MARZ | Book 1 | MARZ

by Davis, James

  “Did you call Tanner yet?” Roosevelt asked, lighting his own cigar.

  “Yeah, but all I got was a voicemail.”

  “That's good though. At least now you know you have his personal number, right?” Roosevelt replied as he opened the bottle. Johnny leaned down and produced two shot glasses to the table and then slid them across to his friend. Roosevelt filled them both and gently slid one back to Johnny.

  “I mean I guess it is if he will actually answer my calls,” Johnny said, disappointment clearly written all over his features.

  “Johnny, come help me take these dirty dishes inside!” Tracy shouted from across the pool. Johnny sighed and stood to go help his wife.

  “I’ll be right back,” Johnny said, wrapping a knuckle on the table. Roosevelt nodded and poured himself another drink. He had to cheer his friend up. He hated it when Johnny wasn’t his normal self.

  “We need to get the tiki’s lit and plug in the rope lights around the patio,” Tracy explained to Johnny as they came back outside.

  “Ok, I’ll get it taken care of, babe,” Johnny replied as they stepped over to the rest of their friends. Everyone was talking now about different topics and Johnny just stood there thinking about all of the work he had put in over his life to get to Mars and search for intelligent life that they knew had to exist after finding the spaceman. Johnny had stood at Docs side for just about every test and experiment he had done on the suit, tablet and strange looking skeleton over the years. He had also spent years in college earning a P.H. D in astrophysics and a bachelor’s degree in meteorology not to mention all of the intense training he had gone through to be an astronaut. Johnny had spent his life learning and training for his mission to Mars and now they were just going to shut it all down? He couldn’t believe it.

  “You alright, babe?” Tracy asked when Johnny didn’t answer a question from the mustache man.

  “Excuse me, everyone!” Roosevelt’s voice boomed over everyone else's. They all turned to see him standing on the diving board, his hands cupped around his mouth.

  “Everyone, listen up! I have an important announcement to make!” he said, giving a slight bounce to the board. Roosevelt looked Johnny dead in the eye and smiled.

  “It’s sexy cannonball time!” Roosevelt shouted as he ripped the jumpsuit away revealing his dark muscled up body wearing only an American flag print speedo. He bit his bottom lip, popped his pecs several times and then screamed cannonball as loud as he possibly could and then jumped out as far as his legs would push him.

  The splash was impressive. It soaked everyone's feet that were anywhere near the pool's edge. Johnny broke down in laughter when he saw the Elvis wig floating on top of the water next to Roosevelt’s head when he finally broke the surface.

  “You’re nuts! You know that, right?” Johnny said reaching down to help his friend out of the pool. Roosevelt didn’t come out though. He just put on an evil grin as he watched realization creep over Johnny’s face.

  “No Rosie, you be…,’’ Johnny started to say but Roosevelt pushed off the wall with his feet pulling a fully dressed Johnny into the pool with him. This got everyone cackling like hungry hyenas. Johnny broke the surface and splashed Roosevelt in the face.

  “Jackass!” He said with a chuckle. Roosevelt tossed the Elvis wig at Johnny and it slapped him right in the face. The wig stuck to his face getting another laugh out of the rest of the group. Johnny peeled the wig from his face and tossed it back at his friend and then climbed out of the pool.

  “You’re like a damn little kid!” Johnny said as he tried to wring the water out of his shirt.

  “Cheered you up though, didn’t I?” Roosevelt asked, a huge grin still on his face. Johnny chuckled.

  “Yeah, I guess you did. Thanks, bro.”

  “Anytime!” Roosevelt said as he climbed out next to his friend.

  “Are you guys done playing grab ass?” Ruby asked, a smile plastered on her face.

  “Grab ass? I’ll show you grab ass!” Roosevelt said as he took off toward his wife. She squealed and bolted over behind Tracy.

  “Don’t you dare get me wet, Roosevelt Parker!” she scolded from behind Tracy.

  “Don’t act like you wasn’t already wet after seeing such a gorgeous hunk of man like me!” Roosevelt replied, twisting his hips and striking a strong man pose for his wife. Ruby giggled and tried to hide her embarrassment but it was too late. The rest of the group caught on to what Roosevelt had said and together burst out in laughter again.

  “You’re dead!” Ruby mouthed to him as Tracy turned and led her away for another drink.

  Chapter Three

  8:43 a.m. July 6th, 2048

  Kennedy Space Center

  "Well, what's the word?" Roosevelt asked, walking through the doorway into the office and dropping his backpack next to his chair before taking his seat. He spun around in the leather office chair a few times before rolling from behind his desk and using his feet to glide across the room, stopping on the other side of Johnny's desk.

  Roosevelt leaned in, put his elbows on the edge of the desk and rested his chin on his open palms, staring at Johnny.

  "Well?" he asked. Johnny looked up and shrugged his shoulders.

  "Nothing yet. I mean, I'm not even sure what to say if he answers."

  "You want me to do it?" Roosevelt asked, flashing a bright smile.

  "Definitely not," Johnny responded.

  "Then make the call, see if he wants to meet up."

  "Yeah, okay," Johnny relented, grabbing his phone and picking up the post- it from his desk. He entered the number once again and pressed call. The phone rang several times.

  "Put it on speaker!" Roosevelt whispered.

  "Yo, Tanner here," the voice came from the other end of the phone.

  "Uh, hello Mr. Washington, my name is Johnny Truman. I---," Johnny started before being cut off.

  "John! Arthur said you might be reaching out, how's it hanging my friend?" Tanner said, his voice full of false enthusiasm.

  "I, uh, was wondering if you had some time to discuss some business," Johnny stammered.

  "What’s he saying?" Roosevelt hissed.

  "I never discuss business over the phone, John. Let's meet up," Tanner said.

  "Yeah, that could work, when would---," Johnny began.

  "I'll have my guy text you the info. Later, John."

  "Yeah, sure," Johnny said, to the beeping sound of the call being ended.

  Johnny placed his phone on the desk and sat back in his chair. Roosevelt stared across the desk for a long moment before growing impatient and throwing his arms up dramatically.

  "Well, how did it go?" he demanded.

  "Rude little shit, but he wants to meet." Johnny shrugged. Roosevelt clapped his hands together in triumph.

  "Alright! When and where?"

  "Said he'll text me the info."

  "And?" Roosevelt pressed.

  "And... that’s it, he hung up," Johnny replied.

  "I guess we wait, what should we do until then?" Roosevelt asked, spinning around a few times in his chair.

  "Uh, work?" Johnny suggested, picking up his mug and taking a sip of the hot black coffee.

  "Nah," Roosevelt said, kicking hard on the floor and launching his chair across the blue carpet, stopping just short of his desk. He shuffled his feet, rolling the last few feet to his desk and grabbed his backpack.

  Johnny watched as he unzipped the bag, reached in and pulled out a large bag of spicy trail mix. He opened the bag, reached in and popped a handful into his mouth.

  "I'm starving!" Roosevelt said, talking slowly and intentionally smacking his lips as he chewed and spoke at the same time. Johnny glanced up, well aware of what Roosevelt was trying to do. Johnny hated it and Roosevelt knew he hated it.

  "Want some?" Roosevelt asked, trying to smack his lips even louder as he spoke. Johnny glanced up once more, making eye contact with his friend who was holding out the bag as if to offer some. Johnny gave his hea
d a slight shake and shifted his eyes back to his open laptop, he noticed a toothy grin creep over Roosevelt's face.

  "More for me." Roosevelt shrugged, fighting back his laughter as he shoved another handful into his mouth.

  Johnny looked up once again, clearly annoyed "I'm not gonna listen to you smack your damn lips through that entire bag, you're gonna make me sick!" he shot.

  Roosevelt chuckled, throwing another handful in.

  “Whatever you say boss,” he said between each smack of his lips. Johnny’s phone lit up, pulling him from the annoyance that was his best friend. An unknown number popped onto the screen indicating that he had just received a new message from the number. Johnny grabbed the phone and unlocked it, going directly to the messaging app. Once he had it opened, he quickly found the new text box and opened it.

  Hey Johnny, Tyler McBride here. You'll need to be at ORL at 2 P.M sharp. Do not be late, t he text read. Johnny started to type out a reply explaining he couldn’t come on such short notice but another text popped into the message thread.

  I've taken the liberty of clearing it with your boss. You’re good to go. Johnny sat back in his seat and stared at the phone laying on the desk. How was this going to work out? He couldn't just pack up and haul ass to Texas at the drop of a dime. Tracy wouldn’t stand for it. Johnny's thoughts raced through his mind until something smashed into his forehead, breaking his concentration.

  “Hey jackass, are you going to answer me or not?” Roosevelt asked with a chuckle. Johnny looked down to see a biscuit with a massive bite missing from the side of it laying in his lap.

  “Did you really just throw a damn biscuit at my face?” Johnny asked, holding it up in his left hand.

  “What did he say?” Roosevelt said extra slow this time as he stuck his hand out to get his biscuit back. Johnny looked at the biscuit and then back to his friend and then smiled.

  “We meet at ORL at 2:00,” he said before stuffing the rest of the biscuit in his mouth. Roosevelt’s face turned from humor to confusion.

  “Today? I can’t leave today! Ruby will kill me! Also, you’re an asshole for eating my last biscuit!”

  “I know, Tracy isn’t going to be happy either. You don't have to come, man,” Johnny replied, doing his best to imitate Roosevelt’s smacking lips and loud chews. Roosevelt sat back in his chair and sighed dramatically.

  “Are you kidding? I'm with you every step of the way. You ain't gettin’ rid of me. Best get this out of the way now,” he said reaching forward and grabbing his phone from the desk.

  It was around 1:30 when Johnny and Roosevelt pulled up to the private hangar at the airport. They got out of the car, tipped the driver and grabbed their stuff from the trunk. Roosevelt gave the roof of the car three quick smacks to tell the driver to go ahead and leave before he turned around and joined Johnny at the hangar door.

  “Your lady pissed?” Roosevelt asked, a sheepish grin on his face.

  “Uh huh. Yours?” Johnny replied.

  “She wasn't happy, but I laid down the law, told her what's what. I said I'm headin’ to Texas, don't wait up and I won't be discussing this further.”

  "Yeah right." Johnny shook his head.

  "She hung up on me," Roosevelt admitted, bowing his head.

  “Crazy ass women,” Johnny said in a low tone as he looked down at his shoes. The sound of rushing wind caught their attention and they both gazed up at the distant sky to see red and green lights ascend from the sky. The jet touched down, the tires screeched and the noise began to dissipate as the pilot brought the jet to a stop just in front of the hangar they were standing at. The entire process took less than five minutes. They each grabbed their bag and started walking toward the jet. The door cracked open and then lowered into a set of stairs for them to climb inside. An older white guy took their bags and set them inside before returning to the cockpit.

  Johnny and Roosevelt stepped through the doorway into the cabin of the large plane onto a grey carpet with an intricate design.

  "Damn, this is nicer than my house!" Roosevelt exclaimed flopping down into a huge white leather seat.

  "Mine, too," Johnny agreed, running his fingers along the smooth mahogany bar. The shelves behind the bar were fully stocked with what appeared to be expensive liquor. He made his way toward a large white leather sofa, moving one of the black pillows aside, he sank down onto the sofa and pulled out his phone.

  "Good afternoon, I'm Janelle, I'll be taking care of you for the duration of your flight." A tall, slim, blonde woman said as she emerged from the cockpit. "We have a full bar over there, two televisions here on either side of the cockpit door, and a buffet in the back. You just let me know if you need anything at all," she finished, flashing a bright smile and disappearing back into the cockpit.

  "Buffet?" Roosevelt exclaimed, jumping from his seat "I'm starving!"

  Johnny could hear Roosevelt talking to himself, apparently admiring the impressive selection the buffet had to offer. A few moments later, his friend returned with a large plate overflowing with food.

  "You want some?" he asked, grabbing a large shrimp and biting it in half. Johnny shook his head.

  Roosevelt sat down on a large sofa on the opposite side of the cabin, this one with a large wooden table in front of it.

  About two hours later, the plane touched down and the doors opened, a staircase unfolded, and the two men stepped through the door. A black Rolls Royce Cullinan was parked on the runway. A fat man in a black suit and hat stood next to the parked vehicle.

  "Good afternoon, gentlemen. Right this way," the fat man said, opening the back door as the men descended the stairs.

  "Name’s Jimmy, let me know if you need anything," the man said, shaking each man's hand as he entered the back seat before closing the door behind them.

  One thirty-minute ride later, the SUV stopped in front of a massive glass building. The door swung open and Jimmy bid them farewell as they exited. Johnny and Roosevelt walked across the concrete entryway and stopped in front of a glass double door with the words A51 inc. stamped across it. As the men approached, the doors automatically swung inward.

  They stepped inside peering around the large lobby. It looked like a scene straight out of a sci-fi movie. The room was large and square with a few white chairs, almost indistinguishable from the walls along each side of the room. The same words were plastered in large gold letters across the back wall A51 inc. There was no other artwork or signs in the room, no windows, and no door handles as far as either man could see. At the far side of the room underneath the gold letters was a large white desk with an attractive brunette seated behind it.

  "Welcome to A51, names please?" she asked as the men approached the desk.

  "Johnny Truman and Roosevelt Parker," Johnny said, pointing to himself and then to Roosevelt.

  "Ah, yes, Mr. Washington is expecting you. Right through this door, the elevator will be right to your left," she said, pressing a button on her desk. A door to the left side of the room that had been almost concealed due to the wall color and lack or visible handles swung open. Johnny gave Roosevelt a quick tap on his elbow and motioned for him to follow as he started for the door.

  On the other side of the door, the hallway looked almost identical to the lobby. A long, white, brightly lit corridor with no visible doors. The door closed behind them and the men peered around searching for the elevator. A loud ding signaled its arrival first, followed by the wall on the left side of the hallway splitting open. The men stepped inside and the walls closed behind them.

  "The hell is this place?" Roosevelt asked, curiosity getting the best of him.

  Johnny shrugged and slowly shook his head. The walls were plain and white, the elevator was brightly lit but contained no buttons or numbers. The men stood there for a moment before a jolt rocked the small white box of an elevator as it began its ascent.

  A few seconds later, another jolt, followed by another loud ding signaled that the elevator had reached its destination. The
white doors in front of them slid open. Johnny and Roosevelt briefly locked eyes before stepping through. The white box slid closed behind them and slowly disappeared downward, only this time leaving a square hole in the floor. Both men turned around and watched as the white tile floor slid neatly back into place covering the hole where the elevator had just sunk into.

  "Pretty badass right? Designed by yours truly," a voice spoke up behind them.

  Chapter Four

  3:05 p.m. July 6, 2048

  A51 Technologies

  Houston, Texas

  "Tanner Washington, good to finally meet you. I hope my guys took good care of you.” The man seated behind the desk at the far side of the room said. He stood up and walked from around his desk. He was slim, blonde, and couldn't have been any older than mid-twenties. He was dressed in a white polo shirt, pink khaki shorts, and light brown loafers. He walked over to meet his visitors and stuck out his hand to Roosevelt who gripped it tightly and gave it a few quick pumps.

  "Roosevelt Parker," he said with a toothy smile.

  "Woah! Easy tiger, you almost broke my hand," Tanner said, jerking his hand away and massaging it with his left hand.

  "Barely even squeezed," Roosevelt muttered avoiding Johnny's scolding glare.

  "Johnny Truman. Sorry, he doesn't know his own strength," Johnny apologized, accepting Tanner’s hand, ensuring that he applied virtually no pressure at all and giving it a few quick pumps.

  "Oh yes I do!" Roosevelt said, lifting his left arm and flexing his bicep.

  "So, you’re the man responsible for the second great space race?” Tanner asked, a wide grin plastered on his face.

  “That’s what they tell me,” Johnny replied.

  “Then why in the hell are they shutting down the mission?” Tanner asked, seeming more annoyed than anything.

  “My thoughts exactly,” Johnny replied.

  "Their loss, more for us. More money, more fame, more glory am I right John?" Tanner said.

  "Well, I believe there’s something to be found up there. We just aren't---" Johnny started.