The Hard Choice by Fuad Baloch

Author:Fuad Baloch
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Publisher: Red Crescent

“Are you out of your fracking mind?” Ruma whirled at Hanoos the moment they entered the Zrivisi staff room.

Hanoos grinned. Red hot anger ran up Ruma’s spine. Gritting her teeth, she slapped the Misguided on his face so hard it sent spittle flying. When Hanoos charged at her, she raised the gun at his face.

“Why is your plasma rifle’s safely still off, Hanoos?”

He shrugged. “Why do you care? You want to leave Doonya, be on your merry way? You’re gonna get it. Keep to the spoils of your labour and do not overwork your pretty mind over the rest.”

She slapped him again. “Things have changed. I’m gonna need an answer before we go ahead with anything!”

His eyes hardened. “These aliens are abominations, cursed monsters in Alf’s universe. God placed man at the top of the food chain for a reason and sent his blessed prophet, Gulatu Koza, to us to preach His word. There is to be no Judgement Day unless man is restored to the rightful place he’s meant to occupy and—”

She laughed. Despite the pain flaring up in her head, she couldn’t contain the mirth. “You really claim to be following this prophet dead eight hundred years?” She raised a hand. “Wait, are these even your own thoughts or just some propaganda you’ve memorised?”

“Doesn’t make it any less true,” he said.

She pressed her lips, dropped the hand containing the gun. “This is no Alfi temple. I am not here to argue theology or philosophy. Follow my lead. Let’s get the codes and get out of here. No need to… cause any more violence than need be.”

He kept quiet.

“Alf curse you,” she said, turning away to pour herself a glass. The warm liquid ran down her gullet, settling comfortably in her stomach. Not grease, then.

Ruma glanced at the terminal again. Was there time to try and hack her way through to the captain’s codes? She rubbed her temples. “Hanoos, do you have family?”

The question seemed to unsettle the giant, who had poured himself yet another glass. “A wife. Two kids.”

“Wow,” she said. “One more thing I hadn’t expected. Do they know what you’re up to?”

“Only Alf knows.”

She laughed. “A coward appeals to God when he doesn’t have a good answer.”

“A believer with the power of faith is no coward,” he said, no doubt recalling some other nugget of wisdom he had picked up from one of the twisted Alfi preachers that made up the Misguided.

“Oh lord,” she muttered, “where have you landed me?”

“Love, why are we wasting time?” Hanoos demanded, throwing the empty glass to the side. “We don’t have time, like you said. Let me start skinning them one by one, peel them back limb by limb to see what lies underneath, and that fracker of a captain is going to sing before you know it.”

“That’s not how I do business.”

He laughed. “This is no place for business. We’ve a mission, a job to do, no matter what the cost.”

She raised an eyebrow. “Something your prophet would agree

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