• It was a hot, dry day in the small town. It’s called a small town because almost a hundred people or so live in this town. You can find a law office and jail that had been burned down, a café, a bank, a general store owned by the government, and a lot of dirt, sand, and wind. There was not any plants to be seen in the ground, not since the storm. And what plaints there were are more brown then green.

    It has one real street just off the highway. The original name for the highway was lost years ago after the storm, but counting on where you are and where your headed, you’ll find several names for it. It’s only a two lane highway and is straight as the day is long. The nearest town to this one is a hundred miles to the north with nothing but desert between here and there.

    Before, this town was a quiet and peaceful, but then they came. At first it was a small time gang that just took over one of the old, worn down, deserted villa’s that was abandoned after the storm. Europe is now scattered with them. They claimed it as their home and moved right on in. They then killed the only law enforcement the small town had and took control of it. They burnt down the jail house there first day there and cowered the people to bend them to doing things that they wanted.

    They kill any who dares speak against them and when they found out that one of the residents went to New Paris to find help from the Euro-Asia Government, they hunted him down on the road and killed him before he even managed to get half way. Since they entered the town, their numbers have grown. They use to be just thirty or so but now number close to a hundred.

    They end up partying most nights and sleeping all day except for when they are out robbing other towns and banks. This day was no different. The party had lasted till dawn before they passed out. Now, noon was quickly approaching. The townsmen have gone to work, trying to make what little living they could. Normally the town would be quiet and deserted till just at noon when everyone came to the café to eat before headed back to work. But a noise broke the quiet this day, the noise of a motorcycle.

    The cycle has had many modifications to it. Not many of the Harley Division’s, an old American motorcycle company when there truly was an America, were left. Most were buried during the storm. On this one, a short wave radio was built into it, as well as a micro computer and a full armory of weapons and a satellite transponder and receiver.

    The cycle raced down the highway at 150 miles per hour. It’s rider’s black trench coat flying behind him in the hot wind. He is dressed entirely in black from the black leather pants to the black shirt and the military grade combat boots. His brown hair flew in the wind from under his black helmet.

    It was a few minutes before noon when the rider pulled before the small and only café. He took off the helmet and shook his hair free from his face, it’s now drenched in sweat. He looks down at his watch and see’s the time before walking into the café. Please don’t let this be a wasted journey he thinks.

    Inside the café, it looks bright with a new coat of white paint. It was pretty big, held maybe fifty tables in all. The waitresses were in final preparations for the normal crowd that comes in for the meals. They dashed here and there, making sure everything was clean. One, a half elfin woman approached the rider as he entered. She showed him to a wooden table and sat him in the steel chair, and took his drink preference.

    He sat there for a minute when she returned with the drink, and this time he took a good look at her. About 5’6, she was very pretty. She had long flowing golden brown hair that was tied into a braid in the back. She also had a body that most women would die to have and most men would kill to get at. Her white and black strip shirt was tucked into her black pants, complementing her fine hour glass figure and medium chest. The tag on her left breast read her name was Sapheria. She was one of the most beautiful women that he ever saw. If he wasn’t on the road all the time, he might have been willing to try and fall for her. OH well, he thought, this is my fate.

    She hands him a menu and he gladly accepts it. She went away for a few minutes while he looked over the menu before picking something he thought might be good off of it. He looks up to see her issuing orders to some of the other waitresses. Manager he thinks, Or maybe owner. At the very lest, she’s the head waitress.

    After a few minutes pass, she once again comes over to his table as the waitresses start to welcome other people coming into the café. He orders his food, a pasta dish, and she takes his drink for a refill. He looks some of the other waitresses over, but none compare to the beauty of Sapheria. She brings him back his drink and walks away. Soon, she returns with his food. When she starts to leave, he calls out to her, “Ma’am, could I ask you a few questions while I eat?” he asked her politely.

    “Sorry” she replied. “But I’m afraid I can’t do that.” she said as she smiled politely.

    “Oh, you wont get in trouble” he said as he reached into his pocket, pulling out a small wallet. “I promises you”. Inside the wallet is a Hunter’s Badge.

    The Hunters are a curious lot. After the storm destroyed most of the world and the nations in it, the world was in ciaos. After a couple of years, small kingdoms started to form out of the ashes of the old order. Most of the old ideas were kept, others changed. In this fashion, the new nations of Euro~Aisa banned together to prevent the wars of old that were the cause of the storm to begin with. In their rush to save some of the old, they formed an international peace keeping organization simply called “The Hunters” that answered only to the Euro~Aisa congress. As other nations began to pop up around the world, they too joined with Euro~Aisa and the Hunters were granted unlimited access to each of the nations. But even as the world was washed cleaned by the storm, corruption prevailed.
    Some of the newly appointed Hunters saw that their word became law when spoken and like humans, corruption came. They would use their appointment to get things they wanted and get away with them. They would take any girl they wanted and have them locked away if they said no, no matter the charge, none was needed. They extorted from the good people of Euro~Aisa and make money supporting the bad. Some became no better then the mobs and gangsters of the old world. These kinds typically would settle in a city and open their own Hunter’s office.

    Because this corruption was well known through out Euro~Aisa, the Hunters no longer had a good name. Most Hunters are welcomed with spite and hate. The Hunter here was no different, but Sapheria was smart enough to know when to hold her tongue. She just sat down and said nothing, but her face could not hide the anger to this Hunter.

    Having seeing the look over and over, he knew what she was thinking. “Hold on” he said. “I’m not here to cause any trouble for you or your town.
    “Then what are you doing here?” she asked, resentment in her voice.
    “Just looking for some one. It would be a great help if you could tell me if you’ve seen him.” He pulls out a picture of a small, brown haired man. The Hunter could not help be see the look of surprise in her eyes, witch only flashed for a minute.
    “Never seen him before in my life.” she lied. “What do you want with him?”
    “He’s what now is called a Fallen Hunter. Became corrupt and when drunk with power.
    So The Hunters have recalled his badge and ordered him brought in, dead or alive.”

    This time she couldn’t hide her surprise if she tried. “What brought this on?”

    “As I said, the corruption has gone too far, so the Euro~Aisa Congress and the Hunters Home Office are cleaning house at this point. Any accused of anything are to be brought in for investigation. Jason Whales here is my first Fallen I’m too bring in, but he wont be the last. Look at the picture good now, make absolutely sure you don’t know him.”
    Sure she knew him. It was not a well kept secret that this town was Jason’s base of operations. And she held no love, or even fondness for Jason and his thugs, only out right hate. But what if this was some kind of trap? No, Jason already had the town under his control. They no longer offer any resistance to him. Even all the women in town, young and old, single or married, gave no resistance when Jason’s thugs came calling at night. They just went along to save the lives of their loved ones and their loved ones no longer said anything to save the girls lives. No, this wasn’t one of Jason’s men. But he’s a Hunter. What if he is just as bad as Jason is?

    “If I see anything, is there a number I can reach you with?” She said. She couldn’t risk reveling Jason’s whereabouts, what would he do if this moron gets caught and reveals that she betrayed him. It wouldn’t be the first time his goons sacked the town. So better the devil she knew. At lest Jason will pretty much leave the town alone if the town does as instructed.

    “Yeah” he said pulling a black card from inside his jacket and handing it too her. The card read the name Brandon Walker on it with a small number on the bottom of it written in white. She took the card and promised to call him if anything came up. With that, she left the table, he finished his meal and left the café.


    Back in the Kitchen, Sapheria lend on the door shaking while looking at the card. Her long time friend and the café’s main chief saw her and strolled over to her. He was a short fellow, only above 3 feet, but weighed well over 300 pounds. The sturdy dwarf has been the cook at the café for over 50 years now, and known Sapheria for darn near 70 years. He happened to meet her on her 25th birthday. He just happened to be coming home from form the old mine the town use to run when he happened upon her. She had nowhere else to go so Corby Stonewrite took her in temporary. As much as any of the two hated to emit it, they quickly became good friends. When Jason’s goons first came to the town a few years back, she was one of the first girls picked to be their whore. She and the others fought back, but only ended up killing five of the towns woman in the process. Then Corby tried to fight them. Even a dwarf all alone can’t beat everyone Jason sent his way. Sapheria had to farce him to leave before they killed him. Even then, he still hates himself and the thugs that come to the town on a nightly basis and is very out spoken about it. Sapheria couldn’t say she disagreed with him, he agreed completely, but she also knew that it was dangerous to talk so out spoken in this now in recent years.

    He came up to her and put his arm around her too give her a hug. He told him everything that this Hunter Brandon had said and her fears about him. “You should just turn him over to this new hunter. From what you say, he’s a much better man then Whales. “ Corby said in his typical and stereotype deep voice. “Maybe they’ll do everyone a favor and kill each other off.”

    “Maybe” was all she could responded.


    Brandon pulled the bike next to a huge truck. The truck was one of those old 18 Wheelers from the old days, but Brandon had given it a complete overhaul. The engine had been replaced with a new fusion reactor, added the best armor, and given it the best of weapons that the Hunters could get which was the best in the world. He then put the best cybernetics on the armor that he could afford. It was his road office.

    The trailer had the same armor, weapons, and cybernetics on the tractor instead of paint. The weapons on the truck were everything from machine guns to rocket launchers to laser blasters. The tuck and trailer together cost the Hunters over three million dollars. It was not the only one like it. The Hunters had thirty if these trucks made. They were meant to be travailing fortresses. Brandon took him and put a custom computer system in it, one to fit his personal needs. The system was not just confined to the trailer thou, it went to the cabin and connected to a small system on his watch.

    After the storm destroyed most of the world, there were a lot of useless satellites still in the atmosphere. The Hunters required a couple of them, but Brandon took one or two as well. He easily hacked into the two satellites and changed the programming in it. One was an old communications satellite and the other and even older spy satellite. He changed the programming of both satellites so they answer only too him or Shelia.

    Shelia is a super AI that Brandon created. When the Hunters found out about Brandon’s abilities with computers, they hired him to create them a AI that could perform certain task for them. He created several to run different systems on their networks. He then took all of their abilities and combined them to make Shelia. Within the two satellites, her stored her. The spy satellite was perfect for her to watch over him and help him when needed. The communication satellite was great for her to contently stay in touch with the system in the truck or in his office in New Paris. Shelia was just about perfect, except for one thing, Brandon gave her a personality. And her personality has evolved over the last couple of years.

    A beeping sound made Brandon look down at his watch. He is here. He pulled over to the side of the road and stopped the motorcycle. He looked around and saw nothing but brown and red hills, but very little else. He looked around once more, this time he held his watch up close to his mouth. “Shelia, take down the clocking. “

    “Yes, sir,” the watch replied. “anything else?”
    “Yeah. Open the rear door so I can pull the bike in.”
    “Have you cleaned it?”
    “I’ll have to clean the dust off later. We have other things to prepare for.”
    “Like what” Shelia replies as a dark hole starts to appear in mid air. A line forms that grows as a ramp is lowered down to the ground.
    “Like a huge biker gang coming to kill me”
    “So I guess you found him.” Shelia asked as he pulled into the trailer.
    “No, “ he replied, “But I found someone who knew him. I gave her one of my cards.”
    “Tracking now.” Shelia told him, her voice now coming out of PA Speakers around the trailer. “You sure this someone will go tell Jason?”
    “Oh yeah.” he answered as he parked the bike. He takes off his jacket and sat down on the recliner. “She took it too him. I heard as she handed him the card, the things she said, everything. “
    “So he’s planning an attack?”
    “That’s right. It is going to be some time tonight. I want you to send out the drones to watch all the roads from town. There hideout seems to be on the other side of town.”
    “yes sir,” Shelia replied. “Do you want to use Plan 45B6TR?”
    “Yeah. That sounds like a good plan. I believe that could work. Send out another drone as well, look for a good spot for defense.”
    “ Checking GPS maps now.”
    “I’m still going to want you to send out the drone so I can scope it.”
    “Yes sir.” she said. “I have found a good site for plan 45B6TR. It is exactly 1.45 miles east and 2.4768 miles south of your current location. A small canon just of one of the old roads. Sending Drone 456983 now.”
    “Can’t you just call them drone 1, 2, or 3?”
    “No, that is not their names.”
    “I need to change your programming.”
    “Would it not be easier to just change their names?”
    “No. If I change your programming, then you can become more human like.”
    “More human like?”
    “Yeah, you know. Like me.”
    “More like you?”
    “Yeah”
    “That would be terrible.”
    “What?”
    “No work would ever get done.”
    “Now wait a minute!”
    “Then the criminals would run rampant around the world.”
    “Now just hold on right there!” Brandon yelled. “What do you mean ‘no work would get done’?”
    “Just as I said. You have a tendency to be lazy.”
    “I am not lazy.”
    “So you say. But when was the last time you actually did any work?”
    “I worked on upgrading the new Hunter AI 4.5.3 yesterday.”
    “Your computer records show that was a week ago. Tobin has sent a message and want’s to know if the updates for the Hunter AI are ready. How should I respond?”
    “Tell him I’m working on it.”
    “I’ll tell him you will get to it eventually, just like that body you promised me. ”
    “Whatever. Has the drone reached that valley yet?”
    “yes. Downloading images now. I will upload them to Truck 0013 when I finish downloading them.”
    “You know. Your starting to sound more human already.” Brandon stood up and walked over to the small bed in the trailer. “I’m going to take a small nap now. When the images are uploaded to the system here, I want you to place the truck in position. Then, finish setting up the plan.”
    “Yes sir”
    “Thank you.” he replies as he lays down on the bed.
    “Lazy.”
    He froze as his head was about to hit the pillow. “I heard that!”