The Apocalypse Contract

CHAPTER 9 - SYDNEY

Sydney swallowed several anti-nausea pills, washing them down with a swallow of lukewarm tea. She had undergone another chemotherapy treatment the day before, and the after effects still lingered. The latest scans showed her cancer still growing, so her doctor had upped the chemo dosage and added another drug to the cocktail. It made her feel like hammered crap. She clung to the desperate hope of an extraterrestrial cure. She paced back and forth in her apartment, examining her calendar for the fifth time. Seven days. Monday. That was today. They should contact her today.

The aliens reappeared in her apartment one week after their first visit, almost to the minute.

"Have you considered our proposal?" one of them asked.

"Holy catfish," Sydney gasped, "give a woman some warning." She carefully set her tea down on the coffee table, collapsed into her reading chair, then focused on her breathing.

Business Suit Alien tilted his head as he replied. "We informed you one week ago we would be returning at this time."

They were wearing the same outfits as before, though Sydney noticed the price tags had been removed. "Yeah, well, you still should have called or emailed or something to confirm the time. I've been wandering around all morning wondering when you were going to show up... if you were going to show up."

"We adhere to our commitments," Casual Alien responded as he joined his well dressed friend on the sofa. "Your employment history suggests you do as well. Are you ready to work with us?"

"I'm considering it, but you still owe me an answer regarding my cats."

Business Suit Alien turned briefly to his companion before replying. "Our analysis indicates minimal additional resource utilization if your feline companions accompany you. Their inclusion is acceptable."

Sydney let out a breath she hadn't realized she had been holding. "OK then. We just need to hammer out a few details, and we can make this happen."

"Our research into the domestic feline has been fascinating," Casual Alien interjected. "Were you aware that the typical cat's brain has approximately three hundred million neurons? That is less than one percent the number in a typical human brain."

Sydney paused a moment before answering. "I did not know that."

"And yet a cat has nearly forty times more nerve endings in their nasal cavity, providing them a much more sophisticated sense of smell," he continued.

"That makes sense, I guess."

Business Suit Alien turned and somehow managed to hang an exasperated look on his expressionless mannequin face. "None of this is really pertinent to our current negotiations."

Casual Alien turned toward Business Suit. They stared at each other for several seconds, then Casual faced Sydney again and said, "We can accommodate your feline companions."

"OK. Good." Sydney glanced from one alien to the other, wondering what had passed between them. "So... financial compensation. We agreed on one hundred per hour deposited in an interest bearing account. I've got an investment account with Boston Fiduciary Partners LLC. I can give you routing codes to deposit directly into that."

"We only work with non-profit credit unions," Business Suite replied.

"Really?"

"The philosophy of cooperative institutions is more compatible with our social interactive framing."

"Um... well, I do have a checking account with Seabreeze Credit Union."

"We are familiar with that institution. They offer several interest bearing options."