Task Orientated

Part 2.1

I haven't worked in a fortnight.

After that last job, I took Audax to a clinic and the nurse on hand treated him, he fiercely recommended Audax keep the workload light for a couple weeks. Its Audax, so it's exactly what he did. Two weeks ago, I thought taking time off would've done me some good too and right about now, I'm getting sore from lying on the couch so much.

I kinda hate not working.

Sure, mercenary work is dangerous, Audax almost got his head caved in by a bot for one and I've received my fair share of dinks and scratches too but it sure beats the alternative. The daily grind. It tends to leave me with a few more dinks and scratches, but they tend to add up a lot more, the repetition layers it on thick. Wake up at the not-at-all-soul-crushing 5:15, drag my chimera ass out of bed and try and make myself a coffee. The instant black is god awful, but it gets me awake enough for the next part, I guess.

Can't say I'm ever keen for the morning run. I almost left in my pajamas, but I only realized as reached the stair well. Sprinting back to my apartment and spending a good moment making sure I was in skins and a tank really set this mornings tone. No point even bothering with the elevator, it isn't considered a necessity, so the power doesn't come on till six. I'd never complain though, but it'd be a different story if I was running up the five sets of stairs. Although, it's always fun going down the stair well on low power mode, the dull blue lights switch on and off following me on my way down. If I had felt any better this morning I'd try and race it. The amber light of dawn pierces the lobby windows, casting a stretched shadow of the Intersection skyline on the beige carpet.

At 5:30, I was shivering as I started.

I always treat it as motivation to run, even if the running gear doesn't cut it, at least I felt warm once I got my heart rate up. The planet isn't exactly ideal habitat for octopus shaped persons, err – person shaped octopuses. Early imperial terraforming wasn't perfect, the Commonwealth rendered Candide livable and relatively comfortable, but it isn't exactly an Earth Analogue. I've been back on Candide for a while, but the plum coloured dirt still is still a surprise.

Apparently its why Candide was colonized in the first place, stuff makes good concrete, every other building in Intersection is made from it.

At 6:00 the streets are empty.

Other than me, there's usually very few out. There are the poor shift slave bastards who man the fast food joints, they're so bored they don't even notice me run past. Candide's finest, the guys and gals of the Candide defense force who for seem to love suffering en-masse. The militia troops aren't so bad, I know they stare from behind their reflective visors, but they know me well enough to leave me be as that 'Chimera lady out for a run'. But there's another type of psychopath out for a run, that always try to level pace just to ask something like, so is that salty smell you?

It's why I run early and through the emptier parts of the city. Usually I can get an hour and a bit of peace. But I'm a chimera, I know I should be running longer than that, but I gotta settle for what I can.

At 6:30 I'm standing by the elevator.

The Lights had come back on, I just had to wait for it to reach the ground floor. I wasn't alone with my impatience, there was a guy I think lived on the floor above me, he'd shift from standing on his toes to his heels. It made this quiet puff sound as his heels crushed down on the carpet. The door slid open and we both stood against the back wall, with an arm's length between us.

I was by the panel, so I asked, "six, right?"

He nodded, briefly making polite eye contact.

After a moment, he'd ask, "How was your run today?"