Duran Cross
RADDOCKS HORIZON
For Lisa, who brought Rennin Farrow to life.
For Kell and Timothy, who helped make this coprocopia readable.
For Michael, I’m sorry it’s not on 2-ply like you wanted.
And for Jacob, who gave me the steelcapped kick up the arse I needed.
“I will kill one to save two. Thousands to save millions.”
1.
The Sniper and the Doctor
April 10, 2319.
It has been thirteen years since the war that nearly destroyed the entire solar system, and in that time Godyssey Watchman Rennin Farrow has been constructing an impenetrable shield of sarcasm.
At least that’s what his workmates think.
They believe he is weird; he talks to himself and has the most bizarre sense of humour. Occasionally, one of his co-workers will make the mistake of falling into a verbal skirmish with him. Every time, they quickly find out just how bare they can be stripped by his tongue.
Doctor William Caufmann, the only man with a worse reputation, sits across from Rennin, staring at him. Caufmann’s penetrative green eyes shine unnaturally behind the reflective red lenses of his glasses.
Rennin can feel them boring into his head.
He shifts in his seat, unconsciously attempting to shake the feeling of interrogation. The watchman knows how Caufmann makes the other staff incredibly nervous, and battles with his instincts to remain calm. The doctor is currently reviewing the security footage that’s landed Rennin into this grown up version of detention.
Caufmann eventually looks up from his screen and speaks but Rennin could swear his mouth never moved, “Well?”
Rennin looks at him, “Well what?”
“This is the third fist fight you’ve been involved with this year.”
“A fight is when two or more people are fighting each other,” Rennin amends. “As I recall I was struck and the surveillance would show that I did not strike first, or in retaliation.”
“Your mouth is what would have instigated the ‘strike’, I imagine.”
“My mouth hurts, shouldn’t that be the end of it?” says Rennin rubbing his jaw.
Caufmann emits an intensely artificial sigh. “Perhaps you’d be happier on Iyatoya?”
Rennin’s glare turns fierce. “Bit on the claustrophobic side even for a space station, and I’m loathe to be away from my family.”
Caufmann isn’t intimidated in the least, which is rare for someone Rennin considers a pencil pushing little doctor. “Those charred cinders that used to be your parents?”
Rennin’s left eye twitches. “And sister,” his look turns to absolute ice. He can feel a ball of fiery anger trying to engulf him from within, “Your bedside manner astounds me, doctor.”
“Clearly it takes a little more to upset you than it does your colleague.”
Caufmann smiles his enigmatic smile and stands up. Rennin feels the instinctive need to back away. Caufmann’s predatory body language is unsettling. “I don’t mean to offend,” the doctor says still smiling, “That’s what you told your co-worker isn’t it? Before the fight started?”
Rennin looks away clenching his jaw. If Caufmann was anyone else… “Are you going to fire me, or not?”
Caufmann laughs, “Fire you? I should promote you.”
Rennin raises an eyebrow.
“Nobody really likes alpha male bigmouths, particularly not me, and it’s far worse when two get together. Though you’re still useful for the time being. You’ll be staying on as watchman, but alone for a while.”
“Yes, sir.”
“You know the concept of alpha male comes from pack animals like wolves. Personally I find it difficult to take anyone seriously if they base how they conduct themselves by emulating dogs,” says Caufmann staring hard at Rennin.
“Are you—”
“Though in future try to hold your tongue,” says the doctor neatly cutting him off. “If someone bothers you, you report it to your superior instead of starting an argument that wastes my time having to reprimand you. Again.”
“Yes, sir.”
“I have work to do, get out.”
“Don’t you mean ‘dismissed’, sir? I thought you were all for protocol.”
Caufmann puts both hands on his desk, leans forward slightly and continues smiling. Despite the desk’s solid construction, Rennin can hear it creak. “Leave.”
Rennin gets up instantly and leaves, unsuccessfully attempting to cover his shudder of dread with a sarcastic sigh.
The Godyssey Laboratory perches above the city of Raddocks Horizon, a target shaped edifice when viewed from orbit, situated in what was once the Alpine Shire. It is two hundred and eighty kilometres north of the blast site formerly known as Melbourne. The former city’s destruction was the catalyst that started the nine-year CryoZaiyon War between the first sentient androids and the Gorai Aurelia humanists. The war thrust focus in that part of the world to the more recently developed city of Raddocks Horizon.
The city is comprised of three main concentric rings: Outer-city, Inner-city and Centre-city districts. From the middle it is divided like a pie into four inner wedges and eight outer wedges. The founding families own all the inner four wedges of land. From above, the city spreads out in a giant version of the Godyssey insignia.
The largest of the four sections of Centre-city, belongs to the Raddocks family, controlled by the self financed lord of the domain.
The Lab exists on a wedge in the inner western quadrant of the city. From the street, Godyssey’s main building appears as an obelisk, ominous and isolated, its grassy environs stretching to protective walls on every side. The watchtower, with its video relays of every side of the obelisk, guarantees this sanctity remains.
Rennin is one of the more infamous employees of this arm of Godyssey Company; his work within the watchtower of the Godyssey lab ensures his notoriety. Through rumour at least.
Physically, Rennin takes after his father. His black hair and solid six-foot two-inch frame were inherited, along with an intimidating glare and a fighter’s stance. His appearance also betrays the Indigo Reign mutation, inescapable since his infection during his service as a soldier, tinting his irises violet over his natural blue-grey. His translucent skin and maroon tinged lips further convey the Indigo Reign that still courses through his body but only adds to his intimidation factor.
Rennin is stalking across the grass, hands shoved in pockets, returning to his watchtower from his most recent reprimand from Doctor Caufmann. From the corner of his eye, he notes one of the scientific staff walking the opposite way, one side of his mouth quirks slightly as he decides to entertain himself. They hate him anyway, and Rennin can’t help but be antagonistic.
Before his target passes, Rennin spits just ahead of him.
The lab worker’s stride stutters slightly, but as expected he says nothing. Not now, not to his face. Instead, he hurries off on his personal mission, head turned aside as Rennin stifles a snigger.
Humans. Shit sacks. You wouldn’t last ten seconds on the frontline.
“Less with me in command,” he mutters to himself.
Towards the end of the war, Rennin made Sergeant and he was responsible for his troops. He took every casualty as a personal insult until one fateful day he lost his entire platoon and the personal insult was so intense something of himself died with them.
Until that point, he hadn’t thought he had anything left to lose.