• The date was 12/13/25-11, and I had just received permission to leave my pod from the front office. For those of you who are too poor to know what a pod it, a pod is what our ansestors called an apartment or penthouse, I do believe. It would be impossible for me to afford one if I didn't work at the Rec. Works to pay for the 200,000s.p.(Sky Petals(about $2,000 U.S.)) rent every month.

    It has been more and more dangerous outside recently, because of the dust storms and renegade group of persons who have been causing havoc around this sector. It is part of my job to take care of this renagade group.

    My name is Bade, I am the seventh member in my team. I am Bade VII.

    I had put on my eye safety googles on and wrapped my scarf around my neck and mouth and exited my pod. By the time I had gotten to my sand rider, I had to wipe a fine layer of dust off my googles. I climbed on my sand rider and kicked on the engine. The sand rider was a bit old fashioned. It still used liquid fuel and I often had to clean out the tank of dust. More richer persons now used stelar cubes with the newer sand rider models.

    I kicked up the brake stand and accelertated down the street. This sector contained mainly of dust covered huts(normal houses) and a few would-be shops, if the renegade group hadn't destroyed most of them, and also the pod house, where I live. The streets were empty of people, because of the renegade group. I am on my way now to the Rec. Works building where I get my assignments.

    Suddenly a faint scream caught my ears. I braked and cut the engine and listened. Underneith the sounds of the wind and dust blowing, where voices, then a clear scream. It was coming from inside an open shop. I turned on my engine and parked it near the shop. I climbed off, killed the engine, and went inside. The dust had started to cape everything from the broken window, and three men where grabbing things off the shelves as another man held a woman at gun point and the last man was kicking an elderly man on the floor, swearing and cursing at him.

    "Excuse me," I said as I removed my googles and the scarf from my mouth. "What do you men, think you are doing?" I asked. Suddenly the five robbers glared at me.

    The man with the woman turned the gun to me. "What does it look like, shorty?" He said. "We're taking what we want."

    "Shut up, Jonsford!" the man who was kicking the elderly man yelled. He left the old man and took out a gun. "Listen kid, if you don't want to get hurt, you better leave now."

    "Sorry, I can not do that." I said. "I am with Rec. Works and I have the authority to turn you five in, if you don't return everything you took and apologize to the nice man and lady." I said. "Now, be good." I added.

    "Why you-!" one of the shouted and the five men fired their guns at me. I dodged the bullets and dived behind the counter. I took out my gun. I heard the clicks of one of the men out of ammo and I leaned out and shot his hand the held the gun. He screamed in pain, dropped the gun and grabbed his wounded hand. I ducked back behind the counter. The woman screamed and covered her ears as she crouched to the ground. The old man was trying to crawl for cover behind one of the aisles.

    "You little punk!" one of the men yelled as he reloaded his gun then let off another round. I dived off to the side of the counter and let off two shots, one hit his knee shattering the knee cap and the other hit his shoulder. I dodge more bullets and hide behind the counter again. One of the men came around the counter, and I shot him in the foot. He cried out in pain and I grabbed his leg then pulled him to the ground. He hit his head and became unconsiecne.

    "Three down, two to go." I said, the I popped out from behind the counter and shot one of the last two in each shoulder and the last one in the leg. He cursed and leaned against the wall, and pointed the gun at me. I left the counter and stood in front of him. "You can still turn this around by giving yourself up." I said.

    He cursed at me. "You think I'll do that?!" he yelled. I pointed my gun to his head. He started to tremble. "F-fine! O-okay." he said, then dropped his gun. I moved my gun from his head, and he slumped to the floor. I took out my phone and called up Rec. Works office.

    "Rec. Works, what do you need?" a voice answered.

    "This is Bade VII of Sector XI. I have here five men at Mill's Shop. Please come and take them into custody." I said.

    "A retrival team will be there in five."

    "Thank you." I said and turned my phone off and returned it to my pocket.

    I walked over to the young lady and knelt down beside her, then touched her shaking hand. "It's okay now." I said. "It's over now. You'll be taken care of." She looked up a me and nodded through tears. I left her and went to the old man behind the aisle. "Sir, it's okay now. Everything will be taken care of. A retriveil team will be in five minutes to take the men in custody." I told him.

    "Thank you." he said.

    I left the shop and went to check on my sand rider. The wind had stopped and the dust settled revealing the two moons and a purple star. That purple star was our sun. "I wonder if those guys are part of the renegade group that has been giving us trouble." I thought aloud. I sighed. "Oh well," I mutter as I went back inside the shop to make sure the men weren't gonna cause more trouble. "I guess Rec. Works will deal with that." I went inside and saw a woman in a red suite with blonde hair sitting on the counter. I recovered from my surprize and sighed.

    "Hey, Shay. What are you doing here?" I asked. Shay smiled and got off the counter.

    "Why, does my being here bother you, Bade?" She asked as she walked up to me.

    "No, not at all." I said, hiding my irritation. "I was just wondering." Shay laughed and shook her head.

    "If that's the case, I just had heard gunfire and I came to see what was going on." Shay said.

    "Oh, I see." I said.

    "You seem disappointed. Were you hoping I came for you?" She asked.

    "Who would?!" I said.

    "Say what you will," she laughed. Suddenly she drew her gun and shot a warning shot at the man's hand, who was reaching for his gun. "Now, now. Can't have you going and doing that now, can I?" Just then we heard a large dune rider pull up outside the broken window. People dressed in dark tan suites exited the rider and enter the shop and started to apprehend the wounded men. One of the men of the retrival team came up to me.

    "Are you Bade VII who made the call?" he asked.

    "I am," I said with a nod. He reached into his pocket and handed me an envolope.

    "I was told by the Rec. Works office to give this to you." he said then went to help the rest of his team drag the robbers into the dune rider. I examined the envolope. It was blank on the outside. I opened it and pulled the paper out. I read.

    Dear Bade VII. We haven't talked in such a long time. Why don't you write to me anymore? Surely you haven't been so busy not to write to your dear beloved-

    "Whose it from?" Shay asked, interupting my reading, as she leaned over my shoulder to try and read it. Quickly I folded the paper up and stuck it in my pocket.

    "No one." I said then left the shop and climbed onto my sand rider and started the engine. Is this from who I think it is? I thought.

    "Hey, Bade!" Shay yelled at me and ran up to my rider. "Where are you going?" She asked.

    "I'm going back to Rec. Works. I'm almost late." I said as I kicked up the brake stand and put my googles on.

    "Mind giving me a ride?" Shay asked. "I don't have a sand rider and I have to get to Rec. Works." I sighed and scooted up a little, so there was more room for her.

    "Fine," I said. Shay smiled and jumped on behind me and wrapped her arms around my waist. "Hang on, and close your eyes. I don't have extra googles for you to wear. If too much dust get into your eyes, it could damage them." I told her as I moved my scarf over my mouth.

    "Okay, thanks!" Shay said and tightened her arms around me, squeezed her eyes shut. I accelerated down the road. The wind was strong and bits of dust stung my face. I felt Shay bury her face into back on my coat. Time had seemed to drag on as we rode. I finally pulled up to the entrance station of Rec. Works and the woman in the station booth opened the window and smiled.

    "Hello, state your name and buisness please." The uniformed woman said politely. I moved the scarf down to my chin.

    "Bade VII, I'm here to report for duty." I said. Shay removed her face from my back and leaned to the window.

    "My name is Shay Guna. I'm here in hopes of joining a certain team." Shay said. The woman in the booth typed into a touch keyboard and nodded.

    "Okay, you may enter." She said then pushed a button on the wall beside her and the main gate opened.

    "Thanks!" Shay said as I drove passed the booth and through the gates into the parking lot. The parking lot was connected to the building and had a roof to protect the vehichals from damage from the dust storms. I killed the engine after I parked in my usual spot. Shay pratically jumped off the rider and waited for me. I took my googles off and wiped them clean with my scarf.

    "What team were you talking about?" I asked as I shoved the googles in my pocket and kicked the brake stand down then climbed off the sand rider.

    "Oh ho! Wouldn't you like to know?" She said. "You'll just have to wait and find out." Shay said. I rooled my eyes and headed for the elevator that would take me to first floor. "Can you take me to the main office, Bade?" Shay asked. "I'm afraid I don' know where it is."

    "Fine, that's were I'm going too." I said and enter my pass code in the elevator panel then the doors opened and Shay and I entered it.