The manager of the classiest hotel in downtown paced around
the maid’s quarter watching each one check in and receive her assignment. She glanced down at her watch then paced
around again. She stomped her foot then
stormed out of the swinging doors. “Who
knew, Venus would not be spotted today.
I swear that girl is just like a comet; sighting her on time is rare,
but whenever she is it’s always special.”
She glanced down at her watch again then glared up suddenly into Venus’s
frantic face. “Well, well...”
“I’m sorry...” Venus
apologized bowing very low.
“I know there aren’t any more excuses in the book. Just get in there, and hurry to your
post. One of these days I’m going to be
in a bad mood.” She nagged, holding the
door open for her.
Venus busily cleaned, mopped, and fixed beds through plenty
of rooms. She moved so fast, she even
went around the maids that had been on time.
For her next task she would need to grab clean bed spreads from the
dryer and make the beds of several rooms upstairs. She threw the wet linen into the dryer, and
read a newspaper until the load had finished.
“Hum, hum... hummmm. Hey this is
interesting?” She turned the page to the
rest of the article. “Mechs gone wild...
says local convenience store owner. Some
mechangels rioted yesterday, shouting about ‘Robotic Rights’, ‘Rho can Blow’,
and mentioning something about a ‘Robotic Revolution’. Hum, interesting.” She glanced down at her watch. “Whoa, how long have those sheets been
in?” The clock set to run for two hours,
only had a few more seconds left. “Oh
please let them still be full size… I hope they didn’t shrink to twin.” She threw the door open and quickly ran
upstairs, with the hot mound of cloth consuming her view.
Coming up the hall on the seventh floor, walked Halo half
asleep chatting with a client. She
continued to glance out the window while she was talking. She would listen long enough to make a
comment then drift away again. “Blah,
blah, blah...” She yawned.
“Are you even listening, Mayor Halo?” The woman fumbled to organize her notes. “These papers may be a lot more important in
busting the hellion operation wide open than you think. They might even have a tie in this ordeal with
the mechs.”
“I’m happy you found it, really. I just wish... well, things were more
exciting in the past. Now all we have is
a bunch of paperwork. Makes me want to
take a nap.”
“Me too, if it weren’t for the info we’re digging up.” The client said.
From up the hallway, the elevator door opened and Venus
stepped out. “Now which way am I
supposed to go?” Venus said unable to
see around the bed sheets. Hyperion
appeared before her but hid from her view.
“Why don’t you turn right?
I’m sure you will get to exactly where you need to be that way.” Hyperion advised.
“Oh thanks!” Venus
said then turned right down the hallway heading in the direction of Halo and
her client. Hyperion laughed a little
then vanished into the air.
“Our business will do much better once they’re eliminated.” The client said. Venus could hear someone talking, but could
not see where she was going. Halo walked
with her head lowered and the client walked and talked while looking between
Halo and the spreadsheets. “We should
find enough dirt to blow this scandal sky high!” The client laughed with enthusiasm, just as
she collided with a stack of warm bed covers.
To the client’s dismay, bed sheets scattered with spreadsheets all over
the floor. Venus peered around the
covers still in her hand, to watch the damage she caused.
“Oh, I’m sorry miss!
Let me help.” Venus said.
“No...” Halo
said. Venus stopped in her tracks
looking at Halo. Venus noticed the
decorative eye patch over her right eye, and thought the woman might be one of those
gang leaders she had tried so hard to stay away from. Halo’s exposed eye had a glossy hazel hue; her
hair had a light color with only a few streaks of grey. A few tears escaped from her eye as she
stared at Venus. “I can’t believe...”
“I’m sorry ma’am I really didn’t mean to!” Venus cringed, afraid to meet with her one
eye.
“You! It’s you, isn’t
it?” Halo’s face lighted up, sending the
wrong message to Venus who was already frightened of her.
“Please, don’t hurt me!”
Venus back up, then jetted down the hall, with an elated Halo on her
heels.
“Wait, Venus!” Halo
called to her.
“How does she know my name?”
She punched the elevator button, leaped in then pressed the door close
button. Halo banged on the door just as
it closed, then headed for the stairwell.
Venus clinched her covers in fear of what her manager will say for
disturbing a customer. “I’ll lose my job
for this!” Venus tripped from the
elevator, just in time to see Halo emerging from the stairwell.
“Hold on, kid!”
Venus dashed to the lobby, still carrying the load of sheets. Avoiding all the luggage and people that she
could see, she finally made it to the grand stairs at the entrance. Halo stood within grabbing distance, reached out,
but Venus jumped forward gliding down the side railing. Halo slid down then fell down after grabbing
Venus. Hoping the covers would break their
fall, Venus and she became entangled in sheets and neither could move even if
she wanted to. Halo managed to sit up,
and wrangled with Venus. “Please, I need
this job! I can’t keep a dime to my
name. I just keep spending it on people
or animals in need. I haven’t eaten
in... I can’t remember... But I...”
Venus went quiet as a knife came up through the sheets and split a hole
open. “Oh please don’t cut me! I scar so easily!” Halo laughed pulling herself through the hole
in the sheet.
“Sweetheart, it’s
alright... it’s me Halo, don’t you remember?”
Halo took her arm and put the knife up.
Realizing she hadn’t taken a good look at her face, Venus dropped her
defenses. She stared long and hard into
Halo’s friendly face. Her warm smile
triggered a memory inside of Venus.
“Oh, thank goodness.”
Venus fainted into the sheets. “A
long lost friend!”
Hotel maintenance cleaned the mess they made, and Halo took
Venus outside to get a breath of fresh air.
Halo seemed the same as she did when she was younger, but the fine lines
on her face told her age. “How you been
kid?” She asked lighting a
cigarette. “Haven’t laid eyes on you
since... that day...”
“Don’t you mean eye... singular?” Venus wondered, without realizing what she
said. “I’m sorry.”
“Oh,” Halo touched her eye patch. “I wouldn’t worry about it. I think the best way to lose something, is
for someone else. Do you understand?” Venus shook her head slowly. “Like I said, don’t worry about it. So what have you been up to lately?”
“I’ve been hustling to try and live on my own these last few
months. I missed the city and all my
friends. I lived with grandma until she
passed away a few years ago. The clan
wanted to keep me safe, but I just missed the city.”
“Why didn’t you come to live with me and Uno?” Halo asked.
“The land lady was nice enough to let me stay as long as I
did chores around the apartment building.
Times got so bad after her husband died that she had to file for
bankruptcy and could no longer give me the room for free. I lied and said I had somewhere to go, so I left. That was about three months ago. I’ve been living around ever since.”
“And it’s been long seven years since anyone’s seen
you. You poor girl. The apple doesn’t fall far from the
tree. You gained his looks as well as
his stubbornness.” She took a long drag
from her cigarette. “Tell you what…
you’re welcome to ask for help, anyone who knows you would be willing to
help. If you want you could come stay
with me for a while. I don’t like you
staying out here; things just aren’t safe out there... Get Down!” She yelled pushing Venus to the ground.
Two men in a car came swerving up the valet parking
area. One armed with a gun leaned out
the window of the passenger side. “Metal
lasts longer than flesh!” He laughed
manically, shooting his gun into the building.
Venus watched from under Halo’s protection, as a woman crumpled over
from a wound. She gritted her teeth, and
dashed from underneath Halo.
“No! Damn it!” Halo cried reaching after her. Bullets shattered the glass doors of the
hotel and Halo ducked down to avoid being slashed. Venus glided through the glass fragments
without a scratch. Venus chased after
the car, running so fast her feet seemed to no longer touch the ground. Her
hair flashed with light and energy poured from her fingertips. Finally, she caught up to the car, pulling
the hit man’s gun before he could shoot it off again. As he struggled for the gun he could see the
nozzle beginning to melt under her touch.
Still he tugged against her, eventually being pulled from the
window. Before he could fall out, he
released the gun and fell back into the car.
“Don’t come back again, or I’ll really mess you up!” She waved the gun in the air, realizing it
had a shiny metallic arm attached. The
hand released the gun, to Venus horror, and trotted after the car. Venus turned back to Halo. Halo stood in awe, gapping at her power. “You were saying?” Venus asked gently.
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