Rusk quickly scrambled back through the entrance tunnel with none of the grace he had used on the way in. Fitz buzzed along behind him as if to guard his rear. Once on the other side, Koran greeted both with his lazegun and tazer drawn.

Fitz followed Rusk out of the entrance tunnel flying in erratic circles-his version of a full belly laugh. "It's not that bad," he laughed. "There's no sign of anyone, but the cache has been pilaged completely. Looks like it is eels and blackberries for your dinner tonight!"

Risk sighed, "what was all the fuss then. You really scared the piss out of me there."
"I know. I know." Fitz continued his erratic circling. "But you know better than to follow in without checking with me first. It's against protocol. And the cache was breached."

Koran impatiently watched what to him was a silent exchange. "Well, what's he going on about?" 

"The cache has been compromised. Fitz says there are no signs of people, but our supplies are gone."

"Well then, " Koran put his weapons away and returned to where he had been slicing up the eel. "Guess it's a cold dinner for us tonight then."

Rusk got to his feed and Fitz settled onto his shoulder. "We should probably move further downward from the entrance." He advised.

Koran shrugged that shrug that told Rusk he wasn't moving and continued to slice up the eel into long even slivers of pinkish grey meat. He offered a slice to Rusk who sighed inwardly sat down.

"He is such an oaf," Fitz advised Rusk through the helmet, "A big stupid thug. Why do we even hang out with this guy? I keep telling you and telling you. We don't need him. We never did. He's a bastard, a creep, a dirty mother fucker who would step on me if he could!."

"The knat can expand the watch," Koran said as if he had heard the conversation.

"Indeed he can." Rusk answered ignoring Fitz's tirade going on inside his helmet. 

The two settled into their dinner of eel and blackberries in silence, at least outward silence for Rusk.  Once Fitz's rant, something he did fequently, had burned itself out the two continued their private conversation with Rusk explaining the need for Fitz's help with the watch.

"Fine, I'll work with the stupid giant, but only until my energy gets low."

"Fitz says he'll be happy to work the first watch with you." Rusk told Koran, who grunted in reply.

​

Rusk - Government Contractor - missions - retrieve enemies of the state under published warrants section EOS#. From a previously well connected family and a suspected AI sympathizer..
​
Koran - Government Contractor - missions - retrieve enemies of the state under published warrants section EOS#...
Koran is also a mixed aboriginal ancestry, a highly skilled wild-crafter, intuitive and deadly warrior

Fitz - Artificial Intelligence - outlaw - FAVRD#R2D2
His body is the shape of a bee. Originally patented by the Walter's family for the purposes of pollination when the natural polinators began to die off. They were later adopted for military use. Fitz can fly. He has a swarm mentality and often moves in unison with Rusk. He and Rusk speak together by way of a helmet that enables Rusk's entire brain to engage with Fitz also by way of verbal sign native sign language that Fitz has taught Rusk over the years. The Swarming AI were also used for military purposes before all AI was banned from all public networks.. Swarming AI technology fell out of favor when Rusk was a child because the mechanical bees were especially dangerous in swarms. The parts if or when Rusk could find them were expensive.. Fitz has four wings, six legs the front two with useful three fingered hands. His body is banded alloys enabling him ultimate flexibility. His stinger, which he can extend and retract is a hollow pointed needle. Getting it stuck or losing it would be enough to cause him serious bodily harm.

Fitz zipped in low and, what was to him, long tunnel that lead to an opening between two high thorn walls and just around the corner from a fairly long narrow passage way. He almost went too fast for the human eye to seem but landed easily and gently onto a thick vine just a little ways inside. He stopped close to a large wide thorn. Even though, he was almost twice the size of an organic bee, the thorn was still large enough to do serious damage. He took note to adjust his speed accordingly.

He was almost the exact replica of an Asian bumble bee - four legs, two arm, except his two arms had tiny three digit hands at the end and, of course,  four wings. He easily navigated his surroundings. Being a small inscect, in his humble opinion was a perfect form for an AI. Humans could never process information quick enough to navigate at the speeds that he was capable of. Nor could then navigate the uncertain world of a tiny creature.

A few centimeters farther along the vine, a large sparkling spider's web glimmered its dark funnel waving in the gentle winds. Fitz made another mental note of the hazard, then hastened along in order to take advantage of the fading twightlight, Afterwhich, his visibiltiy would be limited. He also preferred to be closer to Rusk after dark.

Fitz quickly flew to the other side of the entrance to get a better look at the maze of small open spaces behind the largest and outer the brier wall. The entire maze was a massive natural structure more than 50 square kilometers of thorny black berry bushes that stood between Koran and Rusk and Omeless to the west..

"We might as well get comfortable." Rusk began looking around for a good place to settle in while Fitz has his look around. 

"I think it's dark enough that I am not going into the Thorn Agregate tonight, and I got dinner right here." Koran lifted the eel from his shoulders. "There is no good reason that I can think of that I need to start out in there after dark."

"The cache is only a few hundred meters in," Rusk dismissed Koran's worry as paranoid. Something second nature to Koran, although admitedly it had kept the two alive more times than Rusk could count . "Hand me your rod." He got on his knees and used the both his and Koran's sticks to reach ahead and tap around the edges of the short tunnel walls in front of him. It wasn't long, two meters or so, 

Knowing that Fitz would have already alerted them had there been some danger in the entrance tunnel,  he leaped through the Agregate entrance in one quick motion, pushing off with both his hands half way through. His feet only touching the ground once as he passed to the other side adding just enough momentem to gracefully torpedo out the other side landing smoothly into roll and springing to his feet. 

"What, are you doing?" Fitz's voice suddenly called out to him in their own language through the head set.  "Get back." The Cache has been compromized.."

My feelings like a tide
Washing in and out of me
Like the ever changing ocean
Like the waves upon the sea
At one time I thought I hated you
But my true feelings I did find
And then I knew I loved you
My feelings I didn’t hide
But then you had to leave me
And I would not say good bye
For I knew that I would meet with you again
Another place 
Another time
And I know that you do love me
Our love is one that binds
And I know that I will meet with you again
Another place 
Another time
And I know that you will always be my friend
And you will never leave my mind
Because I know that I will meet with you again
Another place
Another time