This video had seemed like a perfect opportunity to jump-start his career. Yet deep though the disappointment was, he knew that the only acceptable choice was to accede to Ms. Infinity’s wishes. Bonnie was clearly acting out of duty. It was on him to do the same. In his heart, it was also important to respect the wishes of his girlfriend, and indeed the woman whom he continued to admire.
Bonnie would try to help her boyfriend. A few weeks later, Ms. Infinity would grant the budding young reporter an interview on the roof of the Big Box parking garage where she had once rescued him. Yet while she made an honest and valiant effort, it did little to save his career. The problem was a conflict of interest. He was in no position to “expose” her in any way that the media would find attractive. She did give a few demonstrations of her powers. However the questions were all decidedly “softball,” and the video was carefully edited to prevent any answers that could be taken out of context. So the product was safe for her, and completely useless for the media market it was aimed at. A short portion did air once or twice on the cable network Hal had interned at. This would prove to be one of the only highlights of his career.
One inevitable side effect of a prolonged job search is frequent unwanted advice. Hal constantly faced people who would give him solutions ranging from the obvious to the absurd and unworkable. There is often a naiveté behind these persuasions. They bespeak an assumption that anyone who hasn’t succeeded does not deserve to succeed, as if success is always there for those who pursue it. Had some of these people known who his girlfriend really was, they would certainly have expected her to deliver him the miracle he needed. Yet like she had said, she wasn’t a genie. She could no more rescue his career than put his family back together.
The problem wasn’t anything Bonnie did or didn’t do. Hal had chosen a tremendously difficult career for anyone to break into. It was also a bad fit for him. He didn’t really have the killer instinct that it took to make it in that business. He lacked the will to force his way past others, to step on competition, or indeed to distort the truth as the market demanded. The video from this mission would have been unlikely to change that equation anyway. Indeed had success truly been all he cared about, he might have taken that video without the subject’s permission, and perhaps even divulged all the private and secret details he had been trusted with, all for the sake of his own ambition. That was not Hal Holstein. He chose instead to love the woman he loved, completely and honestly. He also chose to live according to his best ideals.
If Bonnie could not rescue Hal’s career, she could always inspire him to see a better future. From here on, he would look to his girlfriend’s example, and all his career choices would be concerned first with the public interest.
As Hal dressed, Bonnie talked to him thoughtfully. “You know, I do think this ship is a little much.”
“Well it’s pretty amazing,” said Hal, “As a testament to your powers, it certainly attests that you have a lot of powers. But as magical as it all is, it’s no substitute for humanity.”
“That’s exactly right. When I landed on Earth with my mom, she told me I had to hide my powers. She wanted us both to live as humans, more or less completely. She was afraid I’d become a tyrant if I was let loose. That hurt me like anything. But the ship has always been my outlet. It’s where I can just go and do whatever I damn well please. I used to think of all this as practice for things I could do to benefit humanity one day, as if the day would somehow come when I don’t have to stop myself. I used to trick myself into believing that day would come. I don’t know if you could understand.
“It’s ridiculous! This whole thing is a dead zone. It’s an empty city. And the worse part of it is, if I did try to do this out on Earth, if I tried to impose this on humanity, it would be even worse.”
“I don’t follow…”
“Humanity doesn’t need someone like me who can make big futuristic things like this, stuff that’s just the big heroic ideas of one person. It has nothing to do with the real needs on Earth. No way. It would be a disaster. This is the world I came from. Trust me, I know. If this is what I bring to Earth, then it’s better off with out me. It’s everything Misery said about me. My mother was right all along.”
“Interesting,” said Hal, “But please don’t beat yourself up. I mean, I think this mission does prove that humanity needs you.”
“Yes Hal,” said Bonnie, “But not just me.”
“Really?”
She smiled. “Hal, you think very differently from me. You’re less competitive, more cooperative. You’re less confrontational, more conciliatory. You seem to worry less too. That meant everything. It’s what it took to help me solve the impasse. I may not always appreciate it, but I need you in this. You should speak up if I steamroll you. You don’t deserve it.”
“Thanks…”
“I feel like there is something, looking at you.”
“This is the thing. I appreciate that you thought of putting me to sleep through the hyperspace stage. It was very considerate, and I’m all for it. Just please ask me next time.”
Bonnie was open-mouthed with embarrassment. “Oh Hal, I’m Sorry! Oh no. This is exactly the kind of thing my mother warned me about. You’re right. Hal, I’m sorry. I really should have thought of that.”
“It’s alright,” said Hal, now looking more relaxed.
Bonnie spoke gingerly. “There is one thing I’ve been thinking too. Hal, I need you in my life. I’m going to need you for a lot of things. I love you. But you were nearly killed a couple of times on this mission. I’m thinking that it’s probably not a good idea to take you on any more dangerous missions like this. There are plenty of other things you can do to help, to ‘share the burden,’ as you would say. I want you to be safe so you can.”
Hal took a deep breath and smiled. “Yeah. I think you’re right.”
“Hal, I want to ask you something else. Tell me if you like this idea. I have this dream of taking you on a trip around the world. Would you like that?”
“Would I like it? I’d love it!”
“So you should think about where you’d like to go. For what it’s worth, I do like London. It just has a character to it that charms me. But of course I’m going to love a place with great phone booths.”
“Really?” said Hal, “Don’t you bring your cellphone?”
“Hal,” laughed Bonnie, “It’s not about that. Remember who I am?”
“Oh, right.”
As they approached Earth, Bonnie handed Hal his uniform from The Big Box. “Here,” she said, “You’ll need this. You’re going right back to work.”
“How is that? We were gone so long, I’m wondering if we even still have jobs there.”
“Your break will be ending soon after we get back. As you may recall, you were on split shifts. So your three hour break should be about up when we get back. I told you I took care of work.”
“What? Are you saying we were gone only three hours?”
“Actually, if I time this right, I’m hoping you’ll have a few minutes left when we get back.”
“How did you do that?”
“Well, I don’t think I could totally explain it to you, but remember I said was experimenting with a time manipulation? Well, think of this as putting something bigger into something smaller, but with time instead of space. That isn’t something you can usually do, but with a lot of careful consideration and multidimensional movements, well it’s just possible. I also would never consider doing it if we weren’t in deep space. Otherwise it would be way too dangerous, with far too many variables to consider.”
“Wait. So you’re saying you can time travel?”
“Oh no! I can’t go back into time, or into the future or anything. I move through time just like you. I just squeezed a bunch of time into a cramped period of three hours or so, but just for us on Starship Infinity. It’s kind of like stuffing a big mattress into a small closet. Unfortunately, I hadn’t considered all the consequences. This is
why you thought I was gone so long when I went to the space station. For you, it must have seemed like days or weeks. I was gone for less than an hour.”
“Wow! You do have some amazing powers.”
“And you have a killer smile!”
“Well thank you,” he replied as he put on his uniform. Then feeling in his pocket with his hand, he said, “Hmmmm….”
“What is it?” asked Bonnie.
“Look,” he said, pulling out a candy bar, “It looks like I found your chocolate fix. I forgot I had this. Want to share it?”
“How did you have that all this time and not remember it?”
“Hey, it’s lucky I found it now.”
“Yeah, lucky to have me around. You are one spacy cashier!”
It was just before 6 PM on the roof of the Big Box garage. The sun was setting behind the Manhattan skyline, and all was quiet. None could see Ms. Infinity swooping down to drop off Hal Holstein on the roof, then flying away, or Bonnie Boring walking up a few seconds later.
“Feels amazing to be on solid ground again!” said Hal.
“Funny,” said Bonnie, “I know I’ve heard that before. Do you have everything? I can still fly you back to the ship if necessary.”
“No need. It’s not like I brought much of anything with me. I pretty much left on the spot.”
“Okay, so here goes,” Bonnie concentrated a moment, then said, “I just sent a command, and returned the ship to the it’s place on the dark side of the moon.”
“Strange,” said Hal, “I feel like I spent a lifetime on there.”
“So Hal, you have about five minutes left on your break.”
“Okay. I spent two hours and fifty-five minutes on there, give or take a lifetime.”
“Either way, I wanted to make our next date. So Wednesday is your ‘Saturday,’ right?”
“Yup. I’m off Wednesday and Thursday.”
“It’s my ‘Sunday.’ I’m off Tuesday and Wednesday. So what do you say we spend the day together? Lunch, movie, and dinner? Who knows what else.”
“Awesome! I love how you think. It’s a date.”
“Kiss goodbye?”
Bonnie and Hal kissed, and held each other close. “Let me say this,” said Bonnie, “I never expected this, but I would never trade it for anything. I am so glad you walked in on me, Hal!”
“Me too,” said Hal.
Bonnie pulled back. “Alright, Hal. See you tomorrow. Gotta Fly.”
Hal half expected Bonnie to transform once again, or maybe to fly away or disappear, but she simply walked away, heading for the stairs like anyone else. Maybe she’d had enough of her powers for the day.
Hal stood on the roof, feeling suddenly as if the whole adventure had just been a long and strange dream. He looked around at the world around him, the Queens landscape, Northern Boulevard with its large stores and car dealerships, and beyond that, the Manhattan skyline. Somehow, it all looked different from how he remembered it. Nonetheless, home had never looked so great before.
He had five minutes before work. There was one thing he had to do. He took out his cellphone. Amazingly it was charged again, nearly to the point where it had been before the adventure had begun. And so he made the call he both dreaded and desperately needed.
“Hi Mom,” he said “It’s Hal…. Yeah. I know you recognized me...I love you…I’m sorry it’s been so long….Listen Mom, I have to go back to work in a minute, but do you think I could stay over tonight? Oh thank you! Thank you! Yeah I knew you would, but thank you…I missed you too…I love you. I’ll see you later.”
After hanging up, Hal wiped the tears from his eyes, and returned to work.
Bonnie quietly arrived at home, feeling exhausted. She entered her house, and made for the steps, hoping to get reacquainted with her room and her TV for a nice long spell. But when she got to the top of her steps, there was her mother, looking at her with an expression so severe, it seemed to signify the end of the world, or at least her part of it.
26. Between Family
“So let me get this straight,” sassed Bonnie, “I’d hate to misrepresent you, but I’m pretty sure I got this right.”
Bonnie and Betty Boring were standing next to each other in the hallway at the top of the stairs. Each was barely able to look at the other in the eye. Betty felt a mixture of anger at Bonnie’s brash moves, and embarrassment at her own foolish decisions. Bonnie was just angry.
“This is what I’m getting,” said Bonnie, “I just risked everything to save the world from Misery. You know, the baddie who tried to destroy all of human civilization. Do you get what I put with up there? And now you’re saying I’m not responsible enough?”
“Bonnie,” said Betty, “I understand and appreciate all that you’ve done. But can you really tell me I’m wrong? You never did come up with a plan, did you? You just went into it blindly and randomly. And when you did fight her, you brought a human up there with you. Do you know how much danger you put him in? It’s sure as hell no way to start a relationship.”
“You know what? I’m really, really sick of the criticism. You can talk all you want about how lousy a job I’m doing, but go ahead and try to do it yourself. I dare you. Go out there yourself and face a giant asteroid. Go and get shot at sometime!”
Betty did not answer, but her face conveyed more worry than anger. Yet Bonnie seemed not to notice.
“I mean, sure. You have your little side job, playing secret guardian angel. Well, you know something? By the way, nice and simple when you’re invisible, and nobody can criticize you. But do you know what I’ve been through? I mean, I had to go halfway across the galaxy, and nearly get killed.”
“I know you did, and as always, you answered the call of duty. That’s not the issue here…”
“Yeah, you have no clue. You really have no idea what I do every day. What do you do? Really. What ever done that’s anything like what I do? Do you have any idea what it’s like to face strange people with guns, or to have to fly off in a minute’s notice?”
“Bonnie, I’m not sure you understand everything. “
“Whatever! Babble at me all day about what you do. Maybe if you saw what I did, you’d get it.”
“Bonnie, I think you’d better…”
“Any idea, really? Firggin nightmare out there! You think this is easy? I don’t even know my own powers sometimes. The whole time, I’m missing something I needed. I mean, I’ve been used to getting double-strength in an emergency. For some reason, it was nowhere to be found this time. Like this wasn’t a big enough emergency. I don’t even know what…makes….”
Betty’s face was even graver than before. Bonnie stopped, and looked her mother in the eye.
“Mom? What are you looking at me for?”
Betty continued to look at Bonnie. After a few more moments, Bonnie’s eyes widened. As the realization came upon her, she stared back at her mother, her mouth opened wide with shock.
“Oh no! No! You didn’t! Mom, no!”
“Yes, dear, that’s what I’m trying to say.”
“Oh my God! How could you?”
“How could I? I’m your mother, that’s how. How could I not protect my daughter?”
“This is not happening! I mean, I knew you were a helicopter mom on steroids, but I thought even you had your limits. Just how much of my life is a lie, anyway?”
“Now Bonnie…”
“And how much of my life are you watching? Are you over my bed when I’m sleeping? Do you have spies at my job? Do I even get to pee without a goddamn audience?”
“Bonnie dear, I only want to protect you…”
“Mom, I’m not a child anymore. I’m twenty-six years old. You can treat me like an adult.”
“Oh, really?”
“Yeah, really! I think the least I’ve earned is the right to be out in the world without my mother looking over my shoulder every single second.”
“I don’t know,” said Betty gravely, “I wish I could be sure of that. But
you just swept up a man, and took him up into space. You needlessly risked the life of someone weaker than you. And you took a mission with life and death importance, and treated it like the whole thing was just a date, just a thrill ride. This is not what I taught you. It terrifies me to think of what was going through your head.”
“Excuse me? Why exactly am I taking relationship advice from you anyway? You’re not exactly the great example yourself. You picked one hell of a husband!”
“Bonnie!”
“Yeah, and good work shopping for the future father of your kid. He wanted me dead! Nice!”
Betty was silent. She was obviously shocked at what her daughter had just dared to say to her. The subject of Bonnie’s father had always been a deep and nearly impenetrable taboo. Indeed since the day they landed on Earth, it was extraordinarily rare for them to even mention him. And hard though Bonnie’s memories of her father were, the suffering that the general had caused her mother was perhaps greater still. The hard and unbreakable silence between mother and daughter covered memories too dark to speak of, and regrets deeper than Bonnie dared imagine. After a minute of stunned silence, Betty turned and entered her room, and closed the door.
Bonnie stood there for another minute, still angry, still trying to hold on to a posture of defiance. But soon, anger turned to guilt. She knocked on the door. “Mom,” she called, “I’m sorry. Let me in.”
There was no answer, but it was clear from the sounds emanating from inside that her mother was crying. “Mom, please! You know I love you. I’m sorry.”
Another minute passed without further action. “Look, Mom. I’ve been very upset. I didn’t tell you a lot of details, but I did come in contact with him. Well, at least I heard him. Well, not ‘heard’ him, you know. I was in the presence of his communication? I don’t know. However you can say it in human talk. Anyway it wasn’t pretty. Can you please understand if I’ve been down? I didn’t mean to take it out on you.”
Ms. Infinity (Book 1): Earth's Greatest Hero Page 28