<<<<So, I fully intended to come back to Colin with the Drone attack in full swing… but then I had an idea! So I’m putting it off ‘til everything is lined up. It may well be confusing, though I hope not horribly confusing! 😛 ty, DD >>>>
By David C. Daoust
Colin had spent most of the week with the small bot in tow. Sure, Margo was gabby and not very useful at all. And if he had to listen to one more story that began with, ‘Luckily, in my ‘whatever-number’ movie I made, I learned…’ he may snap and just blow her away. But once he had a clear understanding of what she was, he had no interest in sending her away. She had to be worth a small fortune, not just as a bot, as her grade was very steeply priced, she was also a famous bot. He was sure that if there was not a reward for her return, there would definitely be collectors interested in paying good Coin for her. Those mesmerized by the entertainment industry came up with interesting ways to spend their Coin. She would probably end up wrapped in plastic and stuck in some rich guy’s closet with other movie memorabilia for a few decades.
Margo’s mistake, of course, was trusting that he was just a normal man, with an unusual job. She had no idea he was a heartless criminal playing courier for his father, the head of the ‘Organization’. Nor could she know that some humans viewed bots as just hunks of property, Colin was one of these humans and to top it off, he certainly didn’t respect the idea of property.
Colin took her in stride as he made his way down the streets. While Grady was far greener than someone may imagine a town on such a dry sandy moon, the roads tended to show the surrounding environment, as the sand that blew in from the desert collected throughout the Port Town’s many roads.
Colin led the two into a back alley, outside of the small inn they had been staying in.
“Now, you remember what I told you?” Colin asked briefly, more as a reminder than an answerable question, “Don’t forget the small bag crammed up under the box spring on my side of the room, and the shotgun in the closet.
“Sure,” she said, though a look of perplexity came over her face as she questioned, “I just don’t understand why they would suddenly want us out… And why would they want to keep all our stuff?”
“I know right?” Colin agreed, not bothering to go into detail as he glanced back and forth before leaping up to grab the descending ladder of the fire escape, “Just run up there quick like, and grab our bags.”
Truth was, Colin had lost a large amount of coin on a Star-Speeder race, a large amount of coin he had no intention of paying, not if he wanted to buy that coil and make it off this moon anyway. So felt it best to clear out of the Inn before the manager realized he wasn’t good for the bet he’d made, nor even for the bill he’d accrued staying at the inn. As the credentials he’d used would vanish before the first billing cycle. Margo didn’t need to know all that, she was small enough to make it into the window, and clear their stuff out of there before anything bad could come of it.
“Stay real quiet like,” Colin coached as she made her way up the fire escape.
Colin was actually impressed with just how quiet she was, and was sure, if she wasn’t trying to stay so quiet, she would attribute it to some past movie she was in.
Luckily, on the Belt, the newer movies took longer to circulate, while she would instantly be recognized on any City-Station or under any Planetary Dome as Elma Parks, they had only a few comments on her appearance being so close to ‘that one girl’ in ‘that one movie’ which Colin was able to stifle any further discussion by stepping in and distracting the small bot before she explained all her life story as she had done for him with no provocation at all. No need to gain any competition for any possible rewards…
The bags suddenly dropped down from the window, and the small girl made it gracefully back down the stair. Colin glanced back and forth again to make sure no one spotted the small girl with the shotgun under her arm as she rejoined him on the ground.
Colin quickly stashed the gun under his long coat, and lifted the bags.
Margo stood smiling as though she expected some form of applause; Colin only gestured and tilted his head in the direction he wanted to flee as they made their way clear of the Inn. He would be able to find another place to stay across town, far from anyone that frequented this place, not that he would be on this moon much longer, he was sure his servitude here was surely coming to an end.
Which is just what Colin did, after a quick tram ride across town, stunt-bot in tow, he chose a much ritzier place to stay this time, as his stay would be much shorter, and the separate class of people made it less likely he would be recognized by those he’d ripped off at the inn.
No sooner had he made his way into the high class hotel lobby than he heard the loud boisterous voice of the small blond haired woman arguing with the hotel clerk that stood before a monitor.
“What do you mean my credentials don’t checkout?”The blonds face was red and eyes shot fire, “I have to get up there… I assure you, I am who I say I am!”
“I’m sorry, Miss,” the fat ugly woman behind the desk said, seemingly happy to knock the skinny blond out on her butt, “But there is no sign of your name on the Otomo Corp registry for this room.”
“What the hell kind of racket are you people running on this moon?!” the small blond yelled slamming her cane against the desk, “that is MY room up there; I need to get my stuff!”
“That’s vandalism, Mam,” the clerk said as she studied the gouge the woman’s cane made in the desk before her, “I’m going to have to call the authorities.”
“Good!” she answered back, clearly frazzled as the clerk reached for a phone, “You do that.”
The woman said it, though her face clearly showed she had no intention of answering to any authorities on the matter and she quickly headed to the door. She locked eyes with Colin only momentarily as she seemed flushed with anger, then did a double take as she caught sight of Margo, though continued on her way.
Colin had no idea what he had just witnessed, and the woman behind the desk suddenly hung up the phone as the blond angry woman disappeared out the door. The large clerk smiled at Colin as he approached.
“May I help you?” she asked.
