Luminary

Episode 40 - Human Nature

At 11 am, in some German auto shop, a young woman was leaning on her car as a mechanic was trying his best to fix it, for a price.

Mechanic: I know I said the problem didn't look that serious before, but it seems I was wrong.

The girl didn't like hearing that, there was a chance he was being honest, but, really, he could be just another scammer.

"Let me guess.... Overheated? Or does a part need replacing that only you have."

Mechanic: Yeah, something like that.

The mechanic stood up and crossed his arms which angered her as he would probably try to scam her out of unnecessary stuff.

Mechanic: If you don't like it, you can always look for another mechanic who won't ask why a lone gypsy so close to Berlin's border.

The girl got stunned for a second and was about to ask how he knew she was a Gypsy.

Or, at least, she used to be.

Mechanic: Don't give me that surprised expression, you got a Ford Transit Passenger here, you wear those black and red jackets and I had a lot of your kind trying to sneak into the capital.

"Fine. Just... How many will this cost?"

The mechanic smiled and was about to give his prices, but some Saisem soldiers entered the auto shop, both the girl and the Mechanic immediately raised their arms.

Enforcer: Relax, it's just us. Didn't know you had a customer.

The girl and the mechanic looked outside and saw a Saisem vehicle, badly damaged.

Mechanic: J-Just a q-quick job, my lord. Didn't know anyone of such importance would even come to my humble garage. Problems?

Enforcer: You could say that. That pesky Luminary just attacked our castle in Poland and the IBI's army did the rest, we're the only ones who managed to escape.

The enforcer looked at the girl's van.

Enforcer: Who's this?

"I'm no one, just another powerless nobody just trying to live life."

Enforcer: Powerless, eh?

He looks at that huge van.

Enforcer: With a vehicle that can carry 12 people?

Mechanic: She's just a gypsy, my lord. No one importan--

Enforcer: I don't remember asking you a damn thing!

"It was my mother's. It's been in my family for a while."

She looked at the enforcer.

Enforcer: Bullshit, where's the rest of your clan?

There was no clan, there was no one there,but her. She abandoned her own people, she was quite aware of that.

"I abandoned that life. There are no others with me."

Enforcer: I ain't buying it. Gypsy scum like you always stick to your packs.

She looked him dead in the eyes.

"I'm not proud of it. I abandoned my people. Isn't that the Saisem way? To cut out the weaklings in your life?"

She had her reasons for abandoning her clan, but the Saisem way wasn't it the most ideal one too. She only said that to appeal to the Enforcer's beliefs.

The enforcers there started to laugh.

Enforcer: That makes you an outcast among outcasts.

He looks into the van's engine and makes a hot-wire.