{"id":2800,"date":"2025-08-09T15:20:21","date_gmt":"2025-08-09T22:20:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.evardsson.com\/blog\/?p=2800"},"modified":"2025-08-09T15:20:21","modified_gmt":"2025-08-09T22:20:21","slug":"teamwork","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.evardsson.com\/blog\/2025\/08\/09\/teamwork\/","title":{"rendered":"Teamwork"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

prompt: Set your story before dawn or after midnight. Your character is awake for a specific reason.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

available at Reedsy<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Taylor McAllister rubbed the sleep from her eyes. She\u2019d been chasing leads down dead-end rabbit holes for days. If this tip turned sour, she\u2019d have to go back in defeat and let her boss know that the summons couldn\u2019t be served.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For the moment, however, she was standing at a private launch field in the pre-dawn chill, waiting for someone to come for the little sport shuttle parked there. She was considering calling it a bust when she heard the gate clanging open.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From her hiding spot by the hangar, she watched a small truck trundle through the gate. The truck stopped next to the shuttle. The driver got out and began transferring packages from the open bed of the truck to the shuttle\u2019s stowage compartment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Taylor waited until the last package was loaded and the stowage access door was secured, then she made her move. She stepped into the faint light from the launch field and waved. \u201cHello.\u201d She tensed, ready for the driver to run, or try to jump back into the truck and drive off.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Instead, she was surprised by the driver\u2019s response. \u201cHey! Just one minute, while I park in the hangar, then I can help you,\u201d the woman said. She jumped into the truck and drove it into the hangar before walking directly back out to where Taylor stood.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI saw you on the security cameras before I got here,\u201d the driver said, \u201cand clocked you as a process server. No weapons on the scan, and since you didn\u2019t come for me right away, I\u2019m not your target. I think I know who you\u2019re looking for, though.\u201d The woman, taller than Taylor with an olivine complexion and rainbow dyed hair put out a hand for a shake. \u201cManuela. Civil or criminal summons?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Taylor shook the woman\u2019s hand. \u201cTaylor McAllister, from All-Where Services. It\u2019s, uh, from the 9th<\/sup> Circuit Criminal Court.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Manuela pursed her lips and nodded. \u201cFigures. Well, this is my last trip for my soon-to-be former boss, Jerran Trask. That\u2019s who you\u2019re looking for, right?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYeah. That\u2019s the problem with the rich ones, they always have someplace else to hide.\u201d Taylor cocked her head. \u201cWhy did you say \u2018soon-to-be former\u2019?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe longer I\u2019ve worked for him, the more I\u2019ve felt he was involved in some shady shit. I was planning on turning in my resignation with this load, anyway.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAre you delivering this directly to him?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNah. This is going to a commercial freighter in orbit. Which of his private asteroids or moons it\u2019s going to from there, I don\u2019t know. He\u2019s been jumping around a lot, lately. That was the final straw for me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Taylor let out a defeated sigh. \u201cIf you don\u2019t know where he is, I guess this job is a big, fat zero after all.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cDo you have other plans right now?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNo. Why?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCome on up with me and talk to the freighter captain. They might let you see where the delivery is going.\u201d Manuela chuckled. \u201cYou\u2019d be surprised what a little scratch might get you, since there is no such thing as freighter-client confidence.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Taylor looked at the sporty little shuttle. \u201cIf you\u2019ll have me, I\u2019d appreciate it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWell then, let\u2019s move. We\u2019re running out of time to make the drop-off.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In return for the ride, Taylor helped Manuela unload the shuttle. She was surprised to see canisters of argon amongst the more normal supplies of protein paste, a solar still, booze, and enough instant ramen to keep an entire dorm fed for weeks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat\u2019s with the argon?\u201d she asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOh, you haven\u2019t seen him, have you?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOn the holos and stuff. He\u2019s been in the news a few times.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYeah, when you see him in person, you\u2019ll get it.\u201d Manuela paused from marking off items on her bill of lading. \u201cHe\u2019s not human. He\u2019s a grumuran.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe shapeshifters?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYeah, kind of. It\u2019s not as extreme as all that, but he\u2019s had extensive surgery to look human. Without the argon, though, his cells begin to lose their firmness, and he starts to look like he\u2019s melting.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhenever I saw him on the holo, I thought he didn\u2019t look right. Maybe robotic or something. That makes sense, though.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Manuela nudged Taylor\u2019s ribs. \u201cHere comes the captain now,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cManuela, right on time as always, I see,\u201d the captain said in passable English. He stood taller than the women but likely weighed less as his frame was slight and willowy. His grey-blue skin was dull under the loading dock lights.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019m within the delivery window \u2026 just,\u201d Manuela said. \u201cSorry for the delay, but my friend here is looking for Trask.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAnd if he didn\u2019t pay so well, I would look to stay away from him.\u201d He extended a hand with three over-long fingers and a thumb to match, all with one too many joints. \u201cI\u2019m Lirae-is, and this is my ship, the @!*#&$%<\/em> \u2014 it means Junk Drawer in English.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Taylor shook his hand. \u201cNice to meet you, Lirae-is. I\u2019m Taylor McAllister from All-Where Services. Is there any way I can convince you to tell me where to find Mr. Trask?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI can take you to him, for a small price.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Taylor sighed. She wasn\u2019t rolling in dough, and the agency wasn\u2019t likely to cover an off-the-books travel expense. \u201cI don\u2019t have much\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIf you deal with him and his cargo, and let me hide in the cockpit, I\u2019ll take you straight there and back again when you\u2019re done,\u201d Lirae-is interjected.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat about your crew?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019m it. Most everything is automated, and my helper is out sick. Actually, she\u2019s out laying  a clutch, but I pretend like I don\u2019t know.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhy do you want to hide from Trask?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lirae-is shuddered. \u201cHe makes me uneasy. There\u2019s something so unnatural about him, it turns my stomachs. Plus, he calls me \u2018Larry\u2019 and I don\u2019t like it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Taylor thought for a minute. \u201cSo, I offload his shit, do my bit, and you bring me right back?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThat\u2019s the deal.\u201d He looked over her diminutive \u2014 to his eyes \u2014 size, and said, \u201cI think I might even have a child seat for you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Manuela laughed and Taylor shrugged. \u201cIt would\u2019ve been more comfortable in the interrogation room with one. Whatever.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Manuela turned to Taylor. \u201cWait, you\u2019re actually going with him?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYeah, I might as well. Even if I know where he is when he gets his stuff, he could bolt right after. This is the best chance I have.\u201d She leaned in to whisper to Manuela. \u201cIf I can serve him before the end of the week, I get a bonus. I\u2019d be willing to share it with you at the bar.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lirae-is leaned over until his head was level with theirs. \u201cI heard that. Name the bar and the night, and I\u2019ll be there to collect my earnings in fermented barley water.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Taylor laughed. \u201cBeer for the captain it is. Tell you what. I sent my e-card to Manuela\u2019s comm, and I\u2019m sure she knows how to contact you. I\u2019ll let her choose the time and place to better fit everyone\u2019s schedule.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAre you sure you don\u2019t want to go back with me?\u201d Manuela asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNah. I\u2019ll take care of business with Trask, and then maybe help Lirae-is out with a few more deliveries, since he\u2019s short-handed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBut my hands are very long,\u201d he said, extending his fingers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Manuela snorted. \u201cYour jokes keep getting worse,\u201d she said. \u201cI love it. See you when you get back.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Trask\u2019s private asteroid wasn\u2019t much to look at from the outside. The massive landing bay inside, though, hinted at high-tech meets high-fashion. Taylor unloaded all of Trask\u2019s goods and stacked them in the designated area, then, with a borrowed pad from Lirae-is, stood expectantly by the pile of goods.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

His voice came over the intercom. \u201cYou can leave now.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Taylor looked at the pad, beneath which she held his summons. \u201cI, uh, can\u2019t. It says here I need a signature from a Jerry Trash?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A door at the far end of the bay slammed open and he stormed in. While he looked a little<\/em> uncanny valley on the holo, in person it was a whole other thing. Every part of her brain said, \u201cNot human! NOT HUMAN!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He stomped up to her and looked her up and down. \u201cLarry is hiring humans now?\u201d he asked, holding his hand out for the tablet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAre you Jerry Trash?\u201d Taylor asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cJerran Trask!\u201d he yelled at her from within a calm face. \u201cMy name is Jerran Trask, get it right!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOh, good.\u201d Taylor pulled the summons from under the tablet and placed it into his waiting hand. \u201cJerran Trask, you\u2019ve been served.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

His already dead eyes seemed to lose even more life as he stared at her, his face remaining the same, blank calm he showed in every holo appearance. \u201cNo one serves me a summons. I do the summoning.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Taylor raised a finger and opened her comm. \u201cSir, I have additional information the court would like me to pass on to you. I quote: You have been summoned to report to the Ninth Circuit Criminal Court in Brussels, no later than 72 hours from now. Failure to do so will result in an arrest warrant, seizure, freezing, and possible forfeiture of all assets, and possible charges. End of quote.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With that, she turned on her heel and returned to the ship, leaving the dumbfounded Trask holding the summons. She followed through on her suggestion, helping Lirae-is offload his other cargo, even driving a loader \u2014 without training or certification \u2014 at one overused and  understaffed depot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On return to Earth, Lirae-is docked at the public transport orbital station, where a message from Manuela pinged both of them. Taylor looked at her comm, look at Lirae-is, and said, \u201cOh, nice, tapas. Guess I\u2019ll be seeing you next Friday at the Leyenda del Mar, here on the station.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

prompt: Set your story before dawn or after midnight. Your character is awake for a specific reason. available at Reedsy Taylor McAllister rubbed the sleep from her eyes. She\u2019d been chasing leads down dead-end rabbit …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[208],"tags":[210,228,209],"class_list":["post-2800","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-trunk-stories","tag-fiction","tag-science-fiction","tag-short-story"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/sxT7i-teamwork","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.evardsson.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2800","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.evardsson.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.evardsson.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.evardsson.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.evardsson.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2800"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.evardsson.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2800\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2801,"href":"https:\/\/www.evardsson.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2800\/revisions\/2801"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.evardsson.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2800"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.evardsson.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2800"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.evardsson.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2800"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}