And Almondine's quest for fulfillment continues....
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I left Argent in the foyer of an ostentatious resort. He was dressed in lavender sequins, and I knew he'd have little trouble attracting companions.
"Do be careful, my 'Dina." He said, and kissed me on both cheeks. He had a look of worry. I wondered if it was because I was going to risk my life, or because he didn't understand my behavior.
I wondered if anyone could understand my behavior.
A hired grav-car sped me toward my destination. The service that offered the 'Freefall Experience' was located in a plain looking hangar at one of Tellis' shuttleports. The giant door was open, so I strolled in. Several people milled about the place, some in the multicolored jumpsuits popular among 'leapers', some in technician coveralls. Two stubby shuttlecraft sat in the middle of the place. Both were painted bright yellow with black and white checkers, like taxi vehicles in certain Earth cities.
I drew stares. I always draw stares. I'd wrapped myself up in a blue latex halter-and-shorts set that I contrasted with a white boa and cute blue sunglasses. The color drew their eyes to me, and my body kept their attention.
"Who do I speak with about diving out of your little ships?" I asked. Someone chuckled...someone always does...but a man stepped forward. He wasn't the only one, he was just the quickest.
"Right this way, ma'am..."
He led me to an office area that was only partially walled off. The space was dominated by a giant two-dimensional image plastered on one wall. It featured a man in a bulky black suit leaping out the door of an aircraft. Below him...far below him...a solid wall of fluffy clouds awaited. I stared. Something about the picture intrigued me. My guide noticed.
“Yeah.” He smiled. “Pretty awesome, ain’t it? No personal shielding or grav harness, just two parachutes and an oxygen tank.”
I kept staring. “Is this what you do?”
“Close.” He answered. “We have more safety equipment, and we don’t jump out of balloons.”
“He’s jumping out of a balloon?”
“Yeah. One hundred and three thousand feet over New Mexico, about three centuries ago. Captain Frank Kittinger.”
I blinked. “Did he live?”
“Not a scratch on him.”
“I want to do that.” I declared, turning towards the man. “When can you take me up?”
“Next flight goes tommorow afternoon.” He answered. “Hundred and fifty credits, you have to answer a few questions, sign a release. And you can’t use your own equipment either, has to be ours…guy using his own chute plowed in about a year ago. Feddies would love to shut us down, they probably will if it happens again.”
“Oh, that won’t be a problem.” I wowed him with a smile. “I don’t have any equipment.”
His friendly expression turned to a frown.
“Most skydivers have their own equipment.” He said.
I saw the trap, and knew he was trying to trick me into a confession. He would draw me out eventually, there was no point to avoiding it.
“I’ve never done UAF.” I confided. “I’ve never even skydived.”
He shook his head. “Then you're not jumping.”
My stomach twisted into a knot.
“Why not?” I asked, wetting my lower lip and batting my eyes.
“This isn’t something you just do, all right? You got no experience, something goes wrong, and you’ll look like abstract art. I don’t need to give Public Safety any more excuses to put us out of business.”
“It’s very important that I do this.” I explained. Wetting my lips wasn’t working. I fluffed my boas a bit and leaned toward him slightly.
“Then go try something safer and come back when you’ve got some clue what you’re doing.”
“You don’t understand.” I accused. I thought of explaining the whole thing to him, but I had the distinct feeling that my rambling would not change him mind.
“I don't care, either, I’d like to keep my license.”
I frowned. It was time to try something different.
“I can pay you a lot of money.”
He shook his head. I continued before he could speak.
“Not credits. Latinum or Klingon Darseks or something real. More than enough to bribe someone if things go wrong.”
His eyes betrayed temptation. There is much that is forbidden in the Federation, and their credits are only good for synthesized food or luxuries anyone would find stale.
“How much?” He demanded.
“Name your price. If I can’t meet it, I cease bothering you.” I doubted he would ask for more than I could part with. Klingon Intelligence had rewarded me well for betraying my last employer.
“Twenty bars of latinum.” He grinned. That was a middling sum in most places, but latinum’s value skyrocketed in the United Federation of Planets.
“Done.” I said.
He frowned. “Well wait just one second…”
I smiled. I sat normally, now. He didn’t trust me. Continuing to bat my eyelashes would make him suspicious of my money. He was quiet for a long, long time. He turned away from me. He was still thinking when a short woman with pink hair burst into the office. She’d had words on her lips, but leashed them when she saw his mood.
“Kathy…” He finally spoke, turning to look at the woman. “…prep our friend here for tomorrow’s jump.”
Topic: Lunatic Fringe (Read 27842 times)