Off-seer Logbook Entry

The thief stalks through a thicket of hollow, plastic trees beneath the black sky of the colony, his prize clutched tightly to his chest.

The thief did not always live like this. Once he was an honest man, simply seeking to provide for his family. Circumstance brought him low, and now he finds himself stealing wayward scraps and technology to sell off to surly back-alley junkers for a pittance.

The thief pushes aside thoughts of ''If I didn't steal it, someone else would have.'' and ''No one's going to know it was me.'' Many a time has the oily stink of avarice crept up around the edges of his mind, but he rejects it, for now. He simply steals to provide, nothing more. 

The thief does not consider this, not for the moment. He has snagged himself a haul that will sell for a hefty sum, and for now, he is satisfied. Today, he will be able to put food on the table, and rest with a full belly.

The thief daydreams of eating meat for the first time in days as a sharpened disc interrupts his gait, ripping through both of his Achilles tendons.

The thief tumbles to a stop, shrieking in pain. Broken words catch in his throat, choked by his own screaming, gasping agony. Perhaps he wishes to beg for his life. The noises are all cut short by a bowstring pulled taut around his neck.

The bounty hunter stands, untangling the bow from the thief's neck. They dust themselves off and walk on, hailing the bounty's issuer on their transmitter. A bright jingle rings out as the confirmation of the funds transfer comes through. 

The bounty hunter pushes aside thoughts of who this man might have been: ''Did he deserve to die?'' and ''Am I doing the right thing?'' The thrill of conquest slinks back into the shadows of their mind. The job is done. Not worth mulling over. They simply kill to provide, nothing more.