Issue #1 (April 2018)
Written by John Cheese Featuring: Flintlock
Silver Sidewinder
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ROSSETTA TECHNOLOGIES BUILDING
SILICON VALLEY, CALIFORNIA "This is a very dangerous item, Ms. Gray," the balding technician yammered as the final digital logic lock was secured on the metal suitcase. "This isn't some case of diamonds or bag of cash like you would have handled in your previous job; this could do a lot of damage." "Hence why it's heading to the New Mexico facility to be dismantled," The woman, a dark-haired beauty dressed in a red jumpsuit and a ballistic overlay, replied. "And out in the field call me Flintlock." "But we're still in the garage, Ma'am," one of the escort security agents stated as he checked his P90 PDW before slipping into the driver's seat. "Doesn't matter. Hostiles can come from anywhere at any time," Flintlock ordered before turning back to the technician flapping around in front of the truck. "Look, doc, before you strap this thing to me, go over the safety rules again, it'll make you feel better." "Very well." The technician sighed as he produced a pair of binders attached to an adamantium alloy chain, strapping one to Flintlock and the other to the case. "Firstly, no flying, the contents react with excessive cosmic radiation." "We have no air travel scheduled so that shouldn't be a problem," Flintlock confirmed. "Secondly, make no attempt to open the case outside of a containment unit." "Wasn't planning to, but keep going." "And finally, don't let the battery die, the case itself provides enough energy to sustain the reaction inside for thirty hours, after that it..." He paused as he mentally sifted through his mental lexicon for the correct term to describe the effect, "...triggers. That’s a wide definition, but it's as close I can come to describe what activation is." He sighed as he climbed inside the F550. Following suit on the other side Flintlock buckled up and placed the case in a metal clamp that caused a light on the base to glow amber. "That's why we have a car charger, doc," Flintlock answered as she used her free hand to grab a headset. "Okay, convoy this is Foxtrot One, we are wheels up and ready to roll." She barked as the garage doors lifted up to reveal an open road leading out into the desert. "Foxtrot Actual we'll call in on arrival at New Mexico campus but keep your eyes on us if you can." "Roger that," a female voice sighed over the radio. "Good luck, Ms. Gray." "Copy that, Foxtrot Actual." Flintlock replied as the vehicle started rolling. "We'll be there in no time don't you worry." I40 ARIZONA The woman dressed in silver trousers, jacket and blouse spun the silver dollar on the bonnet of her car as she waited for the sensor two miles down the road to beep. As she did, the holo-projector on the silver bracelet she wore chimed, before displaying a miniature facsimile of her employer, one Dr. Noah Black AKA Centurius. "Miss Silverman, are you in position?" Dr. Black asked as the woman continued to spin her silver dollar. "Yep," she replied in almost lucid tone of voice as she watched the hypnotic spinning of the coin. "Did you review the safety briefing I sent you?" Dr. Black asked in a voice dripping with as much concern as there was annoyance. "Nope," Silverman replied in the same lucid tone. "Miss Silverman, this is a Level 7 Reality..." An alarm from the sensor up the road sounded, jerking Sidewinder out of her trance. "Sorry, boss, but I've got to go to work." She purred as she removed a grenade launcher and a silver sexton from the back of her car and walked into the road, her eyes peeled for the first vehicle in the oncoming convoy. "Miss Silverman, please listen to me," Dr. Black begged only for his employee to turn off her holographic comms unit. "It's Silver Sidewinder when I'm in the field," Silverman stated as she fired her weapon at the lead vehicle, the projectile arching low and skidding under the car before magnetically clamping onto the car's undercarriage. "Now let the fireworks begin." "Foxtrot One, this is Foxtrot Five." A voice came over the headset Flintlock was wearing. "We have a figure standing on the road ahead of us. Please advise on course of action." "Slow down, Foxtrot Five," Flintlock ordered as the video feed from the camera on the front of the lead car was displayed. "Don't stop though, we'll mark their location and send it on to the police once we're clear." "Roger that," Foxtrot Five replied as the cars began to slow down. For a second all was well until the front car began to twist and warp, the sound of tortured metal accompanied by the screams of the two dying security guards inside. The truck in front of them slammed on its brakes to avoid contact with the twisting hulk ahead of it. Following suit, the other two vehicles slammed into the back of it with a pair of loud thuds. "What's happening?" the technician asked as the truck ahead of them started to warp and twist like the lead car. "Foxtrot element debus and pacify the shooter!" Flintlock ordered as the guards in the two remaining vehicles dismounted. "Doctor, keep your head down, we made need you very soon." "But, I'm a doctor of quantum physics!" the doctor complained as Flintlock brought out her antique shotgun from the door rest. "Uh, I mean I'll do what I can!" He gulped as one of the guards ran over and banged on the door, his mouth foaming and his body shuddering. "R...run!" he stuttered before falling to the floor, his body continuing to convulse even after death. And there striding through a field of dying men was the Silver Sidewinder, the silver dollar in her left-hand flashing with an unnatural light, the pistol in her right aimed at the F550. "Sorry, doc," Flintlock apologised as she removed the case from the charger and whacked him with the butt of her pistol knocking him unconscious. scrambling out the other side of the truck from the killer, Flintlock crouched behind the back wheel ready to ambush the attacker. "I only need one of you alive," Silver Sidewinder called, her words accompanied by a gunshot. Silently Flintlock cursed to herself, she'd hoped that knocking the doctor unconscious would have saved him, that the killer would leave an unconscious man alone. It hadn't, all it had shown her was how ruthless her opponent was. "I've got all day, not like you're on a timer or anything!" Sidewinder mocked as Flintlock made her move, advancing with the case held in front of her and hiding her weapon. "You didn't have to kill him!" she hissed as Sidewinder covered her advance, the dollar spinning. "I honestly don't need you, just your body," Sidewinder hissed as her eyes flashed silver, the spinning dollar throwing light in Flintlock's eyes, spots flooding her vision. "Now come along quietly, if you're good we'll make it quick when we get where were going." Without even realising what she was doing Flintlock walked over to the car and sat down in the front passenger seat. "And sleep, I don't want to hear a peep from you." Silver Sidewinder purred as she got into the driver's seat, her unconscious passenger nodding in her sleep. "Ooh nice." She purred as she relived Flintlock of her pistol. "Maybe someone will be interested in the museum piece when I get back, my day is just getting better and better." UNKNOWN LOCATION 28 HOURS POWER REMAINING A loud alarm blared and a sharp pain shot like fire through Rachel's cheek, waking her from the deep sleep she was in. Opening her eyes, she saw someone peering through the bars of some kind of animal crate. "She's awake, boss," the thug stated as Silver Sidewinder walked into the chamber. "Good, why is that making a noise!" Sidewinder snapped as she pointed at the case resting next to Rachel's leg. Blinking a few times, Rachel looked down at the time indicator and breathed a quick sigh of relief, there was over a day's worth of time on the clock. "It’s not the battery," Rachel mused as she looked at the symbol, a yellow circle with lines radiating in one direction, flashing on the top of the case. Desperately she went through the briefing her boss Nefer Neith Sinue had given her before departure. "Where are we?" She asked cautiously. "About ten thousand feet above Mexico," Silver Sidewinder stated with a smile. "On our way to the boss." "On a plane!" Flintlock hissed through gritted teeth. "You know what happens when you bombard a Class 7 Re..." "Duh, I read the risk assessment. Raul I'm fed up with her lip, cut the chain and take the case." Silver Sidewinder interrupted as the goon dragged Rachel out of the crate and pressed her against the fuselage and was handed a set of bolt cutters by another of Sidewinder's thugs. "Hope you can fly honey, because the last step is a long one." She purred as Raul went to cut the chain, the jaws of the bolt cutter clamping onto the chain and melting. "What the fuck?" Raul swore as Rachel swung the case into his groin, the blow causing him to detonate into a puddle of genetic soup. Looking on in horror, the remaining three parties all acted in a millisecond of each other. The remaining thug decide to bug out lunging for the crate in an attempt to find somewhere safe to hide. Meanwhile Silver Sidewinder and Flintlock both raced to the front of the plane. As Silver Sidewinder grabbed a parachute, Rachel stole a look outside, only to see the engine of the plane erupt in a shower of pink flame, the ignition burning through the wings of the plane. "Sorry love but that's too creepy for me!" Silver Sidewinder hissed as she wrenched the door open and leapt out, followed by everything else not bolted down thanks the resulting pressure change, including Flintlock and the case. Screaming as she plummeted ground wards, Rachel saw the world around her warp as the device in the case continued to react to the cosmic exposure. Slicing through the cloud layer Rachel closed her eyes and tried to put her imminent death from her mind to no avail. The impact was going to hurt but ultimately it wouldn't matter because it would kill her. To her relief the impact on landing was soft, like falling onto satin sheets. Opening her eyes Rachel stared into the red dirt of the desert and immediately began to laugh. Somehow fate and a warping reality had saved her. Better still the warning light on the case had now faded on her return to terra-firma. Getting to her feet, Rachel scanned the area taking in the mountains in the distance and the black snaking road only a half a mile away. Even better about a mile down the road there were vehicles parked outside a large wooden shack, with people coming and going. "Let's get some help." Rachel whispered to the case as she staggered towards the road, only to hear the thud of feet and the click of a pistol behind her. Turning she saw Silver Sidewinder staring at her, clutching the flintlock pistol she’d policed from Rachel on the other side of the border. “You’re not going anywhere,” Sidewinder hissed as she shot the case a fearful look, “until you tell me what kind of sci-fi bullshit you brought onto my plane!” |