Jack Of All Trades (Erotica)

Before they stepped through Nann began to laugh. Ash looked at her. “What?”

“I just got it! Its name, Jerrican! Jerry Can!” the redhead chuckled.

“Yes, the Tik have an odd obsession with asking Humans to give them names when they go into service shortly after their Instantiation. I am not sure when that practice began but it has resulted in some odd and sometimes less than flattering designations.” Gee sighed.

The group stepped through and found themselves in a large and noisy space, a far cry from the cool efficiency of the LA Terminal. They made their way to the customs desk and faced the Rehm clerk. Generally short, they had round bodies with two long arms, two short ones and strong but short legs. Their skin was a dull grey green. Otherwise unremarkable, the Rehm were good at their jobs.

“Names and purpose of your visit,” it said barely looking up from its terminal which was busy scanning them.

“Gee and Bal, Altarian Security. Searching for our Ambassador. Hired a crew for heavy lifting.” Gee said blandly.

“Reward?” the clerk said brightening up.

“Not my department. We’re just the transport.”

The clerk’s expression dulled once more. “One day pass for six?”

“Yes.” Gee answered.

“6000 credits.”

The Major jolted at the expense but Gee just tapped her comm on the pay pad and the clerk’s eyes lit up when it saw the included gratuity.

“Information?” Gee asked.

The smile froze then a subtle nod.

“Growth enzyme shipment some hours ago. Destination?” Gee asked casually.

The clerk placed it’s comm on the surface of its desk near the edge. It scanned its records then looked towards the exit. “Hot box. Yes. Third sector, tenth zone, grid four. Closest approximation… the Cowled Ones.” Meaning that was the recorded destination which still covered a large area. The last bit was the most important information. Confirmation of the enemy.

“Good Business,” Gee said tapping her comm against the other’s before putting it back in her gown.All text © NôvelD(r)a'ma.Org.

“Good Business,” it responded with a broad smile as it read his intake of credits. The group made their way out of the terminal through the exit.

“We will need to hire a transport as the destination is not achievable on foot in the time we have.” Bal remarked. Gee nodded and looked around. A delivery wagon was parked across the lot and the driver was eating a lunch that was putting up a fight.

“For hire?” Gee asked it as she approached.

It crunched down on the flailing creature it was eating and looked at the group standing before it. It swallowed and took a gulp of the liquid from a bulb at its side.

“For six? Where?”

“Third sector, tenth zone… third grid.”

Eyes lit up. “Rough zone. Hazard pay.”

Gee nodded. “There and back.”

The driver’s excitement dimmed a little. “How long in the zone?”

“Two hours max. We’ll camo the vehicle while you are there.”

It relaxed as the danger to it and its truck would be reduced significantly by the camouflage. “10, 000 credits. Each way.”

Gee turned to walk away.

“6000 credits each way!” it yelped before it lost her business.

Gee turned back and the driver quickly tidied up its meal and climbed into the truck. The team stepped through the cab to take seats on the benches in the back. Bal stepped into the back and gave the Major and Nann their weapons. She returned to the cab and Gee delivered Leo and Maxim’s weapons to them. The men grinned in delight to have their weapons back and ran a quick inspection on them.

As Gee returned to the cab the driver looked nervously in the back. “Double hazard pay.”

The Altarians scowled at the Rehm driver and it squirmed. It was very bad business to change the deal once agreed upon.

“Already paying hazard though none to you. IF such a hazard does occur, THEN bonus on existing hazard.” Gee growled and the Rehm meekly nodded. Gee paid it for the outbound trip and it got them underway with no further delay.

“What’s our ETA?” the Major called out.

“Seventy five minutes.” Gee remarked as Bal moved to set up sentry at the back door, watching out the back window.

The commandos nodded and all proceeded to close their eyes. The Altarians were on watch.

There really wasn’t much to see along the way. Countless rows of similar grey five story buildings and slightly taller warehouses. Only the changing location identifiers at the intersections showed they were getting closer to their destination. It was a little mind numbing but Gee and Bal maintained their vigilance through intense discipline.

“Entering third sector, tenth zone, third grid.” the driver said.

“Take us to the far side of the grid and turn right at the intersection before the fourth grid.” Gee instructed and got a nod in return.

Finally they turned and Bal came forward again. She’d woken the team as she passed.

“Pull into this alley and pull up against that wall.” The driver took them into the spot and shut off the engine.

“Two hours begins now. Camo truck,” it blurted as it looked out the window nervously at the deserted lane. Not much traffic in this neighborhood at all. Traffic had been much heavier nearer the Gate Terminal and the public transit didn’t even seem to come out this far.

Gee and Bal stepped outside and placed small metal pucks against the surface of the truck at either end. With a buzz the truck disappeared… mostly. For a casual glance the space appeared empty.

The commandos stepped out and looked back in surprise. The driver followed and smiled.

“Stay inside the truck. Within two hours we will be back.” Gee barked.

It nodded and stepped back inside, disappearing from view.

They moved out.

“What guarantee do we have that it won’t just drive away?” the Major asked.

“The vehicle won’t start while the camo is engaged and only we can turn the camo off.” Bal stated.

Nann shared a grin with Leo and Maxim who were looking at the Altarian’s with new respect.

“We are going to move up to the edge of grid four and begin a sensor sweep. This is likely to generate some interest as the scan is detectable. We will move fast and if you see Allsa Komanae don’t hesitate to shoot as you won’t be given a second chance. The Rehm’s confirmation means Altaria is at war with Allsa Komanae as of this moment. Our mission has become top secret and no longer exists officially. The Queen must be given this information and will make the statement of intent.”

Eyebrows went up and the hair on the back of their necks stood on end. They were involved in, no, they were making history but few would ever know.

The team’s eyes scanned for enemies as Gee and Bal prepared their scanners. They angled the devices outwards away from each other to cover a roughly spherical zone. With a nod they set off at a trot with the commandos in pursuit. Twenty minutes later they had covered thirty percent of grid four without picking up anything. The occasional Rehm office worker ignored them as did the Rehm warehouse techs.

They were moving into the older, less used part of grid four when Bal’s device flashed a green light. It picked up human DNA ahead. They heard an odd warbling and Gee gestured for everyone to scatter. Nann was the first to disappear from view as she darted into a side alley. The men split and moved to flanking positions. Gee and Bal tucked away the sensors and pulled out their pistols.

The Major looked at their compact weapons and wondered at their firepower. She felt comforted by the solidity of her assault rifle.

“Major, we will take center. If you could cover our retreat that would be helpful.” Gee said.

An Allsa Komanae tumbled from the rooftop just behind them. Then two more on roof tops ahead of them. The warbling ahead got louder then cut short with a squeal.

Major Ash smiled to herself. That would be Nann.

They glanced around a corner to see a wide courtyard next to an old warehouse. Three dead Allsa Komanae lay next to the shipping container they were looking for.

The space acted like an acoustic amplifier. They heard the distant chuff sounds of Leo and Maxim’s assault rifles firing and the lighter snap of Nann sniping from a rooftop somewhere.

“I need one of the Allsa Komanae for questioning,” Gee said quietly to the Major. She relayed that to Nann.

Six Allsa Komanae suddenly burst from the warehouse doorway with guns blazing. Gee and Bal each snapped off three shots painting the hoods of their targets as tiny missiles launched from their guns. The Altarians dove for cover pulling the Major behind a building’s corner as their rounds reached Mach one racing towards each target. The ground shook as the six missiles detonated within the six cloaks.

“Apologies, we did not have time to calibrate the output on the rounds for personnel,” Gee explained to the Major than the Altarians helped her up. They peered around the corner and a trench had been blasted into the ground in front of the warehouse which no longer had any glass in its windows. A single Allsa Komanae stumbled out of the building and paused in front of the trench.

Bal tapped her weapon’s controls quickly and fired on the stunned enemy. This time the round went off with a smaller concussive blast six feet before the remaining Allsa Komanae tossing it back against the wall of the building to fall slumped in a pile. Nodding to each other the Altarians bolted from cover and raced across the open space to leap over the trench and grab the robes of the downed enemy. They dragged it inside and covered the room with their weapons.

The Major ran across the space after the surprisingly fleet Altarians and glanced down to either end of the courtyard. Maxim and Leo guarded their flanks and a glance up and behind caught Nann’s wave as she indicated she was watching from above.

“Clear?” Ash called out.

“All clear.” Gee’s voice called in return.