by Nathan Pedde
“No,” Des said.
“What?”
“I said no,” Des said, “I didn’t get the file. Veer now has goon’s, and they stopped me from getting into the office.”
“Des, you had one job,” Elsie said, “They’re going to move that data. I’ll get in contact with Cryslis. She’s following the ‘chickens’ to the feeder. Where are you?”
Des told her.
“Laying on your back while the rest of us work,” Des heard Elsie laugh through the Neuronet, “Cooley has your ‘Des’ clothes and your homework. He’ll be there in ten minutes to extract you.”
“The diner again?” Des said, but Elsie didn’t answer.
Chapter 18
Des sat at a booth in Greasy Burger Diner. The Diner was built into the ground floor of a two-story tall office building in the Teal Sector.
Greasy Burger Diner had stretched across half of the storefront to the building with tall ceilings and windows to match. The inside of the building was built of white and black tiles on the floor with an off-white cream tile on the walls. Two dozen booths with attached benches were stretched out across the storefront with a bar across the other side.
School work was spread out on Des’s table. Spread out was a couple different reading tablets and writing tablets. Math homework was displayed on the tablet’s screen. A half ate burger sat beside the homework.
Des was dressed in his school uniform. His jacket and backpack sat in a heap on the other side of the bench. He had changed and cleaned himself up in Cooley’s hover-van on the way over, who dropped him off two blocks away.
He stared at his tablet, wishing the answer to one particular question would jump out at him. He was confident he knew the answer, but he wasn’t sure if the answer was correct or not. It was his self-doubt which kept Des from figuring out the correct answer.
In the corner of his eye, he looked at the other booths of the restaurant. Des wasn’t only here to do his homework. He was here to eavesdrop on a few people.
Four tables down was a pair of construction workers. They wore grubby work clothes and had on bright colored safety vests. They looked to be middle-aged, but Des wasn’t sure. A person aged over twenty and up to mid-thirties looked the same to him.
The two workers ate a couple greasy burgers and fries. They were working on a bottle of beer each as they ate.
Des knew the closest of the pair was Fred.
“When are the 1-H Nebulas going to start up again?” Fred said.
Des knew the second of the two workers was Airnee. He had seen him three weeks before in the station’s Undercroft. At the time, he had tricked the workers into not getting him into trouble for being in the Undercroft, even though he had a good reason to be there.
“Not this again,” Airnee replied, “They shut down the Jovian professional sports teams for the duration of the war.”
“I know that, dummy,” Fred said, “I miss watching the games. I miss the team spirit.”
“No doubt,” Airnee said, “but this war doesn’t look like it’s going to end anytime soon.”
“Maybe we’ll surrender already,” Fred said.
“Do you really think it would be good for us if Earth takes over?”
“Well…”
Airnee finished his burger and chugged back his beer. Fred had only completed half of his food as he had been talking too much.
“We better get back,” Airnee said as he stood up.
“Yeh,” Fred said, “Let's not be late getting back to work.”
Fred chugged back his beer and grabbed his burger in his other hand.
“Is it my turn to pay, or is it yours?” Airnee said.
“I’m pretty sure it’s yours.”
“I don’t know,” Airnee said, “I thought it was your turn.”
“No. I remember me paying last time. It’s yours.”
“Fine,” Airnee said as he pulled out his wallet.
He dropped a couple of credit chips onto the table.
The waitress, a teen who looked about Des’s age, walked across the Diner towards the two workers. She wore the Diner uniform, a red skirt much too short to be proper, and a white top which showed off her arms. Wrapped around her waist was an apron willed with an ordering tablet and credit chips.
She approached the table and the credits.
“Thanks for coming,” She said, “See you next time.”
Airnee nodded as he walked towards the door with Fred following close behind, munching at the burger as he walked.
Des scratched his chin and thought of Elsie.
“Chickens are leaving the feeder,” Des muttered.
“Roger that, Des,” Elsie said.
A pause echoed from the other side of the line.
“I have them,” Elsie said, “Cryslis and I will take it from here. Finish your homework.”
Des smiled and looked down at the table. He pulled a small tablet from the pile of other tablets. He typed a couple buttons on it and put it into his backpack.
“See you after,” Des said.
Des grabbed his cold burger and took a big bite out of it. It was still tasty cold, better than the burnt mash he would have made himself at home.
The waitress came to Des's table. In her hands was another tall glass full of soda. She placed the glass in a free spot.
“Hiya,” She said, “You’ve been coming in here often.”
“Older brother took over the house with some project,” Des said, “I needed a quiet place to study.”
“No issues. You can come and study anytime,” the Waitress said as she walked away from the table.
Des grunted as a reply as he looked at his homework once more. Now the distraction of Cryslis and his duties as a secret agent was out of the way. He started answering more of homework questions. He wasn’t sure if he was getting them correct or not. However he had been so distracted lately and he wasn’t sure how he was going to get his grades back up.
A loud ring echoed on the table. It was so sudden it made Des jump for a second.
“Sweet Jupiter,” Des muttered.
Des picked up the phone. The name which flashed on the screen was his uncle.
He answered it after a moment.
“Hello, Uncle Jacob,” Des said, his phone on his ear.
“Hi, Des,” Jacob said, his voice sounded scratchy over the phone, “How are things on the little station?”
“They’re the best that can be expected, I suppose.”
“Right. Right,” his Uncle said, “I’m using a quantum link to make this call, and I don’t have a lot of time.”
“Quantum link? That must mean you’re quite far away? Where are you?”
“Evana Trojan Cluster 12.”
“That’s on the other side of the solar system and isn’t that being blockaded?” Des said, worry showed in his voice.
“Don’t worry about me. I’ll be fine, I’m worried about you and your grades.”
“I know about my grades,” Des said, “I’m trying my best.”
“Are you really? Cause your brother says you don’t want into the military academy? That you’re slacking off to not get into the academy.”
“I’m not slacking off,” Des said.
“You do understand the importance of getting into the academy right? The privileges you can earn?”
“I understand. You only tell us every time you’re back on the station,” Des said.
“Let’s hear it.”
Des rolled his eyes, “The academy gives me the biggest chance to have a real choice in my future and to keep away from the Marines.”
“Good. Now, what are you doing to achieve that goal?”
“I’m studying hard.”
“Are you?”
“I am…”
“Listen, I‘m out of time. I’ll talk to you later when I get another turn. Susan now has access to all of the funds for your allowance.”
The line went dead, and the conversation ended as quickly as it started.
&nbs
p; Des put down his phone and rubbed his eyes. He sat back and leaned on the bench at the booth. He stared at the ceiling above him, and the off-color ceiling panels hung from their metal fasteners.
Are we any closer to finding the guy? Des thought as he referred to the saboteur, or are we just spitting air.
Des snapped out of his slight daze and got back to work on his math homework. After he finished his math, he still had history and science homework to do.
Chapter 19
Elsie stood on the street corner beside a pizza parlor which was located down the street from the Diner. The fresh scent of warm pizza flowed into her nose. The pizza would be made using vitro-meat and vitro-flour due to food shortages, and while she could taste the difference, it would be better than nothing.
She wished she got to hang at the Diner instead of Des. She wanted to watch and listen to the two workers as they had lunch. She wanted to eat a juicy vitro-burger for once. However, she understood that it was her stomach doing the thinking and not herself.
“Elsie, target’s approaching your position,” Cryslis said over the Neuronet.
“Roger…” Elsie muttered.
The street was full of people. Kids younger than she ran past her and then down the road. While old men sat on a nearby stoop mumbling to each other about something Elsie couldn’t quite catch. She figured they were talking about the good old days. She humphed to herself at the thought.
In the distance, the two workmen walked down the road towards her.
Elsie pulled out her phone. She stared at the screen, scrolling through a net page. Elsie put on her most bored look as she could. She hoped the two workers wouldn’t notice her standing there.
“I’ll tell you,” Fred said, “If we can get them to bring back Zero-G Football, not the fake boring Standardized football, but real Football. The JIFA Kind.”
“If we can get them to bring it back, what?” Airnee said.
Fred and Airnee, the two workers, walked past Elsie. Airnee looked really bored and frustrated with the conversation. Not that she blamed him, they were talking about sports.
“What what?” Fred said.
“You’re an idiot,” Arniee said, “If we bring back 'Football’ what then? You get entertained for an hour and a half every week? What did you mean?”
“Oh. Moral in the station will raise up.”
The two workers walked up to the nearby maintenance door.
“You mean your moral will raise up,” Airnee said as he buzzed his key card to the control panel and the door slid open.
The two construction workers disappeared into the doorway and down into the Undercroft.
“Are you sure about this plan?” Elsie asked Cryslis over the Neuronet.
“Yes,” Cryslis replied, “What’s wrong with this plan?”
“Nothing,” Elsie said, “except we have been following these two workers around for a week now and they haven’t led us to the other one yet.”
“Well,” Cryslis said, “Cooley is ripping the Net apart hunting for any info on the mysterious man, and he has found nothing. He’s a ghost.”
“I know,” Elsie said, “we need a new plan.”
“Well. Think of a better one then,” Cryslis said, “and you’re dismissed for now. Go get some homework done.”
Elsie heard the standard silence which meant Cryslis was no longer talking to her. It was a nice change having a team to talk to and work with. Before she worked alone, but now she had friends to watch her back.
She walked down the street back towards the small Diner where Des was. Her stomach growled at the thought of the juicy burger. But she remembered her dad was going to be making his infamous Pangelli Spegtala Noodle dinner. She groaned and walked into the Diner.
The Diner was half full of people as a waitress approached her. She was trying too hard to get tips with the low cut white tank top and high blue skirt. Not that Elsie blamed her, the waitress had a figure that Elsie dreamed of. She was still considered flat by most of the guys and girls in her class.
“Table for one?” the Waitress said.
“No thank you,” Elsie said, “I’m going to join my friend over there.”
“Of course,” the waitress replied.
Elsie walked across the restaurant and sat at the table across from Des.
“Can I join you for a moment or two?” Elsie said.
“Sure,” Des said, “I’m only trying to get homework done from a week ago.”
“How far behind are you?” Elsie asked.
“Very.”
“Did you want to head to my house to study?” Elsie asked.
“Don’t you have to go to your day job today?” Des asked without looking up from his work.
“Only for an hour and I can do it any time I want.”
“I’d love to, but I need to get this stuff done before tomorrow.”
“And if you don’t?”
“Then Ms. Lyon will probably drag me in front of the principal like she has been threatening to.”
“How are you getting all of this flack for your grades?” Elsie said.
“I guess dropping from the top of the class to about three quarters from the bottom does it.”
“You’re still doing better than I am.”
“Not by much. I’m a couple spots higher in the rankings. That’s all,” Des said.
“Still doesn’t make sense.”
“It does,” Des said as he looked up from his work, “You forget they let me skip ahead a grade this September at my insistence. They made an exemption for me, and now I’m struggling. It doesn’t look good for the school.”
“So politics.”
“Most likely.”
“Well,” Elsie said, “I better best be off. Have fun with your math homework.”
Elsie stopped as she was halfway from getting out of the booth. Her eyes caught sight of the half ate cold burger sitting abandoned behind a couple of tablets.
“Are you going to finish that?” Elsie asked.
“Maybe later. Why?” Des said.
“Oh, nothing,” Elsie said.
“Is it your dad’s turn at making dinner?”
Elsie blushed as she looked at the table.
“It is.”
“Pangelli?” Des asked.
“That’s all he knows how to cook.”
“Go ahead,” Des said, “I can order another one if I get hungry.”
“You sure?”
“Yes,” Des said, “But if you get caught eating that, you didn’t get it from me. I know about your parent's vegetarianism. She hates me enough.”
***
Elsie left the Diner and walked home. She had to take the train and still had to walk a short distance. She walked into the small townhouse which was her home. The townhouse was tall, three stories tall, but very skinny. Elsie took her shoes and jacket off and hung them in the closet.
“Hi mom,” Elsie shouted from the doorway, “I don’t smell Pangelli. Is dad home yet?”
“No dear,” her Mom called from the kitchen, “He isn’t coming home until late tonight. He has to work on some technical problem.”
“Oh,” Elsie said as she tried to hide her sudden sense of joy.
Elsie walked into the kitchen.
My mom was in her late thirties. Her real name was Rochelle. She was in great shape, being a fitness coach and physical trainer at the hospital. She was dressed in her standard yoga clothes.
“That sucks he can’t make his special dinner,” Elsie said.
“No, it doesn’t,” Rochelle said, “I’m making my three sauce casserole instead.”
“Nice,” Elsie said.
“Don’t act too happy about it.” Rochelle said, “Are you home for the night?”
“No, I still have to go to my day job.”
“What were you doing after school then?”
“Helping Des with his math homework.”
“Isn’t he in the top of the class?”
“He flunked a c
ouple tests bad due to a job change. He’s struggling with the added workload and the pressure.”
“Poor kid.” She said, then quietly, “Serves him right.”
Elsie kissed her mom on the cheek as she ignored her mom’s comment. She walked out of the kitchen towards the stairs.
“I’m going to try and get some of my homework done before I’ve to go to work.” Elsie said, “Will dinner be done before I leave for work?”
“Yes,” her Mom said.
Elsie exited the kitchen and walked up the two flights of stairs to her bedroom. Her room was on the top floor. Her younger brother and her parents got the middle floor, while she was on the top one. Her four older sisters had already graduated and moved out. It made living in the small three bedroom house less squishy.
If it weren’t for her sister, who was five years older and who worked for Jovian Intelligence, she would never have been recruited. She would have been an innocent civilian and not a secret agent.
Due to what happened in the Undercroft with Des, she had gotten fired from Jovian Intelligence to work with Cryslis, Cooley and Des. It didn’t mean she could be lazy, her day job was a cover for her intelligence work, and she hadn’t been forced to leave that.
Elsie entered her bedroom and quickly dumped her bag onto the floor. She plopped onto the bed and looked at the badly speckled ceiling.
What am I going to do? Elsie thought to herself.
She looked over and saw a red light flashing on a small speaker next to her computer monitor.
“Sweet Jupiter,” Elsie muttered as she pried herself off of the bed.
She walked over to her desk and sat on the chair.
The red light was a communication device from Jovian Intelligence Agency. It flashed a small code which told Elsie where to call in from.
After a few moments of watching the light, she rubbed the bridge of her nose for a second. There was a pain in between her eyes that didn’t exist a second ago.
From her desk drawer, Elsie grabbed a small black signaling device. She left the room in her sock feet and walked up to the end of the hall. She pulled on a short string, and a ladder unfolded from the ceiling. She walked up the small ladder and onto the roof.
The roof of the townhouse was flat with a small railing which spread around the entire roof. The roof had a small garden with vegetable's growing in the handmade garden beds. Off to one side, a little-shaded bench sat in the corner.