Century Twenty-Two

During his time at Maver Tech, an always open shop that cooked noodles and meat over a wide grill had been Jack Brenner’s go to stop for dinner, most nights after leaving his last call for the Tech company. The owner, an older alien named Belkerzar, ran the shop. Jack had always called him Jemb in Titan, or “Pops” in English.

Also employed at the shop was a being belonging to the Waynon race, a fur covered species with tails and upright ears, similar to foxes or wolves. The only Waynon who worked at the shop was named Reeya, and was the only girl that Jack would admit to having feelings for.

Setting his ship down at a port a few blocks shy of the noodle shop Rimbla’s, Jack stood up in his ship, his goggles and bandana still around his neck. He left the cockpit, went down the wing and then to the port floor. The cockpit closed, and Jack pushed a hand into his vest pocket, fumbling out a cigarette; his hands shook, out of rage the Titan assumed. The gang's job that had taken place only twenty or so minutes before had rubbed Jack the wrong way, no doubt because of what the reptilian alien Chauss had done.

Leaving the spaceport via a short ramp, Jack walked from the port to a sidewalk, heading west. The noodle shop was tucked into a street of other eateries and shops, just two blocks over from Jack’s old home. The Titan carried his gun with him, but so did various other beings and humans Jack saw. No laws on the moon ofTitan prevented the carrying of small firearms, though automatic weapons or anything of a bigger caliber than a pistol wasn’t allowed. Jack kept his hands at his sides, taking the occasional drag from his cigarette as he walked down the sidewalk, ignoring most everyone around him. He was careful to stay close to the inside street, not wanting to be seen by a peacekeeper car.

Further down the street Jack took a pull from his cigarette, then dropped the butt ahead of him, squashing it out under his boot.

Rimbla’s was in the same place Jack had last seen it, not even eight days ago, in between an appliance store, and another that sold furniture for small apartments. Jack walked past the appliance store, then under the flaps that were decorated with Rimbla’s most popular dishes. There were six stools at the counter, and only one of them was taken.

Jack sat down at the first stool he approached, passing a hand over his hair. Behind the counter was Belkerzar, tossing a pan of noodles and spices. Next to Belkezar, taking the only other customer their bowl, was Reeya.

Still flipping a pan, Belkezar wiped sweat from his brow, looking up from the heat of the open grill he was behind. He looked right some, saw Jack, then his grey, rocky seeming face broke into a grinning laugh. Giving the pan one more flick the hulky alien left the stove, taking heavy steps over to Jack who lazily held out a hand.

Belkezar gripped the Titan’s much smaller left hand, gripping it.

“Jack Brenner!” the alien exclaimed in English, “You came back eh? Missed Pop’s food, yes?”

“Yeah, sure,” Jack’s had was released and he flexed his fingers.

“What happened to the other hand, hmm?” Pops inquired.

“Fried off during an electrical burning,” Jack muttered, glancing past Pops, at a menu board, “throw me together a Noiba Bowl, will ya?”

“Anything for a customer like you!” Pops pointed at the alien then, retreating to his post behind the wide grill.

From the other end of the grill, Reeya walked the length of the grill, then stood in front of Jack and looked under the counter at an assortment of boxes. Reaching along the wall Reeya took down a blank pad, tapped it, then observed a scattering of screen that appeared above the pad. Looking at the screens Reyya began to tap them, but asked aloud,

“Where have you been?”

Not missing a beat Jack said,

“You’d never believe me.”

“Try me, Jack,” Reeya replied.

Jack opened his mouth, but Pops stepped in front of the Titan then, setting down a steaming bowl of thick noodles, deep brown colored meat and a scattering of odd vegetation. Jack closed his mouth then, taking a fork Pop’s handed him, and the Titan stabbed a hunk of vegetable, stuffing it in his mouth.

Pops stepped away, and Jack swallowed.

“I got cut loose from Maver Tech,” the Titan said, “on the job accident, cost me my arm,” Jack set his left elbow atop the bar then, and Reeya glanced at him.

“I’m sorry, Jack,” Reeya said.

“Not your fault,” Jack shook his head, “other things transpired after me getting cut lose, and now I’ve got a different job. Different guys, different pay.”

“Anything like what your father did?” Reeya asked.

Jack took a mouthful of noodles then, exhaling steam as he swallowed.

“I suppose,” Jack said, “you know I never knew my father.”

“But that’s not why you came back,” Reeya looked up from the pad then, at Jack.

“Your right,” Jack said, gazing at the Waynon, “maybe I needed to see you again.”

Reeya scoffed then, but a smile crossed her face and she set down the pad she had been running her fingers over. Crossing a few steps over to Jack she leaned against the bar in front of the Titan, setting her chin into her hands. She wore a long grey coat with black pants that fell over her shoes.

Her orange eyes looked Jack over, but Jack said then,

“Becoming a raider wasn’t what I thought would happen after I lost my job, you know?” Jack said as he took a mouthful of noodles.

“Did you have a plan?” Reeya asked, “I saw on the news that some Titan shot up your branch of Maver Tech, maybe three days ago?”

“Did you?” Jack asked Reeya.

“Yeah,” she nodded then, “but I told myself there was no way it was you.”

Jack was quiet as he took another mouthful of food, then lifted an arm as a chirp sounded from the belt on his waist. Pulling a circular pad from his belt Jack set it on the counter top and tapped a blinking square. A screen appeared, showing Krang’s face, the raider boss walking down a hallway aboard the Maude Ann spaceship.

“Brenner,” Krang looked at Jack, “you finally decide you’ve had enough of being a Devil already?”

“No Krang, but I wasn’t keen on Chauss taking out some poor maid that didn’t need killing,” Jack looked back at the raider boss, putting down his fork.

“I’ve gotten the rundown of what transpired,” Krang grumbled, “innocent lives get taken Jack, its life and it happens. You’ve got an hour to get back on the ship before we take off, or you can stay back on your home planet and dodge the law without any help.”

The screen flashed away then, and Jack put a hand over the communicator.

“So you are a raider,” Reeya said then.

With a sigh Jack picked up the communicator, returned it to his belt, then said to Reeya,

“Yeah, I am. That Titan you saw put the hurt on Maver Tech was me, and I did jump cruiser with a bunch of raiders that my father may or may not have been a part of.”

Reeya groaned then, her eyes softening as she looked at Jack. Jack picked up his bowl, sipping the still hot broth out of the bowl before setting it back down. With a huff Jack’s breath fogged the air, and looking at Reeya, Jack said,

“I can’t stay here,” he said, “I know that, and I think you do too.”

“Jack,” Reeya paused, looking at the raider.

Jack looked back at Reeya, the Waynon biting her lip. A second passed, then Reeya only whispered,

“Be careful.”

Jack smiled then, standing up from the bar and putting his hands back into his pants pockets. Casting one more look at Reeya, Jack said,

“You know I will be,” and turned away to walk back down the street.

Reeya watched Jack go, then left the counter to stand back and look at the pad she’d been taping at. Reaching a hand into a pants pocket, Reeya pulled out a pendant strung on a thin silver chain. The pendant was fashioned from metal, the head of a three eyed beast with tusks, a trinket Jack had stolen from someone the Titan had been on a Maver-Tech job for. Presenting it to Reeya a few days later, the Waynon had been hesitant to take it at first. She kept it though, as she saw Jack twice a week perhaps then, and the pair developed feelings for each other; even though neither would admit it to one another.