by RJ
“You wanna make a spy of me or something?”
“A spy?” Aghastos pretended to be surprised. “No-no-no… Why use such an ugly word? An 'agent' – is more like it. I think, basically, you got it. So what do you say?”
“I say, you are overestimating your position. You have no power over me!” JB went rough, he straightened up and sharpened his attention.
“Why so resistant? I mean, it’s a common interest of the whole of humankind that we have the best assets at our disposal. In your interest, Mr. JB. You are a part of humanity, aren’t you?”
“Oh, come on… Just don’t give me this speech about humanity and shit,” the mutant sensed that only boldness and confidence could win him a better position, he had to press on. “I know the game of bullshit betta than anyone. Humans were selling out each other for a nickel since the beginning of times. I ain’t playing that.”
“There is nothing to be upset about, JB. We aren’t your enemies. But our current circumstances demand the most of our effort. We know that you are still a man inside. Help us. You have to start a new life with something after all… We just try to find the best solution for everyone. And the pay is good. So I ask you again, are you with us?”
“What about the Galaxy Union, the unbreakable unity of the six kinds, the ideology based on mutual trust?” the mutant turned to his sense of humor as he did in complicated situations.
“Well, well… I see we have a one hundred percent agent here already! A single day hasn’t even passed yet, but he has already gathered information about our world,” the mayor said excitedly.
“Yo, man, I pass,” JB went numb again. “Take a good look at me,” he widened his hands, showing himself. “Do I look like a law servant to you?”
“Resentment?!” Van Deen became serious. “But it puts us in an uncertain position here. You do remember that there are thirty-one illegal immigrants in our isolator, right? It’s a serious case, I have no other choice than to start a process immediately. Most likely they will be sent back to the surface, or, in case of a diversion sentence, they may even be locked in a maximum security prison on Altair-4. In such circumstances, I won’t be able to help.”
“And what you said to Gibson was complete bullshit? You know what? Ya' city is clean just on the outside, and the rest of it full of filth!” JB sat back to have a good share of thinking. “To send them back to the ocean or to a prison on the other planet… Come on, both of those options are a death sentence.”
“Of course, the law can be more flexible in exchange for a service by a ma…” Van Deen lingered for a second to pick up a right word. “A creature like yourself.”
“An exchange of their lives for mine. It looks like blackmail to me.”
JB put away the offense, he switched to bargaining instead. His face was steady and cold, emotionless.
“No, why so dark? It’s more like a business approach,” the mayor smiled.
As the talk was developing, JB realized that Mayor Van Deen was a tough negotiator himself. His appearance was deceptive. Short height, constantly smiley expression, and that thick complexion had got the mutant to believe that Aghastos was a lamb, but he appeared to be a much more dangerous animal.
There was no easy choice for Bridgers. If he denied, all of those whom he had rescued were to die anyway. He couldn’t let that happen, it would cancel all that he had accomplished before. They were his responsibility after that. Everything became too complicated, he was in the corner. There was no easy way out, no matter what he would choose, they all already were prisoners.
“Let’s suppose, I say yes. What then?” JB asked.
“We will see all of you as citizens of the GU. And we will do everything in our power for your group to blend in,” the mayor said.
“What about Gibson?”
“Dr. Gibson is a talented researcher. People like him we can use. I believe that working with us will be mutually beneficial.”
“What about me?”
“What about you…” Van Deen became serious again.
On the contrary, JB shined with a smile. His soft laughter expressed everything that he felt at once: irony, contempt, admiration, and anger.
“So, I guess it’s decided. When do we start?”
“It wasn’t that hard, was it?” Aghastos brightened up. “We start immediately. The most important thing – only three of us know about this arrangement. Nea is going to be your contact. You report exclusively to me, only through her. Forget your real name, forget your past. This world is going to know you as the space ranger JB, nothing else.”
“JB is my real name! And you remember it Aghastos. Because if you try to fuck me…”
Finishing the expression was pointless, they all were on the same page there. Besides, JB had a rule not to make threats beforehand. He raised his eyes at the mayor to see if he got the message. Van Deen did.
No one likes to be forced into doing things, no matter what it is. Freedom is the greatest value for the people, always was. JB respected that more than anyone. But the situation itself didn’t upset him much. If looked at objectively. As Van Deen said, his previous life was gone and the new one had to be started with something, even if it was a government service. At least JB was confident that his people were safe. One less concern for him. Now that the rescue mission was over, the mutant gave everything he could, the group was on its own from there on.
After the business had been done with, the mutant, along with his guide went to the lower level. They came to the garage to get Nea’s car. None of them said a word on the way. Just brief occasional looks towards each other. Waiting for a vehicle didn't take too long, soon they were on their way.
When flying through the night city, JB had some time to think about everything that had happened. He cheered up and turned to Nea silently. He stared at her until she noticed it. The woman set the gravimobile on autopilot and looked at him back.
“Did you know that it was going to be like that?” JB asked.
“I had an idea that something was going on, but they don't share the details with me. The mayor doesn’t pay that much attention to the ones useless for him.”
“What’s now?”
“You need to sign up for a ranger craft course, it’s an essential procedure for all space rangers rookies. Then, if you pass the test, you’ll choose a specialty and become a space ranger. When we need your service, we’ll let you know,” Nea explained briefly.
“Now I’m ‘boy on the call,' how nice is that,” the mutant said sarcastically. “What if I don’t pass the test?”
“Then you start over until you do.”
“And what about that specialty? Do I really have to do that ranger stuff, or it's just for show, and I may chill in between the agency missions?”
“Of course not, you can’t jeopardize your ranger craft. Most of the rangers’ credentials are their reputation, if you don’t do anything, you don’t have one, then no one will trust you. That means you would be useless to us in such case.”
“Actually, I have no idea how may I be any use to you now… Yeah, I have a larger pain bandwidth, and I’m somewhat stronger than most men, but if you think about it in cosmic scale – it’s nothing. I barely know this world, I know nothing about space travel, aliens, modern technologies and so on,” JB began revealing the other side of his concerns. “If it was a bar fight, I’m your guy. But, interstellar spying… I’m gonna fail, and you know it.”
“Can you be more prejudiced?” Nea confronted the mutant in return. “Do you really think that everyone in the GU knows everything about space travel, science, aliens, and all this new stuff that makes you worry so much? Most people stay local for their whole life, not seeing other species anywhere but on the screen, and they certainly are not experts in technology. You’re afraid to fail? Guess what? You will. With that attitude and your disregard, you’ll get yourself killed in no time,” the girl got a bit agitated, so she took a few seconds to relax. “Look, I honestly believe in your p
otential. Use those skills of yours with proper responsibility and dedication, and you will succeed. It’s a rare opportunity you have here. Not every man alive gets to have such an honor. Plus, you’ll have a chance to see the Galaxy. What can be better?”
JB listened carefully to that monolog of hers. Not every girl had what it took to put him in place. Nea certainly did a good job with that. It gained a fair share of his respect.
“The mayor has said that you’re the only one who is aware of this arrangement. Is that right?”
“Yes. An agent may have just one contact and vice versa.”
“If so, then you can’t know about other agents, right?” the big guy continued developing the thought.
“Well, yes.”
“How can you know in such a case that’s a rare opportunity to be an agent?” JB said ironically.
For the first time, Nea found herself not having a sharp answer. She stalled in thinking.
“Are you always like this?”
“Bright and insightful?” he smiled.
“No. Annoying and tedious!”
“Sometimes…” JB deepened in thinking. “Always, yeah.”
“Are all of you so?”
“Us?”
“The visitors from the past?”
“Look, sister, by now you don’t actually know yet how to handle the one of me. Don’t judge others by what you see here. Why do you need this anyway, Nea?” it was the first time he called her by name. It came out smudged and unintelligible, he felt shame for that.
“Perhaps I want to get to know you better,” she gave him that look of interest.
“No one wanna know me betta! Even I wouldn’t wanna know myself!”
“What is your problem?” she was surprised by such a response.
“I’ve done lots of bad shit, nothing to be proud of.”
“Like what?”
“You wouldn’t get it. You’re too young. What are you, eighteen?”
“Twenty-six actually!”
“Damn, girl! You look good!” the mutant couldn’t believe what he had just heard.
“Yes, I’m quite young by lisemonians’ standards, but don’t you take me for a girl!” it looked like JB stepped on a nerve. “How old are you?! Why have you nominated yourself as the smartest one?!”
“I’m twenty-four, and where I come from the kids didn’t stay kids for too long. By the way, about the past. That swinger, which we’ve arrived on, contained something valuable to me. I would like to have it back.”
“Do you mean that ballistic weapon, right? A silver ‘Desert Eagle’ firearm?”
“Yeah, right. Do you know something about the twentieth century’s weapons?”
“No. You’ve learned some things about us, I did the same about you.”
“So, do you have it?”
“Yes. All of your personal things are in my possession for the time being. There are not much of them, though. One gun, two extra clips, a diamond chain and earrings. For what purpose does it serve? Plus, firearms are way too obsolete, there are no bullets for them manufactured anymore.”
“I kinda have a history with that piece of metal, and I would be grateful if you would return it to me,” he said. Then he recalled another part of the list that Nea had mentioned. “Wait, have you stolen my jewels too?”
“Civilians aren’t allowed to carry weapons. You’re not getting the pistol back until your graduation.”
“Peachy…” JB mumbled disgruntledly.
“We’re here,” Nea said when parking the car.
“It’s not my hotel,” JB said after looking around.
“It’s not a hotel. The government has provided you with a long term apartment for the time of your staying.”
“I have a crib? Sweet…”
The car went into the building. JB and Nea came to the top floor, where the apartment was. The lighting there was provided by the yellow light coming from the walls, no separate lamps whatsoever. It was the wall liquid that produced the illumination, giving out the charge gained during the daytime.
It was it, the apartment number ‘2200.’ Just after seeing that figure the big guy realized that they were on the 137th floor, which was as high as four hundred meters above the plateau.
“This one is yours,” Nea pointed at the door.
“Okay, do you have the key?” JB asked. Then he looked closer at the door. There was no handle or keyhole.
“Use the scanner,” Nea explained and laid JB’s palm on the black piece of glass on the wall.
A green line ran through the panel and the door moved inside the wall.
“Why do I have to use the scanner, but you could open the doors back in city hall just by walking towards them?”
“You don’t have an ID-marker implanted yet.”
“And what about this one?” JB nodded at the entrance. “Is it exclusive to be opened by me?”
“You and me only.”
“And you, huh?” the mutants smirked. “In case you wanna tuck me in?”
“In case you do something stupid! I'm the one who gets to deal with the mess.”
“So, when did you manage to sample my ID?”
“Check out your info-terminal. I have left some data for you to process. Good night, ranger.”
Nea turned away and walked down the hallway. JB watched her until the very moment when she was gone.
The door closed up and JB found himself alone in that large living room. It was the first minute of peace for him when he didn’t have to rush anywhere or wasn’t dragged into some trouble. As strange as it was, he wasn’t tired yet. But the hunger reminded him about itself quickly. So the big guy took a walk around the apartment to find something to chew on.
Obviously, space was an essential resource on the plateau, because of that, locals weren’t given much luxury of space. Generally, the apartments were compact, JB and Gibson had a chance to make sure of that themselves when they stayed in the hotel’s suite, which was as small as regular motel’s room. The space of this new JB’s apartment looked pretty solid, compared to what it could be. A studio layout. A kitchen corner was near, the mutant walked straight there. On the other side of that room were two doors, the bedroom, and the bathroom, JB thought. The key objects of interest were a couch with a huge flat screen on the wall in front of it. Generally, the layout looked familiar to what it was supposed to be in the 21st century as if someone had made that on purpose.
The one thing that didn’t look at all related to the man was a dark panel with black crystals around it, lying on the floor. JB stood over it, and the full height projection appeared before him. Next, he felt light and easy, his body weight was lifted up by the force field to take off the tension from standing position. It had to be that terminal that Nea had told about.
JB liked the overall look of the interior, those yellow-black colors felt quite comfortable to him, despite that it used to feel a bit odd at the beginning. With a good hour of playing around the apartment, the big guy learned how to adjust the wall illumination, climate, gravity, and other things. At first he took most of those options for being useless but then caught himself on a thought that such things might be vital for non-human residents. JB wondered if he had any alien neighbors.
A broad black device that reminded a fridge was in the kitchen corner. Bridgers walked straight to it to find something to snack on. The list of contents appeared as soon as the resident came closer. Most of those names were unfamiliar to him, so he decided to play it safe and picked ‘chicken.’ His first try of opening the door via force failed, then JB tapped on the item on the panel. A ‘size’ serving menu popped up. Big size for a big fellow. A stream of steam came out of the socket. It was cold. A cubic pack fell in that socket. Surprisingly it appeared to be about half kilogram of weight.
It had to be a chicken, at least the writing on the pack promised that. The last thing to figure out had left was how to turn that cold silvery brick into a hot, golden-skinned delicious treat. The instruction c
onsisted of two steps: ‘open’ and ‘put into steamer.’
Da hell is ‘steamer?’
JB looked around confusedly. There was another kitchen device, next to the refrigerator. It reminded him of a microwave, but a bit larger. ‘Steamer GL5’ was written on the sticker label. Just now the mutant noticed that the apartment was full of those small stickers with tips, some kind of ‘idiot’s guide to the future.’ Nea had to be the one who had arranged that, JB thought. When the search for the device was done, he opened up the package and put that pale yellowish cube on a dish inside. Another screen lit up, it indicated the type of food automatically and the cooking started. The timer showed five minutes to wait.
Meanwhile, the man kept looking around. There was more information on the screen, besides the food. JB noticed his own avatar photo in the corner and a meter counting down next to it. Apparently it was his water credits. The meal cost him three hundred grams out of the sixty-four thousand total that he owned. Bridgers felt a bit offended at first, as if he was mistreated somehow. But after reading a description he found out that ‘sixty-four thousand grams’ of water was the daily limit of each Atlantis resident.
The next thing that interested JB was the flat screen. It might be a good idea to check the local news, he thought. There was no remote around, so he came closer to the TV and tried to talk to it:
“So? How do I turn you on?” he asked.
The light beamed out of crystal projectors immediately. The picture looked very crisp. There were a couple of odd creatures hosting the show that was on, seemed like clomtueens, from the description.
“News channel?” JB said out loud.
A whole array of small windows was tiled across the screen, all of those were different kinds of news transmissions. JB picked one of those. The woman anchor there was talking about the war. The mutant watched it for about thirty seconds, then he got bored.
Leaving TV on, JB came to the info-terminal. Eventually he started grasping around these techs, developing his thinking of using futuristic stuff. He waved the left hand over the surface of the terminal’s platform. The projectors built a volumetric picture to interact with. The projection wouldn’t react at once to JB’s motion. Then he remembered what Nea had told him about being unable to use techs entirely without proper registration. He spotted a small box with a fingertip patches for interaction.
