The Quarry

[Rage Menelas]

[font=Lucida Sans Unicode]Ryan turned to his master he was already hating that word and asked a question that was suddenly irking him: Exactly how did you know that I was going to try to off myself?

Off yourself?

Yeah, take my own life. He shook his head in disbelief, I mean you were not there by coincidence... by your own admission you were there to harvest me, so how did you know?

Oh, Charlie laughed his trademark laugh, now I see what troubles you. Yes, I knew you were going to kill yourself. I purchased the information.

Ryan narrowed his eyes, purchased it from whom? Who on earth would know that I was going to try that?

Well no-one on Earth but there is a Ka'Ossafetti firm that specializes in watching the future of planets that are under-developed.

Watching the future?

Yes, that's right, he nodded adamantly, watching the future.

You mean... things just kept getting more difficult to swallow, time-travel into the future?

If you prefer that phrase, yes.

So someone went into my future and read about the details of my suicide.

Yes, that's right. And I purchased the information from the company that read it. That was how I knew exactly when, where and how.

Ha... well you sneaky little bastard.

The extraterrestrial pursed his lips, narrowed his eyes and thought for a moment, then responded. You are in error, sir. My mother was legally attached to my father at the time of my birth.

Well, I'll be damned... by all means, excuse me for passing bad rumors about you...

You're forgiven, he arose suddenly. Next on our schedule is a brief tour of the ship. He turned and walked off, no doubt expecting his apprentice to follow along docilely in his wake...