Chapter 11 – Wandering Stars
For most of his life, Eddie felt as though he had been knocking on doors and putting his nose where it didn’t belong. He was just that kind of guy. He wanted to know everyone’s business and all the dirty little secrets they hid and it was his desire to expose the frauds and call out the liars. It hardly had anything to do with ethics and had more to do with the fact that he enjoyed hanging a sword of dangerous information on a frayed thread over people’s heads and watching them sweat. It was a power game to him and he wasn’t in any way blinded to his own scummy reasoning. In his mind, if there was a buyer looking for something to own then he had something to sell, so long as it was true and there were confessions and documentation backing it all up. The last thing he needed was a printed lie coming back to bite him in the ass and tarnishing his reputation of being one of Dusk’s greatest shit disturbers.
Lots of people had told him to go make himself a tinfoil hat over the years and he only ever shrugged and smiled whenever someone accused him of looking too deeply into things. Sure, he was relegated to the tabloids section, but unlike his competition, he had citations and it meant little to him if his readers followed the leads to their sources or not. The way he saw it, he had honored his end of the deal as a journalist and it was up to the readers to choose how ignorant they wished to remain to the truths that he uncovered with his partner Romney.
After dealing with the sorry drunks at the veterans bar, they made their way to one of the only places on Dusk that had a bit of class to its name. The Dirty Martini. Whenever Eddie opened the door to the joint and was hit with the smooth sound of jazz emanating from the stage, he nearly forgot that he was living in a hellhole like Dusk. It was like stepping into a completely different world. One where there wasn’t red dust covering the streets and pollution pumping into the man-made atmosphere faster than the terraformers could suck it out and convert the smog. Inside The Dirty Martini it was Christmas time and flakes of holographic snow fell softly through the air as couples held each other close and danced slowly beneath wreaths of holly in finely tailored suits and long trailing dresses. It must have been that time of year back on Earth and people were celebrating and finding joy despite the tragedy that had fallen to the planet only a month before.
Eddie felt like a rummy that had accidentally walked into a place that was far too classy for his brand of character. He was nearly stereotypical looking in his long brown trench coat, stretchy red suspenders, and thin red tie. Romney had once called him a man born out of time and Eddie took it to heart in the way he dressed. He didn’t care if he looked like a chump in a frayed jacket because Romney was standing beside him looking good enough for the both of them. Whenever the two were out at a formal occasion, his partner would often project a hologram of his old body, the way it looked before it was burned and buried a few years back.
Romney was tall and thin and good looking with blond thinning hair. Eddie always wondered why he never filled in the male pattern baldness in the projection, but perhaps Romney felt that if he started altering how he used to look then maybe he would get carried away and forget who he once was. That happened to a few people who had done the experimental digital upload and it was probably a slight fear that Romney carried with him in his new condition. As far as Eddie could tell, Romney was still essentially the same with the only difference being that he was finally able to think and act as fast as he always wanted to in life. He quickly scanned a suit that one of the patrons wore and copied it to his holographic projection with a few minor tint changes until Romney was easily the sharpest guy in the room and by the smug smile he had on his face, Eddie could tell that he knew it.
“Try not to sweep too many of these ladies off their feet,” Eddie warned with a smile. “We’ve got work to do, remember?”
“You work your way and I’ll work mine,” Romney said with a casual charm as a waitress walking by him gave him an approving look up and down.
“I think we’re talking about two different kinds of work,” Eddie joked. “Do you see Norah anywhere? It’s a bit too dark in here for me to see properly.”
Romney’s ghost pointed to a dark and discreet booth in the corner. “Over there. It appears she has company.”
“Probably some dumb chunk head trying to get her number again,” Eddie guessed.
“Try a beautifully alluring woman with caramel skin in a stunning cocktail dress that has one of those long slits going up her smooth and silky leg. She seems to be sharing a bottle of wine with your beloved Norah. They seem to be… quite engaged with each other,” Romney corrected.
Eddie smiled stupidly and adjusted his tie until it was straight. “Now that sounds like something worth writing about. Do you think we should investigate the situation further?”
“It couldn’t hurt,” Romney said slyly.
The two weaved their way through the small crowd and a gentleman apologized for accidently walking through Romney’s ghost. Once they arrived at the booth, Norah looked up at Eddie and Romney and gave them both an exasperated look.
“Please tell me that this is business,” she begged gently.
“When isn’t it?” Eddie asked with a lazy smile. “Is this a good time? I’d hate to interrupt a special evening between two beautiful ladies.”
Norah sighed with her elbow on the table and leaned her head into her elegant hand. She was beautiful and doll-like in a way and had always been a hit with the boys. At a glance, one would be led to believe that she was a teenage girl on the tail end of her goth phase with her pale skin and dark hair and long black attire covering nearly her entire slender frame. Most people never would have guessed that she was the owner of the only jazz lounge on Dusk and that she also had an underground railroad of contacts that were eager to lead the Dusk colony to better days.
“I like to get to know the talent that comes through this bar,” Norah said vaguely. “You two aren’t looking for autographs, are you?”
“I’m thinking about it,” Romney said as his ghost looked directly at Norah’s mystery guest. “You’re Brooke Holiday, aren’t you?”
Brooke smiled at Romney and nodded gently. “I am.”
“I loved your Rainy Midnight Dreams album,” he said with warmth. “I listened to it nearly every night before lights out back during the colonial war. Your beautiful voice and the gentle keys you emanated from your piano helped me forget my time in the corps.”
Brooke seemed to swell at the praise and her smoky eyes gazed into Romney’s soul. “I’m glad you liked it. Unfortunately, it didn’t do as well as I had hoped.”
“That doesn’t mean it wasn’t a masterpiece,” Romney said charmingly.
Norah sighed and let out a small defeated laugh as she gazed up at Eddie. “Would you like to join us for a drink? It seems like your partner has charmed his way into yet another private conversation.”
“Yeah, he’s good at that. You really don’t mind?” Eddie asked.
“I don’t mind,” Norah said. “Just be sure to sit next to me. The last thing I need is for you getting all handsy with my client.”
Brooke smiled wide as she gave Norah a mischievous look. “Is that all I am to you? A client? I thought we were hitting it off quite well just now.”
Norah nearly choked on a sip of wine as she felt a smooth feminine leg gently brush up against hers beneath the table and caught a glimpse of the flirtatious look Brooke was giving her. She tried to compose herself and repress a blush as she moved over and made room for Eddie. Romney’s mechanical body walked into a shadowed corner and leaned against the wall as he projected his ghost next to Brooke in the booth along with a classical looking martini in his hand.
“Hey, no drinking on the job,” Eddie jokingly scolded.
“I’ll pace myself,” Romney reassured him.
Norah groaned. “Great… A couple of boys playing make believe. What are you looking for this time, Eddie? Things have been kind of hectic ever since Sky Base 10 fell. I hope you’re no
t here to ask me to do all your work for you again.”
“You give me no credit,” Eddie said with his usual shit eating grin. “But yeah, I need you to find a guy for me. Major Tom, that old war hero that’s got a statue in the park. We’ve been knocking on his door for a few days now and checking out the usual places, but no one seems to know where he is. I’ve got one source telling me he died in the Sky Base 10 crash, another one telling me he’s around town, but not answering calls, and yet another one saying that he’s been working for Riggs Palmer this whole time. He seems to be a busy guy if all that is true, which is probably why I can’t seem to pin him down.”
Norah let out a small whistle. “Major Tom… That’s a bigger fish than you normally try to reel in. Usually, famous guys are easy to find.”
“Well, this one ain’t,” Eddie fumed slightly.
“Maybe you’re losing your touch?” Norah said with a lovingly cruel edge.
“Maybe,” Eddie agreed. “But if that’s the case, then what’s Romney’s excuse? He’s been all over the network and can’t find jack shit.”
Eddie and Norah turned to look at Romney and found him engaged in a whispering conversation with the beautiful Brooke Holiday. Eddie narrowed his eyes and had to wonder how Romney whispered when he was nothing more than a projection of light and he had never been brave enough to ask because he didn’t want to look like an idiot. He let out a discreet cough and let the starry-eyed couple know that their flirtatious habits were being observed.
Romney and Brooke broke away with wide smiles at being caught and as she let out a snicker, Romney quickly composed himself with a silly look on his face. “Hmm? Yes? Did I miss something?”
“Not really,” Norah said. “I’m just wondering if you two are slacking again. You guys seem to call on me quite a bit these days. You do understand that I’m not in the safest of positions, right? The problem with asking questions is that I get noticed and I don’t like being seen, especially by dangerous people.”
“Then why do you insist on being so beautiful?” Brooke asked enticingly.
Norah’s face betrayed her and she let out a smile as she tried to hide it behind a raised wine glass. “It’s all makeup and dim lights, darling. I’m absolutely hideous first thing in the morning.”
“Perhaps I should spend the night and find out for myself…” Brooke said with a smoky wink.
Norah snorted into her glass, half charmed and half embarrassed. Somehow Eddie’s smile grew even wider than it already was and he waved discreetly for Romney’s attention. “Hey, are you recording this, partner? I think we just landed ourselves a hot scoop.”
“Every word,” Romney said as he absently sipped his digital martini. “I can see the headlines now. The beautiful and elusive Norah Frost caught in a steamy romance with none other than the last of the femme fatales herself, Brooke Holiday.” He then leaned in close to Eddie and spoke in a secretive tone that could be heard by anyone with working ears. “Do you think we should go interview Miss Frost’s ex-husband? I think he’d have some interesting opinions about this turn of events.”
“Please don’t…” Norah said with a patient smile. “I’d almost be willing to do this for free if I thought you two were serious.”
“We’re just having some fun at your expense,” Romney said. “Is it going to be your fixed price as usual, or are you going to charge us for teasing you again?”
“I haven’t even said if I am going to dig around for your man or not,” Norah reminded Romney. “Looking for an old war hero may be more dangerous than it seems at a first glance. Knowing you two, you boys are trying to overturn a big old rock that is hiding a hundred dirty little secrets beneath it. Heroes and political figures are always drenched in controversy and conspiracy and I’m not sure if I want this on my plate as well as all the other issues I’m dealing with. There are whispers of the prison section having an uprising and in my opinion, keeping those walls from falling is a bit more important than finding a wayward soldier.”
“C’mon,” Eddie said with his best attempt at a charming smile. “We’ll make it worth your while. Romney and I can get things done for you.”
“You mean just Romney,” Norah corrected.
Eddie held his heart as if he had just been shot. “That hurts, especially coming from you, Norah.”
“Walk it off, you’re a big boy,” Norah teased.
She took another sip of her wine in thought and wondered what kind of favor would be worth finding Major Tom. As she calculated the risks in her head, she felt a nudge on her thigh and looked down. Her eyes went wide as she saw an offering of lacy red underwear on the end of some nyloned toes. She looked up at Brooke who was smiling fiendishly and then at Eddie and Romney who seemed completely oblivious to the situation. Her heart began to beat fast as she took the offering and shoved it into her pocket to put it out of sight as quickly as she could. As Brooke began to suck lovingly on an olive, Norah felt as though her eyes could not be tempted away by any other distraction in the universe at that moment. Without looking at Eddie and Romney, she spoke quickly to make them go away.
“I’ll find Major Tom for you two, but the price will be steep. Once I have the information, I should have a favor that will need doing. Now if you two will please excuse us, Brooke and I have some business to discuss in my office.”
“Just business?” Brooke asked slyly with a raised eyebrow over her smoky eyes.
Chapter 12 – Subtle Lies
“I hate psych evaluations… I feel like I’ve had too many people questioning my sanity over the years,” Erin said moodily as Joe finished changing her bandages.
“How many have you had?” he asked offhandedly.
Erin sighed. “Four or five, I think. I had two of them after my husband passed away. I didn’t deal with it all that well…”
“I can imagine,” he said sympathetically. “When were your other ones?”
“My first one was in my junior year in high school,” Erin said dully. “I was bullied a lot back in school because I used to be quiet and shy and instead of the school dealing with those girls properly, they put me into counseling where I was told that I was the one in the wrong for provoking them. It was their word against mine and they spun it like I was the one being mean and there were three of them all saying the same thing about me so, yeah, that’s how that went down. I may still be a little bitter about it…”
“That’s… completely idiotic,” Joe assessed.
Erin rolled her eyes and nodded. “Back then, Earth was drowning in bleeding hearts and everyone feeling the need to walk on egg shells around everyone else. You couldn’t say certain words on an ever-evolving imaginary list of taboo language without having a backlash of hate hitting you in the face and looking back on it now, it’s no wonder that society finally pushed back and brought us to the brink of nuclear war. People were just fed up with all the politically dishonest crap going on. I got swept up in it too for a bit, but I grew out of it pretty quickly. Unfortunately, not a lot of my friends did, and I had to sever some old ties for sanity’s sake. Honestly, leaving Earth was one of the greatest reliefs of my life… Oh, leaving Earth required another psych evaluation before I could go into space and yes, my old high school counseling sessions came up. Apparently, it had come out that my old counselor had been caught sleeping with some of the female students over the years and I was asked if I was one of them. I wasn’t expecting that curve ball to come flying at me, I can tell you that.”
“Did you?” Joe asked with a nearly hidden smile.
“No!” Erin said with an outraged laugh. “The thought never even crossed my mind back then. When they told me about his antics, it came as a complete shock to me. I couldn’t picture it then and I still can’t picture it today. I mean… He wore sweater vests and was very soft spoken and he had this sort of timidness to him. He wasn’t exactly a panty dropper and nearly everyone in my school just assumed that he was wildly in the closet. The most vivid thing I can remember about
him is that he had a picture of his cat on his desk and me and my friends spreading that information around like a disease.”
“I’m sorry,” Joe said with a laugh. “I know it was unprofessional, but I had to ask. I feel like I should be recording this for some reason.”
Erin let out a chuckle. “I know what you mean. I always seem to forget that I’m Doctor Singh’s specimen whenever I’m around you. You’re the only person around here that treats me like a human being. It’s kind of nice.”
Joe grimaced and he shifted uncomfortably. “No one around here thinks that you’re subhuman, Erin. Not even Doctor Singh. I know it’s hard to believe, especially after all the attempts on your life, but we all want you to pull through. It’s not just our job, but it’s our passion as well.”
Erin smiled with a dull look in her eyes. “Protect me from them all you want; the government will eventually land the final blow and there is nothing anyone in this hospital can do about it.”
Joe took her hand in his and gave it a squeeze. “Don’t say that, Erin… You may end up getting an appeal. I know it’s unlikely, but it could happen.”
“Yeah… and maybe monkeys will come flying out of my butt.”
Joe let out a deeply repressed snicker. “I’m trying to be serious here.”
“Me too,” Erin said. “I don’t like to drown myself in the delusion of hope. I find it to be a complete waste of time. You don’t go through the ringer like I do without developing a dark sense of humor and between you and me and Doctor Singh, it’s my coping mechanism, so let me have it. I have a choice right now between two ways I can conduct myself during my final days. I can either bite my nails in fear as I break down in terror, or I can try and spread a little joy before I go and hopefully be remembered in a positive light. I like making you smile, Joe. It makes me feel better about the way things are and it’s about the only thing I can do…”
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