Apple Returns to the Tree

”Mr. Notka, why are you up here?”

Thea Nootkamp closed the door to the stairway behind her. She needn’t have bothered; the wind rushing over the roof of the building would have done it for her. 

The visitor glanced behind him. His suit flapped in the wind. “Ah, the aide. I just wanted to see the city. It has been such a long time since I was here last.”

“I am sure that we could have arranged a tour, Mr. Notka.” Thea replied and stepped closer to the man, doing her best to keep the wind from taking her cap. 

The man chuckled. “I appreciate the thought, Mrs. Nootkamp was it? But that will not be necessary. I can see everything I need from here.” 

Thea noticed that he was holding a pair of binoculars in a design she had not seen before, slowly panning over the city. In the distance, anti-grav vehicles delivered passengers to their various destinations. Skyscrapers shone under the central sun-pillar. From here, it looked much like any other major city in the orbital colonies. Only the much-disputed factory differentiated the skyline.

“If I might ask, Mr. Notka, how long ago was that?” Thea said while idly watching a skycoach embark from a bus-stop far below.

“A very personal question from an aide, I might say.” Mr. Notka said and chuckled.

“My apologies, Mr. Notka.” 

The man lowered the binoculars for a moment and looked at her. “Ah, call me Sampo. If I recall, it has been nearly 10 years.” Sampo Notka took a deep breath and returned to his binoculars. “Too long. I like what your employer has done with the place.”

“Of course, Mr. Notka, I mean Mr. Sampo. If I might ask another question?” Thea said.

“Ask away.” Mr. Notka replied and panned over the distant city again with his binoculars.

“Did one of our security people open the roof door? Normally we only unlock it if the helipad is in use.” 

Without looking away from his binoculars, Sampo Notka showed her a card on a lanyard around his neck. “Worry not, I have a key-card. I can be responsible for my own safety.”

A security key-card? Why would a guest have that? Thea thought, but put the thought aside. 

“Mr. Notka, if we could return inside, I am sure that Mrs. Rubello can see you now.” Thea said. Even if the man had been given a security card, it would not do to let guests loiter on the roof.

“Ah, but I have already met with Mrs. Rubello. Our business is concluded.” Mr. Notka said and worked a dial on his binoculars.

Thea was taken aback. After the man’s arrival, she had stepped out for a few minutes at most to set a pot of coffee on the brew. “Already? Mrs. Rubello’s meetings usually take hours.”

“Yes, already,” Sampo said and glanced at her again, “You really are very nosy for an aide.”

Thea took a step back and composed herself. “My apologies.” Hopefully he wouldn’t complain about her to Mrs. Rubello. 

Sampo Notka continued as if she had not spoken. “I had a message to deliver to the woman, and she had a payment for me. What she does with the contents of the message is of no importance to me and what I do with the payment is of no importance to her.”

Mrs. Rubello was involved in finalising the construction of the weapons-factory in the centre of town, a project for which she received numerous messages every day. But Thea could not think of why a message would arrive via courier and receive special payment. 

“I had an errand on some other business unrelated to your employer, so I made my way to the roof, and here we are, Mrs. Nosy Aide.” The man’s tone was mocking.

“I would appreciate it if you did not speak that way to me or about my employer, Mr. Notka.” Thea replied while trying to keep her tone level. 

“Not to worry, Mrs. Nootkamp. After today, you or your employer won’t see me ever again,” The man met her eyes for a moment, “You’d best hope not, at least.”

The tone and the ice in the man’s stare sent a shiver down Thea’s spine, but by the time she regained her composure, he had returned to looking through his curious binoculars. What was this personal errand that he could carry out on the roof of their office building? 

Mr. Notka lowered his binoculars and stepped back. He took a deep breath and turned towards her, the icy stare gone from earlier. “And that concludes my business here. Thank you for your time, Mrs. Nootkamp.”

Even if the man was being rude, Sampo Notka was not the first rude guest that Thea had had to deal with during her time as Mrs. Rubello’s aide, and he would most-assuredly not be the last. “Shall I arrange for the valet to bring your car around to the front, Mr. Notka?” 

“Ah, I took public transport to get here.” Mr. Notka said and glanced at his watch.

“Shall I arrange a ride to take you home or back to the station, then?” Thea said, ever the dutiful aide. 

The central sun-pillar dimmed for a moment. Before Thea could speak a word or consider what could cause it, a tremor followed. She could feel it run through the entirety of the colony and the building below her. The rumble of a distant explosion followed and in moments, fighter-vehicles were roaring through the colony airspace. Smoke rose from the city as a pair of fighters strafed the factory, more explosions hitting the buildings immediately around the massive factory.

“That is very kind of you, Mrs. Nootkamp,” Sampo Notka said and turned towards her, “But my ride has just arrived.” 

One of the flying vehicles braked hard over the building and descended towards the roof, a rope-ladder falling down next to Sampo Notka. The backblast of the vehicle’s engine tussled the man’s hair and coat, but his face was split in the widest grin.