《Buying Back A Soul》


 Chapter One

    Ryan eyed the breathing tube before him. ¡°You are going to at least wait till I¡¯m out before sticking that down my throat right doc?¡±


    The doctor chuckled. It was the same joke as always. He didn¡¯t even bother to respond. Instead he checked oxygen levels, heart rate, blood pressure and electrocardiogram. He went over to the emergency medical cabinet and checked all the meds, making sure everything was stocked, reading labels and carefully facing them outward.


    The steel door slid open with a hiss and Ryan watched as his brother entered the small lab. Thomas was shorter and stockier then him, but they had the same high cheeks, dark hair, and wide mouth. He smiled at him. ¡°No last minute reports! You ready?¡±


    ¡°Give me one second to just read over everything again.¡± Ryan said, tapping the manila folder against his thigh. He scanned the report. It seemed basic. But it never was. Things changed, plans were rewritten. He could only try and stick with the original plan as much as possible.


    Planet Bezants was the destination. The local inhabitants had broken contract and were using biological warfare to down the human population. Ryan¡¯s job was to infiltrate their local lab and take out the inhabitants doing the dirty work. It seemed simple. He didn¡¯t know why the contract between the two races had been broken, hell, he didn¡¯t even care. Just so long as the money cleared.


    He read over basic information about the planet. Extremely heavy atmosphere and dry. Rust colored, thus, the name Bezants. It looked golden from space. The only water was at the polar caps where the humans lived. The inhabitants, some long scientific name which he couldn¡¯t pronounce, were more affectionately called Sudsers. They preferred to live underground, away from the double suns, and were more active during their monsoon season of sulphuric rain. They also had a body shell armor that couldn¡¯t be pierced with bullets.


    His job consisted of flooding their underground lab with water, killing them once and for all. It was the only way to kill them really. You couldn¡¯t shoot them, you couldn¡¯t starve them out, mainly due to the fact that the bastards could literally eat rocks and survive. They wouldn¡¯t be happy about eating rocks, but they could. And there was literally no way to immobilize them except water.


    ¡°Right.¡± He said, slapping the folder into his brothers hand. ¡°Let¡¯s do this.¡±


    The doctor injected the white liquid carefully into the catheter, a frown on his face. He hated using such a primitive medicine, but it was the only thing he could make without using any controlled substances. Propofol, it was called thousands of years ago. Indeed, a lot of his equipment was primitive. But it kept the man alive before him weeks at a time and so did it¡¯s job. Ryan¡¯s body had to be kept in a sleep-like state so that he would not accidentally be called back before the job was done.Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.


    Ryan and his brother were Astro-Projectionists. A rare skill that only a few had out of the current population of over five hundred trillion. Genetic testing was standard at birth to test for everything from physical traits to what sort of emotions the child would be prone too. But when an Astro traveler was found, that child was marked for life.


    They possessed a unique skill, the only of its kind. The ability to travel to other planets and solar systems using only their spirit, or soul. They were taken young from their parents, around the age of ten, and would spend their lives using that skill wether they wanted to or not, so rare was the gift.


    Going to another planet the good old fashioned way took years and years. Even with the latest technology and fastest ships. Sending an inter-spacial message took months. When you went to another planet, you were put into hyper-sleep, and there you stayed until maybe a decade, or even longer before you were awakened again. Going to another planet was done as a life change. Not a tourist attraction.


    Unless you could Astro Project. Ryan had visited hundreds of worlds, seen thousands and thousands of strange creatures, and could be back within a week. Well, back into his body. It was his spirit, or soul, that traveled. There were drawbacks. He couldn¡¯t stay gone indefinitely. His body would starve without him there to move it, command it to eat, and keep the muscles active.


    Visiting another world also required a body. There was a fair amount of cultural sensitivity about the topic. The basics were he had to have a body to walk and talk. Another Astro-Projectionists body. Just a plain old dead body would not do. Bodies could be kept in perfect condition after the soul left with the latest technology. When an Astro-Projectionist died, their bodies were basically rebuilt, curing whatever killed them, reversing aging, or stitching together whatever shredded them.


    You learned quick not to let another body bother you. The job of an Astro-Projectionist was simple. They were messengers. Every planet had at least one or two. The more richer ones had hundreds. Having scores of Astro-Projectionists, one of the most expensive things in the universe, was a sign of wealth. If you were lucky and had an Astro-Projectionist born on your planet, you could decide wether you wanted to sell it, or keep it for yourself.


    Most were sold, children had no true talent since they weren¡¯t yet trained. They often learned the basics of Astro travel on the way to their new world. By the time they reached their new home world, they were trained adults. Where they would spend the rest of their lives being used mercilessly as messengers.


    Thomas looked down at his sleeping brothers face. Ryan would be asleep for a week if the job went well. If it didn¡¯t go well, he would be given another four days before the got the ¡®kick¡¯. A voltage of electricity straight to the heart. The spirit was connected to the body, no matter the distance, and if the body was in trouble, then the spirit came home, very quickly.


    Upon seeing his brother fully asleep, Thomas went up from the basement and began sweeping the perimeter of the house they shared. What they were doing was illegal. They were not acting as messengers. They were acting as mercenaries. If they were ever found out they would be killed and their bodies used for future messengers to inhabit. But it was for a purpose. They weren''t just trying to buy back their lives, but their very souls.

 Chapter Two

    Astro-Projectionists were paid well. There was no denying that. They were some of the richest people on any given planet. But they were used to their limits also. Going into a coma for days and weeks at a time was hard on a body. Nearly all of them were too skinny. Not enough time to fatten up before the body was put back into starvation mode. They struggled to have family lives too.


    Nobody wanted to marry someone who will be in a coma for over half their marriage. Nobody wants to have a child and have to raise it themselves because their partner was out. The worst part was they could be sent on a trip at any time. No vacations because you had to stay where you could be found. No privacy for fear that you could be kidnapped to be sold and used by another. There was also the risk that your planet might sell you to another, so your whole family would be uprooted and moved galaxies away.


    The two brothers had been taken at the same time. It was almost unheard of for two Astro-Projectionists to be born in the same family, but they had. They were not the only children of their parents, they had five other siblings. But they were the only ones who had the skill. Thomas still remembered his mother shrieking as they were herded into the shuttle, his father yelling obscenities and fighting to reach them. It was no good.


    They had been sent to a world galaxies away. The first part of their adolescent had been spent learning how to travel by Astro on the ship. They had no human teacher present. Instead, a dozen robots, manned by a team of doctors and therapists on the planet had taught them. They had run of an entire galactic ship. The only other humans were in hyper-asleep. The robots though were lifelike enough and they gave good simulations. They played games to keep them active, they watched movies, and they were taught several languages and about different cultures on different planets. They learned how to survive in various climates that were simulated, and how to approach species of unknown origins.


    When they were young adults, they were put into hyper-sleep with the others to finish their trip. When they awoke, it was nearly two decades later. Their parents were dead, their siblings grown and had children of their own. And they were on a entirely new planet, completely foreign to them.


    The two brothers worked hard together as messengers. But they yearned for freedom. So, out came the mercenary work. Oh, they weren''t the only ones doing it. There were maybe a dozen others, working undercover in their spare time, killing for money. They found a teacher, and ended up being some of the best at it.


    It was a lucrative business. Of course it was. How do you kill a mercenary that can just leave a body, and come back in another? A mercenary that can travel from planet to planet to avoid arrest? It was impossible.


    They were rich beyond their wildest dreams, but it still wasn¡¯t enough. They had to offer an outrageous sum to win their freedom.For two reasons. One, to actually win their freedom. They were no fools. The officials of their planet would happily take their money, but would still use them. Through threats or whatever means.They had to leave, and in order to do that, they had to be someone entirely new. That was the second part. To buy a whole new identity. Not just ID cards and such, but a whole new genetic database. They had to find someone who had never been tested by the government, buy their DNA, and then use it to leave their planet on a ship. More hyper-sleep, a new world, but at least they would awake with their freedom, and the ability to live their lives as they wanted completely anonymous.


    Ryan awoke with a jolt, but he didn¡¯t open his eyes. He took a moment to remember. It was the first step in training. Remember who you are. The details came back quickly enough. Planet Bezants, the contract, the plan. He tried as usual to remember details of his trip, but spirits, our souls, or whatever you wanted to call them, never remembered such things. They couldn¡¯t. They could only feel. Traveling always left him feeling peaceful. It was odd, doing the work he did and coming back after killing feeling peaceful about it. But he did it anyways.


    ¡°What is the time?¡± He asked. At the sound of his high pitched voice, he shot upright. ¡°Stars above, I¡¯m a woman.¡± He gasped.


    ¡°Aye. You are. You want the local time? Or the intergalactic?¡± A deep baritone voice responded back.


    He looked at the short stocky man to his left. ¡°Intergalactic.¡±


    ¡°52:33:87¡±


    ¡°Oh good. Did it in only twelve.¡±


    The man raised a thick bushy eyebrow. ¡°Aye? Twelve hours? Good job! I¡¯m Curtis.¡±


    Ryan stretched and lowered himself out of the bed. The body he inhabited had been very well maintained. Ligaments were loose and flexible, he could feel well defined muscles pulling, and senses worked perfectly. It was odd though, feeling the weight of what appeared to be small breasts at his chest, and moving with hips wider than a mans.


    The lab he was in was very secure, he could tell that immediately. Thick walls of stone, eye identification at every machine that beeped, and kept so clean that even a smudged thumbprint would have stood out.


    Another man, this one tall but also thick, came through a heavy steel door with a hiss. He carried an honest to heavens chicken sandwich and Ryan¡¯s body reacted immediately with salivation and stomach gurgles. Ryan smiled as he reached for the plate. ¡°Whoever she was loved those.¡±Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.


    The man gave a small start at that. ¡°You can see her memories? I thought that was impossible.¡±


    ¡°It is impossible. But strong likes and dislikes leave an impression on the body. She really liked chicken sandwiches.¡± Ryan said through a mouthful of bread and meat.


    ¡°Oh. Yea. Yea she did. I¡¯m Leo.¡± Ryan pumped the man¡¯s arm.


    ¡°Ryan.¡±


    Cordialities finished, the two men quickly gave him a run down. The plan had not changed much since the last update, but it was good to go over with them in person. Mainly because communication took a while. Messages, even traveling faster than light speed, still took almost two weeks to reach him. Anything could have happened in those weeks.


    ¡°Ya got a half day to get used to that their body.¡± Curtis said. ¡°Thats twenty four hours, just like ya asked. After that, we gonna take another half day, let ya go over blueprints, and meet the team.¡±


    Ryan nodded. ¡°Perfect. You have engineers right?¡±


    Leo chimed up. ¡°The best we have¡±


    ¡°Good. I¡¯m no engineer, but I take directions very well.¡± Sandwich finished, he stood up. ¡°Now let¡¯s get to work. I need to get back to my own body as soon as we can. The quicker the better. My own glycogen stores are low from running as messenger and side working as mercenary. The faster we get this done, the faster I can get back and refuel.¡±


    Leo stood up. ¡°I understand. Lindela was one of our own. She taught me everything. Here, I will show you to your living quarters. Take a moment to yourself, then ping me when you are ready to hit up the exercise room.¡±


    Leo led him out the heavy steel doors and down a dark hallway. ¡°Are we below ground?¡±


    ¡°We are. Believe it or not, it was easier to tunnel down and air seal everything to relieve pressure than it was to stay on the surface of this planet. Our ancestors did back breaking work to get a livable environment. Actually, most of us whom have been on the planet for generations show it. We tend to have denser bones and more muscles.¡±


    ¡°I believe it.¡± Ryan said looking at the thick forearm of the woman¡¯s body he currently resided in.


    His room was not much. Only a small cell with a cot, clean blankets, a change of clothes, and a small toilet and shower in the corner. He didn¡¯t care one bit. He wouldn¡¯t be here long enough to even enjoy what the cell contained.


    Leo waited outside while Ryan used the toilet. That alone was a disarming process. He had used female bodies before, but as a messenger. He had never resided in them long enough to even have to use the toilet. Messengers spent only a few hours at the most in the bodies. He had never had a female body as a mercenary.


    He held a bit of soft cloth in his hand. Did he wipe back to front? Or the other way around? He went with the way he normally would in his own body. Front to back. Afterwards he looked into the little mirror above the sink and took in his temporary face.


    She had been a cute female. High jawbones, dark auburn hair that was buzzed close to her skull, no doubt so nobody had to waste time washing and brushing it. In life, she probably had kept it longer. Slightly crooked teeth with a smattering of freckles across a pale face. Not a beauty, but cute enough. Thick muscled legs and arms, with small breasts and wide hips. He could not see a cause of death. Normally scars would tell but none appeared to be present. He shrugged, dropped the plain brown shirt back down, and walked out.


    ¡°You knew her?¡± Ryan could not resist asking Leo. He knew it was none of his business, but he always had a curiosity about the bodies. It seemed respectful to at least know their history.


    ¡°Yes. She was a good friend.¡± Leo replied with a pained glance at him.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Didn¡¯t mean to pry. I just like to get a sense of them since I¡¯m well¡­. possessing them pretty much.¡± Ryan said, backpedaling at the pain in Leo¡¯s eyes. He had not meant to cause pain truly. He was here on a job, and had no time for emotions.


    Leo shook his head though, a small smile on the corner of his lips. ¡°That is kind of you. No I can tell you a little.¡± Leo walked and talked at the same time as Ryan followed him, a step behind. ¡°Lindela was born here, and we worked together in university. She did messenger work and for the most part, the government didn¡¯t interfere in her schooling, so long as she stayed close to the capital, and agreed to work close to when she graduated. We worked in biological work together. Trying to terraform this god awful climate. You would think two thousand years of inhabitation would have gotten us somewhere, but only on the poles are we making any sort of progress. The Sudsers worked with us. They originally called us for help terraforming. They can¡¯t space travel, so they paid us to come. They were becoming overpopulated and needed a milder climate to grow more food. We came, but now some religious fool has taken over their colony, calling for them to embrace their old ways of life. So they created a bug, a virus, that makes us bleed out to try and extinct us. Our only saving grace was that our homes and tunnels below ground are always air tight.¡±


    Leo waved a hand towards me. ¡°Lindela was outside when the bug was let loose. She was one of the first ones to die in the first wave. Bled out, right into her pressure suit.¡±


    Ryan¡¯s skin crawled at the thought. Or rather, Lindela¡¯s did. ¡°Why didn¡¯t they just ask you leave?¡±


    ¡°They always thought of us as weak. Beneath them. We can only survive at the poles, and our bodies are much flimsier than theirs obviously. They view us as¡­ vermin. So rather than get us to leave, they decided to just exterminate us.¡±


    Ryan thought about that. ¡°So what we are going to do, won¡¯t that make them mad?¡±


    ¡°Oh very. But it¡¯s unfortunately needed. We have a population of five thousand we need to evacuate, and we can¡¯t gather everyone up when their lab is only a few miles away. Every time we try, they release that damn bug and more die. We tried to air lock pressure suits, they put the bug into tiny machines to burrow in. We tried to make better suits to stop the bugs, they created acid rain clouds. They won¡¯t meet with us, and our inside sources say their next plan is to breach the underground air locks.¡±


    ¡°No more playing nice huh?¡± Ryan felt a moment of pity for the poor humans.


    ¡°Not anymore, no. We plan to flood their lab. That will kill thousands of them. The closest population. With them out the way, we can fire up the shuttles and get everyone off within a week.¡±


    ¡°Where will you all go?¡±


    ¡°There is a moon with a good size human population only ten years away in this solar system. We will rebuild there. Plenty of water, good climate. Cold, that will will take some getting used too.¡±


    They had reached the exercise room. A few people milled about, lifting weights or jogging. A few eyed Ryan, taking in the body he inhabited.


    ¡°Do people know she died?¡±


    ¡°Oh yea. No worries. Messengers and such use her all the time. We keep her fit and in shape. They know she died. Still doesn¡¯t stop them looking though.¡±


    ¡°Right¡­¡± Ryan narrowed his eyes. He might be in a female body, but he still had an entirely male brain. Let one of those lunks make a move.

 Chapter Three

    Ryan spent the first couple of hours at the gym with his temporary body. a standard procedure as he put it through its paces. He had to learn how much this body could handle. It did not take long to get used to any body, but the problem came if he were to act instinctually. He might try to respond as he would in his own body instead of thinking with the current one. Preserving one¡¯s self was not only a physical act, but a soul touching one, since the body housed the soul. What if the body he was in was more slower, or weaker? Ryan had to learn to compensate for this.


    Ryan himself might not die if the body were damaged, but it was a possibility. As long as he could leave quick enough, he would be okay. But if a body he was inhabiting were to say, step on a landmine, he could die if the body died with him in it. It didn¡¯t happen often with mercenaries, but it did happen. And he was being paid extra to preserve this body. This planet had no other Astro-Projectionists, and probably could not afford one. Having an empty body was better than nothing.


    Leo was a constant presence. Unnecessary, but helpful. He spotted Ryan as he tested out the bodies capacity doing squats and chest presses, helped him put away weights, and held the punching bag steady as he hit and kicked it. The female body was surprisingly quick, and when Ryan commented on this, Leo chuckled.


    ¡°We all seem quick to you. It¡¯s because we are used to more pressure.¡±


    The next step was getting used to the outdoors. Ryan was wary at first, wondering if he would get hit by the Bug, but Leo assured him no. ¡°They only release it when they sense a certain amount of us outside in order to do the most damage. Nobody goes out now unless absolutely necessary.¡±


    The pressure suit Ryan donned was bulky and heavy. The heaviness was nothing compared to when the bay doors opened however. An immense pressure hit him from all sides, like being submerged into deep water. His ears let out a little pop.


    ¡°Takes a moment to get used too. But Lindela was able to stay out for hours so you should be able too.¡± Leo said from his own bulky orange suit.


    Ryan nodded and focused on walking. No wonder this body seemed quick. Moving out here was a nightmare. He was slow and the pressure threw his balance off. Beside him, Leo walked much more confidently, but also slower. ¡°The pressure won¡¯t be like this in the Sudsers lab will it?¡±


    ¡°No. It¡¯s a little heavier than our own. But they don¡¯t like the pressure any more than we do. They are built to handle it better is all.¡±


    Ryan let out a pent up breath. He had been worried for a second. His hand, which had been tapping at his thigh, stopped as he relaxed.


    By the time they retreated back to the pressure-less tunnels, Ryan had figured out how to walk quickly in the atmosphere, how to jump, and move in all directions with much less effort.


    They took a break to scarf down food. It was much needed after burning so many calories just walking around outdoors. Ryan was surprised to find more chicken and this time beef too. ¡°You all have a lot of Earth animals here?¡± he asked.


    Leo let out a laugh. ¡°Not animals no. But this colony contained some of the brightest minds of the day back when the settlers came. They realized they needed protein quick out here. They burned so many calories moving about. So, they used the building protein blocks of the more basic animals, and grew their meat.¡±


    Ryan nearly choked. ¡°This isn¡¯t real meat?¡±You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.


    ¡°Oh it¡¯s real enough. Given oxygenated blood, grown from stem cells on a protein ladder, it even has hair on it before it¡¯s prepared. We just skipped growing a whole animal is all. We grow chicken breasts and legs, and beef shoulder and rump. We have some lamb too, and on special occasions we get fish but those are a bit trickier so we don¡¯t get it as often.¡±


    Nose wrinkled, Ryan considered putting down the steak knife, but this body was hungry and since its previous owners had no qualms about the meat, he kept eating, albeit much less enthusiastically.


    Afterwards, they went through the basics of the weapons Ryan would be using. Guns were useless against Sudsers, but they did have a few effective weapons that nearly all guards carried. One was a miniature water cannon. Ryan eyed the large gun as Leo strapped the bulky weapon to him and gave him the basics.


    The cannon was effective, but shooting balls of water was tricky. The high pressure atmosphere made it harder to aim, and the gun did not have a very far range. Only about fifteen feet. Also, he had to carry a large three gallon jug of water on his back. This worried Ryan. ¡°Ehh¡­.. Won¡¯t they be pretty much on me by the time I can hit one?¡± he asked concerned. ¡°I won¡¯t be able to run fast with three gallons of water on my back.¡±


    ¡°Do not worry. You don¡¯t have to hit one. Soon as the water splashes they will give you a wide berth. If you do hit one, step back quickly. They go a little berserk once the water hits them.¡±


    ¡°Right¡­¡±


    With the first full day done, Ryan made his way back to his room and collapsed onto his cot. Like most Astro-Projectionists, he didn¡¯t dream. Instead, he slept soundly until Curtis hammered on his door.


    ¡°Wakey wakey! It¡¯s midday, the suns are overhead, and we are ready to get to the fun part!¡± He yelled out.


    If he wanted Ryan awake and alert, there really was no better way to do it. Nothing startles a mercenary more than loud noises. Ryan took a moment to take a few deep breathes and calm his heart while he seethed silently at the loud man. Finally dressed, with more food in him to hold him over, he went to meet the team of engineers and guards with Curtis leading the way.


    ¡°Aye. Listen up! This here is Ryan. He¡¯s the one going into this pit of living rocks, so it¡¯s our job to make sure he get¡¯s there and get¡¯s it done!¡± Ryan lifted a hand up to wave at the group of men and women in the conference room while his other beat against his thigh.


    ¡°I¡¯ve read the report you all have sent, the main thing is to know if there are any deviations from it.¡± Ryan began, nervous. He hated public speaking. ¡°And then I will need the engineers to lay out what sort of machines I might be facing, and how to work them.¡±


    Curtis smiled. ¡°No deviations so far. Let¡¯s go over it though one last time. We use the net to hide ourselves till we¡¯re outside the compound. I will be leading the team. You, you gonna stay in the middle of that net. The net hides us from them. They won¡¯t know we¡¯re there till we trip their perimeter. Once it¡¯s tripped, all bets off. They gonna swarm us. There will be four of us who gonna act as ya bodyguards.¡± He said pointing at Ryan. ¡°You stay in the middle of us, conserve ya water. Most of the Sudsers gonna be out trying to fight us off. But there will still be a few below ground and you will need it. Once you get in, Leo will be talking to ya.¡±


    ¡°I will take over once you are below ground.¡± Leo said from the table to his right. Blueprints of various machines littered the table. ¡°You will have a camera that lets us see and talk to you. We will navigate you to the sub-basement, and once there, we can go over the machines and tell you what to do. Once we figure out which machine we are working with, you pull the plug, or flip the switch, or just throw a grenade for all we care, and the lab floods and all the Sudsers die. Super easy.¡±


    ¡°Easy, except for the Bug. How long do I have for before that takes this body out?¡± Ryan watched as a few people flinched at the term ¡®the body¡¯ but he ignored them. He wasn¡¯t here to make friends. Nor did he want to die. He was just being realistic.


    ¡°We have a compound that you will take that will slow it down. You have about an hour before hemorrhaging really starts up, and once that happens, about thirty minutes before you bleed you.¡± Ryan personally didn¡¯t think that sounded super easy, but he was not about to argue.


    The rest of the day was spent reading over various Sudser machines and inventions. Ryan¡¯s head pounded by the end of the day from absorbing all the information, but he did feel much more confident about facing the machines. Because of the Bug, time was of valuable essence, and he had to complete the mission before he got his money.

 Chapter Four

    Ryan awoke only about six hours later. Time to wash up. For the Sudsers anyway. He paused and wondered if he should maybe bathe the body he was using. He was starting to smell the ripe smell of unwashed feminine hygiene. In the end though, he decided not to bother. The body would be in water in only about four hours time for the next day or two, until someone could retrieve it and revive it. He settled instead for giving it a brisk wipe down and changing into a new outfit.


    Curtis doubled checked his equipment and pressure suit. Leo slipped a dark vial into his hand. ¡°Go ahead and drink this.¡± Ryan tossed the bitter contents back and grimaced.


    Soon everyone wasassembled into position, and then very carefully, a orange silk net was placed over them all. With the net over them, they blended into the rust colored ground. It was show time!


    They marched in the heavy pressure atmosphere, moving at a fairly brisk pace for over an hour. Ryan was starting to sweat bullets from the exertion. Finally, when he was just considering ripping one of the water jugs off his back and downing the contents, Curtis held up a hand to stop. ¡°Alright listen up meat bags. Perimeter is only six feet away.¡± He whispered. ¡°They will release the bug, but don¡¯t panic. We got extra blood, so nobody bleeds out. Except you that is.¡± He said, looking at Ryan. He turned back to his little army. ¡°If ya feel weak, don¡¯t be a hero. Unclamp the tubes for the IV in ya arms, and get ya asses back to the compound. Everyone ready?¡±


    Ryan gritted his teeth and clamped the gun tightly, making sure his finger wasn¡¯t on the trigger. Conserve the water. He wished he could have had a blood bag, but with all the water he carried, it was decided not to burden him with any more weight.


    ¡°Aye! Let¡¯s go!¡± Curtis took off at a trot. The fastest he could do in the heavy air. Ryan stayed behind him, hot on his heels with two men to his side, and a big, busty, brunette woman behind him.


    The Sudsers appeared out of nowhere it seemed. Ryan realized they blended so well with the rocks in their shades of grey and mottled orange that it took him a moment to even spy them. Thankfully the guard were better practiced at spotting them. They fired quickly and efficiently. And Ryan realized quickly why they were called Sudsers.


    ¡°Holy fucking stars in the sky!¡± He yelped in startled shock. As soon as the water hit them, they let out a rumbling roar of agony, turning in circles and jumping dangerously about. The beings weighted about five hundred pounds easily, and looked like massive armored beetles that were almost eight feet tall.


    For all of their imposing height and weight, water did something almost unholy to them though. Their armor fizzed and melted away, foaming madly and leaving gaping dark holes that dripped blue blood. Something in the genetics of them reacted very badly with the water. A few of the Sudsers hit in their vulnerable abdomens simply fell over and didn¡¯t move. Others were indeed going berserk, rampaging all in their path.


    The woman behind him smacked the back of his helmet. ¡°Keep it moving!¡± She snarled at him. Ryan tore his eyes away from the scene and with new found strength in his legs, kept right behind Curtis, not eager to lag behind.


    Curtis stopped so suddenly that Ryan actually ran into the back of him. One of the guards on his side caught him and held him uprights as Curtis whipped around. ¡°In ya go!¡± Curtis yelled as he hoisted Ryan from the other mans grasp and dropped him promptly down a hole.


    ¡°Damn you!¡± Ryan yelled as he slammed into the hard floor ten feet below, while even so admiring the mans strength to pick him up in such heavy air.Curtis laughed from above and waved as he slammed the hatch closed.


    ¡°Right Leo, I¡¯m all yours.¡± He said aloud, looking about the pressure lock chamber.


    ¡°I¡¯m right here.¡± The mans voice said through the microphone in his ear. ¡°Lets get this done.¡±


    Ryan shed the heaviest parts of the pressure suit as Leo talked him quickly through the pressure lock and soon he was officially into the compound of the Sudsers. It was not that much different than the human compound. Similar layout and design. Then again, humans had helped build it. So that was to be expected. The light was brighter, Sudsers liked bright light, the effect of having two suns. The walls were also unpolished and rough. Hallways and ceilings were wider and higher, and while the pressure was substantially less than above, it was still heavier.


    Ryan was running along at a fairly brisk pace, keeping as silent as possible. He was coming up on an intersection when he heard a series of low rumbles and clicks, like two small stones being rolled together. He skidded to a halt.


    ¡°Shit.¡± Leo said in his ear. ¡°Can you tell which direction they are coming from?¡±


    ¡°No¡± Ryan whispered back.


    ¡°You need to take a left, but if we need too, we can do a round about by going straight.¡±


    ¡°I think I would rather just take them out instead of wasting time.¡± Ryan whispered back.


    ¡°You are the professional.¡± Leo said back. ¡°But I would appreciate you not getting the body ripped apart. She was a dear friend.¡±The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    ¡°I will keep it together, but only because getting ripped apart still hurts like a mother fucker, even if it ain¡¯t my body.¡± Ryan responded back hotly.


    There was silence from the other end. Ryan decided that meant to do as he please. He walked forward carefully. The lights saved him. He saw the flickering shadows coming from the right. Perfect.


    Without thinking, he flung himself around the corner, firing one blast of water from the cannon before running full speed down the hallway. There was a shriek of screeching rocks being ground together, and a thunder behind him. They were chasing him.


    He did have one advantage. He was quicker. The Sudsers were slower due to their bulk. ¡°Sharp right!¡± Leo yelled in his ear.


    He threw himself to the right, careening off the wall. He got his balance and kept running. ¡°You have a dead end coming up, we gotta bypass the system on the door to get down a level, get rid of those guys so you can work on it!¡±


    Ryan reacted instinctively. He threw himself to his knees, turning around and firing the water. Moments like this made it worth spending a day in the body. His timing was perfect. He hit two of the Sudsers dead on, one in the head, where he assumed a face was past all the mandibles, another in the gut. The third, seeing his companions fall, threw itself out the way into a side hallway, avoiding the splashes of water and foam that erupted from the others bodies.


    ¡°Very nice.¡± Leo said as Ryan got back to his feet and kept running.


    The steel door wasn¡¯t very big. Ryan briefly wondered if he could just use a grenade and blow it out, but decided to save the weapon instead. An engineer talked him through the panel.


    Wires cut, and panel trashed, the door finally slid open. Ryan ducked inside just as a group of Sudsers came around the corner. ¡°Fuck!¡± He yelled, seeing the large guns they carried.


    ¡°Run!¡± Leo shouted. ¡°You are almost there! The next door we can close! We can lock them out!¡±


    ¡°How are we on time?¡± Ryan asked as he ran, dodging bullets that appeared to be made of stone and shrapnel. ¡°And are they firing rocks at me?¡± He wondered aloud as something the size of a fist slammed into the wall in front of him.


    ¡°Good so far on time, and yes they are! High velocity rocks. Don¡¯t get hit.¡± Leo warned.


    A tickle near Ryans nostril made him look down. Blood streaked the front of the pressure suit. ¡°NOT SO GOOD ON TIME LEO!¡± He yelled in a panic, his heart racing.


    He could feel the blood dripping steadily now through his nose, and worse, his vision was getting a red tint from the bleeding of his eyes.


    ¡°Don¡¯t panic! The door is right there!¡±


    ¡°Yea we got a door, and four Sudsers behind me!¡± Ryan screamed at him. Blood tickled the back of his throat and he swallowed in disgust. Fuck it, time to use the grenade.


    He grabbed the pin from the top of the little round ball, and pulled, tossing it a little harder to compensate for the pressure to the Sudsers twenty feet behind him as he rolled around a corner.


    The resulting boom and shockwave threw him back onto the ground. In the distance, he could hear the shrieks and cries as the Sudsers were blown around. The grenade wouldn¡¯t kill them like water could, but it made them seriously disoriented and injured either way.


    Ryan scrambled upright and ran back around the corner, firing off balls of water left and right through the gritty air. Sudsers shrieked and he felt foam and droplets. He must have hit some, but he couldn¡¯t tell through the dark hallway and rocks that littered all around. He ran to the door with Leo shrieking instructions in his ear.


    ¡°Your vitals are plummeting. You have thirty minutes!¡± Leo yelled.


    ¡°Not the info I need right now dammit!¡± Ryan yelled back. The jugs of water on his back felt substantially lighter. ¡°I need to get through quickly! Not much ammo left!¡±


    ¡°Blue wire, yellow coil, remove the sensor and then snip the green in half and stick it to the port in the middle!¡± Snarled Leo in response.


    Panic made Ryan move faster, despite the faltering heart of the body. The door slid open and Ryan charged through as it began to close again. A heavy thump told him that the lock was engaged.


    The basement was far darker than bright lights above. It was also more damp, he could feel that from the sweat that gathered on his skin and didn¡¯t evaporate. Machines hummed against the back wall quietly.


    ¡°That them?¡± He asked, running over.


    ¡°Looks like it.¡± Leo said. ¡°Back up so we can get a good look.¡±


    Ryan stepped away, looking the massive metal machines up and down. In his ear, he could hear the murmurs and voices of several people, all talking about what to do. He tried to ignore the wave of weakness that washed over him and couldn¡¯t. If this body died with him in it, he died too.


    ¡°Not to rush you or anything guys, but this body is about to expire, and I WILL leave before I die in it.¡± He said to them. He knew if he left, he would be potentially abandoning thousands to die from the Sudsers, but he was being paid to do this. Payment didn¡¯t include dying.


    ¡°We are working on it!¡± Leo said breathlessly.


    Ryan waited a minute more, also looking at the machines and thinking. He wasn¡¯t an engineer, but he recognized the mechanics from the diagrams he had been shown. The machines were larger than he expected but still looked pretty similar to the pictures. ¡°Pretty confident it will be the middle one.¡± He said, stopping in front of the machine that reminded him of a giant engine.


    ¡°You are correct.¡±Responded Leo. ¡°But the hell if we know how to reverse the suction of it. The pump looks odd. Not like a reversal pump at all.¡±


    Ryan walked around the machine a few times, feeling the clock ticking closer. It had been nearly ten minutes. He had only a few minutes left. The body left trails of bloody footprints on his path, and the heart was starting to skip. He didn¡¯t have long. The only reason he was still upright was because of pure adrenaline. ¡°Guys. Seriously. Hurry.¡± He said as he tried not to panic.


    ¡°Working very hard on it!¡± Leo yelled back, his voice high with his own fear.


    ¡°Fucks sake!¡± A female voice suddenly screamed into the microphone. ¡°It¡¯s the wrong machine! They apparently didn¡¯t know how to build a reversal septic pump, so they built one to pump, and one to pull!¡± She yelled. ¡°Go to your right and pull the lever!¡±


    Ryan raced to do her bidding, his feet slipping on the bloody mess he was leaving. He got to the machine and put all the weight the body had on the lever, yanking it down. For a moment, nothing happened, and then he felt wetness soak his feet. He looked down to see dark water rising quickly.


    There were cheers of giddy excitement in his ear and he smiled. ¡°Good job guys.¡± He said.


    ¡°Thank you!¡± Leo yelled exuberantly back. ¡°Thank you so much!¡±


    Job done, Ryan worked on leaving the body. It was an easy enough process. Calm down, banish the panic first. Then simply close all thoughts, clear the head, and think of his own body. After years of doing it, it came naturally. He was gone before the body even hit the floor.

 Chapter Five

    ¡°Right on time!¡± Thomas said as he began to awaken. Ryan tried to reply back, but something caught in his throat. An invasive object that had no business being there. In a mild panic, he tried to yank at the obtrusion to his face, but a warm hand caught his as his brothers eyes looked down. ¡°Do you want to rip out your esophagus? Quit it!¡± He warned.


    Ryan lay quiet as Thomas chattered on and the doctor cleared away the tubes and hoses. Thomas talked to him, telling him the time and date. It had taken him an hour less to get back than it had been going.Return trips were always shorter. Thomas also gave Ryan a tongue lashing that he only half followed. ¡°Don¡¯t know what went on towards the end! You almost didn¡¯t make it back! You''re stubbornness about got you killed! Heart rate all over the place¡­. had to sedate you lest your body do a kick¡­ could have been killed you fool!¡±


    Finally free of the machines, Ryan carefully sat up. Days away from his body meant it was stiff and hungry. He gave a hearty stretch, his joints popping as Thomas finally gave him a hug, clapping him on the back. A bowl of soup sat on the table. Thomas always kept food near, no matter if he was due back or not. He knew what the hunger was like. Ryan hobbled to it, flexing his stiff ankles, and scarfed it down.


    Work resumed as normal for the next few days. The brothers often operated their messenger duties in split shifts. A week or two for one, the other doing mercenary work if possible. Ryan took more of the mercenary work. He had a natural talent for it. The right instincts for killing and staying alive, and he could also astro travel much farther than Thomas could. Thomas however, refused to let Ryan do all the work and took simpler jobs when possible. He was also the one who organized everything, having a natural talent for organization and bartering.


    A week went by before the money from Leo and Curtis came through, along with a heartfelt thanks. Evacuations had started off without a hitch and the body had been recovered that Leo so desperately wanted back.


    Thomas sat balancing the books late one night. ¡°We are so close. Maybe two or three jobs more, and we can be done.¡± He whispered to Ryan. Ryan had been messaging the past week and a half, and it showed. His body was dangerously thin from skipped meals and he ate nonstop to keep up the carbs. He thought fondly of the chicken and beef from planet Bezants. This world was not sophisticated enough to have protein every night. They had to buy it at sky high prices from the market. Ryan bit into a chunk of meat that flavored the thin soup before him. Some rodent from this planet, but the protein was wrong, and was of no nutritional value. It was only added as taste.


    ¡°Find me a big job, and we can get it done sooner.¡± He said back.


    Thomas shook his head. ¡°I¡¯d rather a few small jobs and you stay alive.¡±If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.


    ¡°I¡¯ve done fine so far. I can do it.¡±


    He had done fine so far. But Thomas gave him a mournful stare. ¡°You have. But there have been a few close calls. What good is the money if you die? We are supposed to go together.¡±


    In the end, Ryan got his wish. A big job. One Thomas couldn¡¯t resist and that would set them free. Ryan tapped the sheaf of papers against his thigh that Thomas handed him as he talked to him about it. ¡°This is super dangerous. But the money is more than enough to get us out of here.¡± He said. ¡°So dangerous though, that not even Postrie would take it.¡± Postrie was their mercenary mentor. A crazy man who lived for the thrill of killing. So much so that he inhabited a small planet all on his own with just his twelve wives and kids. He killed to keep them fed, but also because he had a hellacious blood lust.


    ¡°Postrie wouldn¡¯t even do it?¡± Ryan dropped his mouth in surprise, a bit of chewed up vegetable matter falling out.


    ¡°No. First it comes from Planet Sasfriesas.¡±


    ¡°Shit.¡± The richest planet in the universe. No wonder the payment was so high. But also the most technologically advanced, with a fully terraformed climate and known as the second Earth. If there was a planet in the known universe considered the capital, Sasfriesas was it.


    ¡°Second, Postrie claims that there are rumors of a weapon that can take out a Astro-Projectionist.¡±


    ¡°Take out? Like kill? Do you mean in the body it¡¯s inhabiting? Or the spirit itself?¡±


    ¡°Good question. Postries sources said both.¡±


    Ryan felt a chill down his spine. Of course any weapon could kill a body. Blow a big enough hole while an Astro-Projectionist was not expecting it into said body, and both body and Astro-Projectionist was dead. Usually that was hard to accomplish though. A good mercenary would be trained to leave at the first sign of danger. Point a gun and they flee, leaving the body. Step on a land mine, leave before the foot even lifted. But the people of Planet Sasfriesas were far too refined for such barbaric means. Any weapon they created would be hard to detect, a work of art, and deadly in its efficiency.


    Ryan lifted the sheaf from his thigh and glanced through the papers. The mission was well thought and concise. It involved assassinating a well known leader. The details and steps were simple enough. Using an invisibility suit, fly in, shoot, and he could leave the body. The risks that were listed were troublesome though and gave him pause. Detection devices that could find him leaving him only a three minute window to complete his mission, weapons that were unheard of that could take him out and cause unknown damage, poor visibility of the target. He thought it over. ¡°If they don¡¯t care about what happens to the body afterwards, this could be worth it.¡± He said to Thomas. ¡°Even if I fail, I can leave the body at the first sign of danger. We could just send the half of the payment they sent back.¡±


    ¡°Yes, but what if they use a weapon you can¡¯t escape? What then? We don¡¯t know what could happen. We don¡¯t really know what they have!¡±


    Ryan thumped the papers down onto the table, his decision made. ¡°Its worth a try though. I want my life back. I¡¯m willing to try a gamble. I can at least go and learn the weapons and decide then.¡±


    He watched Thomas blow out his breath in fear and exasperation. ¡°Fine. I don¡¯t like it. But fine.¡± Thomas turned to go back to the lab downstairs to send a message back to the requestors but stopped. ¡°You get out of there at the first sign of danger though! I mean it. I don¡¯t think this is one you will be able to drag out. You hesitate with this one, you are done for.¡±

 Chapter Six

    Ryan awoke feeling fuzzy headed and with a foul taste in his mouth. He tried to ignore those and remember. Planet Sasfriesas, the plan, the money. ¡°Time?¡± He groaned out in a thin reedy voice.


    ¡°04:23:22¡± A brisk treble polished voice answered. Five hours. That was one small blessing. The planet had been relatively close to his own, so traveling had not taken long.


    He opened bleary eyes. ¡°Stars above, could you have found a worse body? Who is in charge of this shit?¡± He complained as he looked down. The body was a middle aged man, thin and pale. The joints were horribly stiff and muscles felt locked as he tried to stretch.


    ¡°It seemed prudent to waste an older body than a fresh one.¡± The voice said. Ryan looked up. A weaselly faced man stood before him, with slicked back hair and glasses that were for show on his face. Ryan knew they were for show because nobody bothered with glasses anymore. It was far too easy to have eyes corrected.


    ¡°I don¡¯t mind an old body, but this one feels like it¡¯s been decomposing for a while.¡± Ryan retorted back as he lifted his arms above his head to stretch, muscles screaming in protest.


    ¡°It is about two hundred years old, so maybe.¡± The man replied as he turned. Ryan glared at him. Of course a rich planet would find the cheapest and most disposable body possible. The man picked a handset. ¡°He is here, Sir. Yes, awake and functioning.¡±


    Ryan took the moment to look about the lab. It was a very airy room, full of stainless steel and white walls. A massive projection window showed a beautiful scene of purple and navy trees waving in a wind, with strange brightly feathered animals swooping about. He was focused on the two moons above when a heavy set, tall man barged in through the door.


    ¡°Hello! I¡¯m Tiberus!¡± He boomed in a deep jovial voice, holding out a hand.


    ¡°Ryan.¡±


    ¡°Welcome! I didn¡¯t think you would be awake so fast! I don¡¯t have much experience with these things I¡¯m afraid.¡± He laughed, gesturing towards Ryan¡¯s borrowed body. ¡°I normally tell them I want a message sent and they just make sure it¡¯s delivered.¡±


    The man was pleasant enough, likable even. ¡°Yes, we normally awake fast. I will admit this one took a little longer to get functioning.¡± Ryan said disapprovingly.


    ¡°Sorry about that! It¡¯s the only one we could find and buy without people getting too nosy. Enjire here did his best in the time he had.¡± Tiberus gestured to the weasel faced man. ¡°Lets get you out of here and go over everything. I know you said you needed some time to get used to the body. But we have to go over some details first while we have the people all in the same spot.¡±


    ¡°That is fine. I need to walk and get things loosened up.¡± Ryan replied as he stood, joints popping.


    The compound was a state of the art facility. Ryan didn¡¯t know much about architect, but even he could tell the money that went into it was vast. The most modern equipment beeped and hummed, robots went to and fro, performing lab tests, and constantly overhead cameras kept track of their movements.


    The lab section was nothing compared to the rest of the compound. Vast windows showed the beautiful and colorful flora outside, while priceless artifacts from worlds away were exhibited in the halls. Ryan paused before one painting that came all the way from the original Planet Earth. It had to have been half a million years old.


    ¡°One of my favorites.¡± Tiberus proudly said. ¡°My great great grandfather bought that one, and it arrived in my dad¡¯s time. Nobody remembers the painter though¡±


    Ryan nodded as he looked at the beautiful watercoloring with blue lilies in awe.


    They finally came to a grand conference room. Half a dozen people milled about, and upon seeing Tiberus fell silent. Tiberus strode confidently to a round table, Ryan following behind. Everyone began to sit and Tiberus gestured for Ryan to sit next to him on the right. Ryan plopped down, wincing at the ungraceful act. He couldn¡¯t move any smoother though in the decrepit body.


    ¡°It appears our guest here awoke far quicker than we expected but that is perfect. Lets get started. We will go over the plan, and then spend a few hours reworking different scenarios.¡± Tiberus gestured to a man across the table. ¡°Quistece, you are the mastermind, please, begin.¡±


    ¡°Very well.¡± Quistece began. ¡°Thirty eight hours from now, Senator Talmiate will be in the region. Now is the perfect time to take her out. She is dearly beloved in this region, so there won¡¯t be as many guards. Some, yes, but not all.¡± He handed Ryan a headshot of the Senator in question.If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    She was a beautiful woman, no doubt about that. Honey brown curly hair, big warm brown eyes, and elfin features. Ryan took in the face, remembering it.


    ¡°Senator Talmiate is no stranger to assassination attempts. She will have the best guards on hand, for sure, with only the finest weapons. Her guards are all also certified doctors to provide medical emergency¡¯s and they all keep a well stocked supply of emergency drugs on them.¡±


    ¡°She sounds nearly impossible to kill then.¡± Ryan raised a brow as his hand gently tapped at his thigh.


    ¡°Nearly impossible, yes. She has survived being shot in the heart, head, and kidney to date. The only way to effectively kill her is to completely destroy her brain. Not even a bullet destroying half her brain stopped her from breathing before. They just regrew it. That¡¯s where you come in.¡± Quistece explained. ¡°You will fly in with a invisibility shield attached to your jetpack. The shield not only makes you invisible to the human eye, but also hides you from trackers and other defense equipment. For a short time mind you.¡±


    ¡°You just said you have to completely destroy her brain.¡± Ryan responded in confusion. ¡°If it can be regrown if even only a small bit remains..¡±


    Tiberus chuckled and interruped. ¡°No worries on that.¡± He slid a small, compact, gun across the table. Ryan reached for it and picked it up, intrigued. It was heavier than it looked. Far heavier.


    ¡°That,¡± Quistece said leaning back in his chair away from Ryan¡¯s waving of it. ¡°Is a state of the art, precision laser handgun. The heat it will emit in it¡¯s beam is hot enough to flash fry her brain, turning it quite literally into a piece of glass soon as it hits.¡±


    Ryan warily put the gun back down. ¡°A piece of glass?¡± He asked incredulous.


    ¡°Yes. It will vaporize all the water content of her brain, leaving the fat and protein to fuse. The heat will cause her skull to also quiet literally explode when her cooler blood hits the super heated skull, and stars help whoever is standing behind her for about fifty yards because they will be hit with the ray also since its too hot for one body to stop.¡±


    ¡°No worries on even a small part of her brain remaining.¡± Tiberus said with satisfaction.


    ¡°Uh¡­ May I ask what she has done to deserve that?¡± Ryan asked warily. He had no qualms about killing, but making someones head explode seemed a bit much for a public assassination.


    ¡°She is popular.¡± Tiberus said idly as he picked at his nails. ¡°She has served five terms of twenty years as the top leading person on this planet, and the poor people keep re-electing her. I¡¯m tired of her constant winning, and meddling and it appears as if she is not leaving anytime soon. So, I want her gone. Will that be an issue?¡± Tiberus asked as he eyed the gun on the table speculatively.


    A chuckle came out of Ryan. ¡°Don¡¯t even try it with the gun. I would leave this body before you even picked it up. Do you believe in karma?¡±


    That took Tiberus aback. ¡°Not really. I¡¯m agnostic.¡±


    ¡°To answer your question, I have no problem killing her. It¡¯s your money, how you spend it is all on you as long as I get paid. I will kill her, her family, and her friends family if you have enough money and a solid plan to go about it. But I do feel like these sorts of things always come back to bite you in the ass.¡±


    ¡°Wonderful. I will deal with the consequences later.¡± Tiberus jovially replied, waving his hand in dismissal. Ryan kept his face blank. In truth, he didn¡¯t like killing someone for the simple reason that they were popular. But he wanted his freedom more, and the woman had evidently lived a long life. He would do it.


    Quistece began again. ¡°You have three minutes of invisibility to get in and shoot. Taking aim will be hard. She will be downtown, so you will have to navigate buildings. Unfortunately it''s the best time. Her guards know that it will be hard aiming around buildings, and instead of being close will be more spread out. Get as close as you can though. The laser is bright and they will see that, so you have only one or two shots.¡±


    ¡°That is fine, but I do have questions.¡± Ryan said, his hand tapping his thigh again. ¡°First I want to know what sort of defense weapons I¡¯m going against. I¡¯ve heard tale of a weapon that can stop Astro-mercenaries by killing their spirit. Is this true?¡±


    Quistece gave an apologetic shrug. ¡°I¡¯m afraid we have heard rumors too, but if there is, it¡¯s a very closely guarded secret. None of my sources have been able to uncover anything. I could not even tell you what to watch for.¡± Ryan believed him. He looked sincere enough and hadn¡¯t hesitated at the question.


    Ryan looked at Tiberus. ¡°What about you? Heard anything?¡±


    Tiberus also truthfully shook his head. ¡°Your brother told me to look into it, but even my best spies are clueless. We found other weapons, but none that could supposedly kill an Astro spirit. There were a few classified weapons who¡¯s purpose was unknown, but we could never breach security to discover their intent.¡±


    He nodded. ¡°Alright. I will just have to assume any weapon can be fatal to me. What other weapons do we have?¡±


    Another man, no doubt a weapons expert began to tick off on his fingers. ¡°Ray guns for sure, none as good as ours, but still painful, poison gas, but I doubt they will use that in a crowd of people, the standard guns and bullets, small explosives that they attach to you if you get close enough¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s all I need for now.¡± Ryan said, making an effort not to gulp. ¡°Basically get in, under three minutes, find the target, focus on her when she is most unguarded, and shoot.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Quistece said. ¡°The defense weapons and trackers won¡¯t pick you up until you get at least fifty yards in, so the countdown begins soon as you start closing in.¡±


    ¡°Right. Show me this suit, jetpack, and weapons so I can get trained up.¡± Ryan said grimly. ¡°I don¡¯t think it matters what weapons they have. It matters more on my skill and luck.¡±

 Chapter Seven

    Ryan flew through the air, the jetpack uncomfortably warm on his back. This planet had humid air and the sweat on his back, neck, and legs wouldn¡¯t evaporate, no matter how fast he flew. The dark navy and purple native trees passed below, with occasional swatches of bright green from the farms that grew human food for consumption.


    ¡°Looks like you''re only about five minutes out.¡± Queistece said in his ear from the earpiece.


    ¡°Perfect.¡± Ryan said, slowing his speed and checking his altitude on the wrist watch. He could see the city in the distance, buildings of pale green and pink from the natural stones glinting in the sunlight. He lifted himself higher as a precaution, cresting some low hanging clouds and flew in.


    ¡°Looks like she is a little behind schedule. As always.¡± Tiberus¡¯s smooth voice filled his ear. ¡°Go in through the south, you have two tall buildings to hide behind until she gets into position.¡±


    ¡°Got it.¡± Ryan said. He hovered between the massive structures. The buildings were some of the tallest he had ever seen. The people down below, cheering and waving, were barely visible through the low hanging clouds. His hand thumped against his thigh. One more job. Do this right, and he could be free. He took a few steadying breaths as he waited.


    He didn¡¯t have to wait long. Quistece¡¯s voice was harsh in his ear. ¡°Go time! Target in position!¡±


    The jetpack kicked him forward as he banked to the right and swung around and down. ¡°You are sixty meters away!¡± Queistece warned him. ¡°We will end all communication now and wipe the watch and headgear clean. Good luck and happy hunting!¡±


    ¡°Thank you¡± Tiberus said also. ¡°I will wire the money as soon as she is pronounced dead!¡±


    ¡°Stars be with you all.¡± Ryan replied automatically. He was already focused on the hunt, their voices only a background noise. His attention was focused and his breathing steady and even. Gone was the trepidation from a few minutes earlier. He was in his element and it was now or never.


    Senator Talmiate was at an intersection. Ryan could see her waving to the crowd, even kissing an infants head. Her bodyguards were arranged all around her, their bulky bodies dwarfing her tiny elfin frame, on the alert and heads swiveling all around. A large hazy shield covered them, semi opaque, and made of mesh and carbon fibers, meant to stop a direct arial assault.


    That didn¡¯t matter. Ryan would simply get under it. He could have shot through it but it distorted the figures underneath and he didn¡¯t want to hit the wrong person. Once he was level with the shield, Ryan couldn''t help but take a moment to appreciate her beauty as he descended lower, gun primed and ready in his hand. She had brains too according to his reports. Which was why it had to be destroyed. One of the most brilliant women of her time, popular and a natural leader. ¡°A waste of potential and beauty killing her¡±, he personally thought. But money was money.


    As soon as he hit fifty yards in he quickly circled, looking for an opening. The timer on his watched beeped every thirty seconds. Time, he was losing time. Tick tock. A minute passed.


    The guards below knew something was up. Another minute passed and a few looked about, suspicious as they lifted their watches to their faces. The shield above was carefully lowered down but it didn¡¯t matter. Ryan had seen his opening. Two and a half minutes.


    Two guards had parted, only for a moment, to glance out from under the shield into the crowd. Ryan was only ten yards away, flying low enough to reach down and smack a civilian in the head if he wished it. His time was up but he had an opening. As soon as he saw guards part, he lifted the gun, sighted, and fired without hesistation.This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    Several things happened at once. Senator Talmiate froze, shock on her face, as another guard to her left lifted a small gun and fired directly at Ryan. For a second, heat engulfed Ryan, making him panic as he banked harshly to the left. And then Talmiate¡¯s head exploded in a dazzling display of red and white, showering her guards and the people around her with blood and skull fragments. Behind her, three more guards and a civilian that had been standing directly behind her also went down in a spray of blood and bone.


    Ryan wasted no time in shooting upright as quick as the jet pack allowed. He had been seen, and possibly hit? He didn¡¯t feel any pain but he was panicking too much to leave the body. A rookie mistake, lingering. He should have left as soon as the time was up. Ryan knew he had felt something, and his body knew something was wrong. Too much adrenaline flooded his system, grounding him. He worked to get his nerves under control so he could leave. ¡°I¡¯m alive. I¡¯m fine.¡± he chanted over and over. He was almost calm when he felt the kick.


    A kick on an Astro-Projectionist was rarely done. There were consequences to using it. Calling a soul back instantly used up vital energy, leaving an Astro weak, and unable to travel for months. It was only used if an Astro did not make it back before a certain time. This was handy if they had been imprisoned or kidnapped on another planet, or for some reason was in a high stress mental state that stopped them from leaving their current body. It could also be done naturally, such as if the Astro¡¯s body suffered a heart attack or stroke while vacant.


    Ryan felt that familiar tug. A yank really. And then the sensation of falling. He didn¡¯t even remember leaving the body. Just nothing as his soul was snatched away from it¡¯s current position and back to his body.


    Ryan awoke to chaos. Thomas screamed in his ear in panic and confusion as the Doctor yelled instructions and screamed back. Ryan tried to open his eyes and sit up, but a wave of pain unlike any other froze him.


    ¡°Holy fucking stars above! What the fuck happened? What is this?¡± Thomas screamed in absolute terror.


    ¡°I can¡¯t get him stabilized! Take this! Press there!¡±


    A jolt of electricity set Ryan¡¯s muscles dancing on the table as he tried to shout. Only a low groan came out. He opened his eyes to his brothers panicked face.


    ¡°Ryan? Ryan! What the fuck man! What the helios is happening?¡± Thomas was crying now and Ryan felt a flicker of deathly fear. He tried to think, but even that process seemed to hurt.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got a stable heart rate! Quick! Get those bags of blood! I¡¯m going to administer a cocktail of drugs to keep him pumping!¡±


    Something warm slapped against Ryan¡¯s arm. He looked at Thomas who stood next to him, attaching a blood bag to a pole as tears streamed down his face.


    ¡°We need to call emergency personal. This isn¡¯t good. He could go at any minute. I do not have the equipment to fix such a wound.¡± The Doctor said quietly, trying not to alarm Ryan.


    ¡°If we call emergency personal, everything is done for! They are going to want to know what happened! You can¡¯t fix it?¡± Thomas begged the Doctor.


    ¡°He needs more blood, a whole new lung, and ribs need to be welded back together! I do not have that sort of equipment!¡± The Doctor calmly stated as he squirted a cloudy liquid into the IV of Ryans arm.


    The liquid burned, but Ryan felt more alert and less pained almost instantly. He was suddenly grateful for the annoying breathing tube in him that he normally abhorred. He didn¡¯t think he had to strength to draw his own breath. Unable to resist the curiosity though, he summoned the strength he had and looked down at his mangled body.


    The Doctor wasn¡¯t lying. There was a large hole right through his chest where the guard had shot him. Blood soaked the mattress beneath him and pooled on the floor. Ryan didn¡¯t have the energy to wonder how such a thing was possible. He looked instead into Thomas eyes as Thomas looked back at him.


    ¡°If we don¡¯t call emergency, what are his chances.¡± Thomas asked quietly.


    ¡°His chances? Not good at all!¡± The doctor said in disbelief. ¡°Maybe fifty. If that! We have blood, and I might be able to get that lung working again, but who knows what other organs have been harmed and where he is bleeding from!¡±


    ¡°You can look and evaluate him though right? Maybe repair them?¡±


    ¡°Some organs, yes! But not all! Some he might have to repair on his own if he lives.¡±


    Thomas stared down, his eyes awash in pools of tears, his dark hair hanging in his face. ¡°It¡¯s your call brother.¡± He said to Ryan. ¡°You were always the one who wanted a free life. Is a free life still worth it? Or will you choose any life, even one in servitude to survive?¡±


    Ryan blinked his answer, an unspoken language between them. Thomas knew what he meant. It was worth the price of his soul.