Chapter 3: Deals in Mist

Atari was wonderstruck. She never thought that so much green could exist in one place. She had been told tales of Mars long ago, when the ocean whispered and the trees grew tall. But those days were long gone and any hope her kind had left was now on her shoulders. She knew it. She felt the weight of that burden in the canister carried on her belt.

"What a beautiful place." She thought, looking at the trees with their roots steeped in water, the bugs dancing in the rays of the sun, the buzz of the birds high in the branches. "And what luck that the first one I see is Lord Xaviour's son! I just hope that Xaviour is as agreeable as he is."

She followed Grimley. They crossed the road leading to the beach, took a detour by a stream, and climbed down a rockfall into a basin enveloped in green mist. Atari was overwhelmed by the sights and smell of it all and wondered aloud. "You don't know how lucky you are to have this! Red dust gets so boring." She continued to walk into the mist ahead of Grimley who was still struggling to move his gigantic feet down the rock slope.

"Mars hasn't been like this in thousands of years. We thought it would never change so we never took measurements of what made life possible." Atari giggled with a hint of sadness. "What is your average rainfall? Is the Xandrian capitol really built on an active volcano? How many moons do you have? Is it true that only some of you have tails?-"

"Ok! ok, I don't actually live here to know." Grimley exhaled as he passed the rambling Ootzie.

Confused at this newfound knowledge, Atari could only think that Grimley, like the Ootzie of ancient times, was also a nomad.

"Are you a nomadic people?" She asked, hopeful that there would be a topic of discussion between them.

"No." His reply was flat. "I'm here on business. My homeworld is Uyama, the capitol of the Xandrian Empire."

"What business?"

Grimley gave her a confused look, Xandrians knew when a topic had shifted. She was as inquisitive as a child. He wondered if the Ootzie matured at the same rate as the Mutant species.

"I'm here to kill Human terrorists. They killed those Xandrians guarding the portal."

"Oh." Atari flinched at the word 'Kill' "I thought the war ended 50 years ago."

"Nope. After Xalesha died she passed the flame to her son. Ronan." He spat after pronouncing the name.

Hopelessly optimistic though she was, Atari now realized it was time to drop the conversation and keep walking. She passed Grimley again and didn't feel him unhook the canister from her belt as she passed.

"Atari, don't your people have a religion of peace?" Grimley asked, his eyes slanted with cunning. "I think you can help my people achieve just that." He tapped the glass casing of the canister with the metal of his gauntlet. Atari's eyes widened in horror as she flung herself towards the Xandrian General.

"Don't play with that!" She shrieked, snatching the canister away from Grimley. "This is dangerous!"

Grimley stood proud, satisfied that her reaction had proven the contents of the canister.

"So it does exist." He mused to himself as she walked past him in a huff.

Black Smoke had only been rumored to exist. It's recipe lost to time with the collapse of the golden age of the Ootzie race as Mars' climate plummeted. Apparently not.

"If the rumors are true then that thing is a weapon of mass destruction." Grimley realized, looking at how small the canister was, and how small its bearer was too. "Why is it here then? is it an assassination plot? She said she wanted to speak to dad so it very likely could be, Dad would be happy if I saved him from choking to death or... Something else could be done with it." The General contemplated as Atari re-attached the canister to her belt.

"Can I ask you a favor?" He asked, as innocently as he could.

"I owe you my life for saving me from those Humans, I'll help you with anything." Atari replied, she seemed happy at the opportunity to help someone, even if they were insufferable.

Grimley smiled to himself once more, his large lower incisors creeping across his face in a grin.

"Truly, their religion is one of peace and compassion." He thought. "You see, I have this guy I don't like and I could use your help to just send him a message, you know?"

Atari hesitated, she looked down at the Black Smoke and placed her hand over it. "I would help you, but... This is for something important-"

"More important than repaying me? I thought your religion told you to be compassionate."

"Yes but... I have to do something really important with this and I can't use it for anything else."

"Did I ask you to use it? I just need it for intimidation-er negotiations." Grimley slipped out, he hoped Atari didn't notice the use of the word 'intimidation' She didn't seem to.

"Ok, so long as it's just for show, then my debt will be clear with you."

Grimley smiled again. This was too easy.