Scratch (Feral Aliens) by Loki Renard

Author:Loki Renard [Renard, Loki]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2020-10-15T18:00:00+00:00

Three years ago…

Scratch

I am bleeding from a dozen holes ripped through my body. That fucking bounty hunter almost killed me.

It’s not my first time getting the hell beaten out of me by the authorities. It might be my first time dying from it though. They worked me over for days, demanding my contacts, insisting I confess and then telling me they’ll kill me when I do, once I’ve been sent to the mines. It’s been confusing, but threatening, and also very painful. I managed to escape custody, but then the bounty hunter found me, and I did not win that fight.

Suffice to say, my plan is not going to plan. I was supposed to be on the other planet by now, but someone has turned me in. Or they’ve discovered my intentions through some other means.

I have a feeling I have been betrayed. You don’t deal nip in Scratch City without making enemies. I took my crime name from this city because it embodies everything I am. Dirty, dark, dangerous, all mixed up with the wrong kind of hope.

I've managed to drag myself back to the safe house where I operate from. We have a bunch of tech set up here to help us escape authorities, and to patch us up when we get hurt. Someone here can help me. Someone…

It’s empty.

The usual suspects aren’t here. I guess they’ve been spooked, tipped off by all the noise I made getting my ass kicked by the bounty hunter. That’s one good thing about our system. We know when the others in our network are under fire. We have a chance to escape. Or help the poor unfortunate bastard. Apparently, nobody has chosen that option. They reckon I can look after myself. Usually that would be true, but that bounty hunter all but eviscerated me.

Clutching my stomach, I drag myself further into the room to see if I can get to the medical supplies.

“You don’t look well.”

Garbage appears over me, his single eye gazing down at me impassively. I hate this one-eyed asshole. I think he might even have been the one who put the authorities onto me, but he’s also my only chance of escape, or maybe at this point, simple survival.

“That's because I’m dying, asshole.”

“That does appear to be the case. But it’s too soon.”

He walks over me and operates one of the walking walls. I half expect him to just walk through it and leave me here, but he doesn’t.

“The code I just used leads off-world,” he tells me. I’m still bleeding out, which prevents me from understanding what the hell his point is.

Before he can say anything, something comes through the portal, a small four-legged creature with features eerily similar to our own. It walks through, sits down, and starts licking at the pool of blood expanding slowly around me.

“That’s your ride,” Garbage says. “Good luck.”

“Er…”

That is my last word before he hits some technology and my consciousness is sucked out of my body with an audible POP.

“Hello, little guy! Where have you been?”

A sweet voice trills to me.

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