Mercury Going Down

by Brambach, C. S.

  Finally it ended at the air lock near my shop. The same airlock I had collapsed in after my ordeal barely two weeks before. She ditched the bike and opened the lock and as I arrived a split second after her, shut the door.

  The locking mechanism clanged down as my hand touched the release handle.

  I called her on our implants comm link.

  “Give it up babe. You’re busted plain and simple.” My heart felt like an eight pound sledge hammer threatening to bust free of its handle and slam my feet.

  Peering through the window set in the door I watched her as she shrugged out of her suit.

  “What the fuck are you doing?” I asked, a bit incredulous.

  She had stripped naked. Her tats were glowing in dark tones.

  “I’m not going to Rehab honey. That would be the same as death, so I choose death.”

  “Gimme a break baby, they don’t actually kill you.” She rolled her eyes.

  “They might as well. I just can’t go on with all the pain and suffering I’ve caused and to think that my body will still be walking around, breathing, eating, drinking, shiting, pissing, fucking, sleeping, but it won’t be me anymore....I just can’t go on, I can’t bear the thought of it. I can’t face it.” I could understand. That’s what Rehab was.

  The total loss of all memory. They deleted the old you and replaced you with a hard working, complacent citizen. Devoid of all past life memory. It might as well have been death. Only your body lived on. It was less like stripping layers of old paint and varnish off of an old set of dresser drawers than more like ripping out old programs and deleting them. Like putting a new wire harness in an old car, or rerifling the bore in the barrel of an old gun. The old you was gone, you just looked the same. But you essentially died. You were ended. Gone. Dust. I stalled. Tried to draw her out. At least I could get some answers till Fonagy showed up and over rode the door commands. I was glad I had set my implant to record.

  “So what the fuck is this all about? What was the deal killing the Rev and Hugo?”

  She laughed a sad laugh.

  “God, there’s just never enough time. The Reverend and his wife were a diversion, to throw you off my trail. I had discovered the payroll discrepancy doing some work for Pete Simms. I thought if I could throw Security a bone they would be happy to miss me.

  You know, a diversion by throwing suspicion on Jim Simpson. I just turned off the alarms and turned on the gas with a delayed signal that I bounced all over the system. Those goons going after you, oh, who ever did that, and I suppose it was Pete, that was a master stroke. But you wouldn’t give up, you wouldn’t leave well enough alone.” She pinched her nose between her finger tips causing her breasts to jiggle a bit. Her tat’s were running to the red orange hues area of the spectrum.

  “Well come on honey, when people start dropping like fly’s, that tends to peak interest.” I told her frankly.

  “Yeah, Hugo, that was messy. That fuck tried to blackmail me. He had an inkling of what was up when he saw me using Pete’s computer one day and put two and two together. So when I ran into him on the way home from the shop, after the party, it was no big deal to stab him a few times cause he just pissed me off. Bastard grabbed my tits, and I had the Porters tool on me, I started carrying it when I started thinking about killing you outright. After I killed him I wrapped him in a camo tarp, I put on my camo suit and dumped him in the confessional. Then went back to the shop and cleaned up, then went home and did my thing.” There were tears forming in her eyes.

  “Where did you get the camo suit?” She shrugged.

  “Ordered it through Pete’s terminal in Supply. Made on base.”

  “And the Porters tool?” She smiled a guilty smile.

  “A docker who shipped out gave it to me for boffing his brains out about four months ago. Right before I started therapy with Susan.” Handy choice of gifts there.

  “So what was up with Fox? The company is all over that one, military applications. And Jazz? Did you really program her to kill me?” She looked at the floor.

  “Well, Fox and Jake, I just had to kill Jake, he was getting too close to tracking me down. And Jazz, well, I just couldn’t even consider trying to kill you myself. So I put the program out there and into her. But I was too rushed. I wasn’t able to build the safe guards into it, bounce it all over creation, cover my tracks as well as I had before. That and I had to launch it from my own cubicle. Jesus, not enough time. No time. But I’ll say this for you Drew, you overwhelmed her, she froze up when the trigger went off. If only I had known what you had in you, the true force of your heart and personality, maybe things would have been different.”

  “Maybe you should have looked harder.” I looked at her trying not to tear up.

  “I very neatly tried to frame Pete, using his console and all.”

  “He confessed to killing Jim you know. He figured the other killings would be a good smoke screen for his own misdeeds.” She nodded.

  “I’m glad you guys got the sleazy fuck.”

  “What I really want to know was, were you trying to kill Dave, or me, or Dave and me?” Looking through the window with a look of burning intensity. She bent and slipped a flask out of a pocket of the suit. Stood up straight and, after uncapping the flask, drank its content in three gulps.

  “What’s that?” I asked, slightly confused.

  “Imaginex.” Oh, man, she was going out high as a kite.

  “So, why babe?”

  “Well, Susan had cheered me up, had made me see the error of my ways, that I was a one woman kind of girl. Men are not the reason for my existence. So I thought, if I can get Dave and Drew out of the way, Susan will fall for me, I can be her knight in shining armor, and then with the insurance money we can settle down some where and live an easy stress free life.” So I was just chopped liver. “I was so proud of that piece of work, the way I bounced it around, made it look like it came from Dave’s work station. First the drone and then the timing of the whammy I put on the skimmer. I thought that was my masterpiece.” She looked at me with tear filled eyes.

  “It’s not that I don’t love you, it’s just that I love Susan, and the money, more. Hey,

  it was okay the you made her happy, I just didn’t want you making her that happy.” I put my hands on the glass and said,

  “I love you too. Maybe more than I ever admitted to myself.” She shook her head.

  “Shit, I wanted this to be quick. Enjoy the insurance credits. The big fat pile of them.”

  “Wait, Karen...” She had reached out and hit the outer door release and in less than a heart beat was sucked out of the lock.

  “KAREN, NOOOO!” I screamed as Fonagy and Lynette pulled up in the cart.

  Things get a bit hazy for a bit after that. Lynette helped pick me up from the floor where I was slumped in a sobbing pile. Yeah, she was a killer. And a premier nut job, but she was my premier killer nut job. And the only wife I had ever had. She helped me to the cart, hugging me and planting little baby kisses on the edges of my face while the Chief called HQ and told them the situation.

  He ordered some men to go out to fetch what was left of Karen’s body from the surface. Called the Med Center and told them that when the autopsy was done they should preserve her implant at all costs.

  Lynette took me to her place. I had her crack open some good vino and proceeded to get trashed.

  Despite the blur I remember calling Joe Suh and asking for some new lodgings. I gave him some rigamarole about all the sad memories associated with my old place. He agreed instantly and said the moving Bots would be at my place within the hour. I found out later that a dozen Robots had moved me out in less than an hour. I asked him for ownership of Jazz, once she was done with her ‘readjustment’ and he gave it his stamp of approval immediately.

  Later, Dr. Wali would call to let me know that Karen was six weeks pregnant. Which fazed me cause I was on the pill like all good company employees were supposed to be. I asked the Doc to see if he co
uld run a DNA trace on the fetus. He told me he would see what he could do.

  Later still I fended off a call from a reporter from the local news channel.

  “Mr. Dunn, Jill Stenson here. Care to comment on your wife’s untimely death?”

  “Not at this time, you can contact my attorney, Mr. Zacari, for a statement. Thank you.”

  “Sorry about your loss.”

  “So am I, thanks.”

  After that I called Bob Marsh.

  “Hey Bob.”

  “Hey Drew, what’s up?”

  “Well, I’ve got some bad news Bob. Karen’s dead.”

  “Oh man, I’m so sorry to hear that. How are you holding up?”

  “Okay, I guess, but I wanted to talk to you. I’m gonna need an extra couple of weeks if that’s cool?” Keeping the fingers crossed.

  “Sure, take all the time you need. So you’re thinking of coming back to work then?”

  “Yeah, I am actually. Ranjin wanted to talk to me about a bump up into Engineering, but I don’t know.” I heard him tisk tisk that.

  “Drew, don’t let yer slacker tendencies keep you from moving up. Those guys in Engineering have the tiger by the ass. You’d fit so well up there it’s almost a joke.”

  “You think so?” I was kind of shocked to hear this opinion from Bob.

  “Look Drew, you are a natural problem solver, everybody around here knows it. You just got comfortable down here and sucked into the routine. Look, it’s a good fit for you, the problems are bigger, more complex, but most of them are right up your alley.”

  “Sure, I guess.”

  “Guess shit. Call me next week and I’ll set up a meeting with you, me and Ranjin. Take all the time you need. All right buddy?”

  “Sure, thanks Bob.”

  “Take care Drew.” We hung up. I was surprised. Lynette saw the shocked look on my face.

  “What is it my darling?” I told her the gist of my conversation with Bob.

  “Well of course it would be a good fit for you.” She said with assurance.

  “How so?” I asked, curious.

  “Well, I did peek into your profile and, if you didn’t know already, you have a very unique ability.”

  “I do?” Hell, I just wanted to work to take my mind off of all my shit.

  “Yes, you do. Most people fall into one of two categories. They either have the ability to analyze the big picture and take it down to the details, or they can look at the small details and build it to the big picture. You are able to go either way. From the small to the big, or the big to the small. That is very rare.”

  “Huh, I never would have thunk it.” She put her hands on my face then and kissed me.

  Just then I had a call from the President of the company.

  “Drew, have you got a minute?”

  “Uh, yes sir, how are you?”

  “Fine, fine. First sorry about you loss, despite the troubling circumstances.”

  “Thank you sir, I must confess I’m still at a loss about the whole thing.”

  “Be that as it may, I just wanted to let you know that Chief Fonagy has kept me informed as to your huge contribution to the solution of this whole case and I just wanted to take the opportunity to let you know that I’ve made a significant contribution to your accounts. Think of it as a reward for the exposure of the Robots scam perpetrated by Jim Simpson and Pete Simms. Your exposure of these circumstances has led to a significant savings for the company. A finders fee of ten percent is I believe appropriate.”

  “What are we talking here if you don’t mind my asking?” He chuckled.

  “Just over one million credits.”

  “Wow, thanks.”

  “Oh, yes and I’ve instructed Repairs to expedite the return of Jasmine 2337 to you, she’s yours, lock stock and barrel.”

  “Thanks, that’ll make her very happy.”

  “Just a heads up, we think the power charger connection for downloading programming may have some wonderful applications. Now you sign a waiver for any new technology that you create while working for the company, but with your wife’s demise, you will get a share of any profits that the applications of that technology she created will generate.”

  “That’s very decent of you Boss.” He chuckled.

  “Think nothing of it. While I’m on the subject of rewards, I’ve also, for all your sacrifice for the company, given you another ten thousand shares of preferred company stock.” Whoa, that was worth a cool million, million and a half. I was quite literally blown away.

  “You’ve literally blown me away.”

  “Don’t mention it, we take care of our own. I may have a job for you on Venus, we have a situation brewing there, but I’ll give you the details once you’re back on Earth. We’ll talk more once you’re on the ship back to Luna.”

  “Uh, boss?” That I was asking a question seemed to phase him a bit, but he was a pro and he snapped right to attention.

  “Yes Drew?”

  “If I’m going to be working on similar problems off world, I was wondering if I could have Jake Chee assigned to assist me? And maybe Dr. Lynette Barber as well.” Lynette looked and me and went from frowning to smiling. Dimples.

  “Jake shouldn’t be a problem. As for Dr. Barber, she is already due to be transferred to Venus in about two months.”

  “Great. Well, I look forward to talking to you once I’m off planet.”

  “Take care Drew.” Lynette had started to nibble on my neck. One more call I had to make.

  “Hey Susan, how you doing baby?” She was just barely awake.

  “Oh, Drew, darling, you’re alive!” She sounded happy to hear from me.

  “Yes I am. But Karen isn’t.” I gave her the quick scoop on the situation.

  “It’s for the best, really Drew.” She commiserated.

  “You don’t miss her?” I asked, a little shocked at her cold heartedness.

  “She killed Dave, she almost killed you and she damn near killed me. Fuck her.”

  “I must say I respect your perspective on this.”

  “So when I get out of this tank, what are we going to do about it?” She asked before yawning.

  “Well, first we should go out and have us a night on the town and then you should think about moving in with me. I’ve already been moved into a new larger more updated unit, making a get away from the old memories don’t ya know. Get to know each other better.”

  “That would be good. Especially since I’m already in love with you.”

  “We’ll talk more after you’re out of the tank. Now get some sleep.”

  “Night.” She said.

  “Sleep tight.” I hung up. The thought of making it with Susan was starting to make me hard. My memories of the good times I had had with Karen were swiftly being banished by the thoughts of alternating nights with Susan and Lynette. With Jazz around to help.

  Before I could dredge up the playback of Karen asking me for a kid and then start down the downward cycle of wondering where it all went wrong Lynette, who was busy by this time freeing me from my coveralls murmured something to me.

  “Oui. You and Susan would make a good fit. Which is bon. I make a much better mistress.”

  Later, balling the shit out of each other, Lynette riding me in the cowgirl, hands tweaking her own nipples, head thrown back, moaning loudly in French I remembered the old line.

  The best way to get over somebody is to get under somebody else.

  12.

  Been There, Back Again

  The fire inside burns hotter than the fire outside.

  -Henry David Thoreau

  Day 82

  Today was the day. We had finally had our shipping orders come through and we were off the planet. Sayonara Mercury. The winged messenger god in full retreat. We, meaning only Jazz, Susan and I rode up out of Mercury’s weak gravity well strapped into thickly padded shock absorbing seats in our cabin.

  We only had to endure like two to three G’s on lift off. Another one o
f the nice things about leaving a low G planet. I would have preferred to sleep through it but I always remembered the old saying, ‘Take off’s and landings, takeoff’s and landings.’ That’s when most crashes happened and still do. So I tend to get a little, eh, keyed up.

  Soon the throbbing rumble of the enormous rockets died down to stillness and my stomach made a few flip flops as I experienced the lack of gravity first hand.

  Despite the administration of copious amounts of dramamine to ease the inevitable onslaught of space sickness, Karen, on the way out, had never felt the appropriate wanton desire to have sex in zero G. Susan had told me that Dave had felt the same queasiness on the way out also and so had never gotten any on the way out either. Hence, as soon as the Captain announced that it was safe to unstrap, we, meaning all three of us, were up out of our seats and unvelcroed out of our clothes and going at it. Jazz had been returned to me after a month of analysis and repair. Her memory was intact, but the zapped programming had been deleted. She had undergone some slight cosmetic changes as well. What Bob Marsh referred to as ‘Revamping’ with a quick wink. Basically he had enlarged her tits by four sizes and her ass by two. Not that I was complaining. She still loved me and would die for me if I required it. Which I wouldn’t.

  The best way to get over someone is to get under someone else. And getting under Susan and Jazz, seemed like a good way to take the edge off. I had been getting under those two, alternating with Lynette, the good Dr. Barber for the last 69 days. As barbers were the original doctors, I can only say she had the right therapy for what ailed me. Hot, sneaky sex. After everything that had happened, Susan didn’t like sharing me. We had formed a tight bond over the last couple of months and she even relegated Jazz to the spare bedroom after she had moved in with me in the new pad, after she had been released from the Med Unit.

  Susan was the one good thing to come out of the whole ordeal. The one tangible link to Karen that was any good. I had left all of Karen’s art on Mercury with the exception of her sketch diary. Given it to friends or donated it to charity auctions. It had been hard traveling the corridors of the city with so many of her murals on display.