A Legendary Man
The Danduri System, less than one hundred and forty light-years away from the Solar System, was one of the first planetary systems to be visited by humans. At that time, one of the planets orbiting the star was already inhabited. They were an intelligent species, with moderately advanced technology.
Before even approaching, the humans initiated contact with the intention of earning the trust of the unknown species. It was feared that they might be a hostile race, but all of their concerns turned out to be unfounded. Converting them into allies had not been difficult.
After offering them technological help, the relationship between their species, (who refer to themselves as Zahavians), and the humans continued to grow. It was no coincidence that twenty years after the first contact, in 2160, when The Galactic Union was founded, the Danduri System officially became one of its members.
Their planet, Zaha, was not exactly the sort of place a human would choose to live. The high temperature, due to the proximity to its star, along with the strong gravity, placed it virtually on the limit of habitability for human beings, even after the many modifications to their DNA.
Enduring the seventy degrees Centigrade temperature on the planet Zaha was possible for the human race, but the sensation was, at the very least, uncomfortable.
A human originating from the Planet Earth, Voill Conner, was not feeling enthusiastic about having to visit Zaha, but his post as the right-hand man of the Supreme Leader, and head of the High Council of The Galactic Union, obligated him to deal with important issues with leaders of various member systems. Now he needed to meet with the leader of the Danduri System in order to discuss minor trade issues.
Voill was a well-known person. A devotee to The Union. He had been part of the council since its beginning, and his prime goal was the development and expansion of the empire that the humans had created, regardless of the means.
He arrived on the planet a day before his meeting with the Danduri leader in order to take advantage of his leaving the Solar System. He was going to meet with a famous hired assassin to discuss an assignment that, unpleasant as it may be, he believed was of great importance for The Galactic Union.
He requested for the planet’s government to put him up in a locality that was outside of Zaha’s capital, with the excuse of hoping to enjoy the peace and quiet of the unpopulated area, which extended for several kilometres.
The mud volcanoes shot sludge several metres in the air amidst amazing flashes that would light up the entire area. The solitude of a desert landscape was the only thing that could be seen. An uninhabited scene, highly appropriate for a secret meeting.
In the middle of the location, a cabin, fitted out with certain security systems, used for accommodating important tenants, was the refuge for the right-hand man of the Supreme Leader. A direct line with the Zaha authorities was installed, promising swift response, should Voill need any kind of assistance.
Inside the cabin, to his side, an escort comprised of army soldiers from the Solar System, were guarding his safety. Outside, more were awaiting the arrival of Dasslak, the man with whom Voill was going to meet.
“I can hardly breathe,” said one of the soldiers to the other. They were both fighting to maintain their composure in such horrendous conditions.
“They should have given us a suit. I’m about to die in this hell,” replied the other. He looked at the distant explosions of fire and mud, missing the Earth’s landscapes.
Their conversation was stopped by the raucous sound of a small and dilapidated ship that could be made out in the distance. The anti-aircraft turrets, which protected the cabin, set their aim on the aircraft the instant they detected that it was approaching, and they sent a warning signal, requesting a security code in order to allow its approach. Otherwise, they only offered it a few seconds to change course and move away from the area, or the turrets would bring it down.
The pilot of the shabby machine input the code, and the turrets returned to a state of rest, allowing it to approach. A moment later, the ship descended slowly onto the arid terrain, no more than twenty metres from the cabin.
“Is that him?” one of Voill’s escort men asked somewhat nervously of the other.
“It must be,” he replied, not very convinced. “Should we alert Mr Conner?”
The hatch to the little ship opened, and one moment later, out poked the notorious assassin. He was a man of athletic appearance. He had brown hair, which he wore short, and combed to one side. He had light brown eyes and a turned-up nose, and a faint hint of a beard. To his outwardly serious appearance was added a threatening and cold gaze. He was one of the most feared men in the whole galaxy.
He always looked calm and secure; a characteristic obtained from the experience he had gained in countless missions. He looked mature without appearing old. He had already lived a long time, but he kept himself in excellent condition. Just like all humans with enhanced DNA, he aged very slowly.
He was known for his professionalism. He himself would say it frequently, he did not treat any of his targets any differently, no matter the cost of the job, or the position of the person he had to assassinate. He always thought up an infallible plan to kill every one of them. It wasn’t for nothing that he had completed practically every single one of his assignments, earning himself a multitude of aliases in the process. ‘Executioner’ in some part of The Union and its surrounding areas; ‘El Vaquero’ in the most violent regions of Autoro; ‘Dasslak’, his most well-known alias. It did not matter what they called him, he was a very famous man. Everybody had heard talk of him. If somebody became his target, then that certainly meant that their life was about to end.
The assassin got out of the ship and began walking up to the cabin until he was close enough for one of the soldiers to confirm his identity.
“It’s him! It’s Dasslak!” murmured the soldier to one of his colleagues.
“Is it really him? I mean, he seems strong, it’s just, I’d have thought the most famous assassin in the galaxy would be travelling in a ship that was somehow more decent.” The comment was not unfounded; the ship that the assassin had arrived in was atrocious.
“I know it’s him, from what he’s got on him.”
The assassin was dressed in a black raincoat. In his right hand he was holding a fine leather carrycase. On his belt, two shined-up silver long barrel revolvers. ‘I’m a man of good taste,’ he would say whenever he was asked why he preferred the old weapons over the modern ones. He was something else.
On his back, he carried his famous solidium sword, a weapon as famous as Dasslak himself. A weapon that over seven decades ago had belonged to another owner. They called him The Bear, the most famous assassin of his era.
Everybody knew the story of how the assassin had come by the sword. Somebody had put a price on Dasslak’s head. They had offered a juicy payment to The Bear to end his life.
The Bear did not hesitate in collecting the bounty, and searched for his target; but after a brutal struggle, Dasslak emerged as the winner, barely. It was then that he took the sword as a trophy of his victory. He had vanquished a dangerous opponent, and now he would carry his formidable weapon with pride, a symbol of power. That was how his legend began. He quickly gained fame as the man who had managed to kill The Bear; the sword was proof of it. Now, seventy-four years later, he was not only a celebrity; he was perhaps one of the most dangerous men alive.
“Mr Voill,” said one of the soldiers. A rapid movement of his hands had activated a command in his eye device, which opened a direct communication with a device in Voill’s ear. The cuff on his wrist received the sound of his voice, and transmitted it. “Dasslak is here. What should I do?”
“Bring him in, but leave a soldier outside to keep watch over the area,” responded the voice via the communicator.
When Dasslak reached the door, two of the three soldiers escorted him inside. It was a cabin like any other, small, and without any luxuries; the Zahavians were not known for their good taste in decoration. Inside, although the air-conditioning was working at maximum capacity, it was still very hot. Even though it was somewhat fresher than outside, it was still bothersome.
In the main room sat Voill Conner. The smile on his face showed his happiness; he was eager to talk with the assassin.
“Dasslak!” said Voill Conner, opening out his arms. “It’s good to see you.”
“I imagine it is,” replied the assassin.
“Take a seat,” he said, pointing to an empty chair in front of his own.
The assassin immediately ran his eyes over the cabin, a custom he would repeat in any place he entered. Inside were six soldiers, including the two who had just escorted Dasslak inside. One was more alert than the other, guarding with suspicion the Supreme Leader’s right-hand man from any threat.
“Thank you,” replied Dasslak, whilst he removed his sword from his back in order to sit down.
Making a signal with his hands, Voill called over one of his soldiers.
“Bring a cold drink for our guest,” he said to him, and the man hurried to carry out the order. “This heat is frightful,” added Voill, “you must be thirsty.”
“I’ve been in worse places,” replied Dasslak.
“I’m not so used to it. You know how it is; I’m from Earth. Everything is green there… I hate coming here, the air-conditioning doesn’t even work as it ought to.”
“Why have they not terraformed this planet, if it’s in one of the secondary systems?” asked Dasslak.
“The Zahavians would have problems surviving on a terraformed planet. It would be very cold for them.”
“I didn’t know your people were interested in the wellbeing of other species.”
“Don’t think so badly of us, Dasslak,” said Voill with a smile. “We’re concerned about all the species allied to The Union… Even so, it would be unnecessary to terraform this place. This planet is not of great interest to us. The Zahavians can keep this hell, as long as they remain loyal.”
“So that was it. There’s nothing here to interest you.”
Voill laughed a little.
“Perhaps you’re interested in the Zahavians in some way?”
“Of course not.”
The soldiers had calmed down considerably upon hearing the apparently friendly chat between Voill and Dasslak. But they kept their concentration, ready to protect the important member of the High Council from any threat that could come from outside.
“It’s years since I’ve been so close to the capital,” Dasslak noted.
“In spite of the fact that everybody knows who you are, you’ve carried out your work so well that nobody has been able to link you with any assassination. The law is not looking for you, don’t worry.”
“And who said I was worried? Besides, who in their right mind would come looking for me? I don’t like to say it, as I am very modest, but only somebody suicidal would try to stop me. Perhaps I’m invincible.”
“He doesn’t seem very modest,” one soldier said in silence to another.
“Shut up, or you’re going to get us killed,” replied the other.
The conversation was beginning to bore the assassin, who considered his time to be extremely valuable. He was on the verge of getting to the point when Voill resumed speaking:
“What’s the purpose of that carrycase you’ve brought there?” asked Voill.
“I carry in it some of my tools. I prefer to have it with me.”
“Do you have another assignment around here?”
“I don’t usually discuss my assignments, you ought to already know that,” replied Dasslak. A moment later, he lifted his feet onto a small end table in front of him, so as to make himself more comfortable.
“Come on, you know you can trust me by now,” said Voill, with a cunning smile.
“It’s actually quite the opposite,” responded Dasslak; he was already beginning to get impatient with the meaningless chit-chat. “Even so, it’s not about whether I trust you or not. They’re just good habits. Now it would be a good idea for us to talk business. I’m in something of a hurry.”
“When Yavar spoke to you a few days ago, did he explain anything about the assignment to you?”
“No. He only asked when I would be able to see you. He said that you would give me the details of the job,” replied Dasslak.
“We need you to find someone.”
“I’m listening.”
“Have you heard anything about the disappearance of a jump-gate station from the Solar System a few weeks ago?” asked Voill.
“Yes, I heard something about that.”
“The official version is that one of its systems failed,” continued Voill, “causing it to go adrift, but the truth is that someone hijacked it.”
Dasslak furrowed his brow; he was somewhat confused. He did not really understand what it was they wanted from him.
“Do you want me to kill this person?” asked Dasslak.
“Something like that. It’s not that simple. We still don’t know anything about the jump-gate station’s whereabouts.”
“Is that possible?” asked Dasslak. “How can a person hijack a Solar System jump-gate station? And worse still, how is it you don’t know anything of its whereabouts?”
“Believe me, you’re not the first person to ask those questions,” answered Voill. “It’s a very delicate situation. It is possible that he might have had help on the station. There was on board a person who is well known for their instability.”
“What is it exactly that you want me to do?”
“We need you to search for this chap and perform a brain scan on him. In addition, you must recover something he stole from Earth. When you’re finished, kill him. No one can know that this man violated the capital’s security… Is it possible?”
Dasslak remained thoughtful. This type of work was not at all like what he usually did. Even so, he decided to listen to all of the details before giving a response.
“Tell me a bit about this subject.”
“He’s a human from the planet Nec. He belonged to The Galactic Union army, in the Tau Ceti forces. His name is Denn Bornew. He went to Earth on a mission of escorting an important politician. Nobody could have imagined that he was going to do such a thing.”
“So he was a galactic soldier? They can’t control their own, eh?”
“It makes me furious… When his group entered Earth, he separated away from them. The chap stole a machine… a robot. Nobody knew of its existence. It’s still a mystery as to how it is he knew. In his flight from the Solar System, he hijacked the jump-gate station.”
“Before, you said he could have had help from someone on the station; what were you referring to?”
“We’re not sure, it’s only an assumption, but even so it must be taken into account. On that station worked Neil Gobi, an old member of the Solar System army. He was transferred there after suffering a convergence. They say that he’s a somewhat unstable person.”
“I don’t know. Just because somebody says he’s unstable is no reason to think that he might have anything to do with the hijacking.”
“You know how this is by now. We investigated all the people who, to one’s knowledge, were on board the station. It seems that Neil Gobi could be a type of sociopath. They say that he would massacre defenceless people whilst on his missions as a soldier of The Union, but there was never sufficient proof to formally accuse him. Perhaps he has nothing to do with it. But it would be worth considering it.”
“All this seems very strange to me. This isn’t what I do. Why did you contact me for this job?”
“I wouldn’t like to admit it, but we’re desperate. Many weeks have passed, and we don’t even have a trace. We need to read his memories, to find out how he knew about this robot. Who better than you to find him? It’s for the good of The Union.”
Dasslak looked at him, bewildered.
“Are you confusing me with someone else, or something? I don’t dedicate my life to carrying out the interests of The Union. When a person hires me to kill someone, I don’t care what they might have done or who they’ve hurt. It’s very simple, what I do is kill for money. This seems like a mission for The Galactic Union authorities.”
“Do you think there aren’t other people looking for him? We have the best on this. Even a special agency is being created to take charge of this sort of thing in the future. But I cannot sit back and do nothing. I must be sure to know what’s happening.”
“I’m not a private investigator, Voill. I’m an assassin.”
“I already know, Dasslak. I know that this sounds a little different, but the truth is that it’s not that different. You need to find a man, the same as you always do. The only difference is that before killing him, you must obtain the information he has in his head… And recover the robot, of course.”
“I’m good at what I do because I was born to kill,” highlighted Dasslak. “Asking questions and recovering items is not my thing. This job is not for me. You don’t even offer me clear information about this person. Do you have no idea how difficult it is to find somebody in the galaxy? It’s impossible if you don’t know anything about him.”
“I know it seems impossible, but there’s a reason why I decided to contact you. There is something you can search for first, or rather, someone. He can help you find him.”
That comment managed to awaken the assassin’s curiosity, who did not wait before asking:
“He?”
“I’m afraid that the only way of finding Bornew is with the help of a seer.”
The reply managed to surprise him.
“You have a seer?”
“In fact, I do, but he proved not to be as useful as I believed… No, my seer is not going to be of use to us in this case. I was talking about somebody else, somebody with real power… It’s possible it could be a dead end street…” before Voill could proceed, a grimace of uncertainty projected across his face, almost as if he were doubting whether to continue. After a moment, he told him: “It’s The Augur… He could tell you how to find Bornew.”
“The Augur?” asked Dasslak, impressed. “What are you talking about? I myself have searched for The Augur, with no luck. Nobody has seen him in twenty years.”
“That’s not entirely true,” refuted Voill. “A few months ago, a girl in Autoro claimed to have found him.”
Now the assassin was really interested.
“Autoro?” asked Dasslak, and he paused briefly whilst he remembered that immense place. “Where in Autoro?”
“I don’t know, I don’t know where she is,” replied Voill, shrugging his shoulders. “What I do know is that the girl’s name is Cora… She’s supposed to be somewhat peculiar.”
“Peculiar? And what does that mean?”
“I have no idea. What I’ve told you is the only thing I know. I don’t know how she looks, her age, or anything else. The person who gave me the information was in a hurry. They had captured him. He was in Autoro, but he didn’t know where exactly. He managed to send a message to me, to a private inbox that I use for that sort of thing.” Voill activated his eye device, and searched for the message in order to read it to Dasslak. “The message says: ‘They’ve captured me, I’m somewhere in Autoro. The pirates are going to kill me. Track this message, and send help please. There is someone here who could be of interest to you; I came across a peculiar girl called Cora, who said she had found The Augur’, is everything he says, there are no further details.”
Dasslak was really intrigued. It was possible that he could obtain from this matter something even more valuable than the payment for the job.
“Weren’t you capable of tracing the message?”
“No. You know, the pirates on Autoro encrypt all their connections to gain entry into The Union’s network. It’s impossible to know when or from where the message was sent. I’m not even sure who sent the message.”
“What do you mean, Voill?”
“The message had no sender. I give that address to many of my men. It’s a private inbox which we use for emergency communications. Some time ago, one of my teams was working in one of the systems in Border-C,” he said, referring to a fringe of systems bordered with the zone known as Autoro. “They all disappeared without a trace. I suppose it was one of them that sent the message.”
“And they haven’t contacted you again?”
“I’ve had no more news. The only thing I know is that this supposed girl was in Autoro.”
An expression of disappointment ran across Dasslak’s face. The information that Voill had given him was very limited. Worse still was that the one he was looking for was in Autoro. Not only was it an immensely vast area, but it was composed of systems that did not belong to The Galactic Union, nor respected any of its laws; it was a highly dangerous place. It wasn’t for nothing that the area was rife with pirates and hostile species.
Searching for a person there was, in the best of cases, a difficult task. If the only thing to go on was nothing more than a name, then it would become virtually impossible. Who better to know that than Dasslak? He himself had captured many people in Autoro, but he had never done it on such little information.
Dasslak leaned back, taking hold of his chin whilst he decided whether or not to accept the job. Could it be done? He had no way of knowing, but it definitely interested him.
“So The Augur…” said the assassin, finally, after a few seconds of meditation on the situation. “… All right, I’ll accept the job.”
“You will?” asked Voill, enthused. “You’re going to look for Denn Bornew?”
“You have given me two names. Denn Bornew and Cora. Searching for someone on their name alone is absurd; there must at least be information about a potential whereabouts. In the case of Cora, we have a place, Autoro. Even though it’s still virtually impossible, it’s worthwhile looking for her, if it means it takes us to The Augur.” Dasslak tried to hide his smile. He did not want Voill to guess who his real target was.
“Perfect,” said Voill, relieved. “He’ll be able to help us find Bornew.”
Voill was satisfied; the recent weeks had been very stressful, primarily due to the fact that the investigation was not showing any advance, but now they would have an expert searching for Denn Bornew. The assassin’s legendary abilities gave Voill real hope of finding him.
He synchronised the devices he was wearing on his body with those of Dasslak, in order to transfer all of the data for the investigation that had already been gathered, and got up in order to bring over a bag full of credits; the payment for the famous assassin’s work.
“Yavar asked me to give you this,” said Voill, when he returned with the bag. “It’s cash payment, just how you like it.”
“As you know, I don’t like electronic transfers. I don’t wish for there to be any proof of my business,” replied Dasslak.
Voill held out his hand to give the bag of credits to Dasslak, but the assassin did not make even the slightest attempt of approaching him to take it. Instead, he pointed his finger at the table in front of him.
“You can put it there,” he said to Voill, who looked somewhat offended.
“It’s curious… by which I’m referring to the fact that you will have agreed it with Yavar to receive the money in advance,” noted Voill, at the same time that he dropped the bag on the table. “You didn’t even know what the job was about,” he said, puzzled. “Before, I was thinking that Yavar had at least told you something. And even though he might have done, you don’t usually charge until after you’ve carried out the job… I can only remember one occasion on which you charged in advance.”
“That was a special situation. The job warranted it,” replied Dasslak. “There were many possibilities they would try to kill me after completing the assignment. I considered myself obliged to ask for the money in advance.”
“I understand! It was a job that was… complex. But… what about this time? You weren’t even sure if you were going to accept the job. It piques my curiosity; why did you ask Yavar to send you the payment in advance? Why are you charging in advance?”
Voill was mistaken. Bornew was not the only reason why he was there. Dasslak’s countenance turned dark during the last question. A shiver ran through Voill’s body. It was already too late.
“Charge in advance? I haven’t done that,” said Dasslak, with a terrifying appearance.
“What are you talking about?” asked Voill, frightened. A second later, Dasslak shot up out of his seat.
The assassin was too quick. The soldiers looking after Voill had let down their guard, and did not manage to react. Some of them did not even notice. Dasslak drew his two revolvers and, six shots later, they all fell to the floor, dead.
“What the hell are you doing?” cried Voill.
Dasslak, very calmly, took his carry case and opened it. Inside, he had his long-range rifle, which was dismantled into several pieces. With no rush, he began to assemble it, whilst Voill remained paralysed, looking at his six dead soldiers. In his mind, he begged for the soldier who was outside to come in and save his life. It was impossible for him to have not heard the shots. He was sure that, in a matter of time, he would come inside to his aid.
“What are you doing, Dasslak?” Voill asked again, with a tremulous voice.
Dasslak did not turn around, he still continued putting together the weapon.
“Don’t you see? I’m putting my rifle together. It’s a good thing I brought it with me, I knew I might need it.”
Voill was trembling with fear.
“For… what?” he barely managed to ask.
“Look out of the window,” he said, and took the sight for his rifle, the last piece he needed to connect, and began screwing it to the weapon.
Voill turned his gaze to the window, to where Dasslak pointed, and watched how his only hope, the soldier that had been left outside the cabin, was pelting away at full speed, fleeing across the desert horizon.
“He’s not even managed to get all that far away,” said Dasslak, somewhat disappointed, and he supported the rifle against his shoulder in order to take aim at the soldier.
Voill was stunned; he did not know what to do. Should he run? Would there be any point in trying? Paralysed, he watched on as Dasslak was about to eliminate the last of his guards.
“Don’t feel sorry for him,” said Dasslak as he aimed. “He is a coward.”
Dasslak fired his rifle. One moment later, the soldier dropped dead in the distance.
“What have you done?” shouted Voill.
Dasslak did not waste even a second. He was already beginning to dismantle his rifle. His coldness managed to frighten Voill even more.
“Yavar asked me to kill you. That money you were bringing in the bag, it wasn’t advanced payment for Bornew. That money is for your head. These seven soldiers I’ve had to kill are for free.”
“It can’t be true,” exclaimed an incredulous Voill.
“Calm down, Voill, don’t worry. Of course it isn’t true. I lied about the soldiers being for free. I always include things like that in the price.”
“You’re mad!” Voill screamed with dread. “You can’t kill me. I’m a member of The Galactic Union government. This cabin is equipped with multiple systems for my protection.”
“You offend me, Voill,” answered Dasslak, who was already finishing putting his rifle away in the bag. “I’ve come prepared for that.”
“Wait… If you kill me, you won’t be able to leave this planetary system,” continued Voill, with the hope of changing his fate. “The signal from your ship was already registered on the defence systems on arriving here. That soldier who was outside must have sent a distress call for sure. You won’t be able to escape. Your ship will be hunted throughout the entire galaxy. You’ll be an easy target.”
“Are you referring to that ship out there?” he said to him, and pointed with his finger at the old ship in which he had arrived.
“Well… yes,” replied Voill, with surprise.
“I’m sorry to disappoint you, but that is not my ship,” confirmed Dasslak as he activated, with the help from his eye device, a command that activated the aircraft’s automatic navigation. “That ship is from a Zahavian who lived some thirty kilometres from here.”
“Lived?” asked Voill, and looked out of the window, at how the ship in which Dasslak had arrived was beginning to rise up. One moment later, the thrusters were activated at maximum power, sending it straight on course for space.
“Well yes,” continued Dasslak. “You see, he didn’t want me to take his ship, so I had to kill him.”
“It can’t be,” exclaimed Voill, aghast.
“Come on, don’t get like that,” said the assassin. “He was a pretty hateful guy. He got angry when I landed my ship on his property,” he reassured, and began walking towards Voill, gripping one of his revolvers.
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