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Hunter Prey (2010)
Sir?
Sir, can you hear me? He's alive! Get your ass back here. Get some cover. We don't have time to take a nap. The prisoner escaped before we recovered. We think he took a rifle. He headed off in that... Rifle. Lost target! Any signs? Negative. Start-up sequence complete. Clea 19, series Gamma, on-line. Hello, commander Karza. Now, Clea, activate system link. System is linked. You guys got her on-line? Check. Check. Clea, patch me into base. Transmitting. Alpha Base, this is Commander Karza. Do you copy? Copy, Commander. This is Alpha Base. Prometheus is down. I repeat, Prometheus is down. Inrepairable. We have three survivors and in need of immediate extraction. We're not picking up your ship's beacon. Ship's beacon is non-functional. We are diverting close ships to your last known coordinates... ETA in 100 hours. Upon their arrival you'll need to... activate your personal beacon. Copy that. What is the status of your cargo? Cargo has survived and fled crash site. Commander, mission parameters remaining. Organism must be contained and delivered. And Karza, it's imperative that you bring him in alive. Is that understood? Commander, do you copy? Yeah, roger that. Karza, out. End transmission. Thanks for the help. What else is new? Enough. This mission has been a joke, from the start. You think that it's a joke that we lost our ship and our crew? Your prisoner brought my men down, single-handed. And you couldn't do a damn thing to stop it. I don't see anything funny about that. Do you, soldier? No, sir. Good. Now, Clea, see to the Lieutenant. Hello, Lt. Centauri 7. Oh, you are hurt. Yeah, give me a diagnostic. There is substantial trauma to your left shoulder. A plasma wound. No broken bones. Heart beat is elevated. Otherwise you appear to be in excellent condition. Clea, skiptrace prisoner. Activating tracking system. Patch me up, Clea. Redirecting cells to repair nerve and tissue damage. Increasing endorphins to counter pain. Administering strophine to dumb the area. Better. Sensors show the subject is 250 micro-clicks... south-east from your position and moving away at a steady rate. Are you sure it's moving away? Yes, Commander. Get on the move, let's head out. We'll need supplies. Not much left. We'll take Logan's pack. Clea, any idea where we are? Planet is uncharted. Log shows you dropped out of warp... at an unknown set of coordinates. Gravity at the nearest planet did the rest. Give us the stats. Atmosphere is thin. Likely to render you unconscious. I advise, keeping your helmets on... until I finished acclimating your bodies. Surface's temperature is 116 degrees. Nice. Power cells are at 72 percent... which can last just about a hundred hours. Anything else? Calculating the position of the sun. I estimate the days here are 33 hours of daylight... with 5 hours of night. Sound like paradise. Maybe I'll move here. I can arrange that. I'm sure you could, sir. According to Clea... we've got less than three days to get this thing. Let's move out. Croyer, give me a torch. What're you gonna do? Weld it back together? He's on the move, again. Let's go. On your feet. This is brutal. I don't understand how this thing... can move so fast in this heat. Simple. It wants to live, pure survival instinct. What's the rush? It's got no food, no water. We can track every move it makes. Let it die of thirst. Then there won't be a need to recover it. You heard them. They want it alive. Why? It's not your place to question orders, Lieutenant. It is, when it's costing me the lives of my men. This was a simple transport mission. Are you done crying, soldier? Fuck off. Lay it up, and move out. Both of you. Closing in on subject. 78 clicks and increasing. There! See it! Where is it? Up on the ridge. 8 o'clock. Look like we can get up, on the north side. Croyer, Grab Karza's rifle. I'll cover you. Go! I see it. Shoot it. They want it alive. I'm in command, now. Take it down. Target locked. Take the shot. Down. Hold the position. It's secure. I got it! I said, hold position. I coming up. There's nothing here, but his cloak. Fall back! Fall back! Croyer? Croyer? I thought you were dead. You are not that lucky. Where is my rifle? Ask the prisoner. Night's falling. That's a good place to set up camp. Hard to take the ground. Only two access points. I can still catch him. If you need to rest, stay here and I'll... You seem to think I want to hear... your opinion, soldier? I don't. Kid was too green. Never should have been in any unit. Blew our chance. He wasn't the one who rushed us into an ambush. The situation doesn't determine the outcome, Lieutenant. Confidence and skill, do. Unfortunately, your team was in short abundance of those traits. Now, make yourself useful... and set a parameter around those rocks, over there. You have your orders. 34 degrees and dropping. Private channel opened. What's the Commander's condition? He's suffering from a plasma wound to his side. Extreme nerve damage has been... sustained and his left lung is impaired. What meds you got him, on? 500 cc Strophine and 250 cc of Cryoxin. I'm surprised he stayed on his feet, as long as he did. Reduce his medication. We have a long way to travel, tomorrow... and I am not gonna carry him. I'm not sure if Commander Karza... would agree with your assessment. Keep the information offline. He doesn't need to know. It is not in my programming to lie, Lieutenant. You won't be lying... you just won't be volunteering any information. Can you do that? Of, course. Thanks. Odd. What's that? Of all the soldiers that I've been assigned to... you are the only one that has ever thanked me. Do you mind it? No. I quite prefer it. It can get tiresome, being endlessly ordered about. We have that in common, then. Your words conflict with the military directive, Centauri. So I've been told. According to your record... some of your previous insubordinations... border dangerously close to treason. And? It bodes a question, for, why you have chosen to be a soldier? Yes it does, doesn't it? Atmospheric conditioning will be complete, in T-minus 10 seconds. I advise you to keep your eyes on our objective... instead of me, Lieutenant. Atmospheric adaptation is complete. It is now safe to remove your helmets. Why isn't the prisoner affected by the thin air? He doesn't have a life suit. They can adapt to almost any conditions. All this was in the file. Permission to speak freely, sir? Permission? It has never stopped you before. Go ahead. What's this mission really about? Why is this thing so important? Does it matter? Yes, it does. Why? I lost my ship and my crew. I would like to know why. You're a soldier. We both are. We follow orders. Without questions. Tell me what you know... otherwise, I go alone. Disobeying orders is treason, soldier. Punishable by death. All right. This thing is the last of it's kind. We destroyed it's home world... and somehow it's figured a way to return the favour. So, we'll catch the damn thing and get it back to base... or, we may not have a world to go home, too. Now you know as much as I do. Does that you make feel better, soldier? Or, let's sit down and discuss some more... when this thing is gaining ground on us. You deliberately kept us in the dark. You didn't need to know. I see. This mission was a hero maker. Everything we know was at risk. Are you deaf, as well as stupid? What level was this mission? This discussion is over. What level was this mission, sir? Prio One. Nova Class. Highest level. And you was so caught up in your ego... you didn't bother to tell us how dangerous this creature was. Your men were incompetent. Don't blame me for your mistakes. You jeopardized this mission. You got my men killed. I am your superior officer... and you will speak to me as such. Why? You don't deserve it. Come on. Let's see how much fight you got in you. You're not worth it. Clea? What's the prisoners position? I have no visual. Clea? Clea? Come on. Come on, baby. Don't leave me out here alone, now. Start-up sequence complete. Clea 19 series Gamma, on-line. Hello, Centauri 7. Clea. I thought I lost you, there. You can't get rid of me... that easily, Centauri. I've suffered some damage, but seem to be functioning properly. I'm an early model, and quite durable. That's why I keep you around, babe. I thought it was my charming personality. Clea. What's the prisoner's current location? 78 clicks and increasing. Look likes it's just you and me again. I'm sorry about Commander Karza... but if I must say, I'm pleased... that it was you who survived. Well, that makes two of us. Skiptrace prisoner. 200 micro-clicks on your current location. Continuing in south-eastern direction. On the move again. I hope you rot in the bellies of Twelve Gods, sir. Prisoner has stopped moving. It's been moving at a steady pace, for hours. Hopefully the damn thing's collapsed. Without the water source it could be succumbing to dehydration. Exactly. Still... I'm going in. Report me any movement. Of course. Be careful, Centauri. Can you give me a tracer signal? Got it. Clear my grid. What is it, Centauri? It's the tracking device. Torn out of it's own throat. Very clever. It coudn't have gone far. You can't hide forever! Do you hear me? I bringing you in. Dead, or alive. Centauri? Are you all right? Centauri 7? Please answer. Clea? It's been toying with me? How long have I been out? Clea? The head. I had to kick the head... Hold on to that. Hello? Unknown user, please identify. Repeat, identify. Identify. Orin Jericho. Unauthorized user. Terminating access. Private channel, opened. Clea? Where are you? I'm not sure. I'm in the possession of an unauthorized user. Can you give me a signal of the location? Of course. Got it. He tried to access me... but I terminated the communication. It spoke to you? Yes. And it understood you. Yes. The damn thing is smarter than I thought. Keep that signal going. Still on the private channel. I'm on my way. Clea? Clea? She won't be helping you anymore. We can't get off this planet without her. How do I use her? You can't. And if you harm her... you'll be stuck on this floating rock, as well. You've got nowhere to go. Maybe I don't plan on going anywhere. If you wanna die... kill yourself now and save me the trouble. What if I want to take you with me? Nah. You'd have done that, already. You are not as dumb as you look. What is it you want? I know you can still hear me. You like playing games? Well, here's mine. I know why they want you brought in. And I don't care. I'm gonna hunt you down, and I'm gonna kill you. That's my game. Give up, Cydonian. You will never catch me. You've been out-smarted, and out-runned. Go home... while you've still got a home to go back, to. I know something new I hate about your race. You don't pack enough water. Guess it's more of a human thing. Always be prepared. I'm actually surprised you Cydonians... have lasted as long as you have... seeing how incompetent you all are. Now I know why they put that inhibitor mask on you. You talk too much. They didn't want anyone to know I can speak your language. They were right. It's offensive for a creature like you to... speak the language of the stars. Something we picked up from the Drax. Insects, teaching the Apes. It's repugnant. The Drax are noble race. You wouldn't know anything about that. Noble? They're disease of the galaxy. Filthy creatures. That's funny. They say the same thing about you. Lying bugs. I tell you this... no one's gonna miss you guys when you're gone. Your the race that's extinct, human, not mine. Not for long. Is that so? Yep. I taking you all to hell. All right, I'll entertain your fantasy, human. Being that you're the last of your kind... how do you hope to accomplish this remarkable feat? Don't you wanna know why? I don't care. Hah. That's why. You entered this war on your own, Earthman... and lost your home world. Those are the consequences. We didn't enter this war. You attacked us. You were harbouring Draxian fugitives. You mean, refugees. Big difference. They needed our help. You chose the wrong side. No. It's cost us everything, but we chose the right side. Now, it's gonna cost you everything. We all die. That's your solution. How can you be so naive? Another faction will rise up in our place. An endless cycle. The only way to break it... is to take control from those in power... to rule in their stead. You've thought about this? No. It's just the way it is. Maybe you are right. Human. You have two options. You can come with me and survive... or you can join the rest of your race in oblivion. It's your decision. I choose option number three. Which is what? Clea? Clea? You there? Centauri 7? Yeah, it's me. Has the human been recaptured? No. Then how did you retrieve me? Found you sitting on the skeleton. Why he leave you behind? Odd, that creature is cunning, dangerously so. Like, he figured something out. What the Twelve Hells is he doing? I'm missing something. I wonder... Wonder what? Clea? Centauri, I may know what the human is doing. Great, tell me. It would be better if I didn't. Why is that? If you know, it might influence your actions. I don't... what? Do you trust me, Centauri? With my life. Then, here's what I need you to do. We may have another problem. What now? I think my former Commander Karza... did more damage to my internal circuits... than I first thought. What do you mean? My battery isn't holding... the power cells charge very well. I'm not going to be able to conserve enough power... to activate your beacon, when the rescue ship arrives. Shut down the other systems, draining power. I have, but two main sources left for my system's memory... and your medical unit. I'm afraid you'll have to shut me down... until you need me, Centauri. That's not happening. Cut my meds. I don't think that's a good idea. Cut them. Meds unit shutting down. Your pain receptors are spiking... and your heart rate is increasing. I'm good. That should give us enough power... provided the ship arrives at the designated time. With our luck, I wouldn't count on it. I picking up communications from orbit. Our pick up? No, these aren't military channels. An unknown craft is approaching. Coming down here? Yes. However, my system can't track it. Try to reach them. No response. They've gone into radio silence. That can't be good. Maybe some rendezvous, for the human. Maybe he's not the last one. Or, they could be Draxians. Great. Hey! What? What? Money? Cydonians? Ha. They're paying you. You are bounty hunter. That is such an ugly word. Soldier of fortune, more like it. Shame they want you be alive, ha! Just as I thought. Slyak. What would a Slyak be doing here? Bounty hunter. Alpha Base must have sent him, as backup. Idiots... Alpha Base, or the Slyaks? Both. What you going to do? He's got my weapons, and my prisoner. I'm gonna go get them back. True your kind, build world bomb? Maybe. True, or lie? True. Deserve it, they do. Scare them good you do, ha? You don't like Cydonians? No one like Cydonians. Invade every planet, make slaves. Their way, or no way. If I kill you, they all die. No more Cydonians. Wait. Remember? I'm money. You kill me, no money. Maybe I take you to ship first. Talk with elders. Good idea. Smart. No! This bigger than money. I be hero. No more Cydonians! No, wait. You have no business here, Slyak! That human is my prisoner. He's mine. I don't think so. Now what? We wait. For what? Extraction. Ship should be here soon. What do they call you, human? What is your name? Jericho. Lieutenant Orin Jericho. Lieutenant? We are the same rank. I'm Centauri 7. Didn't ask. Not wise to upset me... considering your position, human. No wonder your kind didn't make it. No common sense. Oh is that the reason? I thought it was your genocidal war that did it. War is war. You lost. As long I'm still alive... the war ain't over. You never did answer my question. How were you going to destroy my planet? Are. What? You said were. Past tense. It's are. All right. How are you going to destroy my planet? We sent a ship towards your planet. Filled to capacity with nuclear payload. Once it impacts... your world is blown to dust. Our long range scanners will detect it... far before reaches our atmosphere. It's cloacked. You'll never see it coming. Another trick we picked up from the Drax. So, that's why they want you alive. They want to get the ship's coordinates out of you. They'll try. But you'll die, first... That's right. Well, then there's no reason to keep you alive. I could kill you, right now. You could. But? Come on. Everybody wants to be a hero. There's that one glimmer of hope... that you might be able to save your world. I told you, I don't care. They can go to the Twelve Hells. I don't believe you. Centauri, I have an incoming transmission. Patch it through. Commander Karza, this is battle ship Aurora. Do you copy? Copy that, Aurora. Karza's dead. This is Lieutenant Centauri 7, as acting commander. Copy that, Lieutenant. We have arrived at the last known signal point... from Prometheus, before you went down. Awaiting beacon location. Clea, activate personal beacon. Signal initiated. Aurora, do you have it? Affirmative. It's weak, but we should be able to home in on it. We are now enroute. ETA in 15 minutes. Roger that. Centauri 7, out. When we get back to Cydonia... they're gonna torture you. They'll get the information they want. You won't last. The planet won't even be there, by the time we arrive. That soon? And all this? Just a wild chase to give the ship the time it needed? It'll get there long before we do. My planet's full of people that are innocent. They are not responsible for the war... or your planet's destruction. Our High Council is. You all follow blindly. It's no excuse. It's the law. What's the Gods have decreed. Your Gods are telling you to wipe out entire worlds? No, we spread our knowledge to the stars. To surrounding races. By enslaving and destroying them? If they don't accept our way of life, then yes! You make me sick. This from a race that couldn't even defend themselves... against each other... let alone, an invading army. Only an ignorant species would war against it's own kind. Shut up! You commit mass murder on a galactic scale... and you think it's holy crusade. It is our way! "Unless someone comes along... and takes control away from them." Your words, not mine. That will never happen. I wonder why. You are right. I do care about my world. I have wife and child, there. I would like to see them again. Our women don't fight. They nurture the children. Our soldiers are up there. As one warrior to another... I respectfully ask that you take this war to those responsible. You'll just be killing women and children. Is that what you want the legacy of your kind, to be? Vega sector, gamma quadrant. Is that... It's where the ship is. Call your people. I'll give them the coordinates. You better hurry. You don't have much time. Clea? Patch me through to Alpha Base. Transmitting. Alpha Base, this is Lieutenant Centauri 7. Do you copy? Copy, Lieutenant. What is your status? Prisoner is in custody and... willing to give the coordinates of the bomb ship. Lieutenant, we are ready for the prisoners information. Please, relay it immediately. What's the coordinates? No. I want to be the one who tells them. The coordinates are 22... Unauthorized user. Clea, authorize the human. State your name. Orin Jericho. Orin Jericho is now authorized. The coordinates are 229, 713... 040, bearing 2-6-0. Vega sector, Gamma quadrant. It's an M class star-freighter. We have confirmation. Craft has been identified. Sending battle ships to intercept. We found it. Well done, Lieutenant. We no longer have need of the prisoner. You may terminate at will. Roger that. Centauri 7, out. They want me to terminate you. I saved your world. Your family. Not really. I don't have any wife and children. Well, that's good. Then you won't have anything to worry about... when your planet's blown to bits. You didn't think I'd give you the real coordinates, did you? But, we have confirmation on the craft. It's a decoy, you idiot. Unmanned. There is nothing but salvage, on that ship. You can't stop this. It's already over. Superior race, huh? Let me give you some advice, alien. Never let your weapon fall into the hand of your enemy. I'm gonna let you know a little secret. We never launched the bomb ship. We couldn't. We had no idea where Cydonia was. But now that I'm authorized to access you database... she's gonna tell me everything I need to know. You think I forced us to crash down here, by accident? You wanted the bomb ship? I led you right to it. Now, you're gonna learn what it feels like... to be the last of your kind. You want to know the difference between you and me? I did have a wife and son back on the Earth. Centauri 7, this is the Aurora. We have just cleared the way... and entered the atmosphere. Shuttle craft is on it's way down. Stand by. Centauri 7, this is Commander Chane... of the Aurora landing party. We're on the ground. What is your status? Centauri 7, are you picking up my transmission? Centauri 7, do you copy? The only one that made it, huh? You look like hell. Must have been a rough one. We'll get you to the infirmary, right away. Clea, upload the coordinates to Cydonia... to the ship's nav computer. Clea. Clea, I command you to respond. Son of a bitch. Alpha base. This is Omicron series 5. Commander Chane is no longer responsive. Start-up sequence complete. Clea 19 series Gamma, on-line. Hello, Centauri 7. Hello, Clea. It's good to have you back. I take it by my new casing... that you followed my instructions. Well played. It was you he was after. Centauri, I have an incoming transmission from Alpha Base. Patch it through. Lieutenant, this is Alpha Base. What the Twelve Hells is going on, down there? If I were you... I'd be more concerned about what's going on "up there." Centauri 7, you are under orders. What is the status of the human? Find another grunt to do your dirty work. Centauri 7, out. End of transmission. Whatever you're planning to do, Centauri... I suggest you do it quickly. It won't be long before the human traces... the source of that signal, back to Cydonia. He already has. Isn't that right, earthman? You didn't shoot. Why? Same reason you didn't kill me. Yeah, what's that? I'll tell you when I see you. And just how are we supposed to get out of here? Bounty hunter ship has to be around here, somewhere. You realize we'll be breaking twenty-six High Council's laws... by taking this course of action. Is that a problem? Not at all. Let's get the Twelve Hells off this rock. Original by unknown author. (Bad english, not making sense). Major rewrite by Punar, 2014. More corrections by pkz, 2015. Hope you enjoy! Improved by JimmyF (10/2019) |
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