In the distance, probably hollering from the other side of town, young chicks cheeped boisterously, their hypnotic tune attracting predatory bloodbees and incisor worms to them.  On the opposite ridge stood a strange creature, chewing jerky from a cloth bag as his long antenna twitched in response to the sound. Then, just as quickly as it had began, the chirping suddenly ceased, replaced by frantic buzzing and viscious ripping as the young birds eagerly tucked into their unwittingly lured breakfast. The creature sighed softly, lucky for him that he wasn’t as dumb as his airborne cousins. Or maybe lucky for the birds. His stomachs groaned loudly at the thought of fresh chicken.

Suddenly the critter’s ears and antennae pricked up as footsteps could be heard approaching. Listening, he soon visibly relaxed as he recognised the measured gait of Achilles. Footfalls known for their stealthiness were known even better to Oddball. The creature was pondered, not for the first time, how humans had gotten so far in the universe when they were so easily snuck up on.

He turned toward the noise, neighing, panting and chirping with his thorax in excited greeting. Achilles raised a right arm that glinted in the morning sun and smiled, laughter fogging the glass of her respirator at the sight of her mount chewing gratefully on the bag of jerky he’d managed to fish out of her rations.

“Have some greens, love”, Achilles chuckled. “I can smell you through the damn exo, you’re gonna choke me to bloody death on the ride back!”

Oddball tossed his shaggy mane and snorted derisively, a small toot escaping his rear as he did so. His canine nose did not do him any favours as the evil aroma he’d unwittingly set loose on the world caught in his throat. Begrudgingly, he cropped a tuft of nearby grass into his mouth, its appalling lack of gristle disgusting him. He shuddered, he swivelled his gaze pitifully back to his companion. She stared on patiently for him to finish, raising an eyebrow.

“Swallow it”, Achilles warned.

He whined, lowering his tail in a show of unhappiness.

“Oddball, don’t make me ask again”

Seeing that she wasn’t going to give in, Oddball reluctantly downed the greens, almost gagging. Even more terribly, it did make his stomachs feel better.

“Good boy!” Achilles exclaimed. “Now, my little lab-grown abomination, let’s get a little run in, shall we? How’s that sound boy?”

Oddball wagged his tail in spite of himself, beginning to pant between his mandibles and taste the air for the pheromone trails he’d left behind to lead them back to New Anchorage.

Achilles patted her steed on the neck fondly, her expression darkening as she gazed out toward the charred ruins of the town below. There’d not been much left down there, naught but melted plastic, toxic smoke and charred bones. Not much in the way of clues. Had they arrived not two hours earlier, the chemfire probably wouldn’t yet have scoured everything so thoroughly. She cursed under her breath, turning Oddball away from the ruin. She thought about the orange glow of the blaze against in the night sky, visible from miles around as the flames licked the sides of the buildings. The ashen reliefs of the vapourised settlers she found on the walls had been so casual, like the bomb had hit so fast they’d not even had time to throw their arms up in terror. She gritted her teeth. She would not miss him next time. First to town, get rations, then ammo, download the latest info cache for leads, fix Oddball’s flight unit so they could stop travelling at this snail’s pace. It might take tracking another bounty, cashing in another favour, staying awake for days on nothing but stims and a prayer; but gods help her, she would find him. She would show him her daddy’s gun. She’d show it to him till the empty chamber clicked his death knell. She’d show it to him till the muscles in her good arm cramped across the trigger, till all that was left of his horrid face was bits too small to shoot, and let hungry bees circle in to make their sickly honey of whatever was left.