For the Hell of it...

[MDR]

"Hey Tom,"

"Yeah, Clive?"

"What are we doing here?" Clive, an ex-athlete past his prime looked around the crowded spaceport in confusion. Humans and aliens alike sat in the uncomfortable chairs, reading books, watching wavecasts, and doting over children in an effort to avoid looking at each other. Tom, a wiry man with tattoos running across his body, looked around at the bored crowd. The two space pirates tried to lurk inconspicuously.

"Our employer said to come here and wait for a sign," Tom said. A balding security officer looked over the two. Tom looked up at the wavecast. Clive played peek-a-boo with a green baby.

"What kind of sign?" whispered Clive. The security guard sauntered away. Tom pulled his hand through his hair.

"I have no clue,"

A small robot wheeled out into the main area of the spaceport waiting room. The sign, "Eat at Splorg's" scrolled across its semi-transparent trunk. Tom and Clive looked at each other.

"A sense of humor," Tom spat. The two men trotted past the small robot.

******

The Old Man's eyes twinkled as he watched Tom and Clive stroll into the Bar & Grill. Tom looked at the over priced food and scowled. Clive looked around the establishment and picked his ear. The Old Man straightened his blue robe and motioned for the waiter.

"Excuse me," the waiter spoke with a bored drawl. Tom eyed the kid. "Your table is over here." Tom and Clive watched for a moment as the waiter directed them to the Old Man. The two followed slowly, then sat down as the waiter left.

"Good Morning, Gentlemen," the Old Man beamed. You could here the capital letters. Tom nodded.

"We're on hub time, sir," Clive said. Tom glared at his large companion.

"Excuse me," said the Old Man, "Where did you fly in from?"

"Company business," Tom stated, "I understand you are our contact?"

"Quite possibly, yes," the Old Man humored Tom. Tom sat back in his chair and folded his arms.

"What do you want us to haul?"

"Haul is not the right word, exactly."

"And what is the right word?"

"Escort?" the Old Man queried, "I'm not up on the lingo...haven't been in years," Tom smirked as Clive tried to get the waiter's attention.

"Escort, eh? What's the nature of the cargo?"

"Human,"

Tom and Clive looked at each other.

"You know what we do for a living, right?" Tom asked.

"Of course,"

"You want us?"

"Yes,"

"Whoa, mister, we're not slavers!"

"I didn't think you were. Should I worry?" The Old Man slipped a small piece of paper across the table. It had a very large number written on it. Tom stared at it for a moment. Clive stood up and walked to the bar.

"Of course not."

"Good."

"Why us?"

"Because you're safe."

"Who are we supposed to transport? An ambassador?"

"You could say that."

Clive came back with a large drink. Tom took the umbrella out of it and began to pick his teeth.

"I see. When do we meet this person?"

"Come by sector C, room 14 tonight. We don't want anyone to see him. There is one thing, though. He must reach the agreed upon destination in fourteen days. No later, no sooner."

"You got it."

******

Tom and Clive stood in the darkened hanger bay. The Surprise loomed over them, waiting silently. Tom checked the glowing green numbers on his watch.

"You get the ship warmed up and I'll grab our guest." Clive absently handed Tom a large pistol.

"Keep your eyes open, partner." Clive said.

"Of course. Be ready when I get back." Tom jogged out of the bay.

"OK, baby. Are you going to hum for me tonight?" Clive spoke softly to The Surprise. He pulled out a small black box and aimed it at the ship, pressing a button. 'Beep Beep'.

******

Tom stepped into Room 14. The Old Man eyed him nervously.

"Is he ready?" Tom stated.

"He's asleep."

"Wait a minute. Why is our client asleep?"

"He was tired."

"Does he even know we're here to take him?" Tom looked at the Old Man. "What's going on here?" Tom yelled. The Old Man flinched. From the other room, a baby wailed. Tom went pale. "A kid?"

"That's your client?"

"You're making us take a kid?"

"The price was right, wasn't it?"

"I'd rather face the Patrol then deal with a kid!" Tom snapped.

"You might," the Old Man mumbled.

"What?"

"Nothing. Nothing at all. Look. You won't have to do anything except fly there. Just make sure you don't miss the deadline or arrive early. I'm sending along a droid to take care of all the child's needs. Okay?" The Old Man stammered. Tom pulled out his pistol and began checking its charge and safety switches.

"What's the catch?" Tom asked.

[LordStone1]

"He's just the local Antichrist for the destination planet," the Old Man explained gravely.

"Oh, another one?" Tom let out a sigh of relief. "Well, are you sure we won't have to do anything on the way there, except the flying part?"

"Not at all. The droid'll do everything. Its name is Mary."

Tom raised his eyebrow.

"Sounds good. Let's vamoose, da ship's ready," Clive yelled over the intercom.

The Old Man beckoned to Mary and mumbled something towards the short, stout copper-toned droid. It let out an alarmed beep, spun around, and rolled over to the back room. A few moments later, Mary was hauling a silver carriage with blue floral-printed sheets and lace.

Tom started to peek inside the carriage when the Old Man admonished him, "Don't! Nothing to see in there, just a baby kid, that's all."

Tom eyed him carefully. "Let's go, Mary."

The Old Man watched as Tom, the Antichrist, and Mary rolled out the door towards the hanger. He muttered to himself, "God, I hope that kid gets there in fourteen days."

[MDR]

Tom and Clive sat in the cockpit of The Surprise. Tom watched the sensors as the spaceport passively scanned their codes. He waited.

"You're cleared to leave," came over the comm, "Good flying." Tom let out a sigh of relief.

"Thank you," Clive stated, "Will do." The Surprise streaked away from the spaceport at regulation speed. Tom looked over at Clive and nodded. Clive walked back to the hold of the ship, and knocked on the wall. The Old Man, his robot, and their carriage burst out of the secret compartment.

"Will we be alright?"

Clive smiled at the Old Man. "Maybe. Depends on who's out to get us today." Clive looked down at the thoroughly wrapped bundle in the carriage. It cooed back.

******

"Where's my baby?" She screeched.

"We're doing the best we can, ma'am," the tired patrolman spoke.

"Do better!"

"Yes, ma'am."

She tore cushions from her pink bed and threw them across the room. A frilly one struck the officer in the head.

"If you don't find him, I will!"

"Sorry ma'am. We can't allow that, ma'am."

"Like you could do anything about it." She huffed. She sat down on the bed and crossed her arms. A slim man in a dark suit entered the room, clashing severely with the pink decor.

"Excuse me, miss, but the children are waiting." said the slim man.

"But he's gone!" She wailed.

"I know, miss, but the others need your attention, too."

She slumped in the bed, and slowly stood up. The slim man gently took her arm through he flowing pink robe and led her through the columned palace. The servants stopped and whispered. The slim man led her through a series of complex metal doors. The two stood on a balcony, overlooking a massive upholstered playroom. Hundreds of babies crawled and played with stuffed animals and red balls. She looked down at them. The room grew deathly quiet, and the small children looked up at her. One by one, the babies stood on their trembling legs, all looking at their mother.

"Don't worry, children," She spoke lovingly to them, "We'll be together soon."

"Mama!" the children all cried in unison. Some clapped their hands while others gurgled. All of them, down to the weakest baby, had a small mark on the backs of their necks. They all meant one thing. These children would change the course of history.

******

Tom watched as a sleek cruiser slipped down into normal space beside the Surprise. He grunted as the ID signature downloaded into his nav system.

"Clive, get up here!"

Clive sat cross legged in the dining hall, smiling at the small boy. The child gurgled and spat up some chewed rations.

"Clive!"

"Hold on, Tom."

"We got security!"

"You want I should man the Computer?"

"No, just get up here!"

Clive shrugged his shoulders and handed the kid back to Mary.

Through the static, a calm, if bored, woman stated, "Surprise, you are unlicensed to fly in this area. Pleas state your destination and origin points."

"Hold on," Tom flipped switches on the board and locked in passive targetting systems. Tom switched frequencies. "Clive!"

"I'm rerouting the comm systems." Clive stated, "Hold on."

A few moments later, Clive's heavy footfalls echoed in the bridge. Clive's chair groaned as he sat down. His fingers flying fast across the keyboard, screens scrolled across the monitors.

"I'm in,"

"Shut down her drive and guns. I'll slip us out of here."

"No problem." Clive's wrapped out a few last commands to the ship's computer.

******

Corporal Huston had an excellent record. She was top in her class. Fearless in hot persuit. Every criminal's worst nightmare, not to mention a few officers'. There were some who wanted to see her taken down a peg. She was good at what see did, and she came from a long line of cops. The force was everything. She was idly checking previous records for anything about the ship cruising just a few meters away. The red alert klaxons and the low hum of the drive shutting down caught her totally by surprise.

"Sorry, gal, but we can't let some little patrol ship ticket us out here," sneered the pilot of the Surprise. "I hope you don't mind us shutting down your ship. Besides, isn't it too dangerous for you to be out here alone?"

"What the hell?" Clara Huston called up a quick diagnostic as she helplessly watched the Surprise turn away from her cruiser.

"I guess we'll be seeing one another," The Surprise's engines flared for a moment, then the ship zipped away. Clara queried sensors to track the Surprise's trajectory. A moment later, a small green light appeared on her console.

"I guess we will." The green light colored Clara's face.

******

"Did she track us?" Tom asked Clive.

"It was touch and go for a while, Tom. I'm not sure."

"How are our guests?"

"Healthy, at least. No random viruses or bacteria."

"Good"

"Hey Tom?"

"Yeah, Clive?"

"You should check out that kid's birthmark."

"What birthmark?"

[Midian]

A small crest sat at the base of the tiny childs neck. It was a small crest the likes of which Tom hadnt seen in quite a while.

Tom spun as if some demon had taken wind of his body and with great strides cleared his way to the old man, his broad shoulders pinging off one of the walls as he entered the room as almost to say, "You are sitting waist high in dung pile thats only gonna get bigger if you dont tell me what the hells going on!"

The old man jumpped back as Tom entered the room and gave him a wide birth as he frantically began to pace round the room.

" I'm asumming by the heat, and anger coming off you face alone you know who this child is? So lets cut the crap, and get down to buisness boy..."

Tom stared at the old man trying desperately to burn a whole through this man with only his eyes! "You never said anything about this YOU OLD!!.... "

"What is you name anyway!?" Tom shot at him after pondering the question in his mind for a moment.

"I am called so many things Tom, you could never even fathom what my name is.
So as i mentioned lets get down to some real buisness.eh?"

"What are you offering and what's the toe tag with this job!"

"No toe tag, is i believe how you put it? A very simple keep this child alive until I have a use for him, and then i will releave you of this burden."

"Until the time that i have need of him, as i have already mentioned," a devilish sneer etched its way onto the old mans ragged face.

"What's the pay like and how many mortalities are going to be envolved with this. If you think that im just some hired assassin here to jump when you say, and kill who you say, you are SADLY MISTAKEN!"

"'My dear after all these years you still let that temper get the best of you. Thats not a good thing at all Tommy, not good at all child."

"STOP,.... stop treating me like a child. For christ's sake am almost thirty-nine years old." Tom tried to compose himself somewhat, since he was now begining to understand that he wasn't sure who, or what he was dealing with.

"As you wish, now payment is 40 thousand credits a year with a bonus of 15 million at the end of this ride Tom. That's what you have always been out for in this life isn't it? The one thing that the pathetic excuse for parents you had could never offer you?
The one thing that makes you blood boil to the brim with excitement! You only true euphoria, right?"

"How long, and where did you come up with this kind of credit!?"

"As I have said until I need him, and I dont know how long that will be but it could be two days, and it could be two hundred years I'm not sure. As for the credits, you really don't care and i dont really need to tell you Tommy."

"Fine then we are starting now and you are getting the hell off our ship at the next dock!"

The old man glared at Tom, and then looked at te small child, "Don't worry Tommy Too Stupid will take gfood care of you. I will see you again Sabastion."
witht that the old man laid a light kiss upon the childs head, like a blue giant the instint its about to nova the old man was gone, along with his copper tonned droid.

Tom was very shaken at his last statement and sat down pondering.

How the hell did he know that name, who is this guy and why did he want clive and himself to basically be the parents of this child for this period? So many questions raced through Tom's head, and none of them would be satisfied with an answer.

[Bosh]

Squirrel Power!

and then the squirrely hordes began to gather...