Chapter 9: Mole

                                    

                                          
  As he had promised, Drift met up with the Scientist in Sanctuary's northernmost building. It was past midnight now, so it was technically Boxing Day. He thought back to the dream he had. This was also not how he had planned to spend his Boxing Day.
  The Scientist had dressed himself just before lunch, and he was still dressed now. His armour made him look powerful, a shield that hid his softer insides. He looked powerful, even whilst he was fussing over a blanket like a child.
  "What's under there?" Drift asked.
  "Oh, hi! Yeah, yeah this here is for you." the Scientist pointed.
  "But what is it?"
  "It's..."
  It was... just clothes. But then Drift realised that it wasn't just clothes. It was the clothes he was wearing in the dream he had. The red bomber jacket with the fluffy hood. The Shadow henchman-style mask. The red blood moon glasses, and a black beanie that he hadn't noticed before.
  "I had a dream, and I was wearing these clothes in it." Drift remarked.
  "I had a dream where I was naked, and the Foundation was there, and he was mean to me." the Scientist said.
  "No, I'm being serious."
  "You are?"
  "Yes."
  The Scientist's eyes widened, "Huh. Ok. I'll keep note of that."
  The pair walked up to the outfit. Drift touched the coat's fabric; it felt nice under his fingers. The Scientist marvelled at Drift's amusement.
  "That coat was going to be the Foundation's Christmas present, but he's not here, and I think that he'll appreciate this much more." he explained.
  Drift laughed, "I wanted a coat for Christmas myself, you know."
  "Funny how these things happen." the Scientist remarked, "Anyway, I think that it's a good time to get you acquainted with your new persona."
  The Scientist walked up to a small, blue metal drawer set and opened one up. He searched the files in the cabinet for about twenty seconds before he found the file he was looking for and presented it to Drift.
  The Scientist passed Drift file and started to talk, "Right, if anyone at IO asks, your name is Karve and you just arrived on Artemis a week ago from Sweden."
  "Wait - if this loop thing is real, which I believe it is, then how would I get to Artemis from another place? And what even is Artemis?" Drift questioned.
  "Artemis is what the locals call this island. By the way, myself and the other members of the Seven are the locals."
  "Ah, ok."
  "Also, you and the rest of the loopers weren't born here, you were born somewhere else and taken here. Every person that gets selected has or had a destiny, either here or in their home world. That's how IO powers its machines, by feeding off of those people's potential lives. Kind of like a Weeping Angel." the Scientist explained, "We all have memories of those home worlds, you know."
  "But I don't remember my old life."
  "Then you must have looped at some point."
  Drift suddenly felt bad, like he'd done something wrong. To think that he had died at some point was a bad feeling. He wondered about what was going on with the people he once knew, and the places he'd been to. In his new life, other than Brite, the only people he knew were DJ Yonder and TnTina. If this was even a new life.
  "I'll leave while you change into it. Make sure you wear the undies too." the Scientist prompted.
  "I- what?" Drift exclaimed
  "Just do it, it's important."
  "Fine, fine."
                          
*** 
                          
  Boba Fett looked at the map which Doctor Slone had supplied him. Who used paper maps anymore? You had digital maps and trackers, that was all you needed. Fett found that his struggles with the map were justified.
  "I don't even know where Sanctuary is on this." Boba Fett mumbled.
  Of course, if he couldn't find Sanctuary, he could still try to hunt for the Scientist. He was a skilled hunter - that was his thing, like every other bounty hunter. He could ask the locals or collect footprints or something. Yeah, he could do that.
  Boba Fett decided that the locals option would be the most useful. But first, he'd have to actually find some locals to ask. And he was in luck; there was a tent placed next to a rock with a person in it.
  "Hello?" Boba Fett asked soothingly.
  "Stay away!" a woman inside asked, "You do not want to mess with Burnout!"
  "I don't want to mess with anyone here other than the Scientist." Boba Fett explained, continuing the soothing voice.
  Burnout stuck out her black and red biker helmeted head, "What, did that guy steal your girlfriend, old man?"
  "I am not an old man!" Fett retorted.
  "Go on, how old are you?" Burnout sneered.
  "...41."
  "That's pretty old for an Artemis inhabitant."
  "You'll be pretty dead if you keep talking like that." Boba Fett dropped his tone and aimed his blaster.
  "Whoa! Whoa! Hold your horses!" Burnout shouted, "I don't know any Scientists."
  "Well, this wasn't a total waste of time."
  "What do you mean?"
  Boba Fett fired a single bullet into Burnout's mask and she exploded into the blue squares that he had come to associate with death, "I got a free tent."
  Boba Fett then regretted the murder. Maybe, he could've asked about Sanctuary, but it was too late for that now. Oh well. There'd be more locals to ask soon. And... there.
  Boba Fett had arrived at the border of a Mesa biome. Mesas were filled with lots of tall rocks, rocks that would be a good place to find a said Sanctuary. Hidden places. Where this Seven mafia would thrive, definitely.
  "Onwards to Sanctuary!" Boba Fett shouted.
  Sniper shot, right at Boba Fett's feet. A challenger to a Mandalorian. They would be sorry, once they realised the might of such a skilled foe. Fett would not let the Clones down.
  "Don't seem so eager to face me, civilian." the man said.
  "I am no civilian." Boba Fett replied.
  Sniper bullets continued to fire beside Fett's legs as he expertly dodged them. He once again removed his blaster from its holster, ready to shoot, since it appeared that war was the only thing these people understood. And Boba Fett decided that war is what he would bring. He had guns, and a can-do attitude. That'd be all he needed.
  When the assailant switched to an Assault Rifle, Fett knew that it wouldn't be long before he'd have to engage in close contact. He layed his finger on the blaster's trigger and slowed his footsteps. Noise wasn't what he was after - a silent kill could be as good as a gory kill.
  The next thing Fett felt was the crushing weight of armour.
  Boba Fett had been outmatched and he had failed the Clones. His gun had been kicked aside and the man was stronger and heavier. Unless a miracle happened, Boba Fett would be dead meat.
  "Ok, nobody has to get hurt. But you are going to tell me where I am and what is going on here."
  The first thing that Boba Fett noticed about the man was the large white 117 plastered on his chest. The militia green armour he wore was reminiscent of his own, and the orange face plate was unforgiving and emotionless. He would have fit well on Mandalor.
  "This is Artemis, big guy." Boba Fett explained, "And I'll say what's going on, but I'll need your name first."
  117 let go of Boba Fett and the pair stood up, 117 straighter than Fett. Fett had almost died, so this was understandable, obviously. Then, 117 held out his hand for Fett to shake, which was ironic since Boba Fett's entire body was shaking. He eventually collected himself and returned the handshake.
  "Spartan John-117, Master Chief, at your service." Master Chief announced.
  "Master Chief?" Boba Fett gasped.
  I- Gordon! Slone had said.
  Does that look like Master Chief to you?
  "Doctor Slone is searching for you, Chief." Boba Fett exclaimed, "The name's Boba Fett, I'm currently working for IO."
  "IO?!" it was now Master Chief's turn to look panicked.
  "What is it?" Boba Fett asked.
  "No- no, I can't go back there."
  "Why not?"
  "They're evil."
  Well, that was a lie.
  "I think that you're mistaken, Chief." Fett laughed.
  "I've done a job for them before. It was... wrong. I didn't believe their message, and you shouldn't either." Master Chief insisted.
  "Then... I'll report you to Slone."
  Master Chief scrutinized him, "Don't. You. Dare."
  "Then what do you want me to do?" Boba Fett scowled under his mask.
  "Say I'm not here."
  "She won't prompt me."
  "Just in case."
  And then he was gone. Boba Fett looked around for a moment, and then realised that Slone's henchmen would find him faster. He headed on over to the one location that he knew - a small town called Coney Crossrows. There was a sewage plate there that was a direct trapdoor to IO's headquarters.
  He stepped onto it and after a minute of confused stares from onlookers, he fell through and into a room known as CSI; Slone's office. She was there, eating a banana. She finished it before greeting him.
  "Ah! Fett, my new favourite Hunter. How are you?" Slone smiled.
  Boba Fett, "Something happened out there."
  "What?" she suddenly looked serious.
  Boba Fett thought of the strong man's fear. He seemed ashamed that IO had even contacted him, let alone him working for them. Boba Fett took a deep breath. A breath of careful thinking, and life changing decisions.
  ...
  "I finally got a tent."
  Slone sighed, "You made me go all professional mode on you like when we met, don't do that. Oh, and, by the way, you can get thermal tents from the Weapons Lab. They keep you warm."
  "Oh. I'll be sure to get one."
  Slone nodded and paraded out of the room. Boba Fett stared at the ground with disgust for how he had just spared Master Chief's conscience, how he had felt pity. But, the Chief had spared Fett's life. And Boba Fett hated owing people. Maybe...
  Yeah, maybe this was for the best.
                          
To be continued...