Page 16 of Technically Abducted
I'm still chuckling as I head to my desk and pick up my phone. Time to take care of business before we leave.
"I need to arrange something for my clients while I'm gone," I say, pulling up a contact.
"Your communication with the food delivery service indicated established patterns," Tev'ra observes. "Do you have similar arrangements for technical support delegation?"
"Not exactly." I hesitate, then hit call.
Three rings, then a groggy voice answers. "Finn? It's not even dawn yet. Someone better be dying."
"Hey, Alex. I need a favor."
There's a pause, then the sound of movement. "You never need favors. What's wrong?"
"I have to go away for a few days. Emergency... family thing." The lie is painfully obvious. I don't talk about family. Alex knows this.
"Family thing," Alex repeats, skepticism clear even through the phone. "You don't have family, Finn. At least none you've mentioned in the three years I've known you."
"It's complicated." I glance at Tev'ra, who's watching with obvious interest. "Look, I need someone to monitor my client systems while I'm gone. Just basic maintenance, emergency responses. You're the only one I trust not to completely fuck everything up."
There's another pause. "I'm not as good as you."
"No one is," I reply automatically. "But you're good enough for this. I'll forward the critical dashboards, set up remote access to my monitoring systems. Just keep an eye on things, call people back, tell them I'm temporarily unavailable but you're handling it."
"The last time you took a day off was when you had that fever of 104 and I physically took your laptop away," Alex says. "What's really going on?"
"Like I said, it's complicated." I run a hand through my hair, aware of Tev'ra cataloging every gesture. "Remember that server farm meltdown?"
"When you talked me through rebuilding their entire virtualization stack at 3 AM? Yeah, hard to forget."
"Consider this payback," I say. "I'll owe you. Big time."
A sigh. "Fine. Send me the access details. But when you get back, I want the real story."
"Thanks, Alex. I'll set everything up and call you back in an hour."
I hang up and immediately start configuring my systems for remote access, conscious of Tev'ra's intent observation.
"This human possesses sufficient technical capability to substitute for your expertise?" he asks.
"Alex is good enough in a pinch," I say, fingers flying over the keyboard. "Worked together at a consulting firm before I went independent. Knows the basics of most of my systems."
"Yet you stated 'no one' is as proficient as you are."
"True statement," I reply, not looking up. "I'm the best at what I do. Doesn't mean others can't handle the routine stuff."
"Your confidence in your abilities is... significant."
"It's not confidence, it's fact. I've bailed Alex out of more technical disasters than I can count. But in return, Alex has pulled me out of a few personal ones." I pause, surprised I've shared even that much. "It's a mutually beneficial arrangement."
Tev'ra's head tilts again, that almost imperceptible shift. "You maintain a collaborative relationship despite your preference for isolation."
"I don't collaborate. I occasionally delegate when absolutely necessary." I finish setting up the secure access tunnel. "There's a difference."
For the next while, I work on preparing my systems for handover—documenting critical alerts, setting up automated responses, recording a new voicemail message directing clients to Alex's number in emergencies. All while very aware of the blue alien watching my every move, his skin occasionally brighteningwhen I stretch or turn in ways that give him a clear view of my bare torso.
Eventually I've done everything I can to prepare my clients for my absence. It won't be enough—there will be problems only I can solve—but it's the best I can do under the circumstances.
I call Alex back with final instructions, then hang up and face Tev'ra.
