Flea
22 Oct 2016Mara Korine
The gentle music and calm murmur of quiet conversation belied the nature of Wedges's customers. This was something that Mara had known from the start and somehow had failed to fully realize. The reality of it now was visceral and Mara assayed keeping a calm demeanor while her heart flew with the pace of a canyon-racing daredevil pilot. She smiled at Jim as she collected her bag and said her goodbyes. Jim was picking up the tab for the evening as Mara wasn't to leave any further trace. She made eye contact with the bartender, who nodded back.This is it, here I go! Mara walked past the neutron star, up the stairs, and into the din of Wedges's common room. Jim had stayed back to make sure no one would follow her, but she had no way of gaining the intelligence of his observations. Mara paused at the top of the stairs before heading to the exit to scan the room. The bouncers were following their routine as far as she could tell. A standee at the bar made eye contact with her and winked. Whether it was an innocent gesture or not, it heightened Mara's anxiety. She did not acknowledge the man and hurried through the crowd and out into the lane. The simulated nighttime of the station created very real shadows which Mara began to feel threatened by.
The hotel was in the section next to Wedges. It would be at least fifteen minutes before she arrived at the elevator which would take her to the second floor. The lift carried her up for a moment and slowed to a stop. A bell chimed and the doors slid open allowing the bright light she was standing in to spill into the subdued yellow lighting of the hallway. Room 224. Past the third sconce, and the portrait of the man in the really tacky suit hanging halfway down the hall. Mara made a quick pace toward her room and found a do not disturb sign on the door handle. I did not leave that there. Someone could be in the room. She reached for her access card but paused when she noticed the door being slightly ajar. Her stomach flipped as she held her breath and pushed it open, taking care to make as little sound as she could. She strained to hear anything from inside the room. Mara peeked inside as the door crept open. What am I going to do if someone is in there? She looked up the short hall leading to the bedroom and could see her covers upturned. She hadn't heard any noises coming from inside and determined to enter. Come on Mara, you can do this.
She crossed the entrance; wide-eyed, and heart-pounding, Mara investigated the damage. The covers weren't the only items upset by whoever had intruded. Every drawer was pulled out and obviously thrown without care. Her case was open and her polarizer had been dumped on the floor. The intruder, or intruders, had opened every cover on it and torn some at the wiring, but the damage was superficial. That is lucky I suppose. Her clothes were scattered into the kitchen. Her stuffed bear was lodged upside down in one of the empty slots that should contain a drawer. Oh, Thelonious! Who was in here. I wish you could tell me. The bear's remaining ear was caught as Mara extracted him from the drawer. Oh no, I've nearly torn off your good ear. I'll fix you up as soon as I can ok? She grabbed her luggage and wasted no more time on investigation. Was this the guys at the bar? Did they do this before meeting me, or after they were kicked out? Are they waiting for me downstairs? Oh, my god. Someone is really after me! Or, the three-one-two chip, whatever that is.
Mara stuffed her clothes into her luggage cases without regard for any efficiency except speed. She closed up the polarizer in its case. Mara heard footsteps approaching in the hallway outside of her room. Her heart dropped and she held her breath while slowly stashing Thelonius and her remaining items into a backpack. Can I run with all of this? The footsteps were getting louder. Mara swallowed the sizeable lump in her throat. She strapped the backpack to herself silently and clipped the instrument case onto her clothes luggage. This final attachment produced an audible click.
And as soon as that happened, the footsteps outside stopped. They must be right outside the door. She scanned the room for something to improvise into a weapon. A card access point outside the room sounded with the affirmative beep that lets you know you've been allowed in, and with her eyes fixated on her door she decided she would charge whoever might come in. No one had entered when she heard the sound of the door directly across the hall being opened and then closed again a few moments after. Mara realized she had been holding her breath and slowly relaxed. She left her room immediately and adopted the calmness she had tried to act with at the bar.
The elevator was empty when it came to the call and she rode it down in peace. When the doors opened into the lobby, she glanced around for anyone who might be watching and found the room to be empty aside from the clerk who was busying himself with his comm. He was attentive as Mara approached the desk to check out. She left a generous tip and apologized for leaving so suddenly and she declined to participate in the feedback survey that the clerk tried handing over.
Mara pressed on and exited the hotel. It was still dark and she was hoping that as difficult as it would be for her to notice anyone, it would be equally difficult for them to track her. The lane was quiet as she made her way toward the train station. Few people were out at this hour and anyone that was about was a potential threat. Mara was thankful that no one appeared to take more than a passing interest in her as she made her way to the station.
The station was a single level building, not striking in style, but lit well on the inside. It was functional. When she entered, Mara's eyes took a moment to adjust. There were benches along the center of the platform and one or two people were taking rest on them while waiting for the next car. Waiting was nerve wracking. Once, a person came through the doors and Mara feared it was one of the two men from the bar. He turned out to be an older gentleman, however, and Mara waited out the time in anxious tension between her need to get to hangar forty-one and her desire to run.
The car finally arrived and Mara boarded with the rest of the passengers. The car felt comforting, like a metal and plastic cocoon swaddling her. The doors began to close to Mara's relief as another man entered the station. He scanned the train cars and made eye contact with Mara just as the doors to the car latched. Mara felt a dread terror as they recognized each other. It was the man who'd been threatening her at the bar. The man's expression was one of confidence, but no great emotion. He didn't react when they locked eyes. He simply seemed to acknowledge it. As the train started pulling away, Mara saw him pulling out his comm, and making a call. Just like that, the protective feeling of the car came to feel like a trap. And she hadn't seen the second man.
As the car carried her away, she watched forward of the car to try to see anything that might be coming upon them. Nothing sinister came into view as the car slid along the ever-curving track.
"You look all packed and ready to go. What's chasing you from our lovely station?" the old man who'd previously frightened her.
"Yes, I'm heading home," she lied, "I've completed my work here and miss my family more than anything," she added truthfully. Mara hoped it would satisfy him. She didn't feel very sociable given her present circumstance.
The old man looked her up and down and continued the conversation, "You look like you haven't slept in days. Need a pick-me-up? I've got some hot coffee. I'm just heading to my shift. These days I'm a custodian for the flight decks and maintenance crew areas. Are you a pilot, or passenger?"
"Both, but today I won't be flying. I'm to board a ship at hangar forty-one. Do you know the way? I'm afraid I'm not certain how to find it."
"I'm Barni," he said and extended his hand, "It's nice to see such nice, kind people around. We'll be sorry to have you go."
Well, one person thinks I'm kind. Goodness, grant that he doesn't really get to know me, "I'm Mara. Thank you, but I believe you are the kind one of us."
"I know the hangar," he continued and smiled, "it's on my route. I can show you the way."
Mara felt certain that the old man meant her no harm. He hadn't shown her a malicious disposition. He offered help speed her discovery of the hangar and she was glad for a friend and of his company for the rest of the walk. The rail car pulled into their station and neither of the men who were tracking her was in sight. It had brought them withing a few tens of meters of the terminal that would take them to Mara's destination.
The terminal was a small ground level building with floor to ceiling windows which curved to meet the roof giving viewers inside a view up into the flight tunnel at the center of the station. It was surrounded by a plaza and garden which even in the night's darkness gave Mara found interesting and pretty. Flowers were blooming and gave the air a sweet and musky fragrance. A fountain could be heard bubbling away but Mara was unable to locate it in the dark. She didn't have time to properly take in the garden. They were approaching the entrance and the area lit up automatically.
Barni led her through the entryway and into the elevator that would take them to the correct tunnel. The ride was only momentary and the doors opened into access hub of tunnels that serviced a group of nearby hangars. There were a few tables and chairs set up to give pilots and crew a small resting area before heading topside. A food stall advertising fried sandwiches had been chained shut for the night. A mechanic, his toolbox on wheels parked beside the table, was eating a packed lunch and watched them travel through to the hallway that was marked hangar forty-one. Barni was evidently overjoyed to tell Mara the history of each section of the station, and of certain adventures he'd had within. As they rounded the second twist leading to the hangar Mara found herself laughing at his stories and wondering to what degree they held truth. I suppose it doesn't matter.
"One time, my buddy Franke was working here in this very tunnel." He began, though, he paused for a moment. A rumbling sound was coming from the direction they had been walking, "Sounds like a toolbox. I guess that guy is finished his break. Anyway, here we are. Hangar forty-one!"
Mara pushed the call button but no one replied. She pushed it again and waved at the security cam placed outside each door. They would have viewing access to it inside but she couldn't know if they were watching. The mechanic had rounded the corner and his trundling toolbox was booming. He approached Mara and Barni and smiled, "Here we are! The door's stuck. I hope you're not waiting to get inside." He looked at Mara, opened his toolbox, and lifted a gun over the upturned lid which he pointed at them ordering, "Mara Korine? Get down on the floor. You too, man. On your knees."
Barni and Mara were not prepared for a fight and so complied with the assailant who continued, "The chip? Pass me the bag you have it in. I'm going to count to three and then I'm going to shoot your friend. Then I will count to three one last time and you will give me the chip. I don't have to kill you both, you know. But it won't bother me none if I do."
"I don't know what this chip is!" Mara cried in desperation, "I really don't! Here take my bag." She took the backpack off her back and slid it toward the toolbox.
"You expect me to rummage through your bag? The chip," he began to count down, "Three. Two."
The hangar door came to life, with a whoosh and a whir opened faster than any Mara had seen outside the tunnels. The gunman turned his weapon to the open door but an enormous man burst out directly at him screaming, "Heyo! You going to get squashed by the Flea!"
The mechanic shot but was unprepared for the large man, presumably, Flea, tackling him to the ground pinning him and covering his mouth. Flea gripped him in a headlock until the man stopped struggling and went limp. He smiled and got up to introduce himself, "I'm Flea! Are you Mara? Sorry, we didn't let you in. We needed to know if you were followed."
"Yes, I'm Mara. Is he dead?"
"Nah, he'll wake up. Be just fine. I'll be taking his gun, though." Flea removed the firearm and inspected the toolbox for any more weapons then checked himself over to make sure that shot hadn't damaged his coveralls.
Mara turned to Barni, who was just recovering from the shock of it all and still unable to utter more than a few words and instructed him to escape, "Go home, call in sick for the next while. Stay with a friend. Don't tell anyone about this. I don't know who else is looking for me and I don't want you to get hurt. I'm so sorry, Barni. I didn't know we were being followed. Being hunted is new to me."
Barni agreed and assured Mara that he'd be fine then quit the tunnel with haste. Flea beckoned Mara to join him, "Come on, we should get you into the ship."
"Yes, let's leave immediately."
"That's the plan, Sister. Let's go!" Flea urged and they headed into the hangar together.