to haunt him in cryosleep. With slow steps he approached his gate. The quite attractive flight stewardess gave him a bright smile as he handed over his ticket and ID papers. Hunter himself grinned slightly as she raised her brows reading his ID.

"Thank you, Mr... Beblebrx? I'm sorry, it's hard to pronounce."

"It's alright. It's not like I could chose my name itself. My smuggler mate did," he said jokingly and chuckled. The stewardess laughed as well to his dry joke. For some reason she seemed to actually find it funny.

"Well, you're not carrying any hidden weapons or devices with you, sir?" She replied and winked.

"Not any I can be arrested for having, no. At least what I think," Hunter said with a grin and a wink that could be misintepreted by many as a sexual invitation. The stewardess smiled warmly at him and waved him through the gate. What he had said was actually true. Can one be arrested for the device in his neck? He thought not.