Robinson didn’t look pleased with Dain’s answer. “I’m not a patient man. You need to do better.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Oh, and Mister Cardile? Do you need another dose before bed? To make sure the dreams don’t happen?”
“I think those dreams won’t bother me again, sir.”
“Are you sure?”
“Positive.”
Robinson gave him a pointed look, before signing off. The monitor went black. Dain grabbed the photo and lay down on his cot. He didn’t want to forget him again, but once Robinson gave him the shot in the morning, he knew the man would fade away. What could he do to keep the poison from clouding his mind?
Chapter Thirteen
Ben placed a hand on the bulkhead and paused, letting the wave of dizziness pass by. He could only assume it was the parasite growing inside him. Already he’d had to go up a size in pants, even though he didn’t really have a baby bump. It was just a general swelling of every part of his body, making him feel bloated and uncomfortable. By far the worst symptom had been the bouts of nausea and dizziness that seemed to strike at odd moments of the day. He’d always heard morning sickness was, well, in the morning, but so far, he’d been experiencing it at random moments.
“Ben, you okay?”
He looked up to see the worried face of his coworker, Fernando Tucker, or Fern as he liked to be called. They’d been hired at the same time and filled out all their paperwork together, so they’d became friends, at least to a certain degree. The secrets he had kept Ben from getting too friendly with anyone. When Doctor Josson had handed over his new identi-card, giving him the innocuous last name of Smith, she’d warned that Sector was actively hunting him and to not trust anyone.
“Yeah, I’m okay,” he replied. “I guess I’m still getting my space legs.”
“Do you want me to help you to your bunk? Or sickbay?”
“No, I’m fine,” Ben insisted. “Thanks.”
“I don’t know, you look pale.”
Ben straightened and waved a hand, dismissing Fern’s words. “Like I said, just a bit of space sickness. I better get back to work. See you later.”
“Well … all right. See you in the mess hall.”
Ben gave a wry smile and headed down the corridor, back to his assigned station. They’d left the moon base several weeks ago and were due to arrive in the Mars orbit in a matter of days. He couldn’t wait to get off the ship, hating how confining the past month and half had been, and wasn’t really looking forward to the return trip home.
He made his way to his workstation, having been assigned to the hydroponics bay. Most everything being transported to Mars were hybrid plants and seeds, in the hopes that some of the new vegetation would thrive in the different gravity and atmospheric conditions. The early settlers had established gardens, in an attempt to terraform the surface of the red planet, but only a few had actually taken hold. Most food stock came in the form of bioengineered edible nutritious sustainability, which was a fancy term for “it may not be actual food, but it’d keep you alive”. Ben was used to eating questionable nourishment, but he found seeing real seeds and learning how they grew fascinating. He liked working in the hydroponics bay, where he was able to keep to himself and pretty much hide away from everyone. The fewer questions the better.
That night at dinner he grabbed his meal and sat down. A moment later, Fern sat down across from him.
“This seat taken?” he asked.
“Uh, no,” Ben replied, spooning more soup into his mouth. He didn’t feel up to small chat but was too polite to say so.
“So where are you stationed to work once we get to Mars?” Fern asked, oblivious to Ben’s mental groan.
“I don’t know. Figured I’d stay for a few days and then fly back. I’ve got to work.”
Fern nodded. “I hear you. I’ve got five kids, and this was the only way I could make enough money to feed them. You have any kids?”
Ben almost choked on his water. “No. No, I don’t.”
“Well, you’re smart. I tell you, if someone had told me how expensive the little buggers were, I’d have gotten a vasectomy.”
Ben didn’t have much to say to that. The thing … child … inside him wasn’t an ordinary baby. He had no idea what was going to happen once it was out of him. Perhaps he and Dain would give it to Doctor Robinson and Doctor Josson so they could examine it. For science and all that, he thought.
The next few days Ben got through moment by moment, doing his best to keep down the stupid nausea the parasite induced. Fern hovered around him, irritating him further, but he kept his cool as much as possible because the last thing he wanted was to bring attention to himself. When they reached the Mars docking station that orbited the planet, Ben watched from one of the view windows, marveling at how massive the station appeared. The transport glided into the berth with ease, and a loud clang sounded through the ship as clamps stabilized it to the exiting ramp. Then there was a flurry of activity as he and the rest of the crew unloaded the cargo. He stayed with the seedlings that were cryogenically frozen, waiting for the moment they would be thawed out and allowed to grow. Much to Ben’s relief, Fern had to go with his group, so they parted ways.
It was time to initiate the next step in the plan. A tall, regal Hispanic woman seemed to part the crowd with ease. Grey threaded through the dark hair, which was smoothed back in a sophisticated bun. Ben knew her immediately from the description of Michelina Robinson. Jaqueline Pereira, one of the wealthiest women on Mars, and good friends of the Sector resistance, although no one knew that except him.
“Muy bien,” she said with a smile as she looked over the cases that held the seeds. “I take it there were no incidences?”
Ben shook his head and answered, although he wasn’t the team leader. “None.”
“Good. I’ve invested a lot of money to get these here. Let’s pray they’re actually worth the price I paid. Come,” she said, giving him a “let’s go” flick of her fingers. “Bring these cases and follow me.”
“But, ma’am!” cried Ben’s direct supervisor. “I should be the one to—”
“You are needed here,” Jaqueline said firmly. “Those plants need your attention. These seeds need to make it to the research lab. Priorities.”
She turned and began walking away, dismissing the other man instantly. Ben followed, maneuvering the hydrolift of seeds with ease. No words were spoken as she and a few others led to a private landing bay where a sleek ship waited. He helped load the seed cases on and then followed Jaqueline as she led him into her office. Once the door closed behind them, Ben relaxed a little. She sat as the engines purred to life, and a few minutes later, he saw the space hub falling away as they zoomed to the planet surface.
“You did well,” Jaqueline told him, gesturing to another chair.
“I can’t thank you enough for helping me,” Ben said humbly, sitting down.
She waved his words away. “Michelina said it was urgent to help you, and she is a dear friend of mine.”
“Would you happen to know anything about a man named Dain Cardile?”
“My informants tell me he’s Sven’s right-hand man. Like a bodyguard or something. Are you here to change that?”
“In a way,” he said. “He’s my husband. He’s been tricked into helping Sector, believing he’s saving me.”
She narrowed her eyes as she studied him. “There are many in the resistance who need anonymity. Helping a man whose main mission has been to target these individuals isn’t the wisest choice of action.”
Ben shook his head. “It’s not like that. He needs to know I’m okay. That I’m free of Sector’s reach. Just think of the secrets he may have learned about Sven Robinson in the time he’s been there?”
“The real question is can we trust him?” Jaqueline bridged her fingertips together. “What’s the rest of the plan?”
“I find him, we get back to the space hub, and we return to Earth.”
“Hm,” she replied, tapping her fingers together. “May I point out it’s an ill-conceived plan?”
“It’s all I’ve got so far,” Ben muttered. He squirmed a little under her direct scrutiny.
“Do you even know where to find him? Dome City isn’t that big, but big enough to search fruitlessly.”
“I … I guess I’ll stay around the Sector research lab once you point me to where it is. Approach him when he comes out.”
Jaqueline’s only response to that was a thinning of lips. Instead, she activated a holo-emitter screen to show a still shot of a figure outside what looked like a small dome house.
“Is that Dain?” Ben asked. He wanted to touch the hologram but knew it wasn’t exactly real.
“Yes. This security shot was taken yesterday in the district simply known as The Mountain. It’s where the Lotto winners are housed.”
Ben inched closer to stare at his husband. He missed him so much it was a constant ache in his heart. “He looks angry.”
“What makes him so special that you must risk your own life?” she asked softly.
“Because I have no life without him,” he replied instantly.
She hit a button, and the image disappeared. “As romantic as that is, I still don’t understand why Michelina would risk all the resistance has accomplished for love.”
He took a deep breath. “It’s a little more than that, but as you know, not much else I can say. Thank you for helping me … helping us.”
She nodded. “The transport ship is scheduled to return to Earth in five days, so you have that long to find your husband. After that, I’m afraid I may not be able to help you because the next cargo I have planned is in six months.”
“I understand,” Ben said. He certainly did because he didn’t want to be on Mars when the parasite needed to come out. “One last question, if you don’t mind. Have you heard anything about my cousin, Nate Stockton? I was told all the emails I’ve gotten from him have been lies.”
“Si, he is fine. Together with his husband, so that is a good thing. And one thing you cannot do is trust Sector. They fabricate lie after lie to hide their atrocities.”
A weight slid off Ben’s shoulders. Part of him had felt guilty for not trying to find Nate and Ranger, but knowing they were safe and together did ease his concerns. Right now, they may not be able to reach other, but he felt deep down in his heart they’d see each other once again.
Chapter Fourteen
Ben walked slowly through the narrow corridor that led to the area known as The Mountain, since Jaqueline managed to get him a room there, and didn’t tell him where the lab was. No one looked directly at him, either turning their faces away or not even bothering to notice him at all. A heavy, oppressive silence hung in the air, only broken by the hum of the air purification filters. The low vibration irritated him, and he could only imagine living with it day in and day out.
Although he seemed invisible to the inhabitants of The Mountain, Ben made sure to search every face that passed by, hoping to find Dain. Luck, however, was in short supply, so he decided to make his way to the bar that had been in the surveillance frame.
The small adobe looking building stood open, and he ducked to enter. It took a moment for his eyes to adjust, and then he made his way to a small table and sat. A skimpily clad woman immediately appeared at his side, a harsh set to her features making her appear anything but friendly.
“What’ll you have?” she asked, her rough voice pitched low.
“A beer,” he answered without thinking. Then memory hit him. “Oh, wait. Something non-alcoholic if you have it.”
“Non-alcoholic. Sure. One water coming up.”
With a roll of her eyes, she hurried off. Ben couldn’t care less. He had a purpose, and if he had to sit there all day and deal with her attitude, so be it. A moment later, she plunked down his water and marched off. He took a sip and grimaced at the chemical taste, knowing it had to be refiltered and sterilized water. Like air, water was a precious commodity, so drastic measures had to be taken to provide the life-saving liquid, which meant reprocessing urine. Knowing he was drinking someone’s pee turned his stomach, and he pushed the glass away.
Suddenly, a chair pulled out next to him, and Fern plopped down, giving him a big smile.
“Hello! Funny meeting you here!” Fern said.
“What the … how did you find me?” Ben asked, stupefied at seeing the other man.
“Well, I wasn’t exactly looking for you. It’s a coincidence!”
Ben didn’t really believe in coincidences, but he kept that to himself. “You just happen to come here?”
Fern nodded. “I’ve got a friend who lives in The Mountain. We always meet up here when I’m able to come to Mars.”
“Oh,” Ben said. He wasn’t quite sure if he trusted Fern, or if his heightened sense of paranoia had him looking for things that weren’t there. Like Fern being a Sector agent. “How’s your family?”
“I called my wife before heading here,” Fern replied instantly. “Had to have a little talk with my oldest. He’s been acting up. I know it’s because I’m not there, but still, I’ve got to remind him that he’s the man of the house when I’m not there. To protect his mother and sisters.”
The ready answer eased some of Ben’s anxiety. Perhaps Fern was simply looking for a friend, as he’d suggested when they first met. Maybe Ben was making mountains out of molehills.
“What brings you here?” Fern asked. “Relaxing?”
He gave a nod to the glass of water pushed away. Ben sighed and shook his head. “No, I’m looking for someone. Waiting like you, I guess.”
At that moment, two new men walked into the small bar, and when the other patrons slammed their drinks and went rigid, Ben took a closer look. The letters N.F.O.P. stood out in bold white letters scrawled across their backs, and like the others, everything froze inside him. He glanced at the door and judged how quickly he could make it out of the bar, and if he could exit without being noticed.
“There he is,” said one of the police.
With horror, Ben realized they pointed in his direction. He’d been found. Panic flooded his body, but when he stood to run, the guards pulled out stun-guns. They all stared at one another in a momentary stand-off as Ben got ready to make a run for it. Then, much to his surprise, Fern jumped to his feet and flipped their table in the direction of the NFOP. The two guards flinched out of the way just as Fern grabbed Ben’s arm and yanked him out of the bar. They ran as if there was no tomorrow, although Ben didn’t know where they were going. Fern seemed to, though, so he followed, dodging under and over the large conduits cluttering up The Mountain area.
Finally, Fern slowed down and slid between two load-bearing pillars before coming to a stop. Ben stopped next to him, bent over and put his hands on his knees while he tried to catch his breath.
“You’re putting my new lungs to the test,” he managed between puffs.
“What?” Fern asked, himself a little winded.
“I just got cured from PWP.”
“Oh. That’s cool. Why were those police after you?”
“Why did you save me?” Ben counter-asked. He didn’t really want to answer the question. “Now they’ll be after you, too.”
“Because you’re my friend,” Fern replied.
Such a simple answer but one Ben didn’t know how to respond to. He shook his head, confused. “You shouldn’t have.”
“Why were they after you?” he asked again. “Are you a wanted man on Earth? Is that why you left? You were so quiet on the transport I figured it was something serious.”
“I’m … I’m wanted because of who I know, not because of what I’ve done,” Ben finally answered, after thinking about it. “But I’m going back to Earth in five days. I’ve got that long to find someone and get back to the shuttle to catch the transport back home.”
Fern frowned. “Who are you looking for?”
“My husband.”
“Oh,” Fer
n said surprised. His eyebrows shot up. “I never guessed you were an androphile. Who’s your husband? Was that the person you were waiting for at that bar?”
“His name is Dain Cardile.”
Fern took a step back. “Wait, like Robinson’s enforcer, that Dain Cardile? Heard wind about him not long after getting off the ship. The officers can get you to him, so why are you running from them?”
“No, it’s not like that. He’s being forced to work for them because he thinks I’m still sick. If I show him I’m okay and free, he’ll stop helping Sector.”
Fern stared at him, studying him from head to toe. “Are you a Sector spy?”
“What? No, of course not. I’m trying to hide from them, remember?”
“Halt!” said a deep voice. Ben and Fern froze. They looked at one another fearfully. “Put your hands up.”
Ben obeyed immediately because he didn’t know what weapons the police might have. A second later, his arms were yanked behind his back and secured. Next to him, another cop did the same to Fern.
“Come on, what’s going on?” Fern asked, laughing a little. “Is it a crime for two men to be out and about?”
“By our identi-records you are Benjamin Stockton, wanted in connection for the attack on Sector Headquarters in Las Vegas.”
Ben looked at Fern and shook his head. “I had nothing to do with that.”
“As judge and jury, I hereby sentence you—”
Before he finished the sentence, a loud roar reverberated around them, and a large body slammed into the NFOP man. Ben backed up and stared wide-eyed at the dark figure that had come out of nowhere to rescue him. The guard that had hold of Fern let him go to help his partner, but either the would-be savior outmuscled them or simply outmaneuvered them, because the next thing Ben knew, the two cops were knocked out, and he was free.
He stared at the hooded man who turned slowly, revealing his face bit by bit. Ben’s heart stuttered as he stared at Dain. He looked a little older, or maybe just the weariness around his eyes made him seem like he’d aged. And he’d lost weight, making Ben feel all the more bloated and fat. What really gave him pause, however, was the fact that Dain didn’t seem happy to see him. No smile. No warmth. Yet despite the lack of any greeting, air suddenly flowed back into Ben’s lungs, breathing him back to life, as if waking him from a frozen sleep.
Future, Betrayed Page 9
