06-03-2015, 11:57 AM
The bandit’s gloved hand tapped the door’s paneling to the aggressive guitar that blasted from inside the cab, her arm hanging out into the breeze, her head bobbing to the hit of the snare. The warpath always needed a good soundtrack, and this was her favorite cassette. She didn’t know the name of the band or what verse they hailed from, and she didn’t care. It made her excited to blow things up.
The man on the camel had made some headway on her, but she could see where he was headed. There were only so many ways that a person could go out in the dunes, most paths forced to conform to the big-ass rock formations that were too steep to scale. There were some pretty big rocks up ahead with a neat little path cut right between them.
Even with her resources as low as they were, she figured that she had enough to last her the trip out there and back. Sure, she’d be down a few tanks of fuel and a couple barrels of water, but that was nothing compared to Sledge’s reputation. If you let one fuck-o slip past you, everyone in town thinks they can walk all over your territory. After she took care of the guy on the camel, she’d blast the horse thieves for good measure.
It didn’t matter if this asshole was a Prime or just some other wannabe with a pea-shooter, there were only so many hits a person could take from a laser rifle. She’d have him buried by morning.
---
In some cases, robots cannot feel fear. They are just machines without enough of a soul to provide emotion, no light to feed into the spectrum. He would take down the metal man first, and then move on to the other.
The stables were barely deserving of their name; it was mostly just sheet metal drilling onto an off-kilter wooden frame. Street signs lazily patched the gaps of the sheets, and a small quantum-vibration generator was mounted upon its side. Incandescent lights were strung anachronistically from the advanced power source, fed by bright-orange power cables that were threaded through J-hooks in the ceiling. A small wood-heated, brick-constructed forge was nestled into one corner of the structure, the dull natural light of it illuminating what the bulbs did not.
Sinestro lay flat on one of the tall red mesas that surrounded the enclave where the stables were hidden, watching his bounties as the day turned to dusk. The camel lay and rest a few meters behind him, quietly waiting for the moment when it might be needed once again. The long rifle the korugaran had taken from the driver he had ambushed lay beside him, one of his few companions in this arid waste.
The horse thieves had stored their spoils in their ramshackle shelter and argued for a while before separating to cool off. The man had started a fire on a nearby ridge and cooked a small meal while the android had begun to heat the brands and grind the identifying paint from the speeder.
Slinking backwards, Sinestro grabbed his weapon and moved away from the edge of the cliff, out of sight. Sliding down the back of the mesa he landed softly on the ground, hidden in the shadow of the dying light. Creeping in the darkness, he made his way to the edge of the stone wall, peering out into the stable. The android carefully held a brand in the fire, turning it gently before lifting it out to check for its temperature. Slowly Sinestro crouched and snuck towards the metal man, its attention entirely commanded by the red-hot chunk of iron.
The android turned just in time to see the butt of the rifle as it hit the side of its head, a loud CLANG echoing as Sinestro followed through with his wide-arcing swing. Staggering, the robot beeped and chimed a string of gibberish, wildly thrusting the searing brand. Parrying the iron with the rifle, Thaal kicked the android’s arm and hit it again with a baseball-swing to the face. Bolts and bits of metal spilled from the corner of its mouth and it fell to its hands and knees. It turned its gaze up to its attacker, black oil dribbling from its face.
A vicious look of merciless sadism filled Sinestro’s eyes as he brought the butt of the rifle down on his fallen opponent again and again and again, metal flying from the broken machine’s body. The glow of the furnace reflected in the madman’s eyes, making them appear to glint bright amber with each blow.
Down came the stock of the rifle, and with each blow the thief’s body sang like steel under a blacksmith’s hammer. Finally, the android was still.
The man on the camel had made some headway on her, but she could see where he was headed. There were only so many ways that a person could go out in the dunes, most paths forced to conform to the big-ass rock formations that were too steep to scale. There were some pretty big rocks up ahead with a neat little path cut right between them.
Even with her resources as low as they were, she figured that she had enough to last her the trip out there and back. Sure, she’d be down a few tanks of fuel and a couple barrels of water, but that was nothing compared to Sledge’s reputation. If you let one fuck-o slip past you, everyone in town thinks they can walk all over your territory. After she took care of the guy on the camel, she’d blast the horse thieves for good measure.
It didn’t matter if this asshole was a Prime or just some other wannabe with a pea-shooter, there were only so many hits a person could take from a laser rifle. She’d have him buried by morning.
---
In some cases, robots cannot feel fear. They are just machines without enough of a soul to provide emotion, no light to feed into the spectrum. He would take down the metal man first, and then move on to the other.
The stables were barely deserving of their name; it was mostly just sheet metal drilling onto an off-kilter wooden frame. Street signs lazily patched the gaps of the sheets, and a small quantum-vibration generator was mounted upon its side. Incandescent lights were strung anachronistically from the advanced power source, fed by bright-orange power cables that were threaded through J-hooks in the ceiling. A small wood-heated, brick-constructed forge was nestled into one corner of the structure, the dull natural light of it illuminating what the bulbs did not.
Sinestro lay flat on one of the tall red mesas that surrounded the enclave where the stables were hidden, watching his bounties as the day turned to dusk. The camel lay and rest a few meters behind him, quietly waiting for the moment when it might be needed once again. The long rifle the korugaran had taken from the driver he had ambushed lay beside him, one of his few companions in this arid waste.
The horse thieves had stored their spoils in their ramshackle shelter and argued for a while before separating to cool off. The man had started a fire on a nearby ridge and cooked a small meal while the android had begun to heat the brands and grind the identifying paint from the speeder.
Slinking backwards, Sinestro grabbed his weapon and moved away from the edge of the cliff, out of sight. Sliding down the back of the mesa he landed softly on the ground, hidden in the shadow of the dying light. Creeping in the darkness, he made his way to the edge of the stone wall, peering out into the stable. The android carefully held a brand in the fire, turning it gently before lifting it out to check for its temperature. Slowly Sinestro crouched and snuck towards the metal man, its attention entirely commanded by the red-hot chunk of iron.
The android turned just in time to see the butt of the rifle as it hit the side of its head, a loud CLANG echoing as Sinestro followed through with his wide-arcing swing. Staggering, the robot beeped and chimed a string of gibberish, wildly thrusting the searing brand. Parrying the iron with the rifle, Thaal kicked the android’s arm and hit it again with a baseball-swing to the face. Bolts and bits of metal spilled from the corner of its mouth and it fell to its hands and knees. It turned its gaze up to its attacker, black oil dribbling from its face.
A vicious look of merciless sadism filled Sinestro’s eyes as he brought the butt of the rifle down on his fallen opponent again and again and again, metal flying from the broken machine’s body. The glow of the furnace reflected in the madman’s eyes, making them appear to glint bright amber with each blow.
Down came the stock of the rifle, and with each blow the thief’s body sang like steel under a blacksmith’s hammer. Finally, the android was still.
![[Image: sig2.jpg]](http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v288/KrimTheUnsettler/sig2.jpg)