by Jim Proctor
Zerroe’s. The door opened, and Jarman quickly stepped out. Keylann followed, slipping her hand around his elbow as she headed for the door. He quickly fell in step beside her.
Jarman’s Pocket Core announced their arrival and confirmed their reservation. A string of lights lit a path along the floor and Keylann immediately set off, still holding Jarman by the arm. A table for two was set and waiting at the end. She chose the seat that gave her a view of the window.
She was just pulling up the menu on her retinal projector when a waiter brought their appetizer course.
“I took the liberty of ordering our entire meal in advance,” announced Jarman.
She looked at the steaming plate of Genovian yeast dip and toast. “Of course you did,” she said as she glared at him. He took no notice, and began eating. “You go ahead. I don’t really care for Genovian yeast dip.”
“Really? Well, you’ll get used to it,” he said with a bright smile, a long string of dip hanging from the corner of his mouth.
Keylann stepped through the wormhole into her living room.
“Argh! What an insufferable jerk!” she yelled to the empty house.
She sank onto her couch and placed a holo-call to Torina. A moment later, Torina’s holographic image hovered in front of her.
“Well, how did it go?” Torina asked with a big smile.
“Horribly! He was the worst of the lot. Look, I don’t think this is going to work for me. I’ve told you everything that I want in a mate, and I keep getting losers. Do all men lie through their teeth on their profiles?”
“Some do, I suppose,” Torina replied, her smile long gone. “Don’t give up. We’ll find you someone perfect. Give me some time.”
“I’m pretty sure Jarman lied about his age. There is no way a jerk like that could be so damn good looking. I think he’s been juved and sculpted, probably more than once,” Keylann said.
“I'm sorry, Key. We aren’t allowed to delve into our clients’ medical records. We have to go with what they tell us in their profile.”
“I’ll give you a little more time, Torina. It can’t be so hard to find a non-juve who is nice, sweet, and attractive, can it? Look, forget about the good-looking part… that can be fixed. Oh hell, listen to me. I’m turning into one of them!”
“You’re being realistic. Appearances can be fixed, personalities can’t. I know how you feel. I’m a non-juve myself. I’ll be twenty-six for the first time next month. I know how exciting it feels to be with someone who is experiencing life for the first time right along with you. I’ll find you a nice man.”
Keylann laughed. “Maybe it doesn’t even need to be a man. Maybe I should try women.”
Torina smiled, and her eyebrows rose. “Seriously? I can change your search parameters.”
“Just find me someone nice, will you?”
“I can do that,” Torina said. Her holograph vanished.
When Keylann awoke the next morning, a light was blinking on her Pocket Core. She slipped on her glasses and opened a new message from Torina.
Let’s get together for lunch today. I want to get to know you better. That will make it easier for me to weed through the prospective mates to find you a match. Noon at Armand’s. I have a table on the sidewalk reserved. Torina
Keylann squealed. She had walked past Armand’s many times, often thinking about how nice it would be to eat at one of the tables on the sidewalk. There were pictures of something called a sidewalk café in a book about old Earth. She had always wanted to try it, but never had, and was thrilled that Torina had arranged it. Pulling up Armand’s menu, she scanned through it. There were hundreds of entrées to choose from. She eventually made her selections and placed her lunch order.
Putting her glasses on the nightstand, she got out of bed and ran to the shower, eager to start her day. Lunch at a sidewalk café! How am I going to get any work done this morning thinking about it? Torina really is amazing.
Removing her nightshirt, she stepped into the shower. She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and pushed a button. A ten-second mist of foamy cleansing agent coated her body and hair. After another thirty seconds, a fine mist of warm neutralizer rinsed it away. She stepped out and began to dry herself with a towel.
As noon approached, Keylann strolled out of her office and walked to the grav-car platform. Her Pocket Core had flashed a message, telling her the grav-car she had scheduled was arriving. The car’s door opened, and she stepped in without breaking stride. She sat and watched through the window, eagerly anticipating her special lunch.
She stepped out at the curb in front of Armond’s. Torina waved, already seated at their table. Keylann navigated the maze of tables and sat across from her Mate Tech.
“This is wonderful! I’ve always wanted to do this,” she said.
Torina smiled. “Me too! This is my first time here. I saw it in a book about Earth. Then one day I was walking by, saw this place, and knew that I just had to try it.”
“I saw it in a book, too! That’s amazing. I can’t believe this is really happening.”
“Let’s enjoy this while we work. We already filled out your standard profile. For special cases like yours, we have an extended one. It gives our system more information to work with to match you up with a mate. It also means that the system is comparing you to others who have completed the extended profile, so they are special cases as well. They are people like you who have not been able to find a mate using our standard protocol,” Torina explained.
“Oh, so now you’re going to compare me to all the other losers,” Keylann said teasingly.
“You are not a loser, and neither are they. Think of them as being people like yourself, people who have… higher standards. They are people who have more to offer and won’t settle for less than they deserve.”
Keylann laughed. “So I’m extra special, huh?”
“I think so,” Torina said, her cheeks turning a rosy pink.
“OK, then. Let’s get started. Find me my dream mate!”
Their waiter arrived, placing their meals on the table. Keylann and Torina looked at their plates, then at each other.
“We ordered the same things,” they said in unison.
“OK,” Torina said, “first question…”
At ten o’clock the following morning, a message icon appeared in Keylann’s retinal projector—a new message from Torina. She immediately opened it.
I entered your extended profile and searched for matches. You have a date tomorrow night with a prospective mate on Valdan. You two have a lot in common. I have a good feeling about this one! Love is in the air. Torina
Keylann shook her head. Torina was a hopeless romantic. She pulled up the wormhole schedule to Valdan and groaned. It was three steps. Why can’t Torina find me a mate here on Harmon? Why do I have to go halfway across the galaxy to Valdan to find one?
The force field shimmered and hummed just before the wormhole opened. Keylann stepped through and kept walking until she was several steps away from the gate. The terminal on Alcon Prime was much colder than home. It was an outdoor terminal, and it was early spring here. Looking at the display overhead, she found her next step and headed toward gate four for her step to Garnette. She’d never taken a three-step journey before. Valdan was much farther away than she had ever been.
As she waited, other travelers queued behind her. Fortunately, this wormhole was scheduled to open in just a few minutes. Her wait on Garnette would be longer. The wormhole to Valdan would not open for nearly three hours. She had loaded a new book into her Pocket Core to read while she waited.
Behind her, she caught pieces of quiet conversations. One other traveler was going to meet a prospective mate on Garnette. A woman and her sister were going to visit their mother on Terrabon.
A tone drew her attention back to her own business. The force field hummed and, a moment later, the wormhole opened. Keylann stepped through, pleased by the sudden warmth. She looked around—an indoor terminal. She was beginni
ng to wonder if Harmon was the only civilized world in the galaxy. Not bothering to look for her next gate, she searched for a comfortable lounge chair where she could relax and read. Even if this date turned out as bad as the others did, she would at least get to enjoy a good book. After her stomach recovered from these two steps, she’d get something to eat.
Keylann was completely engrossed in her book when she suddenly panicked. She had lost all track of time. Looking at the overhead display, she realized she only had twenty-two minutes to her next step. “Oh hell!” she said out loud. She was hungry, and her date was taking her sightseeing before dinner. Stepping through wormholes made some people queasy—Keylann was one of them. She never made a step with a full stomach. Still, she needed to eat. Twenty-two minutes was barely enough time before her step.
Keylann stepped into the station on Valdan. She immediately spotted her date, Markus Taylor, waiting just a few meters away. She began walking, feeling a bit unsteady on her feet, her stomach turning. She stumbled, dropping to her hands and knees just in front of Markus and vomited, barely missing his shoes. He jumped back.
“I’m sorry,” she finally managed to say. “I don’t travel well—wormhole sickness.”
Markus frowned. “I’ve heard of that. I never knew anyone who experienced it so badly, though. You must have had a rough trip.”
“No, not really; I ate just before the step, that’s all.”
“In that case, I had better change our schedule. I had planned for us to have dinner just before your return step.”
Keylann groaned. The thought of food was making her sick again.
Markus helped her up. He pulled a clean handkerchief from his pocket and wiped her face.
“There is a freshening facility this way. I’ll help you,” he said, putting his arm around her waist to steady her.
At the freshening facility, Markus helped Keylann into a chair. Then he retrieved a moist towel from a dispenser and gently cleaned her face. She could have done it herself, but it was nice of him to be so thoughtful and helpful. Besides, he had a gentle touch and the look of genuine concern on his face was endearing. He was nothing like her other dates.
After cleaning her face, he brought her a bottle of cold water. Taking a sip, she discovered that it had a pleasant mint flavor. She looked up at him.
“The mint helps to get rid of the acid taste in your mouth. It also does wonders for your breath,” he added with a smile.
Keylann giggled, actually giggled. She couldn’t remember the last time a date had truly made her laugh. It was going really well, considering it had started with her nearly vomiting on him.
Keylann finished the water. Then, refreshed and clean, she and Markus walked out of the terminal. The sky was a beautiful shade of blue, hinting at purple. A few light clouds hung above them. Valdan’s star was not quite as bright as Harmon’s. It was a bit redder, too.
“This is beautiful,” she said as she looked around. “Do we have time to enjoy this before we climb into a stuffy grav-car?”
Markus smiled. “We won’t be taking a grav-car. Come with me.” He took her hand and casually led her through the town. People waved to him as they walked. He exchanged pleasant greetings with many. People on Harmon just scurried and went about their own business. It seemed as though everyone here knew and liked Markus.
After walking several blocks, they arrived at a canal where a small boat was waiting. Markus helped her aboard before climbing in himself. She expected the boat to move away on its own in response to a command from his Pocket Core. Much to her surprise, a man waiting nearby untied the boat and stepped in. He moved to the rear and picked up a long pole. Markus sat next to her as the man pushed the boat along the canal.
“We don’t use grav-cars often. Mostly, we walk or take canal boats.”
“Wow, that’s… quaint. Doesn’t that take a lot of time?” she asked.
“Look around you,” he said. “Anywhere worth going is worth seeing the scenery along the way. Make yourself comfortable and enjoy the view. We’re not in any hurry.”
They were emerging from the city, and she suddenly saw the open countryside stretching to the horizon.
“This is gorgeous! I’ve never seen open space like this. It’s beautiful.”
Markus smiled as he put his arm around her. “This is my home. My family has a farm a short distance up the canal. We grow vegetables and grains,” he said.
“Wow, you mean, real vegetables and grains? I’ve never tasted anything like that. All of our food on Harmon is made from enriched yeast and protein products.”
“Then you are in for a treat,” he said. “Fresh vegetables are delicious. And wait until you taste bread made from freshly ground grain. You won’t want to go home.”
“That sounds interesting,” she said. Privately, she wasn’t sure she wanted to eat food pulled out of the dirt.
“Best of all is the fresh cut beef that we get from a rancher a little farther up the canal.”
Keylann pulled up information about beef on her retinal projector. “You mean beef, as in chunks cut from a cow—a real, live cow?”
“Yes, of course. Is there another kind?” he confirmed with a broad smile.
Keylann felt the blood drain from her face. Her stomach turned. “Turn around,” she said to Markus. He just stared at her, a stunned look on his face. She turned to the man with the pole. “Turn the boat around. Take me back to the city, now!”
It was well past midnight when Keylann climbed into her bed, still feeling sick to her stomach. She had been in such a hurry to get off of Valdan that she had taken the first wormhole to open without even checking to see where it went. She wound up on a planet even farther from home, and had to take another four steps to get back to Harmon. Visions of an animal walking in a field with a crazed rancher hacking it to bits with a knife raced through her mind as her stomach knotted and cramped. She shuddered. Sleep was not going to come easily tonight.
A flashing icon appeared in Keylann’s retinal projector, signaling an incoming holo-call from Torina. Two days had passed since her date on Valdan, and Torina had messaged her four times. She had ignored all of them, and only reluctantly accepted this call.
“I gather that your latest date didn’t go so well since you haven’t responded to any of my messages,” Torina’s holographic image said.
“It was, by far, my worst date ever. He eats cows, Torina! I thought this extended profile thing was supposed to find me a better match. This just isn’t working out. Maybe I should find a new Mate Technician.”
The smile vanished from Torina’s face.
“Key, give me a little time. I can find you someone. Just give me one more chance. If it doesn’t work out, you can hire a new Tech. I’ll find you someone.”
“One more date, Torina. No more.”
“I’ll find you someone, I promise.”
Keylann walked through the city’s central park. It was extravagant by new world standards, covering six city blocks. By Valdan standards, it was little more than someone’s flower bed. Still, it had a charm and beauty of its own, nestled in the heart of a large city. She checked her coordinates in her retinal projector and adjusted her course. A minute later, she found Torina waiting, holding a large, wicker basket. A blanket hung over her arm.
“Torina! It’s so nice to see you. What are you doing here?” Keylann looked around and added, “And where is my date?”
“Your date is very close. Help me spread this blanket. I brought a picnic lunch for you and your date to enjoy.”
“Is that why you are here? I could have brought lunch if you had told me.”
Torina smiled. “I wanted to make sure that this date was extraordinary.”
“That’s very kind of you,” Keylann said with a smile. She really liked Torina, and felt bad at the prospect of hiring someone else. In spite of her shortcomings as a Mate Technician, Torina had a way of making her feel special.
“Here, let’s sit down. I think I
’ll just wait here a while to keep you company.”
“I’d like that. You didn’t show me a hologram of this one. I won’t know him when he arrives.”
Torina nodded. “Since I know you and your date so well, I wanted to introduce you personally.”
Keylann put her arm around her friend. “That’s very sweet of you. Thank you. I feel much better with you here.”
Torina put her arm around Keylann. “Do you want something to drink? I have some wine in the basket.”
Keylann looked around. “Shouldn’t we wait for my date?” she asked.
“I think we can safely have a small glass of wine.” She pulled a bottle from the basket and retrieved a corkscrew. Pulling the cork, she handed the bottle to Keylann. Retrieving two wine flutes from the basket, she traded one for the wine bottle, and then poured. They both took a sip.
“This is really good. You have great taste in wine,” Keylann said.
Torina smiled. “Thank you. I do have good taste, I must admit.”
Keylann took another sip, looking around again. “He’s late. Do you think that maybe he saw me, found me unappealing, and left?”
Torina frowned. “Oh no, Key, I promise that your date finds you incredibly appealing.”
Keylann finished her wine, looking at her friend. “So you showed him a hologram of me, then?”
“Not exactly,” Torina said.
“What does that mean?” Keylann asked.
“Nothing, forget it.”
“Then he must be someone who already knows me,” Keylann said.
“Yes, your date knows you,” Torina replied.
Keylann glanced around the park again, trying to find a familiar face. “He’s not coming, is he?”
“I promise you, your date will not stand you up. Be patient.”
“But he was supposed to be here ten minutes ago.”
Torina sighed. “Relax. Let’s have some lunch and enjoy the fresh air. You are too tense.” Pulling a package from the basket, she opened it. The smell was amazing.
“Is that Carpatian protein spread? I love that!” Keylann exclaimed.
“Really? It’s one of my favorites. Here, hold this while I get the crackers.”
Soon they were dining on crackers and protein spread. They also drank more wine. The basket produced other favorites of Torina’s, some of which also happened to be favorites of Keylann’s. The afternoon wore on, and Keylann seemed to forget about her missing date. Three glasses of wine might have helped with that. She was enjoying the fresh air, the food, and the scenery. Most of all, she was enjoying Torina’s company. They talked for more than an hour about their jobs, their dreams and aspirations, their friends, and more.
Eventually, the picnic basket and the wine bottle were empty. The pair reclined on the blanket, their hands slightly touching as they watched clouds float slowly by.
“This was the best date so far, and he didn’t even show up,” Keylann said with a laugh.
“Was it really your best date?” Torina
