She was out looking for Loomis to give her some really needed answers about what is going on. While on her undercover job here she had stumbled on very sensitive and crucial Intel on a recent activity of the Iris System Securities and its culpability in an affair called “The Afterlife “. She had tried getting data on what the Afterlife is about from Earthwatch data banks but was denied access because her security clearance was not high enough. When she had informed her superiors about stumbling on something that has to do with Iris System Securities and a certain “Afterlife “, they were really excited and informed her that the Intel should be treated with the highest level of top secrecy and be given alpha level priority. But due to the heat of the investigation Iris System Securities and other mega corporations were going through, it was suggested that in other to make sure there is no security breach, that will compromise the process of her passing the classified data to the CSC hq on earth, they won’t employ the normal channel of passing on Intel. A senator had agreed to come to Puerto del Cielo, under the guise of a vacation, collect the Intel and pass it on back to earth when he returns with no one outside the few circle of people knowing.

Jade knew when the senator, Mattrow Beldwin arrived and she had sent the Intel through another Earthwatch Intelligence agent resident on the planet to pass the Intel package to the senator in other not to blow her cover. That agent had been Loomis. He had taken the package from her and headed to a rendezvous point with the senator. That has been the last of it. Loomis hasn’t showed up again or at least kept her informed of what had happened. She had tried the secret method for contact, still Loomis hadn’t responded. This is what is forcing her to take risk of looking for him in some of his hideouts. She has already checked out four of them and Loomis was no where to be found.

She got to the door of an old crumbling two story house made of plasticrete, with steel bars on the windows but the glasses on them broken down. The house is on one of the deserted street but with all of the urchins that hides in the shadowy areas absent from here. Several of the lights on this street were out of action. Some trash cubes around the building were overturned spilling their content and the steps leading to the door has some cracks, with an overlay of thick dust on them that seems to show no one have been in here for months. Jade still went up the steps, got to the door and tried opening it. The door has an old electronic lock mechanism. She brought out a special key that is specifically made to short-circuit locks like this. The lock on the door spew tiny electrical sparks as Jade touched the key to it. The over head light blinked severally and stayed still. Just then she noticed that the steps she was standing flickered on and off. She smiled as she noticed that the thick layer of dust on the steps was a holo display to convince a casual observer that the place hasn’t been entered in a long time same with images of the broken window glasses . The holographic display machine might have also been affected by the short-circuit of the electronic lock. She knew just then that Loomis is in there somewhere.

Beyond the door was dark, so Jade stayed just a bit at the door for her eyes to adjust to the darkness before stepping in. Just few steps passed the door, she felt the cold steel muzzle of a lazer pistol pressed firmly against her neck and heard a harsh voice behind her.
“Take one more step and you die. “ After a brief pause it continued. “You have just three seconds to tell me who you are and what you’re doing here. “
Jade wasn’t surprised because the voice was familiar, it was Loomis’, she was sure the darkness hasn’t let him realize who she is. Just a word from her will clear the air but she didn’t intend doing that. She was angry because of the danger this fellow Earthwatch agent has put her through. Making her risking harm and exposure just to look for him. All these wouldn’t have been necessary if he had maintained their established communication channels. So she will give him a taste of how she is feeling just then.

Jade lashed backwards with her left arm forming an akimbo, hitting belly of her assailant with the pointed edge of her elbow. She dropped down immediately and not a moment too soon as three lazer beams cut through the darkness aiming at where she was standing with deadly sizzling sounds. Her right hand formed into a fist and she swung it at the point she had heard the tiny bit of scuffles that pinpointed the location of the attacker. Her fist hit something solidly she felt must have been a forehead. Without hesitating, she kicked out with her foot. Though she was putting on a soft leather boot with light rubber sole, yet her kick felt solid enough to clobber him. In a fluid movement, she pulled the hilt of her katana, activated it and the blade pulled out from the handle. Grabbing him by the clothes of the chest, she pressed the blade lightly on his neck.
“I’m not in the mood to play around, Loomis. You get the light on right now or I slice your head cleanly off your neck and recon it a mistake. “ Jade said angrily.

“Aw Jade you should have said something. I miss took you for one of those drifters who had forgotten the hard lessons I have thought them to avoid this place. “ Loomis said., then ordered. “Light. “ And the place became illuminated instantly.
It was a small room with just two plastwood chairs, a table and a small vidphone on the table. A half eaten fast food gen-noodles wrapped with silver colored bio degradable foil was left on a smaller side stool along with a pop soda bottle. The plasticrete walls of the room has few cracks with much of the overlaid cover pulling off.
Loomis was a slim average height man with an unassuming figure, easily forgotten in a crowed. His hair was short but made in the shape of spikes by applying exo-gel to it same as his beard. He was wearing a brown colored fake fur coat and black neo-denim pants. He rubbed his neck gingerly as Jade pulled back the sword and deactivated it. He moved to the door, reconnected the burnt wires that Jade’s forced entry had caused, attached a new compacted electronic lock on the door then closed it. He took some seconds to inspect it and be sure the door was locked and the electronic lock active. Being satisfied, he turned back to the room, pointed at one of the plastwood chair indicating that Jade sit. Despite the outside appearance and the old state of the building, the room was clean though spartan.

When the Earthwatch agent noticed that Jade has refused his invitation for a sit, he grimaced. “I get it you have to be mighty pissed with me now, but it wasn’t my fault. Everything went south all too sudden. “
“What happened? “ asked Jade impatiently.
“OK it was like this. After taking the data cube from you containing the Intel, I headed for the rendezvous point with the senator. “ Loomis said stopping just a little to drink from the pop soda bottle. “I had to make a detour, to meet with another agent for a crucial Intel, which in a way is remotely tied to all of these. Though I didn’t realize this at that time.
“I got to the rendezvous point a few minutes late. I didn’t meet the senator though but saw a couple of CSC agents. Though they didn’t know who I am because of my deep cover, but all I could gather from them was that the senator and his family has been kidnapped. The agents were keeping it under tight wrap, no word of the kidnapping has been allowed to be released to the public. It’s a total media black out. All who has had one way or the other connected to this, no matter how minimal, is either in determination or interrogation. “

After a few moments silence taking in all she has just heard, “Do you think this was an isolated incident maybe someone has a personal grudge against the senator.”
“No from the latest information I have. The senator was really not popular or remarkable in any way, just that he supports the Earth government’s stance on refusing to let the colony create an army or posses any weapon beyond the police level grade. That was why he was the perfect person to use in getting the Intel to hq on earth.” Loomis drank the last part of the pop soda, squeezed the foil containing the left over noodles throwing both it and the pop soda bottle into a waste disposal.
“The senator and his family were kidnapped I believe by those loyal to the mega corporations in Nuterra and the star system there. It shows that one way or the other there is a security breach back on earth, in both the Earthwatch and Colonial Security and Control. Which forced me and members of my cell to go dark and drop out of sight. That’s why you didn’t hear from me no more. “

Jade slowly walked to the empty plastwood chair and sat on it. “Any ideas why the mega corporations on Nuttera will want the senator kidnapped? Could they have known in advance the contents of the Intel about to be delivered to him and maybe want to prevent the data getting to earth? “
“I can’t tell at the moment if those might be the case. “Loomis ran down his palm on the spiked hairs of his jaw. “But of this I’m sure, the kidnapping will be used as a kind of propaganda too, how they intend to do that I don’t know yet. And something else I was able to dig up. The senator’s kidnapping has to do with something called THE AFTERLIFE. “
Years as an undercover secret agent is what kept Jade’s face from showing the shock and surprised she felt. “And what do you think is the Afterlife? “
“I don’t know yet, but I intend to go find out tonight. I got a lead, though a slim one but still a lead. “ Turning to face his fellow secret agent. “Want to tag along? “
“I got nothing else to do tonight. “ She was on her feet already. “Are we going now or is there something else you need to know. “
“Just one thing. “ Loomis got closer with a smile almost whispering. “How good are you at torture? “

Apollux, thank you for this well deserved updates.

Jade seems likely to play a significant role in this spin-off.

Lovely story... Enjoy other interesting stories, poetry, follow series on Tushstories via

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#Read!

WOW! Finally after several days of torture.

Apollux wehdone sir!

Loomis led Jade out of the house to an adjacent street, after a few meters of walking they came to a cross road. He took the left and moved to an old brown colored house with the top crumbling exposing the metal rods that holds its duracrete walls. A small shed was by the side in the shape of a personal garage. He activated the remote lock of the garage door which responded by pulling up with slow grating sound.
“Come on in, “ Loomis called back to Jade who was lagging a bit behind him as he touched an unseen point at the side of the door which cause the dark garage to be bathed in instant bright light. The garage was fairly wide at least large enough to accommodate three cars. Presently though there were just two cars packed in there, a red colored Mamba V300 hover car, with slick and angular body, powered by four anti-gravity rings underneath its four edges. It’s a two sitter car with a 210° angle of view. A car model that had become outdated on earth twenty years back. The second car was a much bigger black air car, old and battered beyond use. A hover bike was left leaning against a part of the garage wall, with its innards open in the midst of being repaired, parts, nubs and nuts scattered around it. Opening the door of the red hover car , Loomis stepped in on the driver’s seat and opened the door for Jade. Loomis started the car, lifted it up from the floor about a meter and headed slowly out of the garage, closed the door and lifted the hover car into the night air

✴ ✴ ✴ ✴ ✴

Wolf 359 is a red dwarf star found around the constellation Leo as observed from Earth. Among the stars seen from any part of the solar system, when observed, this star is seen with an orange hued glow. Being among the faintest and lowest mass star with a surface temperature of 2800k, low enough for chemical compounds to form and survive. The surface has a magnetic field that is stronger than that of an average star like Sol. As a result of the magnetic activity caused by convection, Wolf 359 is a flare star that can undergo sudden increase in luminosity. These flares emit strong bursts of X-ray and gamma ray radiation. These unusual actions have made the first three planets of the total eleven orbiting that star uninhabitable and uncolonizable. All the attempts to build colonies in those three planets have proven abortive and too expensive a venture to carry out. The amount of lead that will be required to create adequate shielding for the homes on those planets is way too high to attract corporations in to attempting the colonization. So the planets were simply named Wolf 1-3.

However, the fourth planet ,Goa, is of major interest to the investing companies. Though technically uninhabited, its surface and below are covered by solid combinations of frozen oxygen, with neutrinos, helium and super dense carbon. Very rare and valuable combination that had generally influenced the planet been left exclusively for mining with out colonization. The very land on that planet is considered too valuable to be use for dwellings, all that can be seen on the surface are huge auto mining and processing machines.

The Fifth planet however is a total contrast from these, called Neptune IV, for the amount of water covering more than eighty percent of its surface. It is a busy commercial planet, because of its strategic location along the space shipping lanes in that sector of space which makes it a favorable trading point. That has made the area around planet Neptune IV always busy with ships coming in and going out planet side. Because of the little amount of land available on Neptune IV surface, a lot of space and orbital stations are built around the space surrounding the planet for living accommodations and business centers . So a massive orbiting spherical satellite like object on a geocentric orbit around the planet doesn’t look out of place. The huge orb, a space station easily the size of thirty of the biggest sized space ships in existence combined is called Platform III. A Space station built of layers upon layers of thick duralloy inter spaced with several feet thick of dense lead shielding to protect its inhabitants from the regular flare from the red dwarf star. Platform III has thousands of accommodation for living places, hotels, restaurants, bars, clubs and offices for small corporate businesses. One of these offices is the home office of the Galactic Bounty Club managed by Harummah the Turk.

Harummah isn’t a Turk in the true sense of it, as a matter of fact, no pure Turk has existed for centuries now. Due to so much intermarriage and interbreeding that had gone on in earth over the centuries had really blurred the lines of differences among the races and ethnic groups on earth, so there hardly is any pure race existing any more.
So Harummah had just added The Turk to his name just because of the nice ring it has to it. With the little he had read from holo vids about the ancient Turks that had existed on earth a millennia ago, he wears a baggy trousers, a jubba kind of waist coat over a round necked synth-silk shirt with bulbous sleeves. He wrapped his waist and tummy with a wide purple sash and topping it up with a red colored fez on his head. He was a short man with wide bulging stomach, small eyes that appeared hidden by the round cheeks, with a heavy mustache, wide at the point of origin then thinning further out as they tapered at both ends with curls inward.

The Galatic Bounty Club is the only registered and authorized bounty hunting outfit in all of human occupied space, though with some other branches scattered around different sectors of space. Here, Harummah is in charge of several dozens of registered and licensed bounty hunters. Some of them are ex-military types, ex lawmen and cops, some are ex convicts who have changed their ways, there are others who just enjoy the thrill of chasing criminals and being paid to catch them. They may all be different but one common thing about bounty hunters anywhere is their ability to dish out considerable amounts of violence. They are an unruly and rugged bunch and he has to be the one to control them. Though registered, the bounty clubs enjoys very loose relationships with its registered bounty hunters. They are given bounties, in the name and description of the criminals to hunt, the hunters go after them. When they succeed, they are paid the bounty amount with twenty five percent agency fees deducted. But there are very few bounty hunters that are not registered under the Galatic Bounty Club, though they have license to operate. These few types are really at a disadvantage because they will enjoy no protection or support from the bounty clubs. They go on the hunt alone if they succeed, they are paid but no agency fee is deducted from it.

Well almost all bounty hunters would have gone that way if not that, those unregistered bounty hunters almost never succeed in getting their bounty, almost all of them end up dying during the hunt. So smart bounty hunters know that they are best registered if they want to succeed. And in a way, it is convenient for Galatic Bounty Club, it gives them control and income. An exception to this rule is one very stubborn and pompous bounty hunter that has continued to succeed despite him being unregistered and unaffiliated with the bounty club. Marvel Alistar, a continual pain to Harummah’s butt. His success have made him popular and an envy of some bounty hunters who wouldn’t mind seeing him eliminated.

Harummah was in his office, one of the ten accommodation spaces rented by the bounty club on Platform III. Other rooms are taken up by the arsenal room, a practice range. The security/monitor /control and communication room. A whole floor for the rec and mess room. Then there is the info desk area where the bounty notices are displayed. In his office, Harummah had locked himself in, having programmed the auto reception table to hold off all his calls and not to disturb him. He was reclining on a long sofa, his head jacked and hooked up to a virtual drug machine. Filling his mind with fantasies and euphoric feelings. Using electronic drugs is really against the ethics of his position and he will be severely penalized if it was discovered he indulges in it. But who is going to report him to his superiors, or dares to?
A loud chime interrupted his drug session which indicates that the locked door of the office has been opened. Harummah angrily disconnected the drug electronic appendage fixed to a head gear.
“Thought I programmed that damned auto reception to hold all calls, I didn’t want to be disturbed. “ He growled angrily but the next words about to spill out of his mouth stuck in his throat as he saw the person that stepped through the door. “Mr. Dalmar? “ he whispered weakly.

Apollux Weldon I see u great works. Visual drug machine

Nice work Apollux, keep it up. Happy Sunday BTW.

Mr. Dalmar took some seconds to look around the office and at Harummah. “Sorry to startle you Mr. Harummah, hope I didn’t interrupt anything important? “
“ Oh no Sir. Please come in. “ The Turk said as he hurriedly jumped to his feet and fumbled with the words to speak due to the sudden and unexpected arrival. “I’m sorry for the messy state of my office, my auto-cleaner machine broke down. “
The office was wide enough to accommodate the huge semi circular table Harummah always sit behind in a plush chair. Two other chairs were before the table. The sofa he was on during his drug session was by the left of the table. On the table itself is a data console with several scattered piles of data cubes, with some spilling to the floor. An empty foil lining plate with the stains and crumbs from food eaten from it occupied another side of the table. The Turk quickly picked up the fallen data cubes, tried to arrange them orderly all the while mumbling half legible apologies. Took the empty plate and threw it in to a disposal chute.

With patient smile, Mr. Dalmar asked. “May I sit down? “
Harummah froze. From a man as powerful as Dalmar, that wasn’t a request. His Iris System Securities may be several light years away from here, still his influence had spread that far. Harummah indicated he sits in his personal plush chair.
After sitting down, he faced the Turk and spoke with a level voice. “It’s been a long time we have had the pleasure of seeing each other. “ When Harummah nodded his head vigorously, whether from excitement or fear, wasn’t apparent, He continued. “Despite the lack of direct communication, I have always kept in touch, haven’t I? “
“Absolutely, Mr. Dalmar, you have and never for once have you failed. “ The Turk replied a little apprehensively while still standing anxiously expecting the next words and dreading them at the same time. Harummah know what Dalmar’s keeping in touch meant. The first time he had seen the head of Iris System Securities was about three years ago. He had come to this place just like he did now. Spoke nicely to him, commending his work and surprising him by giving a generous donation to Harummah’s account. Well the Turk didn’t reject the money, his greed wouldn’t let him. He knew what that has to mean, that he is now in Dalmar’s debt. Well that one was the last time he had meet Dalmar one on one again but over the years he has noticed a constant regular deposit into his account. Harummah knew where the money was coming from and not once in all that time had it failed. While the Turk was happy for the regular deposits, he was always afraid of the price he will have to pay for it. He always knew that one day Dalmar will come calling and make a request from him and he won’t be able to say no. He has both expected and dread the day and it seem that day has now come.

“Mr. Harummah sorry for barging in on you like this today unannounced. I noticed the lack of communication between us in a while, so I decided to remedy that by a timely visit here. “ Dalmar’s face was still all smiles and pleasantries, until you look closely at the eyes.. “I am a very busy man but that shouldn’t stop me from visiting friends. “
“You are always welcome here Mr. Dalmar. “ The Turk said.
*Oh please sit down Mr. Harummah, you are not under an interrogation. “
“Thanks. “ He replied simply as he sat down on one of the chairs before the office table.
“I have always admired you commitment to your duties. Your job here bestows on you a huge responsibility, which I feel you don’t get adequate recompensing remuneration in return. “ as Dalmar spoke, he was fiddling with his wrist comm unit. “That was why I have always kept in touch. But I want to improve on that and upgrade my level of contribution. “
As the Turk sat down there wondering what it was all about, his vidphone buzzed accompanied by a tiny chime. A flash message displayed on his screen which shows that a five hundred thousand Colonial credits have been transferred to his account. He was elated, five hundred thousand credits is more than his gross earnings a year.

Finally,we are getting the updates,thanks Apollux.

I thought this work was over,bt it is far frm being over...nice work man,..Gucciqueen come nd read a science fic..nd thank me later

Lol, the story was always on, just the spam bot scared me away.
Please for anyone who haven't read the part one of this story, check it out on my profile, read it first before this one. Lots of things happening here are tied to the first part.

Without actual self control words of gratitude spew from his mouth as his body trembled both in awe and contentment.
“Oh think nothing of it, I always like to reward people who are dedicated as you are. “ so saying, Dalmar got up from the chair. “As much as I would like to stay, other duties call for my attention. “
As he got to the door, he turned back to the Turk. “Oh I just recalled that I have a little issue I need your assistance with. “
“I will help you in any way I can sir. “ Harummah said with a smile that wasn’t even skin deep, as his heart pounded more with fear adding a new trembling to his limbs.
“I will want to register a bounty here. “
“That will be easy sir. “ Harummah replied quickly with sudden relief. If this is all that Dalmar wants from him, then he is needlessly worrying. “Give me the details of the bounty, who he is, some official record of his or her crime, then the amount you are willing to deposit for the bounty. Don’t worry about all the other official steps, I will handle all that myself. Then your bounty will be placed on the notice display, I will expedite the process to give your bounty first priority. “

Keeping quiet for a while after the Turk finished, as if in deep thought, Dalmar turned to him. “I wanted this to be handled discreetly, no official notice should be involved. I want utmost confidentiality particularly because of the person involved and the circumstances around it. “
“Who is the bounty on sir? “
“Marvel Alistar. “
“Oh. “ was all Harummah could say.
“Will there be a problem? “
“Yes sir, Mr. Dalmar. “ Harummah said, sweating and feeling like a rodent who just got caught in a trap after being lured by a delicious morsel. “Galactic Bounty Club can’t put a bounty on Marvel, either openly or secretly. From what we know presently is that he may at the moment be under the employ of the Colonial Security and Control. So if we go against him in anyway, the Earth Government will shut us down. “
“So no solution? I’m willing to offer huge financial compensation for any inconvenience, both to the field operatives and the management. “

The words financial compensation pulled on the Turk's heart. If Dalmar just gave him 500,000 credit without asking anything, then committing more to get this done won’t be a problem. His mind started reeling, coming up with several loopholes he can explore and clandestine ways he can get this done without the bounty club been indicted. All were discarded except one.
“There is one possibility. “
“Good Harummah, I like solutions to problems. Tell me about it. “
“The Galactic Bounty Club can’t sanction a bounty on Marvel for now but I just came up with a way to go around that. “ Harummah said, hoping the head of Iris System Securities will agree with his idea. He has been benefiting too much from him for their relationship to end now. This is an opportunity to make good money, the illegality behind it be damned. “Marvel is not a registered bounty hunter operative with us, he is a freelance yet well known and respected here. There are those who don’t like him, still out of professional courtesy, they won’t go against him unless under an official government licensed bounty, with definite proof that Marvel had committed crime.

“But there are very few people I know that has deep seated grudge against him. I think with adequate insensitive, I can convince them to take the bounty under anonymity and not linked in any way to an official sanctioned bounty from the Galactic Bounty Club. “
“Well that is what I like to hear. “ with swift taping on his wrist comm, he faced the Turk. “Is that satisfactory? “
Harummah’s attention was drawn to the message flashing on his vidphone, almost not hearing what Dalmar was saying. “Yes sir more than satisfactory. “ He replied smiling his mind thinking of the possibilities inherent in the credit just paid.
Harummah walked out of his office some minutes after Dalmar was gone, he wanted to be sure his ship has gone off system and also to take a while to think of how to handle this issue in such a way that he will achieve the goals and still rake in enough profit from it. There is enough money to go round, even for an ambitious man like him. He took some time to come up with the best people to handle this job and not blow it u.