Chapter 4: Dream of a Better Tomorrow
As Quaid came out of the Hilton, a coffee-colored cabbie with horrible teeth bounced up beside him. "Hey man, you need a cab?"
"Hi Benny, how are your five kids?"
Benny's grinned widened to show even more bad teeth. "Hungry, man. They're always hungry."
Another cabbie came running up. "Hey, that's my fair!"
"Relax," Quaid told him. "I always use Benny whenever I'm on Mars."
These words seem to placate the second cabbie, but Benny looked confused. "Do I usually pick you up here?"
"Naw, we met at Cohaagen's mansion. Don't you remember?"
"Oh yeah!" Benny lied. "You goin' there now?" He opened his cab door for Quaid, who got in.
"No, Venusville, to a bar called 'The Last Resort'. You know it? Of course you know it. You've taken me there before."
Benny bounded into the driver's seat. "Yeah, but I know an even nicer place now." He started the cab. "The girls are prettier and cleaner. And they don't water their drinks."
"And you get a fat kickback. No, take me to the Last Resort. Someone's waiting for me there."
"Whatever you say, man."
Venusville stunk of cheap perfume, sour beer, unwashed armpits, and putrid barf. Large, wobbly fans attempted to circulate semi-recycled air. The street and sidewalks were populated by twisted and deformed humans.
As the cab rolled to a stop, Quaid could see in neon lights: "The Last Resort." He paid Benny, including a large tip, and made his way towards the door.
Benny goggled at the amount of money he'd just been handed. "I'll be right here when you get back, man. Take your time!"
A little girl with the face of a monster ran up to Quaid. "Guess your sign?"
He took out a 1-credit coin. "Sure, go ahead."
"You're a Taurus, right?"
Quaid handed her the coin and patted her head. "Perfect."
The girl's equally monstrous mother was grinning at him. "Tell your fortune?" Many mutants prided themselves on their paranormal abilities.
"Let me tell you yours instead. Cohaagen will turn off the air, and you and your daughter will nearly die. But in the nick of time, Mount Pyramid will erupt, but instead of spewing out lava, it will erupt air. The pressure will burst the dome, fresh air will come rushing in, and everyone will be saved. When you look outside, the sky of Mars will have turned blue."
She smiled sadly. "Some fortune teller you are. That'll never happen."
He smiled back. "Some fortune teller you are. Give me twenty-four hours." Quaid left the mother and daughter behind and strode through the door of The Last Resort.