(… continuing)

It didn’t take long for the four to reach The Triggerarti. Dukk and Marr were still feeling a little dazed, so they stopped just inside the door and looked around. The place was busy. There was a good buzz.
“And, there they are!” boomed a voice from the direction of the bar. “Dukk, captain of the Dinatha and his crew. Setting the gold standard for long hauling.”
Wallace came across to them from where he had been sitting at the bar.
Dukk smiled. “Hello, Wallace. You are too kind.”
Some of the other punters looked around. But most took no notice. Clearly, Wallace’s booming voice and antics weren’t that unusual.
“And, you have my newest team member with you,” Wallace added as he looked beyond them.
Dukk and Marr turned their heads to look behind them. Bognath grinned back. Luna looked across at Bognath too. She had a curious expression.
“By the way, Bognath, I am about to secure your first assignment,” Wallace said with a wink.
“Come,” Wallace beckoned as he walked back towards the bar. “By the look of it, you’ve found even more excitement on your way through the streets of Utopiam. Barman, these guests will need extra ice with their drinks.”
The barman was waiting for them at the bar. He reached under the bar and came back with three medi-packs.
Dukk reached over and took them. He passed one each to Marr and Luna, before resting the third against his cheek.
“You must be thirsty and hungry, their table, barman?”
The barman waved at a server. The server came across.
“Dukk, do you have a minute?” Wallace said before they moved off.
“Go ahead,” Dukk said to the others.
The server headed off in the direction of the stairs. The others followed.
Wallace took a seat at the bar. Dukk joined him.
“Speaking of Bognath,” Wallace said. “Things have heated up for you. Not totally clear to me if things are going with you or against you. I may have contributed in someway. But anyway, the past is the past. And regardless of whatever is behind the heat, I have my own interests to protect. So, I have taken advantage of an opportunity that was put before me. I have employed Bognath to protect my interests, so to speak.”
“Your interests?
“The beef you are transporting to Mayfield.”
“Oh, right. So, you are footing the bill for our security needs?”
“No, not entirely, just Bognath's wage and overheads. For the duration of the contract.”
Dukk laughed.
“Of course, that is if you agree. The choice is yours,” Wallace added.
“And we've had that conversation before.”
“We have.”
“Then, it is thank you, I guess.”
“You are welcome, Dukk. Right, I have other matters to attend to, and I am sure you are hungry and in need of a few drinks.”
Wallace then turned and looked up at the balcony. He found the crew’s table and caught Bognath's attention. Wallace gave him a thumbs up and smiled. Then he swung off the stool and headed for the door.

Dukk headed up the stairs and joined the others. It wasn’t long before Annee, Bazzer and Mentor joined them. With everyone there, Dukk welcomed Bognath and shared the details of the latest arrangements.
With the first round of drinks on the table, Dukk made a toast. “To the fine crew of the Dinatha, what a team. To all that was, is and yet to be. Thanks, I give!”
“Thanks, I give!” came the reply.

As the drinks came back to rest on the table, Mentor stood up, abruptly, from his seat at the opposite end of the table. “Long time, give me a second, I am in a noisy spot,” Mentor said into his comms. He then left the table and headed for the balcony door.
An instant later, a familiar loud tone rang in Dukk’s comms. “Shit!” he said out loud. He glanced around the table. The others looked to be expressing similar expletives.
Dukk started taking deep breaths. He only got two done before the noise started. An ear piercing scream filled his comms. Dukk instinctively put his hands to his ears and pulled his head into his chest. He tried to breathe. It wasn’t easy with the incredibly loud noise ringing in his ears. He felt like it lasted for an hour, but Dukk knew it was only thirty seconds. When it stopped, Dukk looked around. Everyone in the bar had suffered the same dreadful experience. Dukk tried not to hold his breath. He knew what was coming next.
“ATTENTION,” boomed a voice in his comms. “Brawling and fighting is beneath those that are awakened. It is your duty to report all unusual behaviour. Remember we all must suffer for the inconsiderate actions of others. Only through this will we all be safe. We do this for your own wellbeing.”
Dukk regained his composure, picked up his drink and took a long hard pull.
The others did the same.
“Right then, that’s made me even more hungry,” Bazzer laughed.
The others tried to laughed too.

The next evening, Marr and Dukk were sitting in the cockpit. The rest of the previous evening, had been loads of fun and far less dramatic. The loading and launch had progressed as normal and they were now biding their time ahead of the first traverse.
“Can I ask you something?” Dukk said to Marr as he enabled his bracelet.
“Sure, what is it?” Marr answered following suit on the bracelet.
“The old woman we met yesterday in the orchards. Luna said she was a story teller?”
“She did?”
“Did she tell you stories?”
“Yes, I’ve known her for several years. She has shared loads of stories.”
“I need help with something. Perhaps you know the story. I have fragments of a tale, a story, I just can't remember much of it.”
“What do you remember?”
“All I have is a memory of a mountain, toil and carrying something.”
“I think I know it. The Creator’s Experiment.”
“Would you share it with me?”
“Are you sure?”
“Absolutely.”
“Fine, here goes.”

Marr then proceeded to share the Creator’s Experiment as she had heard it told many times. She told it as she had been sharing it with Luna since Teacher’s instructions before leaving Earth for the first time.

After the story was told, a tear formed in Dukk’s eye. “I know that story. The dreams. They are connected”, Dukk reflected to himself.
“Are you ok?” Marr asked.
Dukk struggle to find any words to share. It was clear what he had seen in the dream and what he had been holding.
Then the charm sounded. It was time for the first traverse.
“Saved by the bell,” Dukk replied in gest.
Marr smiled. “Not the time,” she thought to herself.

(to be continued...in the next chapter)

[Rule of Twelve, Double Take, Chapter 23 - Pivoting (Passage 5 of 5)]

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