My Work Here is Finished

Posted on Mon 1st Jan, 2018 @ 7:49pm by

688 words; about a 3 minute read

Mission: A Phaser as Deadly as a Candlestick
Location: Visitors Center
Timeline: MD 4, 0730

"So that's it then?" the tall, secretive man asked. He was sitting in a communications booth in the Visitors Center on the Arrivals and Departures deck.

"They came around to your way of thinking, so we're finished here?"

=^=That's right. I know how to reach you if I need anything else. No doubt I'll be in contact again next time I need this sort of service.=^=

"Alight. Thanks for the job. It was a pleasure taking care of business for you." He'd heard someone say that in the lawyer's office a while back. It sounded professional, and he liked it, so he was trying it out on this client.

=^= Yeah, okay. Your pay will be forwarded to the Pelora drop, as agreed. Pick it up within seven days. Now get off that base. =^=

"Heading that way now," the criminal said, but his boss had already disconnected. He sat there a minute, thinking. He had purchased open-date tickets for himself and the muscle to get to Pelora. They'd take a round-about way to the drop, and then split up. He was about tired of the idiot.

Standing up, he opened the door and exited. His partner on this venture was waiting right where he'd been told to wait. One thing you could say about the guy, he followed directions. He also wasn't squeamish about doing whatever needed to be done.

"Okay, Pancho," he said when he reached the man, "let's get outta here."

The smaller man looked around. "Who's Pancho?" he asked.

His partner rolled his eyes and said, "Nobody. Forget it. Let's just go."

Reaching a hand into his pocket, he pulled out the tickets and handed one over. "Take this to Gate 120, get on the ship, and don't so much as look at me, let alone look for me. Our latinum is on Pelora. We'll pick it up in four days, and then you go on about your next business. The boss doesn't have anything else for me right now."

"You call me when ya need me," the short man said. He walked over to the directory to check which departure corridor had his gate, and then headed that way. He was soon lost in the crowd, as short as he was, and the tall man breathed a little easier. He looked at his ticket and contemplated exchanging it for a faster, more direct route. If he got there earlier, he could pick up the payment and be gone again before Shorty ever showed up.

With a sigh, he shook his head, and went toward his own departure corridor. He was taking a different ship to Pelora, but he'd wait and hand his partner his agreed upon cut. In this business, it wasn't smart to offend someone. The galaxy was big, but not that big.

His ship was loading passengers for the next leg of its trip as he got to the gate. He stepped aboard and handed over his ticket.

"No luggage?" the ticket taker asked, running a scanner over the plastic travel card.

"No. I sent it ahead last week," the tall man replied smoothly. Many people did that when the trip was short, so it didn't make him stand out.

"Place your hand on the scanner."

The scan returned no warning sounds, and agreed the hand matched the ticket information. The ship's transport officer handed the card back. "Have a pleasant trip. Welcome aboard Never Seen."

Moving down the corridor, the man noted his quarters for the next two days. Instead of heading there, however, he followed the green welcome line to the small area of shops and dining choices. Suddenly, he was hungry. He rarely ate much on a job, but when it was over, he generally ate copiously.

As he neared the commercial section, he spied a public restroom facility and stepped inside. In the stall, he peeled off the skin-tight gloves which he had donned that morning. There would be no record of the person who had been on Vanguard leaving the starbase. With a smile, he dropped them into the recycling bin and watched them disintegrate.

 

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