Chapter 2
Martin had woken up feeling hungover as he heard the sound of a car leaving outside.
He guessed Scott had just left for work and then he had checked the time and given a sigh as he silently reminded himself that sleeping in late was never a part of his schedule even when he wasn't on duty. He didn't do lazy, not as a rule and he knew for sure that crawling into a bottle wouldn't make a difference to the fact that his best friend was dying:
Drinking had been Vern's way of taking the pressure off.
But drinking wouldn't bring him any closer, even if it brought the memories into sharper focus.
Martin had showered and got dressed and went downstairs.
Then he walked through the kitchen and out into the laundry room where Jenny was loading the drier.
She looked at him and there was no trace of a hint that she wanted to lecture him for drinking a whole bottle of scotch.
"Feel better this morning?"
"I broke a glass last night. Sorry about that."
"Want some breakfast?"
Martin shook his head.
Jenny was still loading the drier with her son's laundry.
"You'll miss doing that when he leaves home." He remarked, "He'll move out eventually, all kids do it some day."
Jenny closed the drier and frowned as she studied the look on his face.
"I know that. What's the matter, Martin?"
He shrugged, guessing the booze had left him on a downer.
"I'm just saying..."
He avoided her gaze as he suddenly knew for sure this was the hangover talking; he wasn't thinking about Scott moving out eventually, he was thinking about other degrees of loneliness and it had nothing at all to do with family – but everything to do with the people had lost on the Solar Four mission...
"I'm just saying eventually we all have to leave people and things behind, people get separated, it's just life. But it doesn't make it fair."
Jenny heard the pain in her brother's voice and as he glanced at her she knew that look too well.
"I know how hard this is on you. Vern was your closest friend on that mission-"
"I don't want to talk about this right now, Sis."
He turned and headed back through to the kitchen not sure if it was the booze making him feel lousy or the thoughts that were crowding his mind, but suddenly all he wanted was to be outside again, taking in fresh air.
Jenny shut the door of the drier and started it up, then she gave a tired sigh.
"Don't shut me out, Martin." She murmured, feeling as helpless to change the situation as she had on the day the mission had ended in disaster.
Martin closed the back door behind him and walked across the patio. He thought about the scotch and last night and guessed it would be easy to sit down and open another bottle and do it all over again – but he knew it wouldn't solve anything.
Drinking only took care of the situation for the time it lasted and helped him to forget; at least that was what he told himself when ever he resorted to it, but drinking didn't help, -not when the booze took hold and he found himself lost in the past again...
Martin sat down at the bench and looked down the length of the sunlit garden; everything seemed so bright in the morning sunshine.
Sometimes days like this when the world seemed so clear and defined and beautiful it almost made him feel as if he were going insane:
The world kept on turning.
Yet everything around him seemed so perfect, oblivious to its loss.
The crew of the Solar Four were dead.
There were three names on the monument at Mission Control – Maritsa Ivanov, Joey Avison and Nick Briggs. There was a blank space beneath those names and although it was simply the way the names had been set out, that space beneath the names had always haunted him because he had known since the crash that some day Vern's name would be on that list too.
His eyes reflected the skies above as he looked towards the sunlit blue and thought about the blackness of space that lie beyond it:
Sometimes he dreamed about being back there.
Sometimes he dreamed of trying to change the outcome of the crash.
The outcome never changed; it always ended with the cabin spitting and the back sheering off and exploding in a ball of flame.
As Martin sat alone in the garden he became aware of the stillness of the moment; he could hear the birds in the trees and feel the breeze blowing through his hair but this wasn't living, this was just existing...
He was sure the alcohol had pulled him down into dark thoughts because he was doing it again, he was thinking about the dead and how he wondered if they still existed on another plane, if their ghosts were still around.
If their ghosts could come through, what would they say?
That he didn't try hard enough to land that thing?
That he had no right to be alive when they were gone?
After the disaster the press had called him a hero for getting the Solar Four back to Earth.
But he hadn't felt like a hero when he stood over the graves of his dead colleagues.
It didn't matter how often he heard that he couldn't have changed the outcome, he still felt the same sadness and regret that he felt every time he visited Vern's bedside:
It was all down to the fact that there had not been enough time.
And knowing he could never alter that was the hardest thing he had ever had to accept.
Martin was lost in his thoughts now, so deep into them that he didn't see the shadow that fell behind him.
His gaze was still fixed on the blue sky above as he thought about how he had never set out to be called a hero – he had only ever wanted to do his job and do it well and his best had not been enough...
Then a heavy hand hit his shoulder and made him catch his breath.
"Captain Martin Lee?"
Martin blinked as his head span for a moment. He blamed the booze; he was still hungover and had turned around so sharply the garden had spun violently for a brief moment.
He looked up at the man who stood over him.
"Who wants to know?"
The stranger studied his face and then spoke again.
"You are Martin Lee?"
Martin stood up, wondering how this guy had walked into his sister's garden – had he come through the open woods at the back of the house? And how did he know his name?
"Yeah, I'm Martin Lee. Who the hell are you?"
As he spoke he stared at the stranger:
The man was tall and muscular and his arms were etched with swirling tattoos with such intricate detail they were unlike any other he had seen before. The man had dark eyes and dark hair and his face was strong in a masculine way yet there was something about him that seemed to hint at gentleness. If he was honest with himself he knew he had to admit he found this total stranger attractive – although the darkness of his eyes seemed almost unnatural and as he spoke again, all thoughts of being fascinated by his appearance vanished in a heartbeat.
"Why do regret the past?" He wondered, "You are not responsible."
Martin's eyes widened as shock and anger sparked up inside him.
"What did you say?" His voice was hushed as he stared at the stranger, but the man gave no reaction to his hostility.
"You were thinking about the mission. You think about it often. I see no reason; there was a technical fault. Nothing that could be altered at the time- as you would say, an accident."
Martin drew in a slow breath as he glared at the stranger and kept his voice low.
He didn't want to start a fight or do anything to alarm his sister, but this weirdo had wandered onto the property talking as if he could read his mind and everything he had just said had been true, that was the part that scared him the most...
He couldn't have known.
He couldn't have read his mind...
"Get out of here before I throw you off this property!"
Martin had locked him in a hard stare as he screwed his hand into a fist.
The man stood his ground, speaking calmly, unaffected by his words.
"I was sent to find you. When the Solar Four crew compartment detached from the main vessel it was left in orbit. The point of combustion began in the main vessel and continued after you returned to Earth."
Martin felt his blood turn to ice as he stared at the stranger, wondering how he had access to this information...
"The official story went that the Solar Four fell out of orbit pulled down by gravity and burned up in the atmosphere. But the theory was incorrect; as your scientists know, the smart technology was twinned with the crew compartment. When the crash happened the main vessel exploded in space. The technology was almost organic. It was a primitive ancestor to true cyborg technology, the kind which made my people into synthetic cyborgs like me. It happened after the war on my planet. I come from the same world as Scott Hayden's father. He was a great man who taught us about humanity. But that was many hundreds of years ago. There was a war and most of the old ways were lost. That is why I was sent back, brother of Jenny Hayden. I only have ten days. You must teach me all you know."
Martin was still staring at the stranger.
He took a step back and stumbled against the bench as he sat down hard, staring up at the man who claimed to be an alien visitor.
He thought about Jenny.
He thought about his nephew's father.
Then he looked into the dark eyes of the stranger.
"No..." He whispered, "This can't be happening..."
"I can show you proof." The man stated, and he turned his hand over, stepping closer as a small metal disk began to rise out of his index finger.
He raised his hand and ran it over the tattoos that covered his upper arm.
As he touched them, the inked pictures began to move and shift.
Martin stared hard at what he was witnessing as the swirled patterns took on shapes that he vaguely recognised...
"That's a star map?"
"A map that tracks the route from my world to yours."
He touched a larger, spinning globe and it opened up like a steel flower blooming from his flesh. Inside were three compartments and each contained a tiny glowing sphere.
"These energy cells are my transport. I have three. One is to send back information to my people. Another is to send me back to my world many years into what you would call the future. The other is an emergency cell in case of need for a sudden departure, in event of the threat of danger."
Martin was staring at him, as he stared at him he thought about every rumor he had ever heard about Jenny and the Starman so long ago.
Then the man reached into the open metal and took out one of the small glowing spheres.
It moved as if alive as he held it and then he let it go, watching it float in the air like a firefly.
As he reached up and caught it, Jenny opened the back door and stared at the stranger.
Then she saw the glowing sphere and watched him take hold of it again and put it back into the metal that closed up as ink moved beneath his skin.
Jenny gave a gasp of alarm as she stared at the man:
There was another one?
Another visitor here on Earth, another like her Starman?
Martin felt shocked as he sat on the couch in his sister's front room and stared at the stranger.
Jenny had almost passed out when she first laid eyes on him, but she had quickly come around to understanding the fact that he was an alien visitor.
This had stunned Martin because he had always remained silent about all he had heard about Jenny and the Starman so long ago.
She had walked up to the man and told him to come inside as she stared at him with eyes wide with surprise.
As they had gone into the house, Martin had glanced at his sister.
"So the rumors were true about Scott's father?" He had said quietly.
Jenny had nodded but said nothing as she led the visitor through the front room.
Now she sat on the couch looking at him intently.
Martin was sitting on the other couch and looking at him, then looking at his sister as it began to sink in:
Yes, his nephew's father really had come from another planet...
"I have so much to ask you." Jenny said in a hushed voice, "You come from the same planet as my son's father?"
The man looked into her eyes and sensed that Jenny Hayden had many questions.
"Yes but hundreds of years in the future. I come from a time when his world was destroyed by war. Our people used technology to survive and become synthetic cyborgs- we are organic but mostly artificially constructed. Flesh and bone with built in technical equipment that can be hidden by organic means."
"Like your tattoos?"
"Exactly." He replied, "And I was sent here to retrieve information about humanity – to find the astronaut Martin Lee, half brother of Jenny Hayden."
"Why me?"
As Martin spoke he wished he had left the booze alone because right now he was sure he had never needed a stiff drink more than he did at this moment.
"Because you are Jenny's brother. Because you are also an astronaut - the closest we can find in your world at this time to a man who understands what lies beyond the Earth. I only have ten days and I must take information back to my own world."
Jenny recalled how her man from the stars had struggled to survive on Earth.
"You can't live here beyond that time? You can't survive?"
The man fell silent for a moment as he looked out of the open window and his dark eyes fixed on the flawless blue sky.
"I have ten days." He repeated, and then he fell silent.
Martin got up.
"I need some water." He said quietly as the shock of all that had unfolded hit him at the same time as the worst of his hangover.
As he walked out of the room, the man looked at Jenny.
"Your brother is afraid of me?"
"Very startled." Jenny replied, feeling a sense of dejavu as she explained human reactions to an alien visitor all over again, "He wasn't expecting this. It's a lot for him to come to terms with."
He thought for a moment, drawing on what basic knowledge had been preserved on his home planet about the human race.
"Your brother has children?"
"No." Jenny replied.
"He has wife? Human males mate with females and humans often choose to emphasise their bond with their choice of partner through marriage."
Jenny smiled and shook her head.
"No, not all humans marry. Martin wouldn't want a wife. My brother is gay."
The man's dark eyes clouded with confusion.
"Gay?"
"That's right."
"You are mistaken." He stated.
Jenny smiled again.
"You're surprised? Why? He's a big tough guy who's been to outer space and now he teaches trainee pilots how to fly jet fighters. And he also happens to be gay. Don't tell me your world think people should fall into stereotypes..."
The man still looked confused.
"He is not gay." He repeated, "Gay, in your language, defines as happy, joyful - he is not happy. He is distressed by memories of the failed space mission."
Jenny finally understood.
"No, gay has another meaning too – it means when a person chooses a partner of their own gender. Can you understand that?"
He thought about it, then he wondered what his own preference was - on his home planet, these things were not discussed because a relationship without an active purpose of reproduction was thought to be pointless.
"Your people are complicated." He stated.
Then Martin came back into the room. He looked at the visitor and then sat down heavily in his seat once more.
"So who are you?" He wondered, "Do you have a name? You know mine; I may as well know yours."
The man fixed his dark eyes on him and spoke softly.
"You would not be able to pronounce my name as it is spoken on my home planet. But for the purpose of this journey I am known as Adam - in reference to your first male in the ancient biblical text."
"Adam." Martin repeated, "Okay, I can handle that. Just tell me what you want to know, because this has happened at a very bad time for me, it feels like too much right now."
Adam looked at him and Martin got that strange feeling again, the one he had got when they first met, as if the guy was reading his mind.
"Why do humans grieve?" He wondered, "When life ceases to function its importance is therefore gone. Your friend was badly damaged by the crash of the spaceflight. It is better if he dies - he can't live and function in his current state. It seems pointless to have artificially prolonged his life for so long."
Hurt and anger fired up in Martin's eyes as tears stung at his vision.
He was about to get up from the sofa and punch Adam, not caring who he was or where he came from because no one talked about his best friend like that – then Jenny looked at him in alarm.
"No, Martin!" She said sharply, "He doesn't understand! He's not being cruel; he just doesn't know anything about our world!"
Martin sat back and took in a deep breath, and then he fixed Adam with an icy glare.
"Never say harsh things about my best friend – or anyone I care about! Vern was my closest friend. It rips me apart to know he's dying. And he does matter. He'll matter as long as I live because the people we love stay in our hearts and minds and we don't let them go, we don't forget them – they always matter!"
Adam looked at him thoughtfully, wondering why the human male named Martin Lee had become so irate.
"The custom is to apologize." He stated, "I had no understanding of this matter. But I have recorded it and I am processing it."
Martin took another deep breath as he let that last remark pass him by; this was a difficult time in his life and the thought that Adam wanted to record everything made him angry, resentful- he didn't even want to talk about how he felt to his own sister right now...
But he looked back at Adam and spoke carefully, remembering this man did not intend to say or do anything to anger him or cause hurt:
He simply did not understand yet, he had much to learn...
"I'll do all I can to help you." He promised him.
And the two men looked at each other and Jenny breathed a sigh of relief; finally the two of them were reaching a level of understanding.
She got up from her seat and looked at Adam.
"Do you eat and sleep like us?" She wondered.
"We have evolved into synthetic beings that are in ways and appearances vastly humanoid." He stated.
Jenny smiled.
"That sounds like a yes...you can stay here with us. I know my son would be thrilled to meet you. His phone won't be on until the afternoon because he's tied up in lectures all morning but I will be calling him to tell him all about you later on."
He looked at her with a puzzled expression.
"Your son is tied up?"
Jenny laughed softly.
"Busy. I mean he's busy with work."
And then she glanced at her brother and the alien visitor called Adam, feeling sure they were forming an understanding now.
"I'm going to leave you both to talk." She said, "I can tell you and my brother have a lot to discuss."
As Jenny walked out of the room Martin got up from his seat.
"I don't know how I can teach you about my world in ten days." He stated, "I don't know where to begin."
And he opened the patio doors and stepped out onto the lawn, taking in the fresh air as his eyes turned skywards again.
"I know a lot about life and how good it can be and how bad it can turn and I know about joy and sadness and every other emotion in between – but I still don't know what to say to you."
Adam stepped closer.
As he looked into his eyes Martin was suddenly aware of how close they had become.
But Adam was looking at him intently, as if making a silent decision.
"Tell me what to do." Martin said to him, "I don't know how to teach you anything."
Adam reached up and suddenly his hands were softly brushing against his face as his fingers slid into his hair.
Martin caught his breath at the suddenness of his touch, closing his eyes as the moment took him over.
Then he felt Adam so close to him his breath was on his face.
"I can learn from your memories." He stated.
Martin opened his eyes.
"My memories?"
Adam placed a hand on his shoulder and the other slid away from his hair. He watched as the disk emerged from his fingertip, then Adam placed it against his temple as he looked deeply into his eyes.
"Tell me about the Solar Four space mission." He stated.
And his fingertip pressed harder and something cold and sharp reached into his mind, sending pain shooting through Martin's thoughts.
He gave a yell and stumbled backwards, putting his hand to his head as the ache in his temple began to slowly fade.
"What did you just do to me?" He demanded.
"I made a copy of your memories, starting from the day you began training for the mission." He replied, taking a seat on the patio and watching as the disk continued to spin on his index finger, "And now I will start to process it."
And he touched the disk to the swirled pattern on his upper arm.
The small ornate globe began to turn and lights briefly flickered beneath the ink and then the pattern swirled again and Adam fell silent, sitting like a statue and looking for all the world as if he might be staring off into the place where land met sky on the horizon as he began to read the memories of the Solar Four mission.
Martin's head ached again and he wasn't sure if it was because of what Adam had just done or if it was his hangover lingering, but he turned and went back into the house, knowing nothing for sure but the fact that he needed to lie down because right now he felt exhausted.
Now alone in the garden Adam was aware the brother of Jenny Hayden needed to sleep. He was also aware that Jenny was excited at the prospect of her son Scott meeting a man from the same world as his own father.
But he pushed that aside as he closed his eyes and saw into an inner world where the copy of Martin's memories began to play out:
The sky was blue and the sun was shining on a day much like today, but this had been three years ago in a different time and place:
Martin was at the training centre walking alongside Commander Briggs as they headed towards the living quarters where Martin would be staying for a large part of the duration of his training.
"Who else is on the team, Sir?" He wondered as he looked at the older, greying man who was in charge of running the mission.
"Joey Avison, the guy who's flown two Mars missions, the Russian cosmonaut Maritsa Ivanov - and my son Nick will be also be coming along, I was very proud when he got accepted for the mission."
Martin glanced at the Commander.
"I'm not surprised your son made the mission."
The Commander's expression grew frosty as he spoke again.
"He worked very hard to get there." He added quickly, "And you've got a civilian coming along too – Dr Sebastian Vernon, the NASA cosmologist."
"So I heard." Martin replied, explaining as he saw the surprised look on the Commander's face:
"He used to work with my nephew. My sister told me he was glad to get on the team, but I've never met him personally."
"Well you'll get to know him soon enough, you're sharing living quarters with him. I needed to put him with someone who can keep an eye on him – he nearly didn't make the team and I'm still not certain he'll get through the training."
Martin smiled on hearing that remark as he wondered exactly what this doctor of cosmology would be like...
"I don't mind being stuck with the geek, Sir."
"I wouldn't call him a geek!" The commander said in surprise, "Actually he's a bit of a live wire. He's had certain issues that have blemished his career too. That's why I'm hoping you'll be a good influence on him."
"I'm sure I will, Sir." Martin replied, knowing it was never a good thing to piss off the boss on the first day, so he was going to keep his mouth shut about objecting to being given the task of babysitting the only civilian on the mission...
Then there was a crunch of metal as two cars collided and they both turned back towards the parking area:
A white convertible had parked in a space near the offices and a smaller red sports car had slammed into it on an angle, denting the convertibles bumper and smashing a headlight on the sports car.
"Oh no!" The Commander exclaimed, and as he hurried off towards the scene of the minor collision, Martin watched the scene unfold as the drivers got out of their cars and began a heated conversation that quickly spiralled into an argument, then he wandered closer out of curiosity.
The driver of the red sports car was no older than twenty five. He was in military uniform and clearly forgetting his respectable officer rank as he fixed the other man with a furious glare.
"I did not hit your car on purpose!" He yelled, "What are you doing in my parking spot anyway?"
The driver of the white convertible stepped back from the dented bumper. He looked around forty, with short dark hair that was spiked up with gel and wore designer jeans and a white shirt that was partly unbuttoned. He took off his sunglasses and stared in disbelief at the angry young guy who had yelled at him.
"I didn't know it was your private space- I didn't see your name on it!"
The younger guy took a step closer.
"You wrecked my car, you jerk!"
"You slammed into me!"
"I asked you to pull out and you hit me!"
"I didn't see you coming forward!"
"It's not my fault you didn't look! Who do you think you are to come along and take my spot? What the hell are you doing here anyway? This is a military base, you don't belong here, asshole! "
"I've got as much right to be here as you!" The older man yelled back, "And don't call me names, you little jerk!"
The younger guy screwed his hand up into a fist ready to take a swing at him on hearing an insult hurled back in his face, and the other guy dodged back even though the younger guy was shorter than him; he was clearly not willing to get into a fist fight over this quarrel...
"If you hit me I'll report you!" He told him.
The younger guy shrugged that off.
"Report me? Ooh, I'm sooo scared! You don't know who I am! Go ahead, report me, I don't give a fu –"
"That's enough!" Barked the Commander.
As they turned and saw Briggs standing there looking furious, the younger guy's anger melted away as his eyes grew wide and he looked more than a little guilty.
"Sorry Dad- I...I mean Sir."
Briggs was so angry his face was turning red as he glared at his unruly son.
"Find another parking spot and then get your ass over to your living quarters." He said in a low voice, "And apologize to your new colleague Dr Vernon!"
And Martin turned his face away as he smiled:
This really was a revelation - that little brat who had just shouted his mouth off over a broken headlight was the Commander's son?
Nick Briggs saw the anger in his father's eyes and glanced at Dr Vernon.
"Sorry." He said, sounding as if he clearly didn't mean it at all.
He looked the scientist up and down and shook his head.
"I don't think we'll be working together very long." He remarked.
Then he got back into his car and reversed sharply, turning around and finding another parking space far over the other side of the lot.
Doctor Vernon was still smarting from his comment as he watched him parking his car as far away as he could go.
"What did he mean by that?" He wondered aloud, "I got accepted on this team...eventually..."
The Commander quickly moved on from the embarrassment his son had caused.
"Martin – this is Dr Sebastian Vernon. Dr Vernon, this is Captain Martin Lee."
The scientist shook hands with him.
"I'm your co–pilot." He said proudly.
And Martin glanced back at the dented bumper and the glass scattered nearby from the smashed headlight.
"Nice to meet you." He stated, wondering exactly how well Dr Vernon could navigate anything...
Moments later after Briggs had walked off in the direction of his son's parked car to have a private word with him, Martin walked towards the living quarters.
He had been walking briskly but as the scientist's voice got further away he slowed his pace until he caught up with him.
"So like I said I've worked in the field of cosmology for twenty years." He told him, "And my call me Vern - my friends call me that..."
And he dragged his heavy case along the ground, stopped to catch his breath and then he started to drag it again.
"Need some help with that?" Martin wondered.
"I can handle it thanks." Vern replied as he started to drag the heavy suitcase once more.
"I didn't think I'd get a place on this mission..."
The suitcase dragged along heavily as he took in another breath, "But eventually my experience in cosmology and my input on the tech side of the design of the craft helped to get me in –"
He dragged the case again and it scraped along the ground.
Martin looked at Vern and guessed he wasn't in bad shape for his age – but he certainly wasn't used to heavy physical exertion. He thought about the tough training program and suddenly felt glad that Briggs had put the two of them together- it was clear to see that Vern had no idea just how tough this training would be...
"I need to stop for a minute." He said as he gave up on trying to drag the heavy case.
Martin leaned down and grabbed the handle, lifting the suitcase with relative ease.
"That's okay; I've got it for you. What have you got in here, the kitchen sink?"
"I didn't know what to pack so I threw anything and everything in."
"It feels like it too!"
They reached the living quarters and Martin checked the number on the door.
"This is the right room." He said, unlocking it and taking the cases inside.
Vern stepped into the room and looked around.
"There must be a mistake." He said, "This is my room."
"There are two bedrooms. You're my room mate."
Vern stared at him.
"Room mate?" He exclaimed, "I was led to believe everyone had their own private accommodation."
"They do."
Martin closed the door and looked back at Vern.
"They all have - except for you. Briggs didn't tell me everything but he said you only just made it onto the team. I'm guessing there's a reason for that..."
And he looked at him intently.
"I'm not going to make a decision about you until I get to know you - I don't judge people on face value. But I don't expect you to lie to me. Why doesn't Briggs trust you?"
Vern looked back at him.
He looked into his eyes and that was the moment their friendship began; that was the moment he chose to trust him.
Vern told the truth:
"I failed a random drugs test a couple of times –but it was ten years ago!"
Martin was happy to accept that; one look in his eyes was all he needed to feel sure he was being honest and he appreciated that fact.
"Okay. Thanks for telling me."
And then he held his hand out and smiled and his blue eyes shone with warmth.
"Welcome on board the team, Vern. Stick with me and I'll make sure you get to see outer space."
And the two men shook hands again, but this time the formality was gone, something passed between them, the beginning of a bond, a deep lasting bond – it was the start of ... What?
As Adam watched the scene unfold, he grasped the word as he linked the emotion:
Friendship.
Adam opened his eyes and paused as the memory recall shut down, turning off his copy of Martin's memories.
Then he got up and went back into the house.
A soft ringing sound was passing through the air and it was coming from a device that was fixed to the wall.
He watched as Jenny picked it up and the ringing stopped and she started to speak into it.
He recalled humans at this stage of evolution relied on many methods of communication – this one was undoubtedly called telephone.
Then as she took the call, he went up the stairs, knowing instinctively which room Martin was in.
He pushed the door open and saw him lying on his bed, on his back and sleeping deeply.
He watched him for a moment, wondering why the sight of this human male filled him with such fascination.
Then he went into the room quietly, determined not to rouse him from his slumber...
Adam stood over his bed and let his gaze wander from his face to the rise and fall of his chest as he slept with his shirt open.
Then he reached down and ran his hand over Martins hair; his touch was light as air and Martin did not stir.
Adam recalled Martin's thoughts about Vern and as he tapped into the memory in the softest way that he could, Martin felt no discomfort as he gave sigh and turned his head a little but slept on.
Adam sensed it now:
There was more.
The day those two men had met had started a friendship, a bond of affection and trust and loyalty and... It was still there, lower than his mind...
He traced the feeling as he tuned into it and closed his eyes as his hand slid from his throat to his upper chest.
Images flashed through his mind:
Vern was sobbing as he sat on the floor.
"I can't get through this, Martin!" He said tearfully, "I'll never get through training, I can't do it..."
Then Martin's arms were around him as he held onto him tightly and pulled him closer.
"Yes you can," He whispered softly, "You'll get through this. I won't let you give up..."
Adam's hand moved with the trace of the memory, as it came to rest against Martin's warm skin he opened his eyes, understanding that human emotions did not stay in the mind - the feelings he had for this man seemed to dwell within his heart...
Then Martin stirred and Adam stepped back from the bed.
Martin sat up and blinked and the first thought that hit him was that hangover had finally slipped away thanks to sleep.
Then he glanced at the clock next to bed and thought about his best friend - it was almost eleven o'clock. They had planned to leave for the hospital soon; he needed to be with Vern...
Then he saw Adam standing there in his room.
"I was asleep." He told him, wondering if his actions needed explanation, "But I'm getting up now. I need to go and see Vern."
Then the bedroom door opened and Martin saw Jenny standing there.
"Martin..."
As she said his name he saw the look in her eyes and that same look reflected in his own as tears blurred his vision.
Jenny had not yet explained but as Adam watched Martin's reaction to the look on her face he was taken by surprise that an ache was vaguely present in his own heart – it was the look in Martins eyes that had caused it, along with the certainty that he knew he did not want this human named Martin Lee to feel the mix of pain and sadness that he did at this moment.
He was unsure what had happened, but he knew that Jenny was about to give him some unhappy news.
And as Adam waited for an explanation, he wondered why he suddenly wanted to reach out to this man and embrace him.
He was also aware that he was now filled with a strong desire to shield him from the pain he was feeling at this moment.
Adam knew he was learning, but right now, exactly what he was coming to understand about human relationships was unclear...