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Chapter 8

Welcoming Committee

Cerces IV is huge...literally, compared to Earth. As far as surface area, Cerces IV is nearly twice as large. Its natural resources makes it biggest gold mine in the sector (yes they have found gold as well as silver here). Upon its discovery, the Earth was quick to start selling property on Cerces IV but that started the longest, oldest, and probably most bitter legal fights in human history: who owns Cerces IV. The answer is no one owns a planet, and neither does the Earth. So upon colonization, came Education. Proto-Humans learn fast as they built a juggernaut on the natural Resources of Cerces IV, as well one of the most prestigious vacation spots in the Galaxy. Considering to this day we may have found over 400 inhabitable planets, Cerces IV was the first one we could reach.

Anyways the planet had traffic like you wouldn't believe. From what you learn on Earth, Cerces IV sounds very unpleasant. Maybe someone was trying to keep it all a secret? Anyways, a literal city of space vessels makes up a gigantic space dock which was our destination. From there we were shuttled down to Durango.

Durango appeared like any other city actually. Tall skyscrapers, a massive harbor, plenty of industry pretty much said it all. The outline of the city was somewhat interesting as it was a perfect square. Kind of like Washington D.C., which struck me as being peculiar. The Marshall seemed a bit antsy about arriving home. He seemed to be cold sober compared to the past several weeks I've been with him. He went from a kindly old drunk to grumpy old man in this time. I wasn't sure if it was me, or the fact he was back. What seemed to be gnawing at him was probably this Marvin Weller. I tend to be nosy so I did some sniffing around seeing got all this extra time on my hands. It also helps that Proto-humans love to chat.

Marvin Weller was indeed a name that everyone knows. Most Proto-humans look to him as a legend, which ain't exactly a good thing. You see, Marvin was educated and well versed. His intellect alone was comparable to say a college professor. Yet Marvin like all Proto-humans has a social disorder. Not so much a social disorder as it is just basic instinct. Proto-humans had no concept of money, ownership, and materialistic need. Whatever they want, they take and if necessary by force. Yet there is a civic rule on Cerces IV, you don't kill for no reason. Killing is only necessary for survival, which out in the wilderness a fact. Most Proto-humans learned how to raise their own food, yet animal instincts sometimes...kick in. Marvin Weller was bright, wealthy, and a made Proto-human. He was well liked by his fellow Proto-humans, as well as the humans. In 3 days he would become a wanted felon because of Carla Vega. They call it heat, which in fact could drive a Proto-human to kill. Which is probably why the Marshall doesn't want Carla to find out he killed her foster mother, and former Marshall of Durango. Proto-humans that kill for vengeance usually become so dangerous they can't be around humans, and become a danger to everyone. Imagine one that can use a gun, because that's what makes Marvin Weller a danger.

The story goes that Marvin always had a crush on Carla ever since they first met. Marvin was well to do as his intellect, and business smarts helped him sell land on the outskirts of town. He was well known to many in the city council, as well as desired by many women. Even Katira Cambridge who was probably the most desirable Proto-humans from the area was once one of his mistresses. Yet his true desire was Carla who...just wasn't interested. Albeit for a Gargoyle, Marvin wasn't repulsive, especially seeing how many women I had read who were his consorts, yet he never married. There was mentioning of several attempts to ask for Carla's hand and every time she refused. I guess one rejection was one too many as it came down to a day when Carla was being stalked by Marvin. Rather than have him make another scene, she saw one of her classmates Gary Jensen and pretty much gave him a smooch that would surely give the impression they were a couple. This was a defense mechanism of hers that up until that day worked very well. But for some reason Marvin snapped, as she repeated it with 6 other guys. With the seeds of jealousy planted, Marvin would hunt down 4 of them, all of which were slain by his sharp claws, and disembowel as well. It wasn't until the second day the first 4 were found, and putting the pieces together began. Even at this time Marvin wasn't suspected. It wasn't until later that night at Jensen's home he laid in wait for the human male to come home. Gary arrived home to see one of his windows was forced open, and ran next door to the Vega's. Carla wasn't home, but her mother Marshal Carmen Vega was. Figuring it was simply an errant Proto-human, she came armed with her standard issue stunner she entered the residence. She would identify herself, but hell knows what Marvin heard. They say once in heat, the urge alone makes a Proto-human invulnerable. She got 6 shots off, but it didn't stop him from ripping open her belly. He may of realized what he done from there because he exited out the rear right through the window and into the night. By the time the Deputy Marshal arrived, it was 40 minutes too late, the Marshal was dead. From there some of the pieces were falling together, but it was discovered that Carla had went to Silverstone, so the Deputy Marshal chose to not bother her with the bad news until he caught the killer. Marvin knew he had to get out of Durango, and fast. Nothing was faster than a Police cruiser. From eyewitnesses, they said he simply jumped on top of the cruiser and smashed the windshield. Grabbed the officer by the neck and snapped it. He then took the cruiser and sped off out of town. From that eyewitness report, the pieces fell together as the newly appointed marshal Simms pretty much made no attempt of naming who killed Carmen Vega. But charged Marvin Weller with 6 deaths, and made him public enemy number one in all of Cerces IV colony. Things snowballed from there as Marvin Weller became a folk hero of sorts. He preached a loss of values, and human slavery was descending on the Proto-humans. Such things as laws didn't apply to them, and that the Proto-humans should rise up against the colonists. In the past five years, hundreds of Proto-humans committed crimes that can be related to the teachings of Marvin Weller. So convincing he even used their own law about killing, and twisted it into a message of hate created by the colonists. Marvin Weller was indeed a wanted man, and no one wanted him more than the Marshal. The man that Marvin Weller promised to kill. That promise he kept, when he killed the last Deputy Marshal.

Call me stupid, but none of this scared me more than actually landing in Durango Space port. We were expecting an entourage, and that's what we got. A number of citizens were there, some city officials except the mayor, and the media. One of my first sights was Katira Cambridge as she and a number of reporters pounced on the marshal like feeding time in the zoo. The questions all revolved around a recent incident in the Northwestern part of town, which the marshals reply was basically...No comment. But then the secondary question came up.

"Marshal Simms, you are one man without a Deputy, how do you intend on catching this killer?" asks Katira with a serious tone.

"That's where your wrong, Miss Cambridge." replied the Marshal as he looked to me. "That is our new Deputy, Glenn Stewart."

Before I could bat my eye I turned into the fresh meat as I was deluged from questions like "How am I going to catch this killer." to "What's my shoe size." None the less the Marshal broke it up, but not before I caught the eye of Katira Cambridge that seemed pleased with what she saw. The Marshal put an end to that as well, yet she still slipped her com-link number in my back pocket.

It was from there we got our luggage and went to meet our ride. It was a lev car being driven by Kyrell. The Marshal wasn't happy as he saw two heads in the car, which he told me to brace myself. Thought I was ready for anything, but I wasn't as the cockpit opened all I saw was green fur and then Cleavage. I was smothered into her cleavage, and I mean smothered.

"Welcome to Durango, handsome." she said with a giddy voice as the Marshal tried to have her release her embrace.

"Calm down, Johara! Shit, you don't even know his dang name yet." stated the Marshal.

With that she released me with a broad smile. "Glenn Stewart, welcome to Durango. You're gonna love it here!" she said enthusiastically.

I was a bit flustered and blushing as I couldn't take my eyes off her chest that seemed to be busting out of her uniform. "Um...Thank you, Miss Mombasa..."

"Please don't be so formal, my name is Johara!" she said as she turned to look to Kyrell who had loaded the car without skipping a bit. "And that is my man...Kyrell."

Now, I knew he was a Tiger, but Holy Crap! Seeing him up this close, I was seriously shaking in my boots. I mean he could surely take me with a single swipe of his hand. He seemed angry as he approached, yet he walked up to me and shook my hand.

"Hey Glenn, pleasure meeting you! Hell, thank god we got a Deputy Marshal!" he said very cheerfully with a smile.

"Thank you, Kyrell. It's a pleasure meeting you."

"Kyrell? There ain't no way all four of us will fit in this car?" fired the Marshal.

Kyrell turned to him. "Blame that on Johara. No fret, Arianna coming...she wants to meet the fresh meat." he replied with a smirk. At this moment, I'm thinking this is one of the Marshal's tests except he didn't look happy to hear this as well.

"Glenn, wait here for Arianna, and remember what I said, boy!" he says with all seriousness in his voice. The three hopped in the car and take off as I sat and wait for my ride. I lit up a cigarette as I sat at a bench, just admiring the view, and the passersby. It seem that the Proto-humans outnumbered the humans Twenty to One, and most the females were in some way nude yet...it seemed so normal, even I seemed not to be phased after the voyage. So un-phased that I didn't notice the filly that snuck up on me and said. "Hello, are you the new deputy Marshal?"