And I'll face the one who made my heart from a lump of clay

Posted on Sun Dec 5th, 2021 @ 3:21am by
Edited on on Sun Dec 5th, 2021 @ 3:42am

Mission: Season 5: Episode 3: CAPETOWN
Location: Arcadia
Timeline: MD10 0800
1383 words - 2.8 OF Standard Post Measure

Nijil's resume had been very sparse. It detailed his time in the TDF and TDD, but he was a long way from Tandar, and the trajectory between intelligence operative and dishwasher couldn't have been a positive story-even if it was an elusive story. "Mr. Ross," he greeted the man who would become his boss formally, hands folded behind his back. His voice was soft and soothing, with a slight accent of indeterminate origin. He didn't offer much in the way of pleasantries, but he wasn't rude, either. He stood and waited to be addressed.

Kaden had his back turned going over the report of the progress of his bar under repair. "Who's asking?" He asked without turning to face him.

"I am Nijil," he introduced himself simply. "I was accepted for a position at this establishment."

Kaden turned to look him over. "Nijil is it? I don't recall hiring you or seeing your application." He turned back to the report. "Have you been drinking or taking drugs recently?"

"No." He retrieved a PADD from his pocket and swiped it over to his emails, where it listed his resume acceptance. He held it out for Kaden's perusal. He didn't seem that upset at having traveled however far to accept employment. His eyes, vivid and electric, settled on the other man curiously. "Perhaps I've been the victim of a practical joke."

Turning to face Nijil Kaden looked at him overtaking his PADD. "Did my General Manager Vira hire you then?" He asked.

"That name appears to match the one on the email address," Nijil checked it briefly and nodded, confirmatory. It had likely fallen through the cracks-people were fallible. It happened sometimes. "If you need assistance with repairs, I offer my services. I have some engineering experience."

"Ah so you must be the one she was talking about I'd welcome you to my bar but well it's sort of a crater. A small run-in with a temporal anomaly blew up my distillery and lab I create my brews and cocktails. But since you rather get to work so eagerly sure I will put you to work." Kaden motioned with his hand in a waving manner. "Hop to it."

Nijil wouldn't classify himself as eager, in any sense of the word, but he didn't contradict the other man. "Is there anything, in particular, you would have me do?" he spoke, surveying the damage around them.

Kaden sighed feeling a bit agitated wondering what sort of people Vira shot for to hire and if part of their job was annoying him. "Look, surprise me will you?" He replied trying to be nice as possible.

The Tandaran gazed at him for several long seconds, eyes with a thick film of blue over them that was plain unnatural. It just tipped over into a stare, empty and cold. A taste of something razor-sharp at the edge of one's consciousness, a battering ram behind the oily black doors of endless ether. It was gone in a blink. "Understood," he said, still soft. He headed to the back and picked up a toolbox in a one-handed grip, finding the nearest sparking replicator and kneeling to apply an interphasic screwdriver to the panel underneath.

Kaden on his end set the PADD down and started to get work himself removing his black jacket showing his muscled physique while taking the charred remains of his distillers tossing them on an antigrav cart.

They settled into a long silence! Nijil didn't speak to him again, but after a few hours, they'd managed to put a good dent in some of the repairs. Nijil didn't appear to have anything better to do with his time but keep working, which is exactly what he did. Boxes carried, equipment scanned, deck plating replaced.

The silence was nice but it was to bore him looking at Nijil Kaden finally decided to break the tension. "So what made you want to work here?" He asked.

Nijil was in the middle of shouldering a few boxes and he set the one in his hands down, turning on his heel to regard Ross enigmatically. "I like isolated and physically demanding work. The space travel does not hurt."

"Interesting, I swear from the way you been carrying yourself for the past few hours you act like you were one of those intelligence operatives types." Kaden wasn't an idiot his assassin training had taught him to spot people like that from miles away. The question was did this new hire have any idea what he was in the past.

"You are astute," Nijil told him, inclining his head very slightly. "I was commissioned with the Tandaran Defense Directorate, a long time ago. Are you ex-military as well?"

Kaden didn't exactly understand where he would get that impression from but he was certain Nijil would tell him sometime. "Not really, I was in the..." He trailed off trying to think of a good story to come up with being a former assassin wasn't exactly something you go around telling others. "Enforcement business."

Nijil didn't pry. "You were well-trained," is what he said instead. "The ability to identify an operative by bearing alone is impressive."

"Yes, well, I suppose you could say it was rather brutal training but very well effective."

"What organization did you work for?" Nijil asked.

"An organization is all I am saying," Kaden replied. "Don't press the issue."

Nijil's eyebrow rose, head inclining slightly to the right-inscrutable as ever, but he picked his box back up silently.

Kaden walked over and took a look at the work Nijil did a slight smile formed on his lips. "Impressive looks almost new what did Vira hire you for again?"

"I applied for the dishwasher position," Nijil's voice was soft as he answered.

"Dishwasher? Damn, you do good work fixing things." Kaden replied.

"Thank you," Nijil responded, quiet. "I can perform maintenance tasks as needed if you would like," he offered.

"You know if it makes you happy fixing things from time to time go for it," Kaden replied. "I like things running at peak efficiency more money in it."

"Agreed," the Tandaran nodded. Sorry, he wasn't a great conversationalist, but at least it seemed he would be a hardworking addition to the staff, and you couldn't count your weight in latinum when it came to reliability. Especially in the restaurant industry.

Kaden picked up a piece of charred lab equipment setting it on the cart. "Soon as the bar is up and running I can get back to what I enjoy most...creating drinks."

"I will endeavor to assist Engineering with the process," Nijil said solemnly.

"I appreciate that," Kaden said as he place another piece of ruined equipment on the cart. "One thing you should know, when the bar is fixed I run a lab in the back where I brew my alcohol and keep my assortment of ingredients for making cocktails. It is my sanctuary I suppose you could say. Don't touch anything I am very protective of my equipment and such unless I say you can."

"I do not anticipate that will be a concern," Nijil told him. He liked experimenting with drink configurations as much as the next guy, but it wasn't something he cared about enough to intrude on someone else's space to fulfill.

"Oh, and things will go smoothly between us if you can avoid being a pain in my ass something Vira has quite a knack of doing with me." Kaden lifted a finger in case Nijil pointed it out. "Yes I could fire her but she is good at what she does helping me with my bar."

Again with the even, calm stare. He was reserving judgment. For now. "I see," he answered, acquiescent.

Kaden checked to make sure everything was secure. "Other than that, we should get along just fine."

"Indeed," Nijil answered. Don't lie, he is truly thrilling. He hefted the box onto his shoulder once more. "I shall return to my repairs," he indicated, before moving away, footfalls light and agile for someone of his size and build.

Kaden took hold of the cart and then headed off to recycle the equipment before seeing on ordering new ones for his lab.