The Men on Mars

by Shara Lanel

  I closed my eyes, leaning back. Would Nate consider staying on Earth? From what he’d told me, he hated the place. And if he wouldn’t stay, then what was the point of risking my heart to him? But I also had the feeling that hooking up with Freddy would damn me in Nate’s eyes. Was I ready to lose that look of adoration I often caught in his gaze?

  Chapter Six

  “We see some things the same,” I said cautiously. Though other than sex, I couldn’t think of what those things were.

  Then I remembered.

  I remembered all those times when we were working together that we’d laughed at the same jokes or shared our odd sense of humor about bits on the daily News Bulletin. He’d never told a soul about catching me in a ménage with the moon people, and more importantly, he’d never told a soul why I’d been exiled from Earth. In other words, I knew I could trust him ... even more than I trusted myself.

  “Time to take a shower,” I said, standing quickly.

  Freddy winked at me, whatever the hell that meant. I decided that post-shower, I’d find Tracha and chat her up for a couple hours.

  * * * * *

  “Ju, I really don’t need your advice on this.” Nate scratched his chest and wandered to the other side of his cabin to look out the porthole. Two weeks had passed since the flight-deck sex. Since then he’d gotten as close to Helena as he could, talking to her, joking with her, trying to break through her shell. Annoyingly enough, Freddy had been doing the same. She’d been loosening up, smiling more, and she’d been spending more and more time in Nate’s bunk with the hatch door securely locked.

  “She flirts with Freddy, you know.” The Neptunian stirred her drink and pouted.

  “I thought you were going hot and heavy with Daed.”

  She smiled. “Such a yummy man.”

  “Then why do you insist on egging me about Helena?”

  “I’m still your friend, no matter who I sleep with. I’m worried your heart’s up for grabs and she’s going to thrash it to pieces.”

  “Great visual.” Scowling, Nate picked up his drink from the magnetic tabletop. “I’m a grown man and fully capable of handling my heart, thank you.”

  Ju sighed and changed the subject. “So tell me about Space Station Kwan.” They were stopping there the next day to refuel and give everyone a change of scenery. The station was held in Earth’s outermost orbit, beyond the moon, which meant the trip was about halfway done. Halfway there, and Helena still seemed distant after every lovemaking session. He’d invited her to dinner in his cabin with flowers and soft Earth music. She’d laughed and chatted with him, but the wall was still there. What the hell would he have to do to break it down? And even if he could break it down, would she change her mind about staying on Earth?

  “Kwan is a fun place,” he said. “Plenty of vices available. Gambling, drugs that I’ve never even tried, peep shows for every alien. I’d think you’d enjoy the techno clubs. Lots of species to dance with.”

  Someone banged on the hatch. “Ju!”

  Nate observed his friend’s eyes as they changed to dreamy lavender at the sound of Daed’s voice. He was a good guy. Maybe he’d succeed in taming her. Nate was just glad that job was off his hands. He’d had a private conversation with the mechanic yesterday, telling him to keep an eye on Ju on the space station. No telling what trouble she could get into. They’d also discussed the warning light that kept going off on the flight deck. Nate didn’t like it when the orange strobe got all hyper like that, because it meant there was a problem with the core. Not good.

  Ju opened the hatch and kissed Daed deeply until he blushed. He pulled back and said, “Cap’n.”

  “Daed. So you’ll do the shopping we discussed?”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “Don’t get sidetracked.” He gave Ju a warning look, which she ignored. Luckily he trusted Daed to put his captain’s orders -- and the safety of the crew -- above his woman’s desires. He’d find the reactor part, and hopefully that would make the orange strobe light go away.

  He found the rest of his crew circling the air-lock hatch that would allow them to exit to the space station. Freddy was cranking the wheel that operated the hydraulics. There were some gadgets on the ship that he had never dreamed of as a boy, but for certain things, the old way was best. The hatch was one of those things. You wanted to be able to get off the ship even if the core had melted down and screwed all the electrical and nuclear systems, so in this case, low-tech was best.

  The females were chattering to each other as Freddy struggled with the hatch. Nate grinned. Low-tech was also great for making a strong man look weak when he didn’t know the trick.

  “Here, let me do that.” Nate stepped forward, noting that Helena and Tracha had both dressed conservatively as he’d suggested. They wore brown flowing skirt-pants and high-necked blouses. He’d explained that personally he saw more than a woman’s most obvious assets, but some beings on this station would not. This station dealt with some of the worst exiles from the solar system.

  “No, I’ve got it.”

  Helena tapped her foot impatiently, but her conversation was about shopping. “So there’s a mall? Nothing but shops? Like on Earth?”

  “Oh, yes,” Tracha replied. “Imports from everywhere. Clothes, food, shoes, jewelry.”

  Freddy was sweating from exertion, but still determinedly pulling on the wheel.

  “Give it up, Freddo. The ladies are waiting.” The man scowled at Nate without relinquishing his hold.

  “So would they have up-to-date tourist vids?” Helena asked, tapping her foot faster and glancing at Freddy in exasperation.

  “I’m sure. Have you ever had chocolate?”

  “Of course.”

  “Really?” Tracha said. “I hadn’t tried it until the last time I was here. It is the best thing I’ve ever tasted in the galaxy.”

  Nate doubted she’d seen much more of the galaxy than this solar system, but he knew what she meant. He’d tried to get Zebot to import some Earth chocolate, but he’d refused. He hadn’t grasped the astronomical difference between crème de cacao and real cocoa.

  “Dammit, Freddy, let Nate do it. We’re wasting time here!”

  Leave it to Helena to tell it like it is. The closer they got to Earth, the more impatient she became with everything, even sex.

  “For the ladies, anything,” Freddy spat. Heh, not so charming now.. Nate stepped in and unhooked the latch at the base of the wheel. Then he turned the wheel with barely a breath. The hatch unsealed with a belch and lifted. The females bolted for the ladder, nearly tripping over themselves on the way down. Freddy followed. Nate waited until Ju and Daed were coming down the hall. He wanted to make sure the outer door would be secure, so they didn’t get any surprise visitors on the ship. He knew Ju would see to that, so he felt safe catching up with his quarry.

  “May I join you, ladies?”

  Tracha tittered, but in a guttural voice.

  “I’m sure you must have more manly things to pursue. We plan to spend several hours shopping ... for shoes.” Helena widened her eyes, as if this represented extreme horror for any man within hearing range.

  He looked down at Helena’s utilitarian boots and could not imagine her buying a shoe that was any color other than black. “This I have to see.” He joined arms with the girls, despite Helena’s scowl. He wanted to make sure she was safe, whether she liked it or not.

  They stepped onto the moving causeway, joining with the denizens of several other docking ships. LCD and plasma displays screamed all sorts of ridiculous promises, like “Try this cream and it’ll make you look like an Earthling in twenty days” or “Are you from the sunny side of Mercury? Repair sun damage in this submerging tank. Only five hundred credits per session.” Of course, they didn’t say what was in the tank. But some of the ads brought a cloud to Helena’s face. They were tourism ads for Earth locales, like the beaches in Australia and the deserts of Africa. One even showed a montage of live shows from New York and Lo
ndon stages. The stages hovered above the water-bound cities so that the traditions could live on despite the Greenhouse Meltdown.

  “So is there anything you want to see besides the shops?” Nate asked.

  “Is there a restaurant with Earth food?”

  “Yeah, it’s in the solarium. Has a great view of Earth.”

  He wanted to talk to her more about her plans to revoke her exile. And how did she plan to live? Where? Did she have any friends she could depend on until she got on her feet? She usually brushed off his concern with a kiss, but Tracha was in earshot, so it didn’t seem like the right time to bring it up again. Maybe if they managed to have dinner alone.

  “Tracha, do you know anyone here?”

  “Yes! I’ve commed several friends, and we’re going to meet up for dinner at the caf.”

  “Excellent.” Hah, now Helena was stuck with him ... but not until after shopping. Damn.

  * * * * *

  I did my best to draw out shopping just so I could watch Nate’s amazed expression as I bought lime-green anti-grav boots and toeless invisible sandals. They were fun. You could walk around like you were an inch above ground with no support. Too bad they didn’t have pontoon invisi-shoes. Then I could walk on water. Of course, where would I wear these fashion statements and what with? That didn’t matter. I just wanted to blow Nate’s mind.

  But now, several hours later, Tracha had ditched us, my feet were killing me, and we were in the vid store. I’d been unable to lose Nate at the bench station, either. Tenacious man. I’d wanted to look through the Earth tourist vids by myself, wallow in self-pity about all those missing years, but he wouldn’t let me. He let me look at the vids, but he insisted on cracking jokes and sneaking kisses. Impossible to groove in pity with a man’s warm lips on my neck. I even found myself cracking a smile. Somehow the vids lost their importance. We left the store without me buying a single one.

  “Honestly, doesn’t the captain of the ship have something else to do besides hang with me?” I asked as we strolled down the hall that linked with the el-shafts. The el-shaft would lift us to the restaurant with the view of Earth. Nate had already commed in a reservation.

  “Not a thing. Besides, I’m starving. I never knew shoe shopping could work up such an appetite.”

  “Have you ever gone shoe shopping before?”

  “On occasion ... usually the occasion of a date.” He grabbed my hand, tugging me closer to his side. A sensation of security stole over me from that small gesture. I was walking down a crowded hall full of alien beings, where I’d normally be nervous and self-conscious, and instead I felt at home. Comfortable.

  “So how do you buy your shoes?” I asked.

  “Close my eyes and point.” He winked at me and guided me well around a gargantuan Plutonian. Most of the races descended from Earth explorers, but they’d quickly evolved to the individual environments of the planets. Quickly ... as in a couple hundred years, often with some help from selective breeding and bio-engineering. The settlements on each of the planets all had some sort of biosphere, or there would have been no way for the Earthlings to survive long enough to evolve. Plutonians were fur-covered and reminded me of biped woolly mammoths. We still believed that there were systems throughout the galaxy capable of sustaining life, but we’d yet to meet anyone from those systems.

  The group of el-shafts -- long, clear tubes -- was framed by banks of buttons and barely readable directories. Luckily, Nate knew where we were going, so he dragged me to the far end of the corridor. We waited with a group of well-dressed business types. This station housed several interplanetary banks and communications companies, so I guessed the suits came from those.

  “I’m feeling underdressed,” I whispered to Nate.

  “Don’t worry about it. You’re gorgeous. That’s what counts.”

  “Chauvinist!” I smacked him, harder than I probably should have, and he grinned while rubbing his triceps. “Is anyone else joining us?”

  “No.” The grin never wavered. “I didn’t invite them.”

  The el-shaft arrived and the group flowed onto it, carrying us along. Once inside I could barely breathe, but I had a nice view of the moon. It looked huge from here. Space distances fucked with my mind sometimes. We shot up to one of the top-most globes. The others were penthouses and casinos, according to Nate. He’d been in a few of them.

  Nate had to tug me away from the closing doors once we reached the restaurant, because I was caught up in a moment of awe. It was like being in one of the planetariums on Earth they’d take classes to in first school. The light played along the clear glass in an odd way, catching it from the reflective moon, Earth, and the distant sun. One side of the restaurant, the one pointing towards the outer system, was dimmer, but you could see Jupiter and Saturn clear as day. The maître d’ escorted us to our Earthside table. The green planet seemed close enough to walk on and yet very, very small. I could see the cotton clouds shifting and flowing over the green landscape and blue oceans. I ignored the menu placed before me and stared at my home. I sensed the presence of the waiter, but saw Nate wave him off out of the corner of my eye.

  Home. It was a love-hate relationship. The terrible memories of my mother and stepfather combined with the sweet reminiscences from visiting the pyramids of Egypt for a school field trip and plunging deep beneath the icy surface of the Antarctic. Science was brought to life so vividly for us, long before we dreamed of traveling out into our solar system. Most of my happiest memories involved school. I’d blocked out the happy ones of my mother. They just hurt too much.

  Tears crowded my eyes. Nate’s gentle touch on my fingers reminded me of his presence, and I turned to face him. He lifted a tear from my cheek, then caressed the damp skin.

  “Would you like some wine? Or I’m sure they stock rogashen, if you’d like to try that again.” He wiggled his eyebrows.

  “You wish. Yes, some wine would be lovely. Do you think they have some from Napa Valley or even an East Coast variety?”

  Nate gestured for the sommelier. We ordered a spicy Virginia red, sniffed, swished, and drank it slowly, letting the taste of Earth linger on our tongues. Nate seemed relaxed, though this restaurant had to cost a fortune. He acted like he had no worries and was perfectly content to be sitting here with me. I waited for the wine and Nate’s attitude to rub off on me, and gradually it did. My shoulders loosened, my eyes drifted. I leaned back and took in the other diners, the bustle of the waiters, and the sparkle of crystal glasses and silver utensils. By the time our food arrived, I was looking at Earth less and Nate more.

  “So where were you born?” I asked him.

  “Florida, but we didn’t live there long. Think I was in Texas for first school. Then we moved to Ohio.”

  “Did you travel outside of the states?”

  “Of course. Australia, India, China. Some of this was during school as field trips, but then I started traveling for work.”

  “What kind of work did you do?”

  He cut a piece of beef, imported from Earth, and smiled. “This is damn good.” I had to agree, though I was eating a lobster tail. “I was a reporter for a political magazine. Well, anti-political, I should say. I traveled around examining people’s reactions to the changes in governments all over the globe. They’d just started hinting at a single world-wide government with a single currency system.”

  I dipped a bit of the lobster into the melted butter and popped it into my mouth. I would’ve been a young teen then, too full of myself to care what was happening in the world around me. Gee, had I changed much? Wasn’t I still full of my wants and needs?

  “Nate.”

  “Hmm?”

  “Have I said thank you yet?”

  “For what?” The low ambience lighting reflected in his eyes.

  “For the dinner, for the ship and crew, for everything?”

  “You don’t need to ...”

  I put my hand on his. “Thank you. Thank you from the very beginning when you ask
ed me why I’d killed a man.”

  “You’re welcome.” His eyes held mine, equal in seriousness for a moment, then he asked, “How about some dessert?”

  * * * * *

  Twenty-four hours later, we lay snuggled in Nate’s bunk. The ship had left the space station and was back on autopilot. The crew seemed refreshed. Ju had been ready to take Daed to bed, until Nate took him aside for some reason. Daed had stalked off with a scowl on his face, and Ju had punched Nate in the arm. But that hadn’t ruined his good mood. We’d made love this time, you know what I mean? Slow, no rush, lots of touching and exploring with hands and lips. Very different from the hot, heavy, and hurried sex we usually had. This time our bodies seemed to be communicating with each other in a way I’d never be able to do with words.

  Even now we didn’t talk, just relaxed under the warm covers, listening to the hum of the ship. It wasn’t until the ship’s hum suddenly merged into a clunk, that Nate roused himself to say something. “Shit!”

  Not good.

  He jumped up from the bunk, leaving me with the covers, while he marched through the room naked, gathering clothes.

  “Nate, what’s the matter?”

  “I need to talk to Daed.”

  “Right now?”

  “Unless you want the core to blow us to Pluto.”

  Now I jumped up. No way was I going to be stuck in bed while everyone else was in the loop. Of course, when we ran into Daed and Ju in the hallway, both with frumpy hair and disheveled clothes, I realized I wasn’t the only one out of the loop. Nate grabbed Daed by the arm and yanked him down the hall while whispering to him fiercely. Ju and I looked at each other with confusion, then hurried to keep up. Freddy and Tracha peered up from the vid game as we passed through the lounge.

  “What’s up?” Freddy asked.

  I shrugged, so he and Tracha followed in our wake.

  The hum was now a steady, repeating clunk that would grow louder, then fade away. Nate stopped suddenly and faced all of us. “You all can get lost. Daed and I will fix this.” We waited until he’d traveled two yards, then followed him anyway. It took forever to get to the bowels of the ship, since we didn’t have any moving walkways or el-shafts, just a dozen ladders and tiny shafts to crawl through. About halfway there, I was smudged black from grease and Zeus knows what else.