Euridice
Part 5
Author: Joyann (joyann@psnw.com)
Rated: PG-13
(Disclaimer: see part 1)
Ian sat in a ratty hotel chair, gazing at the deep red sky as another spectacular Martian sunset slowly bled from the sky. A rustle of terrycloth told him that Anna was finished in the bathroom. "I'm not sure if you bathe, but you can go ahead if you like. " There was no answer from the big man, 'android' she reminded herself. She knelt by his chair and placed a hand on his arm, "Ian?" "Yes?" He slowly tore his eyes from the fading death of day. He found himself staring directly into her warm brown eyes. "I could stay right here forever," He thought to himself.
Since they met, she had repeatedly found herself looking into his eyes. Maybe she was trying to be sure there was really 'someone' in there. Maybe she was looking for that spark of understanding, of humanity. Now she realized it was there. Not the same as a human but not all together different either. His face was so open, almost childlike in its honesty.
She could not help but feel the attraction between them. He felt it too, didn't he? She wanted a kiss but he did not touch her. She leaned closer, her breath brushing his cheek. Still he did not move. "Well here goes nothing", she thought. She placed a quick, soft kiss on his mouth. She waited for his reaction. For a moment, nothing happened. Then in the blink of an eye, as if he had suddenly made a decision, he leaned close and returned her soft kiss.
She ran her fingers over the planes of his face and followed the same path with kisses. His hands pulled her soft form into his lap. "Anna" he whispered. Their lips met for a tender kiss. When they parted she was breathless. She curled herself into his lap and held him tightly. Ian clung to her as unfamiliar sensations rippled through him. His usual linear thought processes were in a jumble.
They sat together and watched the last traces of sunset fade into the growing dusk. "I'm so tired", she whispered. Before she could utter another word he swept her up and carried her to the bed. He gently lay her down and turned away. "Ian?" "You get some sleep while I shower."
Sometime later she woke and looked around, forgetting where she was. Ian sat in a chair near the bed. "It is early you should go back to sleep." "Why are you sitting there?" "I was watching you sleep. I do not fully understand the sleeping experience. Is it pleasurable for humans?" "What? Ask me sometime when I'm awake. You want to know more about sleep? Come here." She reached for his hand. "Lay down next to me." She scrunched her back against him. It felt good to know someone was there, besides she could not go back to sleep with him staring at her all night.
The stolen oar hauler rumbled and thumped over the rough terrain of Syria Planum. A lumbering behemoth with a dozen wheels and double backhoe type loaders front and back. It still contained half a load of iron- nickel oar. The driver had left his rig unattended during off loading. He would not make that mistake again. The hauler was not exactly built for a high- speed chase but it had a longer range than anything else Mr. Wang's associates could lay their hands on. From a distance no one would have suspected it contained two fugitives and half a dozen members of the Free Mars movement. Four men with big guns sat in the back with Ian and Anna. The laundry truck had delivered then to this bunch of alleged freedom fighters, or maybe they were just terrorists.
The view through the dust caked windows was of a flat, sandy plain. Occasionally huge volcanic mountains would pass in the distance. The absence of plate tectonics made for a total lack of mountain ranges, at least in the usual Earthly sense. Volcanoes formed huge mountains. Far larger than anything ever seen on Earth. Due to the lack of crustal movement, volcanoes stayed put in one spot and grew for millions of years. Canyons and gullies formed great networks cut into the sandstone. Water had flowed here, but it was millions, perhaps billions of years past. The vast sterile spaces seemed unnatural, even to Ian. Despite the best efforts of scientists and scholars no trace of life had ever been found. But minerals were found, in vast amounts. If not for mining and the money it brought, there would be no great cities. Maybe, no permanent settlement at all. Now, Mars had become an extension of the corporate culture of Earth. A new playground for money and power. The demand for
cheap labor and the desire of governments to be rid of the poor and disenfranchised had created a 'second class citizen' status for most Mars dwellers. Second class in the minds of the corporate honchos anyway. Someday that was going to change, someday soon.
After three hours of riding in silence, Ian's curiosity was threatening to overwhelm him. Finally he could stand it no longer. "Where are we going? When will we arrive? Do you work for Garret Wang?" Each inquiry was met with increasingly hostile glare from the one who seemed to be the leader. "Shut your face, Andy!" "There is no need to be rude..." Anna pulled him back into the seat and held him hands. She whispered, "Ian, please be quiet. We don't want to antagonize them. Our fate is entirely in their hands."
He paused to consider her words and the worry in her eyes. He nodded and fell silent. The armed men gradually nodded off until all were sleeping except for one, "Conner", left on duty to watch them. Anna was looking somewhat pale and drawn. She had not eaten in nearly 24 hours and it was taking its toll. Ian noticed her condition and quickly realized she was not well. He didn't want to risk further wrath by waking the sleeping terrorists, but he had to do something. "Sir?" No response, probably due to the headphones Conner was wearing. "You", he reached for the man. Conner, misinterpreting the gesture, drew back, and raised his pulse rifle. Ian raised his hands, "No, no", he cried, gesturing to Anna leaning weakly against the dust covered window. "She is not well, she needs food and water. Do you have any rations? Protein paste, susta bars, anything you have."
Conner glanced at the woman. She didn't look too good. He called to the driver in an unfamiliar language. A tattered backpack was thrown into the passenger area. Conner gestured to the bag with his rifle. "Take it." Ian tore into the bag and found three pouches of water and several carbo bars.
Anna drifted off to sleep after her meager meal. His internal sensors told Ian they had traveled 278 miles from Euridice in a North Easterly direction. There was no settlement for several thousand miles in this direction. So, where were they headed?
Part 5
Author: Joyann (joyann@psnw.com)
Rated: PG-13
(Disclaimer: see part 1)
Ian sat in a ratty hotel chair, gazing at the deep red sky as another spectacular Martian sunset slowly bled from the sky. A rustle of terrycloth told him that Anna was finished in the bathroom. "I'm not sure if you bathe, but you can go ahead if you like. " There was no answer from the big man, 'android' she reminded herself. She knelt by his chair and placed a hand on his arm, "Ian?" "Yes?" He slowly tore his eyes from the fading death of day. He found himself staring directly into her warm brown eyes. "I could stay right here forever," He thought to himself.
Since they met, she had repeatedly found herself looking into his eyes. Maybe she was trying to be sure there was really 'someone' in there. Maybe she was looking for that spark of understanding, of humanity. Now she realized it was there. Not the same as a human but not all together different either. His face was so open, almost childlike in its honesty.
She could not help but feel the attraction between them. He felt it too, didn't he? She wanted a kiss but he did not touch her. She leaned closer, her breath brushing his cheek. Still he did not move. "Well here goes nothing", she thought. She placed a quick, soft kiss on his mouth. She waited for his reaction. For a moment, nothing happened. Then in the blink of an eye, as if he had suddenly made a decision, he leaned close and returned her soft kiss.
She ran her fingers over the planes of his face and followed the same path with kisses. His hands pulled her soft form into his lap. "Anna" he whispered. Their lips met for a tender kiss. When they parted she was breathless. She curled herself into his lap and held him tightly. Ian clung to her as unfamiliar sensations rippled through him. His usual linear thought processes were in a jumble.
They sat together and watched the last traces of sunset fade into the growing dusk. "I'm so tired", she whispered. Before she could utter another word he swept her up and carried her to the bed. He gently lay her down and turned away. "Ian?" "You get some sleep while I shower."
Sometime later she woke and looked around, forgetting where she was. Ian sat in a chair near the bed. "It is early you should go back to sleep." "Why are you sitting there?" "I was watching you sleep. I do not fully understand the sleeping experience. Is it pleasurable for humans?" "What? Ask me sometime when I'm awake. You want to know more about sleep? Come here." She reached for his hand. "Lay down next to me." She scrunched her back against him. It felt good to know someone was there, besides she could not go back to sleep with him staring at her all night.
The stolen oar hauler rumbled and thumped over the rough terrain of Syria Planum. A lumbering behemoth with a dozen wheels and double backhoe type loaders front and back. It still contained half a load of iron- nickel oar. The driver had left his rig unattended during off loading. He would not make that mistake again. The hauler was not exactly built for a high- speed chase but it had a longer range than anything else Mr. Wang's associates could lay their hands on. From a distance no one would have suspected it contained two fugitives and half a dozen members of the Free Mars movement. Four men with big guns sat in the back with Ian and Anna. The laundry truck had delivered then to this bunch of alleged freedom fighters, or maybe they were just terrorists.
The view through the dust caked windows was of a flat, sandy plain. Occasionally huge volcanic mountains would pass in the distance. The absence of plate tectonics made for a total lack of mountain ranges, at least in the usual Earthly sense. Volcanoes formed huge mountains. Far larger than anything ever seen on Earth. Due to the lack of crustal movement, volcanoes stayed put in one spot and grew for millions of years. Canyons and gullies formed great networks cut into the sandstone. Water had flowed here, but it was millions, perhaps billions of years past. The vast sterile spaces seemed unnatural, even to Ian. Despite the best efforts of scientists and scholars no trace of life had ever been found. But minerals were found, in vast amounts. If not for mining and the money it brought, there would be no great cities. Maybe, no permanent settlement at all. Now, Mars had become an extension of the corporate culture of Earth. A new playground for money and power. The demand for
cheap labor and the desire of governments to be rid of the poor and disenfranchised had created a 'second class citizen' status for most Mars dwellers. Second class in the minds of the corporate honchos anyway. Someday that was going to change, someday soon.
After three hours of riding in silence, Ian's curiosity was threatening to overwhelm him. Finally he could stand it no longer. "Where are we going? When will we arrive? Do you work for Garret Wang?" Each inquiry was met with increasingly hostile glare from the one who seemed to be the leader. "Shut your face, Andy!" "There is no need to be rude..." Anna pulled him back into the seat and held him hands. She whispered, "Ian, please be quiet. We don't want to antagonize them. Our fate is entirely in their hands."
He paused to consider her words and the worry in her eyes. He nodded and fell silent. The armed men gradually nodded off until all were sleeping except for one, "Conner", left on duty to watch them. Anna was looking somewhat pale and drawn. She had not eaten in nearly 24 hours and it was taking its toll. Ian noticed her condition and quickly realized she was not well. He didn't want to risk further wrath by waking the sleeping terrorists, but he had to do something. "Sir?" No response, probably due to the headphones Conner was wearing. "You", he reached for the man. Conner, misinterpreting the gesture, drew back, and raised his pulse rifle. Ian raised his hands, "No, no", he cried, gesturing to Anna leaning weakly against the dust covered window. "She is not well, she needs food and water. Do you have any rations? Protein paste, susta bars, anything you have."
Conner glanced at the woman. She didn't look too good. He called to the driver in an unfamiliar language. A tattered backpack was thrown into the passenger area. Conner gestured to the bag with his rifle. "Take it." Ian tore into the bag and found three pouches of water and several carbo bars.
Anna drifted off to sleep after her meager meal. His internal sensors told Ian they had traveled 278 miles from Euridice in a North Easterly direction. There was no settlement for several thousand miles in this direction. So, where were they headed?