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Episode 2: Cameras

"He's not in," Deckett announced as he swept back into view. "But while we wait, someone wanted a chance to talk to you, if you don't mind?"

"Why would I mind?" she muttered. He picked her up and walked to the elevator. Instead of putting her in his pocket, he just held her about chest-high.

She was familiar with the various freelancer offices on his floor. The one he got out on tonight was new to her. Shiny lab equipment was visible through thick glass windows. At first she sat up straight, trying to figure out what sort of experiments might be going on.

Then she felt a chill go down her spine. Valerie had told her about some of the experiments scientists had performed on the Earthers. Was Deckett turning her over to a scientist? How could he?
"Hey, Cellste!" he called, interrupting her growing panic. Inside one of the labs was a giant lady watering some plants. She turned and smiled at Deckett. Her smile grew once she recognized Gessy.

"Is that her?" Cellste asked.

"In the flesh," Deckett said. He set her down on the workbench. Planters extended to Gessy's left and right, branches and leaves draping down. She almost felt like she was in the forest.

"Do you know anything about plants, Gessy?" the woman asked. Despite her worries about the new cameraman, Gessy was quite confident about her wilderness skills. She began walking down the bench, pointing out each plant by name. She could also describe the animals that like to eat them, and the creatures that nested within or under them.

"Impressive," Cellste said. She smiled down at the little domestic. Gessy appreciated being appreciated, not ignored like SOME people, and smiled back up at the giant woman. The large woman was pulling some sort of tube out of her pocket. "So, Gessy, if I were to ask you to take this to a drop-bug plant...?"

The tube was about half as long as Gessy was, and about as big around as her thigh. A strap was connected to either end and she slung it over her shoulder. An arrow was painted on the side, pointing to one end. Gessy aimed that forward and strode quickly to the drop-bug.

She ducked under the fronds and worked her way deep into the plant, finally pushing the tube through the last strands and setting the pointed end of the tube against the core.

"Oh, excellent, Gessy," Cellste cooed.

"Told you," Deckett said. Gessy turned up at her owner's voice, but could see only green fronds. No matter where she looked, the thick canopy prevented her from seeing either giant.

So how did they know she'd done what was asked? In a burst of understanding, she withdrew the tube, tipped it on end, and put her face over the glass lens. Then she stuck her tongue out the way she'd copied from the Earthers.

Deckett laughed somewhere above her, while Cellste asked what that meant. Gessy skipped back to where she could see Deckett.

"You big goof!" she shouted. "A new cameraman, huh?" She was trying to act outraged but her relief was making her giddy. She started to shrug off the strap and Cellste reached for the camera.

Gessy lowered it gently to the waiting palm, then ran towards Deckett's hand. He lifted her to his cheek for a hug. Where she slugged him right on the cheekbone.

-----

"I guess I deserved that," Deckett repeated in the car. Gessy watched him rub his face for a second then went back to playing with the camera.

She ducked under the front seat bench and aimed at some of the trash rolling around the car floor. She'd forgotten most of the buttons Cellste had described so she hit them at random.

An aiming light speared a candy bar wrapper, the range finder pinged a seat spring and a highlighter outlined a wad of bubble gum. The camera flash startled Deckett as much as it caught her by surprise.

The giant hit the brakes just as the human girl's world turned into a fuzzy red after-image. She rolled to a stop at the front end of the floor mat.

"Gessy? Are you okay?"

"Tan Belden Bar?" Gessy called to the darkness. "Is that you?" She stood shakily and waved her hands out in front of her. Gentle fingers closed around her and lifted her into the air.




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