Living in Syn

by Bobby Draughon

  Mission smiled evilly and said, "You're right, Doctor. Will you work with me on it?"

  Now Susan's smile was wicked. "I think we can come to some arrangement."

  Several possibilities ran through his mind and Susan seemed on a similar wavelength. Then Montag and Pierce arrived and it was time to put some effort into the diagnostics.

  The four of them sat down at one of the tables in the cafeteria. Carson looked at his food and said, "Montag, you don't know how lucky you are, not having to eat."

  Montag stared and then replied, "You don't have to eat."

  Everyone nodded slowly and then there was silence again.

  Mission said, "Okay, why don't we each summarize what we saw, and then we can talk about plans for this evening?"

  When they finished, Mission said, "So Carson, you saw two people and they were syns. Montag you saw none, Susan you saw one, and I saw maybe forty. But no one in the entire mining complex before the crews came back. I don't get it. If Susan hadn't told me the population before we came, I'd estimate there are a hundred people here. At most, I would say a thousand because of the mining crew rosters, if we can believe them. Something’s wrong with this picture. Maybe they’re confined to quarters until we leave. I don't know.”

  Carson nodded. “It’s what we do in the military. If a big wig is visiting, we show ‘em only the folks we want him to see. Everyone else is given leave or confined to quarters.”

  Now Susan nodded. “It’s the same everywhere. You don’t want to give auditors and critics any ammunition. You show them only what they specifically asked to see, if even that, and then send them home.”

  Mission sighed. “So this doesn’t strike you as suspicious? In fact, you guys are telling me this is what you expected?”

  Carson and Susan looked at each other and nodded. Finally Mission nodded too and said, “What should we look at next?"

  Carson said, "I need to go back to Hub D with a pressure suit."

  Montag said, "I still have three locations to explore as possibilities for a synthetic repair facility."

  Mission nodded. "And I have to take a look at the refining plant."

  He turned to Susan and said, "I was thinking that you ..."

  Montag interrupted. "Mr. Mission? I strongly suggest that we adopt tactics that employ a higher degree of safety. Our current method places each of us alone in a potentially hostile environment. I believe we should work as a group and carry armament sufficient to repel a worst case attack."

  Pierce grinned and turned to Mission. "I like this guy better than most of the people I know. He’s right."

  Mission nodded. "Yeah, he is. I guess we all would agree that safety is more important than speed. In that case, I recommend us working in this order. Montag's three locations first, the refinery second, and manufacturing third. And I say manufacturing last because borrowing pressure suits, getting them on and checking out their operation, and then moving about while trying to maintain a defensive posture will be …difficult. Are we happy with eating at six and then doing our sightseeing?"

  Everyone agreed and they returned to the drudgery of the diagnostics.

  When they completed the diagnostics for the day, the group moped back to their rooms. Mission walked Susan to her room. Once she opened the door, she turned to say good-bye and he swept her up and through the door. He kicked the door shut and they crashed into the wall, kissing passionately. Somehow Susan managed to wriggle out of the Paradox coveralls she was wearing. They were so consumed that only after fifteen minutes did the bed occur to them as a location.

  Afterwards, they reclined on the bed, both somewhat amazed by the strength of the feelings that surfaced. He ran his hand down the side of her face and over her lips.

  Susan sighed and said, "We have to be at dinner in fifteen minutes."

  "Then we have fourteen more minutes in bed."

  "Okay."

  Susan propped her head up on by resting her chin on her palm. “So how do you celebrate holidays?”

  He knew he hadn't heard correctly. "What?"

  "Holidays, there’s one coming up. I go to visit my family, we have roasted turkey, catch up with my brother and sister, with my parents, that sort of thing. How will you celebrate?’

  "I don't really celebrate holidays. Well, except for Edgar Allen Poe's birthday. Holidays are a family thing. I don't have any family to celebrate with."

  "Sure you do. You have Troy and Julia."

  He shook his head. "No. They're far away and ….we just don’t celebrate together."

  "Why?"

  "I ... I wasn’t around much. And when I was, I was probably a little stern.”

  Susan looked at him. "I bet you were pretty good. And why do you think anyone else is any better? People have to balance work and a relationship with a spouse and parenting and who knows what ... I think we can work on this one."

  Mission managed a half smile. "I like the we part. I can’t believe I’m saying this, but let's dress and get back out there."

  At the cafeteria, they talked defensive strategies. They didn't want to alert anyone to their intentions, so they would not go fully armed, but they would bring everything they could carry unobtrusively.

  Montag said, "My primary duty is to protect Dr. St. Jean, since she is not armed. As a result, I would propose that she and I stay inside the file while Major Pierce and Mr. Mission cover the front and rear."

  They all nodded and Carson looked at Mission and said, "Whatcha got under the trench coat, fella?"

  Mission smiled and said, "It's true. You really have to let the best straight lines sail on by without comment. I have the Glock, my battery pack, an ultrasound grenade, and three interrupters."

  Susan said, "Well, now that we are all prepared for a quiet, innocent walk, where are we going?"

  The group put away their trays and as they moved into the hallway, Montag said, "We must examine a room in the middle of living quarters for the miners. A 21 08 is the location."

  Again, as they moved through the settlement, there was almost no sign of activity. It started to wear on Mission. He had seen episodes from the Twilight Zone. Each time they explored, the feeling became stronger that something very strange, akin to a Zone episode, was happening.

  He shook his head and tried to clear his mind. He remembered that the best way to dispel all thought is to talk. "Does anyone know anything about the quarters here?"

  Carson said, "Yes, I came across the terms of the contracts the miners sign. The standard calls for a double room. You can elect to have a private room about the same as ours, for $300 less pay per month. And if you're really looking to stash some cash, you can live in a barracks and collect an extra $250 a month."

  There is one private room inside each barracks for a Housing Chief, usually a crew chief who collects extra for the duty. I don't know, I guess they keep the guys from setting each other on fire."

  Mission grinned. "Nah, nothing like that. But if someone does set one of the guys on fire, the Chief makes them put it out and clean up the mess."

  Carson looked back at Mission. "Something like that. Anyway, they have something similar to the Housing Chief on each of the hall segments with the single and double rooms."

  Montag said, "This hallway section is the first of the living quarters. We should reach our location in about five minutes."

  Mission shook his head as they made their way down the hall. "No obnoxious signs, no trash in the hall, no nudie pics, no doors open with loud music blaring, not even the strips of white tape by the doors with the occupant names penned in. I see no evidence these quarters are occupied."

  They came to their target room and the closed door stared at them. Carson started to pull out his weapon and Mission shook his head no. Then he pulled his coat back with his left hand to show that he had his right hand on his Glock. He took up a position to the right of the door and motioned Carson to the left. Susan hugged the wall behind Mission. Montag gradually applied force to the door handl
e and slowly, and quietly pushed it open.

  Mission swung in quickly to find ... an empty rec room. A state of the art rec room. On one end hung a wall size vue screen with theater type seating for sixteen. There were several Virtual Reality setups, and a library of over a hundred different VR games. Computer access to video, book, and music libraries. And the reason for the huge data channels. This place picked up a video feed from Earth with all 800 channels.

  Curiouser and curiouser. A bunch of young miners with no place to go outside the city, have an incredible facility for entertainment, and no one is there.

  "What's next Montag?"

  "Now we must travel to the B Hub to a room inside the hub proper."

  It occurred to Mission that this exercise felt very much like the simulated mountain ranges in the health rooms. It kept them just busy enough to obscure the fact that their position hadn't changed in the least.

  43

  They gathered back at the cafeteria, discouraged.

  Susan said, "I feel like an archaeologist here, exploring this perfectly preserved structure that hasn't seen life for hundreds of years."

  Carson nodded. "But one thing we know is real, is the metal they produce. Two different companies compete for the business of hauling the metals back to Earth. All their records show this settlement produces way over their quota."

  Mission sighed. "You know Carson? You look like you could use a drink. How about we walk Susan and Montag back to their rooms and I'll buy you one?"

  Susan said, "Mission, you are as subtle as electroshock."

  "Hey! This isn't personal, but these settlement bars can get pretty rough. If they see you, they’ll think you’re a new pleasure model, they’ll take you and then throw some change on the floor."

  "Well, since you put it that way, I guess I'm going to my room."

  Montag said, "Mr. Mission, I could ..."

  "Sorry Montag, but I don't think you're ready either. Don't worry, this place will probably be a bust, just like everything else."

  When Mission and Pierce opened the door to the bar, the room blasted them with sound. The music consisted of a pulsing bass line synchronized with the percussion backbeat. One of those newly manufactured sounds cut above the rhythmic shock waves. Mission saw an interview where the programmer described it as the sound made when amputating a women's leg with a circular saw without anesthesia. Funny. That's how Mission described it too. The difference being that Mission considered that a negative while the programmer saw it as a good thing.

  Perhaps ten customers occupied the bar which could hold 200. A syn pleasure model sat on a small table as the two men rubbed parts of her anatomy. A few more customers were scattered about and there was ... Denman.

  Carson saw him too and said, "Perfect, just perfect."

  Mission shook his head and then shouted in Pierce's ear, "Let's talk to him. We couldn't learn less than we have so far."

  Carson shrugged his shoulders and they moved over to Denman's table. Mission pulled a chair over and straddled it backwards. The pleasure model Denman talked to turned to greet what she saw as potential customers.

  Mission shook his head, put up his hands and said, "No, don't even bother. Why don't you take a fifteen minute break and then you two can bargain some more?"

  She smiled and said, "Okay. But I could give you a special rate for the three of you."

  "Lady, after you do Denman here, you couldn't pay me to touch you."

  She moved off toward the recesses and Denman said, "You invite yourselves over and insult me before you even speak to me?"

  Mission said, "Yeah, well I didn't see any use in waiting. Spoken to Atwood lately?"

  Denman sweated profusely. It seemed he always did. He mopped his forehead with a handkerchief.

  "No, and no schedule yet for the mining inspection."

  Mission smiled. "You know, we went sightseeing and came across the refinery bay and it appeared to be password locked. I mean you'd think it would be open. It's just a big empty room most of the time. Isn't it?"

  "Just sightseeing huh? Like I'm only researching pricing strategies for hookers."

  He stared at Pierce and Mission for quite a while. "You know, I got some suspicions, but I don't have the full story on what your little party is looking for. If you're here to squeeze me, or Pioneer, you'd better go back home."

  Mission said, "No Dick. The only reason I care about you is because I don't know why you’re here."

  "Maybe ... maybe. But that's okay. I mean I don't trust you, you don't trust me, and Atwood don't trust neither of us, and I bet neither of us trusts Atwood." He stirred his drink with his finger and then downed it.

  Then he smiled that drooling smile and said, "But that ain't no reason for us to stay out of the sandbox. It just means we're all gonna play real careful. And I think I trust you guys a little bit more than Atwood when it comes to seeing that refinery."

  Carson said, "But you ..."

  Denman held up his hand. "I know, I know, I know what you're thinking. But I have my reasons. If they don't want me to see it, then I really want to get a peek. Eh? But if they are actively trying to keep me out, then I'm scared to go in. See? So if I go with four other people, things are different. You can kill one guy and throw him out the airlock. Environment failed in his room, he had a heart attack going from zero to one atmosphere, all kinds of stuff. But it gets a lot harder to explain five deaths. Okay? And even if they tried, old Mission here is just dying to pop somebody with that Glock. And I know that if he's packing, then a soldier boy like you is too."

  He winked at Carson. "So I’d feel safer going in there with you. And me. I can open that door for us. No trouble."

  Mission and Carson stared at him. Denman rolled his eyes and said, "You guys trying to bluff me? You got shit, and we all know it. This is the best offer you've had since you got here. So ... 7:00 tomorrow night? I'll meet you at the cafeteria."

  He smiled that disgusting smile again and said, "Now get the hell out of here. I'm trying to get laid without taking a second mortgage."

  He cupped his hands to his mouth and yelled, "Hey sugar britches! Talk to me."

  Once they were outside, Carson shook his head and said, "I don't like it. I don't believe anything about that sleaze."

  "Yeah, but he's right, it is the best offer we've had. Let's put it to the group tomorrow morning."

  Carson nodded and they headed toward their respective rooms. Mission knocked on Susan's door and she answered it smiling. She wore a robe and Mission's imagination romped gleefully through the possibilities of what lay underneath.

  She said, "Mr. Mission, please come in."

  "Why thank you, Dr. St. Jean."

  "I take it you consider your trip to the bar a failure since you appear to be undamaged."

  Mission sat down on the bed and started removing his weapons. "I think you are smearing my reputation with these inferences. You of all people should know that I recover 80% of my targets without a struggle."

  Susan frowned. "So, you're inferring that you only acquired this preoccupation with suicide since you became serious about me?"

  Mission grinned. "No, I think it's you that are drawn to men you perceive as masochistic."

  She showed him a new look by thrusting out her lower lip in a pout. Mission instantly decided he liked it. In fact, he liked anything that drew attention to her mouth. In a southern accent she said, "So you do think I'm a terrible person, don't you? Miss?" She laughed and he pulled her close.

  "I think I want this assignment finished so I can focus on my personal life."

  She looked up at him and said, "I do too."

  "You know what I want to do when we get back to Earth?"

  He whispered in her ear and she laughed and then flashed her mischievous smile.

  "Well, you know, the place is deserted. And I have a beach towel we could hang across the shower for privacy ... "

  Mission was impressed. "Lead on madam. I am yours to command."
r />   "Well, that's an interesting notion in itself."

  Later, they sat on the bed together. Susan watched a news feed from Earth to keep up with current events. Mission refused to watch news and instead thought about Denman's offer. He kept working further and further down through the possibilities. Finally, he realized that Susan was talking to him.

  "Huh? Oh nothing really. Just wondering about Denman's offer, if we should go along."

  "Do you really think you can trust him?"

  "No, but his point is well taken that there are benefits for both sides in going together. It's not even such a terrible scenario if he is setting us up. It would clarify a lot of issues instantly. And I tend to think that the only scenarios that hurt us will result in similar damage to the Dick. Believe me, either Carson or I will stay within arm's reach of him at all times. And I don't think Denman's going to risk his life."

  Susan frowned. "This still sounds dangerous to me."

  "It is. There are hundreds of unknowns. For instance, it appears that he and Atwood are adversaries. But if Atwood approached him with a better situation, he'd sell us faster than light travels."

  "Well then, why do you want to do this?"

  "Because we're in the same boat. If Atwood approached us with a deal that got us what we want in exchange for setting up the Dick, we'd probably do it. I think that Atwood has to play this hand without alliances, and the Dick and our group can play together this once."

  Susan looked worried. "What if, what if, what if ... ?"

  "I don't think Denman is setting us up. But you hope for the best and prepare for the worst. I don't care how it looks tomorrow, I'm taking every weapon I can carry."

  44

  There was no way Carson could sleep yet. As he walked rapidly through the halls, he realized he was headed toward another hour long session running the mountain ranges. If nothing else, he was going to be in kick-ass shape by the time they got back to Earth. He glanced at the cafeteria as he passed it and saw…a very familiar profile. He smiled at himself. When you want something badly, you begin to see it everywhere. From behind, with her hair up in a bun, that woman looked like….Vivienne!