Black Sheep Have You Any Wool?

The elevator music was making me nauseous, or it might have been the way the whole elevator was rocking every so often. The light overhead flickered constantly and the high pitched squeal from metal friction was starting to make my ears hurt. Maybe it's not the elevator music, now that I think about it.

Ding. I arrive on floor 249, the elevator doors open slowly, the one side struggling more than the other. When the doors came to a halt, the one door was only half open. The elevator rocked again, ever so slightly, but enough to inspire me to get the hell out. I mustered all my courage and leaped out of the elevator, I've seen too many movies where elevators become instruments of dismemberment. With a glance back at the deathtrap, a gave a sigh of relief as I started taking in my surroundings, what the hell did I get myself into?

A few weeks ago I started frequenting a dodgy bar in the lower levels of Maut's only station. I came here not for the drink, because that tasted like piss, or the dancers, cause they're either fat or old enough to be your mother. I came here for the company. The gang of miscreants nicknamed the Black Sheep spent most of their time out of ship here, being the only bar they've not gotten thrown out of. It started when I met with the leader of this gang, Duke Thunderhorse, a fellow ex-Rifta member for a drink here one night to talk of old times and current affairs. The night ended with us drunk and in ships, chasing FW pilots from plexes. Needless to say I came back for more and soon I was there so much, I was starting to wonder why I wasn't part of this merry gang.

The hallway I stood in now looked in even worse condition than the elevator. A terrible stench hung in the air, the kind of stench that had me fighting off gag reflexes. Most of the lights were broken or only pulsed now and then. Graffiti, bullet prints and blood littered the walls and the inhabitants of this shit hole now looked upon me with smirks, though I couldn't figure out whether from amusement after my leap frog maneuver out of the elevator or from the thoughts of what they might do to me.

I quickly regained my composure and started striding down the hallway, looking for door number 24914. The few threatening looks I got were stifled when I unclipped my holster and put my hand casually on the pistol's grip. Before I found the door I heard the unmistakable chuckles that could only come from one man, Judge Sarn. I arrived at the door of Min0r Threat's offices and flung open the door.

Four pistols were aimed at my face, the closest one, held by Meatbix, I brushed aside, "Careful where you point that thing Meat, you might hurt someone."

"YUZUKI!!!" screamed the Judge as he lowered his pistol and downed a dirty tumbler glass full of whiskey.

A smile crept over Meatbix's face, "Ever heard of knocking mate?" he holstered his weapon, "Heard you were coming, Duke's waiting for you in his office," he pointed to a door that was spray painted to read "All H4IL the Duke!"

Duke sat behind a desk with his head resting on one hand while casually playing with the fitting hologram in front of him. It was no surprise to see a Wolf displayed on the hologram. I grabbed a seat in front of the desk, glancing over the fitting he had set up.

"Ever get tired of flying those?" I asked, lounging back and putting my feet on the desk.

"Nope," he replied, he opened a drawer and produced a neocom from it, "You got everything in order?" he asked, sliding the neocom over the desk.

I glanced over the contract, everything seemed fine as far as I could tell. "Yes," I replied, "Do I sign here?"

"Yup," he replied as he got off his chair and walked over to a cabinet. When I finished signing he had two tumblers and a bottle of whiskey in his hand which he put on the desk. I couldn't help but notice that the whiskey had "Property of Judge Sarn, don't touch my whiskey!" scribbled on the side with a pen. After pouring he grabbed a glass and lifted it in the air.

"Welcome to the family Yuzuki."