"The Elites he killed. Every one of them cloned using his DNA as the foundation. He was an Elite too, you know. Enhanced to be stronger, faster, and tougher than the best athletes and soldiers. United Havens got greedy, wanted to upgrade the common Elite since androids and synoids didn't do well on Mars."
"So Elites were already super soldiers," Bryant said. "But they made Kilgore a super-Elite?"
Kirk nodded. "Through a dangerous bio-enhancement program. Kilgore was one of fifty guinea pigs. The only survivor of the group after the labcoats finished."
Singleton shook his head. "No wonder he snapped."
"He was sent to Mars after that. Made a name for himself fighting the Coalition forces. Olympus Mons was just one of many times he led our forces against impossible odds. All the while, back on Earth they replicated his genetic material to create their own personal army of clones. Needless to say, Kilgore wasn't too pleased when he found out. He killed every single clone, then tracked down and systematically took out every person who signed on to the experiment, from laboratory assistant to the United Havens senator who sponsored the deal."
Bryant whistled softly. "Making him the most wanted man on Earth. And you want us to work with this guy? He'll bring all of that heat on us."
"Don't you think the UH could track him down if they wanted to? No one can completely disappear, not even Kilgore."
"Then why haven't they taken him out?"
"Because they can't. Every attempt has led to failure. I know all about it, was briefed on some of those operations. The man is physically gifted beyond human potential and harder to kill than a virus. He has the uncanny ability to sense an ambush or trap and is a one-man killing machine. You saw what he did here. Didn't even break a sweat. He's the only one of his kind. Beyond human, beyond Elite. The UH would rather capture him than kill him. He's like a unicorn to them. They still want to replicate the process, fools that they are. So they bide their time. Scrubbed all records of his existence and act as if he doesn't exist. And they hope."
"Hope for what?"
"That they catch him off-guard one day."
Chen looked up from her cy-gear "Sir. I have the access codes."
"Nice work, Sergeant. Secure them for the journey. The rest of you follow protocol. Send the distress call, and make sure to blame ravagers desperate for a score. Scrub the servers as if IT succeeded in erasing the data. Then torch the place."
As they saluted and leaped to obey, Kirk walked out the room and down the corridor, stepping over the bodies of the dead along the way. They didn't matter anymore. Nothing did except the objective. And with the access codes in his possession, he had taken the first step in saving his family.
"Deejay, my dear. I come bearing gifts."
Jinx la Fox allowed herself to be guided by Cash, who appeared in great spirits despite having just witnessed his friend's murder only a few minutes ago. Bounty hunters were all animals. She'd been chased by many of the sort, both individuals and crews. They all shared common traits: selfishness, greed, and complete lack of empathy. The only reason she played along with Cash and his new partner Mateo was that they were heading out of Tijuana. The city was too hot, as was proven by the attack at the bar. She knew it was a bad idea to go there, but she was running out of options. Every Nimrod in the world seemed to be tracking her.
She glanced around as they entered the hunk of junk Cash called the Battle-Cat. The modified cargo transport appeared to double as Cash's transportation and place of dwelling. Dust was thick, and rust was everywhere. The place smelled like old socks.
Typically, neither man seemed to notice. Mateo ran his fingers through his mane of dark hair and looked around with a wide grin. "This is your headquarters? Cool, man. I like the classic style."
She had to hold back a snort of laughter. She almost liked Mateo, despite his poor career choice. He was a few years younger than her but was the sort of guy she might have had a crush on back in her adolescent days. His ethnicity was hard to guess. Some Native blood, some Hispanic. Whatever it was, it mixed well. His tanned skin was flawless, his hair luxurious, his movements graceful as a dancer. His persona was a mystery. How someone could possess lethal combat skills yet retain an almost innocent naivety was beyond her. She wondered what his story was. If she had to guess, he probably spent most of his years isolated from the outside world. Why or how was the question.
A feminine voice buzzed from the speakers. "Looks to me like you come bearing both gifts and burdens. Jinx la Fox is a welcome bounty. But who is the young man with you?"
Cash sighed. "Mateo, this is Deejay. She's the brains of this operation. Deejay, this is Mateo. Our new partner."
A monitor on the wall winked on, displaying the profile of an Asian woman in Goth-style makeup. "Didn't you just say you weren't taking on any more partners?"
"Did I? I don't remember."
"Really?" There was a second's pause before a voice recording played over the com.
"I'm through working with partners and crews. From now on it's just you and me, babe."
Cash raised a wry eyebrow. "Ok, maybe I did say something along those lines. But you didn't see what this kid could do."
"I pieced together footage from your holoband and the cameras in the bar. There's no question that his combat skills are formidable."
"He's a gearhead too. Figure he'll come in handy around here."
Mateo glanced around. "Yeah, there's a lot of projects I can work on. This baby has seen some hard times. You must have just bought it."
"No, I've had it for two years."
"Oh."
Cash led Jinx to a cell in the corner where he locked her inside and removed the manacles when she thrust her arms through the bar slot. He gave her an apologetic look.
"Sorry for the accommodations. Hopefully this won't be for long."
She gave him a cool glance in response, but inwardly she practically squealed with glee. A bounty hunter apologizing for doing his job? This is gonna be easier than I thought. She almost felt sorry for the clown. Until he started messing with her property.
"Okay, let's see. We have the hovercar she parked outside the bar." His eyes practically lit up with dollar signs as he examined the cherry-red, sleek speedster. Twin white vertical stripes were painted across the hood, centered by a black star.
Mateo knelt for a closer look. "Wow, this is a modified Cayenne RGA. Tesla fusion motor with FF boosters, auto-shield for weather and threat protection, and modified with twin plasma rods for offensive firepower. Sweet ride."
She nodded. "Thanks. I'll be needing that back when I get out of here, so don't get a scratch on it."
Cash shook his head. "I don't think you'll need it where you're going. What else we got?"
"Her cy-gear. Not gonna do us any good. I'm sure it's locked and loaded it with all sorts of viruses if anyone tries to use it."
"Yeah, might still have some value. I know a guy at in El Paso who can crack anything." Cash carelessly tossed it on a worktable. "Let's see. A transparent jacket because fashion." He chortled at his cleverness. "And this… whatever it is."
She smirked when he held up what she called her Kick-Ass blade, or KA-blade for short. Part gun, part cyber-sword, part all-purpose tool. Obviously, the idiot didn't know what he was looking at. Her smile faded when Mateo took the weapon and expertly hefted it.
"Huh. Kinda like my arcsaber, but bulkier. Looks like a prototype military weapon personally modified with cybernetic enhancements. Gun mode with electric discharge, good for stunning people and disrupting electronics. Retractable mech-blade that doubles as a baton, also with an optional stun mode. Impressive."
She was shocked. He figured all that out in a glance? Maybe he wasn't so naïve after all. His boyish innocence might be all just an act.