Excellent point about offing a loved one, Dialyn. I haven't even explored that possibility. I'm tempted to write a second short piece to continue this, but I'm too caught up in inventing the underlying pseudo-technology supporting the story (and modeling the gear). I have a model (equipment piece for the bounty hunter), called a tracker/mapper that works on the same principles as the "Santa" system of reading auras. If we assume that auras are unique (like DNA) and that they can be mapped, this device locks on to specific signatures. Actually with the advent of cloning, the whole idea of unique DNA is not as unique as it used to be. Auras (haven't coined a better term yet) are not only influenced by the physical characteristics of a person (DNA, et.al.), but are refined and varigated by experience and attitude. Stay with me on this... LOL... I know that it sounds like a lot BS. :o) Santa sends a profile down to the Lot, uploads this profile signature into the t/m and the bounty hunter has both a way to hunt and a warrant for "deletion of the account". Point the device at a crowd and it will pick out the target. Nothing new there, but I have taken it one step further. :o) Anyone in the crowd who has come into contact with the target for the last... say seven days, will bear residual traces of the target's aura. You know how when you come in contact with people in your life we sometimes say that a person has "left a mark on my life". Bingo... same thing here. It's a trail for the bounty hunter to follow. Why days instead of hours? Actually I want to introduce sleep as a way to flesh out the characteristics of this aura thingie. Sleep refines and replenishes the aura, dreaming analyzes the influences of the day and assimilates this into the aura. So if a person has come into contact with the target, while there will be a strong initial impression like a footprint, the events of the day will wash these out. Sleep erodes the trace like wind and rain wear away the trail. Again, this is all a load of bull at this point and there are a million holes in it, but I believe that there is a good idea in there somewhere. Thanks for your feedback! I know I have a few interesting concepts here, but I need serious pointers on the writing style to help flesh these out properly. - M

Mind Over Matter
"If you don't mind, then it don't matter."