Nexus Notes - Ch.2

In a small, barely furnished bedroom with just a twin bed in the corner and a small pile of unpacked boxes in the centre of the floor, Parker stood over a shelf, meticulously arranging a series of small toy figures. They were all cartoon animal creatures of a sort that he had carefully placed.
 
“There we go,” he said in a voice brimming with satisfaction as he pulled one last toy from the box at his feet and spent several minutes deliberating on its exact position. “Glad to see you’re all fine after the crazy lady kicked you over,” he mused as he finally situated the purple, squirrel-like thing in his hand, safely between a big red rock creature and an icy skeleton
 
“Parker,” called an all too serious and impatient voice from another room.
 
It was Maximilian, his best friend, roommate and as of today, business partner. Recognizing the tone in his friend’s voice, Parker left the bedroom and stepped into what had become a highly professional looking office-space since last night. Already, Max sat behind his desk, tapping away at his computer. His dark, chin-length hair was neatly tucked behind his ears and his attire was as clean-cut and straightforward as always.
 
“Are you quite finished playing with your toys in there?” he asked, his eyes never leaving the screen.
 
“Ah, so I see you decided to go through with that surgical funectamy you mentioned. Not the choice I would’ve made, but I respect your decision.”
 
“How very mature, brother. You are aware that this is our job now and we have to take it seriously? At least a little bit?”
 
The bigger man groaned aloud as he leaned back against the wall and stuffed his hands into his pockets. “I know, I know. But it’s just so borrrring! I’m bored Max, I need constant stimulation. You knew this when your mom took me in, there’s no going back now.”
 
“You were 11, Parker. Believe it or not, I presumed you would grow out of it in the proceeding eight years,” said Max in a dry voice.
 
“And that was your first mistake.”
 
“No, my first mistake was sharing my toys with you in 1st grade. You broke one of them, you monster.” Even when joking with his best friend, Max remained defiantly deadpan.
 
“So, did you need me for something?” asked Parker with a raised brow.
 
“Just wanted you to look over the contact list I put together. We need to start getting word out there and take on a few jobs before the end of the month. The rent on this place is dirt-cheap but smiles and kind words won’t be enough.”
 
Just as Max was turning the screen toward Parker, there was a sudden, dying hum as all lights in the room went out and the computer flashed brightly and powered off. Max stared curiously before sighing and leaning back in his chair. “Hmm... It appears that fate is as adverse to you working as you are.”
 
“Bundle that with these cheekbones and I am truly blessed,” he said as he stroked a thumb across his cheek.
 
Max steepled his fingers and lifted his gaze to the ceiling. “Must’ve been a surge. I wonder if it’s just us, or the whole building.”
 
“What about the backup generators?”
 
“In a dump like this? I don’t think so.”
 
“I’ll go and have a look. See who I need to talk to about this.”
 
When Parker stepped into the hall, he found he wasn’t alone and noticed that the lights in the corridors had gone out too. It seemed odd to him, that all his neighbours were heading straight for the apartment directly across from his. By the time he’d stepped into the hall, there were a dozen grumpy looking individuals pounding that woman’s door.
 
Not knowing what else to do, Parker to up a stance near the rear of the group, which was growing increasingly loud as they received no response.
 
When the door came open at last, Parker’s look of curiosity shifted to one of concern. The woman he saw now looked markedly different from the one he’d bickered with just last night. Black bags had appeared under her eyes and her complexion was drained of colour. She leaned against the threshold of her apartment for support and looked upon the crowd with groggy, weak eyes.
 
She couldn’t get a word in before the entire crowd erupted with angry cries. A multitude of declarations ranging from, “This again!?” to “You’ll be tossed out on the street, this time!” and an array of expletives and insults hurled her way.

Nexus grit her teeth and made a motion to shoo them away. “Go to Hell! I’m doing important work in here! I don’t have time for this!”
 
Of course, her response only incensed the crowd further. She didn’t appear to be in any mood to deal with the uproar and stormed off, back into her apartment, slamming the door behind her.
 
The crowd only got louder, thumping on the door and cursing angrily. It was then that Parker stepped in. He waded into the mob, hands raised as he pushed his way to the door. “Alright people, calm down. What makes you think any of this was her fault?”
 
A lanky middle-aged man scoffed. “You’re new here, aren’t you? She’s been knocking out our power every couple weeks for the last two years.”
 
“Well alright, so it is her fault,” Parker replied, still trying to calm the situation. “Fair enough, but really what are you going to do here? Kick down the door and burn her at the stake?”
 
The crowd’s grumbles quieted a small amount as they exchanged angry glares with one another and then refocused them on Parker.
 
“Look,” he said as he reached into his back pocket and pulled out a small leather wallet. Flipping it open, he revealed a silver emblem. It was an oval shaped, UEF badge with the words, ‘Collector Agent,’ and a downward facing sword imprinted on the surface. “I’m a licensed collector, alright? I’ll go in and have a chat with her. Go back to your homes and wait for the power to come back on, okay?”
 
The crowd dispersed gradually and grumpily. It wasn’t long before Parker was alone in the hallway again and proceeded to knock on the door. “They’re gone,” he said.
 
He heard some shuffling and movement inside of the apartment, followed by a grumble as the door came open.
 
“So what, did you expect me to thank you?” she asked, leaning on her cane.
 
“Call me an optimist,” he replied with a shrug. Then, he suddenly felt a strange, sour odour hit his nose. He coughed, surprised, and covered his face. “Ugh! What is that?”
 
“Vomit,” she said flatly, swiftly averting her eyes.
 
“... Are you alright? You don’t look alright.”
 
“Do you want something?” Nexus asked, ignoring the question.

Parker found himself considering it for a long moment, drumming his fingers against the threshold of the door. “I want to know what you’re doing in here?” he concluded as he leaned over, trying to peer past her to the numerous technological oddities that filled her apartment.
 
“Living!” she said abruptly, putting herself into Parker’s line of sight and obstructing his view. “This is my apartment, I live here and nothing else.”
 
“What are you, some kind of mad scientist?”
 
“What are you, some kind of glorified bloodhound for the government?”
 
“Ouch,” he said, recoiling if stung. “I’m a collector, that makes me a free agent. We just do a lot of contracts with the UEF.”
 
“Still too close with the powers that be for my comfort.”
 
“Wow, you really don’t like the Federation, huh?”
 
“Should I?”

Parker wasn’t sure how to respond to that and so he merely stuffed his hands into his pockets and remained quiet.
 
“I’m not big on military dictatorships. Historically, they don’t work out too well.”
 
“Oh good, crazy conspiracy talk. It is not a dictatorship.”
 
“Oh? Do you remember voting for Marshall Yao? I know I didn’t,” she said, leaning in close and staring at him.
 
“No, but it doesn’t work like that. I was born on Earth, I know what the situation is. The sovereign nations of the planet still have their individual leaders, who are voted in democratically and extend their resources and administration the UEF. It’s a joint, conglomeration of Earth’s elected officials.”
 
Nexus laughed aloud and mocked wiping away a tear. “You’re from the military academy, aren’t you?”
 
“Y-yeah... How’d you figure that out?” he asked, retreating a step.
 
“You recited that like the most stiff-backed military boy I’ve ever heard.” Nexus crossed her arms and smiled, the first time Parker had ever seen it. “How much influence do Earth’s elected officials have out here? In the colonies? You know, where over 90% of the human population lives? The UEF is run by soldiers with limitless power and resources. To answer your question, yeah, I really don’t like the Federation. You and I are, we’re not going to be friends. So go home.”
 
“If we’re being fair, you’re only half right. I’m an ex-cadet. My friend and I dropped out last month.”
 
“What are you still doing here?”
 
“You have a funny way of showing gratitude. You looked like you needed my help, so I thought I’d do you a favour.”
 
Nexus rolled her eyes. “Well, I didn’t need your help. Never have, never will. Now shoo,” she said, waving him off and turning to head back inside her apartment.
 
“Look, I just want to see what shorted out the power. My partner told me to figure out what happened, so that’s what I’m gonna do.”
 
“Oh, a likely excuse!”
 
“Excuse for what? Seeing your filthy apartment? Yeah, I’m just dying to get a chance at that.”
 
“Hey!” she barked, whirling on him and jabbing his broad chest with her finger. “My lab is great! You wish you could see my lab!”
 
“So you are a scientist then?”
 
Nexus sighed and shook her head. He’d caught her this time.
 
Just then, there came a loud whir and the lights in the hallway came flickering back on.
 
“Fine,” she said at last. “But only so you can validate my genius.”
 
Gesturing for Parker to follow, Nexus slipped her hands into the pockets of her lab coat and lead the way into her apartment.
 
Immediately he found himself staring at the huge, ring-shaped gate, with the previously detected puddle of vomit pooled on the platform. He took a moment to briefly investigate the numerous clusters of mechanical gadgets all around the room and stuffed into numbers crates, but inevitably his attention returned to the central machine.
 
“Pretty impressive, right?” said Nexus, smirking with pride.
 
“Amazing. It’s definitely a big metal ring that you puked on for some reason,” Parker concluded.
 
“No, jackass, it’s a sub-space portal generator.”
 
“That you puked on,” he added. “And did not clean up. Gross”
 
“This was a waste of time. Get out.”
 
“Alright, alright, alright, hold on. Maybe if you turned it on, I’d be a little more impressed. Go on, start it up, I swear I will marvel at your brilliance.”
 
“Just sit tight, you sub-human moron.” She grabbed hold of the control panel and tapped in the start-up sequence. The machine gave a loud warble and then went silent. Nothing happened. “Wh-what?” she stammered. She hammered the sequence in once more and again, nothing happened. She growled and punched the terminal with her tiny fist, accomplishing nothing save for hurting her knuckles.
 
With a groan, Nexus dropped backwards into her chair and buried her face in her hands. “Urrrgh... It’s broken!” she screamed in a muffled voice.
 
“Oh, wow. This must be embarrassing.”
 
“Shut up,” she retorted.
 
“Don’t worry, I shall comfort you.”
 
Her eye twitched ever so slightly in frustration. “Just minutes ago, it was a technical marvel. A masterpiece of engineering and a breakthrough in sub-space physics,” she whined, kicking her feet at the ground.
 
“But then it shorted out the local power grid and fried itself. Right?”
 
“Yes, exactly!” she cried, flailing her arms and leaning back, her chair wheeling away several feet.
 
“I believe you.”
 
“You do?” Nexus asked, crossing her legs and giving him a sideways glance.
 
“Yes. Perhaps we can discuss your research over dinner and drinks.”
 
“Oh please no, not this again.”
 
“Again with that!” Parker replied, taken aback. “Are you broken, lady? Have you seen me?” Parker said as he lifted his shirt up over his face to reveal sculpted abdominal muscles and rock-solid pectorals. “Are you looking? I can’t tell if you’re looking.”
 
“Astounding,” she breathed.
 
“Right!?” Parker replied excitedly.
 
“I have mastered time-travel.”
 
“Wait, what?” he added, peeking over his shirt.
 
“I have transported an ancient neanderthal into my lab! Now if only I could repeat the process, I’ll be the greatest scientist to have ever lived.” Her tone had gradually drifted into biting and sarcastic. “Now put your shirt down, idiot.”
 
“No, I think I’ll just keep it up here until you appreciate my hard work. Do you know how many sit-ups I had to do to get these?”
 
Nexus, without saying a word, wheeled her chair over to her desk and grabbed a big, hand-held device which, to Parker, looked an awful lot like a misshapen handgun. With a cold glare, she pointed it straight at his chest and wrapped her finger around the trigger.
 
“That wouldn’t happen to be an ion pistol, would it?”
 
“I dunno. Do I seem like the type to build a death-ray and keep it just lying on my desk?”
 
Parker responded by calmly lowering his shirt and tucking it in.
 
“So... Are you a student here? From one of the science academies?” he replied, briskly attempting to change the subject.
 
“Nope,” she said curtly as she pushed herself out of her chair and slotted a pod into her espresso machine. “Left that intellectual black-hole years ago.”
 
“Oh good. Please explain why the most respected scientific institutions in the known Galaxy are beneath you.”
 
“Gladly,” she replied as she retrieved the steaming mug and took a long drink from it. “The academies are owned by the Federation. Guess what use the Federation sees for science?”
 
Parker shrugged again. He found he was doing that a great deal lately.
 
“Weapons,” Nexus finished. “Of the mass destruction variety. And I have too much respect for science to see it used to kill people.”
 
“They’re not that bad. The UEF has done a lot to establish humanity in the wider galaxy, in a very short amount of time. We went from one planet to over thirty colonies in just fifty years after its formation. Hey, do you mind if I get a cup of that?” Parker said, pointing toward her coffee machine.
 
“Yes,” she shot back before continuing. “I’ll never say they aren’t ambitious. But they’re also a bunch of pussies.”
 
“Uhm, excuse me?” Parker said with a look of bafflement on his face.
 
“You heard me. As soon as humanity found itself in a bigger universe, surrounded by bigger aliens, capable of vast psionic feats or with technologically superior hardware, we got scared, like the whimpering bitches we are. Now the UEF spends all its resources and time overcompensating and pretty soon it’s going to lead to trouble.”
 
“You’ve really thought your insane conspiracy theories out, haven’t you?”
 
“Remind me again, why I let a stupid prick like you into my apartment?” she said, casually sipping her espresso.
 
“Your verbal abuse is starting to sting just a bit,” Parker replied, holding his fingertips a scant centimetre apart.
 
Nex returned her intention attention to her work. She kneeled down beside her sub-space gate and opened a panel on the side of the base. “It’s almost as if I didn’t want you here or something.”
 
“I’m just curious about all this science stuff you’re doing in here. It’s kind of... cool.”
 
“Oh yeah, I’m absolutely convinced that’s the only reason you’re here. All the passes you made at me were born of scientific curiosity.”
 
“Well I didn’t say it was the only reason,” he added just loud enough for Nexus to hear. “So what are you gonna do about this mess?”
 
“Not much I can do,” Nex replied as she pulled some fried electrical components out of the machine. “I have the spare parts around here to repair what was damaged, but if I don’t get my hands on an industrial strength, energy core regulator, it’ll just happen again.”
 
Parker stepped up behind her, looking in at her work. “Alright, well you just happen to live in Pantainos City, the centre of science and education in Federation space. You can’t find one of those?”
 
She tossed a handful of frayed, blackened wires into a nearby bin before peering back over her shoulder “Oh no, I know exactly where to find one. Problem is, the merchant with his hands on it is a Taurus.”
 
Parker nodded, immediately understanding. “Not the easiest to do business with. And where might I find this Taurus merchant?”
 
“Excuse me?” Nexus replied with a raised brow.
 
“Just tell me where to find the part you need and I’ll go pick it up for you. Provided you cover the cost when I get back.”
 
“You’re serious?” she asked, crossing her arms over her chest.
 
Parker replied with naught but a smirk.
 
“Alright then. If you think your dumb-ass can get a hold of it when I couldn’t, you’re on. You bring me a Model-E05 energy core regulator by the end of the day, and I’ll consider letting you hang around. But if you can’t, you never bother me again. Deal?”
 
“Shake on it?” Parker said, extending his hand.
 
“I believe we already discussed my policy on touching?”
 
“Right, no touching. Got it,” he said as he swiftly retracted his hand and stuck it in his pocket.
 
“It’s a stall in the East Market, run by a Taurus named Zakka. Not hard to find, he’s one of the only non-human merchants in the area.”
 
“Give me two hours.”
 
She scoffed at the thought, but Parker left with a confident smile.
 
Finally alone to her own devices, Nexus set about cleaning up the mess that had been made of her machine. She spent close to an hour rewiring and repairing her gate (along with mopping up some vomit) before passing out in her chair once again. She wasn’t sure how long she was asleep for, but judging by the fact that she was still exhausted by the time she awoke, she guessed it wasn’t long.
 
She was startled awake, bolting up in her chair with wide eyes and fumbling hands as the door swung open and slammed against the wall. She just narrowly avoided falling out of her chair.
 
Parker stormed into the room with his prize held high above his head, the very device that Nexus had been pursuing.
 
“Behold!” he exclaimed exuberantly. “A Model E-whatever, energy something-somethinger!”
 
“Wha-whuh-whuh!?” she burbled, still waking up as her heart rate returned to a controllable pace. “How did you-? Why did you-? What the hell are you doing, barging into my apartment!”
 
“Don’t want people barging in, you should’ve locked the door.”
 
“That is not how it works! Now hand that over!” she cried as she reached needily for the regulator in Parker’s hands.
 
“Awww, you’re adorable when you beg. Alright cutie, here’s your trinket.”
 
“Shut your stupid whore-mouth!” she growled as she yanked it from his hands and examined it. It only took a cursory glance for her to recognize the model. It was the exact one. “Good,” she thought, as she had been fairly sure that even if Parker had been able to acquire the device, he’d have screwed it up and gotten the wrong one. “How?” she asked, looking to him with a curiosity and a tone that almost edged upon gratitude.
 
“I stole it,” he replied bluntly.
 
“You did what!? Oh... Oh no. Oh no no no no no no no! We’re going to have a huge angry Taurus beating down my door any minute now!” She then started to ramble incoherently as she protectively hugged her new toy.
 
“Kidding,” he blurted out, hands thrown up defensively. “I was kidding.”
 
A huge wave of relief washed over Nexus and she let out a long, happy sigh.
 
“All I really did was act like I didn’t want it.”
 
“It was not that easy,” she shot back.
 
“Yeah, it was. Taurus are like children, not fond of sharing their toys and sometimes, they want something just because they know you want it. To them, that makes it more valuable. So I acted like I wanted something else, some old ship engines. I mentioned a passing interest in the regulator and he offered to toss it in for a fair deal. At the last minute, it turned out I was short on credits, I put together a lie about bank fees and late payments for my work. All I could afford was the regulator. Zakka was either going to sell it to me, in hopes that I come back for the bigger, pricier parts later, or I’d leave and probably head to another shop next time. Unfortunately for Zakka, I won’t be coming back.”
 
“Wow. That’s actually kind of smart,” said Nexus. “How’d you manage that without a brain?”
 
“Hilarious. I told you, I’m not totally useless. Now for my reward, I’ll accept payment in the form of dinner dates. Nothing fancy, I’m not high maintenance.”
 
Nexus groaned and pressed her palm to her forehead. “I immediately regret this decision.”