Chapter Three #3
Arkon asked, “Miss Cloudy, did you need help?”
“Have you worked with food?”
“During my teen years, yes.”
She grinned. “Then, yes. I need to check the grill connections, the fuel tanks, the chiller. What did you want to tackle?”
“I will take the grill and fuel tanks. I can withstand a blast.”
Morsek smiled. “I used to work with my grandmother, and cleaning the fridge was normal. I will tackle it. Stand outside, please.”
“Fine. Wash your hands.”
They laughed.
They nudged her outside, and she saw her brother walking down the dock. “Hey, Sunny. Funny thing. Someone nudged the stall into the water. It’s out, and we are checking things.”
“Is it okay?”
“Yup. It is ridiculously overbuilt, and the only thing that would have made it better was to have a permit to anchor it to the dock itself.”
“You don’t?”
“This is a food kiosk on a dock. Anchoring it makes this actual taxable land.”
“Oh, got it. Cloudy, I don’t know how to say this...”
“Yes?”
“There is a very large guardian looming behind you.”
“There are two more cleaning up the inside of the stall.”
Morsek popped out. “Grill is good. You have tremendous forcefield generators in here.”
She smiled. “I know. How is the fridge?”
“Good. A little spilled akko but only a handful or two.”
She slumped in relief. “I can deal with everything else. Does anyone want a practice breakfast?”
The guardians raised their hands, and she shooed them out of the kitchen, getting into the groove and setting the food out for the morning.
Sunny came in to help, and Hazor leaned in the doorway. “You are obsessed.”
Sunny smiled. “After the world broke, Cloudy kept us alive by rationing us down to the last used calorie. She knew everything, and it was a relief to know that she would bring you food when you settled in after you came home. She fed us all and gave us hope.”
“I gave you soup. Lots of soup.” She got the breakfasts on the grill, which was remarkably clean considering.
Hazor asked, “So is that the reason you treat this building as something to protect?”
“Yes. I put my money into me and the tech to protect this place. I was thinking about storms, but it also came in handy during today’s events.”
“Does Emgoth know?”
“He’s more interested in the food.” She smiled and folded the first sandwich, sliding it into one of the new boxes that she had opened.
She moved quickly and got three boxes ready for them. Sunny had already added the sauce to the akko.
“Oh, shoot. Kio. Get the kio ready.”
Sunny nodded. “On it.”
She looked, and he was already using the heating canister to get it ready.
Hazor grinned. “This is something. Half an hour ago this was on the bottom of the sea.”
“Not really. It kept air in it and remained buoyant enough to bob along sixteen feet down.”
He smiled. “Deep enough they thought it was lost, shallow enough that you could retrieve it.”
“Yes.” She handed him the three packs.
He smiled. “I don’t suppose you can make two more for each of us.”
“Let me know if you like the breakfast as is. I can alter things.”
He nodded. “How long to the kio?”
Sunny checked. “Two minutes.”
“Impressive.”
She smiled. “Go eat, honoured Guardian.”
He laughed and went to sit with Morsek and Arkon. They settled in, and she had their seconds and thirds ready when he returned. He smirked. “No room for changes?”
“I would have heard you complaining. Now, for the part of the day I get paid for.” She smirked.
The next hour went by in a rush as people wanted to know about the thugs, the stall’s survival, and how it was operational. She smiled and replied as Sunny found his groove on the grill. “I overbuild everything when Emgoth isn’t watching.”
They laughed, and breakfast went on, a little slower but still where it needed to be until seven came and the new deliveries needed to be put away. The guardians were still there and helped her with storing everything in its proper place.
Service continued, and folks took the deliveries and lined up to help. The guardians were setting a good example.
At eight in the morning, they got a break, and Cloudy walked out to Hazor and smiled at him. “Thank you for your help today.”
“Thank you for breakfast.”
“What will happen to the thugs?”
“They will have to explain their actions to us and their bosses.” He smiled, leaned down, and touched her chin. The kiss that he bestowed on her made her freeze. “Have a better day, Cloudy, and if you need me, press that signal again.”
She was blinking slowly and licked her lips. “Um, right. So, if someone threatens me?”
“Or if you need me. I am not fussy as to why.” His eyes were the solid black of the deep-sea Vecchin, and his skin was tight across his cheeks. He looked tense.
She swallowed. “Um, yeah. That.” Her fingers moved with her words.
Hazor smiled. He touched her cheek and then turned to Arkon and Morsek. Together, they lifted off and left in their open skimmer. She didn’t know if they could fly and didn’t really want to know.
They had gotten her stall back up and running and helped her haul groceries. The goodwill with them was arriving hard and fast.