The Cleaner

The Cleaner Summary: Human holovid documentarian Ken Pennebaker meets his first Yoridini. Cast: Pennebaker, Y'ond Air Date: Setting: MRO Shelter - Comorro Station This room is rather simply furnished, with a fairly open common area. There are a few circular tables and some chairs, and a small holoviewer is set into the wall. In the center of the room are a few longer tables. There is a smaller room with a modest kitchenette off to one side. In the rear of the room the walls are lined with beds, most of them bunked. This place is clearly meant for temporary residence, providing its inhabitants with the basics -- shelter, a warm bed and a nourishing meal -- until they can improve their circumstances. The shelter is accessible from Comorro's Tradeport via a very thick door, and through a less sturdy-looking door against another wall. Contents: Exits: None. None.

Ken Pennebaker is, at the moment, sitting on an abbreviated stack of boxes, perusing his PDA.

Y'ond extends his lower body out into a disk as he slides along the floor. When he nears the man sitting on the boxes, he says, "I hope I am not disturbing you."

Ken Pennebaker lifts his gaze from the PDA to peer at the amorphous purple being that oozes toward him. He stiffens, eyes widening as he seems momentarily torn between amazement and abject horror. Perhaps the horror comes from watching too many nightmare-ish holovids in his youth. But curiosity wins out, preventing him from leaping onto the boxes and squealing like a stuck Lotorian. "If you're not disturbing someone, you're not challenging them enough."

Y'ond stops for a moment, then continues sliding along the floor, leaving it wet and glistening behind him. "Then I assume you like challenges. That is admirable. I am Y'ond...the cleaner."

Ken Pennebaker eyes the trail gleaming slickly behind the alien. "I suppose 'cleaner' isn't intended to be used in the custodial sense?"

Y'ond replies, "No, that would be the correct sense. I believe 'custodian' is another word for someone who does the work I do." He stretches part of himself to rub a section of the floor he just passed over, then contracts it back into him. "I think a custodian usually has a more permanent arrangement, though."

Ken Pennebaker observes the Yoridini's activity. "I see." He clips the PDA to his belt and says, "I am Ken Pennebaker. My work is far less useful. I make documentaries."

Y'ond slides along another section of the floor. "That name sounds familiar. They were mentioning you in the news?"

Ken Pennebaker furrows his brow. "Were they? That happens sometimes. I'm not sure why people are making such a big deal about it. I make vids that aren't exactly action-packed. Critics who love documentaries find them appealing, but the average vid-viewer couldn't give a damn. I suspect it's a slow news day when I make headlines."

Y'ond finishes cleaning the floor and draws the disk he had extened before back into him. "It sounds like an interesting and useful job to me. I think I heard you were looking for a place to work. If it needs cleaning, I would be happy to take care of it. I have a large amount of experience and I do thorough work."

Ken Pennebaker nods. "I'll definitely keep that in mind, once I figure out where I'm staying. By design, I should spend most of my time anywhere but an office. You know the drill, right? If I'm doing a documentary about the multiverse, I should be out in it, capturing the color and the sights and the sounds and the flavors of it all. An office will only be useful for meetings and editing after I've gathered all the footage."

Y'ond starts to slide away. "That does make sense, although the multiverse includes everything, so you would still be in the multiverse when you are in your office." Tiny purple starbursts appear, then fade inside of Y'ond as he moves out of the shelter. "I hope you make a very interesting documentary. Be fit and survive."

Ken Pennebaker offers a wave of his right hand. "See ya."