The burning sizzle arrived first, but the scorching pain on his skin arrived immediately after. The edge of his index finger caught the soldering iron. He dropped the tool but quickly retrieved it and placed it back on its stand.
“Oh, come on!” Pepper belted out.
Rhino was walking by and merely chuckled. A moment later Pepper felt his boss standing over his shoulder. “You already finished working on the 7 Seas. Nice.”
“Yeah. This Rage Hyper Inline circuitry is ridiculous, though,” Pepper replied, shaking his hand. He blew on it, trying to ease the pain of the burn.
“Everything Rage puts out is hard to repair. I’m surprised you chose to attempt it.”
Pepper swung around on his stool to face Rhino. “I haven’t done this much soldering fine metalwork since I built my Amprage replica. It’s going to take me a while to get back to where I once was. But it’s kinda nice to be doing this work again.”
Rhino huffed. “Well, there’s plenty of work to be done. But like I said earlier, there’s no rush, Pepper. Take your time. I would much rather us put in quality repair work that lasts, rather than hasty repair work that fails the moment our clients get their items back home.”
“From the looks of it, our work is better than most of the manufacturers.”
Rhino snorted and giggled. “You can say that again.” He patted Pepper on the shoulder. “Well, you’re already making a difference around here. So keep it up, but don’t beat yourself up or burn yourself out in the process. Marathon, not a sprint.” The store phone rang and he turned and answered it. “Hey, Scotty. I recognized the number. Sure thing. Let me double check the price of the clay, but I think it should be about the same as last time.”
Pepper swung back around and focused on the card before him. The metallic inlays and circuitry were becoming more complex with every new design. Pepper had read over some discussions online that talked about how the technology had reset itself in a multitude of ways compared to before the Rift Wars.
During the wars, the demonic attacks had taken out the vast majority of advanced computer chip foundries. The infrastructure that remained became the backbone of industry. The young generations that survived the wars bore the responsibility of rebuilding.
The military soaked up the majority of technological resources first. But the capitalistic ventures of the Golem League quickly became second. Pepper knew that the skills he was currently using to repair the equipment were a dying art form. Eventually they would not be needed. Companies would produce their products with such speed and cost reduction efforts that it would be cheaper to buy brand new rather than get items repaired.
Pepper, though, saw the advantage of one resource that multiple people took for granted—time. He knew he still had an opportunity to rebuild his golem and get it ready for one final club match. If he could secure a victory in time, he may still be able to get an invitation to Regionals.
Pepper focused on the circuit board and gently picked up the soldering iron. He narrowed his gaze and then lowered the bit back down. A tiny amount of smoke rose into the air, and with a slight tilt he brought the bit out of his fresh metallic connection point.
He slowly placed the tool back on its stand and reconnected the power cable. A quick flick of the switch and Pepper watched as the board chirped and lit up. Green lights flashed in the pattern that informed him it was initiating a proper boot-up sequence. He sighed with relief and smiled. “Now we’re getting somewhere.”
He took hold of the plastic molding that encapsulated the circuit board and gave a quick adjustment and rotation of the pieces until they all fit together as designed. The screws, on the other hand, were his next source of frustration, but soon the tiny pieces fell into place. Pepper set it aside and exhaled with a satisfied feeling of accomplishment. He turned around to see the three large bins filled to the brim with parts awaiting repair. The sense of accomplishment quickly faded as he reached over and grabbed hold of the next item.
Pepper looked over and saw an old stereo system attached to the wall. He leaned over and turned it on. To his relief, a classic rock station began to play tunes that felt as if they were a natural fit for his situation. The time began to fade as he devoted his attention to the item at hand.
The hours flew by in the blink of an eye. Pepper had practically zoned out of everything else. His skill at repairing the items seemed to be his niche.
“Holy cow, Pepper. Did you seriously finish all these repair orders?” Rhino said, a shocked expression on his face.
Pepper was confused about how to respond. He didn’t want to come off as too confident, but he also didn’t want it to seem like the work was easy either. “Um. Yeah. I mean, I guess I just got in the zone and took things one step at a time.”
Rhino seemed to be taken aback. But there was a giant smile on his face. “This is awesome! Like … this is beyond what I thought you’d be able to accomplish. Especially on your first day. You know what? I’m going to go grab us some dinner.”
Pepper was now the one to have a surprised look on his face. “Really?”
“Yeah, why not? You’ve already gotten us caught up by more than a week of repair work. Kyle brought us in a good thousand Flex in consignment sales. He already ordered a new shipment of scrap golems from out east. If he has a good haul from that, we could be beating last quarter’s revenue numbers.”
Pepper was a bit bashful, not knowing what to think of it all. “Well, I’m glad to hear that, and I’m happy to help.”
“You okay with Tony’s Total Chicken?” Rhino pointed and clutched his car keys.
“I don’t think I’ve ever had it.”
“Well, strap in, because you’re in for the best chicken you’ve ever had. I hope you like spicy.” Rhino winked and turned to leave the store.
Pepper stood up from his spot and stretched, his limbs slowly loosening up from being hunched over for hours. He slowly made his way from the repair area to the front of the store. As he walked up and down the aisles, a weird feeling came over him. He had walked them countless times before, but that was as a customer. Now that he was an employee, he felt some extra confidence within himself.
The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.
He continued to walk the aisles and adjust the items on the shelves, aligning the boxes perfectly so they had a nice professional appearance. The roar of a motorcycle caught his attention. He looked out the front window just in time to see the bike come to a stop out front. The rider made his way inside and Pepper greeted him.
“Hey,” the man started when he entered. He began to close the distance to Pepper and asked as he approached, “Did you guys get any Centaur rune cards in? I’m specifically looking for an energy imbuement rune.”
Pepper couldn’t help but think he recognized the customer from somewhere. He had replaced the motorcycle helmet with a trucker hat when he had gotten off his bike. Pepper couldn’t help but notice the small salty sweat stains along the edges. His rich brown eyes matched his groomed beard, and a blue checkered flannel shirt and blue jeans with black leather boots finished off his appearance. His hands were in his pockets, and he seemed more reserved than extroverted in nature.
“Our Centaur rune cards are right over here. I’m not sure if we have that specific rune in stock, but we can check,” Pepper replied.
The man followed him over to the area, and Pepper’s mind still raced, wondering how exactly he knew him. He remained deep in thought as his eyes scanned over the different items. The glossy red color scheme of the box caught his attention and the white lettering confirmed the item. He grabbed it and handed it to the customer. “Does this look like the one?”
The customer nodded and looked over the box briefly. “Yeah … this is exactly what I’ve been looking for. Can you have Rhino put it on my tab?”
“Tab?” Pepper could feel the confusion come over his face. He had not been told about any type of payment processes for certain customers.
“Yeah—Timo Burnham. Rhino lets me put some of my items on a tab and I just pay him at the end of the month.”
The lightbulb came on in Pepper’s mind. He now realized why the man was so familiar. He was standing before the gladiator who had been tearing up the unsanctioned golem matches throughout the region.
Timo had obviously read his expression and rolled his eyes with a sigh. “You know what? Don’t worry about it. I’ll just pay for it now and you can ask Rhino about it when he gets back.”
“Thanks,” Pepper practically stuttered in reply. He grabbed the box from Timo, walked behind the counter, and punched away at the point-of-sale system. His eyes widened when the price tag came up. “That will be … 2,684 Flex.”
Timo took a wallet from his back pocket and quickly swiped his payment card like it was nothing to him. “You’re Pepper Walker, right?”
Pepper’s voice cracked. “How do you know my name?”
Timo chuckled as he returned the wallet. “I was at the club match and watched you move up the ranks. You got a lot of skill, man. I was pretty sure you wouldn’t get past Tamin, but you certainly put up a valiant effort there.”
“Thanks … I … I didn’t realize you were there.”
“I try to keep an eye out at a lot of the local club matches. You ever think about coming and competing in the underground?”
Pepper’s heart skipped a beat. He was stunned by the question. The looming fear of being banned from the Golem League began to wrap itself around him. He swallowed and cleared his throat. “No … not really.”
Timo smiled and huffed. “Got your eyes set on the Golem League, huh?”
Pepper nodded. “Yeah.”
“Ha. I don’t blame you, kid. It was fun at first. But then … then your eyes get opened to all of it. The things behind the curtain. But still, it was fun while it lasted.” Timo paused and his gaze wandered away from Pepper, a hundred memories replaying in his mind. He soon returned and looked genuinely at him. “Well, if you change your mind or want to team up with me in the future, let me know. There’s plenty of action for us to get into.”
Pepper didn’t know what to say, so he simply said the first thing that came to mind. “Thanks. I will.”
Pepper slid the item across the counter in a plastic bag. He watched as Timo turned and walked out with a confident stride. He got onto his motorcycle and Pepper watched him roar off down the street. The entire scene had played out like a movie.
The silence in the store allowed his mind to wander down different pathways. Rhino’s comment about Kyle’s new shipment of scrap parts made him think about all the possible rune cards and options that might be in that shipment. He knew he could get in and out under the fence without any issue.
Kyle’s scrapyard is on my way home from Rocket Burger. By the time I get off work, it’ll already be dark enough for me to sneak about. If I take my bike to school and then work, that’ll make my getaway even easier. I can easily crack into the chest plates or other areas of the golems and take the best parts. If I get there and work fast enough, Kyle may not even know what parts he did or did not have.
Pepper reached up and massaged his neck and then snapped it to one side. An audible pop occurred as his mind still raced with the idea. He then cracked his fingers and knuckles while the tension built within him.
He reached up and began to type away on the point-of-sale system. A quick punch on the numbers regarding twenty canisters of clay—the amount he estimated he would need in order to rebuild—came to 6,500 Flex. His heart skipped a beat again and he moaned at the high price tag.
“That’s not even pricing in how much it will cost me for a power core and everything else I need,” he said under his breath. “This is going to take me forever.”
“What’s going to take you forever?” Rhino asked from behind him.
Pepper’s soul practically leapt out of his skin. He grabbed his chest as he tried to catch his breath, and he quickly reached up and cleared the screen regarding the estimated quote for clay.
“Holy hell, Rhino. You scared the crap out of me.”
Rhino laughed and placed the fast food on the glass display case. “I forgot to tell you. I’m level 34 in Ninja.” His boss chuckled some more and then continued. “Anything else happen while I was gone?”
“Timo Burnham came in and wanted to put a rune card on his tab. I told him I didn’t know about any of that, so he just paid with his card.”
“Nice. Well, speaking of that, I might as well show you that part of the system.” Rhino walked over to the screen and began to type away on a few tabs. “Okay, once you get to the payment screen, you’ll see this side tab that says ‘Customers.’ Click on that and you’ll see the list of names.” Rhino started to scroll through a list that looked like it had roughly a hundred names. The screen stopped and Rhino hovered over Timo’s name. “Click on the name and then hit ‘Apply.’ The order will be charged to his running tab. Timo has been a good reliable client. If he says put it on his tab, don’t even worry about it. But that’s pretty much everyone else on this list.”
Rhino clicked on Timo’s name and Pepper’s eyes widened when he saw the total bill of 12,326 Flex. “That’s what Timo currently owes us?”
Rhino nodded like it was no big deal. “Yeah … that is about his monthly average. He pays it off normally on the first and tallies up about 10,000 plus every month or so.”
Pepper practically choked on his words but still managed to spit them out. “He buys roughly 10,000 Flex per month?”
Rhino laughed. “I mean, that is what I just said … so. Yeah.” He started to unpack the food from the to-go bag. “There’s a lot of money to be made in the underground golem league. Timo pays a lot, but he is considered one of the best. I think he brings in close to 30,000 Flex a month fighting in that league.”
Pepper’s jaw nearly hit the floor. Rhino looked at him and chuckled. Pepper quickly corrected his expression and reached for his food. “That’s crazy. I never would have imagined that there was that much to be made in the unsanctioned league.”
“Timo’s a great guy. Don’t be afraid to pick his brains either. He may come off as an introvert, but he doesn’t mind talking about golem stuff with people. I see him about every other week, so I’m sure you’ll have plenty of opportunities to spark up a conversation with him.” Rhino’s eyes lit up and he licked his lips while rubbing his hands in front of him. “Enough about that; it’s time we focus on the real matter at hand. Lunch!”