Tribes Gather - Chapter Four

“Do you have the information we need?” A curt monotonous voice broke through his earpiece.

“Yes,” he replied, in a tone that suggested he would match the curtness, “the drop was a success. I managed to get in, get the sample, and get out.”

“Good. This will be relayed to our leaders. You have done your job well.”

“I know. When will I get my break?”

“Now; your ship is waiting.”

Without another word he disconnected the line. He removed the earpiece and flung it to a far corner of the room. Gathering his belongings he packed them into the single container he owned. With one last look around the room, and satisfied that he was leaving behind nothing, he light up an entheogenic cigarette and left.

The wind outside was harsh and cold, and he tightened his cloak around him, pulling up the collar to cover his neck. The gale messed up his hair, and blew motes of dust into it. Trying to ignore that, he made his way towards to only ship that was visible, hoping that the voice on the earpiece hadn’t lied to him. He wouldn’t put it past it, because he was dealing with what he knew from experience was a very unreliable race.

But ship was his, and it was ready to leave as promised. Yet as he was leaving the atmosphere of the planet for what he hoped was the last time, he could help but feel a pang of fear, one that slowly crawled up his spine and seemed to enter his skull. His was a dangerous job, he knew that well, and instant death was a possibility that he had learnt to expect. What he did not expect was that he would be thrust into a multi-species war that was only brewing, and he certainly did not expect that he, Karunik Tridarthi, would suddenly be both the most dangerous as well as the most endangered being in the universe.

“Shiva damn it!” He thought.