Darkside 3

by Aaron K Carter

  “We wanted to see you before you go to the hospital,” I say.

  “Yeah, it’ll be hard to visit you there we’d have to pretend to have passed, plus you might need help packing,” Tess says, looking around the room, “Have you got everything you want?”

  “Yeah, my favorite clothes and stuff---I won’t be needing my uniforms,” he says, a little sadly. “I got my tablet and everything, but mostly I’m going to miss you guys and having fun. I have to stay in my room all the time and I don’t get to go anywhere.”

  “You don’t usually feel up to going places anyway,” Tess says, frowning.

  “I still like to try, even if I feel like rot,” he says, hanging his head.

  “Come, let’s go someplace today,” I say, holding out my hand.

  “Where?” he asks, frowning.

  “Where’s your favorite place in the city?” Tess asks.

  “The ice cream shop---and the Japan Cat tower,” he says, eagerly.

  “Let’s go then,” Tess says.

  “We can’t sneak off base again Tess, we’ll get in trouble and it’s exams coming up and your dad is looking for you this evening—” I begin.

  “You forget, my dad, HELPS me do this sort of thing,” she says, “He won’t be cross or get me into trouble. and they’ll think we’re sleeping or studying for exams nobody will notice.”

  “You say that, then somebody notices and we have to talk our way out of it,” I say. the only reason I’m not completely against it is that Billy does look hopeful but I don’t want all three of us in trouble.

  “Please, Aiden? I’d like to,” Billy says, hopefully.

  “You’ll get tired out,” I say, but I’m not as against it as I make out.

  “I’ve got a chair you could push me,” he says.

  “Come on Aiden, come with us. it’ll be fun, you know we’ll go anyway,” Tess says.

  “Really?” Billy asks.

  “Of course, you want to,” Tess says, immediately, going into his closet, “Here—they’ve not packed all your coats—and Aiden and I will fit into your things, about.”

  “I’ve not got money on me,” I say, still holding out for sanity’s sake, “And if we get caught in the middle of the city just running about---”

  “Come on, you’re usually up for an adventure,” Tess says.

  “I’m up for going to the library or when we’d go and visit Billy in hospital, there was an excuse for that we could give. this is just running about,” I say, wearily, standing up, “I don’t want to get in actual trouble we could get demerits.”

  “And what do demerits mean?” Tess asks, folding her arms.

  “No privileges,” I mutter. I know where she’s going with this.

  “And what do no privileges mean?” she asks.

  “No free time passes to the library or club—”

  “And how do we get in those usually—”

  “By forging passes okay, fine,” I groan.

  “Yay,” Billy says.

  “But your dad has to get me and you out of trouble ‘cause it was your idea.”

  “Done.”

  Chapter 2

  “W

  hy do you always want to meet in such weird places?”

  “Shhh, keep your voice down, act like we aren’t talking to each other.”

  “I really can’t do that when we’re sitting at a table for two people.”

  “Keep your head down, then.”

  “Why are you so convinced you’re always followed?”

  “Because I usually am followed,” I say, leaning my head to look around the bar. No sign of him. good.

  “Back to the meeting in weird places, thing. I could take strip club, but a drag strip club? Really, I’m glad I did not know that was a thing before now,” she rolls her eyes.

  “Shh, neither did I, the idea is that if somebody, at random, who wants to destroy my life is following me, then they would be content about seeing where I went in and not feel the urge to follow me in to see what I’m doing,” I say, taking a drink of my mineral water. I really want a drink. But I need to stay sober. “Just go on, it’s fine, it’s over, we’re here now. I’m very sorry, I owe you flowers and chocolates and whatever.”

  “Yes, you truly do, though I’d settle for a bit of sanity. I was going to ask how you’ve been but there’s a very large dead spider pinned to your lapel so I’m going to assume your day isn’t going well,” she says.

  “No,” I manage, after leaping like a suitably small girl over the dead spider which I threw to the floor with no masculinity whatsoever. “I’m not even going to think about how he did that.”

  “Who? This person you think is the antichrist?” she asks. She doesn’t believe me. Few people do.

  “Or our savior trying to trick us, there’s that---how drunk was I when I told you that?” I ask, realizing I don’t usually say those things when I’m not drunk.

  “Extremely,” she says, tiredly, taking out her tablet.

  “Okay good to know, don’t let me get that drunk again—”

  “I won’t after that, it was disturbing,” she says, dryly.

  “How are you doing? You look well?” I ask. I’m shit at talking to women. That should be obvious by now. “How are the kids?”

  “I am thank you. They’re fine. Doing well in school,” she says, tapping on the tablet, to pull up pictures I assume. “I was going to send you these but you’d said no to---that was also when you were very drunk.”

  “No, I meant that—any communication could be intercepted, this alone is dangerous,” I shouldn’t take these risks but I do. I can’t help it. I need to see him. “How is he?”

  “Alexander is fine, looks more like you every day, he’s getting as tall as me,” she says, smiling at the mention of her son.

  “Good, I suppose—that’s good,” I say, “Not looking like me but you know—whatever---what field is he doing in school?”

  “Don’t be cross---”

  “You didn’t let him go to the Academy,” I say, leaning across the table. She did I know she did.

  “He got a full scholarship, he begged me for weeks---James doesn’t,” she says, as I slam the table with my fist.

  “I asked you never to let him near that place,” I hiss, “One thing, I ask you one thing.”

  “He’s made for it---you can’t be angry, it’s only because he’s like you, he wants to fly, go to space---I asked him not to, I don’t want it any more than you, believe me,” she says, “I couldn’t have anything happen to him.”

  “No, you’ve got to pull him out---do something---he’ll die,” I say, shaking my head, my voice cracking.

  “He could. He could die walking across the street---James it isn’t fair to hold him back just because we’re afraid for him,” she says.

  “Yes, it is, it’s completely fair, I want him alive that’s all, he can do anything else in the world,” I groan, putting my head in my hands.

  “You tell him that---meet him, tell him yourself,” she says.

  “No,” I say, looking up quickly, “It’s too dangerous, this is dangerous enough.”

  “You know I wanted the open donor because I wanted one of my children to have a relationship with their father,” she sighs. Her oldest is an anonymous donor, the youngest as well. I think after she met me she gave up on the open thing. Only the middle child, my son, has a father who cares about him. And I do. Deeply.

  “No, it’s far too risky, I can’t have anything happen to him. I couldn’t live if something happened to him,” I say.

  “Here,” she pushes the tablet across to me, showing my boy’s school picture. In his Academy uniform. She was right, he does look a bit like me. Gold hair, and soft, quiet smile, getting handsome though he’s still young his face not filled out yet.

  “He’s handsome,” I say, quietly.

  “Yeah, he is,” she says.

  “Clever enough, if he got in,” I say.

  “Persistent, more than anything, he do
esn’t give up. He’s got the sweetest heart,” she says, smiling fondly.

  “I’m sure,” I say, flipping through the pictures. A few of the others have her other kids in them. playing in the park, making stupid faces at the camera, generally being kids. I soak them in, staring down wordlessly.

  “He’s asked me about you,” she says.

  “What do you tell him?” I asked, sharply, looking up.

  “Nothing, like you asked. I tell him I don’t know. they think I’m working late,” she says. “Please just meet him? You don’t have to tell him who you are---say we were old sweethearts, whatever, have lunch with us one day---”

  “No, no, I could never, it’s too dangerous,” I say.

  “I wish you’d give that up; it’s torturing you, I can see it, and it’s rotten for him as well,” she says.

  “It’s better than the alternative,” I say.

  “Which is?”

  “Death.”

  “You act like someone is always actively trying to ruin your life.”

  “HE IS.”

  “Titus! Quit stalking Commander Thorn!”

  “Damn it, Major Tom, I had him tracked to the gentleman’s club district,” Major Card says, as she takes his tablet away from him, unplugging it from the main server.

  “If all you’re here to do is spy I’d like you to leave,” Sgt. Kip says. he’s eating crisps and watching monitors, I’m crawling underneath the main server following his directions. Apparently, Major Card is stalking people.

  “Sir, what’s a gentleman’s club?” I ask Kip because I like him.

  “House of ill repute,” Major Card says.

  “Brothel,” Kip and Tom say, in unison.

  “Thank you ma’am, gentlemen,” I say, nodding.

  “Literally only he calls them that,” Major Tom says, basically wrestling with Major Card to keep his tablet from him.

  “If only I used those words they wouldn’t be in a dictionary,” Major Card says.

  “You say that about a lot of words, one of these days we’re going to find out he’s been making words up to sound clever,” Kip says, “Do you have hold of that cord, Starr?”

  “Yes, sir,” I say.

  “Do stop saying ‘sir’, it’s getting tiresome,” Kip says, handing me a disc port, “Here, install that under terminal D will you?”

  “Yes, sir---sir if I’m not to call you sir what do I call you?” I ask.

  “Hmm...good question. You shall call me ‘my lord---him?” he looks at Major Card who Major Tom has in a headlock, “I’m thinking whoreson thug.”

  “Yes, my lord,” I say, smiling.

  “I like this one, may I have him, Card?” Kip asks, turning to see Major Card finally free himself and his tablet, which he clutches possessively.

  “Yes, for ten bags of crisps and one small tablet XL with four thousand free gigabytes,” Major Card says immediately.

  “Good, it’s a deal then, you are now my slave, Starr,” Kip says, handing me a bag of crisps instead of the piece of hardware I was waiting for.

  “I think I shall like it, my lord, the food is better,” I say.

  “I should say it is. I’ve seen how often he DOESN’T feed you,” Kip says.

  “Now that took me hours don’t do it again, Major Tom,” Major Card says, petting his tablet protectively.

  “Why are you so intent on stalking him anyway?” Major Tom asks, flicking the tablet out of his hands so he drops it.

  “So I can find out where he’s going?” Major Card says, in an obvious voice, picking the thing up and petting it some more.

  “No, why do you care?” Major Tom asks, pulling herself up on the table.

  “It makes it easier to actively destroy his life?” Major Card says, still in an obvious voice.

  “It’s stupid---he told you that’s where he was going,” Major Tom says.

  “I know, that’s what makes it so strange----there must be some trick. He told me, thinking then I wouldn’t follow him, so I’ve tracked him thinking it was something more nefarious, and yet he told the truth, so there must be something else even more disquieting he does not want me to discover,” Major Card says.

  “Leave him alone, do something else with your time, learn another language—” Major Tom begins.

  “There isn’t another one,” Major Card sulks, glaring at her.

  “What---Russian---Mandarin---Spanish---Mandarin--,” Major Tom begins.

  “I said, there isn’t another one,” Major Card says, “And I don’t get to use the ones I know nor half the sobriquets in this one.”

  “You’ve got Starr here to train,” she says.

  “I’ve sold him to Kip,” he says.

  “You can’t actually do that,” she says, with a sigh.

  “Why are you----oh Thorn’s made you in charge of me again, hasn’t he? That’s why you’re so bent on my good behavior,” Major Card laughs.

  “Yes, so will you behave? Why don’t you want to train Starr?” she asks.

  “Because he ruined my contest earlier,” Major Card says.

  “Did you? Good show, Starr,” Kip says.

  “Yes, my lord,” I say.

  “What contest?” Major Tom asks.

  “One involving---”

  “No, I want one-syllable words---Starr,” she says, nodding at me.

  “Ma’am, a contest with his daughter to see how long they could do planks while reciting Shakespeare,” I say, “But I made up for it.”

  “After I forced you to,” Major Card says, glaring at me.

  “How did you make him make up for it?” Major Tom asks.

  “The competition was that the winner had to buy the loser ice cream, so he was required to buy us both ice cream,” Major Card says.

  “You seriously---how old are you?---don’t answer that I don’t feel like speaking to you---did you honestly buy him ice cream?” Major Tom asks me.

  “Yes, ma’am, but only because I wanted to,” I say, nodding.

  “And why did you want to?” Major Tom asks.

  “They looked sweet,” I say, shrugging. How pathetically he’d demanded it of me had made me feel obliged to. If somebody grown up cared that much about ice cream then they must not gotten it enough as a child.

  “Ah, ah, base language, define sweet?” Major Card says, waving a finger at me.

  “Of or relating to eliciting emotions of empathy, goodwill, or desire,” I say, immediately.

  “Are they actually fighting or do they get along?” Tom asks Kip.

  “I was about to ask him the same thing about the two of you so I’m out,” Kip says.

  “No, we get along fine,” Major Card says, “I gave him a lizard.”

  “He did,” I say, taking the small thing out of my shirt. I mentioned I’d never been able to catch one, turned out he had a couple of them at his flat that he’d caught to amuse his daughter, who only really liked the one and was happy enough to let me have the other after I’d gotten them ice cream, of course. Yes, it did take a ridiculously long time to get them where they were both supposed to be.

  “So you’re going to be nice to him?” Major Tom asks, suspiciously.

  “Define nice.”

  “Not actively attempting to brainwash or drive insane---don’t bother to deny it, it’s a waste of valuable oxygen,” Major Tom says, holding up a hand.

  “All right, no,” he says.

  “No isn’t going to be nice or no you are?” she asks.

  “No I am,” he says, nodding, “That was a grammatical disaster, can we doing it?”

  “No, we’re skipping that we know what I mean---Starr have you eaten? Oh yes, Kip feeds you I forget,” she says, as I hold up a crisp bag as evidence. The little lizard curls up on my neck, purring.

  “Ma’am, may I ask where Cadet Jordan is?” I’m hesitant to show too much of interest but damn it Terrance always says I’m too shy it’s stupid we can be friends. We can be more than friends. I’m just so bloody embarrassed. No not that.
I just hate people knowing things about me. it feels like they can hurt me with what they know.

  “I sent him to bed, that’s what neurotypical people do at this time of night,” she says, still eyeing Major Card who is back to staring at his tablet.

  “Yes, ma’am, thank you, ma’am,” I say.

  “He little friend from OTS?” Kip asks.

  “Sir, we were going to study together,” I lie, my face burning, as I look down at the crisp bag.

  “Oh, right, these two were at OTS together or can’t you tell by the way they bicker like twins?” he asks, as Major Tom tries to take Major Card’s tablet away, again, then just settles for shoving his head with her foot.

  “Sir, I didn’t know that,” I say.

  “Yes, got up to all manner of things, they were a delight to watch on the monitors---oh quit looking at me like that you two,” Kip says, as they both stare at him in horror and anger, face going red at almost the exact same rate. “I was more thinking of the time the base blew up—calm down, will you? Titus picked a nice room without any cameras.” Kip chuckles as they both immediately attempt to pretend they were not as shocked and horrified as they just were. so they’ve been sleeping together for quite some time. On again off again? It seems like it, they both seem edgy for each other and yet something odd’s between them; I don’t know what.

  “I thought I did,” Major Card mutters, looking back at his tablet face still burning.

  “That’s it, I’m cutting you off---go home, tuck your little girl in bed, and let him go to bed and quit stalking Thorne,” Major Tom says, resuming her usual manner and shaking off the embarrassment. So she didn’t want Kip seeing them together, that’s interesting she’s almost acting ashamed, doesn’t take many lovers then. Just him? Just one another for both of them? That’s certainly how they’re acting or is it an on again off again thing? No, there’s a peculiar loyalty there, as Kip said, they bicker half like siblings half like an old married couple, but if they’ve known each other since they were basically children that would follow. Even so, it’s different from them, I think. In my few years in this universe, I’ve seen a good deal, not everything mind, but enough to have a sense of when things aren’t what they seem.