[[Aeba's Diner, Segment 10]]
Enna Satruvetsky Quilxoss dashed from table to kitchen to table during the lunch rush at Aeba's diner. One table would be in her sights and then her ears would pick up on "Enna, two plates of Febdash!" and as she was on her way to the kitchen window she would hear a customer ask, "can I get some more punch?" but as she delivered the Febdash and went for the punch-dispenser she would hear a "do you serve honey-baked hams here?" from a clearly confused Terran visitor from one of the isolated Terran colonies. Exhausted, but determined, she continued her duties.
Aeba herself took orders at the counter, fending off the lusty barbs of Al and Bart, the pair of usual spacers who seemed to spend more time eating and drinking than travelling the stars. Aeba took down an order and called back to the kitchen, "Niv! Hurry up with that bacon!"
Niv called back, "hold 'yer horses!" He was the robust Terran man in his early 50s who worked in the kitchen. He was a bit of an enigma in that he was a fantastic cook, but opted for a humble diner as his place of employment. Even odder was his mastery of foods that were outside of his Terran background. Enna often wondered how Niv found his way into the Serreven when he could have cooked anywhere he wanted.
"What the hell is a horse?" Aeba asked, confused.
Niv, who piled the bacon onto a plate and slid it out the window, replied, "it's an idiom."
Enna stood beside one of the booths, taking the order of a family of Kemezeckians when, just out the window, the Grey from earlier in the day passed by, accompanied by a tall Terran woman. Enna tracked them around the corner toward the door, and dove behind the counter as he pushed the diner door open.
Aeba leaned down and stared at her only waitress, who was ducking behind the counter.
"Girl, what are you even doing?!" Aeba asked.
Enna stood up, clutching a wastebasket to obscure her face from the visiting Grey. She glanced through the metal mesh, and then back at Aeba who was still puzzled by all of this. Enna smiled sweetly and replied, "just checking up on the trash level.... yup, we're okay."
Aeba rolled her eyes. "Alright, funny. I'll take care of the family over there, you help the pair that just entered."
Enna turned to see the Grey and the Terran already situated at a window booth.
[[Aeba's Diner, Segment 10]]
Angn leaned back against the thinly padded booth as he continued regaling Maxine with his story, "yeah, I'm kind of amazed at my luck so far. I was about to lose my apartment back on Teslovia. I mean, I straight up chewed through my three years of savings as a programmer."
Maxine flicked idly at the datapad sewn into the sleeve of her jacket. She looked up at Angn. "It sounds to me like the station can benefit from your good fortune."
The pair looked up at the waitress who approached their table. She seemed to be hiding her face behind her order-pad. Her voice cracked slightly as she asked "hi, welcome to Aeba's, can I take your order?"
Angn recognized the voice instantly and shot up out of the seat, supporting himself on the table. "It's you! I never got to thank you for saving my life!"
The waitress peeked over the top of the pad, her eyes wide in recognition. She was blushing just under the pad. "It's nothing really."
Angn laughed, "no, it's everything, believe me." He fished into his pocket and pulled out her keycard. He held it out to here. "You left this behind, hopefully it'll help pay you back."
Her eyes lit up. "Oh! You have the keycard to my apartment," she yelped.
The restaurant grew silent for a moment, particularly at the counter where the Gaur, a Gomben, and an Astro-Mole stared and the scene. The Gaur simply looked confused, but the Gomben and Astro-Mole shared sly grins back and forth.
The waitress leaned down and in a hushed whisper asked, "can I talk to you out back for a moment, please?"
Angn rose out of his seat and excused himself. He turned to see the waitress wandering out a rear door. As he followed he heard the Astro-Mole whistle lecherously.
[[Aeba's Diner, Segment 10]]
Enna burst out of the restaurant and began to pace near the trash incinerator. The Grey practically tumbled out himself, expecting the door to be heavier. As he stumbled out she tucked a used crate between the door and the frame to prop it open. The Grey regained his footing as she whirled around.
"Oh my gosh, I am so sorry about that. I didn't realize how that would look," she said, with panic in her voice.
The Grey smiled and rubbed the back of his smooth, oval head with his hand. "Heh, I say stupid things all the time."
Enna felt blood rush to her cheeks in embarrassment. The Grey immediately grew concerned and held out a tentative hand while shaking his head.
"Oh, I didn't mean you were stupid... I just... Yeah..." He sighed, "there you go."
Enna grabbed his hand. "Don't worry, I didn't take offense. I'm glad you understand."
The watch on his wrist began to beep. A robotic voice erupted from the deceptively loud speakers on it. "Administrator? I am detecting an anomaly in your biology. Apparently, your blood-flow has increased and your heart is beating faster. Are you under some form of duress?"
The Grey's face grew flushed and he scrambled to shut down the communication. Enna giggled.
[[Segment 10]]
Wulg and Snix strolled through one of the large thoroughfares of section 10, level two. Wulg yawned. "Hrm. I think that's the last of the Boss's tasks."
"We worked hard today, Brother." He looked down at his older brother. He asked, hopefully, "do you think the Boss will give us back our old jobs?""
Wulg scratched just under his left mandible with a pointed claw. "I hope so. I miss having chumps to do these kinds of things for us, but with all these shakedowns and leaks goin' on, we're the only ones he's got that he can trust."
Snix leaned down. "Can we go eat now?"
"Yeah, yeah. Whatever."
Snix's gigantic pace quickened, and Wulg had to move faster to keep up.
"Ya big goon," he muttered to himself.
[[Aeba's Diner, Segment 10]]
Angn had taken a gulp of the hot, brown, and bitter drink. He let the flavor sit on his tongue for a moment and then chimed, "wow, this stuff is delicious." He took another gulp. "What is it? I love the bitterness."
Enna took a sip from her own mug. "It's called coffee. When the first humans arrived in the galaxy, they brought the beans with them. It's a bit uncommon outside of their colonies, but it's sinfully good."
Maxine shrugged. "I'm not the biggest fan, but yeah, it is kind of a staple of the human culture. At least as far back as our history books tell us. I'm more into green tea, personally."
Angn beamed, eager to try what his friend liked. "Enna, do you serve green tea here? I'd love to try some."
Enna nodded. "Sure do! I created my own blend, actually. I use pom syrup as a sweetener."
Maxine's eyes widened. She leaned forward, staring at the Syrien waitress. "You've just become my favorite person ever, Enna."
The trio laughed, but a beeping from Angn's control-watch cut through. Since earlier today, or was it this morning, he'd have to acclimate to the artificial day/night cycle, he had begun to pick up on the functionality of his new tool. He hit the communicator button, and DICC's voice filled the space around the table.
"Administrator, as much as I wish to avoid it, your presence is needed in the control-orb. You will need to return immediately." Angn rolled his eyes. DICC continued, "I do hope it is not too taxing of your feeble, organic structure to hurry. I will beam you up when you wish. See you when you arrive."
Maxine shook her head. "Damn, is he usually that hostile? I only spoke to him once."
Angn shrugged. "I'm sure it's just hazing... Robots can haze, right?"
His companions glanced at each other, their expressions reflecting concern. Angn sighed. He'd need to win over the Artifici to his side if he wanted the job to run smoothly; but how does one win over a robot, exactly?
Enna slid out of the booth and began to stretch. "Well, my shift has been over for a while now, and I don't have much else going on. I'd love to see what the control-orb is like. Is that okay with you?"
"Of course. How about you Maxine?"
Maxine shrugged. "Maybe some other time. I have some leads to follow up on." The three of them waved goodbye to Aeba, the two spacers, and the cook. Angn was the first out the door where a small Mantoid walked right into him, knocking him to the ground.
Angn looked up, apologetically. "Whoa, I'm so sorry about that."
The Mantoid looked down at the flustered Grey and snarled, "watch out you-" but stopped mid-threat, noticing the watch on Angn's wrist. Angn practically felt the stare and pulled his wrist closer to his body as Maxine and Enna helped him to his feet.
The smaller Mantoid's companion, a towering, round Mantoid himself, grabbed the smaller one by the arm and yanked him up from the floor. The smaller Mantoid yelped and Angn almost worried the little guy's arm was pulled from its socket.
The large one pulled his friend upward to where their faces were level and asked, "Brother, are you hurt?"
The smaller one, no worse for wear and, incredibly angry, screeched, "no, put me down!" His three free arms and two feet flailed dramatically. The larger Mantoid set him down.
Maxine grunted, recognizing them, "Wootari Wulg and Wootari Snix. What are you two doing here?" She stepped closer to Angn and touched his back. He was unsure why.
Wulg whipped around toward Maxine and held up his smallest claw in an obscene gesture. He hissed, "it's a free hub, detective. We're just here to have lunch, or are you gonna arrest us for that?"
Maxine's eyes narrowed and she put herself between Angn and the Wootari Brothers. "I don't know what you two are up to, but I have my eye on you."
Wulg cracked his knuckles and smiled a vicious little smile at Maxine, "yeah, whatever." He looked up at his younger brother and said, "let's get somethin' to eat, Bro."
Snix nodded, remaining silent.
The Mantoids ducked into the diner while Angn and his cohorts wandered away.
"Who were they?" he asked after they'd made enough distance.
Maxine sighed, "a couple of petty criminals with a big benefactor. I've been working on busting him for a long time. He's got a very public face and very deep pockets."
Enna added, "I've seen them running around. Bad news, those two."
"Well," Angn began, "maybe they were being honest and just grabbing a bite to eat?"
Maxine shook her head. "The galaxy doesn't work like that, unfortunately."
[[Segment 10]]
As soon as the new Administrator and his companions had rounded a corner, Wulg and Snix slammed the diner door behind them and began to follow the three.
"That's our guy, Snix. The new admin, and he's got the watch!"
"But, what do we do? That detective is with him."
Wulg rounded the same corner and saw the trio making their way down a lane. He scratched just under one of his mandibles and then he smiled. He noticed a helperbot just between him and the trio, performing whatever duties this helperbot was set to do. He looked back at his brother, His orange eyes practically twinkling. "We're gonna start a distraction."
"How, Brother?"
Wulg reached just under his vest for the small blaster he had tucked on his person. "I'll show you."
He took aim at the robot.
[[Segment 10]]
An explosion sent a shockwave down the street that was only matched by the sound itself. Maxine instinctively threw her shorter companions down to the ground, covering them with her own body. After a moment she rose to her knees and peered around, seeing a smoking fire down the lane. She rose to her feet and turned to her friends, giving Enna a hard stare. "Enna, stay with Angn. I'm going to go check that out."
Maxine was already jogging toward the fire.
Angn yelled to her as he rose to his feet. "Careful, Maxine!"
The Grey and the Syrien stood in the street, looking around for any sign of further danger. Angn couldn't help but feel nervous. Maybe this was an assassination attempt? He shuddered and moved closer to Enna, partly to appear reassuring, but in search of reassurance.
She noticed him move closer and touched his hand. "The Serreven can be a pretty dangerous place, Angn. I hope you'll be able to help solve that."
Angn nodded, trying to force himself to say something, but nothing came out.
"GRAB 'EM!!"
Angn whirled around to find the source of the scratchy, high-pitched voice only to find himself scooped up into the massive arms of the larger Mantoid from earlier.
"Hey, put us down!!" Enna roared.
Angn clenched his fists. He was furious he had been caught off guard so easily, even after the circumstances of being appointed Administrator. Moreso, he was angry about getting Enna involved in whatever this was. Angn bounced around, roughly, like a sack of clothes, under the arms of Snix as he ran, following his brother who was periodically looking back at the fire and Maxine.
"Hurry up, hurry up!" Wulg shrieked.
[[Segment 10]]
Maxine rested on a knee as she studied the remains of what looked to be a Helperbot. The explosion seemed far from accidental. She noticed carbon-scoring on one of the plates where plasma had ripped into the little robot's body. Blaster fire-
She thought for a moment, and then a nagging impulse made her look at the display-pad on her jacket sleeve. She noticed the tracker she had placed on Angn was rapidly moving away from her. Stupid. Stupid. Stupid!
She rose to her feet and began to sprint toward Angn's location.
[[Segment 10]]
Angn and Enna landed with a thud against the alley wall. Snix cracked his knuckles and Wulg approached the Grey and the Syrien.
"We want that watch," Wulg growled. "Hand it over!"
Angn yanked his wrist away and upward, just out of Wulg's reach. "No, you're criminals!"
"Fine, if you won't give it, then I'll take it!" Wulg shouted.
Wulg reached out for the watch and Angn struggled to keep it away from him. Enna joined in, kicking the Mantoid square in his chest, knocking him back. Unfazed due to his exoskeleton, he sprung at the pair, knocking them over and yanking the watch from Angn's wrist.
Wulg scrambled to his feet and made his way to his brother, standing triumphantly next to him. "AHA! Got it!" he cheered.
"Hooray!" Snix added.
The celebration was cut short as an arc of electricity coursed through Wulg's system dropping him to the floor in a clattering, twitching heap. The watch tumbled in front of him. Enna sensed an opening, balled her fists together and dashed at Snix. She swung her makeshift fist-flail into his crotch and he went down. Angn scrambled after, snagging the watch from the ground in front of the Mantoids. They dashed out of the alley.
Angn slipped the watch onto his tender wrist. He turned to Enna as they dashed through the street. "Remind me not to get on your bad side," he said.
He slapped the transmission button just as DICC began to speak, "Administrator, are you still alive?"
Angn was gasping for air, "yes...can you beam me and a guest up there right now?!"
There was a paused in the transmission. DICC replied, "unfortunately, my tasks required me to take the orb to the bio-deck, I cannot beam you through decks. It will take me five minutes to get to your position."
"Alright, fine. Hurry!"
The pair paused to catch their breath when Maxine ran up. She had her gun drawn and she studied the immediate area for any sign of the Wootari Brothers. "Where are they?" she asked with gritted teeth.
Enna looked back at the street from where she and Angn had come from. "We left them in an alley. They're done."
Maxine leaned in toward Angn, who was still catching his breath from the run. He didn't realize how out of shape he was. Maxine apologized, "Angn, I'm so sorry."
Angn reached out, touched her forearm, and smiled at her. "Don't worry, let's just get back there so you can arrest them."
The trio arrived at the alley where Wulg and Snix had begun to gather themselves after their respective injuries. Maxine and Enna held up the front, and Angn brought up the rear. He stood there, trying to mime their authority, even if he couldn't do much in the situation.
Maxine drew her gun and pointed at the pair. "Wootari Wulg and Snix! You're under arrest!" she shouted.
Wulg's shrill voice echoed in the alley, "damn it, not again!"
Snix's deeper voice took on a far more sinister tone, "we're not going back to the rehabilitation cells!"
Snix reached out toward one of the trash compactors mounted to the wall and ripped it from the bolts and brackets. He hurled it at Maxine with lightning speed and she, Enna and Angn ducked out of the way as the 3-foot diameter metal box crumpled and rolled past them. Maxine recovered quickly, but was shoved aside by Snix and he and Wulg dashed out of the alley. She snarled and rose to her feet to chase after them. Angn and Enna were up shortly after and joined the pursuit.
The group rounded a corner into a far busier thoroughfare near a rail depot. Snix managed to shove through the crowd with his bulk, which then coalesced behind the Mantoids like water. Maxine, gun drawn but safely pointed downward pushed through the crowd, shouting for them to clear a lane. Her teeth were clenched tight. She wished she had brought her pocket siren. She dodged a scooter that jumped out in front of her and brought her sleeve to her mouth to call for backup, gun still handled deftly between her fingers.
Angn and Enna weaved through the crowd as well, but Angn's attention was drawn to an incoming transition from DICC. The aristocratic voice came in sharply through the watch's speakers, "Administrator, are you ready for beaming?"
Angn was panting, but brought the watch to his mouth. "We're fine now, just wait a-"
He had an idea. He stared up toward the ceiling of the deck and saw the Control-Orb nearby. He continued, "DICC, do you have visual of me right now? Can you position yourself over me?"
DICC replied, "I do now. I cannot say I find this terribly interesting, however. Your running is rather awkward in appearance."
"Yeah, yeah, look. Can you see two Mantoids nearby?" Enna picked up her pace, and Angn struggled to keep up. She was deceptively fast and he wondered why.
DICC sounded disinterested, but he replied, "am I correct in assuming they are the reason for your current predicament?"
"Exactly. Give them the beam."
DICC was silent for a moment, then acknowledged, "confirmed."
Maxine had closed in on the Mantoids and Wulg, sensing the end was coming, drew his blaster. He threw his arm back and peered over his shoulder, ready to fire into the crowd to slow Maxine. A sudden feeling of weightlessness turned his stomach and his momentum sent him into a tumbling spin as he was lifted from the ground, sending his gun flying out of the gravity beam. His brother fared no better, but accepted the fact the beam had them trapped. Maxine skidded to a halt just outside the range of the beam and kept her gun drawn on the pair.
Angn and Enna spied the action over the crowd on the street. The two Mantoid hovered in midair. Snix hung in mid-air passively, but Wulg did not stop tumbling and flailing. His angry yelps grew more and more piercing.
Angn laughed and brought the watch to his mouth.
"Nice shot, DICC!"
DICC's reply was smug. "Just a simple matter of compensating for variations in speed based on crowd interference. I am sure even you could manage that with a few hours of calculation."
Angn's brow furrowed "... thanks, I think?"
Angn and Enna approached Maxine who watched the Mantoids float in place. She looked over at the Grey and smiled at him.
"Well, that saved me some work. Thanks, Administrator."
[[Segment 7]]
Wulg and Snix sat in a holding cell at the segment 7 security facility. They sat in silence for a moment, next to each other when Snix broke it, asking "care to sing a song, Brother?"
"Shut up."
Maxine approached the cell and leaned against it. Wulg noticed she seemed to carry a sour expression on her face. He understood why when a security officer approached the cell and opened it. The security officer, in what seemed to be his most disinterested voice, announced, "Wulg and Snix Wootari, you two made bail. Get out of here."
The Mantoids strolled out of the cell. The security officer wandered away, but as Wulg began to follow, Maxine leaned down and stared Wulg directly in the eyes.
"The Dragon won't always be able to spring you two. I've got my eye on you all," she whispered.
Wulg dismissed her with a flick of his hand. He looked over toward his brother, who was nearly as tall as Maxine and twice and heavy. "Come on, Snix."
As they walked away Snix turned back to Maxine and offered "have a nice night, Detective."
[[SolariCo Building, Segment 6]]
Enna through the door that led out into the larger SolariCo building that the Control-Orb docked at. Angn cheerfully waved and called out to them, "take care you two, see you soon."
From the hallway he heard Enna call back first, "so glad to have met you Administrator."
There was silence in the hall and the Control-Orb. Angn broke the silence by yawning. He realized how drained he was by the day. "Wow, I'm exhausted. Hey DICC, what are my living arrangements? I never found out."
DICC turned away from his primary monitor and glared at Angn. His orb-like body titled, indicating a form of curiosity. "What is it with you organics? It is always 'I am hungry' or 'where is the restroom', or 'DICC, your exhaust is choking me and you turned off the air circulation in the control-orb again'. I get it. Your construction is crude."
Angn had started to grow wise to DICC's schtick and stared blankly at the Artifici. He was too tired to spar with an AI with a microchip on his shoulder.
DICC let out a forced, unnatural sigh, and explained, "the control-orb is docked to the top floor of the SolariCo building, your living quarters are just across the hall."
Angn stepped into the hallway and pushed his hand to the identification plate. The door opened. As he stepped into the apartment he received one last, helpful piece of advice from DICC over the control-watch.
"Try not to die in your sleep."
Please let me know how you enjoyed the story. For more of Josh Nickerson's drawings, visit joshnickerson.weebly.com!