Daniel propped his elbows on his thighs and leaned forward, watching him intently. "And?" he asked. "Did you figure it out?"
Kyle couldn't help a chuckle at that. It was devoid of joy, though. "In a sense. It kinda hit me when that sentence was passed on me and my dad just sat in the audience with no intention of saving my ass. It's human nature to hang on, no matter how hard times are. There's no romance in it. There's only survival instinct. And, no matter how advanced we are, when push comes to shove, we're all about the instinct."
"Damn, that's almost poetic," Daniel said, his tone slightly sarcastic. "I grew up with parents who cared. But that didn't stop me from wanting all the wrong things." He snorted. "I got accepted to MIT. My dad gave me an allowance for a year and I went on a bender. I woke up in a ditch, my friend's car totaled. But that wasn't the worst of it. I was so drunk I could barely stand, but somehow I made it back to my truck and drove home. That should have been a wake-up call right there, but I didn't get it. Not back then. I started to study, I got on well with everybody, and I had everything except money. I was going to get that when I was done. And I graduated with flying colors. My dad died before I could finish and that hit me hard. I vowed I'd finish and I did. On graduation night we went out to celebrate. On my way home, I plowed into this guy crossing the street and killed him instantly. He had money, he had family, he was some highly placed corporate guy. It didn't matter that I had my future ahead of me, though. They could afford good lawyers, I couldn't. And that was the end of it."
"That's fucked up," Kyle muttered.
"Maybe. But so is your deal. You're innocent. I'm not," Daniel countered before glancing over at Vinnie. "What are you in for?"
Vinnie sighed lightly. "Hit a guy a little too hard in a bar room brawl. He ended up dead and I ended up here. Won't say he didn't deserve it, but ..." He shrugged.
"That's harsh," Daniel said and meant it. "So ... you two knew each other before you came up here?" His gaze shifted from Vinnie to Kyle and back again.
"Nope. We just got talking on the ride up and kinda hit it off," Kyle said and gave Vinnie a smirk. "Are there any rooms available at this end?"
"Plenty," Daniel said. "You can have your pick."
"Outstanding," Kyle said and rose. "We'll just find a place to crash and then I wanna have a look around."
Daniel rose too, his expression a bit on the sinister side. "I wouldn't wander too far alone," he said, noted the look that Vinnie gave him and raised both hands in appeasement. "Not that it's for me to say what you should or shouldn't do. But if I were you, I'd stick to this dome for now. Get to know people here before you go any further."
"Sounds like Maya, doesn't it?" Kyle asked and winked at Vinnie, who smiled thinly.
Daniel looked a little at a loss there. "Maya?" he asked.
"The woman we talked to in the first dome. She kinda said the same thing, said we should stay there, not venture any further. I kinda think it turned out good, though," Kyle explained.
"Well, it's up to you. I'm just offering a friendly bit of advice here. I had a pretty bad time at first until Garry took me under his wing and taught me the ropes. Since then it's been smooth sailing ... or as smooth as it can be, considering the nature of this place," Daniel said.
Kyle nodded. "I'll take that under advisement. And Vinnie here will worry enough for both of us, won't you, Vin?"
"You bet I will," Vinnie agreed. "I don't like it here. Not one bit."
Daniel eyed the big guy for a moment. "I don't blame you. Best thing you can do is try and stay out of everybody's way and keep your head down. That's the easiest way to get by here."
There was no doubt that Vinnie would take those words to heart and Kyle figured it was a good idea to have someone around who might hold him back a little. He had been known to plow his way through situations that could potentially turn out really bad. "Thanks for the advice, Dan," he said. "See you around."
"You bet," Daniel said and let them go.
Vinnie followed Kyle out of the room and closed the door behind him. "Nice guy," he said, but sounded a tad doubtful.
"Yeah, I think he is," Kyle agreed, which seemed to remove the doubt from Vinnie's expression.
"Rotten deal, though, huh? Being sent to jail that young?" Vinnie shook his head in sympathy and Kyle couldn't help wondering how old the big guy actually was.
"I'd guess he's about twenty-six, maybe twenty-eight. Not that young," he said.
"That's young compared to me," Vinnie said and scrubbed a hand over his face. "I'm thirty-seven. Leigh always said I'd never grow up, of course. Maybe she's got a point there."
Kyle grinned. "Thirty-seven is no age, man. You've got a lot of life left in you."
That seemed to cheer Vinnie up. "Yeah, I guess," he agreed while they started searching for rooms to occupy.
***
The new pad
The room Kyle decided on was on the outskirts of this tiny all-male community; not that he had a problem with it being all male, but Kyle was fond of women and the thought that he might have to spend the rest of his life on this rock without ever again having the comfort of a woman to distract him ... well, that just wasn't something he wanted to consider.
He shook out the covers on the bunk, then settled down on it and sent a long look around the room. The table looked like it was wood, but on closer inspection he realized that it wasn't. It was some kind of rock, but it was fairly lightweight and he assumed the rock was from the Moon itself. The bunk was fairly comfortable, the covers fair; there was light and a closet which actually contained two sets of prison clothes although they weren't his size. He'd have to scavenge for a better fit or ask Daniel if he knew where he could get clothes. The ones he was wearing now wouldn't last forever and he did prefer to have clean clothes. That was the drawback of being the son of one of the most powerful men on Earth. He was used to better things than this.
"I can get used to this too," he muttered, halfheartedly trying to convince himself, and then slumped back against the wall and stared at nothing for a moment. How this place worked wasn't of any interest to him as long as it did work. As long as there was water and food and a place to sleep, he would be okay. Whatever he might need once his basic needs had been fulfilled was something he would have to worry about when he got to it. And there were women around; at least in the first dome. Whether any of them were interested in intimacy was a different matter. And if there was one thing Kyle would never do, then it was to force himself on a woman. Even though he liked sex as much as the next guy did, his libido wasn't overtly active. He could go any length of time without getting laid. And if push came to shove, he could take care of business himself.
"I will get used to this. Not like I've got a choice here," he told himself in a no-nonsense tone of voice and got back up. He needed to make a plan, to examine his options, and go with what made the most sense. "I need something to write with," he muttered and glanced around the simple room. "And something to write on," he added. There was no way around it. He needed to bug Daniel for the basic things.
On his way out, he knocked on the door of the neighboring room. "Yo, Vin? You in there?" he called.
After a second, the door opened and a somewhat bleary-eyed Vinnie met him in the doorway.
"You wanna come? I'm gonna head back to Dan's, see if I can get a hold of a few necessities. And where the bathroom is and where we might be able to get something to eat," Kyle said and forcefully tried to ignore the fact that Vinnie was showing evidence of having cried.
"Nah, I'm okay for now. Pretty tired. I think I'm gonna take a nap," Vinnie countered in a thick voice.
Kyle nodded. "You do that, buddy. I'll be back later." He took off in the direction he remembered Daniel's place was. All these rooms looked the same, but fortunately Kyle had a fair sense of direction and there was the added bonus of the numbers stenciled onto each door.
It did worry him a little that Vinnie was so emotiona
l. That could prove to be dangerous in a place like this. Sure, most men would think twice before approaching him in the first place because of the sheer size of the man, but once word got out that he scared easily and was emotional on top ... well, in a place like a prison, that was never a good thing; or so Kyle thought. This was his first time in prison and he had nothing to base his assumptions on other than pop-culture references. It was somewhat ironic that it would also be the last time he would land himself in prison, he thought, and came to a stop in front of Daniel's door. A swift knock wasn't answered in a timely fashion and Kyle had the feeling he was missing something here.
But then the door did open and Daniel stood there dressed in tank-top and loose pants and for all intents and purposes looked like he'd just gotten up. He eyed Kyle for a moment before sending a quick glance outside and then focused on Kyle again. "What's up?" he asked.
It struck Kyle that maybe there were no day and night cycles in this place. "Uh ... sorry to wake you?" he tried.
Daniel smirked. "You'll get the hang of it eventually. Most people here sleep whenever they want to. There's no difference between day and night. The light's always on," he said. "You need anything?"
This was something he hadn't considered and it took a moment to sink in while he glanced up toward the roof of the dome. Then he focused on the younger man again. "You know what? I'll come back later when you're rested. It's nothing that can't wait."
"The can's that way," Daniel said and pointed down the right-hand corridor. "Down the end and to the left. You can't miss it. The mess hall is to the right. If you're hungry but don't want to go all the way, there's a synth machine at the end of this corridor."
Kyle nodded. "Thanks. That'll tide me over for now," he said with a smile. "Sorry to wake you."
"No problem," Daniel said and yawned heartily. "When you come back, I can show you where you can get all the necessities. It's kinda hard to find your way around at first."
"Much appreciated. Good ..." Kyle glanced up at the dome and arched an eyebrow, "... well, night, I guess."
Daniel chuckled and closed the door while Kyle walked back the way he'd come. Now that he gave himself a chance to think about it, he was actually tired. Once back in his room - calling it that would take some getting used to - he switched the overhead light off and realized that the walls were slightly fluorescent; so no complete darkness. That was always a plus. He didn't much like complete darkness, never had.
Man up, Kyle. There's nothing to be afraid of in the dark. It's just your imagination.
He closed his eyes and sank down on the edge of the bunk. Even here, thousands of miles away from Earth, his father's voice could still reach him. "Shut up, you old fuck," he growled and stretched out on the bunk. Whether he would get any sleep this first night in his new 'home' was something he could not answer. Only time would tell.
***
The land of dreams
The party was long over, the guests had left, and all that remained was the haze of the cigarettes smoked - illegal ones, of course. Smoking was banned and could get you a fine of up to two thousand dollars if you were caught. Half-empty glasses and uneaten canapés littered every available surface.
Kyle Whitmore, playboy extraordinaire, man of the hour and reluctant center of attention, lay sprawled on the big couch and stared blearily up at the ceiling while trying to ride out the remains of the chemically induced high he had been riding all night. Pete had once again come through for him and brought him the required dosage to make it possible for him to get through this night without throwing up in a someone's fishbowl or making a complete ass of himself because he didn't know which way to turn to get away from these god-awful people who called themselves his friends and only stuck with him because his hands were deep in daddy's pockets.
In Kyle's opinion, Whitmore Sr. wasn't a man to be trifled with and most of his employees and self-proclaimed friends never saw more than the absolute minimum of what the man was worth. Kyle, however, could run free and do as he saw fit. And he did most of the time, even though he hated every second of it.
"You still with us?"
He blinked and focused on Pete with no small amount of effort. "Pete," he managed and tried a smile which he was sure failed. "How's it hanging, man?"
Pete the Dealer - or Kyle's best friend, as he thought of him - gave him a smile in return, but Kyle thought Pete looked a little unsteady; especially when the Albino glanced off toward the entrance with undisguised nervousness. "Not so hot, to be honest," he admitted and sat down on the edge of the couch next to Kyle's hip.
Kyle glanced at the closeness for a moment and snickered. Yeah, he was still high, but the buzz was wearing off and he knew he would be down in the dumps for the next week or so. "What's got you so blue, Boo?" he asked and snickered again. Stupid things were funny when you were riding the chem-train.
Pete made a face. "Remember that chick I picked up earlier?"
With a sigh born of exhaustion, Kyle propped himself up on his elbows and eyed his friend unsteadily. "Yeah?" He didn't remember her, but that was beside the point.
"She's ... dead," Pete muttered, his attention still on the door, his left hand resting on the back of the couch.
It took a moment before Kyle could actually understand that message. "Say what?" he asked, pulled himself backward a little and sat up. "Come again?"
"She's dead, Kyle." Pete focused on him, his oddly pale eyes eerie in the half-light of the room, before he glanced off toward the door again. "We were making out and ... it got a little wild. I was tripping, I think. Next thing I know, I'm straddling her, and got my hands around her throat and she's not breathing. I tried CPR, but ... she's dead."
Pete met his eyes again and Kyle didn't have to be sober to know the other man was scared out of his mind. Murder was the worst capital offense in this day and age and there was nowhere for Pete to go but to LPC. The thought of losing Pete and the chemicals he produced for Kyle sent a shiver up his spine. Good dealers like Pete were very hard to come by, and having to face the rest of his life without another buzz like the one he was still on, managed to knock back the remains of the high and send him crashing to the ground. "Son of a bitch. What the hell did you do, Pete?" he growled, pulled his feet off the couch and planted them on the soggy carpet. Someone had spilled something, but Kyle was in no mood to examine this closer. He was wearing shoes and so not in any immediate danger of getting his feet soaked in sticky syrup or whatever else it might be.
"I didn't mean to, man," Pete exclaimed and rose too. "It was just getting hot and heavy and ... man, I don't know what to do. I'll get caught. They'll send me to LPC. I don't stand a chance."
Kyle got somewhat unsteadily to his feet while his mind began to churn. "Look, let's just go check on her before you go off the deep end. Maybe she was just unconscious or something," he suggested and glanced around the gloomy apartment. For a moment he had no clue where he actually was. He couldn't remember which of his self-proclaimed friends had offered up his or her apartment for this party. Not that it really mattered; not now, not with this hanging over their heads. "Where is she?" he asked and grabbed a hold of Pete's shoulder.
"This way," Pete said and led the way to the back of the apartment and into a pretty big bedroom. The round bed in the middle was rumpled and a woman lay sprawled in the center of it, head turned to the right, her neck a patchwork of bruises. Her eyes were wide open and staring, her panties lay on the floor and her top had been torn apart.
Kyle eyed the scene for a moment before glancing at Pete. "This is gonna look like rape, man," he said and thought he saw something flit over Pete's expression. "Rape and murder? You're in a shitload of trouble, my friend."
"I didn't rape her," Pete said feebly. "It just got a little out of control and ... I don't remember it, man. I really don't. She was all into it, though. That I remember. Kept telling me to fuck her and do all sorts of weird shit."
The way their soci
ety worked, a man like Pete was already sentenced. They might not even bother with a trial, but would stick him on the next shuttle to LPC and that would be the end of him. Pete had no family to speak of, had no influence and no real money. All he had was what Kyle and others like him gave Pete for the chemicals he so easily produced. The man had a talent for drugs and that too would be a condemning factor. "Fuck this," Kyle muttered, climbed up on the bed and wrapped his hands around the dead girl's throat.
"What the hell are you doing?" Pete whispered hoarsely.
"Tell me you at least wore a rubber," Kyle said and sent a quick look over one shoulder. "Stop fidgeting like a school kid and answer me, Pete. I'm the son of one of the most powerful men on Earth. There's no way in hell that they'll send me to LPC. I'll get a slap on the wrist, my dad will pay off some of the officials and that will be the end of that. If they think you did it, you'll be sent away without a trial. And guys like you are hard to come by."
Pete ran his fingers through is white hair and focused his peculiar pale blue eyes on Kyle. "Yeah, of course I wore a rubber. Can't be too safe these days. But this ... man, if you take the fall for this ... what if they throw the book at you?"
This caused temporary hilarity until Kyle realized what he was in the process of doing. "They won't," he said calmly and was somehow convinced that good old dad would come through. Whenever Kyle got in a fix with the law, his father saved his bacon. He would have to listen to a tirade of cold harsh words for the next month or so and his father would probably go as far as trying to ground him, but that would be the length of it. This case was of course a little more severe than getting in trouble for drunk driving or smoking in public. He had never done anything like this before – and you haven't now, a small voice in the back of his head whispered. He liked women too much to consider killing them. And he could only assume that Pete was telling the truth.
Pete already looked a little more at ease. "Thanks, man. I think I would have killed myself if they'd sentenced me to that place. From what I hear, it's worse than Hell."
Dark Side of the Moon Page 4