Streak of Light

Chapter 3 Baikunor part 2

"Hey! What's your name?"

Over the backdrop of the Reactor, Zheng steered his head to direction of the voice. There, he sees a boy with blonde hair parted two thirds to the right and wore a particularly oversized military jacket, with the sleeves pulled up to his forearm.

"And you are?" Zheng scoffed.

"Mikhail, Mikhail Kirillov. What about you?"

"Zheng."

"Mind if I tag along with you?"

"You lost?"

"More like I'm a stowaway." Mikhail declared while puffing up his chest.

"So you are lost." Zheng reiterated to put down him down.

"Anyways." Mikhail glances over to Zheng's black bag.

"I overheard your conversation with the Airport personnel. Something about you being extrasensory perceptive?" Mikhail asked.

".."

Zheng did not reply and remained indifferent to the boy pestering him.

"Come on be a sport, would you?" Mikhail cried.

"It's all propaganda from the government. It's just a way for them withheld important technologies from us, the people."

"And just in case government agents are listening. It is a decision I completely agree with."

As Zheng answered Mikhail's eyed narrowed and refuted, "I find that hard to believe mister, I can definitely tell you're different from the rest!"

"Really now?" Zheng sarcastically replied.

"You should be home by now, kid. It's getting late."

"I'll have you know that you should not treat me as a child. I'm 16." Mikhail said.

"What?"

"I'm 16."

"Turning 16 this year?"

"Nope 17."

"Huh."

"What?"

Damn this kid is my age

"Forget about it."

Zheng began to walk away along the railings and Mikhail did a small sprint to quickly catch up to Zheng.

"So where're your parents."

"I came here to Baikunor myself." Mikhail replied.

"Pretty unsafe for a kid like you to travel alone. Especially on those space busses."

"I got my very own starship!" Mikhail claimed as he once again puffs up his chess.

"What?" Surprised, Zheng said.

"I have a starship." Mikhail reiterated.

"Yeah I got that."

".."

Zheng went silent as he goes deep into thought.

He says it in that honest naivete, somehow I find it hard to not believe him.

"You're lying." Zheng accused.

"Believe what you want I guess." Mikhail exhaled, tired of answering his questions.

".."

Ergh the way he acts is annoying

"You overheard my conversation at the airport, didn't you?" Zheng asked. In reply, Mikhail nodded.

"If you own a starship you would have been at the private terminal now would you?"

"I parked it at the space station and took the shuttle plane down, cause I wanted to experience a shuttle plane once." Mikhail claimed.

"Yeah right."

"Mhm..Say, why not make it a bet and see my ship in person?" Mikhail suggested.

"Sound like a sad way for you to ask me to accompany you. Do you not have friends?" Zheng Mockingly said.

"Hey! That's unwarranted." Mikhail said.

"Whatever, layout your stakes." Zheng brushed off.

"10,000 rubles to you, If I'm a liar-"

"Woah I don't have that much money on me." Zheng said.

"You didn't let me finish my sentence."

"You join my group, If I'm proven correct."

"Group?" Zheng asked.

"Y'know like the people in the United Front." Mikhail clarified.

Zheng went deep into his thoughts once more.

Mhmm it's not a bad choice honestly free money or a free ride.. or a waste of time. I guess the pros outweigh the cons.

As Mikhail and Zheng had conversed, they had completely walked to the opposite point of the reactor, which they came from, along the railings of the reactor. At where they are, they continued their walk away from the reactor as they trek deeper into Novoskov.

Mikhail was now at the front and Zheng followed from behind.

"So would you take up the offer?" Mikhail asked as he turned his head to look at Zheng awaiting his answer.

"Urgh.." Zheng scratched the back of his head in frustration.

"Screw it, I want my 10,000 rubles." Zheng relented.

"Let's shake on it." Mikhail offers his hand for a handshake, and Zheng accepts it.