Luck is Not a Factor: More Stories from the Four Horsemen Universe (Four Horsemen Tales Book 6) by unknow

Author:unknow
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Seventh Seal Press
Published: 2018-10-30T00:00:00+00:00

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The gate trip to Eltar Four was relatively uneventful. Instead of riding one of the big Company CASPer carriers, Theo traveled with Yazakuma—still in irons—on one of the Company’s fast couriers. Once in orbit around the prison planet, Theo had to provide the Galactic Union security force—an actual Peacemaker with several bounty hunters in tow, not mercenaries for hire—with a surfeit of credentials. For the stated purpose of the mission, Theo would be “escorting” the prisoner down to the surface. There was absolutely no mention made in any of the documentation about Asidie Aranath, nor was there evidence of the contract Yazakuma had signed on Silver Falcon’s office desk. For all the Galactic Union knew, Theo was personally delivering a prisoner to the planet’s surface, and would signal for his own return to the Company courier ship once the delivery was complete.

Eltar Four had no spaceports. No landing fields. No launch gantries. Most prisoners were simply dropped via one-way atmospheric entry pods, which would put the prisoners down near a randomly selected patch of civilization—if one could even use the term. The Galactic Union code didn’t apply to those on the surface. No guards ever went down. And prisoners never came back up—or at least, almost never. Once you landed, Eltar Four was your whole existence. Every raw, rocky, sand-blasted kilometer of it.

Theo could feel Yazakuma’s eyes on him as they readied themselves—without CASPers—for the trip down.

“Nervous, kid?” the older man asked.

“Yes,” Theo said, deciding that honesty would be the best defense against the kind of wit Yazakuma employed.

“You ever drop anywhere without a CASPer between you and whatever awaits?”

“No,” Theo said, again choosing honesty.

Both men were wearing mere spacesuits—the form-fitting kind, with armadillo pleating and articulated joints, so there was both protection and freedom of movement. They were in a Company two-man emergency pod, which had been outfitted with a host of supplies, bags of equipment, and a handful of weapons, to which Yazakuma would have access, as well as Theo. He had released the prisoner from his restraints while they buckled themselves into their deceleration chairs.

“It’s bad, but not that bad,” Yazakuma said, “main thing is not to let the noise get to you. When you’re dropping with a squad or platoon, your CASPer screens out much of the roar. But in a pod this small, with only conventional suits to protect us? You’re gonna hear it so loud, your teeth will rattle in your skull.”

“Thanks for the encouragement,” Theo said, latching his harness over his chest, then re-testing the airflow through his helmet. In the helmet’s speakers, the Company’s automated disembarkation script droned in a pleasantly computerized woman’s voice.

Theo’s stomach fluttered uncomfortably the moment the module uncoupled from the courier craft. Then the pod began to position itself for entry using automated thrusters.

“Tell me, kid,” Yazakuma asked, “why did you agree to do this?”

“What do you mean?” Theo asked.

“Silver Falcon’s a smart guy. He must know that sending you down with me is like sending a lamb to the slaughter.

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