Space Shift Stories: McGuffin 45

Losses Pawnshop

Feeling the hopeless optimism of what I just heard from Giddens I hailed a cab.

"Where to?" The cabbie asked me.

"Losses Pawnshop, make it cheap" I told him with my face showing a more hopeless aura.

"Ah drank all your money away?" He commented.

"You can say that."

"Well don't worry pal, the place you're going will help you take it back." The cabbie drove me to my destination.

The entire trip I was not looking at the streets to see beautiful ladies or wonderful cars. All this time I was just staring blankly at the cab's ceiling. The cabbie took a quick glance at me, deciding it was best for him to let me think my life choices through, he looked ahead on the road. It took about forty minutes to reach our destination and it was truly in the center of the city. I paid my fare and stepped out of the cab.

"Just a tip, keep your sentimental items close to chest" the cabbie stated his parting advise.

"Everything is close to me." I shut the door and walked to the building with a sign say 'Losses Pawnshop' 

From the outside the building looked normal, stepping in is a little more complicated. The first floor was what I could probably describe as a three-star restaurant. Everyone is eating different kinds of food, some are delicacies of their home planet, while others enjoy some exotic cuisine. I scanned for any context clues in the restaurant trying to make sure if I was on the right building when a waitress approached me with a menu.

"Table for one sir?" She asked.

"Well actually I'm just wondering if I'm really at Losses" I asked her hoping she could give me directions.

"The pawnshop is on the second floor. Please take the stairs on the left, before the CR"

"Thanks."

I headed to the stairs as she instructed. Exiting the stairs across the room I could see a door and a big man behind, sorta like a bouncer. I saw about five booth with a monitor displaying a number on the left and a few rows of chair on the right. The people sitting on the chairs are holding tickets of two colors, red and blue. A particular old woman caught my eye. She was wearing an beautifully ornate bracelet and holding a red ticket. Her ticket number was displayed on one of the booth, she went inside.

A ticketing machine was there also a man standing besides it, he is probably one of the security guards of the pawnshop. Before I can inquire the guard about the person whom I wish to meet, two young couple pushed me aside.  They looked at each other happy and probably had a little too much.

"We're here to live our losses" a man told the guard.

The guard operated the ticketing machine. It dispensed four neon yellow tickets, the couple took it and walked to the door across the room. They showed the ticket and the bouncer let them in. I only had a few second glimpse of what was behind the door, it was another bar.

The old woman who went in the booth finally got out, she is carrying a considerable stack of credits although her bracelet is gone. She walked pass by me, she thanked the guard on her way out.

I walked towards the guard nervous of what to ask or even tell him. "Do you by any chance know Antique?" I asked him.

"Where'd you get that name?" He answered my question with another.

"From a dealer, Giddens. told me Antique can buy items others won't buy"

He operated the ticketing machine again. The machine dispensed a silver ticket "Make a left before entering the bar"

"Thanks.' I walked near the bar door and saw on my left a door. I knocked at it, a small slit opened, I was wondering what to do. I slipped in the silver ticket, the slit then closed, a few moments the door opened. I looked back at the door and saw a smooth scaly female humanoid, which in my own opinion looks hot.

"Hello" I tried to greet the woman, whilst mentally telling myself not to flirt.

"Hello there" The woman replied in a calming voice. "How can I be of service"

"I'm looking for Antique"

"It is I in the flesh" she smiled seeing a my reaction was that of dazed and confused. "Were you expecting someone else?"

"I just didn't think of you as a-"

"Lady?" She interrupted me.

"Mesmerizing view actually. Plus Giddens messed up pronouns again" And a hint of flirting.

"Well everything is mesmerizing to the right person" She moves towards me. "Anyways, can you show me what Giddens refuse to buy?" I took out the orb. 

She takes it and observed it further.  "This looks like a paperweight of the old the pioneers"

"How much would you price that thing?" I asked her trying to make sure I don't come home empty handed. "I mean even ancient paperweight have value right?" I added

"Well I first need to know how and where you got this" She tries to gather all information she can.

"Well... I kinda was chased by defrosted wolves on Yakron-"

"Yakron?" She interrupted with concern.

"Yeah? why?" I question trying to figure out if something is wrong.

"Long time ago when the galaxy was young Yakron was a very dangerous moon base. Home to all kinds of soldiers and weaponry, the moon was impenetrable. But a few cycles passed, a mistake was made on the inside that led the moon to be destroyed in its core that resonated through its crust, that is why the moon has dust cloud and asteroids around it" She told me the story of a place I just went with no knowledge about.

"So when people were talking about it being scary, they weren't talking about the legends of it having ghost and all?"

"Yes" She handed me back the orb "I'm sorry but I can't buy that thing"

"But I nearly died for this" I insisted.

"You made it to the surface other did not, everyone nearly dies on Yakron"

"If you won't buy this, then what the hell am I supposed to do with this thing?"

"Destroy it or hide it. Nothing you can do to change my mind."

I was disheartened by what I thought was my hope in getting a few credits. I don't know what to do I looked at the orb and looked at her, contemplating . "Do you have a tape and a pen?" I asked her.

"Yes" She replied as she went for a while and got me those things.

She returned with a tape and a pen, I took it and put a tape on the orb, I then wrote 'McGuffin #' on it. She looked at me confused. I smiled and head for the door.

"I'm not throwing these, they might be a good paperweight" I told her  before leaving.

I took another cab and went to the dock. The trip was just quick but it felt forever on the car. These types of things usually happens a lot, risking your life to get a trinket from a abandoned moon or destroyed planet, only finding out its trash. And it does bother me everyone and then but I just try to make it by finding another job.

I sure was feeling bad but being back at the dock seeing my ship from afar made me forget what just happened with Antique. I walked briskly just itching to move away from this planet when suddenly, near my ship I could see two guys just near the door way. I walked slower and pulled the orb, gripping it tightly. As I moved closer I could see her, it was an old partner of mine Celestine and a man I have never seen in my entire life. 

"I knew I could find you here of all places" She told me.

For a moment my disappointment was out of my brain. But seeing her turned everything to 180 and slammed it to 'not gonna end well' territory now.