A Jack of All Trades

Scattered amongst the dusty dunes and rolling sandy hills of the desert planet of Tatafoon Kappa, legends tell of the ruins of a once-powerful civilization. These legends, of course, are merely silly stories meant to attract silly tourists, to whom the locals sell bits of rubble and old bones they claim were dug up and reclaimed from the sands of time. In actuality, most of these artifacts are discovered in the dumpster in the back alley of Zergox's Sit 'n' Spit, the charming and not-at-all criminal-infested cantina where our story begins. Sitting at the bar is the cast of regular patrons. Thieves, murderers, space pirates, politicians, and just about any other deplorable scum of the stars can be found seated here. Among them is Jack Oat, psychopath extraordinaire, number one on the Galactic Council's Most Wanted list, and, unknown to him, the only man in the room who's about to be dragged, kicking and screaming, into the ship of famed adventurer, bounty hunter, and general jack of all trades, Truss Brahe. <html>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acronym</html> Should Truss... [[Toss a plasma grenade into Zergox's Sit 'n' Spit?]] [[Don a disguise and catch Jack by surprise?]]

Truss addresses the reader directly. "Some people just want to see the world burn, huh?" Truss shrugs his shoulders, then pulls the pin on a plasma grenade. He lobs the explosive through the doors of Zergox's Sit 'n' Spit, then storms in with his Cosmodine E-Repeat drawn. He trains his weapon on where Jack Oat was once seated, but as the smoke clears, the only thing remaining at the bar is a very disgruntled-looking Zergox pointing to a sign reading "You break it, I break you." Truss glances to his right to see Jack Oat making a break for it. He turns to give chase, but is stopped dead in his tracks. Zergox the none-too-pleased bartender has trapped Truss in a mini tractor beam! Zergox hangs his apron and exchanged the garment for a pair of spiked gauntlets that, judging from the red stains and all-too-eager smile lining Zergox's face, have most certainly been used before. Should Truss... [[Apologize and offer to pay for the damage?]] [[Try something clever!]]

Truss talks into his Cosmodine arm console. "Computer, tell me how to dress like a hobo." "Over 1,000,000 results for "dress like a hobo." Sorting for best match. Sorting. Sorting. Best match found. <html>http://bricktheater.blogspot.com/2009/04/how-to-dress-like-hobo-ten-helpful.html</html>" Truss roots around outside, looking for something to cloak his galactic-wide famous face. Aha! Using a cardboard box, miscellaneous dumpster filth, and some old rags, Truss has fashioned himself a genuine hobo facewrap. Given the regular demographic of Zergox's Sit 'n' Spit, he should blend in perfectly. He takes a moment to get into character, doing some vocal exercises and perfecting his bum walk, which looks like what one might expect a dying cow to walk like if that dying cow was also an alcoholic. Confident in his newfound ability to be a worthless bum, Truss enters the Sit 'n' Spit. He hobbles past the other patrons, pleased to see his mimesis is going off without a hitch. Reaching the bar, Truss drops some galactic credits into Zergox's Booze-o-matic and selects his drink. Should Truss... [[Order a Pan-Galactic Gargle Blaster?]] [[Order a Rusty Spinetickler?]]

"Wait. Wait. Oh dear Snuffleglob wait." Truss flails about helplessly in the anti-gravity array. Not so keen on the thought of his face having some new holes in it, he pleas with Zergox. "My name is Truss Brahe. I am in pursuit of Jack Oat, a galactic felon. If you let me go, I will have all the damages paid for and you will never see my face again, but I need to go. Now." "Do you have any idea what kind of tab Jack Oat owes me? If you capture him, that's never getting paid off. Besides, you break it, I break you. Bar policy." "Are you kidding me!? Why would he pay off his bar tab? He's wanted in over 17,000 star systems! Paying for his drinks and crackers is not on his priority list! WHY WOULD ANYONE RUN A BAR THAT CATERS TO CRIMINALS!? WHAT KIND OF BUSINESS MODEL IS THAT!?" "BEING A SMALL INDEPENDENT BUSINESS OWNER IS DIFFICULT!" "WHY ARE WE YELLING!?" "I DON'T KNOW. YOU STARTED IT." Zergox and Truss take a second to reflect. "If I pay Jack's bar tab, can I go?" "Sounds good." Zergox releases Truss, who dutifully swipes a galactic credit crystal over the register. Truss turns and gives chase after Jack. Should Truss... [[Ready his stun blaster to shoot Jack?]] [[Use his rocket boots to catch up to Jack?]]

"Rocket Boots: Engage!" Flames violently thrust from Truss's heels, propelling him out of the tractor field. Zergox ducks to avoid being struck by the living bullet as Truss launches out the doors of the Sit 'n' Spit. "Well that was easy." Should Truss... [[Fly into the air to get a better view?]] [[Use his rocket boots to catch up to Jack?]]

"One Pan-Galactic Gargle Blaster, Zergox." The Sit 'n' Spit goes quiet. Zergox stares at Truss. Jack stares at Truss. Literally the entire bar stares at Truss. After what seems like an eternity of judging stares, Jack breaks the silence. "A Pan-Galactic Gargle Blaster for my new friend here! Chop chop, Zergox!" Jack cackles wickedly, the others soon joining him. Truss looks at Jack uneasily as Jack slings an arm around Truss's shoulder. The murmurs and muffled laughter filling the bar abruptly stops at Zergox places a shot glass before Truss. He solemnly takes Truss's credits and looks away as he speaks. <html>http://in1.ccio.co/jW/UI/eE/3729612160893861hEt7ofCUc.jpg</html> "One Pan-Galactic Gargle Blaster. May the Great Kek-zon have mercy on your flibble." Truss stares at his drink and Jack stares at Truss. "C'mon, buddy boy. Drink up!" Should Truss... [[Drink up?]] [[Swap drinks with Jack?]]

Truss clears his throat, both trying to sound like a disheveled bum and to get the putrid stink of the air out of his throat. "One Rusty Spinetickler." Jack turns to Truss, overhearing his order. "Did you just order a Rusty Spinetickler?" "What's it to ya, pretty boy?" "That just so happens to be my favorite drink, and any man who can stomach a spinetickler is a man I want to be acquainted with. Put 'er there." Jack extends his hand and Truss sees an opportunity. Should Truss... [[Subdue Jack at the bar?]] [[Shake Jack's hand and wait?]]

Truss looks at his drink, then at Jack, then at his drink again. The drink bubbles and fumes intimidatingly, and Truss has some reservations about being the one to drink it. He leans toward Jack Oat, making sure a particularly disgusting portion of his hobo hat is next to his face. Jack recoils from the stench. "Goodness gracious, man! Did you fetch that hat out of a dumpster!?" Tempted to tell Jack he's correct, Truss instead takes the opportunity to switch his and Jack's drinks. Just as Jack returns to watch Truss imbibe his gargle blaster, Truss finishes drinking down Jack's drink, a much less potent Rusty Spinetickler. "Did you see that, Zergox? A Pan-Galactic Gargle Blaster and he's barely even buzzed. You call yourself a bartender!?" Jack gulps down the real gargle blaster, then chucks the glass at Zergox. "Now make him a real drink, you pathetic... waste of... nighty night, folksies." Jack falls to the ground with a thud. Zergox rushes around the bar to check on him. The bar fills with worried chitchat. "Is he dead?" "That hobo guy drugged his drink, I think." "I know this is a bad time, but I ordered a lemon doogler, not a lime doogler." Truss pats Zergox's back, trying to both comfort him and get his attention. "I'm sorry fer yer loss, feller, but I think I hear the planetary patrol outside. Want me t' git the body outta here?" Zergox looks up, realizing he hears the sirens as well. "Yes. Go. You can leave out the back. Just get him outta here." Truss drags Jack's unconscious body out the back of the Sit 'n' Spit and props him up against the wall. He tosses his hobo disguise in the dumpster, then continues to haul Jack through the back alley. Suddenly, a figure emerges from the shadows. "Sssssay, friend... Lookssssss like you're trying to get rid of ssssssomeone..." The figure slithers toward Truss and begins appraising Jack's body. <html>http://img02.deviantart.net/ae18/i/2011/227/4/7/snake_man_by_chillier17-d46q86j.jpg</html> "Yesssssss, I could ssssssssee thissssss one ssssssselling niccccccely." Should Truss... [[Sell Jack?]] [[Decline the offer?]]

Truss takes the glass and holds it up. "Cheers." He chugs the drink down in a single go and, to the amazement of most of those around him, doesn't immediately keel over. Jack slams his fist on the bar. "What, nothing? What kind of sissy gargle blasters are you slinging nowadays, Zergox?" Zergox shrugs, just as amazed as Jack. Truss grins, seeing an opportunity. "What're ya too big of a baby t' drink a gargle blaster, pal?" Jack fumes at Truss's remark. "Zergox! A Pan-Galactic Gargle Blaster! Extra strong! Now!" The Sit 'n' Spit fills with amazed oo's and ah's as more and more people gather around the bar to watch the drink-off. Zergox places the drink before Jack and Jack picks it up quickly. He sniffs it, a little hesitant to drink it, but his ego gets the best of him and he quaffs it down. Jack groggily smiles at Truss, the concoction hitting him pretty hard. "How's about that for... Oooh boy..." Jack swivels and falls off the stool. Truss tosses off his disguise and tosses a clear baggy full of his drink onto the bar, along with some galactic credits. "I'd love to stay, but I think I'm gonna take my Jack to go." Truss hoists Jack over his shoulder and out of the bar. He whistles gleefully as he carries Jack back to his ship, his only regret being that he didn't bring a wheelbarrow to carry him in. Reaching his ship, he lays Jack on the ground. Should Truss... [[Contact the Galactic Council and have Jack arrested?]] [[Interrogate Jack first?]]

Truss seizes Jack's hand and twists his arm, eliciting a painful grunt from Jack. He quickly produces his stun blaster and fires, immobilizing Jack. "Hey! No weapons in my bar!" Zergox grabs Truss from across the bar and powerfully slams him onto the ground. Truss sputters and picks himself up. Should Truss... [[Explain the situation?]] [[Grab Jack and run?]]

Truss shakes Jack's hand and clinks glasses with him. They both down their drink in a single gulp. "Zergox, another Tickler for me and my pal! Say, what's your name again?" "My name is uh... Dolan." Truss sweats under his disguise. "Dolan, please." "Huh?" "That's a stupid name. What, were your parents dyslexic and try to name you Donald? Ha!" Zergox returns with the drinks and sets them out to the two men. "Well, here's to you, Dolan. Bahaha!" The evening goes on like this, jokes and drinks and the occasional urge to strangle. Eventually, Jack proposes something new. "Hey, Dolan ol' pal. Come with me. I gotta show ya somethin'." Truss tries to stand up but falls off his stool. Jack laughs uproarously and holds out his hand. Should Truss... [[Follow Jack out the back?]] [[Subdue Jack at the bar?]]

"Rocket Boots: Engage!" Like a speeding bullet, Truss goes careening out of the doors of the Sit 'n' Spit, zipping this way and that to locate Jack. Jack being the short and squat man he is, Truss knows he couldn't possibly have outrun him; something is clearly amiss. [[Truss returns to the Sit 'n' Spit]]

Truss takes a moment to think out his next move. "Jack's smart, so he would expect me to chase him. He's short, fairly round..." Truss gestures meaningfully in the air, organizing his thoughts on a mental chalkboard. Zergox watches him and assumes Truss is going slightly mad. "He wouldn't run. He would expect me to run though, as I have a clear advantage there. No, Jack would do something else." Truss reaches for his stun blaster and cranks a dial on the butt of his weapon. After setting it to "auto-pilot," Truss fires a stun charge out the door. The ball of energy darts to the right of the door, a flash of light erupting as someone, or something, is hit. "Aha!" Truss runs out the door and turns right. Sure enough, there lays Jack Oat, unable to move, not counting the occasional twitch of his body and attempt to swear. Truss hoists Jack over his shoulder. "Rocket Boots: Engage:" Truss's footwear fires up and Truss flies the newly captured Jack Oat back to his ship. Should Truss... [[Contact the Galactic Council and have Jack arrested?]] [[Interrogate Jack first?]]

Truss flies high into the air, looking for any signs of the felon on the run. Suddenly, he spots him. "Nowhere to run now, Jack." Should Truss... [[Swoop down and fly off with Jack?]] [[Wait at his ship?]]

Truss accelerates toward his target and catches him around the stomach, hoisting him away over his shoulder through the air. When they reach Truss's ship, Truss dumps Jack off on the ground to let him catch his breath... but Truss soon realizes the person he's hauled off isn't Jack at all! Truss has captured an unsuspecting hobo. "Oh my Snuffleglob I'm so sorry. I thought you were someone else." The hobo wheezes and gasps, then goes completely limp, unmoving on the ground outside of Truss's ship. <html>http://abcnews.go.com/Health/die-fright/story?id=17554297</html> "My Snuffleglob... He's dead." Truss kneels and pays his respects. The guilt of this innocent loss of life will haunt him forever, the look in his eyes as he sputtered his last breath burned into Truss's memory. But then, the hobo springs to life and slaps Truss across the face. "Hah, fooled ya! Gotdang whippersnapper and yer fancy flyin' shoes! Hee hee!" The hobo skips off gleefully. Truss attempts to shake the disbelief from his body, but cannot do so. Out of leads, Truss returns to the Sit 'n' Spit. [[Truss returns to the Sit 'n' Spit]]

Truss looks down at Jack then down the path he's running. Lo and behold, he seems to be running straight for the local docking bay. Truss fires a homing pin to track Jack's movement, then speeds ahead and waits to ambush Jack at the gate. "Any second now, Jack... You'd better not have a heart attack when I jump out. The bounty's only good if you're alive." Seconds pass, then minutes, then hours... Truss checks the homing pin's location again, only to see Jack hasn't moved for the past hour. Having waited long enough, Truss engages his trusty rocket boots again and lifts off to capture Jack. "I tried to be nice. I said to myself "Hey, plasma grenades are pretty loud and rude to use. Let me make up for it by catching Jack quietly." But NOOOOOO, you just HAVE to be rude and wait out in public for me. Fine, Jack. Have it your way." Truss lands violently behind Jack, who's taken it upon himself to fall asleep on a park bench. He grabs Jack and shakes him awake. "Hey, remember me!? I'm done waiting for you to-" Jack, or rather, the very confused man who Truss believed was Jack, stared Truss in the eyes, terrified and still half-asleep. Jack escaped hours ago on a stolen planetary freighter, which he would later trade for a galactic cruiser. In his new ship, Jack pillaged, destroyed, and murdered his way through the stars, continuing his crime spree until the day he died. BAD END

Truss pushes a few buttons on the console on his arm. A holographic display appears before Truss, who is kneeling beside Jack the same way a hunter would pose with his kill. "Greetings, Galactic Council! I'd like to inform you all that I, Truss Brahe, have successfully captured Jack Oat. He'll be locked up in my cargo bay on Tatafoon Kappa in the Archanis star system. I'll be emitting a tracking beacon so you can find me. Truss Brahe out." A little blip emits from Truss's arm as the communication is terminated. Truss puts the cargo bay on lockdown and waits for the Council's ship to arrive and pick up Jack, which it does after a few hours. Jack's interstellar reign of terror has come to an end, Truss has collected a massive bounty, and the galaxy can rest easy for now... but Truss can't help but feel he's missing something. JUSTIFIED END

Truss tosses Jack into the ship's cargo bay and gets ready to open communications with the Galactic Council. Watching Jack from the corner of his eye, Truss stops and squats down to look at him. Still out cold, Jack does little more than dribble on the floor. Truss reaches into a compartment on the back of his belt and retrieves a stim pack, which he jabs into Jack's arm. Pushing down the plunger, Jack slowly regains his motor and speech functions. "I've got some questions for you. If your answers are not to my liking, you're getting the stunner again. Got it?" Jack smirks, stifling a laugh. "Oh memories... I remember that feeling, Truss. You feel so righteous, like some kind of god smiting down a demon." Truss furrows his brow, then jabs Jack with the muzzle of his blaster. "Explain." "My name, Truss... Jack Oat. Doesn't it sound familiar?" Losing patience, Truss begins to power up his blaster. "My name isn't Jack Oat, Truss. It's Jack O.A.T., Jack of all trades. Get it?" "That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard." "Well you're the one who came up with it, buddy boy." Truss contemplates silently. Not after long, Jack breaks the silence. "I'm you, idiot. From the future." "Prove it." "Your name is Truss Brahe. Your favorite number was 42 but now it's 1337. You have a scar on your back that looks like a robo-droid Mk.4. You're horribly afraid of spiders but refuse to tell anyone. Your favorite drink is old janx spirit. You had an awkward sexual encounter with a crossdressing Garflaxian-" "Ok enough, oh my Snuffleglob shut up." "Believe me now, huh? Not so keen on turning me into the Council, amirite?" "Why?" "What do you mean why? You'd be turning yourself in, stupid." "No, I mean... Why have you done all this? Why will I do all this? Do you know how many innocent lives you've taken... how many.. I will take?" Truss nearly vomits at the thought of becoming Jack. "The Council fucked me. Fucked us. Us! I remember it so clearly... and you will too!" Should Truss... [[Listen to Jack's story?]] [[Set Jack free?]] [[Contact the Galactic Council and have Jack arrested?]]

"For me, it was 17 Solarian cycles ago. For you, it will be in 3 Solarian cycles. The Galactic Council's head passed away from Germoxian worm flu and was replaced, as expected, by a clone. Strangely enough, another council member fell from the same ailment. Then another, and another, and another..." Jack seems to tear up a bit. Truss listens with intrigue. "Eventually, the entire Council had been replaced by clones. It's expected that clones die, especially ones of such great importance. However, the clones were... different. The Council members you know were no more. Their replacements were cruel, vicious, greedy, hungry for power. They claimed ownership of millions of star systems. Any systems they didn't like, they destroyed." Truss can barely believe Jack. "That's... That can't be true." Jack pulls up a holographic display of the galactic map on his arm console. Thousands of stars are missing. "You see now?" "Oh dear Snuffleglob..." "Do you see any particularly important system missing, Truss?" Truss looks at the map. He types in the coordinates of his home system, but finds nothing but void. "No. No! This isn't real!" "It's real, Snuffleglob dammit!" Truss breaks down, sobbing uncontrollably. "At least you didn't have to witness it like I did. The pain, the anguish of watching your world get torn apart... When you do, you will understand." "This isn't going to happen. I refuse to let it, and I refuse to believe you couldn't stop it." Jack looks at Truss, surprised by his words. "I won't become you. We're going to prevent this, together." "How can you trust me?" "I can only trust you as much as I trust myself." Jack and Truss look into each other's eyes, knowing exactly what the other is thinking. They both speak at the same time. "Together, we fight." GOOD END

Truss stands up and opens the cargo bay doors. "Get up." "What?" "I said get up. Now." Jack, not wanting to question his possible freedom, does as he's told. "Computer, take me to Starbase 401z in the Gamma Quadrant, Galactic Council HQ." Jack makes a run for it, but Truss trips him. "You're not leaving. You and I have some unfinished, and in my case, unstarted, business with the Council." Jack's panic quickly turns to a devilish glee. "I knew you wouldn't lock yourself away. What are we going to do when we get there?" Truss looks coldly at Jack, then grins. "You've got quite a track record for murder, Jack. I, on the other hand, have never taken a life." Truss grips his blaster. Jack gulps. "Who better to be my mentor than myself? and who better to start with than the scum who will betray us?" Truss laughs maniacally and Jack soon joins in. The starship kicks into hyperspace as Truss prepares to usher a new Jack O.A.T. into the galaxy. TRAITOROUS END

Truss fires a stun round at Zergox, who barely flinches as he furthers his death charge toward Truss. Panicked, Truss pulls another plasma grenade from his pouch and tosses it directly at Zergox. The blast sends Zergox, Truss, and another figure flying to the walls. Truss picks himself up and looks around to see Zergox doing the same. Truss's eyes widen as the other figure reveals itself to be none other than Jack Oat. Zergox must have been hiding him! "Stop right there, Oat!" Truss aims his blaster at Jack and fires, but nothing but a spark and a depressing boop come forth from the firearm. Jack takes this opportunity to flee. Truss turns to give chase, but trips. Zergox stomps down on Truss's back, eliciting a sickly crack from the bounty hunter's spine. "You break it." Zergox says, kicking Truss sharply in the ribcage. "I break you." "Rocket boots..." Truss coughs, barely able to breathe. "En..." Truss's head falls to the floor, his last words barely gargled out as the life faded from his eyes. Truss's body was unceremoniously tossed in the dumpster behind the Sit 'n' Spit and his remains were harvested and sold as tacky tourist novelties. Perhaps in his next life, Truss will know that not every problem can be solved with a plasma grenade. DEAD END

Truss freaks out and grabs a galactic credit crystal. <html>http://vignette4.wikia.nocookie.net/finalfantasy/images/9/9b/Crystal1.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20100723091514&path-prefix=vi</html> "I'LL PAY FOR IT TO BE FIXED OH MY SNUFFLEGLOB JUST DON'T KILL ME" Zergox's rampage comes to a halt as soon as he sees the crystal. His bloodthirsty sprint is exchanged for a casual walk as Zergox approaches Truss. "Gimmie that." Zergox doesn't mince words and begins looking the crystal over. "Yeah, this'll do. You steer clear of my place in the future, or you're dead. Got it?" Truss nods and rubs his throat, attempting to persuade his heart to leap back down out of it. "Not to sound ungrateful, but I'm looking for someone. That's the reason I came back." "Don't care. Get out." Not one to push his luck, Truss makes for the exit. Suddenly, Truss's COLI (Cosmodine Organic Lifeform Indicator) chirps. "Scanners indicate: 2 lifeforms. 1 Algroxian male, 1 human male." Truss and Zergox lock eyes. Truss pulls another galactic credit crystal from his pouch and tosses it to Zergox, who returns the gift with a quick gesture pointing under a nearby table. Without a word, Truss points his stun blaster and fires. A loud thud indicates to Truss that whoever he hit is now thoroughly incapacitated. Truss collects Jack from under the table and nods to Zergox, then leaves. Back at Truss's ship, Truss lays Jack down on the ground. In his state, he won't be moving anywhere unless there's a nearby hill or cliff. Should Truss... [[Contact the Galactic Council and have Jack arrested?]] [[Interrogate Jack first?]]

Truss returns to the Sit 'n' Spit to look for clues and finds the place in a state of great disrepair. "Wow, what a wreck. What happened here?" Truss thinks for a moment. "Oh, right." Zergox, who was busy cleaning up his ruined bar, looks up to see Truss. "Hey! You're that punk with the plasma grenade!" Zergox charges at Truss, and judging by the hair-raising roar coming from his mouth, his intentions don't seem friendly. Should Truss... [[Shoot Zergox with his stun blaster?]] [[Wave a galactic credit crystal around like a madman?]]

Truss shrugs. "Alrighty, let's talk turkey. What's your price?" "Ssssssseventeen hundred galactic creditsssssssss..." "Sounds fair. If I may ask, what do you do plan to do with him?" The serpent's tongue flicks and his eyes light up. He takes out a marker and starts drawing up portions on Jack's body. "Thissssss part issssssss for the organ trade, thissssssss part isssssss for the flesh cloning vatssssssss, and thisssssssss part..." The snakeman's mouth waters. "...isssssss for my ssssstomach." Should Truss... [[Really sell Jack?]] [[Reconsider?]]

Truss slings Jack over his shoulders. "Uhh... Thanks, but no thanks." Truss tries to get out of the alley as quickly as possible. "Your losssssssssss." Hurrying to his ship, Truss trips and drops Jack on the gravel road. "I guess I'll take my Jack... on the rocks." He looks around, happy to see no one heard that terrible pun. He scoops Jack back up and returns to the ship with a somewhat battered felon. Should Truss... [[Contact the Galactic Council and have Jack arrested?]] [[Interrogate Jack first?]]

The bounty on Jack's head is over a million times the snake man's offer, but Truss chooses this fate for Jack anyway. "Sure. Deal. He deserves this anyway." Truss lets go of Jack and takes the reptile's offer. Truss is given a small case of credits and a very disturbing sense of satisfaction for the transaction. "Enjoy." Truss walks away, leaving Jack to die in the back alley of the Sit 'n' Spit. CRUEL END

Truss puts his hand out to signify he's had enough. "My name is Truss Brahe. I'm a bounty hunter and this is my target. His name is-" "Jack Oat. Yeah, I know who this is. I'm not letting you take one of my best customers away. Zergox snaps and a few members of the crowd step forward menacingly. "What is this, about the money? I'll cut you guys in, whatever. Do you even know what he's wanted for? Do you even know how much he's WORTH?" "Uhh..." Zergox shrugs. Truss pulls up Jack's wanted poster on his Cosmodine arm console. "That's a lot of zeroes." "A few of those zeroes are yours if you let me haul him outta here." Zergox grins and holds out his hand, which Truss shakes. "Expect your cut within a few Martavian orbits." Truss grabs a hold of Jack's unconscious body and drags him out the back. He takes a break and wipes the sweat from his brow. Seeing the dumpster, he takes the opportunity to relieve himself of his disguise. Just as he's finished wiping the grime from his outfit off of his face, Truss hears a voice. "Sssssay, friend... Lookssssss like you're trying to get rid of ssssssomeone..." The figure slithers toward Truss and begins appraising Jack's body. "Yesssssss, I could ssssssssee thissssss one ssssssselling niccccccely." Should Truss... [[Sell Jack?]] [[Decline the offer?]]

Truss puts up his hands, surrendering. "I'll finish my business here and go. Sorry for the commotion." Zergox watches Truss closely as he picks Jack up and carries him off. Truss pushes a few buttons on his Cosmodine arm console with his nose. "Computer, prepare medical drone for my return. Heavy bruising, possibly fractured rib." "Medical drone: Engaged" Truss's console blips cheerily, then shuts off. After a long and painful hobble, Truss returns to his ship and allows the medical drone to patch him up. Once the drone finishes its final program, Truss decides what to do with Jack. [[Contact the Galactic Council and have Jack arrested?]] [[Interrogate Jack first?]]

Jack takes Truss's hand and helps him up. "C'mon, pal. This'll really knock your socks off." Jack opens the door and lets Truss follow behind. Truss looks around. "What is it?" Jack runs back inside and slams the door behind him. Truss puts his back to the door and looks this way and that, not sure what to expect. Then, his Cosmodine arm console pings on. "Scanners indicate: 1 lifeform. 1 unknown species." A voice creeps out from the shadows. "Sssssssomething wrong?" Truss nearly screams as he hears the ominous sound. Suddenly, from the shadows, a figure slithers forth. It's some form of snake man wearing a surgical mask and wielding a none-too-sanitary blade. "Time for dissssssssssssection." Should Truss... [[Scream like a little girl?]] [[Fire his blaster?]]

Truss Brahe, brave adventurer and bounty hunter of the stars, screams like a little girl. As one would expect, this does little to stop the serpentine monster from killing Truss and harvesting his various body parts for money. An unfitting end for such a galaxy-renowned hero, it's almost as if some all-powerful being made Truss scream instead of fight just to see what would happen. It goes without saying, but that all-powerful being is kinda a jerk. DEAD END

Truss pulls his stun blaster from its holster and quickly fires a few charges at the serpent. The mysterious attacker slithers off into the night, scared away by Truss's weapon. He wastes no time running around to the front of the Sit 'n' Spit, knowing the sound of his blaster would not go unnoticed. As luck would have it, Truss catches Jack at the entrance. Should Truss... [[Shoot Jack?]] [[Tackle Jack?]]

Truss takes aim and fires at Jack. He hits him, stunning the running felon. Truss walks up to Jack and pokes his ribs with the toe of his boot. "Sell me to organ harvesters... You sicko." Truss offers a nearby bum a small sum of galactic credits for his cart, which the cum happily accepts. Truss dumps Jack in the cart and hauls him back to his ship. Should Truss... [[Contact the Galactic Council and have Jack arrested?]] [[Interrogate Jack first?]]

Bam! Truss throws the entire weigh of his body against Jack, toppling to the ground on top of him. Jack writhes around under Truss, a desperate bid to escape the bounty hunter. Truss pistol-whips Jack across the face. "You tried to sell me to organ harvesters!" "No I didn't! That would kill me!" "Then what was that snake thing!?" "What snake thing?" "Oh just shut up!" Truss blasts Jack, incapacitating him. He tosses a bum a few galactic credits in exchange for carrying Jack back to the ship. Should Truss... [[Contact the Galactic Council and have Jack arrested?]] [[Interrogate Jack first?]]