Waiting Shapeless

Chapter 8. Orbiting Lertrel

Then, moving swiftly but cautiously, he weaved around its side, sticking to the machine's cloaking shadow as he headed towards the backside of the room.

"I thought I sent you off to a new job." growled a deep voice from behind him.

Hud jumped at the voice and quickly spun around, his heart pounding in his chest.

It was Operious.

His large pale body loomed over Hud and he had a vicious snarl on his ghastly face.

"So where are you going little worm?" The Rhaa stepped closer to Hud and he could feel the monster's warm breath on his skin. "What are you sneaking around in the engine room for, huh?"

"My ships transmission cable was a little loose." Hud lied, trying to recover quickly from the jolt. "Came back to grab a bag of tools."

Operious frowned.

"You ah... you gave me a pretty good scare there, sir. Didn't even hear you coming." Hud said, trying to change the subject.

"Oh is that right?" Said Operious, smiling poisonously. "Do I scare you, tough guy?"

Hud blinked and looked down.

"But why is it," continued Operious, "that the lowlife I was following seemed to be sneaking around? Seems a bit odd for someone who is just looking for a bag of tools."

He was following me?? Thought Hud, cursing in his mind. If he saw me blatantly sneaking around... how do I get out of this one??

"I wouldn't lie if I were you." Said Operious with a quiet growl.

"Well," said Hud, choosing his words carefully. "I... to be honest sir, I know you expected me to be gone already... and I was hoping to be able to get through here and leave... before you saw me."

Operious stood silently for a moment, then snorted. "Get out of here. Go grab your little tools and leave. Don't let me see you again until that Circuit is dead. You understand, filth?"

Hud nodded slightly. "Yes sir."

The large Rhaa looked at Hud for a moment with his lip curled in disgust. Then he turned around and slowly walked away.

Hud grimaced, slowly turning around and heading back toward the end of the room. He was shaken, and he tried to calm his mind with no success.

He grabbed Natilliea as she hung from his shoulder, desperate for her comfort.

The metal tube was warm and hummed with reassurance. Could Operious see through his lies? Hud hadn't done anything wrong, not yet at least. This secret meeting might change that, and for a moment Hud considered playing it safe and bailing on Gaunth.

He shook his head as he continued through the droning noise filled room. Gaunth had treated him kindly over the past couple of years, and Hud could stand to do the old Rhaa a few favors. Gaunth was Hud's supervisor as well, so if anything Hud was simply following orders.

He snuck silently along the dark machinery, still attempting to go unseen for the rest of the way.

It wasn't hard to do. The group of Rhaa that Hud had heard conversing previously were standing in a well lit section of the maze of machinery. The Pardos crept past unnoticed, his dark green skin hiding him well in the shadows.

Leaving the engine room, Hud walked down a dark narrow hallway that was barely high enough for him to stand up in. It wasn't long before Hud reached the generator room that Gaunth had spoken of, and the small room adjacent to it.