Part 2
Parts began to pile up around Billy as he worked. Batteries, wires, tubes, oxygen, rebreathers, insulation, metal plates. "Everything that was taken out would need to be replaced today," he kept reminding himself. The noise of the shop seemed to disappear as he concentrated on his work. He had completed dismantling the vehicle in a personal record time when he looked up at the clock: 12:10. "Lunch time." Billy thought as he took a rag and cleaned his hands before walking out the double doors and heading towards the food court.
As usual the halls were filled with people going about their business. The Central Hub connected all of the domes of the station together. Due to the high traffic nature of the colony module it housed a food court, auditorium/theater, and many low level administrative facilities. The center of the building was completely hollow the roof extending up to the curved roof. A circular lobby was made as floors of rooms encircled the center of the module. Four stories above Billy could see people leaning against railings looking down at the people scampering to and fro. Expanding off of this central lobby was the food court.
Billy walked into the court and looked for Isabel Sharpton. She usually worked the day shift at Mos Burger, and today was no difference. Billy strolled up to the counter while Isabel had her back turned attending to some teriyaki chicken. She was dressed in the company uniform of a short pink skirt and tight matching blouse.
"I'd like an order of hot chick in my blanket tonight please," Billy said in a sad attempt at suaveness.
"Billy," Isabel said without turning around, "I'm really busy I don't have time to deal with you right now okay? Just go, I'll talk to you later or something."
"Aw, come on Isabel, you can't be that busy now can you?" Billy pleaded.
"Look just go somewhere else alright?" Isabel turned around and on her left cheek was a dark purple bruise.
"What the hell happened Isabel! Are you okay?" Billy jumped forward to look at her injury.
"I'm fine. I just fell over in the shower. I went to the doctor's and he says it'll be fine, but won't look pleasant for a while. Now will you get out of here." Isabel tried to let her dark hair fall over her cheek.
"Did you're father do this? He must have. I'll kill that fucker." Billy hit his hand against the counter shaking a display of chips. "You can't let him do that, you can't stand for it Isabel, you need to tell the administration, they will do something about it. They helped me when my parents died, they can help you too."
"Mr. Foss helped you when your parents died, not the administration. He wouldn't do the same for me; he's not going to adopt every child in the damn colony and you know that."
"Yeah but the administration allowed it, they won't just sit by and let your father hurt you." Billy pleaded.
"Look it doesn't matter anyway, I hurt myself, it happens. We all move on. Now get out of here I have work to do," Isabel said walking into the back room of the store. Billy stood at the counter staring at the door Isabel had walked into. He hoped she was going to come back, walk through that door and let him help her. Isabel didn't come back out. Too upset to eat, Billy walked passed the other food joints, the Tieban Steak, McDonald's, Chalon, and a Food/Fast. The food court was large and was on occasion used for recreational purposes after hours. It was busy and filled with people, close to two hundred, or maybe more. Billy decided to just get back to work and talk to Isabel later in the evening.
He walked back to the bay slowly. Billy needed to calm down before getting back to work. He kept imagining Mr. Sharpton hitting his lovely daughter, his "precious only daughter" as Sharpton often repeated. He thought of how to help Isabel or how to get her to help herself. He didn't like to deal with the administration himself, and avoided it as much as he could. "I'll think of something, I know I will. Just need some time, maybe tomorrow." Billy repeated to himself a few times, and with a deep breath he stepped through the double doors.
Strolling into the mechanics bay he sat down at his rover to find all the parts he requested waiting for him. The crew must have pulled together a bit for him to scrounge up some of the parts. He'd have to thank them later. Billy set about to reassembling the complicated machine. While he worked he noticed a slender man dressed in a suit walk into Mr. Sharpton's office and speak with him briefly, before walking back out of the bay. The noise built up in the large room and Billy continued to work.
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Billy bolted on the guard plate to the bottom of the rover. The rover had taken him just over three hours to completely reassemble, another personal best. He lowered the hydraulic lift, the rover bouncing lightly as it touched the ground. Stepping into the rover, Billy closed the door, and activated the engine. A slight hum emanated from the front of the vehicle. Testing the controls, Billy drove the rover forward a bit. Content with the job he had done he opened the door and stepped out. He walked over a few spare tubes and wires and went to punch out.
As Billy walked out the double doors he saw Mr. Sharpton standing by his door.
"Have a nice evening Billy, and tell your father I'll be having a chat with the two of you soon okay?" Sharpton had a wide grin on his face and gave a little wave as Billy walked out the door. As Billy walked back home, he began to panic. "Who was that man who spoke to Sharpton earlier? What did he say to him?" Questions raced in his head, what did they know? He began to worry more and more, and as he worried he walked faster and faster to get home. By the time he got into the Living complex he was in full sprint to get home. "Why would Sharpton want to talk to us?" He charged to his hall and to his door. Recognizing his ID bracelet, the door to his room slid open automatically. Billy burst in the room to find the living room empty. He heard a scream as the bathroom door farther into the apartment slammed shut.
Not knowing what he would find, Billy charged into the room and tried to open to bathroom door. It was locked, but Billy frantically tried to turn the doorknob. From the other side of the door he heard a voice.
"Just leave me alone! My brother will be here any second and he will kick you ass!"
Billy stopped trying to open the door and stood in shock as he tried to piece together what had just happened.
"That's right you bastard! Get out of here or he will kill you I swear it!" Billy's sister shouted through the closed door.
"Umm, Jess. I- uh" Billy had no idea how to begin to sort this out.
"Billy? Billy is that you?" She spoke tremblingly.
"Uh yeah Jess, Sorry. I, um, didn't mean to scare you like that."
"Didn't mean to scare me?! You charge into the apartment like a frigging mad man, and start trying to knock the bathroom door down! How the hell did you think I was going to react?" All of her fear had briefly been channeled into anger.
"Well, I thought, I dunno. I thought maybe dad was in trouble or something."
"Look whatever." Jess said exasperated, "I need to get dressed, so if you'll kindly let me out of the bathroom and you go into the other room. I can get my clothes," Jess said as she made a little sigh of relief.
With that, Billy walked into the living room and sat down looking at the TV and the fake window. Today the window displayed a mountain lake view. The "sun" was reflecting back into the room. Sitting down Billy began to calm down himself. Sharpton probably was just trying to scare him, and nothing more. Jess walked out of her door and into the living room. She was wearing dark blue jeans, a white short sleeved shirt, and a towel wrapped around her head.
"Why did you rush in here like that? Like the damn oven was on fire or something." Jess asked as she dried her hair.
"I was just worried about something. I need to talk to dad. I thought he'd be around." Billy said, beginning to worry about his father again.
"He's still at work, he said he was working late. They have the big database synch tonight. He mentioned some chores he had to get done too." Billy sat fidgeting.
"Alright, well he asked me to help him with those so I'll make sure to go help him out." Billy rose as he spoke. "I think I'll go find him now, see if I can't get a head start."
"I'm going to head out tonight, might catch a movie or something so I probably won't be around, could you let dad know?"
"Yeah sure, I'll catch you later sis," said Billy as he walked back out the door.
Still a little shaken and confused Billy made his way to the Control Dome where his father worked. Passing through the airlock once again, he found himself swept up in the Central Hub. The Central Hub was alive with the hustle and bustle of important things getting down as quickly as possible. Walking for a second bulkhead door, Billy noticed the slender man in a suit asking a network technician in his blue jumpsuit a question. The man in the suit looked over at Billy and smiled. Billy began to move quickly for the Control dome.