Space Cadets
eight
Colin had yet to go a day on the job with Eliza where he didn’t end up terribly nauseous. He had experience on hoverboards, but apparently not in the way Eliza liked to steer. She spotted a little corner cafe that she liked, coming to a hard stop across from it. Colin stumbled off the board, white in the face.
“What’s wrong?” Eliza asked innocently. “Are you feeling alright?”
“Go find a table,” Colin grumbled. “I need some water. Or a cigarette.”
She gave him a cheeky smile before disappearing inside to speak to the hostess. Colin stood up, taking a deep breath. He was about to head inside, but paused. Something was off. He felt like someone was watching them. He narrowed his eyes as people bustled about, looking to see if anything seemed out of the ordinary.
“I’m not going to wait for you!” Eliza called. “I’m ordering without you.”
“Yeah,” Colin muttered. “I’m coming.”
He glanced once more over his shoulder before joining Eliza at her table.
“Hey, we should be quick,” he said. “I have a bad feeling about this place.”
“Why?” Eliza asked. “Are you worried they might sneak some granola in your food?”
“I’m being serious,” he said. “I don’t know. I just have goosebumps. It feels like someone has been watching us all day.”
“Some people just like to watch. I think I want a sandwich.”
“Very funny. Get your sandwich in a box and we’ll take it back with us.”
“You’re not getting anything?” she asked.
“I’m not allowed to expense the queen’s money on myself,” he said. “Just on you and your family. Anything for me comes out of my own pay.”
Eliza seemed confused, looking at him with a furrowed brow.
“So what, you just skip meals?” she questioned.
Colin didn’t want to explain to her that he was spending minimal money on himself so he could send the bulk of his check home. He just gave her a reassuring smile.
“Thanks for being so concerned about my well-being,” he teased.
“I’m not,” she shrugged. “I just can’t imagine you’re a very efficient guard on an empty stomach.”
“Don’t worry about my efficiency,” he said. “Just get your sandwich.”
She reluctantly listened and asked for the sandwich to go. She refused to go to the dining room out of fear that someone might see her and try to talk to her, so Colin got to be in her room for the first time. He sat in a plush armchair and looked around the grand room while Eliza picked at her food on the bed.
“The queen really set you up,” Colin noted. “I heard she decorates every room herself.”
“She does,” Eliza said. “Not really my style, but she has good taste.”
“What’s your style then?”
“Simpler,” she said. “Smaller. Less.. flamboyant.”
“Well, looks like we can agree on something,” Colin chuckled. “I like the gold accents, though. Some people find it old fashioned, but I always found it elegant.”
“I didn’t realize you had such a passion for interior design.”
“Nah, just an active imagination,” Colin shrugged. “Growing up, I used to surround myself with imaginary friends and we ran an imaginary business together. Eventually my parents shut it down so they could help me start to see the real world, but my job involves a lot of waiting around. So sometimes I still find my mind drifting.”
“Seems harsh for a kid.”
“Not on Corron, it’s not.”
She paused when he mentioned his home planet, all the way on the other side of the galaxy. Clearly she knew about it, which meant she probably knew how poor and sleazy it was on the tiny planet. Colin cleared his throat, quickly trying to change the subject before she asked questions.
“So you know a thing or two about the cartels, do you?”
“I do,” she said. “I like reading old records.”
“Where do you get them?” he asked.
“Once it goes public, I have access to those archives,” she said. “No one cares much when I go browse. The only time I get questioned is if I try going towards the open classified cases.”
“Oh,” Colin frowned. “That’s too bad. If you ever want to know anything, just let me know. I’ve worked on a lot of those cases so I have an access card-“
Eliza nearly choked on her sandwich.
“What?” she said. “Why didn’t you say anything before, moron?”
“I- what?”
“Come on, let’s go,” she said.
“Go where?”
“Zenian archives are the biggest in the world,” she said. “You drop a bomb on me about having access to the restricted sections and you think I’m not going to take that opportunity?”
“You skipped lunch,” he told her. “If you’re not at tea, both of us will be in trouble.”
“Tea isn’t for a couple hours,” she said, already putting her shoes on. “Don’t be a wuss.”
“I’m not being a wuss, I’m doing my job.”
“Sounds like something a wuss would say. If you’re scared, give me the access card and I’ll go alone.”
“I’m not a wuss,” he repeated. “Fine. You get an hour. One hour. And then you go to dinner.”
“Ugh, fine.”
Colin struggled to keep up with her as she bolted out the door once again. There wouldn’t be a moment of peace or rest with this one, it seemed. Maybe that was okay. He wasn’t one for shoe shopping anyways.
“What’s wrong?” Eliza asked innocently. “Are you feeling alright?”
“Go find a table,” Colin grumbled. “I need some water. Or a cigarette.”
She gave him a cheeky smile before disappearing inside to speak to the hostess. Colin stood up, taking a deep breath. He was about to head inside, but paused. Something was off. He felt like someone was watching them. He narrowed his eyes as people bustled about, looking to see if anything seemed out of the ordinary.
“I’m not going to wait for you!” Eliza called. “I’m ordering without you.”
“Yeah,” Colin muttered. “I’m coming.”
He glanced once more over his shoulder before joining Eliza at her table.
“Hey, we should be quick,” he said. “I have a bad feeling about this place.”
“Why?” Eliza asked. “Are you worried they might sneak some granola in your food?”
“I’m being serious,” he said. “I don’t know. I just have goosebumps. It feels like someone has been watching us all day.”
“Some people just like to watch. I think I want a sandwich.”
“Very funny. Get your sandwich in a box and we’ll take it back with us.”
“You’re not getting anything?” she asked.
“I’m not allowed to expense the queen’s money on myself,” he said. “Just on you and your family. Anything for me comes out of my own pay.”
Eliza seemed confused, looking at him with a furrowed brow.
“So what, you just skip meals?” she questioned.
Colin didn’t want to explain to her that he was spending minimal money on himself so he could send the bulk of his check home. He just gave her a reassuring smile.
“Thanks for being so concerned about my well-being,” he teased.
“I’m not,” she shrugged. “I just can’t imagine you’re a very efficient guard on an empty stomach.”
“Don’t worry about my efficiency,” he said. “Just get your sandwich.”
She reluctantly listened and asked for the sandwich to go. She refused to go to the dining room out of fear that someone might see her and try to talk to her, so Colin got to be in her room for the first time. He sat in a plush armchair and looked around the grand room while Eliza picked at her food on the bed.
“The queen really set you up,” Colin noted. “I heard she decorates every room herself.”
“She does,” Eliza said. “Not really my style, but she has good taste.”
“What’s your style then?”
“Simpler,” she said. “Smaller. Less.. flamboyant.”
“Well, looks like we can agree on something,” Colin chuckled. “I like the gold accents, though. Some people find it old fashioned, but I always found it elegant.”
“I didn’t realize you had such a passion for interior design.”
“Nah, just an active imagination,” Colin shrugged. “Growing up, I used to surround myself with imaginary friends and we ran an imaginary business together. Eventually my parents shut it down so they could help me start to see the real world, but my job involves a lot of waiting around. So sometimes I still find my mind drifting.”
“Seems harsh for a kid.”
“Not on Corron, it’s not.”
She paused when he mentioned his home planet, all the way on the other side of the galaxy. Clearly she knew about it, which meant she probably knew how poor and sleazy it was on the tiny planet. Colin cleared his throat, quickly trying to change the subject before she asked questions.
“So you know a thing or two about the cartels, do you?”
“I do,” she said. “I like reading old records.”
“Where do you get them?” he asked.
“Once it goes public, I have access to those archives,” she said. “No one cares much when I go browse. The only time I get questioned is if I try going towards the open classified cases.”
“Oh,” Colin frowned. “That’s too bad. If you ever want to know anything, just let me know. I’ve worked on a lot of those cases so I have an access card-“
Eliza nearly choked on her sandwich.
“What?” she said. “Why didn’t you say anything before, moron?”
“I- what?”
“Come on, let’s go,” she said.
“Go where?”
“Zenian archives are the biggest in the world,” she said. “You drop a bomb on me about having access to the restricted sections and you think I’m not going to take that opportunity?”
“You skipped lunch,” he told her. “If you’re not at tea, both of us will be in trouble.”
“Tea isn’t for a couple hours,” she said, already putting her shoes on. “Don’t be a wuss.”
“I’m not being a wuss, I’m doing my job.”
“Sounds like something a wuss would say. If you’re scared, give me the access card and I’ll go alone.”
“I’m not a wuss,” he repeated. “Fine. You get an hour. One hour. And then you go to dinner.”
“Ugh, fine.”
Colin struggled to keep up with her as she bolted out the door once again. There wouldn’t be a moment of peace or rest with this one, it seemed. Maybe that was okay. He wasn’t one for shoe shopping anyways.