The Ultimate Vampire Resource and Directory

Chapter Six



“I’ll help you get your Father’s body…” Shade explained to Kaira over a stiff drink, as the ship flew on automatic, “But there it ends… I can’t and won’t be a party to Musechips… noway Josė…”



They had retired to his cabin, to discuss his doubts regarding the whole enterprise, sitting on his bed, the one place to sit, in the small cabin.



Shade was emphatic and Kaira could sense he was not to be moved, though initially she tried several tricks in her own personal armoury. None of them had worked…



Shade was resolute. Yet, she still needed the spacers assistance…



“Okay, so you want nothing from the trade, will you help me with the recovery?” Kaira asked of him and watched as Shade poured from a bottle he told her was bequeathed to him by his former captain, Captain Tolliver...



She had watched as he drank one shot after another of the amber liquid.



Finally there was less than a fingers depth to the bottle’s contents and it was apparent to the young woman that Shade was the worse for wear.



“Oh-boy,” she muttered, as Shade head dropped forward and, his chin met his collar-bone, the hat brim covering his face…



Kaira stood and made her way to the cockpit, to verify the eta: it was soon.



Scowling, she turned away from the controls and stormed back towards Shades cabin.

Opening the door Kaira looked to Shade and she began to undress him…



Shade looked through slitted-eyes a little and told her ‘yes’, to which Kaira snarled “No, definitely not. But it is showertime, for you, I need you… sharp, alright?”



Shade opened his eyes, fully. He was not drunk, but wished he that he were: “Let me go Miss, I’m… fine. It takes more than that to get me… drunk… my Captain taught me…”



Shade was ashamed to let a woman see him like this, in a moment of weakness and, he shrugged her off, then pulled his coat back on…



Attempting a moment of levity, as he helped Kaira up from the floor, Shade found himself acknowledging, “You had been right.”



“How so?” she responded, accepting his help, to stand.



“I do kinda like the way my coat feels, here…” he told her, running his left hand over his left breast, grazing his nipple.



It garnered Shade the distraction he sought, “See,” Kaira told him smiling, “I did tell you that you’d like it, didn’t I?”



“Enough, enough… anymore of this and you won’t be able to turn in the corridor,” Shade reminded Kaira, as they re-entered the cockpit once more…

Chapter Five



Shade looked to the rear viewscreen, as Taolos receded into the distance.

“Have you set the coordinates I gave you?” Kaira asked Shade, from his old seat.



She still wore the shirt and had stretched her legs out to rest her heels on the edge of the control console. They were crossed at the ankles… and, ‘quite distracting’ Shade found, as he realised just how dry his mouth was..



He looked to the controls before him and concentrated at the task before him.

“Yes, that’s done…” he told his companion, wishing she had chosen to wear more.



The WKD695 possessed an impulse drive and a stellar drive, capable of speeds that were unparalleled by any, other than some of the top range Cruisers and, since the last war ended, they were few in number.



Yet, even with the drive he had, Shade would have Kaira’s company for several hours still to come. He needed distraction; otherwise business would be forgotten for the sake of… a pair of legs and, several hours of unbridled sweaty coupling…



‘Several hours?’ he mused, with a smile.



Shade shook his head.



“Okay Kaira, a point of curiosity, no more. What happened to your Father?” He asked



Wiping at an arrant strand of hair, she explained, “He woke like that…”



Again, Shade shook his head.



“No, it’s true…” Kaira assured him: “He was given a sedative and, woke up like that. It was only later that the messages came through, with instructions on what to do…”



“And that was…?” Shade queried, staring out the frontscreen, at the rapidly moving starfield.



“Contracts of free passage, for Timmorson and his cronies…” Kaira replied dully.



“Business, it’s all ‘just business’, The Captain used to mock them…” Shade told her, his dry mouth now less so, but now he needed more; now he wanted information.



“The Captain? Who’s that?” The brunette asked, looking to her wriggling toes.



Depressing a button with his right fore-finger, with all the effort possible, Shade avoided answering her question, by asking one of his own.



“Okay, so that’s the history,” Shade clarified, “now, why the meeting in a deserted sector of space?”



Casting her hands to the air, Kaira answered: “One of his competitors wants a very particular route for their freighters, to distribute their ‘product’…”



Shade’s interest was definitely piqued and prompted the young woman, “And?…”



“And as a sweetener, they acquired my Father’s body from Timmorsun…” Kaira explained slowly, still staring at her wriggling toes, to the Shade’s annoyance.



“Kind of them,” he muttered.



“Hardly!” the young woman retorted; “It was just good business practice. They want to bring Muse to The Fringe and, they see our trade-routes as the perfect avenue for doing so…”



Silence hung in the air, as Shade deliberated on what he had just heard.



“Muse, as in Musechip?” Shade queried, each word dragged from his past, which is where he’d rather have left the knowledge. Yet, truth be told, he could hardly forget, not when the distribution of an illegal batch of musechips had led to his guardians death: ‘Oh yes,’ Shade thought, frowning at the words musechip: he remembered them, all too well…



Its inventor had been Richard Trainer, his body old in a world of the young, for the young. He could have opted for rejuvenation, as the majority had; instead he had taken an extension, to see an end to the projects he had started.



The chip which the owner wore beneath their skin, located behind the left ear, had quickly grown in popularity with the young, who took to the device rapidly.



This chip connected the wearer to the whole and, all other users, while providing music to the wearers taste. These chip-users considered the few who did not use them Deadheads, while these same individuals considered the museheads as deadheads, as they found it hard to socialise and communicate away from other museheads.



All of that had been back then…



Like many of the newer technologies of the twenty-first century the muse-chip had at it’s core, a mineral only found in China; and when the mineral was gone, so were the technologies that had depended on it. And then fifty years earlier, Rueben Shield acquired a mine on Mars, from Shade’s eventual guardian and mentor, Jason Tolliver.



So it was he had amassed a small fortune thanks to his find of a particular mineral, previously thought to be found in China. But, that had not been enough for Shield.



He wanted power, over muse-users: and to do as he had wanted, the man needed the muse-chip redesigned, to suit his needs. So, a shipment of them had been acquired by Brood Mercs, then sold onto the WildRiders, working for him.



It had been then that Shade’ mentor had become involved, as The Brood Mercs had killed him, as they had made delivery of the consignment.



At that point Simone Knight, Detective First Class had become involved and the two young people helped by the late Captain Jason Tolliver finally met; Simone had solved the case and eventually Shade flew into the starlit sky, in his former protégé’s starfreighter and clothing, using them and Lifeskills taught to him, by the old man.



The Captain had taught Shade much. And, through his death, the young man had learnt a little of how the corporations could misuse anything, to suit their own avaricious needs.



And now, Shade sighed: he had had travelled all these miles, just to find himself back where it all began way back when someone decided to utilise the musechip for their own devices and, his captain had died.



“Yes,” then green-skinned brunette had answered his question, “ I do mean Muse, as in the Musechip… why, do you know of them? I mean, they were more an Earther thing, weren’t they”



Looking at Kaira beneath the brim of the hat he had chosen to wear, Shade grinned.

“Well, this promises to be interesting,” he muttered wryly.

Chapter Four



As Shade exited the lift he found himself in a large room, that adjoined the central control room. The décor was moderately ostentatious, but pleased Shade’s eye, as he had grown up amongst the grey of a colony world.



From the other side of the large room a deep sonorous voice came, “Where’s the droid I sent Shade?”



The voice came from the other side of a white plastic, high-backed swivel-chair, that Shade turned, to reveal a green head in a dome. The voice itself came from through a series of devices connected to the bell jar…



“Ah… I note you’re surprised…” the head told him.



“I guess surprised is a good word to use, under the circumstances. Did you know Abe Timmorsun tried to have me killed?” Shade asked.



Now it was the expression on the head in the inverted bell-jar to show surprise.

“I don’t know how he knew I wanted to employ you. And, my daughter kept you occupied from when you arrived till…”



Again Shade frowned…



“About that…” he muttered.



“Isn’t she just adorable?” The head said to Shade, then added; “As you’re here, you know who I am Mister Shade?”



“Just Shade will do. An yes, I know your rep in this sector of space. You are… or were, a big man… with fingers in many pies and, some corporate… ”



“Well then… Shade… you do know me… But, what you don’t know is that someone wants a particular contract and, they’re willing to hold my body to ransom, unless they get it…” The Commander explained.



“I carry freight, not fight someone else’s battles…” the young man explained, making to leave this ‘big man’, who had little to say, of interest to Shade.



“Wait, I just need someone to carry my daughter to Barnes World, where she’ll meet someone who might just have acquired my body, for me!”



Shade stopped.



“And, I get paid my rate times two, to do this?” Shade enquired, without turning.



“Oh yes,” The Commander assured him, enthusiastically.



Shade turned and, looked toward the head in the jar, on the seat.



“You sit there, I’ll ready the ship…” he mumbled, aware that Kaira had entered the room, from a doorway unseen. She still wore his shirt and, nothing else.



The brunette made her way across the room, to stand near her Father, a warm smile on her face…



“Soon Daddy,” she cooed, “It’ll all be alright soon…”



Watching her caress the top of the jar, Shade shook his head: ‘it promised to be an eventful journey’, he mused.

Chapter Three



Shade knew of Timmorson. The little man was a hoarder, an entrepreneur and, as far from honest as it was possible for one man to be. If he was involved then Shade felt that he needed to up his game.



“And…” he decided, “that means a visit to The Commander…”



‘Now, there was a fellow with a reputation,’ he mused, making his way down the corridor to the main lift, leading up to the control room and, the ancillary services.



“Lift open,” Shade said, as he stood before the double doors, that opened at his command: “Tis our pleasure, to serve,” it told him with a vaguely feminine mechanoid voice and, he scowled.



Shade did so dislike overly servile autoservices. Yet, they existed for his benefit, so they kept reminding him, each time that he used them and, it irritated.



“The Commander,” he instructed the lift.



“Certainly sir,” the lift acknowledged. And, as the acceleration began, Shade ran through a mental checklist of items of annoyance. “Nope,” he muttered, “other than the corpies, damn servile lifts are the worst…”



‘Corpies’ were anyone who worked for them, The Mighty Corporations. And having seen what The Corporations had done to the Universe, Shade feared what they’d do once through the Outer Fringe and then, beyond into whatever came next.



He feared it; yet at the same time, Shade knew that whatever they did, They made his world an interesting place to survive.



And suddenly the lift ceased moving: “Sir, your destination,” the lift told him, in it’s usual jovial manner.



“Thanks,” Shade muttered, on automatic.



“No thanks necessary,” the lift added as the doors opened, “I live to serve…”



Shade wanted to tell the lift it did not live, to serve, or anything else. But he did not, ‘after all,’ he mused with a light grin playing on his lips, ‘why upset it?’

Chapter Two





Shade stood, groaning a little, from muscles still aching from the hours previous. He dressed quickly; slipping his gun between his lower back and jeans, then pulled his coat on.



Shade slipped his left hand into the left rear pocket of blue jeans, drawing the side of his coat in and back of his wrist, thus providing him with access to his weapon’s butt.



“Room One Zero One… Open door,” he called out.



“Affirmative sir,” the room responded and the door to his room hissed open.



The ‘droid turned to face Shade and, as it did so a pulse beam whispered its presence and, found its target, which brought the mechanoid to its knees before Shade, who looked on as the beam continued upward, ripping the ‘droid in two.



“The Commander wants to see you…” he heard it tell him, before its vocal chords were shredded by the beam, that now cut into the wall near Shade’s head.



“Well, I’m a tad busy,” Shade muttered, falling to the floor, his gun pointed toward where the beam emanated from.



He pulled the trigger and a bullet flew straight and true, ripping into the wall next to the shooters face, causing shards to fly and, as one found an eye, viscous bloody fluid erupted from the wound, causing the assassin to fall to her knees, clutching her face.



“My eye…” she heard her yell, as she directed her own weapon toward him, then fired once more.

The hard dark grey plasteen flooring near Shade’s heard scorched then black, as the beam neared his face, and he wrinkled his nose at the smell.



“Your eye, your eye…” he said dolefully; “it’s all about you…”



Shade rolled, extended his arm, aimed and fired.



His adversary screamed loudly, as the cross-head bullet entered her body then, split into four, shredding organs and ripping into flesh.



Releasing the weapon she held, the beam shut off immediately.



Shade stood and walked down the corridor, to where his assailant lay; motionless, bar shallow irregular breaths and, knuckles turned white as a pallid shaky hand clutched at a gaping maw into her gut, to hold her guts in.



He stood over her and studied her face.



“I know you. I’ve seen your posters. You’re wanted on most non-aligned worlds. What is that they called you? Oh yes…” he rasped, “The Fox? That was it…”



The Fox lay at his feet and she knew the end was near. Shade had seen many die in battle and seen wounds like hers, too many times.



“You’ll die slow, pretty lady…” he told her quietly. But, though distant, she heard.

“Unless…”



‘Unless?’ She heard that as well and, The Fox opened teary eyes to ask, “Will you make it fast then? If I beg?”



“Don’t have to beg,” Shade explained, “Just tell me who sent you and…”



There was a silence, a long silence, during which the dying woman realised how little she could stand the pain she felt.



“And, you’ll make it quick?” She asked.



“I will,” Shade assured.



“Arlo Timmorson…” The Fox whispered, then closed her eyes; content that the click she heard would be the last thing she heard. It was.

Shade – Year One







Introduction:



WKD965 possessed an advanced propulsion system, had stasis pods and pulse canons for and aft. It even had mattrans capabilities, thanks to the acquisition of a prototype model, from a battlecruiser, found just insider the ring of small steroids that acted as a shield, to the larger ships that might want to enter the Outer Fringe.



It was a freighter like no other, using prototypes of several systems yet to be rolled out, such was the enterprise of the ships former captain, Jason Tolliver. The mattrans had been his protégé’s acquisition.



Since Tolliver’s death the ship had a new owner, but no name itself. It had lost that when its captain had died.



Already a good shot with a pulse rifle, through his days in the military, Shade had inherited an antique revolver, a .357 long barrel Magnum, with stopping power that could shatter the armour of a corporate marine at fifty paces, prior to taking out what was left with a cross-headed bullet. The times he’d seen the gun in used, Shade knew that the weapon met its reputation.



The gun, his long dust-coat, blue-jeans and boots had all belonged to ‘The Captain’ and now, they were his…



*



The Journey Continues…



Chapter One





The Ship with No-Name had pulled into dock at Taelos slowly. Already its pilot had gained a new name, Shade. Borne of conflict, this taciturn young man piloted the small starship that few either side of The Fringe could match; so being able to travel where few others could, Shade found freight to carry easily. It did help that the young man had a policy of ‘no questions asked’.



That policy helped a great deal, especially out on The Fringe and away from the Law of The Corporate Powers; those who considered themselves the Masters Of Space.



They knew little and, out on The Fringe, they knew less still.



But Shade was of both worlds, a former soldier in the later corporate wars, the young man had seen the brutality meted out to the colonists and had relished the new start offered to him by his late mentor, who saved him and, taught him much.



Taelos was a place where many cultures met, each bringing with them their own food franchise and customs, some of which brought them into conflict with the old world, Earth. But, as was said many times, ‘what happens on Taelos, stays on Taelos.”



And Shade rested.



He had finally lain back alone on his bed, physically replete and mentally alert.



She had been experienced, yet feigned innocence better than most bargirls he had encountered. Yet in his room, the diminutive brunette had become a feral beast, whose energy had kept Shade awake for many hours, as he had hoped might happen.



One of The Brood, the brunette with green skin and a distinct lack of height kept Shade interested for several hours, while he waited for the elusive customer who had contacted him days earlier.



Now, Shade felt like he’d run a marathon and, the brunette had left him with a mark of sorts, that would last weeks, ‘If not a month, or so’, Shade thought with wry amusement, as he ran his right hand over his chest.



Shade closed his eyes, the hint of a smile teasing at the corners of his mouth.

“Kaira… Kira… yes Kaira, that was her name…” he finally recalled, almost quarter of an hour after she had left his room: after sitting astride him and carefully shaving his face the young, green-skinned brunette had looked to him, smiled and then, begun to shave either side of his chest, grazing his nipples as she had, causing untold and quite unexpected arousal.



“When you wear your coat later, you’ll think of me…” she had told him, with a playful smile, after her shower and, prior to donning his shirt.



“I’ve got to go…” Kaira had pronounced, with a toss of her hair, “And, your client will be seeing you, soon…”



And, Shade recalls how she had smiled at his frown and then said to him, “My Father wanted to know you were alone…



Puzzled by her remark Shade lay back and closed his eyes, “Ah great, a daddy’s girl!”



‘If she was telling the truth,’ he mused, ‘I could say that I made contact in a fashion.”

He recalled watching Kaira stand as he had opened one eyes and watched her slip into his shirt.



Then the green-skinned brunette had made her way to the door, her pert buttocks swaying in an exaggerated manner.



As she had passed the rude pinewood bureau, on which his clothes sat, Kaira allowed her fingers to drift across the rough leather on the inside of his long leather dustcoat.



Her hand on the doorknob, Kaira had turned round and said to him with a smile, “You might choose to stay shaven, once you’ve gone shirtless awhile…”



Saying that, she had dropped her bombshell and left his room, allowing the door to close itself…



Abruptly the doors comm. alerted Shade to new his visitor with a buzz, then a voice came through: “Egress sought. Message to be delivered to… Mister… Shade…”



Opening both eyes, Shade sat up and then swung round, to place his feet on the floor.



“Room One Zero One !” He called.



“Yes?” A voice replied, a vaguely mechanical female voice.



“Room,” Shade called out, “Show me who’s at the door.”



“Affirmative Sir…” the voice responded and a three-dimensional image formed before him in miniature, of his caller: a humanoid ‘droid; an old model, ‘perhaps ex-military.’ Shade mused, studying his visitor intently.



He was sure he knew the model, back from his days with the force. Yet, that was hardly of interest. What was of interest was that he had a visitor, when he did not expect one...