Douglas Kendall

by Jason the Rescuer

  Over one year! I read about your latest rescue in the JOURNAL.

  *6. Breathtaking Adventure, my friend, breathtaking!" He was wearing the customary robe of the Infinity City gold merchant, bright starched white. On his head, he wore laurel leaves of very thin gold, each leaf tipped with a tiny, sparkling diamond.

  Jason said, "Over sensationalized, I'm sure, Mr. Abu. How have you been? Prosperous year?"

  "Ehh... I get by, I get by. My wife, she leaves me with nothing. All profit goes directly to her. Why do I work so hard?!", he shook his head in mock-misery. He was very old and had deep lines about his eyes and mouth that made him look a tragic figure, which he often used to play upon the sympathies of lady clientele. The PILL OF LIFE did nothing for wrinkles. He obviously had avoided the Infinity City plastic surgeons, opting instead for the distinctive look of wizened age, accentuated by his drooping, long pointed nose and long, gray pointed beard.

  "Well, that's why I'm not married," Jason said with a sly grin. "Tomorrow, I'm sailing away early in the morning. I need some gold for trading. I haven't much time. Can I get my usual discount?"

  "Yes, of course, my friend!" He leaned close to Jason, looked this way and that, then squinted one eye and said in a low voice, "I will save you even more, Mr. Jason! I have found a vendor who is just new and trying to undercut his competition.

  His prices are so low, he must be insane. Maybe some offworld syndicate trying to muscle in, eh? Who knows?! Come, let me show you some things I think you will like."

  "Did you get any bulk ingots?"

  "Ah!" His bushy old eyebrows shot upwards. "I knew you would be back someday to ask just that very question! Yes, I did. Twice as many as you asked for the last time." He put his arm around Jason and lead him back into the private showing room.

  2. DALTON.

  Jason and Mr. Abu were outside the gold souq chatting about the usual wild goings on of Infinity City. Jason's purchase was in a secure leather satchel at his feet. His hand held firmly to the shoulder strap. As they chatted, a boy just into his youth, dressed in old clothes, confidently sauntered past them and into the shop. Mr. Abu stopped talking in mid-sentence and suspiciously watched the boy through the display window, out of the corner of his eye. His gaze narrowed with deeper suspicion.

  "What's the matter?" asked Jason.

  Mr. Abu grunted, "After all these years in this business, I now have a sixth sense about trouble. That boy. He's been hanging around here for days now. Just a child of the streets, probably. Maybe a laborer over in the industrial district."

  "He looks too young for that," Jason observed.

  "Street child, then. Infinity City, the most advanced city in the universe, still with street kids and bums! I will never understand," he shook his head and pulled a little control box from a pocket up his sleeve. He pressed a button. He shook the little box in Jason's face. "This transmitter will alert my clerks to be wary. Look how much of my merchandise is in open displays! Ah, but to touch is to buy..."

  "Where's the police? I haven't seen one patrol all night here."

  "Bah!" and he spat. "There must be some big convoy in at the space field. They always yank the souq police for extra customs duty. We pay our taxes! We deserve full protection! I have heard there are only three patrolmen assigned to the gold souqs now. This is why the kid has come here. Well, he will find that my staff have eyes in the backs of their heads!"

  They secretly watched the boy as he strolled around the store with his hands behind his back, ostensibly admiring the stunning displays of gold broaches, earrings, charms and other fine items. More than once, as he would slowly walk past, other customers would sniff at the air in puzzlement, and then make faces of disgust.

  Finally, the boy, noting the ever-watchful eyes of the clerks, headed back the way he had come. As he stepped outside, he apparently tripped and bumped into Jason leaning back against the store front. He looked up at Jason, to excuse himself, their eyes met, and then for a moment they just looked curiously at each other. The boy was thin, with unkempt, dark brown hair, dark eyes, dark complexion. To Jason's puzzlement, there seemed something hauntingly familiar about him. As Jason opened his mouth to ask him who he was, the boy quickly excused himself and walked away, disappearing into the next alleyway down the street.

  "Do you know him?", the gold merchant asked suspiciously.

  "No, not at all!", replied Jason.

  "You looked at him as if you knew his face."

  "Something about him. Thought I'd seen him before, I guess."

  "Yes, maybe working around the space field. Jason," he said, touching Jason's arm. "Check you pockets."

  "What? Why?", Jason asked baffled.

  "Pickpockets. Have you never heard of them??"

  Jason groaned, then smiled as he felt his valuables safe and secure, "Look, all tab-lock pockets. I have a tough enough time opening them, let along a thief."

  "What about that open breast pocket?", Abu said, pointing to a pocket in Jason's flight jacket without any tab lock, meant for sunglasses.

  Jason began, "I don't keep anything there...", then he remembered the tape from his parents. He had put it in that pocket! He checked the pocket. It was empty. The tape was gone.

  Instantly enraged, he cried, "Hold this!", tossed the handle to his bag of gold to Mr. Abu and then sprang off in the direction the boy had gone. He, decided the boy would heading deeper into the maze of souqs. Jogging up to the alleyway, he turned into it, heading toward the 3rd avenue. The alley sides were two stories high and featureless, except for low footlights, at regular intervals. Each side of the alley could be touched by extending both arms. The boy was not to been seen.

  Jason emerged into the 3rd avenue. He looked to the left.

  Nothing, just more souqs with ornate signs hanging from elaborate glittering, golden metalwork hangers and shoppers leisurely strolling along the boardwalks before all the storefronts. He looked to the right... The boy! He was walking up the street and, as Jason watched, turned into the alley leading to the 4th avenue!

  Jason ran up to this alley and peeked around the corner. He saw the lad walking down the alley with a bouncing confident gate, slapping a bulging trouser pocket smugly. This must be the tape. The tape was in a little black metal box. Jason thought that the boy would probably think it contained gold or some other valuable.

  As soon as he reached 4th avenue, he turned to the left.

  Jason decided to surprise him. He turned and ran back up 3rd avenue, to the next alley and then ran into it, running as fast as he could to pop out of the alley just as, he calculated, the boy would reach it.

  He burst out of the alley, expecting to confront the boy face to face. But, the boy was not there! Jason looked up the avenue and there was the boy, leaning against the corner, next to the alley he had just left, examining the little black tape box!

  He took one look at Jason and jolted with surprise. The tape case flew up in the air. The boy deftly snatched it back, then sprung forward, dashing across 4th avenue toward the mouth of the alley to 5th avenue.

  Jason started after him, then decided to veer to his left and go through the alley across from the one he had just left.

  Maybe the boy would turn left at the end of the alley.

  Just as the boy entered the alley, he quickly stole a glance in Jason's direction then continued forward. Jason ground to a halt. If this kid is smart, he thought, he'll see I'm heading for the next avenue, so HE'LL double back! Jason veered slightly to the right and ran to the storefronts next to the alley the youth had taken. He leapt up to the old-fashioned wooden boardwalk and pounded off toward the alley to hopefully catch the boy should he double back. The boardwalk was only wide enough for two or three people. Eveninggoers gave him haughty looks as he rudely slid past them.

  He was almost to the alley, when a man and woman, arm in arm, stepped up from it to the boardwalk, having just crossed from the opposite boardwalk. Jason veered slightly to the left to pass the couple as he jumpe
d into the alley, hopefully to land dramatically right in front of the boy. Unfortunately, in the doorway just a step ahead, Jason was unable to foresee the two men carrying out a heavy crate, containing an extremely heavy solid gold statue of a Militia Guard sailship. The lead man, who was very fat, was backing out, chomping on a fat, illegal cigar and had not seen the child's toy laying in the doorway. He stepped out toward the boardwalk and right on to the toy. His foot slipped forward, back under the crate. He lost his balance and began falling backwards, right into the startled couple now opposite the doorway.

  The big fellow would have been seriously hurt by the heavy crate falling on him, had Jason not, running at top speed, crashed into him. As the crate crashed down to the boardwalk, the two toppled past it and into the mouth of the alley, the fat man landing with a loud grunt, the cigar still in his face. Just as Jason crashed to the ground, landing on his back, he saw the boy, who had sure enough doubled back up the alley. Without pausing, the boy leap gracefully through the air, right over both Jason and the fat man. As the boy landed, he twisted around, his longish black hair sweeping over his face, and looked down at Jason. He laughed merrily, shaking the tape box in the air triumphantly, and dashed off up 4th avenue.

  Jason dislodged himself from the fat man, who had begun swearing and cursing profusely because the red-hot tip of his cigar had fallen into his shirt. The man and woman had nimbly dodged back from the falling crate and were now standing on the edge of the boardwalk curiously watching the two men lying in the dirt, the fat man frantically grabbing at his shirt to dislodge the heater.

  Jason jumped to his feet unhurt and tore off after the boy, who was racing across the avenue diagonally, making for the alley on the opposite side. He was very fast and disappeared into the alley before Jason was even halfway across the street. Jason, thinking once again to outsmart the lad, veered back up the street toward the alley directly across from the one in to which he had fallen. He had a hunch that when the boy reached the 3rd avenue, to fool his pursuer, he would turn in the direction of Mr. Abu's gold souq heading back the way he had come, instead of getting farther away. Jason ran into the alley, running faster and faster.

  By the end of the alley, he was running at full speed. He spread his arms wide thinking to emerge right in front of the lad, but again the boy was not where he had predicted. Quickly looking around, he caught a glimpse of the boy disappearing down the alley across from the one he had emerged from. He was heading back to the 2nd avenue.

  Jason was now getting winded. He ran on, though, crossed the 3rd avenue and ducked into the alley heading for the 2nd avenue. When he emerged onto the 2nd avenue, he looked this way and that, but there was no sign of the boy. He tiredly turned around and pumped back down the alley to check for him on 3rd avenue. But, the boy was gone.

  Jason shook his fists in the air, stamped on the ground and growled out several curses. He then took a few deep breaths then trudged up the 3rd avenue and over to the alley the boy had taken.

  On his way up the alley, toward the 2nd avenue, he suddenly heard a hooting siren some distance away. It sounded like the anti-theft siren of a rent-a-car! HIS rent-a-car!

  He dashed off in the direction of the sound, leaving 2nd avenue and heading back into the first alleyway he had taken. He emerged out of the alleyway onto the sidewalk along the main street, brightly lit up by all the dazzling gold souqs to both sides. Electric cars whizzed back and forth before him. He looked in the direction of the siren sound and there was HIS

  rent-a-car with all lights blinking in rhythm with the siren.

  Inside, someone was struggling to get out. Jason had left the car unlocked, since he had the key to make it go and there was nothing valuable inside. The current occupant of the rent-a-car must have tried something unauthorized, for car had automatically locked him inside.

  Jason grinned, rubbed his hands together and walked over to the car. Placing one hand on the roof, he smiled and waved with the other at the trapped victim within. It was the boy who had stolen the tape! The boy stopped thrashing around and looked up at him furiously. Then, he suddenly looked terrified and very afraid. Staring up at Jason, he folded his hands together and shook his head slowly back and forth, with a pleading look in his eyes.

  Jason watched with arms folded, looking sternly unimpressed.

  The boy stared at Jason and his face grew blank. Then, he slowly reached into his shabby coat and withdrew the box with the tape. He looked at it, then held it up, offering it to Jason, behind the closed window of the car door.

  For some reason, Jason was moved. He took out his keys and opened the door, making sure he was blocking any possible escape by the boy. This silenced the annoying alarm, the car even welcomed him back with its mechanical voice. The boy slowly, meekly, silently handed him back the tape. Jason took the tape, looked at the boy's sorrowful expression and then looked down at the tape, wondering what to do next. But, the boy decided things himself.

  Quick as a cat, the boy turned to the dashboard, opened a panel and punched an emergency button. The button was designed to allow a passenger to instruct the car to immediately leave any scene of imminent danger at full speed. The car tore instantly away, its forward acceleration enough to slam shut the open door, with Jason's keys still stuck in the lock on the outside. Jason took a frustrated step in the direction of the car. The car key, simply being inserted into the electronic door lock, had been enough to enable driver control!

  Jason stared dumbfounded. The last thing he saw was the boy, staring back with a curiously serious expression, and then the car disappeared around the very next corner. In frustration, Jason jammed the tape back into his pocket.

  He walked back to the souq to get his satchel of gold, then used the telephone to report the stolen vehicle and request that another drive itself over to the souqs for him.

  But wait! The keys! The damn kid had driven away with the keys to Jason's sailship! Fortunately, he had spares in his wallet. He decided to head directly to the space port as soon as the rent-a-car replacement arrived. There was no label or anything on the sailship keys linking them to his ship, so there was little danger of the kid breaking into it, at least not right away, with all the dozens of other sailships currently in port.

  But it would be best to proceed to the ship, then tell his ship's computer not to let anyone but him in until he had the locks changed. The locks were only there in case of computer failure anyway. Fortunately, the computer could override the locks electronically.

  3. LIFT OFF FROM INFINITY CITY

  Jason rolled up to his wonderful sailship in the rent-a-car, got out, tugged the leather satchel of gold out of the trunk and hoisted it to his shoulder. He told the car to return to its dealer and it rolled away. He was very tired. It had taken a long argument over the gold souq's phone to talk the rent-a-car company into sending a replacement. They acted as if it was HIS

  fault that the car had been stolen. Then, in exasperation, he had waited over an hour for the replacement rent-a-car.

  Jason looked up at his beloved sailship rising majestically before him. What a beauty! It was shaped like an upside-down bowl, about 20 meters at its greatest diameter, dark gray in color, with several landing legs elevating it a foot or two above the tarmac of the space port. The conning tower bulged out at the top, containing the gravitonic propulsion systems and the pilot room in the center. There was a ring of round view ports near the top below the conning tower and other view ports, here and there around its lower perimeter. At the very top and at four locations around the lowest perimeter, gravitonic sail-pods bulged out, housing the struts that moved in and out, along which the fantastic gravitonic sails were run up and unfurled.

  Jason trudged up to where the main hatch was located. It was smoothly flush with the sailship's side and was not even easy to see, unless you were close. Jason spoke, "Hi, honey! I'm home! Open up..." The ship's computer had transponders all over the surface of the ship, that monitored all types of input, including audi
o. The computer recognized his voice. Its sophisticated, pattern recognition neural-network long ago having learned to filter away his nonsense and translate his colloquialisms. The hatch slowly swung open rotating forward, the hinge on the bottom, lowering silently to the ground at his feet, forming a ramp from the tarmac, up into the ship.

  Jason lugged the gold up the steep ramp and into the air lock. The air lock was a small, cubic chamber with several storage lockers containing equipment for extra-vehicular activity such as repairs or docking with other space craft.

  He ordered, "Let me in!" The outer hatch began to rotate slowly closed. This particular air lock had a safety feature built in preventing both the outer and inner hatch to ever be opened at the same time, which would fatally suck out the ship's air in the vacuum of outer space, or admit the poison soup many planets had for atmospheres.

  The outer hatch clanged shut, then, with a hissing sound magnetically sealed itself tightly shut . Finally, the inner hatch unsealed and swung smoothly open to the side revealing the large wedge-shaped cargo hold. Below the pilot room, the ship was divided into four quarter sections. The cargo hold occupied one of these. Jason walked in feeling he was home. He was!

  He sniffed the air. It smelled fine! FINALLY!, he thought with great satisfaction. He had been having trouble with the cleaning system for the last two years, ever since the ship's last major overhaul. The ship had only three little hard-working robots and too much of their time was spent cleaning. After the many upgrades to the ship, it had taken two years for him to get the robots' cleaning schedule software programmed to a point where everything got cleaned as fast as possible, and in just the right cycle to prevent any source of stench, a tricky problem for any space ship due to the completely recycled environment of food, waste, humidity, and all the 'junk' emitted by human bodies. But, finally it was working and the ship smelled fresh as new! Everything was just balanced. He thought, 'Any change to the balance would probably screw up the damn software again!'