Family ties

While the chaos on the BD ensued...
Harris and numerous other that have appeared in the past
Colony 154, Gambling City
Harris just stood out of the way in corner of the street watching examples of
humanity that made those aboard the Blue Dwarf seem normal passed by. There was
music in air, bright coloured neon lights glowing in the darkness of the night
of this planet, and the smell of body odour, smoke, food being fried or boiled,
and a few other things that couldn't be identified hung in the air.
Gambling City lived up to its' name as in the planet wide colony upon these
miserable rock of a planet, all gambling took place here. Plus it all was
controlled by criminal groups so that no one won apart from the criminals
themselves, cheating punters too stupid to tell that they had been cheated.
And what had brought him, the infamous Frank 'Nutter' Harris, to a dump like
this? Family, well the family he knew of, his mercenary brother and his band of
guns-for-hire were here. Who knows what job they were hired to perform and most
likely it wasn't something that could be described as 'clean' and within the
law.
Harris continued to watch, threatening those that dared try to sell him
something. His brother was good at covering his tracks, shame some of his
guns-for-hire weren't. Nester, his brother's right-hand man and medic, had been
seen and was easily tracked. Well, he had been until he entered this street, a
street where the thief Fingers would feel right at home with so many choice
targets with minds else where to noticed someone had just came up and swiped
something of theirs. Nester had somehow disappeared into the crowds, well he
had until.
"Get out of my vloody way!"
After a short kerfuffle and Nester walked away leaving a man gasping for breath
on the floor, Harris hadn't seen what happened to the man but since Nest had the
skills and experiences of a doctor, he could of almost done anything to the man
to leave him in that state. But on some strange level, Harris trusted Nester
more then Kato.
Harris left his watching spot and pushed his way through the crowds, following
Nester.
A hour later
Harris followed Nester into a large, brightly lit casino. Past a pair of large
men in black suits stood guard at the doors, they gave Nester a glance like they
were looking at something disgusting they had stepped in, but when Harris past
the pair daren't even look at him. Either his reparation had reach this far or
his brother had something to do with this.
After passing the reception, or having escaped from the receptionist, a young
girl by the name of Linda who insisted on telling him why she had a job there
beginning with the line 'the thing is'.
The casino opened out into a very large area, the colours of the neon sighs were
even brighter and more offending to the eye then those outside. What sounded
like lift music drifted throught the air and all around was the chatter or
pulling of levels of fruit machine. Oh so many people, Harris throught, all
idiots, surely they most know if they were ever to win a jackpot and managed to
leave with their money they would be found the next day laying face down in the
gutter.
All around where rows upon rows of fruit machines with some punter/idiot wasting
their hard earned money in those damn machines, tables dotted around with
dealers shuffling or dealing out cards to those hopeful enough to walk out of
here with at least a little more money then they walked in with.
Harris lost sight of Nester for a moment and then found him again, chatting to a
waitress, more of a girl then woman. Harris continued to watch for a few more
minutes before stepping in.
"Oh, hi voss." Nester commented as he saw Harris. Then he took a second look
and almost jumped. "You again!"
"Where's Bob?" Harris demanded.
"Another time." Nester told the waitress and then said to the Major with a
certain unwillingness in his voice. "This way."
Sometime later
Nester led Harris down several stairs to the sub-basements of the casino. The
sound of their boots hitting the metal framework of the stairs rang out and
echoed throughout the stairwell. Good hiding place this, no way someone could
come and sneak up on you without being heard first. In the air hung a damp,
rank smell.
The stairwell was lit only by small wall moulted lamps that gave off little
light but enough to see where you wanted to go. The stairwell itself wasn't
that wide only allowing people to move up or down two at a time and no more.
After about twenty minutes the two reached the bottom of the stairwell, due to
the poor lighting this could only be told by the sound of their footsteps, the
metal clang changed to the sound of concert against their boots. In the
darkness there could be barely made out doorway.
As the pair was about to enter a room there the sound of voices, three, one
threatening female, one male pleading and the third was the voice of Bob Harris.
The pleading grew louder and then it was silenced as shot ran out followed by a
thud of something hitting the floor.
Harris entered the room just in time to see a pair of legs disappearing out of
another doorway. The room itself was very dark, lit only by a small light bulb.
Bob Harris stood looking down at a dark, wet mark on the floor.
"Hello brother." Bob said without looking at the Major.
"Bob." Harris merely commented.
"You again." Davina commented as she re-entered the room wiping her hands on a
towel.
Harris merely nodded and she returned the nod. Harris then commented.
"Business as usual."
"Business as usual." Bob said he looked at Harris. "What brings you here?"
"Family." Harris commented and then he tossed Bob the watch containing Psycho
Bob. "I believe he's yours."
"Just what I need." Bob commented. "A deranged computer AI that I believed was
deleted."
"I'm the incomplete backup copy." Psycho Bob commented.
"Family?" Bob asked. "Oh, Jules. Starting to remember?"
"No." Harris answered. "Psycho Bob told me."
"You two, out!" Bob ordered.
Davina and Nester left the room. But on the way out could be heard. "Don't
touch me!"
"I don't know what you're on about?"
Then the chatter died out and the two Harris brothers were left alone.
"Our darling sister." Bob commented and then sighed. "It has been so long.
Too long."
"You know why I'm here." Frank said.
Bob stepped forward into the dim light of the weak bulb, he did indeed look like
similar to the Major but the differences were futher set with the two rings in
Bob's right ear and the fat cigar sticking out from between his teeth.
"Jules and I are both links to your past." Bob commented. "A past you still
don't remember."
Frank remained quiet looking grim, not as grim as his brother mind you, but
still grim enough to scare the living daylights out of normal folk.
"Problem is…" Bob started. "I can't give you answers you desire. Maybe Jules
can but I wouldn't bet on it."
"So…" Frank enquired.
"Jules recovered from the Harris family madness." Bob commented. "That's why I
have stayed away from her, so she isn't infected with it again. I love her that
much. She is the only known member of our family to have ever recovered from
the madness and you come next only being two thirds insane. Go see her,
brother, I know she wants to see you again."
"Till next time." Frank said.
"Till the next time." Bob commented.
Frank then turned and exited the room.