The Shizukana Kage descended onto the landing pad of the Gorey refinery, touching down with a jarring thump that reverberated through the hull. With a final sigh, the engines powered down, emitting a soft ticking sound as they cooled.
Kai, seated at the helm, casually waved his hand over the console, summoning the glowing display of services available at the refinery and nonchalantly requested access to an empty bay. The landing pad trembled beneath the ship as gears groaned into action, descending a deep shaft into the bowels of the station. With a definitive thud, the docking pad came to an abrupt halt on the first level, while the galaxy faded from view as a replacement pad swept into position overhead.
Kai lowered his gaze to the word ‘Gorey’ emblazoned in bold letters on the stark gray interior wall as the landing pad jolted again, descending to the second level. The pad spun 180 degrees and rumbled backward, parking the ship in an available docking bay.
A warning prompt flashed on the service menu, requesting permission to pay the docking fee. With a glum expression, Kai tapped the accept button, only to be met with another message inquiring if he wanted the hangar to be pressurized. He rolled his eyes at the unnecessary expense and declined the offer. Just then, a sweet and fruity fragrance wafted over his right shoulder, heralding the sudden appearance of Parri, asking, “So, what’s the plan, Commander?”
Kai’s body shuddered with surprise as he jumped in his seat. “Damn it, Parri,” he exclaimed, his hand racing to cover the embarrassment in his cheeks.
“What?” she replied, feigning innocence as she tilted her head over his shoulder.
“Nothing, never mind,” he groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose.
Parri suppressed a soft giggle, her lips forming a playful pout. “Did I scare you?”
“No.”
Parri squinted, smacking her lips with skepticism. “You’re such a liar.”
“Fine,” he conceded, “you caught me off guard. Can we drop it now?”
“Sure, sure,” she chirped. “What’s our next move then? Guns blazing? Storm the castle? Digital espionage?”
Kai flinched again when she enthusiastically popped him on the shoulder. With silent irritation, he sealed his lips and took a long, deep breath through his nose. Turning his attention to the map of the station, the lines and markers flickered on the screen as he scanned the layout. Pointing firmly at a spot in the center of the station, he said, “First things first. We need to visit this diner.”
Parri leaned closer, her interest waning when she spotted the eatery labeled ‘Toastrack Enigma.’ “The prototype isn’t at the diner,” she snidely remarked. “Why are we going there?”
“Simple,” Kai stated with a grin, pulling himself out of the flight chair with a light stretch. “I’ve been craving chicken for days now.”
Parri’s eyes half closed with delight as a broad, closed smile spread across her face. “Mmm, chicken,” she hummed.
“Come on, my treat,” Kai beckoned, departing the bridge.
Together, they exited the ship, leaving the sterile confines of the landing bay, and ventured into the station’s winding passageways. Kai moved with grace, effortlessly gliding through the twists and turns like a bird riding the wind. For him, it felt as if he was rotating and pitching the entire station around him while he kept a straight course. Parri, on the other hand, struggled to keep up, stopping at every intersection to orient herself before jumping to the next.
The two drifted past the flickering neon sign that buzzed softly with the words ‘Toastrack Enigma’ and glided into the establishment. The cozy diner was dimly lit, carrying a strong and unmistakable smell of re-hydrated food. Parri’s gaze swept over the open floor plan, noticing a passageway opposite their entrance that led to the medium hangar bays. The left wall was lined with a stunning series of square windows offering a spectacular view of the vibrant planet below. A busy service counter on the opposite side buzzed with the sounds of clattering utensils from the kitchen.
In the zero-gravity environment, orientation was a playful illusion, evident by how the diner cleverly used the space with round, bar-style tables attached to both the ceiling and the floor. Parri scanned the scene for an upright spot on the deck, but none were available.
Without missing a beat, Kai floated upward, effortlessly grabbing the edge of an empty table. With a fluid motion, he flipped himself around while Parri, with a hint of reluctance, mirrored his actions. With a determined wiggle, she slipped one foot into the strap at the base of the table and focused on the digital menu built into the surface. Her finger glided across the options, each entry lighting up as she scrolled through the meal choices. A spark of excitement lit up her face when she spotted the tempting Cygni Angus Ribeye.
“I want that,” she declared, excitedly tapping the screen.
Kai glanced at the menu item, his expression shifting to one of amused disapproval. “When I said my treat, I didn’t mean this was a date. You need to pick something reasonably priced.”
With a soft grunt of frustration, Parri resumed her scrolling, determined to find a more affordable option. After a moment of deliberation, they finally agreed on chicken paste for him and soy-meat cubes for her. Kai placed the order using the table’s interface, swiping his wrist over the small sensor at the base of the menu. A green light from the screen embedded in the forearm of his nanosuit appeared beneath the sleeve of his flight jacket, confirming that the charge had been deducted from his credit account.
As the two waited for their order to be called, Parri pulled out her portable tablet from the small of her back. The device was an older model with a flat, square screen, housed in a matte brushed metal shell that had seen better days. The bulky corners contained various external connection ports, many of which were considered outdated in the fast-changing tech world. Still, Parri kept the old device because of its numerous flaws in the operating system, vulnerabilities that allowed her to bypass most security protocols. As she tapped the screen, a faint blue light flickered across her face as the device connected to the station’s public network.
Leaning in closer over the table, Kai whispered, “Pull up the layout for this station. Let’s see what obstacle we’ll face when accessing the hangar bays.”
With a few taps, she navigated through a series of menus until an intricate map of the station appeared before her. “Which bay should I focus on?” she asked, glancing up briefly.
“Look for 2-2-1 and 2-2-2.”
Parri wrinkled her nose. “Well, that’s confusing. Why are there so many numbers?”
“It’s the designation,” he stated bluntly. “Hangar, level, and bay.”
“Okie dokie, if you say so.” Parri navigated the map on the screen and located the two bays nestled within the restricted hangar. “Here they are.” When Kai extended his hand, fingers beckoning for the tablet, she hesitated, eyes squinting as she reluctantly passed it over.
Kai flipped the display around, his brow pinching in concentration as he searched for a viable route. Only two main arteries provided access to the restricted landing bays, both marked as authorized personnel only, making a straightforward approach troublesome.
Parri leaned in curiously, her neck craning to catch a glimpse of the screen. “Are you looking for a way to bypass the restricted area?”
Kai tapped his lip thoughtfully with one finger as he studied the layout, blocking the tablet with his shoulder like a kid hiding his test results at school. After a thoughtful pause, he zeroed in on the maintenance break room behind the security checkpoint, which had unrestricted access to all the bays. A satisfied smirk spread across his face as he formulated a plan. “We’ll need access to the cameras and doors between the maintenance room on the second floor and bay two. Do you think you can manage that?”
Parri stretched over the table and quickly snatched the personal computer from his fingers with a perturbed huff. Settling back on her side, she flicked through the screens, grumbling under her breath, “Obviously.”
A moment later, the intercom emitted a crackling feedback honk, followed by a distorted female voice announcing, “Order 53.”
Parri’s ears perked up at the sound. “That’s us,” she declared. As Kai shifted in his seat to retrieve the order, she abruptly snatched his hand resting on the table. “You’re buying it, so let me pick it up,” she insisted, activating her mag-boots.
As she walked across the ceiling, weaving past other tables, she paused midway to crouch down and grab a nearby handhold. With a quick tap of her heels, she disabled the magnetic seal and performed a handstand to flip herself right-side up. Pushing off the overhead, she slowly drifted to the ground, landing softly with a clank, and continued her walk toward the counter.
The diner was a concoction of passing traders and weary station workers. Most seemed benign, lost in their own conversations or focused on their meals, but one figure stood out. He was a scraggly-looking man with an unkempt beard, pockmarked cheeks, and loitering near the counter, clad in a grease-stained flight suit. The way his beady eyes tracked her every move made her skin crawl. Instinctively, she crossed her arms over her chest, a subconscious effort to shield herself from his unsettling stare.
Nervously, she approached the counter where two rolled-up mats awaited, flexible trays rolled around pouches of food. Fabric fasteners on the outer shell held the rolls together and also served as anchor points when laid out on a table. Keeping her eyes fixed on the deck, she accidentally passed through a cloud of stench surrounding the man, a noxious odor that reeked of hot sweat. Parri reflexively rubbed her nose with a quiet snort and retrieved the meals, offering a faint smile to the woman behind the counter, whose expression was a bland mix of indifference and fatigue.
As she turned back to rejoin Kai, the stranger suddenly grabbed her arm, his bony fingers drilling into her muscle. A jolt of terror shot through her body as she froze in place, her lips sealing tight to stifle the alarmed squeak that slipped out.
The stranger’s accent was thick and gravelly, each word uttered wrapped in threatening thorns. “Hold up their gooseberry puddin’,” he urged, his eyes flicking to trays tucked under her arm. “You mind sharing one ov ‘hose?”
“What? Um… I’m… ah… No, I’m sorry, one of these is not mine,” Parri stammered.
“Ah, how about the other?” he pressed, edging closer, his breath muggy. “This diner won’t let me awder anything, and I’m Hank Marvin.”
“You’re what?” she asked, confusion apparent in her wrinkled nose as she tried to slip away, causing his grip to tighten.
Clearing his throat, the man attempted to mask his accent, though the rugged tone lingered. “I’m starving.”
“Oh, um.” Her eyes darted, searching for a way out, as she timidly asked, “Why can’t you order from this diner?”
Before he could respond, the cashier interjected, crossing her arms against her chest. “Because he’s dead broke. Now stop harassing my customers, or I’m calling security.”
The man waved off the cashier’s warning, his greedy eyes locked on Parri. “Come on, just a little something,” he urged.
Parri cleared her throat, a shiver running down her spine as the man’s fingers twitched, subtly massaging her arm. Believing he would go away if she relented, Parri slipped one tray from under her arm and unfastened the bindings. Carefully, she retrieved a sealed pouch of soy-meat cubes.
Suddenly, the man lunged forward, grabbing the tray, while Parri reflexively tightened her grip, escalating the situation into a frenzied tug of war. “Hey, let go!” she shouted, her voice silencing the bustling diner.
Across the room, Kai looked up, drawn by the rising commotion. His gaze landed on Parri, who was locked in a fierce battle with a stranger, fighting over a tray like a child unwilling to share her favorite toy. Balancing the rush of adrenaline with seasoned judgment, he quickly scanned the other patrons, noticing two traders lingering near the passage leading to the medium hangar. Among all the customers, their expressions looked suspiciously unfazed.
Parri yanked the tray closer, her muscles straining to maintain a grip as the stranger tugged back. Suddenly, her fingers slipped, and both combatants snapped apart like a stretched rubber band. With a sharp gasp, Parri toppled through the air, her legs flailing helplessly in search of the ground as she yelled, “Thief!”
The diner spun in her vision, a whirlwind of blurred tables, faces, and floor as she flipped backward, head over feet. Suddenly, Parri came to an abrupt halt, her back slamming into something that grunted upon impact. As the dizziness in her head settled, her eyes glanced down at a pair of calloused hands sprouting from beneath her armpits. With a mixture of relief and embarrassment, she tipped her head back to see a station worker caught between her and a table. An embarrassed chuckle bubbled in her chest as she let out a soft, nervous laugh. “Sorry.”
Before the bewildered worker could respond, she pushed her feet against the edge of the table and lunged headfirst into the fray, diving after the scraggly man recovering from his own crash. The diner burst into chaos as patrons scrambled aside, avoiding the thief as he zigzagged through the bustling crowd, maneuvering like a football player rushing toward the goal line.
With the stolen food clutched tightly in his hands, the thief darted for the exit leading to the medium hangars. Just as he thought he was in the clear, Kai emerged seemingly out of nowhere, dropping from the ceiling as his mag-boots hit the deck with a pronounced thud. Kai shot a warning glare over his shoulder at the two traders, who slowly slipped into the shadows of the passageway.
The thief juked left in a desperate attempt to evade Kai, but the move proved futile. In a quick motion, Kai delivered a precise ridge hand strike, landing squarely on the thief’s neck. The stolen food flew from the thief’s grip as he clutched his throat, gasping for air. Without hesitation, Kai caught the tray and swept the thief’s feet out from under him. With a jousting shoulder, Kai shoved the man aside, causing him to crash into another table.
Kai quickly redirected his focus to Parri, who was barreling toward him with alarming speed, flailing her arms in a frantic attempt to stop herself. At the last second, Kai sidestepped, brushing his hand against her chest to pivot her upright before grabbing her belt and spinning her effortlessly into his arms like a partner in a perfectly choreographed dance.
Releasing the lock on his mag-boots, Kai shifted his gaze to the other food tray gently tumbling toward the ceiling. Leaping gracefully into the air, he caught the last tray and pressed both into Parri’s chest, forcing her to take them. As she absentmindedly wrapped her arms around the food, her dizzy eyes struggled to focus, darting over his shoulder to spot the thief cowering along the wall.
“What just happened?” Parri asked, her wide eyes drifting back to Kai’s stern expression.
“You almost blew our cover. Stop drawing so much attention to yourself,” Kai muttered.
“What are you talking about?” Parri shot back. “That guy tried to rob me!”
Kai released his hold around her waist and guided her back to their table as he resumed his position on the other side. With an authoritative gesture, he waved a hand at the curious customers still casting suspicious glances their way. “Everything is fine. She’s alright,” he announced, deflecting their concerns. “No need for security. It was just a misunderstanding.”
Parri’s teeth clenched as she hissed, “What do you mean ‘misunderstanding’?”
As the patrons resumed their meals, the buzz of gossip and whispered conversations returned to the diner’s atmosphere. Kai let out a tired sigh and unfurled his tray, acting as if nothing had happened. He glanced over the rim of his glasses only to see Parri still waiting for an explanation, her lips pressed tightly together, forming a deep wrinkle across her nose. “Your food is going to get cold,” he remarked, gesturing with his chin toward her untouched tray.
“Seriously?” Parri’s frustration reached a crescendo as she reached across the table, slamming her hand down on his tray to stop him from eating. “This was not my fault. That filthy man tried to steal my food! I was fighting to get it back.”
This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
Kai’s tone increased in urgency as he snapped back, “No, you were falling into a trap.” He lifted her hand from his tray and firmly set it back on her side of the table. Taking a deep breath to steady himself, he removed one of the prepackaged bowls of chicken paste from the unrolled mat and pulled the spoon free from its adhesive strip. “You almost got yourself kidnapped. You need to be more careful,” he warned, his voice softening.
“Kidnapped?” Parri scoffed at the absurdity. “What a load of crap! That was clearly a robbery. You need to get your eyes checked, old man.”
Kai calmly explained, “He was trying to lure you into the passageway.”
Parri’s lip sneered dismissively. “No, he wasn’t.”
Kai calmly jabbed the spoon through the one-way silicone cover of the bowl, scooping up a bite of chicken paste. Slipping the bite into his mouth, he stole another glance over the rim of his glasses to see Parri scowling, her cheeks puffed up in frustration, resembling ripe apples. Munching slowly, he said through a mouthful, “Look behind me at the hallway leading to the medium hangars.”
She leaned to the side, straining her neck to look across the diner, focusing on the passageway. Her gaze settled on the two traders from earlier, standing under the overhang, seemingly engrossed in a private conversation. “I see two traders, big whoop,” she muttered, frustration flickering in her expression. “They have nothing to do with—”
Her words fell flat, trailing off as she watched the thief creep over to the traders to engage in hushed dialogue, their heads bowed close together as if sharing secrets too precious for anyone else to hear. Moments later, the trio moved as one, leaving the diner with an air of camaraderie that sent a chill of unease through her chest. Turning back to Kai, who sat unfazed and took another bite of his chicken paste, she was left momentarily speechless. “Who are they?” she finally asked.
“Slavers,” he mumbled, the spoon clinking against his teeth as he spoke. He withdrew the utensil from his mouth, slipping it back into the bowl to rest. “It’s a lucrative business, selling unfortunate souls to the Ursae Dynasty.” His eyes drifted down to his food, unconsciously stirring the paste as he explained, “They snatch easy targets that would fit the type of order they are trying to fill.”
Parri cast a nervous glance down the empty hallway, her heart pounding with the implications. “What type of order would make me a target?” she asked, her voice a mix of curiosity and dread.
He quickly scanned her appearance, his eyes flickering with cold assessment as he took another bite of his food. With a clinical detachment, he replied, “In your case… prostitution, most likely.”
Parri coughed, the bitter taste of fear rising like bile in her throat at the unexpected answer. She instinctively wrapped her arms around her midsection, her posture folding in on itself as she leaned away from the table. Her amber eyes flicked around the diner, judging the other patrons who suddenly resembled sinister slavers. Every quiet conversation or stray glance in her direction felt like an existential threat. A worried whimper escaped her lips as she looked back at her untouched tray, her appetite a fleeting desire.
Across the table, Kai watched her behavior, chewing thoughtfully before using his spoon as a pointer. “Look at what you’re doing right now. You need to be mindful of the message your body is sending to those around you.”
“What do you mean?” she asked, creases forming on her forehead.
Kai continued, “Just like animals, human predators often target those they perceive as weak or vulnerable. They’re not looking for a fight. They want an easy target. If you project confidence and awareness, you’ll dramatically reduce the likelihood of becoming a target in the first place.”
Parri sneered, his words sounding less like advice and more like he was still blaming her for the whole debacle. Snidely, she asked, “Okay, and how pray tell do I look more confident?”
Kai scraped the sides of the bowl clean with his spoon before lifting another bite of chicken to his lips, pausing to explain, “First, stop avoiding eye contact in a crowd.” He popped the food in his mouth, mumbling, “Also, crossing your arms around your stomach is another sign of vulnerability.” He watched as she promptly unfolded her arms, acutely self-conscious about her appearance. She rolled her shoulders back with a stern glare and puffed her chest in an attempt to appear serious. However, when she puckered her lips like a fish, Kai couldn’t help but snicker at her efforts, softly shaking his head. “Now you just look constipated.”
Parri’s posture deflated with a dismissive snort. “You can be a real jerk sometimes.”
He nodded, his grin softening as he took another bite. “That’s true, but a jerk who’s trying to keep you safe.” He lowered his eyes to the bowl in his hand, slowly stirring the contents as he spoke, his words distant. “I’m not trying to be mean about it. I just need you to be aware of your surroundings. I can’t complete this job if you get dragged off to some harem.”
“Yeah, I guess so,” she responded, her voice quieter.
Hesitating for a moment, she opened a package of soy-meat cubes bound to the tray in front of her. She reluctantly plucked one of the pink, fleshy cubes from the transparent container and gingerly slipped it past her lips, its bland, chewy texture matching her somber mood. When she envisioned herself as a pilot, she never imagined it would lead her into the dark underworld of slavers. The very idea of being owned like property, robbed of her rights and dignity, made her stomach turn, rendering the tasteless food harder to swallow.
She stole a glance at Kai, whose demeanor was unfazed by the seriousness of their situation. He remained calm and composed, eating his food as if it were just another day. There was a placid nature to his rugged features, embodying the face of a man accustomed to hardship. Yet, when his rich brown eyes flicked upward, hidden beneath his gaze was a man who cared, a chivalrous heart ravaged by war.
“Well,” she mumbled, stashing the bite of food into her cheek. “Thanks for saving me, I guess.”
Kai’s expression saddened as he looked at the empty bowl, the brevity of the flavors gone too quickly. “Don’t mention it,” he murmured, repacking the dinnerware into the tray. “Besides, we’re a team. It’s our job to save each other.”
Parri dismissed the notion with an eye roll. “Like that would ever happen. I highly doubt you would ever need me to save you.”
He chuckled softly at the irony, “If only that were true.”
While Kai silently scanned the diner like a detective on a stakeout, Parri shoveled a handful of meat cubes into her mouth. “What are you looking for?” she mumbled, discreetly exchanging glances toward the other patrons, trying to decipher the source of his attention, despite everything appearing perfectly ordinary. When Kai remained tight-lipped about their next move, her eyelids drooped with impatience, and her chewing slowed to a languid grazing. Packing the leftover food, she rolled up the tray and leaned away from the table, dramatically rubbing her belly while announcing, “I’m all done.”
“Alright,” Kai said, his tone distant.
Parri clicked her tongue in frustration, surprised she had to ask, “So, are we leaving?”
“Not yet. We need to hang out here a bit longer,” Kai dryly explained, his gaze fixed on the stream of people entering from the hangar bays, occasionally glancing at the time under the cuff of his flight jacket.
Parri frowned, her eyes flicking across the diner one last time before asking, “Okay, why?” Her gaze smoldered when he didn’t respond, her piercing stare burning a hole through his head that demanded his attention. The minutes dragged on in oppressive silence, as her patience dissolved into disappointed huffs. Unable to bear the stillness any longer, she began drumming her fingers on the surface of the table, each rhythmic thump an attempt to elicit a response. When Kai shot her a withering glare, his annoyance directed squarely at her relentless tapping, she pulled her hands away from the table with a resigned grunt.
Parri dragged her fingers down her cheeks, stretching the edges of her eyelids as if trying to pull the boredom from her face. As her palms rolled her bottom lip out, a low, droning moan ebbed from her chest like a zombie. “How long are we going to be here?” she complained.
“Until I say differently,” he replied tersely.
With a dramatic flourish, she dropped her hands from her face and sputtered her lips. After an agonizing fifteen minutes of silence while Kai feigned interest in the menu, she began whistling a catchy tune until she received a swift kick to the shin from beneath the table.
“Ow,” she whined, her face twisting with pain as she vigorously rubbed her leg. “What was that for?”
“Can you please stay quiet for longer than two seconds?”
“I don’t know, can you tell me what was going on?” she shot back.
“I’m waiting for the shift change.”
“Shift change?” she echoed. “Why didn’t you say that before?”
“It wouldn’t have made a difference. You’d still be fidgeting and making irritating noises. You simply can’t sit still.”
With an appalled gasp, she insisted, “I can, too.”
Kai raised a quizzical eyebrow, accepting her challenge. “Prove it.”
She wrapped her arms tightly around her chest, her body stiffening like a statue. Pressing her lips together, she took heavy breaths through flared nostrils, fighting the urge to blink. After a few agonizing seconds, it was painfully clear that Kai was right. Her eyes started to water, and her leg bounced nervously. It felt like hot needles were pricking her limbs, making them twitch. With a resigned sigh, she rubbed her eyes and gently placed her hands on the table. “So, I take it we’re going to impersonate someone?” she asked.
“That didn’t take long,” Kai said with a hint of amusement in his voice.
“Yeah, yeah, you were right. So, what’s our disguise?” Parri pressed, eager to move past her failures.
“Maintenance.”
Her gaze swept across the diner, searching for any signs of maintenance personnel, but it seemed fate had other plans. She saw traders, deck hands, clerical staff, and a couple of Legion soldiers on break, but not a single mechanic. ‘Figures,’ she thought, ‘just when I get a straight answer, another hurdle pops up.’ Turning her attention back to Kai, she groaned at the dreaded return of silent waiting. Her eyes scanned his attire, desperately searching for a topic to pass the time. “So… um… You used to be a pilot for the Colonial Navy?” she asked.
He shot her a sidelong glance. “Yes.”
“What did you do after you left the military?” she continued, hoping to draw out more than a single-word reply.
“Exploration.”
Her lips puckered to the side, disappointment flashing across her eyes. Undeterred, she inquired, “Have you seen a lot of systems?”
“Yeah.”
“Have you ever visited a black hole before?” she asked, slowly tipping her head into his peripheral vision.
His eyes flicked to her encroaching presence. “Uh-huh.”
“How far have you gone?”
Without warning, Kai abruptly pushed away from the table, leaving her question to linger. Parri watched him effortlessly glide across the diner to the cashier. To her surprise, he placed a manual order and waited by the counter, casually scanning the patrons. Remembering how long the last order took, she decided to bring out her tablet as a distraction. She started recording a short audio journal, her fingers tapping on the screen, while her eyes occasionally flickered back to Kai.
Moments later, the woman behind the counter handed Kai a small silver pouch with a bright pink label. Parri’s curiosity piqued as he rejoined her at the table. Peering over her tablet, she watched Kai calmly insert the straw into the pouch and take a slow, deliberate sip. A pleased smile spread across his face as he licked his lips, clearly relishing the flavor.
“What gives?” Parri exclaimed, feeling uninvited to the moment. “Don’t I get one?”
Kai shot her a teasing smirk. “Nope.”
“What? Why not?”
“I didn’t think you would like it,” Kai said plainly. He took another sip, playfully teasing as he closed his eyes with a humming smile. After a moment, he gave Parri a quizzical look and offered her the drink. “Did you want this one?”
“Yeah, obviously,” she snorted, snatching the drink from his hand. As she slid the straw between her lips, she muttered, “What is it?”
Kai relaxed his arms behind his head as he watched her enjoy the potent strawberry-flavored ice cream. Her expression melted with delight as her fingers wrapped around the pouch like a cozy blanket. Her eyelids drooped with ecstasy as a broad, goofy grin spread across her face, radiating pure joy. “Silence at last,” he whispered with a smile of his own.
Not long after, Kai noticed a group of maintenance workers emerging from the hangar passageway. Most of them wore rumpled brown coveralls and carried a portable lunch. A glance at the glowing display embedded in his jacket sleeve revealed it was 21:45. Kai maneuvered around the small table and gently nudged Parri on her shoulder, enticing her to follow. To his amusement, she remained oblivious, her focus entirely on the dessert in her hands. A playful smirk graced his lips as he reached out, grabbed her bicep, and pulled her away from the table, dragging her along like luggage.
He inconspicuously trailed behind the maintenance crew, navigating the winding passageways. As they approached the security checkpoint, the workers casually scanned the ID chips embedded in their wrists before disappearing into the maintenance break room around the corner.
Kai halted just shy of the checkpoint, veering to the side bulkhead to stay hidden. Meanwhile, Parri floated beside him in a fetal position, lazily spinning like a wayward ball, engrossed in her drink. To his dismay, Kai noticed the occasional curious glance from passing workers, their eyes flicking toward him and Parri with suspicion. Thinking quickly, he spun Parri around, drawing her back against his chest, and extended his leg across the bulkhead frames to keep them steady. Masquerading as a couple cuddling in the corner, he draped his arms over her shoulders and snuggled his chin against her neck.
“Where am I going to find a uniform?” he whispered to himself. As he watched the workers pass through the checkpoint, a loud slurping noise rudely shattered the quiet atmosphere. Kai let out a deep sigh, flicking his gaze to the ice cream cradled in her hands. “Could you please stop that?”
She smacked her lips, savoring the sweet flavors. “Sorry,” she muttered, slipping the straw back into her mouth.
Thinking out loud, he asked, “Do you think we could jump one of the workers without anyone noticing?” When she made another loud slurp, disrupting his focus, frustration crept into his tone. “Seriously, Parri, knock it off with that infernal racket. I can’t hear myself think.”
Parri froze, her lips puckered around the straw. After a brief, tense silence, she took another noisy sip, testing his patience.
“That’s it, you’re done.” Kai snatched the ice cream container from her hands, causing the straw to pop free of her lips.
“Hey!” she protested.
“Stop acting like a child, and help me. I need to figure out how we can obtain a maintenance uniform.”
Parri tipped her head back and smirked. “You could at least crack a smile. You have no sense of humor—” Her sentence was cut short as a sudden bolt of freezing pain shot through her skull, causing her to clutch her head and pucker her face.
Kai’s lip snarled with a mix of genuine concern and confusion. “What’s wrong with you?” As he watched Parri suck air through her clenched teeth, groan, and rub her forehead, he ventured, “Brain freeze?”
She nodded quickly, hissing, “Uh-huh.”
Kai chuckled, softly shaking his head. “Well, that’s what you get for sucking on that thing nonstop.”
Parri retaliated by elbowing him in the ribs. “Stop laughing! This really hurts.”
“I don’t doubt it,” he soothed, gently lifting her off his chest. “You’ll be fine, you just have to wait it out.” As he drifted into the hallway, he motioned for her to follow. “Come on, let’s locate a uniform.”
Grumbling, Parri pressed her fingers against her eyelids, trying to think through the fog of discomfort. “What about a laundry room?” she suggested.
Kai spun around, his brows rising in surprise because her proposal was oddly reasonable. Floating back to Parri, he reached around her waist to grab the tablet she always kept tucked against her lower back.
Startled, she arched her hips away from his hand and swatted at his arm. “Hey, whoa, whoa, grabby… what are you doing?”
“I have a plan,” he said, backing away with the tablet in his possession.
Parri blinked a few times, her mind gradually thawing from the confusion. “A plan? Let me guess—you’re going to keep me in the dark, as always?”
As he examined the station map on the screen, he muttered, “I plan on stealing a maintenance uniform from the laundry room.”
She swiftly snatched the tablet from his grip. “That was my idea!”
“There’s no need to get testy,” Kai chuckled, pushing off the wall to float down the hallway.
“Testy? I’m not testy. I’m pissed off.”
“That’s the same thing, Parri,” he said with a big grin. “Just admit you’re mad because I beat you to the punch line.”
“You didn’t beat me to jack shit,” she huffed, rushing to catch up. “You stole my idea.”
I’m pretty sure the scheme was all mine,” he retorted, a teasing lilt in his voice.
“Liar! I clearly suggested checking the laundry room right before you took my tablet.”
Kai slipped around the corner, his voice annoyingly calm. “You must be mistaken because I definitely recall coming up with the plan first.”
Flustered, Parri blurted out, “Only because you’re a slippery scheme swindler.”
“A what?” he snickered. “What does that even mean? You know what? It doesn’t matter. The laundry room is down the hall to the right.”
The two glided down the long corridor of the station until they reached the laundry room entrance. A few paces away, an employee with messy black hair approached, pushing a sizable laundry cart laden with bulging bags of clothes. Instinctively, Kai grabbed Parri by the wrist and pulled her close, signaling a hush gesture as he ducked behind a cluster of industrial pipes.
The employee paused at the door, locking the cart to the deck with a loud clank. As he turned to the keypad beside the door, he removed a small speaker from his ear, the faint sound of heavy bass music humming from the device. The dark-haired youth entered the code, causing the door to slide open with a mechanical hum. Turning back to unlock the cart, he drifted inside the expansive laundry room, wiggling the oversize basket through the doorway, bumping the edges.
Parri leaned away from the pipes, whispering, “He’s alone. Let’s jump him.”
Kai grabbed her belt, anchoring her in place. “Wait. Let him finish and leave first.”
“But… he left the door open,” she pointed out.
“Just hold your horses,” he advised, glancing over his shoulder to ensure they weren’t seen. As the minutes ticked by, Parri restlessly stared at the laundry room until the employee finally returned, the cart now empty. Once the employee was halfway down the hall, Kai gently shoved her forward into the passageway, pointing at the keypad on the wall. “Time to use your tech wizardry. See if you can hack through the keypad,” he instructed.
With a reluctant sigh, Parri pulled out her tablet and connected it to the keypad, her fingers sliding across the screen as she hacked through the electronic lock. A satisfying chime signaled success, and the laundry door slid open, revealing rows of industrial washing machines that filled the room with an unmistakable musty aroma, blending sweat and soap.
Kai moved swiftly into the room, eyes darting from one machine to another as they rumbled, turning bags of clothes through soapy cycles. “We might have a problem,” he announced.
Parri raised an eyebrow and looked up from her tablet. “What problem?”
“I’m not sure which machine has a mechanic’s jumpsuit, or if it would even fit. This is going to take longer than I expected.” Turning a worried look back at Parri, he suggested, “Maybe you should keep watch by the door.”
Parri focused on her tablet, accessing the employee database at the Gorey refinery. “How tall are you?” she asked, her fingers moving quickly.
“Um… Six-one,” Kai answered slowly.
“And your weight?”
“Why are you asking?” he inquired, bewilderment in his voice.
Parri paused her work with a groan and slipped one hand to her hip. “Do you want a uniform or not?”
“Fine. I’m 185 pounds,” he relented.
“Shoe size?” she continued, her fingers tapping on the device.
Kai hesitated for a moment, eyeing her suspiciously. “Why do you need to know that?”
Blushing slightly, she stammered, “Because, um… I just need that info for the search algorithm.”
“Uh-huh, the search algorithm,” he repeated sarcastically. “Well, in that case, I would be a humble 22 inches.”
Parri’s skeptical scoff turned into mocking laughter. “That’s bullshit. Are you trying to tell me you wear clown shoes?”
“Yeah, freakishly large,” he said, feigning sadness. “I used to get teased about it all the time. It’s not something I’m really proud of.”
Despite his statement being preposterous, she couldn’t help but dart her eyes from his mag-boots to his crotch. “You’re such a liar.”
Maintaining a straight face, he doubled down on the lie. “Yeah, well… I’ve had reduction surgery.”
Like a balloon deflating, Parri sputtered her lips, the incredulity obvious when she muttered, “You wish.” Turning her attention back to the tablet, she sifted through the list of maintenance employees, narrowing it down to a few individuals who matched Kai’s dimensions, and cross-referenced them with the laundry schedule. “Here it is,” she said triumphantly. “A Mister Ogdred Weary, machine six. His outfit might be a little baggy on you, but it’s close enough.”
Kai surveyed the row of machines, noticing the stenciled numbers above each one. He strolled over to machine number six and yanked the heavy door open mid-wash cycle, a cloud of steam rushing out to greet him. He plunged his hand into the laundry, moving aside damp fabrics until he found a soggy brown maintenance uniform. Holding the coveralls against his body, he was pleasantly surprised that they matched his size. “Nice work,” he said with admiration.
Parri beamed with pride, the corners of her mouth curling into a satisfied grin. “Thanks.”
Question for the Comments: Kai thinks his "22-inch clown shoes" and strawberry ice cream distraction are the peak of mission strategy, but Parri is the one actually hacking the laundry. If you were on this heist, who would you trust to get you through the security checkpoint: the guy with the "soggy uniform" plan or the girl with the "tech wizardry"?
I am updating every single day. Hit Follow to see if Kai can actually pull off the heist.
Rating. It’s the best way to help the story reach new readers during this daily run!
Who is actually carrying this mission right now?
