Confronting others isn’t usually my way, but I see I need to make it clear. “Stay away from me! You and yourGronies.”
The big one curls his lip at me. “My name isCrolis.”
“Great!” I sarcastically say. “You’re barking up the wrong tree,Crolis. I do not have what you want. I can’t get you access. And I’m not interested.”
“You know it’s a very bad idea to not give my kind what they want,” he growls. “Surprised you survived,goblin.”
Crolis glares at my guard, who strains to keep him from reaching me.
“Go do your race,” my guard sneers and shoves him toward the railing.
Only when ABR security starts to close in do the three Ginarigons, led by Crolis, stalk into race positions.
“Did you hear what he said?” my guard asks as he walks back to stand beside me against the building, while I watch the males race. I secretly hope the Ginarigons get their asses beat.
“Crolis?”
“The Mindor. He asked you to ride with him for the space tour.”
“I was a bit preoccupied.”
He tucks his hands behind his hips and leans back against the wall. “I think he picked up on it. Might ask later.
His voice still rasps, and now I wonder if he’s been in pain since he body-slammed Crolis.
“They’ve rescheduled the space tour to this afternoon because of the solar storm. It’s supposed to pass through here while you’re out there. It will give them time to reset systems here before you get back.”
“You’re staying here to help fix systems? So what, I go on a space bus with a bunch of others?”
“I can escort you if you wish.” He looks away when he suggests it. I almost get the impression he doesn’t care and isn’t interested in his work, just doing what he has to for whoever asked him to do it. But for once, it’s nice to be a little ignored.
“Yeah, I do.” I shrug. “Not like I need a space tour since I live in space on a StarBuster. Think they’ll let me stay?”
“They have alternate activities, yes. But a lot of things might go offline during the storm. Security will be on high alert. They recommend leaving because it will be safer for you. They’re mostly worried about the creatures’ room turning into chaos because of the field dampeners. So they’re shielding up, hard close, so this place doesn’t turn into some scifi horror show.”
I laugh a little as the buzzer sounds. “Watch a lot of scifi movies?”
“Love to watch humans against aliens movies from Terra. The stories are always presented differently than in alien cultures. But we all like to see ourselves as heroes of our own stories—unless it’s horror. Just nice to think we can win even when we are destined for annihilation.”
The way he said it seems strange and rather depressing.
The males race out into the field, tackling and crawling over each other, fighting and flinging one another off of the huts.
“Savages,” I mutter. I’m relieved to see the Ginarigons aren’t leading the charge toward the bell. The Mindor is with a Talhuskin and Gashnaar who is closest.
Teol screams and cheers for her mate. She looks happy.
I wish I knew what it felt like to have someone fight that hard for me instead of fighting me to take my stuff.
“StarBusters usually handle space storms well,” my guard remarks. “Could you not just take that?”
“It’s docked out of the system,” I say, not really wanting to give him a ton of information on it. “I brought my pod to Catalyst Five. That’s definitely not strong enough to weather a solar storm. It’s like a space skateboard. It goes, needs a smooth path, and has basically zero environmental protection. It’s a liftpod I modified for space. Used to operate it in the cargo warehouse where I started. Gotta wear a sealed jumpsuit.”
“Hardcore. That’s pretty cool you modified it for space.”
“Thanks. Just do what I have to out of necessity.”
“Whoever gets you will be very lucky,” he says quietly, almost sadly.
