Chapter 6: Earth

As a result of their visit to Chaos, Miriam, and especially Robyn, now had a much more direct approach to handling issues.

When walking through her hospital’s lobby, Robyn’s crystal blue eyes flashed, and her pale clear skin flushed red when William, HR’s recruiter, pinched her butt as she passed him. Robyn stomped his instep, seized the surprised man by the tie, and jerked him limping along to the HR director’s office.

“Millie, pull up the surveillance video from the lobby, and while it’s running, call the police. I’m filing assault charges against this worthless piece of trash,” Robyn told the startled woman.

“I can’t do that,” the startled woman protested.

“I’m recording this accusation of sexual harassment,” Robyn told her, “and unless you review the recording to verify my charge, I’ll make you part of the problem.”

The cowed woman called up the lobby’s surveillance camera on her laptop and there, clearly shown, was William reaching out and pinching the passing derriere. Robyn had turned her phone’s camera to record the scene off the screen, but she told Millie, “I want a copy. The original had better not disappear, because I recorded it on my phone.”

Millie acquiesced, and called the police. After relating her story, Robyn told the pair of officers of the surveillance recording, and Millie ran it for them.

“We’ll take him in and book him if you say so, but this seems so minor,” one of the officers told her.

“I’m sure,” Robyn told them. “Would you say that if it was your sister or wife who was pinched? I think not.”

All doubts were removed when the officers led William through the lobby in handcuffs. The rumor mill had passed the story throughout the hospital, and there were upwards of thirty women gathered and clapping as the officers led William away. A line formed outside Millie’s office waiting to file complaints about William.

The day was chill and damp, but Miriam was hungry and had neglected to bring a lunch. She could have ordered in, but felt the need to stretch her legs. Drawing on her light jacket, she left her office building to walk to the nearest deli. Passing near the alley where she had been attacked the day Pēteris had come to her rescue, she was accosted by two thugs.

Without thinking, Miriam reached for the belt knife she wore for her many weeks on Chaos. This was Earth; there was no knife!

The man with a knife, seeing her hesitate, reached to pull her purse from her shoulder. Miriam grabbed his knife hand and spun him between her and the man pointing a gun. The knife wielding, would-be-robber, grunted as a shot rang out. Looking past his shoulder, Miriam saw her other attacker whirl and run down the alley.

She let the knifer drop, kicked the knife away, pulled her cell phone, and dialed 911. While she talked to the operator, she moved away from her attacker’s outstretched hand.

“Hello, I’ve just been attacked by two men. One shot the other and ran away. Please send the police and an ambulance,” she told the dispatcher her name and added the location.