It wasn’t without some trepidation that the two of them began their way down the stairs. Parker had pulled himself to his feet on the other man’s finally offered handshake, and he was leaning into his contractor’s shoulder before it dawned on Way that his vigilante wasn’t even sure of walking alone. Somehow though, Kreft could tell that the man’s determination to come along seemed to have eliminated the first chance to reject him. The TGR man wasn’t exactly sure how he should help his hire, but once the two of them were within reach of the staircase rail; Samuel took a-hold of it with both hands. The mercenary’s attitude was almost daring his paycheck to tell him that he could not make it down on his own; it suddenly seemed as if any spoken words of doubt would only serve as the spirited fellow’s fuel.
Kreft was left with little more to do besides walking down by the other man’s side. It’s all well and good that this soldier’s willing to push himself to such lengths to help a cause he doesn’t even know the details of, Way thought as he tried to watch Parker’s slow decent with respect and not pity; but this isn’t going to work. Even with the extra time Terry had suggested they take; there was no imaginable way for Kreft to set out on a multiple day hike through the cratered desert with a partner who could not even climb down seven flights of stairs inside a habitat without stopping short of breath and shaking, to take an involuntary sitting rest on the landing.
Unfortunately, Kreft also was no longer even able to convince himself that being rid of Parker would be for the best after seeing the feats the man was willing to accomplish through willpower alone. Fears of turning that great willpower against his group somewhat eliminated the possibility of a simple abandonment. Giving voice to his thoughts, almost before they entered his mind, Way heard himself saying the exact opposite of what Terry had trusted him to tell this man; “I’m sure there’s got to be keys for some sort of vehicle in the security station. The idea of our getting to the southern city on foot just isn’t going to work at this speed. Yeah, Terry said to take our time, but this would almost be crazy.”
“Look, I’m sorry,” Parker said, after catching his breath, so his words were seconds too late for Kreft to not suggest the vehicle. “The thought of getting caught by the gravity never entered my mind;” Parker was closing his eyes as he put his hands on the floor. I thought actual ground was supposed to be solid and steady. Why won’t my world quit spinning? “I suppose I’d have to understand if getting hold of a vehicle is too much trouble.”
“Don’t worry about it,” Kreft heard himself saying; abandoning this last easy chance to get away without paying the contract, as a new worry hit him. “It’s a bit far to walk anyway, Going by car opens more of an opportunity for me to stop by and visit my family.” Somehow the idea of being rid of this determined fellow just didn’t seem smart. A man so willing to work with no actual obligation to the TGR might just as easily offer his services to the other side; if they rebuked him by refusing his work while they couldn’t even provide a way for him to leave. Parker may not have shown any of his supposed skills, but the unspoken threat of a killer so widely known for terror who still had such confidence in his own abilities, did not make It seem like an intelligent thing to anger and abandon the man.
“Ok;” Kreft said; offering his hand to help Parker back to his feet. “I’m almost certain that the security office on the ground floor will have the keys to activate at least one of the buggies that they use for the transportation of equipment for maintenance of the spacecraft landing field. Such a vehicle should easily be able to withstand conditions outside of the habitat because they are designed to work there anyway. You may have disembarked from that ship you were on through some sort of elevated walkway connected with the inside of the habitat, but for safety’s sake the spacecraft have to land on the outside. We just need to get a-hold of a set of keys for one of the service vehicles, and then we can go ‘borrow’ it for our travel.
“After that, it’s only a matter of following the inter-city city roadway. Should reduce our travel time by days! Any luck, by tonight the two of us will be dining in the Trizendar city of Southway with my brother Badeen as we watch the southern lights flare and dance upon the newly darkened horizon. Such an evening would be the only proper way for us to greet a man who’s traveled across the galaxy so he can lend a hand to help as we try to save our planet.”
Catching his breath at the foot of the stairs, Parker grinned at his guide, who seemed to be growing almost poetic. “Lovely words man, but isn’t there work that’s needed to be done? I came here for a job. Wouldn’t you and your people be a lot better off if you just faced me to your problems so I could find a way to eliminate them? I’m sure you didn’t hire me just to come to parties.”
“Don’t focus only on the problems.” Kreft suggested stepping back from Samuel so he didn’t have to look up into his worker’s eyes; he was sure that if he somehow managed to win Parker’s friendship, the man he couldn’t afford to pay would be less likely to turn on him. “Had we only problems why would another make us feel the need to fight? You need to see the people of this planet; who we are. Yes here may be problems, but we are so much more.”
Parker almost argued, but just then he realized that standing unsupported at the bottom the stairs left his head spinning again, and so he could feel the gravity sickness overcoming his world. Working hard not to throw up down his front, or hit Kreft; Parker thought it was better to not complain as he somehow managed the lunch he hadn’t eaten in the corner. If this TGR man is willing to have me work for his group even after watching how I am unable to face a staircase alone, it won’t do to continue trying to refuse meeting his family. Just stick with it, he thought to himself grumpily, once I get paid what we agreed, I can get off of this miserable planet.
Short Stories
Right Now
First Impressions
Unforeseen Help
Poetry
And I was Hungry
Thank you for reading books on BookFrom.Net Share this book with friends