Keeper Hunter

Copper drove down the highway at a constant speed not too fast, not too slow. We were in a rugged dark blue ATV with supplies in the back. The lack of speed annoyed me I just wanted to be off this world which was frustrating. And yet part of me wanted to stay to search out the new leader of the Separatists and confront them in the hopes it was the Prophet. Also I did wonder why we’d had to walk from the naval base, when she had this vehicle sitting in a garage a block or so from the motel. Nor was I sure this was the best way to get to our destination. A fifteen hundred kilometre journey or if I was being picky closer to fifteen seventy-three. It would have been easier to take a shuttle. That was until Copper pointed out that she couldn’t fly one. I realised begrudgingly that she was correct. Not everyone had the training I had so that was the end of that.

We’d been on the road for an hour it hadn’t taken us long to get out of the city. I had been watching for signs of pursuit and was still a bit wary.

“I can’t…” Copper paused the first words she’d spoken since leaving the motel. “I can’t believe you chased off one of the biggest crime bosses in Capital away with just a few words?” Copper kept eyes on the road as she said that.

“She knew that if anything happened to me and the word got back to Alfheimir the Silver Guard would tag her ass.”

“Silver Guard?” Copper asked.

I wasn’t about to tell her off for doing something I did on a regular basis, repeating other’s words. “The Silver Guard are those who work for the Valkyrie Elders. You don’t get to choose them they choose you.” I was unsure why I added that last part but it needed to be said.

“And you are one of them?”

I wasn’t too sure about that. Sometimes they treated me like I was a Silver and other times they did not. “That wasn’t my choice,” I admitted. I touched my bracelet. “The Valkyrie Elders gave me my first one.”

“You’ve had more than one?”

“I lost my first one when my hand was half blown off.” I waved my current bracelet in the air. “The second was cut off my arm.” I wasn’t sure how it was done but that one, Runa had clamped on my wrist after what she had called a training session, one in which I almost got beaten to a pulp. Then that was what the Valkyrie did call a training session.

I still wondered if the encounter outside Jervic’s quarters had been a trick to get me to fight Runa. No it wasn’t since Captain Angrima tried to frame me for an attack on Runa. I’d been proved innocent and the captain had been replaced and returned to Alfheimir in disgrace. The incident had been a prelude to the civil war on Alfheimir. A civil war instigated by the Prophet in an effort to weaken the Valkyrie. It had failed because I stumbled onto his secret and from the looks of it he was on Paranova, For a moment I was tempted to tell Copper to turn around and head back to the city. “This is third one I’ve been given.”

“They’re certainly making a point there. They own you. And you told that Crime boss you were a vaihdokas?” Copper sounded unhappy about that.

I sensed a story linked to her current predicament there but I wasn’t going to ask her. She’d tell me in her own time if she wanted.

“I’m vaihdokas,” I said.

“But what does that mean?” Copper asked me.

“A Valkyrie word. It means a changeling someone that has the blood but doesn’t look Valkyrie. It’s meant as an insult.”

“The way you say it, it’s almost a badge of honour.”

“I suppose in a way I’ve accepted who I am.” I knew that was a lie as soon as I said it. I had never felt so uncertain about myself. I really didn’t know my place in the universe.

“I just wish Humans would accept me for who I am,” Copper said wishfully. “Unfortunately they only see what they want to see?” she said which is the truth in the Empire.

I understood her sentiment in a way.

I decided to change subjects before I got too maudlin. “How did you get mixed up with Lady Broaden?” I wasn’t sure if Copper would answer that.

She hesitated for a while before answering. “She saved me from going to prison. I owe her for that.”

“This to do with the smugglers.” I really shouldn’t have asked that but my Security training came to fore. I was the one being smuggled so I shouldn’t be advertising the fact.

“Something else,” she replied unshed tears in her eyes. “Something I don’t want to talk about just leave it at that.”

I felt stupid for asking, obviously it was something traumatic.

“And how did she find you?” Copper asked me.

I considered her question there was much I couldn’t say which involved the Keepers. “I was recommended by an archaeologist.” Joyce Nelson introduced me while speaking to Lady Broaden on the comms she had even called the lady by her first name. So they knew each other. I doubted the Joyce was a spy so it could be something else that linked them.

“Archaeologist?” Copper said not even turning to speak to me. I recognised the driving style she had been Security trained. “What were you doing with an archaeologist?”

“Delivering a data rod.” It had been a lot more complicated than that.

“Data rod that’s something I’ve never heard about. Datapad yes data rod that’s a new one?”

“It belonged to an ancient race.” I wasn’t about to elaborate further. I didn’t care how old the Keepers were. They may have had the minds of ancient beings but their bodies were created from my DNA. Ancient yes but it didn’t mean they weren’t susceptible to nightmares and trauma. Scout showed that all too clearly when she stayed with me on the world the First Ones were creating for them. I wouldn’t even know where it was let alone know if the Keepers were there. My only hope was the cavern on Saros. I had to get there I had to find the truth. “Somehow I made an impression. So much so she sort me out when I was on Earth. Luckily for me I had been taken in for questioning by corrupt Security Officers.” It was the partial truth. “She had me released and I never had time to say a proper goodbye to my parents.”

“My mother died before I could do that. You have the luck that both your parents are alive and well.” Copper’s words had a bitter edge to them. I guessed it was all linked in some way.

I diverted my attention back to the road. In the distance I could see some sort of barrier and flashing lights. I sat up straight my hand on the Seven Double ‘M’ in my pocket.

“What’s that?” I said.

“Shit,” Copper replied. “This wasn’t here the last time I was down this way.”

As we neared there were holo warning signs and flashing lights all exclaiming there was a checkpoint ahead. With no where to exit the road we had no choice but carry on. The highway split into six lanes from the four originally, there were three on our side of the road and three in the opposite lane. There were a number of vehicles ahead of us slowing down. The checkpoint looked new as if constructed in the last couple of years or even newer than that I couldn’t tell from where we were. The road was new I could see the half erased lines of the old lane dividers. Concrete barriers spilt the lanes with holo signs indicating which lane was open. The checkpoint was a blocky concrete structure with a barrier that stretched as far as I could see to either side. It looked as if the builders had meant business when they built it. There was appeared to be a vehicle inspecting bay blocked with substantial gate, which raised and lowered. A faint shimmer indicated that besides the gate there was a force field. Whoever built this was making sure no one could escape.

“Shit, shit, shit!” Copper uttered.

“Calm down and let me do the talking,” I told her.

A green arrow directed the ATV into a bay that contained a number of combat armoured soldiers their weapons at the ready. A laser beam swept over the ATV no doubt containing a scanner of some sort. I had noticed other scanners on the concrete barriers as we approached the checkpoint. The ground car in front of us drove through the gate and we rolled into its place. As soon as we stopped the guards raised their weapons ready to shoot. Copper shook like a leaf her face pale.

“Just stay calm,” I warned her as I lowered my window.

One of the guards looked confused as I did so. He had a comms scanner in his hand. It was small datapad about the same size and shape of an old data unit that fitted in the palm of his hand. In his other hand was on the pistol on his hip. He was about to go up to Copper’s window when I opened mine. He carefully walked around the ATV to my side.

“ID please!” the guard said his voice on edge his comms scanner out stretched.

I put my arm out of the window my comms bracelet showing. The guard scanned my comms and suddenly stood back his colleagues going on full alert. I instinctively reached for the pistol in my pocket I wasn’t about to go quietly.

“Sorry ma’am I apologise?” the guard said staring at his comms scanner.

“For what?” I replied.

“For delaying you we’ll speed you on your way.” With that he saluted surprising the other guards and me. He waved at the gate. “Open up!”

The force field shimmered of and the gate was raised. Startled by the change around I spoke to Copper.

“Just drive.”

We drove through the gates and onto the highway.