Second Skin
Chapter 14 - Luna
Songs: People C'mon by Delta Spirit; Fool by Donovan Frankenreiter
"For those of you visiting Luna for the first time, please take a moment to look out the starboard portals, where you can catch a lovely view of the Earth in all her glory as we come around to prepare for landing."
Mike's parents had sprung for first class for our ride to Luna. I insisted on paying for my own ticket, but they turned me down. So I had a window seat, with Mike to one side of me looking uncomfortable in spite of the plush accommodations. He'd seen this all before so didn't seem interested. I opened the shade and turned to look out the portal.
The Earth was indeed suspended in the blackness of space before my eyes, glowing and resplendent like a beautiful blue woman, freshly fucked and swathed in white silk sheets. Yet another pretty girl who'd be kissing me goodbye one day, no doubt. I sat back and stared at her as our shuttle traveled down to land at the spaceport, thinking about the women I was leaving behind me.
"Goddamn she's beautiful," I whispered. It made me strangely wistful. I thought about Ramona and hoped she'd actually given Leo the comfort he deserved. I thought about Toni and hoped irrationally that she'd wait for me, even though I knew that was unlikely. I thought about Celie, knowing that whatever she'd do, she'd do it well and break hearts along the way. She wasn't stupid like me. She wouldn't get tangled up with a guy until she knew he was the one for her, thus all the heartbreaking. I chuckled at the thought of all the poor bastards who'd grovel at my sister's feet trying to win her over. I wished that I could've been more like Celie all along. Things would have been very, very different.
"Have you ever visited Luna before, Sam?" a female voice spoke from across the aisle, pulling me back from my reverie of the other women in my life, which included one pretty blue one I could still see out the portal of the shuttle.
I tore my eyes away from the vista to look at her.
"No, ma'am," I answered. "Never even left California until I enlisted."
Mrs. Luce was attractive in a maternal way. She had intelligent blue eyes and the delicate, fair skin of someone who'd spent most of their lives under artificial light. She was sturdily built and had wavy blonde hair that brushed her shoulders. Her strong hands always seemed to be occupied with something. At the moment she began speaking to me she'd been tapping intently on a datapad.
"Well, we'll have to give you the grand tour while you're visiting," She said. "Luna's nothing like Earth, but I think you'll like it." She smiled at me.
"I'm really looking forward to it, ma'am."
She rolled her eyes at me. "The first thing you need to do is stop calling me that. It makes me feel old. My name's Sharon. This is Rafe." She pointed to her husband, a quiet dark-haired man with a perpetually thoughtful expression. He laughed softly and kept tapping on his own datapad. She turned and smiled at him, laying her hand on his arm affectionately. She whispered something I couldn't hear into his ear, which made him smile, then turned back to me. "Please use our names while you're our guest, Sam. We're not going to call you 'kid' while you're with us... why should you call us silly adult nicknames?"
I laughed. "I suppose you have a point with that. I'm looking forward to the tour, Sharon. And … um... thanks for having me."
Mr. Luce, Rafe, seemed to smile slightly at his wife's comments but remained silent. Their demeanors had made me instantly comfortable after the surprising invitation the day before, so I'd accepted, not even thinking to ask Luce whether he cared if he was stuck with his squad leader for the next two weeks, even though boot camp was over and we were equals again.
I looked back out the portal and saw that the vista had changed. Now, Armstrong Colony glittered below us in the distance, a massive, bustling city with skyscrapers at its center as high as any I'd seen in Los Angeles. The colony itself was ringed by huge, shimmering solar collectors that hugged the outer rim of the deep crater the city was nestled within. The dome was a giant honeycomb over the colony proper and barely cleared the tallest of the city's skyscrapers. Holy shit, this place was incredible.
"Not quite what you expected, was it?" Mike said from beside me.
"Fuck no," I said, and spent the next half hour pretty much speechless, staring at the view as the pilot prepared to land.
"How far is it to the rim?" I asked once we'd completed our final screening and detox after disembarking. We were seated on a train that was carrying us rapidly toward the colony down a long covered tunnel. The hum of gravity generators placed at regular intervals made a steady, lulling rhythm as we passed over them.
"About five miles," Rafe answered, the first words I'd heard from him since we'd taken off. "Then the lift."
Mike chuckled and said, "Yeah, the lift is the worst part of the trip. It holds about a hundred people at a time and they don't air it out regularly, so be prepared for the ripe scent of the unwashed masses. It's about a fifteen-minute ride to the bottom."
We survived the lift and made it to the floor of the crater finally. It was strangely familiar once we got there. It felt just like Los Angeles on a busy day, but different. After a few moments I realized it was the sounds of the vehicles that were throwing me off. Every vehicle on Luna was an air vehicle, so all the sounds were soft whines as opposed to the subtle grind of rubber against pavement that I was used to. We walked a short distance across a parking lot to their car.
Half an hour later Rafe landed the car on a high landing pad that jutted from the side of a sleek skyrise. I climbed out of the car and paused for a second as deja vu overtook me. I remembered this same feeling stepping out of Ramona's car the first time she'd taken me home with her. The view was very different from the one atop her house, however, and I stood enjoying it for a second until I heard Rafe beside me. He laughed softly.
"Sam, you've got two weeks to stare at the view. Trust me, it never changes. Come on in and relax."
"Yeah I guess you're right." He clapped me on the shoulder and turned to walk through the wide open glass doors. I followed him, giving a brief glance back at the Lunar vista. It was starkly beautiful and entirely different from anything I'd ever seen before. Maybe it never changed from this vantage point, but I still itched to draw it and thought the first thing I'd do in the morning would be sitting out on this very balcony and drawing, now that I finally had my omni-book again. I turned and walked into the Luce's apartment. Sharon was there smiling invitingly, the perfect hostess which I believed was a very good act.
"What do you like to eat, Sam?" Sharon asked as she showed me to the guest room.
"Pretty much anything, really," I said. "Except MREs, but that goes with the territory."
She laughed and nodded. "Alright, well, dinner's in a couple hours. I think Rafe's making curry tonight, one of his specialties. Please make yourself at home."
She turned and left. I surveyed my surroundings. The room had a huge bed, one that I'd actually fit in for a change, and a wide window that displayed the spectacular panorama of the colony below. Their large apartment was modest but comfortable. It was clear they were well off, but didn't flaunt it. I wondered why the hell Mike wasn't in college instead of in the Alliance - they could clearly afford to send him wherever he wanted to go.
I emptied my rucksack on the bed and retrieved my ditty bag, then went to take a shower before dinner.
Dinner ended up being a little uncomfortable at first. The air seemed charged with tension when I came into the large room that accounted for their shared living space. Mike was leaning against one wall with a scowl on his face and both his parents were frowning. Rafe plastered on a smile when I came in and said, "Dig in while it's hot." He gestured at a row of large bowls lined up on the sideboard, buffet-style.
"After you," I said, wanting to be polite and not wanting to be the first to eat.
Mike muttered something under his breath and began dishing himself food, then went and sat at the table.
"So, Sam," Rafe began when we were all seated and eating. "Do you have family back in California?"
I nodded. "My younger sister, Celine. She's in college at UCSD right now. Well, she's probably on winter break at the moment. I'd like to call her while I'm here, if you don't mind. I haven't talked to her since I left."
"Of course," Sharon said. "What about your parents? What are they doing?"
I chewed my food for a second then swallowed before answering, trying to choose my words. Before I did, Mike interjected.
"What Mom's really asking is why the hell aren't you with your own family."
"Mike," Rafe admonished. Mike glared at his dad.
"It's alright," I said. "Mom died a little over a year ago. Dad's somewhere in the systems flying an Alliance cruiser. My sister and I are pretty much on our own."
Mike piped up again. "Sam's dad was on Grissom's crew for Charon. He was the pilot." For some reason he sounded more confrontational than impressed. His parents' eyebrows shot up, though, both of them making sounds of surprise.
"Ah, Sam Blanco. I thought the name sounded familiar. That's quite a legacy," Rafe said.
I closed my eyes for a second, pretending to savor my meal, but really wishing for the umpteenth time since I'd begun basic training that I was someone else entirely. I hadn't realized how recognizable the name was until that first day when my DI had mentioned it. But apparently everyone knew my dad. He was a hero, he was a pioneer, he was also an asshole and a hothead, and I was beginning to hate being compared to him at every turn. Fucking legacy my ass.
I swallowed and took a deep breath. "Yeah, I hope I never have to fill his shoes." An unintentional hint of bitterness tinged my voice and I winced a little bit when I realized I'd let it out.
The Luces, all three of them, blinked at me in confusion for a second before recovering and going back to eating.
Mike's expression had changed, though. He was looking at me curiously, his blue eyes studying me while he ate. I regretted not talking to him more, wishing now that I had some insight into him so I knew how to respond to his subtleties. We hadn't interacted that closely over the past twelve weeks. He'd been one of the least troublesome members of my squad, keeping to himself mostly and just following orders. He blended in just like a good soldier was supposed to. Don't draw attention to yourself was the advice Mac had given us the day we'd shipped out. Unfortunately it was something I couldn't help, as big as I was, and with the name I had.
"I'm sorry to hear about your mother," Sharon said with sincere sympathy. "Were you close?"
I smiled a little at the thought of my mom. The sadness still lingered but it was fading finally. "Yeah, we were close. With Dad being deployed most of the time it was pretty much just her and us."
"Where's your sister spending the holidays?" she asked.
"With friends." Celie and I had exchanged letters on a weekly basis, though we hadn't spoken. I knew she was settling in at college and had plans to spend the holidays with Mrs. Vega and Rosie. Emilio wouldn't be granted leave until sometime in February, with the special forces track he was on. She would be at the Vegas' now, I realized.
"Help yourself to seconds, Sam," Rafe said, gesturing at my empty plate. I gladly obliged. The food was a far cry from the military slop we'd endured for the past few months. I was all too happy to take advantage of the change and was looking forward to two weeks of something new.
The conversation continued, still focused on me for some reason. Why the hell they weren't talking to their own son about his experience baffled me. Mike just ate in sullen silence while I answered his parents' questions.
"So I hear you were squad leader," Rafe said. "What was that like?"
"It was... different, that's for sure. I've never had to yell so much in my life - I got a little taste of what it must be like to be a DI. It got easier as it went." I tilted my chin up gesturing at Mike and said, "Mike's one of only a couple guys in my squad that I actually never had to ride about shit." I looked directly at Mike and said, "I suppose I should thank you for that, man."
He seemed a little abashed at my comment and nodded, mumbling "you're welcome." After that his parents focused their attention on him finally and he seemed to thaw a little as he talked about his own experiences, which hadn't been that different from mine, all told, except for the squad leader thing.
After dinner Mike led me to their study, which was a large room at the other end of the apartment, past the bedrooms. On the way down the hallway he cleared his throat and said, "I owe you an apology."
"What the hell for?"
He shook his head like I was missing something obvious, then paused and turned to meet my eyes. He pointed at himself and said, "The entire time in boot I kept thinking I should've been squad leader. That I was the one who was made for this shit, not you."
"Maybe so, but it isn't like I had a choice," I said, staring down at him, not sure where he was going with the conversation.
He shook his head and smiled at me. Then laughed a little. He said, "I was seriously sitting there thinking you'd gotten to be squad leader because of your dad. You hated it, though, didn't you?"
"Every goddamn second, but I was so terrified I'd screw it up I guess it ended up sticking. And you know the DIs just liked to fuck with us, right? Do you have any idea how many different squad leaders sixty-two-fourteen ran through? Six. None of them lasted more than two weeks. But the fact is, half those guys got a taste of what it's like to lead. One guy swears he was picked just because he resembled the DI's favorite actress. The DI even nicknamed him 'Sylvia' after her. He'll never shake that one." I laughed at the thought. My name was still a bit of a sore point, but at least they weren't calling me "white boy" or, god forbid, a girl's name.
"So how'd you get stuck with us for the entire stint, Blanco?"
"I have no idea. I'm just cursed, I guess. Maybe the DI had a grudge against my dad and was taking it out on me. That wouldn't surprise me. Or maybe he just thought I had a nice ass. It's all a game. The sooner you realize it the better off you'll be. I never wanted any of this, but it was my last choice. Join the fucking Alliance or die. I wish I had choices like you did, man. My dad didn't pave any roads for me. If anything he just singled me out for extra criticism. If I could trade places with you I would. In a goddamn heartbeat."
He took a deep breath. "I get it. At any rate, I am sorry I was pissy with you. It might sound weird but I hoped the Alliance would break me of seeming like a spoiled brat, which I'm not, but everyone always seemed to think I was when I was growing up, because of what my parents do, and where I live. I worked my ass off to be on top in JROTC, and then just felt like I was nothing during boot camp. It only just hit me that boot isn't the place you're supposed to stand out. So, I guess I did everything right after all. You're the one who messed it all up, Blanco."
I barked out a laugh. "Fuck you, man. It could've been you up there the entire time, too, and you know it. I just have the wrong fucking name. Maybe I should change it to Sylvia or something." I held out my hand in truce. He smiled and shook it.
"Nah, you need something more delicate, like Gwendolyn," he said with a mischievous grin.
When we started walking again he cleared his throat, then said in a low voice, "Any chance I can get another one of those pictures? I'm the only one in the squad who only got included in the first round."
I laughed. "I'll draw you whatever the hell you ask for. You name it."
He grinned. "I'll get back to you on that. I have a few ideas."
I raised an eyebrow. "I just do naked women, just so you know. Nothing... alien like some of those alternative porn feeds have. It's gotta be something I might have seen before. In real life or on the net. Just setting some groundrules, alright? Human women. I suppose I could stretch to men if you paid me enough, but they're not my preferred subject. I just know how to draw them."
He chuckled. "No worries. I like women. I like petite blonde ones specifically."
"Blonde is nice," I agreed. "I'm not too picky as long as she's single and her dad's not threatening to kill me."
"That is definitely a plus."
When we entered the study I was instantly distracted by the intricate framed architectural drawings that glowed at regular intervals around the walls. Huge drawings of the massive skyrises I'd seen throughout the city. All drawn in intricate detail.
"Are these your dad's?" I asked. He nodded, looking unimpressed. I was thoroughly impressed. I spent a few minutes studying them. As I wandered around the room I paused, drifting my hand over a large antique drafter's table that rested in one corner. A long, flat architect's scale and an automatic pencil were nestled against the bottom ledge. I picked up the pencil and toyed with it. There was a fresh sheet of paper taped down to the surface of the table and my fingertips tingled, overwhelmed with the urge to use the pencil to create something in that huge field of white. Mike stood watching as I explored the room, as much an artist's dream to me as Toni's tattoo shop had been.
"Who the hell are you? You're like a walking contradiction, you know?"
I glanced at him. "Not sure what you mean."
"How do you reconcile being an artist and a marine? I think Dad always wished I'd follow in his footsteps. Be an architect... or at least a city planner, like Mom. He's still disappointed, I think. You seem to have figured out how to do both."
"I wish I had. I'm roped into a completely different career now than what I'd planned. I was supposed to be doing tattoos in San Diego right about now. Working alongside Antonia Valentine herself. I screwed up big time." I swallowed hard, unprepared for the fresh tangle of feelings that filled me thinking about Toni at that moment.
"How? You sure made it sound like it was a dire situation the way you were talking a minute ago. Did you really date a girl whose dad wanted you dead?"
I shook my head and wandered to the vidcomm. "Man, it's a complicated story. I'm not sure I'm really in the mood to tell it right now."
He looked at me for a second and shrugged. "Suit yourself," he said,and flopped down on the long sofa. He toggled a button and the vidscreen that graced one wall of the room came to life. The soft audio hit my ears, the first time I'd heard a news feed in months.
"After three years of construction the Systems Alliance has finally begun the slow process of moving into its new headquarters: the brand new Arcturus Station, in the Arcturus system on the far side of the Charon relay. Arcturus will be the home of humanity's representative force in the event of potential alien contact, which experts have concluded is a strong possibility after recent discoveries. After the break, stay tuned for..."
Mike flipped to a different feed and the sounds of explosions and gunshots filled the room. I sat down in front of the vidcomm and tapped at the screen to activate it, then tapped in the number to the Vegas'.
Rosie's face was the first one I saw and she blushed brightly at my greeting.
"Oh, hi, Sam. Um... Celie's right here." She smiled bashfully and left my view in a blur.
Celie's beautiful, beaming face appeared on the screen. I grinned so wide it almost hurt.
"You look good, baby girl. College agrees with you, it looks like. Broken any hearts yet?"
She rolled her eyes at me. "No time for boys here, dumbass. I bet you haven't had time for girls, either, have you?"
"Not so much, no, but that's probably a good thing."
"Hey, I didn't say it." She grinned for a second before her expression softened. Damn if she didn't look more and more like Mom as she got older.
"I really miss you, Sammy, but I'm doing really well. You're right. College is... pretty sweet. Where the hell are you, anyway?" Her eyes darted around at my background.
I was still grinning at her. "I'm on the fucking moon, baby girl. How cool is that? My squadmate's parents invited me to stay with them." I stabbed my thumb over my shoulder to where Mike was slouched on the sofa flipping through the vid feeds.
"Hey, Mike." I turned quickly and called to him. "Come meet my sister."
I heard a soft grunt and footsteps from behind me. A second later he bent over beside me and waved at the vidcomm. Celie's face cracked into a welcoming smile and she waved back.
"Celie, this is Mike Luce. He's kind of an ass, but his parents are nice."
"Nice to meet you, Celie," Mike said, then muttered, "Screw you, Blanco, I thought we had a truce." His words were tinged with humor and I snickered.
Celie answered. "Nice to meet you, too, Mike. Hey, watch out for my bro, alright? He's kinda important to me." She batted her eyelashes. Was she flirting with him? Holy shit, she was. I heard Mike clear his throat.
"Uh, you got it," Mike said.
I turned and glanced at him and saw him smiling awkwardly back at her. My little sis had some moves. Of course she was pretty damn cute, so I shouldn't be surprised at Mike's reaction. But for someone who insisted boys were a waste of time, she sure knew how to manipulate them.
Mike went back to the vid feeds and Celie and I chatted for a few more minutes before we said goodbye.
"You feel like going for a ride?" Mike said when the vidcomm screen grew dark.
"Sure, what'd you have in mind?"
He cleared his throat in hesitation. "Ah, I was going to go see my girlfriend. Sara. I told her I'd come see her when I got back. You're welcome to come along if you want... take a tour of the city in the process."
"Are you sure? I mean... if you want some alone time with her, what the hell am I gonna do? Sit there with my thumb up my ass while you two get it on?"
He seemed anxious for some reason. "No worries. I'll give you the control chip to the car, you can go for a drive, see the sights or whatever you want. The city's pretty much alive twenty-four-seven, so there's always someplace to go."
"Well, let's hit it, then."
Unfortunately it didn't work out quite so well. We landed on the pad at Sara's building and her parents informed Mike that she was out for the evening. He looked troubled when he got back in the car.
"Something up, man?" I asked. He just shook his head, but it was obvious there was some drama brewing.
We flew through the city to a local nightclub Mike said they used to frequent and paid an exorbitant amount to get in the door. I felt instantly out of place wearing only my black t-shirt and Alliance-issued fatigues among all the flashily dressed clubbers. Inside my senses were bombarded with colorful lights and pounding music, the heavy bass beat seeping into my chest. I'd have loved to have a drink and let the music consume me, but we had another mission tonight.
The club had a huge, packed dance floor in the center, the perimeter lined with cozy, darkened booths and a long bar on one wall. Nearly all the booths seemed to be occupied with couples in a variety of intimate positions.
"What's she look like?" I bent over and yelled into Mike's ear over the din of music. I had a better vantage point at my height.
He shrugged and yelled back loud enough for me to hear, "She's got curly blonde hair to her shoulders and small, perfect breasts." He gestured with his hands to emphasize what he said.
I laughed a little at his description, but stood up straight again and scanned the figures in the booths across the heads of the dancers. In one booth I saw a figure that fit the description. She was in a passionate embrace with someone, so I hoped that wasn't her. I tapped Mike on the shoulder and pointed. When his eyes fell on the figures he stood stock still. I glanced at him and saw a myriad of emotions wash over his face, not the least of which were shock and betrayal, and knew for sure that was the girl.
"Sonofabitch," he muttered. I couldn't hear the words but it was clear from the motion of his lips what he'd said. His fists clenched and he started walking forward, heedless of the people in his way. I pulled him back by one shoulder, knowing this was going nowhere good. I could see the fury on his face. His eyes met mine and for a second he seemed uncertain. He leaned up and yelled into my ear. "You'd kill him, right? I want to fucking kill that bastard. He's... he's... goddammit. What the fuck do I do?"
I rested a hand on his shoulder and spoke in his ear, trying to calm him down. "Hey, man. Take a deep breath. What do you want to do?"
He was staring at the pair and turned to look at me, fire in his eyes. "I want kill him. That was my best friend, Nate, with is fucking tongue down her throat." He started to surge forward with his admission. I pulled him back once more and put my mouth to his ear.
"Wait. Think about it for a second. Is she worth it? Is she really fucking worth it, man?"
His nostrils flared. He glared back at me. "Fuck that slut. No, she's not worth it, but it'll make me feel a hell of a lot better if I can at least break his fucking nose. You with me or not?"
I had to admit he had a point. "Go for it, man. Just don't actually kill anyone alright? I'd hate to get tangled up in that kind of shit."
He gave me a feral grin and plowed through the crowd. Nate never knew what hit him. Neither did Sara. One second they were wrapped up in each other, making out and dry humping in the shadowy booth. The next second Mike had Nate by the hair, dragging him down to the floor and pummeling his face with his fist. Sara screamed. Mike finished working Nate over, then stood up and pointed at her.
"We're fucking done, bitch!"
I heard yells from behind me as the bouncers came running. Shit, this wouldn't end well. I knew from experience from the few seedy clubs I'd been to in LA. I turned and put myself bodily in their path, giving both heavily muscled guys my best impression of dad at his finest. I said, "It's over. We're leaving."
They were determined, though, and I wasn't sure I could - or even wanted to - take on both of them. They came at me, their mouths set in hard lines. One was clean-shaven and tattooed, the other had a neatly trimmed goatee. Both were big, burly guys and neither one looked like they were screwing around. Shit.
I held up my hands in surrender and took a small step back. "Just hang on a second. My friend's a little upset. Give us a minute and we'll just be on our merry way and out of your way, alright? No harm no foul? Well, except to Nate there, who was obviously screwing the wrong girl." I glanced down at the moaning bloody form writhing on the floor by the booth, with the pretty blonde kneeling next to him.
The two bouncers scowled at me but stood down. "You both get the hell outa here before we toss you out," Mr. Goatee said.
I grabbed Mike by the back of his collar and shoved, propelling him to the exit. He trudged ahead of me and kept going toward the door with a pissed off look on his face. I followed, turning once to give the two bouncers a casual little wave.
"Want me to drive?" I asked when we got back to the car, certain he was in no condition to focus at the moment. He threw me the control chip before hopping into the passenger side.
"I don't know where the fuck we're going, man," I said. I wasn't even sure I could drive this car, but I'd watched him operate the controls so I had a pretty good idea.
"Doesn't fucking matter. That way." He pointed. I drove. It wasn't as tough as I thought it would be.
Five minutes later I reached the edge of the crater and turned, circling around. I saw a bright green park below us and set the car down there, not wanting to keep driving in circles, but knowing Mike still needed some time.
"I loved her. I told her I loved her before I left. She said she'd wait for me." He seemed close to tears.
"If she couldn't even make it three months, she's not worth it."
"Shit. And Nate... we grew up together. Or at least since Junior High. He had a girlfriend when I shipped out. Why'd the asshole have to turn around and steal mine?"
"Why does anyone do anything? It probably seemed like a good idea at the time. He's probably rethinking it a little bit right now, though. That was one hell of a beatdown you gave him."
He sighed. "It made me feel like shit. I loved both of them. But hey, thanks for running interference in there." He smiled little. "That was pretty slick the way you got the bouncers to let us go."
"I have my moments," I said.
I chewed on my lip for a second. "You know, I've been in his position... the guy you punched out. I fucking deserved it as much as he did, too."
"No shit?"
I nodded. "Yeah... that's... that's the real reason I can't go back to California."
"What, because you fucked some other guy's girl? How does that keep you from going home? Who the fuck was he?"
I sighed. Goddamn if that wasn't a tricky question to answer but I felt like I needed to get it out and now was as good a time as any.
"It wasn't who he was... it was who she was, really. He was my friend. She was... the daughter of a really fucking dangerous man - powerful, too. Her boyfriend beat me up. Gave me a few scars." I pointed at my face. "He threatened my life, told me not to come back or he'd kill me, but it was her dad's threat after the fact that really drove it home for me. Biggest mistake of my fucking life, screwing her."
Mike seemed shocked. He sat speechless for a second before saying, "Seriously, a death threat? Who does shit like that?"
"You don't want to know. Hell, I wish I didn't know now. I grew up in a rough part of LA, overrun with gangs. I got tangled up with one over the summer. And, well... shit happened." I shrugged and gave him a sidelong glance, hoping he was done with questions. I wasn't sure I had it in me to answer more, but telling someone isolated from the issue made it feel like a weight had been lifted.
"Shit. That's heavy. Well, you can always come home with me. My parents love you... you're like the son they never had."
"What the hell? You're their son, man."
He shrugged defeatedly. "Yeah, but I'm not what they wanted. They wanted someone sensitive and creative. That's what you are."
I wasn't sure how to respond to that. I liked his parents. A lot. They were, if I had to admit it, like the parents I never had. Except for Mom, of course. Sharon Luce was a lot like Mom in some ways, and I think that's what I liked about her so much. Rafe was absolutely nothing like my dad. The two of them seemed to have a loving relationship and were actually very nice to me. I didn't get why Mike seemed so dissatisfied with them. Not at all.
"Well, if it's any consolation, my dad would've probably loved you. He was an asshole to me the entire time I was growing up, just because I liked to draw and had no interest in the military. Not that I'd wish him on anyone else because he was pretty much an asshole to everyone, even the people he supposedly loved. Mom, included. Fucking bastard. In other words, you should be grateful for your parents, dude. They fucking love you, even though they have nothing in common with you."
Mike just grunted slightly and shook his head.
We sat in silence staring at the fountain in the middle of the park.
"So, your sister's pretty cute," Mike said.
"Don't even fucking go there, man. She's too smart for you anyway. And she's neither petite, nor blonde."
"But she was totally flirting with me. You must've seen it."
"Like I said, she's too smart for you. It was a revelation for me, too, when I saw her … do that thing." I laughed at the thought of Celie's flirting. "She had you wrapped around her finger with one look, you had to admit it. She obviously knows how to deal with men, which I'm not sure how to feel about, to be honest. We both grew up pretty fast, had to learn a lot in a short time. Fantasize about her all you want, but it's never gonna happen, and not just because I'll beat you to a bloody pulp if you ever do meet her and try something. Which I will, and that's a fucking promise."
He laughed. "Alright, alright. Point taken. Shit. I want to get wasted now, but somehow I'm too damn tired to bother. Tomorrow night, though. Tomorrow's New Year's Eve and there's this party I've always heard about but never been to. It's at the Tesseract. Not sure if you saw it when we were landing, but it's a space station that doubles as a nightclub, it's tethered to the surface a few miles from the city, floating in hyperbolic orbit a couple miles up. We should go, if I can find out how to get an invitation. If I ask, Mom can probably help..." He laughed softly. "Shit, she'd probably love to get involved for once."
The next day Mike and I headed out to find me some new clothes suitable to wear to a trendy Lunar nightclub. I'd been to plenty of nightclubs in LA, but the ones I could afford entry to were generally dives with no dress code to speak of. This place was apparently very different, but Mike knew what we needed to look like to fit in, and I had some cash saved up after twelve weeks of spending very little. I could blow some credits on a new outfit, especially considering in a couple weeks I'd be back to the same uniform every day.
"How is it you know all the right places to shop?" I asked when we left one men's shop with a few shopping bags and began walking back to his building.
"Sara used to drag me around and insisted on dressing me up to go out with her. She always had good taste in clothes, I guess a little of it rubbed off."
"Well, thanks for the input. I haven't shopped for clothes like this... ever. I haven't dressed up since my mom's funeral a year and a half ago and that was just a plain black suit, no thought required. I think that's one thing I actually like about the Alliance. No effort in figuring out what to wear every day. And girls are generally impressed by the uniform, even when we're just in fatigues."
Mike laughed and nodded. "Well, we're gonna turn some heads tonight, buddy," he said with a grin. "Maybe even get lucky." A shadow of anguish crossed his face briefly and I remembered the moment when I'd realized how badly I'd hurt Leo. I'm sure he'd long since recovered from the beating, but I hoped Toni'd been right and that he'd manage to forgive me.
"You've got to let it go," I said to Mike. "The Sara thing. It was shitty what she did - what they both did - but if you're planning on moving on, you need to figure out how to forgive them. One-night stands are fun, but it'd only be a temporary relief."
"It's gonna take more than a day before I figure out how to let it go. We were together for two years. I really loved her. Haven't you ever felt that way about someone?"
"I haven't really had the opportunity. Either I don't stick around long enough, or the girl doesn't. None of the relationships I've been in have lasted very long. I have higher priorities now besides falling in love, at any rate. I'm not dwelling on it."
"I admit at the moment I'm a little envious of you," Mike said.
I let out a rueful laugh. "I wish I could say it was deliberate. To be honest I feel pretty clueless about it, but I suppose I get why you'd rather be oblivious."
We chatted about meaningless stuff for the rest of the walk back to his place to get ready. He'd talked to his mom that morning and she'd been all too happy to make some calls to land us invitations to the party at the club. Apparently she had some pretty solid connections. Within an hour she'd come back smiling and telling him we were both on the guest list. All we needed to do was give our names and they'd let us in.
Sharon and Rafe had plans for a party with friends that night. They gave us a ride to the shuttle depot and we parted ways.
"Have fun, boys! Happy New Year!" She said with a twinkle in her eye when she got back in the car and they drove away.
The shuttle we boarded shortly after sped up along the tenuous tether the station was anchored to. The station itself was huge, resembling one of the skyrises from the city below, turned upside-down, the tether connected at the apex. Mike told me that most of the station was dedicated to research labs, but several private companies had leased out space in it and now one entire level was dedicated to the Tesseract, with a posh hotel taking up the level below it. The docking level was at the very top of the station, so we had to take a lift down to the level where the club was situated.
Just as Sharon promised, all we had to do was give our names and we were let through the door. The party was still pretty mellow, with low-key techno music playing. It was still several hours before midnight, Lunar time. We headed to the bar and took a seat.
"What'll it be, soldiers?" the bartender asked. Mike and I both gave him a surprised look.
The bartender laughed at our expressions. "You both have the look. Big athletic guys with shaved heads. Emphasis on the big," he said, giving me a pointed look. I cleared my throat.
"Just a beer for now, thanks."
"Blue Moon good for you? We have that on tap year-round."
"Sure."
We sat nursing our drinks while the place began to fill up, the patrons all decked out in their finest party clothes.
"So tell me why you joined," I said to Mike.
He glanced at me and shrugged. "I got the military bug from vids mostly, which Dad never understood. I suppose I should be grateful they didn't try to discourage me from it, but I know they don't understand why I'm doing it."
"Why are you doing it?"
"I just believe humanity needs protectors, I guess. It seems strange since there's nothing out there to protect us from, but after all the shit that's been discovered? Especially since your dad went on that mission with Grissom... I just know there's something else out there, and who knows whether they'll be hostile or not. But we can't sleep until we know for sure. I can't sleep. I need to know we're ready for whatever happens and this is the best way for me to be sure we are."
"Man, even if you're right, you know it depends on more than just one guy to make sure we're ready."
He sighed and took a swallow of his beer. "Yeah, I know. But shit... I know it's going to happen one way or the other and I want to be a part of it. I guess it's a little more than wanting to be a protector, too. I love the idea of being involved in that kind of glory, you know? Being a hero, like your dad was."
"Fuck my dad."
"What the hell, dude? He was a hero."
"He wasn't my fucking hero. You see this scar right here?" I pointed at my left cheek. "He gave it to me. My mother's dead because he beat her so hard one day she stroked out. He's no goddamn hero."
I took a long swallow of my beer and stared at the bar.
"Shit. I had no idea. I guess medals don't make a man after all." He sounded genuinely chagrined. I felt bad for throwing reality in his face on a night when we were supposed to be having a good time.
"No, medals don't make the fucking man. And the shit of it is that I feel like I'm following in his footsteps when that was the last goddamn thing I wanted to do. I just wanted to open up a little tattoo shop somewhere in the city, fuck pretty girls, and live my life. I never wanted to be here, but my fucking dick said otherwise and being reminded of my asshole of a father every day is just icing on the cake."
Mike snorted. "Too bad we can't trade in our identities for something more our style, huh? I guess we've just gotta learn to make the most of what we were born with."
"Sounds like something my mom would have said. Here's to making the most of whatever life throws at us." We clinked glasses and drank. I grabbed a toothpick from the bar and stuck it between my teeth.
After my third beer I needed a break. On the way to the restroom I glanced around the room. There were plenty attractive women but none that gave me the urge to put forth any effort just yet. Coming back out of the restroom I turned my head to look at the huge holographic clock that hovered in the air in the center of the room. It was only ten o'clock. I let out a grunt when a leggy blonde in a knee-length black dress barreled into me without looking. She stared up at me, startled when I reached up and gripped her arms to steady her.
"Shit. Sorry," she said, her blue eyes blinking rapidly. She averted her eyes and stepped around me, quickly heading to the ladies room. I watched her, intrigued. She was tall and slender, her slinky black dress hugging her form in a very provocative way. Her long blonde hair slid in satin waves across her bare shoulders. She gave me a surreptitious look over her shoulder before walking through the door to the restroom. I smiled at her and thought I saw a little smile play over her features before she disappeared.
I made it back to the bar and scanned the room trying to find the blonde again. I wondered - hoped - that she was single. A moment later Mike said in a low voice, "Looks like life's about to throw us some fun." He nodded his head slightly toward the other side of the dance floor. I cut a quick and hopefully subtle glance over my shoulder. The blonde was sitting with a girlfriend and they were both looking in our direction.
"Dibs on the brunette with the nice rack," Mike said. I raised my eyebrows at him. He shrugged. "I'm done with blondes."
"Fair enough," I said with a laugh and turned to look at the two women again. As far as diversions went, I thought the pretty blonde would be an ideal one. She and her friend glanced in our direction and I figured I'd go for broke. I raised my glass to them both and smiled. They whispered to each other, then the brunette beckoned us over.
"Shit, Blanco. How do you do that?" Mike muttered.
"I'm an artist, man. And I've spent too much time lately letting my talents sit idle. Watch and learn." I ordered four glasses of champagne, handed Mike two, and headed to their table.
When I settled on the bar stool next to the pretty blonde and she introduced herself, I felt an old feeling I hadn't had in awhile. The feeling of being on top of the world, just like I'd felt that day when I was fourteen after finally beating Benny. The same way I'd felt through most of my last year of high school when I'd been at the top of the food chain in that little world. Now we were coming up on a new year and I knew I was ready. For tonight and whatever the rest of my life had to throw at me.