by neetha Napew
1 -- A New Assignment
Nykkyo Kyhana lay on his back, relaxed in the sweet exhaustion that comes after. He surveyed the room, illuminated by the nightstand lamp turned low. It was the bedroom in the apartment above the house in Queens. The window was open and mild, late-April night air wafted in, now and then carrying with it a trace of diesel fumes. He could hear the noise of the City -- that of traffic, the muffled sound of a television down the block ... the occasional siren.
Suki lay under his left arm, clutching him. He stroked her bicep and contemplated her yellow-brown skin. Nyk pressed his lips to the top of her head and inhaled the scent of her hair. She snuggled against him. “Mmm,” she said.
“Mmm?”
She drew in a deep breath. “Mmmmmm... My whole body is perfectly relaxed. If I close my eyes, I'll be asleep. Mmm...”
“I hope you can keep those beautiful eyes open for a little while. I love gazing into them.”
“I'm trying.”
“Are you happy?”
“Uh-unh.”
“No?”
“Uh-UNH.” She kissed his cheek. “I'm deliriously happy. Oh, Nykkyo -- when I'm in your arms -- I truly have no cares.”
“Wouldn't you like to have this for the rest of your life?”
“Who wouldn't?”
“Then marry me.”
“Is that the only way I can have it?”
“...no... of course not.”
“Nykkyo, I swore an oath I'd never marry again.”
“And, I've sworn oaths I've broken.” He kissed the top of her head. “To think all this started with a simple question about miso soup.”
“It was the first thing you asked me.”
“No -- the first thing I asked you was if you were Japanese.”
“I told you I was an American.”
“Then I said you had beautiful eyes.”
“And then I ran away -- like a scared rabbit.”
“Was I really so frightening?” he asked.
“Terrifying.” She ran her hand along his arm.
“What did I do to frighten you?”
She smiled. “What you said about my eyes ... I guess you didn't realize it's a notorious pickup line.”
“Pickup?”
“Yes -- I thought you were going to hit on me.'”
“Oh, no, Suki. I wouldn't do that.”
“I know -- but I didn't know it then.” She pulled herself against him and let out a contented sigh. “Bon'noka, Nykkyo.” She closed her eyes.
Nyk felt her legs twitch as she drifted toward sleep. He brushed aside some of her hair and gazed at her face. Her breathing became deep and regular. A tear formed and ran down his cheek.
* * *
Morning light waked Nyk. Suki still lay clutching him. He kissed her cheek and she cracked open her eyes. “Bon'matina,” he said.
“Bon'matina.”
“Suki, what did I do to make you think I'd hurt you?”
“What?”
“What did I do or say to make you believe I'd strike you? I'd never harm you.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Last night -- you said when we first met, you feared I'd hit you.”
“Oh... I said I thought you might be trying to hit on me.” She giggled. “Have you been worrying about that?” She kissed his cheek. “It's an expression. I thought you were trying to ... you know, to pick me up.”
His mouth made an O. “I understand. You thought maybe I was paying you a hollow compliment, in the hope you might lower your guard and perhaps consent to sexual activity.”
“Yeah ... that's the ... sort of thing I thought might happen.”
“Forgive me. I have much to learn of Earth mating practices -- it's not a topic covered in my training.”
“Nykkyo -- on your world, how would two people approach each other?”
“Well, if two people were attracted to each other, one might ask the other if they cared to make love.”
“Just like that?”
“Oh, yes. We're quite direct about such things. You always know where you stand with another Floran, and we know no means no. The odds are the answer would be yes.” Suki shook her head. “We have different notions of love and fidelity than here on Earth. But, I'm not like that. Perhaps it's one reason I feel more comfortable here than on my homeworld. I'm quite a bit more reserved than a typical Floran. I must know someone and care for them before I can engage in intimacy.”
“How would you get to know someone?”
“Do you mean, how would I attempt to make someone my friend?” He thought, then said, “I might start by paying a compliment.”
“Like telling a girl she has pretty eyes?”
He smiled. “Yes -- but only if she really did.”
Suki sat up and swung her feet to the floor. “If you'll excuse me, I have to vomit.” She walked briskly toward the bathroom.
Nyk stood by the bathroom door. Suki emerged with her hand on her stomach. “I'll be so glad when I'm over this part of it. Mom says when she was carrying me she had terrible morning sickness.”
“Are you coming downstairs?”
“Once the nausea subsides. Go ahead -- don't wait for me.” She headed back toward the bathroom.
Nyk pulled on a pair of twill pants and a polo shirt and descended the stairs. He walked into the kitchen and sat at the table. Yasuko poured a cup of coffee and set it before him.
“Good morning, Nick,” she said. “How are the lovebirds this morning?”
“Suki said she'll be down once her morning sickness subsides.”
“I had an awful time with her -- it seemed to take forever before it went away.”
“Yasuko, have you begun to accept Suki's pregnancy?”
She smiled and shook her head. “As you said -- Sukiko is an adult and free to make her own decisions. I'm still terribly worried, though.”
“About what?”
“I think she'd be better off rearing a child she wanted and planned for.”
“She wants this one.”
“She says she does, but I wonder if any woman can care for a child conceived in a rape as she would one planned for and conceived in love.”
“It's not the child's fault who the father is.”
“I suppose you're right about that, Nick. We know nothing about the kid who raped her. I still think she'd be better off... But, what I think is immaterial. I do think you and she could make some beautiful children.”
“It can't happen, Yasuko -- I'm sterile.”
“You're sure?”
“Without doubt -- if there were one thing about my life I could change it would be that. I long to be able to father Suki's child.”
“That's a shame... So this child is it, then.” She rolled her eyes. “If this one ends up the sort of youth she was... You two will have your work cut out for you.”
“Suki turned out all right.”
“Not without giving us fits. I'll be honest Nick -- there were many years in which we despaired having anything like what we now have with her. They say a grandchild is a parent's reward for not strangling her teen. Believe me, Sukiko gave me ample grounds. I am adjusting to the notion of being a grandmother. I think I might enjoy it.”
“I can't wait to meet him.”
“How can you know it's a him?”
“We assume it's a boy.”
“George and I were positive Sukiko would be a boy. We even had a boy's name ready. Then, she came along...”
“And disappointed you?”
“No, not disappointed. Surprised, perhaps.” Yasuko closed her eyes. “George always wanted a son. I do believe he's happy with the notion of a son-in-law.”
“She hasn't said yes, yet.”
“I
see how you two interact. That girl's nuts if she refuses you, Nick.”
“We have plenty of time.”
Suki stepped into the kitchen and sat beside Nyk. She folded her arms across her abdomen and lay her head on the table.
“Still sick?” her mother asked.
“When will it go away?” Suki moaned. Her mother set a bowl of rice before her. “You must want to turn my dry heaves into wet ones.”
“Morning sickness or not, you still need nourishment.” Yasuko set a cup on the table. “Ginger tea -- to settle your stomach.” Suki sipped the tea and unenthusiastically picked up a clump of rice with a pair of chopsticks. “What are your plans today?” Yasuko asked.
“I asked Suki to help me purchase a wardrobe,” Nyk replied. “Monday, I start my new job and it requires business attire.”
“Maybe I'll tag along. George needs a few new shirts.”
* * *
Nyk surveyed the pile of clothing he had purchased. He picked up a necktie. “This is an essential part of business attire?”
“I'm afraid so,” Suki replied. “Daddy hates wearing them. Think of it as the Earth equivalent to a Floran xarpa -- it serves no purpose other than decoration.”
“The xarpa has utility. Floran tunics have no pockets -- without it we have no place to carry small articles. Not that we have much to carry -- everything we need is right here.” He held up his right arm.
“Your wrist chip.”
“A wrist scan unlocks doors, activates transportation -- pays for groceries. I still have difficulty with the notion of currency -- although I do understand the principal of the debit card.”
“Nykkyo, I want to compliment you on your street smarts today. You did the right thing -- ignoring those skinheads who were taunting us.”
“I recall from my training the best way to deal with verbal hostility is to ignore it. I'm not sure what it was we did to provoke them.”
“They didn't like seeing a white man holding hands with an Asian woman -- especially a pregnant one. I've had to deal with such all my life. If Mom and I had been Black, it would've been even worse.”
“I'll never understand why everyone on this world can't revel in the marvelous diversity. I cherish your Asian heritage, Suki.”
“I know you do. Nykkyo, you're the most color-blind person I've ever met. Many on this planet share your view. Unfortunately, many don't. You may have to develop a thick skin.”
“It's my heritage, too.”
“I know -- but they didn't. It can work both ways. There are undoubtedly plenty of Asians who'd be just as unhappy to see us together -- maybe more so.”
“More so?”
“It's a vestige of an Earth tribal mentality -- and, sexual politics. You see -- women were regarded as chattel. A white man would see you as a conqueror and me as your trophy.”
“And, an Asian man might see me as a marauder, despoiling the tribe's asset. I understand. Given that context, I'm pleased with the level of acceptance your parents have shown me. How would they feel if they knew I was a Floran?”
She smiled. “Nykkyo -- my folks are delighted by the fact you're a man. It wouldn't matter if you were purple with pink polka-dots. Come, Mom has dinner ready.”
* * *
Nyk walked into the kitchen carrying a necktie. Suki's father sat reading the Wall Street Journal. “George, could you show me again how to tie this?”
George set down his paper and walked Nyk through the steps to tie a half-Windsor knot. “Your first day on the job?”
“First day in my new role,” Nyk replied.
“Well, good luck.” George folded his newspaper and tucked it into his briefcase. “Good day, all.” He headed out the door.
Suki descended the stairs. “How are you this morning,” her mother asked.
“I'll survive.”
“Don't you want some breakfast?”
“I'll get something from the union. Oh, Mom?”
“Yes, dear?”
“Don't hold dinner -- I have my first session tonight.” She headed toward the front door and slipped on a pair of canvas shoes.
Nyk followed her. “See you later, Yasuko,” he called as he went out the door.
Holding hands, he and Suki walked to the bus stop. “We can ride together as far as Grand Central,” Suki told him. “From there I'll transfer to a downtown train to NYU. You'll need to get off at Time Square and take a number three train to Canal Street.”
“I think I can manage.”
“What time will you be done?”
“Five, I think.”
“I'll wait for you on the outbound platform at Grand Central. My appointment is in Midtown and we can walk from there.” The city bus drew to the stop. Nyk inserted his fare card into the box and then took a seat. Suki sat beside him and held his hand as the bus pulled into traffic, bound for the subway station.
* * *
Nyk climbed the steps from the Canal Street platform and walked ten blocks to a dingy office building in the Tribeca section of Manhattan. He trudged up the stairs to the second floor and opened a door marked FloranCo. A middle-aged woman sitting behind a desk greeted him. “Good morning, Mr Kane.”
“Good morning, Jaquie. You'll be seeing a fair amount of me.”
“So Mr Seymor has told me.” She picked up the phone, punched a button and announced Nyk's arrival. He regarded Jaquie -- he thought she was a beautiful woman, with her dark brown skin and black hair, neatly done in cornrows.
The door to Seymor's office opened. “Good to have you on board, lad. Come on in.” Nyk sat across from Seymor's desk. “Do you have any questions?”
“Only about a thousand. What exactly will my responsibilities be?”
“As I told you, this is a training post. If you do well, you'll be prime candidate to take over my job -- when I retire that is. For starters, we'll place you in charge of our western operations. It includes your old haunts in Wisconsin -- though we'll keep that facility shut 'til we can get someone to man it. I'll want you in charge of our plant breeding operation, too. It's in DesMoines and run by Earth people. We're careful to keep our prices non- competitive, but we manage to make a modest profit -- enough to keep it credible.”
Nyk nodded, recalling his training on the Earth economy.
“I'll start by introducing you around the office.” Seymor stood and headed toward the door.
“I know Jaquie is an Earth person. How many other Florans work in this office?”
“Assume everyone's a native, lad -- unless you know for sure otherwise.”
* * *
Nyk sat at his desk and plugged in his laptop computer. He began reviewing the files of the Floran Agents now reporting to him.
He opened the file for Grynnya Quinn. He recognized her surname from his translation of Koichi Kyhana's journal. Bryan Quinn was Chief Engineer aboard the Floran. After the warp jump accident, it had been Quinn who rigged the starship's engines for near-relativistic velocities permitting the colonists to reach the planet they named after their vessel.
Nyk pondered for a moment the temporal paradox. Here he was, on late-twentieth- century Earth. The Floran expedition was two hundred years in Earth's future; but it was also five thousand years in his past. And, here he was -- loving and living with an ancestor to the man who founded his world -- the man whose name, if not consanguinity, he shared. Reporting to him was a woman who also shared the name of a founding father.
He perused the file. Grynnya was another Earthbound Floran. She was their medical liaison, so to speak, and as such was responsible for the health of the Florans who walked the surface of their world of origin. Using the Earth name of Nellie Hogarth, she was a registered nurse and worked in a hospital in Kansas City.
Seymor stuck his head into the office. Nyk looked up. “I've been looking over the file of one Grynnya Quinn,” he said.
“Ahh, Grynnya. Watch your step with her.”
“What do you mean?”
“... you'll find out
. Say, lad, care for some lunch at Bronfmann's? They make a mean pastrami sandwich.”
Nyk closed his file, locked his laptop and followed Seymor out the door.
* * *
Nykkyo sat in the waiting room flipping through a six-month old edition of Readers' Digest. He heard the door to an inner office open. A middle-aged woman escorted Suki from the office. “I'll see you next week.” Suki nodded.
Nyk stood and approached her. “Are you all right?” Suki nodded again, took his hand and walked with him. He pressed the call button for the elevator. The doors slid open. He stepped in and pressed the button for the lobby. “Are you hungry?” She shrugged her shoulders.
He led Suki down the street. He pointed to a Chock-Full-of-Nuts shop. “Would you like to get a sandwich in there?” She nodded.
Nyk took a bite from his cheese sandwich. “Was it a difficult session?” Suki nodded again. “Care to talk about it?” She shook her head. “I think it would help to talk.”
“She said she thinks I was molested as a child.”
He looked into her face. “When you were in the hospital on Floran -- Dr Krulla thought so, too. Do you remember any...”
She shook her head. “Maybe I've suppressed it. She suggested we try hypnosis. I don't know about that ... sometimes when they go looking for something -- they find it -- whether it's really there or not.”
Nyk gulped his mouthful. “Be careful.”
Suki nodded. “I need to get comfortable with her before taking that step.” She took a bite from her tuna salad sandwich. Nyk reached across the table and took her hand. “Thank you for coming with me. I wouldn't have had the courage to go in there alone.”
He dumped their refuse into the trash bin and headed out the door, holding her hand. She walked with him toward Grand Central, her eyes fixed on the pavement. Nyk moved closer to her and slipped his arm around her waist. She looked up, smiled and leaned against him. “As soon as you put your arm around me -- the pain went away.”
They reached Grand Central and stood, holding hands on the outbound platform. Nyk craned his neck to look down the line for the train. He could see the headlamps reflected on the rails and tunnel walls.
