The Hunter
View PDF | Print View
by: Anomaly
Total views: 17
Word Count: 4811
The Hunter
By: Ward C. Tipton
The view from the mountain top was stunning to say the least. The mountains spread out majestically in a large crescent shape, the trees filling them with a mosaic blend of colors of every shade and hue. The colors contrasted each other sharply in the centers of the patches, while blending together almost seamlessly where they met in the random patterns that only nature is able to create so beautifully. The mountains sloped down gently until they reached the smaller foothills. The foothills rose slightly to meet the base of the mountains in much the same way as waves from a pond lap gently at the shoreline. He would have appreciated the view a whole lot more if he did not have to walk the vast distance from his present position to the valley floor extending out far below him.
This rather cynical thought crossed his mind as he began his trek down the mountainside. It never failed to amaze him that a starship and their crew could navigate seemingly blind through the vast reaches of space but could not properly ascertain coordinates on a single and relatively stationary planet surface. He sometimes wondered if perhaps, they did not do it on purpose. He made a mental note to ask about it when he returned from this hunt.
He could understand why people would want to migrate here. Like most of the inhabitable planets, it was incredibly beautiful and as yet unencumbered by the problems of overpopulation or pollution which are so common among the more popular planets. Anybody with enough money or the ability to sell an idea could easily claim enough land to provide for everything that they could ever possibly want or need. As long as they could make the required improvements and provide what they said that they were able to, there were entire worlds to be had.
When at last he came to a large clearing, he decided that it would be as good a place as any to camp for the night. The local daily cycle would be ending soon and it would be getting dark there. While his equipment would easily allow him to travel after dark if it were necessary, there were two very good reasons for him not to.
The first reason was that this was a relatively large party he was hunting. That would make them much easier to find. Also, the party supposedly included many veterans of the Industrial War. They should have more than adequate security and be able to take care of themselves, even minimally, until help could arrive. This particular mission was relatively low-priority.
The second reason was much more urgent and required him to be extra cautious. Throughout history, many things had changed and progressed. Baggage handlers however, somehow or another seemed to have missed the evolutionary bandwagon. As far back as people could remember, baggage handlers had always been known to be rough on luggage. He had to check his equipment out carefully and make sure that it would work if and when he needed it. There was no need to take any unnecessary risks so he was not going to.
He went about the task of setting up his camp quickly and efficiently. He had done it literally thousands of times before. He was a Hunter, he had been a Hunter from the very beginning in fact, since long before the Industrial War began. During the war, his hunts had all been high-priority missions. As he went about setting up his camp, his mind drifted back in time. He recalled in great detail how difficult it had been to hide his camps in those days. While he never actually recognized it and would likely have denied it had anyone been privy to his thoughts, there was actually a passing moment of regret that the war was over.
As he went about the task of checking out his gear, he thought back in time. When the United World Government secured a lasting peace on earth, the next logical step had been an exploration of space. The primary investors had been two of the largest remaining defense contractors. Given the vast possibility of unknown dangers inherent in space exploration, Hunt Groups had been formed to initialize and secure bases, aid in defense where needed and perform other dangerous tasks that were all too common in the early days of exploration.
For that reason, the two defense contractors had actually joined forces. They combined their resources and their technology in order to train highly specialized units specifically for the purpose of performing tasks which were too dangerous for anyone else to handle. All of them possessed IQs well into the range of genius. They received very specialized training in regards to first contact as well. While no “intelligent” life had as yet been discovered, it did seem to be highly likely. In the meantime, what life that was found, was often very foreboding and dangerous. The Hunt Groups had been trained ... and armed especially to deal with such dangers.
Given the very nature of their industry, the defense contractors were able to provide the Hunt Groups with arms and weapons the UWG never even knew or dreamed about. While the government got excited about the latest and greatest ship that could deliver a bomb of any greater capacity, the Hunt Groups received arms for particular environments, energy weapons and other means of defense that were specific to their tasks. Not only did they possess the weapons; they also had the knowledge and ability to use them.
Eventually however, the Hunt Groups had to be expanded as new worlds were opened up. In what was perceived by many to be a fix-all solution, the Hunters were formed in order to provide protection for immigrants, the defense contractors, corporations and also to perform the tasks that were still too dangerous for others. He had been among the first to volunteer and in the first group ever to be trained specifically as The Hunters. While less than twenty percent of applicants ever made it as far as training, even less would graduate. The graduation rates in Hunter training were roughly the same as the mortality rates. Only about three percent of those who entered would ever see graduation.
Not only had he been in the first class but he had been trained by a man who was considered a legend, even among the members of the Hunt Groups. Not only had his class graduated. To date, it was the only class in the history of Hunter training that had graduated completely intact. Like his teacher before him, he had become a legend, even among the Hunters. As he continued checking out his gear, he thought back to the war itself. The war had changed everything for everybody, including The Hunters.
The Industrial War actually began, quite literally by accident. One of the defense contractors received some very encouraging reports regarding a new energy source from one of their more distant facilities. Due to the problems with deep space communications at the time, it took quite a while for them to figure it out. Ultimately, what they discovered was that the facility and even the planet it was on had been completely destroyed.
The closest base, as it happened, belonged to the other defense contractor. Given the level of cooperation that had existed up to that point in time, there seemed no reason for them not to be the ones to send in an exploratory group. However, none of them had been fully prepared for what happened next. When the initial reports began coming in, there was widespread belief that there must have been a major miscommunication. An entire section of the planet was gone completely. As one observer wryly noted in his reports; “What was left of the planet looked much the same as an apple that a devious child has taken a bite from, while leaving the remnants hanging in the tree.”
Ultimately, the source of the explosion had been discovered, although at a still greater cost in both finance and life. While new and exciting discoveries were being made all of the time, no new elements had actually been found on that particular planet. What had been found was that a unique combination of known elements, when combined at the proper temperatures and in the correct proportions, resulted in a release of energy greater than any that had ever been known or likely even imagined before that. The implications were clear to everyone. Satellite stations, small bases and facilities could all be run by mere handfuls of this new material. Entire planets could be powered by small shiploads of the new energy source.
Since the second defense contractor was the only one who was in possession of the complete and proper formula, they believed that they held the rights. The first defense contractor, since the initial discovery had been made in one of their facilities, believed that they had the rightful ownership. While they had cooperated well before that, business was still business. Not seeing any other viable options to get what they wanted and needed, they did the only thing that they could do. They sent in The Hunters. He thought back in time to that first mission that started the war.
It had not been a fair fight in any sense of the word. They had been up against other Hunters, that much is true. However, there is no possible way to set up adequate defenses against others who put up the same defense systems in the same manner on a daily basis. The very nature of the Hunters made them an offensive force to be reckoned with. Their primary defenses usually consisted of nothing more than a very strong offense. The start of the war had been an attack that was quick, efficient and very brutal.
When the UWG saw what was happening, they had no choice but to intervene. Unfortunately for them, there was absolutely no way for them to have succeeded. They were out-manned, out-gunned and out-matched on every front. Like two battling brothers whose fight is interrupted by an outsider, the defense contractors both turned on the government. The UWG forces were quickly decimated to the point that they were no longer an effective force, in space or back on earth. The few troops that survived, either joined one side or the other, or made their way back to earth to protect what they could of their homes and families as the UWG collapsed completely.
As he finished checking out his equipment, carefully storing each piece back in its proper place, he sorted through his rations to decide what he would have for dinner. One thing that had always pleased him, was the food. He was well-versed in history and wondered what kind of food the soldiers of the past had been fed that caused military rations to be looked at with such disregard. Making his selection, he ate quickly, anxious to get some rest so as to be able to complete his mission the next day. He still had a long ways to walk. As he ate, he thought back on the rumors and stories about the war's end.
Rumor had it that two Hunters had been directly responsible for ending the Industrial War. It remained a rumor and became something of a myth because no Hunter had ever come forth to confirm or deny the story. No UWG official would ever make any comment other than a quiet and somewhat disconcerted “No comment” when they were asked about it. Anyone within the two industries that had been directly responsible for the war would only say that they were not willing or able to talk about matters of the past which were no longer relevant to the future and benefit of mankind. As time went on, the myths became legends. Many people thought it was better that way.
Finishing his dinner, he went into his shelter to get some rest. As he lie there somewhere between being awake and drifting off to sleep, he reflected on his final mission of the war. As he drifted off to sleep, he entered the realm of dreams. He dreamed about the last mission. He dreamed about the beginning of the end. He was certain that some bespectacled historian would have it all neatly categorized and labeled by quadrant, galaxy, planet and any other information that they thought was necessary but to him, it would always be just the last battle.
It had been a heated and difficult battle. When there was nothing to be saved, it had been easy. If there was nothing to be saved, than everything could be destroyed. Many bases, like the one where his last battle was fought, contained valuable information, materials, resources and even manpower that had to be protected, defended or captured, all amid the chaos and confusion of a full-blown battle.
When he went in alone, there were never any unforeseen circumstances or matters of chance involved. When he went in alone, he was The Hunter. In large battles, the odds always fought against the individual. It was not the bullet with his name on it that bothered him. The millions of bullets and projectiles flying about marked only “To whom it may concern” however, scared the hell out of him. Such had been the case during the last battle.
A lot of blood had been needlessly shed on both sides. The brunt of the soldiers and thus, the casualties were from the dregs of society. Such is nearly always the case in war. Reflecting on that, he would never understand how it happened that the people who had the least to lose were almost always the ones sacrificing the most. While some of them were led by such grandiose schemes as patriotism or some grand delusion of power, most of them were simply the weak, the poor and the huddled masses of society in general. Unfortunately however, any Hunter who happened to be in the same vicinity as a major offensive, also found himself in the same unenviable position as the ordinary foot soldier.
Having been in the neighborhood when the battle was starting, he had been told by his bosses to stop by and give a hand. While he was a Hunter and even something of a legend, including among others of his ilk, he still had no choice but to follow orders. He could never clearly recall all of the details leading up to the last moments, but he would be haunted by that final scene for as long as he lived.
He remembered every detail of the kid's face. For that was what he had been, just a kid, too young even to drink legally. He remembered thinking that the kid should be at home learning how to shave or trying to get his girlfriend out onto the dance floor. He remembered the chill he felt when he heard the short screech being emitted by the falling artillery shell. He remembered the very moment it hit. The dirt, the smoke, the flame and the body parts had filled the air around him. He had been so transfixed by what happened that he actually stood there silently watching every gory detail of the very personal results of such an impersonal attack.
Where an instant before had stood a healthy young kid, there was nothing left but a single boot. Smoke poured out of the boot almost as if trying to form its own ethereal leg just to get it away from there. He remembered hitting the dirt as the machine gun bullets began walking their way towards his position. He recalled in gruesome detail the bullet that struck the boot itself. He thought about how strange and surreal the scene had been. The ethereal leg had been shattered just as if it was already flesh and blood. The flesh and blood that exited the boot along with the bullet only served to reinforce that view. He thought back on how odd it was to actually see the bullet striking the ground quite literally right under his eyes and his nose. He thought back as his training kicked in and he did the only thing that he could have done under the circumstances.
The Hunter moved ... Quickly!
His training had prepared him for just about any eventuality. He was prepared to fight, to kill and even to die if it was absolutely necessary and unavoidable. Nothing however, could have fully prepared him for what happened next.
Despite all of the jokes about “buddies” in the military, people really do buddy up there, especially among elite forces. Some people buddy up out of friendship but most do it out of a mutually beneficial arrangement of some sort or another. He had been fortunate, his buddy had also been his best friend. When he rolled into the blast crater, he came face to face with his buddy from the very beginning. They met on the ship taking them to Hunter training. They became friends instantly. Together, they had commanded the only squad ever to graduate intact. Now, deep in the heart of an ugly battle, there was only one thing that was different. Each one had on the uniform of the other's enemy.
Thoughts and memories came flooding back to him when he came face to face with his buddy. Time seemed to slow down and then stop altogether when he thought back on the blood oath that they swore, both to each other and to the Hunters. They had thought about getting tattoos, but like so much, they had one other factor in common; both of them had been afraid of needles. Neither one however, had been afraid of a good knife, especially when that knife belonged to someone that each had trusted their life to on many different occasions.
After they graduated in seemingly impossible fashion, with their whole team intact, they decided that neither one would have been capable of leading their unit in such a fashion without the help of the other. During an entirely sober and somber moment, they had sworn fealty, each to the other. Drawing their knives, they each made a searing cut in the upper left arm of the other. Each one placed their right hand over the wound that they made on their brother. Each one, with the blood of the other literally on their own hands, swore an oath to protect each other no matter what the circumstances. Bringing the blood of their brother back to their own wound, their blood mixed, and they swore an oath to The Hunters, to never let a Hunter's cry for help go unheeded or let a Hunter's blood go un-avenged.
Each of the men looked at each other without moving or speaking for what seemed to be an eternity amid the chaos and confusion of the heated battle raging around them. Almost instinctively, each man reached for the place that they bore the scar from the oath they had taken. Slowly, each reached for the corresponding scar on the other, the scar that bore mute testimony to their creed and their faith and belief in each other and in the cause of The Hunters. Finally, both men broke into a smile. The only thing that had changed had been the uniform. Nothing would ever be able to break the bonds that they formed, especially not the uniform of an unappreciative master. True to their creed, true to their word, and true to The Hunters, they would be true to each other. Along the way, they would change the course of history itself. They worked together first only trying to escape the insanity that surrounded them.
If getting off a battlefield is difficult for one, for two people in different uniforms to do it together is nearly impossible. Not only does it take skill and audacity, it also takes an equal amount of luck and good fortune. Eventually however, they were able to make their way to relative safety. When they reached the clearing underneath the trees, they sat and they talked. Then, they began to plan.
It had been a simple task to find the other Hunters who had been at that particular battlefield. Like any elite force, the Hunters have ways of communicating that only they understand. Whether by word, sign or deed, a Hunter could always communicate with his brothers and get the help that he needed. A Hunter could always count on his brothers. That was the way it had been before, that was the way it should be now, and if the two Hunters had any say in the matter at all, that was how it would be again.
When the few Hunters who had been there all gathered together in the clearing, they enjoyed a brief reunion. When the greetings were over, the meeting began. The two Hunters who spoke removed their shirts and showed their scars to the others who were there with them. They explained the oath they had sworn to each other and to the Hunters. That part however, never received the same attention as when they revealed who they were. Alpha One One was the only unit ever to complete Hunter Training all together. Every recruit who came into training was informed about their history and their accomplishment. When the gathered men found out that they were being addressed by the Team Leaders of that very unit, they listened with undivided attention.
They reminded the group that Hunters were all sworn to defend and to protect everyone equally. They should never have been turned against each other. Here was an opportunity for the Hunters to make things right again and to return to the job for which they had trained. A rousing cheer came from the gathered group as they listened to the plan and agreed that they had to act. If they had been used as mere dogs of war, they were returning as hounds from hell and they had a score to settle with an unappreciative and unenlightened master. It was time to bite off the hand that fed them scraps and take their rightful place at the table once again.
A select group of Hunters remained with the two in order to help set up and establish a command headquarters. The fact that it was in a now abandoned facility where many of their brothers had died both attacking and defending only served to reinforce their conviction in what they were doing. The fact that there were so many similar bases and facilities only seemed to create more urgency and fuel their desire. Most of them however, returned from wherever they had come from as if nothing undue had happened. It did not take long for the word to spread among them that something was up however. All of them agreed that things had to change and all of them knew that the two Hunters had been right. Their numbers grew rapidly as all of the Hunters became familiar with the plan. Further reinforcing their belief and conviction in each other was the fact that not even a whisper of their plan ever made it outside of the Hunters themselves.
When at last the Hunters struck, they struck with swiftness and ferocity. Like at the war's beginning, there had been no real way for anyone to defend against such a series of coordinated attacks. There may have been pockets of resistance but they were quickly out-positioned and out-manned. The Hunters had planned carefully, leaving no option to those who came under their attack but to surrender or suffer a costly defeat. If outside attacks had been difficult, the serpents were being simultaneously attacked from outside and from within. The second front of the Industrial War was won as soon as the fighting started. It took the serpents a while to figure out that they had been beheaded. Soon enough however, they quit wriggling altogether.
The attack had not been bloodless by any means. Given the enormity of the task and what they accomplished however, it had been relatively quick and easy. The armories had been taken over first. The elements had long been in place for the attacks to proceed directly to the leaders themselves. There were to be as few casualties as possible among the soldiers. Since many of the leaders actually used Hunters for their personal protection, this had been an effectively simple solution. Most of the leaders capitulated quickly. The few that had any opportunity to relay orders, rapidly rescinded them and gave in without too much fighting at all.
There was a great feeling of trepidation and open fear as the Hunters gathered the remaining industrial and UWG leaders together in the great hall. At the front of the Hall stood two Hunters side by side at the podium. They stood silently with a very serious look on their faces as armed and visibly angry Hunters ushered the captive leaders none-too-gently into the next available seats. The silence was audible as the first Hunter stepped up to the microphone.
When he spoke, it was in a very harsh and commanding voice that completely shattered the silence. Many of the leaders visibly trembled in their seats. Intense glares from The Hunters guarding them prevented any of the leaders who may have considered the option, from trying to escape the scene. Their fear was quickly turned to a sense of awe and reverence as the first Hunter and then the second finished speaking. They had come here fully expecting to be killed or suffer some unknown fate which would be much worse. Instead, they found themselves dumbfounded and amazed by the logic and reasonable conclusions of the speakers.
The leaders were reminded that the Hunters had been created to serve and to protect all individuals alike. They had no desire to take over the tedious and frustrating tasks of trying to govern anyone. They did not want control of everything as many people had feared. The Hunters wanted only to serve and to protect those who wanted to make a better life for others and for the future. The Hunters had been divided by these very leaders but they were a united force once again. The Hunters would no longer idly stand by, much less participate in the death and destruction caused by their greed and corruption.
The Hunters were here to broker a peace accord. When peace had been established, the Hunters would make sure that all of the parties involved stayed within the agreements of that peace accord. Anyone who violated the terms of the agreement would be dealt with swiftly, severely and equally, even any of the Hunters who may think about abusing their position would be held to account. All parties would receive equal opportunities and equal protection. The Supreme Council of Hunters would make sure that everyone was held to the same standards. Everyone would answer to the Hunters but peace must be brought about by those that were responsible for destroying it in the first place.
When The Hunter woke up, his dreams faded quickly. He thought only about the mission at hand. As he reached up to scratch the scar on his upper left arm he thought that it was strange that it should still itch after so many years. Donning his uniform, he brought his hand up almost absentmindedly in what had become the official salute of The Hunters. He brought his right hand up over the patch that identified him as a Hunter. The patch bore only one emblem, that of a single scar. He did not waste time dwelling on any of these thoughts. He had people to save. He was a Hunter and that is what they do. He was the stuff of myths and legends, indeed he was not just a Hunter, he was The Hunter.
About the Author
Ward Tipton, professional writer, professional freelancer and provider of quality online content. Your online writing resource.
Rating: 5.00