Editing Birthday
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'''15:30 hrs, local time'''<br><br><br> | '''15:30 hrs, local time'''<br><br><br> | ||
| − | The monthly maintenance proceeded apace and I had to get myself away from the | + | The monthly maintenance proceeded apace and I had to get myself away from the Gift or I’d succumb to the urge to kibbitz. Since the consequences of that were still smarting from Highgate, I decided a drink was in order. Jamestown Station was not the sort of place it was wise to drink alone and I had it in mind that I wasn’t the only one aboard who could benefit from some alcoholic maintenance. Maybe if we were lucky, it would lead to some percussive maintenance and we’d both benefit from the work out.<br> |
“Nika?” I stuck my head in the bridge and checked her chair. “I’m going stir crazy sitting on my hands here. What say you and I grab a drink somewhere and vent?” | “Nika?” I stuck my head in the bridge and checked her chair. “I’m going stir crazy sitting on my hands here. What say you and I grab a drink somewhere and vent?” | ||
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| − | “No,” I shook my head. “But I did take that thing apart. Doesn’t take a genius to figure how it works. Hence my use of the word ‘Godlike’.” I pulled the bottle over and poured a third glass for myself and sipped it. Drinking slowly didn’t improve its taste. | + | “No,” I shook my head. “But I did take that thing apart. Doesn’t take a genius to figure how it works. Hence my use of the word ‘Godlike’.” I pulled the bottle over and poured a third glass for myself and sipped it. Drinking slowly didn’t improve its taste. Ebani v’rot, it was vile. I squinted at the label, found little under the smudged grime and faded print to clue me in as to its contents. At least the skull and crossbones wasn’t stamped on it. Although considering the way it went down, maybe it should have. I put it back on the scarred tabletop and said quietly, so only Nika could hear—or ignore me, if she chose.<br> |
“I’ve never seen you so white. What happened to you back here?” | “I’ve never seen you so white. What happened to you back here?” | ||
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Nika looked curious at the information that it was on hold, and then visibly blushed at a number of things that popped out of Rina's mouth in that whisper, her hand going up to her cheek to hide the color that suffused her face. "I didn't need to know THAT!" she boggled at her friend. "Great Googely Moogely!" | Nika looked curious at the information that it was on hold, and then visibly blushed at a number of things that popped out of Rina's mouth in that whisper, her hand going up to her cheek to hide the color that suffused her face. "I didn't need to know THAT!" she boggled at her friend. "Great Googely Moogely!" | ||
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“But you ''asked'',” I said, crossing my arms and looking at her with the sense of insult that comes of being tipsy. “You should know better than to say something like that to me when I’m halfway soused. No tellin’ what’ll come outta my mouth.”<br> | “But you ''asked'',” I said, crossing my arms and looking at her with the sense of insult that comes of being tipsy. “You should know better than to say something like that to me when I’m halfway soused. No tellin’ what’ll come outta my mouth.”<br> | ||
More than that I couldn’t say, because a voice boomed from across the room and the bar patrons parted like the Red Sea before Moses.<br> | More than that I couldn’t say, because a voice boomed from across the room and the bar patrons parted like the Red Sea before Moses.<br> | ||
| − | “'''''Wei!''''' I r’member ''you'', you ''bitch!''” <br> | + | “''' ''Wei!'' ''' I r’member ''you'', you ''bitch!''” <br> |
A burly specimen of drunken male planted himself at the edge of our table and I recognized him instantly. Bernie, the cockroach who’d manhandled me the day Joseph Potemkin hired me off the street. The months since hadn’t been kind to him, as the broken veins of his fleshy face and a fresh scar across his knuckles attested, which knuckles I got a good look at as he shook his finger under my nose. “Jimmy lost a nut on account’a you! Gonna take it outta yer hide.”<br> | A burly specimen of drunken male planted himself at the edge of our table and I recognized him instantly. Bernie, the cockroach who’d manhandled me the day Joseph Potemkin hired me off the street. The months since hadn’t been kind to him, as the broken veins of his fleshy face and a fresh scar across his knuckles attested, which knuckles I got a good look at as he shook his finger under my nose. “Jimmy lost a nut on account’a you! Gonna take it outta yer hide.”<br> | ||
“You can take it outta my ''balls!''” I snarled, grabbed his finger and gave it a vicious twist. Bone snapped in my grip and I kicked the chair opposite into his legs. I yanked his hand forward and head butted him hard. I barely felt it. I twisted his broken finger in the opposite direction, felt the bones grind as he howled, and I jerked my imprisoning hand in a wide sweep to the side and let go. Bernie followed his finger to the floor and lay there curled around his ruined digit. I poured myself another glass and said to him calmly over his groaning, “Only an idiot bothers the same bitch twice.” | “You can take it outta my ''balls!''” I snarled, grabbed his finger and gave it a vicious twist. Bone snapped in my grip and I kicked the chair opposite into his legs. I yanked his hand forward and head butted him hard. I barely felt it. I twisted his broken finger in the opposite direction, felt the bones grind as he howled, and I jerked my imprisoning hand in a wide sweep to the side and let go. Bernie followed his finger to the floor and lay there curled around his ruined digit. I poured myself another glass and said to him calmly over his groaning, “Only an idiot bothers the same bitch twice.” | ||
