Chapter 18: Loose Ends

Four days would pass. The return journey was simple and easy, made possible by the countless struggles before it. The truck rig occupied the garage in Las Vegas’s Dome. The signs of wear and tear, including the repair work, lay upon the vehicle like scars. The vast workshop interior was a difficult place to maintain privacy. But it was seemingly quiet, with only the sounds of a dust storm hitting the vast domes outside walls. It was soon interrupted by something else.

Thump! ... Thump!

Gip’grenda opened her eyes. The Itrean rested upon the bed naked with only a blanket that covered her. Her reptilian gaze fell upon a small furry red, black, and white creature that was taking turns leaping up into the air and doing a faceplant onto her forehead. The lightweight of the animal felt like getting hit in the head by a plushy toy over and over again.

“ ... eep...,” Gip’grenda lightly replied. She groaned a little bit as the red panda was getting ready to pounce on her again.

“Alright, alright, Mac,” Greg remarked. “I kept those doors locked, and you guys still managed to slip inside somehow.”

Greg sat on his bed in only his boxer shorts. His face showed fatigue. The Itrean watched as the rancher gently picked up the animal and placed it below his feet. The panda scurried off, playing with another red panda.

“You always know it’s the morning when you get a Mac and Cheese head knock,” Greg told her. “How was your sleep?”

“It feels ... open,” Gip’grenda replied with a few clicks in her voice.

A hint of a smile could be seen on the man’s face. “Been used to sleeping in confined spaces?”

“Huts are small, too. Become famous ... they give big rooms for me ... feels different.”

“Hmph ... I understand. It’s why I put up these privacy walls. They’re supposed to be used in office cubicles. They aren’t perfect, but they at least help prevent the feeling of agoraphobia.” Greg looked at his tablet. “0734 ... time to get up...”

“Mmmm ... sleep more ... happy sleep.”

The rancher could see the feathery reptilian stir more and more. She didn’t seem like she was ready to get up. However, her hand slipped between her legs. Greg knew what she was doing. She was touching herself. In a few more seconds, she brought one of her wet fingers to her mouth and began to taste it.

“What are you?...” Greg asked. “Ah ... you’re testing out to see if you’re pregnant.”

“You know this?” she asked.

“I know your cycle causes different tastes down there. It goes away after the cycle ends for the month. The 2nd client I slept with was desperate to get pregnant, of course. When we did it, she was a little too late. I ended up sleeping with her again the following month before she finally conceived. I admit, I wish human women had that feature.”

“That’s why you have me...”

“Yes ... Yes, I do...”

The man’s hand went to the alien woman’s head, caressing it gently, feeling the feathers that lined the top. She remained still and allowed his hand to follow downward toward her breasts, feeling the malleable tissue before it reached her stomach.

There was a pause. Gip’grenda could see a form of content in the man’s eyes. It was as if a part of him was genuinely happy as if he not only accomplished a remarkable feat but also satisfied the will of nature.

It was the look of a man knowing he had traversed through the wasteland there and back again.

A beeping sound could be heard across the room. Greg immediately came to his senses and stood up. He grabbed his pants and shirt and began to put them on as he left the bed.

“Get yourself dressed,” he told her. “Going to be taking a break today, but I still have a few things to do.”

“Need parts...,” Gip’grenda said as she whined a little bit.

“Yep,” he replied. The man walked over and continued to put on his pants and shirt. By the time he slipped his shirt over his waist, he had reached the door leading further into the dome. The beeping sound persisted until he touched the door panel. It quickly slipped open to reveal that it was Videl.

“Buenos días, Greg,” Videl greeted Greg. “May I come in?”

Greg gestured for him to enter. “Sure, just don’t step past the privacy barrier.”

“Of course, of course.”

“Hello, Videl,” Gip’grenda greeted him behind the makeshift barrier.

“Hola, mi amiga. Hope you’re doing well.”

“How is everything, Videl?” Greg asked.

“Good, very good. Even better now that you came back last night. I just wanted to say that I’m glad you came back alive.”

“Me too. You helped me out during my trips, handling contacts and whatnot. Took some pressure off of me.”

“What’s a friend for? The reward is seeing you live and bring back a great lady friend as well.” Videl tapped the man’s chest. “There was something that I was going to tell you last night, but I wanted to wait till this morning before telling you.”

“What?”

“Two days ago, an Itrean showed up. She was looking for you.”

“What type of Itrean?” Greg asked.

“Yutilian, long feathers, brown scales, quiet type. She looked rich.”

“Do you know her name?”

“She didn’t tell me.”

“Can you describe her feathers?”

“Colors and colors. Green, red, purple, they took up a big part of her head.”

“How did she know where I lived? ... She came here?”

“Si, I told her you were returning in a couple of days. It was a little hard to tell, but she seemed like she was eager to talk to you.”

“I think I know who it was...”

“Hmmm ... past life catching up to you, hombre?”

“Yeah, it does ... I plan on taking a break today to catch up on everything. Instead, I got something else for you to do. Gip’grenda wants to build a new hoverbike.”

“I need parts...,” the Itrean added. Her head poked out from the privacy wall.

“Oh, don’t you worry, Gip’grenda,” Videl said, looking at her. “The moment I heard that you lost your hoverbike, I’ve already been looking for new ones. I’m getting an inventory made as we speak. Itrean, though ... that’s going to be hard, but not impossible.”

Another beeping sound erupted from the center wall of the garage. Greg looked back at Videl.

“Got a phone call,” Greg told him. “Mind if I talk later?”

“Of course, of course,” Videl happily replied. “I got work to do anyway. Hey, I already spoke with a hair stylist ... does hair restorations. I can get you booked for an appointment next week. See you two soon.”

“Bye, Videl,” Gip’grenda waved to him.

“As to you, Gip’grenda. Make sure he doesn’t disappear into the wastes. Greg has a way of taking off in the mornings without telling anyone.”

With that, Videl walked out of the door. Mac and Cheese suddenly dashed through the open door, following the man into the adjacent lab before the door closed behind them. Greg walked up to a display mounted over the large workbench by the wall. The call was still pending, but the man reached up to the nearby panel and turned it on.

The video audio link was established. Greg looked at the information displayed. It showed that it was coming from a UWAN hard broadband link from deep space. A person’s face appeared, sitting in what might have been his quarters. The stranger had a pale complexion and short hair and wore a black and brown leather outfit. He wore a cowboy hat with a pin that had a flag depicting red, white, and blue with a single star on the left.

The background behind him depicted his quarters as an almost cobbled mess of bulkheads bolted together. Greg recognized a hanging post-2080 US Flag and other firearms adorned on the stranger’s bulkhead. The caller sat comfortably on his chair with his legs and cowboy boots, leaning on a footstool. His hands pressed behind his head. For a few seconds, the rancher was shocked at first at whom he saw, but he quickly regained his composure.

“Judging by those looks, Greg, I reckon that you know me,” the stranger greeted him in a brazen Texan accent.

“Christopher Darin...,” Greg replied. “Of Darin industries...”

“You weren’t expecting a call from me?”

Greg folded his arms. “How would I expect a call from a CEO of a multi-billion-mard company? No ... I wasn’t expecting a call from you.”

“And neither was I truly expecting you to come back from your little trip through North America. Then again, color me impressed. I learned never to underestimate you again the next time I hire you to retrieve a car.”

The rancher seemed surprised. “You were the man that contracted me to find the Plymouth Fury for you.”

“I’m just as surprised as you are that you didn’t know that. When I told my wife to make the arrangements for your contract, I wasn’t expecting her to be so ... secretive in how it was done. Of course, I reckon that you should have figured it out anyway.”

“It did say that the contractor was from Darin Industries, but I didn’t know it was you.”

“Not even the hefty paycheck involved?...” His boots began to tap each other, causing the spurs to jangle. Greg could recognize a set of magneto plates on the soles of the footwear to ensure that he could walk in zero gravity.

“Well,” Greg explained. “I have the car. It was a little bit banged up, but it was already like that before I loaded it up. It’s currently locked in my trailer and ready to be transported to wherever you need to.”

“Good,” Darin replied. “You’ve already fulfilled most of the contract. Word has reached me on your little trip ... sounds like you had quite a trek up north. I’m glad to know the parts I shipped to you made a difference.”

“I’m surprised a person of your stature even noticed.”

The CEO nodded his head and gave a smirk. “There was a time I wouldn’t ... but the Itreans made sure that all of that changed...”

Greg leaned onto the table. “What was the purpose of hiring me to retrieve this car? Why is it so important to you?”

Darin smiled. “Honestly, the car is mostly meaningless. I was thinking of either handing it to good ol Natch, or just adding it to my collection of other cars.”

“Natch...” Greg recognized the name. “Sounds familiar...”

“I trust you know him well. Actually, you have a little bit to thank him for all this.”

“You had me venture up north just to get something that you don’t really care about having?”

“Greg, judging by what I just heard, the entire trip was worth the contract. Natch pointed out something to me that I agree with. I get an order for certain parts day by day. I see it’s going to a very large truck. These aren’t the sort of vehicles you make a little trip to the nearby ruins. Then, I learn about what Las Vegas is doing ... how it’s survivin. The fact is ... I absolutely 100% agree that every place in North America is doing their part. But, it’s more than just survivin. It’s about becoming a part of something greater ... You reckon?”

“I believe the United States should be rebuilt.”

“I can already tell that just by seeing that flag you were waving on the truck behind you.”

Greg briefly looked behind him. “Yes, but what’s your point? You’re the CEO of a rich company. You were only motivated by your own ambitions. Some may see you as some hero, but I just see a billionaire partying out, a pretender using his wealth to motivate the masses.”

Darin lightly smacked his lips and smiled. “Right on both counts, compadre. Of course, I’m a billionaire. I love money, but I also know where to put it. Earth may be a forgotten home to some, but I see more, much more. I also know that we were just more at some point, too. Then, the Itreans showed up, and suddenly, the hope started to disappear like water in a desert. No longer were we worried about what our environment would throw at us, but what might be landing on our foreheads. I was always taught that money would protect me, but not when your enemies have far more money than you. I decided to ignore all my rich, so-called ‘friends.’ You know, the type that only enjoys you for all the riches you have? And decided to join up in the UHN. Of course, they saw the same thing that you just said. They foolishly kicked me out before I became an officer, said that I treated my people like garbage. I reckon that they just hated me.”

“I’m surprised they did that.”

“Of course, there were other reasons, too. In the end, it was their mistake. Never take no for an answer. I absolutely agree with you that the T’rintar might be here to help us, but when you go to a corral, it’s going to be much more complicated than it looks. Texas, Las Vegas, the United States, Earth, we need to stand up for ourselves. Everything is at stake, and I don’t prefer to lie down and die like a sick dog. We stand up, we stand together, you reckon?”

“Yes.”

“Then I see that we’re more alike than you ever think. You weren’t the only one on Earth to be hired to travel somewhere and pick up item A to bring it back in one piece. But, then again, you were the first to make it. Natch and I agree that a little motivation goes a long way. Because of what you did, the West is a little more peaceful. Trade might flow a little easier. Suddenly, everyone is not thinking about themselves but what might be beyond that. You obviously did a good job.”

Greg nodded. “Thank you.”

The cowboy lightly tipped his hat to him. “In some ways, I wouldn’t mind having someone like you on my ship. The Rampage could always use good, daring individuals like you, somebody who knows how to handle a good six-shooter and actually hit something for a change.”

The rancher shook his head. “Not really. I prefer to be on foot, not in space.”

“I figure the same too. Actually, I prefer you to be exactly where you are and keep doing what you’re doing now. You keep doing your part and never stop until Earth is back to the glory days that it was.”

Greg gave a hopeful smile to the billionaire cowboy. “Yes,” he replied to him. “I would like that.”

“I was thinking ... I hear Las Vegas is doing mighty well in the cloning business. Mind if I hire you to raise a horse for me? A cowboy is no good without his horse.”

“Yes, I can do that.”

“Already got a name, Silver.

“Damn,” Greg replied. “That was going to be the name of my new horse. Looks like I’ll have to change it.”

“After this war goes past and Earth looks a little nicer, I think you and I might enjoy traveling the countryside together ... might teach me a thing or two on how to wrangle a horse, do a cattle drive, take care of a ranch. Sound good?”

The rancher seemed happy to hear of it. “Yeah, it sounds mighty nice.”

“There’s something else I wanted to discuss as well,” Darin’s tone grew serious. “I heard about the little incident in Idaho, about a ... giant robot on the loose ... that you were involved in stopping.”

“Orthas, yeah. I disabled it ... not until there were lives lost in the process, but the Salmon people are returning to their home and rebuilding.”