Chapter 16
Date: July 6, 3027
"So, you really don't enjoy the factory bits, do you?" Billy asked, taking a seat in the office and leaning back in the chair.
"Not really," Sylvie responded, balancing a pen on the tip of her finger with her tonge sticking out between her teeth. "I like the salvage parts more."
"We're still going to be doing that," Billy reminded the young blond as she tossed the pen up and caught it before turning her eyes to the factory manager. "Edmund gave you the option to veto it, remember?"
"I know," Sylvie sighed. "I honestly thought it would be more interesting; and it was! Until the construction delays popped up. I just, I hate the monotony of it all. At least when we were just repairing and working on the salvaged hulks we were doing something different every day."
"Welcome to life, kid," Billy chuckled. "Most jobs are monotonous. Unless you're a journalist or something similar, your day in and day out is going to be stable, something that is the same. That's a good thing for the most part. I remember that I used to want thing sot be different every day when I was your age. It's something that comes with time. It might seem boring right now. The important thing is to remember that us being 'boring' is what allows us to provide for everyone working for you and Edmund."
"I'll just be happy when we can start buying up and restoring old salvage again," Sylvie shrugged. "I can handle that if you and Edmund want to do the rest of the factory shit. I'll hold out until we're done here," She pointed down to where the construction had mostly stalled. "But once that's done, I think I'm going to stick to the restoration side of things. That's what my gramps loved, that's what I love."
"That's perfectly fine," Billy nodded. "Everyone finds their place in the world eventually. That you know what you love is fantastic. Everyone else just has to kinda muddle through."
"What do you think Edmund's doing?" Sylvie asked. "He doesn't really seem the kinda guy to actually relax."
"Probably working on trying to figure out what's wrong with the first components that come out of the factory machines, if I had to guess," Billy shrugged. "Man's probably going to feel jittery and like he needs to get back to work after a day or two. That, or he'll come back with a crazy idea like these computers of his."
Quiet filled the room as the two of them considered the lone monitor in the room. "I still can't figure out where he's from," Sylvie broke the veil of silence. "His accent isn't like any from Kalidasa I've ever heard."
"I dunno," Billy shrugged again. "S'not like it really matters all that much to me where he's from. As long as it don't come to bother us in the now, the past remains in the past. 'Sides, I'm pretty sure whatever it was that happened, he's still beating himself up over it."
"I guess," Sylvie sighed. "Sometimes this still all feels like a fantasy and that I'm living in some sort of dream world."
"Nah, kid," Billy shook his head. "This here's reality. One of the things that people don't like to think about. Is that you can wake up and decide to change the entire course of your life. Sure, it's scary, and there won't necessarily be things that always work out. Doesn't change that it can be done. Though, might be easier here in the Free Worlds League," the factory manager mused. "We get a bit more freedom and leeway here than the likes of the Capellans, Dracs, Fedrats, or Lyrans. Freedom's something that's scary. Because it means you have to step out and make your own decisions," Billy stroked his bare chin. "Most people aren't realy comfortable with making big decisions. S'why they never leave their hometown, planet, or city. Still, there's enough of us crazy bastards around looking for adventure, whether it be starting a company like you and Edmund, or going off into the belts to look for more resources. Then there's the mercs. They truly live and die by their words and deeds. Whole 'Sphere is full of the people who like making their own fates that the rest of us are content with being wherever we're at. Sometimes, that's all that's really needed for the universe to stabilize itself."
"You've thought about this a lot," Sylvie commented.
"Mostly when I was just takin' care of the machines back at Quikscell," Billy chuckled. "It's not brain intensive once you learn how it's done. Just physically challenging. Leaves a man with a lot of time in his own head. One thing leads to another, and 'fore you know it, you've a whole philosophy built up."
"Well, let's hope your philosophy's right and that being stable's what we need," Sylvie stood up and stretched. "Because i think if Blaze has his way, there'll be a whole helluva lot of changes around here."
"S'long as you've got a good foundation, change is fine," Billy responded. "It's when you break the foundation that the problems show up."
"You kinda suck at this," A pretty woman stood over where Edmund lay in the snow looking up at the sky. "Have you ever done this before?"
"It's been more than a few years," Edmund accepted the mittened hand and stood up. "Edmund Blaze," He introduced himself.
"Rebecca Wright," The brunnete smiled. "C'mon, I'll show you a slope that's a bit easier for a beginner."
"So, you come up to the slopes often?" Edmund asked, trying to make small talk.
"When I get the chance," Rebecca replied. "Most of the time, I'm strapped down with work. Still, getting up and about up here in the cold instead of being in the heat is always a blessing."
"I'll say," Blaze ran a hand through his red hair. "I swear the sun's got a vendetta against me."
The two of them continued to speak all the way to the skii lift that Rebecca indicated, then boarded it and headed for the slope that the woman had reccomended.
"So, taking a break from work?" Rebecca asked over the noise.
"Ayup!" Edmund replied. "The factory won't burn down without me! Or at least I hope it doesn't."
"I get the feeling," Rebecca laughed. "Anyway, I know what it's like to be chained down to a desk. Honestly, being a secretay is only so I can pay the bills to come out and do stuff like this."
"Got any other talents other than the slopes?" Edmund hopped off the lift at the end.
"I used to drive Indymechs in one of the mines around here," Rebecca shrugged. "Then I pissed off the wrong person and ended up losing that job. Thankfully, mom made me learn to type, and there was an opening somewhere else."
"You miss driving a 'mech around?" Edmund asked positioning himself to go down the slope.
"Sometimes," Rebecca replied. "But I'm a bit more free now than I used to be. No overtime to hold me back from doing anything I want to do," She then changed the subject. "Now, let's see how you handle something other than the bunny hill."
"I guess it's now or never," Edmund laughed, angling himself down and slowly picking up speed, the slope wasn't so steep as to cause him to lose his balance and he eventually found his stride, even leaning forward to gain more as Rebecca kept pace with him.
"There we go!" Rebecca cheered, casually clapping beside him. "That's what I'm talking about!"
Of course, a few minute later, he lost his balance and tipped over into the snow, the white powder floating up and covering him.
"I'm geting the hang of it. Just gimme a few moments to remember how to do everything," Edmund said, slowly easing back up and heading back down the slope.
–
–
"You know, that was a lot of fun," Rebecca grinned as she pulled her snow boots back on. "You're good company, Edmund. What do you say we continue this outside of the snow?"
"How does a steak sound?" Edmund asked.
"I think that'd be perfect," The snowboarder agreed. "I know a little hole in the wall that has some of the best I've ever had."
"Lead the way then," Edmund gestured for her to head towards the trucks and SUVs that were parked behind the lodge. "I've got to return my board really quick, then I'll meet you in the parking lot."
It only took a few minutes for the industrialist to settle the payment and head back out towards the parking lot where his beat-up truck was waiting. Looking around, he hung his head as he realized he couldn't spot the woman he'd just spent most of the day with.
"Guess I'll be eating steak alone," Edmund muttered detectedly, reaching into his pocket for keys and heading for the truck as a large SUV with tinted windows pulled up.
"You didn't seriously think I was going to leave you high and dry, did you?" Rebecca pulled down a pair of sunglasses, her brown hair, once only peaking through a beanie, now a mess behind her. "Get in, loser, you wouldn't know your way around the mountain if you fell down all the slopes and cliffs by yourself."
"What about my truck?" Edmund gestured to the Hilux.
"What about it?" Rebecca raised an eyebrow. "It'll still be here when we're done."
"Alright," the CEO headed around and hopped in the passenger seat, giving a sigh of relief at the warmth versus the cold outsdie. "What'd you do to get a sweet ride like this?"
"Used to get a lot of overtime in the mines," she shrugged. "I didn't get to do things like snowboard when I worked that much, but I knew that I wanted a nice car. So, I bought this beaut. Paid cash for her too, she's got all the bells and whistles. Well, everything I could get that didn't mean I had to sign up for the militia to add."
"What were you planning on adding?" Edmund asked.
"Oh, nothing much, just an MG and a pair of SRM launchers," Rebecca replied. "Just because Kalidasa hasn't been attacked in a while, doesn't mean it's not going to happen in the future. There's the Kali Yama plant, Quikscell, and that new factory that's being built. We're a prime target for the Lyrans and the Capellans. I'd just like to be prepared, that's all."
"I guess I can understand that," Edmund nodded, remembering all the security hoops he'd had to jump through to get Siler's up and running. "How far away is this place anyway?"
"Another fifteen minutes or so," Rebecca said, not taking her eyes off the road. "So, what do you do for a living, Edmund?"
"Factory management," Edmund replied. "There's currently a lot of construction right now, and not a lot for me to do, so I took a small vacation. Hadn't been snowboarding in a long time, thought I'd see if I could pick it back up again."
"Well, I'd say you certainly managed that," Rebecca's eyes danced as she glanced over. "Though, isn't it supposed to the the guy that picks up chicks in a car or truck?"
"Meh," Edmund remembered an old video. "Picking up girls in regular vehicles is boring. If I were going to be trying to pick up a lot of women, I'd use a tank."
"Fair enough," Rebecca laughed. "Besides, I don't take you for the type to spread your wings all that much."
"Nah," Edmund agreed. "Definitely more of a homebody. Gimme a quiet night any day of the week."
"So long as you remember that adventure is still something worth pursuing, that's a good way to be," the brunette replied. "Now, whiskey, wine, or teetotaler?"