Chapter 83 Fired? I don't have to hand in my notice

He took an empty glass, smelled the bottles and mixed something together, tasted it, looked around and went to the buffet table, took some honey and poured some in, stirred. Sipped it and dripped lemon into it. He lit a match and left it burning, went to the bench, sat down, took out a tablet, ate it, then lit a cigarette by the glass. Babsi looked at him.

"What's the tablet for?"

He took a drag on the cigarette.

"Before I flew back to the moon, I'd eaten, looked like a chicken, except for the spider legs. The tablet breaks down the toxins. " She stared at him.

"He reached into his pocket and pulled out his cell phone. Clicked through the gallery, turned his hand to her and showed a photo of a chicken with spider legs.

"Ew..." 

Luke grinned, blew out the flame and sipped from his glass. 

"What are those obelisks in the background?" Luke turned the phone towards him, looked at the photo and clicked through several pictures. Basi could see them. 

"Ah, those are marker pillars from settlers who once lived here."

"And what does it say? " 

"It depends on the planet, it says the planet is called Slaniz V, then type, year of colonization, which faction and it also says /piss off, we were here first/. "

He took a drag on the butt.

"I saw a pillar like this, the last one in MegaCity Europe, I thought it was an Egyptian one. I need to talk to Alex for a minute," she left. Luke shrugged, took a sip from his glass and closed his eyes. 

Luke opened his eyes when he heard footsteps. 

Katy, Jin, Sandy and Tyreen were coming towards him. All four were children of Liz and her sisters, even his mother had gotten carried away. Katy was his little sister. Jin was Mei's, Sandy was April's and Tyreen was Liz's. The last time he'd seen them, they'd been three cheese high before he'd disappeared. 

"Luke, we..." 

Luke looked at them all, they had grown up. Something wasn't right. 

Katy had hair on her face. Luke stood up and pushed her aside. Her left eye was swollen and her lip was busted open.

"Who?"

"Johnny from security and his friends. We've had a lot on our plates lately..." Tyreen said. He growled.

"Where Katy?"

She moved her mouth.

"Where Katy?"

"At the fast food restaurant behind the corporate area," it came out through tears. He growled, set the glass down, reached for his cell phone and dialed Earl's number.

"Teleport me to the fast food place that gave you diarrhea."

Katy and the others looked at him, irritated.

He zapped to the parking lot, the sun was just setting. The parking lot was deserted except for a security van and four smoking security guards. Luke walked towards them. They looked at him.

"Is there anything we can do for you, sir?" came from one of them.

"Sure, I'm looking for Johnny," they looked at him.

" What ..." 

He kicked the first one, who crashed into the side of the car and wedged himself inside, the cracking of bone and tissue echoing on impact. The officers looked at him in shock and Luke elbowed the next one in the face, the crack of teeth and nose echoing.  

An officer drew his gun and pointed it at Luke. Luke grabbed the gun and jerked it around so that it cracked and the officer screamed. Then he kicked him in the knees so that he landed on the floor, groaning. The last one just stared at him, liquid spreading out from under him. 

"So, who's Johnny?"

The officer shakily pointed to the one with the broken hands. Luke looked at him. 

"Who was there when the girls were beaten up?"

The officer shakily pointed to Johnny, the one in the car and the one with the broken nose and teeth. Luke looked at him.

" And you? " 

" You coward!" came from Johnny, filled with pain. 

Luke gave him a punch that burst his lip and broke his nose.

The one with the broken nose got up, pulled out a knife and attacked Luke. He dodged, grabbed him by the arm and broke his shoulder. Kicked him against the car and slowly picked up the knife. Looked at it. 

"I'm going to take the time to kill you three. " 

" Fuck you. Who are you anyway?"

Luke grinned.

" I'll tell you when I kill you!" He went to the car, pulled out some cloth bags and put them over the three's heads, as he finished, several cars skidded to a stop in the parking lot.

"Bi," Johnny began.

Luke gave him another slap. Then he looked at the cars, sighing inwardly. He should have just shot them.

Sarge, Danny and Eathen approached, Bettina pushing past them.

"Are you crazy? " came from her.

" Why?"

" Because! You can't just..." she pointed at the security guards.

Luke looked at Bettina.

"I can't?  Hhmmm, why did you bring the three of them?"

Bettina looked at him.

" To keep me away from you?"

Luke grinned.

" Good." He put his hand on Johnny's head and squeezed with his fingers.

" Johnny even a piece of shit like you who beats girls bloody. Will be protected."

Blood spread on the bag.

"I dare you! Let her live!" came from Bettina.

Luke squeezed harder, causing Johnny to cry out. 

Sarge made the first move, Danny and Eathen immediately after. 

He really had to take his hand off Johnny. After the first move. He punched and kicked the three of them back. He didn't want to kill them, so he just incapacitated them so they sat on their asses, panting.

"Come on, for round two." 

He felt a pang, looked to the side, the officer who had wet his pants was holding a taser out to him.

"So an accomplice too. " He grabbed him by the face and yanked him up.

"You shall live, Alex..."

Luke looked at Bettina, he growled and threw the officer in front of Bettina. 

" Your hands!"

Luke held out his hands in her direction.

" As a warning, if they get free, I'll hunt them down."

Bettina looked at him, kept silent and handcuffed him.

She led him to a security van and put him inside. Luke looked after her, she spoke to the three of them. He was taken to the security center, his cell phone and watch were taken from him, then he was placed in a security cell. They let him have his cigarettes and a few new packs for a few points. 

So he lay on the cot and smoked. At some point, a member of the legal department came and spoke to him. Luke looked at him.

"Make it quick."

The man blinked.

" They're fired, based on their merits we'll refrain from filing a lawsuit. But they lose all benefits, health insurance and pension, and their marriage has been annulled. The ... "

Luke took a drag on his cigarette. 

"When can I get out? "

"You'll be on the next transport to the Council Immigration Zone. "

" Well then..." 

He ignored him as they picked him up. Put in neutral civilian clothes and on a bus with other departing people, he didn't care. 

They all unloaded in a parking lot where there was an ugly building. Some of the bus went there. Luke began to smoke. 

"You lose everything so quickly," he said, looking up at the sky. He walked to the nearest terminal, put his hand on it. His account still existed, but they had deducted 98% of the salary they had paid him over the years here and as he saw, his balance in the Kia account had been spent with full hands over the 15 years. Good thing he had a galactic account, but he had to get there first. 

According to the display, he still had 400 points and the console wasn't calling. He shrugged his shoulders and drove off.  A farmer gave him a lift to the next settlement. There he found out that they had dropped him off in the former states of the USA. 

It really was a small provincial town. Luke thanked him and walked along the road.  When it was dark, he entered a communications store. A nerdy employee looked at him with disinterest.

"Tach, can I call a satellite number from here?"

She looked at him with raised eyebrows.

"Uh, yes. But it costs. 200 points per minute."

"Okay." 

She led him to a terminal, where he placed his hand and dialed the call function. A timer showed him how much time he had left. He dialed Earl's number.

His picture appeared, looking very hungover.

"Yo! Where the hell are you?"

"Ah, I had a very adventurous night. Can you zap me up? Want to get my stuff."

Earl nodded, hung up. 

Luke stood in the hallway on the moon. Earl looked at him.

"This must be an adventure, you don't even have your clothes on. "

Luke grinned.

"Get some sleep first." 

Earl nodded and slipped away. Luke went to his locker, changed and threw his old clothes in the trash. He had his gear and belongings with him when the alien guards came in and led him to Ned.

She looked up from her table and gurgled, cringing.

"What am I doing here? Ned, I'm getting my things that I bought and paid for."

She scowled at him.

Quack.

"Ha. That's good. Ned, they kicked me out just because I tried to kill some guys who did something to my little sister. Poof, all gone. "

She looked at him skeptically, clicked on the table and the holoscreen flickered on. She croaked in surprise. Luke saw that his name was labeled fired. 

"See?"

She tapped her finger on the table, seeming to think. Then looked at him. Let out a few croaks.

"Of course I did the Bachelor, or the Galactic Empire would have kicked my ass. "

She croaked contentedly, pulling a badge with the marks of the Trade Alliance from her pocket. Luke took it and pinned it to his suit. She tapped something on the table and smiled with satisfaction.

Earl came rushing over.

"Boss! " he braked when he saw Luke.

"What have you done Luke?"

" Nothing. "

"Nothing? Luke, shit's boiling down there!"

He lit a cigarette.

"Not my problem, I didn't kill anyone like they wanted. With resulat, which is now."

He pressed a bracelet into her hand.

"Boy. Fifteen years your name's been on the list and now you're fired! You go down there and sort it out, that's teleporter tape, then I won't have to do this anymore."

"Hhmm, actually I wanted to go back to the main system."

Earl looked at him.

"Just do that for me, okay?"

" Okay, I'll say goodbye."