There's a genre of fanfiction called hurt/comfort wherein one character tenderly cares for another after a traumatic experience. Since most fanfic writers are girls, this often leads to guy-on-guy action. This chapter doesn't go quite that far, but it does begin with Jettero Heller gently undressing and washing a miserably-ill Soltan Gris.
From there it's the usual "Heller is too honorable to be a secret agent" stuff, as he gets all sorts of potentially incriminating and sensitive documents out of Gris' pockets but leaves it all in a neat pile instead of reading them. Deeming the barf-covered uniform ruined, Heller has a guard run off to order a replacement with Gris' identoplate, making the agent wail that the courier will just blow all the money on hookers and bankrupt him. Heller urges his reluctant companion to show some faith in his fellow Voltarian, and sure enough when the guard returns he is nothing but respectful and courteous to Heller, especially after he gets a tip. Some whispers and smiles lead Gris to suspect that they're planning something.
There's a brief "Heller is awesome" moment too, when the combat engineer takes Gris' ten-inch Knife Section blade, compliments it on the alloy, does a little trick to make the weapon "sing," and then throws it lightning-fast into a convenient melon, offering Gris a slice of the snack. Gris refuses and gets to wondering why he's so violently ill. The Apparatus agent ponders how he gets all urpy thinking about what Dr. Crobe planned to do to Heller - cue another bout of explosive eructation and Heller tenderly sponging Gris' forehead - leading Gris to conclude that he should stay as far away from the mad doctor as possible. With that decision reached, he instantly feels wonderful again, and is up and out of his bed almost immediately.
I'm sorry to say that aside from the "getting Mission Earth off the ground" main plot, a good portion of the rest of The Invaders Plan will concern Gris getting to the bottom of his bouts of nausea. Bet you weren't expecting that from a "satirical" story of alien intelligence agents infiltrating Earth, didja? Ah, Hubbard is just full of surprises.
Back to Chapter Three
No comments:
Post a Comment