“You know we have teleporters, right?”
Kallis watched as Arkay lumbered back and forth, moving boxed belongings out of one room and into another, before haphazardly putting boxes onto a flat base with wheels on each of the corners. Outside, a small personal vehicle was waiting, with the boot already half-full with boxes.
“I don’t really like teleporters…” Arkay muttered, dragging the full base outside.
“Why not?” Kallis asked. “Would make your life way easier. Mine too, if I’m being honest.”
Arkay grunted and disappeared outside, before swiftly returning. “What do you mean by that?” he snapped, feeling somewhat insulted. “How is my moving being a pain for you?”
Kallis shrugged. “It’s pretty obvious. I’m going to miss you. You’re moving away from here. Not even sure why.”
“I already explained, Kallis. The guys in charge want me to move so I don’t stagnate. And anyway, I’m not going that far! It’s a short journey from here.”
“What about me stagnating? Or me missing you?”
Arkay paused. “That… is… a good point… I hadn’t considered that. Sorry.”
Kallis simply shrugged some more. “It’s not your fault. The up tops made this decision for both of us.”
“True…”
Arkay sighed, then went back to work, lugging boxes back and forth. He only stopped to get a quick drink, which he quickly downed before going back to work again.
“So why don’t you like teleporters?” Kallis asked, all of a sudden. “They would make your life so much easier.”
Arkay moved one last box, before turning his attention back to Kallis. “They are dangerous.”
“I’ve seen you teleport though.”
“I do my best to avoid them. And I use portal tech to move around. Much safer and it doesn’t kill you.”
“Teleporters don’t kill you though.”
“Some of them do. You get atomized on one end and reformed at the other. It’s like a cloning machine except without the clones.”
Kallis wasn’t really satisfied with Arkay’s response. “Teleporters haven’t worked like that in thousands of years.”
“How DO they work, then?” Arkay hissed.
“Portal tech. Just like you and I do. No need to get angry.”
“Sorry…” Arkay repeated. “Double sorry, actually. I’ve been a right prick the last few days. This move really has me stressing out. It’s pretty damn bad. And I shouldn’t be taking it out on you.”
“Nah, mate, it’s all good. I totally get why you are stressed. I bet the teleport system would help though.”
Arkay grunted. “I don’t trust it. I’ve had things going missing before. Although I guess I could do with missing things. I never realised that I owned so much… stuff.”
“And you can’t just throw it away, right?”
Arkay nodded. “Exactly. I never know when I might need this stuff. I tried to clear some of this stuff but I am too sentimental.”
“You’re not that bad.”
“I really am…” Arkay sighed. “But I just can’t get rid of this trash. Because it’s my trash and I might need it.”
Kallis nodded in agreement.
“Hey, do you want some help?” Kallis asked.
Arkay paused briefly. “Sure, I guess…”