The Reluctant Warlord

Ch. - 2

John looked to his right and saw the weathered figure of Mrs. Alberta glaring at him from the front counter. He then finished closing the door behind him and turned back to her, "I told you I'll have it Thursday, all $300 of it."

Mrs. Alberta scratched her chin and then pointed her thin finger at John menacingly, "I need it that day or else."

John sighed slightly as he raised his hands in defeat, "I promise you I will have it then."

Mrs. Alberta stared daggers at him before she finally snorted and then sat in a chair behind the counter before waving at him to move along. John felt relieved and made his way to the stairs and made his way up to the door of his apartment. With tired hands full of dust he unlocked his door and made his way in and took off his boots. He then quickly cleaned up his small apartment, taking out the trash and cleaning up the dirt from his boots and work clothes. He then shambled into the bathroom and turned on the shower to clean himself up. As he felt the temperature he frowned and tried to adjust it but the water stayed icy cold. With a pained groan he got in.

A few minutes later John was drying off while reading through a textbook for his citizenship class. He furrowed his brows tiredly as he read and flipped to the next page and then set the book down as he got dressed. He glanced over to the clock on the wall awhile later to check the time, "Crap, it's already 24:28 at night? Nine minutes until the next day starts. I need to go to bed." John said wearily while he shambled to his bed and laid down falling asleep within a few breaths.

In what seemed a few seconds an alarm noisily clanged causing John to groan and slap at it. He glanced over after it stopped clanging, the dim face of the alarm read 3:30 AM. He rubbed his face and then got up and headed to the restroom. He staggered drowsily through the door and reached over and turned the faucet on and splashed some cold water on his face. Dark pockets lined his eyes as he looked up into the mirror making him think to himself, "I need to get more sleep soon."

He finished waking himself up before getting dressed for work and heading out into the dark chilly morning. He moved along the streets at a brisk jog enjoying the coolness of the morning. The sun had just begun to light up the  dark sky when John made it to the work site. He was among the first to arrive and quickly clocked in and begun preparing his many work supplies. He made his way to his work station after checking the busy schedule for the day.
"Well, it seems like I am working on section B for today. Got twenty six segments to work on along with anyone they figure needs extra support.

John set his site upon his site and headed out to begin his shift. Shortly after he began, other workers filtered in as the cold dusty air brightened as the dawn light was revealed. The bright red hues reflected off the windows of the cityscape and created a beautiful scenery for the inhabitants.

John enjoyed these moments where the city began waking up and the red sky lit the city up as if it was a beautiful mirage. It brought him a peace of mind reminding him that he made it to a new day. However he didn't let that distract him for long as he knew Mr. Sanders would be watching for him. With a grunt he lifted his work piece into its place and connected it to the assigned location.

The distant red sun made its way high into the sky before the noon bell chimed alerting the workers that it was lunch time. As they made their way over to the shade and ate John only sat down for a brief rest since he had no food for lunch. He thought about taking a nap but before he could he saw Mr. Sanders glaring at him. With a sigh he got back up again and went back to work hoping he could leave early by not taking a lunch break. As he made his way over to his station his growling stomach was the only thing keeping him company as the rest of the workers ate and talked among themselves.

As John worked he overheard some workers that were sitting close by talk about the new game and their plans for it. While listening in John heard one guy named Phillip state, "I've joined a small group, numbering around forty people, who are going to crew a corvette for the Mars fleet. Mostly scouting and small fleet support in the terms of role but I think we have room for the rest of you guys if you wish to join. We are still a bit under crewed for that sized ship."

Of the group of eight one named David asked, "Can you tell us a bit more about the fleet and the ship? Who is the captain?"

Phillip thought for a second before he responded, "We'll the captain is a guy named Ruben. I met him a few years ago when my brother brought him over to hang. They've been friends for years and went to college together. So when Nexus was announced they decided to team up with Ruben as the captain and my brother Ross as the second in command."

David and the others looked on in mild shock. David soon found his voice again, "So just going to college grants access to being a captain?"

Phillip laughed before answering back, "Well they graduated from the Mars Fleet Academy. So you tell me."

The guys busted out in laughter as they finally understood. They spoke out in agreement in joining the crew. David was the only one still hesitating. "What can you tell us about the ship? What specs does she have? And what would be our role in the fleet? Ruben must have some idea and passed it along right?"

Phillip rubbed his head thinking, "Well, we were told that the ship is a staghound class vessel. British design on it. It's lightly armored but it's fast and has a light arsenal of weapons. Mainly used in reconnaissance and escort duty. Room for a crew of 60 with 12 marines for either boarding or escort activities. Other than that I just know we are part of a small fleet dedicated to escort supply ships and recon for them."

David rubbed his beard as he considered the idea. After a second he replied, "Well, I'll join you as well. But can I be a marine?"

Phillip shrugged, "I think it will be fine. We have not maxed out on marines or crew so theres still open spots. I just thought you might go mechanic."

David laughed, "I may have the skills more suited for mechanical work. However I've always dreamed of being a marine on the front lines. Plus better survival rate if I learn to take care of myself. A marine who can do mechanical work. Right?"

The group laughed and slapped David's back. John smiled and chuckled. He soon immersed himself into his work and lost track of time. Missing the bell signifying for work to resume, not that it mattered as he was already working. The rest of the day past quickly as John's stomach continued to growl at him throughout the day.