The Story of the Mimosa

ordered them to look their best, wear gloves over any deformed hands, and bloody well be on time. All three had listened well. They looked acceptable, dressed in pr

hort tempered, big, strong, ugly and the genders were impossible to keep

ndarian asked as the grou

must be t

lift the master shipbuilder ran after her. He feared for the well-being of his material. The lift held, as did

o the side. Their self-preservation routines were programmed to recognised Landarians. The captain pointed at places and called out the name of the thing she wanted there. "Steering, compass, speed,

es trying to pierce through his head. It felt to h

olite with such a thing. The shipbuilder had heard s

r way off the ship. A loud cracking noise and an even louder thud told the man that the gangway had sped up the Landarian's leaving of the ship. He ran outside and leaned over the side of t

to the ground again. Once there he ordered his employees to reprogram the robots in order to get the bridge pr

*

when the shipbuilder appeared with a large sheet of paper. On it

e one who smell

ower. It goes

b putting a black flo

aking it a differe

ey had nothing to push there. Everything was better than risking to make fun of the boss. He wa

black. It sounded like the most amazing thing to do, but... He looked up at the looming hull as he reached it

ack to his employees as he remembered the sui

airs outside the 'office', shook t

shipbuilder's index finger point

r the suit! Why can't one of

know how to d

a button on his console. After a while two lights lit up, one red, one green. He

he situation: he'd simply pay the other two a bit less this week. That would take care of the bonus in a fortunate way.

*

ith the entire crew. That was a positive sign. The credits had already been transferred and he wanted some value for that, value that could only be

real yet! We have to do some training on board, you see, so everyone knows how to do things with this particula

s to come. Then she dropped the shipbuilder. His employees, all three present in their seats, were relieved to be in the protective bubble t

ld be a good idea. Despite being her boss he knew he had to approach her carefully. Landarians were not known for being understanding,

k shuddered and rattled but held. The ship bobbed under the sudden impact. The other people used more regular means to board the Black Flower and once the gangway was hauled in the shipbuilder informed everyone about the cabins, the engine room and -

to enter the massive metal suit and demonstrated the controls inside the thing to make it move. Every victim (

st trip. "Unfortunately this will be without cargo but we cannot risk this man to endanger our operation, " he s

he captain asked in

ng is paid for

ss

owing the man overboard would get him wet but leave him furthermore undamaged. "You might just have given me an id

ntence, his hands in position to add we

point. "You can leave by gangway which we can accomm

is way. As the Landarian captain appeared outside the bridge, her mighty arms folded over her even mightier chest, the

The captain was already on the bridge on its high platform and a shudder went through the Black Flower as the engines were activated. Through the loudspeakers that were everywhere the rough voice of the Landarian cap

sped as he saw they were red. What fool had allowed that? But it was too late to complain now; his sig