A Companion's Journey

Chapter 8 - A New Goal

The next few days passed relatively quickly for Karson and Rachel. They resumed their normal schedule after the federal ruling had time to disseminate through society. Karson wrote during the day and the two played games after dinner each night.

The weekend was the usual affair, and the pair visited The Grinning Bulldog again on Saturday after spending the afternoon in the park. Karson noticed there was a larger number of Companions out and about since the last time they visited. He took it as a good sign that Companions were able to move about more freely. Karson also noticed that he rarely saw any Guardians using a leash.

During their visit to the Bulldog, Karson took the opportunity to approach Molly for a special request when Rachel made a trip to the restroom. He knew she would likely tell Bobby about the proposition, which did not bother him. However, he strictly wanted to keep it a surprise from Rachel.

Quite simply, Karson asked Molly for a job.

She was curious as to why he would want to keep it a secret from Rachel, but did not persist when he told her that he needed a way to make some money. Molly knew Karson was very reliable and trustworthy, and did not hesitate to say yes. They agreed that he would work part time during the middle of the day, which would allow him to get home before Rachel and still give him time to write during the evenings.

To make a little extra money, Karson wrote the occasional article for one of the newspapers and did some ghost writing for a new magazine targeted at Guardians and their Companions. Now that Companion rights had changed, the magazine was also changing its format to accommodate the newfound readership. He wondered if the editor would allow him to publish anything under his own name.

Monday arrived in its usual way with Rachel rushing off to work.

"Have a good day sweetie! Talk to you at lunch?"

She kissed Karson, and he nodded before she disappeared out the door.

He went about some chores before he settled in to write. After a nice chat during lunch, he took a break during the afternoon to look online at the possibility of getting a bicycle for travel to the Bulldog. It was roughly 6 miles away; not a considerable distance, but Karson did not want to spend his new income on public transit if he could avoid it. He figured the better investment would be his own transportation.

The selection of bicycles that would accommodate his body type was severely limited, as well as expensive. Feeling a little disappointed, he pondered how to manage the commute when an advertisement on one of the web pages caught his eye. It was for inline skates made specifically for Companions. When he visited the sight, it had the inventory of skates available for sorting by different criteria, body type being one of them.

He selected "Second Generation" and was presented with a page of 20 different models of skates. They ranged in price from $40-200, and he looked at them all. He was reluctant to spend $200 on a pair of skates, but he also knew they would get a good deal of use.

He finally singled out the "Sprinter" model because of the reviews, pointing out that the skates were very comfortable and quite durable. Karson made note of the model number and color (Speed Demon Red), but would have to wait until his first paycheck to make the order. He was satisfied to see that with shipping the skates would cost him $75, and he deemed it an acceptable expenditure.

Karson spent the rest of the day writing until he heard the familiar clack of the door locks opening. He continued to work knowing Rachel would step in on her way to the bedroom to change clothes.

This time however, she called excitedly from the living room.

"Karson, did you hear the news? I bet there's a story on right now, come here."