Tech Scavengers [Humorous, Action-Packed Space Opera]

Jeridan tried to roll away, knowing in his gut that he wouldn't make it. Just as those drills were about to plunge into him and rip him up, they flew backwards.

Negasi had shot the cyborg straight in the chest. She let out a combination grunt, cough, and moan and fell flat on her back, overlong arms flailing uselessly.

"Thanks, buddy!" Jeridan said, getting to his knees and then throwing himself back down as Bruno Flashback let loose another fusillade.

Why the hell aren't the bouncers doing something?

Jeridan fired a burst of flechettes that made Bruno put his head down, but three more goons stormed into the bar and headed their way.

"Let's assume they're not here to help us," Jeridan said, bolting for the private rooms.

"Good assumption!"

They leapt over the cyborg and ran down the hallway, unable to see much in the dim red light other than a series of doors, all of them shut. They rounded a corner and found themselves in an identical hallway. The sound of running boots drew nearer.

"We need to hide," Negasi said.

"Right." Jeridan kicked open a door and staggered back.

A pair of Mantids were on their knees mating inside the small room.

A commlink on the top Mantid's thin green wrist chirped. "Jeridan and Negasi are coming your way."

The top Mantid seized a sword lying beside the bed.

"I will have the honor of slaying you for the Syndicate."

Jeridan and Negasi raised their firearms. Just then, the bottom Mantid turned its head around to its mate and said,

"You have seeded me, male. Your purpose is finished."

With that, she bit off his head.

"I'm scarred for life!" Jeridan wailed, and ran down the hallway.

The sound of gunfire made several people of various species poke their heads out of the doors and then quickly slam them shut. Jeridan and Negasi just managed to get around another corner before a hail of slugs battered the far wall.

"Where the hell is station security?" Jeridan demanded. "Why aren't they stopping this? Even the bouncers aren't doing anything!"

"Don't complain. They'll shoot us as well as them."

"Huh. Good point."

The two friends pressed their backs against the wall, breathing hard. The turn had led them to a dead end, or at least to a durasteel security door, which was pretty much the same thing as a dead end.

"Check that door," Jeridan said. "I'll hold them off."

Jeridan came around the corner low, firing a stream of flechettes as he did so. He caught a glimpse of one of Bruno's thugs darting behind the far corner. Jeridan couldn't tell if he had hit him or not but didn't hold out much hope.

"Locked," Negasi announced.

"Of course it is," Jeridan groaned.

Jeridan dared another peek, but didn't get to see anything before having to duck back to avoid a storm of slugs and flechettes.

He waited a second, then fired around the corner again, just in time to see someone dive into the room where he had seen the Mantid get the orgasm of his life.

Jeridan squinted. While he was hyped up and only got to see the figure for half a second, he could have sworn it was the cyborg.

But Negasi had torn apart half her chest. He had seen the blood. She hadn't been just stunned by impact on armor, she'd been chewed up. No way she could be alive.

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Negasi crept up next to him.

"What's up?" he whispered.

"Someone got to the Mantid room. The rest are behind the far corner. I think."

For a moment, there was no sound except the distant shouts from the nightclub.

Then they heard the sound they least expected.

The security door opening.

By the time they turned their heads, the door had closed, and Max stood in front of it.

"Hi!" he said in a cheery voice.

"What the hell?" Jeridan said.

Negasi grabbed him. "You sold us you, you little runt."

The Kibwengo was apparently unphased by being lifted off the floor and shaken by a mediocre chessboxer.

"I didn't sell you out. We're not partners. I sell my intel to anyone who wants to buy it. Want to buy some?"

Jeridan pointed his gun at him. "Want to die?"

"Nope. That's why I'll sell you the keycode to this security door for cheap."

Negasi shook him. "How about your life? That's cheap!"

"Hee hee. You're tickling me. No. I was thinking more like a thousand credits."

"I'm not giving you a damn thing!" Jeridan shouted.

A strange metallic clattering made him peek around the corner again.

Just in time to see two cyborg arms with drills for fingers curling around the open door to the Mantid room and coming straight for him.

"Yikes!"

He dove back, tackling Negasi and Max, who fell in a heap just as ten drills sank into the wall next to them.

Jeridan fired several shots at the arms, only to have them ricochet all over the hallway. He cried out as one scratched his thigh.

The fingers curled and rammed down, clawing at the floor and barely missing them. They retreated to the security door.

Max pulled out a credit machine. "One thousand, and please hurry."

"You gotta be kidding me!"

"Nope."

The hands flailed blindly, the drill fingertips cutting deep furrows into the walls, floor, and ceiling.

"Get us out of here!"

Max's smile did not falter. "One thousand, please."

"Pay him!" Negasi shouted, jumping over a swinging arm. "It's only matter of time before she gets us or Bruno makes a charge down that hall."

Jeridan ducked a metallic hand and five whirring drills. "Fine! I'll pay!"

He pulled out his credit chip and paid.

"Thanks! Pleasure doing business with you."

Max punched in a code so quickly Jeridan couldn't follow it even though he had been watching.

The door slid open. They all stepped through, Jeridan and Negasi turning around to make sure no one was following.

Someone was.

The cyborg's arms had retracted and Bruno Flashback had just rounded the corner.

"Storm that bunker, men!"

Jeridan and Negasi opened up on him, only to see their munitions deflect harmlessly off his body armor.

"Close the door!" Jeridan shouted, still clutching his credit chip in case there was an extra charge for the service.

Luckily, there wasn't. Max hid himself in the meagre shelter of the doorway and hit the button. Jeridan squeezed behind him, while Negasi took the other side.

"We've taken the fortification, men. The enemy is retreating!" Bruno shouted, pouring fire through the open doorway. Negasi flinched and cried out.

The doorway slid shut.

"Whew! That was a close one. You guys are exciting," Max said.

"Idiot!" Jeridan cuffed him on the back of the head and went to check on his friend. "You OK?"

There was a rent in Negasi's Kevlar Flexweave of his shoulder and it was bleeding freely.

"Damn, that hurts," Negasi muttered. "Good thing I was wearing some armor or it would be a whole lot worse."

Max pulled out a medikit. "I can patch him up for cheap."

"We got our own," Jeridan grumbled, taking out a compact medikit. He pulled out a bandage that he applied to the wound. It sealed the cut instantly and the nanomeds got to work suturing the cut and stopping any internal bleeding.

Only then did Jeridan take in his surroundings.

They were in a small break room. A few chairs and a sofa took up much of the space. Along one wall ran a counter and a food dispenser, now blown apart with its wires hanging out and sending off sparks. Something that looked like beef stew was dripping onto the floor. A door stood on the other wall.

"Where does that go?" Jeridan asked.

"For a small fee, I'll—"

"Never mind." Jeridan went over to the door. Negasi moved over to cover him.

"You good?" Jeridan asked, giving his shoulder a worried look.

"Been better. You?"

"Meh. We need to move."

Jeridan opened the door a crack. He saw an empty corridor.

"OK, Max. How much to tell us which way to go to get back to Bay Five?"

"Oh, that's nothing. Just a hundred."

Jeridan swiped his credit chip.

"Pleasure doing business with you."

"Wish I could say the same. Do you do this with everyone who comes to this station?"

"Everyone who has needs. You're kinda needy."

Negasi nodded. "That's true. He is."

"I was talking about both of you."

"Oh."

"Quit screwing around and get us back to our ship before Bruno Flashback finds us."

"Righto."

Max trotted down the corridor. Jeridan and Negasi followed. Jeridan's leg hurt with every step but he sure as hell wasn't going to slow down.

In a minute they had made a turn, passed through a doorway and ended up in one of the public areas. They were well away from Luna's Lounge and people here were going about their business as if nothing had happened.

Lucky bastards.

"This way," Max said. "It isn't far now."

In two minutes they got to the access corridor leading to the landing bays. A few spacers passed by, giving the wounded humans and their Kibwengo companion curious looks.

No one stopped to ask what was going on or to offer help. Luna's Layover wasn't that kind of place.

"We're almost there," Jeridan said. "You can buzz off now."

"You sure? I offer a variety of services."

"Get lost."

"Righto."

Max turned to leave. Just as he did, a steel door slammed down from the ceiling and blocked his path. Another one slammed down a few paces down the corridor.

The three of them were trapped.