CHAPTER 494: TOASTY GIFT

"Oof, not as good as whatever power you have my friend, but it will do the job until I acclimate thank you Apollo." Ambrose said after we made it to one of the acclimation rooms. I could tell from the way the gravity felt in this location that it was artificial gravity like what they have on ships and that over the next few hours, this room’s gravity would increase gradually to help everyone adjust.

Looking around I spotted a man almost a foot taller than me laying on the ground seemingly struggling to breathe. From a passive observation, I noticed his limbs seemed lanky and longer than they should be. ’Low or no gravity environments your whole life will fuck you up when you are introduced to higher gravity.’ I thought to myself. His bones were too brittle to support himself in this higher gravity causing the scene before me.

Suddenly realising I was being rude as science brain kicked in, I turned to Ambrose and replied. "Oh! No problem dude, I was happy to help out. You take care ok? Perhaps we can meet up again when we reach the moon?"

Ambrose smiled warmly, he expected to be an outcast here, being so old. But he was glad that he ran into friendly faces. "I would like that very much, Apollo. Also, Janine. I would love to ask more questions about you in the future. You are like an exotic jewel, I just can’t stop looking."

Janine chuckled nervously and rubbed the back of her neck. "Um, sure." She said before we left the area. As we were walking towards the enrollment line, I smiled at Janine and nudged her arm with my own.

"Looks like someone has an admirer~ Did you see the look of disappointment when I explained that I ’own you?’ His poor wife, I think he fell in love at first sight." I teased, causing Janine to look deadpan up at me.

"Apollo, we are in public and I am playing a role, don’t tease me when I can’t tease back. It is not fair." She said, causing me to nod in agreement with her statement. "Fine, I suppose you are right. But the moment we have privacy, you are being teased to no end."

...

Notifications began flaring in Jocasta’s mind. Her facial recognition she had done by memory had a hit! From the acclimation Room she spotted Apollo, a woman with purple hair, the sister. A Sepiida and a meek looking young man she expected to be her new apprentice.

Jocasta then immediately disconnected from the panels she had jacked into and rubbed her eyes to alleviate the odd feeling behind her eyes. It was a phantom stimuli, reminding her that she wasn’t an entire base’s security system and that she shouldn’t overload her brain and processors with doing that again anytime soon.

Jocasta then stood up and exited the building swiftly. The faster she acquired this new tes- apprentice, the faster she could begin imparting all her wisdom!

...

"Leave me alone Jason!" A woman screamed in the waiting line ahead of us. I couldn’t see her face but she had blue hair with a purple hue. Stood out of line next to her was a man with white hair who had a pained expression on his face.

"Althea, I-" The man, Jason, attempted to speak up, before being cut off again. "I don’t want anything to do with you! The only reason I haven’t popped a cap in your ass is because of all these witnesses! Fuck off and die!"

The man seemed visibly distraught hearing this and seemed like he was about to speak up again before someone else yelled. "Hey! Stop trying to butter!" "Guards! We have a butter!" "You’re a butter! A dirty line cutter!"

Having all the attention on himself now with those in line now causing a scene. He sighed. "We need to talk, Althea, this isn’t going to stop me." The woman didn’t even bother to respond this time before the man began to walk away, before being shoved to the side by a very familiar woman.

"Apollo! Is that you? I was hoping to run into you naturally instead of having to search for you. What a pleasant surprise." I smiled immediately recognising the woman. "Jocasta. A pleasure to meet you again.... Uhhh... The king isn’t here is he?" I said as I suddenly began to look around. Noticing the entire line surrounding me had gone completely silent, Cleary able to recognise a Spartari notable such as the War king’s right hand woman.

Jocasta’s eyes narrowed as a pleasant tone escaped her vocal box. "It seems you were indeed informed the day after about who you were so casually engaged in banter with. Oh that would have been quite the sight to see your handsome face become full of shock and surprise."

One of her mechanical tendrils then reached forward and brushed my cheek playfully. "No, the king isn’t here, however he did take a shining to you so don’t be surprised if you meet him again in the future, just act like you did that night and all will be well."

*Grrrrr*

A sudden growl emerged from behind me, causing Jocasta to take a peek. "Oh, you must be Orchid, Apollo’s sister, correct? A pleasure to make your acquaintance." Jocasta then extended another tendril out for a shake, but Orchid just continued to stand there, menacingly.

Feeling Orchids tension rise, I brought the subject back to topic. "is that so? Well that works for me as I wouldn’t know how else to act, he seemed like a top guy, though not very kingly if that is not offensive to say? He just seemed like a chill guy to me."

A series of gasps emerged from the surrounding individuals, but no one dared to speak. I looked around, sighed and pinched my glabella. ’For fuck sake, not again.’ I thought, realising I might have said something out of pocket, Jocasta, however, let out a binaric squawk before replying.

"Oh, that was hilarious Apollo. I will tell Sigismund that himself the next time I see him, he will get a good chuckle out of that. Now, onto the subject of why I am here..." Jocasta then turned to the meek man who was looking at her with an innocent smile.

"You must be this Ronnie with the amazing Psionic gift. Here, this is for you." Jocasta then handed a wrapped gift she was carrying over to Ronnie, who upon receiving the gift began laughing hysterically.

Jocasta’s eyes then squinted in unbridled delight leaving me confused. "Am I missing something? The present isn’t even opened yet." Ronnie then opened the wrapping for me and what was inside was a small toaster.

"The kind lady rewired this little thing to sing a little song. However, it got excited and did it early and it was hilarious as it began while it was not out of its wrapping yet and it realised, making a funny array of noises." Ronnie then looked up at Jocasta with a genuinely happy smile. "Thank you for this gift, it is wonderful."

Jocasta clinked some of her tendrils together, clearly happy that her new apprentice liked her gift. "Well Apollo did say you could speak with machines, I had to know instantly how true that actually was and it seems you are a wunderkind. I know a great deal of colleagues who would have struggled to hear that little jingle. Now, enough of our humorous little toaster. Are you ready to depart now Ronnie?"

Ronnie then turned to me and outstretched his hand. "Can you hold this for a moment, Apollo?" I then took the toaster and looked at it. ’I want to hear the funny song.’ I thought to myself as Ronnie began pulling out a binder from his backpack.

He then turned to Jocasta and extended to binder with a small metal drive on the front. "What is this?" Jocasta asked rhetorically as she took the binder. Ronnie answered anyway. "A contract. Mother is concerned for my well being and wants to make sure that I am protected legally and physically. The drive you can naturally download onto your person if you prefer not to read, the wording is identical."

Jocasta looked at her apprentice. A contract? The nerve... She was one of the most bright minds in the entire empire. She could order the goon who had been gawking at her to her right all this time to chop off his testicles with a rusty nail and the man would begin poking holes till they fell off, yet this child wanted a contract?

Jocasta then looked at Apollo and realised everyone in that family must be equally insane. "Very, well. Let’s see what your Mother, Sophia, wants for you."

Ignoring the inquisitive look I was giving her about her knowledge of Sophia, Jocasta inserted the drive into a slot on her neck and her eyes went glossy for a moment, before coming to seconds later.

She then glared at Ronnie in silence for a moment or two before asking.

"And what if I refuse this little contract of yours? Hmm?"