Outside, the rain-slicked streets glistened under the neon holograms that flickered on every surface. The “companion” ads were out today. They danced, selling stims and pleasure pods.

  Somehow, the ads seemed to know I’d just lost a girlfriend. How had the word gotten out so fast? I bet it was the chat box on the door. The AI had probably ratted me out.

  Little animated women in skirts with inhumanly big eyes vied for my attention. Useless crap. Like my pops always said: “Be a man. Pay for a real hooker.”

  Tina was already halfway down the block, her head down, shoulders hunched against the rain. I whispered some bad words. She shouldn’t be out here alone at night. Not in my part of town. This was Red Wolves’ territory.

  I followed at a distance, keeping to the shadows. The last thing I wanted was for her to think I was stalking her. But I couldn’t let her wander these streets unprotected.

  Sure as shit, a group of Wolves loitered under a flickering streetlight. They took immediate notice of Tina.

  Some women excluded an aura of confidence and comfort on the streets—but not my Tina. She gave off that lost-lamb vibe.

  The gangsters noticed her immediately. I tensed, ready to intervene. They whispered to each other, sizing her up like prey.

  Tina hurried past them, oblivious to the danger. I clenched my jaw. She was too trusting. Too naïve. She didn’t understand the realities of my side of town—the bad side.

  One of the punks, a wiry dude with a neon green mohawk and a cybernetic arm, peeled off from the group and started tailing her. My hand drifted to the grip of my buzzblade under my coat. If he made a move, I’d stick him before he took two steps.

  But he kept his distance, just watching her. For now, anyway.

  I knew his type. He was waiting for the right moment to strike. Quickening my pace, I closed the gap between us. I had to get to Tina before Mr. Cyber-Arm did. The thought of her being abused by this lowlife made my blood boil.

  In a surprising burst of speed, the punk made his move, grabbing Tina by the arm. She yelped in surprise. Two of his buddies emerged from the shadows, leering at her.

  Now, I got it. He’d been waiting until she reached this spot.

  I surged forward, my buzzblade already in hand. “Let her go, asshole.”

  The punks spun around, sizing me up. The leader sneered. “Mind your own business, old man.”

  Old man?

  Sure, I’d hit thirty. The punk’s challenge piqued my interest. I sheathed my blade. I wouldn’t need it for these clowns.

  “You’re right,” I said casually. “She doesn’t look like she’s worth my time.” I moved to walk past like I didn’t give a shit.

  Tina gasped. The punks snickered as I walked by.

  In a well-practiced and fluid motion, I turned and lunged at the leader, slamming my fist into his jaw. He stumbled back, spitting blood and a broken tooth. In shock, he landed on his ass—but he wasn’t out.

  The lead Wolf had been stunned by the sudden viciousness of the attack. I could see it on his face. Still sprawled on the ground, he wiped at his mouth. Blood streaked his sleeve. He shot an angry look at the other two goons.

  “What are you waiting for?” he roared. “Fuckin’ get ‘em!”

  His cronies charged me, but they were sloppy. Untrained. I dodged their wild swings and laid them out with a few well-placed blows. Grabbing at their balls, guts and windpipes, they staggered away.

  The leader had scrambled to his feet by this time. He made a big mistake, upping the ante. His hand darted into his jacket. I knew he was going for a weapon.

  I didn’t give him the chance. I grabbed his non-cybernetic wrist, twisting until I heard the snap of bone. He howled in pain and dropped to his knees. After a swift knee to the chin, I let him go.

  “You’re probably going to need another fake arm,” I told him as he limped away.

  I glanced at Tina. She stood frozen, her eyes wide with shock. I took her by the elbow and steered her away from the groaning punks.

  We walked in silence for a block before she spoke, stuttering over her words. “Th-thank you, Dane. I-I don’t know what I would’ve... if you hadn’t been there.”

  I shrugged. “Wrong neighborhood for a woman to walk around solo at night. I wouldn’t have brough you here if I’d known you were going to walk out on me. This part of town… how can you even live here?”

  “Rent is cheap. But… it’s an acquired taste.”

  She looked back at the punks, still writhing on the ground behind us. “Did you have to be so... brutal?”

  My eyes squinched up. She didn’t get it. “I gave them a life lesson. Free of charge. Maybe they’ll think twice next time they try to mug someone.”

  Tina shook her head, but she didn’t argue further. I could tell she was shaken. She was a nurse, a healer—not the kind who dealt out the damage.

  It was a long walk to her side of town, but I escorted her the rest of the way to her apartment building.

  The lobby was empty, the ancient security bot deactivated in the corner. Tina paused at the elevator, her finger hovering over the call button. She bit her lip, searching for the words. “I meant what I said earlier, Dane. I… I can’t do this anymore. I can’t be with someone who lives the way you do. Never knowing if you’re coming back. Always worrying.”

  “Oh, yeah. I got that.”

  She looked like she was going to start sniveling again.

  What the hell? I’d done it wrong again? Was I supposed to be all broken-up about her leaving? I guess it just wasn’t in me to act like that—not even to fake it.

  “I thought I could handle it,” she continued, her voice quavering. “I thought I was strong enough. But I’m not. I’m sorry, Dane. I really am. It’s all my fault.”

  “It’s cool,” I heard myself say—even though it wasn’t. Not entirely.

  The elevator dinged and the doors slid open. Tina stepped inside, then turned to face me. Tears glistened in her eyes.

  I wanted to say something. Something that would make her feel better. But the words didn’t come. I was never good at this stuff.

  Give me a gun and a target, then I’m your man. But this shit? Whining about who you’re sleeping with? Mopey good-byes? That wasn’t my zone.

  I thought back to the burger. Its words mocking me as sauce dripped from the bun onto the plate. Nice work, asshole.

  Tina pressed the button for her floor. The elevator was so old, it still had buttons. Go figure.

  The doors started to close. I supposed this was it. The end. I’d known this moment was coming, but I was surprised when I felt a pang of real regret. I’d really gotten used to having Tina around.

  At the last second, Tina’s hand shot out, stopping the doors. She stepped out of the elevator and crashed into me, her lips finding mine.

  I stumbled back, surprised. Her kiss was desperate, urgent. Like she was trying to pour all her feelings into that one moment.

  She broke away, breathing hard. Her hand found mine, our fingers intertwining. “Come upstairs with me. Please.” Her face was flushed with arousal.

  “Uh…”

  I hesitated. What was this? The fastest rebound in all history?

  No, that wasn’t it. This was probably because I’d saved her butt out on the streets. That had triggered some instinct in her. That was probably it.

  I knew I shouldn’t. This would only make things harder later on. But the look in her eyes, the need, the longing... I couldn’t resist.

  With my body, I gently pushed her into the elevator, our hands still clasped. The doors slid shut, cocooning us in our own private world. As the elevator ascended, I pressed her against the wall and kissed her passionately.

  * * *

  Many hours later I woke with a start, momentarily disoriented.

  Tina’s bedroom? The memories of last night came flooding back.

  Oh, yeah…

  Desperate lovemaking. Like we were both trying to hold onto something we knew was slipping away.

  I glanced at the clock. 0600 hours? Time to move my ass.

  I eased out of bed, careful not to wake Tina. She looked peaceful. Her face relaxed in a deep sleep. Her exposed body called to me. I felt a twinge of regret. I was leaving her again. Just like always.

  Showering quickly, I let the hot water ease the tension in my muscles. I had a job to do. People were counting on me. I couldn’t let my personal life get in the way.

  When I emerged from the bathroom, Tina was awake. She sat on the edge of the bed, naked. Her eyes were red and puffy. Had she been crying again? For god’s sake...

  “Is it always like that?” she asked, her voice small.

  “Um… what?”

  “The danger—like last night. I can’t imagine being hunted out there. At random, by strangers…”

  She gave a little shudder, which looked good as she was still nude.

  It suddenly hit me she was talking about the Red Wolf-pups who’d pawed at her last night. She was still thinking about that? She’d probably been fretting about our two-minute encounter all night long.

  “Out there…?” I asked. “You mean like, on other planets?”

  “Yes.”

  I wanted to lie to her. To tell her it was all routine. But she deserved a tidbit of truth.

  “Yeah, it’s pretty much like that. I get into a fight now and then—that’s part of the job.” I shrugged into my jacket. “But I’ve been trained to handle such things. It’s no big deal.”

  That was good, I told myself. I sounded off-handed and confident. Being attacked by alien bugs and crazy colonials—that was no big deal.

  Anyway, it was the best lie I could come up with first thing in the morning. Naturally, I couldn’t confess the truth. I couldn’t tell her about all the wild bullshit you might run into out on a colony world.

  Despite what I thought was a quality performance, Tina didn’t buy it. I could see it in her eyes. Her fear was back. Her gnawing worries.

  Being close to some violent action had turned her on. But now, in the cold light of morning, she was overthinking things again. She was beginning to understand the risks of my job.

  Last night, she’d seen me take care of some losers like a pro—which I was. But would I always win? As a solo operative on strange planets full of such assholes—or worse? She knew for certain now that every time I left, there was a chance I wouldn’t come back.

  “Let’s go to work,” she said.

  After we’d showered and eaten something, we left for XCU.

  Tina had a car. A two-seater that rode a magnetic cushion over the crumbling streets. Ever since people had switched to mag-lev cars I’d noticed the government had stopped fixing the streets. They didn’t have to anymore—so they let them go to shit.

  We rode to XCU in silence. There were a lot of unspoken words floating around. Things like questions and regrets. Maybe some pleas.

  But what was the point of all that? We both knew the score.

  When we arrived, I turned to her. “Tina, I had a really—”

  She shook her head. “Don’t. Just... be careful out there, okay?”

  “Always,” I said. It was the best I could promise. In my line of work, careful only got you so far.

  I let her get ahead of me as we left the parking lot, so we didn’t walk in at the same moment. Watching her walk away was a treat. Her ass was stellar.

  But… her shoulders were slumped in defeat. This breakup was all because I was shipping out today. Being transmitted to some distant colonized rock full of ungrateful complainers. A colony had called for help. I was one of the men whose job it was to answer that call. It was what I did.

  Tina would be here when I got back—or she wouldn’t. All that was out of my hands, now. It was time to start thinking about my mission. About surviving. That’s how a man made sure he came back in one piece.

  Anything else was just a distraction. In my line of work, distractions got you killed.

  Bonus Chapter 2

  XCU’s bunker-like entrance was an ugly cube of concrete bricks, electrified razor wire, and detection fields. The entrance featured state-of-the-art security: retinal scans, DNA checks, the whole nine yards. These guys didn’t mess around.

  A pair of robotic guardians blocked my path. They were sleek, Kevlar-plated, all sharp angles and glowing red cameras that could see in the dark if they need to.

  The one on the left, it was a spindly model with too many arms. It started patting me down without asking. Its metal hands were cold and worse than clinical.

  I winced. “At least buy me a drink first,” I grunted as it copped a feel.

  One thing was for certain. These buckets of bolts had no respect for personal space.

  It found a pistol pretty fast. Then my backup piece. And the holdout strapped to my ankle. Each one was tossed aside with a disapproving beep.

  I gritted my teeth. I felt naked without my weapons. Vulnerable. But I knew the drill. No one entered the XCU armed. No one except the big shots upstairs, anyway.

  The bot’s hands lingered on my buzzblade, tucked into a sheath at the small of my back. For a second, I thought it might take that, too. But after a long, contemplative whir, it moved on.

  Stupid bot had no idea the damage I could do with that thing.

  The buzzblade was my ace in the hole. A foot of razor-sharp, vibrating steel. It could slice through bone as easily as butter. I’d had it for years, ever since my first tour in the colonies. The damn thing had saved my skin more times than I could count.

  The other bot was a squat, heavily-armored model. It clumsily ran a scanner over me. Checking for illegal implants, probably. Or maybe just seeing what I had for breakfast. You never could tell with these walking tin cans.

  Tina had been playing around with her purse this whole time. Why? Because people like her did that. She was probably worried the bots would mess up her personal items, so she’d wanted to arrange them just so…

  Whatever the case, she finally stepped up to be searched. She seemed as enthusiastic about the invasive protocols as I was. I watched as her curvy body squirmed and wriggled and grunted. The machines were really working her over and digging in spots she didn’t appreciate. If I didn’t know better, I’d think they were getting off on molesting her.

  Finally, the bots stepped aside. The door behind them slid open with a pneumatic hiss.

  Tina straightened her jacket, trying to regain some semblance of dignity. Chin held high, she strode forward and joined me in the elevator. We descended into the belly of the beast.

  The XCU’s inner sanctum was all gleaming metal and harsh white light. At the door, security goons lounged against the walls, cradling shredders. They barely looked at me. Their eyes lingered on Tina—I couldn’t blame them for that. I’d rather look at her, too.

  The place was a hive of activity, as usual. Scientists in lab coats scurried about, barely sparing me a glance, their noses buried in datapads. I was just another cog in the machine to them. Another expendable human asset.

  All that was fine by me. I wasn’t here to make friends. I was here to do a job.

  I could tell my mind was already shifting from civvie-mode into mission-mode. Anyone who got in my way was toast.

  Dominic Serrano, the station chief, perked up as we entered. A smirk played across his stubbled face. “Well, well, well. If it isn’t the prince and princess of oversleeping.”

  I didn’t rise to the bait. Tina and I were already on the rocks. The last thing I needed was to entertain Dom’s particular brand of “humor”.

  “Oh…? What’s this? Trouble in paradise?” Dom needled, his eyes flicking between us. “You two lovebirds having a pecking contest?”

  Tina’s jaw clenched. Without a word, she turned on her heel and stalked off towards the Medical Bay.

  Dom’s laughter and his eyes followed her. They crawled all over her until she disappeared. “Looks like you’re not satisfying her needs, Tanner. Maybe you’re losing your touch.”

  I bit back a retort. Engaging with Dom was like wrestling with a pig. You both got dirty, but the pig liked it.

  “Maybe.” I kept my voice cool and steady. I’d get around to funny-boy eventually. He’d get his when the time was right.

  Dominic sneered at me. “Playing it pro today, huh? Okay, Tanner. I’ve got to talk to the nerds. Meet me in my office by 0730.”

  “Fine.”

  That gave me twenty minutes to track down some coffee. After bugging a few of the girls operating the consoles and drinking my brew, I made my way to Dom’s office for our little pow-wow.

  His door was closed. Typical. The man loved dramatics. I gave a perfunctory knock and let myself in.

  Dom was lounging behind his desk. His feet were propped up, and there was a tumbler of something amber in his hand. What the fuck was he celebrating about this early in the morning? He looked like a cat who’d just caught a particularly juicy canary. I didn’t trust that look. It usually meant trouble.

  “Tanner!” he greeted, not bothering to get up. “Sit your ass down. We need to talk.”

  I sat, feeling my buzzblade shift against my skin. It was within easy reach—always.

  Dom took a sip of his drink, savoring it, making me wait. Everything was a power play with him. Always.

  “Little early for that stuff, chief?” I asked.

  Dom ignored my jab and took another sip, a longer draw this time.

  “We’ve got a situation on Acheron,” he said finally. “There’s some kind of strange signal coming from the planet. Origin unknown. It’s freaking out the colonists.”

  Feeling interested despite myself, I leaned forward and squinted at his desk. He played out a holographic vid of a signal profile. It was all squiggly lines that meant nothing much to me. “What kind of signal?”

  “That’s the thing—we don’t know. It’s like nothing any of our nerds have seen before. The bots are clueless, too.” Dom set his glass down, his eyes boring into mine. “The colonists are spooked. They’ve requested aid—that’s where you come in.”

  I nodded. I’d already figured out where this was going. “You want me to go check out a strange signal? I’m no scientist.”