"-and this is why we need to start the retrieval mission immediately."

Everyone around me left their chairs to hand their gathered information on the Wisp case to the boss.

I slept through this briefing just like the last ten ones.

I knew the drill already, retrieve the Breath of the Earth that had been taken off the planet when the humans left, and ultimately lead to the cataclysmic events that made Earth what it is today. Some researchers hope that, if we can find whoever has stolen the Breath, we can retrieve it and, after some serious cleanup, implant it back into the planet to bring it back to its former glory.

We're still not quite sure which horrible villain stole it, and thus who I have to thank for all of these briefings, that kept me prisoner and stole precious time of my life, but there's only one out there cruel enough to have destroyed a whole planet with his greedy actions, and indeed most of the signs point towards him.

Captain Ryan Wisp.

And this is where I come into play, my job is to retrieve the Breath of Earth, which is why I don't understand why I've had to sit here listening to Glasses-Guz over there rant for the last ten minutes about why plants need a lot of water, and a green thumb, to grow.

He just isn't happy that my thumb is first of all blue, just like the rest of my skin and second, I will get all the fame when the mission is successfully achieved, and no one will even mention him.

Also, he thinks I'm too big of a troublemaker to get the mission properly done and have the plant come out alive at the end of it.

He's got a point though, my job is usually to end a life, not to bring it back.

Even though they know about my habits, they believe that I am fit for the job, because I have some tendencies to borrow things that don't belong to me and not return them.

In other words, I am a thief.

Everybody in the government knows that I make people's pockets lighter but they let it slip because I can't be replaced.

I am the most skilled at doing my job and also awesome in every other way if I'm being honest.

I stopped the manila folder with my hand as the boss slid it over the table.

"We found him. Pack your bags.", he left the room as I flipped through the pages.

My mission was to steal only, not kill. I looked up as I heard the door swing open yet again.

The boss stepped back in and placed a weird-looking bag on the table.

"I believe there to be a mistake, chief.", I lifted my boots off the table and circled around it, looking at the bag with interest. It seemed to have been made specifically to transport the Breath back. There were straps to carry it on my back and weird metal wires forming a hollow crystal sphere where one could place the Breath of the Earth inside and secure it.

"No mistakes Quinn, we can't afford to lose our best bounty hunter with all of this scum roaming free out there. I trust you to know where your abilities end. Wisp is way over your head. You sneak in, get the Breath and you leave. It's simple really.", My teeth were grinding as he lifted me out of my seat and pushed me through the door to gather everything I would need to track down the most wanted criminal in space society history.

My first stop was the docks. I inspected my shuttle and turned the scanner on to let it run overnight so it could check for any malfunctions. Then I connected the gas pump and let the tank fill. With everything looking in order I left for my barracks. I pressed my palm over the scanner at the side of my door and it slid to the side so I could pass through. My room was pretty minimalistic. One could only find the basics here like my bed, a desk, and an adjoining bathroom. There was a carpet on the floor depicting a Nebular, which is a pretty vicious gigantic creature floating through space. They're not really a problem but sometimes hyper-speed vessels can't calculate them into their path since they are mostly see-through and go by the scanners unnoticed, instead of maneuvering around them they get trapped in their tentacles, which then leads to a gruesome end since Nebulari aren't known to ever let their prey go after it's been caught and their tentacles give off shock impulses that travel throughout the whole vessel and everything inside of it. Could be you someday too!

Yea, I agree it is a neat carpet to have on the floor.

In fact, it looks even better if it's not completely covered with all the junk I've collected over the years. Ever since my fascination with earth began I've been picking up every rusted piece of human creations that I could find. It's sort of an obsession of mine. There are all sorts of things from old silverware like forks and spoons to a very pretty colorful feathery knot that I believe they used to bait fish with and of course my all-time favorite, the clocks. There's just something fascinating about being able to watch the time go by. Sadly most of the ones I found, or took more or less legally, stopped working by now and I haven't been able to figure out how to repair them properly, which is clearly visible by the pile of cracked wristwatches, springs, and torn leather straps that's spilled covered all over with glue in the corner of my room to my left. The only one remaining is the one I wear above my leather fingerless glove to help keep that one from falling off.

I let the folder with the mission details drop onto my desk and with practiced ease I removed the one part of me that hides my biggest and probably only imperfection.

With the big clunky metal armor sliding back into its form as a simple thick bracelet around my wrist, my right arm falls limp to my side. I don't know why I can't move it. I guess it's just always been that way, but thankfully my Ma found a technician when I was a lanky teen, that was able to bring life into my nerves and muscles through a gauntlet-like contraption. On top of that it features a sharpshoot weapon and some viciously long extendable claws that can break apart into a force field whip.

In Summary, no one should mess with me.

For safety reasons, I have never taken the gauntlet-bracelet off, since fighting threats off with only one functional arm is very low on my to-do list and I can't say my thieving habits lead to me having a lot of friends that would jump in, to rush to my aid, but with the bracelet on me, I am a killer machine. I will find Captain Wisp and I hope everyone out there is aware, Wisp's bounty is mine. Dead or Alive.

Whatever they say.

I'll get the fame and I'll get the money.