Spacegal Chapter 7

CW for forceful behaviour

Jareth sat at the cheap metal table and tapped his neatly trimmed nails on the tinny surface. The sound echoed through the quiet food-court with soft little tink-tinks. It was just after 2am – usually far too late at night for Jareth to not be wrapped up warmly in bed for a solid eight hours of beauty sleep, but he had been summoned by the great Draegan Black (or at least, associates thereof), and he would not be one to disappoint the great owner of his favourite fast food chain in the universe. “Ah,” The same waiter who had met with him in his quarters wandered up to the table from the Draegan's kitchen. “I'm glad you could make it.” Jareth shrugged and stood up to shake the man's hand in greeting. “Well it's a bit late. Did we have to meet at 2am? It's just, I like my sleep, man. I'm going to have some serious bags under my eyes tomorrow and it's going to take an extra fifteen minutes out of my prep time just to apply concealer.” The waiter blinked at him. “Yes, well – always pertinent to conduct business of this variety when there are as few prying ears present as possible. The food court never truly closes, of course, but there are quiet times, and 2am happens to be one of them.” “Right,” Jareth sat down again. “So why did you need to see me?” “His Eminence Draeghan Black would like to know what you have discovered.” “Ah,” Jareth folded his arms across the table. “Well, I asked Vi. Cam did find something, and I'm pretty sure it came out of the wormhole – she slipped up when she was talking to me.” “Indeed,” The man nodded. “But we know this already. Have you found out what exactly it was?” “Not yet,” Jareth fidgeted. “I'm going to ask Cam but haven't bumped into her yet. Station's big, you know? And we're on different shifts.” “I see,” He frowned. “Time is of the essence, Mr. Rockrod. I suggest you pick up the pace a little or His Eminence will be most displeased.” Jareth's insides squirmed. He certainly didn't want Draegan Black thinking of him as a failure. “I'll make a plan,” Jareth punched the table decisively. “I'll get Drae – eh, His Eminence Draegan Black – the information he's after. He can count on me.”

****

Cam's doorpanel beeped signalling a visitor. She glanced at her watch with a frown, and then across to Geoffrey, who was busy moving the equipment from the tank to the cocoon in the corner. “Are you expecting someone?” He paused, arching a brow at her. “I can retire for the evening, we can continue another time –” “No,” She replied, setting down the tripod she was helping to carry. “Besides, it's like, 2.30am – who the heck visits at this hour?” She wandered to the door and waved her hand in front of the panel; the door slid open. “Dafuq?” Cam frowned, leaning into the door frame. “Hey chica,” Jareth flashed his pearly whites at her and ran his free hand back through his lustrous black hair. His other hand held a six pack up in front of her. “Brewskies?” “Uh... No?” She crossed her arms over her chest. “Come on,” He winked at her. “You know you want to.” He swung the six pack around in front of her face. “Yeah, I don't think so.” She stared at him hard. “How about just a chat then? I can manage all these by myself if you're going to be a bum about it,” He tried leaning past her but she shifted and blocked his way. “Nope.” Jareth narrowed his eyes. “Come on. You're up, it's not like I just woke you up or anything. You might as well, right?” “No, I might as well not. Not that I'd invite you in even if I wasn't already entertaining company, but I am, so either way, fuck off.” “Hey now,” His chipper demeanour was breaking down. “No need to be like that about it.” “Oh, there isn't? Because by my count I've told you no fewer than four times now and you're still here, and before you start calling me the asshole, remember that you asked a question and I gave you a clear answer and you're the one still here trying to ask the same question over and over until you get an answer you like. Ain't happening, buddy.” “Who've you got in there?” He used his height to his advantage and peered over her shoulder, left and right, until he caught sight of Geoffrey in the corner of the room. “Lizard-man? Gimme a break. What can he offer you that I can't?” “He's polite, for starters,” Cam was losing her patience. She moved her hands to her hips. “Come on, Jareth. Leave. Does Vi know you're here, even? Weren't you with her tonight?” “Maybe I've decided I like you more,” He frowned down at her. “Look, just – let me inside, okay? I just want to hang out, you know, shoot the breeze and whatever.” “And as I keep telling you, I don't. Leave. Go back to your quarters or I'll report you for harassment.” “I'm not –” He sighed, throwing his arms up, six pack of beers swinging wildly, “ – I'm not harassing you, okay? I just think you're being unreasonable.” “Honestly, dude, you carry on with this crap and I'll show you unreasonable. What are you going to do if I keep saying no; force your way in here?” “Is that an invitation?” He grinned and extended his arm to push his way past. Cam grabbed him by the wrist and used his own forward momentum to pull him past her, downwards, and with a shove into his back he was face-first on the floor. She crouched down over him with her knee pressing into the back of his neck and his one arm bent behind his back, pushing up so that he winced and fell still. “If you ever – ever -come within ten feet of me again, I'll do this again, except it'll be my boot at your neck and I'll push down so hard your teeth will crack. Do you understand?” She whispered into his ear. “What the hell,” He hissed at her, trying to squirm and wincing with pain. “Do. You. Understand.” “Yes!” Jareth nodded as much as he was able. Cam stepped back away from him, letting him go. Jareth pulled himself to his feet and wiped himself down. “Fucking psycho,” He glowered at her, and then grabbed the beers he'd dropped and scurried through the door and away along the corridor. Camryn turned as the door slid closed and leaned back against the wall, closing her eyes and letting out a slow breath. Her hands were shaking and her heart was drumming in her chest. Remembering that she wasn't alone, she opened her eyes again. Geoffrey was standing in the corner, scanner in hand, regarding her carefully. “Are you alright?” He quietly asked. “Yeah,” She pulled herself away from the wall and sat down on the edge of the sofa. “Yeah, just wasn't expecting that. Not that you can ever expect something like that,” she frowned to herself. “You handled the situation magnificently,” He offered, setting the scanner down and walking over to take a seat on the sofa next to her. “I don't think I would have been so calm.” Camryn looked down at her hands. They were still shaking. She held them out in front of her. “Doesn't look calm,” She said. “That's just adrenaline. A perfectly normal reaction. You didn't raise your voice even once,” He pointed out. “While that man – whoever he is, he overstepped himself significantly.” “Jareth Rockrod,” Cam interlaced her fingers and pushed her palms outwards, stretching away the tension. “I thought he and Vi were an item. Well, they were. I don't know what changed – last I heard from her they were doing fine. “Perhaps she doesn't know.” “Yeah, maybe. That kinda came out of nowhere, though. I've only spoken with him twice, I think, before this. Once down in the cargo hold on C-deck just after he arrived; I'd escaped to my spot to eat and he found me and introduced himself. I think you were somewhere around,” She realised while saying it that it would mean she had seen him there, had noticed his presence, and flushed, frowning. “Oh. Yes,” Geoffrey replied quietly. “I... Seem to recall the event, now that you mention it.” “The second time, Vi made me go eat with her at Draegan's and he came over to say hi to me but got distracted by Vi, thankfully. I left them to it and they hit it off.” “Peculiar,” Geoffrey mused. “This does seem to have come from nowhere, then. Was he drunk, do you think?” “I don't think so. Couldn't smell anything on his breath. I've given him absolutely zero indication that I even want to be friends with him, let alone anything else.” Geoffrey sighed. “Some people don't need an indication to consider themselves invited into your lives. Don't be too hard on yourself about this – you are most likely faultless.” “That's a nice thing to hear from someone,” She smiled across at him. “Thanks.” “Of course,” He tipped his head at her, fiery orange eyes burning into hers.

* * *

Camryn padded along the corridor towards the canteen. Although she was trying to keep cool, her palms were sweating at the thought of running into Jareth. Fortunately it was the middle of the day and the station was a bustle of activity – the canteen even moreso, full of daytime workers on their lunch breaks. She pushed and jostled her way through to her Blimm's kitchen, where the guy serving the till pointed her through into the back. She'd never been into the kitchen itself before, only seen Blimm emerging from there whenever he brought out his sausage for her. It was full of shiny chrome countertops, stacks of serving-ware, steaming pots and pans. Blimm was at the far end; he saw her entering and called her over. “Friend!” he wiped his feelers off on a cloth and clapped her back. “Exciting times, exciting times. Come, let me show you.” Blimm guided her into a back section of the kitchen that she hadn't noticed; a small recess where a tray of sausages were cooling on a countertop. He handed her a knife and fork inside a neatly folded serviette. “Try,” He gestured her towards the tray. “Try, try!” He stood back as she unfolded the napkin, took the knife and fork and tentatively cut a piece from one of the sausages. It was tender and juicy, and smelled amazing. She lifted it to her nose, took a long whiff, and then popped the segment into her mouth. Her eyes widened. “Oh my glorb,” Cam mouthed around the mouthful. “Yes!” Blimm clapped his tendrils together. “Yes, yes! I had my doubts about some of the ingredients, but – well, whoever gave you this recipe is a culinary genius!” “Fucking hell,” She cut another piece off and chewed it down. “This is incredible.” “Now,” Blimm sidled up to her and leaned in conspiratorially. “Where do you want to go from here?” “I want to deep-throat all of these fucking sausages,” She was hungrily finishing off the first, popping the last bite into her eager mouth. Blimm laughed. “Eat another. Eat two! Three! We can make more. While you eat, let me talk figures,” He leaned onto the counter. “Two hundred credits bought enough ingredients to make what you see here. For a thousand, I make enough sausages to feed – mmm,” He shrugged, “Maybe fifty people. We sell sausage at sixty credits each, make three thousand credits. Split five hundred each – pay for me, profit for you- spend two thousand on more ingredients. Double sausage with the next batch.” “Dang,” She wiped her mouth with the napkin. “You've thought this through. I wasn't even thinking about selling them, but by Tizlel these babies are delicious. Heck, sell them for seventy. I'd pay seventy creds for this, no problem.” “We will try at seventy then,” He nodded. “One more thing to take care of before we can go into production, however.” “What's that?” “We need a place to cook them. I can't do it here. Too public. Need someplace quiet, away from prying eyes This recipe will be in high demand once people try these sausages. Need to keep it safe.” “Right,” She mused. “I think I know who I can ask for help with that.” “Be careful who you speak with about this,” He clicked his mandibles at her. “Don't give your trust too freely.” “Mm, it's okay,” She smiled. “I have the perfect person. May I take one last sausage to tempt him with?” “Be my guest,” Blimm wrapped a sausage in greaseproof paper and transferred it into a little food carton. “Here. Keep it safe.” “Absolutely,” She smiled. “Thanks, Blimm. I look forward to doing business with you.” He grinned. “Me too.”

* * *

Jareth peered through the leaves of the potted plant, watching Cam vanish into the kitchen of that weird little food place in the corner of the C-Deck canteen. The smells coming from there always made him feel nauseous; so many spices and herbs and different aromas all mingling. It was too much for him. Give him a nice greasy burger and fries any day – and not some fancy hoity-toity artisinal bullcrap burger with 100% 'smashed' beef and special sauces and all that crap. No, sirree – just a regular processed meat burger, cheese, ketchup, mustard and some pickles in a plain ole' sesame bun with a side of skinny fries. Ahh, Draegan's, he thought, rubbing his stomach. He yawned, waiting for Cam to emerge again. There were no windows into the kitchen, just the one doorway and the small slot for the serving area but he couldn't see her through either of those. His eyes stung behind his sunglasses. He'd had far too little sleep and looked absolutely dreadful when he got up; tired and haggard, a broken man. He'd gotten up early and kept an eye on Cam's quarters from a safe distance, waiting for her to leave. He'd almost missed her, too, snoozing with his head leaning against the corner wall a way down the corridor. He must have been standing there for a good five minutes when she finally emerged from the kitchen. She was tucking something into the little napsack slung over her shoulder, and she looked pleased as punch. “What have you been up to, little girlie?” Jareth followed her with his eyes from behind his cunning vegetative concealment until she was almost out of sight, and then slipped from behind the leaves and followed her from a safe distance. They exited the canteen, where he followed her along to the elevators. When she was out of sight, he hurried up to see the elevator climbing to B-deck, and then caught the next one up. She was turning a corner ahead of him just as the elevator doors opened, and he snuck along behind her just in time to see her knocking on someone's door. The door opened; she smiled and stepped inside. Whoever's quarters it was, they weren't visible to him. He sighed and slid down onto the ground, making himself as comfortable as possible while waiting for her to leave again. It was going to be a loooong day.

Thank you for reading! If you liked it, let me know at WelshPixie <3