The Drifter Chapter Five: Rebels, Revolutions, and a Re-Purposed Truck; Part I

"Oh fuck", I said wearily, "My fucking head". I opened my eyes and say I was in a small room, maybe 9x9, with the only light coming from above. I looked up and saw that a grate had been put over the entrance of the shaft-like room I was in, and that the trapdoor entrance was chained shut. I looked around, and could see that there was a bucket in the center of the room, but otherwise there was nothing. I started to get up, but I was exhausted and couldn't muster the strength to get on my feet. My mouth was dry, It felt like I had swallowed an entire bucket of the desert's coarsest sand. I slumped over, and could feel my consciousness fading from the dehydration. Just as my eyes shut, I noticed a few shadows break the light streaming into the hole.

In my unconscious state, I began to dream. I dreamed of my life at the labor camp prior to my leaving. I thought of my nameless friend, and the trouble he used to get up to. I dreamed of the accident that changed my appearance more than my life, and finally I dreamed of Sergei, my first love. It felt like an eternity ago that I had laid with him, embraced in his strong arms, with his big hard cock inside me. I dreamed that dream for what felt like a lifetime, but it was most likely only ten or fifteen minutes before I was woken up.

It was easily the worst way to wake up, but I was taken from my dream world by an ice cold bucket of water being thrown over my face. One man with a gun handed me a cup. "Drink", he said. I took the cup, confirmed it was water, and swallowed down the contents in a heartbeat. The man took the cup from me, and left the room. Another man entered. By the way he spoke under his mask, and his walk, I assumed he was older, at least forty-five. He was flanked by two guards. He pulled up a chair and positioned it in front of me, then signaled to the guards. One guard grabbed my right arm, and held it still in air. The second guard produced a knife, and cut the sleeve of my coat at the wrist. He cut it, and then folded the material back to expose my Camp tattoo. The tattoo was a large letter "B" with a bar code and serial number underneath. The older man produced a data pad, and studied it, then studied my wrist. My first thought was that these guys were Epsilon, but even in my delirious state, I was sure that they didn't look professional enough to be Epsilon soldiers.

"Alright kid", the man said, "We aren't going to hurt you, we just have a few questions to ask you". He then showed me a picture on his data pad. The picture was of Sergei. "Did you know this man?", he asked. I simply nodded yes. "Good", he said, "How well did you know him?". I wanted to answer, but I was still too dry, and could barely produce a sound. "Acquaintances?", he asked. "Friends?". "Just two workers that said hi too each other?". He listed off more vague relations, then he paused and said, "Lovers?". I nodded yes to that. "So then your the one we saw leaving his dwelling when it was raided?", he asked. I nodded. "Did you know of Sergei's criminal activities?", he asked. I shook my head to say no.

"Let me introduce myself", he said, "I am Kojak One-Eye, or Kojak Dead-Eye if you prefer. According to the Epsilon Company, I am a bandit of the highest degree and I have ten million credit bounty on my head. I am no simple bandit though. I do not rape, loot, and pillage the citizens of this planet. My organization and I simply fight for the freedom deserved by the people of Artemis. We are the revolutionaries crying for freedom in the night. We are the ones who will stand against the atrocities and crimes committed by the Epsilon Corporation. I am the leader of the Shadow Rebels, and I want this planet to be free. Your lover Sergei was with us, and he died in the line of duty. I need you to take his place". After his speech he led me outside. To my surprise I was in a compound surrounded by high cliffs on either side, and completely unknown to the rest of the world. "We had been tracking you ever since the raid, and we knew you wouldn't come willingly. Sorry for the imprisonment", he said. He led me past many buildings and vehicles until we arrived at the truck that I had been kidnapped in.

"Sergei's mission was to steal high-density mining explosives from Camp B and to bring them in this Epsilon truck to the most remote section of hyper rail in the desert. We planned on derailing on of the supply trains to take weapons, food, and more. We need you to finish the job now. You are the only one who knows Camp B, and as far as I am concerned the only one that could possibly do this. What do you say?", he said. I stared at him blankly. I wasn't really in the mood to go back to Camp B; I had escaped that Hell, and put it all in the past. "Well of course you can't decide now", he said, "You need food, water, and rest". Come with me, we'll return to this discussion in the morning.

End of Chapter Five Part 1

The Drifter