5

It took the better part of half an hour to finally get to the central pillar. Three train transfers, one quick stop to grab a ‘meat on a stick’. Then a short walk towards the black obsidian pillar. Briggs grumbled to himself.

Why, on this dusty planet, does someone as powerful as the mayor need to suspend my Runner’s ID? I mean, they could have just called and talked to me over a short-range intercom, but nooooo, they wanna make this more difficult. This is why I hate city-states some days. People at the top think they have all the power. Nothing has changed, I swear.

What made this short jaunt even longer was the irrefutable fact that for security reasons, no tram would run to the base of the mayor’s tower, even from the undercity. So, you had the wonderful treat of walking almost half a mile or more, on the pedestrian bridge system. Briggs felt the bridge below him sway gently in the undercity cross breeze. His legs wobbled, but he knew that this large structure was beyond safe, he could even see the bulky cables that were anchored into other surrounding pillars.

Briggs made it to the other side; his legs had finally stopped shaking. After a few calming breaths, he made his way towards the entry point. It was an awe-inspiring structure. Several large floodlights dotted the platform, bathing most of his surroundings in harsh, glaring light. There were several small concrete platforms arrayed in a geometric design, all filled with various flora and fauna. There was even a full-sized elm tree right in the dead center. The natural light from the multiple mirrors that illuminated the undercity were more than enough to sustain the plant life he came across. Briggs walked through all of it, taking a few extra moments to admire the sight of a real tree, to take in its smell and beauty. The expansive doors at the base of the tower slid open when he approached, letting in a chilly breeze from the tower itself.

I guess whoever runs this place likes to keep it cool, if not downright cold.

His breath misted slowly as he walked past another entry door, the atmosphere on the other side was…odd to say the least. It was still chilly; Briggs had no doubt in his bones. On top of that, chill was the oppressive cloying oppressiveness of humidity. The reception area was huge, on a whole other level. Black polished marble clashed with orange and red LED lighting, carving all the corners in stark relief. People of all races and sexes milled about the lobby, going back and forth from a central elevator.

Guess that must be the way to the mayor, I wonder if I must go down, or up to find them. Well, I guess I should just ask around, Briggs scratched the back of his head.

He walked over towards a security checkpoint, about midway towards the central pillar. The entire affair was manned but six security personnel, all of whom looked even larger than normal. He walked over to the start of the line and waited patiently. It was slow-going at first, but he was starting to get the gist of the rules as he got closer to the front of the line.

“Please put all items in the tray. Boots and belts included. You will be asked to be scanned, if you are unwilling to be scanned you will instead be searched manually. If you decline either of these, then you will be escorted out of the lobby. By force if necessary.” A droning male voice repeated as he got closer. The same rules were repeated after every other applicant. Then Briggs was at the front of the line, boots already in hand, his belt and jacket placed on top of everything. One of the guards lifted an eyebrow at him before nodding slightly in approval. Briggs could never understand why some people found it hard to follow the rules without having to be told a million times. He placed everything in the tray, then sent down a small belt towards an X-ray machine. A human female watched the results behind a plexiglass shield beside the conveyor. Briggs stepped through the metal detector, which went off of course. A short trilling alarm sounded, not loud enough to scare everyone, but just loud enough to get the guard's attention. One guard approached him, he was not dressed in standard ballistic armor. He wore a crisp black suit. It must have been insulated, because he stood unfazed in this cold. To complete his ensemble, there was an earpiece and black gloves that matched his suit. He motioned to Briggs to step aside to let other people pass.

Briggs stood over to the side, letting a few more office workers pass him with no incident. He kept an eye on the woman at the X-ray machine, and saw her make a small nodding gesture to the bulky guard in the pressed suit. After his jacket, boots, bag, and belt came out of the machine, the bulky guard from earlier scooped up his belongings. He was then ushered wordlessly to a small cordoned-off area. Briggs marveled at how civilized this all felt, like he was back at airport security, trying to catch a flight to see his grandparents. The man set his items down on a stainless-steel table, then started to root through his pockets and shoulder bag. Before long, most all his items were poured onto the table and spread out for further inspection. The man turned towards Briggs and smiled at him. It was a smile that never reached anyone’s eyes, it was always so unnerving.

“So… Mr.,” the guard opened his Runner ID, “Briggs, is it? What brings you to the central tower? Business? Pleasure? Sightseeing while you are docked at our fair city?”

This atmosphere felt all wrong to Briggs, but he just decided to go with the flow.

“Well, at first, nothing major really happened. I stopped in, almost got low-balled on my cargo, and repaired a few things. Nothing of note really,” Briggs crossed his arms. “Up until the point, I tried to use the local business board. tried to secure more cargo for my next haul. Then…viola, I can’t seem to use the board, and my brand-new license is completely blocked, so here I am, trying to get to see the mayor to figure out why.”

The man looked down at Briggs, a small trace of a smile crossing his otherwise cold features. He pulled out Briggs’ trench coat and ran his hands over the blemished material.

“And what about this little item? You just stroll around with an armored coat?” The man moved the coat back and forth, the material sewn into the underlayer made it shift oddly. It was the only major flaw. “It seems like you are a cautious man, Mr. Briggs. Why so much protection for one little man.”

Briggs could almost hear the subtle intonation in the word ‘little’, but he just simply shrugged it off.

“As you are well aware… Mr.?”

“You don’t need my name, sir, and you will not need to know it for the future. I assure you. All of us working security leave our names at the door.” The man’s smile grew to reach his eyes, “That way it's far easier to avoid complaints.”

Briggs chortled, “I guess that is fair, so are we done here? Or are we just enjoying each other’s company?”

“No sir, just a quick cavity check. You didn’t pass the scanner. It’s just a precaution, nothing to be worried about.”

After a very thorough cavity search, by what seemed to be conducted by multiple people. Briggs stumbled out of the small cordoned-off area, slipping his coat back on. He felt whole again, but still a little perturbed about the lengthy search.

Briggs’ boots clacked on the marble floor, the echoes stopping short of the various people in the room. Before long, he had made it across the rest of the stunningly large lobby, to the central elevator. The long table was accented with white and red lines, showing off multiple consoles. Three people dressed in similar black attire sat behind the counter. A stoic, handsome-looking woman looked up at Briggs, her well-manicured eyebrow rising to invade her hairline.

“Can I help you, sir, are you lost?” Her smooth voice almost sounded like a purr to Briggs.

Briggs pulled out the card from the hauler's kiosk and placed it on the black table. The woman slid the paper into her hand and flipped it over. She entered some data onto her computer, it was followed by a small ping, and then she smiled.

“Well sir, it looks like you have an appointment at twelve-thirty,” she looked over to a small object on the opposite side of the table. “You are a whole thirty minutes early; I applaud you for your punctuality.” There was a light tone of condescension.

Every time Briggs entered the upper crust of City-State society, this was the kind of attitude he’d come to expect. Everyone just seemed to look down on you, even if you worked life-saving jobs outside their fortresses. It chafed him to no end—like commenting on the time was some sort of test. A pass or fail scenario.

“Yeah, the walk over here was a long one. Plus, your security was very… thorough,” he said, rubbing his arm. “Otherwise, it was a pleasant trip.”

The woman smiled at him, and she stood up, motioning him around the counter. Briggs walked around the reception area and was standing next to her. She guided him towards a blank wall, in between the multiple elevators. For a moment, Briggs was confused, was this some sort of new joke? Was he the punchline?

The wall clicked, then opened to reveal a spacious, posh-looking elevator interior. There was a small red couch placed at the back, along with a nice carpet covering the metal floor. The woman ushered Briggs in and pressed a singular button on the elevator wall.

“Thank you for checking in Mr. Briggs, we at the central HV government apologize for all the inconvenience that this visit might have caused you.”

Briggs rubbed his face, then looked back at the woman. “It’s ok, miss, I just want to get this over with. Get my contracts, repair the rest of my rig, then be on my way. You all know how us Runners live; we move so the City-State can live.”

The woman nodded and backed away from the closing doors, “Mr. Briggs, enjoy your visit with the mayor, I think you and her will get along…swimmingly.”

Briggs felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end, the door closing before he could respond. This was starting to feel like a trap, but he could not see the angle of attack. So, it was best to lie in wait. Then the elevator music started, and he groaned in misery.

The elevator hummed to life as it started its ascent. Briggs swayed and sat down on the corner of the coach. He looked over towards one of the walls, the concrete walls were blurring with the speed of the car.

So, this must be a glass-walled elevator or at least a lift with a view. Interesting.

The wall soon changed to a view of a gathering area for office workers. There were tons of people milling around a well-furnished quad-like area. Small topiaries broke up the otherwise drab view of steel, metal, marble, and the occasional wall of wood. Then the image was gone, reverting to the concrete wall. Briggs kept his breathing steady, taking stock of everything in this small ten-by-twelve elevator. There was nothing but the couch, and the carpet, no real access hatch or exit of any kind. He lifted the carpet to see well-polished tile set into a metal framework. He picked at the corners of the tile, but nothing came loose.

That is a dead end for an improvised weapon, that’s for sure. I guess I’m just going to have to ride this out. I wonder what kind of Ab-Human this mayor is. Or maybe she’s just a stern woman who likes…runners?

The wall opened again, this time it was a view of the outside. Bright sunlight pierced into the room, showing off motes of dust that had gathered on all the surfaces. He could almost make out the streaks of cleaning solution that someone had used to try to thwart the invasion of microbes. He decided to just enjoy the view as the lift kept going higher and higher. In a brief time, he could see over the large wall that kept HV safe. Hell, he could almost make out loading dock 19. He wished he could see the long haul from here, but beggars couldn’t be choosers at this point. The view of the Wastes was stunning from this high up. He could see for miles outside city limits. The heat haze, and the small pockets of vegetation; the occasional dust cloud that crawled along the ground, it all seemed like another world. A very dangerous world.

The lift slowed, then came to a smooth stop. Briggs peered at the edge of the glass partition, looking towards the sky. It looked like he was almost at the very top of the mayor’s obelisk tower.

I must be at least one hundred stories up, if not more. I lost track of all the floors I passed. Ok, meet the mayor, lift this ridiculous ban, and move on with my time here. He thought ruefully.

The lift opened to a large, well-decorated space. There were floor-to-ceiling windows that let in as much natural light as possible. Along the wall at the opposite side, well-painted portraits of previous mayors, stood in recognition of their time here. Beneath each portrait, a small plaque noting their service history as mayor was displayed. Briggs stepped out onto a plush, tapestry-style carpet. A part of him felt vindicated as his shoes left small bits of dirt meshed into the fibers.

How many people could the sale of this carpet feed? All the lower quarters? Good lord, no matter how far people come, it’s always the haves and the have-nots. Disgusting.

Two small, smartly dressed goblin females approached him from a recessed hallway adjacent to the elevator. They wore maid outfits, complete with white and black frills. Both looked identical except for their hair color: one a fiery red, and the other a shiny silver. Both smiled at him warmly, almost at the same time, which gave Briggs the cold shivers. Each took one of his hands and guided him to a smaller room. It was also furnished, with comfy-looking chairs, another couch, and a small-looking drinks trolley situated near the far wall. The walls themselves were covered with well-preserved tapestries depicting the founding of Horizon Visions. Four people stood on a small hill, holding a flag that had the Symbol of the city on it, an H crossed in the middle with a V, and two smaller gears planted on either side of the letters. The two goblin women walked over to the drink cart and moved it closer to Briggs.

“Could we get you something to drink, sir?” they spoke in perfect unison.

“Ah…well, I am not really a heavy drinker ladies, I have to keep my wits about me.”

Both goblin women blushed, he guessed that they were not used to compliments, or comforting attention at any rate. He sat down on a chair, looking towards the drink cart.

“I don’t want to take away your fun, I know you two must not get many visitors to the mayor’s office,” he mused, and both goblin women shook their heads' no. “So, how long do I have to wait? I am not really a busy man, but I still have things to do.”

Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

“You know,” the red-headed one spoke first. “You see, the mayor is a very busy woman. She is in meetings most times, or on calls. She never seems to stop working these days.”

“We both can’t remember the last time she had a personal visitor,” the silver haired goblin said. “It’s nice to have someone to serve, we only really take care of the mayor. Plus, we don’t really go out very often. It’s always work, work, work with her.” She chuckled, “So Mr. Briggs, if you are not a drinker, could we get you…anything else?” She looked at him with lidded eyes.

Briggs smiled. He knew a honeypot trap when he saw one. Especially if it was shoved as blatantly into his face as these two were trying to be. His smile never left his face, but his eyes hardened taking them in. What was the mayor playing at? What was she hoping to accomplish here? This ruse was a farce, or would she attempt to turn this into a form of blackmail? At least it was an attractive form of blackmail. He saw the red-headed goblin slowly undo some of the buttons on the front of her blouse, showing off more of her dark green skin. Briggs put up his hands to forestall this going any further. Both goblin women stopped, mid-strip, and stared at him with almost pleading eyes.

“I could have both of your names if that is an option under ‘things you can get me’?”

Both goblin girls looked at each other, concern writ large on their tiny faces. The white-haired one looked hesitant, and then, her body positioning changed and so did her demeanor. There was an indefinable quality she exuded. Briggs couldn’t place his finger on how she did it, but her body undulated like she had no bones. Confidence and something else, he couldn’t describe, but it made her…more.

“Our mistress calls us many names, but the ones that she uses most often are ‘One and Two. Alpha,” She pointed at herself, “and Omega’.” She turned to her twin before turning back to Briggs. “We really don’t have true names; we are wards of the City-State. A long time ago, mistress Violet took us in and told us to look after all of her guests that she invited up. We have only seen a handful of people, sometimes females, most of the time…men. So, she instructed us on all…the required pleasures of society.” Alpha looked coyly down at the floor. She was the personification of innocence wrapped in sensuality. Her hand trailed slowly along her blouse. She didn’t remove it. Merely toyed with the edges, before her eyes peered up at Briggs. A question and a demand in those eyes. He reached over and gently stopped her ministrations.

“Look, ladies,” Briggs huffed. “It’s not that I don’t want any of this female attention, quite the contrary, it’s nice to feel wanted. However, this feels transactional. I don’t want what you’re selling. Plus, I don’t want you two to do something you’ll regret. Hell, I know I ain’t some great prize for any lady out there. That’s for damn sure.”

Tears began to form in Alpha’s eyes. Hell, he thought to himself, she even cries prettily. She started to sniffle. “Sir, our mistress wanted you to feel at home while you waited. She told us, ‘Give that man anything his heart desires, no exceptions’. If we don’t comply, or you complain to her, we could lose our jobs over this. It’s hard for a goblin female to find work outside the brokers, message runners, or brothel workers. So please, we beg that you reconsider.”

Briggs rubbed his chin for a moment, he felt bad for these two girls, they would do just about anything short of murder to keep their jobs. An idea flashed in his mind, then his smile grew from ear to ear.

“If you lovely ladies do want to keep me company. Then how about this.” Briggs stood and walked over to the redhead. He pulled her blouse back into place and buttoned her back up. “I could really use a cold glass of water, been walking all day in the undercity, and barely had anything to eat. Also, if you have a deck of cards somewhere, I could teach you both how to play poker. Then we can get to know each other better.” He smiled happily.

******

All three of them sat in the middle of the opulent room, a small group of cards between them. Each one of them had a small bottle of water, along with snacks of various makes and substances.

“So…” Briggs pointed to Alpha’s hand. “With the river card you have a full house, which easily beats my two pair, and your friend's King high card. Does that make any sense?”

Both women nodded vigorously and laughed at his animated explanations. Alpha held up a finger after the laughing fit subsided.

“So, this…po…ker, game? Is it played often on the road? Do other City-States play it?”

Briggs nodded, “Yeah, a lot of places play this game, not just Horizon Visions. I know this great gambling hall in ‘The Port of Angels’, it's unlike anything you girls have ever seen. They have great places to eat, not to mention entertainment. It’s a great place to spend your evening. Just…don’t try and win too much. There are some less than savory individuals that don’t like lucky people.” Briggs’ face turned a little somber at the end of his story. “But enough about that, how much longer do you think we have to wait?”

The Alpha pulled out a small data pad, then pressed on it a few times. The screens flew by so fast that Briggs had no hope of even following all the data presented. He laid back against the base of his chair. His butt had been numb for several minutes, but he would have felt bad if he towered over the small women. A small chime drew him out of his thoughts; he looked over to Alpha.

“It looks like she is just wrapping up her last call, so we can show you to her office.” She looked sheepishly at the floor. “I am sorry we couldn’t entertain you further. Was it something we did?” Briggs could see the honest sincerity in her eyes. A tiny part of him was cussing for being a fool. But he just wasn’t built that way. He liked his partners willing, open about their intentions, and interested in only him. These girls had too many strings attached to them.

“Was it the manner of our speech?” Alpha continued, “We heard that Runners are fearsome beasts, that just take what they want. Should we have been more submissive?” She all but rambled.

Briggs drew himself up and patted both on their heads. He was sure many other Runners would have jumped at the opportunity.

“No, it’s nothing like that, you girls are both stunning in your own ways. It’s just… I don't really come into the cities to satisfy my urges. I just want to offload my cargo and be on my way.” He pulled out two silver credit coins and put one into each of their hands. He got down on one knee to pull them both into a short hug. “Thank you so much for giving me something I normally don’t get out in the Wastes.”

They both looked at him quizzically, then smiled. “You mean that?” they both asked in unison.

“Yeah…” Briggs blushed lightly, “I enjoyed the company. It gets quiet sometimes out there, and music will only take you so far until you’re eventually talking to yourself.”

All three of them chuckled at the terrible joke, then to his surprise, he received a kiss on both cheeks from the two small green women. He smiled happily at the small, cute gesture, and rose to his feet. He dusted off his coat and downed the last dregs of his bottled water. Alpha was picking up the cards while little Miss Redhead, Omega, was bustling to pick up the drink cart and snack debris. Briggs helped with the clean-up, and before they knew it, everything was put away.

He was led hand in hand to a large pair of wooden double doors. It was only a short trip from the waiting room, but the décor changed subtly, from rest and relaxation, to down to business. Both small goblin women pushed the doors open for him, then ushered him in.

“Have a good day sir, thank you for teaching us poker. It was fun.” Alpha said with a smile, “Please have a good visit, and try not to upset Miss Violet. She is very...passionate about her position.”

Then the doors closed behind him, and he was alone.

Briggs slowly took in the rather spacious office. There were marbled pillars that extended towards the darkness of the ceiling. Most of the walls were covered in lithographs, ranging from old-world skyscrapers to horses running wild, to even what looked like a cruise ship that was docked. Snippets of what the world was like in the ‘fore times. The longer Briggs looked at the pictures, the more likely his mind would take him down a memory rabbit hole. He could almost remember the world as it was, but it was just snippets of it. It was similar to an image that was strapped onto a bullet train. One moment you saw it, the next it was gone. He shook his head to dislodge the encroaching thoughts. A carpet runner of muted tones led him towards a solid desk. The only real light source was from the modestly sized windows behind the work desk. The desk itself was a beautiful white affair, covered in screens, and flanked on either side by large-looking leather chairs. There was no chair behind the desk, only a small sunken pit filled with an array of overstuffed fluffy pillows. No one else was in the room. It was just him, and that set him on edge. His mind switched to hyper-focus mode and he analyzed the room.

Ok, I am alone, unharmed, with no weapons. The two ladies outside didn’t slip anything in the water, or the food. My body would have told me. There is no one else here, except for this small museum of old-world pictures. So, what the hell am I missing? His mind paused, shifting gears. What kind of Ab-Human is this mayor, is she a shifter? A Shade? A Camello? There are just too many options.

Briggs panned around the room again, trying to see if anything else was out of place. Chilled air swirled around him. His coat fluttered from the gentle breeze, making it feel like he was in the eye of a storm. Then he heard it. It was subtle at first, but he closed his eyes, trying to lock in the sound. His ears homed in on any unusual sounds, then it came into auditory focus. There was a sound, like high-tension steel wire, flexing under a great strain. It was coming from above him.

He slowly looked towards the ceiling again. With the light at his back, he could see just a bit farther into the deep shadows. It was subtle at first, a glint here, a swaying wire there, until a picture formed in his mind. It was a spider’s web. Various strands of silk crossed between the marbled pillars, forming a large Bowery in the dead center of the room. Briggs’ eyes went wide.

Holy…mother of the Wastes, they have a Spinder for Mayor? How is that even…possible?

He knew deep down that Spinders were a rare Ab-human species. First, they were all female, and their ‘prey’ could be any other male species that they wanted. Most of them were bloodthirsty killers, but a long time had passed since that report was filed. They could have evolved, maybe calmed down over the last century. Secondly, they were faster than the human eye could follow. Even mouse-kin had a hard time outrunning them. Lastly, they were all supposedly very cunning, very keen on finding out information, and to top it all off they were beyond beautiful. It was the complete trifecta of perfection in a species.

Briggs felt it before he saw her, a movement of air, a displacement of something large. She was far too quiet, too stealthy for her own good, but Briggs knew better. He walked forward slowly and made sure he had his back toward her desk, he heard her multiple legs scuttling across the floor, whispers of sound against the otherwise silent office. He stopped roughly ten paces from where he started walking, then turned slowly, making sure to keep his face neutral and his heart rate slow.

The first thing that struck him was how tall she was. Easily six and a half feet in height. She was probably taller if she extended her legs to their full extension. She had dark raven hair, pulled into a bun, held in place with a pair of silver hairpins. Her face looked sculpted, like something out of a Grecian statuary. Her skin was a milky white, pearlescent, and as smooth as porcelain. She had no eyebrows, but what she did have was six sets of dark purple eyes, arrayed in a semicircle. She had full lips, covered in a bright splash of red. It stood out against her pale skin, or at least he hoped it was lipstick. There was an odd, faded line that ran down the length of her lower lip, to the bottom of her throat. If he remembered correctly, Spinder’s jaws would open wide and split down the middle, to increase the amount of surface area they could lock their jaws on. She was wearing a cream-colored button-up blouse that was currently in a bid to hold back a mountain of chest flesh. It was almost like she was straight out of a man’s deepest desire. Her slender waist gave way to some sort of skirt. It hung low to cover her more private areas, but also wrapped around a section of her spiders' abdomen protruding behind her. It was just as large as her torso. A pale white, with a design, the same color as her lipstick. It covered the top half, and almost looked like a skull, or maybe an outline of a moth. He was not quite sure. Her pedipalps flexed from under her skirt and came up on either side, the two appendages crossed, and mimicked the legs of the woman, if those legs stopped at the knees.

She moved slowly towards him, her lower legs not making so much as a sound. It looked like she floated across the floor. It was the most eerie and graceful thing Briggs had ever seen. She stopped less than an arm’s length away. Her purple eyes fixed on him; he could see a small white iris that was just a smidge lighter than the rest of her oval eyes. Briggs felt like a fly stuck in her web. Her attention and focus solely on him. Any wrong movement could spell his end. So, he decided to do something out of left field. He held his right hand out, palm extended towards her.

“Pleasure to meet you, Miss… Violet, was it? Please do me a favor, don’t eat me. I can guarantee you, I taste terrible.” His smile was amiable, and he added a wink to the mix. He wasn’t sure if the smile reached his eyes, and he remained alert, nevertheless.

Violet’s eyes went wide in surprise. Her facial features went through a kaleidoscope of emotions, from anger, to fear, to happiness, to amusement—even a scowl. It finally settled on mirth. Her eyes turned into slits, her lower jaw opened to expose both flat white humanoid teeth, and another row of needle-like fangs. She laughed with a girlish, almost bell-like noise. It shook her whole body, from her head, down to her abdomen. Her laughter started off as bell-like, but soon full, deep belly laughs issued forth. All her eyes closed, then after a few gasping breaths she brought herself under control. Only to see that the man in front of her was gone. Her eyes went wide, scanning the surrounding area. She hadn’t felt any disturbance in the air or heard movement from the mirror-like shine on the marble floor. She moved slowly, like a true predator, her senses were on full alert.

“That was an impressive trick, Mr. Briggs,” her soft, highly educated voice intoned. “It’s been a long time since someone managed to escape my notice. I have very keen senses, particularly within close proximity to me. All Spinders share this trait.” she spun around, searching the room. “You have an adroit mind, Mr. Briggs. You knew that you could not outrun or beat me in a game of close-ranged speed. So, you decided to go the path of laughter and good humor, something my kind rarely deals with. It worked,” she started to clap, the echoes bouncing off the pillars. “Very well done; however, I did not call you up here to kill you. Only to speak with you. So, if you don’t mind, I would like to talk to you face to face.”

There was a long pause until Briggs spoke, his voice seemed to come from everywhere at once. “What kind of guarantee do I have that as soon as I step out, you won’t gut me where I stand? I have dealt with a few Spinders in my days, most of them just want progeny from any race, but I know that their favorite meal happens to be human. Something to do with… D.N.A or at least our looks.”

Violet’s eyes darted around, trying to pinpoint the sound. He was good. Somehow, he managed to make his voice echo, she had gone to great lengths to soundproof this room, removing all traces of echoes or false noises. Yet somehow, he had subverted it and went around all her precautions. This man had risen to the near top of her list in her very short list of interesting people. She stopped in the dead center of her office and moved in a slow circle.

“You have nothing to fear, Mr. Briggs. I offer you the rule of hospitality. You should know this one well. I will not allow any harm to come to you as long as you’re in my company. This I swear on my life, on my position, and…on the rules of the road.” Silence rained for another heartbeat, and then Briggs stepped out from the pillar nearest her desk, both of them making eye contact at the same time.

*****

Violet’s eyes flared with anger, and her fangs tried to descend, but she stopped them on reflex. Somehow this man…this human had gotten behind her after she cleared that side of the room. It was both embarrassing and very noteworthy. Most humans were clumsy things, only fit to move cargo, or menial jobs beneath her notice. There was something different about this man. She finally took a good look at Briggs. Her mind made mental notes of his five o’clock shadow, his worn but serviceable duster, simple ball cap, and his deep green eyes. Her eyes trailed over his strong jaw, and the few scars she could see coming up from the collar of his work shirt. What drew her curiosity and attention most, was the man’s heartbeat. A general glance from her was enough to make most creatures’ hackles rise in terror. She loved how her prey's pulse quickened every time she drew near. The flight or fight response, and the warring for dominance, always excited her. The predator within. Yet…his heartbeat…it was steady. This close, she heard its rhythm, and it never faltered. Never going any faster or slower, the entire time. She smiled as she approached him. He spoke when she was almost in his personal space.

“I appreciate you accommodating the rules of the road. Not many big muckety-muck types really care about the rules. They just want to make sure their position is honored, their City-States thrive, and of course, they are well taken care of in the lap of luxury. So far, I have not gotten those vibes from you, Violet. Other than the fact that…for some reason you wanted me to come meet you, and to do that you had my rigger’s ID frozen from the job board. Meaning, if I wanted to leave this town and make a profit in the next leg of my journey, that meant coming to see you. Now then… I am here, I am not afraid of you, and I am just as curious to find out why in Wastes’ name you wanted to see me.”

Violet smiled and skittered around to the other side of her desk. She motioned Briggs to sit in one of the vacant office chairs. He obliged her, but not before he checked under the chair, and tested the cushions with his hands. After passing that small test, he sat down in the embrace of the chair. Its leather-like cushions exhaled with a slight whoosh. Violet’s eyes narrowed and expanded at the gesture.

“Are all Runners as paranoid as you?” She cooed.

“Just the Runners that are still alive.” He winked good-naturedly. “So, Miss Violet, let’s get down to business. Why did you call me here?”