Page 5 of Devin
Arlene had ducked back into the corner of the room by the transporter pad. She stood up and smoothed her skirt. It was finally becoming clear that she wouldn't actually have to sleep with this jerk.
"Yes. Esmeralda and I are going now, because you're not going to want me talking to your boss or the computer tech when they arrive," Arlene told them.
"Exactly. You're not going to want us to talk. And if we don't make it home, they're gonna tell the world the scam you assholes are pulling. But you know, if our names somehow get mysteriously wiped from the lists, permanently..." Val began.
"Then we won't have any reason to come back and talk," Arlene concluded.
It was a solid plan. A good plan. With the two of them sticking together, they could force the men into a pact. And even if they didn't stick to it, Val would be long gone and only Esmeralda would have to face the consequences. Val could live with that.
"Why don't you ladies wait out in the waiting room for a moment?" Doug suggested.
Val locked arms with Arlene and led the way out into the waiting room, closing the door behind them. But this time, she didn't stop there. Now that there was no one guarding the door, she just kept walking. When they got to the front desk, theirsuitcases were already there, waiting. Whoever was supposed to be watching them had gotten tired of waiting.
"But what if they come after us?" Arlene said as she extended the handle on her bag.
"They don't have the balls. My advice is, though, even if you get your callup notice, just take a chance. Anything is gonna be better than sleeping with slimy back there.”
"I won't have to do it again. I'm actually engaged, but my fiance wanted to make some quick cash for the wedding. He's rented out to some rich bitch uptown."
Val nodded and wished her luck before wheeling her empty suitcase in the other direction. Money made people make some really bad decisions. At least she'd be able to afford a trip out of town and fresh start with the cash she'd made today. Where could she go? Someplace boring with cheap rent. Val planned to head back to her cheap apartment, pack her old suitcase with all of her worldly belongings and take off for parts unknown. It was better than staying here in this rundown city where all the bosses were lecherous assholes. Plus, she'd never have to see the neon-flavored crew again.
Chapter 2
Devin
Devin had been posted to many places in the universe, but Noven 90 was definitely what could only be described as the ‘ass-end of nowhere’. There were no permanent buildings, no landscaped features and no infrastructure other than a small dirt landing site and a transport pad a hundred miles from the main camp. ‘Main camp’ was a misnomer. There were no other camps. The clan had been living here for over a year now, and yet the only improvements he could see were a garden in the back and a game court in the sand near the beach. There was very little to work with.
Devin took a deep breath. It was a blank slate. He had an entire planet to play with, to mold into a functioning Mahdfel colony. It was an honor that Etlon had given him charge over it. Noven 90 would be a shining example of his ingenuity and planning. And any mistakes, any flaws in the design would be completely and absolutely his own.
He'd been working on plans on his own time for years. Any time his brain had sparked a design ideal, he'd jotted it down, compiled it into a computer folder. For lack of a better name, he'd called it Etlon 2, since he didn't have a planet to start with. And Noven 90? What a planet he’d been assigned! Devin wasalready planning the campaign to change the name of it to Etlon 2, as Noven was an ass of a Mahdfel with no imagination.
Noven had explored and created star maps out this direction, naming every single thing he saw after himself. The planet was mostly dense jungle, and they had chosen a convenient spot for temporary camp along the temperate zone of the equator where they rarely had to deal with cold, and the land protected them from major storms or tsunamis. It would never do for a large city, however. The land and water source could not support the buildings he planned. Perhaps one day it would become a little historical resort village, but at this point, it didn't even deserve that kind of status. It was more of a rough camping experience that some citified parents would use to show their children how they used to live in the olden days, and how easy their children had it now.
His own mother was a Takalian of some status, and it was the trips to Takalia that had served as a source of early inspiration to Devin. The cities there were carved out of the white mountains and his mother's family lived at the top of one of the spires. His father had been Etlonian, and when his father had died fighting the Suhlik, his mother had chosen to remain on Takalia with her family.
When he finished here and Etlon 2 was as glorious as Takalia, he would take a mate and invite his mother to live here with him. It would be a splendid reward. But he had to earn it first.
Trying to explain that plan to Kavendish, his new warlord, was like talking in circles.
"Warlord, I have explained it twice. I do not want a mate," Devin said.
"Athen did not want a mate. Now Athen has a mate. Now Athen is happy. He even has an offspring. Don't you want a little warrior to train?" This warlord was not like any othercommander Devin had known. He'd not once been backhanded for being insubordinate during this conversation.
"I will finish the city first," Devin repeated.
"But you will be much happier with a mate."
"My happiness is irrelevant." The warlord squinted at him and his skin flashed colors of annoyance.
"Whatever," Kavendish muttered, then turned and left.
Devin thought that was the end of the conversation. Apparently it was not.
The next day, Devin, the warlord and a pilot, Zenik, went on a survey mission. Devin had a few potential sites he'd picked out from the satellite maps but he wanted another eye on them. He chose their path based on preference, visiting them in reverse order.
They didn't even land at the first site.
"There's snow on the ground. We are not building a city here," Kavendish said immediately.
