Killswitch

by Victoria Buck

  “Come on, Mom. You can’t be serious about that. You’re as bad as Mel.”

  “Well, you can’t stay with him—you’ll need to get right back here. He needs to have someone with him, Chase. Someone he knows. We’ve become close friends. And I want to go.”

  Amos had closed his eyes. What would he think about dragging her along? Chase huffed. “You’ll need to get permission from the boss.”

  His mother smiled. “How are we getting there, son?”

  “Assuming it’s we, I’m working on it. I met a funny guy called Shorty who owns a hearse. That’s how I got to Gagnon when I was injured.”

  “Kind of morbid—putting a sick man in a hearse.”

  “It may be our best option. He’ll be more comfortable than if we try to move him in a livestock truck.”

  “All right. Whatever you say. So you’ll make the connection from the command center tonight?”

  Chase smiled. “No need for that. I just made it. Waiting for a response.”

  She shook her head. “Wonder of wonders.”

  “I need to talk to Mel. You OK? You need anything?”

  “A couple of the young men have been helping me. If you see Michael or Joseph, ask if one of them can come in about an hour from now. I’ll go to my room and get a few hours’ sleep.”

  “OK.” He bent to kiss her cheek. “I can’t believe you talked me into taking you. You’re stubborn. You know that?”

  “Where do you think you got it from?”

  Chase left for his room. But he slowed his pace. “God, is this the dumbest thing I’ve ever done? I planned on waiting a while.”

  He found his door open and Mel resting in a chair, her eyes closed. He left the door cracked and knelt in front of her just to watch her.

  After a minute, she opened her eyes and smiled. “Hi.” She blinked and sat up. “How’d it go?”

  “Between the pain and the codeine, I’m not sure he understood everything I told him. But he knows what we’re planning.”

  She wiped her eyes. Worry swept over her face, but she didn’t argue about the plan. “What did you want to talk about?”

  Chase didn’t answer. He only looked at her.

  “You’re scaring me.”

  He reached to take her hand. “I don’t want to scare you, Mel. I want you to trust me. I need you to know I never want to be apart from you. And I think there’s a way I can show you.” He paused.

  “I’m listening.”

  He kissed her hand before he rested his head on her knee and closed his eyes.

  She ran her fingers through his hair. “Chase?”

  He lifted his head and looked into her dark eyes. “Marry me. Tomorrow. Before I leave. Then you’ll know I’m coming home. There’s no way I’d let anything stop me from getting back to my beautiful wife.”

  She breathed in. He couldn’t read her expression. Shock? Doubt? Then she tilted her head and smiled.

  “Tomorrow,” she said. “Yes.”

  He wrapped his arms around her. “It’ll be a great day. The best day ever. I love you, Melody.”

  51

  By morning all the residents of Blue Sky Field had one goal—to orchestrate a wedding. What could possibly have them working so hard? They had no means for preparing a grand event. This would be a simple ceremony officiated by one of the ordained ministers. Nevertheless, platters filled with finger sandwiches and fruit seemed to come out of nowhere.

  Some of the ladies joined together to craft a white coverlet into a gown. Chase had nothing suitable to wear. He never planned on a wedding devoid of a designer suit, a proper venue, and the best caterers.

  “What am I thinking?” he prayed out loud. “I never planned on a wedding at all. Chase Sterling would not approve of any of this. Good thing he’s no longer with us.”

  Then he had a wretched thought. He had to talk to the bride.

  He found her in her room, struggling to rearrange the furniture.

  “What are you doing?” he asked from the doorway.

  She stood straight and brushed back her hair. “Oh, nothing.”

  He hurried into the room and nudged the door closed behind him.

  “Leave the door cracked,” she said.

  “Mel, we’re getting married in an hour.”

  She folded her arms. “Well, we’re not married yet.”

  He pulled the door open. “I had an awful thought. Is this even legal—getting married in the underground?”

  “You want to apply to the WR for a permit and wait six months?”

  “I just want it to be official.”

  “We have a document. We sign it. Witnesses sign it. The pastor signs it. We say our vows before God. It’s official. And it is binding. And we don’t have a process in place to dissolve what’s binding. So, you in?”

  He lifted her off the floor and swung her in circles.

  “I’m in,” he said. “Nothing like an impromptu wedding to make a transhuman come unglued.”

  She put her hands on his chest. “Whatever happens, we’re in it together. You and me. And the Lord is with us.” She pulled away. “Now get out.”

  “What?”

  “Do I look like I’m ready to get married? Go get Amos a chair. He says he’s feeling better and he doesn’t want to miss this.”

  “I’m going.” He pulled on the door. “I don’t think anybody’s making me a suit and tie out of an old bedspread.”

  She let out a laugh. “But you are going to shave. Right?”

  “Yeah, of course.” He smiled. “Don’t you want me to help you with whatever it is you’re doing? I’m super strong, you know.”

  She pointed at the door. “Out.”

  He left her for a trip to the bathroom, where he showered and shaved, though he hadn’t planned on shaving. Back in his room, he pulled on a clean shirt and black jeans. The best he could do. Before he had a chance to follow instructions concerning Amos, a rush of information entered the exoself. The data. Chase didn’t understand much of it. He sent it to Mel’s work station.

  In Amos’s room, he asked his mom to go and tell Mel to take a look at the files.

  “But she’ll be getting ready,” Mom said. “Can’t it wait until after the ceremony?”

  “I’ve postponed the transport—Shorty’s not coming until two in the morning. That gives me twelve hours with my bride. We’re not going to spend our honeymoon—”

  “Enough said.” Mom bounced on her toes. “Have I told you how happy I am?”

  “A couple of times. Now go give Mel the message. If you want to go on a road trip, she’s got to see that data.”

  “All right, son.”

  She left the room and Chase devoted a few moments to Amos, who did seem a little better. The man laughed about the twelve-hour honeymoon. Chase got him up and dressed, helped him to the meeting room, and propped him in chair.

  Others arrived. Switchblade—the best man—joined Chase in a circle of guys offering advice and joking about Chase’s change of heart regarding the timing of the nuptials. Mom took a seat beside Amos. Chase spoke with the pastor—an older man who’d been elected to officiate by the two younger ministers.

  When he’d gotten a minute’s worth of pre-marital counseling, he joined his mom and Amos. Fifteen minutes until the wedding.

  “Mom, did Mel get a chance to look over the data from Robert?”

  “I think she’s still looking. She’d better hurry it up.”

  “Maybe I should go check on her.” Chase rose from the chair.

  “You can’t do that, Chase. I’ll go.” Mom headed away from the oddly festive meeting room. White paper flowers bloomed everywhere. A table against the back wall held an elegant display that included a little white cake.

  From the platform, Switchblade called to Chase. “Charlie, get on up here. It’s almost time.”

  Mom returned and took her seat. Every resident of Blue Sky Field waited. A boy pulled out a little flute and began to play a tune. Chase had never heard it. Bu
t even without lyrics, the exoself supplied the name of the old song: “Great is Thy Faithfulness.”

  Young Finley entered the room. Her only mark of being the maid of honor was a bouquet of paper flowers. She stepped lightly up the aisle formed by careful placement of old white resin chairs and took her place on the other side of the pastor.

  Melody stepped into the room with no one to give her away. Her make-do dress hung loose off her shoulders. A strand of pearls graced her neck. She smiled, seeming to glide toward Chase.

  A power tool blared above them, but no one seemed to care. Mel took Chase’s hand as they stood before the gray-headed pastor with reading glasses perched on his nose.

  He welcomed them to the sacred altar. “Friends, today we come to encourage these who’ve chosen to commit their lives to one another and to bless their union.”

  The matter of reciting common vows happened too quickly. Chase wanted to slow the man down.

  But the preacher rambled on. “Do you promise to love, honor, and cherish her until you are parted by death?”

  Chase had more to say. And so he answered with the unexpected. “Not exactly.” He grasped both Mel’s hands and faced her.

  She laughed. “Then tell me what it is you’re promising.”

  He wanted to reach into her soul. “You are a blessing I don’t deserve. I regret the time I knew you and cared about you, but didn’t know you were my gift from God. He changed me and now I know. I’m so glad you’re mine. Until we are parted by death? No. I love you forever.”

  She breathed in and squeezed his hands. “Forever.”

  The pastor asked if they had rings to give each other.

  Mel shook her head. “Maybe someday.”

  Chase slipped the pouch from his pocket and opened it. He held up Mel’s hand and dropped his parents’ rings into her palm.

  “Chase, where did you get these?”

  “From my mother. She likes you.”

  A ripple of soft laughter rose behind them as Chase placed the ring on Mel’s finger. A tear fell down her cheek as she lifted his hand and slipped the band onto his finger.

  He bent close enough to feel her breath on his face, but Switchblade smacked his arm. “The man didn’t say you could kiss her yet.”

  The whole assembly laughed and the pastor lifted his hands. “By all means, you may kiss your bride.”

  Chase pulled his wife close and softly kissed her lips. Then her sweet smile filled him. Together, they faced the cheering residents of Blue Sky Field.

  The hugging from wedding guests went on longer than the ceremony. But soon everyone had a plate of treats concocted, no doubt, from hash and old bread. Chase cut the little cake and fed a slice to Mel. She returned the gesture. Not nearly sweet enough, the cake tasted more like a big biscuit with waxy cream on top. No loss that there wasn’t enough for everyone.

  Chase led Mel to a corner and kissed her. “Hello, Mrs. Redding.”

  She ran her hand up his arm. “Do you know how many women wanted to marry you a year ago? I kept a file of all the proposals from your fans.”

  “Thanks for not marrying me off to one of them.”

  “I’m no dummy.”

  He lifted the string of pearls from her neck and then dropped it back in place.

  “One of the older ladies loaned them to me.”

  “Mel, did you look over the data from Robert?”

  She lowered her gaze. “Yeah. I think it might work.” Her eyes met his. “But I’m speaking as someone trained in A.I., not as a doctor. Something could go wrong. Not to mention it could harm you to give up too much blood.”

  “Robert said a pint or two won’t matter. After that I’ll never do it again. I promise.”

  She tilted her head and huffed before fixing her gaze on Amos. “He needs to rest up for later.”

  “So we have your approval?”

  “You have my consent.”

  “I’ll get Switchblade to help him to his room. Do you think all these people will notice if you and I disappear?”

  “If they do, there’s going to be a lot of giggling from Finley and company.”

  Chase laughed as he motioned for Switchblade and asked him to take care of Amos. Then he put his arm around his bride and walked her to her room. The door was wide open. More paper flowers adorned the table beside a double bed.

  “This is why you were moving furniture? Where’d you get the bed?”

  “I’m the boss around here. I get what I want.” She kissed his lips. “This is our room now.”

  He walked to the bed and glanced back at her as he rubbed his moist palms against his jeans. He thought he felt the rapid beat of a heart that never altered its rhythm.

  Mel gave him a smile. “Now all the rules have changed.” She reached behind her.

  And then she pushed the door shut.

  52

  The command center was normally deserted after midnight. Not tonight. Chase sat with Mel at her station. Nearby, Switchblade monitored the world up top. Others milled around checking on security and travel conditions. Mom sat with Amos near the hallway leading to another hall that held the only exit left from Blue Sky Field. It’d be a chore getting Amos up the stairs and out the hole behind the dumpster. Shorty would meet them at the end of the alley.

  Chase watched his wife as her fingers moved over the keypad before her. But then she stopped typing. A tear fell on her cheek.

  Chase leaned forward and grasped her hands. “No, sweetheart, don’t cry.”

  “I just wish we had more time. I want to go with you. It’s our wedding night and you’re going off with your mother. That’s not right.”

  “I’d prefer to leave her here, but Amos likes the idea of having her there while he recovers.”

  “If he recovers.” She pulled her hand away and wiped her face.

  Switchblade pulled a chair close and dropped beside Chase. “If anybody ought to be going with you on this outing, it’s me. Leave the women folk behind, Charlie.”

  “I told you I’ll feel better knowing you’re here, Switch.”

  “How you getting back? You’ll be on your own. I don’t like that.”

  Mel rested her hand on Switchblade’s arm. “I don’t like it either.”

  “Look, I’ve still got a flight pack,” Chase said. “I’ll travel at night and I’ll be back in twenty hours.”

  Switchblade shook his head and breathed out one of those obnoxious snorts.

  Chase narrowed his eyes. “Could we have a little time alone?” He jerked his head to one side, hoping the man would get the hint.

  “I’m going.” He left them, mumbling about “another asinine idea.”

  Chase grabbed hold of Mel’s hands, pulled them to his lips, and filled them with kisses. “Twenty hours. I’ll be back and we’ll pick up where we left off.” He couldn’t help but smile.

  She frowned but then a quivering smile overtook her. “Can’t we just put this off for a couple of days?”

  “Our transport will be here soon and Amos is getting sicker.”

  “You can tell from the touch?”

  “Yes.”

  Her eyes lighted on the computer screen. “I’ve been working on something since you got that God-forsaken exoself back in you.”

  “Mel, that’s harsh.”

  “I’m sorry. It’s who you are—I know. And I love you. And all your inner workings. Well, this is kind of a wedding present for you and Sparky. I’ve been reworking the entry point of the code I put in you.”

  “Nineteenth processor, second factor.”

  “Yes. I think I’ve got a Bible ready for you. Concordance and study guides too.”

  “What’s a concordance?” He shifted from Mel’s code to general intel. “Never mind, I’ve got a dictionary.” He found the meaning but not the Biblical application. What did it serve the government to extract Christianity from the cyber world?

  “It’ll help you understand the Bible better,” Mel said. She pushed a few keys and then loo
ked up at Chase. “Well? You got it?”

  Chase sparked the processor. He shook his head. “Only the few Psalms that led me to your code.”

  Her shoulders sank and she stared at the screen. “I’ll keep trying.”

  He put his arm around her and rubbed her back. “I know you’ll get it.”

  She reached to the other side of her station and grabbed a VPad. “You take this with you so you can answer me when I ask the exoself if you’re still alive.”

  “I’ve got a little present for you too.” He sat back in the chair and closed his eyes. “Type a message to me.”

  Her fingers clicked against the keypad.

  Chase opened his eyes wide and then jerked his head from one side of the command center to the other. “Uh, Mel, you didn’t need to get so personal. Delete that.” He smiled. “But first, watch the screen.”

  She kept her eyes there and then brought her hands to her cheeks. “You can answer me. How?”

  “Just another development in my…in me.”

  She reached for his hand as she stared at the screen. “It’s wonderful.”

  “Yeah, but don’t talk to me like that anymore. Not until I get home.” He bent near to kiss her.

  Mom joined them, and Mel’s eyes showed a hint of panic as she reached forward and punched the delete key.

  “Hi,” she said. “Mom.”

  Mom put her hands on Mel’s shoulders and kissed the top of her head. “I know you must feel bad about me going off with your groom. Doesn’t seem right.”

  Mel cocked her head and raised her brows at Chase. Then she said to Mom, “I know Amos wants you to go. And I need to stay here and do my job. It might be a while before the two of you can return. You all right with that?”

  “Whatever happens, we’re all under the watchful eye of the Lord. We’ll be back together soon enough.”

  Mel nodded. “It’s almost time. Isn’t it?”

  “Yes. Some of the men are helping with Amos. Chase, you can meet us in the upper hall whenever you’re ready.” She left them.

  Chase fell into his wife’s dark eyes. He’d never be ready. “Don’t come up with me. Let me say goodbye here under Ciel Bleu Domaine. There’s nobody left in the room but us.”

  She rose from the chair. “But—”