I Told You So

-Independent Entry-

Violence and delusions of grandeur, that's all these men and women, can muster. There's no desire to be a productive member of society or god forbid a quality human being. No, their deeds are all in pursuit of a flashy name and the all mighty dollar. I've gotten flak for stating this before, but it must be repeated until we as a species learn not to laude these destructive individuals. Offering them attention and adoration is a path which will only lead to our own degradation. They are not to be venerated, they are to be loathed.

You who so diligently read my words and listen to the advice I give, I implore you to speak to your sons and daughters, instruct these youths not to spend their days fawning over tales of these hooligans on the net, desperately searching for even the tiniest salacious detail. These freelancers, gunslingers, bounty hunters, or whatever they'd like to call themselves are nothing more than compensated murderers, and I, for one, believe they will be the undoing of ethical humanity.

~ Eunice Okello – Macau Diocese – Church of the Venerated Machine

It had first appeared as a speck on the horizon; little more than possibly a blurring of the vision or perhaps a trick of the mind. Now, two hours later, he could finally make out the details of it and each subsequent step brought on more definition. Not that it was truly much to look at. Just another sandstone block structure amidst the dusty landscape.

For Dalton though, it was also the first building he'd seen in over two days, and he welcomed the sight of it, fanaticizing about the chilled air and hopefully colder drinks that resided inside. Slowly, he plodded his mount closer, all too aware of how dry his mouth suddenly seemed. With a disheartened sigh, he took a swig of his canteen, the stale water inside so disappointing with the possibility of a cold pint within his grasp. Grumbling to himself, he shoved the bottle back into his saddle bag, silently offering himself a pep talk of how close he actually was to the distant structure.

His estimation was off by nearly two hours, either the terrain playing with his perception of distance or perhaps Dalton's own optimism skewing the prediction. Sliding down from the saddle, he worked at his legs as he guided his mount to the only hitching post that wasn't occupied. Other desert-horses like his were tied up outside, along with several vehicles, a Mazur brand hoverbike among them. Dalton permitted himself a moment to ogle the bike. He'd never seen one outside ads or perhaps his idle daydreams where he was cruising along on one, women cooing over him.

Was cooing the right word? Dalton pondered this as he stood in the baking desert sun. Did that make them sound too much like a gaggle of birds? Perhaps there was a better term but for now he'd go with cooing and, offering himself a nod at his mental agreement, he finished the process of tying off his horse. He'd need to get water for the steed but likely that'd need to be purchased inside. While desert-horses were genetically modified to sustain themselves in the harsh environment like the increasingly rare camel, they, like every animal, still needed to replenish.

Dalton performed a quick survey of himself and his belongings, attempting to make a mental note of what he still had and what he might want to try and purchase while he was inside. Hopefully his money could hold out till he got paid for this coming job. Inhaling a draught of hot air, he reassuringly patted the holster strapped to his thigh before stepping up to the reinforced neo-aluminum door and pressing the button to open it.

The room beyond was dim and cool, the majority of its lighting coming from the myriad of neon signs excitedly stating that they served cold mead. Dalton idly wondered if perhaps the owner of the establishment had an obsession of collecting the signs or if just maybe the regular patrons were all so dim that they needed twenty versions of the same display to remind them what was served here. This was the Western Reach after all; he wouldn't put it past anyone.