Chapter 5: Dream Girl

Melina was sitting at the usual table on the far side of the room along with George, Tony and some others he didn't recognize. The throb of music filled the crowded bar. He started towards her.

As Quaid passed by the bartender and a covey of quim, the bartender noticed where he was headed and barked a warning. Melina turned around and was shocked to see him. She glanced over to George, who nodded, and so she got up and met him.

"Hello Hauser," she purred as she ran an appreciative hand up and down his bicep. "Still bulging I see." She grabbed his manhood. "What have you been feeding this thing?"

He shrugged. "Blonds," he told the brunette.

"I think it's still hungry." She herded him towards the steps that led up to the private rooms.

A hand grabbed Quaid and spun him around. He was looking into Tony's fleshy mug. "You've got a lot of nerve showing your face around here, Hauser."

Quaid had to chuckle. "Look at who's talking."

"Hey Tony," said George pulling his mutant friend away. "Give the big guy a break."

"Relax," put in Quaid. "You'll live longer." He headed up the steps after Melina while George guided Tony back to their table.

Melina led him along metallic catwalk and, when they passed the smallest whore on Mars, she said, "Take care of Tony for me, will you?"

"No problem," chirped the tiny blond. "If you need any help with this one, give me a holler."

Melina led him into her cubical. Quaid slid the Wooten grating closed and activated it. Suddenly, they were surrounded by a Roman orgy. Quaid quickly changed the wall setting to Austrian Alps. When he turned back to her, he received a vicious slap.

"You son of a bitch! You're alive? I thought that Cohaagen had tortured you to death."

Quaid remembered the rambling explanation he'd told her in his dream and the suffocating desperation that he'd been feeling. That wouldn't do. If he wanted her cooperation, he had to play Alpha Dog.

"Listen," he snapped. "Cohaagen grabbed me, yes. He slapped a memory cap on me and dumped me on Earth. But I've broken it, and so I'm back. This is all part of an elaborate ruse to let Cohaagen find Kuato and kill him. One more thing, there's a cabbie just outside with a loud mouth and bad teeth. His name is Benny. If pushed, he'll show you he's a mutant. But don't be fooled. He's a traitor who's secretly working for Cohaagen."

"Benny works for Cohaagen?"

"Yes!"

"Hauser, you've lost your mind."

"Melina, I need your help to get inside the Pyramid Mines. I know what Cohaagen's secret is. The alien reactor makes air. We need to turn it on!"

"Wait! Wait! No one knows what that fuckin' reactor does. If we turn it on, we could just as easily blow up the planet."

"You don't understand! I know! I know! Kuato helped me remember. The reactor makes air!"

"When did you talk to Kuato?"

Quaid stopped dead. He had mind melded with Kuato in his dream, but he could never tell her that. Where did his dream-Kuato get this information? Was it from a memory of Hauser's, or did Quaid's subconscious just make it up? Damn, he needed to know!

"You didn't talk to him, did you?" she snarled. "You're lying, aren't you? They told me not to trust you, but damn my soul to Hell, I did. And you're still working for Cohaagen!"
"No, Melina! There're a lot of crazy things going on, but one thing you can be sure of, I'm no longer with Cohaagen. I'm with the rebels. I'm on your side!"

"Get out."

"Melina, let me explain!"

She whipped out her protection pistol and pointed at him. "Leave now, or so help me, I will kill you."

He stared down the hole of the barrel for the longest time. Then he snatched the gun away. "Okay, I'll go." He stuffed the pistol under his belt. "If you don't mind, I'll keep this. I'd been needed it more than you."