Blood on the Horizon
- Chapter 21 -[]
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Settling in for the Night[]
"Well, that looks to be everything," Rose smiled, entering the last of my paperwork into what looked like a fax machine. "We've got everything scanned, and will send it over to Terra in the morning pulse."
"How soon til I'll be able to access the funds?" I asked, leaning back in my chair, my neck in my hands as I cracked my back against the chair.
"A few days," Rose shuddered. "Can you please not do that, it sounds gross."
"Sure," I chuckled. "I'm just stiff is all."
"Now, was there anything else that Comstar can assist you with?" she yawned, blushing as she realized she had done so.
"Wanted to check and see what the MRB fees are," I shrugged and then glanced at the clock. "But I'm not sure they're awake at this hour."
"Yeah," she yawned again, covering her mouth. "Come on, I'll help you get checked into a hotel that's down the street and then head on home. You can come back in the morning to check on the paperwork's processing an stuff."
I followed the Adept as she left the HPG, the guard I had found sleeping earlier replaced with a much more attentive older man who simply met my eyes and gave me a sharp nod as we left.
"Hotel's about a two hundred and fifty meters that way," Rose pointed down the street. "The prices aren't the best, but they've got good beds, great pillows and a warm breakfast."
"Thanks," I stretched. "At this point, I'd take a flat cot and a slice of toast with butter."
She turned and climbed into a car that was parked nearby, cranking it up and driving away.
Meanwhile, I looked around at the small city that surrounded me before glancing up at the stars.
"What a strange world we live in," I mused, the unfamiliar stars greeting me with their light. "I've seen some of those stars up close, but I couldn't pick them out on a star map."
I sighed as I spotted the sign for the hotel down the street. "Dad would have loved this place, he always was better at winning friends and influencing people."
"Welcome to Breakwater motel," a bored woman glanced up as I entered the lobby. "Can I help you with anything, sir?"
"Yeah, I'd like to book a room," I replied, pulling out some of the cash that I had.
"What size room would you like? "She asked, turning her attention to a notebook. "We're not very busy at the moment and have pretty much everything available."
"I just need a bed and a bathroom," I shrugged. "So whatever the basic room is for the night."
"So, we can do one night for a hundred pounds, or three for a hundred and seventy-five."
"I'll be in town for a little bit," I counted out the cash and handed it to her in exchange for a room key. "The three nights is fine."
"Breakfast is from six to ten in the morning," she gave a small smile. "And room 105 is going to be down the hall to the right."
"Thanks," I tucked the key into my pocket and made my way to the hotel room, collapsing onto the bed and closing my eyes, the exhaustion of a mind that had done nothing but paperwork all day mixed in with the rested body, leaving me unable to sleep.
Stripping down to a pair of shorts, I began to work through a calisthenics routine, spending time working on things until sweat dripped from my face and torso.
"Now time to turn this down," I cranked the A/C level down to about 18 degrees, swearing about the stupid conversions as I did the math in my head to get the real, American temperature. "Then, shower and sleep."
Trying make a sale[]
"Well, I'd love to purchase some of these off of ya," a farmer looked at the Jabberwocky that was sitting out on the unloading bay. "But I'm 'fraid none of us round 'ere can afford to pay ya what they'd be worth."
"I'd be willing to make a deal," I tried to change his mind.
"Son," the old farmer shook his head. "We're not exporting a lot at the moment, and I don't aim to treat you wrong. He pointed out in the distance. "I've got plenty of land that I'd love to put to plow, I just ain't got the funds for a machine of that level."
"It's not fusion powered," I shrugged. "And I'm willing to work out a payment plan if nothing else."
"I'll have a talk with some of my kin," he chewed on some tobacco before spitting onto the ground. "We might be able to figure something out."
"I'll be here for a few months," I smiled. "So don't worry about getting back to me immediately."
Getting Established[]
"Sorry," Rose smiled sadly. "But Marksmen is already taken by a mercenary group. They're a band of pirate hunters on the OWA's border."
"Damn," I looked at the paperwork. "What about the Marksman?"
"Not taken," She frowned. "But also not very original."
"Not worried about original," I chuckled. "I'm more concerned with finding the right people."
"There's a few militia and retired or discharged vets on Pierce that have been looking for work," Rose printed out a sheet and handed it to me. "No guarantees that they're what you're looking for, but it's at least a place to start. Now, you're settled on the name?"
"Yeah," I signed the paperwork. "And the paperwork for changing the trading company?"
"Right here," she slid over more papers.
I carefully read over everything, noting the amount in the accounts and what investments the late captain had possessed and authorizing the transfer of ownership to the newly created Sharpshooter Industries and Manufacturing Incorporated. Or SIMI as it would eventually be called.
"That's everything," Rose scanned those documents in. "If I have to keep doing this level of paperwork, I might quit though. I signed up to work on cool tech, and got stuck with this."
"Well, I do happen to know someone that's about to be hiring," I smirked.
"I'll think about it," she cracked a smile of her own. "I've got another nine months on this world before I get rotated, so we'll see."
"I'll reach out then," I shook her hand. "Thanks for all of your help."
"I'd say anytime, but if you ever give me that much paperwork again, I might just murder you and hide the body."
"That sounds fair to me," I cracked my wrists and turned to leave the room. "I'll be in touch."
"Looking forward to it, see ya around, Hull."
"This looks like it's it," I glanced up at the lone bar on the street. "Let's see what kind of man you are, Jack Sheppard."