Ruminations of a Survivor

[AuruemSaber]

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The Bridge of the Spirit was empty aside from Alex, his second-in-command Jackie, and a set of legs sticking out from one of the centre consoles typically used by the navigator.

Jackie was standing with her arms crossed over the set of legs while Alex was sitting on the edge of the console, looking down at the pair of legs beneath him.

The three were already discussing something, the mood of the conversation jovial, as myself and Royce entered the Bridge.

Alex blinked in surprise as we entered, clearly shocked by my presence, before he got up from the console. Jackie merely raised an eyebrow and nodded in my direction before returning to her conversation with the pair of legs sticking out from the console.

I hug Alex as Royce gives a mock salute before leaving to return to his post at the airlock.

"This is a pleasant surprise."

"Yeah, well, figured I'd say good job not getting killed."

He chuckles at that.

"Cheers, but you're a little late for the party."

"Ah, not much for parties these days anyway. Didn't want to cramp your style."

He pulls away and invites me to sit in the operator's chair as he leans against the edge of the console.

"You have good timing anyway; I was just making sure Jackie and Volky would be alright without me for a day while I popped down to Yuma."

So, "Volky" was the set of legs under the console and Alex Lynch, the anarchist now wanted to pop down to Yuma. That was a surprise, but I reckoned he planned on visiting Vicky, though.

"Popping into Vicks?"

"Nah, she's probably recovering after the party, and I don't wanna' fuck with her rest before she's back in work."

That came as a bit of a shock, and while the temptation to say something was there. I held my tongue; if Alex and Vicky were having an affair, I was staying far away from it. Besides, surely Alex wouldn't break his most significant rule. I hope that the pain that might be caused if he broke his most significant rule with Vicky is something I wouldn't want to wish on anybody. But that would be getting ahead of myself anyway and so I focus on getting the answer as to why Alex is headed for Yuma.

"So, what has you going down to Yuma?"

He gives me a sly smile before he responds, the sly grin of a man who knows something I don't.

"To see our Jason. It turns out he owns a place down there. I figured I'd check it out and pop my head in."
"You in?"

The bastard had me hooked. Jason owning a place down on Yuma? That was news indeed, and even if we didn't talk much anymore... Well, I'd already given him a nod of confirmation.

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