The Pinnacle

by Gary Moreau

  Slowly, with repeated efforts, Casey managed to position his fingers and code in the proper sequence. In a moment, the analgesic disk was ejected from the cube. Casey lay back on the pallet, breathing heavily. When he caught his breath he spoke. “Would you mind applying the disk, or is that beneath your dignity?”

  “Why you let yourself get like this I’ll never understand.”

  Glancy picked up the disk and pressed it onto the skin of Casey’s chest, next to the blue disk he always wore. Glancy continued, “I have a theory about you. You never attend to your appearance, nor do you treat your degenerative arthritis and other ills. I think you want to suffer. I think you feel guilty about killing Mitch Klaus. Shit happens. The goal in life is to make certain that when shit happens, it happens to someone else. The first time you kill someone it feels like a big deal. At least that’s the way it was for me, but you get over it.”

  The pain easing chemicals diffused into Casey’s body. He was still aware that his head ached, but it was a distant sensation. He studied the smiling young man before he spoke.

  “Shit happens,” Casey said.

  Glancy nodded.

  “And the next time I kill someone it won’t be such a big deal.”

  “You got it, doc.”

  “Good God. I’m training a sociopathic killer to be a physician.”

  “That’s kind of harsh. You should be more careful or you might hurt my feelings. I didn’t say I liked to kill people.”

  “That is so reassuring.” Casey massaged his temples and began muttering. “My God, I’m living in a nightmare.”

  “Didn’t catch that. What’d you say?”

  “Nothing. What happened?”

  “You tell me,” Glancy said. “I stopped by and you were gone. If that little dog of yours hadn’t been creating such a ruckus in the hall of sleep, you would no longer be with us, as they say. It took an effort, but when I finally managed to pop open the capsule, wouldn’t you know it, there you were, curled up in the bottom and looking rather grim. I’ll grant you this; you do have a certain resiliency. I guess if someone really wanted to do away with you, he’d have to be a bit more direct. Who did it?”

  Casey considered for a moment before he answered. “I don’t know.” It was a soft whisper.

  Glancy continued. “I guess you don’t have any shortage of suspects, do you?” And then laughed heartily.

  Casey drifted back to sleep. This time it was a more peaceful slumber.

  Glancy took up a position outside Casey’s portal.

  Later that day, Lisa came by for her camera. Glancy peeked in at Casey and saw he was still asleep, so sent her away, despite her indignant protestations. Lisa had become more secure about her position in the colony hierarchy and, as a result, was openly assertive, even threatening, but Glancy wasn’t impressed. He knew where the real power in the community resided.

  When Casey reawakened, he was unsure if it was morning or evening. His little dog, which had been curled at his side, jumped up when Casey first stirred. By the time Casey’s eyes were open, the dog was wagging its tail with abandon, nose to nose with him. He found he could move without much pain, but his joints were always stiff. Although momentarily light-headed, he was able to gain his feet by the time his portal swished open.

  He expected to see Glancy’s smiling face, but was disappointed to see the bland and rigid Sten Olson.

  “Get clean. Slater wants to see you,” Olson ordered.

  “Good morning to you too, Sten, if it is morning.”

  Olson didn’t respond.

  Casey took his puppy with him while he attended to his needs in the personal room. He thought about Olson and Yamaguchi, both were so reserved, yet so different. He imagined that if he looked closely enough, he would probably see a seam along Olson’s side, like those antique, vacuum-formed dolls he had seen in a museum, completely empty on the inside. The thought brought a smile to Casey’s face. He exited the personal room and turned to face Olson, statuesque in more ways than one.

  “Hey, Sten, I need to clean up after my puppy before we go. If you help it wouldn’t take nearly as long,” Casey said, still smiling.

  “If you choose to live with shit, that’s up to you, but you’re coming with me, now. And, if that scurvy beast jumps up on my legs, you won’t have to worry about cleaning up after it ever again,” Olson added with a snarl.

  Casey bent and gave the dog a quick little scratch behind her ears before straightening. “Stay, Marta.” The dog crawled forward. “Stay!” Marta’s tail stopped wagging and she sank to the deck.

  Casey judged that he had probably pushed Olson’s patience to the limit, so he walked toward the portal. As he neared Olson, Olson reached out and grabbed Casey’s arm, squeezing much tighter than he needed to, and jerked Casey through the portal with him. Despite the analgesic patch, Casey felt a dull thudding in his head while he was pulled roughly along the corridor and literally tossed into the up-tube.

  When Casey bobbed out of the tube and onto Deck One, he saw Yamaguchi standing in front of Slater’s portal. He stepped aside to let Casey pass, but when he moved, it was a blocky movement. His gracefulness had deserted him. Casey looked up at the man’s face as he walked past. Yamaguchi’s lips were compressed and he had a deep crease at the base of his nose. He didn’t speak to Casey, but it was obvious that Yamaguchi was suffering terribly. He needed help. It couldn’t have been more obvious than if Yamaguchi had fallen on his knees in tears.

  Casey refocused his attention when he entered Slater’s cubicle. He was relieved to see that Sabine was not present. Jane Veck was standing at the array of screens along the rear bulkhead, but she had her back to Casey. Glancy was leaning on the bulkhead to Casey’s left, his ever present smile gracing his face, but Slater was the one to whom Casey’s gaze came to rest. Slater was sitting at his console, his hands held with fingertips touching, as if deep in contemplation. It was nearly a minute before he spoke.

  “For a person who always espoused the virtue of non-violence back on Earth, you certainly bring violence out in others.”

  Casey was about to respond, but Slater held up his hand. “Please, don’t interrupt. You have caused me great inconvenience and a huge waste of resources. I have had to assign my staff to constantly look after you. I ease up on your protection, just a little, and look what happens. Do you still think my people are only around to spy on you?”

  That brought a one-sided smile to Casey’s face. He sheepishly scratched under his collar before answering. “No.” He could have elaborated, but didn’t want to give Slater the satisfaction.

  “I understand you’ve been wanting to talk with me. I agreed to see you today, despite the fact that you characterize me as a self-serving tyrant, because I wanted you to know how pleased I am with the progress you’re making with Glancy, and because, inexplicably I might add, Jane asked me to.”

  The unexpected support deeply moved Casey. He looked over at Glancy, who nodded in recognition, and then turned his gaze to Jane, but she kept her back toward him so he couldn’t see her face.

  “Thank you,” Casey said quietly, “but, to be honest, it’s not just my efforts. Padrig has proven himself to be a worthy student. I have every confidence he’ll become a first class physician.” He didn’t look back to Glancy, but if he had, he would’ve seen Glancy’s typical smile grow, until it involved his entire face.

  “I’m glad to hear that,” Slater said. “Not surprised, but glad that you’ve been able to recognize Padrig’s true intent and potential. In fact, he told me you went so far as to suffer a cut on your scalp, just so he could get some practice with the skin-fuser.”

  Casey smiled wryly and again looked to Glancy, who responded by pantomiming a tip of an invisible hat. When he returned his gaze to Slater, Slater appeared serious.

  “As our Chief Medical Officer, you should be made aware that a high percentage of our females are pregnant,” Slater said as a matter of fact.

  “A high percentage?�
� Casey asked.

  “Well, actually, all the females are pregnant. Isn’t that incredible?” Slater said rhetorically.

  Casey glanced sharply over at Jane, but she refused to turn and made as if busy at the screens.

  “Incredible isn’t the word for it,” Casey said. “Impossible is more like it. How”

  “Now, Casey, don’t start,” Slater said sternly.

  “What if” Casey began.

  “What if?” Slater again interrupted. “That’s all you ever say. Your ‘what if's’ are like a swarm of hornets, making you jump this way and that. It’s part of the reason you’re so ineffective. I deal with ‘what is’, not ‘what if’. It’s a fact. Deal with it.”

  “All right, Commander. There is much to be done. I’ll get started today.”

  “That’s the rub, Casey. There is a strong sentiment among the crew that you’re not worthy of trust. They are reluctant to place their well-being in the hands of a psychotic killer.” Slater chuckled as if it were a joke. “No, this is not an appropriate task for you. Your job will be to emphasize Glancy’s training, so that he’ll be competent to handle this particular aspect of health care.”

  All the warmth and goodwill that Casey had been savoring was gone in a flash. “I attend to my special needs. I’ve demonstrated nothing but tolerance and a desire to help since planet-fall.”

  “Give them time,” counseled Slater.

  “Time? How much time do I need to give? I’ve given nearly my entire life already, to all the colonists, including you, Slater.”

  “When are you ever going to come down out of orbit? Try to see things as they are. Be more accepting. You cannot simply wish the colonist's suspicions and ill will away. Try to be a little less eccentric. They’ll come around.”

  “You mean try to ignore the fact that this whole colony is based on a fallacious reality? Ignore the fact that the entire colony has been transformed from vigorous, questioning humans into docile animals?” Casey leaned forward, shouting the last sentence.

  Slater took a deep breath and leaned lazily back in his chair. “You are so excitable. You should increase the dosage of your medication. Calm down.”

  “Calm down? The hell I will! Have you seen Wheeler up close?” Casey asked.

  “Is that what you wanted to talk to me about?”

  “Yes, among other things. Have you seen him, up close?”

  "Of course I’ve seen him. Wheeler is the chief nutri-tech and, as such, he does attend our weekly executive meetings in the Main Dome. Other than the fact that he has a bad back and stands during the meeting––”

  “A bad back?”

  “Oh, come on, Casey. Now you’re suspicious of colonists who have back pain? Give me a break. Wheeler is doing a very solid job. For instance, he’s already provided supplemental nutrition for the women. Now what do you have to say? Has it occurred to you that your paranoia has only been partially treated, that you’re still sick in the mind?"

  Casey sagged back in his chair. He couldn’t help but doubt himself. Was he still insane like everyone seemed to believe? He thought about the photographs and stole a glance at the legs of his suit, crisp, bright, white. Was this a hallucination, or was his vision inside the capsule a hallucination? They could not both be reality. He felt heavy with fatigue, but wasn’t ready to surrender just yet, a spark of resistance still remained. He looked up; Slater was smiling smugly, his elbow on the desk, resting his chin in the palm of his hand.

  “What have the geo-techs discovered?” Casey asked.

  “After an extensive and careful evaluation of the data, all of their expectations have been verified. This is a virgin planet with extensive untapped mineral resources.”

  “Why does it never rain, yet the grass remains green and abundant?” Casey asked.

  Slater snorted and pounced on the question as if he had been waiting for it. “Gao Min asked herself that very question. She theorized that there was an underground water flow and her instrumentation verified that theory. Furthermore, every one of their speculations on the local flora has been confirmed. Eden has fully met our expectations.”

  “Truly amazing,” said Casey without emotion. “A new planet, with alien life, and no surprises.” It was beginning to make sense. Casey was beginning to see the outline of a pattern.

  “Anything else, Casey?”

  “Yes, as a matter of fact. I have hard evidence that we left Earth over two thousand years ago. What do you make of that?”

  “Yeah, you already told me that. I asked Jarmo to take a look at his instruments. I told him there was probably something wrong with them and, as it turned out, it was exactly as I predicted—an instrument malfunction. That skull fragment is no more two thousand years old than I am. Now you, on the other hand, look like you could be two thousand years old.” Slater laughed.

  “Don’t make a joke out of this, Geoff.”

  Slater let the familiarity pass.

  Casey continued. “The stasis crystals show deterioration. Believe me, please, there is something terribly wrong.”

  Slater ignored Casey’s comment and turned toward Jane. “Are you satisfied now, Jane?”

  Jane smiled at Slater with immoderate affection. “Thank you, Geoff.”

  He redirected his attention to Casey. “You have a lot of work to do, Doctor Conklin. Think about my suggestion concerning your medication. This interview is over.”

  “I have a request,” Casey said.

  “Why am I not surprised?”

  Casey ignored the comment and continued. “If you decide to continue my protection, I would like to have Mister Yamaguchi assigned to me.” Casey paused, and then added, “I think he needs help.”

  Slater frowned. “You’ll get whoever I can spare and I’ll decide if Mister Yamaguchi needs help, not you. Now get out of here.”

  Casey stared at Slater for a moment, and then got stiffly to his feet. He turned his back on Slater and shuffled through the portal. As he passed Yamaguchi, he whispered, “I think I can help you. See me when you can.” He walked on by and then glanced back. He could not tell if Yamaguchi had heard or not.

  Chapter 26

  Glancy pushed away from the bulkhead after Casey had left. “I’ll be going.”

  “Wait.” Slater swiveled around toward Jane. “Sweetheart, would you leave Padrig and me alone for a few minutes?”

  She smiled her thin smile and nodded her head. “Of course, dear.” She followed after Casey and walked through the portal, onto the bridge.

  After the portal closed, Slater focused his gaze on Glancy. “I want you to push that old man. I want you to squeeze every last drop of information out of him, but I want it done quickly. There’s something repulsive about him. He’s not like us. He’s not one of us. Haven’t you sensed that?”

  Glancy answered slowly, thoughtfully. “Yes, I know what you mean, but you do have to give him credit. He’s cranky and there is something about him that grates on me, but he seems to be a real master of his profession and has been freely sharing his expertise with me. I may not like being around him, but I’ve come to respect the old guy.”

  Slater’s voice was cold. “Get this straight, Glancy. As soon as he’s given you all he has, kill him! I don’t care if you make it look like an accident or not. I want that man dead.”

  Glancy said nothing.

  “What’s the matter? Is that white suit making you soft? You forget, I know your real history. You’ve killed many a man and at least one woman for far less reason than this. Do you have a problem with my orders?”

  Glancy stood still. He had never experienced even a minor reservation before. It was simple to kill another human.

  “Well do you!” Slater shouted.

  “I understand and, no, I don’t have a problem.”

  “Good. I want you to escort that creep back down to Deck Two and begin the next phase of your training, today. I’ll send relief by later.”

  Glancy didn’t move.

  Slater s
tood. “Get going!”

  Glancy turned away and headed out the portal.

  “And send Jane back in,” Slater called after him.

  When Glancy walked past Yamaguchi, he saw that Casey and Jane were talking.

  “I want you to know, Jane,” Casey was saying, “I’m very happy for you. The joy of your pregnancy actually makes you radiant.”

  Jane grinned and rested her hand on the small bulge of her abdomen.

  “I also wanted to thank”

  “Come on, Conklin. We don’t have all day.” Glancy's voice was unusually harsh.

  “Thank you, Jane,” Casey finished, and then walked across the bridge to join Glancy at the down-tube. He took one last look back, and Jane smiled at him just before she re-entered Slater’s office. Yamaguchi remained as he was.

  Chapter 27

  Casey began to feel the thud of a headache breaking through the masking of the analgesic disk. Six solid hours of intensive review of maternal physiology was about as much as he could take.

  “Padraig, that’s about as much as I can handle for today. So if you have other duties, why don’t you go? Tomorrow we can pick up from where we’ve left off. I’m sure I’ll be all right as long as I stay in the lab.”

  Glancy touched his com-collar. “I’m ready,” he announced and, after listening for a moment, added, “I’ll wait until he arrives.” He leaned against the counter. “Casey, you could do me a favor.”

  “I could, could I?” Casey said as he reached down and picked up his puppy.

  “This place smells like dog shit and wet hair. Do you think you could increase the circulation and deodorize the place a bit?”

  Casey chuckled. He’d become accustomed to the odor. “Of course, Padraig, I’ll be happy to. By the way,” he added, “do you know who my companion will be tonight?”

  Glancy nodded. “Sabine.”

  Casey stopped stroking Marta and became still.

  “Don’t worry. He won’t hurt you without Slater’s approval and right now you seem to be in his good graces, wouldn’t you say?”