after quickly ending the transmission with Grier.
“Jason, please buckle your harness for full deceleration,” Sofia motherly requested.
Jason fumbled with the spider harness before saying, “Give me a visual of the Pipe.”
The heads-up display blinked and the tunnel popped in view giving Jason nearly a one hundred and eighty-degree view as the Chameleon slowed to a near stop. Jason could not help but notice the scrolling communication along the entrance wall. “THANK YOU FOR USING THE FISSURE POINT PIPE… WE HOPE YOUR TRAVEL WAS SMOOTH AND ENJOYABLE… HAVE A NICE STAY, JASON BJORN…”
“Jason…”
“Here it comes…” thought Jason before responding. “Yes, Sofia.”
“Are you going to share one of the twins with John Grier tonight?”
“No, I’m not going to share anything but laughter and drink with my old friend tonight.”
“Jason…”
“Yes, Sofia.”
“Does that mean you are going to sleep with both of them yourself?”
“Change of subject.”
“Yes, Jason,” Sofia softly replied.
“Sofia, drop me off at the Custom’s Control Agents Station…you’ll then deliver the payload, and wait for me at the docking door.”
“Yes, Jason.”
The ship hovered to a complete stop in front of the Machiavellian looking entrance and Jason gladly acknowledged Sofia by saying, “We made it…good job, Sofia. I’ll see you in a couple of days.”
“Jason, be careful of the Fissure Point’s underworld, they will rob you blind.”
“I’ll be very watchful, and thank you for the information…”
“Good God! Maybe I will have Sofia looked at when I get back… I didn’t ask for the Jealousy Program,” Jason thought to himself after exiting the Chameleon.
D RONSKI’S C a f é
Jason warily eyed a sketchy tattooed individual, who was weaving up against the wall outside Dronski’s and as he approached, the inebriated man seemed determine to get his attention when he earnestly spoke. “Psst, hey you… Psst! You, pssssst!”
“Don’t fucking Pssst me!” Jason hesitantly replied while trying to walk by the gritty looking man.
“I noticed your boots.”
“So, what about them?” Jason asked while he simultaneously thought, “I can’t believe it I’m sucked into actually having a conversation with this street urchin.”
The stupefied drunk suddenly lunged out grabbing Jason violently by the shirt, before answering, “Listen… the wearer of those boots, walks a tight rope.”
Jason stepped back to the side, and watched the crazy man slip from his own drunken momentum. The tattooed man smacked hard, face down, on to the inflexible surface. “Boy, that had to of hurt,” he thought before mouthing, “Some people can’t handle their drink.” He then stepped over the now bleeding man and only felt pity for him.
On entering the dimly lit café, Jason noticed a fine layer of dust covering all surfaces. Discolored gray walls, concrete support beams, and a honeycombed shaped ceiling, rendered the structural design functional. However, the low hanging light fixtures, rusted metal tables and chairs, are what truly defined the patina of the space.
The walls and floor are all covered in a durable synthetic bioluminescent smart membrane called the Skin. Its micro sensory nodes can detect someone’s presence through biometric facial recognition and algorithmic wave points. The technology can identify, determine, and distinguish between each and every individual. Through this