Inkvite - My Collaborations

Chuck Blaster

Note: Originally written on Inkvite by 'Chris', '40 The Dawg', 'Mart.' & 'undormant'. One of my favourite collaborations, a fun Scifi Western.

My name is Chuck Blaster, a galactic cowboy taking down the bad guys in cyberspace and, for now, the universe is at peace.
But something was up. The air smelt wrong and it was quiet. Quiet enough to hear Bailey wheezing in his night-sack. The wheezes were a violent disturbance in the eerie silence, and the gray skies added to the freakiness. It was a strange peace that wouldn't last.
Mercenary, that's what they called me, a hired bailiff, bounty hunter, executioner, disgraced ex detective, take your pick. I didn't much care for their words, I just wanted to clean up and dispose of the undesirables.
I gave the fire another poke and looked out across the lunar landscape, spotting something familiar in the distance. "Bailey, better wake up, we have company."
He grunted under his breath and I gave him another poke. "Dammit can't you see I'm trying to sleep?"
"Get up you old fool, look it's a wagon heading this way."
He scrambled from his sack and crouched next to me changing the settings on his blaster. "Kill?"
"What? No, of course not. I mean, not yet, at least."
"Who's on it?"
"I don't know, Bailey," I said, sighing rather loudly. "Just wait and see."
"Should we put out the fire?"
I looked at the dancing, crackling flames.
"No. They're probably nomads."
I furrowed an ancient brow at his young impetuous nature. Even androids had an adolescent phase it seemed.
The wagon was pulled by a Funarg. Imagine a sabertooth buffalo crossed with a grumpy 2 hump camel. Noisy, whiny, but otherwise amiable creatures great at heavy work. It stopped at the edge of the campfire. A tall hooded figure in a long black cloak stepped out of the wagon and slapped the Fanarg on the rump.
"Are you Chuck Blaster?" A gravely voice asked.
"Who wants to know?" I replied, "and what are you doing around these plains?"
The hooded figure looked between me and Bailey. His red eyes that glowed from his hood flicked to Bailey's blaster. "Why's the droid got a blaster? Where's it's inhibitor?"
"A place," I said. "I've been sitting here minding my own business, so I think it's fairer that you, the intruders of our wonderful privacy, give out your personal information before we give ours. Does Bailey agree?"
"Bailey agrees," said Bailey.
"Who I am doesn't matter. Who I represent - that matters, and my boss wants you hunt somebody down, and bring them in alive."
"Little old me" I replied.
"Come now" the stranger responded, "everyone knows you're the best."
"What's in it for me?"
"100 Delirium bars"
I spat my chewing tobacco clean out, I looked at Bailey, his LED lights sparkling.
"150 and it's a deal" I said.
"I will pay you 100 now then 200 after the kill" the stranger replied. "Money is no object, We just need your commitment".
"Deal!" announced Bailey and shook the strangers hand.
The stranger pressed a digit on my tablet and transferred 100. "So that's the business taken care of, who's the guy?"
The stranger pulled back his hood and I gasped. "Who are you?" I practically yelled.
"I think you already know who I am," he answered, stroking a perfect, graying beard.
I shook my head, not wanting to say anything.
"Can't you recognize your brother, Chuck?"
I turned around and faced the fire. "Keep your money."
"No inhibitor required for cyborgs," Bailey said hand on gun, "nice eyes, what happened?"
"Father was a maniac, I slept with his girlfriend so he popped my eyes out with a spoon. I was 17... I decided red glowing eyes would be intimidating. It's 'father' my boss wants..."

"So" I turned back to my brother, "Rex. I don't see you in 20 years and you turn up here with your fancy red eyes and a sky full of Delirium, under the thumb of some mysterious boss, looking for our bastard of a father?!"
"I believe that summarises the situation well," my brother
"And what exactly is your role Rex?" I said, "Don't you have the steel for this job? Last time we met you were shelling Gannards, assume you haven't moved on?"
Rex grinned. "The Gannards don't take of themselves Chuck, you should know that." I caught Bailey smiling and threw a snarl at him. He turned around and walked a few feet away, firing rapid shots from his own gun. Light blue streaks fired to the night sky and disappeared.
"That's your future," said Rex.
"What?"
"Just...poof. Never seen again."
"What does that mean?"
"You'll work it out," Rex grinned. "If you can't ask your robot partner."
My eyes narrowed. "You haven't changed, still a jerk that likes to hold all the cards."
"It's easy with you," he snorted. "Besides payment has been accepted, I'll tag along if you like I'm sure we both have unfinished business with dear old dad. Or are you too scared to face him?"
I wanted to know what this was all about, Rex refused, we fought, punching and wrestling on the ground like teenagers until Bailey decided to walk over and break it up.
"Ok, if you won't tell me now, I'm sure you will when we get there."
We left in my SteedBlaster and set course for the Klagroom system.
Bailey was oddly calm amidst the tensions between my brother and I. He was almost cheerful. It left me in bewilderment, but I didn't question him.
The Klagroom system was a short ride: it was only half an hour.
I tapped on the screen, searching local data for any signs of our father. He was an arms dealer, working out of some of the seedier parts of the city. There were some very unpleasant characters, many he'd found when he was a marine at CyberDynamics.
Rumour led us to 'Four Lips & Tips bar'.
"Been a couple of years since I seen him" said bar owner Mary Jane Sue, "he's left a few debts. They say he wasn't well."
"That's quite kisser y'got there, the way each set of lips on your face has a different shade of lipstick."
"You can enjoy them for only 1 delirium bar" she replied as all four of her lips rippled in a way I'd never seen before.
"I'm all out," I lied as I scanned the bar, "know anyone who can point me in how right direction? He owes me money too" I lied again.
"Head to the bar a few blocks down. I was born here and never left. Don't know where anything is. That guy knows the routes."
Rex tossed her a Delirium bar.
"Just because," he said.
I glared at him. One doesn't simply throw out a Delirium bar so carelessly. It's dangerous to show that you're carrying currency.
We left Four Lips and headed down the strip. Bailey followed, unusually quiet.
"Let me do the talking right?" I said to Rex.
He sighed, "OK little bro--if you think you can handle it."
We discovered our fathers involvement with helping unfunded veterans get replacement limbs and cybernetic enhancements, in exchange for mercenary services. This often let to them needing further 'repair' and so the cycle continued.
This also earned Rex a punch in the jaw.
We were directed to a clinic at the back of a virtual love bar further down the strip. Rex looked up at the neon sign and a big smile crept over his face. "I remember this place? All the love in the world, only a byte away".
I turned and looked at Bailey, he looked...shifty
"Love bars get to you?" I chortle at him.
"Sort of," he says slowly.
Not bothering to pry, I march on in, Rex and Bailey in tow.
"We're not in any hurry, are we?" Rex asks.
"Yes," I reply.
"But it is a love bar-"
"No."
In the back of the shop, the engineers eyes flicked between Rex and myself settling on Bailey. Something smelt bad.
"My father where is he?" His eyes never left Bailey.
It all fell into place, he'd developed the cybernetics--he'd been there all the time. A robotic father.