MasterMind 

There was a fierce wind coming down from the western sea. This made it very hard to see what was happening just a few paces ahead in this god forsaken desert. Everywhere the wind touched the tip of a sand dune, more dirt was picked up and thrown into the faces of the three men patrol making it’s way along the outskirts of Cape Corinth. The squinting man on point gestured the others to a stop and pulled the lower cloth of his desert turban a little higher across his face. This made it a bit easier to breathe and the cloth took somewhat of the sting out of this “desert rain” as the locals called it. The two men behind him did likewise. A brief halt was a welcome thing, besides the wind it was already difficult making any good progress trudging ahead ankle deep in the sand and the sun smiling relentlessly on their faces. On any other day these men would have found these circumstance a mere annoyance, but not so much at present taking in account the latest turn of developments. 
A couple of days ago some of the inhabitants had spotted a couple of mutants in the vicinity of the town. Although mutants were not such an uncommon sight in these parts, the local authorities decided to put the town in a higher state of alertness. Groups of hunters were guarding the town in shifts during the nightly hours. And during the day armed patrols were send out to secure the surroundings of Cape Corinth. A good thing because a forth night ago a large mob of mutants attacked the town and many of its inhabitants perished during this assault. Usually mutants and other predators are wise enough to steer clear of outposts. Only in need would a mob of desert predators consider an attack upon a settlement. But the sheer number of attackers and the organisation of their assault gave the people the distinct feeling something else was going on, other then a band of mutants desperately fighting in hope of some food. 
Without the watchfulness of the local hunters things could have been much worse, if things were not already going downhill. Prior to the attack all the terminals and means of communication went off-line. Anyone killed during the nightly assault was not able to revive. Without a swift revival a soul can only survive for a fixed amount of time. The situation was sombre indeed and hope of aid from other towns was shattered when someone discovered the teleportation module had also mysteriously ceased functioning. 
For almost four hours the patrol had been walking around in this parched stretch of land, looking for only god knows what. Not a word had been spoken between the three of them since their start early that morning, fearing to attract the attention of some skulking band of mutants. At last the silence was broken. “How long have we been patrolling this sand heap, Snow?,” said the sun tarnished man to the left of him. “I suggest we head back soon, our water bottles aren’t going to last much longer and all we have found so far are some Gibnibs chasing desert insects.” Farglorn Llewllyn was in charge of some of the local militia forces. Since his birth Farglorn had been blessed with a full mane of white hair, that’s why the older bullies during his youth had called him Snowflake. The name had stuck even after the passing of all those years. Normally Snowflake could be found hunting Sabakuma’s in the sandy regions around the Cape. These wormlike creatures were prized for their hides by the local vendors and Snowflake made a nice living chasing and skinning them. Only out of necessity had he accepted a position as sergeant in the hastily assembled militia force. In the first place because many officers stationed at the Cape had perished defending the town. Secondly Snowflake knew this region and the geographical outlay like the back of his hand. 
“Normally I would agree with you, Steph,” he answered the sun tarnished man. “But something just doesn’t feel right.” Snowflake had known Stephano Debracy his whole live and he felt more akin to him then even his own brother could ever make him feel. In relation to the slender but muscular build of Snowflake, Stephano was a huge bear of a man with rippling muscles who always walked bare-chested. He usually hunted with his beefed up A-3 punisher, but when the need arose he wasn’t averse to wrestling the minor predators using only his hands which were backed up by his god given strength and a couple of en-knuckles. “Any other day we would have encountered at least a dozen worms,” Snowflake continued. “Not so today and this makes me wonder? What do u make of this Cathy?” The third and more silent person in this three man patrol was one of the few women who decided to join the militia. Catherine Coul’dahard had saved Snowflake’s live once, when he was beset by four Sabakuma’s miles away from civilization. Since that time they occasionally teamed up on hunts in the desert or visited the local pubs. Catherine was of the same build as Snowflake and had a mind as sharp as the favoured en-blade she carried around on her back. She obviously was the brain behind this odd trio and her words had saved them out of more situations then could be counted on two hands. Often situations where the two men would have opted for a more violent approach. 

“You’re right Snow, something is indeed up,” she said. “Either those Saba’s have started hibernating all of a sudden or they’ve been made into food by some mutants. My guess it’s the latter,” she said with a grin. “I’ve been thinking along those same lines also. And I’ll wager if we search a while longer we might encounter some of those mutants or even turn up their base of operations. So I suggest using our water bottles sparingly and keeping our weapons ready at hand.” No sooner had those words passed Snowflake’s lips or a scuffling noise of some dozen feet could be heard not far behind them. “Quiet guys,” Snowflake said whispering. “Let’s get behind that sand dune over there and find out who or what is about to cross our path. And make sure you keep your heads as low as possible when you lie down or else you might lose it!” 
No sooner had they taken their positions behind the sand dune or a band of crabnoids came marching right over the spot where they had taken their brief rest just moments ago. Crabnoids were humanlike beasts with pincers similar to those of crabs. When roused they were capable of severing someone’s arm in a single cut. With their beady eyes they couldn’t see much, especially during the day while the sun was at its highest point. But their antennae like moustache made more then up for this. With these antennae they could pick up the slightest vibrations in air or water made by movement or speech. Normally they were a peaceful species minding their own business. This fact made the attack on the town only more and more suspicious. Like their distant cousins on earth, crabnoids lived exclusively in coastal regions, finding them this far inland was a rare occurrence indeed. The three hideaways only had to look in each others eyes for them to agree this bared investigating. After they had giving the crabnoids a head start just to be safe the chase was on. 
About an hour they had been running behind the mutants without being noticed, all the while they were lead in the same direction. This made Snowflake decide to scout ahead of the mutants, to avoid any sudden surprises these beasts might bestow on the three of them. With a couple of hand gestures he explained his intentions to the others. After he had made sure they understood his plans and had gotten their approval, he quickened his pace. Carefully balancing his speed and his stealth at the same time, he eventually got in front of the crabnoids without being noticed. Before he continued he made sure the crabnoids were still following their initial course. Luckily after his little detour the mutants were still making their progress in the same direction. 
Now that he was running ahead of them, Snowflake had to be careful not to stumble in any potential ambush. The very reason why he was scouting ahead of them in the first place. Although his progress was slower than he would have wished, he still was able to get some distance between himself and his ignorant pursuers. Thanks to his skills and perhaps a good dose of luck, Snowflake’s little scouting endeavour was uneventful. Already the air was filling itself with the smells of seaweed and saltwater. Not long after he could also begin to hear the murmuring of the surf behind the horizon. Getting the distinct feeling he got near the destination of the course the crabnoids were taking, he let his stealth give way to speed. On his left sand dunes were steadily replaced by rocky outcroppings and dead ahead he could make out a colossal mass of rock extruding across the beach and into the waves. Near the rocky mass he could only see large bands of tiny creatures at first. Getting closer he realized the tiny creatures were the very mutants they had been looking for since the nightly attack on Cape Corinth. Most of the mutants consisted of crabnoids, the ones his friends were still pursuing, only slightly bigger in build. The many cracks in the granite surface probably housed more of these hideous creatures. This natural harbour alone could be the place from where the attacks were being coordinated. Open mouthed Snowflake stood staring at the bizarre display this mutant army was showing. Under normal circumstances these different mutants couldn’t stand each other, let alone cooperate and form hunting parties together. If there was still any doubt in his mind the attacks weren’t the sole operation of these beasts, it melted as fast as snow before the sun. After several minutes standing perplexed at the edge of the beach concealed behind some rocks, Snowflake had to remind himself that his friends were still heading fast towards disaster. 
At that instance he decided, the crabnoids should not be allowed to reach their destination. Perhaps they had picked up some sense of their pursuers or (and this was his biggest fear) they carried around some information which could prove fatal to the town and its inhabitants. Hastily he placed his scope and laser on his rifle. With weapon in hand he turned around, determined to let none of the crabnoids to pass him. The only problem was the fact he couldn’t inform his two friends of his intentions. Still, in all the years he had become to rely on their hunting instincts as well as his own. If the first shot was fired, he figured, they would pick up his intentions soon enough and find a way to contribute their share to the ambush. Making sure the ambush wasn’t within hearing distance (or in this case feeling distance) of the main force, he travelled a little further back inland. Settling behind a defendable rock formation, he decided to await his prey. 
Snowflake didn’t have to wait long though. The crabnoids were closer on his tail, then he at first had thought. Although he could see the leading crabnoids through his scope, the beasts weren’t within firing range of his rifle yet. As shooting wasn’t possible for just a little while longer, he used the time to study the movements of these mutants. This way he would be able to make the most of his advantage. In total they had been chasing ten crabnoids. Four of them were walking a little ahead of the others. Two walked right behind those and were Foxed on both sides by two even groups of three mutants only a couple of yards apart. The four in front were the biggest ones, probably their build had giving them their leading position. Hierarchy put the six smallest ones at the back of this band. Their marching pattern could be used to the advantage of the three hunters. By placing the bigger specimens in front, Stephano and Catherine would only have to worry about the three hindmost. That was if Snowflake’s shooting would be true and swift. Because the two chasers were to close to the band of mutants, they were forced to use their melee weapons. 
After sizing up his enemies and tracing their manoeuvres, Snowflake still had enough time to take aim at his first victim. Crabnoids had a weak spot known only by the most experienced hunters on the face of Calypso. This spot could be found just below their neck at the front side of their torso. The shot would fracture their main artery causing an immediate cardiac arrest. When aimed carefully and shot with precision even a full-grown crabnoid could be taken down with a single shot. An advantage that had saved Snowflake’s life on more than one occasion, when he had unwittingly disturbed the peace of one or two of these beasts. And an advantage he needed now the most, outnumbered as they were with only three of them facing ten adult crabnoids. Only a couple more steps would bring the first four crabnoids into range of his rifle. Counting his blessings Snowflake took a firm grip on his rifle and let loose his first shot, followed closely by another. Two of the mutants dropped where they at first had been walking. Luckily, Snowflake’s trust in the instinct of his friends wasn’t misplaced. Picking up the signal when the first shot was fired, both of them readied their en-blade and each sped towards one of the two hindmost groups consisting of three mutants. In the meantime the other crabnoids barely had time to realize what was going on before the last two of the leading mutants were downed. Because of their predicament the crabnoids lost themselves in a beastly frenzy and directed their fury at the danger most close at hand. Any other creature would have lost their defensive advantages this way, but this was not the case with these mutants. Crabnoids became more dangerous when they fully gave in to their maternal instincts. This made them almost impervious to pain and it sharpened their battle senses. On the other side of the ambush spot, Snowflake’s friends had engaged their prey in melee combat. Trough skill, but mostly because of sheer strength, Stephano had already severed the head of one of the crabnoids. The two remaining beasts didn’t prove to much of challenge for his melee experience. On the other side the battle had taken an entirely different course of action. Berserked as the mutants were Catherine had more than met her match in battle prowess. Although she had managed a deadly blow to one of her opponents, the frenzied beast still fought on to his dying breath. That way Catherine had her hands full fending of the endless stream of cuts and swipes directed at her from every angle possible. Already her body and legs were showing multiple cuts and gashes. Things looked gloom for her if any direct aid wasn’t soon forthcoming. To make matters worse the two remaining crabnoids had sensed Catherine’s disadvantage and were fast approaching on her position. 
From a distance Snowflake felt more than a little uncomfortable, not fighting along his friend’s side. But logic overcame his doubts, as he could mean more to them with his rifle from his vantage point then being beside them in the thick of things. Stephano was doing all right, already engaging the sole survivor of his adversaries. This meant Snowflake could direct all his efforts towards helping Catherine out of her predicament. The approaching beasts weren’t able to join their comrades in attacking Catherine for a few heartbeats yet. Taking down the direct danger surrounding her was therefore the most apt course of action. Unfortunately shooting at the crabnoids surrounding Catherine was more difficult than taking out the leading mutants. With Catherine standing so close to his intended victims his shooting should be flawless or else he might hit his friend respectively making matters worse. With time running out Snowflake hadn’t the luxury of concerning himself with such worries. Taking aim at what he thought was the strongest opponent and therefore the biggest threat, he steadied his rifle and loosed the most decisive shot in this skirmish. Guided buy his experience and a strong willpower his shot found its intended mark. The targeted crabnoid was about to deal a strong blow to his adversary, when the force of the impact took him of the ground and made him stumble into his comrade during his final moments in life. Quickly recuperating from this turn of events, Catherine put her en-blade through the weak spot of the already dying crabnoid she had wounded moments before. Facing only the three remaining crabnoids the ambush soon proved to be a success. 
“I’m glad you were able to warn us beforehand Snow or things could have been ugly,” remarked Catherine sarcastically. Although still shaky from his endeavours, Snowflake was quick to reply. “And I’m glad those late night parties during the last few weeks haven’t dulled your fighting instincts,” he said, equalling the sarcasm of Catherine. Healing himself and the others with his prized med-kit, Stephano joined the exchange of words between his friends. “What made you decide to attack these creatures anyway Snow?,” he said. “If we had a little more preparation, this ambush could have been laid out more carefully.” “Well, if you had seen what I encountered during my little expedition I think you would agree with my………,” said Snowflake stopping in mid sentence. “Quiet guys our ambush apparently has attracted the attention of something else, listen!,” he abruptly added in soft spoken tones. Not far from the spot of their ambush, several barely audible feet could be heard approaching them from the south and north. “Okay listen up,” Snowflake said to the point. “We are at a disadvantage right now. This gully isn’t very defendable, but we’ll have to make the most of it. No sense in trying to outrun whatever is approaching us. Stephano spread out those corpses around us, it’ll make reaching us more difficult. This way we’ll have a little more time using our guns and rifles. I suggest standing back to back and resort to melee combat in the last instance,” he continued. With a curt nod both his friends accepted his reasoning and their defences were hastily laid out. 
Standing back to back in the gully the trio awaited their unseen hunters. 


To be continued....