I was starting to think of this as my second home. This time, I was in the council chambers again, because I had finished something. The satellite was done. Fixed. My job was through, and I wondered what that would entail. Would I have any other use? Maybe, I could help Lana. She couldn’t deal with electric parts, but I could.

“You fixed it entirely? I don’t believe you!” squawked Wanda, as she glared at me through her pink monstrosities. They were coral pink and had gold edges. I’m sure they helped her read, but the glasses were ugly.

“Wanda, I believe the boy,” said Cho as she glared at the hawk-nosed woman balefully. Cho was one of the good ones heck they all were except Wanda. She got on my nerves.

“I demand he shows us the satellite!” Wanda said, slamming her palms down on the square desk before her and shaking some papers off.

“Alright,” I said, smirking. “It’s never been moved from the room. You can all take a look.”

Wanda nodded and hopped to her feet. The council remained sitting.

“I’ll be right back,” she said. A few minutes later she entered, a big smile coating her face.

“Well?” asked Vivianna as she stared at her long fingernails.

“It’s done. We can get our programmer to work on it now,” she said happily.

I sighed. My job was done. I had fixed the satellite now I had to wait until I could have my Rider back. For now, all I had to do was sit back and relax. I was forgotten in the hype of a fixed satellite. I was finally excused thirty minutes later. I wanted to find Andromeda but she was nowhere to be found and that was strange. Usually, she was guarding me or the crew.

Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

I took my leave and walked back to my living quarters. I wanted to start my book. I sat on my bed with Lord of the Rings and slowly divested myself of my shoes and coat. I hung my bomber jacket in the bathroom and put my shoes under my bed before plopping down and opening my book.

I was well entrenched in Frodo’s journey when there was a knock on the door. I opened it and hungry lips crashed into mine, questing. I pushed Andromeda against the door taking the lead. My hands brushed her sides as my lips left hers to graze her neck. She moaned.

“Y-you’re w-wanted by the council,” she squeaked the last part when I bit down gently on her earlobe and was now soothing it with my tongue.

“What do they want?” I asked running my hands down her spine making her shiver.

“I-I don’t know but if you keep doing that we aren’t going to make it,” she moaned as I traced circles around her back and kissed her again fervently. She wrapped her arms around me and deepened the kiss momentarily forgetting her duty.

I pulled back panting. “Let me grab my boots and jacket.”

“No time for the jacket.”

We ended up running down the halls hand in hand.

As I approached the council chambers someone was already there and he was loud.

I can’t program the satellite without the main key to the satellite!” he cried.

I glanced at the man. Didn’t he know of the program’s back door? It was installed in case this kinda thing ever happened and had been taught to every engineer on the program. Lana knew it. I did too. I knew it through the training I took. I didn’t just train to be a pilot but to handle things like big equipment such as satellites and such.

“I am not programming that thing!” yelled the man before leaving a very confused council.

“Now what?” asked Wanda blowing out some air. She was furious at the man. He had one job and he blew it.

“We’ll find someone else. The boy is here,” said Cho.

Reynolds patted his beard. “Ah yes! For a job well done we’ll grant one request. Anything within our power that is.”

Matt thought about it and shrugged. “Can I get back to you on that? I was wondering about the satellite. I’ll program it if I can know what it’s for or at least get a guarantee that no one will be harmed with it.”

Reynolds laughed. “We can guarantee you there is no one harming anyone here. We are trying to advance humanity again. Can you reprogram the satellite?

“It shouldn’t give me much trouble. If I had someone to help it would go faster,” I said.

“We can arrange for a partner to help,” said Vivianna.

I smirked. I was set to help the council again. I knew that maybe my crew would be screaming that I didn’t take the favor but for once I wasn’t hopping to get back to NR-1 and my lonely life. Maybe I’d even stay here and Le Pew Johanson could fly them back. It wasn’t such a bad idea.

I was excused from the council chambers and given the day off, while they found me a partner. I wanted to spend it with Andromeda but she had rounds today, so I headed back to finish my book. It was the first out of a trilogy. I wondered if the other parts had been found and in what conditions they could be in. Frodo’s journey was long and arduous. I wondered about mine. Where would it end? How would it end and who would be there in the end?