"When," asked Jak. "Am I going to wake up in my clothes again?" Jak got out of bed, cracked his neck and pulled on a pair of long denim blue pants and a black button up shirt. He stepped into his boots and walked into the kitchen. There he saw Rail standing at ease staring out the open window onto the streets below. people already starting to go about there buisness.
"Have you ever felt unappriciated?" asked Rail in an amazingly calm voice. "Like you know that everyday your life is on the line and no one cares? You fight and you fight and you fight and you never question if what you're doing is right or just but every once in a while you'd like some recognition for it. For once you want somone to pat you on the back and say good job? For once you'd like to go to the palace to be rewarded and not given another chance to die."
"All the time," said Jak. "I mean look at me. I'm not trying to blow my own trumpet but I killed Krew, he was going to sell the city out to the Metal-Heads, I killed Kor and that threw down the Metal-Head army..."
"Which made my life a hell of a lot easier by the way..."
"Yeah," continued Jak. "And all I've gotten out of it is... well... nothing."
"You got Keria," said Rail. He turned to face him, his spiked hair casting an impending shadow on the floor. "That's what you got Jak, the greatest prize of all, you've got a woman who loves you."
"And what do you have Rail?" asked Jak. "What drives you to get up and fight, what makes you do it?"
Rail didn't answer for a few moments but Jak saw him staring into he and Keria's bedroom. He saw Keria still asleep but as beautiful as ever. "She does," he answered simply. "Everything I've done for two years has been for her, I did it all for her knowing that we could never be together but still doing it."
"She still loves you." said Jak. "You did the one thing I couldn't, you protected her when I couldn't."
Suddenely something on Jak's dresser buzzed. He went and flipped open his comm unit. It was Torn.
"Hey Torn," said Jak. "What's up."
"Ashelin," said the old warrior cocking his head in the direction of he and Ashelin's bed.. "And she wants you over at the palace. We got someone for you to meet."
"Well if it's an old KG officier named Rail you can forget it he stopped by last night."
"Really?" asked Torn. Jak showed the screen to Rail so Torn could see him. "Fine," he said. "But Ashelin still wants you over here. Both of you." Torrn clicked off and Jak did the same.
"Was Torn always that polite?" he asked Rail.
"Oh yeah..." said Rail. "A real cherry fellow."
At this time Keria awoke. She, in Jak's clothes again, walked over to the two guys and hugged them both. "You boys getting along all right?" she asked.
"Yeah," said Rail. "We're cool."
"But unfortuantely," said Jak. "We have to got the palace, Ashelin needs us to see something."
"Why don't you come with?" asked Rail, seeing her crestfallen face. She had been hoping to force the guys over to the JET-Board course or take in a race. "I'm sure you could have a pretty good time while Ashelin and Torn bore us with some crap."
"Okay!" said Keria, cheering up considerabely. "Let me get changed first."
"Right." said Jak.
Keria went off, got changed and met Jak and Rail in Jak's three person hovercar and they flew off. Rail and Keria sat in the back which made Jak a little nervous but he trusted the two to keep their hands to themselves, of course they didn't know he had a gun in his glove compartment. After a bit of traffic they set down in front of the palace. Jak and Rail each got their ID cards out and walked to the main gate. The slid the cards and a mechanical voice said
WELCOME...JAK KERIA AND RAIL... TO THE PALACE OF HAVEN CITY
The great doors of the palace opened and Jak, Keria and Rail strode in. The trio signed their names in the log book and went to the lobby desk.
"We're here to see Governess Ashelin." said Rail. "Torn called for us this morning."
"Yes, sir," said the respectionist. "Just let me check my admittance log.... yes here you are." he turned away and pulled a small blue disk and handed it to Rail. "That is the key to Ashelin's personal chamber. She and Torn should be there waiting for you."
Rail nodded and stood out of the way so Jak could talk.
"Hey buddy," said Jak. "The girl's gonna get kinda bored so I was wondering if you could give her the whole make-up, massage, hot tub thing. You know what I mean?"
"Yes, sir," said the man. He stood up and took Keria by the arm. "If you'll follow me madam we'll get you set up in the royal make-up room and..." They disappeared behind a door and Jak turned to Rail and motioned for him to go to the elevator. The duo stepped in and Rail pressed the button to level B. Jak took the disc from him and looked at the label.
"Room B-2," said Jak. "What does that mean?"
"Room B-2 is Ashelin's personal room. Praxis lived in B-1. Suprised she didn't move there..." he said open endedly as the door opened at level B. Rail and Jak stepped out and soon found room B-2. Rail pressed his hand against the pad and it opened without question. They were greeted by the sight of Ashelin's back with Torn's hands working their way up her shirt.
Rail was about to say something but Jak put a hand over his mouth.
"You know Torn," Ashelin tried to say between kisses. "Jak and... Rail will be.... here... soon."
"Yeah!" called Jak. "About thirty seconds ago!"
The two whirled around and saw Rail and Jak smiling smugley. Ashelin nearly threw Torn off of her and straightened out her shirt.
"Uh... yes I uh... see that um.... you are here now." stuttered Ashelin. She soon straightened out and spoke like the natural leader she was. "Jak... Rail we have a situation that we need you two to take care of."
"Here we go again," mumbeled Jak.
"We've sent a few teams out to the Wastelands to see what to make of the Metal-Heads that survived, none have come back." said Ashelin. "We're getting worried. They're either staying there, unlikely, or there's something out there killing them."
"And you want us to go and check it out?" said Jak. "Or do you want me to again wipe up all the crap you've been spilling?"
"However you want to look at it." said Ashelin. "But you're still going."
Rail nodded and turned to leave me Jak stuck his arm out and pulled him back. "Why not send out the Wastelanders?" asked Jak. "I'm sure Sig's up to breaking some heads."
"Because he's going with you already," said a voice from behind them. Jak spun around and there stood Sig standing in the threshold of Ashelin's room.
"Yeah," said Ashelin." That's why."
"Well cherries," said Sig. "You ready from some good old fashioned Metal-Head hunting.?" As he said this he he cocked his Peace-Maker.
"Bring 'em on." said Rail pulling a Red Eco pistol out of his jacket and cocking it.
"Let's do it." said Jak with a grin, cracking his knuckles.
"Do what?" said another voice. Jak and Rail's eyes widened and turned to the door and saw a very much better looking Keria standing there.
Jak turned to Rail.
"Uh-oh."