She almost sauntered past me to put restraints on the woman, then made a show of hoisting her and moving to the edge where her vessel had changed position. She tossed the pirate through the airlock door then turned to me and put one hand on her cocked hip while she tilted her head and asked, “What's your name, scrappy?”
I squeaked out, barely audible over the whine of the engines, “Fixit.”
She gave me a look of patience as she cocked her head the other way and asked again, “What's your name Fixit?”
This time my hand absently moved up to touch the ends of my dirty blonde hair that were fluttering to the side in the slipstream. Lords above, could I get any more awkward? This woman only kissed me because of the excitement and thrill of battle, right? And was caught up in the moment?
I squeaked out, “Vega.”
She nodded once with her cocky smile then said, “Pleased to meet you, Vega, I'm Vashon. Thanks for the assist back there, you got a good swing.”
I blushed again. Come on Fixit, pull yourself together!
Then she called out, as she eyed me up and down one last time, “I'll escort you into New Terra. Just stay on my six.” Then just like that she was gone, diving over the edge again. Didn't she have any self-preservation instincts at all?
I looked over the edge again to see her tumbril barrel rolling as she gracefully fell through the open airlock door. Then the vessel started to climb in front of us. Mother of all crystal, she was sort of sexy, for a madwoman. Glitch sqeed two long appreciative tones beside me as he trundled up, it sounded like a catcall to me.
I grinned at him as I watched the sleek vessel take point. “Yeah, she was pretty hot, wasn't she?” He nodded, and I playfully shoved his orb where his shoulder would have been. I swear the little pinger was chuckling at me.
I called out as I sat in the pilot's seat and reactivated the photon harness, “Thanks for the help Glitchy, you're tops in my book.” If a pinger could blush, then Glitch was doing it as he secured himself in the cargo area again and I started vectoring the turbines forward, and we started our trip back toward New Terra to make our delivery.
Now that I was alone, I let my hands shake as I held back my sobs. I wasn't going to show weakness. I had been terrified, and the adrenaline burning off was making me shaky. But a small part of me was elated over the fight, and my survival. Even if at least five Betweeners had died at the hands of Vashon.
I steeled myself, forced a smile, and started the long spiral upward.
Chapter 6 – Date?
After a long journey up, we slid into one of the gravitic up-currents. Then the turbines stopped straining and spun down to an idle when we didn't require any more lift as our mass was no longer being tugged upon by the gravity well of Tau Ceti Prime. Wow, so that was what they were like. I was both impressed and elated, I could even tell I was essentially in zero G as my hair that hung below my flight helmet floated around me.
I slid my goggles to the top of my head and just gawked at the expansive city before me. It's greater mass base literally resting on the gravity wake like a ship on an ocean. It boggled the mind that something of this scale was essentially just floating above the surface of Prime like this.
I just blinked at the soaring towers and spires, the plastic, ceramic and steel towers rising from the base. I saw green and blue trees in various parks dotting the city, and so many sport tumbrils and transport tubes. It was all so overwhelming, seeing so many people scurrying around to their various destinations, looking like skitter mites swarming the roots of the corn stalks.
I had to look away from this wonderland which I had only seen peripherally on the screens dirtside. There was almost too much stimulus, too much to see at once so I concentrated on my task at hand, maybe I'd have a little time after the delivery to explore this bustling metropolis a bit.
The computer helped me use the old style reaction thrusters to maneuver effortlessly to dock at the receiving bay specified in my flight plan. The Sky Guard ranger hovered off my wing until my docking was completed, as the Albatross moved out of the gravitic eddy.
My hair fell back to my shoulders again as I felt my own weight returning. Then I saw Vashon's bigger vessel fly off toward the Justice Spire with the two prisoners on board. I absently wondered if other Guards caught the two I had knocked off the Albatross when they landed.
That crystal licker, New Terra Actual, met me there, and the bootwaffle actually went through the manifest, opening each shipping crate to verify their contents before I could start unloading. I still didn't know his name as he didn't seem too worried about introducing himself to a dirter like me.
Just as Glitch and I finished unloading the cargo onto the docking platform, the man had the temerity to inform me that I was to deliver it to Lady Peregrine's palace estate since, “The staff is busy setting up for the celebration. You don't expect me to deliver it myself, do you? It was you who lost the first special requisition shipment after all.”
He looked me up and down, scowled, and added, “You're a mess. Don't you dirters have any pride in your appearance?”
I growled under my breath. He knew darn well that I had been attacked by Betweeners on the way up, otherwise, how did he know when to meet me when I docked? I was in a fight, of course I'm a little disheveled now. And I can't afford the fancy clothing of a dandy that he was wearing. You wouldn't be able to work in the shop or fields with those fancy duds.
I said flatly, “I have no way to transport the cargo from here.”
He sighed in exasperation. “Just hail a cargo carrier at the kiosk. Don't you know anything?”
I replied through gritted teeth, “This is my first time topside, I don't know how things work in the floating cities.”
He muttered, “Ill-educated ground dwellers.” Then he addressed me as if he hadn't just disparaged me out loud, “If the delivery isn't at Lady Peregrine's estate within one hour, then your stipend will be docked for every minute you are late.”
Now I don't know many people... fine I don't know any people, but I knew that I didn't like nor wish to know this crystal licking waste of fertilizer. Glitch made a low static noise that sounded like a growl, as the aperture of his ocular lens iris constricted to a pinpoint.
I agreed with my metal companion, if this was how all topsiders were, I was happy down in my shop with my pinger friends. I loved every single one of them. I absently reached out and patted Glitch's orb, thanking him for his support.
Then I caught myself blushing and touching my lips as I remembered the heat of the kiss from that Amazonian Vashon. Ok, so maybe not all topsiders were as unlikeable as this man was.
He pointed at the information kiosk expectantly then stalked off, with his iso-pad in hand. I gave his retreating back the ol' one finger salute. I hoped he got Primer flu. If anyone deserved to be miserable for three months, it was him.
I stepped up to the kiosk, Glitch trundling and sparking beside me. Some of the Primers walking past gave us funny looks and a wide berth. I looked at the holo-screen. This wasn't dissimilar to the diagnostics pads we used dirtside. I punched up capitol transportation and scrolled the menus and found an auto-sled requisition. I tapped it and pinged our location then went over to the cargo to wait.
A minute later, a flatbed transportation sled flew down smoothly from the swarm of vessels darting through the maze of towering buildings high above. It settled right next to us and chimed. I placed my hand on the control panel on the side of it and it scanned my identity, and the controls turned green.
It didn't take long to load up with Glitch's help. Then I punched in our destination as I took a seat and the photon restraints wrapped around me and snugged me into the cushions. I shook my head as I looked around. What we wouldn't do for a sleek cargo sled like this in the fields. Why did the topsiders get all the good tech and we got the scraps? Without us, they'd all starve to death, didn't they realize that? You'd think we'd be a priority.
Oh well.
I took the
time to look around at all the wonders around us as the sled whisked us away. It was virtually silent except for a low hum. It had to have been using electromagnetic lift. Then I realized that the metal frames of the plastic and ceramic skinned buildings must be supplying the electromagnetic counter force. That was ingenious. I'd love to dig around in the guts of the mechanical sub-systems of that setup.
We landed on a platform on the second biggest spire in the city. I swallowed, this was the home of the ruler of Tau Ceti Prime, Lady Peregrine herself. Her palace. She was about the most glamorous woman I have ever seen on the entertainment waves, like one of the actresses in the drama waves. And she always spoke with such confidence that it was easy to see how she became the ruler this decade.
I wondered if I would see her inside. Wouldn't that be exciting?
On that thought, the receiving platform door opened, and a sleek pinger with a smooth white ceramic skin hovered out to us. Wow, even they were using electromagnetic lift instead of a mobility platform. I waved at it as it glided to us. Glitch squeed and waved too, but the pinger seemed to ignore us. I said, “Hello, how are you today?” It didn't acknowledge me. That was rude. It scanned me and my iso-pad hanging on my tool belt dinged. I saw the manifest was displayed on it.
The pinger moved back a couple feet, and a procession of pingers glided out of the door and up to the sled. Each took a crate and turned efficiently to bring the supplies inside. Glitch rolled up to them and waved and squeed, and tried to get their attention as I narrowed my eyes and looked at them as he drooped in sadness at being ignored.
Then I got it, and reached out and grabbed my friend's grappler and pulled him back to my side as I said in a low, disbelieving voice. “I don't think they are being rude Glitchy. I don't think they have any AI. They're... they're just... machines.”
That tasted bad on my tongue, and he made a sad whining sound. Why have pingers that can't think for themselves? That seemed just unnatural to me. These pingers would be just pre-programmed drones with just a single task, moving cargo. What a waste of potential. They were like mindless... slaves.
At that thought, I really didn't want to be there anymore, as I imagined all of my friends being mindless automatons like that. It sent a shiver down my spine, and I grasped Glitch's grappler like a hand in a show of solidarity. When the sled was unloaded, the first pinger scanned me again, and my iso-pad dinged, and I looked down to see a requisition receipt confirmation.
The floating tin can went back through the receiving pad door, and it closed behind him, leaving the two of us just standing there. I guess we were dismissed. And we never got to see the inside of Lady Peregrine's estate. Just about then, that was fine with me. I was a little creeped out. I muttered, “Come on Glitch, let's go home, that was flanterskelling unnatural.”
He nodded and squeed and we loaded ourselves back onto the sled as fast as we could, and I hit the return icon on the control screen. All of my excitement about being topside in one of the great cities of Prime, was soured by the rude steward and the lobotomized pingers. I whispered to my friend, “I want to go home now.” He nodded and we just sat in silence all the way back to the Albatross.
My dark mood suddenly lifted, and I caught myself absently checking my hair under the leather helmet again when I saw the tall figure of a certain Sky Guard waiting beside the Albatross as we landed.
My heart sped up, and I felt a blush burning my cheeks as we landed beside Vashon. She had that confident and cocky smirk on her face as I hopped off the sled near her, and Glitch joined me.
She stepped right into my personal space and cocked her head, her eyes taking me in. I felt as if she could see right inside of me, as I looked up at her before I looked down at my hands as I clasped them awkwardly at my waist.
She said in a voice tinged with humor, “Hello, Fixit.”
I squeaked, “Hello, Vashon.” All the lords above, could I sound even more awkward? Why did I sound awkward? Was I awkward? I certainly felt awkward. I mean. Yes, she was sexy as hell, and I was pretty sure I was attracted to her. I mean she did kiss me and...
She knocked me out of my rapid-fire internal babbling by putting a finger on my chin and raising my head up so that we locked eyes again. She was smiling softly just then, and I was lost. She asked, “Agri-grid A1?”
I nodded dumbly, and she smiled her cocky smirk and said, “Wonderful. Have dinner with me there tonight.”
I blinked. She wanted to see me again, like I secretly wanted to see her too? She cocked an eyebrow in question, and I said something like, “Oh... ok...” I'm not sure because I wasn't listening. I was just fascinated with her lips and wondered if she kissed me again if it would feel just as thrilling as the first time.
Then she said, “Great, it's a date then. See you tonight.” Then she stepped away pointing at Glitch, “Great job down there today, buddy.” He squeed and saluted her, and she chuckled. Her laugh set something off in my gut. Oh hell, it aroused me. Yup, apparently I was into girls, at least ebony haired ones in purple armor.
She just backed to the edge of the platform and hopped off without losing eye contact with me. The little bit of acceleration she got from the fall before she hit the weightlessness of the gravitic eddy, carried her down. She drifted as I rushed to the edge to see her land lightly on the roof of her sleek tumbril. She winked and swung down into an open airlock.
I giggled as the vessel flew off, barrel rolling as she went. Showing off for me. I smiled, blushed to myself, then went cold as ice at a realization. Only an archaic Old Earth epitaph would work here, and I spat it out in a panic, “Fuck!”
A date? A real honest to goodness date? I looked down at my attire, it was the best I owned.
I blurted out to Glitch, “We need to find me a decent outfit.” Then I giggled to myself. A Sky Guard was interested in me? I turned back to the city with renewed excitement and started walking toward a cluster of shopping spires as I calculated how many credits I had tucked away. “Come on, we have work to do.”
He squeed in excitement as I marched across the dock with my best friend at my side, my heart pounding in my chest. I had a date to prepare for.
The End
Glitch
A Fixit Adventure
By Erik Schubach
Copyright © 2017 by Erik Schubach
Published by Erik Schubach
P.O. Box 523
Nine Mile Falls, WA 99026
Cover Photo © 2017 Bambi-L-Dingman / Dreamstime.com license
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. This book contains material protected under International and Federal Copyright Laws and Treaties. Any unauthorized reprint or use of this material is prohibited. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system without express written permission from the author / publisher, except by a reviewer who wishes to quote brief passages in connection with a review written for inclusion in a magazine, newspaper, blog, or broadcast.
This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.
Manufactured in the United States of America
FIRST EDITION
Chapter 1 – Cat Snack
I glanced back at Glitch as I guided the Albatross to the farthest point on the perimeter of Agri-Grid A1. The panels showed a malfunction of the sonic fencing that kept the predators of Tau Ceti Prime out of the fields.
The fences were all that kept the world, where everything was trying to kill us, at bay. Our terraforming of Prime centuries ago had killed off most of the varied native creatures who had lived on the planet, and a lot of the vegetation, when the atmospheric processors thickened the atmosphere and made it more oxygen-rich while stripping out a lot of the carbon dioxide.
That seemed wrong on so many levels to me, to wipe out so many forms of life just so that a planet, which wasn't ours, was more hospitable for us to colonize. It w
as even more wrong that just a couple centuries after colonizing, we abandoned the surface of the planet to live in the massive cities floating a mile above the surface of the planet, in the gravitic up-currents that were unique to Tau Ceti Prime.
Well, mostly abandoned, as not all Primers went topside. There needed to be people to maintain the farms, mines, and even the automated resource processing plants and massive atmospheric processing plants. They called us dirters.
There were possibly only a hundred or so humans left on the surface tending the support infrastructure for the million or so people living in the cities above. In the agriculture sector alone, there were only twenty people manning the entire farming operation here dirtside, in pinger maintenance. The rest of the farming jobs had been automated by pingers, and I fear one day even my maintenance position will be replaced with the next two or three generations of AI pingers.
But until that day came, I had a job to do. I called back over the sound of the wind of our passing in my open air tumbril, “Hang on Glitch, were going in.”
His high pitched squeal of the affirmative served as a thumbs up as he was always holding on for dear life in the bed of the Albatross when I was flying her, so he couldn't give an improvised thumbs up with his grappler. The silly pinger was my best friend down here.
I reveled in the thrill of flight and wondered why I had put off repairing my mother's old tumbril before my first flight topside a couple months back. If I had known the sense of freedom it gave me, I would have repaired it right away after her passing.
I glanced back, and I swear that he was just overacting as he tightened his grip on a cargo tie down. This was belied by the iris in the ocular lens that was centered in his spherical body, which was wide in excitement. I grinned. “Drama queen.” He somehow looked indignant, and I grinned. His yellow safety paint was flaking again, I'd have to touch him up soon. The atmosphere on Prime was pretty harsh on metal and ceramic composites.
Fixit Adventures Anthology Page 4
