Posted May 30, 2020, 10:42 p.m. by Lieutenant Commander Gravel Mardusk (Chief of Security) (James Sinclair)
Mardusk walked into Mike’s Place. It wasn’t opened yet, but he needed a drink. Walking in, he heard and saw the jukebox and smiled. Rancid’s ‘DJ DJ’ was playing, one of his favorites. Walking to the bar, he looked around for his old friend. Not seeing him, the big green man took a seat on his stool and reached over the bar without looking. He found the bottle and pulled it out… and then noticed the shot glass sitting on the bar, placed just to the right of his seat. Mardusk smiled and poured the shot, slammed it, poured another, slammed it, and then yelled out “How’d you know I was comin’?!”
A voice from the back yelled over the music “Because you always do!” and a moment later Big Mike walked into view. He smiled at Gravel and said “Rough day?” Mardusk filled the glass and motioned for Mike to join him. “You have no idea…” Mike’s mouth twitched at the corner, but he simply grabbed a glass poured his and Gravel’s and held the glass up. “To hard days.” and they clicked the glasses together and tossed the shots back with practiced ease.
They drank in silence for a while, the jukebox cycling through half a dozen songs before Mike spoke up. “Ok. Work doesn’t get you like this. So its personal. What’s up, big man?” Mike asked, even though he knew the answer. Lera and he had become close over the past few days, so he knew. But it was Gravel’s story to tell.
Mardusk just shook his head and smiled as he drank a bit. “Honestly, Mike? I have no flippin’ idea. I was looking into this… thing… and it just took a turn I wasn’t expecting. Not sure why, either.” Mike smiled and looked down so that Gravel wouldnt see it. “Not sure why what, ya big ox?” and he looked up without the smile and said “Just say it. What is in your head right now?” and Mardusk looked at him and said simply “A woman. A woman is in my head.”
Mike looked at him but then turned and began organizing something so Gravel couldn’t see his face and the grin on it. “A woman? Huh… been a while since that happened. She must be something…” he said.
Mardusk nodded. “Yep. She most certainly is. She stared down some piece of crap that had caught her and her team and was using a damn whip on her, Mike! Just glared at the S.O.B. like it didn’t phase her, just pissed her off.” His voice was accented with a mixture of amazement and admiration. “And it was one of those damn Orion Male Right’s groups. Damn incels, couldn’t get laid in an Orion whorehouse with strips of latinum hanging outta their pockets.” and he poured shots. Mike stopped and said “So what? You worried she wont like you cause you look like them?” and Mardusk shrugged. “Those bastards had them for months, Mike. Used the women… said they were ‘turning the tables’ or some dumb shit. I dunno what all they did… but I know I would understand if she hated every green skin man who ever looked at her again.”
Mardusk and Mike
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