Centurion

6: Hostile Work Environment

Hurke and Heurrm were looking at the Huntsman Board figures and it wasn't looking good. Despite their frequent missions for the elective, 'C3nturi0n' were the lowest ranked of all the mercenary companies. "The Captain isn't going to be happy about this." Heurrm realised 

"Happy 'bout what?" Johnson asked, his mood breaking down when he saw it. "707th! That can't be right! The Huntsman Board don't know what they're talking about!" 

"We should've seen this coming. We're space pirates Captain, space pirates who've just murdered a high-ranking official of the UGA; bad PR for them so they make it look like we're unimportant." Hurke explained 

"We brought in the Delectamentum Lac! That's an endangered species!" Heurrm moaned 

"Yeah, but we killed an Elisa. That's like drowning a unicorn but claiming you saved an ant with slightly bendier antenna." Johnson joked 

"If it looks bad for the Huntsman Board, we need to fix it. Otherwise the next job could be the destruction of Centurion." Hurke hammered home 

"Right, 'cause not enough people are doing that already." Johnson laughed 

"Technically they're only trying to kill you sir." Idris intervened, "If we turn him in, they'll leave us alone." 

Johnson stared solemnly into Idris' digital face. "Of course we'd never do that but it's what the UGA want us to do. Why do they hate you so much?" Idris wondered 

"For the last time, I can't remember!" Johnson repeated 

"What can you remember?" Hurke questioned 

"I remember that the Huntsman Board hate us now. What we need is a big new threat to take out, something that saves those higher-ups time and money and generally makes their lives easier. Idris, scan the Board's database and look for any top-of-the-list criminals for us to bring in." Johnson ordered 

"Right away sir." Idris replied

"Great, hack into their systems. That won't piss them off any further." Heurrm sarcastically commented

"Done. Captain Johnson Marshall. Wanted for information redacted?" Idris completed 

"Obviously not that. Who's next?" Johnson ignored 

"Captain Ernest Outlander. Wanted for theft of UGA Cybernetic schematics." Idris listed 

"No, he knows cybernetics and the Captain would be at a disadvantage. Next." Hurke skipped 

"How about Doctor Skulduggery Flux? Wanted for illegal cold fusion experiments on the third moon of Korovkovia." Idris continued

"Cold fusion experiments? Who knows what kind of weaponry he's packing on a moon base? Next." Heurrm explained 

"I'm just going to skip to the next page." Idris conformed. "No. No. No. How about- wait no. Err- here, Phantasm Ghast from Blackthorn in the Vana system. Wanted for the theft of a device called the Dreamweaver." 

"The Dreamweaver? What does it do?" Johnson asked 

"Don't ask me. Ask Porkenstein. Says here he invented it." Idris told him 

"Perfect, then we'll know what we're up against." Johnson smiled, "See? The Huntsman Board will be glad we're associated with them." 

Johnson, Hurke, Idris and Heurrm made their way to the cramped hallway that lead into Porkenstein's lab. "What if other UGA agents come looking for Johnson? The Huntsman Board could bar us entirely." Idris worried, "Then we'd have no official work, just be space pirates not space mercenaries on a pirate ship."