Chapter 123: A Snek's Fate

Chapter 123: A Snek's Fate

Gavin put down the welder and stood up, stretching his back.

He triggered the scanner in his welding helmet, surveyed his work, and smiled. It wasn't half bad if he said so himself.

He raised his helmet and stepped back to admire one "120-millimeter rifled flare projector with stabilized vehicular mount".

"I wonder who's into antiques," a voice said behind him.

He turned around and smiled.

"No idea," he replied to the short, stocky Native-American woman behind him. "For what they are paying, they could get real shit."

"Probably some xeno or another," the woman said as she lounged against the one she was working on. "That whole 'Terran mystique' bullshit."

"There are some advantages to these," Gavin said thoughtfully. "They want them pure electro-mechanical, much easier to conceal. Tuck them inside a crawler, and they'd just look like part of the machinery unless someone knew exactly what to look for... And you can't beat the price, at least for the guns."

"Think we're supplying rebels or something?"

"Considering who ordered these," Gavin chuckled, "That would be the cleanest option. Speaking of," he added. "I need to give Esmeralda a call. We're just about done."

"I have some lotion in my purse if you need to borrow it," the woman said with a smirk.

"You admire coral snakes," Gavin snerked, "You don't touch them or yourself when handling one."

Laughing, he turned and walked across the floor of his small "custom manufacturing facility", occasionally pausing to chat with a worker or two.

When he got into his office, he paused at a mirror, pulled out a comb, ran it through his long straight black hair, and put on his trademark cowboy hat.

After he spruced himself up to his satisfaction, he sat down in front of his monitor.

Moments later, he blinked in surprise as the oddest little snake-like xeno appeared.

"Good morning! Welcome to Janustec!" it said, absolutely bursting with enthusiasm, "where our motto is, 'Yellowstone, Yellowstone, Yellowstone!'... Yay!"

Well... shit.

"And good morning to you too!" Gavin replied, a smile starting to creep across his face. "I was hoping to speak with Ms. Martinez, but I suppose she's 'unavailable', isn't she."

"My boss?" the xeno said, glowing with pride. "Yes, she and the rest of the office are busy with the GTFOD. Can I take a message?"

Gavin snorted.

"Yeah, those GTFOD's can get kind of hectic," he smiled. "It probably doesn't matter anymore, but let her know that we are almost finished with her order but, considering recent developments, we aren't going to deliver. If they want them, they are going to have to pick them up... annnnd we will be expecting payment up front."

"... and paymenth up fronth..." the little snek lisped around its tongue as it typed furiously with it. "Goth ith!"

It looked up at Gavin with eyes that almost glowed with happiness.

Esmeralda, you bitch, Gavin thought with irritation.

"So, first day?" Gavin asked with pity in his eyes.

"Yesth!" the snek lisped as it pressed the "Send" icon. "I applied just this morning! First applicant! Ms. Martinez just took one look at me and said, 'Good enough!' and hired me on the spot!"

"Well, your luck is certainly... something," Gavin replied.

"Yes! I'm so blessed!" the snek warbled, "I was starting to think things weren't going to work out for me here in the Republic, but here I am!"

"Yep, there you are... You are most certainly... There... Well, It's been nice chatting with you, but I suddenly have a whole lot of very time-sensitive things to do."

"It was lovely talking to you too!" the snek warbled. "You have a Yellowstone kind of day!"

"Snerk... Oh, I'm pretty sure I will," Gavin snorted as he pulled up his lawyer's contact info on his second monitor. "You too!... snerk."

"Thanks!" the snek warbled happily as Gavin terminated the call...

And immediately called his attorney.

***

Later that day, Jeruzz curled up in a loose coil in the bottom of his box as he chewed on his tail miserably. The warmth from the wonderful blanket he bought at what the Terrans call a "garage sale" provided no comfort today.

He thought that he had a job, a real job.

He thought that, finally, he had found someplace where he was "good enough". They said so! They said those exact words, "good enough".

It had made him so happy...

So... happy...

But it was a lie, a mean lie. He wasn't "good enough". He was just a convenient stupid little xeno who didn't even know what "Yellowstone" meant.

Creators! He was so stupid! How could he not have known? It wasn't as if it was the single biggest defining moment in Terran history or anything.

They even took his "signing bonus". They said that they would give it back when they were done with their investigation, but even he wasn't dumb enough to actually believe that. Back home, when the cops took something, that was it.

You never saw it again.

He had no job and no money. It was just like it was yesterday.

It didn't bother him yesterday, but today it hurt. It hurt really bad. All the happiness and all the pride he felt earlier was just a cruel hoax.

He started to quietly sob, making little coughing, barking noises as he chewed his tail in the darkness.

It was even better!

"So, I guess you are wondering why I invited you to lunch," Gavin said a little while later.

"I admit I'm confused," Jeruzz replied as he lapped up some tea. "But this whole day has been so Yellowstoned-up that I've given up trying to understand what's going on."

Gavin laughed.

"Fair enough," he replied. "Well, aside from misery loving company, there is a reason."

Jeruzz looked at him quizzically.

"I understand that you are no longer employed by Janustec?"

"If I still am, I quit!!!" Jeruzz said loud enough for nearby diners to turn their heads.

Gavin laughed.

"In that case, I would like to offer you a job."

"You would?!?"

"I like your style. I want you to come to work for me."

Jeruzz's heart soared...

Then it sank.

"I would love to," he said sadly.

"But?"

"... I don't... I don't have my certificate."

"Neither do I," Gavin smiled.

Jeruzz looked at him in complete bewilderment.

"It's true," Gavin chuckled. "I dropped out."

"Wha?" Jeruzz stammered. "Why?!? Why would you refuse such a gift?" he asked, shocked, almost angry at the thought of someone casting aside something as priceless as a Terran education.

"I was losing too much business," Gavin replied in a matter-of-fact tone. "Weaponsmithing is a family art, and I was making more out of my parent's garage than I would with that diploma. I got tired of turning away orders. I promised my folks I'd get my certificate, but I never got around to it—Too busy."

Gavin smiled at Jeruzz.

"Education is great, don't get me wrong," he said, "but certificates and degrees are a fucking dime a dozen here. Certificates are common. Attitude isn't. Neither is ability. I saw your box. That was nice work, very nice work. How did you lay out those patterns? Dividers?"

"I... I used a nail and some string... with knots in it," Jeruzz replied.

"That would work," Gavin replied as he nodded thoughtfully. "There are better ways to do it, though."

"There are?" Jeruzz asked, quite interested.

Gavin leaned forward.

"Would you like to learn them?"

Jeruzz nodded.

"You willing to work?"

Jeruzz nodded rapidly.

"You willing to learn?"

Jeruzz bobbed up and down emphatically.

"You willing to sweep floors and empty trash cans with the same energy you answered those phones this morning while you learn a real trade?"

"YES!!!" Jeruzz warbled, bringing the whole restaurant to a standstill.

"Then you're hired."

***

The next week Jeruzz's new foreman looked down at him and laughed.

"You going to be ok, String-bean?"

Jeruzz looked up as he lay on the floor in a loose tangle.

"This... this is just for the week?" he asked in a stunned warble.

"I know you're disappointed," the foreman grinned, "But you only clocked in for a couple of days. You will get a full paycheck next Friday."

"A full paycheck?!?" Jeruzz gasped.

"Work like a Terran," his foreman said with a smile, "Get paid like one. Be sure to get some rest this weekend," his foreman added. "That Z'uush that dropped by just placed a huge order. Get ready for some serious overtime."

"What's overtime?" Jeruzz asked.

The foreman laughed.

"Good thing you are already laying down..."