Ajax clicks the stiff keys of his dark, dusty, corner walled computer nested alongside the hot humming servers. He was careful to not get his sweat on the Hunt Records.
Hunter team Tycho had found a new variant of A Wartarg. Each key he hits tapping at his strokes, done with that document he moved to the next and next. Ajax is after all the number two data capturer at the Sandton Branch of Southern Union's Hunter Association.
Ajax heard an invitation to lunch from a fellow data capturer. "Man, like I said before I'm still saving," Ajax says without looking back. He has been saving for five years now, to get a Rainbow Snake.
The man repeats his question louder, cheers and whistles coming from his colleagues who are about to go and see their livers. Ajax is liked at work because he is a hard worker and a trustworthy person.
"So what bro, Friday is just another day to me, nothing special about it." Of course, he would love to go out and drink but he had already spent his one hundred credit, monthly spend on taking a train to work rather than a sixteen seater stinker of a minibus taxi.
Ajax last day is today when he collects his final check he would have saved enough money to become a real hunter. He checked his outdated checkered shirt that he got on special from China mall in Fordsburg. It makes him itch so he has to wear an undershirt which in turn makes him sweat. He does not mind, Ajax has long been determined and a little discomfort is nothing if it helps him achieve his goal.
Valerie, a beautiful busty, blacked harried bombshell of a service agent comes by to drop off some cake since she working the night shift they can't celebrate his farewell.
Ajax says "Thanks a lot Val, I will make sure to munch this down Pronto."
Valerie smiles a little lifting her stump to cover up her yellow teeth. It's from years of smoking, Ajax too showed her his mauled leg from the day the monsters appeared. He was attacked by a white-furred, Tiger clawed, Wolverine jawed, monster nowadays they call them Stalkers.
He endured seven surgeries and two years of rehab so he could walk again. Valeria rubs the back of his neck, they are very close but have not taken their relationship to next level. He had saved her from a group of hunters who were trying to use their rank to take advantage of Valerie.
"I promise once I'm done, it's rest and nothing else." Ajax was lying he did not want Valerie to worry especially if she knew what he had planned over the weekend.
Ajax spends the next three hours toiling away at the keys. He put in a little extra effort so everyone in his department can catch a break. When they come in on Monday all their leftover work will have been done. Ajax has always been good at processing large amounts of data, even being able to recall over three hundred different types of monster and their weaknesses including their locations.
Ajax grabbed his homemade wooden walking cane, cupping the head to make so that it does not leave another splinter in him. He is a lot of things but not a handyman at least not yet. These past couple of years he has had to learn the skills so that he can fix things that can be self repaired and he has also tried his hand at repairing things only professionals should be doing.
Supporting his right leg he shuffled along bolts of pain shooting up his ruined leg. He heard the voice of his Boss Jan. Jan is a hard man on his best day. Ajax is like a son to him. A son who has to bribe his father with the only thing that reminds Jan of home Schnapps. Ajax gets it from his weekend job out at the Portals Pub. A Pub surrounded by four class d monster portals, which is why it's called Portals Pub.
With his charming personality, Ajax is a good friend and attentive barkeeper. He has heard many things from many hunters and even something he should not have heard like how the cycle of the seasons is why so many can't raise a rainbow snake. It is an ultra-rare monster that lays an egg every year inside Lunga.
The biggest of the Portals by the pub.
Ajax has planned to get that egg by doing a series of clever trades and one crazy move. It has taken months to convince everyone that the trades are good. Plus most hunters will take the upfront money rather than declare they got a high-value item after all the Southern Union takes a forty-five per cent tax on items ranked rare or higher.
The reason no one expects him to do it because they all believe he can't walk properly. Ajax has been hiding the fact he walks with a brace because some people like Vivian.
A vile, femme fatal who has gossip on everyone in the office, would try to use it to her advantage. Ajax can't prove it but she is involved with the thieves plaguing hunters at this branch.
"Ja boss, you need something?" Jan rubs his orange rugged beard. Pointing at a small package in his pocket. Ajax smiles nearly blurting out something that would make Vivian's ears burn.
Jan pushes the brown paper wrapped package to Ajax. Showing three with his thumb, index and middle fingers. Ajax knows exactly what he means at least that is out of the way. He already secured the three bottles by doing an extra shift for Vicki at the pub.
Holding onto the railing Ajax makes his way up the first floor. Each step with his right leg a new unfelt pain coming from a different part of the leg. He winces a lot coming down the stairs, some in-office staff call him old piston because of his winces that sound like air pushed Piston. The wood of the rail is smooth just like the marbled floor and golden chandelier.
He shuffles past the statues and murals to Valerie's window. She lights up her eyes and cheeks moving in unison producing a smile Ajax hopes never has to leave her face. They had practised this over the months, his heart beating a little faster.
She says with a sultry almond baked voice, "How can we help you today sir?" Ajax watches her movements, the subtle way she arranges her desk so that everything is in reach of her left hand.
He waits, she did explain to him before. "I'm going to use my best paper. An import I got just for you. Plus a pen I have had since, before high school, it writes in the perfect size. My handwriting maybe not be as good as before but your form will be perfect I promise." He had seen her old world poetry she had her own font, beautiful long cursive like her. It was a reflection of her old life before girls lost limbs and loved ones to monsters.
Ajax watches as she brings out her old orange Blic brand pen. She pulls off the black plastic lid with her thumb. It bounces around her table landing by the monitor. Her keyboard has been pushed aside, the ink is black just like her hair. Which is braided up, she starts with his name on the handcrafted application. They are still accepting had written applications so long as it has all the necessary information. The page is coloured blue like a sea on the beaches of Mauritius a monster island now just like Robben Island.
Valerie rubs off a few specks of dust, she wants it to be perfect. Taking her time filling out the details. "The last bit I always forget?"
She points at his ID number, Ajax says, "Zero Eight Zero." She laughs its not even the joke but whenever he says it she laughs. Ajax grins, at her light as a rainbow laugh. She continues putting in his address, blood type, old-world education level and hunter skill.
When the portals appeared five years ago Hunter skills came with them. His innate skill is a trainer. As long as he is higher skilled he can train someone at twice the pace. He also learnt three years ago that it applies to pets.
He had bought a well built Wardog, with the last of his insurance money. Back then everyone thought the world would return to normal, not turn into a fantastical hell. Ajax came to regret his decision because once it out levelled him it ran away.
Valerie with a flourish of her hand lets him see the details.
Name - Ajax
Surname - Khumalo
D. O. B. - 1987 - 09 - 14
H. S. - Trainer
B. T. - O
Address - East 23rd street, Alexander Township, district 10, 2110, Tambo Province
Rank - F minus
It is perfect the paper feels firm and thick, the ink drying without making a single blemish. It even smells like her, well her perfume she wears a subtle mix of cinnamon and lavender. Ajax pricks his finger on his needle adding his right thumb fingerprint in warm blood to the page.
Handing it back to Valerie. She blows over his gold blood print before adding clear adhesive tape to it. She then puts the page into the assembler, a small silver card coming out of the small red Pearl stationed behind her. It is one of the many new technologies that use mana cores instead of circuit boards.
Valerie kisses his new card and then hands it to him, a soft hope coming from her, "Please be careful."
Ajax nods his heart aflutter with excitement and shame. This weekend will be his most dangerous since he beat the flesh-eating bacteria that had infested his right knee.
He pockets the new hunter ID and bids her farewell, never turning back to face her. He could never if he looked back, her eyes would have pulled him back. He is afraid if one thing goes wrong this weekend all his hard work will be ruined. He canes it as fast as his throbbing leg will allow. Leaving the sixty floors of the Hunters Association building behind.
He puts on his mask, the number of deadly diseases has shot up now that the old vaccines have become rare items. The streets are busy with people moving about living their lives. The Association is located at the centre of a mall. Ajax moves past Olivia's three-story shop filled with enchantments and other vanity items. The entire mall is filled with such shops all run by old-world oligarchs.
In his region, it's Sandton Mall, The mall of Africa and Menlyn Mall that are the main sellers of hunter related equipment. The old world name for Joburg has been changed to signify a new beginning for the Union which took only three years to form after the disaster.
Ajax makes his way through to the underground parking, the third floor of which has been turned into an informal rank. The collection of minibus taxis each going to the remaining edges of town. He going home to collect his brace then to Themba's shop he pawns a lot of hunter equipment.
He jumps into an empty clunker of a taxi, the Friday shifters still at work which lets out only at four. He sits at the back with the window open waiting. He takes out his cell phone sends a message to Valerie. She sends back a blushing emoji.
The taxi at random intervals fills with people some he has seen over the years, other strangers. Not a single one of them a hunter.
Even an F ranked hunter makes more than enough money to not need to be squeezed in alongside fifteen other people just to travel twenty kilometres away. Alexander is, after all, a ghetto built on the shadow of Sandton.
His knee cries out banging in the pain of having to be in the same position for over forty minutes. Sweat runs down his face as he soothes it with a cream that Valerie got for him. The strong medicinal smell of the cream, adding its self to the stink found in all ranks. He pretends to stand to soothe his knee and pull out a twenty buck note to pay for the fare.
The taxi driver a burly man, stinking of meat and chilli sauce licks his oily fingers. The engine squeals were louder than a strangled hog, the uncoordinated vibrations a clear indicator of a worn-out engine. The exhaust explodes the taxi into motions, a plum of poisonous smog expelled. Ajax coughs as a tiny tinge of the smog comes in through the window.
The journey lasts about as long as the road which stops about two kilometres away from his house. Here houses are built close to another with limited space they had no other option. His own place is a one-room delight. He has known madam Naledi, his whole life and thus when she got a payout from the bank for her old house she used to build back rooms. To generate an income for herself. It also affords her some protection since she only rented to potential hunters. She has always said in that coarse voice of hers that," he has a lot of potential much more than any of these boys around."
He pushes past people who don't want to give space struggling and nearly falling out of the taxi. A young black boy runs to his aid, his name is Lukas he likes soccer and one day hopes to be a good tamer. Ajax knows most of the tamer kids in his hood. All of them know of him since his skill makes it easier for them to train up their pets on Union farms.
"Evening Lukas, aren't you suppose to be home?" Asks Ajax who uses Lukas's thin shoulder like a cane.
Lukas a growing young man with a good head on his thin shoulders starts. "Ah, mister Ajax do you have tips for us...I mean for me and Simba." Simba is Lukas's fire lion cub. The thing that Ajax remembers is that it needs to eat of a lot of monster meat to aid in its growth.
"You must continue going to the state farms, they have a wide variety of monsters for young people to practice on. Unless you can come up with your own way to get fresh c grade meat." Says Ajax.
"I don't, I haven't. I'm just tired it's not like every monster we come across is c grade. Heck, it just that those stupid monsters are mostly F grade bug hardly any meat." Says Lukas
"True but you also got lucky and found an A grade specimen and managed to kill it, so keep working hard and you could get into a Seta college." Seta colleges is where a young person with some potential can go grow to learn talent-related skills in return they are taught one of the Stem jobs. Stem jobs cover all the jobs in the mining, engineering, Thaumaturgy and Skillcrafting sectors. All of these sectors are labour intensive jobs.
"Ja! But that only happened once I have been going there every day since and zip." Says Lukas.
"Tuck in your lip boy. You can sulk to someone who doesn't care about you. If you want to be strong this is what you have to do as a tamer learning how to develop your pet is the most important skill. Keep training Simba and you will flourish too," Says Ajax.
"Okay but one day I'm going to smash that stupid buttholes Walters face in." Says Lukas, Walter is his rival. A son of a local landowner. Ajax has seen the Water buffalo that Walter owns an impressively over feed pet. Ajax had once tried to give the boy some free advice only to have his father kick Ajax's injured knee.
Ajax and Lukas keeping talking about various obedience exercise that Lukas can use to teach his fire lion. Arriving at 23rd street Lukas waves goodbye to Ajax. Making his way to back the State Farm. Children under thirteen are provided with a safe hunting ground by the Union.
Ajax straddles his cane, the mud around is like an ice ring to him and could prove very painful. His small comfortable room is only a few more steps away. He takes out his house key a poultry set of two keys, one matte silver Y 11 key for his door and a Gale force security gate key. He moves in order, cane first, right leg then left. He repeats until he makes it to his gate.
In the afternoon sun, his green security gate stands firm he leans against it while working his key into the chamber. It pops out a thick steel shaft granting access to his humble home.
The rise in mini homes means he has everything he needs squeezed into the former cargo container. He flops onto his couch /bed/ table, reaching under into the dusty dark feeling around for cold steel. His leg brace is a proper company made equipment. It supports the weight of the body, it's not the most comfortable but it is functional. He changes into less corporate fashion and into black jeans and a t-shirt with a large dark uninspired cloak that even normal people wear.
He stands his leg still pains him but it is manageable. He grabs a thin staff a basic piece of equipment that even normal people can use thou they most prefer bone carved wands for its high mana amplification properties. Ajax moves his leg declaring itself to everyone around like a tambourine with every step. Ajax moves like many people injured in the course of hunting who can't afford to be healed.
Ajax slams on Themba's wooden door frame bounced back by the lock, he usually only closes around ten pm and it's not even five in the afternoon. He bangs hard-knocking loud like a police officer holding a warrant. A sweaty Themba sees him when he peaks through the closed curtains another oddity.
"Come in an hour alright." Says Themba.
"Ouch!" Says Ajax who catches the door with his right foot, the steel rattles when the door is slammed against it. He feels it down to his ankle the pain spreads jumping moving up all the way to his back.
"No, Themba I have something you definitely going to want and I want that skill book," says Ajax
"Piss off lad, come back later." Ajax forces his way in Themba is not a strong man, Themba is a wise man with a good eye the other as he puts it 'lost in a game of poker to a flying squirrel.'
There are many crazy people around life has never been easy and the end of days only made it much harder for many people like his sister. Inside the cluttered store, every kind of mace, sword or ring is lying about connected to small pieces of paper that carry information about it.
There are three people inside, Ajax is only familiar with one of them. He is the hunter from this very town maybe it's most famous for defecting to the ROWC. Thabi is about a meter tall of not slightly shorter. His hair a huge Afro to add a little height. A broadsword that is almost as tall as him sits on his back. The other two with him are wearing cloaks but Ajax knows one is a female her high heels a dead give away.
Without any other choice, Themba puts him behind the packed counter and commands him to guard the front with his life while he and the three visitors move to a back room. Ajax takes out his brown paper wrapped package. It is a custom DVD of an unaired episode of Wormhole Jumpers. He looks over the cast images and sees the picture of Jennifer. He plays with the cover when his knee is not reminding him it still exists and hurts. He takes out a piece of sandpaper and works on his staff it is his favourite piece it looks like an ordinary cane to everyone else but Ajax has had this particular ebony wood cane for almost a year. He has slowly polished it into something useable.
By the time Themba comes back looking like a pig at a braai, his shirt is dishevelled and his usually well-kept hair uneven. It's a strange look on a guy who would comb his hair before going to collect his morning newspaper on his front porch. Themba is holding what Ajax hopes is the skill book that he needs to trade to the twin's Todd and Turner.
"Themba boet, check this out China, I got something you will really want to see." Themba is an extremely private person so in order to not give away the truth of the matter Ajax doesn't mention Jennifer.
"A'rit let us see den," says Themba his colloquial accent trying its best impressions of Queens.
"Take a look at this brew and don't freak out, hey listen, don't freak out." Ajax hands him the DVD of the last unaired episode of Wormhole Jumpers. The editor had finished it out as a homage to the last show he worked on before becoming a News Hunter. Ajax had managed to find it because one of the hunters at the pub is an avid fan of the editor and is trying to collect all the man's old-world work.
Ajax apologizes to the hunter in his heart but that guy also needs to keep his damn mouth shut and not drink free drinks. Ajax has him noted down and he will make it up to him somehow.
Themba starts shaking, then sobs a little at the image of his daughter. She was an actress and this is the last episode she was on. A portal had opened over the filming studio in the Republic of the Western Cape. Themba with rivers in his eyes nods thankfully he hadn't seen his daughter in about three years before the disaster so all his pictures are dated.
"So? What will ye be wantin for this?" Asks Themba.
"That skill book we spoke a month ago?" Says Ajax
"You cannot be serious, if we's give that to ye, it'sa de same as killin ye." Say Themba with a tinge of genuine horror at the thought of Ajax learning an offensive skill.
"Themba it's my price oak and I won't take anything less." Says Ajax.
"You're a right piece of work you know?.." Themba drops the accent and speaks e a c h w o r d. Rummaging through his stuff..."Well, I care okay, it doesn't matter it will be your fault if he dies. Fine fine you are so unreasonable sometimes..."Themba is muttering to himself throwing valuables all over the place. He lifts an old box with steel rimming and what looks like a vintage mana lock. It must have been one of the very first produced the mana lock only uses a simple pattern to unlock..."You listen to me boy, this box will change your life. Shit no it won't it's just a box what's inside will. Change your life that is. Take this to room number three at the back open it and when you get back the map will be waiting for you..." Themba blows on it opening the mana lock, handing Ajax the box. Ajax's leg cries out a loud bone chipping click and a knee displacing pop. Themba carries Ajax into the back room without missing a step..."Don't come out of here until it completes okay. I have to sort out those ROTWC bastards, you don't let me down."
Ajax kicks the steel door in retaliation, "You ungrateful, inconsiderate damaging piece of self-loathing excrement..."Ajax spins on his bad aching spasming leg pushing with all his strength trying to pop his man-made knee back in place. Smacking his left hand into his right hand which is holding his knee. He shouts out as he repeats the hit driving the knee back in place..."Fuck!"
He sits on the spartan plastic chair. Ajax rubbing anything but his pulsing leg the pulses managing to his irritation to match the flickers of the dim fan light spinning slow above his head. The steel table cooling his back a little, he focuses on the relief as the pain eats it full on his focus. After a painstaking forty minutes, it is satiated. Ajax sits sweating starring at the box. It is not a box at all but rather a chest. He puts his arms on the helpful table. Lifting the lid without removing his elbows from the table.
Inside he finds a smaller lunchbox sized metal box. At the bottom of the box is a note half folded, smudged by droplets and crushed at the bottom. Putting the box aside Ajax reads the note.
'Baba, I hope you are alright. If you are reading this then the worst has happened to me and we have failed to close the vortices. My television show was cover the government decided to use to give people a true idea of what happened. Inside the box is a real slither of the almighty drink it. It is a source of great power and great calamity. I send this to you in the hopes that you will use it to one day unite what remains of humanity and prepare for the dialogue to come.
Trust in me your daughter
Love you more than Mama'