Chapter 38…
"Your new clothes, do they fit alright?"
In truth, they didn't. At the moment, the only thing shielding Ashley's body from the elements was a rather simple jumpsuit. The dark blue fabric of the article felt coarse and durable - which was a good thing. But the proportions were completely wrong; it had been clearly measured and designed to fit a much larger man. Ashley had had to roll her pant legs up several times so that they wouldn't snag underneath the soles of her boots; her sleeves had been given the same treatment, exposing the scarred flesh of Ashley's arms so that her hands would be uncovered.
And the boots… they weren't much better...
The boots were a simple black, neither interesting or uninteresting to look at. While they were warm, they were a tad bit on the snug side; and the steel plate hidden in the tip was beginning to cramp Ashley's toes.
"They're great," Ashley swallowed and tried to play off her lie. "Thanks Doctor…"
"Please," Doctor Fedorov adjusted his glasses. "When the workers found you you were wearing little more than dirty rags. I cannot in good faith release you without… something…"
Ashley tugged the rolled up sleeve of her left arm. She stood up from her seat and paced around the clinic's lobby for a moment, trying to break into her "new" boots. After a few moments of pacing she saddled up to the counter, laying her arms across its smooth surface.
"I-" Ashley started but then stopped. She could feel an unfamiliar heat rising in her chest. "I want to thank you again, doctor. You saved my life…"
The dark haired woman turned her head to the side and tapped her fingers on the surface of the counter. "Thank you…"
"Please, I was only performing my duties," Doctor Fedorov smiled. He was seated on the other end of the counter and rubbing his hands together gently. "I know that the past month or so has been difficult for you… but you were remarkably strong. Not many would have survived what was thrown at you… be proud."
"Still… thank you. I really mean it…" Ashley took a moment to compose herself. She sucked in a large intake of breath and steadied her shaking hands. "So… how much do I owe you?"
The smile evaporated off Fedorov's face and he shifted uncomfortably in his chair.
"Thank God… I was worried that I would ruin the moment if I brought it up," Fedorov loudly swallowed. The older man reached his hands into a drawer hidden beneath the counter and withdrew a piece of paper. On said piece of paper was Ashley's name, accompanied by a long list of treatments and services she had undergone.
"I have tried to be as fair as possible to you. Most of the cost comes from the medicines and antibiotics that were given to you… such things can be quite expensive…" Fedorov stopped rambling for a moment. The man placed the paper down on the top of the counter and slid it in Ashley's direction. "Perhaps… you should have a look…"
Ashley took one peek at the paper. She felt her heart drop into the pit of her stomach when she spotted all of the zeroes.
"Twenty thousand…" Ashley rattled out. "Shit…"
"I take it that you don't have the credits…"
In truth, Ashley did have the credits to pay for her lengthy hospital stay. The issue was, those credits were currently hidden under her bunk on the IMC Medusa.
All of those credits were physical…
Even if Ashley did have a virtual account with the IMC, the money would have been seized the moment she left. The several hundred thousand credits she had earned had probably already been confiscated and her bunk re-purposed.
Ashley was broke… flat broke… as in, didn't have two measly credits to rub together - broke…
"To be honest, doctor. I have absolutely no way of paying for this…"
"I… see," Fedorov's face darkened.
"Doctor…?"
"It seems that I have no choice but to… undo, my work…"
"What?" Ashley narrowed her eyes.
"I kid!" Doctor Fedorov laughed for a moment. "I understand that you cannot pay now… it was to be expected. Perhaps we could set up a plan?"
"I'm going to pay you back," Ashley stiffened her upper lip. "I promise…"
"I believe you!" Fedorov smiled. He reached his hand into another drawer and withdrew a small sack.
"This is what you had in your pockets when we found you…" Fedorov dropped the sack onto the counter.
Ashley gripped the small sack with her fingertips and undid the drawstring. Inside was a small pocket knife and a few credit chips. The dark haired slipped her fingers into the pouch and withdrew half of the sum of the credits - placing them on the counter and sliding them in Fedorov's direction.
"Are you sure?" Fedorov frowned as he gingerly accepted the currency. "In your situation even a single credit is useful…"
"My situation is that I'm going to pay for this bill," Ashley relaxed her shoulders. "The twenty-thousand I owe is now nineteen-thousand and nine-hundred."
Fedorov nodded and slipped the credits into the counter's change drawer.
"Do you know where I might find work?" Ashley asked.
"There is plenty of work… but I do not know how well paying-"
"That doesn't matter…"
"Speak to a man named Dema. You will find him across the street at the bar," Fedorov raised his hand and pointed at the open door of the clinic. "He knows the markets better than I…"
"Then I guess that's it then," Ashley raised her hand. Doctor Fedorov grasped the offered limb and they shared a brief shake. "Until next time, doctor…"
"Hopefully not to soon!" Fedorov chuckled. "Or at least, under healthier circumstances…"
Offering the doctor a very rare smile, Ashley turned on her heel and left the clinic. She tucked the small sack containing her only belongings into the pocket of her jumpsuit.
Ashley crossed the muddy street in twenty steps and walked up the wooden stairs to reach the aforementioned bar. The building was two stories in height; and like the rest of Okraina's constructs was fashioned from wood, alloy, and worn-out solar panels. Much to Ashley's surprise, the main doors of the establishment were a swinging saloon style.
Stiffening her lip and straightening her back, Ashley pushed open the doors and strolled into the bar.
Perhaps it was due to the early morning, but there were no other patrons. The floor and tables sat empty in the gloomy low-light of the building's interior.
The sole inhabitant of the bar was standing behind the establishment's counter. He was a tall man - two to three heads taller than Ashley herself. His face was hard, bruised and quite ugly - almost comparable to that of a bulldog. In his gigantic hands he was holding a flagon, which he was vigorously cleaning with a washcloth.
For a moment, Ashley and the man stared at each other.
The man was the first to speak, although Ashley had no idea what he was saying. Like Fedorov and the town's other inhabitants, he spoke in a harsh sounding language that Ashley came to understand was a dialect of old Russian.
Shaking her head, the dark haired woman opened her mouth and pointed at it. She then took her hand and slapped her fingers against her thumb - mimicking the motion of a mouth open and closing.
"How about now?" The man suddenly spoke in flawless English. Like Fedorov, his tone was slurred with a heavy accent. "Understand?"
"Yeah," Ashley nodded. "I understand…"
"Have you come for drink?" The big man asked, crossing his arms across his barrel chest.
Ashley nodded and approached the bar. She found a seat on a vacant stool and rested her exposed forearms on the countertop.
"You…" The large man trailed off, his eyes glued on Ashley's face. His eyes trailed down and scanned the jagged scars criss-crossing the skin of her forearms. "Are the woman that the workers found, yes? The one hiding in the tree stump?"
Ashley frowned. "So I've heard…"
A brawny hand suddenly occupied Ashley's field of vision, making her shrink back. It took the dark haired woman a moment to realize that it had been extended for a shake.
"I am Dema," the big man introduced himself. "You?"
"Ashley," the dark haired woman answered. She accepted his offered hand and gave him a shake; Ashley could feel the bones in her hand shift underneath his imposing fingers.
"So, Ashley," Dema clicked his tongue. Ashley couldn't help but notice how he mispronounced her name when he spoke, as the "a" in her name was an "e".
"What will you be having?"
"Good question," Ashley frowned. Her eyes scanned the shelf filled with dusty bottles. She could feel the urge for alcohol gnawing at the inside of her throat…
"Water…" Ashley flicked her hand dismissively. "Please."
"Glass of water is twenty credits," Dema crossed his arms. "Can you pay?"
Ashley fought down the urge to cough.
"Twenty? For just water!?"
"There is rule on Antheia, you know it well by now, yes?" Dema snorted. "You-"
"-don't drink from the streams, yeah…" Ashley sighed and rubbed her temples. "I know all about that…"
"Then you should know that clean water is expensive here," Dema deflated a little. "But… for you I will make a one-time exception."
The large man reached underneath the counter and retrieved a glass bottle filled with water. Taking a clean cup off of the drying rack, he filled the cup to its brim and placed it down in front of Ashley.
"That's kind of you…"
"Maybe I am being kind… maybe I am just buttering you up for repeat business," Dema cracked an unpleasant grin. "
Ashley shrugged and took a sip of the cool liquid.
"Thanks…"
"The first is free, after that you pay…" Dema warned, wagging a brawny finger in the air. "There is no charity here."
"On the topic of charity… I'm looking for work," Ashley hastily changed the subject. "Any leads?"
"Ah… I take it that you owe money to the doctors, yes?"
"Got it in one…"
"You need not worry about Aleksandr, he is a patient man."
"Who?"
"Oh?" Dema's face lit up in surprise for a moment. "Oh yes. You need not worry about Aleksandr Fedorov… or 'Doctor Fedorov'... however you call him. He will not chase you for the credits like some others around here…"
Dema paused and leaned in Ashley's direction.
"You want suggestion? Leave in the night and run…"
Ashley narrowed her eyes. "And stiff the guy that saved my life?"
"Who would stop you?"
Truthfully, Ashley considered Dema's suggestion for a moment; but she dismissed the idea just as quickly.
She owed the doctor a pound of flesh… she would pay it…
"I'm going to pay him back…" Ashley squared her shoulders. "That's the plan…"
"Hmpth," the smallest hint of a smile twitched on the corners of Dema's lips. He picked up the flagon and rag he had been cleaning before and resumed the action.
"There is work to be found around here. Tell me, can you lift heavy objects while standing in the sun?"
Ashley narrowed her eyes. "Yes?"
"Then go to the mill in the West and speak with a man named Gregori. You cannot miss him, the man is uglier than sin itself," Dema laughed loudly. "The man will give you some work. But take my suggestion… count out the credits he gives you before you leave for the day…"
Ashley stood up, drained the last of her water, and wiped her mouth.
"Thanks, Dema."
The man grunted something incoherent in response.
After stopping some of the locals to ask for directions and a brisk fifteen minute walk, Ashley found the mill. Part of the reason she knew she was heading in the right direction was the amount of tree stumps she encountered.
The industrial center that was her destination was located in a small nook on the outskirts of the town. A wide river snaked through the area, the force of the water turning a large wheel on the mill - a shockingly primitive form of power generation.
Other than the birdsong and the droning chirps of insects, the air was filled with the roar of automated saws. Jumpsuit clad workers rushed around the area - occasionally yelling instructions or orders to each other. Many heads turned when Ashley made her presence known. The dark haired woman walked straight into the central building, removing her hands from her pockets as she did so. She could feel dozens of eyes on her person.
Turning her gaze in the direction of one of the idling men, Ashley took a moment to clear her throat before speaking.
"Gegori?" Ashley spoke quietly, nodding her head at the man she had singled out. He did not respond and simply shook his head. The man lifted his finger to point at the far end of the mill, where a small desk and chair had been shoved into a corner.
"Thanks," Ashley nodded. The man did not smile at her, he and the rest of his companions slowly wandered off to continue their work.
Slipping her hands back into the pockets of her jumpsuit, Ashley walked off in the direction that man had indicated. She hovered by the desk and chairs for an indiscernible amount of time - waiting for someone to tell her where to go.
"Why are you here?"
The voice snapped Ashley out of her thoughts and she turned to face the speaker. Standing five feet from her was a man in a worn out mechanic's jumpsuit. He looked older than Ashley, if the wrinkles around his whiskery mouth were any indication.
"I'm here for work," Ashley blinked. "I was told to speak to a man named Gregori. I don't suppose you're him?"
The man snorted. "Please… do not insult me so…"
"Huh?"
"You want to meet Gregori? Come, I take you to him."
The new man turned abruptly on his heel and Ashley scrambled to follow him. He led her outside of the bustling mill and over a small knoll.
"I didn't hear your name, what is it?" The man asked over his shoulder.
"Ashley Ishikara," the dark haired woman answered. "You?"
"Anatoly," the man identified himself. "Miss Ashley, I would like to apologize for what is about to happen…"
"What?"
Anatoly stopped abruptly and Ashley nearly ran into his back. The man shooed Ashley off of him before cupping his hands around his mouth in a ring.
"Gregori!" Anatoly tittered. "Where are you!?"
Anatoly then shouted again in his native language - perhaps the same statement.
After a few moments there was an answer, it came in the form of an angry groan. The sound emanated from behind a nearby tree stump; out from behind the stump came the most washed up looking man Ashley had ever seen.
His dress shirt and slacks were covered in a myriad of colorful stains - the most prominent of which was grass stains. The man's hair was simultaneously balding and too long, with a bad comb over that did not hide the gleaming bald spot on his head. His face was weather beaten and Ashley found herself agreeing with Dema's assessment of his appearance.
Worst of all was the stink of stale alcohol; it clung to the man like a miasma.
'Was that how I smelled back in that bar on Erebus II?' Ashley thought to herself.
The newly announced man slurred in the foreign language. He crudely wiped his mouth with the back of his hand before sliding his dirty palm against his pants.
"Meet, Gregori. He is the fine man who owns the lovely mill," Anatoly sneered at Ashley. "You were looking for work, yes? Go ahead then…"
Ashley straightened her back and cleared her throat. "Excuse me? I'm looking for work-"
Gregori spat something incomprehensible at Ashley, once again taking a moment to crudely wipe his mouth.
"You do not speak our tongue?" Anatoly interjected. The man examined Ashley's face for a moment with interest.
"No…" Ashley frowned. "Russian, right? I don't speak it…"
"Hmpth, I should have known that already..." Anatoly responded. "On Antheia it is common, but off-world it is seldom spoken."
"Ah…"
"Allow me…" Anatoly offered. The man turned his attention towards Gregori and let loose a harsh sounding collection of words.
Gregori responded in Russian, but his rheumy eyes stayed locked on Ashley.
"He says that he will take a new worker," Anatoly muttered. "But he… wants a test…"
"Test?" Ashley quirked an eyebrow. "What kind?"
"He…" Anatoly rattled out a long sigh and closed his eyes, "wants you to lift that log up… a test of strength he says."
Anatoly visibly sighed and gave Ashley an annoyed look. He jabbed the air with his hand to point at a log resting on the ground behind Ashley.
"Alright," Ashley turned to view the small log that Anatoly had indicated. "Seems easy enough…"
Bending over, Ashley slipped her fingers underneath the damp wood and tightened her grip. She froze mid lift when she felt a foreign hand clamp down onto her rear end.
Promptly dropping the log, Ashley whirled around and planted her fist straight into the face of the man responsible for grabbing her. Gregori's jaw snapped to the side with an audible crack and the man crumpled to the ground in a heap.
Tearing her gaze away from the now unconscious owner of the mill, Ashley gave Anatoly a harsh glare. To her surprise, the man actually looked pleased.
"Good hit!" Anatoly complimented. "Good night, sweet Gregori!"
"What the fuck was that!?" Ashley hissed. "Huh!?"
"Just Gregori for you, do not say that you weren't given hints," Anatoly yawned and brushed off his clothes. "That was a good punch, you seem very strong. Do you still want a job?"
"Define job…" Ashley grit her teeth.
"Lifting wood, cutting wood, loading wood," Anatoly explained with a smirk, his brown eyes twinkling. "When word of this gets out, I think the other guys will like you…"
"And him?" Ashley forked her thumb in Gregori's direction. The man was lying on the ground, moaning in pain and with his eyes closed.
"He barely remembers to tie his shoes, he does not remember who is on his payroll. I assure you that he will not remember this," Anatoly chuckled. The man began walking off in the direction of the mill and beckoned with his hand for Ashley to follow. "Come, I will show you the basics…"
And just like that, Ashley's new life as a manual laborer began...