Mana Pool Snippets - The Job

Part 1

What have I gotten myself into?

The lights flickered on in the common area.

Across the room next to the teleport pad was my three piece luggage. I don't travel much as my baggage was excessive in comparison to a single duffle bag that each guard brought.

"Orbit achieved," the station's manager said in a snarling voice. "Coordinates for teleportation locked. Be ready on the platform in three minutes, people."

"Wait what?" I asked.

"Got it," Ketho said. "Let's go, I want this done with no issues. Tigap, double check that your weapon is loaded. No lollygagging."

Tigap nodded while they unbuckled.

"Wait. Three minutes? No, no, no. It can't be three minutes. My nanites are not ready. I could get sick by alien air. Also, I was told the interview were happing here. Porting from the surface. You know, where things are safe!" My voice was filled with panic.

"Oh would you stop with the constant nagging, Zimmi, having a little allergy is good for your immune system. Gain some natural immunity, writer." She had the nerve to punch me in the shoulder, my thin sandals nearly hooked themselves to the grated floor.

Ketho had been like that the moment I had met her, I wasn't sure she hated my species, or writers, or if her cyborg augments were short circuiting. Maybe her eye scope had sparked a brain cell.

I was wearing my father's suit, it would be ripped and I wasn't sure if I could handle that on top of all the pressure.

Tigap set our bags on the teleport platform and was done before I realized it.

It was going to be a long five days.

Ketho pulled me away from the window with a firm grasp on my wrist using her real arm. "Two things, Zimmi. Your universal translator. Terra Firma does not have UT nodes anywhere so keep it charged and on you at all times." I have used personal universal translators before; I nodded. She put mine on and activated it while I wondered how humans talked normally.

Ketho then strapped a metal wristband to my right wrist. "What's that?" I asked.

"We have to blend in with the humans when required. Tigap and I will have ours. Unfortunately for you being a stick in my mud and Denverbay's, turning it on won't be needed."

"Are you serious?"

"Serious as being raging mad about this mission, yes."

Oh no.

"Brought any weapons with you?" She asked.

"Uh...just the plasma pistol you gave me." I showed her the holster strapped to my thigh.

"Good. Keep it close, clean and primed. We don't know what humans cooked up since the incident. If there is anything, we'll teleport out."

"But that will disobey The Hammer's orders."

"I'm all for safety, or mine and Tigap's."

The job sounded all the more real the more Ketho spoke and I felt woody. Father, if you could have seen me, I could really use some support.

Ketho was satisfied with her briefing and pushed me, literally, onto the platform. The transporter required DNA verification. My DNA was added—a scale from my hand—before we left Creos' orbiting supply district to verify who is being teleported.

Three go down, three go up, and anybody else was incinerated.

"Transport in five seconds. Good luck down there," the station's manager said.