Romeo Delta 2
Page 23
I want you to know that I’m safe and that I’m starting a new life for myself. You probably wouldn’t recognize me if you saw me now, I’ve changed quite a bit since we last met, somewhat against my will, mind you. The burns and scars are gone and my eyes are this incredibly vivid crystalline blue that they never have been before for some strange reason, but I’m still me. I mean, it’s my mind, but the body is changing on its own due to that condition that you and Doctor Singh were dutifully trying to cure me of. It turned out to be a bit of a blessing in disguise. My biology has changed so much in such a short amount of time that I’m not even sure if I could be classified as a human anymore, but I’m not too worried about it and neither should you. I pass well enough and if I’m going to be completely honest and somewhat justifiably vain, I’m looking good. And I mean twenty years younger, good. I’ve already had a couple of guys buying me drinks at the bar and I’m feeling like less of a cougar about it, so I’ve got prospects and a hell of a lot of confidence. However, in the event that you one day view me as something alien and intangible, I want to make it clear that I come in peace and hold no true animosity towards anyone, especially you. I’m just living my life now, and I’m happy with that.
I’ve also got a friend who has gone by many names and is quite good at impersonating other people, but for now, I’m calling him Charlie because I think that’s him simply being himself. We had a few trust issues at first, but it looks like we’re both running from the same thing, so we’ve been getting along and even having a laugh from time to time. I’ve also met this loudmouth journalist and his charming cyborg partner that were dogging me for quite some time after I woke up. It was a little tense at first because we were unsure of their intentions, but we’re all getting along now and I think we’ve decided to work towards a common goal. A bit of a vanity project if you will.
I may have said too much because I’m crying as I write this and there is so much more I want to say, but can’t. I will tell you this though, but you must burn this letter afterwards. I’ve got a new name. Well, an old one, actually. It was my grandmother’s birth name and it’s what I’m going by these days. Perhaps, one day when things cool down, you can look me up and we can catch up sometime. Until that moment though, I want you to love your lady, hug your son, and never stop being who you are. You’re a hell of a good guy and Dusk needs people like you guiding them through the worst of times like you did with me. I wish you all the best and send you and your family all of my love.
Sincerely, Kylie Volkov, Space Janitor Extraordinaire.
Joe smiled warmly at the letter and felt his soul begin to swell at Erin’s words, but he noticed that there were two short pages left and he continued reading.
I have one last secret to tell you Joe, and you have to swear to never leak this to anyone. I’m trusting you with my greatest accomplishment, because in this world, you’re the one person I trust more than anyone else.
Joe then flipped the page and stared at what Erin had left him. He then began to laugh with tears of joy falling from his eyes as he tried to read the meticulously detailed recipe card for a self-proclaimed World’s Best Caesar Salad. By some miracle, Erin Wilco was alive and safe and in a way completely untarnished by the terrible events that had haunted her. He was proud and happy for his friend, because that was all he ever wanted from her. To know that she was doing well and that everything was going to be alright, because on a world like Dusk, such stories were so damningly rare that it was important to look beyond the acts of evil and cruelty and hold desperately onto the radiant hope that would forever hold back the looming darkness.