Planetary News: Admiral Pride—the leader of Deadhorse, Jupiter—is happy to inform everyone that she recently gave birth to a strong and beautiful girl without any complications. She and the baby are safe and sound, resting in their home for now.
"Cleopatra Matuidi, leader of REPAH—Rights for Equal Protection of Animals and Humans—and daughter of Senator Logan Matuidi," Director Bea said after the video ended.
The screen showed an image of a young Cleopatra and her father smiling. She seemed so innocent back then. Her dark hair brushed her shoulders and she wore a black and white shirt with a yellow jacket, ripped denim jeans, and sunglasses.
Senator Logan had looked young enough to be her brother, wearing a collarless shirt, grey pants, and a pair of shades matching hers shielded his eyes.
They stood in front of Shutterstock Middle School, one of the most prestigious schools in the State of Kwame. Only the top one percent could afford to send their children there. And since Logan was a senator—in charge of a city called Bacon Level—Cleopatra got a free ride to any school in the state.
The holo-display dematerialized and everyone turned to Director Bea, who stood at the center of the room. She cleared her throat and passed a hand through her long silver hair before tying it into a bun. "Many years ago, Senator Logan was forced to disown Cleopatra after she began organizing protests all over Mars, calling for the freedom of slaves and proper treatment of animals. Now, as you all know, Mars—and every planet and moon under The Kingdom—employ slaves to perform tasks most of us rely on machines for. And there are a lot of horror stories from that, worse than what our ancestors did."
Society under The Kingdom was based on the client system, especially on Mars. The system was strictly stratified, with people being able to move between strata based on credits, patronage, and influence. It was acceptable to flaunt money, but treating people well was a question of honor. Anyone who had an unpaid debt—most of the population—was seen as dishonorable and would be forced into slavery to clear it, which they couldn't because slaves didn't earn credits.
Director Bea continued. "Not only did Senator Logan disown Cleopatra, but he banished her from Mars. Luckily for Cleopatra, she had a few friends on Jupiter who helped her migrate there. One of them was the former Admiral Anger, leader of Nothing Land."
"Didn't the Lords of Mars get angry with the Admiral?" Baby Raven asked.
"I don't think so," Hell Rooster replied instead, and everyone looked at him. He took the cigarette out of his mouth and blew smoke to the side. The little girl coughed before continuing with her video game. "Think about it like this: Cleopatra gets banished and leaves. Where does she go? Jupiter—another planet under The Kingdom. They still had eyes on her."
Director Bea pointed at Hell Rooster. "He's right. But the Admiral lost his job and title after offering Cleopatra asylum, even though he used what Hell Rooster said as his defense for wanting her on Jupiter. Cleopatra wasn't heard from again. She laid low and went to university to finish her studies in Cosmology and Bioengineering."
The coyotes either raised their brows or left their mouths ajar after the Director said what Cleopatra had studied. She laughed then went on. "I had the same reaction when I learned of this. Now we know why she remained silent. She had a bigger goal in mind."
"Bombing The Council," Devil Crow said.
"No." Director Bea shook her head. "Her goal is the same even after getting kicked out of Mars." She pressed her wristtab, and the holo-screen reappeared above the glass table with Cleopatra's face on it. "She uploaded this on Flyer a few hours ago." She pressed play.
Cleopatra took a deep breath and rubbed her bloodshot eyes. It was hard to tell where she was because of the dark background. "I don't want to kill people. But if I have to, then I will. By now, most of you will have heard of my story. Or a version of it. They'll say I'm a radical, insane, egotistical woman who lost her mind and tried to overpower those in charge of Mars and The Kingdom."
She licked her lips. "They may be right. It takes an insane individual to try and overthrow institutions that have been getting away with dehumanizing humans and animals while hiding under the guise of fair rights and treatment for all. You get what you deserve, as the Martians say.
"Why do we defend ignorance with that's how it's always been? Don't you want change? How can you live with yourself knowing people are being treated inhumanely? l know some of you will try to bring up the fact I'm the daughter of Senator Logan, and I was a part of the problem.
"You're right, you're totally right. Growing up, I watched my family, relatives, and friends kick, slap, spit, and ride slaves like animals because they could. Back then I didn't have any power to stop them, so I stood aside and watched as the slaves got hanged because they broke a cup of tea while we owned hundreds of them.
"My friends in high school used to say it was thrilling to treat slaves like shit. And then when their parents went broke and couldn't pay a debt, their whole family was forced into slavery, and they regretted everything they said before.
"Why do we have to experience the same pain as others before we show empathy, compassion, love, and care? I've tried to understand this, and honestly, I've failed. After everything our ancestors went through, all the sacrifices they made, and the trials and tribulations they overcame, we still ended up right where they were at the start. If you ask me, I'll say our tech is better, but we're worse off with our humanity."
Cleopatra looked to the side, her wide nose enlarged as she breathed heavily. She clenched her jaw, and bulging veins appeared at her temples. Her shaking fists showed the level of anger inside her. It took years of training to be able to hold that much composure. The moment she started shouting, the Martian Media would use it to paint an uglier picture of her.
"I don't want to kill people. But if I have to, then I will." She kissed her teeth before stepping forward. The camera moved backward, revealing her whole body. She wore a silver combat suit, with its helmet strapped on her thigh. It looked like Plutonian armor. Seven men and three women kneeled in front of her. Black tape covered their mouths, while metal cuffs held their hands tight behind their backs. Soldiers dressed in similar armor as Cleopatra stood behind them, holding syringes with red liquid inside.
Cleopatra walked past the ten people and had her back facing them. The camera zoomed in on her. "Behind me are some of the hunters hired by top executives from all over the system to go to wildlife reserves and kill the endangered species before turning them into clothes, cushions, and decorations on a wall.
"I've been working with the indigenous people of Neptune for years, trying to capture these hunters. But every time I was on their tails, they escaped. Not anymore. I'm not here to issue a warning. The time for that has long passed. The only way to achieve peace is through war."
The soldiers injected the hunters with the red liquid. The hunters fell on the floor and started shaking. When they stopped, they stood with milky-white eyes. They released a guttural sound, like that of a beast, and the soldiers took several steps back while aiming their laser guns at them.
Cleopatra stepped out of frame. The hunters started tearing each other apart like a pack of wild animals. Wolf cringed at the sound of flesh ripping from the human body. It was like listening to someone cutting a wet cloth.
Hell Rooster watched while taking a puff from his cigarette. Devil Crow, Baby Raven, and Galactic Veronica covered their mouths with their hands and stared with widened eyes. T-Rex and Director Bea had stoic expressions as if they saw this type of thing every day. Unicorn clenched his jaw, and his knuckles turned white from how hard he balled his hands. But there was no expression on his face. He looked bored.
"She created a virus that turns humans into cannibals," Wednesday spoke for the first time since Director Bea entered the office. "This is bad, Wolf."
Wolf released a breath he was holding, and a weight lifted off his shoulders and chest. This was bad. Hell, it was worse than bad. It was horrible. Cleopatra had nano-bugs, a virus, and soldiers to fight many wars.
One hunter remained; his flesh hung from his body, showing the bones inside. But he didn't seem to be in pain. Instead, he turned to the soldiers and ran towards them, roaring like a monster.
The soldiers shot him with multiple rounds—most of them to his head. He was dead before hitting the floor.
Cleopatra returned to the screen. "I tried protesting peacefully, but I was disowned by my father and banished by my people. These organizations are run by rich people who don't care about doing what's right. But don't worry, I'm going to make them care. Peace can only be gained through war, don't forget that."
The holo-display dematerialized and everyone turned to Director Bea.
"So that's why we're here," Hell Rooster said.
"What do you mean?" Devil Crow asked.
"Why else would we be called to the Director's office? She wants us to stop Cleopatra." He turned to Director Bea. "Ain't that right?"
"Yes," the Director answered.
"Why not ask The 100?" Baby Raven said.
"They aren't available. And the five of you are the closest thing to them that aren't on a hunt," Director Bea said.
"I forgot to tell you earlier: Unicorn is ranked 108, and Hell Rooster is ranked 103," Wednesday said.
"What about him?" Baby Raven pointed at Wolf. "He's not even in the top one thousand."
Director Bea pressed her wristtab, and a holo-display reappeared on the glass. She played the video on the screen. The footage was from a drone, recording someone floating in the sky. Zooming in, it showed Wolf carrying two bodies while staring at the nano-bugs disintegrating Coupon City.
"You see the one flying? That's Wolf. He was there when Coupon City vanished the same way as The Council's headquarters. There's a connection I'm having a hard time making. Thankfully, Wolf captured someone who can help—the same person who killed Lord Orc. Remember him?"
Baby Raven and Devil Crow looked to the side. They must've had a history with him—brother to the late Blue Eagle and Silver Crow.
Director Bea added, "Wolf may be ranked low, but there's no one here who knows what those silvery things can do more than him. That's why he's here."
The other coyotes looked at Wolf. He scratched the back of his neck while staring at the floor and biting his bottom lip. Thankfully, the Director stood up for him. He wasn't in the mood to argue about his importance to a group of people who judged his value based on rankings.
Director Bea pressed her wristtab, and the screen showed an image of a bounty. "Senator Logan came to me and asked for a private bounty on Cleopatra. He wanted the best the GSF had to offer to capture her—not kill. I'm reminding you, he wants her alive. Otherwise, you won't be paid."
"Why not ask the Executioners? I'm sure the hyenas would love to go after Cleopatra from everything we've learned here," T-Rex broke her silence.
"That would have happened if Cleopatra wasn't disowned and banished. Legally, she's not a citizen of any planet. And as the rules state, no bounty hunting organization can go after a banished person unless they're on a planet they operate in. Cleopatra is believed to be on Earth.
"The leaders of The Council weren't at the headquarters when it was bombed. They're meeting soon to discuss what to do with her. Meanwhile, Senator Logan fears they will execute her publicly, and he wants to talk to her before it happens. And that's what we're going to do: give the man a chance to say goodbye to his daughter. But it has to be discreet. I'm sure the bounty hunters from other organizations will go after her. You have to be careful."
She looked at Unicorn. "You know Cleopatra well. The team will be relying on you to predict her next move." Then she faced the holo-display. "Now, about your payment." She scrolled down until it showed the REWARD section of the private bounty. "Senator Logan is offering one hundred and twenty million credits for the safe capture of his daughter. That's twenty million credits for the individuals, and ten million each for the duos."
Devil Crow and Baby Raven hugged each other before screaming about becoming rich. Hell Rooster and T-Rex smiled. Unicorn still seemed bothered. It was understandable since he had a connection with Cleopatra no one else in there had.
"You will finally be able to buy me a sleeve," Wednesday said, sounding happier than ever.
"Who is she?" Wolf asked, breaking the cheerful mood in the room as he pointed at the little girl sitting at the corner of the room, playing video games the whole time.
"That's my daughter, Ragdoll. Don't worry about her." Director Bea left it at that. "What do you say? Do you accept the bounty?"
There was a chorus of "Yes", "Of course", and "Why not".
"Talk among yourselves how you're going to capture Cleopatra. Not in my office though." She waved them off. "Go. Leave. Time is of the essence."
The metallic door opened, and the coyotes stepped out. The five high-ranked coyotes spoke among each other as they walked down the hallway, discussing the best course of action. Wolf tried to speak to them, but they ignored him. It was as though he was invisible.
"What am I going to do now?" Wolf muttered. "They are ignoring me because of my ranking." Sadness gripped his heart like a fist, releasing an ache in his chest and a bitter taste in his mouth. This was why he hated everything about working with other people. The high-ranked ones ignored the low-ranked, thinking they knew better and were superior to them.
"Don't worry, Wolf," Wednesday said. "Let them go do their thing. We should get back to The Anastasia and rest. It has been a long day."
"What about the bounty?"
"We'll pursue it ourselves and show them we're better than them."