S: Through Time

Mezzo Piano: Note 1

Mezzo Piano

The humans that lived thousands of years ago were both right and wrong. They were right about ancient beings that were smarter than them, more powerful than them. But they were wrong when they called them gods. They were not gods.

They were aliens.

Matt knew this. He had dedicated his life to hunting down every single alien that ever stepped foot--or pseudopod--on his planet. Planet Earth.

He was part of the Assassin Group, a universal organization of assassins that grouped together to make themselves more powerful. However, there was a competition in the Assassin Group--if you were a better assassin than everyone else, you got gadgets courtesy of the Group. Except if you were a bad assassin, or rated lower, then you were given not-so-good gadgets. Or you were assassinated. The rating system was identified by letter rank--Z being the lowest or worst hunter, A being the best.

Matt was an X rated assassin, which meant he got an X-ship, a type of spaceship, and an X-device, a gadget that could do anything from shoot lasers to call your assassin buddies. Matt was a good assassin, and he hadn't died yet. But he was a human, a race with seemingly no special abilities. They were average--they had average health, average IQ's. Nothing special.

No matter how good Matt was, he would never be rated higher than level W.

At the moment, Matt was hunting an alien at a mall. He had received the alien profile from his consumer:

Metas

Metas are an endangered race from Metan. They broke into civil war several centuries ago, and the war still lasts. However, Most of the Metas from the Rebel side have gone into exile. What they were fighting about is of no importance, it is only important that you get the young Meta at the age of 40. The Metan government has paid quite a lot, so do your job.

One thing however--Metas do have a special power. In their last, dying breath, Metas release a wave of energy that turns every liquid and solid state of matter to stone. The only known way to bypass this safeguard is to jump in the air right when the energy wave is released, creating a safety air bubble that protects you.

Additional Information: Metas are very smart. For forty years before they hatch, they are taught everything they can remember inside their egg. This Meta may not have experience, but he will still be smart and clever. Do your job and you may become W rated.

Your Customer,

_

Yes, Matt's employer always used an underscore as his signature. He preferred to stay anonymous.

Matt was currently at the busy mall, searching through the crowds of people for the Metan. People were all moving in one direction, and, as a result, sometimes he was shoved down halls he didn't want to go through. However, eventually he made it to the place he wanted to go--the center of the mall. He was sure that he would be able to find the Metan easier if he were at the center, because all people eventually came to the center of the mall, where there was a huge fountain.

He looked around and found he was right. There was a suspicious 16 year-old boy who kept looking over his shoulder. He looked out of place, somehow. He wore normal clothes, walked normally, then Matt saw what was so suspicious--the teen wasn't walking with anyone. No parents, no friends, no girlfriend. It wasn't what he saw, it was what Matt didn't see.

So, the alien knew he was being hunted. Matt slowly started to make his way to the kid, but it was difficult, everyone was pushing. The Metan looked around and saw Matt.

The alien's stone-gray eyes connected with Matt's eyes, and widened. The Metan began to run. Matt the assassin had been spotted.

Matt began to run after him. He immediately realized it was easier for the smaller, faster alien to work his way through the crowds than it was for Matt. Matt tried to chase after, but the Metan was escaping. There probably went his only chance of ever becoming W rated.