Andy's Shorts to GA Prompts - 2. Prompt #105

“And just what the hell am I supposed to do with this?” I asked; looking at the strange device I had been handed by Xarvon. “I asked for a weapon, and you give me some Star Trek reject.”

“What you have there my human friend, is a class four elemental de-atomizer. Top of the line. Illegal in twenty-nine star systems. “ Xarvon knew he had his client hooked with those five simple words “Illegal in twenty-nine star systems”; when his clients hear those words they know they are getting some serious merchandise.

“Well, what does a class four elemental thingy do anyway?”

“It’s quite simple. Anything, or anyone, you hit with a beam from this baby is instantaneously reduced to their composite elements. Imagine it; a humanoid reduced to a small pile of dust and no body to dispose off. You could fire a beam into an ocean and it would turn into hydrogen and oxygen gases, leaving behind a few chemical elements as a powder.”

“Now I see why it’s so illegal. How much do you want for it?”

“My human friend, for you a mere ninety gems.”

“NINETY!” I yelled. “Xarvon, you thieving miserable Dractoid. I could hire my own band of mercenaries for half that.”

“Then go and hire your mercenaries.” Xarvon turned around and began walking away from the deal.

“Wait. I’ll pay you seventy gems.” Xarvon now really knew he had his client. The weapon was actually only worth fifty-five gems, so now it was just a question as to how much Xarvon could make for himself.

“I can go down to eighty gems. Remember, I still have to pay off the Mounarie. If I’m late with another payment they’ll take one of my remaining five arms.”

“Seventy-three gems now, and I’ll pay you the other seven once my business is complete.”

Xarvon waited a few moments, took out his calculator and pretended to tap in figures. “Seventy-three is acceptable. I’ll give you until the end of the current lunar cycle to pay me the other seven gems, that’s when my payment is due. If you are one micro-rotation late, I’ll personally make sure you will never be able to set foot in any civilised star system in the Union.”

“You have a deal Xarvon. I won’t be late with the balance, so don’t worry.” Xarvon wasn’t worried; he’d already creamed eighteen gems from this transaction, if he got the other seven then great, if not it was no skin off his braknoid. That’s eighteen gems added to his own personal treasury; eighteen gems that will never have to declared to the Mounarie. Of course, if the Mounarie ever found out he’d been creaming, he’d disappear; just like all the others. And disappear they have; absolutely no trace of them has ever been found, not so much as a hair follicle. Xarvon had been creaming his whole working life and had now amassed a fortune; he was worth a little over nine thousand gems, just enough to buy his own moon if he desired.

Xarvon took the seventy-three gems from me, and once they had passed the inspection of his level eight spectral laser scanner, he pocketed them and left.

I had the feeling I’d just been robbed, but you don’t mess with the Mounarie or their foot-soldiers. I also left the area quickly, after spotting a couple of law enforcement drones.

I could now carry out my plan. It would be the heist to end all heists. I had my eyes on the Dractoid Crown Jewels. Twelve human kilograms of precious stones and metals; recently valued in excess of three-quarters of a trillion gems. Now nobody or nothing can stand in my way.

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