A warm wind blew softly into my face as I walked down the road through The Wastes.  The BodyTech in my eyes highlighted a path in front of me, indicating where and when I should turn to get back to my motorbike. The GPS tracker I had installed in the bike said it was about two miles south of where Lyra had fixed my arm.  The Wastes, being generally used as a dumping ground for the city dwellers in Santa Luz, housed many junkyards and nomadic gangs, as well as trailer parks and oil fields.  Though the inner section of Santa Luz had advanced weather-controlling technology, The Wastes were not seen as important enough to be given such technology. The New Mexico sun beat down as I trudged towards my bike, my body aching and longing for home. 

This summer heat sucks, I thought to myself, of course, I have to be walking right at the hottest point of the day. I guess I am fortunate enough to be walking at all, rather than a corpse outside of a shitty dive bar.

The minutes seemed to drag on as I walked. With every step, my tired feet kicked up small bits of dust from the cracked ground. The neon sign of a convenience store shone in the distance.  I decided that a bottle of water and a snack of some kind would really hit the spot, so a pit stop would be necessary. 

The bell on the door dinged as I entered the little shop.  The air conditioning unit above the door buzzed and whirred, but worked well enough to be refreshing. Rows of shelves holding bagged potato chips and candy bars led to the back of the store.  I roamed to the refrigerators holding cans of soda and bottles of water. 

“Decisions, decisions,” I muttered to myself as I scanned the hundreds of different bottles and cans. 

I heard the bell ding again but paid no mind to it.  Just as I was able to decide on a beverage, I heard a man begin to incoherently shout in the front of the store.  I crouched low and hid behind one of the shelves, wondering what could possibly be causing the yelling.  Peeking around the shelf, I saw a man holding a gun out in front of him, his finger on the trigger.

“I said,” he continued to yell, “open the register and give me everything inside.”

He pulled the hammer back on the handgun to show that he wasn’t kidding.  The man behind the counter cowered but started punching a code into the register to open it.

The Goddess of Luck has had it out for me here recently, I thought with an internal sigh.

Knowing I needed to act fast, I used my BodyTech to scan the man holding the firearm. His name was Ricky, and he had a bounty on his head.  This was perfect, as it meant I could do something to intervene. The money wasn’t particularly great, only a hundred and fifty credits, but he was still worth something, and it meant that I could use lethal force if necessary.  As quietly as I could, I unholstered my own handgun and cocked it. 

I can’t believe I already have to use this again, I thought.

I crept up behind the man, walking slowly as the employee filled the bag. When I rose to my full height, I tapped Ricky on the back of the head with the muzzle of my gun.

“Put the gun down or I pull the trigger,” I barked in the most intimidating voice I could muster.

He froze for a moment, realizing the gravity of the situation he was in. The man behind the corner stopped shoving the credits from the register in the bag.  He put the bag down on the counter and started shaking a bit less as Ricky lowered the gun.

“Outside, you’re coming with me.”

I put my metal arm on his shoulder and jerked him towards the door, gun still pointed at the back of his head. The bell on the door dinged as I opened it with Ricky’s chest. Once we were outside, I tapped the side of my head.  In my eyes, a list of people’s names showed up, my contact list.  I motioned downward with my head until I saw the number of the bounty hunting agency.  I blinked twice at the name, and a digital ringing began to play in my head.  When the call connected, I began to speak.

“Hello, this is bounty hunter Badger, ID 72192, I need to order a collection for a head.”

“Dead or Alive?”

The voice on the other end was robotic.  It had been programmed to respond to any call at any time, which made it a valuable asset for any hunter stuck in the middle of nowhere like I was.  As long as I gave my ID, they would send a pickup.  Ricky, realizing that he would get thrown in jail if he didn’t act, attempted to spin around to face me, raising the gun in his hand. I had expected this to happen.

A singular gunshot rang out, and Ricky crumpled to the dry ground with a thud. The shell casing from the bullet clattered to the ground with a hollow dinging, rolling through the dirt and stopping at my feet. A pool of blood formed under Ricky’s head from the wound, staining the dusty ground a deep crimson. The robotic voice on the other end of the phone repeated the question.  I sighed and holstered my handgun.

“Dead.”

… … …

I munched on the sandwich the convenience store employee had given me for free as I approached The Pit.  A bit of the ground in the parking lot outside was still stained with the blood from my arm. I checked the door in the front, but it was locked.

Figures, I thought, it is only two in the afternoon, wouldn’t make much sense for a bar to be open.

Slightly relieved that I didn’t have to face the problem, and ultimately Rodriguez, until after I had some time to plan my next move, I continued onward towards my bike.  Thankfully, my luck had turned a bit, and it was still sitting in the parking spot where I had left it, intact and ready to roll.  I stuck my keys in the ignition and heard it roar to life, a sound that I had missed dearly.  Watching the engine vibrate was reassuring. The item I loved the most was still here, even after everything I had been through over the previous days.  I leaned against the bike, finally taking a moment to breathe and collect myself.  I gazed at my arm, which shined in the midday sun. 

“At least I got paid for Ricky,” I said aloud, trying to make the most of the situation.

Deciding that it was finally time to go home, I threw my leg over the side of the bike and rode it towards home.