"Let's just say," he started slowly, "there was an, ah ... incident that may or may not have involved me, the Prime Minister, and an FG-44 Torchlight model Firefly brand flamethrower." After that, all I could get out of him was that he used to be a Firefly flamethrower salesman. "They're good flamethrowers," was the last he said on that matter. They are good flamethrowers, I agreed. I told him about the time I used my preferred model, the HcM 68 Tinderbox, to clear a section of forest for an airstrip and resort hotel, I think it was.* He didn't seem interested, instead just sighing regretfully and looking at the floor. I suppose there would be reason to be so distraught after failing to assassinate a head of state. In my experience,** assassinations are usually serve a noble greater-good cause – or result in big payoffs. Either way, one would be loath to botch one. "So," I asked him, "Where did you want me to take you?"
"Wherever. Just away from here," came his response. "Oh, steer clear of Nilignos, too. I, ah, shall we say, haven't made many friends there."
"Okey-doke." I said to him friendly-like, but he didn't seem to want to cheer up. "You know what, let's head on over to Latet Navalia. We can sit tight there for a bit while we sort out what to do next." He looked quizzical, but I didn't blame him. Few respectable people*** have heard of Latet Navalia, a space station, that, for a variety of reasons that would take too long to rhyme off/and or explain how they work,**** does not "exist" on ah, legal, records or scanners. You have to find it the old-fashioned way, by keeping an eye out when you come close to where you think it was last time you saw it.
___
*I still don't know why that job paid so damn well...
**The "experience" I mentioned is purely based on observation of others. Others whom I definitely did not transport to and from their destinations without asking questions.
***Other than myself, obviously.
****And it would be better to maintain the ever-helpful "plausible deniability".
YOU ARE READING
Space Travel
Science FictionThis story was a lot of fun to write. I don't know how much else there is to say, except that this is my first, and, as yet, only foray into the science fiction genre. While writing, I just sort of let the story develop, and I'm pretty happy with wh...
