Chapter X: Tub of Lard
LES: Holy Yakkow! It's been forever since I updated this! All because of stupid finals! But school's out now, so I don't have to worry about that stuff for at least two months. (Damn you, summer homework!) Dare I say it? A happy chapter?
Jak: Man, you give Keira all the happy stuff.
LES: Well, I really can't have you HAPPY in PRISON! That would be weird. Besides, I've got to break you down physically, spiritually, and emotionally.
Jak: (scowls) I hate you.
LES: See? It's working! Jak is capable of hate!
Jak: (is holding a Light-Eco-Sage voodoo doll and a needle)
LES: Uh… okay… OW! On with the story… OW!
(Five months since we last saw Keira. Eight months since the beginning.)
"You did it!" Keira yelled in celebration as Tigran walked back into the Garage, carrying a small trophy. Keira ran up and hugged him. "You won! We're qualified to compete in the Class Races!"
"I'm getting the hang of this racing stuff." Tigran said.
"You and me both." Keira said, taking the trophy out of his hands and placing it on the shelf next to the others.
Tigran sat on the workbench. "I'm going to face Erol, the Grand Champion soon." Tigran said. "I'm a little nervous."
"Don't worry." Keira said. "You'll beat him, I know it."
"You think so?" Tigran asked.
"Of coarse." Keira said.
"That's the spirit!" Bease said, walking in, carrying the prize money. "Keira, can you run an errand?"
"Sure." Keira said.
"I need you to go and pick up some equipment." Bease said, handing Keira the money. "I've called already, so he'll have the stuff ready. I want you to go to our supplier and pick up the parts." He handed Keira the address to a place called Hip Hog Haven Saloon, which was in South Town near the Port.
"A bar?" Keira asked. "How are we going to get zoomer parts from a bar?"
Bease sighed. "The owner of the bar, Krew, is involved in many businesses… some less legal than others."
"Are you sure he's safe?" Keira asked.
"Positive." Bease said. "Uh… just don't get him angry. He has some of the best assassins in the world working for him, not to mention the Wastelanders."
So Keira, feeling more than slightly nervous, headed out, jumped onto a zoomer, and headed off towards South Town.
Keira had only been into South Town once or twice; but she had decided that it wasn't her favorite place in Haven City. Everything was smoking and made of metal, quite the opposite of her up bringing. The only slightly natural feature was the Port, but even that was artificial and polluted. She liked the Farming District the most because it was the closest thing to nature within Haven's walls.
She drove along the Port until she came to a bar with a large manikin of a Hip Hog above the door and a large sign proclaiming it as the 'Hip Hog Haven Saloon.'
Several zoomers were parked outside, even though it wasn't nearly late enough to be full. Keira carefully parked her zoomer and headed for the door. A huge, dark-skinned elf in strange armor barred the doorway. He carried a large, deadly looking weapon and an eyepiece covered his left eye. "Hold on." He said, blocking Keira's path. "Name and business?"
"Keira Hagai." Keira answered. "I work for Bease Racing. I need to buy some parts from Krew."
"Fine." The man said. "I'm Sig, Wastelander, Bouncer, and Body Guard." Sig looked Keira up and down. "Girl, I hope you have a strong stomach."
Keira was confused. "Why?"
Sig sighed. "You'll see." He stepped aside, allowing Keira to enter the bar. The smell of cheap booze assaulted her nose and she ignored the looks some of the men were giving her. She looked around from someone who might be Krew, hoping it wasn't one of the catcalling men.
Suddenly, she heard a voice behind her. "Mmm. A young and pretty one, eh?" Keira spun around and nearly threw up. Now she knew why Sig had wished that she had a strong stomach and, as it turns out, it wasn't very strong at all.
The man who had spoken to her was so horrendously fat… so… disgustingly fat that he couldn't even walk by himself. He used a hover chair. He was blind in one eye and he fanned himself with a small fan. But, mother of holy crap he was fat! "Krew?" Keira asked in a small voice, hoping against hope that this… blimp wasn't Krew.
"Aye." The man responded. "What do you want?"
No! Keira thought. "I'm Keira, I work as a mechanic on Bease Racing. We need some zoomer parts."
"Of coarse, anything for old Bease, eh?" Krew said, floating off. "Too bad he won't accept illegal parts."
Suddenly, a new voice sounded behind Keira. "Excuse me?" Keira turned around and found herself looking into the yellowish eyes of a man with orange hair. A face that everyone in Haven City knew, Erol, the Baron's right hand man and the Grand Racing Champion of Haven City. He was wearing armor like the Krimzon Guards, except it wasn't bulky, rather light and thin. "I am Erol, the Baron's right hand man." He said, putting emphasis on the last part.
"I know who you are." Keira said.
"So…" Erol said, moving on. "You work for Old Man Bease?"
"Yes." Keira said, biting her tongue. "I'm the mechanic."
"A female mechanic, huh?" Erol said. "Though I've heard you are quite good."
"Well, we are qualified to compete in the Class Races now." Keira said proudly.
"Well, I guess Bease Racing is competition now." Erol said. "I hope your driver is very good. People die in the Class Races all the time."
"Don't worry about Tigran." Keira said. "He'll do fine."
"Hmm…" Erol sighed. Then he looked up at the clock that hung above the door. "Oh dammit! Look at the time!" It was near two o'clock. "I've got to be at the prison!" He looked back at Keira. "See you on Race Day." He said before rushing out.
"Here are the parts, eh." A voice said. Keira turned around and saw Krew with another, athletic, man who obviously worked for Krew. This man was holding a large bag of zoomer parts. "Just as Bease requested. Now, the money?" Keira handed Krew the money for the parts. "Thank you, eh." Krew said, floating away with the money.
Keira looked at the man who worked for Krew. "How can you stand being in the same room with that Tub of Lard?" Keira asked.
The man shrugged. "He pays good."
Keira let this subject drop and walked out of the bar just before a bunch of men showed up to celebrate that days race, half naked and swinging beers. One man had the nerve to grab Keira's backside. She spun around as fast as she could with the bag of parts and slapped the offending man as hard as she could, which turned out to be quite hard.
The man felt his red cheek in surprise. Keira glared at him before turning to walk out. The sound of one of the man's friends laughing followed her out. "Dude… HAHA… you just got hit by a girl!"
"Did you get the parts?" Bease asked as Keira walked back into the Garage.
"Yes." Keira said, setting the parts on the table. "But I don't see why you sent me to that flying blimp of an elf."
"Well… he gives me discounts." Bease answered. "We're old friends." Bease paused. "Well, no matter, you've got the parts. The Class Three Race begins in three weeks. This zoomer should be ready by then." With that, Bease walked out, leaving Keira and Tigran alone in the Garage.
"Bease has taken a real liking to you." Tigran said offhandedly. Keira glanced at Tigran in surprise and he seemed to realize what he just said. "Uh… I don't mean like that… more like a daughter."
"I have a father." Keira said.
"Really?" Tigran asked. "You never talk about him."
"It's… too painful to think about it… along with everything else I've lost." Keira sighed. "So, you've never told me how you got here. I won't tell you my past until you tell me yours."
Tigran looked away. "My mother… died… giving birth to me. My father was a Krimzon Guard who couldn't be bothered with raising a child, so I was basically on my own from day one. When he died… I honestly didn't care, because I hardly knew him. I've been alone since. I became a Wastelander, working for Krew, as soon as I could lift a weapon and aim properly. I wasn't very good, so Krew passed me off to Bease because of my racing potential. That's how I ended up here." Tigran looked at Keira. "Now it's your turn."
Keira took a breath. "Well, I wasn't born in Haven City. I came here about eight months ago with my father, a… friend, and his friend." Keira sighed. "We got separated and I haven't seen them ever since. I can only hope that they are alright."
"Well, the City is only so big. They have to be here somewhere, don't they?" Tigran asked.
"I don't even know if they are in the City." Keira said. Or in this time, for that matter. Keira thought. "I'd rather not talk about that."
"Keira?" Tigran asked nervously. She looked up and found Tigran gazing at her, his brown eyes full of love. He began to lean into her and Keira realized that he was about to kiss her! This time, the kiss wasn't stopped by a third party, but by Keira herself. At the last moment Keira turned her head aside. The kiss that was meant to claim her lips hit her cheek instead. Tigran backed away, his brown eyes full of hurt. "Keira?"
Keira sighed. "I'm sorry, Tigran. But…" Keira paused. "My heart belongs to someone else."
"Who?" Tigran asked.
"Someone I will never give up on." Keira said. "I love him and I know he loves me in return."
"But… who is it?" Tigran asked.
"Remember one of the friends I told you about?" Keira asked, Tigran nodded. "His name is Jak. I have loved him for a long time, and I won't give up on him."
Tigran watched Keira. "Well, if you love this 'Jak' so much, I guess I haven't a hope." H turned to walk out.
"Tigran, wait!" Keira called after him. "I didn't mean to offend you or anything…"
"No, Keira, you haven't offended me." Tigran said. "Love is the one thing we have no control over. If two people love each other, than no one can get in the way unless they doubt their love. I hope you find your Jak." Tigran walked away, leaving Keira alone and, strangely, hurt.
"I'm sorry, Tigran." Keira said after he was gone. "But I love Jak… even if I never see him again…" Keira looked down at the parts that she had to install before the first Class Races. But she couldn't concentrate. She had three weeks, so she set the parts aside, locked up the Garage and left.
Keira got to Carla's house, still in the Slums, but the house was in much better condition. In eight months, Keira had learned how to find her way from the Stadium to Carla's house no problem, and visa-versa.
She walked into the house and was greeted by an enthusiastic Carla. "Keira! I heard your team won the race today!"
"Yes, and now we're qualified to compete in the Class Races." Keira said, less than excitedly.
"The Slummers will all be cheering for Tigran." Carla said. "We've been waiting years for Erol to fall and it seems he has a good chance as anybody! So…" Carla put her hands on her hips. "Did anything interesting happen at work today?"
"Funny you should ask that…" Keira said.
"No, it's not. I ask the same question every day." Carla laughed.
"Well, first I got sent to this REALLY fat bar owner in South Town to get zoomer parts. I met Commander Erol there and, to top it all off, Tigran has revealed that he loves me."
"Really?" Carla asked.
"Yes, he almost kissed me." Keira said.
"So, are you going out with him?" Carla asked. "That's a smart match."
"No, it's not." Keira said. "I still love someone else."
"Jak?" Carla asked.
"Yes." Keira said, blushing. "I can't love another."
"So… what did he look like?" Carla asked, sounding every bit like a teenage girl trying to get her friend to talk about her crush.
"Well… he was a hero…"
"Ah… the heroic type."
"Are you making fun of me?" Keira asked.
"No, it's just… odd." Carla said. "The name 'Jak' is well-known among those who worship the Precursors. That was the name of a hero who lived more than five-hundred years ago."
Keira paused. Five hundred years. That was about the time Jak had destroyed the Robot. Keira almost laughed. Jak was famous here.
"So… what else?" Carla asked.
"Well, he had blonde hair with natural green highlights. He was seventeen when I last saw him, but he must be eighteen by now. And…" Keira's eyes glazed over as she remembered Jak's face. "His smile… when he smiled, it was like nothing else mattered. His eyes were the same exact color of the ocean we lived by, an ocean-blue. I think I first fell in love with his eyes. He was a mute, but he was perfect…"
"Sounds handsome." Carla said, laughing. "I can't believe it. I sounded the same way when I used to talk about my husband. Going on and on about his strength and his eyes. I guess we're just the same. Two love-struck women who have lost their men and have nothing but each other."
"Not lost." Keira said. "I'm going to find Jak, even if I'm searching for the rest of my life."
LES: Things are going to start moving at a much faster pace. I'm going to skip ahead. Jak doesn't have a lot more that needs to happen to him; so, we've almost caught up with the game! Yeahness!