Episode 93, Night Out
25 Aug 2024Ryuko Ntsikana
Episode 93, Night Out
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Regardless of the stereotypes, that followed the moniker of a pirate for more than a few millennia, the business core of the enterprise was the same as any other. Yolan Gateway was no different. There were those who looked, acted, and smelled like what people always thought a pirate should be—with all of the lewd amenities that catered to their types, at the lower end of the station. In the common areas, a visitor or visiting businessman would be hard-pressed to see it as anything other than another economic hub.
Ashlyn stayed close to me as I reminded myself that this place was run by the same organization Ceri belonged to, but I noticed that neither looked at the other in any form of recognition. Whatever fall from grace she had experienced had to be a hard one for her own kind to turn a blind eye to her passing.
I thought of asking Ceri about the change in his payout but thought better of it. She had already stated that she received nothing for her service, and asking her about the message I had received on landing, would be tactless and cruel.
Of the twenty-five million earned ferrying businessmen to and from this place, the profit matrix had been reversed in our favor. Instead of receiving twenty-five percent of the gross, I now received the gross less the twenty-five percent. I did my best to keep a straight face while debating on whether this was a platitude by the ship’s owner and his new contractor, or a habitual trait.
For a couple of hours of work, I had netted 18,750,000 million with 6,250,000 million going back to the owner. Only a spaced crazy person would argue about such a lucrative profit margin. With the ship costing just under 140 million, in its current configuration and applied engineering, I could afford my own in just over a week; if the same pace could be kept. It's far better than what I was making as a trader in the rim systems.
“Treats on me,” I said, looking over at Ceri, hoping to get a response. “Where’s the best place to eat on this station?”
She motioned toward a central hub area, keeping her eyes low. Ashlyn knew enough at her young age to not give me a questioning look in front of Ceri, that would make her more uncomfortable with whatever demons she was wrestling with inside.
The restaurant looked to be at the upper end of the earning spectrum. There were no flashy holographic signs or gaudy-looking adornments to entice passersby to enter. The Maitre'd was not a polished humanoid android or other artificial device but a real human, groomed and dressed to near perfection. It was not the place people would think of when envisioning a pirate orbital station, but then stereotypes were more for the psychological selling points than reality.
After we were seated it was readily apparent that the only artificial entity was the fish in a nearby large aquarium. An oddity in most places, especially in the rim systems. The only way I knew they were not biological was that I had hauled a similar product, at one time. Other than that experience, I would have been fooled into thinking they were real.
A collection of human attendants appeared, with one setting a menu in front of each of us, with the others placing a plate of eclectic hors d’oeuvres, set in the center of the table along with a sampling of buttered bread. A pitcher of iced water was provided, as each turned and departed, leaving us to browse their offerings in peace.
Unlike other establishments, this one's menu had no prices listed. ‘Well, there goes my profit margin,’ I thought, knowing that nothing here would be cheap, including the seating.
What Ceri lacked in conversation she made up for in appetite. ‘Even inner demons needed to eat,’ I reminded myself, doing my best through the meal to not look at her. Whatever the sociological norm was for this place and those who ran it, did not extend to the restaurant; where everyone’s credits were good. ‘All about profit,” I chuckled inwardly to myself. I was used to running goods between the rim, for those who were lesser, and the same matrix applied to the bottom as it did to the top. All sins were forgiven, even if briefly when enough credits were available.
Toward the end of the meal, an entourage appeared near the entrance. Ashlyn picked up on them immediately, nodding her head toward them. They were dressed fashionable enough but there was no mistaking they were not here to eat. One of them motioned to our table as Beau appeared from within their midst, a toothy smile on his face as he approached.
“That’s going to be pricey,” I commented, wiping my mouth with a napkin, looking around him toward those near the entrance.
Beau pulled a chair away from another table to sit down, as Ceri lowered her head further. Beau did not look at her, his smile remaining as he motioned for a human waiter to bring him something to drink.
“One of our business associates couldn’t stop singing your praises,” Beau said as a waiter put a glass of water on the table in front of him. “Foxed a mercenary Fer-de-Lance.”
The food was too pricey not to eat, as I looked at my plate to cut another portion. “They weren’t on the guest manifest.”
Beau let out a hearty laugh, breaking the quiet atmosphere of the establishment, but all who were there knew who he was, and no one would complain.
I knew his type. He might have the title of the head bartender for this system, but I knew that was more of a euphemism for lead fence. Who or what was targeted was up to his discretion—as was its price. That he would go out of his way to leave the comfort of his system, to visit my boss, in an isolated nearby system… well that had weight to it, in my mind.
“If it’s all the same, I thought of catching a little rest, while the ship is reprovisioned, before we take on some more clientele, unless you have something pressing?”
Beau shook his head, taking a sip of his water. “Ryuko tells me you are a strict, above-the-board type of man. Nothing illicit.”
I nodded as I chewed on my food.
Beau eyed me for a moment, then smiled at Ashlyn. “Always good to meet an honest family man. I hear you are a hell of a pilot too. That’s good for business, and I imagine your profit margin.”
Beau cast a side eye at Ceri with his ending statement, who did not look up or move at the icy reminder.
“Our enterprise is above three-quarters legitimate. Most would not think of a place out here being a major business hub.”
“Before my current employment, I was contracted to run food items and clothing for a minor outfit of a similar disposition. They didn’t have much, in the way of facilities or personnel, but the credits were clean.”
“I imagine those credits were paltry too. It would appear that you lost that albatross along with your old ship. Now you are flying the latest from the factory floors, earning what… more than a few hundred percent, if not more, in daily profit?”
Beau looked over at Ceri’s plate, a grimace appearing on his face. “This man has worked his tail off to afford this meal. You will eat it or it will be fed to you.”
Ceri flinched, then began quivering as she picked up her fork and began picking at her plate.
Beau’s grimace vanished suddenly, replaced by a smile as he looked at Ashlyn. “I’m sorry for that. I don’t like people taking advantage of your dad’s hard work.”
Beau snapped his fingers as a nearby waiter approached.
“This man paid for this meal with his hard work for our faction. Paying for it is the least we can do.”
The waiter nodded, moving swiftly toward the Maitre'd at the front.
I was about to thank him when Beau stood up, a smile still on his face. “Get some rest commander, you have earned it. Tomorrow there will be some more of the same. Business never sleeps for long.”
I nodded, once again about to thank him for the meal when his expression turned once more as he glared down at Ceri. “And, if this one becomes an issue, make sure to let us know. We don’t want to lose out on any more investments due to poor decision-making.”
At this point, I knew better than to say anything, as Beau’s smile appeared once again before he turned on his heels and headed out the entrance.
I had no idea what she had done but knew that this was the end of the road for her. Leaning forward I studied her downcast eyes and saw wetness on her cheeks.
“Listen, if you want to swap plates, I can claim it as mine and get it to go, that way you can have it later when you feel like it.”
Whatever was going on inside of her could no longer be contained as she burst into tears.