Infestation In Limbo - Prelude (Silverhawks)

Silverhawks was initially the property of Lorimar Telepictures, and is now the property of whomever holds those rights now. No money was made off this story.)

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Infestation In Limbo

Prelude: The Arrival (Audio)

Out in space, there is a region known as Limbo Galaxy. It is one of the advanced sections of the universe, in a state that other areas strive to reach. What was unknown to most of these areas is that until a civilization reaches that level, a higher, unknown power bestows an atmosphere into space. No one knows why, of course, but it is the reason why Limbo Galaxy is the way it is.

Limbo Galaxy is a relatively small area, with an active radius of at least five light-years. It is ironically positioned relatively near the larger galaxy known as The Milky Way, allowing for easy transport between the two locations, although it is still a trek from the farther locations from the closest point to Limbo.

Most of Limbo, however, is lawless, as the legal limits of the major planet in Limbo, Bedlama, is one light-year. Hense, any planetoid or artificial construct on, or past, that limit, known as the Light-Year-Limit, is allowed to cater to anyone, and do anything it damn well pleases.

One small planetoid just on the Limit is known as Fence. On this small rock, there is a bar, and intergalactic fuel station, known as the Sini‘Star Diner. It is run by one robotic entity named Harry, who tends to all his customers the same way. He serves them drinks, handles any other needs they have, and takes in all information to report it to those who need to know it most.

At this very moment, Harry is pouring drinks for three of the regulars at his bar. They are three lowlifes who haven’t hit the big time yet. It wasn’t for a lack of trying, since Harry knew they once jumped the claim of a prospector on Automata. They had subsequently gotten jumped by Melodia, one of Mon*Star’s more valuable mob members. Still, the trio of lowlifes strived to make a name for themselves.

The first of the three was known as Space Bandit, or Bandit by those who knew him. He was mostly robotic, with a lone gun in the center of his body, one robotic arm and one humanoid arm. His face was purely robotic, but he still enjoyed a good drink. He was the defacto leader of the group.

Next to him was Rhino, and as his name suggested, he was a humanoid rhinoceros creature. While he didn’t have any robotic parts, he had the strength to go toe to toe with one of the Mob’s muscle, Mumbo-Jumbo, but only if that robotic entity wasn’t in their bestial mode. Rhino was smart as well, but not as smart as Bandit.

The last of the group was Cyclops. Again, befitting his name, he had one solo eye, similar to the creature of Ancient Terran lore. Unlike that creature, Cyclops was very balloon-like. He didn’t float, but he hopped about on single column. He was also very unlucky, since in any confrontation, he was almost always shot in the air bladder that kept him upright, causing him to shoot through the sky like a deflating balloon. Rumor was that most of the proceeds of any heist he was part of were used to pay for his healing from these blasts.

This particular day, the trio was having a round of drinks, and was once again lamenting how they hadn’t reached the big time yet. It started once they all got to the table they usually sat at when they weren’t at the bar. Bandit hit the table with a frustrated fist. “We need the right heist to make it big. We can’t keep doing this penny ante stuff. Isn’t there some sort of run to Dolar coming up?”

Rhino sadly shook his head as he took a sip of his drink. “Sorry, Bandit. Latest shipment had one of the Silverhawks escorting it. They stepped things up a little after that whole air show incident. We may just have to keep to targeting lone travelers heading in and out of Limbo.” Rhino placed his drink down, and sighed. It was not something any of them were happy about.

For a moment, the group remained silent, and then Cyclops pointed to the door, a look of hope in his single eye. “Well, maybe we can target that guy after he leaves. He looks like he might have some loot.” That look of hope had been joined by a sound of hope as the other turned to look at the door.

Standing in the door was an individual no one in the place had ever seen before. In fact, no one in Limbo had seen this particular individual. The being in question was a humanoid hybrid of sorts. Parts of them was robotic, and where their forearms were ended in groups of wires. The being’s head was a mix of avian features, with what looked like two human eyes, and more of the wires for hair. The figure looked around, checking the area before looking back out the door, and motioning to someone or something to come in. The figure then walked forward to the bar, and the trio heard the figure speak for the first time, in a snakelike voice. “Two of your finest drink, barkeep.” This was accompanied by enough money to pay for drinks for everyone.

Harry stared at the money for a moment before collecting it, and saying, “Right away, sir. Two Limbo Moonstar Bursts coming right up.” Had there been more people in the bar, there would have been a loud gasp. The simple fact that someone was ordering that drink would have been enough to do so, since only one person ever ordered that drink.

Of course, the reason why no one gasped was the fact that as the drinks were being ordered, a cloaked figure was walking into the bar, and headed over to a table. Something of the cloaked figure demanded respect, and even obedience. As the figure sat down, all three of the outlaws stood up, and walked over to the table as the one who ordered the drinks sat down.

Before either of the two figures could address the outlaws, Cyclops went to raise is own weapon, but just as quickly as it was raised up, Bandit slapped it away and spoke. “You obviously aren’t from around here. Let me give you some advice. No one orders Mon*Star’s drink without getting his permission. When he finds out, it might be best you are out of Limbo. Besides, I don’t need to have to worry about more competition.”

While both Rhino and Cyclops nodded, the cloaked figure merely chuckled, as if they had just heard the funniest joke in the world. After a few moments, the figure finally spoke, and his voice sounded robotic. “Mon*Star’s time is coming to an end, Bandit. He just doesn’t know it. He doesn’t know talent when he sees it. He doesn’t have plans that succeed. He doesn’t even tap the full potential of his criminal empire. He’s a washout.” The cloaked figure then reached forward, and grabbed their drink, revealing a robotic right hand, with each digit a different color.

Cyclops, for a brief instant, showed what many would have considered hometown pride. The air filled alien moved forward and tried to get in the face of the cloaked figure. While he was a small time thug in Limbo, he actually thought he would end up in Mon*Star’s mob one day. “You have no idea what you are talking about, buddy. All the criminals in Limbo want to be part of the mob one day.” He would have said more, but there was a blast, and Cyclops started flying around the place backwards, bouncing off the walls, deflating as he screamed in shock.

The cloaked figure lowered the other hand, which wasn’t seen, but the blaster it held was. The figure shook his head, and continued speaking. “As I said, Mon*Star’s a washout. It’s time for new blood in Limbo, that’s why The Infestation is here.” At the mention of the name, the whole place went quiet. It wasn’t a surprise, however, since the group was a quiet legend in crime circles.

Bandit was the first to break the silence, and it was with a surprised stammer. “THE IN-N-N-N-FESTATION!” He shook his head, taking a moment to look around in the process. If that group was in Limbo, there was no way he wanted to be in the mob now. He looks back towards Cyclops, who was still bouncing around. With any luck, fool of their little trio wouldn’t end up flying out the door, or one of the windows. He then turned back to the cloaked figure, and a near cheerful voice spoke. “Are you guys recruiting, because if you are…”

Bandit was cut off by the other individual, who spoke again in his snake-like voice. “Why do you think the boss wanted to come here first, Bandit? He was looking to recruit all three of you, but your wind bag of an associate proved he didn’t have the merit. The boss needs people who know who to look to, and who are loyal to the one who knows how to run things. The only question is if your other associate is in, or out.”

Rhino felt all the eyes on him, but he didn’t look at anyone in particular. That was because his eyes went to the cloaked figure’s other hand. It has started to immerge from the cloak again, and it still held the blaster. He had a feeling that if he declined the offer, he was going to get blasted. He just didn’t know if he’d be killed right away. What he had heard about the group in question, especially the leader, was that if you weren’t on his team, you were either dead, or marked for death. He figured Cyclops would be alright, since that happened to the wind bag all the time. He didn’t, however, want to experience death by blaster. He nodded his head, and saw the blaster withdraw back into the cloak. “I’m in. Just what did you have in mind, though. Mon*Star has his hands in every criminal venture in Limbo. How do you plan to get your foot in the door here?”

The cloaked figure laughed again, and motioned for the other figure to bring up a case. “Hotwire, bring out the little goodie we found on Earth.” As the other figure brought out a box, the cloaked figure continued. “Mon*Star is known for not getting involved in certain activities. A flaw he has shared with other mob bosses in the universe, and they all fell to me. They don’t deal in trafficking, and its related trade, nor do they deal with certain substances like this beauty.”

At that point, the figure known as Hotwire opened the box, and the criminals around the table looked at the small crystal like substance in it. Hotwire spoke about it, and something like reverence was in his snake-like voice. “Crystal Twist. Back on Earth, centuries ago, this was the drug of choice. Dependency was almost instantaneous, and addicts would part with any amount of money for a fix. Unfortunately, a joint task force managed to catch the only provider and maker. Luckily, not all of it perished, and we were able to replicate it.” With the last statement, Hotwire closed the box.

The cloaked individual spoke again, addressing the two new members of their group. “Phase one: we get to Bedlama, and open up a few locations. We will bring Twist to Bedlama, and before a few Limbo months have passed, we will have various secrets thanks to the brothels. Then we start hitting the Mob where it hurts. We take out their members, infiltrate all the institutions in Limbo, and in no time, we will run Limbo.” The figure didn’t add what would happen in the long term after that. They never did, but Hotwire knew what would happen after that.

There were cheers of assent from the new members, and the cloaked figure stood, and took their leave. The other members left as well, not even bothering to look to Cyclops, who had finally stopped bouncing about, and groaned weakly. Only one figure rushed to his aid, and that was Harry, watching as the group left. He had been running things on Fence for years, and he never saw those others ignore their friend.

He lowered himself over Cyclops, and said, “Don’t worry, Cyclops. I’ll call for help. You know I always do that. I just have one quick call to make first.” He went back behind the bar, thankful that Cyclops’s wound wasn’t fatal. He really didn’t need a fatality right now. The Silverhawks climbing around Fence was not something he wanted, since it would deter business for a while.

He was, however, going to warn Mon*Star of what was coming. You didn’t last long in Limbo by catering to the criminal element, and not telling the crime boss about things like what he just heard. He quickly went to his video screen, and started working the system to call Brim*Star. While no visual appeared yet, he was already saying, “Brim*Star, this is Harry on Fence. I have information…”

He trailed off when a snake-like voice answered. He hadn’t trailed off because it was Yes-Man, Mon*Star’s snake like lacky, and as his name stated, Yes Man. It was the same snake like voice that had just been in the bar. It simply said, “You were better off calling for help for the balloon, Harry.” Before he could get away from his communications device, electricity shot out of it, knocking the robotic bartender away. It was a powerful blast, but not lethal.

What the blast did was make Harry forget about everything he had seen and heard since the new individuals had arrived in Limbo. It was because Hotware was a master at communications systems, as well as computers. They couldn’t have Mon*Star knowing about them now. It wasn’t time yet.

It was a few Limbo minutes later when Harry came to. He wasn’t sure what had happened, but he saw the state Cyclops was in. He could even swear the flattened criminal was delirious, most likely from a concussion obtained from bouncing around all over the room. Harry did the only thing he could do, and called for medical help.

It meant that The Infestation’s plan could evolve, and happen at exactly the right time, half a Limbo Year later. Had Harry been able to get word out, he might have prevented the chaos that was about to come.