by Clay Moore
“Just how popular is he,” asked Luana?
“It’s not a matter of popularity. There are rumors about me. In places where I have no reputation, it is about personality, charm, and self-confidence. Some people call it swagger. I call it self assuredness, and I do things to build a reputation. If I am at a dance, and I ask a woman for a dance, and she rejects that is the last time I ask her.”
“What about if she had given that dance to someone.”
“If she wants me to ask she has to say that. I then ask for the next dance. Wait a minute—”
Brian pulled off the road. He set the grav-car on the struts. Brian looked toward the South. He saw a great band of green. There were Plants as far as he could see. Some of the plants were growing in the furrowed ground.
Brian ducked his head into the grav-car’s interior. “You have got to see this.”
Everyone stepped out of the grav-car. The Team came to where Brian was standing. The Team had to ask what they were looking at. Agriculture was very rare. Agriculture at this level—well, this was the only example.
As Ofana passed him, he touched her and said, “Eden on Giesling.”o
Brian drove the grav-car down the road. He came to a driveway leading into the Oasis, and He drove slowly. The palms eventually gave way to an orchard of Pistachio nut trees. A large building stood sentinel to the farm.
As Brian got out of the grav-car, a woman in safari khaki colored clothes walked out of the Building. She did not look like she was in a hurry. Whoever she was, she was farm people. They work at the pace of the farm.
“What is this place?” asked Brian.
“This is a long term project to try and make more arable land on Giesling.”
“It’s so beautiful,” said Ofana. The orchard trees around her felt like the forest around her home on Eridani. The thing that surprised her was the feeling of humidity in the air.
“Does it rain here?” Ofana asked.
“We get fog a few more days than we normally do. You are the Ofana?”
“Yes, ma’am, this was a rumor, and now I am in the middle of a dream.”
Ofana lifted her hands and spun around in joy. Brian had Luana recording the event. Luana had been recording things during their march through Giesling. Brian was hoping that she could cobble up a video that would underline Ofana’s message.
Brian, with his practical turn of mind, asked: “ Do you make a profit from your harvest?”
“This is a project, so the money comes from a trust. Yet, we do sell the Pistachios less the nuts retained for increasing the trees. We sell the grain. It is wheat. We don’t process it into flour, but there is a company that makes flour, and a company that makes bread here. I believe that Given a few more years and increasing yield in our truck farm, we will have enough money to build a new grain section. Then he can let one section lie fallow. Maybe let cattle forage on the stubble. When we till that we will have more dirt and not sand.”
Joe Little asked: “Dirt from what?”
Luana said: “From the shit, they drop on the land.”
“They also pee on the land as well. The thing I would like to see is rain.”
“Give me a couple of years.”
“We have an ocean,” said Joe Little.
“The problem with our Ocean is that it is very deep and small in comparison to Alphacent’s large and shallower Ocean. For miles around the Ocean Giesling native flora and fauna flourish.”
Luana asked: “Why don’t we live there.”
“For the simple reason that the metal does not exist there. The idea was to sell the pure metal to the manufacturers that need it. The rich men from other worlds bought everything out. Then the Miner’s guild led the revolt, and we had to start almost from square one. Our economy is based on the production and smelting of metal ore. Give us the freedom we need, and Giesling will wow the other colony worlds.”
“I doubt that the Eridani will be wowed. Some sayings tell you of our opinion of Giesling. ‘Giesling Excavated.’ We say that when we got an outstanding job of building underground. ‘As Sharp as a Giesling’s shovel.’ There are more.”
“Yes,” said Ofana, “We are in awe of the industry of Giesling. That is why we want this planet in the Eridani Alliance. What a partner you would make to the other alliance worlds.”
The Woman smiled. “Yes, a pact of mutual trade would be beneficial to all participating. No wonder our people are listening to you. You understand.”
“Would you pass out some literature to your workers.”
“What kind?”
“Just some paper slips. They’re supposed to read it, think about it, and then pass it around.”
“Can I see them?”
Ofana took a single strip out and handed it to the Ag doctor. The Doctor took the strip and read the words “Time for a Change.”
The Doctor started laughing. “We have been away from the polls too long. This campaign is working because of our absence from the democratic process. Well Done. We are new to this, so keep your message simple. I will pass your slips out to the workers. I’ll do it tomorrow.”
Ofana poured a handful into her hands.
“That should do.”
“You might want to sell tickets to a tour of this facility. There are some drylands in Corrigon, even Eridani. They might want to see what they can do. It would be a revenue generator.”
“Along with hats and t-shirts, as well?”
Brian laughed. “I was thinking you would invite the agriculture set. Some of the Sires are looking to their dry land to increase their production.”
“I thank you. Are you leaving?”
“We have to be placed at certain times. You know how it is.”
“Oh, wait, I have some pistachios from our orchard. Let me give them to you.”
She ran into the Building. A few minutes later, she came out with a plastic bag full of toasted pistachios. Brian took them. He tossed the bag to Freddie, the man paired with the traitor, Jasmine. They all piled into the grav-car.
Brian took off down the road toward their next stop. Freddie was known to put anything in his mouth that was remotely edible. When he says something about the flavor, Brian pricked his ears.
Freddie complained of the awful stench of the pistachios When Brian heard that he stopped the grav-car as fast as he could. He reached behind and snatched the bag from Freddie.
“Hey, if I had known you wanted some, I would have left you some.”
“No, Freddie, you wouldn’t have. I suspect that you would have been dead after eating one nut. Luana get the first aid pack. I’m looking for the poison tester.”
The two men and Luana tipped the seat Botton., and Luana grabbed the first aid kit. They reset the back seat bottom. She opened the First aid kit. Rummaging through the bag, she found a glass bottle with a dropper. It said Universal Poison tester. She handed that bottle to Brian.
Brian gave Ofana the bottle. He told her to take the dropper out after filling it with the poison tester. Brian put three nuts in his hand. He put it so that all could see. He had Ofana put a single drop on each nut. Almost immediately, the nuts turned a violent shade of purple. All the first aid kit’s poison tester could do tested for the existence of poison not tell you which one was being used.
Brian threw the nuts out the window. He sat for a moment, his hand on his face. Everyone was extra quiet. Finally, Brian slammed his fist on the center console. Everyone flinched at the explosive sound.
“I have to go back.”
“Why you?” asked Ofana.
“I have to eliminate a threat. This is like one of two roads entering Giesling City. They may stop there because of the green. She’ll sell them for pistachios. They’ll drive away and die down the road.”
“You’ll have to kill her. Like killing a poisonous snake in the park; termination of a hazard,” said Ofana.
Brian did a double take on Ofana. She was starting to understand the necessity for someone like Brian to do h
is job. He nodded at her. He slid back down in his seat.
He looked at the magazine in his Athro, and He was missing three rounds. He asked for three darts, and The backseat guard gave him a brand new darts. He put them in his magazine and slapped it into the weapon. He drove back to the Oasis. He stopped on the reverse slope of the last dune before the Oasis.
Brian pulled out the cuffs of his pants from the work boot he was wearing. Freddie asked about that. Brian explained that you have the cuffs out to keep sand out of the boot. He asked for his tactical Helmet. Then he ran across the open sand to the Eden he found. There was even a snake in this Eden as well.
As he ran, his mind worked on the probable scenario. A single woman remains of all the workers, including other scientists. Why did she kill them? Was she an ecoterrorist? Suddenly a situation tumbled into his mind. This project was faced with budget problems and had to be shut down. She felt herself the righteous one, the pure one. She killed them on roasted pistachios with a side of poison.
Brian half expected her to fire on him while he ran in the open. When he was able to disappear into the vegetation, his worst fears were realized. Over the loudspeaker, she was speaking her mind to any who would listen to her.
“Farley, how could you let them take our project from us. We were beginning to change the weather here!”
Brian knew the signs of rain on a dusty landscape. He certainly ate enough of that turf in the Marine Corps. It had not rained here in years. The humidity was not enough to cause fog. Any sign of climate change would have given this project a new lease on life. They simply weren’t able to plant enough green to put enough moisture back into the air. Everyone had run out of patience. They ordered the destruction of the farm, and she lost her mind.
Now she was a danger to others coming to this direction. They would be coming this way to make it for the Great Rally. Brian had to kill her for the safety of others,
He tried to crawl through the trees, but the fallen leaves left a natural early warning system. She showed it by spraying darts in his general direction. At least he knew where she was. There was a lookout tower on the southern corner of the Building. The tower was necessary because they grew food here.
Brian did something that the First Sergeant would kick his butt for if he were in boot camp. He sprayed darts in the lookout tower.
Brian paused to hear. He heard the slam of a trapdoor opening and falling down. She had taken the way downstairs into the Building, and He ran from his position to the front door. It was locked, but a few silenced darts remedied that.
“I hear you, government-man.”
Brian was in the reception area for visitors to the Garden Oasis. There were pamphlets to read and books to buy. There was not any dust on the things on the reception counter.
Brian kept low and unlatched the gate. He went through into a lounge. Brian suddenly knew that they had tried to allow visitors. Something prevented that venture from being succeeding. Brian thought himself knowledgable of what the average Giesling’s thoughts about having rain. Touring an experimental farm was a leisure activity. Under the Miner’s Guild, there were no leisure activities allowed.
Brian went to the door in the north-east wall. He tried the door, but it was locked. Once again, the door was mechanical, and His universal keys could not open a non-electronic lock. He was never any good with picklocks. Well, he had one picklock that worked quite well. Brian pointed his Athro at the doorknob. A three round burst tore the lock apart.
Brian removed the lock’s carcass and opened the door. He walked into a hallway that ran north-west to south-east. The woman scientist was waiting for him there. She only had a handgun here. She fired three rounds at him that came nowhere near him. When he stood back up, she ran for a set of stairs that led to the basement. Brain followed her. He followed combat protocol for following a suspect carrying a gun.
Brian caught up with her in the storeroom that stored fertilizer and bags of seed. It also housed the still living bodies of the other scientists. She held her pistol on them, and Brian went to one knee. He fired a single dart on her.
The trajectory of the dart entered her body, moving up. It caused her to lift up with her arms. Any dying firing of her gun would have gone into the ceiling.
Brian checked the people tied up in the basement. As he inspected them, he cut their bonds. Slowly the men and women worked out the kinks. They started standing up, except for one man that Brian was tending to. He was dying of heart failure when the Woman went on a rampage.
Brian felt the old man’s heartbeat, flutter, and then stop. Brian bowed his head in a moment of silence for the old man. He slipped his Athro over a shoulder.
“My name is Brian Butler. I am a Special Agent for Eridani Secret Service, and I am a guard detail for someone who asked to see this place. She gave us some poisoned Pistachios. I had to come back and deal with her to prevent her from killing more. I’m glad to see you alive.”
“Thank you for coming back for us. Some exciting things are happening here. Which is why you see all this fertilizer and seed.”
“Expanding?”
“Yes, the government keeps saying ‘just one more year.’ We keep making progress. They keep giving us one more year. Rose misinterpreted one more year. “
“Did a gentleman by the name of Anton Hecton come by here recently?”
“Yes, three weeks ago. Anton spent a lot of time talking with Rose.”
“How about a woman driving an Aponte grav-car?”
“Yeah, she showed up about a little over an hour ago. She said a few things to Rose and then lit off toward the University.”
Brian nodded. “I have to get to that University.”
“Sure thing. Should we continue our work?”
“You have the money. Go for it.”
Brian nodded. He ran back to the car. When they recognized him, they got back into the car. He ran up to his spot.
Ofana asked: “Did you…?”
It was typical of Amelia to trail off when asking about the death of someone else.
“Yes, she is dead. Let’s get to this University.”
Julie had the communication door open between her office and Pam's office. Dan and Brian never complained about the two women talking. Truth be told Brian liked to hear the gossip. Neither of them had heard about April Weiner's arrival on Planet. It was a delightful surprise to see April stick her head into Julie's office.
"Am I interrupting anything?" said April.
"No, come right on in. What can I help you with?"
Brian says that you do a good job writing up his reports. Could you clean up my story?"
"Sure, drop it on my Slate."
"Then, I need a place to change into my Suit."
Julie looked and noticed that she was wearing the onboard uniform. Julie looked at the shut door that leads to her boss's domain. He was a knight and would always help someone distress.
"I'll open Brian's office. He is a knight of the gold school. He always helps a damsel in distress."
"Is that why he is with the Ofana on Giesling?"
"You might have a point there. In that case, it might be Princess in distress."
"Julie, you are a card." April chuckled. "Are you sure that he won't mind me using his office."
"If I know my boss, when I tell him that a woman took off her clothes in his office, his first question will be who. Then He will go in his office."
"Do you know what his status is as to girlfriends?" April walked into the office and started disrobing.
"Right now he is available. Felicity just could not deal with not knowing if he is dead or alive."
"How about the Ofana?"
"She is gorgeous, but if they formed an attachment, they would have to give that up."
"So, you might say he is free."
Julie turned to see April, Miss Z10, naked as the day she was born. She knew Brian's type better than even Brian. The woman she saw had the wide hips he finds so attractive. While
April's breasts were not as big as Julie's, they were big enough. April's stomach was flat and hard. Julie got an idea. She started to laugh.
"What's funny about this?"
"Nothing. I just came up with an idea. You have an extra pair of panties?"
"Yes," April said, suspicious of Julie.
"Leave your used one in his office."
"What good is that going to do."
"He is a knight. It's obviously a woman's garment. He will go around asking every woman he meets if these are her panties."
"Cinderella."
"I guess you could say that."
"What if he asks me?"
"Oh, thank you, Mister Butler. Now it is his turn. He will say something like 'I know this Bistro, great food, great drinks, and great music. It is called my place.'"
"I think that would have worked on me. There is one thing of which I am afraid."
"Of what are you afraid?"
"Well, I overheard some of the girls gossiping, and I heard that they have a nickname for him."
"What was it? I may not have heard it."
"Well, they called him Moby Dick."
Julie let out a laugh. "That one I have not heard. What bothers you about it?"
"I'm afraid that I won't be able to take him."
"This is why I like my boss. He says it is his job to make sure that you are ready for him. His motto is the woman comes first."
"That's kind of nasty, isn't it?"
"I don't think so. It can be nasty, but Brian is emphasizing that he is a gentleman. He also says the women regularly squeeze out babies. He points out that his tool is ever so much smaller than a baby."
"I guess he is right."
April stood there in Brian's office naked. Her new skill of being able to read someone from the contents of his room, apartment, or house was kicking in with a vengeance. She could tell that Brian was a man out of time. In the bookshelves are journals. She flipped through one. The majority of the journals were about people that he failed to have a lasting relationship. It seemed that he had one real problem with these women. They started to consider him to be possession and not a partner.
