Page 54 of Jump or Fall
Maybe he could stick it out a bit longer. Maybe he’d get used to it.
***
He was going back. Three years was more than enough.
Gordon had spent countless hours filling the gaps from his Teichus education, and eventually his coworkers’ game had lost its appeal. For a while, he thought they might even see him as an equal.
Until Deirdre.
Women in Naxos were easy to meet—apparently drawn to the mysterious scar and the motorbike. Once they saw the stripes on his back, they practically fell into his hands. Sometimes the fixation on his scars made him uncomfortable, but it was hard to stay upset when a gorgeous girl wanted to fuck him.
Except Deirdre.
He thought things might progress with her. But looking back, the signs were there—she never met him during the day unless it was someplace they wouldn’t be seen. It wasn’t too hard to accept. It was okay to want only sex.
But then, he learned how she really saw him.
They had been drinking at the bar before heading back to her place. She’d playfully pushed him onto the bed, teasing about trying something new.
That “something new” turned out to be a glove with silver claws. The moment he saw it, he puked on her bed and flew out the door.
Messages from her filled his tablet—starting with apologies, then turning to questioning his manhood.
He would never be an equal here. At best, he was a dumb outsider and at worst, a fetish.
He blocked her and clutched the plastic dagger Kimmie had given him. His hand trembled so violently he nearly dropped it, sweat beading on his forehead.
Maybe he wasn’t a real man. He was shaking over a fucking piece of plastic.
Perhaps he deserved it for his work in Surveillance. How many people had suffered because of him?
After a week of calling in sick, he contacted Inu and arranged a meeting at The Naxiot.
When he arrived, Inu looked pleased to see him.
“I'm glad you’ve come around, Gordon.”
“You said I could have whatever I needed, right?”
Inu inclined his head. “Of course.”
Taking a deep breath, Gordon said, “I’ll do it. The only thing I want is one of those robotic surgical tools—the semi-autonomous type. I read they collapse down so it would fit in my bike.” If he was going back to Eight, he needed to bring something to make up for his role in Surveillance.
Inu’s eyebrows rose slightly. “Interesting choice. Done. Payments will be made biweekly. Use the funds however you wish. We’ll also supply you with a bird. They’re easy to use, though I’m surprised you haven’t tried the one you have.”
Gordon hadn’t told him he had the confiscated bird.
“My dogs have a terrific sense of smell.”
“This place is fucking creepy. You know that, right?”
Inu shrugged. “We all pay something for peace.”
Gordon shook his head. Was there anywhere in the world that wasn’t fucked up?
“So, who am I going to be working with?”
Inu flipped his tablet around to show him a photo of a man with graying hair and wire-rimmed glasses.
