BOILED part 1

in our cliched tale, a decade ago on earth, aliens we've referred to as the Distrone people landed peacefully and gave us a s**t ton of awesome technology that need not be elaborated on yet.

i wanted to avoid all cliche when i got into this business, but when i got the call i was hungover and outside was pouring rain. a strong husky voice turned over my eardrum yelling at me to go to so and so in fourteen minutes or the job would go to someone else. i splashed the warm beer down the drain, and slapped my cheeks a few times with shaving cream. taking a blade to the pesky hairs, i quickly swung the jacket around my shoulder, its length reaching down to graze the knees of my pants. choking myself with a tie, i slammed the door behind me.

 

the drops of rain were piss hot and made a big wet mess over my head. it was dark out with the coming of night and the neon hue from the titan buildings of Sochemca danced across the glassy streets. i waved my hand over the car lock as the door slightly opened. i spoke aloud the address and sat back as the car took me there. i tried to clear my head.

 

 

 

 

 

 

as if the late call and s**t weather weren't right out of a poorly done movie, the house where i was told to go was a mansion. too large for living, and too long a driveway. i made the tedious trek from the energy gate to the vehicle dock in about half the time it should have taken me. i shut the shaky engine off and stepped out, dropping my feet into deep puddles; practically swimming to the front door. i rested my thumb against the appointment check, leaning forward as much as possible to avoid certain pneumonia. the door was quickly swung open as a large bald man, well worked over from years of living, stood in front of me. his eyes were long and tired and his shoulders slumped over. scars covered over his forehead. He despised what had become of this world.  "you Stone?" his was the voice from the telephone.

 

"on time?" i asked.

 

"two minutes to spare." he nodded his head, inviting me in. "this way please."

 

odd to see a stairwell since the toads landed...i had forgotten how jarring they were. the stairs were long and went up in a circular way opening up to the second floor; packed full with unused furniture from earth's past. the cushions of the seats still firm. the man i presumed to be the butler, and all around help, led me down a series of empty halls, to a a large door you had to lean your head all the way back to see the top. i felt like alice.

 

the heavy doors were opened as i eased in. a man, a fat man, with thin legs sat in the chair over by the windows, not a single piece of recent tech was to be found. I felt almost alien stepping into the room. outside the windows, the haunting picture of dead trees and endless forest captured my attention, i had barely noticed it on my way up. The mud from all the sand and dust tarnished what would have been a perfectly elegant stone driveway. before long the old man rattled out a cough before speaking, "you Winston Stone?" his gray blue eyes looked over at me with a quiet intensity, as thin sharp lips poked out at me.

 

"yes."

 

"i'm major tom krilpey." i nod my head. "well come in." i slowly walked over to him as he raised his hand he nodded over to a cart with drinks. "why dont you pour me some of that whiskey and get yourself a glass as well."

 

"thank you." i poured the drink and gave it a light whiff. Not surprising, it was Kentucky whiskey from before First Contact. "i'd like to thank you in advance for the work."

 

"how do you know you'll like the work?"

 

"i'll be getting payed wont i?" i handed him the glass.

 

"presumably." he brought the glass to his nose, taking his time to close his eyes and fill his nostrils with the smell of his drink.

 

"then i like the work."

 

he smiled, "Ford tells me you do good work, tells me you're a soldier."

 

"which ford is this sir?"

 

"Bill."

 

"Ah. he served with me in the pre-xenalight wars."

 

"says he saved your life once."

 

"did he?"

 

"that true?"

 

"could be. what exaclty do-"

 

"ever seen any action?"

 

"sir?"

 

"it's a simple question."

 

"in the war or here in sochema?"

 

"ether.."

 

"no big hero, killed a few men over there...a few jobs here as a PI but...things are different now i'm sure you've noticed."

 

"i see." he swallowed the rest of his glass, handing it back to me. "i'll have another...what about your last job?"

 

"what about it?"

 

"two men died didn't they?"

 

i looked over at him putting both the glasses down, an easy clank of glass ringing through the big empty room. "you're certainly kept properly informed mister krilpley."

 

"major, call me major...and i just like to know about the man i'll be hiring is all."

 

i slid my hands in my pockets. "two men died, yes major, i tried to stay out of it. man was worried his wife had fallen for a Distrone Psy-Fi tech distributor. thought she deserved to die for being with an alien. that Distrone had him and his friend killed. i never followed up with-"

 

"i'm not judging son, forget i mentioned it."

 

i lifted my arms and crossed them, the shirt on my back clung to my skin. "what is it you need from me Krilpley?"

 

His quiet stare morphed into a glare, "Major... and well to be absolutely frank i need you to kill a man."

 

"that isn't what i do sir." 

 

"ohh..i was made to understand different.."

Reviews

[BlueFox]

This has a cool feel; it has the grittiness of crime or military drama with that distinctively sci-fi svelte. It is like good ice cream, and I will be back for more.

[alan khan]

that's an awesome review thanks very much