levels were more compatible I’m sure I’d spend more time here. But wearing this damn mask irritates my delicate skin.”
Amick burst out laughing, a deep, violent shaking that rocked his entire body. Adam had thought Seton was having a seizure when he had first seen him laugh many months ago, but it was simply how Castorian’s did it. Adam kept his lips shut, but spread his mouth in a wide grin as he joined in the alien’s jovial mood.
“Come, my friend. I will get you your money.”
Amick lead him down a wide hallway and through a double-door entry into his office. Encased in the solid rock of the room’s far wall was an electronic safe. Adam waited patiently as Amick open the safe and began to count out stacks of thin Juirean credits, which were all about the size of a credit card; they even appeared to be made of a plastic material. Each card was encoded with a specific denomination and was legal tender throughout The Expansion. After counting out a sizeable stack, Amick brought the credits to his desk and set them down. Twenty-thousand credits for the hit on Bundnet. Not a bad payday for about two weeks of work.
Adam didn’t bother to count the credits, but instead simply picked up the 10-centimeter-tall stack and placed it in a satchel he wore on the holster belt for his MK-47.
“Did you get the message about Bundnet threatening you?” Adam asked once the transaction was complete.
Amick grew serious. “Yes, I did. And thank you for that. Now that he’s dead, I’m hoping the threat does not materialize. Without someone to collect a fee from, it would make no sense to carry out the action.”
“Hopefully they weren’t paid in advance.”
Amick laughed again, but this time not so enthusiastically. “That’s another reason I wish you would stay around a little longer. I can recall at least two specific times, when you first came to work for me, that you were instrumental in saving my life.”
It was true. Only a few weeks after the explosion of the Klin starship, Kaylor had introduced the two of them, with Kaylor singing the praises of Adam’s worth as a bodyguard and/or assassin. Adam kept very tight-lipped back in those days, and hid his abilities as best he could.
He began by doing freelance bodyguard work for Amick, choosing to live aboard the Cassie-1 rather than risk losing his strength advantage over time to the lighter gravity of Castor. In fact, Amick had actually used Adam’s ship to transport him to Silea and Nimor on a couple of occasions to tend to business there. And it was during one of these trips to Silea that Adam had managed to foil two determined assassination attempts on the crime lord. This action had helped ingratiate Adam into Amick’s organization.
But Adam chose to remain independent rather than take a more active role in Amick’s criminal empire, so the crime boss instead offered him freelance wet work – and paid him generously for it. It was this arrangement that allowed Adam to survive in this alien universe and pursue his hunt for the Klin – and for Earth. When he thought about it, Adam actually owed Amick a large debt of gratitude.
About half an hour later, Adam left Amick’s residence, having graciously declined an elaborate meal and more conversation. The respirator really did irritate his skin, and the sooner he got back aboard the Cassie-1 the better. He also had to pick up some supplies before the markets closed for the night.
The artificial lighting was beginning to dim in the neighborhood, signifying the coming of night in the underground world. As he stepped out of the residence, he felt the soft breeze and heard the rustling of the branches on the spectacular trees lining the grounds, ablaze in the accent lighting for the estate. For a moment, Adam almost forgot he was on an alien planet and hundreds, if not thousands of light years from home. But reality quickly returned – as it always did – and along with it the familiar pang of
Amick burst out laughing, a deep, violent shaking that rocked his entire body. Adam had thought Seton was having a seizure when he had first seen him laugh many months ago, but it was simply how Castorian’s did it. Adam kept his lips shut, but spread his mouth in a wide grin as he joined in the alien’s jovial mood.
“Come, my friend. I will get you your money.”
Amick lead him down a wide hallway and through a double-door entry into his office. Encased in the solid rock of the room’s far wall was an electronic safe. Adam waited patiently as Amick open the safe and began to count out stacks of thin Juirean credits, which were all about the size of a credit card; they even appeared to be made of a plastic material. Each card was encoded with a specific denomination and was legal tender throughout The Expansion. After counting out a sizeable stack, Amick brought the credits to his desk and set them down. Twenty-thousand credits for the hit on Bundnet. Not a bad payday for about two weeks of work.
Adam didn’t bother to count the credits, but instead simply picked up the 10-centimeter-tall stack and placed it in a satchel he wore on the holster belt for his MK-47.
“Did you get the message about Bundnet threatening you?” Adam asked once the transaction was complete.
Amick grew serious. “Yes, I did. And thank you for that. Now that he’s dead, I’m hoping the threat does not materialize. Without someone to collect a fee from, it would make no sense to carry out the action.”
“Hopefully they weren’t paid in advance.”
Amick laughed again, but this time not so enthusiastically. “That’s another reason I wish you would stay around a little longer. I can recall at least two specific times, when you first came to work for me, that you were instrumental in saving my life.”
It was true. Only a few weeks after the explosion of the Klin starship, Kaylor had introduced the two of them, with Kaylor singing the praises of Adam’s worth as a bodyguard and/or assassin. Adam kept very tight-lipped back in those days, and hid his abilities as best he could.
He began by doing freelance bodyguard work for Amick, choosing to live aboard the Cassie-1 rather than risk losing his strength advantage over time to the lighter gravity of Castor. In fact, Amick had actually used Adam’s ship to transport him to Silea and Nimor on a couple of occasions to tend to business there. And it was during one of these trips to Silea that Adam had managed to foil two determined assassination attempts on the crime lord. This action had helped ingratiate Adam into Amick’s organization.
But Adam chose to remain independent rather than take a more active role in Amick’s criminal empire, so the crime boss instead offered him freelance wet work – and paid him generously for it. It was this arrangement that allowed Adam to survive in this alien universe and pursue his hunt for the Klin – and for Earth. When he thought about it, Adam actually owed Amick a large debt of gratitude.
About half an hour later, Adam left Amick’s residence, having graciously declined an elaborate meal and more conversation. The respirator really did irritate his skin, and the sooner he got back aboard the Cassie-1 the better. He also had to pick up some supplies before the markets closed for the night.
The artificial lighting was beginning to dim in the neighborhood, signifying the coming of night in the underground world. As he stepped out of the residence, he felt the soft breeze and heard the rustling of the branches on the spectacular trees lining the grounds, ablaze in the accent lighting for the estate. For a moment, Adam almost forgot he was on an alien planet and hundreds, if not thousands of light years from home. But reality quickly returned – as it always did – and along with it the familiar pang of
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