"Brrrrm...brm..brm." Slade killed his engine. Ahead lay a modest oasis lake, ringed by short grass. He looked over and saw a rough settlement built from the wreckage and debris of the towers that pierced the sand—home to folks from the Noz and some Vorg factions. Slade spun the bike around and approached. "Klek." He kicked down the stand, dismounted, and walked into the village.
Several locals spotted him. Slade immediately pulled his terminal from his duster pocket, showing them the hologram of the little girl. He also showed the photo of the other girl, the one with the familiar face.
"Oh, I know that one. Her name's Selene. She works as a scavenger, going down into the sunken parts of those big buildings," an older Noz man said when he saw the photo.
"Hmm, Selene, huh? She live here?" Slade asked.
"Not really. She swings by sometimes, stays a few days, then heads back to Neropolis City," the man replied.
"Seriously? So she's a Neropolis local?" Slade pressed.
"Couldn't tell you. She never talks about herself when she's here, so I don't know much," the red-eyed man answered.
"Hmph. Okay, I'm from Neropolis. I'll try looking for them there," Slade said.
"Sure thing. If she comes back and you're not around, I can tell her. What's your name, son?" the old man asked.
"Name's Slade. Just tell her that if she shows up while I'm in Neropolis. But one more thing, do you know this little girl?" Slade asked, showing the girl's hologram on his terminal.
"Hmm, never seen her. She's probably from the Noz faction capital up north of here. You can't go there. They don't take kindly to Vorgs or Zoans in the capital," the man warned.
"Hmm, I doubt they'd head there. Alright, old man, appreciate the help. I'm out," Slade finished.
Slade turned and walked back toward his bike outside the settlement. With his bionic eyes, he scanned past normal sight and saw a sunken tower from the past (maybe eifell tower) on the other side of the oasis. A wisp of white smoke was rising from the tower's viewing deck, which was just above the sand.
"Someone's there? Might as well check it out while I'm here."
He immediately turned his bike around and sped toward the tower, directly across the oasis from the village. Once there, Slade dismounted and approached the viewing deck. A faint smell of food drifted to him as he got closer. Someone was cooking inside. Slade jumped down into the deck and moved forward, his hand turning into a pistol just in case. Following the delicious scent, Slade could see a light from a fire somewhere down the corridor.
Suddenly, the light snuffed out. Whoever it was must have noticed him. Slade didn't hesitate; he ran toward where the light had been. When he got there, the space was dark, with only the faint aroma of cooked food hanging in the air. Slade flipped on his night vision and scanned the darkness. He saw a campsite—a portable stove that was now off, still sending up a thin stream of smoke, and a rough tarp tent.
Slade slowly approached the tent. Just as he reached out to pull the tarp back, he felt someone coming up behind him.
"Graaaaaaaaah,"
Slade dodged whatever was swung at him by rolling sideways. He sprang up, weapon raised, his eyes glowing and shining forward like a flashlight. "Aaaah…" A half-tiger girl—her face fully transformed into a feline snarl—screamed and clamped her eyes shut. Slade lunged, tackling her. "glontang...prang." She slammed onto the ground, and Slade was on top of her, his weapon aimed and his eyes blazing on her tiger face.
"Grrrrrr....." the girl growled.
"Hey, what's with the attack?" Slade demanded.
"Get off me," the girl snarled in a rough voice.
"I will, but no more attacks," Slade warned.
"Fine! Just let me up!" the girl yelled.
Slade backed off and raised his hands. The girl immediately flipped on a portable lamp. Her face had returned to human—she was striking, with short black hair, yellow pupils, and a pretty, fit physique. She wore a dark blue Zoan faction military uniform. She sat up, tidying the gear that had been knocked over. As she placed the lamp down, Slade froze. He stared at her face.
"Y-you," Slade stuttered, pointing at her.
"What? My name's Sasha," she replied, looking at Slade.
"Okay... Sasha, my name's Slade," he said.
Slade took the photo from his duster. He looked at the face in his old, battered picture. It was a dead ringer for Sasha's. But he quickly realized they weren't the same person—Sasha's eyes were yellow, and her hairstyle was different. To cover his confusion, he asked,
"What are you doing here? Isn't this Noz territory? Aren't Zoans and Noz at war?" Slade asked.
"I'm looking for someone."
Sasha pulled a terminal from her military belt and tapped the screen. A 3D hologram of a woman's body appeared. Sasha swiped, zooming the 3D image until it was only the woman's face.
"She took the child I was guarding, and I have this weird feeling I know her," Sasha said.
"Hold on—you're the bodyguard for that noble little Noz girl?" Slade asked.
"Huh? Her name's Celes, and she's not 'some little Noz girl.' And how do you know about her?" Sasha countered.
"You filed the request at the bounty guild in Neropolis City, right? I took the job," Slade explained.
"Ah! So you're the bounty hunter. Then why are you out here? I put the request in Neropolis because I heard that woman sometimes goes there," Sasha said.
"I was gathering info. Now that I have a lead, I plan to head back to Neropolis to wait for Selene," Slade replied.
"I see," Sasha mused.
"But this is strange. Why are you guarding a noble Noz girl? Zoan and Noz are sworn enemies, right?" Slade asked.
"I don't care about factions. I only care about the chips (money). I was paid a fortune to be a bodyguard. Way more than I made as a mercenary. But if I lose her like this, I don't get paid," Sasha admitted.
"So that's your angle. What are you going to do when you find Selene, the girl who took your boss?" Slade pressed.
"Nothing. Unless she fights back," Sasha stated simply.
"You said you feel like you know Selene?" Slade asked.
"Yeah... I don't know why, but I feel like I recognize her... wait a second, have we met before? You and I?" Sasha asked Slade.
"I believe this is the first time. (Is she the same girl from my memory and my photo?)" Slade replied.