Page 6 of Atlas: Colony: Nyx #5(Intergalactic Dating Agency)

SIX

Atlas might have liked Metropolis City, if it weren't for all the people. He'd had the aircar to himself all the way from the Nyx Dome, so he wasn't prepared for the crush at the station when he arrived. Titans, Humans...he could feel their stares even through his suit, so he just put his head down and pushed his way through the crowd, following the route he'd memorised before leaving home.

He had to concede the clean lines of the buildings and the water features were pleasing to the eye, if the place wasn't so warm and populous. He tightened his hood and marched on.

A welcome breath of cool air greeted him as he stepped inside the Second Chance Saloon, but Atlas's relief was short lived, as the pub was almost as packed as the aircar station. He gritted his teeth and wove through the maze of people seated at tables to reach the bar, where Hercules stood alone. Well, almost alone. He was talking to a waitress who wore a saloon girl costume, but Atlas paid her no heed. She had plenty of customers to tend to, and he had business with Hercules alone.

Atlas took a deep breath and blew it out slowly. He could do this. He needed Hercules' help to capture this new comet, and he couldn't leave without him. He'd been lucky to see the first comet, the one he'd missed out on documenting, and this second one was as close to a miracle as he was ever going to get. He knew there wouldn't be a third.

Atlas planted his hands on the bar. "Hercules. You owe me a favour, and I've come to collect." It came out surprisingly firm. Hercules would have to take him seriously now. He couldn't possibly say...

"No. This is my bar's grand reopening. I can't just walk away from this to do whatever it is you want. It's the first Intergalactic Dating Agency meetup tonight, too, and look how many people showed up for it. The kitchen's flat out, and I have to man the bar, because Wings is busy building spaceships to hang from the ceiling."

Atlas followed Hercules' gaze to the gargoyle with the ladder. He didn't need to say more – the gargoyle was evidently his bodyguard. He'd heard Hera kept gargoyle bodyguards, and she'd evidently made sure her stepson had the same protection. Atlas slumped. With his size and strength, he was a match for most Titans, but living stone gargoyles, even a young one like Wings, would be a challenge. Especially if he was a trained fighter, like most of Hera's personal bodyguards.

Atlas closed his eyes. This was his last chance. "Please, Hercules. You hijacked my ship, making me miss the last comet. You know you owe me a favour. I wouldn't ask if I didn't need your help. Do this for me, and we're even. You won't owe me a thing, ever again."

Hercules spread his hands wide. "I would if I could, but I can't. Besides, what do you need me for? I'm a bartender with basic piloting skills. I wouldn't even know what I was looking at. I wouldn't have known then, if the cockpit console hadn't told me. You'd be better off picking up someone from the Colony's employment pool than me. Someone who's actually qualified. Look, I'll tell you what. I'll give you a free ticket to the Intergalactic Dating Agency meetup, and I'll shout you dinner, made by my wife. You sit down at one of those tables, enjoy some nice conversation with the lovely girls looking for love, and in between, create an ad to put on the job boards. I'm sure you'll find someone better than me by closing time."

Yes, but a qualified astronomer would want naming rights. Or worse, they'd doubt his discovery and try to divert the equipment to some other patch of sky. That's what had happened on Alba, which was why he'd been on the ship in the asteroid belt, where he would have made his first discovery if Hercules hadn't...

"Hera promised me when she took my ship, and found me a place here in the Colony, that I'd have whatever help I needed. If you don't come with me right now, I'll call Hera." It was his last bargaining chip, and a bad one, Atlas knew. Hera probably wouldn't even take his call. Even if she did, she might only tell him that threatening Hercules was as bad as threatening her, given that he was family, and she could take away everything from him. But if he didn't capture this comet, what did he have?

"Don't do that," Hercules blurted out. "Look, I can come next week. Maybe get Wings to cover for me for an evening, when things settle down. I know I owe you a favour, but I can't..."

"I'll do it."

The unfamiliar female voice took them both by surprise.

"Whatever it is, whatever favour you owe him, I'll do it. Then you'll owe me a favour, and I'm willing to wait until next week. Deal?"

Atlas turned to look at the girl. The waitress dressed like a saloon girl, in her frilly skirt.

"You can't. Don't do this. You don't want to get mixed up with Hera, and whatever he wants you to do won't be worth it, I swear. Atlas, you can't possibly think a girl you don't know could do whatever you want me to do? I mean, I'm no expert, but she's..."

She was small, sure, but the steely look in her eyes said she wasn't going to back down. Whatever she wanted from Hercules and Hera was her business, and if it captured the comet for Atlas...

"All I need is someone with good eyesight and a good pair of hands, who can obey instructions. Can you do that?"

She nodded. "That's what I've been doing at Star Farm for the last year. No worries."

"Atlas, I don't even know her. You can't..."

A farm girl wouldn't know anything about claiming credit for a major astronomical discovery. She'd just do as she was told, and his reputation would be made.

Farm girl or not, she looked like she was reading his thoughts. Definitely not stupid. Which meant she might be a better assistant than Hercules. She was even willing. She stuck out her hand. "Deal?"

Atlas's huge hand engulfed hers. "We have a deal."