"Sir... Don't hold that Daumann Shredder like that"
"LIKE WHAT!?"
"At my head..."
"I'm sorry Jack, but I am pissed off at the moment. The Changer has been destroyed!"
Robert looked out of the grimy bar window. The Jersey Debris field was a Junker's paradise. Now, they'll love to pick apart the remains of his IMG gunboat. He turned back to Jack Poulier, a weedy man. He was a good servant, but he clearly was a dumb fellow. "My prized ship... You don't know how much blood, sweat and tears went into it. Destroying a key BMM installation in Tau-23 was not easy. I came back to the IMG with no wings, a half-melted engine and a cracked cockpit. All that work, for nothing."
"It wasn't nothing sir, we ... I mean you performed many great feats in that gunboat. You worked for the Order in Liberty, the NovaPG in Chugoku, even the Gaians. Don't say it was all for nothing, it was character-building."
"Character building? Do you expect me to believe any dribble that comes out of your mouth? Bah, I gotta get a new ship. A mercenary won't get much work sitting around on Rochester. Jack, you are going to fly me to Ames Research Station. They'll have a Dromodary or something for me."
"What are you going to do with a freighter, sir?"
"Oh... You'll see..."
"What are you going to do with all this ... counterfeit software, sir?"
"Since you have been bugging me about this for thirty minutes now... It is destined for Sheffield Station."
"Sheffield Station? Isn't that run by the Bounty Hunters? What do they need illegal programs for?"
"Oh, they don't need the software. I'm giving it to them... As a sort of gift."
"A gift of illegal software? Those Bounty Hunters must be weird..."
"Well, it's a gift to their computer systems. They will learn the consequences of messing with Robert Fitzgerald..."
"How will you get inside the station, sir?"
"I have already changed my ships IFF transponder and papers. This simple Dromedary isn't suspicious, they'll probably think I am a Zoner trader, bringing supplies. Supplies of malicious viruses, keyloggers and various manevolent materials!"
"That does sound dastardly sir. No offence, but I wouldn't see you as the computer-hacker type."
"I have that sorted out as well. I have already requested the help of the Lane Hackers, to edit and apply this software to Sheffield's computers. A Hacker designated LeChiffre delivered this special batch of software personally. I'll vow to meet these Hackers once I am done with these Bretonnian Bounty Hunters."
Robert hated this Dromedary freighter. He couldn't stand piloting these trading vessels; they were slow, clunky and useless in combat. He could earn more money from errands and operations with the various unlawfuls of Sirius. "Sir, what are you going to do with this ship once it lands on Sheffield?"
"This piece of junk? I'll leave it there. They can hide like lambs as the hacked computer systems suggest it carries a bomb."
"How will you escape?!"
"I'll be stealing a particular ship. A Bounty Hunter Bomber, owned by the elite pilot James Hodgeson. We were once rivals, when I was in the Bounty Hunters Guild. When I was kicked out of the BHG, he was the first to pick up my trail for the 15 million credit bounty on my head."
"Ouch, he'll be very annoyed when he discovers his prized ship stolen."
"Definately. The Lane Hackers supplied me with a particular piece of software designed to gain access to his ship. I'll fly out of the station, just as the various viruses and spyware shuts down the docking systems. That'll allow me to escape."
"Sounds like a great plan sir. What'll I do?"
"Nothing."
---Incoming Transmission---
--Location: Mactan Base--
--CommID: James "Hunter" Hodgeson--
With the help of Jack, I piled up the counterfeit software into the cargo hold of my Dromedary. The Lane Hacker, Ivan Jones, jumped into the cargo hold and hid amongst the crates. I hopped into the cockpit with my Daumann Shredder at hand. Didn't want to be taken down inside the station...
After undocking from Mactan, three Lane Hacker Daggers escorted me to the Manchester Jump Hole. My freighter jumped through to the Bretonnian system. Phew, all was clear. I expected some crazy Gaians to ambush me on the other side, but I was safe for now.
I cruised towards Sheffield Station, it was silhoutted against the system's sun. When I got into scanner range, I managed to convince the operators that I was a small-time Zoner trader. These hacked IFF systems also helped to persuade them.
After docking with the station, we got to work. Ivan Jones got out a small computing device and started to upload the software to the Station's computers. He was babbling on with technical jargon when I walked away to find the guards. The first guard I found was walking away from Airlock-A. A quick neck-snap sorted him out. The next guard was talking with the equipment dealer. Two quick snaps from the Daumann Shredder silenced those two Bounty Hunters. I ran back to Ivan and told him we had to leave in a hurry.
After a few seconds, Ivan declared he was finished. The viruses and other malicious software was secretly uploaded to the docking computers and various other systems. Once we'd left, he would activate the software, causing the docking computers to shut down and delete various files. Those Lane Hackers sure are intelligent...and devious.
We strolled over to one of the ship hangars. I looked for James Hodgeson's ship, "Hunter". When I found it behind a row of Pirahna Fighters, I was amazed. The Bounty Hunter Bomber was a beauty! It had five "Buckshot" cannons on it, along with some powerful guns mounted on its underside. It had a fresh paint job, the pale blue really suited its fish-like shape. With the help of Ivan's personal computer, we managed to open up the cockpit. I hoped into the pilot's seat: so this was his ship. James' personal and infamous ship. He was a successful Bounty Hunter, with hundreds of confirmed kills. No wonder why, the controls of the ship were simple yet effective.
Ivan hopped into the cargo hold again (those Lane Hackers sure are resilient folk) and said:
"I can open the door Mr. Fitzgerald, which one, A or B?"
"B. Lets get out of here before they notice the bodies."
The rusted door opened up thirty seconds later. I powered up the "Hunter"s engines and activated the afterburner. The slender Bomber zoomed out of Sheffield Station!
"Activating "Enlightenment" software group A"
I turned around in the ship and watched the lights go out on the command tower. "Activating "Enlightenment" software group B"
The dock doors all shut, and red klaxons appeared on the sides. "There, now they shouldn't be able to catch us"
"Thanks Ivan. I couldn't have done this without you"
I sped off towards the Manchester Jump Hole. The folks at Mactan would love to hear this story.
P.S The comms systems haven't been replaced. The equipment dealer at Mactan says he can fix it soon, to fit my changes.
Robert Fitzgerald, piloting "Changer", out.
--End of Transmission--