Paladin: Off to a Rocky Start
#2 of Paladin
Paladin
Off to a Rocky Start
It's been a few months since my life was turned upside down. I have to maintain this visage that I am failing at maintaining. I'm supposed to be this hot shot billionaire and all I want to do is get away. I'm loathing this place that has been suddenly trust upon me. I am resenting my survival on that accursed ship. There were two other survivors why did he choose me? I would have preferred it.
I wish I would have been able to turn down the job offer. +but we needed the damn credits and now I don't need it anymore. I often find that the money I have is making me depressed. It's getting outrageous I used to like getting stuff after working hard for I liked feeling good about my hard work. There is no hard work anymore it's all too convenient.
All I have done in the past two months is move into a big pent house ten thousand stories up. Here is the real kicker though I hate heights. I feel like I'm supposed to be this big liberal fat cat who would cut pay of those around him just to make a dollar more an hour. I always despised those kinds of people.
I have recently concocted a plan to make a suit, a combat suit. I need to keep myself alive out there some of these guys are really dangerous and armed to the teeth. So I need it to make sure I won't get killed by some lucky shot. I won't be invincible but it should keep me from accidental death.
I don't have all of the expertise I need, so I've cooked up a little plan. One of the benefits of being rich means others who are rich will flock to success. I have decided to throw a party in order to attain what I needed, or establish a means to contact these people. Mr. Yamamoto a robotics industrialist, Ms. Trenia exclusive military design, Mr. and Mrs. Dudley the premiere researchers in bio engineering and incorporating robotics into the nervous system, these are the main reasons for throwing this bash. The fate of my design was in the hands of these four stuffy, rich assholes, I guess in this world that made them gods. I don't respect these idiots but I need their expertise.
I haven't really been alone this whole two months, I wish I was. Raven has been anything but help. She's got this hard exterior that I swear comes from years of being alone. Not that I can honestly blame her but she's not making this any easier on me. It might have been because of how I was after the whole thing with that guy. Yet oddly even though she has probably got me beat out with knowledge and age from two millennia I find her attractive. I miss my late wife so much that I've even designated a room to her in this damn penthouse. I can't help but feel it's a little sick.
"Speak of the devil," I said.
"What," Raven asked.
"I was just thinking about you," I said.
"Really, anything good," she asked.
"Maybe," I said.
"So I hear that you are having a party tomorrow," she said.
"Yes I am and here is your invite," I said handing her a lavishly decorated envelope.
"I might come by for a few minutes, just to see if anyone shows up," she said.
"Yeah, yeah I get it you dislike me, and you are superior to everyone," I said irritably.
I know I may have been a bit snappy, but I had had it with her. I had to keep let it go but then she'd make some snide remark again. Sure I forgive and forgive and I take all of what I get because I have to. There is a point I do start to get mad about it however and she was working on getting there in a hurry. She didn't say anything just picked up the invitation and walked out. I wasn't about to un invite her but I was not going to tolerate her insulting me after all I've done is forgive.
Even as a kit I was understanding and forgiving. I was wronged many times and many times my tolerance was something of envy. I never stood up for myself I just laid down and let then have what they wanted. I guess its finally coming to a point where I'm just tired of it. Maybe I just ate how my life's going right now who the fuck knows.
The Next Day...
This damn day couldn't get any longer. I had the government pissing down my neck about some stupid installation. My company didn't even do the installment of that particular model. In fact, that model is an illegal prototype, it took my design which I haven't given the rights to anyone as of yet. So I had to file a claim in order to inform them that someone within that company is stealing.
Then to top it all off there was a death in one of the factories. Now there's going to be an investigation, and all this other shit I don't need right now. I have to allow them to interview all of my staff and check the structural integrity, not that there's anything wrong with it. Standard procedure to check all deaths as accidents, but damn it all, it's going to be all over the fucking news. It doesn't look good to other corporations when you are being investigated.
I got up and went into the luxurious kitchen. I went over the stainless steel, three door fridge and grabbed a long neck Klaw. Imported from Joster itself, I couldn't afford it much before but I always managed to get an eighteen case every time there was a special occasion. It was some of the best damn beer in this galaxy. I twisted off the cap and let the bitter liquid slide down my throat.
I gulped a lot of it down in one shot. I just finished when there was a ding at the elevator. The bell hops brought in all of my party supplies, mostly just alcoholic beverages and food. It was supposed to be a black tie event and would be pretty small about fifty to sixty people. I wanted some of the most important people there, but I had also invited a few old friends. They were hopefully going to attend, but knowing what had been happening recently, I wouldn't blame them.
A few hours later the first guests arrived. Soon the place was almost full, I had seen Raven somewhere in the fray but then she disappeared on me. I found my key guests and started rubbing elbows with them. I got a few meetings set up and then grabbed a cold one and went over to a corner in further from the party. Not that it mattered anyway some stupid woman came over and started talking to me. She didn't pick up the fact that I wasn't interested.
"So, big boy do you have a girl," she asked.
"Yeah its called my work," I said.
"Oh, well is there any other girl in your life that is a physical being," she asked.
"She died," I answered simply.
"Oh, well...," she started to say.
"Look he's not interested, can't you take a damn hint," a familiar voice said.
I looked up to see Raven in a deep purple, silk dress. It blended seemingly well with her black fur. I looked at her face to see a hair tie holding back her hair; it was simple but elegant at the same time. I then noticed how deep her eyes could take a person.
Finally I said, "Didn't expect to see you here, sounded like you had other things to do."
"The hell was that about," she said in a frustrated tone.
"What do you mean, that girl over there, hell I've been trying to get her to leave me alone all night," I said.
"Really it didn't seem like you were trying too hard," she said offended.
"I have had a long day, I have to make sure I don't lose my cool," I said.
"Well I think you are full of-," she stopped as a light was shining upon us.
"Now let's have the host of this party have the first dance with his beautiful date," the DJ announced.
"Did you plan this," she whispered.
"Hell no," I replied in a equally quiet tone.
The DJ had selected a classic song from the rock and roll age. Aerosmith's "Don't Want to Miss a Thing". We accepted our fate and locked hands. I told her to follow my lead, I used to dance with my wife and before that I was learning dancing along with engineering because of my mom's rule that I needed an after school activity.
I started out with a simple for step box dance. I slowly increased the difficulty. She was pretty good I thought she wouldn't have been so advanced, but then again she had a lot longer than I did to learn to dance. She was trying to argue with me while we were dancing but I was focused on my task at hand. When the song was close to being over, it felt like I was dancing with my wife. When it was finished, I leaned in and kissed her right on the lips.
It took a moment for me to register what was happening. As soon as I realized I was kissing her I broke it. I was embarrassed but I managed to keep my cool. I walked away, and got a bourbon and whiskey. I gulped it down as quickly as I could. Apparently Raven was even more stunned for she stood there for a few minutes. After recovering her cool she walked over to me, it didn't seem as if though she was mad.
Upon arriving at the bar she took a seat and said, "What was that over there."
"It was an accident. I didn't mean to," I said.
Getting closer she asked, "Didn't mean to what?"
I started to reply but as soon as my lips parted, I felt hers brush up against mine. I can barely think. I thought she hated me, I mean I was sure I was dead after that. Ah hell, live in the moment. I start kissing back. It was even more passionate than I ever had with my wife. Then at the seeming thought of my wife I stop. She pulls away, sensing something might be off.
"What's wrong," she asked.
I looked away and said, "I can't do this. Us in any kind of relationship, at least not yet. Not with death barely half a year ago. I never had to grieve for someone before. Did you ever have to deal with it?
"Yes, more than enough. I guess that's where I got my hard exterior," she said.
"You know if you don't mind me saying, you are a more passionate person," I said.
"No not at all I find that flattering," she said.
Someone who we didn't notice walked up to me, he looked oddly familiar he said, "I know you are upset that your wife died, but she wants you to move on. I know, because I've spoken with her."
Then I recognized him, it was god in my grandpa's youth so I said, "Well it makes me feel better then. Thank you."
The conversation ended with that and he disappeared in the crowd. I didn't see him again at the party after that. The party started winding down after a while. I said good bye to all of the important guests and then there was just one person left and I don't think she was going to be leaving anytime soon.
We were having a good time but she was smashed. She had ingested about two full bottles of red wine, and a case of my favorite imported beer. Needless to say she wasn't thinking clearly, and there was no way in hell I'd let her drive in her current state. I sent her up to get some sleep. I'm going to lie on the couch. I have a big day tomorrow at RoBo Co. the leading manufacturer in personal robots. I need to figure out a few coding algorithm's for targeting systems.