You want someone who can protect you, go to a human-made space station. There are so many there that can't throw a rock without hitting a strong protector! -- Anon Guest
Okie should not have tested the literality of that statement. In their thin defense, the rock was small and her throwing arm was not as significant as the Deathworlders present in Bahydawiyal Station. The pebble sailed up into the ambient atmosphere, arced according to the laws of physics, and landed on someone in the crowd. Someone who immediately objected.
The angry Human could easily make four of Okie even without the livesuit carapace protecting most of them from random happenstance. They and their livesuit were battle-scarred, filthy, and looking pretty darn tired with life in general and whatever this was in particular.
"Did you just flakkin' throw a rock at me?" demanded the angry Human, who was just now adapting to the fact that Okie was very small and pretty darn vulnerable and in the middle of a station full of Deathworlders. If one had very special senses, one could hear the Human rapidly changing mental gears. "You really gotta be careful with stuff like this."
It was amazing to watch, in retrospect. To see a dangerous Deathworlder go from having murder on their mind to pure nurturing instinct in less than a breath. In the moment, Okie nearly soiled herself.
"I did throw the rock," Okie nervously accepted it back. "I was testing a theory given to me by others."
"Who are these others and am I allowed to hit them? I have already had a long day, and I'm in just the right mood to give somebody a short, sharp education."
"That is not necessary," chirped Okie. "The fault lies in misinterpretation. The infonets told me that all I had to do to find a protector was to throw a rock on a Human station and--"
"I get it." Unprintable mumbling about literal-minded species and people who didn't filter their posts. "First. I just came off active duty. If you're gonna hire me, I need a week's recoup."
"That is amenable," Okie was starting to relax out of her defensive huddle. "I am not on anyone else's schedule for this quest."
More unprintable mumbling. "I have rules. No wandering off, no pressing random buttons, and always - ALWAYS let the meat shield," they indicated themself, "go first. I'm good at keeping people alive, you let me do that."
"I can append that to the contract. At your leisure."
A sigh. "And secondly..." the Human lifted Okie onto an elevated shelf, "The walk-and-talk platforms exist for a reason, half-pint."
Ah. So that was what they were for. "Acknowledged. Shall I purchase a meal for us to share?"
"So you're fast-tracking the pack-bonding. I think I like you." The Human gently nudged her with the back of their armoured fist. A good sign. "Just... be careful what you read in future."
[Image (c) Can Stock Photo / BZH22]
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