The Anomaly

[Rodent]

Chapter 7-First Encounter

The bar on [i]Epernay station was dimly lit, Robots moved around carrying trays with bottles of various drinks on them, and the entirety of the room was shrouded in smoke. In a Corner sat a handsome French man, sporting a Gallic Brigands uniform and strangely, having just a glass of water in front of him.

Ansel sighed with frustration, he disliked coming to the bar, but he needed his drink, and quiet, and the starscape visible from the windows was a great motivator in that. Even as he peered into the depths of his glass and thought, a man walked over to where he was sitting.

"Bonjour, this place occupied?" he said.

His thought broken, Ansel replied with a ting of annoyance. "Not at all, sit down" was his reply, while he was groaning inwardly.....Another Idiot.

The visitor quickly sat down, and sighed. "Stupid Mechanics, they think they know more than me, I knew that Depressuriser was to be fitted into that inner cauldron, but they think they are smarter...." he said, mostly to himself, but Ansel was suddenly interested.

The man does seem like he knows what he's doing at least, unlike some of the others.... He mused.

"What's your name Monsieur?" he asked suddenly.

"Me? Andie Zidane" he replied curtly. "What's yours?" he asked after a while.

"Ansel Xavier, good to meet you"

"Oui, it's good. You know how hard life is for Spaceship experts? Everyone thinks they know it all, and don't like it at all when I prove them wrong!" he said with a smile.

Ansel nodded. Is certainly the type I need. Expert.

"Do you have any jobs, or alleigances?" he asked after a while.

"Oh no! As I said, no one wants to hire me, they all feel I am a threat to their jobs." Andie replied despondently.

"Oui, I know what you mean. Idiocy reigns all around it seems."
"Of course! There are more stupid people in this world than intelligent ones, and they are using their advantage!"
"....No one knows it better. What do you feel about the current state of affairs?"
"It's worthless. The King is useless, and the Council is useless, they are not doing what it takes, and what is possible......"

Ansel was convinced now. He would work fine.

"I will hire you" he said very suddenly, and very coldly.

"Really?" Andie's eyes narrowed. "And what will you use me for?" he said.

"For technical stuff mostly, I am sure you are prepared to learn. You will be paid amply, and not just in money, as you will see soon enough. Are you interested?"

"Oh....I will need time to think about it."
"Fine, here is my neural net link, send me a message" saying that, Ansel swiftly walked out of the bar, leaving the other man thinking.

***

Back on the Adeline, Ansel carefully wrote down his thoughts on a datapad.

"Oui....he will be pretty useful for keeping the ship running, as well as for improving upon it's design. And he will also be useful in other things....improved armaments.....Forged IDs........But will he be trustable? Of course, no one is.....trustworthy.....but his opinions are similar to mine.....and I don't think he will mind.....once the game is opened........Yes, he will be a valuable asset......and should be accepted."

Almost as soon as he finished writing down his thoughts, a message came on his neural net. It read as follows-




Ansel, I am interested. Where do I start?

Andie



Ansel smiled. His decision to accept was yet another deciding factor. He began composing the return message, with a small smirk on his face. It was going well.