Thus far this morning is running smoothly. I think the world just sort of hiccupped a bit earlier this week. So I am just going to talk the calm and get a few things done. Starting with the morning writing prompt. Are you ready? Then timers set for fifteen minutes and off we go.
Okay this was fun. I’m certain the people involved are staging some sort of rebellion, just not sure against who. Could be fun to find out.
Friday, February 11th: “Getting this wasn’t easy.”
“Getting this wasn’t easy,” He complained. I knew what he was angling for. At the moment I had neither the time nor the interest in playing along.
“You were paid well for it,” I told him.
He frowned. “It was harder than I thought it would be.”
“Was it?” I asked. He held the stuffed envelope. In his hands turning it around and around in his pudgy hands. I expected him to angle for more compensation, either in money or in a little more freedom in the district. It was his way. However if something unexpected happened then I needed to know.
“Yes,” he said. He straightened himself up, pleased that someone was taking an interest in his situation. “Much more difficult.”
“Something unexpected happened?” I asked. Around me the others grew quiet, waiting for his answer.
“There were some complications,” he continued. I looked around seeing my concerns reflected on the faces of others. We couldn’t afford complications, not now.
“What complications?” I asked.
He blinked and looked around. His hands stilled as he looked around the room as though registering the silence. All of us were silent, still, waiting.
He drew in a breath. “I had to get past the security gates,” he began.
“You knew you would need to do that and why you were provided the codes,” I said. “Was there a problem with the codes?”
“No,” he said hurriedly. “No problem with the codes. But the lab coat was ill fitting.”
“Enough for others to see?”
“No, no one saw a thing. But it chafed.”
I lifted an eyebrow. “Chafed?”
“Yes under here,” he gestured to his under arms. “It was very uncomfortable.”
“Any other complications?” I asked.
“There was a cat,” he said.
“A cat?” I repeated.
“I have allergies,” he said. “I had to take a decongestant before I came here. I don’t like them. They make me all fuzzy.”
I sighed. It looked as though he was angling for higher pay after all. “So chafing and allergies were the issues?” I said. I could feel the others relaxing.
“Well that and the self-destruct sequence,” he added. “But really the allergies and the chafing were worse.”
I felt my heart nearly stutter to a stop. “What self-destruct sequence?” I asked.
“The one on the vault,” he said absently. “I didn’t see it going in but must have triggered it when I left. It had a delay switch so whoever triggered it would be trapped inside, so I was long gone before the explosion.” h” waved it off as though he thought my primary concern was his well-being.
It wasn’t.
“When it went off, what color was the explosion?” I asked.
“Color,” he said. “You know now that you mention it, there was an awful lot of blue in the explosion. It seemed strange.”
The room echoed with swearing. We all knew what blue meant even if our pudgy little clerk turned thief didn’t. The Pared were in town. “Pack up now,” I called. The command didn’t need to be given twice.
“”But…” he began as everyone burst into motion around him.
I took the envelope from his fingers. “You’re going to want to be far away and fast. Trust me.”
Ten til Midnight 