At Time's End

Chapter 23 - Exile

I woke up in my own quarters, not exactly in pain mentally or physically but unnerved by the upcoming meeting with the Lady herself. A meeting with Ms. Hawks can never mean anything good, unless you've been a really good law-breaker and she decided you can be her personal lapdog.

I most certainly have not. 

Thing is, I've been leaking information to the government about her for ages. They refuse to listen, they've already wrapped too tightly around her fingers, but there's a dwindling chance and I don't waste any chances.

I guess I kind of owe Ms. Hawks something. It was a failed heist I did, the Jurisdiction Affairs wanted my head and they were going to get it, and then a woman appeared. She seemed like a regular person - smoking cigarettes in those small places built for old-fashioned people that keep up the smoking tradition from Earth, all those years ago. I was mainly smoking serpenthair. It's my only escape from this shithole for now.

"Hey. You." She looked up at me. I pretended not to notice, it's taught early on to kids that you're only allowed to talk to people who smoke cigarettes if you're over 36 years, they're dangerous. It's worth noting here that Ms. Hawks is one of, like, 5 people who do this anymore.

I was 33. I had the jures on me. What the hell else was I supposed to do than talk?

"...what?"

"Did your parents never teach you to not talk to strangers, especially ones who smoke?" She laughed. It was the ugliest sound I have ever heard, not because it sounded disgusting, but rather that it was... unnerving. "Anyways, your name is Ms. Teras, isn't it?" I was bewildered, but now knowing it was Ms. Hawks, I'm not surprised. "I heard you're a bit down on your luck." She gestured to my stick of serpenthair. I instinctively pulled it closer, like I was going to hide it.

"...yeah, kind of."

"Save me the sob story before you even start it, I know you tried your best at that heist... Despite your failure-" the word failure rang in my ear for the rest of the conversation "-I think you could be a valuable asset for my little... organization." She spoke slowly and sort of... creepily, making me change my posture to one that was even more defensive. She's a thin yet average-height woman, which makes her appear frail, but I've seen what she can do to people and it is not nice. Even before actually 'meeting' her, 33-year-old me knew she could fuck me up.

"...I wasn't going to tell you a sob story anyways. What's this... 'organization' of yours?" I was desperate, but I wasn't going to jump blindly into the criminal underworld. At least I thought so at that moment.

"The entire criminal underworld of this empire." She spat out the words, coldly, without any care in the world. After all, it was only the two of us in that smokeshack.

I stuttered before giving up on even trying to object to the fact that this random woman, smoking cigarettes, told a 33 year old to join the criminal underworld. "I mean... I can pick locks..."

"The new ones they put on all Center doors?" She squinted a little.

"Yeah."

"Hired. Turn up at 1357 tomorrow, or I'll give the Jurisdiction Affairs a little... help in finding you." I flinched, but managed to hide it well enough.

I swallowed, knowing this would either be the worst mistake or best choice of my life. "Okay." The woman walked straight past me, pausing behind me.

"Oh, by the way. I know your name, Cynthia Caroline Teras, but you don't know mine." She coughed, probably from smoking for ages. "Alice Hawks. Nice to meet you." She emphasised the word 'nice', which felt more chilling than it probably should.